It’s a good thing I started JP Delaney’s Playing Nice on a Saturday and didn’t really having anything important to do because I did not want to stop reading this book, even to sleep.

Told from the alternating views of Pete and Maddie, this book takes turns that would be unbelievable if you looked just at the start and the finish. But as this story progresses, it is so easy to see how situations get twisted when access to money creates opportunity and influence, how a dozen small decisions that you think you’re making for the right reasons turn out all wrong by the time everything escalates.

As the story begins, Pete opens his front door to greet Miles and a private investigator, informing him that the son he has been raising for the last two years actually belongs to Miles and his wife. They have been raising David but recently discovered that Theo and David were switched in the NICU at the hospital where they were taken after being born prematurely on the same day. While the Lamberts are pursuing a lawsuit against the hospital, they would like to have an amicable arrangement for the children and parents to be in each other’s lives.

The character development, as always with Delaney, is excellent. We get the backgrounds for Pete and Maddie interwoven seamlessly in their narrations, and we learn just enough about Miles and Lucy to speculate that maybe this situation won’t be as amicable as it first appears. In between some of the chapters, we are fed evidence logs from an investigation, and I really wanted to keep reading to see how everything was going to play out.

I never want to give away anything when I review a JP Delaney title, and I am going to continue that trend here. He is truly a master at creating situations where I can honestly say, “I would do that too!” and perhaps I would end up in the same horrible situations as the characters in his novels. This book kept me up late into the night, and it was so fast-paced that even I was surprised I finished it so quickly.

Mr. Delaney, thumbs up for another thrilling read!

I really enjoyed this book. Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read it. It was a great story and kept you guessing what was going to happen next. I did not like two of the characters but enjoyed the story regardless.. I gave it a strong five stars.

This was so flipping good!!!! The premise for this book is the most exciting thriller premise I've heard of in quite some time. It follows this couple Pete and Maddie who are raising their two year old son Theo, when this other couple knocks on their door and tells them their children were accidentally swapped at the hospital when they gave birth. Their birth son David has been being raised by this other couple Miles and Lisa for the last two years, and now they have the difficult decision of deciding what to do next... keep this child that you've been raising for the last two years and have already formed a bond and attachment to, but watch your birth child getting raised by strangers? Or swapping the kids back and raising your birth child, a child you don't yet know.

This topic was FASCINATING to read about and I could literally not book this book down. This book got me out of my weird reading slump I've been in for weeks. I keep talking about this book with everyone I know, asking them what they would do in a situation like this because it's just so interesting to me. This book was a roller coaster and we follow back and forth between Maddie and Pete's POV as they deal with this other couple and trying to navigate the most impossible circumstances. This book was over 400 pages but I FLEW through this book, it ended up being a very quick read for me.

I saw one of the twists coming at the end, but the one I didn't see coming left me freaking shook!!! I was just so genuinely surprised by how much I enjoyed this, definitely one of my favorite thrillers of 2020 so far. This is my first book from this author so now I'm super interested in checking out more books from them!

“Many thrillers require some suspension of disbelief, but not this one—its psychological soundness is what makes it both utterly terrifying and compelling. I loved this book. highly recommend.

Not really 'my cup of tea'. It started slow and
for me,the characters lacked depth or were missing something. It was difficult to connect with them or the story and the legal proclamations popped in the middle of the dialogue made it seem the story stemmed from the legal proceedings as knee jerk actions, not the opposite. However, to some this may be the charm. A few twists and turns and all but one holding secrets so as a mystery thriller, there is a story there,it just wasn't one I enjoyed.
I was provided an Advanced reader copy of the book and was under no obligation to provide a review.The opinions expressed are my own. Thanks to the ,publisher,and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book.

I did not finish the last book this author released, so I was skeptical to pick this up. I love thrillers but I can’t get behind unrealistic storylines. That’s why this one kept me turning pages. Babies switched at birth? Believable. Family of psychopaths? Believable. Falsely accused parents of negligence? Believable. And this is the stuff that scares the bejeezus out of me. The details in this story are so real! I liked how the transcripts from the investigation were sprinkled throughout the book, along with alternating both the mother and father’s perspectives. I honestly don’t know what I’d do if this happened to me. I’d like to think I’d be more cautious but the truth is, there are some truly devious people out there who are good at manipulating the system. It’s scary as hell, and it makes for a good psychological thriller.

This book had everything I want in a good story—strong characterization and a fast-paced, twisty plot. It also totally grabbed my by page 15. Never knew what was going to happen the plot and twists kept me reading until late at nigh. Look forward to more from this author.

