This is my second book by Amanda Prowse and I loved it!

Powerful story, sad at times, but so wonderfully written. I have cried so much with this book, but I could not put it down. I have never had to endure a situation as Lucy's, but I am a Mom and I can relate.

My TBR is increasing in size today, because I am adding all of her previous novels, and I definitely highly recommend this one.

This was an interesting book, but I suspect I am just not the author’s target audience. This is the story of Lucy and Jonah. Lucy has everything a woman could want (good life, successful career, friends, etc.), except a man and a child, about which she is unhappy. At the start of the book, Lucy meets Jonah at a christening, and both are smitten. They soon wed and, in about a year, Lucy becomes ecstatic about being pregnant. However, things do not go as planned. The first part of the book is about Lucy’s miscarriages. After them Lucy becomes emotionally upset, though she tries to keep it hidden, about her failure to become a mother, which affects her whole life. Jonah is as comforting as possible, though, in the story, he did seem to be condescending toward her, at times. In the story, Jonah also has a teen age daughter, Camille, from a previous marriage, who comes to live with Lucy and him. This turns Lucy’s life upside down. I found this part of the book most interesting, since I also had a similar experience with my husband’s daughter from a previous marriage. Obviously, things do not always go as we imagine they would—or even hope they would. This story continues until a somewhat surprising ending, where some hidden (naturally) secrets are revealed.

The book was an okay read, just not a great one. I thought that Lucy became stuck on the idea of motherhood, which sort of consumed her. The interjection of Camille into the story gave it some needed interest, and the ensuing relationship between Lucy and Camille came across, to me, as rather realistic, as I said. Jonah was a good husband, though I would have liked more development of his character. The story is realistic, in that a “wanna be” mother can become “wrapped around the axle” with the idea, letting it consume her life, as it did with Lucy. I just got tired of Lucy and her obsession with being a mother. As I said, I am probably not the author’s intended target audience, as I do not have children and have never been obsessed with this idea. The book will probably appeal to someone looking for a novel about the need/overwhelming desire for children to complete one’s life. I received this from NetGalley to read and honestly review.

I really enjoyed this emotional story about motherhood. A good holiday read, with great insight into family relationship, the problems of miscarriage, dealing with stepchildren, and how secrets can be destructive. All serious subjects, and dealt with in a touching and heartfelt way. I liked all the characters and felt for them in their predicaments. A book to make you cry, cheer and enjoy wholeheartedly

The idea of you the second Amanda Prowse novel that I've read, and again it addresses a sensitive and difficult subject matter with literary brilliance.

Lucy Carpenter is approaching Forty, she thought she was doomed to be left on the shelf until she meets Jonah at a Christening. They are so surely made for each other that they waste no time in arranging their own marriage and settling down to have children.

However the reality of becoming parents, or at least trying to become parents is far more difficult than either of them imagined. Both are desperate for a child to make their new family completed. Jonah has a teenage daughter from a previous relationship, whilst Lucy has a particularly fraught relationship with the Mother and Sister, and not much else.

When Lucy finds out she is at last pregnant, she is ecstatic. But she and Jonah decide not to tell anyone for a little while. Lucy sadly miscarries, but the doctors tell her not to worry, it is common at first, and there should be no reason not to try again when the couple are ready.

And so begins the cycle again.

Meanwhile Jonah's daughter Camille is sent over from France to live with Lucy and Jonah for the Summer. Lucy tried hard to build a relationship with her, but Camille is stand-offish at best, sullen, rude and unpredictable at her worst.

When Lucy discovers she is once again pregnant, she can't wait to share her news with Jonah, but their joy may well be short lived with Camille around to turn their lives upside down.

The idea of you is a hugely important novel about family relationships and how we deal with tragedy. At times it is an emotional read, so you may need a box of tissues!

Loved the characters.
The book flowed beautifully.
A good book to take away and read in holiday

Quite a tear jerker. Anyone whose personal life has been touched by stillbirths or miscarriages will certainly empathise with poor Lucy. All the panoply of emotions one goes through have been well described in a thoroughly readable book. I must confess when the step daughter arrived on the scene I had a sense that she would be the one to become pregnant and to full term. However, despite some enigmatic clues, the later revelation of Lucy actually having had a baby in her teen years was quite a shock! The ending got a bit too sickly sweet for me so I took a point off.

This was a first book by Amanda Prowse that I read and I didn't know what to expect. Well, it broke my heart! Engrossing and intense story about families, relationships, love and loss. Great read.
Many thanks to Netgalley and publishers for the ARC.

I enjoyed this book immensely. It is a very well written, poignant story about marriage, parenthood, and the unique step-parent relationship with all of its ups and downs, the good times and the bad. This author has a beautiful writing style, highly recommend!

