Another brilliant and beautiful novel from Amanda Prowse ,there is so much true emotion in her books she is unlike any author I've ever read before. Thankyou for the pleasure of reading your books.

A 5* review for The Idea of You by Amanda Prowse. Lucy Carpenter appears to have it all; a wonderful new husband, Jonah, a successful career and she is now hoping for a baby of her own, despite being 40. However, becoming parents proves much harder than Lucy and Jonah imagined, and they go through some very dark days of disappointment and torment in their quest for a baby. Jonah’s teenage daughter Camille comes to stay with them, and causes a rift between them and adds more stress to Lucy's life of trying to juggle work and home and trying to conceive and Jonah seems to be unsupportive making Lucy fear everything is falling to pieces around her. The book is beautifully written by Amanda Prowse and is so heart wrenching that you feel you are there with Lucy and share her pain. It is an easy read that flows well and i raced through it. There is a hint of a back story in the Prologue and Amanda teases you with snippets of it all the way through the book until she finally shares the heartbreak with you and you understand Lucy completely. (Tissues ready). There is a lovely conclusion to the book with Camille, which i wont spoil, but the ending made me sigh and smile. A compelling read for women everywhere who want to know the answer to Amanda Prowse's question: in today’s hectic world, what does it mean to be a mother?

Lucy and Jonah met at a wedding and within a short time they marry much to the joy of her family and friends. But as a nearly forty year old Lucy is keen to be a mother and the book engages the reader in her trials as she tries to carry a baby to term. Add in a step daughter aged 16, an ex-wife living in France, a mother who seems to not connect with her and you have a great novel. This book gives one the rare insight into the aftermath of a secret Lucy has carried for over 34 years and provides compassion for all involved in the narrative.

Very emotional read at certain parts, brought tears to my eyes glad all ended well. Read in two sittings. Highly recommended great author

The book was well written. It just wasn't my kind of book.
I felt like Lucy would have been shouting from the rooftops when she found out she and Jonah were expecting, at least telling her best friend. I also felt like she should have told her friend and family about her first miscarriage. I can understand not telling about the second pregnancy until it was "safe." I had a difficult time connecting to any of the characters. The drama and reactions seemed overblown and overly dramatic.
The ending was nice. Some people may like this kind of family drama. I think because of my own experiences with miscarriages, I just didn't get into it.

I chose this book as it's content was a topic I could relate to. It isn't my usual genre of choice, and it didn't have the "can't put down factor" that my usual books do.. Having said that, it was a captivating read but I read it a few chapters at a time, so therefore it took me a little longer than usual to finish. This book was an emotional, thought provoking and heart wrenching story and I found it very moving.

A fantastic emotional roller coaster Amanda Prowse always writes a winning book

I was provided this book for free from NetGalley to read and review, and while it started out just a tad slow for my taste, I kept with it and I am so glad I did! I thought this was a feel good read! I hadn't ever read any books by Amanda Prowse before, and this definitely won't be the last one I read! The plot was simple and the writing flows flawlessly! I could really feel the emotions coming out through the words and it really made everything feel so real! I would recommend this book to just about anyone that asked about it!

great read and easy to follow story line. look forward to reading more from this author.

Another book by the author which felt as if it was written on a personal level. Interesting storyline and characters. Certainly not a book to be read in one sitting.

Whenever I hear about a Amanda Prowse book, the reviewers tend to use the terms, heartbreaking or tear jerking. There is no denying that she is an accomplished writer of what is broadly termed Family Dramas and can certainly harness the essence of the Human Condition in all manner of family settings.

I am certain "The Idea Of You "will join the ranks of her most adored books.

Without giving too much away, the recent media coverage of Amanda's own tragic miscarriage Story has added another dimension to my experience of this story of a loving and devoted couple and the children that never quite made it into this world.

The family dynamic here is all important, this is a story of many strands and about so much more than pregnancies wished for. The complexity of a modern family is depicted here with a stark honesty and the plot itself evolves too with revelations and developments coming thick and fast.

Whilst it is emotionally ravaging, the story never sinks to mawkishness. The emotions are honest, sometimes unvarnished, always authentic.

The Idea of You hits you right in the solar plexus, it is written in strong relatable voice which resonates and remains with the reader long after the final page;prompting many questions about the trials of motherhood both realised and thwarted alike but leaving you with a hopeful glow at it's end.

I thought The Idea of You would be a nice change from the fantasy, science-fiction or thriller books that I have been reading. It has good ratings and I thought it would be a nice read.

I was wrong.

The Idea of You had several issues that ruined it for me.

First of all, I strongly feel this book needs a trigger warning. The synopsis indicates the struggle Lucy has with becoming a mother. What it doesn’t hint at, however, was that the reader goes on a journey with Lucy – one which involves three miscarriages. There are numerous women out there to whom this is a sensitive issue and could bring up a turmoil of emotions. A warning is needed to prepare women about the content, and whether they feel comfortable reading about it.

The second big problem is the very niche target audience. Those approaching their forties, possibly unmarried or otherwise, wanting children and unable to have them, may enjoy the story.

As I did not fall into that category, I could not connect with Lucy’s character whatsoever. Yes, I felt for her plight and the emotional trauma she was faced with. But I found her a shallow, self-centred character and I struggled to empathise with her.

The beginning of the novel opens with Lucy being jealous of everyone else, wanting a child and feeling like she can never compete with these women. It didn’t do much to warm me to her.

