This book was amazingly heartbreaking, Lucy finally finds the love of her life and wants to start a family with him. Her plans don't goes as planned and when other family member come around it sends them all off balance. Emotionally powerful and put me to tears often. I think I found a new author to splurge on!

I kept hoping for something exciting to happen in this book but, it never did. It was an easy flowing storyline but, just not very exciting.

I really enjoyed this book. The writing style flowed really well and the author really knows how to draw you in to the story. I was instantly sucked in after just the first chapter.

This book follows a couple who have suffered a number of miscarriages. Lucy wants nothing more than to be a mum. When her husband's daughter comes to stay it puts a strain on their relationship especially when she reveals her secret that she has been keeping for over 20 years.

I thought that this was really well written and I would like to read more from the author in the future. I felt Lucy's emotion each time she had a miscarriage. The characters and situations felt very realistic. There is so much raw emotion in this book and I found myself getting quite emotional when reading this which doesn't normally happen. I really liked the way that this was written as it drew me in right from the start. The way that the author handled the topic was done really well. The story felt realistic and not overly dramatised.

I liked the book a lot. A very sensitive subject but the author manages to put together a well written and honest story. Situations people can relate to so that makes you feel more sympathetic with the characters and you get a deeper understanding of their emotions and motives.

This book was really sad and tackled a difficult subject well. I found it very predictable though and thought it could have done with a few more twists along the way to keep me hooked.

Thank you to Netgalley and Amanda Prowse for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first book I have read by this author so I was unsure what to expect. It is a lovely story, we follow the life of 39-year-old Lucy who is newly married to Johan. It appears to the outside world she has it all however, we get to see that underneath that facade she is a vulnerable woman struggling to stay pregnant when to be a mum is the thing she wants most in the world. As the story progresses you find out about the skeletons in her closet, I won't go into detail as it will spoil the book but I recommend you read it, you won't be disappointed. I will warn you the book is emotional you will need a box of tissues handy. It is extremely well written and the characters come to life in your mind I cannot wait to read another book by this author!

A book all about loss and love. Some parts are heartbreakingly sad. Really relatable characters.

A heart-warming book about a highly emotive subject. Not my usual genre, so don't take the fact that it didn't grab me and make me plough through it in a day as a bad sign. I can see a huge fan-base for this type of work, but it was a little to cliché for me at times. Specifically the moody teenager, with her over-reactions to Lucy's attempts at friendship was like an off-the shelf character.

I did like the twist of her having had a baby when she was a teenager - didn't see that coming, and it brought it together at the end far better for me than my prediction of Lucy having a successful pregnancy.

A very easy read. For me, it was a page turner at the beginning but the story changed very little so towards the end I got a little bored. I would read another novel by this author as I enjoyed her style of writing.

As usual Amanda Prowse does a fabulous job. Not many writers can tug at my heart strings, but Amanda never fails. Thanks again for another great read

The blurb of this book absolutely captivated me. However, I was immediately disheartened when I began reading and found it to be written in third person. Had this book been written in first person, it probably easily could have been a 5 star read for me.

Lucy is 39, finally married but struggling with making a family of her own. The struggles she and Jonah face are so real and so gritty. To add to the every day stresses of Lucy's life, she and her husband decide to take in Camille; Jonah's daughter from his first marriage who lives in France. The story progresses depicting difficulties in parenting, step-parenting and just marriage in general

"You do lose things when you get married, it's true, but what we gain far outweighs what we have lost."

Prowse writes a story of struggles and love. Of heartache and forgiveness. Of what truly makes someone family. The writing is good. It truly is. However, I just feel like I could FEEL this story and connect with this story and subject matter so much better had it been written in first person.

Heart wrenching but a realistic, wonderful story.

The Idea of You is the first book I've read by Amanda Prowse and wow, what a story. I loved that this book was about an older couple – 40-ish – even though they hadn't been married that long.

