I would like to start off this review saying that The Idea of You contains very sensitive subject matter of miscarriage that might be difficult for some people to read. If this is you, you probably want to skip this book. For others it might be therapeutic, for me it was eye opening. This book was full of heart wrenching pages, from what I gather from the author's note at the end, Lucy Carpenter is having some of the same struggles she has in reality. The Idea of You was full of sadness and frustration, but poignant and full of hope. It is interlaced with great humor and sweet husband, so that helped break up some of the more dramatic and serious scenes. I read the book in one sitting, I couldn't put it down, but some of it was really hard to get through because of how emotional a toll it can take on you. I recommend The Idea of You to anyone who enjoys drama or women's contemporary fiction.

Lucy Carpenter,career woman meets the man of her dreams and the biological clock is ticking away. What follows is an exploration of relationships,dreams and aspirations which will have any woman identifying and reflecting upon different aspects of this book.
You enter a world where you experience a myriad of emotions which culminate in some ugly crying due to the story being so well written and heart felt.
Parenthood in all its wonder laid bare for you to extrapolate your own meaning.
I loved this book. I loved the reflectiveness it evoked and the deep seating emotion that ensued. A must read.
Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to review.

Another brilliant thought provoking book by Amanda prowse. This author is a brilliant story teller. A baby would complete the family. Its the story of family and relationships and secrets. I know when I read one of Amanda's book I am in for a treat

“The Idea of You” by Amanda Prowse takes the reader on an emotional rollercoaster as she offers a lasting insight on what it means to become a mother. Lucy is a woman who feels that she will never find the one, but by a chance of fate she meets Jonah Davenport and her life is forever changed. Life is good for her except her plan to become a mother gets sidetracked when nature intervenes and her emotional strength is put to the test. Adding a moody teen to the mix who is trying to find her way in life is sometimes more than Lucy can bear, but when an unexpected event occurs Lucy must confront her past before she can be happy in the present. Amanda Prowse has a unique gift that manages to touch her reader’s soul in this beautiful tale of love. I was given an advanced copy of this book, and all of the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

The Idea of You

by Amanda Prowse

Lake Union Publishing

General Fiction (Adult) , Women’s Fiction

Pub Date 21 Mar 2017

I am voluntarily reviewing a copy of The Idea of You through the publisher and Netgalley:

Lucy Carpenter is approaching her fortieth birthday and she has it all a new husband, a great career and the possibility of having a baby of her own.

Becoming a parent is much harder than either Lucy or Jonah imagined. Lucy endures heart wrenching miscarriage(s).

When her stepdaughter becomes pregnant Lucy is saddened by the fact it is not her.

I give The Idea of You five out of five stars.

Happy Reading.

This is an emotional and beautiful story. The longing of a woman to be a mother but after several heartbreaking disappointments, she realizes and accepts the fact that she can be a mother to someone she has not given birth to. The writing is fantastic and the characters of Lucy, Jonah and Camille are fabulous even though they each had their little flaws but then, don't we all? That's what made it feel so real. There are some surprises, several heart-wrenching moments, and also some moments of joy that make this a very enjoyable book.

This is the first book by Amanda Prowse that I have read. After reading The Idea of You, I will definitely be reading more of her books.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Great book I loved the story and the way it was written. I would read more from this author.

This beautiful book really pulled at my heartstrings, dealing with issues of loss and pregnancy very well. I thank Amanda for writing such an emotional novel and have recommended this book as a Spring 2017 read.

A sensitively written story of pregnancies and miscarriages. Well researched and well written, the reader shares the ups and downs,, tears and laughter. Interwoven with this, there are the problems with having a stepdaughter staying for an extended period which causes many frustrations and resentments. A very plausible and enjoyable novel.

I found The Idea of You by Amanda Prowse to be one of the emotionally intense books I have read in a long time. I read it in exchange for a review. It was alternately heart wrenching and heart warming. Lucy is a successful career woman who is longing for a husband and family. Luckily she meets and marries Jonah, the man of her dreams. Starting a family is harder than they hope.
I was devastated for Lucy as she lost her babies. There was one particular scene that resonates with me, Lucy was in a coffee shop reading that paper when she breaks down crying over an article about abusive parents who killed their child. How awful that that precious gift sometimes goes to the wrong people. Lucy's husband does all he can to be supportive while dealing with his own sense of loss. An additional strain on their marriage comes in the form of Jonah's teenaged daughter from a previous marriage. Jonah does not know her well as they divorced before her birth. Teenagers are notoriously difficult and this one is no exception.
Lucy has a lot to cope with as she finds her way to happiness in the life she has. She learns that families come in lots of shapes, and not only in the ways we plan.

A story of longing and loss that really touched a nerve with me. Lucy Carpenter is desperate for a baby of her own after meeting her husband Jonah, however she suffers loss after devastating loss.

Amanda Prowse has delicately touched on the heartbreaking subject of miscarriage as you follow Lucy throughout this novel. I was really able to sympathise with Lucy as she went through each loss of the baby she longed for and I was desperate for her to succeed in having a viable pregnancy.

This story is really quite beautiful and shows Lucy’s determination to keep going and appreciate the fantastic life she actually has.

Another great read from Amanda Prowse and I really enjoyed this book which also bought tears to my eyes at several points.

Heartbreakingly Beautiful, 5 stars 🌟 :

A touchingly beautiful emotive journey of a woman's longing to become a mother and her ultimate acceptance of a different life than the one she had always dreamed of.

