What a good question; ‘Could you take in your best friend’s child, even if it risked destroying your own family?’

Could you? But then again, could you answer that honestly, without even being in the situation? Now, if someone asked me whether I would take in my best friends child, without the addition of the last sentence, I would say yes in a heartbeat. Who knows, it could destroy my own family, then again, it may not. To call this situation complex would be an understatement but, just like everything else in the world, there is a lot more to any situation that meets the eye.

Jo and Ginny were best friends for many years. Their friendship stood the test of the stormy seas….literally, until one day, their friendship was severed due to the unfortunate death of Ginny. But is the tie truly severed? Ginny, before she died, asked Jo to take in her son, 17 year old Victor. Jo was adamant that she was going to do that one thing for Ginny, despite having a tearaway, misunderstood child of her own, young Phoebe. Like I said at the very beginning of this review, there is a lot more to a situation than what anyone realises, and Jo’s situation is no different.

Look, I cant really sit here and judge a teenager on her antics all because I never stooped to that level when I was a teenager, however I was really shocked by how Phoebe acted, as wrll as the ways in which Jo and Patrick responded. Im not a perfect parent, nor have I had the pleasure of parenting a teenager….yet, so i probably don’t have a right to pass comment on the way that Phoebe is being parented. I was just really blindsided by those actions.

Speaking of being blindsided, when Victor came into the family so much schnitzel went down it was madness! Racism was a topic of conversation, as was blended families, loyalties, grief, relationships, drugs, alcohol…..you name it, it was probably discussed in this book. Im not saying that in a negative manner either because all of the topics were given an equal amount of time in the spotlight to manifest throughout the book.

I really do enjoy reading a Kerry Fisher novel because of the way she discusses real life situations in an honest and impressionable manner. I do feel like there was a lot in this storyline to focus on and at times that made me feel a little bit overwhelmed as everything in the storyline deserved my attention equally, and I couldn’t give that.

I enjoyed the complexity of the storyline and the uniqueness of what the book was centered around as it certainly gave me food for thought until the very end. I found the varying family dynamics such an interesting concept and it added brilliant depths to an already multi layered read.

Whilst ‘Another Woman’s Child’ seemed different to the usual Kerry Fisher novels I have grown to know and love, I still really appreciated the thought provoking story telling and the insightful, memorable novel that I really enjoyed.

It has made a change for me reading a book that looks solely at the intricacies of family life and relationships rather then this being in addition to catching a killer!
The story revolves around Jo, grieving the death of her best friend Ginny, and coming to terms with the fact that Ginny's wish was that her son Victor would be cared for by Jo and her family.
Victor is 18 and is mixed race. Everyone was led to believe his father was Canadian but as the story progresses it is obvious that this wasn't the case.
Jo and her husband Patrick already have a lot to deal with at home as their 16 year old daughter Phoebe appears to be doing all she can to alienate those around her and be in the thick of trouble.
Given that the family live in a village community in Sussex, it is the sort of insular small minded place that can showcase racism and all sorts of archaic thinking, and it was this that made the book so much more than just an emotional family drama. I loved the comments coming from Jo's Mum and then Patrick, and eventually Phoebe. The way in which unacceptable attitudes were challenged and in the end even Jo could ditch the need for her so called friends, realising these individuals did not need any more chances but were in fact very off kilter with their mindsets, happy to indulge in stereotypical prejudicial gossip.
Although the side of Right wins, the journey is very eventual. There is a lot of soul searching for Jo, questioning her friendship with Ginny, her marriage, and her parenting ability. All issues lots of us will have spent agonising over ourselves. I could particularly relate to the worry over Phoebe's reckless behaviour and the concern that she would end up one day on the wrong side of the law.
I thought that the pressures Phoebe and her friend Georgia were experiencing were very well written, including the teenage love aspect. I also really liked the way the displacement Victor felt, leaving behind his Granddad, school and friends in Cardiff, for a family that isn't his, was portrayed, sensitively but without mushiness.
I have to be honest and say that the advertised 'twist' in not exactly a surprise. It was obvious where the storyline was heading, and although this didn't detract from my reading pleasure, it is the reason I gave the book 4 rather than 5 stars.
I now need to work out which Kerry Fisher books I have already read so that I can read the rest. Definitely an author I will return to as a guaranteed good read.
Thank you as always to Netgalley, the publisher and Kerry Fisher for the opportunity to read Another Woman's Child ahead of publication.

