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Amanda's Books

The Idea of You

Date Published: 21 March 2017
Book Number: 15
ISBN 10: 978-1503942332 | ISBN 13: 978-1503942332 | Kindle UK ASIN: B01KXQ8SRW

The Story:

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?

A Note From Amanda:

I drew on my own desire to have another baby and my frustrating and upsetting miscarriages to tell Lucy's story. Lucy wants to have a child with her partner who already has a daughter from a previous relationship but sometimes in life, you don't get what you want and sometimes you do, even if it wasn't what you had originally hoped for! 'The Idea of You' is an uplifting book that explores what it means to be a parent in our society and raises the question of whether you have to give birth to be a mother. I won't give any spoilers but there is a bit of a twist which I hope you won't see coming in this one...

Standalone or Series?

Standalone

Reader Reviews:


 
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 8 August 2019
 
 
I loved the way you got to know the characters in this book, Lucy who is desperate for a baby of her own, her lovely husband Jonah & his difficult teenage daughter Camille. There are many ups & downs plus a huge revelation that causes major upset. I couldn’t predict how it was going to end but couldn’t put the book down. I am now missing the characters having finished it!
 

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 26 November 2017

This is the first of Amanda's books I have read, and perhaps subject-wise, for me personally, it is the most difficult to have started with: baby-loss. But she writes sensitively, beautifully, and captures the sentiment and torment that is miscarriage, and the way those around us respond, which in turn only helps the healing process for many a parent. It's also a hugely important novel in terms of breaking the stigma which still unnecessarily surrounds baby-loss in the year that is 2017. Her praise across her spanning collection of novels is much deserved, and I am excited to start the next Amanda Prowse book on my list...
 
 

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