What if you found out that your family isn't yours at all? How far would you go to protect them?

Whaaaaaat?? What is this one-liner of a book?! I mean makes me think and go a little crazy wondering about this one line! Wow.. Superb!

Pete Riley answers the door one morning and lets in a parent's worst nightmare. On his doorstep is Miles Lambert, a stranger who breaks the devastating news that Pete's son, Theo, isn't actually his son--he is the Lamberts', switched at birth by an understaffed hospital while their real son was sent home with Miles and his wife, Lucy. For Pete, his partner Maddie, and the little boy they've been raising for the past two years, life will never be the same again.

The two families, reeling from the shock, take comfort in shared good intentions, eagerly entwining their very different lives in the hope of becoming one unconventional modern family. But a plan to sue the hospital triggers an official investigation that unearths some disturbing questions about the night their children were switched. How much can they trust the other parents--or even each other? What secrets are hidden behind the Lamberts' glossy front door? Stretched to the breaking point, Pete and Maddie discover they will each stop at nothing to keep their family safe.

So this blurb ends up sucking you into the world of Peter Riley. This is a thought-provoking thriller and I love that kind. This book grips you and sucks you into this high tension, a psychological family drama where you fear what happens next but can't help but turn the pages to know more.

It's an edgy, tension-packed, strong character-driven thriller with a superb ending.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for sending a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Imagine finding out that the child you've raised for the past two years isn't biologically yours.

It seems like any normal day when Miles Lambert shows up at Pete Riley's door. Miles presents Pete with an insane truth - their sons were switched at birth. The Lamberts have the Rileys' child and the Rileys have the Lamberts' son. It seems impossible to Pete, but the switch starts to make sense to his partner, Maddie. She sees things that Pete is seemingly blind to. The question is - what do the parents do about this? The four adults seem to come to a shared decision on how to work through this strange and emotional situation. It all seems too good to be true... and the Rileys begin to find out that it is. The Lamberts start to change their tune and things start spiraling out of control.

I was instantly hooked when I started to read Playing Nice. The plot was nothing like I'd ever read before. I was really rooting for the Rileys when the Lamberts' true colors started to emerge. Each accusation was expertly played out and I could see how something like this could happen in reality. I've read other books by this author and Playing Nice did not disappoint! I'm looking forward to future books.

A parents worst nightmare comes true in this family suspense. Delaney delivers a new emotional plot line with dips into a psychology thriller. Babies switched at birth, NICU memories and the things we do for our children all culminates in legal actions and reactions.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of Playing Nice by JP Delaney. I loved, loved, loved this book. Two families discover their babies were switched in the NICU. Horrific situation in so many ways. Maggie Wilson and Pete Riley become embroiled in a court contest with Miles and Lucy Lambert over the custody of their son Theo who is the Lambert’s biological son. Things go from bad to worse quickly in unimaginable ways. I recommend this book.

5 out of 5 stars

I received an ARC of Playing Nice in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher.

One afternoon shortly after Pete returns home from dropping off his toddler at daycare there is a knock on the door. Standing there are two men telling him that his son is not really his son. He is told that his son Theo who was born premature is not his. They show him all evidence. To say Pete was shocked is an understatement. As soon as they leave he calls his partner Maddie and tells her what is going on. As Maddie and Pete try to work with the other set of parents things seem to be going well, until they stop. Before they know it they are living a walking nightmare. I will say that at first I totally thought this was going to be predictable thriller but the ending blew me away! Pick this one up!

Four, five, four, five...ok 4.5,
Another great book by author JP Delaney. Loved his last couple of books, The Girl Before and Believe Me.
This will soon be a summertime hit. A psychological thrill that is tense and griping.

Pete is a stay at home dad. One day after picking up his son Theo from nursery school. Pete receives a knock at the door that will change his life forever. On his doorstep is Miles Lambert, a stranger that tells him that Theo is not his biological son it is his. That due to an error by the hospital there was a baby swap. That Miles and his wife Lucy have been raising Pete and Maddie's son.

After the shock, Pete and Maddie make the decision that they want to keep Theo. He has lived with them for two years and he may not be their biological son they love him and feel he should stay with them. After a meeting with Miles and Lucy it t appears they feel the same way. Everyone agrees it is an unusual situation but they will all work together and make it work out for the benefit of the children. That is how it starts. It doesn't take long before Miles changes and becomes pushy, overbearing and inappropriate. He is wiling to do or say anything to get custody of both of the children.

The story is about baby swapping, but it is also about the legal system, postpartum psychosis and psychopathy. And about how a family reacts and adapts to a crisis.

