When the publishers say this is heart wrenching, they aren’t kidding……oh my heart..

Told from the different points of view of three women and their differing circumstances, but all three have one thing in common, their children are no longer living with them…..

Rachel, did something awful and as a result, husband Mitchell has custody of their daughter, Becca….What could she have done that was so bad?

Viv, has a son who is in an institution and has been since a child…

Leona, had put her child up for adoption, but not as a baby….

The book follows these women’s emotional rollercoaster, their guilt and shame at the things they have done for, what they believed, was the best at the time…it covers emotive issues such as depression, autism and ultimately friendship, hope and love…..heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time. Wonderful writing by Ali Mercer…..

Thank you to Bookouture. The author and NetGalley for a free copy of the ebook in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.

Lost Daughter is a very touching story about being a mother. It tells the stories of Rachel, Leona, and Viv while alternating between the past and the present. There is love and loss. Anyone who has suffered from depression will understand the feelings of the main character, Rachel.

After a serious accident Rachel is left to only see her daughter once a week. She is devastated but also feels that everything is her fault. She becomes friends with Leona and Viv as she tries to put herself and her life back together.

It is a story of a mother's love for her child.

I look forward to reading more from Ali Mercer.

Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Literary Fiction
Women's Fiction
Release Date: May 14, 2019

This story was a slow burner for me, and I had no idea what Rachel had done that was so wrong (so wrong as to be asked to leave the house by her husband and daughter!) until two thirds through. When the truth came out, the irony was that she hadn't been the only one at fault. Her husband, Mitch, was not averse to using her own past against her (Rachel's father was abusive too) With all fingers pointing at her, was it any wonder she felt she was going crazy.

The story centred on three women who had each lost a child in one way or another - this wasn't a loss an in death though. The three ladies met as a group to support each other. The group's founder, Leona, had given her daughter up for adoption many years ago. Viv had given birth to a son with special needs at a time when it was common to place such children in an institution. (Viv, however, had maintained contact with her son, but didn't have the relationship with him that she would have wanted) And then there's Rachel, who was asked to leave the house by her husband AND daughter, and with whom her relationships were never the same again.

Few of the characters were actually likeable in this story, with only Viv & her son, Aidan, standing out from the start.
Rachel was hard to like at first because we just didn't get to know her completely, she seemed confused, needy, dramatic but by the end I rooted for her and so wanted her to be happy.
Her husband Mitch was by far NOT the perfect specimen of mankind he seemed to think he was.
Leona came across as nice and genuinely friendly at first, until it seemed she was really only trying to recreate what she had lost all those years ago. While her situation with her child, and her subsequent relationship worked out in the end, I'm not sure I would trust her.
Rachel's daughter, Becca reacted in a way that was the most understandable, reacting to what she knew - or thought she knew. She, like her mother, was misled too.
Viv proved to be a lovely, lovely lady who regretted her actions of the past and did her best to make up for it. Her relationship with Aidan was charming and sweet, motherly and yet fragile. She treated Rachel in much the same way, and was a great friend to her.

This wasn't as thrilling a read as I had initially expected from the blurb, but it was nonetheless fascinating and compelling in an altogether different way. It was more about the consequences of a single action on those involved, and how life can change dramatically in an instant. A thought-provoking read, looking at the fragility of relationships and how one wrong move can last a lifetime.

My first book by this author. It follows the lives of 3 women, Rachel, Leona and Viv. They are all very different women, but all have one thing in common in that they are all separated from a child. The story begins with Rachel and you can see that Rachel has done something bad which makes her (then) husband Mitchell decide it’s for the best if they separate and that he has custody of their daughter, Becca. Following on, she meets Leona and Viv through a counselling group for mothers who are separated from their children, and you get to discover that they are have very different reasons as to why they are separated from them.

The story began well and kept me in suspense throughout the book to discover what Rachel did that was so bad to be separated from her daughter. The story is told from different characters perspectives and their stories were built up well so you really get to know them as the book progresses. I love the friends’ relationships with each other and, whilst Rachel appeared initially hesitant, it was lovely to see her have the support and friendship that she so needed.