Lucy Carpenter and her husband, Jonah, are happily married and planning to have a baby. When she becomes pregnant, Lucy spends her evenings knitting baby clothes. She has a pregnancy book she reads to discover how her baby is developing week by week, and imagines how happy their lives will be once their baby is born. Her heart is broken when she has an miscarriage, but they are determined to try again. Sorrow strikes a second time when she has another miscarriage. As Lucy struggles to deal with the pain of her losses, she must also adjust to the arrival of her teenaged step-daughter, Camille. Lucy hopes to build a relationship with her, but instead finds herself feeling like an outsider in her home. Envious of the relationship Jonah has with his daughter and fearful that she will never be able to have the baby she desperately longs for, Lucy begins to resent Camille’s presence. The rocky relationship she has with Camille causes a rift to form between Lucy and Jonah, and Lucy is less than thrilled when Camille announces she’s staying. A shocking turn of events brings about a situation that will either bring them together, finally, as a family… or tear them apart.

The Idea of You is a beautifully written novel you won’t soon be able to forget. Intensely emotional and painfully realistic, this is a book guaranteed to wring every ounce of empathy from you, and then some. Lucy’s dream of motherhood are especially poignant when she writes of what she imagines it would be like to have a child… dreaming of the possibilities, of the things she would do with her child at different ages. You’ll definitely want to have a box (or two) of tissues handy when you read this book, because I don’t think it’s possible to read this one all the way through with dry eyes!

Simply put, this is a book worth reading.

The Idea of You is the story of Lucy, who is a yearning for child and whose body won’t allow her to have one. Now in her early forties, in a new marriage, the children she conceives continue to miscarry weeks into the pregnancy. With no known cause and shattered hopes, Lucy deals with all the emotional highs and lows that each lost pregnancy brings. With her husband by her side, and a stepdaughter to contend with, Lucy has to find her place in the world when regardless of all the success she has had in her career, the one thing she wants more than anything is to be a mother.

This is a story many women will find easy to relate too. So many women yearn to be a mother and are unable to carry their children to full a term. The frustration and heart break for Lucy in this situation is laid bare and it’s heartbreaking. With that being said, as much as I found this story well told, I couldn’t relate to the characters. Because everything revolved so heavily around her miscarriages, I’m not sure how much I learned about Lucy. Her character never developed past the fact that she was a career woman and wanted to have a child. I saw Lucy in a marriage, as a boss, as a stepmother and I’m still not sure how much I actually saw her character develop. The events of the story took precedent over character development. Prowse’s lengthy prose I also found to be quite a hindrance. Her writing style is simply one I don’t lean towards. I must say regardless of its faults I did find the story interesting and I did become somewhat invested in the outcome of Lucy and her family. The further into the story I delved the more intrigued I become and I wasn’t disappointed in the way Prowse chose to end Lucy’s journey.

The Idea of You by Amanda Prowse is the story of one woman’s journey through miscarriages and coming to terms with the past. When the story opens, Lucy is at the christening of her co-worker’s son. She is reeling from the recent break up from her boyfriend, Richard, and his subsequent engagement to her cousin. While she is there, she meets Jonah Carpenter. Fast forward, she is now married to Jonah and they are expecting a baby. While they are happily planning and dreaming, the unthinkable happens. Lucy is rushed to the hospital where they learn she has miscarried. While Lucy is learning to deal with her miscarriage, her stepdaughter, Camille, is coming to stay with them. Lucy must learn to interact with her teenage stepdaughter as well as come to terms that a baby may not be in her future. When Camille reveals a life changing secret, Lucy learns she must confront a past she has hidden from everyone including Jonah. Will Lucy be able to move forward? Will Jonah forgive her for hidden this secret? Will she ever have the family she’s dreamed of?
I loved The Idea of You! As a woman who has suffered multiple miscarriages, I could relate to Lucy and her desire for a family. The story was filled with drama, twists and turns which leave the reader eager to turn the page to find out what happens. I love the ending and the growth that Lucy displays as she comes to terms with how her life has turned out. It is a story that readers who understand Lucy’s situation would appreciate. Readers who have never experienced miscarriages would be able to get inside the mind of a woman who has and get a glimpse of the heartbreak a miscarriage can bring. I highly recommend The Idea of You.

The Idea of You
is available on Amazon
in paperback and on the Kindle

This book held my grip walking through the reality of painfully desiring a child. Knowing what you want for that child and living it is something entirely different. sucha great story of a completely blended family that has come together and learnt from all the challenges of generational mistakes.

