The Way Home by Amanda Prowse

The Way Home by Amanda Prowse
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - in and out over 3 days

Pages - 361

Publisher - Lake Union Publishing

Source - ARC

Blurb from Goodreads

From the multimillion-copy bestselling author of Waiting to Begin and Ever After comes an evocative, tender story about belonging, community, and the relationships that hold us together.

What if a stranger threatened to take away a lifetime of cherished memories?

Lilly-Bob loves her home by the River Thames in the heart of London. Throughout her childhood, it echoed with music and her father’s love, and for seventy years it’s been her sanctuary through a life well lived. These days, the familiar walls and treasured memories keep loneliness at bay.

But for months she’s been ignoring letters from a building developer, and now a compulsory purchase scheme threatens to take her home by force. Seventeen-year-old Lilly-Bob didn’t fear change, but present-day Lilly refuses to let go.

As the pressure builds, Lilly feels increasingly alone. But as her neighbours rally together, she finds herself drawn into the fold—making new friends, finding purpose, and glimpsing the possibility of something new.

Torn between the comfort of the past and the call of progress, Lilly-Bob must is home made of bricks and mortar, or is it a place inside ourselves?


My Review

Lilly-Bob is in her seventies, she has been through a lot in her life and she is in the family home in London overlooking the Thames, once her dads, now hers. A big company is forcing her out of her home, the house she grew up in is now under a compulsory buy order. As Lilly fights against it we flip back and forth in time to when she was a wean, growing up, adulthood and everything that shaped who she is today, back to present day. We see her relationship with her neighbour and the neighbours wee boy, Lilly doesn't have kids, her fight with the building developers.

The past as with Prowse's previous books, tackles some hard hitting emotive topics, love, loss, relationships, dynamics, coercion, lies, manipulation. Things that many of us have endured, survived and of course shapes us into the adults we are today. Her relationship with her mother is very strained, she adores her father, idolises him so when her mother makes choices that impact on him and the young Lilly-Bob it changes and shapes their relationship, or lack of, going forward.

For me, what Lilly-Bob endured with her relationships/friendships you can tell marked and shaped who she became but in the present day we get to see how those experiences left their mark and impact upon future relationships. The other main thread is the big company trying to get Lilly-Bob to agree to selling up and then when she isn't for negotiating, forcing the sale, we feel the rage and fury she feels and the attachment to the house and memories.

I think the thing with Prowse is she creates characters that you can identify with, sympathise or empathise with. It makes the characters real, vivid and you invest in them and their lives pretty much from the get go or early bells, 4/5 from us for this one. She has quite a back catalogue and we have a fair few on the tbrm and a few more I need to buy. Her characters tend to stay with you long after you have put the book down!

View all my reviews The Way home is available on kindle and in paperback format, Amazon.

The Day She Came Back by Amanda Prowse

The Day She Came Back by Amanda Prowse
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - in and out over 3 days

Pages - 317

Publisher - Lake Union

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

When her loving, free-spirited grandmother Primrose passes away, Victoria is bereft, yet resilient—she has survived tragedy before. But even her strength is tested when a mysterious woman attends Prim’s funeral and claims to be the mother Victoria thought was dead.

As the two women get to know each other and Victoria begins to learn more about her past, it becomes clear that her beloved grandmother had been keeping life-changing secrets from her. Desperate for answers, she still struggles to trust anyone to tell her the truth.


My Review

Victoria has lived with her grandma as long as she can remember, her mum died of a drug overdose when she was just a baby. Any time Victoria tried to ask about her mum the conversation was closed down quickly. When Primrose (granny) dies suddenly and a strange lady comes to the funeral and says she is Victoria's mum, Victoria finds her world turned upside down. Grieving, disbelieving, angry and the boy she has always liked seems to be the only shoulder available (she has had a fall out with her bestie) poor Victoria doesn't know whether she is coming or going!

Prowse has a way of creating characters that whether you love or hate them you are absolutely enthralled. I really liked Primrose when we met her, feisty, eccentric and fabulous but as the book goes on we realised that guuuuuurl had some secrets!!! Victoria, I cut some slack because she is a teenager, a bit naïve, grieving but some of the things she does I wanted to shake her!

