Who would have guessed that a story about swapped babies could be so gripping and compelling! While the premise could seem a bit trite, it's written in such a fantastic way that I found myself glued to the pages. I think my anxiety levels went through the roof at some points. I could feel the blood boiling in my veins as all the misfortunes happened to Pete and Maddie. I neither confirm nor deny that I maybe shouted at my kindle more than once.

I found very interesting the nature vs. nurture debate the book presents. I also loved how it's not a story about good people vs. bad people (well, one of them it's pretty bad) but pretty much all the characters are flawed but, or maybe thanks to that, they're easily relatable.

This was a brilliant and terrifying read. I've only read one of the author's previous books but, if they're all as riveting as this one, I will have to check them out.

4,5 stars (I seem to be on a streak of 4,5-5 stars books! Fingers crossed to make it last!)

Thanks to Netgalley and Quercus Books for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Playing Nice is another great book by J.P. Delaney. I loved it and struggled to put it down. The plot was interesting and heart wrenching and there were many times I found myself just wanting to scream and cry for Pete and Maddie. A thought provoking, intense, gripping and thoroughly enjoyable read.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a copy of this ebook in return for my honest review.

What would you do if you find out your child was swapped at birth ? This book has you on the edge of your seat the entire time making you wonder who is going to win.
Strong characters with complex traits,this thriller explores the ripples that occur as a consequence of a revelation.
Will it strengthen relationships or tear them apart? Can you survive this?
Oh and wait until the very end for the ultimate twist
5 stars

Playing Nice is another gripping thriller from JP Delaney. At the centre of the story is how two babies were mixed up in a premature baby unit, and then what ends up in a brutal and sinister battle for custody. The early part of the book features fairly ordinary family life, and the initial relationship between Miles and Pete belies the nature of what is to come. There are some thought provoking underlying themes around nature vs nurture and moral questions around parenting. The chapters that relay evidence from an investigation give an indication that something serious is going to happen. I knew it was all going to go very wrong for the characters, but I was left guessing to the very end.

A cracking read and an easy 5* recommendation.

I loved this book. A great author and a brilliant plot. This definitely lived up to my expectations and I would definitely recommend it. Excellent read.

What another cracking story for J P Delaney. When I spotted this new novel I knew I had to get my hands on it and I couldn't wait to read it, and read it I did in almost one sitting. I predict a summer smash with this one.

I couldn't imagine what went through Pete Riley's head when he answered the front door to his home and was met with arrogant, self centred Miles Lambert a stranger who breaks the news that their mutual sons were switched accidentally at birth in the hospital. Could Theo his son really not be his?

If Pete and Maddie think they are in a bad dream they will soon discover that Miles and his wife Lucy are the Mothers of all nightmares and things go from bad to disastrous quickly.
Miles and Lucy who have the other son David have had DNA tests and they know that David is not theirs and the sneaky little blighters have secretly had Theo's DNA tested and they know that Theo is definitely theirs.
What starts out as a friendly intervention between two sets of parents soon becomes a nasty vicious battle and is pure addictive reading.

Gasp out loud moments, great character development and what a fantastic ending. This has murder, a court case, abuse, a fantastic psychopath, family drama and keeps you on the edge of your seat and intrigued until the end.
Special thanks to Net galley and Random House Publishing/Ballantine for this advanced copy in exchange for a review.

Published 28 July.

Every parents worst nightmare. A knock on the door and family life will never ever be the same again. Memories of a traumatic premature birth, the dark tunnel of hazy events that followed .; a neo natal intensive care unit where every cot filled with replica babies all fighting for their lives whilst parents struggle between hope and grief weighing up the odds of their Infants survival against potential life changing disabilities. Two sets of parents, two babies, a DNA result , one catastrophic mix up. A heartbreaking crisis developing into psychological warfare which can only result in winners and losers. Flawed three dimensional characters walking through a minefield of events that will bring out the best and worst in all involved. A shocking conclusion ultimately satisfying the need to see (poetic) justice done whilst recognising the collateral damage will ricochet down the years. Many thanks to publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this thoroughly thought provoking and gripping story.

This was an intriguing novel. The plot had me immediately interested, and it did not disappoint; JP Delaney has written yet another amazing book!

There is intense relationship building, lies and drama all jumbled up in a parent's worst nightmare.

It was such an unsettling story that is full of twists and turns. I was so eager to find out the truth that I read this book in one sitting.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this E-book to review via Netgalley.

How would you react if you were told that your child was not your own and had been mixed up with another shortly after birth?

This is exactly what happened to Maddie and Pete and they were soon living a nightmare situation from which there seemed to be no end.

Maddie had a difficult birth with Theo, born prematurely and transferred to an intensive care baby unit shortly after birth in a private hospital. Little did she know that the baby she has been caring for is not her natural birth son. After Theo’s biological father Miles turns up and drops the bombshell on the couple they find themselves fighting law suits and police investigations, all of this orchestrated by seemingly psychopathic Miles.

A great read and an insight into the difficulties of motherhood and postnatal depression which has been touched upon in a sensitive manner. This situation that Maddie and Pete find themselves in is surely every parent’s nightmare.

