Maddie had a difficult time giving birth. Her son was born almost three months early, and she lost a lot of blood. She and her partner Pete had gone to a private hospital when she woke up that morning feeling off. But once she’d had her emergency C-section, an ambulance had rushed the baby and Pete to an NHS hospital with a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). It was several days before Maddie was strong enough to see her baby boy, but Pete stayed in the NICU, knowing that the baby had lost some oxygen during the birth and there was no telling how long he may live.

As the days and then weeks go by, their son Theo starts to make progress. He gets stronger, he gets taken off the machines that had been keeping him alive, and then he gets to go home. Pete says good-bye to the nurses he’s spent so many of his days with and heads home with Maddie and their son, looking forward to a good life as a family.

Two years later, Pete is acting as full-time caregiver to Theo while Maddie goes to work. Theo is sometimes a little aggressive with the other kids at nursery school, but he is happy and healthy, and Pete is doing everything he can to temper Theo’s occasional acting out.

And then there is a knock on the door.

Pete opens the door to find two men on his doorstep. They come in and change Pete’s life forever. One of these men is a private investigator and the other introduces himself as Miles and informs Pete that he is actually Theo’s father. They have a DNA test to back up what they’re saying. At first, Pete thinks that Miles is saying that he’d had an affair with Maddie, but they explain that there had been a mix-up at the hospital, and Pete and Maddie had taken home the wrong baby. Somehow, Miles and his wife Lucy, ended up with Pete and Maddie’s son, David.

It’s so unusual that such a mix-up happens that there are no real legal precedents for what to do next. Pete wants to do right by both children, but he doesn’t want to switch them back. He has bonded with Theo. They’re a family. But he wants to meet his biological son too, so he and Maddie go to their house to meet and get the two boys together.

Miles and Lucy clearly have more resources than Pete and Maddie, and that’s good, as David had clearly suffered some brain damage during his birth. Maddie immediately feels a maternal bond with David, the kind of bond she’d always wanted to feel with Theo but never had.

As the two families spend more time together, the situation gets more complicated. Miles is aggressive, not unlike Theo, but his pushing makes Pete and Maddie increasingly uncomfortable. They join together to sue the hospital that switched the babies, and obstacles pop up in the lawsuit that causes more stress. Pete wants to deal with the situation with respect, communication, and consideration. But Miles becomes less cooperative whenever Pete tries to put up a boundary. Finally, Miles snaps, and cooperation is no longer an option. But how far will Pete and Maddie go to try to save their family?

JP Delaney brings us Playing Nice, a family slow burn thriller that looks at the worst possible problem new parents could face: a mix-up at the hospital means that you are raising someone else’s child, and they are raising yours. It’s a study of relationships, of the cracks that can grow into a rift and the decisions that can help fill the fractures and lead you back to solid ground.

I thought the premise for Playing Nice was interesting, but as the characters became more real to me, it became a fascinating look at how people deal with difficult circumstances. Why decides to play dirty and who plays nice? And, maybe most importantly, who wins in that situation?

Playing Nice takes a very rare situation and turns it into a family’s worst nightmare. Watching how that situation play out is always going to be a good time, and this is no exception. A page-turning ride from the beginning to the end, and lots of chilling twists throughout!

Egalleys for Playing Nice were provided by Ballentine Books through NetGalley, with many thanks.

4.5 stars.

A solid thriller with a believable storyline! The book was gripping from the very beginning and I found myself reading big chunks in each sitting because I just couldn't put it down. (The length of the chapters made it a lot easier to devour this in such a short period of time!)

Delaney takes a concept that's frightening to begin with (babies switched at birth) and makes it even more so with deceiving characters that will stop at nothing to get what they want. The twists in this book are great, even if a little predictable at times. But nonetheless, it was a well-written story that kept my attention to the very end. Glad to have discovered Delaney's writing - can't wait to read more of his books!

Thank you to Ballantine Books & NetGalley for providing a copy of the e-book in exchange for an honest review.

Sep 29, 2020 · edit
it was amazing


4.5 Stars!

The door bell rang and Peter Riley went to answer the door and there were two young men outside the door, and one of them looked exactly like Theo, his son. "Can we come in they asked". "Its about your son they said". "It would be better to talk indoors". Pete let them in and Miles Lambert introduced himself and Don Maguire. "Prepare yourself for a shock, Lambert said." " I am sorry to tell you that Theo is not your son'. "He is mine." Don Maguire says that we both have sons who were born prematurely and they were both transferred to the neonatal intensive care unit at St. Alexander's. It's conceivable that at some point during the process the wrong tags were put on the babies.
"So you have our son Pete asked". Miles Lambert nodded. "We call him David". How do you know this, Pete asks. Miles let him know that Don Maguire is a private investigator. We took a sippy cup that belonged to Theo at Theo's nursery. The tests came back yesterday and there is no doubt that Theo is my son. This is how it all begins and life will never be the same again. Pete and his wife Maddie discover that they will each stop at nothing to keep their family safe. They are done playing nice.