The book kinda has two halves almost, the initial opening, sudden grief and trying to find her way through it and then the aftermath of the shock that actually her mum is alive and why had everyone lied to her. The book deals with difficult topics as always, grief, addiction, sudden loss, manipulative people, secrets, lies and personal growth which is always a huge part of the stories Prowse tells which is why I think so many people can relate regardless of what the topic(s) are, 4/5.

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Ever After by Amanda Prowse

Happy publication day to Amanda Prowse, Ever After is OUT NOW.

Ever After by Amanda Prowse
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1.5 days

Pages - 416

Publisher - Lake Union

Source - ARC

Blurb from Goodreads

If you’re given another chance at love, shouldn’t you take it?

Enya’s life has become small. Her husband’s death has left her bereft, and though she’s only in her early fifties, she’s happiest looking after her son, Aiden, his childhood sweetheart, Holly, and her beloved cat, Pickle.

So the spark she feels for the stranger who bumps into her car in the airport car park is a complete shock. But Enya can’t stop thinking about him.

Then, when Aiden makes a life-changing decision, Enya suddenly finds her close-knit community thrown into chaos. Her best friend, Jenny, isn’t speaking to her, Aiden’s future hangs in the balance, Holly is devastated, and the stranger from the car park is suddenly in her life.

Torn between family, love and loyalty, Enya faces a stay safely where she is, or take a leap into the unknown? Because maybe her happily-ever-after could have one more chapter yet…



My Review

Enya is still in the throws of grief, her husband died a few years ago but still she is getting by with life as it is. Her bestie Jenny lives practically next door and often nips in, day or middle of the night for a cuppa and gab. They are going into business together, their kids are growing up, in love and living with each other, despite her loss her life is content and she still sees her husbands "ghost" so she isn't lonely. She also has her wee cat Pickle and despite job upheaval everything seems to be going well. UNTIL.........she is at the airport dropping Aiden (her son) off when someone hits her car, a handsome man, the first to capture her attention since the lose of her husband. That moment changes things for Enya more than she could ever know!

Strap in guys, if you haven't read Prowse before you are in for a treat, if you have, grab your comfies and settle in! Aiden is Enya's pride and joy, her bestie's daughter and him have been destined to be together and done just that. When Aiden gets home from his trip he has made a decision that rips apart their cozy little community and Enya finds herself between a rock and a hard place.

This book captures so much of the everyday issues, love, grief, friendships, family and with Enya she has so much going on and trying to put out all the fires caused by one decision. I felt for her at times, other times I wanted to shake her GURL WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!?!? She made me feel for her, want to hug her, questioning why she would do/say XYZ. I think one of the talents Prowse has is making her characters quite real to life, even the ones making wild choices and behaviours. Life is like that sometimes, people behave selfishly, erratically, some are so good and kind that you wouldn't believe it unless you met them.

There are so many themes explored, friendships, fractured friendships, grief, how to react when you are loyal to so many people but they are on opposing sides. Feeling attraction after losing your other half and trying to navigate one crisis and or surprise after another. It is a bit chaos, sad, funny and a very good look at how much a mother can and does sacrifice for her loved ones, 4/5 for me this time.

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This One Life by Amanda Prowse

This One Life by Amanda Prowse
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 364

Publisher - Lake Union Publishing

Source - ARC

Blurb from Goodreads

She wants it all. But life has other plans…

After years of hard work, Madeleine’s life is very nearly perfect. She’s about to move to LA to pursue her dream job—and there’s a new man on the scene too. But when her mother falls ill, pulling her back to the world she’s tried so hard to leave behind, the repercussions of a life-changing decision Madeleine made seven years ago resurface, threatening to jeopardise everything she’s worked for.

Faced with the promise of her new life, and the pull of her old, she has to ask herself some tough was what she did then right for her family? How do you know when it’s okay to put yourself first? And what’s the cost of happiness?

Heartfelt, provocative and emotional, this is a gripping look at the choices women have to make, and whether we really can have it all…


My Review

Then and now, we meet Madeline, successful, driven, very particular about how she likes things, her home is pristine/perfect and her job is pretty much everything. When her mum takes unwell Madeline needs to go home and that means back to the place she spent her whole life wanting to escape from. We flip between present day and the past, getting to know Madeline, what makes her the way she is and seeing her struggle going back to her hometown, her past and things she would much rather forget.

