I started out reading this book rather reluctantly. The subject matter wasn't one I'd typically choose, so I was hesitant. The plot centers on two women: Beth, the single mother of 7-year-old Dylan, who due to varying circumstances has been removed from her home and put into foster care; and Ally, wife and mother of two young adult children and who, along with her husband Nick, become Dylan's foster parents.
This book drew me in from the first chapter and I literally could not put it down until I finished. The two women had such different lives and backgrounds, yet their growth throughout the novel was so realistic and heartfelt. I didn't like Beth at first, and I related so much more to Ally since we are in similar phases of life. However both of them had trials and triumphs throughout the book that made me root for everyone's success.
I loved the way the author portrayed "the system" and gave faces and hearts to the social workers, the psychologists, the counselors, and everyone dealing with a very complex situation. It made me stop to think about how much internal judgment I've passed on people I've known in Beth's situation and how there is always more to the story than is shown on the surface.
This is an incredible book that is definitely a worthwhile read.

Beth is a single mother and Dylan is a difficult child. One afternoon in CVS he has a tantrum and at the end of her rope she grabs his arm so they can leave. Unfortunately someone sees and calls Child Services. From there things to spiral out of control until he is taken away from her and placed with the Fieldings.

The story is told from Beth's point of view and Ally's, the foster mother. Beth was a complex character. Dylan's dad has no part in his life and she is estranged from her parents. She has no friends because her life is devoted to Dylan. For money she works at home making jewelry that she sells on Shopify. She could be impulsive with the big things but would over think small decisions. Beth accepts Dylan's behavior and only tries to avoid melt downs rather then doing something to help him. She keeps him close and is needy, jealous of any time he is not right with her.

Ally seems to have it all, mid-forties, one daughter just off to Harvard and a teenage son. She sees a video about foster care and decides their family has a lot to offer. Dylan is their first placement and it was a rocky start.

There is a lot of growth in the story, mostly for Ally and Beth, that comes on gradually as Beth has to accept things that have happened in her past and let them go for the sake of Dylan. I liked the ending and their was a satisfying solution that benefitted Dylan.

This is a new author for me and I look forward to reading more of her writing.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for providing me with a copy of this book.

When You Were Mine by Kate Hewitt is a heartbreaking read that explores the question of just how far a mother will go in the best interests of her child. Ms Hewitt can always be relied upon for a powerful and emotive story, and this one proves to be no exception.

Beth adores her seven year old son Dylan, but admits to feeling the stress of being a single parent. When she one day grabs Dylan's arm with what is perceived as excessive force by an onlooker, the Department of Child Welfare Services is contacted and Beth's worst nightmare as a parent begins; her child is removed from her care.

Ally has always wanted to foster a child, and manages to convince her husband that it is the right thing to do. When Dylan is temporarily placed in her care, Ally feels a deep connection with the troubled child from the very start. Which of the two women will be of greater benefit to a little boy in desperate need of a loving home?

This is an addictive read, told from the alternating perspectives of Beth and Ally. Each woman evokes empathy in her own way, and will demonstrate the true strength of a mother's love.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing a digital advanced copy of this book. This was the first book that I read by Kate Hewitt, and it definitely will NOT be the last. I really liked how the relationships changed and the characters developed. It was interesting to read a book from the perspective of a character whose child had been taken away as well as the foster parent caring for that child. I sometimes got frustrated with both the Mom and the foster mom, but as their relationship developed came to like and understand both of them.

Two mothers. Beth, one single and trying to make ends meet with a child who has a few issues, Dylan. Ally, the other married with two kids and seems as if she has all the pieces put together with a great part time job, one child in college at Harvard and the other surviving school, but no issues to be reported. Ally has thought about opening her home to foster children as her children leave their home and she finally decides to and Dylan will be her first placement.

Told through the perspectives of both mothers as they are on two sides of the foster care perspective and throughout the story as they interact they learn about how each other approach motherhood and the highs and lows that each mother can go through with each child.

Although not a mother myself, I really got into this book and really appreciated seeing two mothers go through motherhood in different ways and have very different experiences. I loved seeing inside both their homes and then seeing through each other's eyes the other's life and both seeing positives and negatives in each other's lives.

I have read a few Kate Hewitt's books and each one has met or exceeded my expectations. She has quite the backlist that I hope to continue to read and catch up on!

Beth is a single mother who adores her son, Dylan. When she is a victim of circumstance, Dylan is taken away from her and placed in the foster care system. Beth is devastated and does everything she can to get her son back. Meanwhile, Dylan is placed in the perfect home with the perfect family. However what Beth learns is sometimes even those who appear to be perfect struggle just as much as those who are dealt bad hands in life. As Beth tries to rebuild her life, she finds friendship in unusual places.

