Ruth Mancini has become one of those authors who could write a shopping list and I'd be excited to read it. I've loved her previous books so very grateful for this advanced copy from NatGalley, thank you.

In this book we're in Spain with Lauren and her young son Sam, we know somethings not quite right, she's running from something or someone...One day the police arrive stating that a lady in England is claiming Sam is her son and Lauren has kidnapped him. Lauren has a birth certificate and a passport for Sam which she provides to the police, all good right??? Well she decides she needs to move far-away again as this visit has spooked her.

The lady in England is Hope, a therapist who lives with her husband. We then get flashbacks from different points of view building up to Sam being reported missing.

Who is Sam's mum? Both women believe its them and we get closer with each chapter.

This book is a definite page turner and I read it quite quickly but some plotlines didn't quite make sense to me and I feel I still have lots of questions. This story would make a really good book group discussion.

I would like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to review a preview of this book.

The Day I Lost You by Ruth Mancini is a mystery and thriller novel in which the story revolves around a child named Sam, who goes missing. Hope, his mother, is told that a woman in Spain claims Sam as her own, with documents to support her claim. This sparks a gripping mystery as two mothers clash over the truth behind Sam’s identity, exploring themes of loss, secrets, and identity.

The main characters in the book are Lauren, Hope and Sam. Lauren is a woman seeking a fresh start in Spain after enduring a devastating loss. She settles in the seaside town of Mantilla de Mar, hoping to leave her past behind. Lauren claims that Sam is her child and has documents to support her claim. Hope is a therapist with a seemingly perfect life—an attractive husband, a dream countryside home, and her beloved baby, Sam. When Sam goes missing, Hope's world is turned upside down. She is informed that a woman in Spain has a child matching Sam's description, leading to a tense confrontation. Sam is the child at the centre of the mystery. His disappearance and the conflicting claims about his identity drive the story's suspense.

The novel explores themes of loss, secrets, and identity as these characters navigate their intertwined lives. a perfect intriguing book which i highly recommend.

It wasn’t quite as good as Woman on the Ledge but still thoroughly enjoyed it I had to keep reading to find out how the story would go as couldn’t find out who Sam’s mother was, you have to concentrate as the story is from different characters which made it more enjoyable it kept you in suspense you think you’ve got it sorted but alas no not the case.

Thank you to Netgalley and Cornerstone for an ARC

I absolutely loved Ruth’s debut, and have been looking forward to her next book ever since - thankfully it didn’t disappoint!

Whilst I must admit I’m not a big fan of the covers, the stories themselves are brilliant - super addictive, with short sharp chapters that keep you hooked. I liked the moral dilemna that this novel posed, as there were no clear good and bad guys in the story. I also couldn’t work out exactly what the connection was going to be, so it definitely kept the surprise element! Ruth is quickly becoming a favourite thriller writer for me.

Wow this is one of those reads that will stay with you long after reading. I didn’t know what was going on or if the stolen baby was even stolen as every party had a different story and no one came out of this in a great light. I was totally knocked by the ending as I had gone down a totally different chain of thought around what has happened so I loved being surprised. A great read with a great ending.

I really enjoyed the story however it was difficult to keep track on the double point of view sometimes.
It got a bit blurry between Hopes story and Lauren's at times.

This book was very different from the books I’ve been reading recently. In a good way.

It was sad at times, but there was always hope and curiosity as to how the story would unfold.

It was sensitively written and completely captivated me.

I enjoyed reading every single page and I like the ending, which was better than I could have expected considering the storyline.

I will read more by this author.

OMG!!! My mind is still trying to wrap my head around this story! SOO GOOD!!!
I was literally yelling at my kindle! This book was suspenseful and thrilling with many intensely wicked twists that will blow your mind!

I could not put this book down and I devoured it in one sitting. It was an absolutely unputdownable, addictive page-turner and a heart-racing, action packed, page-turning must-read!

Ruth Mancini is a master of the psychological thriller! It had me reeling. I really didn’t see that final twist coming!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars!

Lauren has started a new life in the quiet town of Mantilla de Mar, in Spain after she suffered an unimaginable loss. Hope is a therapist and lives in a quiet village with her husband and long waited for child Sam. When Sam goes missing a woman matching Laurens description is believed to have taken him. Lauren insists that Sam is her son. She has a passport and birth cert to prove this but what is she hiding. A great fast paced read that will keep you hooked from the very first page.

I was really keen to read this book, after the author's previous book 'The Woman On The Ledge' was one of my top reads of 2024. This was both a blessing and a curse, as I knew I really liked the author's writing style, but the previous book was a really hard act to follow.

I loved the descriptive and immersive writing style, and thought that the characters were really well fleshed out and believable. I also enjoyed the structure of the book - going back and forth in time to reveal more layers of the plot was a really exciting way to tell the story and definitely held my interest.

