Morgan runs a children's nursery in Paris, after a tragic accident, her beloved sister and her husband leave their two children in her care. Her life is turned upside-down. Her calm tidy life with Snoopy the dog is changed. Can she cope with her new life? Her past is uncovered and forces her to confront her secrets with her family.
Translated well from French, the Parisian lifestyle is evident. Thought provoking, cute and life affirming. This book covers so many subjects that are usually taboo and comes together well.
A great read, thank you 😊

Very moving book, I especially liked reading from both perspectives. Eliot being an observant character. And I'm secretly hoping there will be a part two, a follow-up to see what happens with this Post-it family in different surroundings.

PS - the ISBN here on Netgalley is not correct and doesn't give a result on Goodreads...

I was invited to read this book by the Publisher, via Netgalley. I accepted the invitation, without reading the description, but according to the blurb on the front cover, this was an amusing and funny book.
Going by the title of this book, I expected the "stepkids' to be the children of a Woman's Husband or Spouse, going by the traditional definition. The 'Stepkids' in the book were actually the Niece and Nephew of Morgan, the protagonist. I think that the meaning of Stepkids was lost in translation.
I was expecting this book to be a completely different story than what it was, based upon the blurb and the title. Once I had got into the story though I actually enjoyed reading it.
I didn't find it very funny, like the blurb suggested, but it was definitely emotional. I went through a rollercoaster of emotions when I was reading it. It was very sad in places, and I think that some readers could find parts of the book upsetting. I think that the difficult subjects were dealt with well in most cases.
There were some happier moments, but always with a twinge of sadness. I did like the characters. I thought that some of the book didn't translate very well. Overall I liked reading this book.

Morgan has been living a quiet, lonely life in Paris for years when a tragic accident leaves her nephew and niece orphans and their mothers dying wish is for Morgan to care for them. Even though she trained as a nurse and now manages a day nursery, Morgan is totally out of her depth. Add in a grandparent who has never approved of Morgans’s choices in life and who wants the children to live with her.

This is a book about learning to love, to forgive and to build a new life when everything you planned is thrown into disarray. Oh, and a sprinkle of romance doesn’t go amiss!

Thanks to netgalley for the chance to read this book.

When Morgan’s sister and husband die in a car accident she is left to look after their two children Lea and Elliott. Morgan runs a nursery but isn’t maternal at all and struggles to accept Lea and Elliott into her life. Can lea and Elliott help her to change her views and accept that she can look after them as her sister wished or will she send them to her mothers.

Not really what I was expecting...thought it would be more amusing from the reviews that I read. Story about an aunt taking on her nephew and niece after their parents are killed..
I really struggled with this one, it is a translation and didn't flow easily..
Sadly not for me

Admittedly, I was pulled in by the funny title ("Can I Give My Stepkids Back?") and the rom-com description of the book, which seemed to promise a lot of humorous mishaps with perhaps some nontraditional views on parenting. However, the tone of the book ended up being quite different, and the "stepkids" are in fact the main character's nephew and niece. It's a translation from a French novel, and the description I found from the French website did the book a lot more justice, focusing on difficult journeys and deep wounds from the past. I also liked the French title, which translates to "Paint the Rain in Color."

This book is about a woman named Morgan whose life seems pretty sad. She works in a nursery but doesn't seem to like kids or connect well with her co-workers. Her only real companion is her dog, Snoopy. One day, her life changes when her beloved younger sister and brother-in-law suddenly die in a car accident, leaving Morgan with the custody of her nephew Elliot and niece Lea. The arrangement is challenging for all of them, and Morgan's parents' meddling adds complications. The story is alternately narrated by Morgan and Elliot, which were two different and interesting perspectives.

The biggest challenge I had with this novel as a reader was that it reads like a translation, and none of the voices feel authentic because of this. It was very challenging for me to get invested in the characters and their situation at first, but after spending enough time reading their thoughts and emotions, I started to get invested in what was happening. I was especially able to empathize with Morgan's emotional journey, dealing with the sudden change in her life, the loss of her sister, her complicated relationship with her parents, and her unfulfilled dreams. Some of the side details and characters feel a little too convenient, but they don't play a big enough role to detract from the main story.

Overall, I found this to be a quick and decent read, though I still really want to read a humorous stepkid book! 

Thanks to Hodder & Stoughton and Netgalley for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This book is quite tragic and I wasn't really ready for it. Mainly because it was Morgan's niece and nephew, not stepkids. They end up together after a fatal accident and drama follows. Told through the eyes of Morgan (Aunt) and Elliot (Nephew) the plot unfolds with very sad moments in between. If Morgan didn't have the history she did, then things would have been very different.
I found Morgan's relationship with her Mum to be very toxic at times and am glad it was sorted, even minimally.
3.5 stars

It wasn't what I expected, the title is a little misleading. It was fine, slow to start at first, cute but sometimes predictable.

