I'm a big fan of this author, and Playing Nice is another brilliant and gripping book. The characters were full of depth and, while some were quite unlikeable, they were engaging and in some way relatable. An insightful, sensitive portrayal of such a shocking topic.

I was so excited to get a copy of this book, as this is one of my favourite authors. This did not disappoint and I could not put this down, devouring every word until I could barely see them!!

It started off like any normal day, Pete is a stay at home dad looking after his two year old son Theo, whilst his wife Maddie is at work. There is a knock at the door and two men Miles and Dan want to talk to him, they have shocking news off evidence that their babies were swapped at birth!!

Without giving anything away, it starts off with both families being very amicable, trying to reach a decision that is best for both of the children but it turns into a blinking nightmare!!

This is such an addictive book with twists that will keep you well and truly hooked. I loved the way the suspension builds right up to the surprising ending.

A must read thriller that will make you stop and ponder what would you do in these extreme but believable circumstance?

An author that could rewrite the telephone directory and still make it into a number one book!!

A 10/10 from me.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.

I received a copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is the story of Pete and Maddie . One day they answer a knock at the door to find Miles standing there who tells them that their sons were accidentally swapped in the hospital when they were in the NICU 2 years ago. He reveals that they had already done a DNA test without their knowledge by taking a cup from nursery. Both sets of parents come to an agreement to take things slowly With their sons. They also agree to sue the hospital but in doing so things are revealed in the official investigation and that is when the trust is broken and everything becomes a lot more complicated.

I have loved every other book that this author has written but this one just didn’t grab me. I didn’t like any of the characters in the book. At least the first half of this book read like a contemporary book and not a thriller. I found my attention drifting and I kept having to reread bits. Although I didn’t enjoy this one I will continue to read this authors work.

JP Delaney is fast becoming one of my favourite authors. There’s something darkly compelling about their work.

Playing Nice is the latest offering of Delaney’s and while the majority of the book has the same gripping intensity of its predecessors, there’s a part of this one that I couldn’t connect with.

I’m not a parent, and I don’t want to be. Don’t get me wrong, I like children, have even dedicated the majority of my adult life to educating them, I just don’t care to have my own. So I find it difficult to gel with stories that focus on parenting, parents to be, or issues with babies/children.

Having thoroughly enjoyed all of Delaney’s previous books, I was willing to overlook the content for this latest story, but the first 30-40% of set up, of taking about the day to day of parenting, of traumatic births and NICU. It’s just...not for me.

That being said, once I got around 45-50% in and the crux of the story really took off, I found the familiar rhythm of Delaney’s thrilling twists and captivating plot lines. And I found it difficult to put down.

It’s shocking really, the lengths people will go to to protect the ones they love; equally shocking are the lengths people will go to for some perceived win. Some victory, where really, there’s no winner.

I’m going with 3 stars for this one, I liked it, but didn’t love it.

Many thanks to JP Delaney, Quercus Books, and NetGalley for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! What a premise for a story, Pete and Maddie are a happy couple with a boisterous two year old boy, Theo.
Pete is a full time carer for his son and is engaged in all aspects of his life. Then, some people turn up with evidence that Theo is not their biological son. What follows is a heart rending story of how each of the people involved react. Miles and Lucy are the couple behind hiring a private detective in order to find their biological son and initially they appear balanced and supportive of finding an amicable solution to this heartbreaking scenario. However, things aren’t as they first appear and the author weaves a tale of suspicion, fear and high tension as this family drama / thriller races along.

It’s both an interesting and gripping read from this excellent author. The subject matter is not one I thought would captivate me like it did and I found myself completely immersed and finished the book in one sitting.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to preview in exchange for this honest review.

Review Brilliantly awful! This book starts with a highly unusual and difficult situation and goes downhill from there! I do actually know someone who had a custody case that some of the elements portrayed here so I know how possible it is to lose children through the legal system. For most of the book, I believed this a 5 star read, however I found the end a bit too much. I loved the agitation it caused me reading this story though! Many thanks to Netgalley for an arc of this book.

