I have read four books by Amanda Prowse. In all cases they are books that you can read in a few hours, although they are not entirely light and happy books, often dealing with some intense family drama. So far, The dramas went from the death of a child to anorexia.
In this case we have three main problems, the inability of carrying a child, adoption and having a relationship with a step daughter.
Lucy and Jonah married in middle age, both are successful business people and would like to have a child. Jonah was previously married for a short time with a French woman and together they have a child, Camille who is now a teenager.
I quite liked Lucy and Camille and it was interesting how their relationship developed. The fact that Lucy was not always dealing with her stepdaughter in the best or most mature way, made her look quite real. Most of us would walk out of the room or worse when dealing with a stroppy and ungrateful teenager.

I was not always sure about Jonah, but I have noticed in other books by Amanda Prowse that the male characters, especially the husbands can be rather insensitive or short sighted.
Amanda Prowse is good dealing with feelings, trying to make you see how people in that situation would feel and paints her characters with lots of empathy despite their flaws.
As far as chick lit dealing with real issues goes, Amanda Prowse does it again. I particularly like the fact that she only started writing in her forties and she can write four books in a year!

I didn't have any great expectations of this book, I normally read thrillers but I thought I'd have a change and read something different. The author's words about herself at the front of the book immediately made me warm to it - but even so I wasn't expecting to like it as much as I did! At first the main character, Lucy, seems a little odd and perhaps even a bit unbalanced, but as the book progressed I realised she wasn't at all and I really grew to like her and sympathise with her. Amanda Prowse tackles the issue of miscarriages and teenage pregnancy in a compassionate and caring way and weaves them into a good story. Her characters rose above their problems, tackled them and got on with life so that ultimately the book has a happy ending.

A beautifully written book sensitivity written dealing with the issues of miscarriage,adoption and teen pregnancy .
I would recommend this book as it is a beautiful story which has a surprising twist.
Lucy a successful business women meets Jonah a successful businessman and immediately falling love.
They marry and it soon becomes evident that Lucy would like a child but sadly although she gets pregnant she has a miscarriage.
The book describes in great depth the psychological trauma that a miscarriage has on both party's and the pressure it puts on a relationship.
A lovely book written from the heart.

The Idea of You by Amanda Prowse follows Lucy & Jonah Carpenter a recently married middle-aged married couple, living in London, who are trying to have a baby together. Lucy at 39, desperately feels her biological clock ticking away. She dearly wants a baby, and while she has no trouble conceiving, has miscarried several times, each more heart-breaking than the last.

Enter Camille, Jonah's teen-aged daughter from his first marriage, who has lived all her life in France. Turbulent times between mother and daughter have her coming to live with Jonah and Lucy for the summer. A surly teenager is not what Lucy hoped for, expected, or needs to deal with as she struggles to deal with her latest blow of loss. Jonah, loving both, is often put in the middle. Tensions rise between the couple, and Camille resists Lucy's efforts at closeness which further isolates Lucy. Will this family fall apart or find a way to stay together?

Prowse writes knowingly and realistically about family dynamics, giving each character true to life emotions and reactions. Your own emotions get caught up in theirs as you watch the story unfold.
A secret divulged by Camille to Lucy brings the two women together, but one divulged by Lucy to Jonah drives the couple apart. Drama abounds as it does in any family.

While I won't divulge the outcome, I will say that Prowse wraps up her story nicely. Not everything is roses, but much is resolved and all characters move forward stronger than they had started.

An enjoyable read, though until Camille appears, it seemed a bit one-note to me, focusing strictly on Lucy and her determination for a baby. I almost put the book down because of it. I'm glad that I held on though as I did enjoy the book as a whole and will read more works by Prowse due to her writing style.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for allowing me to read an e-ARC of this book.

Thank you for pre-approving me for this book, however, I'm very bogged down right now with blog tours. I wish you success in this release.

A well-written novel about the struggle constantly faced by women choosing between family and career and learning to balance everything. Lucy's desire to be a mother stems from a lot of events but the commonality with what other women in real life are constantly faced with rings too true.
Excellently written and emotionally captivating.

This book raises so many emotions and must do for so many women. I say women because I think it is a book that speaks to women but which men should read. The story is well crafted and the characters interesting and well developed. The reader is drawn into the story and truly cares about Lucy and her family and her relationships. The story line is one which is not spoken about enough but this book is not a platform it is a really good read.

