Wow!! What a story!! I honestly could not stop turning the page!!

This is the story of two couples who discover their children were swapped at birth. The parents decide amicably that the children should stay with the people they believe to be their parents while allowing the biological parents access to visit their biological children. But will this arrangement work? Will it become nasty? Of course it does!

As a mother, I don't know how I would cope if someone turned up at my door to explain my child wasn't the child I gave birth too! I was compelled to keep reading to discover the outcome and found myself shaking my head at decisions and feeling despair at revelations.

This could honestly be my book of the year. It is so well written and I will be recommending it to everyone!!

Thank you to Netgalley and Quercus books for the advanced copy!

Playing Nice follows the story of two couples who discover their children were switched at birth. They work together to navigate the situation as well as they can but will soon discover not everyone is who they claim to be.

This novel was quite a journey and full of intense moments. The story is told from the "main" couple's point of view -Peter and Maddie, who although interested in knowing the other couple at first, become more and more suspicious of them as time goes by. There's also the psychological element of having raised and loving a son who turns out to be someone else's, and giving him up for your biological son. Quite possibly anyone's worst nightmare. The mystery of the switch, I mean, accident is simply put, claustrophobic. Exactly how can a hospital make this mistake? Or was it really a mistake?

Overall, a gripping read you won't be able to put down.

Disclosure: I'd like to thank the publisher for my advanced reader copy. This is my honest review.

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Wowwwww what a book !!! Impossible to stop reading. So many twists and turns. I loved so much. Thank you Netgalley and the author for share this book. I really loved this reading. I will recommend to everyone.

This book was brilliant!! I was absolutely drawn in, right from the start. I loved the characters - even when they were not so nice, the villains are always written so well by this author. I found that I was desperate to know what was going to happen so I read whenever I got a spare minute....super addictive, so well thought out and that end?! An absolutely gripping and exciting book, full of mental anguish for both the characters and the reader - pick it up if you've liked previous books by JP Delaney, I think this might be my new favourite ❤

Wow this is a book to read, I started reading and was happily getting on it with until 9% then I was wow... Omg... What's going on... And I kept reading until 100%. All night.

My first Delaney book so I had no expectations but I am thoroughly wow'd. Children... Babies being swapped is a possible it can happen. This story is full of suspense in the possible outcomes. I had goose bumps waiting to see what was happening, the intrigue building throughout.

Characters are beautifully created and represented I could almost visualise them from the beginning and it didn't change I was right from the beginning. I loved this book and throughly recommend it to anyone who loves suspense and drama and every parent can totally get into this book.
#NetGalley #PlayingNice #JPDELANEY

THIS WAS SO STRESSFUL TO READ!

Peter and Maddie have a perfectly ordinary life with their rambunctious toddler until another couple turns up on their doorstep, revealing they think their children were swapped shortly after birth.

It soon becomes clear (part of the premise, so not a spoiler), that their adored child Theo is actually someone else's. That the other couple have been raising their biological child.

Luckily for them, the other couple is also super welcoming and friendly.

But can their motives be trusted? What do they really want...? How long will it be until things turn nasty?

Not long at all, you'll be glad to know. The more the other couple tries to insert themselves into Peter and Maddie's lives, the more they start to resist. And when they resist, the threats start...

It's so easy to put yourself in the characters' positions (especially, I think, if you have children), that I became super frustrated that I was reading on Kindle and couldn't flick ahead to the end to check for a satisfactory ending! The pacing is pretty good and I read this in a day. You just need to get past the 'couples being nice to each other' section and then the plot will carry you forward.

A strong thriller that touches upon what makes a good marriage - and even harder to judge, what makes a good parent.

Another great read, I do like this author. This is a book I’ve devoured in just one sitting. Definitely one I will be recommending.

I always look forward to a new book from JP Delaney and this was no exception. Even the title “Playing Nice” has layers of meaning for this story of swapped babies and the wisdom of King Solomon. The main characters Pete and Maddie are real and likeable, even their flaws, helpfully documented as evidence against them as the story progresses. The ending as usual was a surprise I didn’t see coming!

I enjoyed JP Delaney’s debut novel so was very excited to read Playing Nice and it didn’t disappoint. While it didn’t grab me as instantly, as a parent it was a scary read but very enjoyable- I raced through it!

This is a compulsive read that tackles difficult issues faced by the characters.

The situation so unusual and I loved reading about the characters and the relationships between them. The characters are well written and diverse which makes for an interesting read.

Absolutely brilliant! Heartbreaking and I really didn’t know how this was going to end. Characters that you really feel for and a situation that could really happen. 5 stars. Highly recommended. Read it right now!!

Thank you for the ARC!

What a thrilling ride this was!

This was quite the unputdownable book with intriguing characters and a gripping plot.

I kind of expected a bit more from the ending but all in all, I enjoyed the story and would definitely recommend it.

I would like to thank the Publishers, NetGalley, and the Author for sending me a copy of this book.

It was just an ordinary day.
Until it wasn't.

What would you do if someone showed up at your door and told you that the child you've been raising for the past two years isn't biologically yours? That there was a mix up in the hospital at birth, and your 'real' child went home with another couple?

This is what happens to Pete and his partner Maddie.

At first, their son Theo's 'real' parents Miles and Lucy Lambert seem to have good intentions. But how much can they really trust each other? And what secrets are hiding behind the Lamberts' glossy front door?

This book started off strong and continued that way, with plenty of drama to keep me engaged right until the end. I couldn't put it down!

I'd describe it as a 'suspenseful' thriller, rather than a thriller with lots of surprising twists.

