Louise was looking forward to going away with her husband and two children .
Isa's parents ask Louise if she can go away with them as they have been having trouble withheld their marriage and want to go away to patch things up.
Isa is katie, Louise daughters best friend but things don't seem quite right between them.
On the last day of summer they can't find Isa and when they find her she has drowned.
This is told by Katie and her mum in turns telling us what happens that summer.
Thanks NetGalley

This is the debut novel from Jennifer Harvey and I found it a good read. Katie is over the moon when her parents allow Isa, her best friend, to come on holiday with them. Isa’s parents’ marriage is under pressure and they decide to take a second honeymoon hoping this will repair it. Louise, Katie’s mum, doesn’t realise that Katie and Mia have had a fallout and so the holiday doesn’t go smoothly. She allows them to go to a beach party at the end of the holiday but Isa drowns. Isa’s family blame Louise and Katie and start to believe that Isa’s death wasn’t an accident. The chapters are told by Louise and Katie and takes us back to events that had happened previously. There are some dark secrets to be revealed that makes compelling reading. I look forward to reading more books by this author.
Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Louise and Peter take their friends' daughter Isa on vacation with them while Sarah and Willem try to repair their marriage. Isa seems like perfect company for their children Katie and James but they are unaware of the volatile relationships between the teenagers. At the final party of the summer, Isa drowns and the two families become locked in a bitter blame battle.
Someone Else's Daughter is an interesting 'what if' novel. I think it is easy to identify with all the perspectives as the reader is encouraged to consider what they would do in the same situation and what opportunities are missed to prevent tragedy. Looking after a friend's toddler for the afternoon is stressful enough for me so I'm worrying about adding hormones, alcohol and parties in the mix as well! Huge responsibility...
Isa is not a pleasant character, maybe a typical teen though? She is selfish, manipulative, vacillating in her affections. She uses her popularity with boys to get her own way, not caring who she hurts in the process. We only see her through the viewpoint of others, so again, this could skew our opiinon of her.
The book delivers the plot through a first person split narrative between Louise and her daughter Katie. This develops our sympathy with them as events unfold and secrets are hinted at throughout. Katie has a love-hate relationship with Isa: she want to emulate her whilst despising her cruelty. Louise and her husband are unaware of any tension which has also been overlooked by Isa's own parents.
I admit that I struggled with the structure of this book a little. Some chapters are short while others are quite long (one over 20 minutes!) which makes it difficult for me to read personally due to fitting around the kids and work etc. The mix of past and present was a little unsettling too. However, for a debut novel, I was impressed by the strong plot and confident writing style even if the latter was not quite to my taste.
The overall plot was intriguing and fascinating as it unfurled but I would have preferred a more linear structure. I felt that the family dynamics and teen angst were realistic which made the characters and their motivations and actions seem more believable. The drama at the end of Someone Else's Daughter as the truth is revealed to us is shocking as well as tragic.

This book sounded so good but sadly it didn't live up to my expectations., but I'm sure others would enjoy it.

I enjoyed the storyline. Katie and Isa are longtime friends, both teenagers now with their own personalities. Isa is entrusted to the care of Katie’s parents and Isa accompanies the family on their vacation. But then Isa turns up dead. Lots of drama and tragedy in this story. The book was a little slow at times but overall I enjoyed it.
Thanks to NetGalley and Publisher for the copy.

This book had an intriguing premise that lured me in; Louise, her husband Peter, and their teenage son and daughter head to their annual vacation spot in Montauk, this time with their friend's daughter Isa in tow. But when Isa is found dead on the beach, the family feel wholly responsible. But are they?

This story is a heartbreaking, dark exploration of a family with secrets. It's beautifully written, and full of secretive, often problematic characters as they try to navigate the grief surrounding Isa's death and the inevitable guilt that follows them.

However, as much as I enjoyed this story, I did find it to be very slow in places, and almost gave up halfway through, as it felt like there was a lot of filler. I also found it difficult to connect with any of the characters besides Katie; they were all so unlikable. Going into this, I was expecting more of a tense, suspenseful psychological thriller, but this is more of a family drama with slight thriller elements.

Still, this is a great debut.

I received an ARC copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest opinion of it. Louise and her husband, Peter, go on their yearly summer vacation with their kids, James and Katie. This year, Katie's best friend, Is a, goes with them as her parents are away on their second honeymoon trying to make their marriage work. The book is told from Louise and Katie's views and I just could not relate to any of the characters especially Louise constantly thinking about the man she is having an affair with even though she seems to get along great with her husband.

