Thank you NetGalley and Shalini Boland for the chance to read this before it hits shelves later his month. This author always pulls me in quick and this was no exception. I was trying to figure out what was going on and then I thought I had it and BAM she hit me with the biggest twist I didn't see coming. I liked how it told you the story from Then and Now, it helped me try to piece it together. READ this book when it comes out!

Now this was a book!!! Shalini Boland got me again! Meet Rachel. 9 years ago the unthinkable happened. She took her eyes of her daughter for no more than a minute and then Holly was gone.

Fast forward, Rachel is living outside of London a much more laid back life with her partner Mike and the daughter she didn’t lose that day, Jess and her son Charlie who she had with Mike. She’s never shared her tragedy with anyone.

One day during school pick up, Rachel meets new Mom Kate. They all have children the same age and it seems like they will hit it off. Until Rachel notices Kate’s eldest daughter Bella. Bella is the spitting image of her beloved lost daughter Holly. Rachel knows she can’t rest until she can prove one way or the other that this other girl is in-fact the daughter she’s always hoped would come back to her.

Social thanks to Netgalley and Bookoutre for this fabulous ARC.

Let me start by saying that Shalini Boland is on my top 20 favorite authors! It was exciting to see she had a new book and I couldn't wait to start reading it!

Like always it is well written and really good! The storyline is interesting and well developed, the characters are strong, it's captivating.

A missing child is every parents' worst nightmare!

But... to be honest it isn't my favorite! I was into it from the start but then for a few chapters it felt like it was about going to school, picking the kids up, waiting to see your 'new friend' and 'her' kids, see if that kid you see is your missing child... getting to know your 'new friend' and 'her' kids... see who is who, what's going on...

It wasn't fast paced but yet not boring at all,.Shalini has a way to get you to feel for the characters and keep you turning the pages to see what's happening next, what's happened in the past, what's the connection.... ... ... you just want to know.

I liked it a lot and can't wait to read what Shalini Boland writes next!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC of this book. This is my honest review. All opinions are my own.

I didn't have a very open mind going into this book - I had expectations of a run of the mill story and a predicable plot but I was wrong!

Rachel lost her daughter, 7 years ago and now, she is sure that she has found her again, in the form of another school child, that is new to her town. The chapters alternate between now and then and eventually the stories catch up with each other. I was blown away by the characterisations in this book and the plot line did not disappoint. Shalini is a fantastic author and she surprised me yet again with this easy to read, relatable book.

You will fall for Rachel and you will want her to ease her pain so badly.

I loved this read!

This book is gripping and the character of Rachel is excellently formed. I really like the start of this book, lots of time is spent on how Rachel’s life if thrown into turmoil when she thinks her missing daughter is found.

What I am not so keen on is after the twist...which I guessed just before it was revealed. Although I guessed the twist it does not make sense. Or rather, as you read on you see it can make sense BUT this latter part of the story needs a huge amount of explanation but we get a mere few chapters. Maybe it is the social worker in me that finds this part more intriguing, that wants to know how this twist would impact on Jess, how would the real Jess and the real Rachel have been affected by the abduction and the reunification. What do Matt and Charlie do....

This is a good book but I feel the end is really only the very beginning of a very interesting story....I wish that one had been told.

When I saw Shalini Boland had a new book coming out I just knew I had to read it, didn’t even need to read the blurb as this is one of my go to authors. This latest book did not disappoint.

The story is about a mother, Rachel, who’s little girl is snatched from a shopping centre play area whilst she is having a coffee and chat with a friend. Rachel just takes her eyes away from her daughter for a minute or two and then she is gone.

Nine years later Rachel has a new husband and two children but she hasn’t stopped thinking about her missing daughter. Then one afternoon whilst picking up her children from school she meets Kate, a new Mum at the school. They get chatting and it seems as though they and their children are going to be the best of friends but then Rachel meets Kate’s eldest daughter. She is exactly like her missing daughter, so much so that it stops Rachel in her tracks. Can this really be her missing daughter from nine years ago ?

This book is absolutely brilliant and if you’ve read any of the authors previous books you will know that there is going to be some twists coming !! The writing is superb and will have you engrossed form the first few pages and if you are anything like me you will be trying to think of all the possible outcomes, although you just know you’ll never work it out.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book.

