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Thursday 23 March 2017

Book Review - The Idea of You by Amanda Prowse

Title: The Idea of You
Author: Amanda Prowse
Release Date: 21st March 2017
Rating: 5 Stars

Summary:

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…
My Review:
Going into 'The Idea of You' I already knew it was going to be an emotional read as baby loss is an issue that's very close to my heart. As I read it, I also knew that when it came to writing my review it would be very difficult not to talk about the emotional impact it had on me on a very personal level. 
I have never suffered a miscarriage myself, however my son and his wife lost their firstborn little boy, my grandson, to stillbirth in 2012. The lives of my family were forever changed in an instant, and our beautiful, perfect baby boy will be etched on our memories and in our hearts always.
So knowing that 'The Idea of You' dealt with baby loss I began to read with some trepidation, nervous at how the subject would be handled. But I needn't have worried as, in Amanda Prowse's capable hands, it was dealt with sensitively and with great empathy. I didn't always like Lucy and Jonah, or the way they dealt with things, but that made them all the more real and believable to me. And from my own personal experience of seeing loved ones grieve the loss of a much wanted baby, I recognised and empathised with so much of what they went through.
As the story progressed and more details of Lucy's past emerged, I grew to understand and sympathise with her even more, so much so that I went from sometimes wanting to shake her to wanting to envelop her in a gigantic hug. With a cast of supporting characters (including Jonah's feisty, beautiful teenage daughter Camille) that you quickly come to like and care about, this is a book full of heart and family values. Beautifully writtten with such a wonderful depth of emotion, 'The Idea of You' is not only a story of heartbreak and loss, but also one of hope.
A highly recommended 5 star read.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of this beautiful book.

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