The Turner family has never been the same since 3 year old Sara disappeared. Years later a beautiful young woman approaches the family and claims to be long lost Sara. Everyone is thrilled to have her back, but is she really Sara? What secrets is she hiding, and is she the only one with secrets?

I am always intrigued by missing person stories so I was excited for this. It was nothing like I expected and I ended up so disappointed. The "shocking secret" was a bit farfetched and there were so many other things going on that were never resolved. So many extra little story lines that had no place in the book and were useless. A lot happens in this book and yet nothing really happens at the end.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'Long Lost Girl' by Jill Childs.

Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Jill Childs, Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous

Publication date 17th May 2022.

This is the third book I have read by this author. I have previously read 'The Mistress' and 'I Let Him In' which I also recommend.


I was originally drawn to this book by its beautiful eye catching cover and its intriguing synopsis and title. The synopsis stated that 'Fans of Jodi Picoult, Kelly Rimmer and Kerry Fisher won’t be able to put this book down.' I am a huge fan of Jodi Picoult and Kerry Fisher so am looking forward to seeing if this lives up to this statement. I am also a huge fan of Jill Childs and if this is half as good as 'The Mistress' and 'I Let Him In' it is sure to be a page turning read. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).

This novel consists of a prologue and 71 chapters. The chapters are short in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!

This book is based in London, 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿, UK 🇬🇧. The bonus for me of books that are partly or fully based in the UK is that I live in the UK and have sometimes visited places mentioned in the book which makes it easier to picture.

This book is written in a mix of third and first person perspective and the protagonists are Paula Turner, Sara Turner and Ruth. The benefits of books written in first person perspective are as long as they are well written it makes you feel that you are being spoken to by the protagonist and it can create more of a bond between yourselves and them. If there are several protagonists you also get to see more of what is going on. The benefits of third person perspective with multiple protagonists are that it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything. To have the benefit of both first and third person perspective ensures you don't miss out on anything.

It is set over multiple time lines. When books show what has happened in the past and what is happening in the present I find it really helps the reader (if it is well done) understand why things are happening and what has lead to the present activities and decisions. It also shows the bigger picture.

OMG!!!! WHAT DID I JUST READ!?!?! MIND BLOWN!!!!

Another fantastic book from Jill with vivid descriptions which put you right in the picture. It really felt like Paula and Rute were talking directly to me from across the table over a cup of tea. The synopsis and cover suit the book perfectly.

The storyline is absolutely addictive and had me sucked in from the first page until the explosive ending. It is a heartbreaking story about regret, family, secrets, what ifs, deceit, twists and much more. I couldn't stop turning the pages until early hours of the morning so if you pick this up I seriously advice you to clear your schedules and also have the tissues at the ready. It is filled with heartbreak, hope, love, loss, secrets, family and a few humongous twists that I did not see coming. A huge well done to Jill on not just one but several bombshell!!! I would have never guessed either of the twists in a million years. Very rarely I am shocked by books having read so many but this absolutely had me a cracker and completely blew my mind. If you are fed up of guessing the ending by 50% then this one is for you!!! There were moments of tension, suspense and others of sadness that really caught in my throat. Whilst I loved the ending it was also heartbreaking for Ruth for never getting something she so desperately wanted at the same time but also life changer for Paula. It is so hard to talk about it without giving anything away so I will just say if you want a book with twists you will NEVER see coming this one is for you!!! This is definitely a book that will leave you thinking about trust, assumptions and Kindess.

Do not start this until you have cleared your schedules as you won't be able to put it down!!

I absolutely adored both Paula and Ruth. They were both strong realistic characters and I was completely invested in them both. It was heart wrenching reading their stories but beautiful to watch them come together in their grief. I wasn't a huge fan of Sara and struggled to click with her as I didn't trust her. Again, I can't even say how I felt at the end of the book as it will give too much away so I will leave it at that. My heart really did go out to Ruth along with the many women who would have been in the same position, I'd like to say many years ago but sadly I wouldn't be surprised if similar situations still continue. Although I liked Paula, I did find her to be a bit judgemental at times but at the same time, considering the circumstances it is hard to know if I would react in some of the situations. Needless to say whether you loved or hated them, the characters were perfect for this absolutely fantastic storyline.

A HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to Jill on one of the most shocking twists I have ever read and an absolutely addictive book!!

Overall an addictive, page turning, heartbreaking story with bombshells you will never see coming!!!

Genres covered in this novel include Psychological Thriller, Mystery, Women's Saga, Women's Psychological Fiction, Women's Literary Fiction, Suspense and Thriller amongst others.

I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of Jodi Picoult, Kerry Fisher, Kelly Rimmer, Nicholas Sparks, Kerry Wilkinson and anyone looking for a book that will shock you.

351 pages.

This book is just £1.99 to purchase on kindle or free on kindle unlimited (at time of review) via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!

Rated 5 /5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.

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As expected another great book from Jill Childs. Lots of twists and I wondered how it could all end. . Great characters and a book that I would definitely recommend
Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read an ARC

Do you ever read a book that leaves you feeling completely speechless at the end? This one had so many unexpected twists in it, I loved it! I was captivated from the very first page and was already feeling excited by what I was reading, and then yet another piece was thrown in which just added more spice and flair. I couldn’t read it fast enough. I was so proud of myself that I had it all figured out, but boy was I wrong. Quite a few times about quite a few different things even! The characters were expertly crafted and presented, as were their traits and their relationships with one another. I could easily picture each character and their emotion, it made me even more vested with the characters, almost empathetic. The author really demonstrated talent with this book and I am eager to read more written by her.

A gripping and emotional read about three generations of family secrets. Fans of Jodi Picoult, Kelly Rimmer and Kerry Fisher won’t be able to put this book down.

This is the first book I have read by this author, and will definitely be reading more. There were times when I wondered where things were going and how things were going to tie together, however it had me gripped throughout the whole book. Thank you NetGallery for the advanced copy in return for an honest review.

Another great read from this author, full of twists and suspense. The plot, the characters and all the twists in this book made it an enjoyable read. I would definitely recommend it.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release in exchange for my honest review.

This is a good book! It definitely kept me guessing most of the way through. Great characters and plot.
Thanks to netgalley, the publisher and most of all the author for allowing me to read this advanced copy.

Sara was only three years old when she disappeared from the Turner family. The family has never recovered, hoping day after day, year after year that Sara would return. Out at lunch one day, the family is approached by someone and she claims to be their missing Sara. She has the same looks, the green eyes and the straight hair.

Her father Alan is beside himself, yet distant. Her aunt Paula is skeptical. Her Gran is more than happy and so very glad her granddaughter has returned. When her mother took her away at the tender age of three, the family thought they might never see her again. Now that she is back, the question begs itself, where was she all of this time and why didn’t she come back sooner?

Sara carefully wedges her way in, starting with lunch with the family, but then she quickly moves in after that. It’s as if she never missed a beat. However, there are secrets and the secrets are starting to unravel and this creates tension on a huge level as well as the fact that there is someone who may or may not be telling the truth about everything.

Sara gets along quite well with Hannah, Paula’s daughter, and this rubs her the wrong way. Paula want answers. Sara fits in too well but not with enough of a clear vision as to what went on during the years that she was gone. With twists and turns in this book, revelations are revealed, thus everyone is at sixes and sevens. With her signature style, Jill Childs writes a compelling read from the intriguing beginning to the shocking ending, all while layering this book with deep emotional moments.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Please enjoy my YouTube video review - https://youtu.be/wLfsMGXV0io

This is my first book by Childs, and would certainly encourage me to pick up another of her novels!
I am a little obsessed with missing people novels and I am always on the lookout for another one to recommend!
I think this was marketed as more of a womens/ literary fiction book rather than a thriller, which I think would have suited the plot a little better. It was a mystery and there were lots of secrets revealed, but I think Childs is a much more emotional, character-driven writer, and this came across well. The intrigue was kept throughout, but I do prefer more plot-driven books with premises like this.
I would definitely read more books by Childs on the back of this one.

A relationship falling apart
Leaves the whole family with a broken heart.
Gran is convinced Sara will be back
Decades pass but her faith doesn't slack.

When someone approaches and claims to be
Sara, returning at last to their family.
Is she really Sara or will they find
It is someone else being unkind?

With three generations of secrets concealed
What happens to the family when they're revealed?
This is a story filled with twists and surprises
As slowly the truth everyone realises.

