The subject of this book was one I hadn't realized would make me so emotional. The author did a wonderful job of allowing us to see just what Lucy is feeling throughout the book. While Lucy is not perfect, and has a strange way of going about things at times, I found myself empathizing with her more than I thought I would. At times, I found her to be quite an unlikable character, but her flaws made her more real.

I was given the opportunity to read this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This delightful book is about a long time single, successful career woman, who never felt she would find the love of her life and have a family. Suddenly at a friend’s wedding, Lucy meets Jonah and before you know it, she is madly in love and married. It is having a child that causes Lucy and Jonah oh so many difficulties and heartaches; it also wrenches up the past in ways that some might feel are best forgotten.

What I liked about the book: Well, at first I didn’t think I was going to like it. But then I was reeled in hook, line and sinker. Lucy is a very likeable character, with a complex story line and a lot more vulnerability that one might imagine. It doesn’t reveal itself until much later in the book as more of Lucy’s story comes out. Jonah is a typical divorced father, with a typical teenager daughter who lives with her mother. Said mother appears to be two very different people to both the daughter and the ex-husband – until the truth is later revealed to all. Jonah’s daughter is written as a typical teenager, product of divorce, very manipulative, mean to step-mom and overbearing…until she finds herself in need of a friend.

What I didn’t like about the book: Without revealing the plot line, it would seem that Lucy and Jonah’s trouble with conception seemed to become an undiscussed problem as the book came to a close and they had other issues on their mind. I was hoping that the other events that presented themselves to the family would not overshadow their own desires as a couple; but any discussion about their having a child of their own seemed to have left the storyline by the end of the book.

All in all, though all of the characters were charming and I found myself wishing the story would continue on.

A heartbreaking and devastating look at motherhood, marriage and miscarriage. As someone who has struggled with miscarriage, this was a very difficult book to read and enjoy. That is not to say it was a bad book at all, it wasn't. But it is emotional and transporting.

I thought there were some weak points in the story and would have liked a little more depth in the characters.

This is a wonderful book. This book is so full of heart gripping emotions. I loved the story of Jonah and Lucy and Jonah's teenage daughter from his first marriage. I don't think I have ever had a book to make me cry so much. The tears were due to many of the heart breaking events in the lives of Lucy and Jonah. But tears were also shed due to many happy events as well. Once I started reading this book I could not put it down until I finished all of it. A great read.

I absolutely loved this book, the insight into step parenting as well as miscarriage Was so well written, I was glued to it from the first page and had to keep readong to know what happened, would recommend this book to anybody and have actually done so!

I appreciated being selected for this title, but it just is not not my cup of tea. I'm sure the story is captivating and will enthrall its audience, unfortunately I do not see myself in it.

This is the first time I have read anything written by Prowse but I have heard nothing but good things about her work so when I was offered the chance to read this one I jumped at the chance, I don't think I even read the blurb so I had no idea what to expect of the story.

Right from the beginning I was hooked by the beautiful writing and Lucy's voice and I was swept away in Lucy and Jonahs story, so much so that I devoured this book in one day.

This book is filled with emotion, from the love that Lucy and Jonah share, the joy they experience at the news of Lucy's pregnancy and then the sadness and heartache when she miscarries, and all the emotions in between. And to add to the mix they have the Camille's presence throughout without letting her know what was going on so relationships are strained. But ultimately this is the tale of family, and this tale will bring you to tears, of sadness of happiness, of bittersweet moments of joy. And if you have been lucky enough to not find yourself in Lucy's heartbreaking situation it will leave you with a better understanding of those who have.

The Idea of You is one of the saddest books I have ever read. There's nothing really spectacular about it-the writing is efficient, the characters are sympathetic, and the story flows in a (mostly) predictable path-it is a simple story that is simply heartbreaking. The Idea of You will resonate deeply with women who have been denied the thing they desire most- a child-but either can't conceive or cannot carry a baby to full term. The Idea of You tells the story of Lucy Carpenter, a successful businesswoman who is almost 40 when she marries the love of her life and is ecstatic at the prospect of finally achieving her dream of becoming a mother. But after several painful miscarriages Lucy begins to despair of ever having a baby. Plus, wherever she goes Lucy is surrounded by pregnant women or those with young children. Listening to her sister and coworkers complain about the exhaustion, frustration, and sheer drudgery that comes with having a baby only magnifies the desperation Lucy feels to experience this for herself. Then a surprising turn of events forces Lucy to examine her priorities and the direction she wants her life to take. You will shed tears of sadness for all the loses and struggles Lucy faces, but also tears of joy as she learns the true meaning and depth of a mother's love.

