5 Stars.

Gulp. Whizzed through this in a day. Not my normal sort of book but I was hooked.

This is a really emotional book and it's written so well that you feel you know each character and everything they are going through.

There were a few points in the story that gave me a real lump in my throat (I'm not the sort to cry at books but if I was - this one would do it!)

Recommended!

This is not my normal genre but Netgalley offered me a review copy so I thought I would give it a go.

It was OK but lacked something for me, especially emotion which given the subject matter I actually felt very little empathy with the characters.

Not my preferred style of writing. The author appears popular and is prolific, bragging of how quickly she can write a novel. I think if she spent longer rounding out her characters and making them feel less one dimensional it would help.

What a beautiful story . . . at times heartbreaking - but also an inspiring story of love, hope, courage, family - a story of getting back up when life knocks you down. I was a little wary starting this book. I knew the subject matter and expected that it would be a hard read - one filled with the devastating effects of the ultimate loss. And it is. I found myself wiping the silent tears running down my face several times while reading this. But, this story is so much more. The tenacity and compassion of the human spirit is an amazing thing to see and it shines brightly in this story. Amanda Prowse has done a beautiful job of finding the right words, the right scenes, the right characters to deliver this story and message to readers, to help others understand. The writing is beautiful as the words flow out of the hearts of these characters, filling the pages with both their darkest and brightest thoughts.

I'll give only a brief set up of the story. Lucy & Nate meet, fall in love, and get married. Life is almost perfect as they work to fulfill their dreams of having a child together. As the story unfolds, Lucy & Nate find themselves struggling to cope with some curveballs - the hurt & pain that life throws at them. And in the middle of everything, Nate's unhappy sixteen year old daughter Camille arrives to live with them. While Lucy tries to open her heart & home to Camille, the teenager's surly attitude makes a difficult situation even harder, and thus a crack is forged in Nate & Lucy's marriage. As this family struggles to get past the anger, guilt, and pain, past secrets surface that threaten the very foundation their marriage was built on. It's hard to say more without revealing too much of the story. Readers deserve to discover this precious gem of a story on their own. Get the tissues ready and tell your family you're "off the clock" as you will not want to stop reading until you finish the book. I sat down to begin the book one afternoon and found myself reading into the wee hours as I could not sleep without knowing what happens.

The Idea of You is a poignant love story that will touch your heart in deep dark ways - a love story that carries hope, love, and forgiveness for everyone if they can/will just accept it. My heart bled for these characters and the world of hurt they struggled through to survive - So much strength, so much hope, so tenacious & relentless in their pursuit of happiness. In the end, this is a story of love that only grows stronger when it's given & received freely. We don't always get what we want in life, even as we do get what we really need. Blessings & miracles come in all kinds of packages...you just have to learn to recognize them and hold on with all your heart and soul and believe the sun will shine again - good things will come. The Idea of You is A Heart Touching Must Read that offers a ray of light in the darkest night...A beautiful gem of a story that deserves to be heard loud & clear around the world. A Must Read!

When Lucy Carpenter meets the man of her dreams at a Christening ceremony where she is God mother she thinks all of her dreams have come true. Jonah is charming, good looking and they hit it off straight away. They marry and are blissfully happy. Her career is secure and she loves her job and Jonah adores her. At last she feels that her life is perfect. The icing on the cake would be if they could have a baby together. Lucy would love to be the mother of Jonah’s child and when she becomes pregnant they are both ecstatic; their dream has come true. They decide on making the baby a nursery in Jonah’s office and even talk about names for their baby. So when the pregnancy fails, they are both devastated.
Lucy is coming up to forty and everyone keeps reminding her about her biological clock ticking away. She knows what they say is true, but they do not know that she has already lost a treasured pregnancy, her dream child, and Lucy is very sad. She bravely decides to try again. It seems as though there are babies in prams, pregnant ladies and toddlers playing together happily everywhere she goes. Jonah is very loving and supportive, convinced that they will soon have some good luck and a baby to love and nurture.
When Jonah’s sixteen-year-old daughter Camille comes to stay with them for the summer from her home with her step father and mother in France, Lucy feels acutely what she is missing not having a child of her own. She watches Jonah looking at his beautiful daughter with such love and pride that she feels as though her heart is breaking and feels even more determined to carry a child to full term and nurse her baby. She literally cannot wait to feel her baby in her arms. She knits more clothes as she dreams of finally becoming a mother. She is desperate to make friends with Camille, but from what Camille tells her she feels that she could never match up to her biological mother. Her world begins to unravel and she feels left out and insecure. It seems as though her life has suddenly changed and Camille reminds her of everything she has lost.
Amanda Prowse is a prolific author who has chosen this subject carefully and mindful of the hurt and pain of failing to become a mother when it is your heart’s desire. Her novels are always about women and family; their trials, troubles and triumphs and this one is written full of poignancy and compassion. It explores the themes of secrecy, loyalty and courage. The characters are wonderfully crafted and their situations, motives and actions are really well portrayed. I found the first part of the story quite slow moving but as the story unfolded, so my enjoyment of the storytelling and plot increased until I felt immersed in the story. I would like to thank NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for my copy of 'The Idea of You', sent to me in return for an honest review. It is the very first novel that I have read by this author and I enjoyed reading this story so much that I will certainly investigate Amanda’s back catalogue of novels and will look forward to reading her next novel.