Oh I think this may well be a marmite book for some because Madeline is the antithesis of what society expects she should be. Prowse has carved a character who if she was male, not too many eyebrows would be raised but because she is a female backs will absolutely be raised. She isn't the most likeable either, is it because she is selfish (because I think it is safe to say she is), driven, career focused, quite cold too. There is a moment, back in the then, between her and her friend and wow, I gasped out loud. Friends is family for me and ooft some of Madeline's choices and actions are shocking, again because we don't do certain things/cross certain lines/say certain things.

Madeline's family are so lovely, they don't have a lot financially and struggled a bit when she was growing up which is largely why she is the way she is. The contrast between to two timelines and Madeline's life to her life then and her parent's still living that way. Family, relationships and ambition are integral to the story, there are a lot of emotional moments and likely triggers because of some of the themes within the book. I know that is vague but to mention them would be spoilers and we don't do spoilers here.

I think if you grew up with financial difficulties the book might hit a wee bit differently to someone who has never had money worries or grew up in that type of environment. I also think how you respond to Madeline will again depend on how your financials were/are.

I really liked it, a lot of food for thought and although I did not like Madeline nor a lot of her choices, I get it. The book is a lot of actions/consequences and the ripples they can have not just on the person but everyone around them. I think the reason we like Prowse's stories so much is it lets you escape your life for a wee bit and delve into others. Whether you like the characters or not you become invested and encapsulated quickly even if the story starts as a slow burner, 4/5. Out to buy Jan 7th 2025.

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Swimming to Lundy by Amanda Prowse

Swimming to Lundy by Amanda Prowse
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 408

Publisher - Lake Union

Source - Arc

Blurb from Goodreads

A poignant and inspiring story from million-copy bestselling author Amanda Prowse about how it’s never too late to follow your dreams and find your way back to happiness.

Tawrie Gunn feels stuck. She’s spent her whole life in the same seaside town with her beloved Nana and grief-stricken mum, all of them still reeling in different ways from the tragic loss of Tawrie’s dad at sea. Desperate for a change, she challenges herself to take up wild swimming—every morning, no excuses, from March till September.

Daring to take the plunge with the ‘Peacock Swimmers’, Tawrie feels alive in a way she’s never known. Suddenly it seems she might be able to step outside her comfort zone after all and let life surprise her—perhaps even dream of a future beyond the shores of Ilfracombe? Especially when, one day, she spots a man in a pink linen shirt who seems as eager for a new start as she does.

But it turns out taking risks on land is a little different from wading into the sea. Can Tawrie face her fears head-on and find her way to happiness? She knows it’s never too late to pursue your hopes and dreams, but it might be easier said than done…



My Review

Two timelines, two main character threads. Tawrie, present day (well 2023) and Harriet 2002, we go back and forth between the two, very different ladies. Tawrie is stuck inher small town, with her gran and mum, mum is an alcoholic, she works for her cousin in a cafe and remains the solid in her little world. She takes up wild swimming and meets a fabulous older couple and a new person who makes her feel things she has never felt and opens up her life, heart, mind and to possibilities outside her tiny patch/routine with some life changing consequences. Harriet and her family have moved to escape that which turned their world upside down, slowly with each chapter we find out what that is and how Harriet will cope, did she make the right decision and can you ever outrun your problems?

The story has huge family themes, Tawrie is the only child and completely locked to her routine/family. Harriet is completely family orientated and struggling to come to terms with a revelation that rocked her family. Both timelines feature similar themes, love, family, sacrifice, putting your family first, their needs before yours and infidelity pops up too. Tawrie is on a journey, taking up wild swimming and finding a freedom she hasn't had before but also bringing her "closer" to her dad. Harriet takes solace in writing a diary to try and work through her thoughts/feelings and steps to getting through that which has threatened her family life and happiness.

Prowse has a way of creating characters you find yourself either drawn to or empathising with, they have the same issues we do or loved ones have went through. Alcoholism, loss, feelings of being trapped but wanting to be there for your family and do what is right. Personal growth, achievements, small town life, scandal, struggles within every day life. FYI even though the cover has shark fins I can confirm there are no sharks in the book lol. Pages turning, relatively short chapters which you know I love, drama, scandal, love, hope, family bonds, it has a bit of something for everyone. This isn't my first dance with this author, I have quite a few on my tbrm and more I need to buy. When you want to step out of your own life and into others for a wee bit Prowse is always a good shout, 4/5 for me.

