Cry warning. This book caused my husband to ask me why I never read happy books while I sat on the couch next to him with tears streaming down my face. This in an incredibly paced whodunit with a twist so tragic its almost unbelievable. It doesn't really even classify as a twist, since it's revealed almost immediately, but it's so incredibly sad. Abigail Knight chose not to have an abortion as a young woman after getting pregnant by a man aspiring to be a politician one day. She's been terrified of what he'd do if he ever found out. Her daughter Olivia runs into her doppelganger one day at University meet and greets and begins a search to find out if this girls father is perhaps hers. This ends in tragedy, but who's the culprit? The madcap politician? His crazy possessive daughter? The young man she's been secretly dating who left her pregnant, or the boy she was previously dating who she messily didn't really break it off with at the beginning of the summer? Or the mean girl best friend who's the sister of the new love in her life and the father of her unborn child? It's a twisty, exciting tale, but one that left me sobbing at the end as it deals with grief, mental illness, and domestic violence in relationships. Absolutely fantastic read.

From Amazon.com

A search for the truth. A lifetime of lies.

In the small hours of the morning, Abi Knight is startled awake by the phone call no mother ever wants to get: her teenage daughter Olivia has fallen off a bridge. Not only is Olivia brain dead, she’s pregnant and must remain on life support to keep her baby alive. And then Abi sees the angry bruises circling Olivia’s wrists.

When the police unexpectedly rule Olivia’s fall an accident, Abi decides to find out what really happened that night. Heartbroken and grieving, she unravels the threads of her daughter’s life. Was Olivia’s fall an accident? Or something far more sinister?

A phone call no mother or father or anyone should ever get. It’s like that knock on the door at 2 A.M. and your sound asleep as you stumble to the door and open and find two police officers at your door. This book will make you stop breathing and will hold you breathless until the end. I read the book in 2 days. I could not stop reading it.

The fight that Olivia has ahead of her and the fight that Abi Knight has for herself and her daughter and she searches for the truth or whatever the truth is. Twists and turns and lies. Who do you believe and and who is lying? Those will be your questions you will face on every page.

The book is being released on February 5, 2019. If there is one book to read about a mother fighting for her daughter, The Night Olivia Fell is the one to read this year. Enjoy.

The review is completely in my words. No one has told me what feel or say about the book. I have included what the book is about above that I retrieved from http://www.amazon.com.

Christina McDonald's THE NIGHT OLIVIA FELL was a difficult read for me as a mother of daughters; that said, I could not put it down. I was invested in Abi's pain and her journey of dealing with the loss of her daughter.

Ms. McDonald has taken a family's tragedy and created a story that is as uplifting at times as it is painful.. This book is full of believable and relate-able characters.

Abi is given the news her sixteen year old daughter has fallen from a bridge, is brain dead and pregnant. Her world is rocked off it's axis. She needs to know what happened and she intends to find out though she is presented with many obstacles including her own past.

The reader takes a journey with Abi, a journey of learning to trust, of acceptance and of the new life presented to her in the face of tragedy.

I enjoyed every page of Ms. McDonald's lovely writing style. I will most definitely be looking for her next offering.

Wowzers on this book. For me, it was so hard to put this book down and when I got to the end I got the damn feels. I literally was crying with tears pouring down my face. Thank goodness I was at home and out in public, I can just imagine what I looked like crying over a book.

Now I am going to go with a five-star review but I just hope that the author uses capitalization at the beginning of each chapter before the book is published.

Olivia is a good teenager yet we can see how she feels that she is being suffocated by her mom who just wants what is best for her. Olivia learns why her mom is the way she is towards her yet, it may be too late. She is dealing with all this plus trying to keep her secrets under wrap especially from her best friend.

I could relate to Olivia's mom and see how she wanted the best for her daughter and pushed her to strive for better. My heart went out to Abi as she learned how to be a mom when her own mom wasn't there for her. Secrets will come out and though they may not be for the best, lying will not make it better.