Many Thanks to the author and Netgalley for allowing me to read this book before being published in exchange for an honest review.
I have enjoyed all books I´ve read from Delaney. So I was very happy when I saw the next one in Netgalley. And, as always, it hasn´t disappointed me at all.
Two “happy” marriages, two babies changed on the day they were born. Who´s fault was it, doctors, nurses, or was it on purpose? Where were the parents where they babies were moved into the neonatal room?
After 2 years of leaving with who they thought it was their children, Miles knocks at their door to let them know that the baby is not their son but Miles one.
After all being nice with both couples, having met both children and what you can feel a nice easy going friendship so both children and parents can share their lives becomes a nasty business when Miles asks a jury to give him, not only his own son, but the other couple´s too as they wouldn’t have the resources to take care of a sick baby.
And from there the whole process of a jury and who will get to keep one or both children.
It is a psychological thriller, hard to put it down. I enjoyed the quick pace of the book and I had to finish it in 2 sit downs. It is also an intense read that makes you think through the jury process what home should the boys go to. The humble and less resourceful family or the richest family with all the possible resources for both children, swap the children to the correct family or what the best solution should be.
Overall I did enjoy the book and I will be waiting for the next one by JP Delaney.

A gripping, twisty tale, part thriller part family drama. The story kept me guessing all the way and I'm partial to a psychopath or two so this ticked that box rather nicely. The characters were interesting, Miles was satisfyingly vile and even the "good guys" were flawed and messy. If I had one gripe it's that Pete and Maddy didn't seem shocked enough when they learned that their 2 year old wasn't their biological child, they didn't seem to need any time to come to terms with it and just submitted so quickly to the Lamberts, I would've been in bits. JP Delaney's books are always entertaining, I absolutely loved the Perfect Wife, 4 stars for this one and definitely looking forward to his next offering.

My first JP Delaney novel and overall I loved it. I found it a little slow in the first half, resolved for the second. I think I would have reacted differently to the characters in the novel and certainly would not have been as content with the arrangements at the start of the 'discover', however the second half of the book had me hooked. An interesting plot and idea.

This book had me on edge constantly. I had to take breaks reading it - some reviewers said they finished it one go but I have no idea how they managed that. Every so often it just became too much for me and I started feeling tense and stressed.
Of course the ending is predictable but this story is not about the end; this book is about the journey. And oh boy is it one hell of a journey!
Go into this as blind as you can!

“A mother's love for her child is like nothing else in the world. It knows no law, no pity. It dares all things and crushes down remorselessly all that stands in its path”.

-The Last Seance (from The Hound of Death and Other Stories, also Double Sin and Other Stories)”
― Agatha Christie, The Hound of Death.

Pete and Maggie Riley have a 2 year old son Theo, they’re having a few problems right now with his behaviour, he’s very naughty at home, and doesn’t want to play nice with the other kids at nursery, he resorts to hitting and biting them to get his own way, and there have been complaints from other parents about him - so much so, that he’s in danger of being asked to leave the nursery altogether, but do Pete and Maggie love him? Of course they do! Would they give their life for him? Absolutely!

Pete, a full time Dad, is sitting down to a well earned coffee, after dropping Theo off at nursery, when he’s interrupted by the doorbell. He discovers two men at the door, one being a tall athletic looking guy named Miles Lambert, and what they tell Pete shocks him to the core - they have proof that Theo isn’t Pete and Maggie’s son - the fact is, Theo was swapped at birth with Miles and wife Lucy’s little boy David!

It doesn’t take much imagination to realise just how earth shattering that announcement would be, but nevertheless, after the initial shock, the two families try to adjust to what has been an absolute bombshell, and they all agree that they want an amicable relationship, for the sake of everyone, but especially for the children.

However, events quickly take a turn for the worse, and for Pete and Maggie, it will prove an absolutely terrifying experience, but I won’t reveal any more than that, as I’d hate to spoil it for those of you tempted to read it.

This thought provoking thriller is psychological suspense at its best, completely and utterly gripping, with some seriously good twists - miss this one at your peril!

Wow! Another blockbuster of a book from an outstanding author. When I see a new release by JP Delaney, whatever I’m reading gets paused and I dive right in. This offering does not disappoint. It’s a challenging subject of two babies switched at birth in NICU following traumatic births, and the uneasy decisions of what happens once this is discovered. Two premature babies switched and two sets of very different parents: over confident Miles and meek Lucy; stay at home dad Pete and fragile Maddie. From Initial cooperation to a vicious tug of war, this was a twisting tale. I loved the way the reader was privy to information the characters were not aware of at the time through future case note snippets at the start of chapters. Knowing that tensions were rising to an eventual showdown made this book impossible to put down. Each of the four parents have hidden secrets and throughout the book, I actively disliked each of them at some point. A fantastic read - already looking forward to what this author gifts us with next. Thank you to Netgalley for the chance to read in return for an honest review.

I loved this book! I was intrigued by the blurb and once I started reading, I couldn’t stop! So many books lately have the same plot line - missing child, a secret...this one is unique and it instantly made me want to read it. It’s fast paced and there’s so many little twists to keep you interested. Brilliant!

