Playing Nice by JP Delaney is a domestic thriller about two couples who find out that their babies were switched at birth. At first, they amicably agree to co-parent and work out an agreement to allow visitation rights with the kids. But things soon take a sinister turn as secrets are revealed, making it difficult to know who can be trusted.

I really enjoyed this book and found it compelling from start to finish. As a parent, I was intrigued and terrified at the idea of babies being switched in the hospital. What would I do if I found out that my child was not really my child? It also raises some interesting questions about nature vs. nurture and whether a biological parent is always best for a child.

But mostly, I just thought this was a fun story to read. A pageturner that kept me flying through the pages! It's not super scary or thrilling, but it had just enough suspense to keep my interest and keep me reading. I have read several books by JP Delaney, and I think this one is my favorite of his books!

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for sending me an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. This book is available on July 28!

Guess what? Your son is not your son. He was switched at birth. But we want to work all this out amicably, k?”

Yeah... 😏 That’s my synopsis.

If you’re like me, you’d be like, “What the whaaaaaaat?” Yup, Pete and Maddie are living this. The Lamberts enter the picture, delivering the news that they are the biological parents of Theo while Pete and Maddie’s biological child is THEIR child David. (Head scramble). Pete and Maddie are then thrust into a bizarre situation, navigating unknown parental terrain as they sue the hospital that did this and try to adjust to this shocking, life-altering news, working along with the Lamberts because that’s in everyone’s best interest right? (Right?) But are the Lamberts the kind couple they project or is there something more sinister afoot? What secrets might be uncovered as their worlds are shaken to the core?

My thoughts: SUMMER HIT! This is the one I couldn’t put down. It made me angry, sad, scared, surprised... allllll the feels and I’m kid-free and it still punched me in the gut. The plot
is so cliche but Delaney adeptly adds the unexpected making for an amazing summer thriller. Had I merely read the description, I might have thought “meh”. Don’t do that! This is one you can’t and won’t put down!

All my reviews available at scrappymags.com at time of publication.

Genre: Domestic thriller/ Domestic Fiction

Recommend to: Beach reads, Fast reads, this best fits the “domestic thriller” genre.

Not recommended to: obvi - if you aren’t into the domestic stuff, avoid.

Thank you to the author J.P. Delaney, Random House Ballantine and NetGalley for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. Thank you for making me miss all my favorite TV shows as I just COULD NOT STOP READING! 😂

I love this author, the writing style and character development, but unfortunately I didn't love the story. Probably because I don't have kids, I found it really hard to relate to what they were going through, and I really didn't care. There really wasn't much else going on in this book besides the 2 families trying to get custody of their correct kid. Even the ending wasn't very suspenseful IMO. I will definitely read another book by JP Delaney, but this one just wasn't really for me.

Thanks for the galley. He didn't disappoint. This kept me flipping pages and wondering about the resolution. I was worried this would fall short of The Girl Before, but he delivered. Thanks for the entertaining read!

4.5 stars, rounded up
The book’s blurb describes this as a parent’s worst nightmare and I think it’s probably true. What if you found out your child wasn’t your child? One afternoon, Pete opens the door to Miles and his lawyer. Miles has discovered that an accidental switch at the NICU has left each family with the other’s child. Playing Nice is very aptly named. The parents start off all agreeable and on the same wavelength. But it doesn’t take long for cracks to appear.
This book raises all sorts of delicious questions and dilemmas. Nature or nurture? What is in the best interest of the child? How much say should the biological parents have in certain decisions? Delaney’s books are always based on ethical quandaries, this most of all.
As the book goes on, the thriller aspect takes over and it becomes quite dark. It had me on the edge of my seat. A character in another book talked about the creepy crawly feeling of anxiety. That is exactly what this book gives you! It’s terrifying and sad because you can just see how it could all play out as written.
I also found it profoundly interesting that the current political climate played into Delaney’s reasons for writing this book. That he wanted to write “about two ordinary people who try to resolve a near impossible situation through dialogue and compromise…”
I’ve read all of Delaney’s books, but this is by far his best.
My thanks to netgalley and Random House for an advance copy of this book.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

This is a mystery involving two sets of parents and two toddlers born at the same time and switched at birth in the NICU.

Some of the adults are good and some are evil. Whom do you trust?
The story also raises the age-old question of nature vs. nurture. Which couple would make the better parents for which of the babies?

