The Idea of You by Amanda Prowse

Blurb

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?

Review There is such poetry and emotion in this book. A typical example is this view on babies born too soon – “The little promises made of love that grew wings and took flight before they had a chance to become anchored in this world.” So much heartbreak, so much loss, so much anticipation, so much hope and despair. The MC’s idea of a baby and the subsequent child and woman she would grow into is idealistic. She cannot see beyond the pink bows, and laughter and cuddles, to the reality of actually having a child. That is, not until her stepdaughter comes to visit and she sees that parenting, for all its wonder and joy, can be full of heartbreak and conflict and unfulfilled expectations. Lucy imagines all the good things about being a mother and it takes her stepdaughter to make her understand the reality. The hook this story hangs on is Lucy’s desperation and determination to become a mother, the yearning to have a child of her own, with all its and downs, hardships and joys. The inevitability of events is heart-wrenching, and as the story unfolds and the reader sees what none of the main characters can, makes what happens all the more poignant. The novel is laden down with guilt and remorse, longing and sadness, brief joy and the desolation of loss – “the feel and memory of this baby girl would weigh her down for eternity”. How beautiful and how sad. But despite its subject matter, I felt uplifted and hopeful at the end, and thoroughly enjoyed the emotional journey this book took me on. Best get the tissues out, though. I cried. A lot!

About the Author

Amanda Prowse is an International Bestselling author who has published sixteen novels in dozens of languages. Her recent chart topping No.1 titles ‘What Have I Done?’, ‘Perfect Daughter’ and ‘My Husband’s Wife’ have sold millions of copies around the world.

Other novels by Amanda Prowse include ‘A Mother’s Story’ which won the coveted Sainsbury’s eBook of the year Award and ‘Perfect Daughter’ that was selected as a World Book Night title in 2016. Amanda’s latest book ‘The Food of Love’ went straight to No.1 in Literary Fiction when it was launched in the USA and she has been described by the Daily Mail as ‘The Queen of Drama’ for her ability to make the reader feel as if they were actually in the story.

Now published by Lake Union, Amanda Prowse is the most prolific writer of contemporary fiction in the UK today; her titles also score the highest online review approval ratings for several genres.

A popular TV and radio personality, Amanda Prowse is a regular panellist on the Channel 5 show ‘The Wright Stuff’ and numerous daytime ITV programmes. She makes countless guest appearances on BBC and independent Radio stations where she is well known for her insightful observations of human nature and her infectious observational humour.

Become friends with Amanda on Facebook: AmandaProwseAuthor and follow her on Twitter: @MrsAmandaProwse or Instagram: MrsAmandaProwse. For more information on her books, lifestyle and inspirational advice see www.amandaprowse.com

Amanda's ambition is to create stories that keep people from turning the bedside lamp off at night, great characters that ensure you take every step with them and tales that fill your head so you can't possibly read another book until the memory fades...

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