I am indifferent to how I feel about Lucy. No doubt she is full of patience, tolerance and strength but her aloofness makes it difficult to warm up to her. As we journey along with her, her past revealed there is an unmistakable iciness, stilted factor about her and all the other characters as well. We know of Lucy's past, her heartbreaking present but we don't know much about HER leaving me with a bland feeling towards her.

The plot has various threads which interconnect wonderfully but it was all expected, no real surprises including a sugar coated ending.

The story does explore communication, relationships and emotions causing a soft poignancy.

Lucy's rawness in revealing her past, her struggles with conceiving is both convincing and heartbreaking. A genuine ring of emotional turmoil resonating loud and clear.

An emotional story with an uplifting ending demonstrating life's unexpected turns and surprises boring into one strong woman's world.

A compelling story of the agony of miscarriage and complexity of being a stepparent. I was sucked into the book, constantly hoping for a happy ending and completely surprised by the twist toward the end. The characters were well-developed and the pace was fast.

This book has brought lumps to my throat on several occasions. I had heard of Amanda Prowse but had not actually got around to reading any of her books. I have to give a massive thanks for the email i recieved to tell me i had been pre- approved for this title.

This book shows how decisions made twenty four years ago would not be made in the same way today. How the support of your family can have an impact on how you feel about yourself and those around you. But nothing in life is simple, nothing goes as it should, and sometimes life has it's own version of how your plan shall play out.

Lucy is aatending a christening, it is a work colleagues baby. She is thinking about her life, she is nearly forty years old. No husband, no baby, no sleepless nights, no baby paraphernalia strewn around. But she does have a successful carrer, a nice spacious flat and is smart. But for Lucy she wants what other women her age have, and that is a family.

When she was with her ex Richard she broached the subject of them having a baby. He didn't want a family and her wasn't messing around with her crazy cousin behind her back either. After they split up, she found that he was actually going to marry said crazy cousin, and the wedding wasn't far off.

While she is feeling sorry for herself, and by herself Jonah Carpenter introduces himself to her. They hit it off and get married and Lucy gets her husband and messy house. From here on in the story really does come into it's own, as we are taken on a roller coaster of emotions. This story then deals with some very emotional subjects and it is done with care and honesty.

I hadn't read anything by Amanda Prowse before reading this. I'm not sure why, I had a couple of her books on my Amazon wish list and had already identified that she sounded like an author I'd really enjoy. Since returning to blogging earlier this year, it was one author I saw a lot of praise for over on twitter, and her latest book, The Idea Of You created quite a bit of excitement among bloggers and I had it marked as a must read. So when I got a surprise email from netgalley with an invitation to read it, I accepted straight away. That was yesterday, and after downloading, taking a quick look and then finding myself finishing the whole book in a few hours, I can definitely say I will be reading more of Amanda's work very soon!

The Idea Of You is a touching and thoughtful book, telling the story of Lucy; almost forty and desperate for a child. Having married later than those around her, she's aware that time is running out, so when she finds out she is pregnant, she and her husband Jonah are delighted. But sadly, it's not to be, as Lucy faces miscarriage in early pregnancy. Only a few chapters into this book and already I felt connected and that this story would resonate with me. I have two children, but before my first child was born I too suffered a miscarriage and Amanda Prowse captures in startling honesty the feelings I remember having back then - of panic and fear to begin with, the indignity of the hospital cubical, the overwhelming feelings of loss, emptiness and guilt afterwards, with sensitivity and care.

What surprised me about this book was the development of Lucy throughout, as more 'roles' for this character were introduced or revealed. I think there's an aspect of Lucy that a lot of us can relate to, and again, I found myself nodding in agreement or having a memory evoked just by a turn of phrase or expression. I particularly thought the fraught and emotional relationship between Lucy and her step daughter was well written, convincing and honest. Each chapter ends with a letter written by Lucy, and it isn't clear until almost to the end who she is writing too. I wasn't expecting the turn the story took with regards to this, and it added an even extra layer of depth and back story to the main character.

This is an emotional book, and I had a lump in my throat several times throughout. Amanda Prowse's writing is heartfelt, intimate and sincere - an author's note explains why the subject of this book is close to her own heart and her honesty, experience and understanding is palpable. Lucy's journey isn't smooth or predictable, it is human. Yet among the ups and downs lies a tender and heart-warming tale of family and acceptance. I won't be leaving it long before I do read some more of Amanda's books and will look out eagerly for future releases.