Imagine the unthinkable happening on your watch. Someone trusts you to look after their daughter and she dies while in your care.
In this story we meet Isa and Katie...
Best friends growing up together but very different in personality and in their outlook on life..
Both almost eighteen, nearly adults but not quite yet...
A friendship though that seemed to be just slightly off kilter with one making the effort and the other taking it for granted.
When Isa's mum Susan asks Louise, Katie's mum to take her with them on their annual summer holiday to their beach house, Louise is surprised but does agree. Both families have been friends for years so why not.
I found it to be such an intriguing storyline...
One that effortlessly pulls you in...
I can't say I took a liking to either girls if I'm honest.
Isa came across as a wild, struggling to conform to the norm type of girl.
I couldn't help wondering was all this a cry for attention from her parents that she so badly needed...
While Katie was reserved, very watchful and judgemental of Isa..
You would have to wonder was jealously playing a part with her..
An engrossing read for sure, so full of young love, drama and tragedy in the end.....
An author now firmly on my radar going forward.
Well worth your time 💕

I’m sure this would be a very popular book with older teens. It’s perfect for reading on holiday as the easy style of each alternate chapter being either the voice of Louise the mother or Katie the daughter.
For me it lacked substance and I wasn’t engaged by the characters.

When Isa’s parents ask Louise if she can go on summer vacation with them whilst they try to save their marriage with a second honeymoon, Louise isn’t sure but agrees anyway. But what she doesn’t know is what’s really been going on with Isa. Katie, Louise’s daughter and Isa’s best friend, is over the moon to have her come with them but also tense as they’ve recently had a falling out. She’s hoping the Summer will heal their friendship…..

But the Summer ends in disaster ~ Isa is dead. And Louise and her family have to face up to the Egbert’s and the consequences of being responsible for a wayward teen who loses her life. Is Katie the only one who really knows what was going on with Isa? Could she have done more to help her? And what dark secrets are being hidden?

The story is narrated between Louise and Katie and we begin by finding out what happens at the end of the Summer, followed by the build up to it and ending with a surprising twist. Katie knows so much about Isa and sometimes battles with what she should do, and maybe doesn’t always make the best decisions. Louise on the other hand doesn’t know what she’s let herself in for – and what unravels is far more than she ever expected.

This is a compelling story that keeps you turning the pages to see what other dark secrets are going to materialise. However, it was quite slow going at points, although speeds up towards the end as it sucks you in to the conclusion. But the pace of the book does allow you to really get to know what’s going on behind each of the main characters and the secrets that they hide.

I have to say in terms of the characters, I didn’t really like any of them much! Isa comes across as a scheming, selfish girl who loves herself and doesn’t really think about anyone else; her Mum and Dad are also selfish and what they do to the Lindeman’s is unbelievable! Louise is hypocritical, and Katie ~ although trying to be a good friend, makes some bad decisions. I’m not sure why they were even friends as they are so different – I definitely couldn’t put up with either of them as my friend! The only person I did quite like was James, Katie’s little brother. I do think that this was the authors intention though, as you never really know who to trust and who has something else to hide!

This is Harvey’s debut novel and it certainly shows a lot of promise. Full of dark secrets, lies, family issues and betrayal, you will want to keep reading. There were parts that I predicted but equally bits that I had no clue about! I’ll definitely be looking forward to reading the next book from Jennifer.

“A secret can be as bad as a lie.”

Okay! Where to begin with this one?

You really need to read the whole of my review, to get into context points I might make in the first few lines, as this is definitely one of those stories which takes each reader on their own individual experience.

I am quite laid back and eclectic in my choice of reading genres, so I will often take a premise at face value and just see where the story takes me. I’m not sure that for me this one was so much a thriller, as a mystery, albeit one with some very dark and troubling undertones. However that was fine by me!

Someone Else’s daughter, had everything I look for in an interesting, engrossing and page-turning read. There was a good strong opening to the story, there were plenty of elements of mystery and intrigue in the core storyline, together with some deep and meaningful narrative and dialogue. The ending was maybe not quite so definitive as I generally like, but given that I had compiled quite a list of options for the finale, I was never going to be disappointed.

I did enjoy Jennifer’s considered writing style, and although I might agree with some other readers, that the narrative and dialogue was all very ‘English’ in its delivery and maybe a little out of keeping with the book’s US location, that didn’t really worry me too much. I’m not a fan of ‘Is all’ being included in the dialogue, at the end of almost every other sentence, however that again is simply a personal consideration and did nothing to diminish my enjoyment of the book and the author’s ability to write an addictive, character driven storyline, which flowed along nicely and was very fluid.

