Like a number of other readers, I found this to be entirely different from the way it was advertised, and not in a good way. It started out really strongly and I was engaged completely for the first quarter of the book, despite the fact that the focus never really lay where the blurb led you to believe it would - with the child and his mysterious circumstances. But from then on, references to the eponymous child became even fewer and farther between and the focus was entirely on an organized crime family battle between a series of odious characters, and that's when it lost me in earnest. From then on I struggled to stay with it and eventually had to admit that this was not what I'd signed up for and put it down for good... It's too bad, because I really did enjoy the beginning, but then the storytelling (style and substance) shifted into a realm I just couldn't find compelling. If I had known that was what the story was primarily about, I would not have requested it - I'm just not this book's audience...

This was not at all what I expected from the blurb that was given but having said that I found it a fantastic read which was gripping from the very start. So many Mob references and their very nasty turf wars and money making projectsadd ed to the readability. The characters were so well developed and all were given interesting aspects. At no point was it obvious as to what was going on or indeed what would happen next. Towards the end suspicions that I had did unravel but no way did I get anywhere near the reasoning.
A very well written book that highlights a great author.
My only question is what happened to Ruby eventually?

Disappointed. I was immediately interested in this book once I read the description but it turned out to be completely missing. The story is actually focused on the main characters past and her families involvement with the mob. I DNF this one because I was quite upset about the fact that it was basically a completely different story than advertised plus the story was just flat, hard to get invested into and I couldn't make a connection with the main character.

I liked this book . The story line was well thought out and well written, the characters were developed and realate-able. This book takes us into a drug/gang related story line that parallels with a current life outside of this lifestyle. When Holly is run off the road a child is found in her vehicle that was not there prior to the accident. But this child is not the stranger she thinks he is. Holly must journey into her past to find out who this child is and why he was found in her vehicle. When her own son turns up missing finding these answers becomes urgent. Who is doing this and why?
Most of this book was fast paced and suspenseful but there was a period in the middle of the book where nothing new really happened and it dragged on a bit to much, for that reason it lost a star from my review.

This book was different to what I expected I was a bit disappointed as I had high expectations. It was worth a read though & would read more by the author in the future.

Unfortunately this book leaves a lot to be desired and is very disjointed in the characters. It did not grab my attention and draw me in as promised.

The Forgotten Child by D. E. White drew me in with an incredibly interesting premise. Holly is driving down a back road one evening in wet February weather when she loses control of her car and crashes. When she wakes up and goes to check on her young son in the back seat, she find another little boy sitting next to him who she doesn’t recognize, and who wasn’t in the car before the accident. Unfortunately, within the first few chapters I quickly began to stall out on this one. The beginning of the book throws way too many references to Holly’s past at you at once, and I found myself floundering trying to keep track of them all. While you eventually get answers to all the questions you are given in the beginning, it is very overwhelming at the start.

Another complaint I have surrounds the misleading blurb and title of the book. One would hope that a book with a title like “The Forgotten Child” and a blurb about waking up after an accident with a mysterious child in your backseat you could expect the majority of the book to be about this child, but instead the plot focuses more on Holly’s family and their various criminal lifestyles, only coming back to the child towards the end of the book.

All of that being said, this was not a bad book. The characters were interesting and the book itself was well written. I wonder if I would have liked it better with a different title and description. As it was, there was strong cognitive dissonance that I think contributed to my dislike of the book.

I enjoyed this book, was hooked early on and on the edge of my seat in parts, a great read full of surprises. I haven't read anything by this author before but I will be looking out for more.

Holly crashes her car with her young son Milo on board, when she comes round, she is shaken and scared and panicking about Milo, managing to free herself from the car, she is relieved to see Milo, albeit unconscious but ok from what she can tell, however, what she doesn't expect is an extra child strapped into the back of her, unconscious, where did this boy come from, who is he?

From the off and after reading the blurb, I thought the book was about this mysterious boy that Holly seems to have "inherited" but this was really only a side line story, there was so much more to this book, organised crime being at the forefront, lies, family.... a good mystery with elements of surprise, I enjoyed it for the most part and it all came together at the end. A solid 3***

After reading the blurb for this book I could wait to start reading. A confusing read, unbelievable and at times I did ask myself why I was bothering. I did finish this book, hoping that all my efforts would be rewarded. Not. This is my own personal opinion and I am sure other readers will enjoy it more just not for me.
I would like to thank the author, HQ Digital and Netgalley for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.

