After an achingly slow start, Playing Nice didn’t get interesting until the midway point and will have left most readers wondering what had happened since JP Delaney’s previous books (Believe Me, The Girl Before, and The Perfect Wife) were “unputdownable” from the beginning.

Eternally nice guy Pete Riley and workaholic Maddie Wilson are doing their best to raise their son Theo, who was born premature and who is now displaying challenging tendencies. Tendencies that were problematic enough to have him, as a two-year-old, thrown out of preschool. That’s ok since Pete will sort it all out and get them on the right footing once he figures out why the people that were watching him from across the road at his son’s school are now on his doorstep with a fantastical tale of child swapping and lawsuits.

Pete and Maddie attempt an amicable solution with Miles Lambert – this is where the book unravels for me. Who would take a stranger’s word without researching on their own? Yet, I blindly follow along in hopes that Pete and Maggie will wake up and take the lead when a stranger is trying to lay claim to their child. But at the same time, wondering why they would show so little interest in another child that could be theirs. But struggle on I do, as I am talking to the book that I am reading.

J P Delaney has the reader bouncing all over the place as he throws each possible scenario against the wall in hopes that the reader will willingly go along as each possibility gets darker and dirtier until Pete and Maggie have no other option.

This is such a fascinating and thought provoking concept to consider. The book honestly started out a but slow for me but I devoured the 2nd half as the legal proceedings started moving forward and the sets of parents started playing dirtier and dirtier to get what they wanted.

What’s the last book you read that had your heart thumping like crazy?⁣
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For me it was #playingnice the latest book from J.P. Delaney. Thanks to @penguinbooks and @netgalley for my free review copy. ⁣
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Delaney did it again with this heartracing thriller about newborns that were switched at birth, only for the parents to discover the switch 2 years later. ⁣
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There were times that my heart was beating so quickly I had to ask people what would happen next. Big thanks to @katieneedsabiggerbookshelf for calming me down.⁣
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I was on the edge of my seat for the entire last half of the book and found myself wishing I had medication to calm me down! It was thrilling up until the very last page. A perfect book to read this fall if you want to experience some heart racing of your own.⁣

I have read every JP Delaney and they all just really do it for me. He writes the most unique premises. It is so refreshing to read a thriller like nothing else, when so many thrillers follow the same trends. "Thriller" is maybe not the right word, because its more of a slow burn domestic drama. But the pacing is done so well. As a lawyer, the entire time I was shouting at the book "DON'T DO THAT!" Some reveals I saw coming but some totally caught me by surprise. Highly recommend.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of Playing Nice by JP Delaney.

Is it possible for a book to "hurt so good?" That's exactly what this book did. I constantly vacillated between being totally hooked, and then having to put it down because it was too intense and I needed to give my heart a break from it's racing.

Pete and Maddie are happy parents, living an untraditional life, with Pete staying home and Maddie working full time. Their son Theo is a lively, but mischievous two year old who just got expelled from his nursery for aggressive behavior. And right in the midst of that, a man and a PI show up on his doorstep to drop the bombshell of his life. They have his son, and he has theirs.

This reminds me of the beginning of a rollercoster when you're being slowly pulled to the top. In that moment, you're fine, but you know that in a short matter of time, you're going to be whipping through the air with all sorts of jerks, and turns, and flips. I already think that most parents would consider the premise of this a nightmare, but add the right cast of characters, and it becomes dangerous.

Loved this book so so so much. I Literally could not put my kindle down I had to know how it ended! Thank you for such a great read!

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this title.

This is described as a thriller but is really much more of just a drama with a small mystery element. After finding out that their child Theo was switched at birth, Maddie and Pete strike up a friendship with the parents of their biological son with unexpected consequences.

Honestly, Maddie and Pete are SO DUMB this entire book that it is infuriating to read. From the moment Miles comes to them with the information that their sons were swapped they just go along with everything and allow him and his wife all kinds of access to their son. It's lunacy. Once they decide it's a little weird to be that close it's already too late.

I didn't find anything great about this book or the "mystery" involved. This should've been a one-sitting read and instead it took me weeks because the story was really straightforward and not mysterious at all.

4.5/5

Pete and Maddie’s world flip upside down when Miles Lambert informs them that their two year son isn’t actually their biological child. It turns out, Theo Riley and David Lambert were accidentally switched at birth and have now been raised by the wrong families.

