Wow, the second part of this title alone warned me, so I knew it was coming, yet I still cried. It definitely is a tear-jerker. Actually, it’s not. It’s a lot more dramatic than a tear-jerker, it is a down and out sobbing worthy story. I became emotionally attached to these characters early on and I felt their emotions throughout their journey; I felt elation, sadness, grief, anguish, excitement, hope, confusion, hurt, anger, depression, love. Then I felt all of them all over again. Not My Daughter tells a story of a woman who wants nothing more than to be a mom, but fate has a different plan. Not to be told no, Millie decides to go forth with a plan that will help her achieve her ultimate dream. Was the result because she played with fate, with the future? Should she have left it alone and be motherless? So many questions ran through my mind but then I “met” Alice. I can see her blonde ringlet curls, her big joyous smile, her laid back and happy personality towards life... How can you question anything that helped bring her to life? How can you try to provide answers or reasons behind what is to come? You read the book and you, too, will have the same questions.

Milly and Matthew learn that they have fertility problems after trying so hard to create a baby of their own. Their dreams flounder and die and they are heartbroken. Milly was adopted and had always wanted a child of her own child and the strong bond of natural motherhood. Her dreams are totally shattered. Speaking to Anna, her best friend since childhood, she tells the sad news. It is a much needed release for Milly because she knows Anna will always be there for her. She is absolutely dumbstruck when, without any hesitation, Anna offers to donate her eggs so that Milly can realise her long-held dreams. She talks it over with Matt and he approaches his brother Jack and puts the question to Jack….will he donate his sperm so that their baby will have strong biological links to the family and Milly will experience the joy of birth, which she had always wanted. It is the best possible way to avoid a long wait and also provide the strongest biological links. The arrangements are made in a flurry of joy with everyone fully committed sure that nothing could possibly go wrong.
After a joyous conception and a tricky pregnancy, Baby Alice is born prematurely and Milly is devastated that she feels no maternal love. She is totally wiped out and doesn’t have the physical or mental resources to become the mother her longed for and precious daughter needs. She is suffering with postpartum depression and leaves Alice with Anna and Matt, sure that she will become stronger with meditation and rest and will soon be back at home caring for Alice. Milly is looked after in the home of her adoptive parents who have supported her unquestioningly throughout her life. But when she is well enough to return home she is shocked to see her baby has bonded with Anna and that Anna is a wonderful mother. It seems as if everything is crumbling before her very eyes and her perfect life as a wonderful and bonded mother are evaporating by the minute. Milly cannot see a clear and well defined future, but is determined to try her best for Matt and Alice, but her friendship with Anna is wrecked by a misunderstanding. The story moves forward five years and this part of the timeline is my favourite part of all.
This is an emotionally rich story about friendship, love, motherhood and genetics. It is beautifully written, absorbing and thought provoking. I was totally invested in the incredibly sad story and thought that the characters were true to life and relatable. I enjoy reading stories with dilemmas and human interest stories at heart and am a great fan of this very talented author. She delves deep into the human heart and writes with empathy and compassion. She introduces different points of view by every character. I love Kate’s stories and admire her flare and diversity. I was so happy that I was given the chance to read and review the superb novel which I received through my membership of NetGalley and from publisher Bookouture, all in return for an honest review. This is my 4.5* review. This is a very readable, heart-warming and unforgettable novel. All the opinions are my own, uninfluenced thoughts. I recommend this novel as a very captivating read in the Women’s Fiction genre.

Kate does it again, an addictive family drama, such easy reading that I just couldn't put down and it held my interest from the very beginning and I loved all the characters each in their own way.

I especially enjoyed the different chapters between Anna and Milly, it was just simply a fantastic book which I can thoroughly recommend.

Well done Kate I just can't get enough of your books and a very worthy five stars.

Absolutely loved this book, it was great the way it switched between anna and milly and got both perspectives. The ending was fantastic, it wasn't the "norm" which i relished. Kate Hewitt will now be an author i will look out for.

