Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC of this novel.

I was pre-approved for this book so I'll admit it wasn't a book I was looking to read nor was I familiar with the plot although that did not contribute to the rating. I found the book to be a bit emotionally overwhelming. I don't like to include spoilers in my reviews but I will say that it was just wave after wave of emotion in this book. So much so that I actually put the book down for a couple days because I just couldn't take it anymore. The characters are also a bit superficial and not as developed as I thought they should be for this type of novel. The emotional "growth" of all the characters felt very rushed and at the end it seemed like the author was trying to give the reader the happy ending she thought they wanted.

I did like the way the authors wrote. Her writing style is really easy to read and understand but maybe on the next book work on developing the characters a little bit more.

I received an arc copy of this book for an open and honest review.

Oh wow oh wow this book had you gripped from start to finish.
It is emotional, happy, sad, frustrating and oh so real, so in touch with the real world with none of this fantastical everything will have a fairytale ending because it doesn't. Not everyone gets all they want and this book really demonstrates that but also shows just how deeply secrets can damage us and those around us if held on to long.
It also shows the strength of a person and teaches you how to be grateful for all you do have and not everything is greener on the other side!

This is a heart tugger of a story about 39 year old Lucy, a strong, professional woman, who yearns to be a mother. Happily married for over a year to Jonah, her life finally seems to be perfect. But her reality is one of heartbreak - she suffers through multiple miscarriages, when her greatest desire is to hold a baby of her own, to be a mother. While coming to grips with her own life, she must also deal with her teenage step-daughter, who comes to live with them and creates havoc and stress in her life and marriage. It deals well with a subject that brings great sorrow to too many women, and I suspect younger women or women who have experienced the pain of miscarriage will sob throughout the story. For me, the story was excellent, and gave me insight into the continuing pain these women feel. Several revealing incidents from the past are revealed at just the right time. But the writing was just a little too simplistic for me to thoroughly enjoy or to rave over, and it was very easy to figure out what was coming next in several places. Still - a great story, very moving and uplifting, and I am so glad to have had the chance to read it. Many thanks to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and Amanda Prowse for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. 3.75 stars.

I really enjoyed this book. I could feel the sadness that Lucy had suffered with the miscarriages, it's not talked about often enough even though sadly it is a occurrence for some people. The characters worked well together, with the step daughter's dislike one that can occur and the twist that Lucy had been through another event in her life, had locked it away, and this made sense of the letters she was writing at the end of most chapters.

A lovely, emotional story of love, loss & family.

Superb storyline & relatable characters make this a great read. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this book to anyone

Thank you for the invitation to preview and critique this book and I hope to do justice with my review.Ms. Prowse's story encompasses the joy and heartaches of a couple very much in love, and showcases how sometimes love just isn't enough to prevent hurt and trauma from knocking at your door.Lucy is recovering from a previous , longstanding relationship that hasn't quite been severed when she meets Jonah, and a connection is made.These two eventually marry as predicted,and all is bliss until Jonah's daughter, Camille from a previous marriage comes for a visit that turns out to be more than.During the turbulence of Lucy trying to cope with a manipulative teenager, she is dealing with her own personal, recurring heartache and failures,and feels the support of her husband waning.She feels alone and adrift and fears that she has made another mistake.We see the fragility of emotions that once were thought to be strong and enduring , now faltering at the first sign of trouble.We see that we can never be one hundred percent certain of anyone, and that we never truly know even the person closest to our hearts.We find that people are full of surprises and don't always react the way we envision, to any specific situation, and this can cause self-doubt.I cried for Lucy while thinking she also needed to do some growing up, I detested Camille's actions even while giving allowances for her immaturity and felt disgust and frustration with Jonah and his responses to his wife's concerns.But all is not lost as epiphany abounds and rose colored glasses are exchanged for three-dimensional ones, and life presents us with another chance for redemption.I had hoped for a different outcome for Lucy on the baby front ,but I can accept that she has found a happy place and is content. The supporting cast of characters provided some distraction from the issues in Lucy's household, and while I understand that forgiveness can open the door to healing,I was not completely ready to forgive her mother so quickly.This was a truly evocative book with few typos and a whole lot of feelings and I enjoyed the time spent reading it.Thank you Netgalley for the privilege to get my virtual hands on this book and would definitely read more from and recommend this author.

Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the chance to read and review.

I recently was offered the opportunity to read The Idea of You and jumped at the opportunity as I could relate to the age of the main character, Lucy Carpenter, who is on the brink of turning 40.

See, I will be 40 in a few shorts months myself and therefore in a similar age bracket.

Yet, that is probably where the similarities end, as I have been happily married for over 10+ years and also a mother to two young girls.