I was captivated straight from the beginning until the very end. This one kept me on the edge of my seat and was a roller coaster ride. This is a suspenseful dark psychological thriller that kept me turning the pages. I loved the short chapters. This also is a family drama and it's every parents worst nightmare. I loved the shocking twists. There were some dark secrets and lies. There also were a lot of Oh No, moments! I loved the ending and all the characters were very well developed.

This was a buddy read with my friend, Susan!

I want to thank NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group-Ballentine for the copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Now Available!

Wow, what a twisty, turny plot this is! Pete and Maggie are blindsided by a knock on their door explaining that their son is not theirs and was switched at birth. Instead of sorting this out logically, the true father hatches a plan to work this out between the families. This plan then goes completely off the rails and feels as if something more sinister is at work. Many plot twists and psychological tensions keep the reader on their toes. Very interesting plot and well executed. One of the better psychological thrillers out there

You hear about babies being switched at birth every now and then. Parents swear that don't know how they could have gone with this unnoticed for so long. They swear that they would know their child anywhere. It happens though. The wrong baby being sent home with the wrong parents. Those parents raising the child without a hint of knowing the truth. That is until you open your front door one morning and it slaps you in the face. That's exactly what happens to poor Pete.

After opening that Pandora's box what follows is quite maddening. Everything is being turned around to make Maddie and Pete look unfit to parent either child in question. Secrets that shouldn't matter are being unearthed and used against each party. And most of all the children could be in danger and not even know it.

A slippery slope between what's right and what needs to be done.

This was such a good book! I found myself torn between how I wanted or how I thought the book would end! This is a parent's worst nightmare and I was hooked with this story immediately. I am pretty sure this story will become a movie in the future because it is just that good! JP Delaney does it again!

This book was dreadfully slow starting. I mean it took a bit over halfway to get me wanting more. I see where a lot of the first part was necessary but good grief. It just dragged on and on for too long. I also did not like the parts where the emails, letters from lawyers, and I think it was a facebook page for the one dad, were told. It was dribble for me. I just don't like that in books that I read. Make it part of the story between the people not in tiny print and supposed text between them. It is just boring to me.

That being said this book was a good story. Once it picks up it is great. The story is one that will keep you wanting to know what is happening and why. Who switched these babies and why. Was one of the parents responsible or was it truly an accident that just happened during the ride from the private hospital to the NICU. What these parents went through was horrible for sure. One set of parents were more likable than the other. Or maybe it was one dad was more likable as I didn't truly care for his mate. Pete was a good man. He loved Theo and did everything for him. His mate, Maddie, while she did love Theo, was hard to like. She seemed to be repulsed by their son from the start. Once he was born and was not carried to term and looked odd because of how early he was it seems he made her sick. She was also way to jealous of the other women around Pete. Nurses and all. They thought Pete was a great dad, as did I, yet she was very nitpicky about it. She seemed to find fault is so many things concerning Pete. Considering some things she did behind Pete's back she should count her lucky stars that she had a mate that loved her and the boy that much.

Then we have Miles and Lucy, who were a bit unlikable all the way around. Mainly it was Miles. He started being a jerk way before we even found out what was going on. He comes across as a very arrogant person who can't stand it if things don't go his way. No matter what happened or was said it was his way or he pouted like a jerk. He did not seem to care at all about David, the boy who they are raising as their own child. It seems like Lucy may be a bit human but is under Miles's thumb and does what he says when he says.

This book is good in the sense that it is a story that will keep you turning pages and wanting to know what happens and why. But I didn't like the parts between when as I already explained where email, letters from lawyers, etc. It just didn't do it for me. This book had great promise though and is a good story for the most part. I'm sure most will love it. It was just not one of my favorites.

Thank you #NetGalley, #JPDelaney, #RandomHouse,Ballantine for this ARC. This is my own true thoughts about this book.

I give it only 3/5 stars and do recommend you read it for yourself. We each tend to like different things.

Another 400 page book that I devoured in two days because I couldn’t wait to find out what would happen next. Two babies were born prematurely in a private hospital. They were immediately transferred to the NICU at the local hospital. The story flashes forward two years and we find out that the babies were switched at birth. Can the two families work it out amicably or will it turn acrimonious? Everything seems like sunshine and daisies in the beginning, but true colors start to shine. I found the series of events a little predictable, but it was still a very enjoyable and action paced journey!