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Waiting To Begin by Amanda Prowse

Waiting to Begin by Amanda Prowse
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 317

Publisher - Lake Union Publishing

Source - Wishlist Wednesday gift

Blurb from Goodreads

From the bestselling author of The Girl in the Corner comes a story that asks: what would you risk for a shot at happiness?

1984. Bessie is a confident sixteen-year-old girl with the world at her feet, dreaming of what life will bring and what she’ll bring to this life. Then everything comes crashing down. Her bright and trusting smile is lost, banished by shame—and a secret she’ll carry with her for the rest of her life.

2021. The last thirty-seven years have not been easy for Bess. At fifty-three she is visibly weary, and her marriage to Mario is in tatters. Watching her son in newlywed bliss—the hope, the trust, the joy—Bess knows it is time to face her own demons, and try to save her relationship. But she’ll have to throw off the burden of shame if she is to honour that sixteen-year-old girl whose dreams lie frozen in time.

Can Bess face her past, finally come clean to Mario, and claim the love she has longed to fully experience all these years?


My Review

Set over two timelines 1984 we meet Bessie, 16 years old, best friends with Michelle and a sweet family. The second is 2021, Bessie is all grown, married and hasn't spoken to Michelle in decades, her best friend in the whole world. We flip between the two periods, meeting happy go lucky Bessie, loved and the world as her Oyster. 2021 Bessie is bitter, cold, self absorbed and despite a loving husband she is quite unhappy and I would say even lonely.

The two timelines go back and forth, each revealing a bit more information and bringing the reader into the circle. It covers some hard hitting topics as Prowse does tend to do, I don't want to give anything away as we don't do spoiler reviews but it centres around families, deceit, distrust, betrayal, loss, love, friendship and family to name a few.

We also see how things from our past, especially when we don't deal with them can have long reach and ripples long into our future. I have a few Prowse books on the tbrm, the pace isn't break neck by any standards but it reveals its layers as you go, 4/5 for me.

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Women Like Us by Amanda Prowse Blog Tour

Today is my stop on the blog tour for Women Like Us, A Memoir, by Amanda Prowse, this is a LOVEBOOKSTOUR blog tour, you can find Kelly on Twitter.

I even took the book to the ice hockey with me to read inbetween intervals.

The book is available to buy from Amazon, click HERE.


You can find Amanda on Twitter and Instagram.

Women Like Us: A Memoir by Amanda Prowse
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - in and out over 10 days

Pages - 396

Publisher - Little A

Source - Review copy

Blurb from Goodreads

I guess the first question to ask is, what kind of woman am I? Well, you know those women who saunter into a room, immaculately coiffed and primped from head to toe?

If you look behind her, you’ll see me.

From her childhood, where there was no blueprint for success, to building a career as a bestselling novelist against all odds, Amanda Prowse explores what it means to be a woman in a world where popularity, slimness, beauty and youth are currency—and how she overcame all of that to forge her own path to happiness.

Sometimes heartbreaking, often hilarious and always entirely relatable, Prowse details her early struggles with self-esteem and how she coped with the frustrating expectations others had of how she should live. Most poignantly, she delves into her toxic relationship with food, the hardest addiction she has ever known, and how she journeyed out the other side.

One of the most candid memoirs you’re ever likely to read, Women Like Us provides welcome insight into how it is possible—against the odds—to overcome insecurity, body consciousness and the ubiquitous imposter syndrome to find happiness and success, from a woman who’s done it all, and then some


My Review

I have heard/read and even used warts and all used many times and I absolutely am using it for this book however it is probably the first time I am using it with actual pure felt meaning! So if you don't know who Amanda Prowse is she is an author who has written A LOT of books, I have read 3 with a few more on my tbrm and many more to buy! So about the book, Prowse takes us through her life, from a wee barra, teen, adult and authorhood.

This book took me through Amanda's life and back to quite a few stages of my own. Some of the things/experiences were so relatable I could have written them myself. Then there was some shockaroonies like the sanitary belt, I absolutely had to go and look that up. I can't imagine how you get into it let alone wear it!