What an emotional read!

Not My Daughter centers around best friends Milly and Alice who have been through thick and thin with each other. When Milly finds out the devastating news that she won’t be able to have children, Alice without hesitation offers to become a donor! Milly’s brother-in-law, Jack, also agrees to become a donor and Milly starts to begin to think her dream of motherhood will actually come to fruition! Everything is going swimmingly...until it’s not!!!

Kate Hewitt has a gift for writing the most addictive books! Not My Daughter is a novel the will stay with you long after you finish! Throughout the novel Milly and Alice tackle several major hurdles which I feel makes this novel so incredibly relatable—even if you personally haven’t been through any of these situations, you will absolutely know someone who has. Not My Daughter is a 5 star novel that will grab your whole heart! This is a novel you won’t want to miss!

Thank you Bookouture and Net Galley for an early copy of Not My Daughter. It was a Good book, I felt the emotions of one of the characters very much. The book tried to be heart breaking but I didn't feel that it was. An easy and fast read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for an ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review. Your best friend can't have a baby, but wants to carry one more than anything in the world. A simple offer turns into every single thing that could go wrong happening. This book is both frustrating, current and heartbreaking....all at the same time. I don't want to give away any spoilers, so I'm being vague, but trust me on this: this book is one you don't want to miss. I felt like I knew these characters.

Milly was made to be a mother. She has dreamed of it for years, and so she and her husband Matt are told that fertility problems have put an end to that dream she is heartbroken. Until Anna steps in.

Anna and Milly have been friends since childhood. Nothing could tear them apart. And so when Anna offers to donate her eggs (fertilised by Matt's brother Jack), of course they accept. They dream of raising their child as a huge extended family, surrounded by those who love her. But they have no idea of the devastation heading their way.

As soon as I saw comparisons to Jodi Picoult and Diane Chamberlain, I knew I had to read this book. They are two of my favourite authors, and while the subjects of their novels can sometimes be difficult, they are always worth it. And that is exactly what I felt about this book.

There are two main sections to 'Not My Daughter' - the first which follows the conception, and later Alice's birth, and the second, which picks up again five years later. I won't talk too much about the first section, as there isn't any reference to it in the book synopsis, and I hate to give away a spoiler! All I will say is that the complexities of the situation are written in a truly beautiful, insightful way.

However, I do feel able to mention the later section of the book, as the synopsis references Alice receiving a heartbreaking diagnosis. Again, I won't say too much in terms of specifics, but I will say that, having read several books with a similarish plot, 'Not My Daughter' really stands out in terms of how well it is written, and how such an emotive, raw situation can also be turned into something kind of beautiful.

I loved the alternative chapters, as it was really useful to get insight into both Anna and Milly's perspectives. I also loved the fact that the complexities of the situation weren't glossed over as they often can be - it gives a very real, very honest account of the challenges faced by both women right from the start of their journey.

I loved how well written Alice's problems were. Again, it was real, and brutal, and heartbreaking, but it was honest, which made it all the most devastating to read.

Most of all, I loved the ending. I loved the fact that this awful situation wasn't the be all and end all. I loved that it showed having hardship and trauma and unfairness heaped upon you doesn't have to be to the defining aspect of your life. For me, Milly summed up the surprisingly uplifting tone of the book particularly well:

'And that's the decision we have to made every day. Every second. To let something good emerge, out of the bad. Out of the unimaginable.'



Disclaimer: I was provided with a copy of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This has not influenced this review, and all opinions are honest and my own.