Another book of Amanda Prowse's that I couldn't put down. A difficult and sad subject written about well. Would definitely recommend this book to all women.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing, and Amanda Prowse for the ARC (Advanced Reading Copy) of "The Idea of You" by Amanda Prowse for my honest review. The genres of this book are General Fiction(Adult) and Women's Fiction.
I find that the author discusses heartfelt relevant issues of today. She describes her characters as flawed and human with needs and want. Amanda Prowse also brings up issues of the meaning of family, the economics in society where women have to work or choose to. What are society's expectations of a family? Is it possible to have everything? I found that I was reading this, I was deep in thought and reflecting.
I admire the way Amanda Prose describes her characters and the complex and complicated situations that they face.
Lucy, our main character, is 40 years old and is at a christening, and realizes her biological clock is ticking. Everywhere she looks, there are mothers with their babies. Lucy has a responsible job, and is quite comfortable. Planning an early escape, she meets Jonah. Jonah is warm and has a sense of humor, and the two of them hit it off. Within a year, they have a simple marriage ceremony.
Jonah has a 16 year old daughter from a previous marriage, and really hasn't spent time with her. Lucy encourages him to invite the daughter to visit.
Lucy and Jonah are delighted to find that they are expecting a baby. Lucy enjoys knitting and finds comfort. Lucy is so excited planning for her baby. Unfortunately, Lucy has a miscarriage, and both Lucy and Jonah are devastated.
Camille, Jonah's daughter does come to visit. Lucy tries to be welcoming and make Camille comfortable. At times Lucy feels like an outsider. Camille can be disrespectful and rude to Lucy. Jonah doesn't understand the conflict. Lucy finds it very difficult to be a stepmother, and more than anything, Lucy wants a baby.
Lucy has a difficult relationship with her mother. There seem to be secrets that Lucy has with her mother, and there are some flashbacks Lucy has. Camille is introduced to Lucy's family and is warmly accepted. Lucy's mother and sister love her.
Amanda Prowse describes Lucy's and Camilles's insecurities and their conflicts. Lucy is very emotional and her biggest desire is to become a Mom.
The author talks about family, support, encouragement, expectations, forgiveness, hope and love. She talks about being happy and sad. Isn't that what life is about? I found this book to be emotionally challenging, and would highly recommend it.

The idea of you was such a fab book I struggled to put it down.
The sting in the tail completely threw me I so did not see that coming.
This book introduces us to Lucy who has a career and husband she loves, but the other thing she wants is a baby. Then Camille her husband Jonahs daughter comes for a visit and they certainly have some ups and downs adjusting to family life. Will they all live happily ever after, we'll have a read you won't be disappointed.
Another great book by Amanda and I can't wait for the next one.

This book is right in my "on time in my life" section & also for many of my friends. A very timely read & I'll recommend it to them.

This is the first boom I've read by this author and I enjoyed it immensely. I downloaded it this morning and finished it this evening. The author's writing flows effortlessly and her characters are very realistic. The book has it all; tension, conflict, resolution, integrity, and resolve. I loved the ending. Everything is tidy and all is right with the world, unlike life, but I like books that end on a positive note.