This book was amazingly heartbreaking, Lucy finally finds the love of her life and wants to start a family with him. Her plans don't goes as planned and when other family member come around it sends them all off balance. Emotionally powerful and put me to tears often. I think I found a new author to splurge on!

I kept hoping for something exciting to happen in this book but, it never did. It was an easy flowing storyline but, just not very exciting.

I really enjoyed this book. The writing style flowed really well and the author really knows how to draw you in to the story. I was instantly sucked in after just the first chapter.

This book follows a couple who have suffered a number of miscarriages. Lucy wants nothing more than to be a mum. When her husband's daughter comes to stay it puts a strain on their relationship especially when she reveals her secret that she has been keeping for over 20 years.

I thought that this was really well written and I would like to read more from the author in the future. I felt Lucy's emotion each time she had a miscarriage. The characters and situations felt very realistic. There is so much raw emotion in this book and I found myself getting quite emotional when reading this which doesn't normally happen. I really liked the way that this was written as it drew me in right from the start. The way that the author handled the topic was done really well. The story felt realistic and not overly dramatised.

I liked the book a lot. A very sensitive subject but the author manages to put together a well written and honest story. Situations people can relate to so that makes you feel more sympathetic with the characters and you get a deeper understanding of their emotions and motives.

This book was really sad and tackled a difficult subject well. I found it very predictable though and thought it could have done with a few more twists along the way to keep me hooked.

Thank you to Netgalley and Amanda Prowse for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first book I have read by this author so I was unsure what to expect. It is a lovely story, we follow the life of 39-year-old Lucy who is newly married to Johan. It appears to the outside world she has it all however, we get to see that underneath that facade she is a vulnerable woman struggling to stay pregnant when to be a mum is the thing she wants most in the world. As the story progresses you find out about the skeletons in her closet, I won't go into detail as it will spoil the book but I recommend you read it, you won't be disappointed. I will warn you the book is emotional you will need a box of tissues handy. It is extremely well written and the characters come to life in your mind I cannot wait to read another book by this author!

A book all about loss and love. Some parts are heartbreakingly sad. Really relatable characters.

A heart-warming book about a highly emotive subject. Not my usual genre, so don't take the fact that it didn't grab me and make me plough through it in a day as a bad sign. I can see a huge fan-base for this type of work, but it was a little to cliché for me at times. Specifically the moody teenager, with her over-reactions to Lucy's attempts at friendship was like an off-the shelf character.

I did like the twist of her having had a baby when she was a teenager - didn't see that coming, and it brought it together at the end far better for me than my prediction of Lucy having a successful pregnancy.

A very easy read. For me, it was a page turner at the beginning but the story changed very little so towards the end I got a little bored. I would read another novel by this author as I enjoyed her style of writing.

As usual Amanda Prowse does a fabulous job. Not many writers can tug at my heart strings, but Amanda never fails. Thanks again for another great read

The blurb of this book absolutely captivated me. However, I was immediately disheartened when I began reading and found it to be written in third person. Had this book been written in first person, it probably easily could have been a 5 star read for me.

Lucy is 39, finally married but struggling with making a family of her own. The struggles she and Jonah face are so real and so gritty. To add to the every day stresses of Lucy's life, she and her husband decide to take in Camille; Jonah's daughter from his first marriage who lives in France. The story progresses depicting difficulties in parenting, step-parenting and just marriage in general

"You do lose things when you get married, it's true, but what we gain far outweighs what we have lost."

Prowse writes a story of struggles and love. Of heartache and forgiveness. Of what truly makes someone family. The writing is good. It truly is. However, I just feel like I could FEEL this story and connect with this story and subject matter so much better had it been written in first person.