was interesting and I finished it but wasn't as good as I hoped it would be I found myself waiting for the end and becoming a little bored

Alison Ragsdale is a must read author for me and I jumped at the chance to read an early copy. Alison never fails to grab my attention from the first page and not let go til the end. Someone Else's Child is the perfect book club read! One warning though...be sure to block off an entire afternoon because you won't want to put it down and have a box of tissues handy!

I was really disappointed in this book, reading the synopsis I thought it was about a birth mother wanting to know the child she put up for adoption but the first half of the book was about the adoptive mothers life falling apart long before the birth mother came on the scene.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

Alison Ragsdale has written another “box of tissues”, heartwarming, heart aching novel, with characters and a story that will live long in my heart. I was so caught up in this book that I could barely put it down. Catriona wove her way into my heart from the very first page—her love, her gentleness, and her devotion evident in her actions and words. All I wanted was for her to be happy and healed and whole. This family is torn apart by the cruelest of fates, but their love for each other, even in their grief and anger, is palpable—each touch, each glance, each uttered word, speaks to the depth of their emotions. This is a love story on many levels; the love between a husband and wife, the love between sisters, and above all else, the love of a mother for her child.

Wow Alison has done it again with this brilliant book, one of my favourite authors that kept me involved in the story line from the very first page.

All the characters were so descriptive, I felt as though I knew them all personally, and I just wasn't sure how this book was going to end.

I can definitely recommend this book and thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to read this brilliant book. Well done Alison, five + stars from me and I look forward to your next book.

Due to a difficult delivery, Catriona sadly lost one of her baby girls at birth. However, she was given the opportunity to adopt a baby girl named April and had the wonderful blessing of raising twins despite her devastating loss. Her life is complete, but as any mother would, she grieves her previous loss. April and Hope get along remarkably well and their family of four is truly blessed. However, they face another devastating loss and her family is shattered. Then April's birth mother wants to meet April. Catriona does not know how much more she can handle.

How will her family cope with their losses and the fact that April will be meeting her birth mother? Will Catriona lose everything, especially as the family is grieving so much? The sadness was palpable in this story, a story of a mother's love.

As a mother myself, I really felt for Catriona. No, I never experienced any of the things she did, but just the sheer intensity of her love for her children is what made me truly connect with her. She wanted the best for her family, even if it meant great sacrifice.

Alison Ragsdale has written another compelling read that was full of heartbreak. One thing this book did was to show the range of the stages of grief all while the gentle thread of hope shone through keeping me riveted from the very beginning. Impossible to put down and one that I will remember for years to come.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

This is one of my favourite authors and I couldn’t wait to get stuck into this and once I did I knew everything else would be put on hold whilst gripped reading this emotional and heartfelt read with this author you know once you start reading you won’t want to put it down.

This author is brilliant at covering heartfelt and heartbreaking topics in such a sensitive way and at the same time bringing these topics out into the open. Be prepared to be taken on an emotional rollercoaster with this book and be prepared
For tissues too be needed.

Catriona and her husband Duncan live in Scotland with their two daughters, Hope and April. An early tragedy had brought them together and now they live happily together. When tragedy strikes for a second time will they be able to recover?

This is clearly designed to be the sort of story that tugs at the heartstrings and it’s not bad at all. I did have issue with some of the factual aspects of the story, particularly around adoption. It irritates me as a reader when established protocols that could be easily researched are brushed aside in favour of a storyline.

Catriona was a puzzling character; while I understood some of her thoughts I didn’t agree with her actions and found it puzzling that she would have behaved in that way. Duncan needed shaking! I did love Peg and Mungo though and the descriptive writing was good.

All told, I did enjoy this book and I would read more by this author. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my copy of this book.

Once again, Alison Ragsdale has made me cry. This book is one of those that you just hate to put down, so you find yourself thinking about it when you have to.
I love the very descriptive way that Alison writes, she makes you really get to know the characters and the area she is writing about. As always, this book is set in Scotland. She has made me want to visit there because of her vivid descriptions.
I received this book as an Advanced Reader Copy, in exchange for my honest review.

Wow, wow, wow. I've been a fan of this author for a couple of years now. She deftly writes stories about the relationships between mothers and daughters, bringing us all of the emotion and nuance that particular connection entails. This one is written from the point of view of Catriona, the mom, as she and her family go through unthinkable things that threaten to tear the whole family apart. Most of Alison Ragsdale's novels are set in Scotland, and this one is no exception. It is so easy, as you read through the descriptions of the countryside, to envision the beauty of the landscape. You feel the depth of the friendships between neighbors and friends. Make no mistake. There are tears. This is your official tissue alert. But there are triumphs and laughter too. (When Arthur is introduced, you will love him as much as the characters do.) I read this book quickly because I didn't want to put it down. When I wasn't reading, I was thinking about it which is a compliment to how well-written it is. Do yourself a favor and take a chance on this one. You won't be sorry. Thank you to Alison Ragsdale and #NetGalley for my early copy. I'm beyond excited for it's release on January 21, 2022.

When I start a book by Alison Ragsdale I know that I am going to be pulled into the story from the first page , not going to want to put it down.
An emotional journey as Catriona, Duncan and April go through loss and grief. Can they find their way back as a family?
The scenery descriptions of Scotland make me want to go visit and experience the beauty myself.
Tragic loss, anger, hurt, very raw emotions, intense.
A beautifully written mother/daughter story that breaks your heart as you fall in love with the family and characters.
Keep the tissues close as you will have tears as you read.