The story will keep the reader guessing until the very end. We keep hoping that everything will work out for the best. But it isn't always clear what "best" means!

Thank you to Netgalley, Random House Ballantine and the Author J. P. Delaney for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This is my second read from this Author and I have to say what a page turner.
Interesting story that became a fast paced. could not put down read, I would have finished it in one day if my kindle's battery didn't die!
A definite protect your family at any cost thriller.

This is the best "mystery" book I've read in a long time. Not literary fiction, but very well written and actually held my interest up to the end, which is saying a lot. A few twists and turns to keep the reader guessing and only a couple minor details that I thought weren't believable, so not worth mentioning.

The author's use of language is excellent and the characters have very different, separate personalities. The plot, although complex, is easy to follow. And having had some experience with sociopathic personalities, I didn't find the description of that person to be unbelievable.

Also, the plot was believable. It COULD have happened and also, the story is not the same kind of plot that one reads over and over in every book, hastily written, hastily edited and hastily published. This book was thoroughly researched and it is obvious from the above standard writing, that it was put together with care and thought.

And thank heavens, this is the first book that I've read in a long time that didn't need more editing. There have been so many that had useless subplots and repetitions that they needed one third of the book excised. Either that or the descriptions and or the complexities of dialogue were either non existent or at a 12 year old level.

Bravo!

JP Delaney has another #1 book with Playing Nice. From the starting tragedy, to the disturbing ending, it was definitely fast paced and exciting. The characters were wonderfully fleshed out and the true colors of all of them shone thru. I'd like to say that I don't believe that one person could wreak so much havoc...but my faith in the world is a little diminished. This book was very believable. Tragic...with a "happy" ending???

I devoured this domestic suspense thriller about babies switched at birth. The topics been done before but Delaney put their own unique spin on it. I couldn’t put it down. Highly recommend!

Thanks to NetGalley, Ballantine, and the author J.P. Delandy for a digital review copy. This story will be published July 28, 2020.

Initially I was at a loss for words after reading this novel. I adore JP Delaney and will read anything she writes, but this one was so chillingly heartbreaking that it often took my breath away! Pete and Maddie have a two-year-son, Theo who was born prematurely but is now thriving. Miles and Lucy also have a son David, born the same day but with bigger issues. All of their lives are suddenly up-ended when Miles and his attorney show up on Pete's doorstep claiming the babies were inadvertently switched in the hospital and each is caring for the other's biological son. The nightmare is just beginning of course as Pete and Maddie are faced with legal struggles as they attempt to prove they are good parents. Should the children be switched back, or should they remain with the parents who've raised them for two years? As a mother and grandmother, this novel was often hard to read as we witness the devastating consequences for each family, no matter how it is settled! But things continue to get dicey as we begin to witness the true motives, secrets, and lies that lurk beneath the surface. I ended up loving it even though it put me through the emotional wringer!

Imagine answering the door one day and a man telling you your child is not yours. That's what happened to Pete and Maddie when Miles Lambert showed up on their doorstep to inform them that their son and his son were switched at birth 2 years ago. Of course both couples are in shock and want to do whats best for the boys. They meet and it's pretty obvious even before the DNA proves it, they each have the wrong son but these are the sons they have loved and raised for 2 years. Pete and Maddie's boy Theo is a big boy with high energy and who tends to be a bit of a bully at times whereas the Lambert boy is sickly and needs lots of care. The Lamberts are wealthy and have been able to provide the best healthcare for David while Pete has become a stay at home dad to tend to rambunctious Theo. The parents decide to work together and spend time with both children to provide the healthiest outcome. Because we all want what's best for the children.... don't we?
What seems like a reasonable amicable arrangement is soon to go south when someone quits PLAYING NICE.
Great domestic suspense

J.P. Delaney never ceases to amaze me. Her ability to get inside the head of the reader is amazing. This book follows the tale of a switched at birth scenario. There are two points of view in this book, Pete and Maddie. They are the parents of the now healthy Theo. This story is so believable, you can almost feel the emotions of both sets of parents.

This story-line is a bold undertaking, and the tale is compelling. It draws you in and moves quickly, but the quickness doesn't sacrifice details that make the characters feel real or the impact of the events. We feel the hurt, betrayal, longing, and disbelief while fully immersing in the aftermath.

If you're anything like me and enjoy a good story that truly pushes you to the edge of your seat in suspense where you literally can't turn the pages fast enough then you need to experience Playing Nice. In my opinion the characters are well developed and you will feel different emotions toward them in each chapter. I think the author did a great job with this book. It made me cringe in parts where it felt so realistic.

