I could not put this book down. Can you imagine no one believing you when you truly know something is wrong with your child? Madeline from day 1 knew something wasn’t right with her daughter Tilly. Her own husband, best friend and doctors did not believe her and yet she kept fighting and pushing back. This was a beautifully written and heart wrenching novel, I highly recommend to anyone!

The very first line of the synopsis had me hooked. “What if your child was dying, and no one believed you.” I knew I had to read this, as a mom of 2 young kids.

This book was so good! I read it in a day, I just had to know what was going to happy with sweet little Tilly. I really felt the anxiety of a mother trying to advocate care for their child and no one taking her seriously while I read this.

I loved that this book was told from multiple POVs and also duel timelines. It helped break up the story so it wasn’t 100% about a sick child and gave more of a background on the family and how they go to where they are.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC for early review.

What a brilliant read, sensitively written, it just held my interest throughout and I loved every word on every single page.

I was on the edge of my seat throughout, great well developed characters which made me feel as if I knew them, loved how the story line went from the past to the present so you could get to know the individual character's background. I just cannot speak highly enough about this book and a very worthy five stars from me.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to read this fantastic, well written book.

It was 2 am for me last night, I was trying to get to the end of the book , to know what happened to the little girl Tilly. Skimming through pages was not a good idea as I didnt wanted to miss any part of the story as everything was interconnected.
This book talks about a critical disease. A hospital based story, and how it feels to have a child diagnosed with chronic medical conditions but your surroundings doubting your words, and telling you , you are over reacting. How hard it is for the parents who knows something is wrong yet nobody figure it out and blames your parenting style. This is what happened with Tilly when she was diagnosed with invisible illness and no amount of test was able to confirm her case. She vomitted after every meals ( 15 times ) , fainted, bed wetted, got bruised her body and yet people blamed her mother for bad parenting. Tilly's weight started falling and she was as small as toddler. Even Tilly's dad refused to believe as all the medical reports came clear. Tilly was taken away from her mother as doctors felt she was abused.
Madeline's fight to keep her daughter alive , every obstacle she faced made me break down in tears at times, especially when police was called after seeing the bruised marks and Tilly cried for her mom.
Tilly did mention about her stomach pain, joint pain and everyone called her fussy eater and dehydration caused pains also she was advised for counseling. How they found out about the disease and what happened later is something I will keep you in suspense A single mom's fight to save her daughter gave me goosebumps. I do not want to share the end . The story was amazing and took my breath away .Worth reading till 2 am.

Thankyou for the arc #netgalley, #samvickery #bookoutour

I really liked this book and I was surprised to find that even though each chapter is told through a different person's point of view I feel that I enjoyed the story more because of that. I found all of the characters in this book to be amazing and I loved the story line it just flowed so naturally that I was unable to put this book down. This book starts with our main characters, who are now divorced, talking about their daughters eating problems our mother Madeline believes that their daughter Tilly has something wrong with her and needs to find out what it is while her father Adam believes that there is nothing wrong with his daughter and she just needs some tough love. Madeline is small for her age, doesn't eat very well, and complains of pains in her joints, her mother takes this as a sign of larger things while Adam just relates it to fussiness and growing pains. I loved the fight and the passion that the mother was shown to have in this story even with everyone telling her that there is nothing wrong with her child she follows her gut determined to make the best for her. This book was amazingly written both in the characters and the story. The characters were very strong, and determined as well as concerned, and the story was like climbing a mountain every time I thought we were at the height of the story I was hit with another peak. Great read and I'm very glad that I got the opportunity to check it out.

Tense, compelling and totally credible. This was a gripping and emotional read that any parent will identify with and think 'there but for the grace of God go I'. I have know someone in this situation, where their child was ill and even their partner thought they were being a fussy mother, until finally tests proved she was right. Sam has captured the feeling of despair, grief, powerlessness and determination so well, and her research is incredible This story was amazing, emotional and beautifully written. I highly recommend it.

I received this book from the author and the publisher for an honest review.

What a great read, and I truly thought that this was going to be another book about Munchausen by proxy by the mother. The way that the book led up to the actual issue that the little girl had, this really made you think that the mother was the one that had some serious issues. I really did enjoy how the book ended, and how everything was pulled together at the end.

Thank you for writing this book and for allowing me an early release for an honest review.

It's very hard and frustrating when someone does not believe you. It's even harder and more frustrating when your loved ones don't believe you and the worst case scenario is when your child is concerned and you are up against solid walls you try to climb over and over again to slide down from and end up being left in the cold.

Some people have to see and experience something first before they can admit that they were wrong but at whose expense?

They often say that a mother knows best and even though it's not foolproof it sure is true in a lot of cases.

This is a story where I felt the pain and the joy, where I wanted to slap a few people and hug others, where heartbreak can affect your future and letting go is the first step towards the rest of your life.