Always enjoy Kerry Fisher’s well-written and poignant stories and this one is no different. Great character development and astute observations frame a touching tale of family and friendship. It tackles some difficult issues and does so sensitively and succeeds in provoking thought and debate, lingering in the reader’s mind long after the last page..
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC,

Ginny is Jo’s best friend and when she finds out she doesn’t have long to live she asks her best friend to look after her teenage son and bring him up alongside her own teenage daughter. Jo is conflicted, on the one hand she wants to do right by her friend but on the other she is having problems with her own daughter and as for her husband, she daren’t even broach the subject.

But when Ginny passes away, Jo finds she has no choice but to take in 17 year old Victor and treat him as one of the family. As Jo struggles to please everybody, not only family but also friends, she comes across a long-held secret which makes her rethink not only her past, but also her future.

This book really pulled at my heartstrings. If there is something Kerry Fisher knows inside out, it is FAMILY and especially TEENAGERS. I loved how every character had a dark and light side which led to each and every one of them being misjudged time and time again. There were many different strings to this book, but by the end they were nicely tied up, even if they were not matching.

Narrated by Jo, a married and busy working mum whose teenage daughter Phoebe is going off the rails. Her best friend Ginny has recently died and bequeathed her the care of Victor, her mixed race son.

This family drama is perfectly placed to give readers an insightful view into some very current topics at the moment, including grief and casual racism. Shockingly some of the worst comments come from Jo’s own mother.

This is a well developed slow paced drama and as the story unfolds you sit back and watch the fallout. It makes you feel a bit like a rubber necker at a car crash. I did see the twist coming but it didn’t diminish the read in anyway.

The characters were believable and relatable and the comparison with Jodi Picoult is well placed as, like her writing, this is thought provoking and touches subjects that are normally shied away from. This would make a great book club read as there is certainly many issues to dissect and different character perspectives to see it from.

A good read about family, friendship, love and racism. This is a beautifully written story. Drug addiction and racism are talked about in an empathetic way. This is a thought provoking and interesting read.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Thoughtful and compelling. Real and emotional. Once again Kerry Fisher tugged at my heart strings and brought me to tears with her authentic storytelling. When I first read the blurb to the story I thought there is no way I’m taking someoneelse’s child if they were going to disrupt the lives of my own. The reason I bring this up is I completely judged the situation wrong, and I think this was very ironic given the subject matter of the story. Jo and Ginny are best friends so when Ginny is on her deathbed and asks Jo to take care of her teenage son Victor, Jo agrees. Unfortunately this might not be the best situation for Victor. Jo’s daughter Phoebe is a wild child and they live in a small close minded town. So now not only has Victor lost his mother, but he is half black living in a less than welcoming community with a highly dysfunctional family. Will this family be able to come together for Victor? Or will a secret break everything wide-open?

The book did get off to a little bit of a slow start, but after a few chapters I found myself completely invested. Jo seemed very real to me even though I didn’t always agree with her actions. Daughter Phoebe was a lot of work and husband Patrick was useless. Victor was a great kid and my heart was pulled towards him the entire story. I found the behavior of some of the mothers in the story so frustrating yet unfortunately so true. Always so quick to blame other people’s kids for their own kid’s behavior. Jo spent so much time worrying what other people thought at her own family’s detriment. There was a sense of authenticity to this book and I thought the realities of privilege and racism were well handled. Another well told story from one of the best.

