While they aren't her step-kids (who titled this?) but her orphaned niece and nephew, that in no way diminishes the funny spots in this actually quite heartwarming novel. Morgan works with kids but she doesn't really like them- she likes her dog Snoopy. She steps up though to take in her niece and nephew. Eliot. her nephew tells part of this story of becoming a family and finding love. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. It's a good read.

I could not finish this book, a slow beginning and a meandering style of writing meant I could not connect with the story or the characters. Possibly, something was lost in translation but the book was not for me.

I would like to extend my gratitude to the author, publisher and NetGalley for sending me this advanced reader’s copy in return for a fair, frank, and honest review.

I really did not like this book and did not finish it which is rare for me. I feel that a lot of the comedy got lost in translation and could clearly see this book had all been translated. It just didn’t get going for me.

There's a lot of potential in this story but it didn't keep my attention and fell flat.
Not my cup of tea.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

DNF at 8%

Whilst I’m glad a number of other reviewers enjoyed this book I unfortunately did not. Obviously translated from French, there are some extreme literacy issues (“threw” instead of “through”) and I’m extremely perplexed about the title and blurb of this book being so misleading! They are not her stepkids, they are her niece and nephew! Very strange. I’m also not really keen on the perspective of a ten year old boy for half the book, but that’s just me.

Not the laugh out loud read I thought it was going to be.

DNF at 22%.

Morgan is a single woman whose only love, apart from her little sister Emilie, is her dog Snoopy. When Emilie and her husband die in a tragic car crash Morgan is shocked to discover that Emilie asked her to look after her two children as her dying wish. Despite working at a children's nursery, Morgan isn't comfortable with children and really wanted to be a vet.

I think the big issue for me is that this is very clearly a translation of a book originally written in French. It felt stilted and after reading nearly a quarter of the book I wasn't engaged and nothing struck me as funny. Whether that is because French humour differs from British humour or because the translation didn't do justice to the original I can't tell.

Anyway, I gave it a shot but I didn't warm to Morgan or to the two children and the book felt clunky so I gave up at 22%.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

What a beautifully written and translated book. The characters were brought to life on the page. I had thought it was going to go along the lines of Morgan tracking down the child she had given up. I'm glad it didn't. Beautiful read.. just over too soon!

Morgan manages a daycare, even though she would rather manage a boarding kennel for pets. She sees her service as penance for giving her baby up for adoption immediately after it was born. Morgan becomes guardian to Elliot and Lea, her niece and nephew after their parents were killed in a horrible car accident. This dying wish of Morgan's sister exacerbates the tenuous relationship between Morgan and her mother, so Morgan is dealing with her mother's fury, the children's grief and trauma, and coping with her newfound lack of personal space and time.

This book is told from the perspectives of Morgan and Elliot, which I thought was very unique. I also liked that there was not an immediate bond between Morgan and the children; they had never had a close relationship, and it did not magically happen, just as thought it would likely not magically happen in real life. The guardianship forces Morgan to confront her relationship with her mother, the loss of her child, and the barriers she has built between herself and everyone else in her life. Elliot, through the letters he writes to his deceased mother in his journal, comes to terms with the accident and learns to give his aunt grace and understanding in that she has also suffered great losses in her life.

This book is promoted as "laugh-out-loud funny," but I did not find it so at all. I expected an amusing story of a single woman suddenly becoming a mother and all the faux pas that would naturally occur. I did enjoy the book and the realism of dealing with traumatic events that sadly happen in life, but I would never recommend this for someone who is looking for a light, funny read.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC for an exchange of an honest review.

It was an enjoyable read. The characters were interesting, the story had depth.

I cried and laughed reading this wonderful book. Aurelie had obviously done a lot of research before writing this book into all aspects of grieving. The story line was amazing and the characters. Will be looking out for more of Aurelie's books to read..
Thank you

A real laugh out loud book. This is so funny and really made me laugh. Such a light hearted fun read. Heart-warming and entertaining. This is a must read!

