Oh, I loved it, I loved it!! If the things that we desperately want are not attainable, perhaps we can get happiness in a different way by changing a few things or changing our views. A great family story with the usual trials and tribulations of step families and teenagers; married life and family life being juggled. A real feel good story and I would highly recommend.
Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy in return for an honest review.

I received a free digital copy of this book from the publisher, much to my bemusement. Most publishers send me literary fiction, or thrillers since I seem to get a lot of attention for my reviews for them, so I was expecting this to be among the same. Instead it was a simple, somewhat trite story about a woman struggling to reconcile her idea of motherhood with what the universe is intent on giving her. Lucy and Jonah are happily married after having found each other somewhat late in life. They are desperate to have a baby, but luck is not in their favor. In the midst of their fertility struggles, Jonah's teenage daughter from a previous marriage comes to live with them, throwing their lives into disarray.

This is ultimately a story about the difficulties one family faces when negotiating through unfamiliar territory with one another. There is nothing wrong with that, especially if you are a reader that really likes this kind of story, but I found it to be very uninteresting. This is the sort of thing my extended family is always going through, and I'm happy to be there for them as a sounding board, or someone to lean on, but that's because I care about them, and their unhappiness, or happiness indirectly affects my life. I never once cared enough about any of the characters in The Idea of You, so I found it hard to care much about Lucy's martyrdom, or Jonah's tantrums, or Camille's manipulations. The book wasn't written very well, with a lot of awkward dialogue, and situations. The major "reveals" of the story failed to move things along. The characters were so flat, and their actions felt like they had been written by a kid who wants her friend to act out a play she's thrown together. The author seems very proud of the fact that she's written sixteen novels in only a few years, but this comes through in the quality of her writing.

The ultimate frustration with this book is that this story is an old one, but it's classic, so if it's done well, than the story could be a good book. This isn't a very good book, but it reads easily, and if the story is your kind of thing, you will probably be satisfied with it. However, there are better books that tell a similar story. Smart Women by Judy Blume comes to mind, even if it's a bit dated. (A classic story that's well written will stand the test of time!) Abide With Me by Elizabeth Strout also deals with a family renegotiating their spaces. In A Perfect World by Laura Kasischke talks about a stepmother's struggle as the world descends to chaos. I prefer these books to The Idea of You.

This is a heartbreaking, yet lovely, uplifting story of a woman- Lucy who more than anything wants a baby with her husband Jonah.
How is it she just can't have a baby after losing so many pregnancies?
Jonah's daughter-Camille, comes for a visit. It's never been a close father-daughter relationship and now add a step-mom. Lucy works so hard to understand this teen and ultimately after much time and struggle, finds their love for each other.
But... wait there is more. After almost each chapter in the book, there is a personal letter, Lucy has written to a baby. Is it one of the babies she has lost?
This was a good read and often heart wrenching.

I received this ARC from netgalley.com in exchange for a review.

From the book description... With her fortieth birthday approaching, Lucy Carpenter thinks she finally has it all: a wonderful new husband, Jonah, a successful career and the chance of a precious baby of her own. Life couldn’t be more perfect." But of course life has its own agenda.

A quick read, the writing flows nicely. I can't imagine having at baby at 40, maybe that is why this book didn't really click for me.

2.5☆ rounded up to 3☆

A realistic and heart-wrenching story that exposes all the ups and downs of motherhood, relationships and families. Another powerful read from Ms Prowse that took me on an emotional roller-coaster of a read.

Many thanks to the author and NetGalley for a copy of this ARC for which I have given a voluntary and unbiased review.

A realistic, emotional read that brings the characters to life. Sad and uplifting with love, grief and resentment running through. Another lovely Amanda Prowse story.

They found love now can they find the family they want. Wonderful good read book.

I have to be completely honest and say I haven't finished this book - but that is because it is so very beautifully written and I couldn't cope with it. I have experienced a larger than normal number of late miscarriages, and despite having read about similar situations many times, Amanda Prowse has just captured the whole experience with such reality and emotion that I found it too hard to read. I empathised too much and it took me back to some dark days. The bits I did read were very well written, with passion and compassion - there is humour and all the characters I met were so very easy to picture and relate to in different ways. I will be seeking out more of her work as I really like her style and easy pace - but this book wasn't for me right now. I should add I have four beautiful children - all rainbows!

I have no experience of miscarriages but this is a good book nevertheless. The characters are brought to life by the writing and have varied backgrounds and emotional reactions to the different situations. The way that the characters changed because of the events taking place was believable in the main. I would read other books by Amanda Prowse.

Thoroughly ejoyed this book.
Lucy appears to have it all, Jonah, a wonderful husband and a fabulous career, but is it enough?
Planning for parenthood and questioning everything when things don't go as expected.
Complications appear when Camille, Jonah's teenage daughter, arrives and lives are changed forever.
This is an emotional rollercoaster that explores the role of Motherhood in many forms. It had me grabbing for the tissues, empathising with Lucy, and hoping she would find happiness.
Not my usual read, more of a crime/psychological thriller reader, but this tale had lots of twists and turns and kept me reading until the last page.
Would recommend highly. Loved it.

