The idea of you

This is not a read for the overly sensitive as it packs a wallop to your heart a as you follow through the traumas of past, present and future in Lucy's life.

It reflects how the world has changed in how we deal with motherhood but the stresses remain the same. The biggest, clearest message is just how important family is to a child.

The characters are extemly well written and I laughed and cried with them feeling immersed in their world.

If I wasn't reviewing it not sure I would have carried on reading past chapter one but once I did I wanted to get to the end and find out how it ends.

Well worth persevering with if you find it difficult subject matter. A beautifully written novel.

I received a free copy from net galley.com for my fair and honest review.

This review is written with thanks to Lake Union Publishing and Netgalley for my copy of The Idea Of You.
Lucy Carpenter is almost forty. She has a loving husband, Jonah, and a thriving career, and it appears to her friends and family that she has everything she could ever want. But what Lucy really wants is to be a parent, and her difficulty in achieving this dream is putting a strain on Lucy and Jonah's marriage. Can they survive through the hard times?
The subject of miscarriage is a very poignant one, and I admire Prowse's ability to write about something so emotionally raw with honesty and compassion. She has clearly researched the subject very well, and used not only the facts about miscarriage, but the feelings surrounding it to evoke an emotional response in the reader. However, whilst I felt that the emotional aspects of the novel were very strong, for me, this was at the expense of the plot. It is well over half way through The Idea Of You before there are any major plot developments, and this made the beginning of the novel drag for me. When the plot developments came, I found them slightly predictable, therefore despite the emotional pull of the writing, there were times when my interest waned.
In Lucy, Prowse has created a protagonist with whom many of her female readers will identify. She is intelligent, ambitious and tends to speak her mind. However, I struggled to warm to Lucy, despite sympathising with her plight. For the majority of the novel, I found her to be cold, jealous and immature, and this frustrated me, making parts of The Idea Of You difficult to read.
In November, I reviewed The Food Of Love and enjoyed the way that Prowse had raised serious contemporary issues in a highly accessible way. Here, she has done the same with the subject of miscarriage (and other themes which lie below the surface), although in this case, I found it more difficult to connect with the characters, and this left me a little underwhelmed.

This was the first book I've read by Amanda Prowse and I have to say, I'm hooked! I love finding new authors to keep my mind busy, but I don't always find an author that I simply love right off. The Idea of You is a wonderfully written book that touched my heart. The subject matter can be delicate and sad, but Amanda Prowse did a beautiful job of telling the story and making me smile. The writing is smooth and grammatically correct (a huge thing for me). I look forward to reading more by Amanda Prowse. She may very well become one of my favorite authors, thanks to The Idea of You.

A solid, but unimaginative, story with a slightly misleading blurb. Read this independently and while I didn't think it was terrible, the writing was fairly one-note, as was the story - not really my kind of thing.

This one broke me! Having been in a very similar situation as Lucy, this story was very close to my heart. Another great story which I'm not ashamed to say reduced me to tears. Highly recommend.

Interesting story about a woman struggling to have a baby and how those problems affect her life. Another feel good type story with rather predictable ending, but well written and enjoyable.

Enjoyable read for summer. A 40 year old, Lucy, is obsessed with wanting to have her own child. Lucy is a bit whiny and got on my nerves at times. But she has experienced a great deal of loss with being dumped by her boyfriend before meeting and marrying her sweet husband, Jonah. She is a strong character and for the most part likeable. She has several miscarriages and struggles with work and family life. Her husband, Jonah, has a daughter, from another marriage. When his 16 year old daughter, Camille, comes to live with them problems develop. Lucy feels it is a very a painful reminder of what she most wants in life but cannot have. The rest you'll have to fill in for yourself. No spoilers here.

This is my first Amanda Prowse. I have another by the author on kindle I haven't read yet but I am looking forward to it. I think she is a good writer and will add more titles to my TBR.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital addition to read in exchange for a review

This is a bit of a rollercoaster as we follow Lucy through the anticipation of having a baby. Beset by multiple miscarriages she finally comes to terms with not having her own child. Along the way there are a few twists.

My "baby" is just getting ready to head to college, and this book really hit home. I remember longing for a baby and wondering if I would ever get pregnant. Having children is a wonderful blessing, and this novel's heroine, Lucy, desperately wants to have a baby. When her teenage step-daughter comes to live with Lucy and her husband, it becomes an even more difficult situation. The book is realistic in that there are no easy solutions to life's challenges. This book was a real tear jerker for me, and I highly recommend it.

The narrative was well done I simply wasn't pulled by the plot as some may be. The characters seemed rather one dimensional to me

Interesting story, brilliant writing and although it is something I wouldn't normally choose - I'm really glad I read it!

At first, The Idea of You starts out like it will be a generic, British chick lit novel but it wound up surprising me and became a poignant story about motherhood. Lucy has finally met the man of her dreams and has a great marriage and a great job, but she wants a baby. As she and her husband are trying, her 16-year-old step daughter comes to spend the summer with them and Lucy is thrown for a loop at her first turn as a “mother”. I really enjoyed how the relationships in the book matured and progressed and how while there was a nice ending, it wasn’t an ending that was wrapped up in a neat little bow, resolving every little issue in the end.

A sweet and kind of sad chick lit novel. I was a bit thrown at first at the contrast between the tone of the writing (light breezy chick lit) and the subject matter (miscarriage, frought stepmother-stepdaughter relationship, and more), but the book really grew on me as I read it, and I found myself moved at the end. 3.5 stars.

I really hated how pathetic the main characters were. I managed to finish it but it was hard work.

Great read
Would recommend
Keeps you involved and part of the story

This was a very thought-provoking read that was beautifully told and very heart-warming. The issue of infertility is sensitively explored. I would definitely recommend this book.

I received a free ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book was not my typical read. I wanted to give it two stars since it really lacked any sort of excitement that made me want to keep reading. I settled on three stars because it was well written. This books is about a second marriage where the couple is struggling to conceive. Added to the mix of already heightened emotions is the husband's teenage daughter from his previous marriage. This book focuses on relationships, miscarriages and teenage pregnancy.

What can I say about this book? I absolutely loved it. I'd lost my reading mojo lately due to illness but this book has well and truly helped me get it back.

Reading "The Idea of You" I could well and truly relate with Lucy and her struggle to 'start the race'. The pressure that women find themselves under to have the norm of a husband and children made Lucy an extremely likeable character.

Lucy's struggle to conceive with her husband Jonah along with her tumultuous relationship with her stepdaughter Camille make for a truly heartbreaking and bittersweet read.

I'd have loved for a different ending but at the same time it reflects upon a situation that some couples unfortunately find themselves in.

I couldn't recommend this book enough. A great job by Amanda Prowse who is becoming one of my favourite authors. I can't wait for the next book.

This was a very well written book, but unfortunately was not appealing to me. The author did a fantastic job portraying the struggle of the main character, Lucy. The story was heart-wrenching. If you are ready for an emotional story, this book is for you!

4 stars and 2 Hankies

Lucy had a baby when she was a teenager and gave it up. Now, in her late thirties, she is desperate to have another child with her new husband, but biology is not cooperating. Heartbroken, she is trying to hold it together and get used to her step-daughter’s arrival in her home and life.
The Idea Of You is an emotional story of what it truly means to be a mother and the different ways we show our children love. The scenes between Lucy and her mother are heartbreaking where the scene between Lucy and her step-daughter, Camille, warmed my heart. The last third of this book will definitely make you cry, so have a box of tissues ready.