Susie is a happily married, successful music artist whose life is disrupted when her daughter, who she gave up for adoption many years ago, suddenly contacts her out of the blue. We can guess from the title how things will evolve, but nonetheless the subject of fostering, adoption and the surrounding legalities are very well researched and I felt better informed after reading the novel. I would not really classify the book as a ‘thriller’, more a family drama. An entertaining, well-written, page-turner.

Susie Jukes gave her baby daughter up for adoption when she was young and still blames herself years later. Now living with her husband Gabe, and having had several failed pregnancies, she is stunned to be contacted by her 14 year old daughter, Skye.
Skye is in trouble, apparently her adopted family are abusing her and she desperately needs help.
JP Delaney has put some serious research into this book, and has some big concerns about the adoption system and how police and social services deal with young people when they start making accusations. However, as this book veers off into more of a domestic drama/thriller it rather undermines the points she is making. It certainly rattles along but I think her interesting observations get pushed to one side as Skye becomes more out of control and involves herself with more dubious people. I did enjoy it but there seemed to be a more serious book buried under the page turning thriller that JP Delaney is known for. I think I’d like to have read that book.
My thanks to #netgalley and #quercusbooks for sending me this ARC

As an adoptee I read this with some trepidation as the adoptee experience is rarely represented authentically. And it isn’t in this case either. But it does raise the problem of attachment disorder and the damage done by removing a child from its mother.
Nevertheless as a story this grabs you from the first page and doesn’t let up until the last. I devoured it. It is an extreme case and both the biological and adoptive parents make stupid decisions but given the context, they can be understood. Unfortunately there are far too many adoptees who have been subjected to abuse of one kind or another. The author does explain the research that went into this book at the end and the exposé of ‘holding therapy’ was enlightening. It points to the fact that therapies developed without the engagement of those who it is intended to help, should not be practised on children or indeed, anyone. It also illuminates the often ridiculous practices of the social welfare system.

This is another page-turner of a book from JP Delaney and with short chapters so you’ll fly through it. I didn’t feel I particularly engaged with any of the main characters but I was still gripped by the story. Lots of secrets here and some quite questionable behaviour but altogether a great piece of fiction.

This was not one of my favourite books by this Author .,the story is told through the three main characters Susie ,Gabe and Sky. Susie gave up Sky for adoption 15 years ago and now she has contacted her on Social media asking to meet .A decision that nearly destroys her and Gabe .I felt that they were very naive and Sky was not what she seemed .The story is well written and I did prefer the second half .Thank you to NetGalley for my ARC.

This was another strong book by J.P. Delaney and what I particularly like about all of his books is that they're all very different. This book focuses on the difficult relationships that happen after option. It's clearly a very complex situation and one that I probably hadn't thought about in as much detail. The characters were, as always, incredibly detailed and lifelike and I love that everyone has flaws.

What I also really liked about this book is it faced difficult questions about people's past actions and the idea of cancel culture. This added another layer of complexity to the book and made it even more relevant in todays world.

The twist and turns as always kept you on your toes and made it a very enjoyable book to read.

A brilliant read! (4.5 stars rounded up)

Susie has never forgotten her baby Sky whom she had to put up for adoption 15 years ago, so when a girl called Anna gets in touch saying that she is Sky; Susie is elated that she might actually get a second chance with her daughter.

Concerned by things that Anna reveals about her home life with her adoptive family, Susie and her husband Gabe decide to try and help Anna. Big mistake! What on earth have they invited into their home? 😬

What a great read this was! I have to say I love a psychotic character and this book serves up one in the shape of a 15-year-old 🤣 I can’t quite believe some of the things that happened in this story, it’s quite scary to think someone so young could be so clever and conniving.

Susie is a sweet character who’s clearly learnt from her past mistakes and wants to make amends and do the right thing, but jeez I wanted to shake her a few times! I think her guilt from giving up Sky as a baby meant she couldn’t possibly reject her again now, but she’s a stronger woman than me, I’d have sent the girl packing after some of the things she did! Also, how Gabe didn’t lose his s**t more than he did, I do not know!

What a rollercoaster ride Anna/Sky takes everyone on! Whilst a lot of what happens is totally crazy and entertains us as the reader, It is also quite thought-provoking as some of the issues Anna/Sky had are a real thing, so potentially could happen in real life! It highlights the importance of giving the correct help and support to children who are fostered or adopted.

Whilst this isn’t a book full of twists it is certainly one full of shockers! The story is multi-narrated, which I enjoyed as you get to read from more than one perspective. The only slight negative I’d say is that the end felt slightly rushed for me. I had 16 minutes left to read on my kindle and I still had no idea how everything was going to wrap up. Having said that I really liked the ending and would happily read about these characters again in another book!

Full of secrets and lies and one crazy ass teenager! I definitely recommend giving this one a go!

Thank you to JP Delaney, Quercus and NetGalley for my copy of this book.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the chance to read this arc.

This book was superb . I just couldn't put it down . Highly recommended thrilling to the end. 5 ✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️

Beautiful story of hope and dealing with trauma. Anna has a rough time of it with foster parents and then adoption, so has attachment issues. Her biological father is a drug dealer who puts her in danger. Susie and Gabe,her adoptive parents, fight hard for her safety and her future.
Very powerful novel, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

This book follows Susie and Gabe, who welcome Susie’s daughter, Sky, back into their home after she was adopted 15 years ago.

This was a great thriller book and it definitely got me sucked in straight away!

Some parts were predictable but that’s like most thrillers.

I rated this 3 stars!

First thing I must say about this book is that to me it is very clear that a lot of research has gone into this book and I love that as it shows just how much the author cares about what they are writing.

