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.

Another excellent read from this brilliant author. She has a way of writing characters that are so human; flawed, annoying, but scratch the surface and there's something more there, something that seems so obvious. Her story lines pull you along, you find the book calling out to you to read 'just one more chapter' until there's no point in even sleeping! Highly recommended

I was extremely excited to get my hands on the latest Amanda Prowse book as I have loved her previous books. Amanda always finds a way of telling a very true story is a beautiful way. I think we can all relate to one of her storys.

In this latest book 'The Idea of You' Amanda has gracefully covered a very delicate subject of Miscarriage which happens to women and couples every single day. It is a subject we all still find very difficult to talk about, many of us not knowing what to say to people going through it and some not wanting to tell people theyve been through it.

Lucy's story is so emotional and we see her face so many tough times in a short space of time, but by the end of the book she is a changed woman we see her so much stronger and happier.

I sat down in the morning to read this and I finished this hours later. It is a book that you wont be able to put down. You will also need a box of tissues as the amount of times the book reduces you to tears is very high.

The cover of the book will be something il remember for a long time and is so so perfect for this book.

To Amanda and every single woman that has went through this my heart goes out to you all.

I don’t think Amanda Prowse knows how to write a bad novel; I hope I didn’t jinx her for saying that lol! In The Idea of You we find yet another gleaming and emotionally wrought journey that defines what we mean by family and motherhood. Fair warning, grab the multipack of Kleenex before you sit down, scrub your makeup off because there is no waterproof strong enough to handle this novel and turn off your cell so you can become immersed in this without interruptions.

Prowse has a true gift for capturing realism within her pages even if it means bringing to the forefront issues we don’t want to talk about because it’s easier to pretend they don’t exist. This author writes in such a way that you feel like she’s speaking directly to you and wants you to know you’re not alone. Even if you haven’t experienced this particular aspect of trying to create a family she still evokes every emotion possible out of you because as human beings we all know that level of pain of wanting something so deeply but feeling like it’s just out of our reach or the journey to get it is asking more of us than we think we can handle.

This novel may be steeped in anguish but Prowse brilliantly pulls out all the stops to ensure you still find the light of positivity in the darkest of corners. The way she showcases family relationships, dynamics all within her detailed and vibrant character development begs the question if she’s not describing very real people in her life. Her characters leap off the pages to become portrayals of those we all know, even ourselves, so you want to become invested in seeing Lucy succeed at her heart’s desire.

This book really should be read as a group in the hopes that it will cause you to talk about how it affects you and maybe help someone with similar problems find the ‘family’ she needs to get through those hard moments.

Thank you to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and the very talented Amanda Prowse for the opportunity to read the ARC of this book. I loved it.
It never fails to amaze me how Amanda Prowse writes real stories about real people, dealing with sometimes slightly taboo subjects that are spoken about in "whispers". Her empathy, sensitivity and honesty shine through in every word.
I always read her books knowing that emotionally I will be challenged and more often that not, moved to tears. I loved the portrayal of the stepmother/stepdaughter relationship and thought this brought an additional element to the book. The unimaginable thought of losing babies is dealt with beautifully.
5 stars all the way. An absolute weepie so keep the tissues ready!

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an e-ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review. I literally stayed up all night reading this, and I'm not sorry. The characters are all so well done, every single one of them. They have flaws, they seem real, and you feel you are going through their highs and lows. Lucy and Jonah have a great marriage, but Lucy wants nothing more than to become a mom. She has many difficulties with this, and this puts her entire life under strain. Sometimes your family comes to you in ways you'd never expect. This book confirms that.

Beautifully and very sensitively written. An emotional, but compelling read.