Lucy is a single and successful glass-ceiling-shatterer. Only it's not by choice. As glad as she is to have risen high in her profession, and as committed as she feels to helping other women achieve the same thing, what she wants more than anything is a baby. When she meets Jonah at somebody else's baby's christening and they hit it off, everything seems to be going in the right romantic direction for once, and when they get married a year later and Lucy immediately becomes pregnant, it seems like all her dreams have come true. Except that getting pregnant is not the same as having a baby.

Be warned: this is definitely a three-hanky tearjerker of a bittersweet story. Lucy's heartbreak over her repeated miscarriages is wrenching, perhaps especially so set against the backdrop of the professionally sympathetic but distant medical care she has to undergo (note that this is a British novel, so the decision for Lucy to have what is technically an "abortion" to evacuate the remains of the non-viable fetal tissue is a non-issue; it's handled promptly and automatically, with nary a protester/terrorist in sight. Which is fortunate, as Lucy is distraught enough). The fact that miscarriage is so common is hardly a comfort to Lucy: others come forward to tell her of their own lost pregnancies, but they eventually managed to carry a pregnancy to term, something she's increasingly afraid she'll be unable to do.

However, this is not just a weepy. While not as laugh-out-loud funny as Ben Elton's hilarious "Inconceivable," also about a couple dealing with infertility, "The Idea of You" is full of irony and gently pointed social commentary about the lot of modern professional women, not to mention the problems of motherhood. Even as she longs for a baby, Lucy is aware that she doesn't want to lose her career, something that would be entirely too possible, and her attempts to get along with her stepdaughter are initially fraught with failure. As much as Lucy wants to be a loving stepmum, she's also a neat-freak with a controlling streak, and is unwilling to face up to the inappropriateness of her own jealousy when her husband prioritizes his daughter over everyone else.

Just when things seem to be going smoothly, there are a couple of MAJOR plot turns that I won't reveal, but suffice to say that Lucy gets her happy ending, just not at all the one she was expecting. For all its potentially heavy subject matter, the book reads quickly, its plain prose style allowing Lucy to show through as an Everywoman (at least of a certain age and professional type) with simple, heartfelt emotions. While "The Idea of You" is not exactly Literature with a Capital L, it's an extremely readable and engaging story about a woman dealing with real-world heartbreak and still finding a lot to love and laugh about along the way.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

The Idea Of You by Amanda Prowse contains an intriguing beginning. Lucy considers herself an anomaly among her peers. She wants the unconditional love and support like others.Life has not turned out the way she planned. She then begins a new adventure to fulfill her desires and learns a great more. This story has great plot twists and a happy ending.

This book was absolutely stunning. The trials Lucy goes through are so common but still too taboo to talk about openly. The letter written through the book is so open and raw and the genuine heartbreak towards the end left me reeling. An absolutely amazing book that I would recommend time and time again.

Beautifully written in a way that is sympathetic to its content but also manages to bring some light and love to a terrible thing.

I wasn't sure during the first few pages I could finish this book as it felt very raw for me having also lost a baby. I'm glad I persevered.

It's a real heart warming read.

THE IDEA OF YOU by Amanda Prowse and Lake Union Publishers.
At a christening Lucy meet Jonah, who states when we are married, before he knew her name. A year all seems perfect, then the split, if there had been more confidence and honesty. The secrets, she defend his daughter Camille, who been staying with her dad. She leaves a note, saying she needed to see Lucy. The meeting of Lucy seeing Jonah at her door, she realizes she still loves him. What words could express, but "I miss you". Can they realize the love, and support they need, and not to judge,and to be a family for Camille. A powerful, emotional inside look at a new marriage. How a teen age girl from a previous marriage can either strength or disrupt what they had. The plot catches you from the first, the characraters are well define. Good reading for all, who wants a family love story. Given ARC by Net Galley for my voluntary review and my honest opinion.

Amanda Prowse is such a talented author whose books are almost like self help guides. They always cover important real life matters and make you see that all is not lost.
This story follows Lucy and Jonah as Lucy struggles with miscarriages and the desperate yearning for a baby. A story written so well that you will share Lucy's grief and understand her pain.

