I am thankful that I read the author's second book first, because had I read this one first, I would have missed the fabulous second one. I did not like this book and would have ignored her second one. This book had none of the suspense and intrigue that her second book had. There were many loose ends and improbable scenarios. All the sightings of Sarah with Emma and none of the police could put two and two together? I did, however, like the back and forth between past and during. It enabled the reader to get a better picture, especially of Amy's and Sarah's background, allowing us to more understand the roots of their behaviors. The story kept me entertained, but I was hugely disappointed in the ending. What was the purpose of Sarah's reacquaintance with her mother? That left us hanging, having no idea if anything ever came of it. Also, what happened to Sarah's father? Did he, or anyone in her life, know about what she did? Where were Sarah and Emma living at the end of the story? One line led me to believe they were still constantly on the run, but that in itself was too unbelievable and lacked a realism that would have been appropriate to the story as it unfolded. What happened to her employees? I understand that is a very minor part of the story, but the author spent a lot of time on them, and then....nothing. The relationship with Ryan and Charlie fizzled in the same way. Amy's decision to let Sarah have Emma was not a surprise, but that too left us hanging. What did Amy tell the police and her husband? Too many loose ends to rave about this book. At best, it was entertaining, kept my interest, and gave me something to do for a few hours. But it was very disappointing at the end.

Not Her Daughter is a brilliant "what would you do" scenario. I was pulled in from the first page! Rea Frey's debut is a must read!

I heard this was written sort of on a dare and with a tight deadline ... not sure if it's true or not. In parts, it seems perhaps it was rushed. But I enjoyed it nonetheless. I like to be pulled along and guided by the author and I let Rea Frey take me a long on this story.

Found this book hard to get into at the beginning but once they started flipping between the two women I was hooked. Loved how connected you felt to both characters and even though you might not agree with either on them you could understand part of their situation.

Not Her Daughter – Rea Frey

Although I had read the synopsis and knowing that this was another child kidnap plot I was still a little hesitant. It didn’t stop me from curling up and enjoying it over a couple of sittings.

Amy appears to be a stressed out young mum of two toddlers, she hates her life and her bad mood is bubbling along in the background often being directed at Emma. Initially Sarah sees her ‘mistreating’ Emma but chooses to walk away. A few months later there is another chance meeting and has a sudden crazy idea to take Emma.

Following the abduction we learn things about each of the women, things that in my humble opinion lean towards both women being a sandwich short of a picnic. Sarah can’t quite believe she’s done it but damn she’s excited and she’s sure that Emma will have a better and safer life with her. Whereas Amy isn’t sure if she even wants Emma back as then people will find out her parenting skills or lack of them I should say.

Driving around the country avoiding capture Sarah teaches
This is the first novel I’ve read from the author and on the back of this I will definitely look for others.

Read for an honest review. Thank you Netgalley and St Martins Press, St Martins Griffin.

I found this quite a hard read. Very sad in parts and I was often frustrated by the characters actions in the book. I was very glad a finished it though as it was well written

This was a book that I did not see coming. I struggle with plot lines that have me hating the characters, and unfortunately this was one of them. I did not connect with any of the main players, and I often felt like the story felt short in some places. It was definitely a thriller with some twists thrown in, but I definitely feel like it needed to be developed a bit more.

Not your typical kidnapping novel! I kept waiting for the moment that this would turn shallow and predictable. It did not. This is a complex and deep plot driven novel--definitely worth a read. Looking forward to more from this author. Thank you NetGalley and publishers for providing a digital copy of this book for review.

This book. Once I started it I couldn't put it down. It just pulls you in. Great story. Highly recommend.

The cover and synopsis instantly grabbed my attention, but unfortunately, this didn't cut it for me. Interesting premise, but I was very disappointed by the amount of language from page one.

4 compelling stars

Not her daughter is a heart wrenching, gripping complicated saga book that will have you thinking about right and wrong for days after you finish it. This is a very different approach to what could have been a cliche.. Rea Frey debuts is riveting and brilliant.