The clever use of personal letters at the beginning of each chapter provides a powerful insight into the main character which added to the depth of emotion in the story.

Ms Prowse has managed to cover the heartbreaking devastation both adoption and miscarriage causes to all parties involved. However, The Gift of You, provides an sympathetic, insightful understanding as well as cleverly showing how a teenage decision both consciously and subconsciously impacts the way you live your life and the relationships you have with those closest to you. Ms Prowse wrote wonderful 3D characters and portrayed Lucy's relationships with her family and her wonderfully understanding husband, except perhaps when it comes to his daughter from his first marriage, with a wonderful depth that made you really care about all the characters and wishing for a HEA.

This was my first experience of Ms Prowse work and Wow I was not disappointed although I would recommend you keep a box of tissues handy!

Fyi I received my copy from NetGalley however, this does not influence my opinions.

I have never read a book by Amanda Prowse, I had this through netgalley, this was my first but it will not be my last, I loved it.
Lucy and Jonah were real people living real life, they were so ordinary and nice, they could've been friends of mine, they were in my mind even when I wasn't reading. Lucy wanting a baby, I could feel all her emotions, "the ups and downs". Camille, Jonah's daughter comes to stay, the timing wasn't perfect, but Lucy accepted her and tried to be a good step mum, while desperate to have a child with Jonah. The letters from Lucy were beautiful; I didn't know who they were for at first but once it clicked, I was even more drawn in. Well worth a read, it will stay with me awhile before I can read my next book.

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is a beautifully written, emotional story with a few twists and turns.
Highly recommended

Amanda Prowse indicates at the start of this book via the dedication that she has personally suffered miscarriages and she restates this in the acknowledgements. Her personal experience has driven her to write this novel about 39 year old Lucy, who would love to have a child with her new husband Jonah. Jonah already has a teenage daughter by his first marriage so he is maybe not as desperate to start a new family but supports Lucy in every way he can as she has repeated early miscarriages. The main strength of this book is the way in which the author gets into Lucy's head as she questions the reactions and motivations of those around her and, indeed, her own responses and emotions. Camille, Jonah's 16 year old daughter, comes to stay with them for an extended visit and Lucy tries desperately to befriend her but her efforts seem to be rejected by Lucy and often misunderstood by her husband, or is this all part of Lucy's emotional response to what her body is doing? There is insight here into the experience of miscarriage, step-parenthood and relations with ones own parents as an adult. Everything is neatly resolved by the end of the book and the ending was perhaps a bit too speedy and happy. I had not read any of Amanda Prowse's work before and I do think this was a well written book although it is not my preferred genre.

I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book grew on me. From the beginning, I wasn't expecting to like it. It seemed very surface level/chick lit, and Lucy didn't seem like a character that would develop well. She is your typical, hard-working career woman who just can't have at all. Her relationship with Jonah was not very fleshed out - we didn't get to hear about their courtship or why they were attracted to each other. In fact, it felt like a missed opportunity to have the book begin the day they met, only to fast foward through their relationship and marriage.

However, I did enjoy Lucy's relationship with Camille and how that developed throughout the book. I thought the author did a good job foreshadowing the twist/ending, and once that came up in the book I become more invested. Although I hesitate to call this a light read, as the subject matter is very emotional, it is a quick, casual read.

This is a very emotional read, especially for anyone sensitive about fertility issues or unexpected pregnancies. The beginning of the book has a somewhat shadowy feel to it. Lucy is a strong, self sufficient woman but she is also human, convincingly portrayed. A true hero.

Finding love unexpectedly, she is nearing the closure of her window for naturally becoming pregnant. She has tough choices to make regarding her career. Overall, her life is good and she is fairly happy. All marriages have difficult times, sometimes more when children are involved.
Raising a teenager will always be a challenge, perhaps more so as a step parent.

Written both as current events and with additional insight into Lucy's thoughts, in the form of letters to a baby. There is more to the story than can be seen on the surface. Relationships will continue to evolve.

Although the beginning has that darker, less satisfied feel, the ups and downs of the entire book will leave you feeling hopeful. I voluntarily accepted and reviewed this book via Netgalley.

The Idea of You explores the lives of Lucy, a just married career woman, and Jonah, along with Jonah's 16 year old daughter from a previous marriage. While Jonah is the father of Camille, the 16 year old, he actually was divorced from her Mother before she was born. Lucy longs for her own child and although becoming pregnant is easy, she is unable to keep the pregnancy and has suffered miscarriages. She is obsessed with wanting a child and it influences every aspect of her life. Career, inter office friendships, her marriage and her feelings of inadequacy and jealousy of her stepdaughter. However this story involves growth and the examination of things that shape us as a person and influences our behavior and feelings, the past meeting the future.. It is well written, and carries the reader along with tantalizing glimpses of its unfolding. You care how the characters react and how their lives will resolve and as always, you wish for them happiness and fulfillment. Keeps you engaged and filled with hope.

I love this book and it actually me to tears, that never happen. The writer made me so invested in the characters life. This was a treasure to read.

A heartrending story which anyone who has suffered miscarriage or the loss of a child will identify with many sad and poignant passages. The main character, Lucy, is desperate for a child whilst being newly married with the added pressures of being in her early forties and having to cope with a teenage step daughter and an acerbic mother. Lucy's marriage nearly disintegrates and her past catches up with her but running alongside the sadness is hope and ultimately joy and reconciliation but from unexpected sources. A roller coaster of emotions but wonderfully written and draws the reader in from the start.