One thing about J.P. Delaney… whoever they are… they KNOW how to write a novel that will keep you heavily invested!
There is a story in the Bible where King Solomon had two women claiming to be the mother of one child. When Solomon suggested they cut the baby in half he was able to see who the real mother was based on her reply. Delaney references this story at the start and throughout the book. It was nice to get a contemporary take on a dilemma that existed over 2000 years ago.
In Playing Nice we meet Pete Riley, a stay at home Dad whose world was rocked when Miles Lambert shows up to let him know that his two year old son Pete is not his biological son and through an error their sons got mixed up at the hospital. Shocked and devastated Pete calls his partner Maddie to tell her the news and how they should treat with this highly unlikely situation.
At first Pete and Maddie decides to play nice with Miles Lambert and his wife Lucy but then Miles keep pushing the boundaries, stopped playing fairly and Pete and Maddie must decide to stop playing nice and treat with now a hostile situation. No one could guess things would make such a drastic turn, especially not Pete and Maddie.
If you are looking for a domestic thriller filled with twisted characters that will keep you invested for the entire time, this is your read. Yes there were some cliché moments and if you have read a lot of psychological thrillers you might find yourself rolling your eyes a bit but… for the most part I did enjoy this.

Playing Nice by JP Delaney is a very highly recommended family drama that turns into a tense psychological thriller.

Pete Riley is a stay at home dad and free-lance writer while his partner Maddie Wilson works at an advertising agency. After Pete returns home from dropping their two-year-old son, Theo, off at preschool two strangers arrive at his door. One of the men is Miles Lambert who informs Pete that Theo isn't his son, he's the Lambert's son, and the Miles and Lucy Lambert's son, David, is actually Pete and Maddie's son. The boys were switched at birth by an understaffed hospital. The Lambert's are suing the hospital but would also like to get to know Theo and have Pete and Maddie meet David. They also encourage Pete and Maddie to also sue the hospital. For right now, the two families propose an amicable solution where they spend time with both children, but soon it becomes clear that Miles has other plans.

Chapters alternate between the point-of-view of Pete and Maddie in this well-written drama. In between the chapters are excerpts of various documents that are clearly part of some legal proceeding, so you know something is going to go wrong and that Miles will file a suit for custody. It also becomes clear early on that Miles has some serious issues. (You might be tempted to yell "Come on - get a clue and your own lawyer asap!" to Pete and Maddie.) Most people in this well-worn plot get a lawyer right away. Delaney does take the switched at birth plot to a new level, so what begins as a family drama quickly turns dark to a psychological thriller.

Characters are all well-developed and very different from each other. Secrets abound, and some of them are darker than others. The plot seems set, but then takes a turn, and another turn, and another. At the end is a twist that will surprise most readers. The obvious debate embedded in the plot is nature vs. nurture in raising children. There are also several instances where innocent mistakes or missteps can be twisted to make someone look bad or as if they had nefarious intentions. 4.5 rounded up

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Penguin Random House.
After publication the review will be posted on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Okay so did the author intend for the reader to know when the story is heading? Usually in the suspense genre that is a bad thing, right? Well, not only do I think it was intentional, I think it was done so the tension built up as the reader watched all the parts of the trap fall in to place! I visibly shook my head at points and even mumbled a few "ut oh"s when something particularly likely to come back to bite a character in the bee-hind happened. The story is told from two points of view and I kept waiting for a third one to pop up. I am somewhat sad that it didn't. But it also wasn't needed as the ones used along with various police report excerpts, texts, emails, etc, did a terrific job of developing all the characters involved. Oh what a mess! Oh what a wonderful mess! This one kept me up past my bedtime!

This is a common trope so my expectations were not high. JP Delaney really knocked it out of the park on this one though. This is a compulsive read and there really isn't any good place to put it down so set aside some time!