Holly, driving in the dark and rain with her young son Milo in the back of the car, gets run off the road and ends up wounded... and with an extra child in the car. Luckily, Holly and Milo are more or less ok, but the second child is not.
How this child came to be in the car, by whom he was put there and why, makes up for the biggest part of this story. However, although it is a big part of the story, it is not the whole story. The Forgotten Child is a story about a young woman, born and raised on an infamous housing estate in a criminal family, who desperately wants to escape her life and become someone different. How she does this is not by moving to the other part of the country or some such thing, it is by marrying a nice man, a cultured and well-off teacher, and having his child. This, sadly, is not the right way because the nice man turns out not to be so nice. So Holly is alone again, trying to hold on to stressfull job (which she loves) and fighting off family members who want her to come back and be a part of criminal activities.
The book starts of allright but quite soon I was a little lost between all the comings and goings of the family. There are three families but not all members of these families are the same sort of criminal. Some are trying to escape to a 'better' life, as Holly does, but not all succeed. Others turn the other parts and become even more entangled in very, very bad things.
There are some very likable characters though, and once you get the idea of who is who and who did what in the past (and why), it becomes clear that things could get very nasty for Holly - or very good.
Which one it is, you have to find out for yourself.

Thanks to NetGalley for this digital review copy.

This book was very different to what I had expected. Truthfully I wasn't sure about it, because of the content,but I persevered and wanted to know the outcome for Holly,who I felt drawn to .I found the violence in the book unpleasant and it was hard to understand where it was going at timesi and to follow the unwritten rules of the estate. Overall it is a readable story and reaches its conclusion with answers.

Thrilling story with a great plot, highly recommend to fans of this genre. A must read!! Great characters that keep you guessing til the end.

This book was fast paced. Hard to put down. It flowed well and it was very well written. It caught hold of me and had me hooked from the start . I was literally on the edge of my seat reading this book.

The Forgotten Child by D.E. White
The title and the blurb of the book caught my attention and I approached it with much anticipation. A new book with a supposedly new premise always excites me. But I was met with disappointment.
Holly Kendall is driving home one rainy night with her son Milo when she notices a car following them. The car hits her bumper causing her to lose control of her vehicle and roll down a hill. They lose consciousness. When Holly finally wakes, she finds not only Milo but another unconscious boy who she has never seen before. Her search for answers about this mysterious child, who refuses to speak, generates more questions creating more chaos and confusion. The story starts digressing and the plot takes a totally different path with organised crime and Holly’s estranged father who has a connection with the mafia. Her constant struggle with her cheating ex husband and her past love is a torment for her.
The synopsis was a bit misleading and the fact that the protagonist finds a mysterious child in her car was intriguing but when the focus diverts to mafia and organised crime from the unknown boy who was the main premise from the beginning, the story loses its edge.
There are moments of suspense which are thrilling but the weak story arc and confusing characterization make these moments seem damp. Thank you, NetGalley for this ARC to review.

The premise of the synopsis misled me completely. I was expecting something completely different. From the outset I was on completely the wrong track and it came as quite a shock when I realised that Holly comes from a completely different background to the one I suspected. She has indeed left her past behind her to some degree but it quickly becomes apparent that she is connected to criminal activity in the past. In a way even the title is misleading – the child abandoned in Holly’s car is a very small part of the text, may be integral but small – easily forgotten!

This reminds me of Martina Cole’s novels which I sometimes enjoy but if you like those you may well enjoy this. For me, it was OK but I wasn’t captivated.

Thank you to the author, publishers and NetGalley for providing an ARC via my Kindle in return for an honest review.

This book wasn’t what I was expecting. The synopsis wasn’t clear and made you believe it was about the identity of a child but this was a small part of the story. It was mainly about organised crime
The book has a lot of different characters. Some of which are evil.

This book wasn’t really for me but it was an ok read

I really liked the blurb for this book but alas i was left feeling confused and didn't enjoy it,but i do thank netgalley and hq digital for the chance.

The summary of this story sounded so unique that I really hoped it was going to be an interesting mystery. The beginning of the story left me confused as it began with Holly leaving her home when her mother died, her brother is dead, and characters are mentioned but not really explained. Sometime later while driving home from work, the traffic was terrible, it was raining, someone was driving recklessly behind her car and when a deer ran in front of her car, she crashed. She and her son are both knocked unconscious and injured, but when she wakes up, there is an unknown child in her car. After this point, I never did feel as if I understood what was going on, who the characters were and the ending left me feeling unsatisfied. I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)

I very much enjoyed the beginning of the book where, after a car accident, a second child appears in the back of her car. The story was well written though I found the plot a little unbelievable and overcomplicated. I eoukd read further books in the series and enjoy seeing how the characters, and their relationships, develop. .