The Idea of Us would make the most coldhearted person experience feelings they probably have never felt before. The characters are all fantastic, I had clear images of all of them as I was reading. The storyline was great, and the plot twist that was revealed came from nowhere! 9/10

The Idea of You by Amanda Prowse is a heart wrenching novel about mothers and daughters. The novel is well written and contains much emotion. The storyline did not catch me right away, but about ½ way into the book, I did not want to put the book down.

Lucy Carpenter seems to have it all a great job and a great husband - a life that many people would be jealous of. She however wants a baby - to have a baby with Jonah. Instead she ends up with Camille, Jonah’s teenage daughter. This young person puts a hardship on their relationship. The wedge between Lucy and Jonah grows as Camille stays on and Lucy feels her dreams fade away, which grows the wedge deeper and the distance grows.

I am unsure of how many people would immediately connect with Lucy and Jonah at the beginning of the book. The subject of miscarriages will make some people shy away from reading this (as I almost did). The Idea of You by Amanda Prowse was a poignant read.

My hopes and aspirations weren’t what typical girls dream about. My dreams were having a good career, someday having a nice husband with the American dream of the white picket fence, but children never entered my mind’s eye. I did get two out of three, which I’m thankful for!

But for Lucy Carpenter just having a career and a loving husband wasn’t enough. She didn’t feel complete without having that little bundle of joy. What Lucy signified is what being unique and different is all about. For her, having a baby meant everything. It would make her feel complete, but no matter how hard she and Jonah, her hubby, tried, the fates had a different take on the situation. Jonah was a father from his first marriage. And although that made Lucy overjoyed that he had a growing teen living in France with his ex-wife, she still wanted to experience motherhood firsthand up close and personal.

Going through the journey of Lucy’s miscarriages was extremely painful to read. And I don’t mean that in a negative way. I felt for this character. You always hear the horror stories in the news about parents killing their babies or harming them, and when you have two people that would give a child the best, it’s just downright cruel that they cannot conceive. She would have been a great mom and you could feel her anguish. It just wasn’t enough for her to be a stepmom, she wanted a baby. When Camille comes to visit Jonah and Lucy for the summer, a strange turn of events emerges. What Lucy was advised and what was were two completely set of circumstances. Camille drives a wedge between Lucy and Jonah and it’s a wonder if they were going to make it out of it alive. Would their marriage stand the test of a stepchild?

I must say this was one of the most poignant books I’ve read in quite some time. Prowse wrote the words off this book  If you’re not feeling the frustration and mental anguish Lucy experiences, you cannot have a pulse. I was heartbroken for this woman and I personally never wanted children, but I understand women who do. As you read this story, so many questions form in your mind (none of which I will state because of spoilers), but this is a book that defies all trials and tribulations. Lucy was a strong character and handled herself well, under the circumstances, but make no bones about it, Lucy held her own and I love the sensitivity and care Prowse took in writing this heartwarming story. Outstanding book!

Mello & June, It’s a Book Thang! Gives The Idea of You five bundles of joy! Great characters, a-sensitive, yet compelling story of love, loss and maturing. The Idea of You went on sale, March 21, 2017, so please make sure you pick up your copy today! This is one of those books that will live with you forever. I’m a fan, Amanda Prowse. Well, well, well done! Awesome Read. Until next time, keep on reading Intellectual Minds!

I was thrilled to read an ARC of this book.

In the Introduction, she states, "only after beating cancer that I looked at the world differently"
As a cancer survivor myself, I can relate to that statement. Surviving cancer is magic.

This book shows another side to miscarriages and motherhood.

Amanda Prowse is one of those authors whose new book goes straight to the top of my wish list. I've always found her books to be emotional, heartbreaking, yet surprisingly uplifting. They're usually about real women, if you know what I mean, and they tend to stay in my thoughts long after I've turned that last page.

The Idea of You is all about Lucy Carpenter. Lucy, at thirty nine, was beginning to think she was running out of time to settle down and have a family of her own. A successful career and plush apartment were no consolation and she watched with envy as all her friends had children, spending her time thinking of ways she could achieve her dream of finally becoming a mother. Then she meets Jonah and at last she feels she has everything - well almost. This is when Lucy's real heartache begins, as she sets off on a road that is strewn with despair, seeing her hopes of being a mother constantly dashed. Then, just at a time when she needs that little bit of extra love and support, her teenage step-daughter comes to stay.

Losing a baby early in pregnancy is something I'm lucky enough never to have experienced, but Lucy's plight really brought it home to me just what an incredibly private kind of grief it can be, lonely even, at times. Lucy tried to put on a brave face, but inside she was screaming. Her pain was so raw.

