What a beautiful, emotional story. I really loved this book from the very first page as a teenage Daisy struggles with issues surrounding her adoption and a mother who tries to find a solution to her problems .It's beautifully written and the characters are very believable and can the two families involved help her cope with her behaviour. There are many secrets to uncover before things are finally resolved. A great 5⭐read

This is a story about family and the different types of people who make up a family. In an open adoption, there are so many struggles, and I thought this book did a great job of portraying the struggles of all involved. This is a book that was hard for me to rate. The first half gets 3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️, but the second half would get 4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. I am really glad I stuck with it, because the ending was worth it!

Kate Hewitt always writes these emotional books that tub at your heartstrings and this one was no different. Her books aren’t sappy though they are deeply emotional which is what I love about them because they really make you think. This was such a beautiful story about mothers and daughters and secrets and being a family. It was a truly beautiful story.

I love all of Kate Hewitt's books, never read a bad one. I like the way she writes completely different types of books from history, to modern day stories. I feel that many of her stories could so easily be about many of our lives, and this book was no exception.

An emotional read about three woman’s journeys through motherhood, adoption and its long term repercussions and the emotional toll it takes!
Long held secrets are revealed with surprising outcomes, the old adage of the truth will out certainly makes sense here!
Told in past and present which I felt complicated things rather than enhanced them!
Suzanne, daisy and Mia all add a great dimension to the read but for me quiet unobtrusive Tom is the real hero!
A heartfelt, poignant emotional read.
Thank you netgalley for this early read.

A book about 3 women and the affects that adoption has on them. Mia was only young when she became pregnant with Daisy and her parents pushed up into adoption but she decides that she wants an open adoption. Daisy's adoptive parents accept this at the beginning but as time goes by Suzanna slowly starts regretting this, feeling resentful that Mia has the fun side whilst she deals with day to day childhood. Secrets prevail for all 3 women.
The story is told in the modern day and also past history.
With the past stories i found it slightly confusing that the dates weren't in order. I found myself reading about Daisy when she was 16 and by the end of the book Mia was giving birth. This didn't detract too much from the story but I did have to go back a few times to work out the timeline.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read this advanced copy. I am under no obligation to leave my honest review

This absorbing novel mainly concentrates on three females, two of whom are linked by an adoption. The third female is the baby whose main story is told over her first eighteen years. Suzanne is the adoptive mother and Mia is the biological mother of Daisy. The adoption agreed upon by both of the mothers is an open adoption where the birth mother has access to her daughter at a mutually suitable time. These three females each tell their stories throughout the novel in a ‘then and now’ framework.
At first twenty year old Mia is very keen to keep in contact and visit her daughter and Suzanne is very supportive of her. She shows Mia how to hold her baby, pacify her and feed her. Mia, a single and inexperienced mother visits regularly and adores her little girl. Suzanne also loves Daisy and Daisy clings to her mother. They have a charming relationship. But four years later when single mother Mia marries her beau she moves away from the area and the visits become less and less often, especially as she rears three daughters with her husband. There are flamboyant gifts for Daisy but also visits are cancelled at short notice and excuses made why it is no longer possible for Mia to travel to see Daisy.
Then when Daisy is seventeen and the summer holidays are nearing, she tells her mother that she wants to spend her final time at school living with Mia. Off she goes to sort it out with Mia. Suzanne, now divorced, is shocked and very hurt, but unselfishly she will not deny Daisy her wish. Nobody can have too much love in their lives. Suzanne and Daisy’s relationship has deteriorated and Daisy is acting like a disgruntled and truculent teenager, barely talking to Suzanne unless she is answering a question. Suzanne will miss Daisy like crazy, but she fears Daisy won’t miss her. So the long summer holiday begins.
Mia is also in shock when she finds Daisy at her door with no notice or warning she is coming. Still she is delighted to see Daisy and so Daisy is introduced to her younger half-sisters. Mia now has a thriving business of lifestyle counselling. When Daisy explains that she must get away from New York and her friends at school and that she has a secret she wants to forget about, Mia is keen to help her through this rough patch. Mia’s family blend together, but Suzanne does not hear from Daisy until she returns home to collect her clothes, her birth certificate and other documents she needs for her new school.
Daisy has been asking Mia about her biological father, but Mia will not divulge any information about him. Her toxic secret has been kept by Mia for all eternity and she fears for her marriage and her family if the secret is revealed. Soon Daisy makes friends and challenges the house rules and on her birthday treat a massive argument brews and Daisy flounces off. But where will she go and what will happen to her?
I thoroughly enjoyed this engrossing and beautifully written story about two mothers and their daughter. I loved all of the characters and truly cared about what they were going through. I enjoyed Suzanne’s story best of all. She was calm, considerate and adored her daughter, always doing her very best for Daisy. She had integrity and was compassionate and full of empathy. Towards the end of the novel she learns a family secret that makes her re-evaluate her thoughts and actions. Daisy is lucky to have two families who love and value her so much, but I can totally empathise with Daisy needing to find out about her roots. Mia’s secret is a big mistake which rules her life and may lead to ruination. Never-the-less she was a compelling character and I enjoyed her story. I am a big fan of Kate Hewitt and her charismatic novels. I have read many of them and loved them all. She writes from her heart and this is a feature in everything I have read. I received a complimentary copy from publisher Bookouture through my membership of NetGalley, and in return for an honest appraisal. These are my own opinions without any outside influences. I would describe this novel as an enthralling and involving read.