What a beautiful book about two young children who suddenly become orphans whiteout knowing.
Then they are sent to live with their aunt Morgan who hates kids and especially them, they wanted to go live with their grandparents but apparently their parents thought they knew best but Elliot thinks they don’t and decides to do something about it.
Lea likes her aunt Morgan thinks she looks like a princess but she also knows that Morgan works in a nursery with babies so isn’t used to looking after kids her and Elliot s age,
Grandma Cat takes the children on holiday as soon as she can back to the house Morgan grew up in in Marseilles, the sun will be shining and the sea will be perfect no homework great holiday
She will do this every holiday pushing a wedge between the children and Morgan
But Morgan has a secret, so has Elliot both need to unload their secrets and only when they do can this family heal and become united

I was surprised by this book, as it is very different to the blurb describing it, and not at all what I expected. It is written in the present tense, which although unusual, works really well.
It is a beautifully written story of a family struck by tragedy, both disarming and heartfelt in its description of the emotional turmoil of the people caught up in it.
The characterisation is exceptional, conjuring up so well Morgan, her young nephew Elliott, and younger niece Lea, the main characters, but also many others who inhabit this novel in different ways. All are brought alive for the reader by the talent of the author.
Morgan has always felt second best to her younger sister Ellie, whilst being devoted to her and protecting her as they grew up. Morgan’s fractured relationship with her mother is realistically portrayed, and goes a long way to describe Morgan's ‘buttoned up’ personality and complete lack of self esteem at the outset of the story. She comes across to begin with as cold and unfeeling, but gradually the author peels off layers to reveal the lost soul hidden underneath.
The story as related through Morgan’s voice, and that of young Elliott, in his letters to his dead parents, is heartbreaking and full of emotion, but sometimes very amusing.
Ultimately this story is about the redeeming power of love, in all its guises, if we will only just let it into our hearts.
I loved this book, and would recommend it.
I do think the title is misleading, and does not do justice to this beautiful story.
I will look out for more of this author’s work, she has a rare talent.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my advance copy of this book.

A very well written and entertaining romance with a bit of humor l. I highly recommend this book. I received an advance ebook from the publisher and Netgalley and this is my unbiased review.

A funny and lighthearted easy read.

Fun characters that made me laugh out loud in parts.

A great read

It took me a while to get into this story, but once I did, I loved it. I enjoyed hearing from both Morgan and Elliott. Loved the main characters, so Morgan, Elliott, Lea, and not forgetting Snoopy. I did not like Morgan's mother, and still didn't feel much sympathy for her towards the end, but there you go. I did think Morgan seemed 'healed' a little too quickly after so many years. What, just one counselling session? My other thoughts are that the title is misleading. It suggests a chicklit novel (nothing wrong with chicklit), only it's not. And the title is also inaccurate. Elliott and Lea are Morgan's nephew and niece. Elliott's letters sometimes read a bit too formal, as though an adult has written them, so I think they need looking at. But all in all a very good read. I'm glad I persevered. With thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A funny easy read featuring Megan who runs s childcare nursery but knows nothing about children. A family tragedy means that she suddenly finds herself as the sole carer to two children who are grieving and troubled. As she adapts to her new role she also has family issues of her own with her parents, work issues with the parents and other day to day events to deal with.

An enjoyable family tale with lots of different layers. An emotional journey which was told with sensitivity and made me laugh and cry.

Set in France, Morgan is the manager of a nursery and not exactly the sociable type. She has no children of her own and has a rocky relationship with her parents.

One day in the summer she recieves a phone call which will change the rest of her life forever. Her sister and brother-in-law have been in a fatal accident and it was her sisters wishes she is to take care of her niece and nephew.

The story is about the journey Morgan takes to look after her devastated niece and nephew and also deal with her own grief in the process.
I found it particularly difficult to relate to the main character as she felt so cold hearted and miserable. I had read reviews stating the book was one with humour, however I didn't see any of this reflected in the story.

I did like how the book was set out from Morgan's point of view and the next chapter would portray the view from her nephew in the form of a diary.

Instead of finding it funny, I found the whole story quite sad. I am unsure if this could be a cultural difference as the book was originally printed in French. However, the process of the grief-stricken characters learning to live with each other was tiring to read and far from light hearted.

Morgan is single, a nursery school manager and lives alone with Snoopy her beloved dog.. She has a sister who she adores who is married with two children and parents that she doesn't really get on with. She would rather work with dogs!!
The the unthinkable happens and suddenly Morgan finds herself with two young children in her life and home.
They all muddle along together but its not easy especially when her mother believes the children should be with her.
Gradually life settles down and then Snoopy sprains a leg and a handsome vet comes into their lives. Will he help Morgan achieve her dreams and will life ever be the same again.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I knew without even seeing the summary that I wanted to read this based on the title alone.

This was my first book by this author, so I wasn't too sure of what to expect from them.
I was pleasantly surprised, honestly.
Morgan's sister and BIl die in an accident, which means she steps up to take care of their children. She adopts their two children after thinking / assuming she'd never have children of her own. When her dog "sprains its ankle," she and the kids are swept off their feet by the handsome single vet. Cue matchmaking by the kids. It's a CUTE novel. Seriously. It was a great break in between all my dark romance reads.
While I did fully expect a cheesy rom-com style book, there was much more emotion in it than expected, which made it even better to me!

I'll definitely be looking out for other work by this author.

The title doesn’t really fit for me, I think it made me expect someone in a fairly new relationship, meeting their other half’s children, maybe blended family, the ups and downs, that kind of thing. It actually is about taking on your sisters children after her and her partner die in an accident. A heartbreaking concept but one that brings with it a steep learning curve, grief, and a whole new life that our protagonist hadn’t imagined. A really good read that dealt with the themes well.