When You Were Mine tells a great story. The characters and their plights have meaning and are relatable. I really enjoyed this book. Thank you NetGalley for an arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. I enjoyed this book that focuses on motherhood and love and loss. Dylan is a young boy who is taken into care when his mother is deemed unfit to meet his additional needs. Ali is his foster carer, and all is not the perfect picture that is first portrayed in there house as we discover further in the story. Beth, Dylan's mother is a likeable character fighting to get her son back, not really understanding where she went wrong. A heartbreaking tale.

I’d like to thank Bookouture and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘When You Were Mine’ by Kate Hewitt in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

From the age of two Dylan has been a difficult child and has been on the radar of the Connecticut Department of Children & Families. Now aged seven he won’t speak although he can, or communicate with anyone, and he constantly screams, so the DCF have temporarily taken him away from his mother Beth and put him to be fostered by the Fieldings, Ally and Nick with their children Josh and Emma. The Fieldings look on the outside to be the perfect family, which Beth’s definitely isn’t, but looks can be deceiving and Ally has her own problems to contend with.

‘When You Were Mine’ is the heart-breaking story of a mother’s love for her son. Told through the eyes of both Beth and Ally we learn about the way the authorities have mishandled the whole Dylan situation and haven’t given Beth the help she should have received. From page one I was completely engrossed in the two women’s very different lives and how they both want what’s best for Dylan. It’s an incredibly moving story that tugs at the heartstrings and is so powerful and realistic that when I wasn’t reading I was thinking about it. Thank you, Kate, for giving us such a beautifully-written story with a perfect ending that will stay in my thoughts for a long time.

Get a tissue because this book will break your heart! Our foster care system is truly there to help families, but it’s not the best and they are human. It has cracks, but if we can get one thing out of this book it’s that we all should definitely help in some kind of capacity to homeless families!

The author does such an exceptional job at making the characters so humble and interesting that they become real to you! I felt for Beth and Ally! At times I wanted to choke the foster care workers! Then I wanted to smack Nick , Ally’s husband and shake Ally as well. However, we see them all grow and develop and I cried with them and was happy with them when Dylan reached goals!

This is one of those books that I just couldn’t put down! I definitely would recommend this book to anyone looking for a great drama!

I received an advanced copy from NetGalley and these are my willingly given thoughts and opinions.

When You Were Mine
By Kate Hewitt
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5 Stars

A heartwarming and heart-wrenching, deeply emotional, beautifully and well written story. This book caught my attention from the very beginning to end and I could not put this book down. It talks about motherhood in a very accurate way that is impressive. All the things mothers do for their children thinking it's the best choice and maybe it isn't or maybe they do everything right and things still go wrong anyway. This book goes deep into all the characters emotions and it is both heartwarming and heart wrenching. It's a must read! I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review

When You Were Mine had me in bits from the beginning, I felt that I understood so well Beth’s life with her little boy Dylan and how other people look on in judgement when they do not see disability, therefore judged as a bad mum. My heart broke as soon as Dylan was taken away and I felt the need to not like Ally the foster mum. My feelings for her changed as the book went on and I actually really liked her by the end of the book.

Both Beth and Ally had to deal with a lot, in different ways and I think this book bought a lot of awareness into it too which is always a good thing as I don’t think it is written about enough and it does happen in real life.

I do not live in America but the “system” seems to be very similar to what I have watched and heard about in the UK so it seems the book was well researched.

It was written in a compassionate way and I had to get tissues a few times. It’s the second book I have read by Kate Hewitt and it definitely will not be my last, she has a way of drawing you into her books and feeling like you are actually living the lives of the characters and once you have finished the books, you will not forget them!

When you Were Mine by Kate Hewitt is a book that packs an emotional punch, similar in style to the writing of Jodi Picoult, it’s a book that will stay with you long after you reach the last page. Its heart wrenching in parts and felt all too real in others. This book explores the complexities and dynamics of family relationships in a credible and heartbreaking way. The author does a fantastic job portraying the best of being a parent and the worse.

Single mother Beth loves her seven-year-old son Dylan with all her heart. So much so she has put her own life on hold,  Dylan has emotional issues that have led to them living a life where no one else is welcome. When a misunderstanding leads Dylan to be taken into foster care, she is determined to fight tooth and nail to bring her son home. Mother of two, Ally becomes Dylan’s foster carer, she appears to be the perfect choice, a beautiful house, a loving relationship with her husband and children, and living the American dream. When Dylan joins the family Ally finds herself struggling as her ‘perfect family’ begins to show cracks.

