Single mum Amanda Fielding is shocked when she inherits the house where her grandma and birth mother, Angie once lived in Avalon Springs. Amanda was aware that she was adopted, and had always understood that nobody could fill in the missing pieces of her blood family, particularly regarding Angie. When Amanda arrives at her new house, she is struck by a strong sense of unease, so she turns to the townsfolk to discover what she can...

Having previously read another novel, My Mother's Silence by Lauren Westwood I jumped at the chance to read this one, The Daughter She Lost. I'm glad I did as there were no disappointments here!

This talented author delivers an unrestrained story with a compelling blend of grief, trauma, suspense, harboured secrets, concealment, and revelations. The Daughter She Lost is beautifully plotted, a cracking story and a book I revelled in all the way through. The author did a brilliant job of slowly drawing me into the plot, capturing and commanding my attention with her superbly drawn characters along with their secrets and furtiveness, while adding in clever twists. It brought no let-downs and everything was well-wrapped up in the satisfying and unexpected finale.

A riveting, stellar novel that I'm delighted to recommend.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel, at my request, from Bookouture via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

I quickly connected with the main character Amanda who is a divorced single mother travelling to view a house that she has inherited. You can feel Amanda's apprehension as she arrives at Avalon Springs and the reception from some of the residents is wary and guarded. I tried to imagine arriving in a strange, remote and run-down neighbourhood where everyone knows your family background... except you!

Amanda knows that she was adopted but knows nothing about her birth mother Angie and the grandmother who left her the house. She needs to know more, but what will finding out the truth uncover?

 I was impressed by Amanda's strength as she scoured her grandmother's possessions looking for clues to her family background. Amanda tries to find out who her real father is, but the more she delves into Angie's past, the possibilities mount up.

The Daughter She Lost is a well written and emotive family drama full of revelations and characters who evolve with the story. Strong women feature heavily and suspense builds as Amanda uncovers secrets which could affect the whole town.

Thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and Lauren Westwood for an early copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review.

Can you say suspenseful? Edge of you seat? Compelling? Small town secrets? A town that knows alot, but knows nothing at the same time? If you answer yes, and you love all of those things in a book, this is the read for you. I couldn't put this down...I read this very quickly, and didn't want it to end.

I loved the writing style, and the information about adoption and biological parents that the book gave me. I absolutely loved this book, and if I had a way to give 10 stars, I definitely would.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4

Amanda had always known she was adopted. So it came as a complete surprise when she inherited a home from a grandmother she never knew existed. Amanda, her daughter Madison and son Theo go to Avalon Falls with the intention of getting the house organised and ready to be put on the market. Whilst there, amanda wants to try and find out about her birth mother, Angie who died at sixteen and also to try and trace her birth father.

There's plenty of secrets and lies in this family drama that also has plenty of twists. The characters are well rounded. We don't find out who her birth father is until the end where there is a shocking big twist I never saw coming.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Bookouture and the author Lauren Westwood for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a really good read. Parts of this story were hard to read but they were an essential part of the story. This book is about families, secrets and lies. It is really well written and has some great characters in it.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

A story of family secrets. Lots of suspense and an ending I did not expect.. This book is definitely one to be put on your"to read" list

THREE STARS

"Blood sings to blood." - The Daughter She Lost.

SYNOPSIS: How much would you sacrifice for the mother you never met? Amanda always knew that she was adopted and that her birth mother Angie passed away, but she is shocked when she inherits the house where Angie lived in Avalon Springs. Amanda was always told there was no one she could ask about Angie, but finally, she has a chance to find out about the family she lost...

When Amanda arrives at the stark white house with her children, she begins to feel uneasy. There are religious quotes etched into the walls of the hallway and a jewelry box full of letters hidden in her mother’s room. She tries talking to Linda and Frances, the women she meets in town, but they are guarded not just about Angie, but about the identity of Amanda’s father.