THIS WAS EXACTLY WHAT I NEEDED!! I loved the main character and the writing was so powerful I felt exactly what she was feeling! The stress and frustration, I felt it all. Although I don’t have stepkids, I really connected to her and her struggles and it was wonderful! Definitely a re read! Also, the stepkids grew on me and I ended up loving them as well!

Well the title and cover really did deceive with this one! What a heart wrenching, emotive read. Following the abrupt, unexpected loss of her sister and brother in law Morgan finds herself as legal guardian for her niece and nephew, a huge shock. The book is told from the perspectives of both Morgan and Elliot as they wade their way through the difficult adjustments: Morgan to motherhood after years of isolation and Elliot to life after the loss of his parents. Though this book was very sad and dealt with some really difficult issues it was a well written, enjoyable read.

This book was a very slow starter for me and up to about 15% I wanted to give up but decided to push on through. I amglad I did, ifound the2nd half of the book better and I loved the children's characters. Elliot and Lea are very sweet. Overall I gave this 3.5 🌟 but rounded up to 4
Thank you to Netgalley and the author and publishers for the privilege of reading this book for my honest opinion

It’s been a while since I read anything in translation, partly because I’ve not been getting through as many books as usual over the past 12 months. The opening to the blurb for this one caught my eye, however, and my interest increased when I realised that not only was it set in Paris, but it was by a French author. So while some of the tropes and topics are familiar, the setting – especially seen through the eyes of a local – is anything but. As it turned out, the author also put quite a different spin on the background to the story as well as on the main characters’ motivations.

Morgan manages a nursery (of the childcare, rather than the plant-care variety) in Paris, but dreams of owning a boarding kennels in the country. She lives alone, except for a beagle called Snoopy, and gives every impression of being happy with her life, even though the nursery staff suspect that she doesn’t like children all that much. Meanwhile, Morgan’s younger sister – their parents’ apparent favourite – is happily married with two young children, and seems to have a very different set of priorities to Morgan. Everyone’s lives are turned upside down by a fatal car crash, following which Morgan is named guardian of her now-orphaned niece and nephew in preference to either set of grandparents.

Although she knows little about caring for school-age children, and her flat is by no means equipped for new residents of that variety, Morgan tries her best to make the transition into a new family comfortable for everyone. Her mother is disapproving, and her father takes his wife’s side, but Morgan is determined that she can offer more stability than they can, and sets out to prove it. The kids are initially unsure about Morgan, but slowly warm to her unorthodox attitudes and start to take an interest in her life and those of the people they encounter together.

Told from the alternating points of view of Morgan and the older of the children, this book had a cast of delightful side characters, particularly the gruff-seeming vet who treats Snoopy’s paw, and the undertaker who always plays (loudly!) music that Morgan considers inappropriate for a hearse. There are references to past child abuse, which colours some characters’ interactions with each other, and also several contrasting stories of adoption from the points of view of birth parents, adoptive parents, and the adopted children. Overall, though, this is very much a feel-good story with some moments of out-and-out hilarity. I want to find translations of the author’s other books now.

An enjoyable read although it took me some time to finish. It was not a book that kept me fully engrossed in the storyline.

This was nothing like the book I had expected. From the cover and title, I was expecting a laugh out loud comedy about a woman who marries a man with children and the antics that ensue. Instead, I got a very sad story about two children who lose their parents in a car accident and go and live with their aunt. It was a little funny but I mostly just found it sad.

It took a long time for me to finish this one, and honestly, I feel a little duped. It sounded like it was going to be a rom com, but in reality, this was a little heavy, with light sprinkles of humor.
The beginning was really slow to get into, although the back half did pick up quite a bit.
Overall, it wasn’t bad, but I definitely wasn’t expecting what I got.

A new author for me. Took me a while to get into it and It didn't really capture me I'm sorry to say. Would like to try another book by this author.

Can I Give My Stepkids Back? is one of the funniest books to be released this year. It has numerous moments where you will find yourself laughing out loud. It's a fun, cute and quirky romance that will make you smile and one you will pass on to your friends,