I absolutely loved Grace and wasn’t expecting to love this book quite as much as I did.
This is such a bittersweet story that moved me emotionally and had me changing my opinions throughout.
At the heart of this story is baby Grace and the adoption custody battle that ensues. Each chapter is a countdown to the final court session where the judge will decide who gets custody of baby Grace.
The story is told from the perspective of Michelle Grace’s birth mother and Amelia who is fostering with the hope of adopting Grace.
At first Michelle is adamant that adoption is the only choice, she believes she isn’t fit to be a mother – she has no job and no prospects and what kind of life can she give Grace? She’s living with an abusive drug addict with bare cupboards and no power!
Social services think this is a straight-forward foster to adopt case as the birth parents are not willing to engage with the process at all.
Amelia and her husband Piers have been wanting a child for so long. They have what looks like a perfect marriage and can provide a loving home for baby Grace.
So when they get the call that the foster to adopt option is finally an option thanks to baby Grace they gratefully accept the opportunity.
But as the custody case rolls on Michelle starts to have doubts. Can she be the mum Grace deserves?
With the help of Gillian and her husband (who have fostered for years) Michelle starts to turn her life around and realises that she does love Grace and she wants to be her mother more than anything else in the world.
But is it too late?
I really went through the ringer emotionally reading this book, it hit so close to home. My birth parents with to family court in a custody battle for me so many parts of this story really resonated with me.
People are not always what they seem, and this book demonstrated that, perfectly.

This was a really emotional and brilliant read.

Such heartbreaking themes in this story, but one I’ve really enjoyed reading. I was rooting for Michelle and Amelia at the same time and wanted them both to triumph. I think the ending was perfect. Can’t wait to read more from this author

Very well written and a really good storyline. I really enjoyed reading this and it kept me interested right to the very end.

Grace follows the lives of two very different woman who are worlds apart. Michelle is a teenager, living in an council flat with an abusive boyfriend where they regularly forfeit food and electricity in exchange for drugs. Amelia is married to Piers, the housemaster of a private school where they live on campus. She’s privileged and well-off and has the life she’s always dreamed of having… hasn’t she?

When Michelle gives birth to a baby girl (who she calls Grace) she is taken away by social services and placed into the care of Amelia and her husband who plan to adopt baby Grace. The only issue is… Michelle wants her back.

This book was utterly brilliant. A harrowing look at the extreme class divide in the UK and how so many children are failed by the system. It also explores the idea that all the money in the world cannot buy you happiness.

A really beautiful book that will stick with you a long time after you finish the last page.

I enjoyed this book although it did tug on the heartstrings a little.
The characterisation was excellent, I could really feel the voices of Michelle and Amelia and understand their emotions. They were very similar in the way their upbringing had coloured how they related to others and viewed themselves.
A worthy read.

An emotional tale of two women whose lives will never be the same again. Grace was given up by her mother to be adopted by the other. Her mother wants her back but only the court can decide. A mother's love versus a stable home. There are no winners in this story. Very emotional.

Victoria Scott has a special kind of tenderness and warmth in her writing that you can't find anywhere else.

Grace tells the bittersweet story of two women - 19-year old Michelle who made the decision to give up her baby girl to avoid her suffering the same life Michelle has, and Amelia who had been desperate for a family with her husband and finally gets the chance of a lifetime to adopt the baby. But then, Michelle realises she isn't doomed to repeat the past - she's a mother, and she wants to be a great one - she wants her baby back. But now, it's out of her hands and both women can do nothing but pray until a ruling decides.

This book handles such difficult topics with sensitivity and grace - dealing with truths about motherhood, the care system, toxic relationships and the struggles of being a young woman. Both Michelle and Amelia are perfectly written, their differences clear as two sides of coin, Michelle is hard and hurt, Amelia is soft and warm - but as we get to know them, we begin to not only feel a connection to the characters but start to find ways to connect them to one another too. Both characters have their issues, but are completely empathetic - it becomes clear very quickly that both their lives would be changed forever whether they become the legal parent of the baby or not.

Absolutely absorbing and heart-wrenching, Victoria Scott should buy stocks in Kleenex with the amount of tears she provokes with her writing.

I was so happy to get invited to read this, I loved Patience - both the story and Victoria’s writing style.

Her second book didn’t disappoint at all! It beautifully tells both sides of a foster/adoption story, and where it could have dived into schmaltzy tropes, it never does. The emotional impact on everyone involved (and it’s not just the two women most directly affected, it’s everyone around them too) is told with heartbreaking clarity and detail, I found myself constantly thinking what I would do in their situations as they were all relatable to me to varying degrees, such was the realism with which they are drawn.

It dawned on me early on that the very nature of this story meant that there wasn’t going to be a fully happy ending for everyone and I tried to steel myself in readiness…it didn’t work. I was still a bit of a blubbering wreck as I came towards the end.

Another fantastic read from Victoria Scott, I can’t wait for the next one.