Symptoms

Emma Townsend is 5-years old beautiful girl. But Emma lives her life with a perpetually angry mother and barely there father. One night Emma’s mother gets so angry, she leaves Emma out in the yard. And then Emma goes missing…

Outwardly, Sarah Walker has it all but actually she's struggling. Sarah’s mother was emotionally abusive before abandoning her. Sarah is so filled with love to give, if only someone will be there to accept it.
And then one night Emma Townsend fatefully enters Sarah’s life. And Sarah does the unthinkable. She runs with

With a nationwide-search underway, Emma’s mother Amy questions whether she really wants Emma back. Meanwhile, Sarah must keep running if she’s going to save the most sought-after girl in the country. What will win, Sarah’s heart or her mind?

Review

This may sound familiar but trust me it's not. when you read this, you will find yourself questioning all your ethical boundaries.
With characters like Sara and Amy, it would have been very easy to let them become unsympathetic. Instead I found myself thinking what I would do in their shoes pretty often.
The author does a brilliant job of developing the characters and keeping the reader hooked on to the story. The prose flows beautifully. All in all, definitely go for it.

I know it is fiction, but the pure implausibility of the events and some of the character's in this book took away all ability to enjoy it.

Thanks to Net Galley and St Martin’s Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for a review.
First book i’v read by this author and it is certainly a page turner and thought provoking.
Being a mother is a big job, often hard and trying. Sarah is recovering from having her heart broken, she has her own company and is a strong independent woman, she snatches 5 year old Emma, after having watched her mother several times being cruel to her. It makes her remember her own childhood, fighting for her mothers attention and then finally being abandoned by her.
She loves Emma, she is saving her from her own mother Amy who is unhappy and has no time or love for Emma.
It’s a roller coaster ride as they move from one place to another, with Sarah constantly checking the internet for updates on the missing five year old.
The story is told in the past and present by Amy and Sarah. Amy certainly has her faults, Sarah is more caring and loving but she has kidnapped a child What will Sarah do, she knows in her heart she shoul return Emma to her family.
Super read. 4,5 stars.

~Sarah is the unexpected kidnapper.

~Amy is the struggling mother.

~Emma is the little girl with the red bow and shoes.

What would you do if you saw a child in need of help?

That’s the question that Sarah asked herself.
Do I really want my child back?

That’s the question that Amy asked herself.
I loved how the book went back and forth from between Sarah and Amy. Then it also went back and forth between before, after and now. It gives you the really good idea of what lead up to the kidnapping and how the characters made the decisions that they made.

You are on the edge of your seat the whole time and you wonder if Sarah is going to get caught or if she will actually get away with it.

You wonder what Amy is really going through and if she really wants Emma back or if just her husband does.

Somethings that I thought were left undeveloped was Sarah’s mom and childhood. You get a little peek at it through the book but you really don’t know!

I would love a sequel!

5 out of 5 stars!

DNF- I'm not really fond of this author's writing style or the way she body shames, and the crude, offensive descriptive way she does it. It really irks me that Sarah is slim, successful, absolutely beautiful and has her shit together. While Amy is fat, slumpy, uglier than sin (if you go by the authors descriptions), and no where close to having her shit together. As if the beautiful elite can't be child abusers as well. Seriously, the body shaming in this book is over the top and ruins it for me. At one point, she describes Amy's knees exploding like a can of dough from walking to the woods. Was that really necessary or called for?!

Any way, thanks for the opportunity but I'll be passing up on this author in the future.

I would give this book 0 stars but Netgally makes you rate.

I liked this story but I think it's a little unrealistic. When a kidnapping occurs it seems law enforcement goes all out. Sarah "rescues" Emma from what she feels is an unfit mother and maybe Amy is but there are many agencies that can help children. Coming from a law enforcement background I guess I look at this story a little differently than some. This is an emotional story and will tug at your heartstrings. Everyone is likable and no one is a terrible villain. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

In <I>Not Her Daughter</I> we are introduced to Sarah, a career woman who knows what it feels like to be a neglected and unloved child, and Amy, a mom who is so overstressed that she cannot control her fatigue and frustration so much that it turns into anger.

Sarah witnesses multiple times that abuse Amy bestows upon her 5 year old daughter Emma and decides to take matters into her own hands. Is Sarah in the right because she is protecting Emma from a life of neglect?

I had mixed emotions while reading this book. It started off really strong. I found the changes in points of view intriguing. Reading about Sarah's background and her incidental experiences crossing paths with Emma and her family in a voyeuristic way told a really interesting perspective. Understanding Amy's deplorable behavior made her seem a little more human. It made what is an awful situation seem almost forgiving. But ultimately, we have a story about a kidnapping. It's an ethical dilemma. And no matter how many explanations are given as to why Emma may be better off, does it still make it right?