The emotionally draining storyline was a real slow-burner affair, told in alternating, short chapters, between mother and daughter, Louise and Katie. Although intensely sad throughout, it was definitely not a tear-jerker read for me, more a portent of the impending darkness and sorrow to come. There was no real ‘action’ in this deeply dark and brooding story, with even the first tragedy when it happened, being an almost subdued and rather understated affair. However the intense and highly charged narrative and dialogue between characters made the journey more than worthwhile, offering an in depth and meaningful glimpse into the lives of the entire cast. I could have been present yet unseen, at any of the story locations, or listening in on any of the conversations, such was the descriptive quality of the writing.

This was very much a gripping, yet frustrating story of selfish, controlling and self-absorbed human intent, emotions and feelings, which was pretty much all that held these two families clinging together and functioning on a daily level, although even then this was a very shaky foundation, liable to crumbling any minute, with simply a wrong look or word.

Holiday romances and vicious vengeful squabbles, illicit and inappropriate affairs, untold questionable decisions and false friendships, all lead to the door of a second tragic event, which will have reverberating and guilty repercussions for everyone involved and which will last and haunt them for the rest of their lives.

The complex characters were all well developed, although pretty much exclusively, all detestable in their own way and definitely not easy to connect with. Certainly none of them were particularly likeable, either as individuals and definitely not, in the case of the adults, as parents! The rebellious youngsters were also a very troubled and largely ignored group of individuals, fuelled by false friendships, all trying to find their way in life, without the support and encouragement of their elders, who were most definitely not role models who led by example.

It seemed as though everyone was caught up in the endless cycle of the tit for tat, retaliatory, blame game, as a way of deflecting attention away from themselves, their own shortcomings, their deceitful and attention seeking behaviour, self-pity and lies; all of which ultimately led to their self-inflicted downfall and demise into dark places of their own making. I just wanted to shake most of them, to try and wake them from their almost catatonic stupor and force them into the real world, where not everything revolved around them and how terrible their lives were.

When families have gone so far down the road of self destruction and laid bare so many emotions and deep divisions, is there really any way to wake from the nightmare?

All in all, an excellent debut novel and a good solid writing style to build on, which I found particularly perceptive in the power of characterisation and human behaviour.

I look forward to reading more of Jennifer’s books in the future.

Louise agrees to take her daughters best friend on their annual summer holiday to the beach. What Louise does not realise is her daughter Katie and friend Isa have actually fallen out. Isa has a lot she trying to figure out and seems to be deliberately trying to hurt Katie. Suddenly Isa dies and everyone is left trying to figure out what went wrong and who, if anyone, is to blame.
The book is written from the POV of Katie and her mother Louise. This was an enjoyable read but got a bit muddled at the end. None of the characters are particularly likeable and some of the story I already figured out.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Someone Else’s Daughter is the authors debut thriller and combines elements of psychological suspense and domestic noir culminating in a dark and highly addictive work of women's fiction that had me reading long into the night. It focuses on the darker aspects of family dynamics and the far-reaching consequences of shocking secrets. The story deals with the aftermath of the death of seventeen-year-old Isa Egberts, who drowns while on holiday in Montauk, Long Island with her best friend Katie Lindeman. Isa’s death has a devastating impact on both the Egberts and the Lindemans, but as the two families try to help each other process their grief, Isa’s mother, Sarah, begins to suspect that her daughter’s death was not an accident, and that the Lindemans know more than they admit. As Isa’s secrets are revealed, we discover that Louise Lindeman is capable of quite cold and calculated deceit, as she tries to protect her family.

This is a fast-paced, sophisticated and compelling thriller that peels back the layers of veneer to show the reality of the Lindemans seemingly picture-perfect lives. As the secrets lurking beneath the surface are slowly revealed we are treated to a twisty-turny tale with a multitude of surprises and some crazy revelations. It is well written, although there are perhaps too many moving parts to the story and the author uses British terminology for characters who are apparently Manhattanites which will leave some readers confused. Mid way through the story slows and starts to drag a little bit but soon picks up again. The cast of characters are all rather unlikeable so if you need likeable, affable characters to cheer for this may not be for you. This is a quick, relatively lighthearted thriller of the type you read on the beach for a bit of escapism. Harvey has another thriller coming in October co it'll be interesting to see how it measures up. Many thanks to Bookouture for an ARC.