I am a huge fan of JP Delaney and this book is no exception. Every book has a different, intense theme. This novel trends more toward a drama than a traditional thriller, but had several plot twists that I didn't see coming. Delaney's writing always feels deeply personal: the way Delaney writes about children is realistic and not merely a plot device like in other domestic thrillers. There is an element of "what would I do, if this was my child" that greatly enhances the impact of the novel. Highly recommend! 4.5 stars

Delaney has become a definite go-to author for me and so I am always on the lookout for an upcoming release. This third book is a tense, stomach-churning read that opens up with Pete opening his door to two strangers, one that looks startlingly like his two-year-old son. Told primarily from Pete, and his partner, Maddie's, perspective, along with some mixed media documents, what follows is the story of their family receiving the most shocking news - that their son isn't their son, and he had been swapped at birth.

The whole book is a tensely riveting read that is quite hard to put down. As more secrets, lies and backgrounds come out about all four adults, the book just gets more and more horrifyingly enthralling. It is well-written, with all of the characters really coming fully to life. I can see some readers finding this just too tense of a read - and through I read it in practically one-sitting, I have to admit that a few times I had to take small breaks, my stomach in absolute knots over the horrible plight that just keeps getting worse and worse... But, by the end, I am left once again eager to see what Delaney's fourth novel will bring!

Playing Nice is one of those books that keeps you up at night because you do not want to put the book down. It captivated me and left me craving as many pages as I could devour before sleep captured me. This happened to me every night for seven consecutive nights until I finished! I looked forward to curling up in bed to read every night to see what was going to happen next. The plot fascinated me to begin with, and then as I was reading, more and more was happening that just made me love it more and more with every page I read. Gripping, thrilling, enthralling! A must read!

I wouldn’t have expected a story about switched babies to be a psychological thriller but that was before I read this book. A well written book with great character descriptions made this one so easy to read and hard to put down. I can’t wait for the next one by J. P. Delaney.

I love a good domestic thriller and this one sure fit the bill! JP Delaney has done a superb job with a sensitive subject. The story unfolds in layers and gains momentum with every chapter sending you on a wild ride. A baby switch, two sets of seemingly well-intentioned parents and lots of interference from well meaning "experts". Just when you think it's settled a whole new dimension opens. Be prepared to stay up late!

This was a vacation read for me and I’m so glad I saved it for a time I could immerse myself, because I flew through it in less than 24 hours.

Peter and Maggie have been raising their son Theo as best they can since his scary birth and stay in the NICU two years ago. Now people show up on their doorstep and tell them that there has been a terrible mistake, Theo is not their biological child! He somehow got swapped in the NICU with the child of Miles and Lucy. Now the two couples are trying to navigate these murky waters of family and relationship.

What is the real story behind this swap? Was it an accident or deliberate? Everyone has secrets, but whose secrets will be brought to light and change the trajectory of the lives of these families? A domestic thriller that will have you staying up past your bedtime flipping pages. I personally didn’t love the ending, but the ride to get there was enough to firmly land this book in the really liked category for me.

The author JP Delaney sets a few traps for you in this new novel. You think Miles Lambert has everyone’s best interest at heart. Then you think Pete Riley is “Mr. Nice Guy” and easy to fool. Wrong, so very wrong….
The news is shocking: according to Miles, who has just knocked on the Rileys' door, we each left the maternity ward with the wrong child. The looks alone put the argument to rest; each child looks so much like the other set of parents. Pete and Maggie play right into Miles’ plot, possibly losing their assumed son and their birth son. The law is tricky and Miles knows how it works. It doesn’t take too many chapters to understand the nice guy has been duped and we despise Miles and his mousey wife Lucy.
As the cards are continually stacked against Pete and Maggie, it seems all hope of returning to normal family life is gone. Desperate people resort to desperate measures though, and here’s where my most favorite part of this exciting read begins.
With believable characters, a twisty plot, and sincere emotions you would relate to, Delaney keeps your interest through every page of this entertaining novel.
(I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review. Thank you to Ballentine Books and NetGalley for making it available.)

This is a story of every parent’s nightmare. Maddie and her partner discover that their son had been switched at birth. The story devolves into chaos as their life spirals out of their control. They are inundated by a man who is a psychopath and has no problem hurting the people who get the way of him getting what he wants. As the story concludes there are still unanswered questions that they are willing to live with for the safety of the children.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Ballantine Books and JP Delaney for the opportunity to read his latest gripping novel - this is a must-read author for me and another 5 star read!

