I received a complimentary copy of Playing Nice from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Great book! I was surprised by its nearly genre bending plot. Thriller? Kind of. Drama? Kind of. As a parent, I have to admit that this one caused me some anxiety. I love a good villain, and this novel certainly had a good one. This is my favorite kind of book: real characters, real situations unfolding in real ways. Horrible, yet possible.
I loved it.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC

I have been a fan of JP Delaney for a long time, so I was excited to pick up a copy of his newest book Playing Nice. His books have always had a bit of an unconventional plot line (which makes them so interesting), but this was unlike anything I have read from him before.

We meet Pete Riley, an extremely hands-on dad to his two-year old son Theo. Except Pete learns that Theo isn't actually his biological son, but he was switched at birth with another baby in the NICU. Pete learns this information from Miles Lambert, an imposing man, who always gets what he wants -- and it is clear that he wants his biological son Theo to be in his life. Pete quickly learns that Miles will do whatever it takes to get his way, and Pete needs to decide how far he's willing to go to protect his family.

Told from alternative perspectives of Pete and his partner, Maddie, Playing Nice was a slow build. JP Delaney did a nice job of sprinkling in miscellaneous "court documents" into chapters -- which set the stage for what Miles had up his sleeve the whole time. This certainly was a plausible story (frightening if you really think about it), but JP Delaney did an exceptional job of capturing the emotions of all characters. A great read!

I've enjoyed J.P. Delaney's psychological thrillers, so I was looking forward to this one. It didn't disappoint, although it wasn't my favorite from the author. I found myself so disturbed by what was happening that I couldn't wait to see it resolved - which some may say is the mark of a good thriller. While that's true, it made reading the book a bit stressful, and not really in a good way. Still, it's a worthwhile read with a fairly original premise - I'd recommend it.

This is my 3rd book by J.P. Delaney and it grabbed me from the start!! Wow what a gripping book and it kept me on the edge of my seat! Literally!!!! I had so many emotions while I reading this!! And that ending!!! Omg!!!! Wasn’t expecting it at all. A psychological thriller at best!!!! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release in exchange for my honest review. Highly recommend this one!! Due out July 2020. Wow!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this book.

I really enjoyed this book! It had an interesting plot that has come up a few times in the world but has never progressed as far as the subject did in the book. The ending had a few twists I didn’t guess and those really pushed this to a 5 star read. I look forward to this authors books and can’t wait for the next one!

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reader’s copy


I liked this one fine, just not as much as I’d wanted too. A bit over the top and characters a bit too flat. Just good enough. 3.5 rounded up.

thanks for the ARC. I generally love his books and was wondering if this would be the exception. It was somewhat slow at first, took awhile to get into it. we knew right away there was a very "bad" person and that they were being set up and watched the horror, not actual horror but the horror of a terrible thing happening that you feel powerless to stop despite your best efforts. I liked the resolution and was glad i read it. I would give it a 4.5

JP does it again. Playing Nice is a page turner which I gave up sleep and conversation to read. Several scenes were spot on in their accuracy especially the emotions in the NICU. Each character is well crafted and you don’t know where the story is going. Get ready to stay up all night finishing this one!!

I had high hopes for this book given the premise....babies switched at birth, two devastated families trying to work together to do the right thing for the children and keep everyone happy but it took way to long to get any real tension built and dragged through most of the first half of the book. Once it became clearer there was a sociopath in their midst the story picked up. I ended up being glad I finished it but be aware it takes a while to become a thriller and even then its a moderate thrill at best. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced readers copy for review.

This book was fantastic. The premise is frighteningly realistic, and I found myself wondering what I would do with each obstacle Pete and Maddie encountered. It was agonizing in the best kind of way for fans of suspense. The characters were so well drawn, and while I certainly didn't like all of them, I understood all of their motivations. I've read and enjoyed all of JP Delaney's books and can't wait to see what's next!

This book took a LOT for me to stick with it. I’m not sure if it was the pace of the story, or the content, but it wasn’t until I was more than 80% done that I actually really got into it. The ending was good and most loose ends were tied up, although I am left wondering if Pete or one of the nurses actually did have a hand in the switch. Overall it was a good book, but while I normally can finish a book I am enjoying within a day or two, this one seemed to take forever for me to finish it.

Maddie and Pete receive the shock of their life when they discover 2 year old Theo is not actually their biological child. Born a preemie, and spending weeks in the NICU, the couple discover he was somehow switched with another child. At first, the parents of David, Miles and Lucy, seem like a wonderful couple, willing to share custody and work together to make sure the boys stay safe and happy. Things take a very quick downturn when Miles turns out to be a sociopath, doing whatever it takes to get his way. His way, it seems, is to have both boys, and he will not let anything get in his way.
I have to be honest, I was NOT a fan of Delaney's last book, The Perfect Wife, so I was a little apprehensive about this one. But once I started Playing Nice, I could not put it down. Told in alternating chapters of Maddie and Pete, the tension builds and builds. Make sure you have nothing to do once you start reading because you will not be able to stop.