Being a parent, I cannot even imagine how I would feel if a stranger knocked on my door and proceeded to tell me my daughter was not mine. But that is exactly what happens to Pete and Maddie in this twisted book filled with mind games. I know when I pick up a book by Mr. Delaney that I am going to be in for one heck of a ride. PLAYING NICE is no exception. What a ride! My jaw dropped towards the end and then just as I thought that was it....I actually gasped so loud I scared my teenager.
4-4.5 ⭐️

JP Delaney's books have been hits or misses for me, but Playing Nice was by far my favorite. The story gripped me from the start and the twists and turns had me turning the pages. One of the better books I've read this year.

This book had me up all night turning the pages! It is so much more than a story of two babies getting mixed up in the nursery. It is a psychological thriller to say the least. I could not put this book down. I read it in one sitting and hid from the kids when they tried to interrupt me. Lol. I HIGHLY recommend this book!! I want to thank Ballantine Books, Netgalley and JP Delaney for the Advanced Readers Copy of this book!

One of my favorite reads of 2020. The concept of your child being switched at birth is a chilling one and this book shows how scary it can get. One of the characters in this book truly made my skin crawl and caused me a lot of frustration. The story is full of twists and turns, although none are shocking, it still makes for an excellent story. Highly recommended!

Playing Nice, JP Delaney's latest release, weaves a tale of deception that leads to a dangerous game of cat and mouse. Maddy and Pete, a couple in the UK, have a rambunctious toddler named Theo. A bit unconventional but becoming more common, Pete is a stay-at-home dad while Maddy focuses on her high-powered advertising career. While Maddy has kept some secrets from Pete their lives move along seemingly normal until one day when the doorbell rings. On the other side of the door is an investigator and Miles, a wealthy fund manager. They break the news that Theo, who was born premature and spent weeks in the NICU, was switched at birth with Miles and his wife Lucy's son David-also born premature and spending weeks in the NICU. When incontrovertible proof of the switch is given, Maddy and Pete forge a unique relationship with Miles and Lucy. Soon, Miles' charm gives way to something more sinister and when his true intentions are made known Miles and Lucy decide they are done playing nice...and are playing to stay alive.

Wow-this is my favorite JP Delaney novel so far. The characters, while mostly unlikeable, are flawed and fleshed out. The story moves at an extremely fast pace and will keep readers both engaged and guessing until the end. Perfect thriller for fall!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

This was such a unique book and one I feel like I haven’t read before. I was intrigued from the very beginning. I will say that it makes you think about different concepts and what you would do in that situation.

This was such a great book- unputdownable- and grabbed my attention immediately. Two babies were switched at birth and one set of parents has found out the truth and one is about to. What happens next? Do you switch the children back, keep going as if nothing happened or try to find a solution in between. There were so many twists and turns in this book that kept me guessing until the very end. I enjoyed the multiple points of view throughout the story. Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

a CRAZY thriller. I literally couldn't put this one down. Such a crazy, twisty ride! Super original concept and definitely left me thinking about what I would do in that situation. Would definitely recommend!

Thanks to netgalley, Random House publishing – Ballantyne and JP Delaney for this ARC. This is a story of two families, and the child you believe was yours, was not, but switched at birth. At the beginning the two families are playing nice, or so it seems.
What would you do if you found your child was not yours, would you play nice or would you play to get even. This book was a definite roller coaster of a thriller, and an end of an outcome that was well played. This is by far my favorite book by JP Delaney.

This book was great. It was thrilling and exciting! It was completely unexpected with twists and turns! It was my first read by this author, and I will definitely be looking up all the authors books now.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

Playin Nice grabs right from the beginning, two babies switched at birth, and the two sets of parents figuring out how to deal with it. I have read other books by JP Delaney, and this book didn’t disappoint. I couldn’t put it down, Excited for the next book. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy.

Pete Riley didn't know when he answered the front door that he would receive news which would change his life forever . Standing there is Miles Lambert who informs Pete that their sons were switched at birth accidentally.The two families meet and decide that rather than swap the boys back, they'll try to find an amicable way to share their children's lives . All seems to be going well till they decide to sue the hospital - and then the real nightmare begins

Playing Nice by J.P. Delaney is a compulsive read, so hard to put down, full of suspense and tension. An emotional addictive roller-coaster that’s a parents worst nightmare. Highly recommend !

I would like to thank Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine & NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and fair review.