Both David and Theo were born premature and rushed to the NICU. In the ensuing madness, somehow, the boys were switched. Theo is a boisterous, active boy and instantly Miles is drawn to the similarities they share. David suffered from oxygen deprivation at birth and is seriously delayed, potentially permanently brain damaged.

At first, the families decide to be amicable and try to work out a solution, but it quickly becomes apparent that Miles is used to getting his way and feels entitled to his biological son. He will go to any length to have both boys for himself even if it means destroying the lives of everyone around him.

Told in alternating perspectives between Maddie and Pete, and also with pieces of the investigation, child welfare reports, and other data, this book was unputdownable. I loved the build up and was literally cringing at certain parts anticipating how Miles would use it against Pete and Maddie.

If you haven’t picked this one up yet, go go go!!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this novel.

Wow. I did think I'd be *that* into a book about two children switched at birth but this book goes a lot of places. This book is sinister but thought-provoking with characters you'll love to hate.

Another hit by JP Delaney. When you are looking for a psychological thriller, Delaney is the way to go.

Can you imagine finding out that the baby you brought home from the hospital really isn't yours? Can you imagine finding this out when your child is two? This is an interesting look at how "the system" plays out for families, especially if someone in the family is a psychopath.

The story takes place in London. One day, Pete the father of Theo, open the door to Miles, the father of David, only to find out that his child really isn't his. Miles and Pete's babies were swapped at the hospital. Miles will do anything to get his own child back, even if it means killing to get him. Will the system work for the families to do what's right for the children.

I sighed a lot while reading this book, so my husband kept telling me. It was a riveting book, but like any psychological thriller, it frustrated me...in a good way. I would definitely recommend this book to my friends.

I was given this book to read for my honest review.

The day Miles Lambert walks into Pete and Maddie’s lives, their world is suddenly turned upside down. Miles has come with the news that their two-year old children have mistakenly been swapped at birth.

This is the story of the two families trying to cope and heal after learning this shocking truth. What starts off as an amicable relationship between the couples becomes bitter, distrustful and manipulative. I could see the train-wreck coming and something had to give, someone had to lose.

JP Delaney’s writing is intelligent and engrossing. I especially enjoyed the unique idea of including legal case number documentation and summaries related to the ongoing investigation.

Thank you for the ARC for an honest review. A gripping psychological thriller....keeps you coming back but not at a fast-paced page turner. You learn early on the true feelings of the characters. You love to hate and you find yourself cheering the others on. As you hope the story of these two young boys switched at birth would not come down to the decisions a psychopath makes - you see how far someone will go for something they love (or that makes up the focus of their psychosis). There is a twist but not completely unexpected if you have been putting the pieces together along the way. Worth the read.

I really enjoyed Playing Nice by JP Delaney, and highly recommend it. The author of The Girl Before returns with another twisty psychological domestic thriller that she has become known for and it does not disappoint. Pete is surprised by a knock on the door one day by a man and his lawyer claiming that Theo, Pete’s two year old son is not his own. What is written in a gripping style of first person narrative and entries into the case report is the story of two babies switched at birth. Pete and Maddie can’t deny the physical resemblance or the dna test. But what is really happening here? Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are my own.

Thank you Ballantine Books for the free Netgalley copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I finally read my first Delaney novel! I’ve had two of his other books sitting unread on my shelf for years. 🙈 This one had such a great premise and I kept seeing tons of great reviews so I finally decided to pull the trigger.

I borrowed the audio from my library so that I was able to power right through it. Love the dual narrators/perspectives as always.

It’s definitely a topic that’s been touched upon before - and every parents’ worst nightmare, but was also done in such an original way. Plus it had its own unique spin to it. What happens when babies are switched in the nursery? It’s something no parent wants to imagine, but surely it’s happened in real life. This book kept me completely riveted. I had to know what was going to happen to each family.

I thought this book was incredibly well written and researched. There was something about it that made me feel like I was left hanging a bit at the end, but food The most part, I loved it. Definitely look forward to checking out his backlist.

First line: It was just an ordinary day.