This book was a difficult read but it was oh so good. Michelle is the birth mother and Amelia the adoptive mother. You can feel the pain of both of them throughout as you see everything from their different viewpoints but they are both facing the same struggle.. This gives you an insight into the court battles and care system, the emotions that are felt in these situations. As I said before its a really difficult read with some really hard situations but ultimately I could not put it down

I’d describe this book as realistic fiction. The author has done an amazing job at creating imaginary characters and situations that depict the world and society. The characters focus on themes of growing, self-discovery and confronting personal and social problems. This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

This is such a bittersweet story that moved me emotionally and had me changing opinions throughout.

It is the story of baby Grace, and whether she should be placed with her birth mother or her foster to adopt parents.

This story is definitely one that I’d recommend, it is well thought-out, emotive and demonstrates that things are not always as clear cut as you think they are.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for gifting me this arc in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

This is a beautifully written, very tender and emotional account of WANT.
A woman after a previous still birth WANTS a baby, so she and her husband foster with a view to adoption.
A young unmarried mother WANTS the best for her baby daughter, and believes that adoption will keep her baby safe.
Sensitive subjects are dealt with so very realistically, without blame and accusation. We learn about the poverty that forces people to rely upon food banks, and the kindness and understanding of the volunteers. The kindly shopkeeper, who is aware of theft, but recognises acute distress and need. The neighbour upstairs, thought to be a busy body, but who steps up to the plate when required. Social workers, much maligned, but doing a sterling job, despite past mistakes. Everything felt right in this story, then, Wham! Ugly issues arise, which will be disturbing to read by some. Coercive control and manipulation are found in many guises, but the strong and determined survive to fight another day.
I was pleased that such a powerful and warm hearted novel, did hold the promise of future happiness for most of the main characters. What a film this would make!!
A five star read. My thanks to Netgalley and Head of Zeus publishers for my advance digital copy, in exchange for my honest review.
I will leave reviews to Goodreads and Amazon.

I was attracted to this book by its title, Grace. It is an emotional read where the birth mother and the adoptive mother battle against each other for Grace. However, it is an exceptional book.

I was looking forward to reading this as I enjoy books that cover difficult, emotional topics. But this was just lacking. I didn’t care for Amelia’s chapters which were slow and felt overwhelming with unnecessary details. The pacing in general was too slow for my taste which is why I couldn’t bother finishing the book. Like other reviewers, I’m also a bit disappointed that we don’t get any background into why Michelle didn’t even consider an abortion or address her decision not to get one, in any way. I also didn’t like the reasons for Amelia choosing to adopt-her character is written as being one of these adoptive parents who are incredibly selfish-thinking they deserve a child-rather than doing and understanding what is best for the adoptee (in this case Grace).

This could easily have descended into a schmaltzy tearjerker but it doesn't, not at all. Instead you have a considered exploration of 'don't judge someone till you've walked in their shoes'. Scott seems to be a talented writer, building on her previous book 'Patience' dealing with sensitive, emotive issues.

A very moving story.
Michelle is a young abused women giving her baby up for adoption to Amelia and Piers who are unable to have children after having a still birth and are fostering to adopt Michell`s baby
The process is a very long winded story and I didn`t know it was that long, and Michelle changes her mind after being befriended by a lady at the food bank who helps her change her circumstances.
The process is well told with some difficult subjects and you get to like both women and don`t know how it will end and who will get the baby.
Well worth a read

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

An emotional and very well written book. You couldn’t help caring for Amelia and Michelle.

The story covered some hard subjects like neglect, drug abuse, domestic violence but sensitively

There was two sides to the story the young mum, feeling that she can’t give the baby a life it should have, and also of the other woman, who went through unhappiness in wanting to be a mother…

The unfolding of this story is heartbreaking. It is beautifully written with empathy and understanding of the situation. The characters are so real they jump out of the pages - two women whose pain is raw: one the birth mother, Michelle, and the other, Amelia, the hopeful adoptive mother.

Based on true stories, courtroom scenes, social services shortcomings and some very supportive individuals in the care system, the novel provides an insight into the legal process when an unmarried wayward girl at the time of her daughter’s birth decides to give her daughter up for adoption, only later to change her mind. She though is not the only person in the mix, as the father of the child decides he too wishes to care for his daughter. On the other side, we have the couple, Amelia and Piers the prospective adoptive parents, who have their own insurmountable problems.

The story flows nicely with some unexpected twists and turns, A fantastic, totally absorbing novel. My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, Head of Zeus, for this advance copy.

This is quite a simple idea - both sides of a story following an foster to adopt relationship - Michelle the birth mother and Amelia, the foster mother who is desperate for her own child after a still birth.

It should come with some trigger warnings around drug use, miscarriage and abusive relationships but I really felt the tough subjects were handled really well. It felt equal parts gut wrenching and heartwarming as you followed the story.

Thank you for the chance to read this ARC.

As a Social Worker I have to say there is a lot of poetic licence used around the procedures and especially Court which was, while understandable from a story point of view somewhat infuriating from a professional point of view.

That said the book really captures the immense stress put on birth parents and foster to adopt carers. It gives a real look at the reality of people’s lives and I loved how it showed that abuse is not limited to one social class.

I really felt for Amelia and for Michelle throughout the book. They were both having to lay themselves bare, face up to the reality of their situations and fight for the child they both loved.

Grace manages to show the complexity of care proceedings (although as I say the way it works is not entirely accurate in the book).

I heart wrenching tale of love, forgiveness, abuse and hope.