We witness events leading up too,during and the aftermath of the fateful summer holiday through the eyes of Louise and her seventeen year old daughter Katie. Two complex characters who both seriously got on my nerves for various reasons. Louise was very judgemental and also a bit of a hypocrite amongst other things. As for Katie, I struggled to figure out how she and Isa had remained friends for so long. I know opposites attract but Isa was such a fun loving teenager whilst Katie was just so....well, just like another character said sanctimonious and came across as a sulky,spoil sport at times. I mean, did she really have to do what she did? Was she really worried about Isa getting hurt or was she simply jealous and wanted Isa all to herself again? A lot of reader's will probably label Isa a out of control brat but was she? Or was she just a child who was seeking love and attention in an way she could get them due to deprivation by her parents? We never got any insight into her home life so we had no idea if things were as bad as she said they were or if she was over exaggerating things like teenagers have a habit of doing. Were her parents actions after her death caused by grief or guilt because of the way they had treated her whilst she was alive? Most of the characters in this book were so complex and flawed that it was almost impossible to decide whether they were likeable or not. I did really like Katie's dad Peter and her poor misunderstood younger brother James.

I really enjoyed this enthralling drama that had me captivated from the first page. The layers of the story unfurled like the petals of a blossoming flower until the truth of what happened to Isa on that fateful night is finally revealed in all its shocking glory. The story caused me to experience a wide range of emotions and my feelings for certain characters ebbed and flowed like the waves of the sea. This is a incredibly well written,emotionally charged story by a very talented author and I look forward to reading more of her books in the future.

Clever and addictive. Jennifer Harvey’s debut is compelling and compulsive. Isa’s parents are having marital problems so instead of joining her own family on vacation she heads to Montauk with her BFF Katie‘s family. Should be the perfect summer, sunny days on the beach with your best friend. But Isa and Katie’s friendship is far from perfect and the girls have some issues and secrets between them. Louise (Katie‘s mother) can sense somethings not right, but she doesn’t know how to approach the situation. The book starts off with the discovery of Isa’s body, and then pulls back to the events leading up to the tragedy. Told in the alternating perspectives of Katie and her mom Louise you get a interesting glimpse into the events of the summer. Katie is a sweet concerned friend and my heart really went out to her throughout this entire book. Isa was not very likable and definitely was not necessarily always a good friend to Katie. But I did think there was a lot of authenticity to how this teenage friendship was portrayed in the book. Louise was very relatable. Being the parent of teenagers is complicated, you want to give them enough room to make choices and yet you want them to make the right choices. Even though I didn’t always necessarily agree with Louises parenting choices I understood where she was coming from. This book completely sucked me in to the story. I really wanted to know what had happened to Isa. The characters were all so real and that made some of the events in the book even more disturbing. A riveting debut looking forward to what’s next from Miss Harvey.

*** Big thank you to Bookouture for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

First, I want to thank Jennifer Harvey, Bookouture and NetGalley for providing me with this book so I may bring you this review.

Someone Else’s Daughter by Jennifer Harvey is an incredible must read, fast paced, very emotional, totally heartbreaking book. This is one book that will want to hug your loved ones a little closer after reading it. It is one that you will remember long after you finish it.

Jennifer sure knows how to start out her stories on a shocking yet heartbreaking note. She grabbed my attention right away! I needed to know what happened to Isa! The story kept getting better and better from there! Nothing though could prepare you for the total shocking secrets, twists and turns that were to come later.

There were a lot of issues that were touched upon in this book. Such topics as low self esteem, infidelity, underage drug and alcohol use, parental neglect, etc.

Jennifer is an incredible writer who totally understands the mindset of a teenager. This to me was felt strongly as Katie suffered low self esteem issues compared to Isa. I felt it was an incredible part of the story that is so relevant in today's world especially with social media. Although, it was not just one character that felt this way. There was a strong message in this book that any woman of any age.

Someone Else’s Daughter had secret after secret revealed at the end. There was one in particular that I never saw coming and totally shocked me. Never in a million years did I see that coming! I was just blown away!

I am so very thankful that Jennifer Harvey took that Curtis Brown Writing Class and that is how her idea for this book came about! It is an unforgettable story!

Someone Else's Daughter tells the story of Louise, a woman who looks after her friend Sarah's daughter during a holiday. Sarah and her husband are trying to give their marriage a second chance by going away on a second honeymoon. Louise has reservations about this but finally accepts -after all, Isa is Louise's daughter's best friend. Then one day, Isa is found dead....


