Review: 'Three-and-a-Half Heartbeats' by Amanda Prowse (2015)

Grace and Tom Penderford had a strong marriage, a comfortable home in the Hertfordshire countryside, and a healthy baby girl. They were happy. They were normal.
But soon after Chloe turns three, tragedy strikes. A disease called Sepsis claims the life of their daughter, devastating their little family. The Penderfords had never heard of Sepsis - a cruel, indiscriminate disease that claims a life somewhere in the world every three and a half seconds. Now, with their world crumbling, they must mend each others broken hearts... and try to save their marriage if they can.
To find out more about this tragic disease, please visit www.sepsistrust.org. All the proceeds from this novel will go straight to the Sepsis Trust. By buying it, you will help in their battle to save lives. Thank you for making a difference.
Over the past two years or so I've had the pleasure of receiving several novels by author Amanda Prowse for review, such as 'Will You Remember Me?' (click here to read my review), 'Christmas for One' (click here to read my review), and 'A Mother's Story' (click here to read my review). Amanda manages to write incredibly heartfelt and captivating novels and I always look forward to sitting down with another one of her works. On the 10th of September, her next book 'Three-and-a-Half Heartbeats' will be released by Head of Zeus and this is a very special novel. All proceeds of it will go straight to the Sepsis Trust and it was written to make more people aware of what sepsis exactly is. If you want more information, please visit: www.sepsistrust.org.
Grace and Tom Penderford have it all: a beautiful home in the Hertfordshire countryside, a loving relationship, and a wonderful baby girl named Chloe. Grace really enjoys her busy full-time job, but sometimes wishes she'd have more time to spend at home with her family. But then Grace and Tom's life is completely turned upside down when a disease called Sepsis takes three-year-old Chloe away from them. Both Grace and Tom had never heard of the disease, but are now suddenly forced to continue their lives without their beloved little girl in it. This is one big challenge for the both of them, and one that also tests the strength of their marriage.
Another stunning and powerful read by Amanda Prowse and undoubtedly one that will stay with readers for quite some time to come. Amanda decided to write a novel about the relatively unknown disease Sepsis which claims a life somewhere in the world every three and a half seconds. I also had never heard of Sepsis before I picked up this novel, but the emotional story has made sure I will never forget about it. Like in her other novels, Amanda's writing style is really descriptive and gripping and she manages to paint the perfect scene for Tom, Grace and their little daughter Chloe. The love between Tom and Grace was just wonderful and Chloe's actions and sayings made me smile each time. It was horrible to read how the couple suddenly loses their daughter and how they are forced to continue their lives without her in it.
Amanda Prowse's novels are always full with emotions and feelings and this one is definitely no different. As much as it made me smile at the start, just as many tears rolled down my cheeks as the story progressed. I don't even want to imagine what it would be like if something like this happened to me or my family or friends, so I want to applaud Amanda for writing a novel about this disease and spreading the word about it. The more people who know about it the better, so please pick up this novel and share it with those around you. 'Three-and-a-Half Heartbeats' is an incredibly emotional, powerful and heartfelt story about a family dealing with a tragedy; beautifully written and captivating, and a book with a really important message at its core.

Rating:8,5/10

  For more information about this book: Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads

Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.