Hello, thank you for pre-approving me for this book. However, it isn't something that I would read as I have no children so I don't think I could relate. Thank you for considering me and please do approve me for any other books you may read. I'm sorry I couldn't review this one.

5 Stars.

Gulp. Whizzed through this in a day. Not my normal sort of book but I was hooked.

This is a really emotional book and it's written so well that you feel you know each character and everything they are going through.

There were a few points in the story that gave me a real lump in my throat (I'm not the sort to cry at books but if I was - this one would do it!)

Recommended!

This is not my normal genre but Netgalley offered me a review copy so I thought I would give it a go.

It was OK but lacked something for me, especially emotion which given the subject matter I actually felt very little empathy with the characters.

Not my preferred style of writing. The author appears popular and is prolific, bragging of how quickly she can write a novel. I think if she spent longer rounding out her characters and making them feel less one dimensional it would help.

What a beautiful story . . . at times heartbreaking - but also an inspiring story of love, hope, courage, family - a story of getting back up when life knocks you down. I was a little wary starting this book. I knew the subject matter and expected that it would be a hard read - one filled with the devastating effects of the ultimate loss. And it is. I found myself wiping the silent tears running down my face several times while reading this. But, this story is so much more. The tenacity and compassion of the human spirit is an amazing thing to see and it shines brightly in this story. Amanda Prowse has done a beautiful job of finding the right words, the right scenes, the right characters to deliver this story and message to readers, to help others understand. The writing is beautiful as the words flow out of the hearts of these characters, filling the pages with both their darkest and brightest thoughts.

I'll give only a brief set up of the story. Lucy & Nate meet, fall in love, and get married. Life is almost perfect as they work to fulfill their dreams of having a child together. As the story unfolds, Lucy & Nate find themselves struggling to cope with some curveballs - the hurt & pain that life throws at them. And in the middle of everything, Nate's unhappy sixteen year old daughter Camille arrives to live with them. While Lucy tries to open her heart & home to Camille, the teenager's surly attitude makes a difficult situation even harder, and thus a crack is forged in Nate & Lucy's marriage. As this family struggles to get past the anger, guilt, and pain, past secrets surface that threaten the very foundation their marriage was built on. It's hard to say more without revealing too much of the story. Readers deserve to discover this precious gem of a story on their own. Get the tissues ready and tell your family you're "off the clock" as you will not want to stop reading until you finish the book. I sat down to begin the book one afternoon and found myself reading into the wee hours as I could not sleep without knowing what happens.

The Idea of You is a poignant love story that will touch your heart in deep dark ways - a love story that carries hope, love, and forgiveness for everyone if they can/will just accept it. My heart bled for these characters and the world of hurt they struggled through to survive - So much strength, so much hope, so tenacious & relentless in their pursuit of happiness. In the end, this is a story of love that only grows stronger when it's given & received freely. We don't always get what we want in life, even as we do get what we really need. Blessings & miracles come in all kinds of packages...you just have to learn to recognize them and hold on with all your heart and soul and believe the sun will shine again - good things will come. The Idea of You is A Heart Touching Must Read that offers a ray of light in the darkest night...A beautiful gem of a story that deserves to be heard loud & clear around the world. A Must Read!