I had issues with how prematurely she celebrated each conception, especially given her past record. To be knitting baby clothes before the first scan struck me as odd. It became a repetitive cycle – which, of course, might be the reality for some women, but this is a novel – there needs to be something to help you connect to the characters.

Despite her believing the world is against her, Lucy also acts very badly when Jonah’s (her new husband) sixteen-year-old daughter comes to stay. No wonder Camille lashes out – Lucy is patronising as who-knows-what. The constant references to a sixteen/seventeen-year-old being a `little girl` was irritating. This was especially annoying when it is Camille’s mature advice that makes Lucy rethink her own life choices!

Lucy hides a big secret from Jonah. I could relate to how it was instilled in her to be kept a secret, but even this I wasn’t sure about. Her assumption that she should be nothing but supportive because it has been hard for her leaves no room for his feelings – i.e. his wife lied to him about something major!

The pacing was slow for the majority of the book and despite being a shrewd businesswoman, we never see that side of Lucy, only the side that is an emotional wreck. The reader needs to witness her strengths in order to feel for her in moments of weakness.

As this implies, I had huge issues with the way the story was told and the characterisations. Take that away, and what have you got left?

Initially the book struck me as a 'beach read' but as I continued through it I discovered that it went beyond that and forced me to examine the heartbreak of both miscarriages and unwanted pregnancies. The story was an easy read and insightful.

This is a poignant read about a young modern woman trying to cope with modern problems. Lucy has been unsuccessful twice in having a baby, ending in a disappointing miscarriage in the first semester. To add to her problems her husband Jonah introduces his precocious 16/17 year old daughter into the mix. I didn't feel a great connection with Lucy as she was so insecure, needy, over-reactive and touchy. The poor girl is useless in how to deal with her spoilt step-daughter on whom Jonah lavished so much attention and devotion. It's as though she tries too hard. I liked the ending.

A story of love, loss and family m. At times a hard read personally for me at the moment but beautiful none the less

4 Stars

Hi guys, I got The Idea Of You to read through NetGalley, so thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read it.

We follow Lucy, a 39 year old woman, desperate for a baby. We see lots of comparisons between her and women who are already mothers throughout. In the first chapter Lucy is at a Christening for one of her friend's babies as she's the godmother. She thinks it's unfair how seemingly every other woman is in love and is pregnant, but she's not at the moment. That's when our male lead Jonah enters the story...

Spoilers below...

Jonah proposes to Lucy having only just met her. I didn't think that this was necessarily realistic but it does progress the story quickly. Anyway, in the next chapter they're trying for their first baby together after a year or so of marriage. Lucy gets pregnant but she miscarries before 12 weeks. She gets pregnant a few times in total throughout, but still miscarries each child before that 12 week mark. I thought that representation was good here for couples who try and try for children with no success.
Lucy likes knitting. It's the one thing that she can hold onto while going through each miscarriage. She knits baby clothes for the baby that she hopes she will have one day.

About half way through the book, Jonah's daughter, Camille (from another relationship) comes to stay with him and Lucy. Camille lives in France with her mother and stepfather. She has to get used to living with Lucy and Jonah in England when she comes to visit England. Lucy can't seem to connect with Camille at first. There are some arguments between the two women. When it's suggested that Camille gets a job so she's not always in the way at home, she gets one selling clothes, something she's passionate about. She meets a boy, Dex while working there. Dex isn't a major character but he's significant to the overall story.

I don't really want to spoil any more than that but there are couple of twists at the end, one of which I really wasn't expecting...

At the end of some chapters we see Lucy talking to someone. I assumed it's the baby that she never gave birth to but is it? You'll have to read to find out...

What did I like about The Idea Of You:

I liked that the characters each had their own distinct personalities so I could easily tell who was who all the time.

I liked how the author tackled miscarriage, a topic that isn't bought up in many books.

I liked that the focus of the story didn't change. It was always about Lucy wanting a baby.

I liked that there was only a small cast of characters. It felt as if I got to know the 3 main characters really well.

What didn't I like about The Idea Of You:

I didn't like how the story was quite stop/start in places. Just when I was getting into some scenes, I was pulled out of them.

I didn't like how it was told from 3rd person narrative. I would have liked to have seen the whole story from just Lucy's perspective. While the 3rd person POV worked in, "The Food Of Love", Amanda Prowse's other novel that I reviewed last year, I didn't feel it worked quite as seamlessly in The Idea Of You, as Lucy was the main character and everything was going through her. There wasn't really a moment that she was out of the story, like the main character in The Food Of Love.

I'm giving "The Idea Of You" 4 stars because I really enjoyed it! The only things I would have altered are the pacing and the story's perspective overall. I thought the topic was written about well. I loved how real all the emotions felt. At the very beginning of the book Amanda Prowse writes how she's been through some of the things that occur in this book. That just makes it an even more representative read, I believe.

I was not sure about the subject matter to start but I was soon absorbed in the story line and caught up in the life of the characters.
I know nothing about miscarriage would maybe have liked a bit more in depth detail in the book.
I had guessed what might happen and was nearly right so maybe the story was a bit to nice and simple.However it was enjoyable as most of Amanda,s books are.

Amanda's books just get better and better , I couldn't put it down . highly recommend it was very thought provoking and i went from one emotion to another whilst reading it .