Amanda Prowse is the Queen of true to life novels and this one is no exception. She has managed once again to capture the real emotions in a book that so many people will identify with. Written with empathy and sensitivity it is a story which will tug at your heartstrings and keep you captivated from the very first page to the last. I totally recommend it and give it 5 stars.

I absolutely loved The Idea of you, I have read all of Amanda's books and have thoroughly enjoyed everyone, The Idea of you was a story that will stay with me, cant wait for Amanda's next book!

Oh my gosh. This book resonated with me from the first time Lucy and Jonah fell pregnant, and I couldn't put it down as I needed to see her through her pregnancy/ies. I felt for her every time, and hoped for better news as I turned the pages.
Throw Camille, her stepdaughter, into the mix, and instant motherhood was upon Lucy, and she was trying to navigate her way through teenage emotions, as well as battling her own inner demons. When Camille got in trouble, Lucy was there, and able to help both Camille and Jonah through the rocky road ahead.
I just loved the book, it drew me in and didn't want to let me go.

I had not read any of Amanda’s previous novels before starting this book, so I entered it without preconceptions. Each heart-warming / heart-breaking element of this well-written story has been handled with honesty and sensitivity. Amanda guides you through the ‘ugly sides of relationships’ effortlessly, endearing you to the characters and making every situation feel relatable. She covers difficult subjects (teen pregnancy, miscarriage, relationship breakdowns) with grace and realism. I was on the edge of tears for the duration of the book and I was quite gutted when I finished it. At least I have now found a new author to binge read!

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC from Lake Union Publishing on Netgalley

Having just finished this this wonderful book, I have a lump in my throat and tears are just pricking at my eyelids. It is another masterpiece from the incredibly talented Amanda Prowse, and this time the theme of the book is parenthood and family.

The writing is beautiful and draws you into the story right from the start. It was the perfect way for me to spend a Sunday afternoon, utterly absorbed in Lucy Carpenter's story with new husband Jonah and step daughter Camille.

There are some incredibly emotional topics surrounding parenthood, including the desperate need to have a baby, and what happens when things go slightly wrong. There were certainly some surprises along the way in the book which just added to the unputdownability for me.

Interspersed with the chapters which are all from Lucy's point of view, there are little letters are so filled with emotion, but you aren't fully sure initially just who they are to. I loved finding out the reasoning behind them, while really feeling for the writer of the letters.

I was hooked on Lucy's journey in The Idea of You, feeling very closely both her ups and her downs. There are some light hearted moments in the book, to balance out all of the emotion. There are also blazing rows as tempers are high. It really is a roller coaster of feelings for all characters in this book.

The topics discussed in this book are ones that the majority of people will be able to easily identify with, or know people that have gone through the same things. However it was just hard for me to fully feel for the characters never having had children myself, but even with that drawback, I was still engrossed in the book, and enjoyed it thoroughly.

I may have said it before and I'm sure I'll say it again but I am so glad that I discovered Amanda Prowse as an author a few years ago. Since then I have read a multitude of amazing books by her, and although this may not be my favourite, it is no less brilliant. I would eagerly recommend this book to anyone that wants to read a book with a lot of heart, that is well written and that will have you thinking afterwards.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

First I'd like to thank Netgalley, Lake Union publishing and Amanda Prowse for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I don't really know where to begin. I will admit at first I didn't really like Lucy, she was a bit needy and whiny, despite the fact she was obviously very successful! As the story unfolded I grew to understand why she was like she was and realised she is actually an extremely strong and likeable character and I felt quite protective of her.

Thankfully I have never had to go through what she did but through Amanda's extremely powerful writing I felt every bit of grief, every tear, every feeling of hopelessness.

I won't go into too much detail but the other things Lucy had to cope with around her own grief just highlights how strong she actually is.

I was so happy with the ending, I thought it was perfect and couldn't imagine a better one! Well done Amanda! I look forward to reading much more of your work.

Once in a while you come across a book that you instantly connect with - well this is my book!

This is the story of Lucy, and her husband Jonah and their life as newly weds and the start of a family. I find myself in that exact situation and having been through what Lucy has been through, it took me a few days to read this book.

As one of the "1 in 5" women, I found myself crying as I was reading this book as it felt so real.

I read most of this authors books, but wow, "The Idea of You" has to be the best one yet, for me anyway.

Thank you as this book was a pleasure to read!

This latest book by Amanda Prowse tackles the often unspoken subject of miscarriage with both sensitivity and realism. It is written from the heart and as usual Amanda has tugged at my heart strings. I read The Idea Of You very quickly as I was hooked from page one. The characters of this story are totally believable and created with compassion.

Lucy and Jonah Carpenter are delighted when Lucy discovers that she is pregnant but unfortunately it is not meant to be and she experiences a miscarriage and with more that follows Lucy just wants to know why this is happening to her and what she can do to prevent it happening again and again. With Lucy’s biological clock ticking as she is approaching 40 and a demanding successful career she becomes desperate to carry a baby to full term and bring home their child. This story is at times extremely emotional and painful to read as we discover the impact miscarriage can have on a family. Lucy’s journey to be a Mum is at times heart wrenching and not only has she to cope with her loss every month but also past secrets and a stroppy teenage step daughter.

Get a box of tissues ready and hang on to your hat as this story takes you on a rollercoaster ride that stays with you. Thank you to Netgalley, Lake union Publishing and Amanda for getting me approved for the ARC of this book.