The book is very open and honest and whilst I feel like you get that reading a lot of autobiographies Amanda Prowse felt it went deeper. If you have never had a battle with addiction, your weight or both then you may not appreciate just how much I imagine it cost to not only deal with that but to then commit it to paper and share it with the world. I wanted to reach out and hug her because it is a battle like no other and despite some addictions being treated more with compassion and understanding food/weight gain is still very judged/stigmatized.

The book is really interesting, emotive and takes us on many roads of the authors life and experiences, I have been struggling to read like I used to but for snippets of time I managed to loose myself. I cannot wait to read her other books and will absolutely be buying up others as I go along. If you only read one memoir this year make it this one, 5/5 for me.

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To Love and Be Loved by Amanda Prowse Blog Tour

Today is my turn on the blog tour for To Love and Be Loved by Amanda Prowse. For my stop I have my review.

About the author

Amanda Prowse is an international bestselling author of twenty-eight novels published in dozens of languages. Her chart-topping titles What Have I Done?, Perfect Daughter, My Husband’s Wife, The Coordinates of Loss, The Girl in the Corner and The Things I Know 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. Perfect Daughter was selected as a World Book Night title in 2016. She has been described by the Daily Mail as ‘the queen of family drama’. Amanda is the most prolific writer of bestselling contemporary fiction in the UK today. Her titles consistently score the highest online review approval ratings across several genres. A popular TV and radio personality, Amanda is a regular panellist on Channel 5’s Jeremy Vine show, as well as featuring on numerous daytime ITV programmes. She also makes countless guest appearances on national and independent radio stations, including LBC and talkRADIO, where she is well known for her insightful observations and infectious humour. Amanda’s ambition is to create stories that keep people from turning off the bedside lamp at night, that ensure you walk every step with her great characters, and tales that fill your head so you can’t possibly read another book until the memory fades…

Book buy link, Amazon Uk - Click HERE.

Twitter links

@mrsamandaprowse

@lovebooksgroup

@lovebookstours

To Love and Be Loved by Amanda Prowse
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - < 2 days

Pages - 346

Publisher - Lake Union

Source - Review copy

Blurb from Goodreads

In this life-affirming tale from bestselling author Amanda Prowse, one woman built a new life to escape her humiliation. Now, can she put the shame behind her and finally find happiness?

Young and desperately in love, Merrin had the whole world ahead of her. But just as her new life was about to start, the ground beneath her feet was cruelly swept away. Devastated by the humiliation, she ran far away from the beloved fishing village she had always called home to lick her wounds and escape her gossiping friends and neighbours.

It hasn’t been easy, but six years later Merrin has forged a new life for herself far from the sea, burying the impulsive girl she once was. But when tragedy strikes, she has no choice but to return to the village she swore she’d never set foot in again.

Reluctantly back in the arms of her community, Merrin begins to realise what she’s been missing out on all these years. As she begins to remember the person she used to be, she is forced to make choices about her future, and to question the past. What does she want from her life? Who is important to her? Who is to blame for everything that went wrong? And can she forgive them, let old wounds heal and finally be her true self again?


My Review

Merrin is a small town girl from a working class family, when she falls for Digby Mortimer, old money but the attraction and love is mutual. The big day should be everything she ever wanted and more....the day takes a turn and Merrin has to run, from heartache, embarrassment, small town gossip. Six years later Merrin is still scarred by her heartbreak - tragedy strikes and Merrin must come home, will she finally be able to face her past and move on with her future?

This isn't my first Prowse book, I had bought a few after reading some in 2017 but this has been my first in a while. I forgot how she weaves a story and pulls you into the pages, invested in the characters, love or hate you want to know more about them and what dramas unfolding next.

Aw Mirren I so felt for her, when reading this book I thought a perfect song for her and her predicament is absolutely Paloma Faith Only Love Can Hurt Like This. God love her, I did feel for her, loving her small town, super close to her family but having to move to protect herself.

The book covers so much, love, betrayal, loss, friendships, family, recovery, personal growth - I don't think anyone hasn't been burned by love yet we all respond differently. It was like sinking into a soap opera and following those you loved, didn't like so much, drama's that never really change despite the years because it is a small town and some things stay the same regardless of time passed.

I will be bumping up my other books by this author, if you just want to leave your own issues, worries and life behind for a wee while then I can't recommend this enough. We are having a rough time just now and my reading has absolutely suffered as a result yet I sank into this and despite having a million distractions and jobs to do I read this in two days, 4/5 for me this time!