5 Thrilling Mystery Stars
THANK YOU for this engrossing story. Losing a child is the worst nightmare a parent can have. The fear is always there. This author took that Idea and ran with it. Every detail led you another important moment. Captured my mind and could put it down.

This psychological thriller was a quick read that had me questioning the characters’ motives right up until the last page. I thought that the author did a good job of laying the groundwork for the reader to believe one thing while crafting a sub-story that was equally plausible. There were more than a few “Oh, no way” moments, and the big reveal did surprise me (that’s hard to do). For a more detailed review, please visit my blog at Fireflies and Free Kicks Fiction Reviews. Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for a complimentary, pre-release, digital ARC of this book.

I always look forward to reading Shalini Boland's books because I know I am in for twists, turns and a real surprise ending. This book certainly did not disappoint. Catriona abducts a little girl from the shopping mall play area. Rachel, the mother of the abducted girl Holly, never gives up hoping she finds her alive. Rachel meets a new mum at school, Kate, who has two children the same age as Rachel's children, Amy and Kieran. Kate also has an older daughter Bella. When Rachel meets Bella, she is sure it is the daughter who was abducted years ago. The story is told in a new and now format with then being narrated by Catriona and now by Rachel. Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC of another great Shalini Boland book in exchange for an honest review.

And Breathe!!!!................My head is all over the Place!!!!

What a fantastic and cracking read the lastest book by Shalini Boland is. The Other Daughter was Just............WoW...........OMG.........Brilliant in every way. It had lots of twists and turns, it was fast pace throughout. It had fantastic engaging characters that all fitted in well with in the story and best of all......What a brilliant ending!!!! I didn't see that coming!
My head is all over the place.........Now this is a book I highly recommend! Especially as I could not put it down!

"Nine years ago her daughter was taken. And now she’s back"

Little Holly is two and a half and she is playing happily in a pink playhouse whilst her mum is chatting away with her friend nearby drinking coffee. Everything seems to be ok until Rachel goes and gets Holly.

Holly is no where to be found! Panic! Every parents worst nightmare has just begun!!!

Holly has been taken by a stranger!

Will her daughter Holly ever be found?

Nine years later, Rachel is living a new quiet life in Dorset. She is happy, she has a new family, and a loving partner. She is trying to keep a big secret that is safely locked away about her past. However, in the blink of an eye this secret is about to resurface again.

One afternoon Rachel meets a new parent called Kate, who was picking up her children at the local school. Rachels world is turned up side down when she see's Kates teenage daughter called Bella. She recognises that face anywhere.....It's her missing daughter Holly.

Rachel will stop at nothing to get her back…............Will Rachel Loose everything to get Holly Back!

What a book!!

This is the Sixth Book I have read By Shalini Boland and I can Honestly say she is my Favourite Psychological author. She surprises me every time when I open her books I become part of the story.

Massive Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased.

As parents, one of our worst nightmares would be to lose a child. I cannot even begin to imagine how much worse the pain would be to know that your child is gone just because you took your eye off her for a few minutes. Because, in reality, sometimes those few minutes are all it takes. 

The Other Daughter is about such a loss. This book is written from two different perspectives. That of Rachel Farnsborough, a mother of two whose first child, Holly, went missing when she was nearly three, abducted by a mysterious stranger in a hoodie. And that of Catriona Devon, the mysterious stranger in a hoodie who took Holly. Nine years after, Rachel has moved from where that tragic incident took place and is now living in a quiet town, Dorset, with her two children and boyfriend. One day, she goes to pick up her children from school and meets a new parent, Kate Morris and her own kids. However, as soon as Rachel lays eyes on Kate's eldest, Bella, she is convinced that Bella is her missing daughter. She is determined to prove it and get her daughter back.

This was my first book by Shalini Boland and I can safely say it would not be my last. This book was engrossing with an exceedingly surprising surprise ending which totally blew me away. When I first saw the blurb I hoped it would be as good as it sounded. I was not disappointed.

I found myself feeling so sorry for Rachel especially when I realized she had not told anybody in her new life about Holly's disappearance. She preferred to deal with the pain by herself. Matthew, her boyfriend and father of her last child, was extremely supportive of her when she told him but I couldn't help but feel that he was a bit much sometimes.

