The Idea of You by Amanda Prowse

The Idea of You by Amanda Prowse
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - on and off over 2 days

Pages - 332

Publisher - Lake Union Publishing

Blurb from Goodreads

With her fortieth birthday approaching, Lucy Carpenter thinks she finally has it all: a wonderful new husband, Jonah, a successful career and the chance of a precious baby of her own. Life couldn’t be more perfect.

But becoming parents proves much harder to achieve than Lucy and Jonah imagined, and when Jonah’s teenage daughter Camille comes to stay with them, she becomes a constant reminder of what Lucy doesn’t have. Jonah’s love and support are unquestioning, but Lucy’s struggles with work and her own failing dreams begin to take their toll. With Camille’s presence straining the bonds of Lucy’s marriage even further, Lucy suddenly feels herself close to losing everything…

This heart-wrenchingly poignant family drama from bestselling author Amanda Prowse asks the question: in today’s hectic world, what does it mean to be a mother?




My Review


Lucy is hitting forty and wants more than anything to become a mother. Married to Jonah for around a year, a very successful woman in her own right a baby is what is missing in her life. Jonah's daughter is coming over to stay, Lucy is struggling with her own family issues and now has a feisty teenager to welcome into her home. With surprises and heartache around the corner, Jonah's daughter brings a whirlwind of emotions, testing boundaries and the potential to change the family dynamics forever.

There is no two ways about it, this book will strike a chord with you or completely turn you off the book. It covers some heart wrenching issues, miscarriage, loss, infidelity, step family dynamics, marital difficulties, relationships, families and secrets. Some of the scenes, especially for readers who have lost a child or experienced pregnancy that didn't have the outcome you wanted, especially hard.

Written from Lucy's point of view and each chapter starting with a letter to her baby we experience the full heartache of longing and loss of a woman desperate for a child. Some of the writing paints a very dark picture and this book will be very emotive for some readers whilst possibly offering an understanding nod from others who have been there and experienced Lucy's journey. This is my first time reading this author, The Idea Of You certainly packs an emotive punch and leaves you reeling, I would read her again. Whilst fiction, Prowse creates a realistic window into the harsh realities and torment some women endure trying to gain the one thing they want more than life. I disliked some of the behaviour of some characters and found myself questioning the likelihood of their actions and words however the reality often is quite unpredictable and people can do a complete 360! 4/5 for me this time, I would read this author again, in fact I have a few of hers on my tbr. Thanks to Netgalley for a review copy, all thoughts are as always, my own.

View all my reviews