An utterly absorbing, yet heart-wrenching story of miscarriage and motherhood. Skillfully and compassionately written, with parity between the baby given away for adoption and present day.

3.5 Stars. An emotional tale of love, heartbreak, loss, and healing, and renewal. It's a fast, easy read and I finished this book in one day.

The main character, Lucy, has suffered multiple miscarriages. She is also trying to bond with her 16 year old stepdaughter Camille, who clearly holds her at arms length. It makes me reflect on my own life, where I am a stepmother to two teens and I am a mother to two girls. I empathized with Lucy's and her husband Jonah's roles in their relationship with Camille.

The first 75% of the book describes Lucy's struggle with miscarriages and Camille. It's sprinkled with passages that I assumed are meant for the unborn fetuses. But then I got past 75% and then everything was revealed. The last 25% made the entire book worthwhile, when Camille's unexpected pregnancy is the catalyst for Lucy admitting hers, and the torment that she has carried for 24 years.

What I liked:
1. The proper British slang woven through the book. The British accent shined with the author's writing.
2. The ending gave a satisfying closure to the characters.
3. The characters are very relatable to parents and step parents.

What I didn't like:
1. I couldn't understand Lucy's obsession with miscarriages until the end. I think bringing more background to her earlier in the book might bond the reader faster to her.

Grab that Kleenex for the last quarter of the book, you will need it!

I received this book from Net Galley. This is my first book by this author, but will not be the last.
An outstanding story. Well-written, with time taken to develop the characters.
There are a lot of emotional issues addressed. Teenaged pregnancy, miscarriage, blended family issues. Something is sure to trigger a few tears. A great read!

So emotional and so well written. If you have any feelings about motherhood, adoption, loss this is one that will keep you reading. Great book!

3 Stars.

Not My Cup of Tea. A One-Note Storyline. Yet Well Written.

Lucy Carpenter is a single woman of 39. She has a fabulous career. One which everyone is jealous of. She appears to have it all. Yet she is desperately unhappy. She wants a man. She goes to events, weddings and christenings and sees people embarked on coupledom and she is alone, wondering what is wrong with her. FINALLY, while at a christening for her co-worker’s baby, she meets one: Jonah Carpenter. He is the man of her dreams and he sweeps her off her feet. They have a whirlwind courtship and marry a mere few months later. And then Lucy gets pregnant a year later. She is ecstatic. And that is where her dream ends. Things don’t go as planned for her, even though she has Jonah by her side.

Thereafter, Jonah’s daughter Camille, from his first marriage, comes to live with them and everything changes. Lucy’s life is turned upside down. Her relationship with Camille brings drama to Lucy’s life that she never anticipated having, but it also shows her that family is what you make of it.

I admit that I didn’t identify with this novel as I do not have children and have not personally experienced the hardships that Lucy and Jonah have. I can’t imagine how it must feel to experience that pain and I don’t wish it on anyone. Putting that aside however, I found Lucy to be a one-note character and didn’t think she was likeable. Further, her desperation to find a man at the beginning of the novel irked me to no end. I wanted to shake her and tell her to gain some confidence and self-respect. I did however like Camille and appreciated the growth of Lucy and Camille’s relationship.

Regardless of how I felt about the premise, The Idea of You was a quick easy read and was also well written.

Thank you to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and Amanda Prowse for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Published on NetGalley, Goodreads and Amazon on 3/30/17.

A good well written solid story, wordy in places and a tad mild for my usual tastes. But that being said I enjoyed the story, good ending! Nice1

I would like to thank Lake Union Publishing and Netgalley for gifting me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

OMHeck this book gave me a good cry!!! Grab some Kleenex!!

I seriously am not sure what to say without giving away some spoilers. There were some amazing twists in this book that I didn’t see coming which makes this story so much better.

This is a story that any woman who has wanted children, had miscarriages or who has to give up her dreams can relate too. I really liked all of the characters, even the teenage daughter who gives Lucy a run for her money. Jonah stole my heart. As a parent of a child and remarried I can totally understand his point of view and the struggles that he went through feeling being pulled in two different directions. To have to deal with everything from a teen daughter suddenly coming to live with him in a pretty new marriage and throw on miscarriages and dealing with that loss as well, I was surprised he dealt with everything as well as he did. Sorry I am probably throwing spoilers all over this review.

This was a new Author to me and I would love to read more from her. Amazing read and seriously grab he Kleenex!!

This book was beautifully done and realistically tackled a touchy subject. The main characters felt real and had depth. I kept on reading because I wanted to know what happened next.

This book is pure Amanda Prowse. This book is brilliantly and beautifully written. I got totally caught up in the characters. I cried and I laughed and was captivated the whole way through. I have read a few other books by Amanda Prowse and really enjoyed them all. She has the ability to bring the characters to life and make you empathise with them.

This was a slow read for me. But then it picked up. This is a story that will stick with me for a good bit if not forever. I felt Lucy's anguish, I understood Jonah's hesitancy, and I can only imagine the thoughts of Camille. It all came together beautifully and just the way I would have imagined the story to end.