Finished this in 24 hours. Imagine if someone showed up on your doorstep claiming that your child wasn’t yours? We’ve all heard of the ‘switched at birth’ stories but this is so much more than just a simple ‘switch.’

How far will a mother go to do what’s best for her child? And what is the true motivation behind that? Amazing! Definitely check this one out. Thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for the ARC!

Loved it! Pete and Maddie have a young son, Theo. Their world is rocked one day when they find out that things are not as they seem. This book kept me guessing, and I had trouble putting it down. A wonderfully written book!

Pete Riley a stay at home dad, a gentle soul, has his hands full with his two year old son, a rough and tumble kid who hasn't learned to share and is on the verge of being removed from his day care because of behavioral issues. His partner Maddie is in a fragile place, never having quite recovered from the emotional, if not physical toll, of delivering their son, Theo, prematurely. Then, their fragile existence is shattered when Pete answers a knock on the door to find a man, Miles, who claims, and can prove, that Pete and Maddie are raising the wrong child. Miles appears to be easy going and is willing to work out a plan so that both families can raise the son each has bonded with, and still be involved with their birth sons. However, all is not what it seems.
I am a big fan of JP Delaney's books, and this one had me up well into the night reading it. It was an emotional roller coaster, in fact upsetting at some points, but also riveting, fast paced, and unpredictable. Plots twists, secrets uncovered, secrets kept secret and manipulations abound in this thriller. This goes deep into the human psyche, and had me asking questions of myself that I didn't want to answer, and pray that I won't have to.. If you like a book that pulls you in and spits you out, read this!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing - Ballantine for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Other books by J.P Delaney I hadn't rated very high, so I started this one a little hesitantly. Wow, did it draw me in quickly, though. There are all sort of additional twists and turns AFTER Pete and his wife, Maddie, are told that their little son is not really theirs. Apparently, babies were switched in the hospital shortly after birth. At first, it looks like everyone just wants to make it easier for all involved and work something compatible out. But looks can be deceiving. Oh, how they can be deceiving!

I seldom re-read books, but this might be one I could stand to read again in a couple of years.

WARNING: Language, not as bad as many books I've run across but still rather offensive.

This story just blew me away! I read late into the night and was so angry at two main characters that I could not sleep! That is the sign of a great story! Pete and Maddie have a two year old son, Theo. They have a great relationship but are not married. One day, out of the blue, an investigator and solicitor are at their front door announcing that Theo is not their son. Theo was swapped with another baby at birth. They learn that the other set of parents, Miles and Lucy found this out and want to meet. Their son, David, is physically challenged and requires a great deal of care. From this point the story really takes off. I was so angry at Miles and Lucy for the way they try to handle the situation. The story has some great twists and surprises. A wonderfully enjoyable psychological thriller!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Wow, best book I’ve read in a while! I’ve read all of JP Delaney’s books and have enjoyed them all but this by far has been my favorite. Some parts where definitely hard to read and seeing the bad guy winning is so frustrating but dang this was such a great read.

OMG, the premise of this book is terrifying. I simply cannot imagine someone showing up on my doorstep and telling me that my child I’ve been raising for the past two years isn’t mine. Of course, they couldn’t because my kids look just like me, but still.
I’m sure there are plenty of people who say, hmm, whose nose did he get? Or, “oh, he has your father’s eyes.” I mean, there are plenty of kids out there who don’t look like their parents. But I digress.
Pete and Maddie are blindsided when Miles and his wife, Lucie, try to lay claim to their son Theo. They are raising Pete and Maddie’s biological son, David, but the matter is more complicated by the fact that David has had some delays from the NICU, ones that Theo was able to beat.
They try to work it out for a while, but I think anyone who is a parent knew that wasn’t going to go well. And then it kind of turns out that Miles is a complete pyscho and things just go on from there.
It reminded me a little of a Jodi Picoult book, in that there is a legal battle that everyone is going through. But of course, Picoult would be slightly less sinister domestic thriller and more family drama. I did find it hard to believe that so many people couldn’t see through Miles. And they couldn’t put two and two together on certain events (but no spoilers).
Playing Nice was a good book, I give it a B, or 3 1/2 stars. A perfectly nice way to spend a sweltering afternoon. Special thanks to Ballantine Books and Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. This one is out July 28.