This story follows Pete, Maddie and their son Theo and another couple Miles, Lucy and their son David. Both couples meet under very unusual circumstances and the story goes on from there.

I liked this book. The story was something different and did hold my interest for a long time. The story was pacy and had a storyline that had me wanting to see how it was going to pan out.

A few twists along the way and although I found the book enjoyable I also found some of it a little unbelievable, to say would spoil.

I've enjoyed books by this author before and felt this one lacked something but overall I did enjoy it.

Thank you to the publisher via Netgalley for the chance to review the book.

I really enjoyed "Playing Nice" by JP DELANEY.

The story follows 2 families that have found out their babies were switched in NICU after complicated births.
What starts off as amicable resolve in the first instance soon turns to a tug of war, creating hurt, bad feeling and at times downright terrible accusations, all in the battle to fight for their children.

The turning point in this storyline caught me off guard, I couldn't of guessed the plot in which it twisted and I thoroughly enjoyed what it had to offer.

JP writes his storylines well and doesn't give too much away, facts were researched and other storylines touched on. But without overdoing it and making you bored.

Another great Physcological Thriller from JP Delaney.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy.

Pete and Maddie's lives are turned upside down by a knock at the door.

I have read JP Delaney previously and enjoyed their work which led me to requesting this book. I spent many a night reading past my bedtime enthralled in this book. I have been through children's court myself so could relate with some of the subject matter, Although Delaney states in the acknowledgements that CAFCASS aren't all like the one in this story I have to state that my experience of them was woeful. (Not contacting me, turning up to court with someone else's case etc!) So I felt their pain! (I got custody though!)

This book is very well written, with relatable characters and definitely worth a read.

To say I couldn’t put this book down would be an understatement! I LOVED every second of this book!

I haven’t read JP Delaney’s other work so was new to his writing, but I now need to hurry to get his other books! This story had me on the edge of my seat constantly and I genuinely felt sick whilst experiencing this journey with Pete and Maddie and couldn’t help but constantly put myself in their place and have my mind churn with ‘what would I do in this position!?’

Playing Nice is the told through the POV of Pete and Maddie and is the story of how their world suddenly was tipped on its side when a stranger knocks on their door to reveal that the child they have raised for 2 years is not their own... I won’t say anymore as you’ll have to get the book to discover who this unveils!

One of the easiest 5 stars I’ve given! I truly loved it start to finish and don’t want to give away ANYTHING but usually the payout at the end of even the greatest of novels are still somewhat of a letdown, yet right to the final pages this still had me hooked and the ending was incredible!

Thank you so much to Quercus and Netgalley for the ARC of this book! I will be recommending it to anyone and everyone! Such a brilliant read!

If I could have read this book in one sitting, I would have. I picked it up every chance I had, even whilst homeschooling.

This psychological thriller is spine-chilling. An absolute horror story for parents. It made me stress eat peanuts whilst reading and was utterly unputdownable.

Playing Nice is told from the perspectives of Maddie and Pete, who are the parents to Theo, born prematurely and spending the beginning of his life in a hospital NICU unit. The change in POV certainly added to the novels suspense, whilst also giving great character building.

There are some distressing topics within the book, some of which were hard to read as a parent. However, this only fuelled my need to reach the ending and find out what had happened. I felt every bit of the characters injustices.

Playing Nice is jaw-droppingly good. If I could give it more than 5 stars I would. I cannot recommend it highly enough!

JP Delaney is one of my favourite authors, and has been since I read The Girl Before. I have rushed to get his new book as quick as I could because I just knew they would be fantastic.

After being a little bit let down by his last book, this one however is so difficult to put into words. It is just that brilliant.

I absolutely adored it. I have no nails left, due to biting them to the core through sheer suspense that I had to be doing something to stop my heart racing so fast.

The subject of this book is so hard to digest, it had me thinking what if so much and how would I cope in this situation.

Pete and Maddie are thrown so much in this book that you never believe that they will come out of it the better party, or even come out of it alive. And this is just built on throughout and I just could not stop reading.

I can't wait to read the next book by JP Delaney!

This was a good read, raised a lot of issues to think about. The premise had me hooked and I was keen to read it.
I didn't find any of the characters particularly likeable.
I enjoyed the build up from where things seemed too good to be true and found the "bad guy" to be downright sinister, thoroughly creepy.
I was pleased with how things were resolved, maybe I have a few of those traits :)
My thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for my eArC in return for my honest review.