This was a really enjoyable story and Jenna Kernan is another author who is going on my favourites list.

All Dani Sutton has known for the last 6 months is the Windwood Psychiatric Hospital after a car accident left her and her twin sister, Shelby, with life changing injuries. Dani suffered a brain injury which left her with Prosopagnosia- face blindness, meaning she can’t recognise people and therefore she has been learning strategies to help her cope with the condition and also how to deal with her guilt that the accident has left her twin in a wheelchair. Her husband Tate is determined to bring her home and although Dani is apprehensive to go home, she feels with his support and the support of her psychiatrist, Dr Allen, that she is ready to return to normal life. However, she didn’t realise how strange things would be, from the house that is supposed to be home but doesn’t feel like it, to the neighbours she used to know but now struggles to recognise. She has always yearned for a baby, but the accident also left her unable to have a child due to her injuries. Soon after she returns home Tate suddenly declares that they been accepted by an adoption agency and a new-born baby is waiting for them. Dani knows that with her psychiatric history this adoption seems very irregular, but she is so desperate to become a mother she over looks it, trusts Tate, and throws herself into motherhood. When a strange woman starts appearing to Dani, first at her home and then at her doctor’s office, and demanding that Willow, the baby is hers, Tate’s story about the adoption suddenly changes, Dani doesn’t know who to trust and starts to wonder if she has come home too soon and would be better back at Windwood where she feels safe. She feels she can’t trust Tate and also can’t figure out who this woman is that is claiming Willow is hers.

This was a good story and it definitely kept me on my toes! There were a lot of twist and turns and the ultimate twist did come as a surprise to me even though I had noticed a clue that had been dropped earlier on, I just thought I hadn’t understood, and then later I realised it had been a clue. Very good writing and I thought that the author portrayed Dani’s confusion very well, in fact I often felt I was as confused as Dani when reading. I’ve never heard of face blindness before, so it was interesting to learn about it and also learn about the different strategies that sufferers have to employ for everyday living. We definitely take it for granted that our brain recognises people unconsciously and we don’t have to put any effort or thought into it.

All in all, I would highly recommend this book and anyone who enjoys psychological thrillers or domestic dramas will enjoy this. It was a good read; I was impressed by Jenna Kernan and I have already requested her next book “The Ex Wives” from NetGalley.

Thank you to NetGalley, Jenna Kernan and Bookouture books for my advanced reading copy. Out now.

A great read
Will have you hooked and guessing from the first page
So many twists
Can’t wait for her next book
Thanks NetGalley

Jenna Kernan’s The Adoption is a chilling, unpredictable and terrifying tale about old sins, past mistakes and dangerous decisions full of jaw-dropping twists and turns that will leave readers breathless.

Dani and Tate seem like the perfect couple. Living in a gated Florida community, the couple’s life as close to idyllic as it is possible to get – except for a guilty secret from Dani’s past that has left her overburdened with shame, remorse and terror. One night, Dani had caused a terrible accident that had left her unable to have children. She cannot remember what had caused her to drive so recklessly, however, she has been trying to move on with her life and leave that terrifying night behind her. At long last, the baby she has yearned for for so long is about to placed into her arms with the arrival of her adopted child. But, Dani’s perfect life is about to be completely and utterly destroyed beyond repair.

Baby Willow is simply adorable and it’s no wonder that women in her gated community stop to coo over her in her stroller. However, one particular woman seems to be taking her interest in Willow too far. Dani thinks it’s her imagination playing tricks on her – until one night she goes into her daughter’s room and finds an empty crib! Where is Willow? Who has taken her? And will Dani ever manage to find her?

As long-buried memories from the night of the accident come rushing to the fore, Dani realizes that the people around her having been lying to her all along. Desperate to be reunited with her baby and with nobody she can trust, Dani realizes that the key to finding Willow is facing up to dark secrets from her past. But will the truth set her free? Or will it wreck everything she holds dear?

Jenna Kernan’s heart-stopping thriller is one twisty rollercoaster ride full of shocking secrets and revelations readers will not see coming. A nail-biting domestic drama that cleverly amps up the tension, terror and suspense, The Adoption is an addictive, creepy and chilling crime thriller perfect for Paula Hawkins and Shari Lapena fans!

I have to admit I didn’t finish this book before it expired. I will finish eventually and revise my review. The premise was very clever and different from anything else I’ve read recently. However, it was so slow! I felt like there was too much repetition and there wasn’t enough action to move the plot forward. I did like the narrative and characters were well developed, but again, painfully slow. I kept at it because I really was curious to see where it was all going. It felt almost like there was another book before this one as so much seemed to have happened in the past. I did look the author up and was surprised to see how many other books she has written. I didn’t get to check them all out and if there is another book before this one I’d definitely like to read it first. I was fascinated by the face blindness condition and realy enjoyed expanding my knowledge in this area. How creepy to not be able to recognize your husband. I didn't trust him from the very beginning!