Because Linda and Frances know secrets about Amanda’s family that could have devastating consequences. And as Amanda digs further into the past, it’s not just her own happiness at stake but that of her teenage daughter. Soon Amanda will have to decide: will she risk losing everything to find out the truth? - The Daughter She Lost.

REVIEW: Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture, and Lauren Westwood for a chance to read and review this book early. This is the first book that I have read by Lauren Westwood and my first review on NetGalley! Overall, I did enjoy this book. I am a fan of domestic suspense books that feature complicated familial relationships and secrets, and this book had just that. In addition, this book dealt with themes such as past trauma, familial hurt, guilt, the importance of relationships, and healing. I thought the plot of the book was unique, and it kept me interested in seeing how this all played out for the main characters. In addition, I thought the book was well-written, and it was easy to read.

I appreciated that the story was told from the perspective of three strong women, each with their own unique circumstances in life, and hurts from their past. The style of this book did give me similar vibes to "Big Little Lies" in the way it was written. Some of the side characters I felt we could have gotten to know a little bit better, especially the side characters that had more of an impact on the overall story and the main character's pasts. I also thought we could have read a little bit more about Angie's past and her relationships with those in her life since this was a huge part of the book.

Overall, I rated this book three stars. I felt the plot of the book was good, unique, and I would recommend it to others. However, I did wish that there would have been more of a "thriller" feel in some areas of the book that felt a little slow to me. In addition, I was a little on the fence about the ending. I thought it ended well, however, the final twists seemed to happen a bit quick for my taste, and I wish that they had been led up to a little bit more throughout the middle of the book. I also thought that this book was going to be darker than it was. Don't get me wrong, this book needs trigger warnings for some content, but I could have handled a bit more darkness to add to the thriller and suspense feel. In conclusion, I think this is a good, easy book to read and it has made me interested in picking up another of Lauren Westwood's titles to read in the future.

RELEASE DATE: March 27, 2020

After reading the book, I was completely convinced Lauren Westwood was a story weaver. She could spin the threads of the book with a delicate hand, plotting all the characters into it, slowly linking them up, then bringing it to an earth shattering twist. Bloody brilliant, I have to say.

Amanda Jennings was adopted. She soon found out that she had inherited a house in Avalon Springs from her birth mother Angie and grandmother. She decided to go to Avalon Springs where secrets were many. Having found a bunch of letters from Angie, Amanda set about finding out her birth father. Many suspects... What really happened to Angie?

My second book by this talented author, I was completely entranced at the way she entwined the various threads of the story, keeping me in a state of suspense until the final reveal. Being character driven, each one of them made me want to shake up their secrets. As the pages turned, my innards shivered deliciously wanting to know the truth.

There was something delicious watching my desperation begin to grow at the way the author intertwined the stories of the characters. Drama was written in most of the scenes as the characters became tight lipped, conveying their emotions through their expressions. The author was so good at leaving me in disbelief at the sliver of truths I was told throughout. Absolutely wicked.

And the emotions... Oh man, I could feel them in every word especially in the last 30%. And that made me devour the book in one setting. The most fantastic breakfast read, I would say. I do love me some small town secrets and furtive characters.

Not very often do I give five stars to a book but this one certainly deserves it! The thing I love the.most is the way the author has fully fleshed out all of the characters. I feel like I know these people and I am part of the story. There are lots of twists and turns throughout and the ending is just phenomenal and totally unexpected! For me this is the perfect book because it encompasses everything that I look for and seldom find. Lauren Westwood is an awesome writer with a gift for realism and detail.

Thanks to Net Galley for allowing me to read this amazing book!

What a suspenseful, shocking story full of family secrets. I could not put this book down! My favorite part of the book was the ending that I didn’t see coming. I’ve never read or heard of Lauren a Westwood, but am definitely a huge fan now!

Blood sings to blood

Amanda always knew she was adopted, but was told her adopted parents had no information on her biological family. She thought she had a good life with her husband, two beautiful children, and a business they ran together. Than the divorce . He told her he met someone else and moved out. She started over and was doing well.