While I was reading, the world around me stopped existing. 5 stars

Thank you, Sam Vickery and Bookouture

One Last Second by Sam Vickery is an emotionally charged read. It takes you on a journey of one mothers fight to find out what is wrong with her 6 year old daughter. A mother that ignored the child abuse accusations not only by the doctor, but her ex-husband and bestfriend, to find a diagnosis. An excellent read!

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for the free digital ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review. All opinions are my own.

Every Parent's nightmare!
Nobody believes Madeline.
She knows that something is desperately wrong with her daughter, Tilly.
This little girl is behind on all of her growth and development.
She barely eats enough to sustain her tiny body and vomits almost daily.
The doctors including Maddie's best friend Laura who is a GP cannot find a thing wrong with Tilly. Her father Adam, thinks Tilly has problems, but they are behavioral.
What is it?
Is it Maddie being a helicopter parent? Is it Tilly being manipulative?
Maddie is trying to advocate for her daughter and yet not one person thinks that she knows what is going on with her child! It is beyond frustrating!
This is an emotional, intense story that will hit home for any parent, grandparent or anyone who loves a "little" person!
Well done!

6 year old Tilly is the love of her mother's life. So when Tilly collapses and is rushed to hospital, Madeline fears the worst, and despite Tilly’s quick recovery she still has concerns over her daughters health. But everyone around them simply sees an overprotective mother and an anxious. As Madeline's desperation to find a diagnosis intensifies, she soon realises that her desperation to keep Tilly safe could be the very thing that means she'll lose her...

POTENTIAL SPOILERS AHEAD!

‘One last second’ explore what must be every parents worst nightmare - you know your child is ill, but no one will believe you. However, this book takes it further than just a potentially hypochondriac mother, and instead explores issues relating to maternal mental health, the impact of separation on children, and how to cope when you’re accused of abusing the one you love the most.

In terms of narrative, this book alternates between the perspective of Madeline and her best friend Laura, with the majority of the novel set in the present day but some chapters giving a flashback to the past comment, specifically Madeline and Laura’s teenage years, where Madeline's relationship with Tilly's father Adam began. This worked really well, as it allowed Vickery to drop little hints into the flashback scenes that have huge implications for what's going on in the present.

Indeed, this is definitely a book that keeps you on your toes, with plenty of challenging questions to consider. I swung wildly between being sure that Madeline was causing her daughters illness, and being completely confident that Tilly was seriously ill. I won’t give any spoilers with regards to the true nature of what’s happening to Tilly, but I will say that the path to get to the truth is definitely a rocky one!

All in all, this was an enjoyable read. It had enough mystery in it so as to keep you on your toes, while remaining at its heart a family drama centred on the relationship between a mother and the daughter she will do anything for. Vickery has written about a complex situation with grace and careful consideration, and has shown a very authentic take on what could happen in such a case. Nonetheless, elements of this were a bit predictable, and so an accurate rating would be 3.75 out of 5. If you enjoyed this one, I would also recommend Jodi Picoult’s Keeping Faith, an older book with similar themes at its heart but a bit more complexity in its execution.

Disclaimer - I was fortunate enough to receive an advance reading copy from NetGalley. This has not affected my review in any way, and all opinions are my own.

Thank you Bookouture and Net Galley for an early release of One Last Second. Very emotional book, I will admit it was frustrating too. I really liked the plot, it was very real. A very good read!!!

Sam Vickery’s “One Last Second” follows a small family as they navigate their daughter’s mystery illness. Mom Madeline and Dad Adam are divorced, and their mutual best friend Laura is struggling to find her place in their new normal. As their daughter, Tilly, gets sicker and sicker, Madeline and Adam disagree fundamentally on how to treat her. Physician Laura is convinced to side with one of the parents, leading to drastic action.

I thought the author did a great job mixing narratives of the characters’ past and present to culminate in a compelling and interesting story. Each character felt believable, and I had a hard time putting the book down.

Vickery brings awareness to the difficulties that patients face when diagnoses aren’t clear cut. The illness in question has an interesting history and is still being defined. I wouldn’t consider it extremely rare or something doctors would never consider like they state in the book, but this could be because I am a US reader and the book is set in the UK. (In the US, the winner of a popular reality show has the syndrome, and there is a large community of patients, both with professional and self-diagnoses, on social media so there is a lot of awareness at least among teens and 20-somethings). Overall though, I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend.

Note: I received a free e-book copy of One Last Second from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The tag line was what drew me to this book--What if your child was dying and no one believed you? It's every parents nightmare! This book goes from present to past, which I love because it's like getting a little piece of the puzzle at a time until the whole picture unfolds.

This story centers around three friends; Madeline (Maddie) and Laura, who've known one another since grade school, and Adam Parkes. Maddie is an extrovert and the life of the party. Laura is an introvert and shy. Adam was the much sought after school athletic hunk. The three are always doing things together. A tragedy happens in Maddie's life that disrupts the friendship. It alters the three of them for varying reasons, including Laura, who has gone through her own heartbreak, which she has kept it secret from Maddie. Maddie goes on to marry Adam.