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

Jo and Ginny have been best friends for decades. When Ginny reveals she has terminal cancer, she asks Jo to take care of her teenage son, Victor. Jo is already struggling with her own teen daughter (drama!), but she feels she owes it to her oldest friend to help where she can. Jo has no idea what that ultimately means for her family.
This is the set up for this introspective and ultimately uplifting book about being steadfast and doing the right thing even when everything you’ve thought you’ve built seems to be crumbling.
I’m not going to lie. Jo really got on my nerves in the first part of the book. Everything always seemed to be about her, and how worried she was about what everyone else would think. She was a definite people-pleaser. Everyone knows the type: someone who tries too hard and it becomes painfully obvious that they’re desperate to be hitting the right tone and intent.
Jo’s daughter, Phoebe, is a hellion. There’s no other way to put it. She acts like a spoiled brat and obviously likes to push boundaries (and her mom’s buttons) for entertainment. Jo’s husband, Patrick, has also known Jo long enough that he usually just steps back and lets her spiral. And poor Victor, who lost his mom, is thrown into all of this crazy in a new town where he is the only person of color.
However, when there is a big family revelation (right about halfway through the book), everything changes. Long-held beliefs are shaken, loyalties are questioned, and everyone is forced to take a step back to re-evaluate their perspectives on the situation.
I thought the author handled the challenges facing the family with awareness and insight. I thought that each character’s reactions were individualized. It was obvious that a lot of thought went into the various characters and their personalities.
The author also provides a searing, and accurate, commentary on racism. At times it was difficult to read, but as the white mom of an Ethiopian son, I am familiar with some of the prejudices that the townspeople showed towards Victor. It’s an unfortunate part of human nature to accuse what is easiest to see, not what is most difficult to understand. I think the author did a good job with handling this subject, especially when it came to how the family ultimately handled all of it.
I went into this book expecting one thing and feeling one way about most of the characters, but my opinion of them completely transformed through the author’s thoughtful portrayal. I highly recommend this book about resilience and the importance of family.

It was OK. Just didn't love it like the author's previous books. Not a fan of any of the characters, especially Jo. Phoebe was the typically teenager, full of attitude and disregarded everything her parents told her. It wasn't hard to figure out the secret behind Victor's dad. It really wasn't much of a mystery. Jo's anger was over the top. I hated how she allowed her "friends" to talk that way about Victor and Phoebe. She constantly apologized to them , even after they said horrible thing about her family. Jo should have reserved her anger for Faye and not direct it toward Patrick. I don't get why it was so hard for Jo to bring Victor to live with her. She's been around him since he was a baby and he wasn't a stranger to her. She wanted Patrick to get along with Victor and then when he starts spending time with him, Jo gets jealous. Nothing much happens through out the book, besides Phoebe getting in trouble over and over and Victor being accused of being a drug dealer. I don't feel like I really got to know the characters well.

Give the book a try, it just wasn't for me. I look forward to reading more books by the author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bookouture through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for the arc of Another Womans Child by Kerry Fisher

This follows a woman named Jo who had thought that her life and her heart was content and full. as she has busy job, her husband and even her teenage daughter who is going off the rails a little. She is also keeping her life running smoothly had already felt hard enough. Her best friend Ginny actually suddenly sadly passes away in which makes Jo have to make a life-changing decision in despite her husband's reservations and thoughts about taking in her bestfriends son whom now has no mum and raise like their own. But with the arrival with Victor’s arrival is about to break the fragile cracks that were already forming on the surface of Jo’s family life and in her small rural community… and expose a secret in which has remained hidden for many years, with devastating consequences......

3 stars- great read, read very fast great storyline and well written defintiely recommend!