Thank you Alison Ragsdale, NetGalley and Bookouture for providing me the opportunity to read this book.

Someone Else's Child ~ Alison Ragsdale, Author
ARC (January 21, 2022)

It was with great pleasure to once more be blessed with a story created by author, Alison Ragsdale.

Her ability to once again capture me through her most tender, delicate and most beautiful of descriptions to the rawness, the sting and realness of being deflated by tragedy, has continued to surprise, amaze, and entertain me.

The author, as with her previous stories, has allowed me to experience all of the soul-stirring elements created as if living it personally, chapter by chapter.

From the very first sentence, and on to the emotional journey that led me to the very last, Someone Else's Child is a shining, meaningful narrative that will fill the heart, yet shatter it to the point you feel you may never recover from it. But, as Ms. Ragsdale does, and does so well, she leads you on the winding path of life situations both sentimental and stormy that leave you with a tear in your eye, yet with a smile on your heart.

Through the lives of these most precious, flawed, and irresistible characters, I found with each turn of the page, a moving experience that always brought me back as to how love, faith, and hope always win.

If you find yourself chasing stories to find just the right one for you this season~ this belongs on the top of your wish-list.

Someone Else's Child is a wonderfully crafted tapestry of life's delightful, its bitter~ and as with the threads that although can become frayed~even broken, they can also be mended...

I would like to thank the author for my advanced copy of this heart-rending yet beautiful story that allows me the pleasure of highly recommending it to readers who will, in my opinion, most certainly be moved by it.

5 Stars

#SomeoneElsesChild
#AlisonRagsdale
#Bookouture

Wild Sage Book Blog

Make sure you have your tissues at the ready. This book will certainly have you reaching for them!

Catriona and Duncan certainly have more than their fair share of tragedy. But is their relationship strong enough to make it through all that life has to throw at them?

Catriona and Duncan adopted April into their family and have cherished her ever since. So when her birth mother makes contact it understandably rocks their already unstable world.

Will Lauren be a positive influence? Will she want to take April away from her adoptive family?

An emotional rollercoaster of a read!

One moment you are on cloud nine. The next you come crashing down on earth again.

Life can be hard, but life can treat you well too and it enables you to get up again. The pain fades a little and you focus on the beautiful gifts you have received.

Someone must really hate you up there. Five minutes of distraction and your life is turned upside down once more.

There are no words to express how much pain, how much anger and how hopeless you feel. You would love to crawl into a little hole and shut the word out, but you have a child who is also deeply hurt by the events to care for.

You would do everything in the world for her, but does this mean keeping her close or letting her go?

This once close knit family seems to fall apart. The tiny little cracks become gaps. Will they be able to find a way to build bridges or will they all drift apart as tiny little islands in the vast ocean of life…

Emotion after emotion, that’s what you have to deal with when you read this great story.  It shows that love, whether it’s between family, friends or lovers, just is the most beautiful and powerful thing. 5 stars

Thank you

Wow, what a powerful book! I read an ARC of this work and thoroughly enjoyed spending time with this amazing family. They dealt with so much loss and hardship. They survived because of the support of family, friends and community; and because of the strength of their love of commitment to one another and to their family unit. As a result their connections became even stronger than ever. As with all of Alison’s fabulous books, I once again enjoyed my visit to this proud and beautiful country of Scotland. I even picked up a few new Scottish vocabulary words that I think are charming and delightful!

This is a tearjerker that is written so well that you actually feel the emotions of the parents experiencing this horrible situation. Through time, and a lot of hard work, the family is able to rebuild.

It’s my second time reading one of the author’s books and like the other one, it has its share of heartbreaking moments mixed with bits that would make you smile, My advice is to have the tissues close by.

Someone Else’s Child by Alison Ragsdale

As Catriona and Duncan are still struggling with grief over the death of their baby, Faith, at birth, they get a phone call they didn’t expect and their family became complete when they saw a photo of baby April. They knew she was meant to be their daughter, and she was beautiful and perfect and so loved.

Catriona loved being a mom. Hearing laughter and playing and keeping an eye out the window brought her such joy. April’s sweet little voice and laugh brought a light to their little family.

One day, the worst possible thing happened. The devastation of it caused April to withdraw from Catriona. This hurt was so much to bear, but April’s grief and pain were the priority, not Catriona or Duncan’s feelings.

As they tried everything to help their sweet April, the worst possible letter came in the mail. Her birth mother wants to see her.

Lauren appeared, and Catriona saw how strongly April resembled her birth mother. Soon, April was holding Lauren’s hand, scooting her chair closer to Lauren at the table, and playing with her younger half-brother, all while she pulled farther away from Cat and Duncan.

Then, Lauren says what they feared. April should be with her.

“How many times in one life can your heart break? Someone Else’s Child, while heartbreaking and emotional, is perfect for when you need a book to pull you in right away. Expect some tears, scary moments, and cheering for the tiny victories. 5 stars, very highly recommended.”-Books and Pens on Green Gables

I loved the author’s style of writing, I’ve read books by her in the past and felt the same emotional connections with these characters as I did with those in her other books. This one absolutely broke my heart! I could feel the pain and see the strength it took for the main character to keep going forward. I will definitely read more by this author in the future.

Utterly impossible for me to put down. A heartbreaking story… I really haven’t been able to put this one down and found I had devoured the entire book in just one sitting… I have loved this book so much, I wish I could give it five hundred stars. All I can say is "WOW - read it. You won't be disappointed