This subject is close to my heart for many reasons. It is the story of a couple who have suffered multiple miscarriages and have had no luck (so far) adopting a child. They have sent their adoption book out countless times but have yet to be chosen by a potential birth mother. It feels hopeless.....until Carli comes along. This book is a rollercoaster of emotions whether you are a parent or not! Everyone can relate to the full range of emotions these people go through. It is not only the point of view of the couple seeking to adopt, but the young lady making the decision to give up her child for adoption, as well as the woman helping them with the adoption. Such an emotional read.

I can not even begin to thank Simon & Schuster and also #NetGalley for the ARC.
Gail and her husband are desperate to have a child. Gail has had a number of miscarriages and each one is more painful than the last ( I can relate). They decide to adopt and finally find a "mother" who will choose them to raise her baby.

This book gave a lot of insight to not just the parents adopting but also the Mother who is giving up her child. It also deals with what happens afterwards. It is an emotional book and one that will leave you questioning all you know about adoption.

Thank you to @net for an advanced copy of Other People’s Children by R.J. Hoffmann ! It was *so* good!!! 👏🏻
“A riveting debut novel about a couple whose dream of adopting a baby is shattered when the teenage mom reclaims her child.” As you might guess based on that quick synopsis, this book has some definite trigger warnings — infertility, adoption, and ultimately; family. What make a family? And what lengths would you go to in order to have a family?
I think, overall, that quick synopsis is all you need to know about this book. The more you go in to blind, the more you’ll be invested. I couldn’t put it down, it’s a complete page turner with the perfect amount of light-heartedness mixed with Hoffmann’s brilliant way of telling a story.

What if, after 3 miscarriages and numerous adoption attempts, a gorgeous baby girl is placed with you and quickly becomes your world? What if you were a scared teen from an unstable family life who thought she was making the right choice to place her baby with someone else, and got second thoughts? The lives of Gail+Jon and Carli+Marla collide in ‘Other People’s Children’, exploring these questions.

I thought the topic was interesting and ran at a good pace, and I felt that I could really connect with the teen Carli. While I disliked her mother and her mother’s acquaintances, they were totally believable and the author did a good job setting the scene. Interestingly, I didn’t really like Gail and was indifferent to Jon. Some of the characters moved in and out of the villain space, which I thought was unique too. Unlike some of the other reviewers, I liked the first half of the book better than the second. I liked getting to know the characters, but felt that after [big event removed for spoilers], it became similar to other stories and lost some of its uniqueness.

Note: I received a free eBook copy of ‘Other People’s Children’ from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review for Other People's Children by R.J. Hoffmann
Full review for this title can be found at: @fyebooks on Instagram!

I really enjoyed this intensely emotional story of Jon and Gail Durbin, a couple in their thirties who live in the Western suburbs of Chicago. Gail has had several miscarriages and the couple really wants a baby so they plan to adopt. Eventually a young pregnant girl, Carli, chooses them as the future parents of her baby girl. Carli lives with her mom and sister as she struggles with not only being and unwed pregnant teenager, but also living pay check to pay check, depending on her not-so-nice mother for her housing and attempting to start community college. The Durbins help Carli through her pregnancy and eventually take baby Maya home with them. They love her so much and are managing to get through the first week of no sleep and baby care. Carli's mother, Darla, has has a difficult life and is not happy with Carli's decision because she herself missed out on her daughters childhoods because, as a single mother, she also has to work multiple jobs to make ends meet. The book is written from several different perspectives, Both Gail and Jon, Carli's Paige--the social worker handling the adoption, and Darla. This is a very interesting story, full of deep emotions about how a baby can change lives, and how intense a mother's love is for her baby regardless of it being biological or through adoption. Gail and Jon really loved Maya but so does Carli. The story unfolds and I had no idea what was going to happen. Great writing, plot and characters. I actually live in the area the story takes place and loved all the local references included in the book! I could not put it down--quite a page turner! Loved it! Thanks so much to NG for the ARC!!

This was a slow-burning page turner, and definitely suspenseful. Lots of unlikeable characters, but a satisfying conclusion. I am curious as to what happens next to the couple at the center of the story, although both were fairly terrible!

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for providing me with an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

5/5 Stars!

WOW! This is an extremely emotional and compelling book that really forces the reader to look at what it's like to be a mother, whether biological or not. There are so many issues at play, what would you do to ensure you kept your family? Who has the predominant rights to a child? And who gets to decide what's in the child's best interest?

This book follows the stories of Gail and Jon as they attempt to adopt a child after a horrible string of miscarriages; and Carli an 18-year-old who never expected to get pregnant at this time in her life. The family struggles in each situation are what make this such a compelling book. Gail and Jon have tried for a child, bought a house, and struggled through their own thoughts of inadequacy. Carli comes from an abusive home and an ex-boyfriend who wants nothing to do with their child. When Carli decides that placing her child for adoption is in the child's best interest she meets Paige, a social worker, who then helps her find Gail and Jon.

