Another heartfelt and uplifting read, Amanda's books do this to me every time, they make me smile, they make cry, the characters in this read were no different, easy to get to know and to relate to, the subject matter as always is right on the money dealing with ordinary women and the trials and tribulations they face every day, never depressing always uplifting, bring on the next one.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read and review this book!

This is definitely an emotional read and a very personal one for the author. Lucy is an executive in a marketing firm in London when she meets Jonah at a baby christening and they begin their fairy tale marriage. Lucy is older and is desperate for a baby but finds out that things aren't as easy as she had hoped.

When Jonah's teenage stepdaughter comes to spend the summer with them, their relationship also isn't easy. Lucy struggles with jealousy and fears that Camille's arrival is taking the place of her dreams for a baby.

Interspersed are emotional letters that Lucy is writing whose meaning becomes more clear as you read the book.

This is a quick read, one I couldn't put down and one that deals with a subject that will resonate with so many. It also makes you think about motherhood and family and all the various forms that can take.

I would like to thank Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Idea Of You’ by Amanda Prowse in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
Lucy Carpenter has a wonderful husband, Jonah, and a successful career but although she longs to have a baby she goes through a number of miscarriages which puts a strain on their marriage. Camille, Jonah’s daughter from his previous marriage, arrives from France to stay causing Lucy to reveal a secret that she has kept hidden for the past twenty-four years.
I’ve read and thoroughly enjoyed a great number of Amanda Prowse’s novels. Her latest, ‘The Idea Of You’, is a beautiful, poignant and sensitively-written account of a family’s love and strength that brought tears to my eyes. This novel was a joy to read and and one that I wholeheartedly recommend.

Beautiful and gut wrenching. This book will make you feel so many emotions and it will really speak to anyone with children.

The truth is, this book has a very narrow market for readership. If you are not 40+ and have not been able to have children, and desperately want to, this book is probably not going to be for you. Despite this though, the beauty of family is portrayed wonderfully so that anyone could enjoy that aspect of the story.

I found the characters to be shallow. And although they were dealing with some very serious, and heavy emotions and situations, they were very fake. Crazy to say for a fictional character but I have no other way to describe them. Their emotions were stunted and forced, and their reactions seemed like something someone decided was the way they would react instead of the characters reacting in the way they actually would have reacted. The lack of depth and development is the reason I'm giving this one such a low rating. It just was not a book that I really enjoyed.

Whenever I settle down to read an Amanda Prowse book I know that I am going to be absorbed in a wonderful, emotional story for the next few days. As expected, I have spent the weekend completely caught up with the lives of the characters in The Idea of You.

Lucy is an almost forty year old who has very recently met and married the man of her dreams, the rather wonderful Jonah Carpenter. With the biological clock ticking, they decide to try for a family but things don't go as they had hoped and they suffer disappointment after disappointment in their quest to become parents. To add to everything Lucy is trying to cope with, she has to deal with Jonah's teenage daughter from his first marriage coming to stay for the school summer holidays.

Amanda Prowse has a real talent for creating characters who you can completely identify with. She writes about ordinary people in situations so many people will have experienced. As is made clear throughout the book, many women will experience the heartache of not being able to conceive or will suffer miscarriage. There is often no reason and this can be so hard to deal with. My heart went out to Lucy as it seemed everywhere she went she was surrounded by women with children, women expecting children or shops full of baby things. Added to that, all the comments made thoughtlessly, insensitively or inadvertently by friends and family made her feel so awful and yet unable to talk about it.

I was particularly moved by the poignant heartfelt letters Lucy writes to the child she hopes is yet to come. I was especially touched by one letter when she thinks of the things she will miss if she doesn't have a child: their graduation, their marriage, soothing them if they are upset, becoming a grandparent. She longs not just for her own child but for all the possibilities that child could bring.

The Idea of You is a wonderfully warm read. There is heartbreak but it is beautifully balanced with hope and happiness. Amanda Prowse has once again written a most touching and uplifting book and I loved it.

Thank you Amanda for an unputtadownable book ! I read this in two sittings and loved it ! My heart went out to Lucy the main character, and time and time again as I read I felt I knew her so well, almost like a friend, the subject of miscarriage was very realistically portrayed and heart rending. I felt that although this is a novel, the way the miscarriages happened and the impact they had, might also offer some insight and comfort to the many women ( like myself) who have experienced one. Added into the emotional rollercoaster is the difficult undertaking of step parenting. Blended families are not always easy, and again Lucy's struggles with Camille are very true to life, and many step mothers may recognise themselves in her.
A joy from start to finish, I only wish Amanda could write a follow on book - Lucy deserves her own happy ending, for a moment when I read at the end she was wearing a white smocked shirt, I thought yes! She's pregnant but it was a bit of a red herring!
More please 😊

The Idea of You is a great book for readers who like weepies and modern family sagas. Not really one for me but I am sure it will be a great success. Readers of Joanna Trollope will enjoy it. Thanks to Net Galley and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read and review The Idea of You.

This is the second book I have read by Amanda Prowse the first being The Food Of Love, I thought that book was very moving and a very good read.One thing Amanda does very well is write about relationships, she really gets under the skin of her characters, I mean that in a good way although it doesn't sound very pleasant! This book is no exception, I think she is very good at making the reader feel that the characters and situations they are in are very believable and it makes it very hard to stop reading because you want to find out what is going to happen.I enjoyed reading this book and am grateful to the publishers and Netgalley for an ARC in return for an honest review.

This could have potential, but sadly the internalised misogyny gets in the way. Not for me.

Lucy is a 39-year-old Londoner who, at the very start of the book, meets her future husband. She has a rewarding job in advertising but she feels as though something is missing from her life, a child, so when she meets Jonah at a christening she believes that her life is finally on the right track.

This story has a lot of tragedy in it as Lucy miscarries multiple times which makes her feel like a failure as she yearns for motherhood. The end of each chapter is heartbreaking as Lucy speaks to her lost children. These sections are in first person, unlike the rest of the novel which is in third person, and it really gives you an insight into Lucy's grief and how she's coping with her loss. Her multiple miscarriages sets off a heartbreaking chain of events that put strain on Lucy's new marriage and her new life.

As the book goes on you learn more about Lucy's past and it didn't shock me when Lucy's secret was revealed because Prowse left a lot of hints. This aspect of the novel added a lot to Lucy's character and it made me understand her motivations. I enjoyed the slow reveal of Lucy's secret because it added an extra layer to the novel that I didn't expect when I first started reading the book.

There's some of discussion about how women can't have it all, as Lucy considers her future as a mother but also all of the hard work she has put into her career. She notices at the awful culture of women being sidelined by their bosses just because they may want to become a mother one day. It highlights the struggle that a lot of working women have as they're unable to have both a career and a child at the same time.

Prowse also examines that tensions surrounding blended families as Jonah was previously married and has a 16-year-old daughter from his previous marriage. He has never lived with his daughter but bringing her into his new family home with Lucy creates a lot of tension, especially with Lucy's miscarriages.

The writing style is simple but I'm not a fan of it because some of Lucy's flashbacks don't feel separated enough from the main body of writing. This is probably deliberate to show how Lucy's past and future meld together as she drifts but I just found it distracting, especially the section where she remembers knitting with her grandmother early on in the story.

I also didn't like Jonah's character much because he feels too sappy and I never felt as though he grieved for his lost children. However, this is how Lucy thinks about Jonah so her narrative has influenced the way in which Jonah is perceived

Overall, I enjoyed the book but the writing style just wasn't for me. I liked the plot more than I expected to and I really liked Lucy as a character because she felt very human and was incredibly well written.