The story alternatives between Pete and Maddie's POVs and is interspersed with letters, emails, and court documents to add more context.

I liked how it explores nature vs. nurture and whether genetics or environmental factors have a bigger impact on a child's development.

Unfortunately, I did feel that the ending was a little rushed, but I'd still recommend this to anyone who enjoys domestic thrillers.

TW: post-natal depression

Imagine waking up and going about your day as normal. You have your breakfast and drop your kid(s) to nursery or school. Then you come home and there’s a knock on the door.

You’re confronted with the evidence that the child you’ve raised for the last 2 years, isn’t actually yours.
What do you do with that information? This is a child you love, YOUR child. Does the biology matter?

Well that’s exactly what happened to Pete Riley and his partner Maddie, when a man called Miles comes to the door and says that the child they’ve raised is actually his biological son, while he’s been raising their biological son. The two were swapped at birth.

Things begin amicably between the two sets of parents, almost in a way that is too good to be true. They love the son they’ve raised but are also drawn to the son that’s genetically theirs. The story develops as they muddle their way through what is the best course of action for their sons, leading to disagreement and conflict between the parents.

Delaney entices the reader from the beginning with a fast paced, easy read from the POV of Pete and Maddie. Covering their complex range of emotions for each other and the situation they’ve found themselves in. They watch their worlds turn upside-down, as they try to figure out how it all could possibly have happened.

A thoroughly enjoyable book which I read in a single sitting.
Thank you to Quercus and NetGalley for the e-ARC.

Thank you to Netgalley and Quercus books for the advanced review copy of Playing Nice by JP Delaney. Having already read The Perfect Wife, I was excited to read another book by this author and Playing Nice did not disappoint one bit. I was drawn into the story of two families who were thrown into an impossible situation. At every turn I wanted to shout don’t fall for it in frustration at how nice Peter Riley was. I absolutely loved this book and read it far too fast so my only disappointment is that it has ended too soon. I look forward And am eager to read the next book by JP Delaney.

This book had a slow start but a few chapters in I literally couldnt put it down! I was so engrossed I finished it in one sitting. This is a fab psychological thriller and highly recommend.

This started a bit slow and I thought, am I going to like this book. Before I knew it I was engrossed by the story and the different characters. I like the way it’s told from the viewpoints of both main characters as the style works very well for this book. Very well written, I couldn’t wait to get to the end to see what happens, yet at the same time just wanted the story to keep on going. A definite 5 stars.

Playing Nice is a domestic thriller following couple Pete and Maddie as they find out that their son, Theo, is not biologically their son and was in fact swapped at birth with another child, David. Pete and Maddie get to know the other couple involved, Miles and Lucy, but all is not quite as it seems and soon their amicable agreement about sharing the children goes awry.

At points, I found this book dragged slightly towards the start as the anticipation built and I waited for something dramatic to occur, but once this book got going it didn't stop. This book really built the tension so that I was sitting on the edge of my seat, desperate to know what was going to happen next, and how Pete and Maddie were going to figure their way out of this situation. I think she short chapters and the dual perspective worked really well for this as I was always desperate to keep reading.

I also found the storyline quite unique and very interesting. The question of whether the babies had been swapped by accident or whether it was done on purpose followed me throughout the book, and while I called it quite early on I spent the majority of the book second-guessing myself and whether I had really got it right. The author also weaved in so many other storylines and I felt the use of flashbacks was useful and contributed well to the plot but wasn't overdone as can sometimes be the case.

My main issue with this book is that I wasn't 100% a fan of the ending. The resolution of the course case was somewhat unexpected and felt wrapped up almost too perfectly, I almost wish we had spent more time on the trial even if that would have meant the book was 100 pages longer. I also found the aftermath of the trial somewhat surprising and that there wasn't enough build-up to the final climax to make me enjoy it.

Overall though I found myself unable to put this book down. It kept me hooked and delivered a pretty much perfect story.

The Review
This book follows the lives of Pete, Maddie and their son, two-year old Theo after they find out he is not their biological child. A terrible mix-up at the hospital, where two premature baby boys arrive at the same time, has led to a parents’ worst nightmare.

Alternating between Pete and Maddie’s perspectives, we go from the initial discovery, to meeting the other family, trying to find a resolution and then all manner of crazy being unleashed on this unsuspecting and naïve couple.

It would be too easy to give everything away on this particular read, so I will limit my comments to simply saying this was brilliant. Totally the type of book I could have read in one sitting – if it wasn’t for life conspiring against me at every darn turn! With short chapters, this is a very pacey read – with no opportunity to get bored or want to skip read parts.

Frankly, it’s exceptionally well put together, the storyline is gripping, the characters are charming, or despicable depending on who you’re dealing with. You pick a side, you want a resolution and … well, you’re just going to have to read it.

The Stars
Having previously read The Girl Before and found it to be over-hyped (in fact, I gave it 1 star it annoyed me so much), I was looking forward to seeing how this book compared. It is a massive testament to the quality of writing, the storyline and the way the author brings everything together to say that this is a very worthy 5 stars for me!

Absolutely ruddy brilliant.

My thanks to Netgalley and Quercus fir a copy of “ Playing Nice” for an honest review.

After being a little disappointed with the last novel “The Perfect Wife” by J P Delaney , being more sci-fi based, I was pleased to find Playing Nice “ was a return to the high standard of Delaney’s previous books.
I found this to be a tense, fast paced novel that had me gasping at times with the injustice of the situation Maddie and Pete are in.
An excellent psychological thriller, with the perfect ending.
I thoroughly recommend 5 stars !