We follow Gail and Jon who has been on an unsuccessful journey of infertility and are hoping to adopt. In comes Carli, an 18 year old looking for a family to adopt her baby. What seems like the perfect situation may not end in a happy ending for everyone. Will Jon and Gail finally get the baby they have always wanted or will Carli change her mind and decide to keep her baby?

Wow what an emotional roller coaster this book was! You begin to feel so strongly for everyone characters and just want everyone to get that perfect ending. This is such an emotional real life experience and I feel the author did a great job at approaching this topic sensitively and highlighting its importance to be told. I have never experienced this situation but did give me a greater understanding of the emotional toll it can take on you personally as well as every aspect of your life. The emotional strength you see from both of the main female characters is inspiring and heartwarming. I highly suggest this book if you are looking for an emotional read!

Trigger warnings for infertility.

Thank you to net galley for the e-arc!

This was slice of life and it worked well with the multiple points of views.

The range of characters, and their personality types were very distinctive. I wish more of Carli’s story had been told before the big arch of the book.

Overall good read would recommend to those who like slice of life and powerful messages.

TW: Miscarriages, Adoption, and abuse.

This is such an emotional read. Everyone knows someone who is dealing with the pain of infertility and all that goes along with it. The physical and emotional pain are daunting. Gail and Jon so desperately want to be parents. When medical intervention isn’t successful they decide to adopt. They are “picked” by Carli to become the parents of her birth child. Carli’s mother has other intentions and does not care about what her daughter wants. Ever. She is a mean spirited abusive “its my way or the highway” kind of person who should ever have become a parent. This is a long and twisted road that unless you are in an emotional vacuum will make you experience a plethora of feelings. Its a tough and not always easy read. if you’re looking for light and fluffy keep moving along. If you’re looking for a meaty substantial read about what happens when so many have different intentions both hidden and brought to the surface than this is for you. It was a truly good read, just not a light easy one.

This is a Contemporary/Women's Fiction . We follow a lot of different characters, but the storyline flows very well even with switching through the different characters point of views. I have to say if you are going through an adoption then this may not be the book for you. I loved that this book so all sides of an adoption. This book is so well written, and I loved the characters in this book. The ending was just ok, but the middle was everything. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Simon & Schuster) or author (R. J. Hoffmann) via NetGalley, so I can give honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.

I don't think this book was for me. I got around fifty pages and I just couldn't do it. I think there was a disconnect between my brain and the characters. I can totally see why people will enjoy this book though

Gail and Jon Durbin want nothing more than to have a baby. Gail has gotten pregnant three times, only to miscarry each of those times. Now they are on the adoption roller-coaster and it feels like no one will ever choose them. Then one day, a pregnant teen by the name of Carli, does. Gail tries hard not to get her hopes up, but then the baby arrives and when they place her in Gail's arms, it is love at first sight. There is only one problem - Carli's mom, Marla. Marla has decided there is no way she is going to let some stranger raise her grandchild, so she is fighting this adoption for all it is worth.
This would make a great book club book. A lot of discussion and debate could be had over parental rights, and how to determine where it is in the best interest for the baby to be raised. The story is told in multple voices so you get a well-rounded view. It is a very emotional read that will really tug at the heartstrings.

This was a page turner! I was invested in the story from the very first chapter. Loved the multiple perspectives and how quickly the plot moved.

The Durbins, a young wealthy couple from Chicago suburbs, decide to turn to adoption, after three painful miscarriages. That is how they entered the life of teenage pregnant girl Carli and her neglectful mother, Marla.
Once the baby is born, the Durbins start to see themselves as a real family. The sounds, the new routines, the unknown smells of the first day start to settle in this new, highly anticipated life.
But their familiar peace and contentment is abruptly interrupted when Carli decides to claim her baby.
And this is the turning point of the book. What are this couple capable of in order to not let anything affect their new life? Is the biological mother capable of giving the baby a healthy and appropriate environment? Who is really considering the baby well-being?