This novel was gripping from the very beginning and I found myself incredibly involved in the character's story lines. I really didn't like Louise and her husband at first, and kind of blamed them for Isa's fate. Maybe I was being too harsh on them. I got frustrated with the description of Isa's character are some sort of troubled teenager who Louise can't figure out. I found myself wanting to shake Louise. Isa seemed like a very intelligent young woman who was very aware of her parents' marital problems and on top of that, they dumped her for a holiday. Come on Louise, the answer is in front of you!


A fantastic debut novel you will immerse in from the very first page!

Disclosure: I would like to thank the publisher for my advanced reader copy of the book. This is my honest review.

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Katie's family head to the beach every summer. Along with Peter & Louise, her parents & James, her younger brother they spend lazy days by the sea. This year her friend Isa's parents ask if she can accompany her. They are having marital difficulties & want some time alone to sort out their marriage. Katie & Isa have been close since their mothers became friends when they were toddlers. Katie at seventeen should be delighted to have her friend along, but how can she compete with beautiful Isa- even fifteen yer old James is under her spell. Louise is a little reluctant. A seventeen year old guest could be tricky. However she knows it is what a friend should do.

Told by Katie & Louise we experience that Summer & beyond. From early on we know how Isa ended up- getting to that point & it's aftermath is a bit of a slow process. This was a book full of not very nice characters, particularly Isa- rather thought she deserved all she got, which is very nasty of me!

Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

Isa's parents are trying to reconnect after an affair, so they leave her with her best friend Katie, her parents Louise and Peter, and younger brother James for the summer. What should be a nice enjoyable time, especially with two best friends turns out to be anything but. In fact, on the last day of summer, Isa is nowhere to be found, and later, it is tragically discovered that she drowned.

This book is written in the viewpoints of Katie and Louise's first person points of view. When it comes to Katie, she is pretty much trying to do damage control whereas Isa is concerned. For one thing, Isa sets her sights on someone that Katie really likes, and this creates problems in their friendship. What is more is that there is someone that Isa had dated that proved to be very concerning for Katie, as she was worried about Isa's safety. When it comes to Louise, she had her own worries. She senses something is off about Isa, but can't quite put a finger on it. Meanwhile, Louise is hiding something.

This story proved strongly that Isa had issues, including being selfish and impulsive, and with Katie's attention it was aggravating at times. I sensed communication difficulties on several levels. So, just like Louise wondered if she could have done anything differently while being responsible for Katie, I think the reader felt it too. Then, as a parent, the fact that Louise and her husband Peter were rather free with the teenagers was very concerning to me. Quite frankly, there was some things that I just did not get, especially since their son James was only 15 years old, while the girls were 17 years old.

When it came to relating to the characters, I struggled to relate acceptably to Isa and Louise. Katie I understood. She only wanted to help. And then there was James, a sensitive kid throughout the story. As the story shifts between views, responsibility and trust become a strong factor. There were definitely moments of sadness, especially for Isa's parents.

Jennifer Harvey is a very good writer and did a great job of helping readers to understand the protagonists. Someone Else's Daughter is her debut novel and it definitely shows promise. I am looking forward to reading more from her in the future.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

My thanks to Bookouture for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Someone Else’s Daughter’ by Jennifer Harvey in exchange for an honest review.

“I suppose, in our hearts, we all knew she was dead. But hope kept us looking for her. Hope kept us calling out her name.” - opening lines, ‘Someone Else’s Daughter’

This psychological thriller opens dramatically and then draws back to allow its narrators, Louise and Katie, to tell of the events leading up to Isa’s death and then of the aftermath, which includes some surprising revelations.

Isa is the seventeen year old daughter of Sarah and Wilhelm, who following marital problems decide to go on a second honeymoon. They ask Louise and Peter, the parents of Isa’s best friend Katie, if they can take Isa with them on holiday to Montauk, Long Island. Louise and Peter are reluctant but agree.

Yet they are unaware of the tension between the girls or that they are partying hard, drinking and taking drugs. James, their fifteen year old son, is also involved. Katie fills us in on the reality including how nasty Isa has been to her.

I found this a quite restrained novel, a slow burn. I felt that Jennifer Harvey focused on issues linked to parenting, especially of teenagers determined to partake in risky behaviour and challenge parental boundaries. It also highlighted how oblivious some parents can be.

I thought that it was a good summer read though probably didn’t have the same impact it would if I was a parent.