Then there was the book! I don't want to spoil what can only be described as an exceptional reading experience, but segments from the book she was reading and the letters she wrote, took this story of heartache to another level.

I did think that Lucy's thoughts about the relationship between her husband and his daughter were very honest. I felt so sorry for her when she was trying so hard to forge a place for herself in this relationship and at the same time going through such personal trauma.

This book isn't just a story, it is a piece of the author's heart. It isn't just about Lucy's battle to become a mother, it is so much more. The Idea of You is about relationships and families, love and heartache and hidden secrets. Prepare yourself for a journey rich in emotion. This is a book you won't forget, another winner from Amanda Prowse's library of bestsellers.

I received this book from NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for my honest review. It took me a while to get into this book as it started off slow for me. The story is about Lucy Carpenter who is single with a great career. She really wants to settle down and have a family. She meets Jonah and they try to start their family. Life doesn't always go as planned and certainly not for Lucy. The book deals with miscarriage and I could relate to that. This is a story about family and relationships.

This was a well-written family drama that tugs at the heartstrings. Lucy is approaching 40, has a successful career and has married a wonderful man. They are planning to have a baby and both Lucy and her husband, Jonah, are thrilled. Lucy is finding that becoming pregnant is more challenging than she expected to me, and then Jonah's teenage daughter comes to stay with them, adding additional strain to the marriage. I found it hard to put this book down and am looking forward to reading other books by this author.

I thought the beginning of the book was a bit slow. It is heart-wrenching to read about the struggles of infertility and miscarriages. Lucy was a character that was easy to relate to as both a wife and a step mom.

This book can seem a bit predictable but it was an ok read. I am not sure if I would recommend this book as it is a situation that a lot of women deal with.

I was gripped by this book - Not having read any of Amanda's books I had no idea what to expect - It was so absorbing. Brilliantly written it focussed on the topic of baby loss / miscarriage, adoption and its affects on family life. .A subject which previously hasn't been "talked about ". Amanda, through the story of Lucy and Jonah showed the real loss and depth of emotion that faces women and couples when they suffer miscarriages. It showed just how complex family dynamics can be, particularly when there is baby loss / infertility / pregnancy / adoption. The story felt so real, the characters came alive, through the character development, language and storyline I was swept along through the rollercoaster of emotions. There were moments of joy, fun, and some of immense pain and raw emotion. I shed many tears. It highlighted perfectly the way these subjects have been seen as a taboo - not talked about / kept hidden as if they were something to be ashamed of. As the story unfolded you get a real sense of how strong women can / have to be. I would recommend this book to anyone. It is an emotional read, a journey through loss and a brilliant insight to feelings which often remain unseen / unheard. The emotions are real, they could be the thoughts of many women who have gone through baby loss / adoption. Well done Amanda, brilliant.

The Idea of You is a tenderly written novel, exploring the repercussions of miscarriage, not only for Lucy, the protagonist, but also for her wider family circle - an issue which deserves to be explored. This novel will resonate with many, many women. Lucy's story is heart breaking and yet Prowse stops short of wringing emotion from the reader, purely for effect. Although I guessed one of the major plot twists, this didn't detract from my enjoyment or stop me shedding bucket-loads of tears. Prowse shows that with love and hope a family can bend and meld, until it is far stronger than anyone ever imagined.

I did come to enjoy this book after a sticky start. It moved on for me once Gabrielle entered the story. Lucy, the main character has a successful career and has met the man of her dreams but cannot complete her life by carrying a child to term. Her stepdaughter Gabrielle arrives unexpectedly and also brings another set of problems and adjustments. The story deals with coping with pressure from various sources , familial, peer and medical in dealing with nnot having her own child and how individuals deal with it.
There is an interesting technique in the storyline where Lucy is writing to someone and is voicing her thoughts and this does give an inkling to an early part of Lucy's story.
The storyline is well written and emotive demonstrating how people deal with stress and problems in different ways.

Sometimes the things in life you don't get are actually really wonderful gifts.

This story of loss and love was heart warming and heartbreaking by turn and left me smiling through tears.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book. It took me a while to read it honestly but I'm so happy I did. It was fantastic, great storyline great characters. It was heartbreaking for Lucy, I really felt sad for her obviously, she has been through a lot as with a lot of women. It's a pity it does happen. I'm sure it's happend to a lot of women, and the worst thing it happens everyday all over the world.