Lucy is single, 39, and yearning to be a mom when she meets Jonah. They marry and attempt to start their own family while blending with Jonah's previous family. The story itself was heart-wrenching (especially for anyone who has ever miscarried). The thing that drove me nutty was the way Lucy talked to Jonah. The way they fight, the way she dishes out advice about things she wouldn't know about, etc etc. I kept getting so annoyed with her.

Beautiful book. Dealt with sensitive issues and proved that life doesn't always work out how you want but can even work out better.
The characters were great and so believably real.

I suggest you have your tissue box at the ready for 'The Idea of You!' I could really feel for 'Lucy' as my own daughter went through 3 miscarriages. So many similarities.

This is the first time that I have read any novels by Amanda Prowse and cannot wait to get my hands on more of her novels. This was beautifully written, with some lighter parts to make one smile. I rarely write what a story is about for fear of spoiling for others, but I do highly recommend.

This is my honest review, having received a copy via Netgalley.

Whilst well written I found it difficult to read past half way. Subject matter too close to home .

Although I have a number of Amanda Prowse books on my Kindle and I have been following her on Twitter for quite some time, this was the first time I have read one of her books - enticed to do so by reading her own stories of pregnancy loss, which inspired this book.
I know Amanda Prowse has a huge following because she connects so well with her readers through her heartfelt honesty and ability to get to the very emotional core of a story.
I knew this this would be both an emotional and at times difficult read. While I have, thankfully, never experienced a miscarriage, I had a few scares in my last pregnancy and was able to relate to that fear she spoke so poignantly of - the wait on the examining table and the fear of what the doctor may or may not find.
This is the story of Lucy, primarily, and her new husband Jonah - and their quest to start a family of their own. Lucy is a career woman who has built a very successful life for herself but has not, until her early 40s, met the right man for, With Jonah comes a whirlwind relationship, a marriage and a desire to become a mother - to solidify her family unit.
However, she and Jonah face very many trials and tribulations in their journey. Secrets unfold - pain from the past is resurrected, ripped open and events from Lucy's past threaten her present happiness.
The arrival of Jonah's teenage daughter, Camille, from France for the summer adds an extra dimension of tension to the book - and causes the reader to think about what it really takes to be a mother, what family is and how healing can come from the strangest of places.
This is a deeply moving read - and for some, I imagine it will be difficult.
Browse doesn't shy away from the realities of miscarriage, nor the strain it can put on a relationship.
For me, perhaps, the book was a little bit overly long - but I'm sure I would be in the minority thinking that - knowing the legion of fans Mrs Prowse so rightly has.
This book once again solidifies her as one of the best women's fiction writers in the UK - guaranteed to deliver an emotional read each and every time.
I will be digging into some of her other books which are sitting on my Kindle.

Pour Some Sugar on Me.

Open up a big bottle of maple syrup and glug it down. See how you feel. This is the impression that The Idea of You left with me. Lucy is forty with a brilliant career who wants desperately to have a baby when she meets slightly older Jonah at a baby shower, of all places. The two of them hit it off and get hitched. Lucy leaves her sleek and modern digs and moves into Jonah’s character rich older home. They immediately start trying to conceive.

Several miscarriages later, and just in time for Jonah’s sixteen year old daughter to move into their home, the newlyweds hit a rough patch. Lucy continues to work but nothing means much to her if she cannot have this kid. Jonah seems disinterested and what’s worse, sweet Lucy is thrust into the role of horrid stepmother. No matter how hard she tries, her step daughter just won’t come around. Lucy is also harboring a secret, one that greatly informs her narrow minded baby desires and also her relationship with her mother.

I could not relate to Lucy’s character and hers and Jonah’s overly theatrical, smarmy relationship truly detracted from feeling any sympathy for these characters whatsoever. The way these two characters spoke to each other sounded completely disingenuous and on more than one occasion left me tempted to forgo finishing the book.

Lucy has an ongoing fantasy about talking to her mythical child that is interspersed between chapters. It is all sweetness and light, completely one sided and unrealistic. I was unimpressed with the way this subject matter was handled and was surprised to learn that the author’s catalyst for writing this story was her own experience with miscarriage. The serious nature of this topic warranted a far more relevant storyline, one that wasn’t trite, mired in fantasy and dressed up with bows and ribbons.

A disappointing read.

BRB Rating: Skip It

When I first started reading this book I wasn't sure it was my cup of tea. It was a bit slow and the main character Lucy was very unlikeable. Lucy seemed petty and childish especially when it came to her stepdaughter. Being a stepmom myself, I would get so mad at Lucy's behavior. As the story started making connections and things were falling into place I noticed Lucy was maturing before my very eyes.

I'm happy I stuck with it as it was a great read. You may even find yourself learning a few things in your own life.

If you are a fan of Maeve Binchy, Barbara Delinsky or Diane Chamberlain this is the book for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for a copy. All reviews are my own honest opinion.