I liked this one! The chapters were short and kept switching between two narrators. I thought there was going to be a bigger twist at the end with the babies, but I still found it to be a good one. I thought the end was justified. This is a nightmare situation, though...

This book gave me serious chills! If you like a good mystery with a LOT of drama and maybe a murder or two then you have to check this one out. I love a good baby switch book but I can’t imagine this scene woo in real life! It’s one crazy ride from start to finish!

Delaney's latest book Playing Nice is a thriller that approaches quite the dilemma. What if you found out that your son was not actually your son? What if he was switched at birth with another's family's child? This book was actually really hard to read at times because of how realistically it told the story of how a child could be taken away from the only parents he's known. The storytelling was well-done, but the content was rather difficult. I'm not certain I would recommend this book. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

**5 Stars**

I took a bit of a break from book reviewing due to some health issues and am slowly working my way back to reading and reviewing regularly. When I was approved for J.P. Delaney's Playing Nice, I was super excited to dive in and see what Delaney has cooked up for his readers. I have reviewed his last three books and loved them all.

Playing Nice a bit of a departure from his last three books. I don't mean this in a negative way - it's just a different type of book that looks deeply at what happens when a child is switched at birth and ends up with the "wrong" biological family. This book spends a good deal of time developing two characters - the parents (Pete and Maddie) of a child, Theo, who they discover is not their biological child. Pete and Maddie's world is shattered when Miles and Lucy, Theo's biological parents, show up unannounced in their lives and reveal the devastating truth that their children were switched at birth.

How did Theo get switched at birth? Who is responsible? Nurses? The hospital? Or is it something more sinister, such as one of the parents? 

I don't want to reveal too much of the plot, but let's just say that Miles and Lucy have ulterior motives in sharing this shocking information with Pete and Maddie. At first, it seems as though Miles and Lucy are good-natured folks who want the hospital responsible for the switch to be held accountable. There are vast class differences between the two families; Miles and Lucy are wealthy, while Pete and Maddie are struggling to get by. Both couples seem to have fractured relationships that also complicate matters. I was super interested in how this complex, unusual situation would unravel and how each of the characters would respond to it.

What did I think of this book? I did miss some of the shocking twists and turns of Delaney's last 3 books, but that doesn't mean this book wasn't enjoyable. As I said before, this is a book that is focused on character development more than pulling the rug under readers. Delaney has a real talent for making his characters come to life and feel relatable, no matter what questionable deeds they've committed. There are some surprising twists in this book, but simply not as dramatic in Delaney's previous works. If you enjoy well-crafted characters and a skillfully paced plot, this book is for you!

Thank you to the author, J.P. Delaney, the publisher, Random House Publishing, and NetGalley for an advanced reviewer copy of Playing Nice!

I really enjoyed this book. Although it was about 75% a family drama, the last part of the book was very good - twisty and suspenseful.

What would you do if a person showed up on your doorstep and told you your children had been mistakenly switched at birth? The child you have loved for the past 2 years is not biologically yours? My heart broke for Maddie and Pete. I tried to think how I would feel, how I would act, in this same situation.

I definitely enjoyed the book but it took me a long time to get into it. I felt like it started off strong and then hit quite a lull until about 75% of the way through. I’m interested to see what others think.

Playing Nice
One of the best books I've read for the year 2020! I could not put this book down. Gripping storyline. You just wanted to know what was going to happen next. I will highly recommend this for our library readers.
Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC of this book.

Great REad!

One mind-numbing day, one couple gets informed by another couple that their now two-year old boys were seemingly switched while in the NICU.. and here begins the story about psychopaths, psychological abuse, nature vs. nature, and murder. They are seemingly two very different couples, but when it comes to their children, they will show how similar they really can be..

Another brilliantly shaped novel by JP Delaney! A subtle, yet mind-blowing psychological thriller that keeps my 5 star ratings for his books going!

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House/Ballantine and the author for this eARC!

Thank you net galley for an arc of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Well JP Delaney you are quickly becoming one of my all time favorites. Everything you think this is gonna be it's not, it's so much more!

As a parent I can't imagine if someone knocked on my door after 2 years to tell me that our babies had been switched in a hospital NICU. This is exactly what happened in this story!

Pete and Maddie, have a 2 year old named Theo, he was born premature and they we're told he may die. A knock on the door by a PI and a man named Miles, who also got with his wife Lucy have 2 year old David, turn both families upside down. They are informed their sons were switched at birth.

