Not Your Child by Sheila Norton was a heartbreaking story of motherhood and the everlasting bond between mother and daughter and covers friendship and trust. You will need lots of tissues and some time alone. However, overall I really enjoyed reading this book especially as it gripped me from the first few pictures and it drew me in. Sheila wrote her latest book fro her heart and it will pull at yours so be warned.........You will have read eyes when you read it. It was fast paced and an easy read which is a great read for your holiday......But You will need to hide behind your sunglasses! lol

Big Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC

I absolutely loved this book, and I couldn't put it down! I will definitely read more by this very talented author in future!
TB

This was a good read ..I found it very enjoyable and an easy style to follow. A. Little predictable but enjoyable anyway

"Not Your Child" was an enjoyable read, despite some predictability in the plot which I managed to figure out. Nonetheless, it was a pleasurable experience.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for my ARC.

I really enjoyed this book. Some good twists, some of which I had guessed, but that didn't spoil my enjoyment.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for my honest review

I have read a few Sheila Norton books and they are guaranteed to pull at the heartstrings, and this was no different. This read is very emotional throughout as you get to hear from both women as they try to come to terms with distressing times in their lives. ‘Not Your Child’ is a well-written story of secrets, trust and friendship and I sympathized with Gemma and Crystal and loved hearing the story from their unique perspectives. The twists in the story are so well plotted and brilliantly unexpected

This book had me going back and forth on what the secret could be. Needless to say it kept me guess all the way to the end, which is a good thing. I love books that I can't figure out the ending. It's my first Sheila Norton book. It won't be the last.

I have read a few Sheila Norton books and they are guaranteed to pull at the heartstrings, and this was no different. This read is very emotional throughout as you get to hear from both women as they try to come to terms with distressing times in their lives. ‘Not Your Child’ is a well-written story of secrets, trust and friendship and I sympathized with Gemma and Crystal and loved hearing the story from their unique perspectives. The twists in the story are so well plotted and brilliantly unexpected. #NotYourChild #NetGalley #goodreads #familydrama #boldwood #sheilanorton

Not Your Child by Sheila Norton kept me engaged from the very first page. When you meet someone who takes an interest in your child so much, you start to have doubts. Trust your instincts!!! I almost figured out the end but was a little “off” of what I thought would actually happen. But I was close! Lol Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release.

A fast paced easy read but I guessed what was going to happen almost half way through. But still really enjoyed the book.

This book was engaging, and I had a huge connection to the characters. This is one of those books you will never forget. All about families and friendships.

What a ride, Not Your Child was a rollercoaster, Gemma’s world gets turned upside down when she receives a message from a stranger… she loses her partner but finds a best friend, who make‘s herself indispensable to the now single mum. So many twists and turns an unputdownable read!

My heart breaks for everything Gemma goes through, I love the dynamic with her family and how they’ve got her back!

When all of her family plans fall apart, Gemma is heartbroken and scared. How will she be able to take care of her daughter all by herself? Into the middle of her grief comes Crystal, offering friendship and support. As the friendship grows, Gemma will notice odd happenings and worry that Poppy is confused by Crystal's attentions. A fast read that had surprises woven throughout. When Gemma finally opens her eyes, the surprise comes from out of nowhere.

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Review for 'Not Your Child' by Sheila Norton


The first thing I have got to say that if you are a fan of books by Jodi Picoult and Nicholas Sparks then I wouldn't bother reading any further because if you love them you will definitely love this stunning book that will pull at your heart strings and bring you out in tears!! This is an absolutely fantastically written book by the very talented Sheila! I am just mind blown that I have never read any books by this incredible author before now and am just so glad I have now rectified this! What an absolutely incredibly talented author you are Sheila and as soon as I have finished this review I am going to go straight to Amazon and add every single one of your other books to my wish list and get stuck straight into one as soon as I can!! In this emotional rollercoaster ride we meet Gemma who has just found out that she is going to be a single mother after her partner moves away and leaves no contact details. Gemma is struggling to come to terms with this when she meets her colleague Crystal who comforts her. Gemma and Crystal soon become friends with Gemma's 2 year old daughter Poppy enjoying having Crystal at their home. However, Gemma starts to feel strange over Poppy's relationship with her. Is Gemma jealous or is it mother's instincts? Is Crystal being genuine or is she hiding secrets from Gemma? Grab your copy of this incredible and emotive page-turner about friendship, motherhood, family, trust and so much more and get lost in the pages today. I can guarantee that you will not regret it and you can thank me later! I don't want to go into too many details as I don't want to give too much away but make sure you have the tissues at the ready as Sheila manages to make the tears flow and emotions run high. I absolutely devoured this book in one sitting as there was just no chance I was ever going to put it down until I found out what was going to happen! This storyline is rammed with emotions, friendship, trust, secrets, family, drama, twists and turns and so, so much more. I can promise you this will be a book that you will not be forgetting about anytime soon! One thing I will say is that I was NOT expecting THAT TWIST AT THE END!! My jaw dropped to the floor so well done Sheila, again, on managing to completely shock me as it is getting harder and harder with every book I read but you certainly managed it! Sheila's evocative writing skills brings the story and characters to life around you making your heart beat faster and pulls on your heart strings. An absolutely fantastic success from an extremely talented author and I can't wait to see what she comes out with next and in the meantime I am going to get stuck in to her previous books!

The characters are strong and realistic each with their individual and unique personalities, strengths, flaws and weaknesses. Sheila does an absolutely amazing job of weaving the chapters from both Gemma and Crystal's perspectives timing them perfectly ensuring the reader gets to see and feel exactly how each of them are feeling and seeing while not giving away too much until she wants to and ensuring the reader does not get confused as to which protagonist's perspective we are reading at the time. Gemma and Crystal are absolutely outstanding characters that Sheila clearly cares about along with the rest of her characters and she ensures that you really can see, feel and hear absolutely everything they are. I was completely invested in them from the second I met them all the way until I closed the last page but they will stay with me long after. The dynamics in this storyline are so complex and absolutely rammed with emotions that you really do make sure you have tissues at the ready and a clear schedule before picking this book up. One moment I was rooting for a character and feeling sympathy for them and the next I felt differently and yet a moment later I was feeling something else but I wont go into any more details as I do not want to give anything away. Sheila's fantastic writing skills brings an emotive storyline to life ensuring the characters come to life and you feel everything along with them. I'm not going to say anymore about the characters as I don't want to let anything slip but Sheila really does do a fantastic job of making realistic and strong characters that come to life in front of the readers eyes and ones that will stay with me for a very long time so a HUGE CONGRATULATIONS SHEILA!

Clear your schedules and get the tissues ready as you wont be able to put this down!! Well done Sheila on an absolutely gorgeous emotional page turner and here's to your next success!! This is the exact reason that i would like to welcome you to my favourite authors club!

Overall an addictive rollercoaster ride of emotions that will keep you turning the pages and will leave you thinking about long after you have finished.

#NotYourChild @SheilaNorton #BoldwoodBooks #BoldwoodBloggers #theboldbookclub #Boldwood #BookAndTonic #RachelsRandomResources #rararesources

@SheilaNorton @BoldwoodBooks @BoldwoodBloggers @Boldwood @theboldbookclub @BookAndTonic @RachelsRandomResources @rararesources

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Enthralling. I was drawn in from the blurb and it didn’t disappoint.
It’s one of those books that you can easily devour in one sitting.
The writing is engaging and every chapter has you constantly trying to piece together what’s going to happen and how it all connects.

I must admit, I thought there was going to be a sinister twist at the end but I was pleasantly surprised. My heart ached.
My favourite chapters were those told from Crystals POV. These were short but they kept giving those little snippets into who she really was, her motives and slowly unraveling the truth.

Gemma was, at times, infuriating but I kinda related to her in the sense of always wanting to see the best in someone even when the red flags are blindingly obvious! 🚩

This is an emotional & suspenseful story that I really enjoyed.

Official rating ~ 4.5 ⭐️

Thank you, Boldwood Books, for the eArc.
I love Sheila’s writing and can’t wait to check out more.

This book felt a little different to my usual reads so that was a nice change for me. I felt the writing was really strong and kept me interested in the characters and story.

I think lots of readers will enjoy this one.

This emotional story follows Gemma, who is grappling with the reality of becoming a single mom after her partner suddenly leaves with no way to contact him.

While trying to adjust to her new life, Gemma meets Crystal, a colleague who offers comfort and support. Crystal quickly becomes a significant part of Gemma’s home life, and even her daughter grows fond of having Crystal around. However, as Crystal’s bond with her daughter deepens, Gemma begins to feel a twinge of jealousy and starts questioning whether Crystal might be hiding something.

Told from both women’s perspectives, the book delves into their emotional struggles, adding a layer of mystery as you wonder what Crystal might be keeping from Gemma. The storyline builds intrigue as boundaries between friendship and family start to blur, leaving readers to question whether Crystal has crossed a line.

The novel’s core themes revolve around friendship and family, but with an added twist of drama when someone oversteps the usual limits of friendship. It’s a compelling, emotional read about support during tough times—but with the lingering question, is Crystal hiding a secret?

First, I want to thank Sheila Norton, Boldwood Books and Rachel’s Random Resources for providing me with this book so I can bring you this review.

Ohh I just knew I was going to fall in love with Sheila Norton’s Not Your Child! The cover of the book instantly caught my eye, the book title, and the description captured my attention. Most of all when the publisher compares the book to one of your favorite author Emma Robinson’s books you know you need to read it. Now I didn’t ugly cry like I do with Emma’s but there were parts that pulled on my heart strings.

Instantly, I was sucked into the story and was going through all the emotions that Gemma was going through when she got the news. My heart went out to her during this time.

Poppy was my favorite character in the whole book. She was the absolute cutest and sweetest little girl that tugged on my heartstrings.

Family and Friendships were two big themes in this book.

I really loved how Sheila thought outside of the box when she created the characters' names. Names like Gemma and Poppy are not popular in my neck of the woods.

Not Your Child was filled with so many wicked twists and turns leading up to Crystal’s shocking confession that blew my mind.

Gemma was way too trusting and gullible. While I thought her parents were hovering and treated her like a child they did have a right to be suspsiocoijs of Crystal.
I got creepy vibes off Crystal. I wondered how many more times she would confess to lying to Gemma and get away with it.
I suspected the link between the two and I was right.
The story ended on an upbeat note but if i had been Gemma I would not have been so forgiving or welcoming.
Important lessons about setting boundaries and keeping them are in this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC (Advance Reader Copy) of Not Your Child by Sheila Norton. This was a good book that I enjoyed reading. It was fast paced and an easy read. I was able to predict the ending but not until I had read about 80% of the book. The idea of the story was definitely original to me. I have never read anything similar. I would not consider this book to be a thriller. A very unique story, give it a try! I gave it a 4 star rating.