When Lucy Carpenter meets the man of her dreams at a Christening ceremony where she is God mother she thinks all of her dreams have come true. Jonah is charming, good looking and they hit it off straight away. They marry and are blissfully happy. Her career is secure and she loves her job and Jonah adores her. At last she feels that her life is perfect. The icing on the cake would be if they could have a baby together. Lucy would love to be the mother of Jonah’s child and when she becomes pregnant they are both ecstatic; their dream has come true. They decide on making the baby a nursery in Jonah’s office and even talk about names for their baby. So when the pregnancy fails, they are both devastated.
Lucy is coming up to forty and everyone keeps reminding her about her biological clock ticking away. She knows what they say is true, but they do not know that she has already lost a treasured pregnancy, her dream child, and Lucy is very sad. She bravely decides to try again. It seems as though there are babies in prams, pregnant ladies and toddlers playing together happily everywhere she goes. Jonah is very loving and supportive, convinced that they will soon have some good luck and a baby to love and nurture.
When Jonah’s sixteen-year-old daughter Camille comes to stay with them for the summer from her home with her step father and mother in France, Lucy feels acutely what she is missing not having a child of her own. She watches Jonah looking at his beautiful daughter with such love and pride that she feels as though her heart is breaking and feels even more determined to carry a child to full term and nurse her baby. She literally cannot wait to feel her baby in her arms. She knits more clothes as she dreams of finally becoming a mother. She is desperate to make friends with Camille, but from what Camille tells her she feels that she could never match up to her biological mother. Her world begins to unravel and she feels left out and insecure. It seems as though her life has suddenly changed and Camille reminds her of everything she has lost.
Amanda Prowse is a prolific author who has chosen this subject carefully and mindful of the hurt and pain of failing to become a mother when it is your heart’s desire. Her novels are always about women and family; their trials, troubles and triumphs and this one is written full of poignancy and compassion. It explores the themes of secrecy, loyalty and courage. The characters are wonderfully crafted and their situations, motives and actions are really well portrayed. I found the first part of the story quite slow moving but as the story unfolded, so my enjoyment of the storytelling and plot increased until I felt immersed in the story. I would like to thank NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for my copy of 'The Idea of You', sent to me in return for an honest review. It is the very first novel that I have read by this author and I enjoyed reading this story so much that I will certainly investigate Amanda’s back catalogue of novels and will look forward to reading her next novel.

Another book of Amanda Prowse's that I couldn't put down. A difficult and sad subject written about well. Would definitely recommend this book to all women.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing, and Amanda Prowse for the ARC (Advanced Reading Copy) of "The Idea of You" by Amanda Prowse for my honest review. The genres of this book are General Fiction(Adult) and Women's Fiction.
I find that the author discusses heartfelt relevant issues of today. She describes her characters as flawed and human with needs and want. Amanda Prowse also brings up issues of the meaning of family, the economics in society where women have to work or choose to. What are society's expectations of a family? Is it possible to have everything? I found that I was reading this, I was deep in thought and reflecting.
I admire the way Amanda Prose describes her characters and the complex and complicated situations that they face.
Lucy, our main character, is 40 years old and is at a christening, and realizes her biological clock is ticking. Everywhere she looks, there are mothers with their babies. Lucy has a responsible job, and is quite comfortable. Planning an early escape, she meets Jonah. Jonah is warm and has a sense of humor, and the two of them hit it off. Within a year, they have a simple marriage ceremony.
Jonah has a 16 year old daughter from a previous marriage, and really hasn't spent time with her. Lucy encourages him to invite the daughter to visit.
Lucy and Jonah are delighted to find that they are expecting a baby. Lucy enjoys knitting and finds comfort. Lucy is so excited planning for her baby. Unfortunately, Lucy has a miscarriage, and both Lucy and Jonah are devastated.
Camille, Jonah's daughter does come to visit. Lucy tries to be welcoming and make Camille comfortable. At times Lucy feels like an outsider. Camille can be disrespectful and rude to Lucy. Jonah doesn't understand the conflict. Lucy finds it very difficult to be a stepmother, and more than anything, Lucy wants a baby.
Lucy has a difficult relationship with her mother. There seem to be secrets that Lucy has with her mother, and there are some flashbacks Lucy has. Camille is introduced to Lucy's family and is warmly accepted. Lucy's mother and sister love her.
Amanda Prowse describes Lucy's and Camilles's insecurities and their conflicts. Lucy is very emotional and her biggest desire is to become a Mom.
The author talks about family, support, encouragement, expectations, forgiveness, hope and love. She talks about being happy and sad. Isn't that what life is about? I found this book to be emotionally challenging, and would highly recommend it.

The idea of you was such a fab book I struggled to put it down.
The sting in the tail completely threw me I so did not see that coming.
This book introduces us to Lucy who has a career and husband she loves, but the other thing she wants is a baby. Then Camille her husband Jonahs daughter comes for a visit and they certainly have some ups and downs adjusting to family life. Will they all live happily ever after, we'll have a read you won't be disappointed.
Another great book by Amanda and I can't wait for the next one.

This book is right in my "on time in my life" section & also for many of my friends. A very timely read & I'll recommend it to them.

This is the first boom I've read by this author and I enjoyed it immensely. I downloaded it this morning and finished it this evening. The author's writing flows effortlessly and her characters are very realistic. The book has it all; tension, conflict, resolution, integrity, and resolve. I loved the ending. Everything is tidy and all is right with the world, unlike life, but I like books that end on a positive note.