My only issues were that, whilst this story was enjoyable, it didn't grab me in the same way as The Woman On The Ledge, and I found the characters' actions and decisions confusing and unrealistic in the last few chapters.

Overall I would recommend this book as it kept me entertained and it was twisty, but the ending was a bit of a let down for me.

I absolutely loved 'The Woman on the Ledge' so I was thrilled when I was given the opportunity to read Ruth Mancini's next book.

Although it didn't grab me in the same way as The Woman on the Ledge, the story line left you desperate to work out who was who and what would happen to baby Sam.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read an advanced digital copy in return for an honest review.

I was gripped by this story within the first few pages and all other activities were put on hold until I raced to the end - still wishing for more. The characters of Lauren, Hope and Drew were so vividly described they felt like neighbours. The story evolved gradually with so many twists and turns, so just when I thought I was understanding what had happened to baby Sam another element was thrown into the mix. Well written and very readable.

A brilliant story with so many twists and turns in it, you spend a fair amount of time trying to work out what on earth has led to this situation and who is lying...

I experienced this novel as a slow burn - it is twisty timelines and smoke and mirrors.

The story is told largely from the perspectives of 2 mothers. Lauren is a mother trying to live under the radar in Spain with baby Sam until detectives come knocking questioning the legality of her claim to Sam. Meanwhile the other mother, Hope, is living with philandering husband, Drew, but without baby Sam. The novel jumps around a bit as it reveals what has lead to this state of affairs, and how it resolves.

This book is clever in how much (or little!) it reveals to lead you on a bit of a wild goose chase to determine what is really going on! Love it or not however, it certainly gets the reader thinking!

Thanks to NetGalley, author and publisher for the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an advance copy.

My first time reading anything by this author.
Enjoyed this one. Had me intrigued from the start, keen to know how it would pan out and found myself making time to read. It was inspired by a case the author dealt with as a lawyer in court, which makes it all the more heart wrenching.
The characters were likeable and I enjoyed reading from their perspectives which gave so much more insight.
You think the story is going one way, then the author sends you down another path - well written. Even up to the last few pages, kept me guessing as to the ending which was not how I thought it would go.
I would be keen to read more from this author.
4 stars from me.
Many thanks to NetGalley UK and Random House UK, Cornerstone for the ARC.
Review will also be posted on Goodreads and Amazon when possible.
Pub Date: 31 Jul 2025

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC in return for an unbiased review.
Having previously read a Ruth Mancini publication I had a fair idea of what to expect from this one.
Whilst I found it an enjoyable read, it didn't quite grab me the way The Woman On The Ledge had done.
Although cleverly written it took my a while to fully understand the relationship between the main characters of which there are actually very few. At the end of the day, it all becomes clearer and the author knits together events and bring it to a conclusion, and in fairness it wasn't what I expected. All told, a fairly solid four stars.

One child with two mothers! A recipe for intrigue for certain. This book is absolutely brilliant and I couldn't put it down. I've reccomended to all my friends!

I enjoyed this book. Lauren has moved to Spain with her young son, Sam, hoping to start a new life after a terrible loss. Hope is a counsellor with a baby son who has gone missing. She says Lauren has abducted her child, but Lauren insists he is hers and even has his passport. But now Lauren has to return to the UK to answer questions. This is a very twisty plot and you're never quite sure what the truth is until very near the end.
Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.
Copied to Goodreads.

Having read The Woman on the Ledge by the author and loving it, I was very much looking forward to reading her latest novel. As soon as I started it, I was hooked.

The story was frustrating but in a good way. It’s not clear who the mother of Sam is throughout and it had me racing through the pages to find out. It does jump around a lot, with chapters alternating between Lauren and Hope in present day but mainly in the past in the lead up to the present. You do have to stay alert as to the time frame of certain chapters but it didn’t lessen my enjoyment in anyway.

Readers will be torn as I liked both women. They have been, and are going through so much which explains their actions. I wasn’t sure how believable the outcome was as it did feel a little far fetched but as the author is herself an expert in law, if anything it made it a total eye opener in how the system works with a shocking outcome.

There is no denying that The Day I Lost You was a highly addictive story that I couldn’t consume quickly enough. It’s tense, emotive and packed full of suspense. I’m just a little undecided on the ending but it’s hard to know how you would react if you were in the same position as the characters. I think it’s more down to the reader to decide whether justice has been served with all that the characters have gone through. Regardless of this, I still thoroughly enjoyed this book as the author weaves a compelling story that readers won’t be able to put down!

I devoured this book! Not often I read one as quickly as this but it was so well written, the characters well drawn and I couldn’t quite figure out what had happened with the babies!
The legal intricacies didn’t come into play until the very end. The story was all about the characters and you find out how things all link together near the end,
Highly recommended.