Can I Give My Stepkids Back?
by Aurelie Tramier

A very misleading synopsis and title to this book about Morgan who becomes guardian of her niece and nephew on the sudden death of their parents in a car crash. She has no idea about raising children or dealing with the trauma/grief of children .

I was expecting a lighthearted read but it was very depressingly upsetting in parts and potentially very difficult for some people though handled quite well. Not really a romantic read that just seemed tacted on the end.

I must firstly apologise for the amount of time it has taken me to provide a review of this book, my health was rather bad for quite some time, something that had me in hospital on numerous occasions and simply didnt leave me with the time I once had to do what I love most.

Unfortunately that does mean I have missed the archive date for many of these books, so It would feel unjust throwing any review together without being able to pay attention to each novel properly.

However, I am now back to reading as before and look forward to sharing my honest reviews as always going forward. I thank you f0r the patience and understanding throughout x

This book is hilariously good. If your in need of a real pick me up then this is the one to read. You will definitely have a good chuckle and smile on your face. Fantastic characters. Really enjoyed this book.

This has been on my NetGalley shelf for over a year, and I still haven’t picked it up. I've tried, but it just isn't for me (right now). I hope other people enjoy it more than I did.

Not at all what I was expecting... The title itself is misleading (though you can figure this out from the blurb itself), but then it pretty much goes downhill from there as to what this book actually delivers. I went in expecting a funny, a tad over-the-top comedy with an overwrought person dealing with the shenanigans of little kids. And this book is NOT that! OMG, the grief and the internal suffering in the POVs - it is heart-breaking! Especially reading a 10-yr-old little boy having to grow up too fast to protect his little sister, and then writing letters to his mum in Heaven because she's gone... Had I know this was waiting for me, I would not have read this - warning, this book deals intensively with grief, so trigger alert there
Still, the story itself was good, if sad and rather depressing at times... If you're into that kind of read and not expecting a light-hearted comedy here, then it could definitely work as a very good book

I'll be honest, I didn't rate this book that much. The premise was nice, but the title is misleading. The children in question are not Morgan's stepkids but her niece and nephew, she;s forced to take them on at her dying sister's bequest. She is so far from the maternal type, and why she would choose to work in a nursery is beyond me. Her mother is completely against the idea of her raising the children and wants to take the children on herself, yet neither Morgan nor her mother appears to have any idea on how to manage two children who have gone through the traumatic loss of both their parents. Her mother is also very cruel towards Morgan, some of her actions are extreme and questionable.

Also, the romance element was such an unrealistic rushed job, you didn't get a chance to even get to know the leading man, I can't even remember his name, that's how much time was given to him. I definitely would not have filed this in the romance category.

The children however are very sweet despite their recent bereavement and are very close to one another, the sibling bonds are very strong and they look after each other very well. Probably the only redeeming feature of the book.

Perhaps it should be retitled 'Can We Give Our Aunt Back?'

I would firstly like to thank Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

A first read from this author, and it certainly won't be the last! A very welcome change from all the thriller/crime books I read.
The whole book had me hooked from beginning to end, I loved reading Morgan's story and her character development.
A story that made me laugh and cry, - beautifully written, and heartwarming to read!

As the manager of a children’s nursery located in France, Morgan gives her everything to her job. When her sister and brother in law are sadly killed in an accident she becomes her niece and nephew’s guardian and her life is about to change.
This was a lovely read and made me laugh and cry. Thank you to netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

I decided to not continue with this book. I didn’t connect with the characters. It could of just been me, not saying it’s not a good book. It’s an interesting concept but when I read it, it wasn’t for me.

I thought this was going to be a light hearted romance book, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. This was a book of heartbreak and was so well written. I truly enjoyed this!

The cover says light romcom the story is actually full of depth and though provoking. This story shows what happens when everything changes and you are suddenly left with an entirely different life than planned. The author did a lovely job of making the characters likable during difficult circumstances.

This was a very emotional story with an inaccurate title giving a misconception about the story. The two children were her niece and nephew who she takes on after the death of her sister and her sisters husband in an accident, Her life is completely changed and so is she over the years that follow.

Almost 4 stars! I enjoyed this book - from a sad beginning we have Morgan’s life turn upside down to look after the kids.

I liked how we got a sense of the impact on all involved and the balance between sadness and humour.

What an emotional roller coaster I would say. Literally made me cry through all the emotional segments in the book.
It talks about so many topics which rarely anyone talks about and also how the different characters deal with and their own perspective of the situations.
A beautifully written book which keeps you gripped to the story throughout and makes you all emotional.

Thanks to NetGalley for the arc.

I thought by the title that this might be a nice little Rom-com type of book. Luckily I was very wrong. It is a wonderful tale of heartbreak, loss, family relationships, struggle, abuse but most of all it is about love. Great fully rounded characters, beautifully written- I loved it and recommend you read it!

It was not humour so much as bathos, and technically there were no stepkids.
Also, i was wondering 2 things:
1. If you are a solicitor, with children, surely you have life insurance? And both parents were solicitors. So there should have been more than enough income for her to hire part time childcare, and move somewhere larger.
2. Ok. They didn't want to move back into the family home, but there would be money in selling it to help with the kid's upkeep. I know it takes time for probate but still it too, a long time to get around to this.

Now that i have got the niggles out of the way, let me tell you about the book.
It started very slowly and i had nearly given up, but then the different characters began to pull at me.
I soon realised the back story from the aunt and shere the romance would come from, the pointers were all there. But how the story got around to telling them was subtle and worth reading.
By the end i wax hooked and couldn't put the book down until i had finished. Knowing how it would end, and how the story would take you there, are 2 different things in this book. Which is why i am giving it top marks.

DNF -did not finish. I decided not to keep reading this novel because I did not connect with the writing and plot. Thank you, netgalley and publisher for the early copy.

From a rather emotional and rocky beginning this grows into such a beautiful and loving story that I couldn't get enough of.

Morgan especially changes over the course of the book and for the better as although I was intrigued by her, it took a while to really like her.

Where as Eliot whose 10 the chapters from his point of view are heart wrenching, realistic and just seem so tender.

He and sister Lea are suddenly thrust into the care of aunt Morgan after their parents die. Morgan has never really known what to do with kids and is grieving herself too.

Yet this is her dying sisters wish so has to somehow do her best. And slowly they all get used to each other. We also understand more of her past that has moulded her, and explains a lot.

I loved a lot of the secondary storylines too, some really great characters.

I found this was a fast read, that I didn't really want to put down, and was thinking about when not reading.

Thoroughly enjoyable book.

Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily,

Funny is the right word for this book. I got an exclusive review request for this book and i was so glad that i did. This book is a funny take on stepkids and will make you weep with laughter..

This was a quick read, a nice book, I must say, but not what I expected from the title or description. I was under the impression that there will be some humour and a bit of romance but both were missing. The story is good, I don’t deny it, but not memorable or special.