Portobello Book Blog

You might remember that I reviewed Anna by Amanda Prowse about a month ago. (You can read that review here.) Billed as One Love, Two Stories, it told of the love between Anna Cole and Theo Montgomery from Anna’s point of view. Now we have the story told from Theo’s point of view.

Having read Anna, I was really keen to read about Theo’s story, not just to find out his take on their relationship but also to learn more about his childhood. He came from a very rich background yet his childhood was not happy. His parents frequently fought and seemed to have very little time for him. His time at the same boarding school his father attended was far from happy. Theo was a shy, sensitive boy who didn’t share the same passion for sport as his father and was regarded as a ‘weirdo’ by the boys at school. Thank goodness for the caring groundskeeper Cyrus Porter, whose kindness made Theo’s time at school bearable. This compassion was something which stayed with Theo throughout his life and one of the scenes towards the end of the book involving Mr Porter and the positive impact he made on many people’s lives was especially poignant.

Although I already knew much of the story of Anna and Theo’s life together, it was still a pleasure to read from Theo’s perspective and get a deeper understanding of what was going on for him and why he acted as he did. I was also pleased with the way the story concluded as when I finished Anna, I really felt I wanted to know that little bit more about how their story progressed. Theo gives us that ending, rounding off their story in an uplifting and hopeful way.

My thanks to Amanda and Simeon Prowse for my review copy of this book. Theo is available now as an ebook with the paperback to follow later in the year. You can order a copy online here: Theo

From the back of the book

There are two sides to every love story. This is Theo’s.

Theo Montgomery grew up in a rich family where he had all the toys and trinkets money could buy. But his childhood was full of neglect and he was bullied at school. Now he is an adult, he longs to find a soulmate. Someone who understands him. Someone who will love him unconditionally.

Then, one day, Theo meets Anna Cole in a lift. Anna grew up in a care home, and has always wanted to create the noisy family life she never had. She brings love and laughter into Theo’s life. But she wants a baby, and Theo can’t imagine bringing a child into this cruel world…

Theo and Anna are two damaged souls, from two different worlds. Is their love for each other enough to let go of the pain of their pasts? Or will Anna and Theo break each others’ hearts?