Loved this book,it is sad then happy,a must read,very well written,it pulls at your heart strings,good ending,

Accidentally clicked on this in the email and it added it to my shelf. This is not a book I would consider reading and I feel I would not be able to leave a favorable review.

This was the first novel I've read by Amanda Prowse and I can say it won't be the last.
Lucy is approaching 40 and desperately wants to have a baby with her husband Jonah. She has a successful career, and a good marriage, but she's hoping she hasn't waited too long. The reality of having a baby is much harder than either of them anticipated and the stress is getting to both of them. With Jonah's teen daughter entering the picture, the dynamics change, and they have to decide what they're willing to fight for.
This book pulls on the heartstrings of anyone who has suffered with a loss, or infertility, so read with caution tender hearted friends =)
Thanks to Netgalley, Amanda Prowse, and Lake Union Publishing for the early look at this great book!

This is the story of Lucy and Jonah, who would like nothing more than to have a child of their own, but sadly this does not seem possible and they begin to lose hope that it ever will. When Jonah's teenage daughter Camille comes to stay it just adds to Lucy's trauma as Camille seems to take an instant dislike to her.

Throughout the story there are little snippets from Lucy talking to 'her little girl' is she referring to the babies she has lost or is she hiding something?

We all know someone that has lost a child, whether it be a miscarriage in the early stage of pregnancy or a stillbirth and it's very painful for all concerned but no more so than the expectant parents. The way that Amanda Prowse writes her books you feel that you are right there in that book living those experiences alongside the characters, as if they are someone that you know and the emotions it brings out are very raw, I cried so many times during this story. Amanda always deals with these very sensitive subjects with the tact and diplomacy they greatly deserve.

I would like to thank the author and Lake Union Publishing for the approval to read this book and will post my review on Goodreads now and on Amazon UK and US on publication day.

This is another good story from Amanda Prowse. Lucy is in her late thirties/early forties and fairly newly married to Jonah, who has a teenage daughter from his previous marriage. Lucy is absolutely desperate for a baby, but each time she falls pregnant it ends in miscarriage. Then Jonah's daughter arrives to spend the summer with them. Lucy tries to be the perfect stepmum at the same time as coping with the loss of her pregnancies. I recommend this book. Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.

Loved the book, kept me reading from start to finish. Enjoyed the story although emotional at times. Learnt a lot from the storyline as well.

"The Idea of You," focuses on newly weds Lucy and Jonah Carpenter as they struggle to have a baby. Amanda Prowse sensitively handles the difficult subject matter and although I found it a little too slow moving at times, it was still an emotional read with well developed characters.

Beautiful and heartfelt, this book packs a punch. From the tragic loss of multiple miscarriages to the sudden motherhood of a teenage stepdaughter, Lucy has much to grapple with.

Amanda Prowse has an easy, engaging style that makes the pages turn and the chapters fly by. Indeed, I spent half an hour on the tube with tears in my eyes as some particularly sad events played out.

Another corker - unputdownable. 4.5*

I have now read 9 of Amanda's books and have rated all of them 5* for a reason. I have read some mind blowing books over the years, but I have never ever read books where the author has the ability to draw me in so much and make me feel like I'm reading about my friends or family. My stomach lurches as I even open the first page as I know I'm going to be so heavily invested into this group of people.

The Idea of You is no exception. My heart broke for the love that Lucy had to give to a child, but who had terrible difficulty in keeping pregnant. I felt her frustration as much as her, but thanked God for her wonderful husband Jonah, who is a real man with flaws, but who loves Lucy oh so much. This book also explored the precarious relationship between a step-parent and step-child which gave it that 'real life' element that life doesn't always work out how we imagine it will.

Anyway, as always, a 5* read and as highly recommended as ever!

This was my first Amanda Prowse book and after a few chapters I knew it wouldn't be my last. I was drawn into all the characters and the style of writing flowed beautifully. The plot was interesting and moved quite fast and it was hard to put the book down. Although I didn't find this book emotional I imagine it could be too some people, for me it was a good all round chick lit and I throughly enjoyed it.

This is an emotional story, at times heartbreaking and at other times joyous. As always with Amanda Prowse, her characters are so real that you feel as if you know them.
Lucy's story is heart-wrenching and poignant and really makes you think about family and motherhood, and how we sometimes take these things for granted.
A really engrossing story that you won't want to put down, and that will stay with you after you have finished it.