I wouldn't purchase this book for myself but I do think that it's a good read and that it covers several very interesting, complex topics.

Such a heart-wrenching and heartwarming novel. I was hooked from the beginning to see what the snippets of the letter were pertaining to. Also, I am of the later age where a lot of my friends are having children so I was instantly curious where the story was going to go.

This book definitely drew tears at multiple places. I have known those to have multiple miscarriages, so it touched a little too deep at some spots. Definitely would recommend this book!!

Heartfelt story that draws you in to the life of Lucy and Jonah. The struggles they face- especially Lucy- are difficult and an issue that must take love and compassion to write about. Lucy's fertility struggles are heart wrenching. On top of that, she was on the outside of a relationship with Jonah and Camille. Once the mention of a boyfriend was made of Camille though, I felt certain where the story line was going- and that's exactly where it headed. While it may have been predictable it was written in a lovely and satisfying way.

I know very little about Amanda Prowse so was surprised to see that she is such a prolific author. I'm not sure though, that the ability to rattle off novels quickly is always entirely successful. I'm torn by The Idea of You, because on the surface I feel that it's a book that I should very much enjoy. The subject matter is real and raw, and I applaud Prowse for tackling it head on. However, I found it difficult to embrace the characters as they seemed very flat to me. The pacing may have had something to do with it, but my main complaint is with the flow of dialogue which seems stilted and unnatural. It was very hard to wrap my head around fellow Londoners and especially teenagers who are written to speak so stiffly and formally, with 'I shall' and 'I shan't' making the whole thing feel very Victorian. I found it very jarring, to see this kind of antiquated speech in casual or even social interactions, especially for young people. There are also some errors in the text, possibly only via the Kindle edition though I have no way to be certain, including the word 'tseeth' that did give me a chuckle.

I enjoyed this book in parts, and did feel it plucked the heartstrings on occasion. But I feel the story has more promise than the author seems to have delivered which is why I think I'm left feeling more disappointed than satisfied at the end.

Does Amanda Prowse ever put a foot wrong? This is another excellent book tackling the often neglected themes that can dominate women's lives. I have several friends who have struggled to have children, but none of them have been willing or able to express the feelings that are described here. As well as enjoying a well-paced, beautifully written novel, I feel as if I have learned a great deal from this book.

Amanda Prowse writes beautifully about emotional issues and The Idea of You is no exception. This book will have you in tears.

Thanks to Netgalley for my copy.

I was invited to read this, Via Netgalley, and I figured since it was an invitation, it would be rude not to accept it!

I am glad I did, this book was great! I really did enjoy it, and I probably would not have chosen it for myself. I could relate to this book a lot, and I think that only enhanced the reading experience. There was a lot of emotion put into this book, it bleeds onto the pages. You will feel your heart get tugged, and this book, will bring out some serious emotions. For mothers, for new wives, and for women in general. I am just a few years shy of 40 myself, and I question how emotional I am going to be when I hit that milestone. Thank you Netgalley!!!

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I had never read any of Amanda Prowse's books before but I certainly will be again. This book was emotional, powerful and gut-wrenching. It will deeply touch your heart. This author has a wonderful writing style and the story will suck you in and keep your attention until the very end.

4 stars to Amanda Prowse's book The Idea of You, a fictional story about a women craving motherhood but facing many barriers to success. I was offered this book through NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing in exchange for a fair an honest review. I am glad I read it and had a positive reaction. On to the review...

Story
Lucy has wanted to be a mother for a very long time, but she's about to turn 40 and was recently dumped by her boyfriend who went on to marry Lucy's own cousin. At a christening, she meets Jonah and he proposes within a few months. He has a 16-year-old daughter, Camille, who lives with her mother and stepfather, but plans to come visit for a summer before her final year at boarding school. Lucy and Jonah have several miscarriages before Camille arrives, and it's starting to put a small strain on their marriage. Lucy struggles at work and with her family, unwilling to tell anyone about the pain she's going through, secretly hoping the next time she gets pregnant, she won't miscarry. Along her journey, she writes notes to each of her lost children, pining away for a little girl of her own. She and Camille do not get along well for the most part, but do find a few things that help bond them little by little. When the past comes back to haunt everyone, and new obstacles are thrown in front of the whole family, Lucy is forced to decide between what is best for everyone and what is best for her. And as the story comes to end, Lucy finds a way to make peace with her decision, understanding the impact it has on everyone involved.

Strengths
Lucy's story, an all-too-common one, is a strong and beautiful journey not only for the woman who has miscarried several babies, but for the family around them who don't always know what's truly happening. The pressure from friends and siblings to get pregnant before it's too late... the comments from people at work about having difficulty dividing time between family and your career.... the doctors who try to comfort you but really can only do and know so much. Lucy's a very likable character. She has flaws and makes mistakes. She's a bit immature in such situations but she's handling all the emotions with great strength and fervor. I felt a strong urge to want to hug her.

There aren't always fairy-tale endings in life, and I really enjoy when books face those consequences. I'm not giving away any spoilers as to whether she eventually has a baby or not, but regardless, her situation is not one anyone would envy. I felt privileged to watch the struggle, especially being so far removed from it, by being neither a mother nor a father. The author, who has mentioned her own struggles at conceiving and keeping pregnancies, puts a lot of emotional connection into the words and the scenes.

While it's a sad story, there was a fine balance in pushing readers to tears. Perhaps because I've never been in any type of a similar situation, I held back some of my emotion; however, there were just enough points where you felt the pain and felt the emotions come full force. But not so much that you had to put the book down and take a break. Good balance.

Suggestions
While I understood it was important to get to the point where she has a husband and and her time is running out to have her own baby, starting the book when she's 39 and then rushing thru the first year may have caused a few moments of less than helpful separation. I care about her as the story unfolds, but when you know little about her first 39 years, other than she wants to be a mother, you have a few questions that linger. Most are answered eventually, and possibly this is a "point in time / life" story, but... it could have used a little tidying up in this respect.

I wanted to see more about Lucy's life with her sister and mother. I understand with some of the reveals that come later in the story why it wouldn't exactly be easy, but it would have helped give her more depth.

Final Thoughts
I've read a few stories with this theme, and this is definitely one of the stronger ones. I like the author's style and would want to read some of her other books. It's not a major stand-out where I feel compelled to buy her next one immediately, but it's got all the qualities of a good book you will enjoy. I pushed it to a 4 because it's much higher than an average / OK book with a few good parts at a 3.

If you like strong female characters, this one's for you. Lucy's remarkable in her strength and only had 2 or 3 moments where I thought she was being a little too immature. Enjoy.

The Idea of You by Amanda Prowse is a powerfully written novel. A novel that all women can relate to easily. Love, relationships, and family are just a few of the themes presented inside this tale. From the beginning, I felt saddened by the main charcater's life. She gave up her one and only child. A child that kept her wondering for forty-years, if she had a good life or not. The Idea of You was indeed a perfect title. It perfectly worked for this read. This same woman felt like a loner. Always single at events that couples would be attending. My heart reached out to Lucy. But then, the unexpected happens and she meets Jonah. He's a great man. Their love is true and it made me smile to watch them as they worked out their issues and are just as happy as when they wedded. However, a secret comes out and before readers know it, Lucy's and Jonah's world has been flopped upside down and inside out...then, Jonah's daughter has a secret to tell. I felt that this tale was very believable. I can see this situation happening to anyone. Jonah's struggles as a father and husband were tested. I loved the end results that Amanda Prowse created. So much sorrow and then some healing and laughter. Lucy went through a lot more than giving up her only child, she also miscarried. I can only imagine her hurt...overall, I highly recommend The Idea of You to readers everywhere. Emotionally deep and satisfying to read.