Very intense story. Somewhat unbelievable but it does pose some incredible dilemmas to ponder. Thank you publisher and netgalley for this arc in exchange of an honest review.

Such as interested concept! JP Delaney has a way of telling the most original and intense stories in a way that keeps you hooked right from the start. Still thinking about this one. Would definitely recommend.

I could not finish this. I was not really interested in the plot and some off the characters annoyed me.

If this story was purely switched-at-birth tale, it would be boring. But JP Delaney kicks up the plot 10 notches to make this baby swap story gripping and compelling by throwing in mystery, intrigue, betrayal, and psychopaths. The title of the book is so symbolic and ironic; once you get into the story, you'll understand its meaning.

None of the characters were likeable, but they were fascinating. Peter and Maddie were gullible and naive and I felt that they got no breaks or had anything hopeful occur in their favor throughout the entire book. They made bad decisions and ended up in awful situations. That was very frustrating and discouraging.

The story makes you think about love, what it means to be a parent, nature vs. nurture, and the lengths that you might go to protect your family.

This book is an interesting lesson in social services, custody, the courts and the legal process. It's also about psychopathy, mental illness, addiction, betrayal, custody, parenting, manipulation, postpartum depression, and marriage. It's not exactly a feel-good book but it's unforgettable tale that definitely makes you think, especially if you are a parent.

“Playing Nice” is the story of something that simply does not happen; babies are not swapped in the hospital. Yet it seems that for these families, it did happen. Two years later, when DNA results reveal the switch, both families are shocked and devastated, but determined to keep their sons, both biological and custodial. The story unfolds in first person narrative chapters alternating between the points of view of Pete, and his partner, Maddie. Between these accounts are copies of entries in the police case file, an ominous cloud that hangs over the story, and readers know that things are not going to go well for these parents. In fact, everything they do seems to make matters worse.

Delany creates characters who are sympathetic, tragic, troubled, and devious. After an initial agreement to peacefully coexist, they stop playing by the rules and start fighting dirty. The pace is deliberate with growing tension, apprehension, and resentment. Legal costs mount, and mistakes are made. Secrets ooze their way to the surface like bubbles squelching out of mud, and no one is who he or she appears to be. Things previously hidden from spouses and friends are subsequently discovered by enemies and by then by the authorities.
The world turned upside down for these two families. Nothing about this book is ordinary or predictable. The title is “Playing Nice,” but the parents absolutely do not play nice. I received a copy of “Playing Nice” from JP Delaney, Random House Publishing Group, and Ballantine Books. Just to relieve any possible reader concerns for the two boys, they will be fine. The parents will definitely not be fine ever again.

Imagine being told that your child is actually not yours, but was swapped on his way into a NICU the day he was born: someone else is raising your son.

Pete and Maddie are given such news one day, rocking the foundation of their family. After loving and caring for Theo for 2 years, they find out that he’s not biologically their son. Miles and Lucy Lambert shared the NICU with the other couple and inadvertently ended up taking home David, Pete and Maddie’s biological son. He suffered much more severe injuries due to his premature birth and requires much more special care. Ultimately, the two families have to decide what the best thing to do is for each boy: leave him where he is or send him to his “real” parents.

This book does a great job of exploring a parent’s worst nightmare, while adding in themes of nature versus nurture, postpartum depression, psychopathy, and CU, which stands for “callous and unemotional”. I was riveted by the threads of the book and enjoyed watching things play out. I definitely recommend.

What would you do if all of a sudden the only family you've ever known is called into question? For Pete and Maddy, they face the nightmarish drama of discovering that their two-year-old son may have been switched at birth, and that they have been raising someone else's biological father. They also must accept that their biological child has been in the arms of another family for the past few years.

Of all JP Delaney's thrillers, this one read more as a drama than a thriller. While waiting for a twist that would have followed the trend of Delaney's, this novel read much more as a heart-wrenching court drama than a thriller with a secret twist. Like all thrillers, the twist is present (and expected), but it left me wanting more.

Where I was entertained, there was just too much that seemed a bit unrealistic. Maybe it's because England's healthcare system and laws are not something I am familiar with, or because I just could not fathom the situations that arose from the discovery.

As a mother, I felt like my heart was being wrenched from my chest thinking about this, so I definitely recommend for the sheer purpose of experiencing something absolutely mind-boggling. Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ability to read and review this book.

Talk about domestic suspense which turns into a psychological thriller!

Whew!