The novel is a page turner, a very well written tale that explores the fears and contradictions of motherhood and the always problematic relationships between mothers and daughters. It also dives into the unrelenting desire of a couple to become parents at all costs, even risking themselves in the endeavor.
I enjoyed reading it but I have to say that I didn't empathize with the adult characters. I found each and every one selfish and childish. I really sympathize with young Carli and poor baby Maya.
I loved the use of multiple voices because it allows the reader to understand the motivation of each decision made.
I would highly recommend this book

Gail and Jon are a couple dealing with infertility and decide to turn to adoption. The story then follows 3 points of view: Gail the adoptive mom, Carli the birth mom that chooses them, and Carli's mom the grandmother. The book touches on tough topics such as infertility, miscarriages, abuse, family dynamics and how far would you go to have a family/save your family. As someone who suffered for years with infertility i'm drawn to these stories but can be overly critical. This one I didn't feel any real depth to the characters, just a stereotypical skimming of the emotions through out. That said, the story was interesting enough to keep me reading.

***Thanks to Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Gail and Jon have struggled with infertility and now, at last, they're going to be parents, thanks to Carli, a pregnant teen who has decided to give up her child for adoption. Told by Gail, Jon, Carli, Paige their social worker, and Carli's hateful mother Marla, this is a story which pulls great emotional weight. Gail and Carli are the most well rounded characters- Gail with her lists and the family knife business and Carli with her hopes to become a nurse. Baby Maya makes a huge difference in everyone's lives until Marla is the spark that leads to an incredibly bad decision by Gail and Jon. While some of the plot might seem familiar, Hoffman has a good storytelling style and a nice touch with small details (I especially liked the info about the knife sharpening business, which was new to me). I found myself rooting for everyone (except, I must say, Marla). Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This lingers.

I received access to this book early by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This was tough read for me because of my personal experiences with adoption. However, the author did a great job setting up the different perspectives in the novel and carries the reader alongside an excellent tale. Trigger warning for those going through the adoption process, but an excellent book.

The story of three different women in a very tough situation, begs to ask what would you do for love. When the story opens Gail and Jon Durbin are trying to adoptable baby after many failed pregnancies, when they are contacted by Carli, who has chosen them to adopt her baby.

At the start, this seems like a very standard adoption scenario. Carli has the baby and the Durbin’s go home with their long awaited daughter Maya. When Carli’s mother intercedes and tells her if she does not get the baby back she will throw her out of the house, turns this story into a spiral of missteps all in the name of love.

This sets up the second half of the story and really the entire point of this book, of missteps, miscues that send all parties involved to make terrible decisions.

This is an emotional book to read and this will not be for everyone, especially if you are going through process of adoption, DO NOT READ. The author kept me engaged as I really did want to find out what ultimately would happen to the sought after Maya. This book will bring many great discussions, especially what would you do? Nice debut novel, looking forward to future books from this author.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book in exchange for an honest.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book, scheduled for release on 04/06.

If there is anything Gail Durbin has desired all her life, it is to be a mother. After three miscarriages, her and her husband, Jon, turn to adoption. Their hope bears fruit when Carli, a pregnant teenager from a blue-collar town nearby, chooses their family. Knowing it takes so little for things to go wrong, Gail holds her breath throughout the pregnancy and delivery, exhaling only when they are able to bring Maya home. It should have been the end of their contact with Carli but Marla, Carli's mother, has other plans for the grandbaby.

At the end of the novel, the writer included an acknowledgement page thanking his wife for reading multiple drafts of the book, "even though her stomach hurt every time." I almost wish this was included as a preface; I could have been better prepared for what was to come. My stomach hurt for most of the novel - it still does - and I don't like it. The novel is thoughtful, evocative. There is no right party to root for when all of the characters are faced with impossible choices. I am torn on my feelings about Gail, though. She is depicted as someone who creates lists for every situation and plan, researches all sides before committing. She doesn't strike me as someone who veers off-course, especially when it comes to something of this magnitude. On the flip side, plenty of people have made impulsive decisions without thinking of the consequences so I am trying to see both sides.

As I flew through the novel and got closer to the end, I felt the plot got a little away from us. I couldn't <i>quite</i> suspend my disbelief during certain scenes. Of course, the more impulsive a decision, the more bad things stem from it but still. I don't want to say too much because of spoilers but the novel was also an interesting exploration of class and privilege and as a result, I'm not sure if things would have ended the same way in real life. I found myself skeptical about how the relationship between Gail and Jon was resolved at the end. I could also be reading too literally into the decisions all of the characters made in the novel.

This is definitely a novel that will go on my 'best books of 2021' list.

3 stars, just because this was a rough story to read. Adoption is hard. There are so many emotions involved for the mother and the adoptive parents. In this story we are immersed on both sides.

