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.

I was instantly hooked and could not put the book down. I truly loved this story and every single character Amanda Prowse brought to life. I really liked the writing style, I found myself quickly absorbed in Lucy and Jonah's world. The Idea of You is an emotional rollercoaster of a read and I will be reading more from this author.

Thank you!

This was a nicely written, melancholy story. Truly something that I will think about for years to come.

It always amazes me when I see that Amanda Prowse only self-published her first book in 2011. I’ve read so many of her books that it feels like she has been around forever! Sixteen books and six novellas later she is firmly ensconced in the UK market with her own unique take on modern life and relationships.
Lucy is at the wrong end of her thirties when she is unceremoniously dumped by her long term boyfriend – for her cousin! Soon she hears that they are married and expecting a baby. Everything that she has always wanted in life and it has been denied her. After a chance meeting at a friend’s christening Lucy finds her own Mr Right and after a whirlwind romance finds herself with a husband and living in a new house.
As Lucy and Jonah struggle to become parents, Jonah’s teenage daughter Camille comes to live with them reminding Lucy of everything that she can’t have. Beautifully written this is a story that veers from heartbreak to elation. Prowse is a master at capturing the essence of an emotionally charged situation and transferring that to the page. Be prepared to laugh and to cry but you won’t fail to be entertained.
Supplied by Net Galley and Lake Union Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

A poignant tearjerker tackling the grief of miscarriage, the often difficult nature of step relationships and teenage pregnancy. that many people will be able to relate to in one way or another.

A set of letters from Lucy are printed throughout the story that tease as to their possible recipient, Eventually these, alongside the story, build to a reveal of her own deep secret which having added to her personal anguish soon becomes an experience with which she can bond with and help her step daughter.

** spoiler alert ** Thank you to Netgalley for the chance to read & give my honest review

Such a fabulously written story, that is about a women who desperately wants to become a Mom.
You journey with her through the ups & downs of trying to conceive & the joys of being pregnant, to the heartbreaking miscarriages she suffers.
This story certainly pulled on my heart strings. Make sure you have a few boxes of tissues ready when you read this amazing but truly heartbreaking story!!

This is the second Amanda Prouse book I have given up on, she is clearly not an author for me.
I found the main character, Lucy, quite irritating: surely no one would expect to immediately get on with a sixteen year old step daughter?
In both books (the other book I abandoned was The Food of Love), the emotional heartstrings were tugged so blatantly they nearly snapped. This book should come with a health warning so no woman who has recently had a miscarriage picks it up.
On the positive side, the author does write very evocative descriptions of rooms, going into detail of the furniture etc.

In past years, the topic of miscarriage was largely avoided because as a society, we just didn't quite know how to handle the issue. A book such as The Idea of You may help to enlighten us all. Personally, I have never experienced a miscarriage, but know many women who have gone through this. This book has opened my eyes to the tragedy felt by parents at losing the hope of a child. We don't always get what we want in this life, but it is important to find a way to keep moving forward.

Probably 2.5? I really liked it for a while, but the last 20% was a struggle. It was just too over-the-top happy ending for my liking. And for a while before that the story took a turn I wasn't super excited about. I would give Amanda Prowse's other books a chance though.

(I will be posting a review on blog on April 11th.)

As a person who found love in later life,I immediately identified with the protagonist. However,I as I didn't have the desire for children, I had to rely on the author to steer throughout the rollercoaster ride to become one. She dealt with subject delicately and with compassion. The end was realistic,not conveniently wrapped up. Sometimes you have to accept what you have and appreciate what life has dealt you. A thought provoking read.

Thank you Netgalley for yet another fab book to read by this talented author.
Amanda , I don't know how you do it book after book - but your writing is amazing, even a topic as sad as this had me wanting to read on and on into the small hours.
The Idea of you tells the story of Lucy and Jonah - as Lucy reaches her 30's she is desperate to get pregnant and enjoy a child with her husband Jonah - however getting pregnant and staying pregnant is not as easy as they would hope. This book deals with the sensitive subject of Miscarriage and how it effects familes and relationships. Then they invite Camille to stay with them - Jonah's daughter from a previous marriage - thinking having a step child living with you would be easy, Lucy is eager for her to live with them - before realising it reminds her too much of everything she doesn't have herself with Jonah.
This book is a very modern day story which is why i feel it will be super popular! You did it again Amanda xx

Wow! A fantastic book and the first of many I now plan on reading by this author. It's a real page turner, I couldn't put it down. The story was easy to get into, the characters were equally likeable and it was easy to empathise with the situation the characters found themselves in. Highly recommended.

received a copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. The story centres on Lucy. Approaching 40 her boyfriend leaves her for her cousin. Shortly after she meets and not long after marries Jonah. Lucy and Jonah really want to start a family but for Lucy to carry a baby to full term is a lot harder than she imagined. Then Jonah's teenage daughter Camille comes to stay which adds another layer to the story.

I absolutely loved this book and could not put it down. I loved the writing style of this author. It was so easy to read. It is a highly emotional book and having been in the characters position myself I could totally relate to the story. I will definitely be checking out more books from this author.

I received a free copy of this book through Net Galley. I liked this book much more than I originally thought I would. Being childless and not by choice, it struck a lot of nerves with me. However, the writing was good, the characters were all well done, and the UK setting lent a bit of an exotic locale. I liked Lucy. Her relationship with her husband was exceptional. A bit predictable and pat here and there, yet there were some very tender moments. The ending wasn't the perfect present wrapped up in a bow. That would have been an insult. I would recommend this book, it was sweet and sad and lovely.