The struggles in this story are real and often faced by families, and I thought the book handled each situation pretty well. This is definitely not a light-hearted read, but it's an amazing book!

Oh I loved this so much even though it broke my heart. I was so torn as to who I wanted to root for here, and almost had to stop reading because I was so invested. I really felt for (almost) everyone here. Couldn't put this one down.

Wow! This book was all sorts of emotional and really took me on a wild ride. Through my life I have always been very interested in adoption and I think this book discussed a lot of important aspects that aren’t often overlooked. Gail is very organized and regimented and uses list-making as a way to calm down, so she was extremely prepared to raise a child. Jon was not as researched as Gail, but he was a creative guy that was terrified of messing up a child as he had a rough childhood, himself. Gail and Jon struggled to have a baby for many years and when it was clear that Gail would not likely conceive and deliver a child, she looked to adoption. When Carli realized she was pregnant, she did not think she could raise a child on her own or give the baby the life it deserved. So she chose Gail and Jon to raise her baby, but when she laid eyes on her she discovered a deep love for the baby she didn’t expect to have and she didn’t know if she could ever give her up. In addition, her mother, Marla, desperately wanted her to keep the baby. Paige, the social worker, was there to assist both parties, but often felt very conflicted.

This book was extremely thought-provoking and had me wondering what I would do in the same situation. I do not have kids, but I can imagine the deep and intense bond that develops where it can feel unimaginable to live without a child you love so much. I really enjoyed the short chapters and multiple perspectives as I think it helped to give a really comprehensive overview of the story from the perspective of each character. I thought the ending was extremely well done and left a lot of hope for the characters which I really appreciated.

I do think some stereotypes were heavily portrayed for characters like Marla, which may have distracted from their true intentions and made them seem unlikeable at times.

Overall, I really loved this book and the emotional experience it took me on. There were multiple times I had to put the book down for a few hours because I was just so nervous to see what happened next, but everything wrapped up so well.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a heart-wrenching novel. In some ways it is a modern day version of King Solomon’s judgement: two women committed to being the mother of one child. What is the right course of action?

Gail and Jon, a middle class couple with successful careers, have suffered the dashed hopes of parenthood through three miscarriages. Jon carries a significant amount of emotional baggage due to his parents’ abandonment which leaves him terrified of his own inadequacies to be a good father. Gail also has issues with her estranged relationship with her mother. Despite these limitations they have purchased a house in preparation for having a family of their own. Truth be told, Gail is more obsessed with becoming a parent than Jon and convinces him that adoption is the next step.

Carli is an eighteen year old whose (now ex) boyfriend ghosts her when she texts him the news of her unexpected pregnancy. She lives at home with her abusive mother and sister, neither of whom provide any emotional support as she struggles to decide what to do about the baby. Carli connects with Paige, a social worker, to assist her in selecting a couple when she decides it is best to give up the baby for adoption. The only problem arises when Marla, Carli’s mother, pressures her into reclaiming the baby before the final papers are signed – one week after Jon and Gail have taken the infant home with them.

So the huge question here is “How far would you go to keep a baby?” There are compelling arguments on both sides of the issue – the birth mother’s rights versus the adoptive parents’ bonding. Of course, the overarching concern is for what is in the best interest of the child. But, who decides that?

The pacing of the book starts off a bit slowly, but the suspense had me reading the last half of the book in one sitting. I felt empathy for both Gail and Carli as they struggled with their respective needs and feelings about motherhood. All the characters were flawed and I can’t say I particularly liked them, but I understood them. Marla seemed a bit stereotyped as an oppressed, poor, working mother who resents authority and anyone else’s success; basically she exemplifies toxic parenting by demeaning her own children to feel powerful and in control.

Overall, I felt this was a worthwhile read. It made me think about the ethical concerns on a timely cultural issue.

My thanks to the author, Simon & Schuster, and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This review is being posted immediately to my GoodReads account and will be posted on Amazon and Barnes and Noble upon publication.

If the first half of this book had taken up half the space it did, I think I would have really liked it. As it was, I read a quarter, then got distracted by several other books and came back. Once I hit the second half, however, the pace picked up rapidly and it was an easy read.

But because it grew so quickly, I think we lost a lot of the emotional resonance it could have had. Jon and Paige were the only characters who I felt I really understood. Marla and Gail both felt like caricatures with little nuance (other than the knife aspect! Loved the knife aspect) and Carli felt like a placeholder.

I liked that there was no obvious "right" side, but I didn't really find myself rooting for anyone regardless.

Aas someone who has dealt with fertility issues I loved this look into the stress and lives of people who have experienced this heartbreak. I loved how Carli was involved and we got an adoptive moms experience as well. I also loved the realistic problems this couple faced as well as the mother daughter struggles featured. I thought this was great!