A real thought provoking story. I felt that I knew the way it was going, but that didn’t stop the emotions the story brought out in me. I cried, at work, reading this book on my lunchbreak.
How I wished I knew Ginny, she sounded a fabulous friend and such fun. It was heart breaking when she died.
When Victor was taken in by best friend Jo and husband Patrick, I knew they were in for an emotional rollercoaster. Especially when daughter Phoebe was already having some behavioural problems inside and outside school. Victor was mixed race in a white rural village. The ignorant, tactless people with their casual racist remarks made me cringe. People who don’t realise what offence they may be causing. The kindness of Victor through some challenging comments was lovely so see, and showed how well he’d been raised by Ginny.
A family crisis ensued, including shoplifting, teenage parties, drink and drugs. That overwhelming feeling as a parent to keep your child safe, challenging them over their reckless behaviour. Jo felt betrayal and hurt.
Jo’s feelings of needing to be liked jumped out of the pages, even when she was dealing with the parents of Phoebe’s friends who were pointing the finger in a negative fashion towards their family.
Ginny had always said ‘focus on what matters now’, but it was so difficult for Jo.
Jo’s Mum made me laugh and was a real hero at times especially when she learned how to say things in the correct manner. Towards the end of the book her sentiments were so touching.
I may too have led a sheltered life, as I googled hot boxing and a few other terms. Things I never dealt with as a youngster, or thankfully as a mother.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the early review copy in which I give my honest opinion.

I really enjoyed this book. Kerry writes in such a way that you become so involved in her characters and their story. I couldn't put it down.. thank you.

Another Woman's Child By Kerry Fisher
This book was an easy read, although it covered some difficult topics such as racism, teenager rebellion and grief.
I liked the main character, and loved her friendship with Ginny who has died from breast cancer.

Jo is a wife and mother. She had watched her best friend, Ginny pass away. Jo promised Ginny that she would take in Ginny's son, Victor. Jo has a daughter, Phoebe, who has her own issues.and acts like a spoiled brat.

This is a thought provoking read. It covers: racism, marital disharmony,, teenage angst and drug abuse. The story is told from Jo's perspective. It did take me a little while to get into this story. The first half of this book, the pace was slow but it did pick up in the second half. I found this to be more a family drama than a thriller.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Bookouture and the author Kerry Fisher for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I got this free copy from Netgalley and Bookouture and I would like to thank them for providing me with a copy!

Jo has a busy family life--with a busy job and a rebellious daughter that she simply cannot control. But when her best friend, Ginny dies, her last wish was for Jo to look after Ginny's son, Victor and raise him as her own. Despite Jo's misgivings, she hesitantly accepts and takes in Victor into her family, thus introducing him into a small community. But Victor's arrival soon develops fragile cracks in Jo's family and also the small community. And a secret that had been hidden for many years...

I really like the book. The situation that the book was written is realistic. Victor, being half black was immediately turned into a victim of severe accusations like giving drugs to "perfect daughters" and misleading them which sadly is happening in the real world right now, despite the fact that Victor is actually an innocent boy. The teenage rebellion is also realistic, the girls who want to please their parents by getting good grades and going into Oxford or Cambridge though in secret they were partying and taking drugs. The situation that the book was based on was realistic which I really liked about it. The writing was good, though at times, not very engaging but it was also a bit emotional to read.

Overall, this is a good, emotional ride to read .

Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for gifting me a copy of this book. This review is my own.
⭐️⭐️💫 2.5/5 Stars
Pub Date: 5 August 2020

ℂ𝕠𝕦𝕝𝕕 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕥𝕒𝕜𝕖 𝕚𝕟 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕓𝕖𝕤𝕥 𝕗𝕣𝕚𝕖𝕟𝕕’𝕤 𝕔𝕙𝕚𝕝𝕕, 𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕟 𝕚𝕗 𝕚𝕥 𝕣𝕚𝕤𝕜𝕖𝕕 𝕕𝕖𝕤𝕥𝕣𝕠𝕪𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕠𝕨𝕟 𝕗𝕒𝕞𝕚𝕝𝕪? This is the question that initially drew me to this book. Unfortunately, what I had hoped for the story never came to pass.

One thing that I did really loved about this book was how the author wove in the theme of racial ignorance, stereotypes, and racism. I thought that it added a great layer to the story, while also bringing to light situations that people face every day due to their skin color.

Unfortunately I struggled with this story from the very beginning and had a hard time connecting/relating to Jo. Going into this story I thought that Jo would be Victor’s biggest champion and in fact many times she questioned sending him off to near stranger. The lack of a connection with Victor confused me since Jo, Patrick, and Ginny has been best friends for 30yrs. I couldn’t fathom being best friends with someone for so long, spending holidays & weekends together, yet not having the connection already built.

