The Idea Of You by Amanda Prowse Review.

Hi ForeverBookers! I've just finished a great book called "The Idea Of You" by Amanda Prowse. I was approved by NetGalley to read and review this so thanks to NetGalley for that. 

We follow Lucy, a 39 year old woman, desperate for a baby. We see lots of comparisons between her and women who are already mothers throughout. In the first chapter Lucy is at a Christening for one of her friend's babies as she's the godmother. She thinks it's unfair how seemingly every other woman is in love and is pregnant, but she's not at the moment. That's when our male lead Jonah enters the story...

Spoilers below...

Jonah proposes to Lucy having only just met her. I didn't think that this was necessarily realistic but it does progress the story quickly. Anyway, in the next chapter they're trying for their first baby together after a year or so of marriage. Lucy gets pregnant but she miscarries before 12 weeks. She gets pregnant a few times in total throughout, but still miscarries each child before that 12 week mark. I thought that representation was good here for couples who try and try for children with no success. 

Lucy likes knitting. It's the one thing that she can hold onto while going through each miscarriage. She knits baby clothes for the baby that she hopes she will have one day.

About half way through the book, Jonah's daughter, Camille (from another relationship) comes to stay with him and Lucy. Camille lives in France with her mother and stepfather. She has to get used to living with Lucy and Jonah in England when she comes to visit England. Lucy can't seem to connect with Camille at first. There are some arguments between the two women. When it's suggested that Camille gets a job so she's not always in the way at home, she gets one selling clothes, something she's passionate about. She meets a boy, Dex while working there. Dex isn't a major character but he's significant to the overall story. 

I don't really want to spoil any more than that but there are couple of twists at the end, one of which I really wasn't expecting...

At the end of some chapters we see Lucy talking to someone. I assumed it's the baby that she never gave birth to but is it? You'll have to read to find out...

What did I like about The Idea Of You: 

I liked that the characters each had their own distinct personalities so I could easily tell who was who all the time. 

I liked how the author tackled miscarriage, a topic that isn't bought up in many books. 

I liked that the focus of the story didn't change. It was always about Lucy wanting a baby.

I liked that there was only a small cast of characters. It felt as if I got to know the 3 main characters really well.  

What didn't I like about The Idea Of You:

  

I didn't like how the story was quite stop/start in places. Just when I was getting into some scenes, I was pulled out of them.

I didn't like how it was told from 3rd person narrative. I would have liked to have seen the whole story from just Lucy's perspective. While the 3rd person POV worked in, "The Food Of Love", Amanda Prowse's other novel that I reviewed last year, I didn't feel it worked quite as seamlessly in The Idea Of You, as Lucy was the main character and everything was going through her. There wasn't really a moment that she was out of the story, like the main character in The Food Of Love. 

I'm giving "The Idea Of You" 4 stars because I really enjoyed it! The only things I would have altered are the pacing and the story's perspective overall. I thought the topic was written about well. I loved how real all the emotions felt. At the very beginning of the book Amanda Prowse writes how she's been through some of the things that occur in this book. That just makes it an even more representative read, I believe.  

I look forward to choosing my next read soon so stand by for that review...