Brave and heartwarming.

It made me think about what I have and not what I have not got.

Well written, Kleenex needed.

Lucy is happily married to Jonah and the only thing missing to complete their perfect family is a baby. Lucy wants a baby more than anything, but her body doesn't seem to be on board with that. Then Jonah's teenage daughter Camille comes to live with them, and throws everything into a tailspin, with emotions running high. You will be captivated as you read on to find out if Lucy gets her dream family, or if the perfect life she is striving for comes in a somewhat different package. I highly recommend this book.

An emotional and well written story, as always by this brilliant author. I've loved all her books and this didn't disappoint.

Wonderful written, this title is a must read for any woman.

This review is going to be a huge trigger alert. If you have ever had a miscarriage, was a teenage mother or was forced to give a child up for adoption…..don’t read this review. Hit the back button and keep on scrolling. If you do keep on reading and trigger from reading this….don’t say I didn’t warn you and don’t get upset. So read at your discretion and don’t go past the read more block I put up.


I was not expecting this book to make me an emotional mess while I was reading it. I started sniffling during Lucy’s 1st miscarriage and was in all out tears by the end of the book. So let it be warned….even if you don’t cry, you will.

In between chapters, there is a letter written to someone, a child, from Lucy. At first, I thought it was to the children that she had lost in the beginning of the book. Then I thought she was writing the letter to Camille from the future as her stepmother. But when it was revealed that she was writing the letter to her daughter that she was forced to give up for adoption at birth, my heart broke. The anguish in that letter just came off the page and it broke my heart.

Lucy tried so hard in this book. Tried to set ground rules for Camille (who was a brat in the first part of the book), trying to get over her back to back to back miscarriages and tried to be a good wife while dealing with all the emotions that come with miscarriages. I loved that Jonah was just as hurt as Lucy and the author showed him dealing with his emotions too. Not a lot of books do that.

Jonah, while I liked him, really ticked me off when Lucy revealed that she had a child at 16 and was forced to give her up for adoption. It really irked me that out of everything that was going on in their lives, he chose that particular thing to blow up about. He did redeem himself when he read the note from Camille and went to the flat where Lucy was staying because he thought something was wrong. That definitely was the point where I said “Ok, he was dealing with a lot of stuff coming from seven different directions and blew up” and decided to give him another try.

I didn’t know what to feel about Camille at first. She was so standoffish with Lucy when she first got there….even though Lucy did everything to make her comfortable. She would be so flip with her when Jonah wasn’t home and then plead innocence when Lucy would bring it up to Jonah. I started not to like her when she told Lucy that she (Camille) knew Lucy wouldn’t be around for long and that her father’s love life was like a revolving door. Not the Lucy was helping the relationship with her being jealous of Camille and Jonah’s relationship and Lucy feeling like a third wheel. But, there was a reason Camille was acting the way she was and when it was revealed, I felt bad for her. I also thought it was very telling that she told Lucy that she was pregnant…..before she told her father and mother. That was the turning point in their relationship.

The end of the book was a little bittersweet and I know I cried a lot at it. I loved how everyone was at peace with their decisions and how broken relationships were being mended.

How many stars will I give The Idea of You: 5

Why: This is a beautifully written book that will tug at your heartstrings. I couldn’t put the book down. I had to find out what happened next with Lucy, Camille and Jonah and see if their relationships would survive the storms!!

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age range: Late teen

Why: I was on the fence about the rating of this book. I couldn’t decide if it was a late teen or adult. I went with late teen because there is no violence, no sex and some mild violence.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

I have read quite a few of Amanda Prowse's books. I especially love the No Greater Love series. Her new book is just as captivating. You always feel that you are living in and feeling with, the characters. I had special empathy with Lucy as my daughter has also gone through the same experience. Again, as with her other books, I could not put it down. Thank you Amanda, you have an amazing writing skill!

Hello, this is my first review on here. I am now going to share with you my review of this excellent book I just finished this afternoon. The story line was poignant,, emotional and certainly pulled my heart strings. It has what makes a story worth reading. What happens in this story is experienced by a lot of women! Amanda Prowse keeps us in suspense making it difficult to put down the book. the book brings a multitude of feelings, thoughts as well as reflections. How in this story the author enters the subject and is able to pull down tabooed issues. It is a brilliant interpretation of how this book could be a so real life story. How a mother to be miscarries her baby and it could happen more than once. Also how a well kept secret unravels in the middle of dramatic events. How a woman seeks the courage to go and believe in a miracle even if it doesn't always present itself the way she anticipated it. In this story about Lucy and her life as newly wed to her husband Jonah, she experiences the worst a mother to be has to go through. She suffers in quiet and feels how unfair life is, Her longing for the baby she so badly wants . In this book filled with emotion with this recomposed family is set to the test. How this lovely family with their hardships and choices dare to breach issues that were very hard for them to admit to and share with each other. How they come to terms with loss and grieving enabling them to heal. Then they find a new way back to their lives as a Happy Family. Amanda Prowse made this story so very good thanks to her heartfelt characters and the way she writes this book. I believe that it could affect several people in a positive way especially those that may have suffered a similar kind of loss. Beyond all of this there is always hope and love and forgiving. I'm also one of those mothers that can relate to this story! Enjoy this good read that I highly recommend and prepare your tissue boxes, this book won't leave you without tears. Thank you for this wonderful book! Charlie Sammy