Susie is 35 and is living a happily married life with her husband Gabe. She is shocked when 15 years later she gets a social media message from a 15 year old girl she gave up for adoption 15 years ago.

Susie is so excited to get to know her daughter especially given that she can no longer have children so her only chance is to get to know Anna who it seems isn’t happy with her current life. Susie starts to believe that Anna would be better off moving in with her after hearing what she has to say about her life so far.

This book was told from three different perspective and I felt as though I was generally there with them. I found it an enjoyable and fast paced read even if at times it was a little predictable.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for an advance copy of this book in exchange for this review.

⭐️ 5/5
📚 89/36
📍 🇬🇧
🗂 Domestic Thriller
📖 Susie and Gabe are finding it difficult to have children together. Both have had children with previous partners but neither have them in their lives. Then things get a little messy but who is telling the truth?
👉 NetGalley eARC
✅ Multiple POV
✅ Action packed
✅ Gives you that uneasy feeling but you’re not sure what you’re uneasy about!
✅ Has a similar vibe to Playing Nice: small amount of main characters, fast paced and drama in most chapters.
😱 A few shocks
🔀 I have The Perfect Wife on my book shelf that I want to read. I’ve just bought The Girl Before. Believe Me is on my wishlist.
⚠️ Miscarriage, fertility issues, death, self-harm
📆 September 2022
*Publication Date - 15th September 2022 (hardback). 19th January 2023 (paperback).

I enjoyed this book but it fell a bit flat for me midways through which disappointed me as I have loved all this authors previous books but it is still a good read x

3.5 stars.

Susie Jones and her partner Gabe were successful musicians with quite a following. One day, Susie was contacted by a girl named Anna who claimed to be the daughter she had to give up for adoption fifteen years ago. Anna’s adoptive parents had strong reactions towards this contact, which convinced Susie that she needed her help. Did she?

Let me preface this by saying I’m a massive J.P. Delaney fan. The plot of this book was undeniably a very effective psychological thriller. I went from being captivated by Anna, excited about what she’d do next, anxious for Susie, to being completely annoyed.

I could tell that Delaney had done a massive research on adoption and fostering systems before writing this book. The details about child fostering, the problems and the loopholes were eye-opening (and sad). I really felt for Susie and Anna.

Unfortunately at the end of the day, I got a bit frustrated by Susie and Gabe’s lack of proactivity. They kept being placed into terrible situations, and yet they did nothing to outsmart the villain. I did love their relationship, though; they reminded me of the couple in Delaney’s previous book, Playing Nice, as they had to team up to navigate challenging situations, one after another.

It was a good book, but I felt it was pale in comparison to Delaney’s other masterpieces, which I adored tremendously.

Brilliant, gripping and twisty!! I thoroughly enjoyed "My Darling Daughter" By J P Delaney
5 stars from me! Would recommend you read this Autumn!

Well this went off like a rocket! Actually, maybe comparing it with a Catherine wheel would be better as it spun round and round rather than heading in one direction. And I do mean that in a good way!
We start with a childless couple Susie and Gabe. Not for want of trying, it's just not happening for them. Both have lost children in the past though. Gabe to illness and Susie gave up a child back in the day when she really wasn't in a position to bring her up herself. She has always wondered about the child - Skye... And then Skye gets in touch. She is now Anna and, well describes a homelife which is, shall we say, not ideal. Susie is over the moon to have reconnected, but sad that Skye/Anna is struggling...
And so begins a twisty turny, heart in mouth, story chock full of secrets, lies and so much dysfunctional behaviour... None of which I will illustrate here for fear of spoilers, you'll just have to take my word...
There's so much going on in this book. So character driven too. And what characters - wowsers... so many secrets, so much trouble in their pasts, so much fallout in the present. It was, at times, quite uncomfortable reading - like trying not to look at a car crash but you inevitable always do. You can't help it, even though you know it's bad. And that's how I felt reading this book. I guess it's cos I connected with the characters, and cared what was happening.
Yes, it is a bit over the top in parts, but then it's a delicious spiral that the author takes the characters on - a totally loop-the-loop roller coaster ride that shakes EVERYONE up. Spitting them all out at the end... An ending that, well, fitted what went before and left me sated. It's also a bit thinkie in places and has more than a couple of shocks along the way.
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

My Darling Daughter is quite a page turner! I finished it in a day. It was disturbing and a bit far fetched at times, but I enjoyed it.

I started and finished this book in the same day which I think goes to show what an easy and addictive read it is! Told from multiple points of view, tension is built well and the plot is thick with sinister twists and turns. The chapters are short and punchy which is something I enjoy and appreciate in a good book, especially a thriller, and I felt a general sense of uneasiness throughout which only quickened my reading pace. While not a five star read for me as there were some minor flaws and situations bordering on implausible, there is no denying that this author’s writing is totally compelling and I will be looking to read his other books, some of which are already on my TBR.

Thanks to Quercus and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and Quercus for my early copy of this book by JP Delaney. I was hooked from the beginning by the premise of a woman being contacted by the daughter she gave up as a baby who is looking for help. But all is not as it seems and lots of twists and turns follow. A good read that drew me in and held my attention right to the end!

I'm a huge fan of Delaney's books and have been really pleased to see his success over the last few years. While I enjoyed this, I didn't find it as compelling as some of his previous works. It doesn't have the same edge-of your-seat tension as Believe Me or The Girl Before. That said, it's still a well-paced read and deals with some uncomfortable but current themes - sexual assault, childhood abuse, institutional failure - shedding light on institutions such as social services.

Delaney is a master of complex protagonists but I couldn't find myself warming to any of the main three characters in the way I did with with previous creations. I felt quite detached from them, but I think this is intentional.

Definitely recommend for fans of Delaney. If you're new to his books though, I'd start with something else.