The chapters alternate between Beth and Ally, which worked really well. The characters become real; you feel their pain, anxiety and despair, like them you question who is the best person to care for Dylan. Each mother has very different problems to face, but Beth and Ally are trying to do the best for their children, they made not be perfect but they are doing their best. Neither mother is perfect, each has their flaws, but it’s their flaws that make them credible characters. Like any wonderful book that centres around morals and right from wrong, you can’t help thinking what you would do faced with a similar situation. 

If I had one small niggle the ending felt to abrupt, I wanted this book to be longer as I was so wrapped up in the life’s of Beth, Ally and Dylan.  Kate Hewitt has produced an emotionally powerful read, with a well-constructed plot, if you are looking for a book to pull on your heartstrings then this might just been the book for you, it left me feeling an emotional wreck. After reading When You Were Mine I had to go and buy some of the authors back list as I was so impressed with her style of writing.  Highly recommended to those who enjoy an emotional read,  full of heart and soul.

When You Were Mine is a heart wrenching story. The connection between a birth mother, foster mother and child is a delicate relationship.. Kate Hewitt captures a Mother's emotions perfectly. I could not put this book down until the very last page.

"Every mother in the world makes mistakes. And most mothers, you most definitely included -do the best they can. And that is all a child ever needs."

This is a well written, well researched and compelling read. It is the story of motherhood and how even though we try our hardest we can sometimes get it wrong.

This is the first book I have read by Kate Hewitt and it is a book that will stay with me for a long time.

Thank you to Kate Hewitt, Bookouture and NetGalley for the Arc and this is my honest review.

A really emotional read. This book tugged at my heart strings the whole way through. Bringing up children is not easy. There are ups and downs. The whole story felt raw, emotional and real.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Thank you to @katehewitt1, @bookouture, and @netgalley for the advance review copy of When You Were Mine in return for an honest review.

After her son has a meltdown and child services is called, Dylan is placed in a foster home and Beth is forced to fight for his return. Ally has always had dreams of fostering and is surprised when shortly after being approved, a boy joins her family. Written in alternating perspectives, Dewitt dives into what it means to be a parent and the sacrifices made for our children.

As a mother myself, this story was deeply emotional and raw. Both mothers within the story are struggling in their own ways, but have one thing in common and that’s the love for their children. In terms of the storyline, I was disappointed by how the story wrapped up. After so much of the story focused on the mistakes of the parents we followed, we didn’t get a very large glimpse into how they improved. I also went back and forth with my feelings towards Beth and Nick. Both of them frustrated me to no end and it was hard to find their redeeming qualities.

Overall, this was a strong story. I would recommend readers be prepared for an emotional ride.

I found this to be a deeply real novel, dealing with the sensitive subject of parenting.. Beth is a young single mom of Dylan, who has developmental issues which cause him to act out. On one occasion this happened in public and DCF was called.

Dylan is removed from Beth and placed with Ally and her family. To all appearances, Ally’s family is perfect, and Dylan settles in. However, as we know, appearances aren’t everything, and when cracks appear, bonds are formed and strengths found.

The book is well-written and researched. It took me a bit to read it, the subject matter was significant and I needed time to absorb.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, but my opinions are my own.

This amazing book packs an emotion punch! Both heartwarming and heart wrenching, with richly woven characters. I could not put this down. I found myself originally on the side of one character, then the other, then both, which I think is exactly as the author entailed. This means to me it was incredibly well written. A journey through losing your child to The system and a journey through fostering. Both sides absolutely tear at your heartstrings.
This book is a must read if you like this type of story.

Single mother Beth loves her seven-year-old son Dylan.
Dylan has emotional issues he has screaming outbursts, has always shown high levels of distress, and is selectively deaf and mute; Beth does the best she can to provide for him and meet his needs.
A misunderstanding finds Dylan being taken into foster care. Beth is determined to do whatever she can to get Dylan back.
Ally loves children and has dreamed of fostering; she has been so lucky in her life that she would love to help others achieve the same. Dylan joins her family, but Ally finds herself struggling to support his needs with those of her children, and husband.
Which is the right home for Dylan?
A thought-provoking, well written emotional read, with a fitting ending.
I have left ample out not to spoil the story, so all can enjoy this highly recommended read.
I want to thank NetGalley, Bookouture and author Kate Hewitt for a pre-publication copy to review.

Parenting is a difficult business, and even if you think you've done a good job, sometimes you get it so wrong. Single mother Beth lives firmly within a strict bubble with her son, thinking this is best for him. When Dylan ends up in foster care with Ally and her family, Beth learns that maybe she had it all wrong. Ally and her husband begin to wonder where they went wrong when problems arise. How can a mother's love ever be wrong?