Will the truth help them heal or tear them apart?
Will it help moving on or mean a fresh start?
A family drama with many a turn
To find the truth it makes you yearn!

For my complementary copy, I say thank you,
Such an intriguing read and this is my honest review.

A twisty and intriguing family drama. I loved the connections between the characters. The different narrators really added to the story and how genuine it all felt.
It really stood out as a novel for me, as I didn't guess exactly what was going on and what the outcome would be, I really liked that it was a suprise.
Beautifully written, with fabulous emotion and a gripping plot. Perfectly rounded.

I listened to the audio version and loved the narrator, she brought a lot to the story with her emotion and character voices. While the story did take too long for me to get invested in, I ended up really enjoying it.

Long Lost Girl was not what I expected but I still really enjoyed it. There were secrets, lies, twists and turns and they all made for an enjoyable read which I would definitely recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC.

I struggled with this book. It did not draw me or engage me. There were certainly a lot of secrets in this family! I would have liked to see a little more depth to the characters.
I really did love Ruth- she was an amazing character. I enjoyed her back story.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When I read a book published by Bookouture, I know it is going to be intense, surprises, secrets, the journey that the people are on is going to be unpredictable. This book had it all, and I was pulled right into the drama taking place. When I finished the book, the sentence said if the book left you speechless, and all I could think was yes it sure did.
I received an ARC from Bookouture through NetGalley.

Snickerdoodles! 😳😯🤯🥺😳

I cannot believe how absolutely invested into this story I became! It absolutely sucked me in with no warning and I loved every moment of it. The suspense, the wondering, worries & lies were endless. I fell in love with the characters and my emotions were shaken & stirred like Bond's martini! I absolutely adored this novel!

Sara was three years old when her and her mother up and left Alan, her husband, & his family; sister Paula, his mom and dad and gran. Gran never seemed to get over the upbrupt leaving of her great-granddaughter. Many years later, While Paula takes out her Gran and daughter Hannah for lunch, Sara approaches them telling them she's Sara and she's back. Very shortly after, Gran has Sara moved in absolutely besotted with her finally being back. But Paula is a little more weary & cautious. But someone isn't as thrilled she's back and will do anything to keep long held secrets in the past.

Unbelievably heart wrenching & heart breaking at times. The family drama, the lies, it was endless and so unbelievably well done. The ending was satisfying & I assure you there are gasps and shocks galore. Things you don't see coming & you were thinking something else. Childs always does a fab job & this one is no exception. I need to recharge now with an iced coffee! Whew!

Thank you to NetGalley & Bookouture for this ARC.
Release Date: May 17, 2022

I give this 4 / 5 Lily's! 🪷

I’d like to thank Bookouture and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Long Lost Girl’ written by Jill Childs in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

When Sara was three years old her mother Jackie divorced her father Alan and took her away from him and his close family, sister Paula and their Gran. Twenty years later Paula is sitting in a cafe with Gran when an attractive young woman approaches them saying she’s Sara. Very soon Sara is moving her possessions into Gran’s house and integrating herself into the family but Paula’s not convinced of her identity.

‘Long Lost Girl’ is the emotional story of three generations of a family and the secrets they keep. It’s a roller-coaster of a novel with a timespan that covers sixty years, beautifully written with topics that are handled with empathy and compassion, and strong characters who I took to my heart. I was deeply engrossed in the story from page one and the final chapters were so touching I didn’t want it to end. I’ve loved reading this delightful and heart-warming story that has a gripping and unmissable plot and is well worth its five stars.

This wasn't at all what I was expecting but it was so enjoyable..I've the fact that there was more than one story interwoven into the main story. At times I thought I'd worked it all out only to be wrong. The main characters all ended with final answers but there were other characters I really want to know more about such as Maria and Tomas, Alan and Hugo. I suppose that's the sign of a good story that it keeps you thinking even when you've finished.

Three year old Sarah goes missing with her mom. She shows up years later or is it really her? Lots of family secrets surface and it had a twist at the end. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release in exchange for my honest review.

Long Lost Girl
by Jill Childs

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC! Oh my gosh. This book had me in tears. It is so tender and beautiful and yes, sad. This is one that will stay in my heart.