Thank you NetGalley, author DJ Delaney and Random House Publishing Group=Ballantine the opportunity to read and give an honest review.

I received an ARC of Playing Nice in exchange for an honest review. Pete and Maddie get a knock at their door one day and someone tells them that the son they have been raising for the last two years is not really their son. Their son was switched in the NICU with Miles and Lucy's baby. Everything looks like it is going to work out for the best, but then things start going horribly wrong. Miles is someone who doesn't like to lose and will go to extreme measures to get what he wants, and Pete and Maddie are just too trusting. You will have a hard time walking away from this book, wondering what is going to happen next!

This book has some serious, serious trigger warnings: baby swapping, postpartum psychosis, and psychopathy are a few things at play in Playing Nice (no pun intended). But if you can handle all that, DAMN this is a good book! I ended up really enjoying it and raced through it to find out what would happen. The ending was satisfactory in my eyes. Delaney is a force to be reckoned with here, and I can't wait for the next one! 5 stars.

Two years after very long and extensive neonatal ICU stays due to severe prematurity, it is discovered that Theo and David were switched at the hospital. Strong willed Theo is being raised by Pete and Maddie. Pete is a reporter/writer turned stay at home dad, and is focused on parenting Theo in the best possible way. Miles and Lucy are parenting David, who has long lasting special needs due to the damage he suffered at birth due to the prematurity. Upon confirmation that the boys were switched, the four parents try to peacefully be involved in both boys' lives, but soon enough Miles and Lucy begin the process to take both of the boys, while getting Pete and Maddie to be declared as unfit parents.

While there are a few twists and turns in this book, it simply didn't connect with me. I found all of the characters to be unlikeable, and the investigation into the baby switching and parenting to be completely unrealistic. All of this made me simply not care who switched the babies, or who ended up with them. It was work to finish the book, so I'm leaving it at three stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my review.

Wow JP Delaney delivers another shocking twisty thriller!!!!!!!!!!!!! This thriller kept me wanting more of the story and waiting until I could back to it when I had to stop. Pete & Maddie are living happy, satisfying lives with their two year old son Theo. Until one day a man knocks on their door & tells them their son is not their biological child 😱😱😱😱😱😱. He says Maddie & Pete's son was swapped with his son David at birth. They meet w/Miles and his wife Lucy to discuss what to do and where to go with this situation. Maddie & Pete did not expect that meeting to change their lives forever & put them the craziest situation they have ever encountered. Even if you have never read a JP Delaney book before you need to read this if you are a fan of intense thrillers. Thank you to Netgalley & Random House for my honest review.

Really thrilling book - disturbing as a parent, but still one that kept me wanting to read more. Another creepy story that has you thinking about it for a long time after it’s finished!

Wow! The plot is mind blowing, the writing is gripping, crazy, and emotional. Just an overall great read.

<i>Then the king answered and said, “Give the living child to the first woman, and by no means put him to death; she is his mother.” </i>
1 Kings 3:27

In this domestic thriller, two families try to navigate a parents' worse nightmare: the child you have raised for two years is not truly yours. A swap happened in the NICU, and you have the wrong child.

Pete and Maddie have raised Theo, a spirited toddler. They are not a conventional family, yet their arrangements work for them. One day, Miles Lambert shows up at their door and breaks down the news about the incident at the hospital. He is the biological father, and they, in exchange, have David. Pete's and Maddie's biological son. And so the story begins.

The chapters are short and packed, and it's so hard to stop reading! We learn about Miles and his wife, Lucy through their interactions with Pete and Maddie. They all seem civil at the beginning, don't they? Modern people, trying to make it work, until it doesn't. The families enter into a lawsuit against the hospital, and from here on things become intense. Very intense.

How far are parents willing to go to keep their child? How dirty would people play to challenge the system in their favor? Who defines parenthood? Pete and Maddie are engulfed in chaos, confusion, and going rapidly through mixed emotions. When things start to fall apart, who can you really trust?

Full of action, heartbreak, anger, and surprise, this book is <b><i>addictive!</i></b> This is the third J.P. Delaney book that I devour. I think I may have found a new favorite author.



Thank you Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and NetGalley for giving me this book in exchange for an honest review.

What starts as a normal day for Pete Riley and his partner Maddie becomes anything but that when three strangers, Miles and Lucy Lambert and Don Maguire, private investigator, knock on their door. Don explains that the hospital where both families had premature infants in the NICU unit two years ago appear to have made an error and put the wrong ID bracelets on the two babies. A DNA test proves that Miles and Lucy are the biological parents of Theo, 2, whom Pete and Maddie have been raising as their own. Their real son, David, has been under the care of the Lamberts.