Madeline (Maddie) Parkes is a caring mother of a 6 year-old, and is hitting a stone wall with her ex-husband Adam. He doesn't see what Maddie sees and experiences with their daughter Tilly.

Adam Parkes is a pilot, who never wanted the divorce, he still loves Maddie, but continues to butt heads with her regarding their daughter. He feels Maddie isn't strict enough.

Laura Burts is a General Practitioner, and for a while was Tilly's doctor. Tilly calls her Auntie Laura, and Laura is like a second mom to her. Despite the divorce, Laura continues to be friends with both Maddie & Adam while trying to remain neutral.

Tilly hasn't been eating very well, complaining about an upset stomach and everything hurting. Since her stomach hurts after specific foods, Tilly only has a few choice items that she'll eat. When it is Adam's turn to have Tilly, he tries to force her to eat what he sets before her or she doesn't eat. After Tilly returns from a weekend with her father, she collapses in front of Maddie, who rushes her to the hospital.

The hospital staff chalks Tilly's symptoms up to dehydration and growing pains. When Tilly gets worse, and Maddie brings her back again, demanding more tests to be done. One physician starts to think Munchausen syndrome by proxy, and after speaking to Adam and Laura, who was talked into siding with Adam opens the door to removing Tilly from Maddie.

Maddie begins the battle of her life to convince those around her that she's not making it up, that Tilly really is sick.

This book dealt with a real life issue. As a mother, whose child was diagnosed in the ER, with a condition from an unknown cause, where it didn't go away and no one had heard of it, I know how hard it can be to get other adults including doctors to understand. It is an emotional & moving story!

I received an ARC from NetGalley via Bookouture and I have voluntarily reviewed this book.

This is an extremely well told, heart wrenching story where a mother's intuition about her child is under estimated .
Madeleine is divorced from Adam and mum to daughter Tilly. She spends the week with her mum and weekends with her dad. However Tilly does not appear well when in Maddys care and is admitted to hospital on a number of occasions with vomitting and dehydration. She is absolutely convinced she is not well but her actions are soon questioned not only by Adam but also the doctors.
This story follows Maddys fight to get the correct treatment for her daughter whilst her previous health issues themselves lead others to doubt her motives.
Brilliant read, highly recommend.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. This book was so emotional for me to read that pulled on my heart. This is a story of a mothers love. Be prepared to have some tissues handy.

What would you do if your child was sick and how far would you go to get the answers you desperately need. Gripped me from the word go and took me on an emotional journey of the sheer strength of a mother's love and will to fight for their child. Absolutely heartbreaking and heartwarming. A must read for sure.

What if you knew your child was sick and no one believed you? It’s every parent’s worst nightmare. Madeline knew firsthand what this was like when her six-year-old daughter, Tilly, collapsed one night. The doctors chalked it up to her being a fussy eater, but as she continued to get sick, doctors began to wonder if the real problem was her mother. Madeline was determined to be an advocate for her daughter and wouldn’t rest until doctors gave her some answers.

It was heartbreaking to see Tilly go through everything, especially in addition to her parents’ divorce, and Madeline was suffering right along with her because no one believed that something was seriously wrong with her daughter. It’s scary knowing that this really happens to some families, and makes you wonder how many children go undiagnosed with rare illnesses because doctors aren’t willing to look outside of the box.

This was a great read, and it was nice to see some light shed on this topic. Definitely recommending this one.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3359543577

Although I understand the message the author is trying to get across in this story, I found it a little dull and predictable.
The characters are fairly standard; a charming, good-looking male who all the ladies adore, a care-free, confident women who has no inhibitions and her meek, self-doubting best friend.
This story wasn't for me, but I am glad that Sam Vickery is promoting illness (and the taboo surrounding it) by including it in a fictional story.

One Last Second by Sam Vickery is an emotional read that will certainly pull at the heartstrings. This is a powerful story of a mother's love, and the lengths that she is willing to go for her child.

Madeline's six year old daughter Tilly is not well. Small for her age, Tilly refuses to eat, complains of joint pain, and has frequent bouts of nausea and vomiting on the rare occasions when she is persuaded to eat or drink. Having recently separated from her husband, Adam, Madeline is most often alone in dealing with Tilly's symptoms. Adam, for his part, believes that Tilly is simply fussy, and that all of this carry on is the result of Madeline's tendency to indulge the whims of their young daughter. Mysteriously, Tilly's symptoms worsen when she is in her mother's care, and suspicions are cast on to Madeline, who claims that she only wants relief for her young daughter. How does a mother who would do anything to help her child suddenly become cast as the villain of the piece?

This is a compelling read, both heart wrenching and frustrating in almost equal measure. I raced through the pages, almost as desperately as her parents, to determine what was really at the root of Tilly's illness. Recommended.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC.