Jo is struggling it’s her job and her son’s health. She then receives a letter from her birth mother whom she’s never met and she is thrown into a world of deceit.
This book was very addictive. Shelia Norton at her best bringing you on a journey of suspense and showing how families arnt always what they seem.
Fantastic

I couldn't put this down. I ended up reading this entire thing in a single day. There was so much going on in the family's life that I wasnt sure how the mom was going to get through everything. The mom was a highly relatable character and I really felt for her, even during her biggest mistakes. The whole story was a roller coaster ride that kept going higher and higher and higher before finally letting the reader breathe. Overall, it was fantastic. It wasn't perfect, but it certainly was engaging and captivating. I highly recommend it.

Thank you to the author and Rachel's Random Resources for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve read a couple of Shiela Noble books now and they’re always an enjoyable read.
When Jo gets a letter from her birth mother she is excited to meet her. Very quickly Jo is taken in by Barbera. Ben her husband is’nt comfortable from the start.
Jo has 2 children Molly 7 and George 5. Geaorge has always suffered from Asthma and when there is a chance it could be something worse Barbera steps in and starts to cause friction between Jo and Ben.
A good read with lots of twists and turns kept me reading on from start to finish.
Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an arc of this book.

Another fab book from Sheila. I don’t know how she does it. I love the characters she writes about, they could be any of my friends. Jo is trying to manage a family, a job and a new relationship with her birth mother. Her son is very poorly and the only person she feels supported by is this stranger who has come into her life. Does being a biological mother make you more than an adoptive mother? I loved the relationship between the children and how real it was. Sheila you have a wonderful skill of being able to bring your imagination to life and make everything so relatable.

When your family is everything why would you want more? The story is about a mum whose son is unwell. She juggles her work, her friends and family and is challenged by the arrival of her birth mother. A well written fast paced story about love, deception and manipulation.

I got this book through Netgalley for my honest review and I enjoyed it so much! I love books that tug at the heart strings and this one did just that. Told in the first person, Jo is dealing with so much. Her son is sick and no seems able to tell her what's wrong, the stress is putting a strain on her relationship with her husband and their slightly older daughter is acting up. To make matters worse Jo's boss doesn't understand all these family emergencies that keep cropping up and she's on the verge of losing her job. Just as her world seems to be in constant upheaval, her biological mother turns up and while Jo so badly wants a relationship with her something doesn't seem quite right. While Barbara rushes in to help and becomes invaluable to Jo, the insertion of Barbara into Jo's life also seems to drive Jo further away from everyone. This story made me feel all the things-- sadness and anxiety with Jo over her son, frustration at some of her choices, suspicion over Barbara and anger at the lack of support and slow moving cogs of the healthcare system. I didn't want to put it down until I knew how it ended!

Jo is becoming overwhelmed, as her young son, who is diagnosed with asthma, isn't getting better. Jo's daughter is having problems when she begins to feel left out, Jo is also overwhelmed because she has to take time off from work, to take her son to appointments and her boss is mkaing it so difficult for her. Her husband and she are fighting, and she doesn't think anyone has her back. Then she discovers her biological mother wants to meet.
As I read the story, it felt like the author, Sheila Norton, was watching what would be happening after this, and it kept me reading. There were mistakes, there didn't seem to be much hope, but they kept on trying. I wondered if with all that was going on, the hurt, the not communicating, made me wonder if they would survive. I thought the story was about a mother who was trying to save her son, but it was so much more than that. I can't tell you anymore because I don't want to give anything away, but if you like books that you can feel the emotions, the despair, the feeling of being lost, and still trying not giving up to figure out how to make life turn itself around and get better, this book is for you.
I received an ARC from Boldwood Books through NetGalley.

so much going on here. so many emotions to contend with. they are all so well written that its not hard as a reader to feel them too.
being in the system with a sick child, not getting answers or waiting on answers must feel like agony. and we really felt for Jo the mother here. she was desperate. and you felt that both with her and for her. there is nothing you wouldnt do for your child but when you actually cant do anything other than sit and wait, whilst you child is suffering, must feel so very painful.
Jo also has other things to contend with aswell. the arrival of her birth mother on the scene. this brings up all the expected emotions and inner turmoil of trust or not to trust. there is also the matter that she is not quite sure of her mothers arrival and intentions. is there something else going on. or is the current emotional turmoil making her paranoid?
plus there is the shitty boss. and that doesn't end well.

so much for a family to contend with. so much uncertainty so much pain going on for one family. and you felt that oozing off the pages. it all just felt alot. especially for Jo. you both wanted to hug and shake her in eqaul measure at times.
a really good book. when i saw Jodi Picoult mentioned i knew i wanted to read this one. and it didnt disappoint with stiring similar bookish emotions from me.

The narrative revolves around the profound connection between a mother and her son, George, who is enduring an enigmatic health crisis. As a mother contends with inconclusive medical evaluations and the emotional strain of witnessing her child's suffering, she faces the unexpected reemergence of her biological mother, Barbara. This intricate relationship introduces an additional layer of uncertainty, as the mother grapples with apprehensions regarding Barbara's motives and her potential to provide meaningful assistance during this precarious period. The emotional stakes intensify as she confronts her fears, striving to offer the love and support that George vitally requires. This novel resonated with me, as a mother. If you enjoy Jodi Picoult and JoJo Moyes, this novel is for you. I couldn’t’ put this book down, it was so engaging, and read it in one day. I was so emotionally invested in the outcomes and the lives of the characters. Through its powerful storytelling, the book encapsulates the essence of a family's struggle against adversity and the profound love that compels a mother to exert every effort in her quest to save her child.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy in exchange for my review.

The book is described as a mother desperate to save her sick child - leaving multiple doctors with inconclusive tests and more questions than answers.

Perhaps I wasn’t the right audience for this book. I don’t feel like the book is really about trying to save a sick child. We see 3 short doctors appointments - most of the time we are just told they are waiting for appointments and chasing them down - and the one involving tests there seems to be answers immediately. I was expecting a more medical based plot but it’s definitely more of a family drama.

I also found the plot to be very repetitive. I felt like I was living everyday with them over and over with the same things and arguments happening everyday.

Some of the quotes and things said also really left me feeling uneasy, and perhaps it’s because my own mother was adopted. I felt uncomfortable with the use of “real mother” and constantly comparing the adoptive and birth mothers.

The manipulation and gaslighting is also something that triggers me, so please be aware that this is heavy in this book!

I do think this book well written, and the characters are believable and relatable. If you are a fan of family drama and psychological thrillers, this would be a better fit for you!

A story of deception and manipulation that is designed to draw you in and make you feel with Jo. The problem is that it is difficult to relate to Jo. Neither her opinion about her very reasonable husband nor her willingness to believe whatever Barbara says are really understandable.

This was my first book by this author and based on reading this one I have now downloaded sone of their back catalogue. This book really resonated with me as it covered health issues that are very close to my heart and was good to see that these lesser talked about illnesses were being talked about and also done so in a relatable and heartfelt way.

This was an emotional and heart wrenching read that captured my attention from the very first page and read it in practically one sitting. It covered a lot of sensitive issues in a very well thought out and realistic way and the book has a variety of themes running through it. Loved how it also took sone twists and turns along the way giving it a psychological thriller feel mixed in with the domestic drama genre.

Look forward to reading what this author writes next and feel privileged to have found another new author.

Another very emotive read from this top author, dealing with a sensitive subject. I loved it. Sheila Norton writes about these affairs so well!

Another brilliant book from this author, storytelling at its best with brilliant characters, I absolutely loved it from the very first page and just couldn't stop reading until the last page. Everything was brought to a satisfactory conclusion and I was annoyed with myself for reading it so quickly.

Thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for this ARC which I have no hesitation in recommending. Well done Sheila Norton I look forward to your next masterpiece.

This book peered into my soul! The main character could've been with, with a few slight changes. I liked most of the characters, every one of them had developed personalities. The book was hard to put down even when it evoked my own memories of hospital visits with my own child and dealing with a boss you would think would be a little more reasonable than they were. I liked this book so much, I put Shelia's other books on my TBR shelf.

If I Lost You by Sheila Norton

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

✨ARC Review✨

At first, I was not sure where this one might be taking me. There were so many possibilities with where the plot was taking me and I just wasn’t sure where some of the details were leading to but it surprised me, gripped me, and sometimes drove me crazy (characters be like that sometimes 😅). I cried, I rolled my eyes, wanted to throw something, cried again, held my breath, silently cheered, and ended the story with so much gratitude for the beautiful growth of every single character and the arc of the narrative. What a story. What a journey. I can’t wait to read another @sheilaann.norton novel.

If you want to read this one for yourself, keep your eyes peeled as it will be releasing soon. 📆

Themes: Adoption, Reunification, illness, marital struggles, abuse, trauma, manipulation, deception, forgiveness

- Kristy 📚🧶

As a parent to a child who was very unwell when younger I knew this novel woulld resonate with me. It's written really well and I felt all the emotions whilst trying to pursue a diagnosis for her child. I really enjoyed this, and found it to be realistic and written with heart and care.

Heart wrenching, emotional, gripping page turner!
"If I Lost You" is about Jo, Ben and their 2 kids. Jo was adopted at a young age and finally meets her birth mother, but what are her intentions? George, Jo and Ben's son, has asthma but is it really just asthma or is Jo over thinking things? No one seems to believe her worries except for her birth mother, but does her birth mother have an ulterior motive?
I couldn't put this book down, it had from the first chapter and the ending is phenomenal.

Wow! What an intriguing book. Jo and Ben have 2 young children. George is suffering from asthma, and Molly is jealous of the attention he gets. Jo works at a terrible job where the boss is nasty about her need to care for George, and her co-workers look to get her in trouble. Jo knows that she was adopted and finally is able to make contact with her birth mother Barbara. She is very helpful, staying with the kids when needed, but also makes demands that Jo take her to the market and doctor's appointments. When her dad has a heart attack, Jo walks out of her job but keeps it a secret. George is diagnosed with a serious illness and Barbara is there to help. But things go out of control when Barbara shows her true self. I was given an advanced reader copy of this book from NetGalley and this is my honest review. Get your copy now.

Five year old George has been having a lot of issues with his pneumonia to the point where the Dr has sent a referral to a specialist. This causes issues with his sister who is jealous he’s never at school. This also causes more issues between his mom and dad. Enter the biological grandmother who gave George’s mom up for adoption. Could something hereditary be going on? Jo continues to have issues at work for constantly leaving to take George to Dr appts, and her family does not like Granny being around. Does she have an ulterior motive for being there?

Not sure what to think about this one. I understand Jo had so many emotions going through her with George, but the manipulation from Granny/Barbara just seems odd for a mother. Anyway this is a good book. Good plot and good job of drawing all these things to a good ending. Just some emotions if you’re a parent!