In addition to my lack of a connection with Jo, I found the first half of the book to be extremely slow paced. Several times during the first part I wanted to add this book to my DNF pile but since this book was gifted to me, I pushed on so I could give an accurate review. At around 55% the book started to pick up and started to grab my attention, but unfortunately by that point it was a little too late.

Thank you Netgalley, Kerry Fisher, and the publisher for an early copy for an honest review.

Jo was a wife and mother, and watched her best friend pass away. Before Ginny passed away, Jo made her a promise that she would take in Ginny's son, Victor, as Ginny didn't have any other place for him to go.

When Jo and her husband were becoming overwhelmed with Victor, they were thinking about taking him to Ginny's brother or Dad's house to live; which caused a secret to be exposed.

This secret did cause some animosity with Jo and her husband, but I truly appreciated how this book ended, and how the author pulled all of this together. This was truly a remarkable book, and the topic was easy to understand and relate to.

I did enjoy this book's story arc although the family unit were frustrating in their personalities. Patrick being so non-committal and Jo being so self-absorbed annoyed me, and perhaps this also explained Phoebe's behaviour, too. Maybe if Jo had been all saccharine sweet and saintly I would have been complaining that it was too unrealistic though as teenagers can suck! Some of the things resonated with me, like parents wanting to blame kids other than their own for being a bad influence, rather than looking closer to home. It made me sad that they made no effort really to see Victor's granda and his old school mates more regularly, even though he was several hours away. The whole original family was very self-centred and that made me sad for Victor. I do like it when I feel strongly about characters, even the ones I dislike, because that means I'm invested in the story. A recommended read.

This book focuses on grief, family, race, and small-town gossip. It started off a little slow for me, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. There is a twist that was slightly predictable, but I was still intrigued when I was reading.

This review will be published on the below mentioned blog and other social media on 27 July

Book Title: Another Woman's Child

Author: Kerry Fisher

Genre: Fiction

Publishing Date: 05 Aug 2020

Line Summary:

The story is about the life of Jo after she decided to take her dead friend Ginny's teenage son victor to her family! The consequences following the decision and the secrets that changed everybody's life!

My Review:

This book helps me coming out of my horrible reading slump! The storyline was good! The thing I got most impressed was the "Jo" character, a very deep and accurate one! Could relate to her insecurities in so many places!! The narration is slow at the beginning but after a few chapters it picked up! The twist is not actually a twist, could guess it at the early stage of the story but the character's reaction to that secret is engaging! The climax is kind of “all good in the end “ cliche but I liked it! A very nice family drama to enjoy! If you have difficult teenage kids I would suggest you read this! it's not giving any advice at all, but would help you understand you are not alone! I wish it to be more engaging and a little bit fast, other than that I like it !!

Thoughts while reading:
The story has a very slow start but if you have the patience to hang in there it would pick up very soon!

I love Jo's character, more relatable, more natural with all mom flaws! The way she was looking for approval from everyone even though she hated herself for it was perfectly captured !! Her character has more depth and more accurate! I was marveled at the level of patience she showed to her teenage daughter! I would daresay her character alone hold the story from start to end!

The story shows two extreme mom characters, one who is always insecure and accepting other's blame for her kid and another one who always defends her kid instead of realizing the truth !! Both of them are more natural!!

Victor's character is too noble for a teenager whose mom just died but his uncomfortable was impressively described! And the selfishness of men was perfectly captured in Patrick's Character!

Jo's reaction after found out the truth is somehow off-putting and the loop of emotions was boring after some time

The racism and the prejudice addressed in this story is admirable! The way it just crept into everyone especially when it easy to blame is represented in an impressive way!

The climax is somehow cinematic but I like it anyway, as I love happy endings !! But the story is slow-paced for me and very easily predictable from the beginning and so lacks engagement! Hence the 3 stars!!