Pete is the stay home dad to two-year old Theo and is shocked when he answers the door at his house one day to Miles, who says that he has proof that he is actually Theo's father and their children were switched at birth. At first, Pete and Maddie try to play nice with Miles and Lucy and hope to work out an arrangement that will work out for both families. But things don't quite end up so nicely.

I don't want to give anything away because this book is gripping. You've read about these kinds of incidents happening but this book really puts you in the mindset to have to make Solomon type decisions about your children. Then there is the nature vs nurture discussion as well as family differences in parenting styles and incomes. JP Delaney is a master at these ethical quandaries - I couldn't put this book down!

Well!! JP Delaney does it again! I could not put this book down- I mean, I did only because I knew something was about to go down and sometimes I get book anxiety- anyone else? Imagine someone showing up at your door claiming you have their child....and they have yours! What would you do? Would you switch back? What if said person turns out to be evil? To what extent is nature versus nurture true/ relevant? This book really had me asking hard questions. I feel for my husband because he was getting ALL the questions. This book was a mystery because they are trying to solve who switched the babies, but also a thriller because both parents are fighting for what they believe to be right for their children. If you’re into that sort of book- read this! Lastly, I’d really be interested to see this book turned into a movie! Keep these books coming, JP!

I absolutely loved reading this book, it was a wild ride from start to finish. The ending was quite unexpected but oh so satisfying. This is an author that never disappoints! The way this story is presented you know something bad happens in the end but you have no idea who to really suspect when everyone looks at least a little bit dirty.

A Parents worst night come true for this poor family. After Pete and Madelyn happily spend two years raising their boy Theo, they get a letter stating that their babies were switched in the hospital.
Miles and Lucy the other parents have a weak sick child that has many needs that they claim is actually Pete and Madelyns child. All they want is to share time with each others child...so they say.
Things get much more complicated than that 😕.
Things usually do get more complicated when a psychopath is involved.
This was a very enticing read. A book that was difficult to put down. I was pulled in by the characters and how they each responded to each other.
This is a very good book.
Everyone will love it and will relate to it in some way
5 ⭐stars
Thanks to Netgalley and to Ballantine publishing for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 ⭐️‘s
“What if you are suddenly told that the child you are bringing up — the child you have bathed, played with, taught the letters of the alphabet to, parented for two whole years — isn’t yours? What if you discovered that your child had been mistakenly switched with someone else’s at birth?” That’s exactly what happened to Pete when he gets a visit one morning from a detective and Miles Lambert. Somehow their babies were switched in the NICU unit of the hospital the day they were born. At first all is amicable between the two couples (Miles and his wife Lucy and Pete and his partner Maddie), but as time goes on the rules somehow change and Pete and Maddie know what’s at stake and are no longer willing to play nice. A riveting psychological thriller that will have you completely captivated until its humdinger of an ending!

This book ripped me apart. As a mother, I couldn’t help but put myself into Maddie and Pete’s shoes, ESPECIALLY as I also had a child who spent time in the NICU. I did, however, find myself often yelling at the characters for their propensity to just go along with whatever Miles and Lucy said. I read this one in under 24 hours and would definitely recommend it!

Are psychopaths born? Or are they made? Is it nature or nurture? This new thriller from J.P. Delaney was welcome surprise. The spectrum of creativity spanned by this author's body of work is astounding. Each book has been distinctly different from those before and this one is my favorite so far. The essence of the plot is the discovery that two NICU babies were (inadvertently?) switched soon after birth, sending two boys home with parents with whom they have no shared DNA. Once both sets of parents become aware of the error, they decide to amicably share in each other's lives -- one big happy family, right? Not for long. Before long the legal battles are escalating and officials from the police department and social services are stepping in. A terrifying tale of two families run amok by one psychopathic overachiever. You will have to read it to believe it. If you love Lisa Jewell, this one if for you.

Thank you to Random House/Ballantine and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.

The first half is a bit slow, but it is setting you up for quite the ride. What would you do if somebody shows up at your house saying that they are the father of your child and the hospital had switched babies? There were times I was so angry with this book because of this that certain characters did. It's infuriating and scary at the same time just at the mirror thought of something like this happen and with what some people will do to get what they want.