Another beautiful book written by this fantastic author. It had me gripped from the first page and I couldn't put it down. Very emotional book that will have you in tears more than once. Would highly recommend

This book gives a whole new perspective to miscarriages. It is an emotional read and you are guaranteed to cry buckets.
We are introduced to a sixteen year old who is afraid, sad and misses her dad. Fast forward to the current time and we meet Lucy, a successful Executive who is married to a loving husband, Jonah. She has everything and is perfect to everyone, except for one thing- she really wants a baby and this is where her sorrow hails from. No one but Jonah knows that she's had miscarriages every time they conceived. The tension builds up when Camille, Jonah's daughter from another marriage moves in with them, and they all struggle to find that balance.

What this book does is give you an account of loss, sorrow and an endless grief that a couple goes through every time the woman miscarries. It does not help that people around are hopeful that they would conceive. It also shows how much their love is tested every time.

The prose is wonderful and I loved the letters Lucy kept writing to her baby. It gave you the feeling that she was hopeful.
The moment that stayed with me was Jonah's confession to Lucy about his feelings towards the miscarriages, in chapter eighteen. In the first seventeen chapters, it was more of Lucy's grief and Jonah struggling to be supportive and positive through it all. When he broke down and said, "It has killed me to hold you while you cried, to see your blood and your expression when yet again you were faced with that loss. It has killed me to see you so excited and to watch it fade to nothing while you knitted away..."

I loved this book because as a woman, I could relate to it and I would recommend it to everyone who looks forward to conceiving at some point in life.

As always, Amanda Prowse creates characters and events that women everywhere can relate to. This book was intensely moving and ,as many women will find, the experiences and emotions of the principal character certainly resonated with me. This novel takes us along the tightrope that spans hope and despair as Lucy attempts to complete her perfect package with a family of her own. We see how her own family relationships have coloured her current life and as a reader, I held my breath, willing everything to be right for her.
Many thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this lovely book.

Another excellent book from Amanda Prowse. A family united over the birth of a baby but not in the way I had expected. Family story telling a its best

Wow. Just how does Amanda Prowse do it? Another heart warming story tackling such a delicate subject of miscarriage that touches lots of women's lives every day. Beautifully written with characters that you instantly fall in love with as if they were a family member. Tragic events in Lucy's life has you hooked on her story from page one. Excellent

As always with an Amanda prowse novel I struggle to type my review through teary eyes, this was no exception! Having suffered a miscarriage myself many years ago It bought many suppressed feelings to the surface again. Fabulous book from an amazing author that handles a sensitive subject with compassion and understanding.

Having previously read Prowse's 'The Food of Love' I was delighted to have the opportunity to review her latest offering, 'The Idea of You' and I can say it was equally as good.
As always, Prowse writes with a great depth of sensitivity and compassion and this time focusses on the dream of motherhood and the tragedy of losing that dream though miscarriage.
The story opens with career girl Lucy, who at 39 meets the handsome Jonah whilst attending a christening. There is an instant spark between the two and Jonah confidently predicts that their marriage will be a simple affair. Fate has it and the story continues as the couple celebrate their first wedding anniversary. Lucy is blissfully happy , expecting a baby and knitting a little wardrobe of delights in preparation for the arrival. Heartbreakingly however, this baby is not to be and is very sadly miscarried. Thus begins a cycle of joy and loss which Lucy and Jonah seem unable to escape from. I wept as the story unfolded and I began to understand the sense of loss and grief Lucy was going through.
Jonah has a teenage daughter from a previous marriage, Camille, and eventually she comes to visit which brings added stress as she settles into their lives but in a strangely unexpected way also brings hope for the future.
The story is deeply moving, and in its final chapters do not leave you with a completely Happy Ever After scenario. However, I felt a great sense of peace at the end of the story, an acceptance of what comes your way and finding hope within it. You will need a box of tissues and a few undisturbed evenings to get through this book and I found my thoughts kept returning to the story long after I had finished it, but that's what makes it such a good read.

Another excellent read, beautifully told.

Even from the first few pages, I just knew I was going to be touched by this book. Amanda Prowse writes drawing on her own experiences hence her novels are so vividly detailed and realistic. This is the third book I've read by this author and they’ve all been very good reads which I’ve devoured in just a few days. She writes about normal everyday family situations; laughter and tears, good times and difficult times. The dialogue just flies along. She writes from the heart.

Another excellent book which kept me turning the pages avidly. Although fiction, it tackles normal family struggles and celebrations. These are the sort of scenarios which most of us will have experienced, either first hand, or a family member or friends may have. Real life stories, laughter and tears, beautifully told.

I read a pre-publication copy of this book provided by Netgalley.

I really enjoyed the first two thirds of this novel and was totally engrossed and she invested in Lucy's story but then I felt it just went on a bit too long and became rather "gushy" hence the three stars rather than four stars. I know the author has herself suffered loss in her life and I am sure this influenced her writing which as always is of an excellent quality.

Yet another amazing book by Amanda Prowse made even more special by the fact that she has personal experience. Must've made it so hard to write but she managed it perfectly

All I can say is wow. I couldn't put this book down. Most women will be able to relate parts of the story to their own lives. Anyone who has ever miscarried, or had a difficult relationship with a parent - or both. The book made me smile and cry in equal measure. The insight into the pain and anguish of miscarriage is written so well. I have given this book the maximum 5 stars and it's worth every one. Another piece of beautiful writing from the very talented Amanda Prowse.