Jon and Gail lived in Chicago and as they watched all their friends move to the suburbs and start families, Gail wanted to do the same. She was pregnant three different times and lost the baby each time. Her vision of life started to shatter and their friends slowly faded away as their stages of life changed. Then Gail and Jon decided to look into adoption. When they were finally picked, their dreams came true. Gail took good care of Carli, their adoptive mom, and they both looked forward to their own futures. Carli was going back to school to fund her way out of her mother's home. The baby was not part of that equation and she felt confident in giving her child to the Durbins. Until the baby came. Then she was torn about what to do. Her own mother fought for keeping her grandbaby. Carli felt an emptiness when her little one was gone. But Gail and Jon finally had their family.

How far would you go to keep a baby that you had emotionally fought for for years? We get to watch both sides and I was emotionally torn about what the right choice would be. Who should get the baby? It's definitely a rollercoaster ride and one that was rough for me to read. I was okay with how it ended, but it sure was a struggle to get there! Definitely would not recommend for a couple currently in the adoption process.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The book is a masterpiece. You will feel all the feels. I could not put it down. The author does an incredible job making us empathize with all three mothers - and agonizing over who is right. Don’t pass this book up. You’ll be glad you read it! You’ll be thinking about it weeks later. It will give you a bad book hangover. Thank you Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for the arc for sharing my honest opinion.

Gail and Jon have been trying to have a baby for years, with no success. Adoption seems to be their only hope. Carli is a pregnant teenager hoping for a better life when she decides to put her baby up for adoption and chooses Gail and Jon. Marla is Carli’s mother who will do anything to convince Carli to keep the baby. All of these women will make difficult choices to protect their family, but there’s no way they can find a choice that makes them all happy.

Have you ever read a book that you expected to enjoy but it still amazed you exactly how much you loved it? That was this book for me. I thought it sounded like a good book but I was not ready for this. I truly could not put it down. It was emotional, it was suspenseful, from the very beginning I was hooked. The whole time I couldn’t figure out who I sided with, I could understand each person’s side. This story was a great example of how blurry right and wrong can be depending on you perspective and that the truth isn’t always clear cut. Each of these mothers was living their truth and what they believed was right based on their perspective. Truly a phenomenal book that will make you feel, make you think, and keep you on the edge of your seat.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Other People’s Children will be available on April 6!

Gail and Jon are desperate for a child of their own. After several miscarriages, they have decided to adopt. Being chosen by birth mother Carli, they are finally about to fulfill that dream, until Carli’s mother steps in with her own ideas. Three mothers fighting to protect their family. Three mothers that think they know what’s best, but do they? At times it’s difficult to know just who to root for in this bittersweet story of the lengths mothers will go to before finally realizing what’s best for everyone.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an advanced copy of Other People's Children in exchange for my honest review.
Other People's Children, debut novel by R.J. Hoffmann, is told through alternating views by six characters. Gail wants nothing more than to be a mother and, after multiple miscarriages, turns to adoption to find her baby. Jon, Gail's husband, wants a family but is not as involved in the adoption process. The couple is chosen by Carli, a teenager, to adopt her soon-to-be-born daughter. Paige is the social worker at the adoption agency who tries to stay neutral throughout the adoption process. Marla, Carli's own mother, speaks from her perspective, and Larry, one of Marla's co-workers, is also a narrator.
The final consent in the adoption, to be signed by Carli, is not allowed to be signed until a few days after the birth. When Paige doesn't receive the signed consent she starts to investigate why, and the trajectory of the story changes dramatically.
As a reader, I had multiple times where I set the book down and wondered what I would have done in the shoes of each narrating character. I love novels that develop scenarios with vivid details based in reality so that as a reader I am challenged to think of my own response. Although I am not a mother, I could identify with each well-developedcharacter and their own connections to the overarching themes of motherhood, family, and love.
I highly recommend this book!

Gail and Jon are married and one thing is missing.. A baby. Miscarriage after miscarriage what else can this couple go through? Adoption is their best way, but are they ready for what is about to come? This story had amazing characters, I loved the twists and turns in this book they keep you guessing and flipping. Heartbreaks, family, love and how far will you go for your child? Amazing writing I must say you knocked this debut out the park, Mr. Hoffmann

This novel destroyed my heart. The writing perfectly portrayed the pain, hope, and anguish of the main characters that I felt every emotion right along with them.
This novel is a heartbreaking description of what so many couples face. It is devastating to know that this story really happens to couples dreaming and praying of starting a family.