We go back and forth between the past and present to find out what really happened to Olivia and what is going on in her life building it all up. The author did a great job with this. I was not confused at all with the timeline.

I honestly wish I could write more but I feel like I would be giving away the storyline. I thought about 15% in I had it all figured out but when I started getting deeper into the book I was proven wrong. I love when books do that to you, this is an author I will be looking to read more from.

I wanted to love this book, but it was just average. I found the book to be unoriginal and very similar to both Reconstructing Amelia and Everything You Want Me To Be. Maybe if I hadn’t read both of these, I would have enjoyed the book more. I found the plot to be extremely predictable and not much character development.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Christina McDonald for the ARC and the opportunity to review this book.

Phone calls in the middle of the night are never a good thing. And for Abi Knight the phone call turns out to be the news every parent dreads receiving. Her daughter, Olivia, has been in an accident. She was found at the bottom of a bridge, bruised and broken.

The doctors say she is brain-dead and must remain on life support until her baby is further along. Baby? How could she not know her daughter was pregnant? And why are there bruises on her wrists?

The police may have ruled this an accident but Abi will go to hell and back to find out who did this to her daughter. And in doing so secrets are exposed, lives will never be the same.

Told with Olivia's voice from the months leading up to her supposed accident and Abi's voice in current time with some bad past secrets coming to light as well. And when you start spilling secrets, not everyone is on board.

This was one of the most heartbreaking and suspenseful books I've read in a while. I kept going back and forth with the characters. None of them were all bad or all good. They were your neighbors and their teenagers, people you've known all your life and yet how much do you really know your own family? We think we are protecting them but the secrets and lies always come to light and it always is painful. 

This story will grab your heart and won't let go until the last page. And even then, I still had hope.

Very Well Done!

Netgalley/February 5th 2019 by Gallery Books

The beginning of the book felt predictable and the conversations felt forced, but I was intrigued by the mystery at the center of the book and really wanted to know what happened to Olivia. As the book went on I realized that I felt the each character introduced was OBVIOUSLY the murderer, but then I realized they can't all be the murder. At this point I was captivated. This is a great beach read, which I did do; read it at the beach in one sitting.

This was a great book! Many times I thought I had everything figured out, and there was yet another twist thrown in. It was very well written and held my attention the entire time!

I enjoyed The Night Olivia Fell. A mother’s worst nightmare but her will and determination for justice all collide in this light suspenseful drama, that kept me on the edge of my seat . The ending was so depressing even though I knew what was coming.

I could not put this book down - several times I thought I knew the ending and just had to keep reading to see if I was right - the characters were so likeable (even the ones not meant to be) - this author takes you straight to the heart of the characters and you see the story through multiple lenses - looking forward to more by this author

I truly enjoyed this book. I was a little concerned at first because it goes back and forth between Mom and Olivia telling the story but I was pleasantly surprised on how easily it flowed. I found the story heartbreaking and also heartwarming if that makes sense. I will look for more by this author and recommend this book to others. It was definitely worth the read!!!

“Whatever, whatever. I’m here forever”

4.5 ⭐️ Stars for this read. I could not put down this book. Make sure you have tissues handy, and don’t finish reading it around anyone! The characters are relatable, flawed and real.

Abi is a single Mom to 17 yo Olivia. She is keeping a secret, thinking she is doing the best thing in protecting Olivia. Olivia is for all purposes, a normal 17 yo girl. But she has questions she needs answered. She unexpectedly meets her ‘double’ randomly and a lot of her questions come to surface. As the mom of a 17 yo daughter, I can so relate to the mother/daughter dynamics, and the school drama. When Abi gets THE phone call no parent ever wants, it sets her world spiraling.

Although, I found some parts of the story predictable, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the author’s writing. This book is so much more than just a mystery, it’s a love story...between mother/daughter, sisters, and young love. The ending ripped my heart out!

Thanks to the Publisher and NetGalley got this digital ARC. Opinion is my one. I look forward to reading this author again.