Pete and Maddie are reeling while trying to wrap their minds around this unfathomable but real situation. The Lamberts express assurances that they all want what is best for the boys and soon take their leave. At first, the two couples are very amicable and it looks like things might work out satisfactorily for both families. But that soon drastically changes.

This psychological suspense novel will resonate with all readers as they imagine how they would act if put in the situation. For those who are parents, you will find your heart aching in empathy. A wild roller coaster of a read with continual twists and turns that ratchet up the suspense.

J.P. Delaney comes through again with a very entertaining and satisfying read!

My thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for allowing me to read an ARC of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. Opinions expressed here are my own.

I loved the idea of Playing Nice - which sounds strange to say since it would be a horrifying experience to go through. But as a reading subject, a well-developed story of how a family would react, adapt, and function if someone showed up on your doorstep to tell you that your child was not really your child was appealing. I wanted to see how JP Delaney approached the topic, whether I felt I would do the same. I started reading... and had to step away. With the chaos of the world as we currently know it and the divisiveness of the world, I found that I feared reading this on a personal level because Pete, Maddie, and Theo were written so realistically. After a short break, I dove back in.

Pete and Maddie have a real life, not a perfect life. Pete stays home with Theo, their rambunctious 2 year old while Maddie works. Their house is small and somewhat cluttered, money is tighter than they'd like it to be. Their son was born prematurely and Maddie struggled with postpartum psychosis afterwards. Pete is truly a nice man who found his place taking care of Theo, trying his best to parent consistently as Theo barrels through life, sometimes literally.

On a day that starts with a talk from the nursery school teacher about Theo's behavior, Pete answers the door to find strangers. Strangers who announce that Theo is their biological son, not Pete and Maddie's. This is not just a book about babies switched in a NICU. It's a story about relationships, mental health, parenting, perception, law, love, and manipulation. Pete and Maddie are nice people who try to do what's best when working with the "other" family, Miles, Lucy, and the other switched baby, David.

Something that resonated with me was how normal things in life can be twisted. Who among us hasn't had their kid be the one who doesn't listen or the parent who gets "the look" when our kid is trying our patience. And what if EVERYthing you did was used to judge your fitness? Playing Nice was an intriguing read and covered it's myriad of serious topics in realistic and beautifully detailed ways. This is a book that will stick with me, and I will look for others by JP Delaney.

That was a fun ride!

My 3rd by this author and I have really enjoyed every one! There are plenty of unexpected (at least to me) twists. Is it a bit far fetched at times? Sure, but it was so entertaining. I will look forward to the next one by this talented author.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for a copy in exchange for a review.

Imagine one afternoon, a complete stranger knocking on your door, telling you that your son is really not your son, and that in fact, you have my son and I have yours. This is what happens to Maddie and Pete. Miles and his wife Lucy have now entered Pete and Maddie's lives, and they have no intention of exiting the picture any time soon either. Miles is quite the chameleon, and as the story progresses, he has seemed to compose the perfect plan for each set of parents to co-parent both children. Events start unfolding along the way that prove that Miles and Lucy are not as easy going as they appeared to be that day at Pete and Maddie's front door. Both worlds collide into a nightmare of events that had me totally engrossed in this novel. The research that the author did about mental illness was astounding. The ending was not quite what I expected, as it did definitely throw quite a twist, but left me having to walk away to think a bit about what it entirely meant. This was a brilliantly written novel and I give it 4 stars!

My thanks to netgalley and Random House for an advance copy of this book!

This is the 3rd book I’ve read by this author, and although the genre is the same each story is vastly different all of which I have thoroughly enjoyed.

The beginning of this novel was a slow character build into what seems like two normal couples who have their premature babies cared for in the same NICU. But circumstances change when the couples realize their babies were switched at birth. In the beginning, I wasn’t too sure about this because haven’t we sadly heard these stories before?

But, I kept reading and whoa!! I found myself turning the kindle pages as fast as I could trying to match the pace of the twists and turns. It was definitely a thrilling ride that I did not want to end but couldn’t wait to find out how this would end! I love it when a book is not predictable and keeps me on the edge of my seat.


Thank you Netgalley for an ARC of this amazing read in exchange for my honest review.

Very good book. I remember way back in the day, where there was alot of babies that were born, and mixed up, and folks really didn't have their own baby, they has=d someone else. In cases like this, who is to say that the baby you have isn't yours and grows up to be some serial killer or even a rapist? Makes you wonder doesn't it...Very good book, and a book for any group to read. Thank you for allowing this book for my review.

I enjoyed the 1st 2/3 of the book. Playing Nice is a very suspenseful story that makes the reader want to read on to find out what happens. The ending, for me, was disappointing.