Another excellent book by this author. She followed the subject with accuracy and tact. In my professional career I saw this situation many times. Amanda gets it right. I just loved the characters and could relate to each one of them. I loved the England/France connection, then the chic modern versus old homely style of living.
Such an enjoyable read. Ended perfectly.
Mark

Who doesn't love a book with a happy ending! Not quite the ending I was expecting but happy nonetheless. I don't want to give too much away so all I will say that I felt for Lucy, not because of any similar shared experience, but because Amanda wrote her character so well you couldn't help but empathise with what she was going through, well, I couldn't that's for sure. Really nice characters sometimes at odds with each other, family secrets, slightly dysfunctional family, love, romance, discord, it has it all. Overall a really nice not too complicated read,

Too much of a romance genre for my taste. I do believe my junior or senior students would find appeal in it, though

A nicely written book from Amanda as usual, but this one just wasn't for me. Perhaps some of the subject matter hit a little close to home for me and it made it at times a difficult read for me. In saying that it was dealt with perfectly and written beautifully.

I shall admit i cried a bit while reading!

What a beautifully written, poignant story about a woman's heartaching desire to be a mother. I felt her desire and her pain and her struggle as if it were my own. This author has an incredible gift of being able to pull you into the world of her characters and make you feel all the feelz!!

Heartfelt, heart warming and very touching. Thanks for allowinge to read and review! My review is up on Amazon under my name, Aisha Hashmi

Tremendous read that kept me hooked the entire way through. Loved it.

Another great book from Amanda Prowse. This was another one I didn't want to put down. Such a heartbreaking story that turns into one of perseverance. Thank you to Netgalley for letting me read this.

This was such a heartwrenching read. When Lucy marries Jonah she looks forward to the perfect married life together. But her hopes and wishes don't go as smoothly as she dreamed that they would- and she faces such a troubled time. She has a very successful job- but is looking forward to starting a family.
When her teenage stepdaughter comes to stay during the difficult times- she just adds to Lucy's problems. She is faced with the teenage hormones without having had the pleasure of the getting to know her stage. Camille is also a troubled girl and although she is hostile to Lucy, she does actually love some of the things that Lucy plans for her. Jonah is pulled in different directions and was never going to be able to keep everyone happy.

I did love the occasional glimpse into the softer side of Camille- having gone through the teenage years- you know your little girl is still in there somewhere! Lucy is trying to negotiate the tough end of parentlng whilst struggling with personal heartbreak.

We have romance, love, heartbreak, family dynamics and a hint of secrets running through and keeping you engrossed in the story. You are always assured of a great read with Amanda Prowse- have loved her books since the first release.

The Idea of You is the latest novel by Amanda Prowse. From the very beginning the reader feels a connection to Lucy, the main character. At times incredibly sad there are also more than one occasion that the reader will be moved to tears. As pages turn the reader becomes very invested in the story. I was given a copy to review.

This book will have a wide appeal to women everywhere. Most women will be able to relate to Lucy's story as a woman trying to have it all; a high-powered and fulfilling career and then in her forties, finally, a family. At times I was a little frustrated with Lucy's character and how she carried around so much pain from her past mistakes, but overall it was a good story. At times a bit heartbreaking, although the story ends on a positive note.

When you come to write a review for a book you love it;s hard not to use the same phrases you've used before for good reads and I'm afraid it's the same for me today...A lovely, lovely read which made me cry but filled me with happiness too.
What craftmanship Amanda Prowse shows in her style, characters and plot. Difficult subject which thankfully I've not experienced but know many who have.
Cannot recommend highly enough and frustrated that my writing skills do not do it justice.

I could definitely see why many women would identify with this book. It touches on the sensitive subjects of infertility and stepparenting, second marriages and family secrets. Lucy is a young, forty something, successful woman who has finally found her person in Jonah, the one who understands her, who loves her unconditionally. But not everything in life is so easy. Struggling with infertility is a terrible strain, no matter how stable a relationship is. Throw in a stepdaughter who is now staying with you and a secret so large, it could rock the very foundation you live on, well, you get one stress-filled life. If you're not careful, those fissures that are so small could turn into cracks that could never be healed. The Idea of You can be an intense read for some, but enlightening as well and for the subject matter, I was very pleased with the ending. Well done.