Thank you to Gallery Books and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

This was a great, page-turning novel. It's a heartbreaking drama and a thriller at the same time. You know from the first pages that a 17-year old girl has fallen off the bridge and there was foul play involved. Her mother is on a quest to discover the truth, though the police seem to have written her and her daughter off. The daughter lies in a hospital, brain-dead, but kept on life support because it's discovered that she's also pregnant--which no one seemed to know.

There's a sizable cast of characters who could be guilty. I liked how the reader was able to see multiple possible resolutions for this case. You have to keep reading to see which one is correct. I also found it chilling that this young girl led a pretty perfect life: a straight-A student athlete, no drinking or drugs, close to her mother, followed all the rules. And yet we find a number of people who could have wanted her gone for various personal reasons. It reminds you that no matter what you do, you can't escape your fate and there's no prescription for how to lead a perfect life. And that's rather scary.

There were a few places in the novel that were less than perfect: a couple coincidences that I think would have been better re-worked and some suspect police procedures that seem hard to believe would have really taken place the way they did. But overall, this is a great read, full of mystery and intrigue as well as an examination of relationships between parents and children (especially mothers and daughters) and how hard it is to always do the right thing. Highly recommend.

Olivia's mom received a call notifying her that her daughter was in an accident. When she arrives at the hospital, she finds that Olivia is on life support with no brain function. She is also informed that Olivia is pregnant. With her world shattered, she tries to find out the truth about how Olivia fell and discover who is the baby's father.

This book is told through alternating viewpoints in the past and the present. The ending was rather predictable, but I still enjoyed the story.

I received this book through Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Netgalley.com, to Gallery Threshold Pocket books, and to Christina McDonald for this opportunity.

4 stars

I would call this one a domestic drama or domestic mystery novel with a healthy dose of YA. Though not categorized in either of of my top two genres, I requested it from Net Galley based on all the great reviews. It was the right move.

The Night Olivia Fell is an impressive debut adult novel by author Christina McDonald. Olivia has died (not a spoiler—it’s in the blurb). Was it an accident as the police quickly rule or was there something more sinister at play? It’s up to Abi, Olivia’s protective, introverted mother to determine what happened, as the police do not seem interested in the case.

The story is told from the alternating perspectives of Olivia in the months leading up to her death and Abi in present time. The novel features an excellent twisty plot filled with intrigue and emotion. As the story unfolded I became more and more immersed. I have not often used the word “beautiful” to describe a mystery novel, but it is befitting in this case. We see how far a mother will go to protect her child, attain justice for what happens, and how to let go. Watching Abi evolve was almost as compelling as the mystery itself. The penultimate chapter and the touching epilogue brought tears to my eyes. The author leaves us feeling inspired and hopeful.

In the crowded field of domestic drama stories, I believe this is one worth seeking out. Highly recommended for everyone.

Many thanks to Net Galley, Gallery Books, and Ms. Christina McDonald for an advanced copy of the book. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.

The Night Olivia Fell is a fast, easy read with a gorgeous cover. It is also utterly predictable.

It does have a really interesting premise: Abi's seventeen year old daughter, Olivia, is pronounced brain dead upon arrival after a late night mysterious fall from a bridge. Abi, whose entire life revolves around Olivia, is shattered by this--and then, just after she's told of her daughter's death, she finds out that Olivia is pregnant.

So...what happened to Olivia? Immediately, Abi realizes that what happened to Olivia was no accident, and then it becomes a question of who made Olivia fall? And why?

The cast/suspects are predictable; the male characters are all handsome helpers or possible/probable monsters. Female characters fare little better: the adult women are all devoted mothers or you know, not devoted mothers, the teen ones all have Issues. Everything is very, very urgent and supposed to be tension filled, but the plot is sadly as predictable as the characters, right down to the final "showdown" and misty-eyed epilogue.

Olivia is the most interesting character in the book--the problems she wrestles with are a little more nuanced and the dilemmas she faces, while overlaid with the frantic edge of "This is Drama!!" work because Olivia is a seventeen year old dealing with all the drama that leads to her supposed fall.