Milly can't have children and its devastating to both her and her husband who only wanted to be parents,
so as a last ditch effort she decides to go the route of a surrogate, but where to start and who will she pick. Much to Milly's surprise, after hearing about what is happening, her best friend Anna, decides to step up and take on that major position for her. Thing's couldn't be better Milly gets the child she's always dreamed of and with her brother in law donating as well the child is almost biologically theirs as well, Things couldn't go wrong, or can then? I really enjoyed this story because its not something that is written about in most literature, surrogacy. The only thing I didn't like about this story was the point of view change with each chapter. I understand why it was written that way, to give the reader inside on both sides of the situation however it was a little confusing and jarring sometimes. On the other hand however the beautifully written story and the characters made the chance of views a little easier to take. I really enjoyed all of the main characters however I think that my favourite one would have to be Milly. I just really connected to her and the way that she was written made her, her friends, and her situation so realistic. This book was great and I would highly suggest it to anyone else. While this is the first book I've ever read by Kate Hewitt after the intense roller coaster ride of emotions this one put me on it sure won't be my last.

A sensitive and moving book dealing with emotions on all sides. Ideally enjoyed it and found it well written and heart breaking in equal measure.

Not my Daughter
Kate Hewitt

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An amazing and gut wrenching emotional story from Kate Hewitt
Milly longing for a child of her own is faced with the future that her and her husband Matt, might not get the chance to be parents. Matt’s brother Jack and Anna, offer to be donors .
This is a gripping story of tragedy and so powerful. An unforgettable and thought provoking story, I have ever read. Exceptional character building and so many twists. A well crafted contemporary novel. Hewitt skillful writing style is meaningful and moving. An emotional unforgettable book. I literally absorbed this book in one night. I beautiful written story of compelling motherly love.

Thanks for this complimentary copy for an honest review from NetGalley

All my opinions are my own

Not my daughter
This was an emotional book. For anyone who has known anyone or has gone through infertility themselves this book really captures the pain and the overwhelming desire to have a child regardless of the cost. In addition, for the friends and family members who have come along side on their journey, it is easy to understand how someone would want to help anyway they can for their dearest friend to have their hearts desire. But no one is prepared when a child is born and their mother has post-partum depression, and now the best friend is caring for their biological child, and all the emotions of that come to the surface.
I really appreciated the honesty in the characters emotions. I felt for Milly’s struggle to have a family. I understood Anna’s desire to help her dear friend. I could sympathize Matt’s protectiveness for his wife and daughter, and how easily he could cut Anna out of their lives. Will Milly and Anna’s friendship survive? Is it better to know your DNA donors or not?

I read Not My Daughter a few weeks after reading “Leaving Heaven” by Kathleen McCleary (October 2013). When I began reading it, I noticed similarities so I almost put this book down. I am so glad I didn’t! When the story began to unfold I was sucked in! I didn’t think I could like this book as much as “Leaving Heaven” but I was proven wrong. This book made me cry, laugh, and feel all sorts of emotions. It’s wonderful & I’d recommend it to anyone.

Anna’s hands tense on Alice and she hesitates. In that endless pause, I see all I need to know. She doesn’t want to give Alice to me – not now, and not ever. And part of me doesn’t even blame her…

Milly always dreamed of being a mother. Adopted herself, she has always imagined a powerful intimate connection with a child of her own. So when she and her husband Matt are told they can’t have children, her dreams are shattered.

But then their loved ones offer the ultimate gift – Milly’s best friend Anna and Matt’s brother Jack will be donors so that Milly can carry a child and finally have a chance to be a mother. And with everyone accepting and open, Milly believes that nothing could go wrong.

Except none of the four people involved are prepared for the feelings that will threaten their most important relationships as their precious, longed-for daughter Alice grows up and receives a heartbreaking diagnosis.

Then those who love her best will have to decide what it means to be a parent, and to make decisions with far-reaching and devastating consequences… for Alice, and for themselves.

This book had me crying so badly. It broke my heart, never has any book been able to just wipe me out with such gut-wrenching sadness. A book of love, loss, and loyalty. Just one book that stays with you, and in your thoughts. BEAUTIFULLY DONE Kate Hewitt..
Thank you, NetGalley for the advance copy.