Whilst it comes across as a story from the thriller genre, for me it was also a book of self-discovery, friendships and relationships. It does have a good amount of suspense running all the way through it, particularly where Rachel’s husband was concerned! The characters were all likeable in their own way, with the exception of Mitchell who I just couldn’t connect with! The story twists and turns and was the kind of book that when you think you had it all worked out, it all changed again!

It made me sad, it made me angry and it also made me happy – it honestly took me through a rollercoaster of emotions!! Would definitely recommend, and I can’t wait for another book by this author!

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
Thanks NetGalley!

This is for sure an emotional read. The basis of the storyline is about three women who bond over the fact they do not have custody of their children. adoption, an institution and more. i'm so glad i got this book. i can't wait to read more by this author.

My first book by this author and that means you do not really know what to expect. It always add a bit to the exitement. :)

The story takes place now but the author treats us to flashbacks in order to make us understand everything better. 

It's not a thriller but that does not mean that there is no suspense in this book. You are eager to know what has lead to the situations the main characters are in at the moment.

Of course we are only human and we are bound to make mistakes. Who does not regret something they have done? But some mistakes have such an impact that the life as you knew it goes down the drain and it will be impossible to ever get it back.

On the other hand sometimes you are just a pawn in the game someone else plays. When they are too ashamed to admit it, it's you who gets the short end of the stick. 

Don't forget that what goes up, must come down sooner or later ..

.An emotional story about loss, love, friendship, lies and betrayal. 4 stars.

Thank you, Ali Mercer, Bookouture and Netgalley.

A beautifully writtwn domestic drama, sure to tug on your heartstrings and make you appreciate your relationships more . Will definitely read more book by this author.

This is a bit of a tear jerker which didn't actually make me cry but nearly did (and maybe I was being very brave!) It does have a happier ending that it could have been given so maybe the hope, the future and new beginnings are also what stopped this from being too heart-wrenching.
The book follows the lives of 3 very different women, all suffering from being separated from a child. Viv has a middle-aged son in an institution, Leona gave her daughter up for adoption, but not at birth. What on earth did she do that made her feel compelled to let her child go? And Rachel is tortured by living in a different house, only able to see her daughter once a week. She is riddled with guilt and shame. So, just what did SHE do to warrant this punishment?
A beautifully poignant story about the bonds that tie women together, the life that appears after loss and pain and the love that can bloom unexpectedly in other places.
My heartstrings were tugged on, I could palpably feel the anguish of the separations and I felt inspired by each woman who found a different way through what any mother would find so incredibly hard to bear. Viv, Leona and Rachel are very different characters but all 3 make you want to be their friend.
A book about women, for women. And because a lot of women like these reads our collective emotional intelligence just grows!

This story is amazing. So emotional and heart wrenching I found it to be very well written and will definitely be looking out for more from this author in the future.

One day a woman's life is fine. She's a wife and mother and happy. And the next something happens and she's thrown out of her own home. She's vilified. Her daughter lives with her ex-husband. And the woman's life seems empty and sad. I enjoyed this book. But it bothers me that still, in this day and age, women are judged far more harshly than men are when it comes to parenthood.

Rachel, Leona, and Viv have all lost custody of their children, each for a different reason. These three women come together to tell their stories- and those stories will tug at your heart. Rachel's husband (ick) took custody of her daughter Becca. Leona gave up a child for adoption and Viv's son has mental health issues that forced her to institutionalize him. How they deal with their problems will put you through some twist and turns but you'll never stop rooting for them, or for the kids. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

Something bad has happened. We don't know what, but it appears that Mitch and daughter Becca don't want mum Rachel around any more. She has no choice but to leave the family home and try to rebuild her life outside the family unit.

As you read, you can feel how heartbroken Rachel is, she clearly did whatever it was with the best interest of her family at heart but it has backfired on her, big style. Living alone in a grotty bedsit, Rachel reflects on events which led her here and wonders what exactly she did wrong. According to her husband it all lies in Rachel's head: she worked long hours in London with its associated commute leaving him to bring up their daughter - but that suited him didn't it? Being an artist who worked from home it made sense and brought in a regular income to keep a roof over their heads. Has she neglected family in being the breadwinner? And has this commitment affected her mental health as he suggests it has? With the support of her therapist Rachel slowly builds up her self confidence to tackle the issues which have floored her.