Lucy, however, meets and becomes newly married to Jonah Carpenter. Very quickly, it is shared that Lucy would love to become a mom, but over the curse of the novel Lucy has trouble conceiving and even struggling with miscarriages.

She also has to welcome Jonah’s teenage daughter in their home. It is the pressures of real life with her step-daughter, miscarriages and more that finds this story dealing with all matters of the heart.

While again my life may be a bit different at this point, I still couldn’t help getting involved and even endeared to Lucy and her story, which is fraught with love, but struggles, too.

While not earth shattering by any means, still a worthy story that was told. Therefore, recommend. (Originally reviewed on Goodreads).

The Idea of You is an excellent book about a woman who on the surface has it all,good job,loving husband and family with her sister and mum but has she really ? Lucy and Jonah are happily married but they both yearn for a baby to complete their happiness but unfortunately that doesn't seem to be as easy as it sounds and when Jonah's daughter from his first marriage Camille arrives from France to stay a while things start to go awry for Lucy.She finds it hard to fit into her role as step mum and when Camille meets Bex she decides to stay on in England much to Lucy's dismay.A rollercoaster of a story ensues which had me thinking how the book would end and all in all an excellent book from Amanda Prowse,a good solid 4 star read.

I was automatically sent this book but reading the synopsis, its not one I care to read. Thank you

“I often wonder what your voice might be like.” Amanda Prouse’s book The Idea of You quickly grips you with a woman’s desire to have a baby and the struggles she faces to do so. Lucy Carpenter finds happiness with her second husband and utter joy at a pregnancy just after. This is quickly shattered when Lucy suffers a miscarriage. This is the first book that I have read by Amanda Prouse, but soon after beginning this book I understood the popularity of her books. She writes in a way that the reader is unaware of the words, only taken in by the story. I felt an immediate connection with the main character, even though I could not relate to most of her life circumstances. I read this book in one sitting because I could not put it down. It will keep your interest until the end and is worth the read. I received a digital copy of this book from Net Galley for my honest review.

I loved iit, if you've ever lost a baby then you can completely understand and empathise with this book, its put the heart break and mind games that losing a baby can bring into better words than you could imagine. I hope the author hasn't ever lost a baby but the way she portrayed the feelings was spot on.
This is the first book ive read by Amanda prowse and I will be looking for more of her books.

The Idea of You is the tale of a woman's desire to become a mother after having several miscarriages. Through a few twists and turns in the plot, motherhood looms for Lucy but not in the way she expected.

Recommend if you love chick lit books that revolve around family drama and relationships.

Review written after downloading a galley from Net Galley.

This book was just a so-so 3 star for me. It is a typical chick lit, not the best. If you like lots of family drama, secrets, than you will like this book. Lucy, near 40 is recently married to Jonah and they are trying to have a family. Jonah has been married before and has a teen age daughter, Camille who lives with her Mom most of the time. However, Camille comes to live with Lucy and Jonah for her summer vacation. Lucy has trouble coping with her job, her trying to get and stay pregnant and dealing with Camille. Her coping skills left a lot to be desired, she is constantly crying and escaping. I did like Camille, a child of divorce, dealing with grown up issues. I thought, in a short summer vacation, just too many things happened to Camille, unrealistic in a 3 month summer, although she ends up,staying longer. I also liked Jonah, who is trying to please both his wife and daughter.
The ending is also unrealistic , everything wrapped up neatly and tied with a bow.

The Idea of You was given to me by the publishers for review prior to release. I have to confess that Amanda Prowse wasn't in my periphery before this book came along. Having read this one I'll definitely be looking up some of her other novels. It is a beautiful story and it resonated with me on a very personal level. I think any woman in her later thirties/early forties who has had any kind of fertility issues will give this book a very special place in their heart. It's about Lucy and Jonah - standard good looking, well doing West London couple living in a 'nice' house and with well paying jobs. Sadly the one thing they want more than anything is a child of their own. Jonah has a daughter from his first marriage who lives in France - Camille is 16 and comes to stay with them for a few months over the summer when she turns 17. Lucy's relationship with her stepdaughter is strained at best and it causes some strain between her and her husband.

Lucy also has a rather distant relationship with her mother and there are hints through the book as to why but it takes some time to find out.

I loved this book - the characters were well rounded and familiar, and I really felt for poor Lucy as she went through some very dark times. What I also liked about it was, without giving anything away, it wasn't all neatly tied up in a bow with a happy ending, which made it seem more real. A great book, thoroughly recommended xx

Nobody writes this type of book like Amanda Prowse. An emotional rollercoaster of a read, which follows Lucy and Jonah as they try to conceive a child of their own.