Writing from the different perspectives was a genius decision on the author's part. I was able to sympathize partly with Catriona even though what she did was horribly wrong. She was also a victim in her own way.

There was, however, one part of the book which got to me. When Rachel first told Matthew about Holly, he insisted she get counseling. That is something which is expected if you lose a child. Any parent would be traumatized and should get counseling. However, Rachel started asking him if he thought she was mentally unstable. There are people who are stable who go for counseling. Admitting you need help dealing with issues does not make you mentally unstable.

Violence: None
Sexual Content: None
Profanities: Very mild
Religious Themes: None

Teo and a half year old Holly was abducted from a shopping centre play area while her mother was talking to a friend.she was never found.

Nine years have went by since Holly's disappearance. Rachel meets a new mum at the school gates. They have just moved to the area from London. Rachel has led a quiet life in Dorset. No one, not even her boyfriend knew off her past, that her oldest daughter Holly had been abducted. When she walks Kate back to her car, she is shocked when she sees her eldest daughter, Bella. Bella is the mirror image off how Holly would look today. Rachel is convinced that Bella is her missing daughter. Rachel does everything in her power to try and find out the truth.

OMG Shalini Boland! You have messed with my head and my sleep! I had the intention to read a fee chapters before I went to sleep, ut i couldn't put the book down! This story is told in a duel timeline. The present day and from when Holly was abducted. We are told the story from Rachel and Cationas point of view. I couldn't help but feel sorry for Rachel, no one believed her. This book is tense, very well written, cleverly crafted and executed. I couldn't believe what Rachel got up to but I suppose desperate times call for desperate measures. And WOW, I never saw that ending coming. Shalini Boland is one of my favourite authors. I highly recommend this page turning, gripping and shocking read.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Bookouture and the author Shalini Boland for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Shalini Boland is one of my favourite “go to” authors as I know that I will always get an involving family oriented storyline with a shocking twist. And The Other Daughter certainly delivers on all counts! My jaw was firmly planted on the floor throughout and although it’s never all about the twist for me, this one is a corker!

Nine years ago Rachel’s daughter was abducted whilst she sat having coffee with a friend and was never seen again. Fast forward and Rachel is living with Matt, her daughter Jess and son Charlie when she meets a mum in the school playground who has just moved to the area. They hit it off straight away but when Kate introduces Rachel to her 12 year old daughter Bella, Rachel is shocked you see that she is the image of her lost daughter Holly…

I really felt for Rachel who was obviously struggling to cope mentally with the lose of her daughter and meeting Kate seemed to be a catalyst for a further breakdown in her mental health. It became very uncomfortable at times to watch her determination to prove that Bella is her daughter as she was so tunnel visioned in her search for proof that it began to affect her relationships within her own family and friendship circle. But it was impossible not to feel sorry for her after all she had been through.

This was such an addictive and intriguing storyline that I read it from cover to cover in one single session, unable to put it down until I had squeezed every drop of tension from it that I could. The twists and turns towards the end need a lot of concentration so be warned! Another highly recommended book from Shalini Boland!

I have read all of Shalini Bolands books so far and loved them all. This one is an exception however. I have to say I cant give it my normal 5 stars that I've given the other books.
What I didn't like about the book:
1. The theme was not original. It was another child abduction story, I'm so tired of reading child abduction stories.
2. The middle of the book dragged. I felt it lacked something that kept the story from moving forward.
What I did like:
1. What Shalini Boland does well is adding uniqueness in her storyline so even though she chose a.common theme, she made the story itself unique.
2. Lots and lots of twists so there will definitely be a huge surprise for the reader at the end.
4/5 stars I give this book!
She is a good writer.

Nine years ago her daughter was taken. And now she’s back.

Two-and-a-half-year-old Holly is playing happily in a pink plastic playhouse, while her mother Rachel sips coffee and chats with a friend nearby. It should be an ordinary day for all of them. But, in the blink of an eye, it turns into every family’s worst nightmare.

Holly is taken by a stranger and never found.