Finding a new job closer to home brings with it a new group of colleagues and some unexpected new friends - the last thing Rachel was expecting as her plan was to keep herself to herself, the judgment of outsiders is the last thing she needs. Her previous experience of close friendship has left her trusting very few people, but when workmate Leona invites her along to a group for absent parents to support one another she finds there a lovely lady named Viv, an older lady with a heart-wrenching story of her son who has special needs. They build up a very close bond so when Leona suddenly steps back from the support meetings Rachel is preoccupied with helping Viv in her hour of need.

Through various threads in the story we find out what really happened between Rachel and Mitch that fateful night - and the reader is not the only one to have their eyes opened to the facts. I am a great believer that the truth will always come out and with this in mind I was content with the way the book drew to a close.

I enjoyed this book as it tells the story of a broken family from the absent parent's point of view for a change - things aren't always what they seem from an outsider's perspective and this story shows that we should never judge anyone without knowing the full story. The person who steps away is not always the one who has done wrong.

I would like to express my thanks to the author Ali Mercer, publisher Bookouture and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book as part of the blog tour.

This is a story of Rachel Moran, nee Steele.
At the very beginning you find out that she has done something majorly wrong, to have become estranged from her painter husband, Mitchell Moran, and their daughter Becca.

She starts afresh with a new job, while on counselling, and meets Leona, a colleague.
Leona introduces her to Viv.
What do these three women have in common? Their children, who are not present in their lives. And that’s what gets these three women together.

Leona had a girl called Bluebell, whilst she was very young, who she gave up for adoption. The question is why? What had happened to make her give away her only child for adoption?
Viv’s first born, Aidan, had infant schizophrenia – and had to put be put away, in a care home. That guilt was something she could not come to terms with, despite having two more daughters. She continues visiting him, without the knowledge of her husband and her daughters.
And Rachel lost Becca, due to some fault of hers.

These women bond through their loss and their grief.
While Rachel gets to visit Becca once a week, so does Viv with Aidan. Leona decides to travel to France to meet Bluebell, who lives there with her adoptive parents.

What happens to these three women is what makes up the premise of the story.
Told between the then and the now, from different viewpoints, this is a book about flawed individuals, their struggles, their decisions and ultimately what that meant for their lives.

It is worth a read.

3.5/5 for me

I did enjoy this book. Although the story went backwards and forwards it was easy to keep up with. The characters were good, as were their personal storie. However because of the tag line on some of the chapters, I was waiting for something specific to happen - but it didn't!

The story is about three women who have lost a child. It focuses on Rachel, whose daughter Becca is not in her life following an altercation with her husband. She misses Becca tremendously and has guilt, as do the other women, about how things have ended up. Several topics are covered including loss, depression, disabilities and domestic abuse.
I enjoyed this emotional read! I was invested in the women, especially Rachel. The writing was fantastic and hard topics were covered with grace.
Thanks to Ali Mercer, Bookouture and NetGalley for the ARC of this great book.

Lost Daughter, by Ali Mercer, has some great moments with sharp character development and unexpected events. The main character, Rachel, is estranged from her teenage daughter and the events of that estrangement take most of the book to unfold. The layering and multiple POVs made the book a little disjointed but it pulls together nicely for the ending.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Great book! Well written, well put together, the story was so easy to follow. Rachel has gone through so very much and found her way back to happiness, despite the challenges she faced. Can’t wait to read more of this author.

This is a good novel about deeply flawed human beings. I like that the author lets us dive into the heart and mind of a woman who is a good mother AND who makes mistakes. Well written with well-drawn characters.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Heart wrenching emotional a story that drew me in to the lives of these women who through custody disputes and other issues have lost the day to day normal life with their children.Multi layered emotional twists and turns to the last page.#netgalley #bookouture.

I enjoyed this book emensly. It is very well written and the characters are completely believable. It is about three women who become friends and share the heartbreak of not having custody of their kids. The ending was rather surprising but still a great story. I definitely recommend this book..

Thank you Net Galley for allowing me to read this incredible book.