Beautiful and heartfelt, this book packs a punch. From the tragic loss of multiple miscarriages to the sudden motherhood of a teenage stepdaughter, Lucy has much to grapple with.

Amanda Prowse has an easy, engaging style that makes the pages turn and the chapters fly by. Indeed, I spent half an hour on the tube with tears in my eyes as some particularly sad events played out.

Another corker - unputdownable. 4.5*

I have now read 9 of Amanda's books and have rated all of them 5* for a reason. I have read some mind blowing books over the years, but I have never ever read books where the author has the ability to draw me in so much and make me feel like I'm reading about my friends or family. My stomach lurches as I even open the first page as I know I'm going to be so heavily invested into this group of people.

The Idea of You is no exception. My heart broke for the love that Lucy had to give to a child, but who had terrible difficulty in keeping pregnant. I felt her frustration as much as her, but thanked God for her wonderful husband Jonah, who is a real man with flaws, but who loves Lucy oh so much. This book also explored the precarious relationship between a step-parent and step-child which gave it that 'real life' element that life doesn't always work out how we imagine it will.

Anyway, as always, a 5* read and as highly recommended as ever!

This was my first Amanda Prowse book and after a few chapters I knew it wouldn't be my last. I was drawn into all the characters and the style of writing flowed beautifully. The plot was interesting and moved quite fast and it was hard to put the book down. Although I didn't find this book emotional I imagine it could be too some people, for me it was a good all round chick lit and I throughly enjoyed it.

This is an emotional story, at times heartbreaking and at other times joyous. As always with Amanda Prowse, her characters are so real that you feel as if you know them.
Lucy's story is heart-wrenching and poignant and really makes you think about family and motherhood, and how we sometimes take these things for granted.
A really engrossing story that you won't want to put down, and that will stay with you after you have finished it.

Prose is fast becoming one of my favourite authors. I love her writing style, which depicts 'normal' families coping with different situations.

This story is about Lucy and her quest to have a child. But nothing is ever that simple, is it? I was drawn into the characters in this book and wanted to find out what happened to her Stepdaughter as well as Lucy's back story.

Heartbreaking and beautiful, I red this book in two sittings.

I'm now eagerly awaiting Prowse's next book.

Wow, what can I say Amanda Prowse has delivered again. another powerful and exciting but sometimes difficult read.

This is another great read from Amanda Prowse! So realistically written, it tells the story of Lucy and Jonah who are trying to start a family, while dealing with Jonah's teenage daughter from his previous relationship. Miscarriage is the prominent theme, and parts of the book are just heartbreaking to read. I loved how Lucy's difficult relationships with her family, especially her mother and sister, are explored. Issues which had been swept under the carpet for decades come to the fore and have to be dealt with.
Amanda Prowse always writes such realistic and evocative stories, there is always some parts of her books I can identify with, she has such a brilliant insight into the lives of ordinary people. Would certainly recommend.
Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity of reading this book as an arc.

As an avid reader, I have read many books, some of which I can't put down, and some of which I can. I was pleasantly surprised to find this book as one that I continuously thought about during the day and couldn't wait to pick back up and read. I find myself very invested in the lives of Lucy and Jonah. I kept wanting to see what was going to happen next, and how the events that were unfolding were going to be resolved. There were many tears shed by me along the way. This book reminded me how you may think that you know what is going on in the lives of others, but unless you are in their direct world, many times you don't. Especially when it comes to babies and fertility, there are many feelings that are not shared and these feelings can affect all those around them. I found myself silently cheering and supporting this family, as I wanted to see it survive. I would recommend this book to readers of general fiction/women's fiction and fans of authors such as Jodi Picoult, Kristin Hannah and those that choose difficult subjects to explore and discuss.

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