Nine years later, Rachel is living a quiet life in Dorset. She’s tried to keep things together since the traumatic day when she lost her eldest daughter. She has a new family, a loving partner and her secrets are locked away in her painful past.

Until one afternoon when Rachel meets a new school parent Kate and her teenage daughter Bella. Rachel’s world is instantly turned upside down – she’s seen Bella before. She’d recognise that face anywhere – it’s her missing child.

And she will stop at nothing to get her back…

This book epitomises the scenario that every parent dreads; your child being abducted. We're all guilty of taking our eye off the ball, something distracts us and we turn away, in that split second our whole world can come crashing down around us and that's what happened to Rachel, when someone took Holly and she was never found. Fast forward nine years when she meets Kate and her daughter, Bella and Rachel is certain that this is, in fact, her daughter Holly.

The story is told over two timelines and two perspectives; Then by Catriona and Now by Rachel, the characters are believable and I was so sucked into Rachel's story that I found myself desperate for her to uncover the truth, I was right beside her on those pages living that hell with her, and just when I thought I knew where this was heading, came the twist, like a sucker punch to the gut, a holy WTF moment and I was completely floored. WOW!!! It is so cleverly plotted, depicting the desperation of a grieving mother and the lengths she will go to, to get to the truth and the consequences this could create. A fast paced read, full of suspense which I highly recommend.

Thank you to Bookouture and Netgalley for the auto approval, I will post my review on Goodreads now and Amazon on publication day.

WOW! WOW! WOW!

I read this is two days! I found it almost impossible not to turn to the end and find out what was really going on. The book is told using the point of view of a character from the past and one from the present, The author, Shalini Boland, has done an amazing job of making the main character, from the present, into someone I would cheer on and at other times cringe and feel alarmed for because I was afraid she was going to get in a lot of trouble. If you've ever silently screamed, "Oh no! Don't do that!" while reading a book, you understand what I mean. On the other hand, the character from the past is difficult to like.

This was was truly quite the roller coaster ride that twists, turns and screeches to an alarming conclusion. I loved it!

Wow.... What a fantastic book. I was hooked from the first page and it is a complete page turner.
The book is told in 2 timelines. The present day and when the child was abducted. The characters were likeable and realistic. The plot was well thought out and perfectly
The ending was a huge twist and something that I was not expecting. Brilliant ending.

Overall, this is an addictive psychological thriller. A highly recommended read.

A brilliant psychological thriller that keeps you gripped right to the very end. Shalini is very clever with the way she writes leaving you travelling on a rollercoaster of emotions as you read. It is a story of every parent’s nightmare when the unthinkable happens and your child is abducted. What do you do how do you carry on living for the sake of the rest of your family. Shalini has done it again with another fantastic read that you won’t want to put down until you’ve read the whole book. Highly recommended if you love this genre. Shalini is the Queen of psychological thrillers.

Rachel had her little daughter Holly taken from her one day and now 9 years later , she's living in a different city with her younger daughter Jess, her boyfriend and the son they got together. She left everything in the past and didn't even mention Holly to her boyfriend until one day she meets a new family that moved in their city and one of their daughters looks like exactly how her daughter Holly would look like today.

I really enjoyed this mystery thriller and kept me on my toes, wondering what was going on with all these then and now scenes. These flashbacks had me questioning everything though and the twist sadly was predictable for me. Maybe not to everyone, but it was for me. It didn't take much from my pleasure, but it didn't emmit the shock value it intended either.

Even though I'm a scaredy cat and I avoid thrillers and horror stories, this was definitely an easy one and I recommend it , especially if you're like me you have nothing to worry about :)

The Other Daughter is the second Shalini Boland book I have read and it certainly won't be the last! Rachel lives a quiet life in Dorset, with her daughter, son and loving boyfriend and has tried to put the past behind her. When a new family enrolls at school Rachel is startled to recognize her new friend Kate's daughter Bella. Except, when Rachel knew her-she was named Holly and was her daughter. Rachel's daughter Holly was taken at the age of 2 and desperate to start over after her daughter was never found and her relationship collapsed she did not share her past with her current friends and family.

Desperate to prove Bella is the missing Holly, Rachel tries to gather as much evidence as possible. With the story told in alternating timelines and a twist you won't see coming, The Other Daughter is another hit for Boland!