This book just had so much that I read it with my mouth permanently agape. We have one family who isn't well off trying to hold on to the son they have raided while trying to get to know their bio son which also involves could parenting with the other family which has the power and money to go after what they want. This whole book has the Riley's walking on egg shells and every time you turn around the story gets darker and darker. There is so much betrayal and lying and not to mention this mix up accident, or was it?

i Am so torn over this book! 80% of me loved this twisted and original psychological thriller while the other 20% unfortunately was yelling at the main character for being so unbelievably naive. And that ending...? I wanted more! Overall I found that once I was properly introduced to all the characters and was only a short ways in to the book, I had easily figured the big ‘who dun it’. Thank god for that final twist at the end which in my opinion was a game changer!!!! So back to the 80%- I did love Maddys characters. I thought even with her flaws that she was relatable and her story was heartbreaking and felt real to me. This story overall was such an edge of your seat, never know what’s going to happen next- and even better , never know who’s going to say what what next! I loved Delaney writing style here. With the breakup of chapters and having court documents and witness accounts. Brilliant, kept it very light and felt fun. Overall I’d still give this 4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ For you psychological thriller fans- this will be top 5 of 2020

I want to thank netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review

Playing Nice is the latest book from author JP Delaney, and like the prior books, a sure-fire winner. The story starts with a bang, as Pete, the father of a two year old, finds another parent, Miles, at his door with a private investigator, telling him that their kids, both premature babies born at the same hospital, were switched at birth. What at first is an amicable relationship between both sets of parents soon spirals out of control.. Told in alternating narratives from one set of parents, with the chapters prefaced by court filings, the story keeps getting darker and bleaker by the minute. The book hooks you right away, and the unusual story-telling style adds to the suspense, until the blockbuster ending. Great set-up, somewhat unique, and ultimately satisfying, a solid read. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through @NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

There is no secret that I am a fan of PJ Delaney's thrillers and Playing Nice did not disappoint. It was fabulous and kept my attention from the first to the last page. The character development -- particularly the inner workings of their minds -- was really well done and allowed the reader to understand their motivations and frustrations. I loved how PJ Delaney made me so anxious and caused me to yell at a particular character over and over again. This was an emotional ride that I am so glad that I had the opportunity to be part of.

This was a really enjoyable book to read. I liked how the characters were developed and left us guessing. We knew it was going to get bad with Miles but didn't know exactly how bad until the end. I love a creepy story that is based on "normal" families. Didn't love the porn or cheating thrown in with Pete and Maddie but understand that the author didn't want them to seem perfect but flawed. I thought Lucy's character could have been developed a bit more though. Never really got a sense of what made her who she was. Enjoyable but a 3 star for me. Thanks!

Playing Nice is an explosive read! No question about it! I found the plot to be extremely unique and thick with tension. I had a hard time putting this one down and when I had to I was anxious to pick it right back up again! If you're a fan of intense psychological thrillers look no further. You NEED this book!

This is the second book I’ve read by JP Delaney. This book is like a roller coaster and it took my emotions on a wild ride. The ending was totally worth it. This is a must read!

I was not a fan of The Perfect Wife so I was excited to give this one a chance.
Swapped at birth stories are always intriguing. This story has it all- mental illness, addiction, abuse and murder. It shows just how far parents are willing to protect their kids!
MY emotions were all over the place reading this one but I loved it and finished it in a day!

Thanks to Netgalley for my advanced ebook copy.

Another great psychological thriller read from JP Delaney. Playing Nice is the story of Pete and Maddie who have a 2 yr old son Theo. With a knock on the door their lives change forever. Miles and Lucy also have a young son who they say was switched at birth. Each couple have been raising the wrong child. At the beginning everyone is working together for what is best for the children and decide to sue the hospital for damages. Then things start to change. Secrets are exposed, lies are told, trials ensue and lives change forever. Do children belong with biological parents or those that have raised them from birth? The question isn’t always easy to answer and as the story unfolds and we learn more about each parent, the answer seems to be obvious. But what will we do for our children, biological or not.

Oooh, this was a fun read. We all have had a run in with a show off, entitled person. This is a worst case scenario between your average family unit and the other end of the spectrum. I wanted to keep reading to see how it was going to play out. A very satisfying ending!

I loved/hated this book. Loved because it was so good and hated because I’m a parent so the though of this happening stressed me out! Would definitely recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the ARC of Playing Nice by J.P.Delaney. I have read and enjoyed all of his books and was excited to read his latest psychological thriller.

Pete Riley and his partner, Maddie, make a frightening discovery that their two year old son was switched at birth in the hospital NICU and that another couple has their biological son. When their son Theo’s biological parents, Miles and Lucy Lambert approach them with this knowledge, all four adults attempt to make it work sharing the boys between the two families. However, suddenly, Miles stops “playing nice” and sues Pete and Maddie for custody of Theo. They find themselves in a compromising position, where they will have to fight for both of their sons as well as their own reputation and livelihoods.

I really enjoyed reading this psychological thriller, as it has many twists and turns. I was addicted from the beginning to the end! It includes elements of mental illness, abuse, lies, betrayal and murder. Ultimately, it answers the question of what would you do to keep your family together? The intense family drama coupled with the courtroom drama intensified the tension and made it very difficult to put down! I highly recommend this book to psychological thriller fans.
4/5 stars