Having said all this, I do think that Christina McDonald has promise-the plot might be obvious, but it isn't ridiculous, and with more balanced characters this would have been a much more compelling read.

Oh my goodness, YES and FINALLY! Yes, this is a must read and finally for a book that is truly great from start to finish. It is hard to believe that this is a debut novel as it really has every element of a great read that you need. The plot is gripping and I found myself emotionally connected to the story and the characters.. Each character was beautifully portrayed and realistic. It is also refreshing to read a book where the alternating perspectives of storytelling do not become complicated or confusing.

As a mother, I found the relationship and story between Olivia and her mother beautiful, tender, and heart wrenching. And the journey to the conclusion of the story was exciting, gripping, and emotional. You will not be able to put this one down!

Thanks NetGalley and Gallery Books....amazing!

Positives - short chapters with alternating points of view were really effective for pushing the narrative forward, making for a compelling read. Overall the plot/mystery was attention-grabbing and downright heartbreaking.
However, the dialogue was juvenile between both adults and teenagers, and I had real issues with the Abi character- she was full of nonsensical contradictions, and while I'm all for an unsympathetic narrator, I'm not sure it was intended with Abi - sometimes, she'd jump to insane conclusions out of nowhere, and other times, she would be utterly dense - potential spoiler warning - how is she the ultimate helicopter mom yet doesn't know her daughters' boyfriend's last name?!!?!? Overall, the lack of depth or motivation to each character (i.e., why is Madison so pathologically jealous- because both her parents work?) and the constant lying and misunderstandings between characters was more reminiscent of a 70's sitcom than a compelling plot device, and got tedious after a while. I was definitely motivated to see it through to the conclusion, which was a little too rushed, and somewhat force-fed, though the last few pages were quite beautifully done. Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to preview this book in exchange for my honest review.

Emotionally charged and sharply written with suspenseful twists and turns, Christina McDonald’s debut THE NIGHT OLIVIA FELL is a winner out-of-the-gate! A complex, heart-wrenching tale, resonates Jodi Picoult, Diane Chamberlain, Karen White, Heather Gudenkauf, and Sally Hepworth caliber, with a story-line that could be ripped from today's headlines. Dark family secrets are unraveled!

This intense domestic suspense will grab you by the heart from the first page to the last. Prime for book-to-movie adaptation (we can only hope) while we anxiously await the next book from this newfound talented author.

"How far will a mother go to find the truth and justice for her daughter?" They said it was an accident. Her mother knows they’re lying. But the truth comes with a price…

Set in the fictional town of Portage Point, Washington, we meet Abi Knight— a single mom who works hard and guards her daughter like a mother hen. Possessive at times, she wants to keep her teenage daughter, Olivia safe and offer her the best.

She and her daughter are incredibly close. However, what lies stand between mother and daughter recently? Each seems to be hiding their own family secrets.

When Abi receives the phone call (every parent dreads), that her teenage daughter Olivia has been injured, she is scared and upset. There has been an accident. A suspicious fall from a bridge.

Furthermore, Olivia is now brain dead and must remain on life support, because her daughter is pregnant. She has suffered permanent and irreversible brain damage.

Pregnant? How could this be? How could a mother with a close relationship with her daughter not know she was pregnant. She would be a grandmother. Who is the father?

With all the shock of Olivia’s fall from a bridge, she also discovers this may not have been an accident. There will be a police investigation. Due to the bruises on her wrists, it appears there was a struggle. Could someone intentionally pushed her to her death?

What was the motive? Is there something more sinister at play? She was found at the bottom of an embankment near the ZigZag Bridge. Who would want to do her daughter harm?

The author slowly unravels the past of Abi and why she is so protective. We also hear from Olivia and the events leading up to the fall.

Abi: “The thought came fast, an ugly surprise. I set my teeth against it. I’d worried for so long that all the lies I kept hidden on the dark side of my heart would one day be washed into the open. These lies, my past, kept me always on guard.”

