Rea-Valentine believes she has always been the girl in the corner, constantly being outshined by her sister and later her best friend, as well as her husband and his loud and wealthy family.
On the night of their 25th wedding anniversary party, Rae’s husband gives her some devastating news. This news breaks her trust in him and threatens their marriage.
To me, the entire story was obvious, and I could have easily predicted the ending. ( )

This book was a nice surprise. I was expecting light and fluffy and was greeted with complex emotions and strong female characters. Rae-Valentine is one of the most lovable main characters I've encountered in a while. She is humble, kind, selfless and full of life. Her reaction to adversity and betrayal was entirely relatable and inspiring. I can't believe this is my first Amanda Prowse novel--I'm obviously late to the party! Looking forward to reading more of her books!!

Thank you to netgalley for my free copy in exchange for an honest review. ( )

I was excited to read this latest novel by Amanda Prowse having been lured by the attractive cover design and the very relatable premise of a woman who feels the need to re-evaluate her whole life, following her husband's guilty admission of his betrayal.

In the opening chapter, we are introduced to sixteen-year-old Rae-Valentine Pritchard, who is quiet and shy, when she meets the very confident, loud and gregarious Dolly Latimer, at College. The two girls quickly become best friends and are inseparable teenagers, laughing and joking their way through life. Dolly arranges a double date for the two of them, her brother Howard and his friend, Vinnie. Rae and Howard, so in love, get married two years later.

From her modest life in the suburbs to a splendid Georgian house in North London, Rae is now a devoted wife and mother to daughter Hannah and her son, George. Following a surprise party in celebration of their silver wedding anniversary, Howard confesses to a shocking betrayal of their marital vows that totally shatters Rae. She is forced to take stock of her position as wife and mother and also her role as a general dogsbody to the Latimer family restaurant business. Will her relationship with her best friend Dolly be affected?

Rae starts to think about all her teenage dreams that she once had - training as a chef and island-hopping in Greece. Can Rae give up on her shattered marriage, live life for herself, and be the real Rae-Valentine?

The planned anniversary celebration trip to Antigua still goes ahead, however, Dolly travels with Rae, instead of Howard. Dolly's divided loyalties and a handsome and friendly, young barman are just the starts of matters becoming even more complicated. In Antigua, Rae contemplates the possibility of continuing with her marriage and what this might mean for her friendship with the enthusiastic Dolly. A reconciliation with Howard may be much more difficult than everyone thinks.

This is a wonderful story for anyone who has always felt that they were 'the girl in the corner' at every social occasion or even for just being the quiet and reserved middle child in their own family, with which I can personally identify. Amanda Prowse has a lovely writing style that captures Rae’s tormented soul beautifully. I also liked the way other issues were explored, in particular, Rae’s parents and sister, Debbie-Jo, who felt like the humble relations compared to the wealthy and successful Latimers. Howard’s betrayal is the catalyst for all of the years of unspoken emotions, forcing Rae to face her feelings of being second best in the Pritchard family.

The Girl In The Corner is a hugely compelling, mature and thought-provoking piece of women’s fiction. Well paced from the very beginning and quick to get into the heart of the story, the novel has great depth and plenty of humour, however, I thought the ending was slightly rushed.

Overall, The Girl In The Corner is a well written, emotive book about love, loss, friendship, family and following your dreams that I highly recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for an advance copy of this book. ( )