Than her parents came to visit and she heard the wards from her mother "We have to talk" She knew that wasn't good. Than she was told "We need to talk about your biological mother." That is when she found out that her biological grandmother had left her a house in Avalon Falls , California, where evidently her mother grew up.

She learned that her mother was 16 when she was born and died shortly after and she was given for adoption by the grandmother because she thought it was the right thing to do. There was no information on who her father was.

Now the story begins. Amanda and the children, Madison her teenage daughter, and Theo her younger son and herself go to Avalon Falls to look at the house and prepare it to be sold. After renting a cabin from the real estate agent while the house is being cleaned out and renovated she decides to try and solve the mystery of her birth and find her birth father.

The problem is the town appears to have many secrets to hold. After dealing with the real estate lady Frances, she meets the next door neighbor Flo who is a bit of a hoarder. By finally going through her birth mother and her grandmother's items and in snippets of conversations she overhears she is able to make a list of prospective birth fathers.

Wayne the boy next door, Mack with whom she attended a school dance, Mr. Karnes a teacher she was infatuated with, and the town Mayer Ralph who was with her in photos taken at a fair. Now she had to solve the mystery. With the help of France's with whom she became good friends and later Linda and even the Mayer's wife Tessa they tried to solve the mystery.

When the truth is revealed at the end of the book it is a shocking twist that you will never guess is coming. I stayed up until wee hours of the morning because I just had to know how it ended.

This was some good reading, you will be glad you picked it up and read it. Small town secrets at their best. Keeps you in suspense and keeps you wondering. I would recommend it.

Thanks to Lauren Westwood, Bookouture, and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of the book for an honest review.

Amanda has just received a surprise inheritance. A house given to her by a grandmother she's never known. Amanda has always known she was adopted. Now she may begin to discover who her mother and grandmother were as people.
The things she discovers and the women she meets will change her life forever.
In her journey of discovery she gets to know her mother. A young girl, sixteen years of age when she became pregnant with Amanda or Martha as she had named her.
This is a story full of twists and turns. It keeps you guessing what the conclusion may be. Through the story you meet strong, independent women. Women who discover they can stand on their own two feet. They don't need a man to complete them. They will make friendships they thought were not possible. They will be courageous, strong, supportive. Well written. Strong characters. Excellent book!

The Daughter She Lost is a thriller mystery that has it all, a great domestic type thriller!
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What a great read, held my interest throughout with believable interesting characters.

I can thoroughly recommend this book, thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

I absolutely adored this book. The characters were so real that it sucked you in and made you feel a part of the story. You didn't want it to end!

Did not finish. Put down at 71%.

I was expecting something a little different from The Daughter She Lost, the cover is great and the synopsis sounds brilliant but I’m left disappointed. The pacing is so slow and while Lauren Westwood writes well there’s something lacking. I’ve picked this up so many times over the last day but I’ve found myself skipping chapters and just wanting it to be over.

I really didn’t want to be harsh writing this review. I was hoping to make it to the end and have an amazing ending that would make up for the rest of the story but I just can’t continue.

The first page already made me pull the box of tissues closer to me ...

When you are adopted and your adoptive parents tell you, as soon as you are old enough, some details about your birth mother, you don't have any reasons to doubt them when they say that's all they know.

Years later, it seems like they were not completely honest with you. You are hurt and it puts a strain on your relationship. You are determined to get to the bottom of it but you might get a lot more than you bargained for ...

The author wrote an emotional story that wants to make you kick some people and embrace others, that makes you want to weep for things that happened and how they were handled, that makes you happy about new friendships that were built and regret some relationship that were very promising but could never be.

She also added a degree of suspense that keeps you captivated while Amanda as well as we learn the truth little by little. We all want to know the truth, but are we somtimes not better off not knowing everything...?

A great book that maybe starts a little slowly, but once all the pieces start to fit together, you will put all the rest on hold. 5 stars.

Thank you, Lauren Westwood and Bookouture