How far would you go to have a child?
This is a very emotional rollercoaster ride of a book about adoption and how wrong it can go.
Jon and Gail want nothing more than to have their own children but after several miscarriages they decide they will adopt instead of continuing to go through emotional devastation. Carli, a pregnant teenager decides to let Gail and Jon adopt her baby and for the adoption to be closed unfortunately things aren't that simple when Carli's baby is born. Marla Carlis mother sees her chance to be the grandmother she couldnt be when Carli was a child so she wants to stop the adoption from going through.

A great very emotional story about family and the trials and tribulations of adoption,

This book was quite the rollercoaster ride! I really enjoyed the in-depth look at the complications of adoption, as well as seeing the situation from both sides of the story. This book follows a young couple who after years of infertility and loss, finally have an birth mother who has selected them to raise her baby.

When feelings change and relationships are tested after the baby arrives, the book takes an unexpected turn I didn’t see coming. I especially love how this book ends! While I enjoyed this read, I did find the stereotypes to be quite strong with the storyline of the birth mother and her family- while it didn’t ruin the book for me, it did find it a bit uncomfortable.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. My full review will be posted on my website, genthebookworm.com, closer to its April 2021 release date.

Gail and Jon want to start a family. After two heartbreaking losses, they turn to adoption as an avenue to become a family. Carli is a young woman who, after finding herself pregnant unexpectedly, turns to adoption as a way to continue her hard work to a better life for herself. After meeting Gail and Jon, Carli decides her daughter would best fit with their family. Gail and Jon become a family of 3 with sweet Maya and their once empty home and marriage becomes full of life. However, Carli’s mom is not happy with the choices her daughter makes. She saw her granddaughter as a way to start fresh and make up for the ways she failed her own daughter. A heartbreaking story of family, hard choices and unconditional love- Other People’s Children explores just how far a mother will go for her child.

I really loved this book. I thought that the different points of view really gave the reader such poignant insight into the mindset of each side of the situation. I found my heart breaking along with Gail and could understand her need for control. The end of the book left me with so much hope for this couple. I liked that the subject matter is taboo as well. We don’t often talk about the lengths people will go to start a family and how messy that can become. I liked that the author associated different scents for baby Maya for each person to show that nobody experiences things the same way. I felt Gail was relatable in her struggles with her conscious and doing the right thing. This book overall was a heart breaking and heartfelt novel that all readers will enjoy. Thank you to #netgalley, R.J. Hoffmann and Simon and Schuster for the advanced read.

Thank you Netgalley, publisher, and R.J. Hoffmann for the opportunity to read an advanced copy! Other People’s Children is a heartbreaking story about a couple who suffers with infertility and a young single mother. The story goes on to tell the trials of the adoption process and legal rights of birth parents. The chapters were told by different character...sometimes it was too much back and forth to keep up with.

This book has a tender subject that may hit home for many readers -- pregnancy loss and loss in the process of fostering / adoption. I would recommend this book in a college setting where readers are able to choose this topic, knowing what they are in for before opening the pages. The subject was executed with respect and grace, and for that, I would feel comfortable recommending it with a simple warning that it may muster some trauma in those with similar lived experiences to the characters. Excellent read.

I don’t have kids. I don’t want kids. I have never really wanted kids. But this book about how far parents will go for their children is an incredibly emotional read that even childfree readers will be moved by.

Gail and Jon Durbin are a married couple who desperately want a child. They’ve suffered multiple miscarriages and have been sending out their adoption book to no success. Finally, 18 year old Carli picks them to adopt her baby. Carli has a terrible home life, with an abusive mother and no real support system, so the decision to give up her baby wasn’t a hard one for her. But Carli’s mother Marla is against the adoption, and gives Carli an ultimatum before signing the final consent to give up her rights: reclaim the baby or find a new place to live. Meanwhile, Jon and Gail have fallen in love with the baby, and when they find out Carli intends to reclaim her daughter, they decide they will do whatever it takes to keep her... legal or not.

This is a heartbreaker of a book, and you’ll somehow be rooting for and against every character. The books that tend to hit me the hardest are ones with no real “bad guy,” and while there are certainly characters in this book that are more likeable than others, I found my allegiances changing every chapter based on who the focus was. I found the writing to be beautiful and the story to be perfectly paced. All of the characters were well developed, and I really loved learning their stories and how each of their lived experiences effected their decisions. I loved everything about this emotional and suspenseful book, and I’d definitely recommend it.

I tore through this novel. It is a very quick read. I just had to know what was going to happen. The characters are well written and their motives are clear. I think it's amazing that this is a debut novel. I thought it was very well done and I love the ambiguity of everyone's motives because not everything is black and white all the time.