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The Art of Hiding by Amanda Prowse

The Art of Hiding by Amanda Prowse
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - dipped in and out over 2 days

Pages - 290

Publisher - Lake Union Publishing

Source - Netgalley

Blurb from Goodreads

What would you do if you learned that the life you lived was a lie?

Nina McCarrick lives the perfect life, until her husband, Finn, is killed in a car accident and everything Nina thought she could rely on unravels.

Alone, bereft and faced with a mountain of debt, Nina quickly loses her life of luxury and she begins to question whether she ever really knew the man she married. Forced to move out of her family home, Nina returns to the rundown Southampton council estate—and the sister—she thought she had left far behind.

But Nina can’t let herself be overwhelmed—her boys need her. To save them, and herself, she will have to do what her husband discouraged for so long: pursue a career of her own. Torn between the life she thought she knew and the reality she now faces, Nina finally must learn what it means to take control of her life.



My Review

You live in a gorgeous house, the neighbourhood is dripping in money, perfect husband, two beautiful boys - life for the McCarrick's is good. However when an accident rips Nina's life apart she thinks mourning her loved one is the biggest challenge, Nina is wrong. What she thought she knew and her life is about to change, drastically. Going from never having to think about finances, the kids private education, food, mortgage, to counting every penny, Nina needs a reality check. Caught in the waves of grief, having to protect her kids as best she can and get her head around her new life and circumstances the whole family and their relationships are to be pushed to the limits.

I have read Prowse before, she has a certain style of writing, quickly drawing the reader into the life and emotions of the characters. I can't say I liked Nina hugely when I first met her however as her story unfolds, her background and her relationship with her husband we are given a window to seeing how she became who she is. A tale of grief, loss, strength, lies, love, materialistic possessions, family, relationships and much more. The main characters, mainly mother and the sons all travel on a very personal journey of self exploration and growth. It is in parts hard to read due to the realistic scenarios and reactions created by Prowse, the pain they each suffer, more so if the reader can relate which I think many will . Who hasn't been thrust into unforeseen circumstance and or grief and loss.

Human nature can go either way when our world is shaken, we can fall apart, go down the route of destruction or we can power through. Prowse examines the human response to such events and the various reactions we experience when stability and normality are threatened. A very human story with so much emotion, strength, love and a 'you never know the moment' type and the waves that follow. 4/5 for me this time, I have read Prowse before and will read her again. I actually have a few of hers on my tbr. Thanks to Netgalley for sending me a review copy.

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The Idea of You by Amanda Prowse

The Idea of You by Amanda Prowse
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - on and off over 2 days

Pages - 332

Publisher - Lake Union Publishing

Blurb from Goodreads

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?




My Review


Lucy is hitting forty and wants more than anything to become a mother. Married to Jonah for around a year, a very successful woman in her own right a baby is what is missing in her life. Jonah's daughter is coming over to stay, Lucy is struggling with her own family issues and now has a feisty teenager to welcome into her home. With surprises and heartache around the corner, Jonah's daughter brings a whirlwind of emotions, testing boundaries and the potential to change the family dynamics forever.

There is no two ways about it, this book will strike a chord with you or completely turn you off the book. It covers some heart wrenching issues, miscarriage, loss, infidelity, step family dynamics, marital difficulties, relationships, families and secrets. Some of the scenes, especially for readers who have lost a child or experienced pregnancy that didn't have the outcome you wanted, especially hard.

Written from Lucy's point of view and each chapter starting with a letter to her baby we experience the full heartache of longing and loss of a woman desperate for a child. Some of the writing paints a very dark picture and this book will be very emotive for some readers whilst possibly offering an understanding nod from others who have been there and experienced Lucy's journey. This is my first time reading this author, The Idea Of You certainly packs an emotive punch and leaves you reeling, I would read her again. Whilst fiction, Prowse creates a realistic window into the harsh realities and torment some women endure trying to gain the one thing they want more than life. I disliked some of the behaviour of some characters and found myself questioning the likelihood of their actions and words however the reality often is quite unpredictable and people can do a complete 360! 4/5 for me this time, I would read this author again, in fact I have a few of hers on my tbr. Thanks to Netgalley for a review copy, all thoughts are as always, my own.

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