Summary: Pete is a stay-at-home dad while his partner, Maddie, works. One day after arriving home from dropping his son, Theo, off at the daycare he gets a visit from a man who tells him that Theo is his son. It is a lot to take in. Miles tells him that there was a mix-up at the NICU when Theo was born. It seems that Pete and Maddie’s son was switched with Miles’ son. They have each been raising the others’ child for the last two years.

As the couples meet and discuss the situation they feel like they got lucky that each is so amendable. They are getting along well and working out the details. But can they trust this other couple with their son? As time goes by they see that things going on in the Lambert’s house is not as they seem.

My Thoughts: I think this is Delaney’s best book so far! It was really fast and had a good story. It’s terrifying but a real worry that sometimes mistakes like this may happen. With understaffed hospitals and so many children to be taken care of, it could easily happen.

I knew from the beginning when everything was going so well that there was going to be a lot of drama hitting Pete and Maddie soon! It kept me guessing and shaking my head as more craziness continued to appear. I was so shocked with the way every little interaction was spun and twisted to fit the needs of the Lamberts.

And I loved the ending. It wasn’t exactly mind-blowing but it was satisfactory and gave perfect closure. I would highly recommend this to anyone who wants a book they can easily finish in a weekend. It is easy to lose yourself in the drama and need to find out what happens next.

FYI: Check out J.P. Delaney’s other books for more great reads!

Two babies are switched in NICU setting off this psychological suspense novel. Stay-at-home dad Peter Riley and his wife Maddie learn that their 2-year oid son Theo is not their biological son. Miles Lambert shows up at their door with a private detective and a DNA report proving he is the biological father. The Riley's biological son, called David, has been raised by Miles and his wife Lucy. At first the Lamberts agree to keep things civil with both families agreeing to visit one another and get to know the boys. Theo is a rambunctious child prone to hitting while quiet David suffered brain damage due to his premature birth. When Miles keeps overstepping boundaries and soon the Riley's find themselves fighting for custody of Theo and perhaps for their own lives. I could not put this one down

This was not the thrilled I have come to expect from JP Delaney. It took me longer than usual to finish a book of this length. I did enjoy the ending though, especially after witnessing the struggle of Theo’s custodial parents the whole book.

I just adore Delaney's writing style. I was instantly hooked on this one and it touches on the subject matter of babies being switched in the hospital as babies. Could you even imagine?! Unfortunately there are all too true cases out there. Delaney just happens to add that sinister, psychological thriller aspect to this story and PHEW! I mean, what would you do if you found the child you've been raising isn't biologically yours?

This novel touches also on nature versus nurture - which is something I have truly always been fascinated by. How much of a child's personality is structured from genetics ... or from any outside influence? Do kids mimic their parents or is it something that is just deep down in their bones?

The two couples in question are also drastically different from each other and have their own other issues that also come into play. As with most thrillers - secrets abound and as they come to the surface - someone will always pay. While I do think the final scene seemed a bit abrupt after all the build up of every step these families went through, I was actually satisfied with it - some bows are just meant to be tied.

This is my fourth Delaney book and they've been across the spectrum. I do love an author where I walk in knowing I'll be entertained, but it's a toss up of just how much I'm going to love it. I would highly recommend this and Believe Me by this author and I'll be keeping my eyes peeled for his next release.

Playing Nice was hard to get into at first, and I still have a few questions ,I loved how the story ended, Plotting that I never seen it coming, One right after another twist and turns.

3.5*
The premise of this book quickly got my attention. Having read the previous book by this author “The perfect wife,” I knew this was a must for me!

Pete Riley answers a knock at his door to find his life won’t ever be the same! (This is exactly why I never answer the door). On the other side of the door is Miles Lambert, exuding an air of confidence, teetering on downright arrogance. Miles has some rather interesting news to share with Pete. The child Pete has raised from birth actually belongs to him. There was a mistake made at the hospital! What!? Are you serious? Then what about the other baby?

This was a fun, light thriller that’ll make you cringe at the thought of this actually happening! The book sites other cases, though I’m not sure if that was part of the fictional tale. I have yet to seek out the all- knowing, all-powerful google!

The only gripe I had was with the naiveté of Pete. Personally, I’d be speed-dialing my lawyer before the visitor took his second step into my house. (While also dispensing a serious dose of Mace!) But that’s just me!♀️

An enjoyable read, though The Perfect Wife is still my favorite!

A fun buddy read with Susanne!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for an ARC to read and review