Lucy wants a baby more than almost anything. Jonah has a teenage daughter, Camille, from a previous marriage but he also wants a baby with Lucy. When Camille comes to live with them their relationship becomes strained; Camille's attitude towards Lucy isn't great and this impacts Lucy's attitude towards Camille.

It's hard for me to say much about this story without giving anything away and I don't do spoilers. The emotion that this story invoked in me was hard to deal with at times even though I have no personal experience with any of the things that Lucy dealt with. Once I started reading The Idea of You I couldn't put it down.

I think Ms. Prowse's writing is wonderful but I do want to mention that some might find it different and judge it unfairly. It's written in British English so a lot of the words are spelled differently from American English and the phrasing and terminology might be hard for some readers to understand. I've read a lot of books by British authors so I didn't find anything strange about the wording or phrases. I am glad that I read on an e-reader, though, because it's so easy to look up words that I'm not familiar with.

I love reading books by new-to-me authors and I found it very rewarding to read such a great story that helped me stretch my boundaries as a reader.

A review copy was provided by the publisher via NetGalley but this did not influence my opinion or rating of the book.

A very honest telling of a very sensitive subject. I enjoyed the characters and wanted to see their stories turn out well. I shed a few tears along with Lucy as her story unfolded. Communication, really listening to others is so important.

"The Idea of You" by Amanda Prowse takes us into the lives of Lucy and Jonah Carpenter who are in their mid-thirties and the early years of their marriage trying to have a baby. Lucy's desire to be a "mum" nears obsession. She and Jonah enjoy fulfilling careers in London. Lucy continually has trouble becoming pregnant. To add to their stress, Jonah's sixteen-year-old daughter comes to live with them because his ex-wife says she can no longer control her.

Lucy is the main character of the story. The reader shares in her joys and disappointments, her victories and defeats, and the strengthening of her personality. Added to the emotional dimension, Lucy's opinionated mother and sister's family live nearby.

Prowse weaves an interesting story full of tension and surprises. This is a well-developed story. I couldn't put it down.

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I hold Amanda's books in such high regard that I hope I'm never dissapointed with each new title...as if it was ever in doubt! Yet again another honest, heart rendering, thought and feelings provoking book that just endeared itself to me with every page. Another brilliant instalment from who is now one of my top authors

Thank you Netgalley. A truly beautiful story. Not my usual type of book but I loved it all the same. It's an amazing love story which had me drying my eyes a few times. A definite must read.

A well written story of a woman trying to have it all. A career, a home and family. She is almost 40 and is ready for a baby. She had found the man of her dreams, married him and wants the family to complete her happiness.
After 3 miscarriages she isn't so sure she will ever be able to have het own child. Her husband's daughter comes to live with them and inadvertently turns up pregnant. She is building a family, but not like she ever imagined. However, a family is made up of all kinds of people. And she is learning to be grateful for the family she has.
A poignant story that has you hoping for the best for everyone. Keeps you entertained.
5 Stars

I've not read an Amanda Prowse book before so don't know if they are all written in the same way but I struggled with the fact that this felt very much like a themed novel. Pick a topic - in this case motherhood- and then explore it in as many ways as you can. It did cover a lot of the angles, but I wasn't convinced by a lot of the characters, their actions and emotions, although I can imagine this proving a real tear-jerker for some readers. Even having gone through some of the situations in the storyline, reactions to them did not ring true for me.

Thank you to Net Galley for sending me a copy to review.

A good read addressing a very sensitive topic. Early on in the book I felt quite emotional and thought of my friend who had been through a similar situation. As we progressed though I just wanted Lucy to grow up. Yes, her personal circumstances were very sad and all the angst and anguish she experienced genuine, but aside from that I felt her whole attitude was "me, me, me", seeking attention from Jonah, and reacting to Camille like a spoiled child rather than a 40 year old stepmother. However, when we find out her real backstory, which is hinted at throughout, then I felt she was excused, and the tears came once again. And she did grow up in her treatment of Camille, coming through for her when it mattered. A strong story of relationships, family dynamic and dealing with emotional hell.