Olivia had always been a natural child sunny and sweet, an easy teenager. She was not a party gal. She was a straight-A student. However, lately the events leading up to the accident, thinking back, she had seemed distracted, temperamental, and irritable.

Olivia: “A dark horror slid into my heart. I’d always trusted my mom. Trusted everything she said, obeyed everything she told me to do. I’d never thought twice about questioning her. But now I felt that trust disappearing like evaporating mist. If she could lie to me about something fundamental as this, what else had she kept from me?"

Abi knew Olivia had questions about her real father. However, it was too risky to come clean with this information. Little does Abi know, Olivia has discovered things on her own about her father. Things which could prove very dangerous.

Abi searches desperately for clues.

Could it be the father of the baby or someone from Abi’s past who has harmed her daughter? Did Olivia know too much? Who wants to guard their secret? The silver charm bracelet Olivia always wore was gone. In its place was a string of black and purple bruises.

Written with compassion and lyrical prose, an acutely observed family drama of the devastating lies, secrets, and truths of a mother and daughter relationship—combined with bone-chilling mystery suspense. A heart-rendering and compelling tale of motherhood and loss, of grief and hope, and resilience. I loved this book!

I enjoyed the balance between mystery and heart. Emotional and moving. In today’s world, with all the violence and unrest, it is nice to add a bit of heart and soul which keeps readers coming back for more. The best-laid plans and the extreme risks people take to save those they genuinely care about may not always prove to be the best.

For fans of Lisa Jewell, Heather Gudenkauf, Sally Hepworth, Karen White, Jodi Picoult, and Diane Chamberlain (some of my favorites)! Highly recommend. My Top Books of 2019 list and Feb Top Books List.

A special thank you to #GalleryBooks and #NetGalley for an advanced reading copy of #TheNightOliviaFell

Upcoming

JANUARY
Stay tuned for a book giveaway contest (1 of 1) autographed print copy of THE NIGHT OLIVIA FELL coming January 2019. US only.

FEBRUARY
An exclusive behind the scenes Q&A Elevator Interview with the exciting debut author, Christina McDonald, coming February 2019.

My Initial thoughts after reading:

5 Stars +++ What makes this novel DYNAMITE is the powerful human and emotional, psychological mother/daughter side which will bring tears to your eyes. Stunning and beautifully written which does not read like a debut.

The setting is very atmospheric! On a personal note, I LOVE the Puget Sound area setting and have many fond memories I will cherish for years to come. I have visited many times and one of my favorite cities. From the charming bed and breakfast inns in Seattle, Pike Place markets to the romantic and quaint cottages by the sea in Puget Sound plus the historic area of Snohomish, WA with its great antique shops. (attended a beautiful farm wedding there recently).

I have no words and am stunned. Christina: You are one talented lady, and when this hits the shelves it will be a New York Times bestseller, I have no doubt.

In the meantime readers, get this gem on your pre-order list. Bloggers, a must ARC #Netgalley request! It hits all cylinders and everything I love in a good book. So excited to tell everyone about this newfound author!

The story begins with Olivia’s fall, and it takes us forward from that moment, but also takes us back into the layers of the story. Chapter by chapter..... one dedicated to Olivia’s story, and the next to Abi, her mother. Its always been just Olivia and her mom, who has always said her dad was dead. But then Olivia notices some of the things her mom has said don’t match up....so what is the truth? Thus starts a change in Olivia as she starts to try to unravel the facts, and into a danger zone that she is unaware of....who does she trust and believe....as she loses the trust she has always had in her mom. Is her father who she thinks it is? Abi wants to know why the police aren’t investigating like they should be......and so she starts tracing Olivia’s actions herself in order to find out who wanted to harm her daughter? I loved this book, and it brought me to tears. The story is heartbreaking when following the journey’s of both Olivia and Abi to the tragic results. Definitely recommend this book to other readers. I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley, the author and publisher in return for an honest review of this book, which this was.