What if the one thing you want is the only thing you can’t have?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 … 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?
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I was chosen by NetGalley to read this book for an honest review. I joined NetGalley about a year ago and requested a book at that time. I was denied and was sort of turned off at that point. I did not request another book from them. Then this week I received an email that I was chosen to read this book. It was a total surprise and I accepted the book since I believe in fate.
I am not sure on what basis I was chosen, since that site does not know much about me. In my opinion, this book is definitely geared to women and I would add, probably women close to 40 years or older. So I guess that is why I was chosen.
I read the synopsis and it was appealing to me. I thought it was about a working woman juggling a marriage and children. It is a bit about that, but really more focused on a woman that wants a child with all her heart and can not carry to term to give birth.
That being said, I am in a group of women that made a decision to not have children, so I don’t really identify with the character’s desire to have a child. I wanted to state that, since it would seem that I would not like this book so focused on having a child. That was not the case. It shows how wonderful this author is, that I was so drawn into the story and the lives of the characters. My heart was broken for Lucy. At times I adored her husband, Jonah and at times I really disliked him. I disliked Jonah’s daughter, Camille almost during the entire book. I finally understood her near the end.
This was the first book that I have read by this author, Amanda Prowse. The story she wrote was so emotional and I was consumed by it, wanting to read constantly to find out the ending.
The characters are imperfect, as all people are in real life, that made the story believable. I cared about them, knowing that they tried but failed to make the correct decisions in their lives.
I do not write a summary of the book in my reviews, since a synopsis is always shown already.
The Idea of You was an emotional look at women, mothers, and their struggles! I appreciated the way that something that sadly is a real part of many women’s lives was portrayed in the story through the characters. Lucy and Jonah have only been married for a short time. Lucy is nearing forty and excited and ready to start a family with Jonah. She is heartbroken when she loses the baby. Both Lucy and Jonah struggle with their loss and their grief. Then Jonah’s teenage daughter from his previous marriage comes to live with them for awhile. This is a complicated situation as Lucy and her stepdaughter have to adapt to their new relationship as well as Lucy and Jonah feeling so much from their loss. Something from Lucy’s past is revealed and adds even more to everyone’s emotions. There are so many dynamics to the whole story and the characters’ lives and relationships between each other.
Wow, such an emotional book! I cried so many times throughout this story. Without spoiling the story for anyone, I can only say that Lucy finds extraordinary love, but also extreme loss and has to find a way to develop a relationship with her step daughter and reconcile with her own mom. I would highly recommend this book, but I suggest keeping a box of tissues handy.
4.5 stars to Amanda Prowse’s book The Idea of You, a fictional story about a women craving motherhood but facing many barriers to success. I was offered this book through NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing in exchange for a fair an honest review. I am glad I read it and had a positive reaction. On to the review…
Story
Lucy has wanted to be a mother for a very long time, but she’s about to turn 40 and was recently dumped by her boyfriend who went on to marry Lucy’s own cousin. At a christening, she meets Jonah and he proposes within a few months. He has a 16-year-old daughter, Camille, who lives with her mother and stepfather, but plans to come visit for a summer before her final year at boarding school. Lucy and Jonah have several miscarriages before Camille arrives, and it’s starting to put a small strain on their marriage. Lucy struggles at work and with her family, unwilling to tell anyone about the pain she’s going through, secretly hoping the next time she gets pregnant, she won’t miscarry. Along her journey, she writes notes to each of her lost children, pining away for a little girl of her own. She and Camille do not get along well for the most part, but do find a few things that help bond them little by little. When the past comes back to haunt everyone, and new obstacles are thrown in front of the whole family, Lucy is forced to decide between what is best for everyone and what is best for her. And as the story comes to end, Lucy finds a way to make peace with her decision, understanding the impact it has on everyone involved.
Strengths
Lucy’s story, an all-too-common one, is a strong and beautiful journey not only for the woman who has miscarried several babies, but for the family around them who don’t always know what’s truly happening. The pressure from friends and siblings to get pregnant before it’s too late… the comments from people at work about having difficulty dividing time between family and your career…. the doctors who try to comfort you but really can only do and know so much. Lucy’s a very likable character. She has flaws and makes mistakes. She’s a bit immature in such situations but she’s handling all the emotions with great strength and fervor. I felt a strong urge to want to hug her.
There aren’t always fairy-tale endings in life, and I really enjoy when books face those consequences. I’m not giving away any spoilers as to whether she eventually has a baby or not, but regardless, her situation is not one anyone would envy. I felt privileged to watch the struggle, especially being so far removed from it, by being neither a mother nor a father. The author, who has mentioned her own struggles at conceiving and keeping pregnancies, puts a lot of emotional connection into the words and the scenes.
While it’s a sad story, there was a fine balance in pushing readers to tears. Perhaps because I’ve never been in any type of a similar situation, I held back some of my emotion; however, there were just enough points where you felt the pain and felt the emotions come full force. But not so much that you had to put the book down and take a break. Good balance.
Suggestions
While I understood it was important to get to the point where she has a husband and and her time is running out to have her own baby, starting the book when she’s 39 and then rushing thru the first year may have caused a few moments of less than helpful separation. I care about her as the story unfolds, but when you know little about her first 39 years, other than she wants to be a mother, you have a few questions that linger. Most are answered eventually, and possibly this is a “point in time / life” story, but… it could have used a little tidying up in this respect.
I wanted to see more about Lucy’s life with her sister and mother. I understand with some of the reveals that come later in the story why it wouldn’t exactly be easy, but it would have helped give her more depth.
Final Thoughts
I’ve read a few stories with this theme, and this is definitely one of the stronger ones. I like the author’s style and would want to read some of her other books. It’s not a major stand-out where I feel compelled to buy her next one immediately, but it’s got all the qualities of a good book you will enjoy. I pushed it to a 4 because it’s much higher than an average / OK book with a few good parts at a 3.
If you like strong female characters, this one’s for you. Lucy’s remarkable in her strength and only had 2 or 3 moments where I thought she was being a little too immature. Enjoy.