This book. Wow!
What would you do if your baby was switched at birth with another and you were dropped this bombshell when they were 2? No, seriously, what would you do?! That’s what happened in this book. I had to sit and think about it when I first started reading. I really don’t know what I would do. I want to think I’d handle it as well as Pete and Maddy did. But, I just don’t know. And then, all the rising problems with Miles? I’d be a train wreck. I loved this book! It was so good!
It for sure made you think and question yourself.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick.

[book:Playing Nice|49078674] by [author:J.P. Delaney|14719991]
5 Stars

This well written novel is a twisty thriller that you will speed through. It is about a couple who discovers that their toddler, brought home from the hospital 2 years prior, is not their biological child as they believed him to be...the result of two infants switched at birth!
There are many issues brought up in this book that I enjoyed like postpartum psychosis, parenting, law and order, psychopathy, domestic life, etc. I'm always amazed at the amount of research that must have occurred to write a novel like this.

Here's a quote from the book to make you curious, <spoiler> "A while back, people used to think psychopaths were all chaotic, disorganized murderers, because those were the ones who ended up in prison and got studied. But there's mounting evidence that many successful CEOs and politicians are actually psychopaths too; or at least, fall somewhere on the psychopathic spectrum--that is, they score low on tests for remorse, conscience, and moral judgement, and high for fearlessness, quick thinking, and cold-bloodedness." </spoiler>

I thoroughly enjoyed [book:Playing Nice|49078674] and am very grateful to NetGalley, Ballantine Books and [author:J.P. Delaney|14719991] for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. Thank you so much!
Expected release date on 7/28/20.

This was a riveting book about a man, Pete, and his partner, Maddie, who learn their son may have been switched at birth before leaving the hospital.

At first the two families seems on the same page, but in this twisty mystery, things change suddenly. I do not want to give too much away, as there are some surprising turns in the story, but the main question the book asks is how are we bonded as families and how far will we go to protect that bond?

JP Delaney is an entertaining writer, and I enjoyed this fast-paced book a lot.

I received a copy of this from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. I seriously loved this thriller about two couples who accidentally switched babies at birth. From the minute I started, I couldn’t put it down as I was dying to see what was going to happen next. Very fast paced book! I will be watching for the next book by this author as I’m now a fan!

Maddy and Pete, parents of two year old Theo, suddenly find out that Theo is not their biological child. Somehow their biological child went home with another family. Imagine the horror and disbelief that brought to all involved. Maddy and Pete decided to try to bring the other parents ,Miles and Lucy and their son David, into their lives. They thought it would be the easiest way for both sides to deal with the horrible situation instead of getting involved in a long court case. Things were friendly for awhile until it WASN"T! Thats where this book takes a very sinister and mind-boggling turn! I couldn't think of a more emotionally draining situation than the one that the poor parents in this book (Maddy and Pete) have found themselves in! What a wonderful ,thought provoking book this was!I enjoyed it so much!

This book was a wild ride! It was a quick and intense read. It centers on Pete and Maddie, who find out that their son, Theo, was actually switched at birth with the son of another couple, Miles and Lucy. Miles appears in their lives instantly and aggressively, insisting that they join up to sue the hospital, that Theo shares their nanny, and regularly buying Theo gifts and showing up uninvited. The extra attention by Miles, who seems nice in the beginning, begins to make Pete nervous, and the whole story gets scarier and more intense as the book goes on.

This is one of those books where the protagonists seem to be in such a helpless predicament that the reader is easily able to put themselves in that position, giving a real sense of understanding into the characters. The author did a great job of creating an unsettling vibe in the first part of the book, when everything is going well, where you are just waiting for the other shoe to drop. While the ending might have been a bit unrealistic, it was very satisfying, and felt to me like the only ending that would have allowed them to get on with their lives.

I would absolutely recommend this book for those who like domestic suspense, and won't mind staying up late into the night to see what happens! Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Whew! Not for the faint of heart! Not for the tenderhearted, either! This story about 2 infants switched at birth in the NICU hospital was very, very intense. Being a [tenderhearted] mother and grandmother, I put the book down several times just to breathe deeply and wonder if I could actually make it through the horrors these parents were enduring. And I guess, that’s what denotes the writer as a really superb one – when the reader so totally identifies with the characters, he/she is feeling their pain and experiencing their anxieties.

This was very well crafted and believable up until the great reveal. And that was totally unrealistic. It all worked out OK in the end, but there were some gaping holes there which could have been a bit more realistic in keeping with the rest of the story.

I’m thankful to NetGalley and the publisher, Ballantine Books, for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.