This book really wasn't for me and I must have requested it by mistake as it was an automatic download. I don't want to add a bad review just because I made a mistake on Netgalley and downloaded a book that is not written for me. I know I'm the wrong audience for this novel but have no doubt it will be hugely successful..

The Idea of You by Amanda Prowse

This was a poignant family drama that was a feel good read with human realism. Lucy meets Jonah and they have a small wedding. Just the two of them with two witnesses. Jonah has been married and divorced and had the big wedding and three layer cake and the works and it didn't work out. This time around he wants to keep things simple.

The two have everything they could ever dream of and more except a baby of their own. When Jonah's sixteen year old daughter Camille come to live with them every thing changes. Camille is standoffish to Lucy who bends over backwards to welcome Camille. Camille is purposely cruel to Lucy who is going through a rough patch.

This book was written to be a very realistic blended family with everyday trials and tribulations. It is a book that is a cozy read with likeable characters but not too pollyannaish. I loved this story and I think the author is very talented. This is the first time I have read anything by this author but I highly recommend her for writing women's fiction and delving into the issues women unilaterally share as humans. I haven't told you what the plot is about but I can assure you that you are in good hands reading Amanda Prowse's work. She has published over sixteen novels and is worth pursuing for something to keep you glued to the pages throughout the book. Five Stars

Thank you to Net Galley, Amanda Prowse and Union Lake Publishing for my digital copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Another fabulous book by this wonderfully empathetic author. A very difficult subject but sensitively handled. An easy 5 stars from me.

I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. What a sweet and moving story. I have no idea how many tissues I went through. Lucy is a career woman, but longing for a family. Her day comes when she's meets and falls in love with Jonah. Now comes the trials of getting pregnant. This hit on a personal level for me as I have seen friends go through fertility issues. When her step daughter comes to stay, a whole dynamic happens. I wanted to strangle Camille initially, but getting this young girl was beautiful. Get some tissues, your favorite spot, and curl up with this fabulous book.

A lot of people look at the lives of family and friends thinking they have it all. Nobody knows exactly what goes on behind closed doors, their life might look perfect from the outside, but maybe they are craving something that you take for granted. This book follows the ups and downs of Lucy's life as she copes with married life and a teenage step daughter. This book takes you through every emotion and brings up subjects close to a lot of people's hearts. A great read that I recommend

Lucy is nearing 40 years of age, has a fantastic career and a wonderful new husband. She is the happiest she's ever been, the only thing missing from her life is a baby of her own. This book deals with some very difficult subject matter, so you may want to bring along tissues for this heart wrenching roller coaster ride. After recently having multiple miscarriages, Lucy is grieving the losses of her babies while preparing to finally meet her teenage step daughter, Camille, who is coming for a visit. Cam clearly doesn't like Lucy despite everything she does to make Cam feel welcome and at home, which throws her already strained marriage into further turmoil.

I personally have never experienced Lucy's pain, I do have friends and family members that have been through similar circumstances and the way Amanda allows us to journey inside Lucy's head and better understand what she is feeling was very enlightening. Often times, well meaning friends and family will say the wrong thing and cause more pain than comfort.

Lucy grows a lot by the end of this book and there were interesting reveals about her life which you will most likely see coming as we get many clues along the way. At times, I noticed the dialogue didn't feel completely natural and neither did her husband's reactions in certain situations, but Amanda's story telling made up for it and the book was hard to put down once I got started. This isn't a book I would recommend to everyone, but I would recommend it to anyone who may relate to the subject matter.

Many thanks to Lake Union Publishing and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review

I started this book without reading the blurb - so I didn't know what I was getting into with this novel. What I found was a beautiful story of love and loss, of family, and what defines "motherhood" in all it's heartbreak.

The narrative chronicles Lucy's journey to become a mother with Jonah, the man she met and married late in life. After several setbacks, Jonah's teenage daughter comes to live with them and Lucy has to find her role in this new family. What is uncovered is a long-held secret that nearly breaks them all apart.

Emotional and hopeful read! One that makes you question the concept of family, motherhood, and the importance of pulling back the curtain to expose what's really there...and appreciating what you have.

A complimentary copy was provided by the publisher via NetGalley.

Knowing that 'The Idea of You' dealt with baby loss, a subject very close to my heart, I began to read with some trepidation, nervous at how the subject would be handled. But I needn't have worried as, in Amanda Prowse's capable hands, it was dealt with sensitively and with great empathy. I didn't always like Lucy and Jonah, or the way they dealt with things, but that made them all the more real and believable to me. And from my own personal experience of seeing loved ones grieve the loss of a much wanted baby, I recognised and empathised with so much of what they went through.

As the story progressed and more details of Lucy's past emerged, I grew to understand and empathise with her even more, so much so that I went from sometimes wanting to shake her to wanting to envelop her in a gigantic hug. With a cast of supporting characters who you quickly come to like and care about, this is a book full of heart and family values. Beautifully writtten with such a wonderful depth of emotion, 'The Idea of You' is not only a story of heartbreak and loss, but also one of hope.

A highly recommended 5 star read.

I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. You are going to cry so have tissues close by when you read this story. Lucy Carpenter has the perfect job, the perfect husband, and is pregnant with their first child. Her husband Jonah has a teenage daughter, Camille, from his first marriage whom he did not get to raise but he sees her occasionally. After a devastating miscarriage, Lucy and Jonah are struggling with the loss when they find out Camille is coming to visit for the summer break. Lucy is excited to meet her and throws herself into redecorating the spare room for Camille to use. When Camille arrives and makes it clear she is not the least bit interested in a relationship with her step mother, Lucy feels the threads of her seemingly perfect life unraveling. With a mother who she was never close to, a sister who adores her, and a years old secret that she can't seem to share with even her loving husband, Lucy struggles to find happiness in a now stressful life. In between each chapter is a letter Lucy is writing to someone, a child, sharing her thoughts and feelings with. Is it to the child she lost, or is it simply to the idea of a child she might someday have? This is a beautiful story, I thoroughly enjoyed every word!

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,

The first part of the book is good. We engage with Lucy and her problems, both with miscarriage and teenage stepdaughter. It is sensitively written without being mawkish.
However the second part of the story relies more on events, to ensure that everything is neatly sorted out before the end of the book. I then lost the empathy I was feeling for the characters, and found some of the changes of heart hard to believe.
A few loose ends might have been more realistic than so many people and events shoehorned into a neat ending

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