Have a box of tissues at the ready. Emotions run high as Lucy and Jonah try for a baby. The writing flows along and highs and lows are frequent.

I received an eARC of this book from Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing.
Summary:
Nearing forty, Lucy Carpenter finally feels like she can have it all. She has a great job, and a fantastic husband in Jonah; all she needs to complete this is a baby. This, though, is harder to achieve than she thought. After several miscarriages, Lucy is feeling fragile. It’s now that Jonah’s teen daughter comes to stay, bringing her own dynamic into the family. Can Lucy keep it together at work, and keep her family together while she herself is unraveling? Added to this is a secret heartache from the past, one that she never told a soul, that just might be the ruin of her world.
My thoughts:
I loved this book, even as it broke me. I loved Lucy, I wept for her and her great desire to be a mother. Each miscarriage tore me apart, as if it were happening to a friend. The pain, and the characters were very real, and the premise was perfect. Without giving anything away, I will also say that I loved the ending and how Lucy grew through the book.
Interspersed through the book are snippets of a letter that Lucy is writing. It reads like a journal entry almost, and gives us great insight into her feelings toward motherhood. I really liked that aspect, and felt like it added a lot to the story. This was definitely a five star book for me!
On the adult content scale, there’s language and some sexual content though it is fairly tame. I give it a four.

Amanda Prowse never fails to make her readers think. Her books cannot easily be skimmed over.

At times, many times, this book made me overwhelmingly sad. Any woman who has experience of the situations covered cannot fail to be affected.

I think the ending is supposed to be a happy ever after. I felt resigned, content. Not happy.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read the book prior to publishing.

Thanks to Net Galley & Lake Union for an ARC of this lovely book in an exchange for a review.
A powerful story of Lucy & Jonahs love and their longing for a baby
Arriving for the summer is Jonah's teenage daughter from his previous marriage and their lives dramatically change, their peaceful home now includes a messy teenager, sulky moods and fireworks between Lucy and her stepdaughter Camille.
Heartache for Lucy and Jonah as Lucy has several miscarriages.
Lucy has been carrying a secret for many years which has caused her more heartache and this secret spills out when Camille & Lucy are breaking the news to Jonah that a baby is expected in their home, though Lucy is not the expectant mum.
Preparing for the baby brings happiness and joy & strengthens relationships especially between Lucy and Camille. A lovely read.

***SPOILERS***

This book had so many layers I wasn't prepared for. It's a story of a family: a man's voyage as a husband and a father; a woman finding her way as a stepmother and a wife, a daughter coming of age, navigating her way in a new home with her father and stepmother. While the story centers on pregnancy, miscarriages, and the idea of what to expect during pregnancy and letters written from a mother to her unborn child, The Idea of You takes the reader on Lucy Carpenter's journey of multiple miscarriages and a hugh secret that's revealed towards the end of the book.

Lucy and her husband Jonah have a seven year age gap and have been married a little over a year. Jonah also has a sixteen year old daughter by a previous relationship. Lucy and Jonah are looking forward to the day when they have a child together especially since he missed out of raising his daughter Camille.

Even though I empathized with Lucy, her confussion, and disappointment over her body betraying her time and time again due to miscarrying I didn't fully relate to this character because I've never been pregnant. While I understood the devastation she felt after each loss I also felt she was blinded by sorrow and missed the daily joys and blessings that surrounded her after the loss.

Lucy's grief stricken heart immobilized her to the point of causing insecurities and emotional turmoil with her husband where none where and she alienated people who cared about her. Like I said I understood Lucy's feelings after each loss and I believed Jonah supported his wife to the best of his ability. For me personally, the story didn't truly feel authentic until conversations between Camille, Lucy, and Jonah began.

I loved the family dynamics. Lucy felt like an outcast and at times out right disrespected by Camille while Camille felt like Lucy didn't want her around and Jonah was the man between the two ladies he loved. Here was a prime example of a blessing in disguise. It bothered me that Lucy couldn't or wouldn't see beyond her own pain to help Camille connect with her and it saddened me the Jonah didn't have Lucy's back when it came to Camille. I was glad to see this dynamic change by the end of the book and how close Lucy and Camille became especially when Camille really needed a parent.

Overrall, this was an ok read for me simply because I didn't find myself connecting with any of the characters and I felt more development was needed for Jonah and explanations for certain storylines. The message I will take away from reading this book is when one door closes another one opens. Even though Lucy didn't have a child of her own she ended up with a beautiful relationship with her stepdaughter and her son.

The Idea of You gets 3.5 you don't have to give birth to a child to experience motherhood stars

***I received a free copy of this book from Lake Union Publishing via Netgalley for an honest review***