Mia gave Daisy up for adoption to Suzanne, they promised to keep in touch, but it was less as the years went on. Daisy shows up on Mia's dooorstep for help with a secret, but Mia has a secret of her own. Really enjoyed the story.

THE CHILD I NEVER HAD by KATE HEWITT is the emotional and true to life story of Daisy, her adoptive mother Suzanne, and her biological mother Mia, both of whom love her, but neither of whom realize what a huge problem they may have caused by agreeing to an open adoption. The mothers start out all right until they seem to be in competition for Mia’s attention. Suzanne and Mia have very different personalities and begin to resent each other.
I like the way the author takes us through the emotions of these three, together with the reasons for their behaviour, the secrets they are keeping, and the effect that this adoption has on the two families.
It is a beautifully and sensitively written novel that will really touch your heart and one I cannot recommend highly enough.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Bookouture. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

This is my first book by Kate Hewitt. I decided to read this book because I was intrigued by the whole open adoption concept and seeing how everything would turn out. Overall, I did enjoy this book and really liked seeing the story told from three different POVs (Biological mother: Mia, adoptive mother: Suzanne and adopted child: Daisy). I also appreciated the flashbacks, because it showed what all three characters went through, and how they dealt with the situation in the past. However, at a point the flashbacks started to bore me a bit. I wanted to get back to the present time to see how everything would unfold.

I was able to connect to the characters and was invested in seeing what would happen next. There was a twist that I didn't see coming and it added something extra to the story. However, the ending felt rushed and a lot of things needed to be resolved in a short amount of time. Instead of so many flashbacks I would've loved if the author focused more on the family dynamic that was in shambles because of a particular incident. But overall, I still liked the ending, I also enjoyed the author's writing style and I would definitely read her other books.

If you are wanting a great escape this is exactly the book you will want to read. You will be so glad you did – I know I was glad I got to read it. The premise of this book sounded interesting from the very beginning. It was a quick, easy read and if you are looking for a quick, entertaining read then this is a great book for you! I received a free copy of this book from netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

30% was all I could stomach of this whiney sobfest. There were some important issues introduced, but overwhelmed by all the whining and second guessing.

I am the grandmother of 2 adopted children whose adoptions are open ones so I'm very familiar with the territory and was looking forward to this book because of my personal experience. This book has certainly made me thankful for the mature manner my children have shown in these adoptions as well as the security and love they've given my grandchildren.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

Hewitt penned a solid, meaty read. Three women, two are mothers, one is the daughter, form a complicated triangle. The relationships get even more complicated as both Daisy and Suzanne find out some secrets that should have been shared years before. I liked how Hewitt spent a lot of time with the mothers’ aspects and feelings. I really never grew to care for Daisy, although I had some sympathy for her. Any relationship has its issues, but when it’s family, it’s usually messy and involved.