I’ve read all of JP Delaney’s books and knew I had to read the latest edition ASAP. I was really intrigued with the storyline and found the main characters interesting. A couple twists that I wasn’t expecting but slightly more predictable than previous novels. Very easy and quick to read, highly recommend.

Raced through this, read it in a day.

Pete and Maddie discover that after a mix up at the hospital, their baby was swapped at birth. They find this out from the other parents.

Things start off quite amicably, the other couple Miles and Laura wanting them all to be 'one big happy family' it soon becomes clear that Miles wants to exclude Pete and Maddie from that family and uses things they've told them to serve them notice that not only are they petitioning them to take their natural son back but they are accused of being bad parents and both children will remain with Miles and Laura.

Interesting points on nature v nurture raised here too.

Great read, couldn't wait to see how it all played out.

A point that the author makes in the acknowledgements is he was inspired by world events when communication breaks down and dirty tricks are played, he says he hopes that when the reader reads the book the world will be in a better place... I gave a sad smile as I read this in the middle of a pandemic... But thank God we have books to escape into right now.

Thanks to net galley for the opportunity to review this book this is my honest opinion.

This book was quite different to the usual book choices I make, and I can't say I really enjoyed it.Maybe that is my fault but I thought the book sounded really interesting but was far too slow and lacked any real punch.I kept wanting more to happen.The characters were alright but it just didn't make me excited reading it, and when I put it down I became increasingly reluctant to pick it up again .It was Okay but that was it for me I am afraid.

This book had some good points and some bad. On the negative side, I felt that the first half was rather boring and repetitive. I was also continually frustrated that two reasonably intelligent people should react in the way that they did. They were so naive that I wanted to scream at them. The second half did pick up and on the plus side became more of a page turner. I found myself much more absorbed and eager to see what was going to happen..

Overall, however, I felt that it was not a very plausible story. The supposed actions carried out by Miles were very far fetched as were the actions of his wife. It was an OK read, but not one I would particularly recommend.

I loved Believe Me and think the author's other books were really interesting - if a little far-fetched!
But I really like how this author chooses how the most outrageous and difficult of situations can impact ordinary people and families - and Playing Nice really does that.
The situation of the swapped babies is obviously a nightmare for all those involved and I loved the untangling of emotions and logistics around this.
It was a little bit of a slow burn, with lots of description and back and forth - but it was great as the villain began to emerge and the family's situation seemed to become hopeless.
Some great twists towards the end and excellent narrative surrounding the court case/legalities and child psychology.
I looked forward to reading this and was genuinely invested in what happened to everyone.

Nature or nurture - which will win out? Psychopathic Miles and terrified Lucy or lying Pete and adulterous Maddie? How do you judge? Enthralling.

Playing Nice is the first book I have read by JP Delaney but, on the basis of this taught and rocket-fuelled thriller, it will not be the last. The word “gripping” is bandied about a lot when it comes to thriller novels, but where most thrillers grip you loosely, tugging you gently into their story, Playing Nice seizes you by the throat and doesn’t let go until you’ve read the final page.

Delaney expertly mixes two POVs – that of married couple Pete and Madelyn – as they’re confronted with a nightmare situation. Their newborn son was accidentally swapped with another baby at the hospital, and so the child they have raised isn’t biologically theirs. Now they have to figure out what that means for the future of their family. Neat interstitials fill in extra plot details without overcrowding the narrative, and Delaney brutally (thrillingly!) ratchets the tension to unbearable levels as Pete and Mads lurch from one crisis to the next, with no easy answers in sight.

I loved this book. It took a thorny moral issue and examined it to riveting effect, with a truly hissable baddie, and intelligence and emotion to spare. I can’t wait to get my hands on Delaney’s past and future novels. A fan is born.

This gripping psychological thriller explores the unimaginable horror faced by a couple who discover their two-year-old child is in fact not theirs by birth. It’s a clever, fast-paced page turner with plenty of plot twists. Excellent use is made of dual narration, making it a more thought-provoking, subtle read than many of the novels in this genre. I could not put it down!

What a fantastic read! I’ve never read one of Delaney’s books before and I’m so glad I have done! The plot is something out of a Sunday night ITV drama, but the twists and turns are just mad! In a good way. Those little interlude chapters with details just make your mind think overtime to figure it all out. The ending I must say I thought could be better but that’s just my own opinion and didn’t take away from the fact it was a superb read! Great job.

Loved it. Everyone was so nice but oooohhhh how things changed. This book was exciting, tense, frustrating, heartbreaking and everything else in between.

I loved the ending. Couldn’t have asked for a better ending for me. I don’t know why I’ve never read any JP Delaney books before however after reading Playing Nice I will certainly be reading more and I definitely recommend this book.

Thank you so much to Quercus Books and Netgalley for an advance copy of this book in return for my honest review.

This book was SO frustratingly good. I wanted to scream and cry, but also couldn't stop reading. Fantastic characters and storyline, and just long enough to keep you satisfied without rushing or dragging it out. Brilliant read.