What a nightmare! Pete Riley unknowing opens the door one and has everything turned upside down. Miles Lambert and his attorney inform Pete that his and Maggie's two-year-old son, Theo is not actually their son. That there was a a mix up at the hospital and that Pete and Maggie brought home, Miles and Lucy Lambert's son and they in turn took home, Pete and Maggie's, son who is named David. The Lambert's are suing the hospital and naturally want to get to know Theo, who is a rambunctious boy who gets in trouble at school for not getting along with other children, while David has developmental delays.

Whew! Two babies switched at birth. Two sets of parents. Love, nature vs nurture, family, the law, betrayal, mental illness, protecting your child, secrets and abuse. This was a compelling read from the very first chapters. How many times have we seen, read, watched switched at birth stories but J.P. Delaney made sure to not make this one cliched. I was glued to the pages and found this to be an absorbing and quick read. The characters are interesting, flawed, well-formed and I am not going to say much else.

This was a very enjoyable read that had twists, turns, revelations and bits to chew on. This had me thinking about the plot well after I finished it. This is a thought-provoking book that was another solid read by J.P. Delaney.


Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own

I enjoyed this book about babies that had been mixed up at birth. The families didn't know about the mix up until the boys were two years old. They decided to work it out by sharing time together and let the boys get to know each other. However this doesn't go to plan. There are lots of misunderstanding and things become toxic. The characters are well drawn and there are lots of.surprises along the way as we as a very unexpected ending. Great domestic thriller.

This is one of those books that I think of as a sort of "soap opera" thriller. While there are shades of reality, there are lots of moments that stretch believability a bit beyond the breaking point. Still a fun book, though--J.P. Delaney is really skilled at creating weirdly intricate plots.

Maddie and Pete have a rambunctious toddler, Theo. Pete is the main caregiver, and after dropping Theo off at preK one day, he opens the door to two men, one of whom he immediately thinks looks exactly like a grown-up Theo. Miles Lambert and his lawyer explain to Pete that there was a mixup in the NICU. The Lamberts have Maddie and Pete's son, and Maddie and Pete have theirs. At first, Miles and his wife Lucy seem patient and loving, simply wanting what is best for both boys. But it doesn't take long for things to go south. Delaney also expertly peels layers from what we think about both Pete and Maddie, complicating the story (in a good way.)

An interesting and exciting look at what it means to be a good person, good parent, good partner.

A Dilemma of Epic Proportions: Finding out the Son You’ve been Raising is Not Yours and that he was Switched at Birth!

That is the situation faced by Pete Riley and his wife Maddie in JP Delaney’s “Playing Nice” when Miles Lambert shows up on their doorstep and shatters everything. Miles and his wife Lucy have been raising David for two years and who they recently discovered was not theirs. After hiring a PI, they found out that the Riley’s were raising their biological child, Theo. Initially, both families try to work together to salvage things and form a relationship

Unfortunately for the Rileys, Miles Lambert has other ideas and the gloves quickly come off.

These circumstances are hard to imagine and yet they have happened in real life! This thrilling suspense terrified me and also really got me thinking. What I truly appreciated is that this storyline provided lots of discussion between my book buddy Kaceey and I. While I enjoyed the novel admittedly, I found it to be a bit far fetched which is the sole reason for the lower rating. That said, on the whole I enjoyed this mystery/suspense and would recommend this tense read to everyone looking for a captivating thriller. 3.5 Stars.

This was a buddy read with Kaceey!

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and JP Delaney for the arc.

Published on Goodreads on 8.5.20.

Domestic psychological suspense - character-driven. Pete and Maggie have a two-year-old son Theo. Someone, out of the blue, knocks on their door and tells them that Theo is not their son - that their child was switched at birth. The majority of the novel goes into how everyone deals and copes with this predicament. As they wade through options that they perhaps could live with - we learn fairly quickly that one of the fathers is a psychopath and things accelerate. I have to confess that for me the middle of the story got a bit bogged down. I almost stopped reading - but I am so glad I continued. Everything ends up in court. Delaney turns what is usually a domestic issue into very dark psychological issues. The idea of nature vs nurture is broached. The end presents many twists and turns that I didn't see coming. Delaney devels into the psychic of people and their nature and how different people deal with the unimaginable.

Enjoyed this book by JP Delaney. This book was really quite a quick read because I just had to know how it was going to turn out. Just imagine someone coming with a DNA test and telling you your children were swapped at the hospital. This is quite the family drama and it took a lot of twists I wasn't anticipating. Very good book .