The intriguing factor slowly starts to fade away the more Sarah gets herself into situations in public places. The holes in the story started to wreak a little bit of havoc on my common sense sensors. As much as I felt completely invested in the beginning of the book, I wanted it to end quickly by the halfway mark unfortunately.

This was my first time reading this author and this story had my attention from beginning to the very end. Let me start out by saying I always felt that not all women are meant to be mothers. Society has set the standard that if we don’t have kids, we aren’t fulfilling are destiny as women and helping the human race to go on. This book is a perfect example of how hard motherhood is and how some women are just not cut out to be mothers.

Amy is unhappily married with two kids. A daughter named Emma and baby boy. Amy and Emma don’t have your typical mother/daughter relationship and you can clearly tell Amy isn’t cut out for motherhood. Why she had children is beyond my guess but I digress.

Sarah is single and childless and has her own issues stemmed from her childhood. Sarah is a good person with a good heart and I can understand her actions.


As the story progresses I felt myself sympathizing with Sarah and to my surprise Amy as well. I don’t want to spoil anything but I can somewhat understand why she is the way she is and she isn’t the monster I thought.

I was in a horrible book funk and this book took me by surprise! So many twist and turns and revelations. Even as the book came to a close my heart was in my throat as I read. I had no idea how things would play out and I’m happy with the outcome for all parties.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to preview this ARC of Not Her Daughter.

*Within this review there may be spoilers, proceed with caution.*

Nope nope nope, couldn't stand this one. I don't know if I have ever rolled my eyes at a book more than I did with this one. Not only was it not even a little believable, it was overly dramatic, sanctimonious drivel. I really hoped it would get better, but it never did.

Sarah is beautiful, successful, and absolute drama queen, and apparently without ethics at all. After witnessing a young girl, Emma, being mistreated twice by her mother, she does what every totally sane person does and calls CPS. Oh wait, no she doesn't, she freaking abducts her. Rips five year old Emma right out of her dysfunction, yet familiar life, and takes it upon herself to do what she thinks it the right thing. Granted the "right thing" does involve cutting and dying a five year old's hair, running from the law, and robbing even more stability from this young girl, but I digress. And the worst part? We are supposed to be rooting for Sarah? Send her to jail! She kidnapped a kid! Here are some other major issues I had with this story:

Every single person in her life, except maybe her ex-boyfriend, is a moron. Even the cops. She completely falls off the grid, makes up the most BS excuses for walking away from her high powered job, changes her appearance, blames it on boy probs and no one bats an eye. Only her ex calls the cops on her, to her utter outrage and dismay, and STILL, she is never heavily pursued.

Also, they offered the perspective of the Emma's mother Amy, who is also a career woman, but unlike our perfect vigilante Sarah, an absolute wreck. She's overweight, and burps (apparently fat burps qualifies you as a bad person), she totally hates being a mom, hates her husband, hates her life, actually finds calm amidst the abduction, and spends all her money discovering who she was in her past lives. She's the reason Emma got abducted because after slapping her, she locked her out of the house, leaving Super Sarah no choice but to claim her as her own. Here's the thing. Amy was not a good mom, and bad moms exist, but I am highly suspect of any story where the characters are SO black and white. And, even bad moms are loved and adored by their children, especially at that age, so to be kidnapped like that would be highly traumatic and do way more damage than good.

Let's talk about five year old Emma. Her mom hates her because she's so difficult. But of course once Sarah swoops in, suddenly she's the most perfectly behaved, well mannered, soft spoken angel baby with a waaaay too sophisticated vocabulary and ability to express her feelings that most 12 year olds.

I really can see the appeal of this book. Nothing is worse than seeing a child mistreated, and even I have sometimes wished I could swoop in and save a child from their parents. But it's completely naive, super harmful, and TOTALLY ILLEGAL. There is an ethical protocol that needs to be followed in those circumstance that ensure that the best interest of the child is being met. Maybe it's the social worker in me, but I just couldn't do this one.

I'd been saving this book for a quiet period to really focus on it and I was not disappointed. I was hooked from the very start as we follow Sarah, a young professional running a successful business and mourning a break-up. I loved how the book was structured, it takes a pro to weave a plot like this through different time points and view points from various characters. Despite some plot flaws that were not resolved by the end, this story was gripping, well written and had me constantly evaluating my morals.