This book had my mind going in circles, and I’m not mad about it!

The main character of this book, Dani, was the perfect example of an unreliable narrator. I was constantly switching back and forth between believing her character’s credibility. This aspect of the book was really well done by the author.

I enjoyed this book but the reason I’m giving this 3 stars is because I predicted several of the twists very early on. However, I was still flying through the pages because I was eager to find out how everything would be revealed.

This was a captivating read that has you questioning who to believe.

This is a book FULL of twists and turns. Every time I thought I had it figured out, another twist came up. Some things I got right, some were shocking! I couldn't put this one down.

There were many parts I felt were very repetitive and it did read slightly slow. However, I enjoyed the overall story. It really picked up towards the end.

This book honestly was a DNF for me. I picked it up multiple times with the intentions of reading it and I couldn't get into it. While I liked the concept of the main character's facial blindness, it took so long and was a little boring. There were so many points where I was like...what does this have to do with the plot of the book? DNFed at 21%

I tried reading this numerous times, but found it equally boring each try. I couldn't place the characters or the plot from the beginning, and I'm not sure it is my cup of tea.

I nearly stopped reading this MANY times. Too slow, too confusing and too boring. I was told that half way through it picks up, not true. I was 80% done before this finally started moving. Then it went full speed ahead. I did finish, but not my cup of tea. Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy

Make sure you have plenty of free time available when you start this one because you won’t want to put it down. Compelling story that will hook you from the first page. Thank you for the opportunity.

From the very first page, this book oozes Keenan. You cannot dispute that this is her book. I initially was disappointed to find we weren’t going back to Nadine Finch. However, reading this has made the disappointment forgotten.

This book pulled me in from the very first page. Kernan hooked my attention and kept it till I’d devoured that very last page. This is filled with intrigue, suspense and doesn’t disappoint.

Dani is unable to have children, she was involved in an accident which left her with life altering conditions. Dani is leaving a psychiatric facility which she had voluntarily entered.

This starts off slow, giving the reader full insight into the characters and setting. As the lies and betrayal start to unravel this becomes explosive and a book that you crave more and well the ending has left me completely speechless. Jenna Kernan has produced another gem which is a must for the TBR.

I love love love a good thriller and this did not disappoint!
Synopsis:
Your little girl is all yours… isn’t she?

Dani and her husband Tate’s life together is almost perfect. But Dani is haunted by guilt for causing a terrible car accident that left her unable to have children. She can’t remember why she was driving so fast that day or where she was going. Her therapist says she should try to move on.

So when their application to adopt is accepted, Dani sobs with joy. As perfect little Willow nestles in her arms, Dani looks at Tate’s loving smile and knows he will always provide for his family, no matter what.

When Dani sees a woman staring as she pushes Willow’s stroller around the safe, gated Florida community where they live, she tells herself it’s simply an admiring passer-by. After all, Dani herself used to watch the local moms and wish she was in their shoes.

But when Dani wakes in the night to find Willow’s crib empty, their perfect life becomes a nightmare.

In her frantic distress for her daughter, Dani’s memories of the accident flash through her mind. And with a jolt she realises: everyone around her has been lying about that day.

Will Dani find out the truth before it’s too late for her baby girl?

Or will facing her own dark secrets tear them all apart?

This book hit all the marks for a great thriller! Past paced, twists and turns and a book that keeps you wanting to turn the page to see what's going to happen next! I guessed a few of the twists but some came out of nowhere and left me reeling for more!

This was my first book my this author but it definitely won't be my last.

4/5 stars

So many twists!
I really enjoyed this book. And definitely felt for Dani. Most of the twists I did see coming but there were a few that really got Me.
This was my 1st read by this author but I plan on reading more of her work.

This book kept me on my toes as I tried over and over to figure out who was good, who was bad, was I imagining things or were the main characters just doing a number on my head?

Dani was the driver in a car crash that seriously injured her and her twin sister. Having spent time in rehab for depression after the accident, she is now home with her adored husband, Tate. The crash left her with the inability to recognize faces, and she is unable to conceive, as well. The trauma of coming home to an unfamiliar house that the couple purchased just prior to the accident, her confusion and inability to recognize even her own husband's face, and her inability to remember what made her crash the car, leave her upset and paranoid. Her only solace are the mutual texts and phone calls between her and her twin sister, who is recuperating elsewhere.

When Tate arranges a private adoption for them, she is overjoyed, but also very wary and confused. How did the adoption happen so quickly, and why is she suspicious of the circumstances surrounding it?

The story leads up to a brilliant ending that blew me away.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

5 stars

Oh wow, this book is a really compelling read!

Dani has been left with quite a few issues following a brain injury caused by the accident. This leads to a real blurring of what might be reality and what might not. It’s hard to know who can be trusted, and how much of what happens is real. I liked her as a character, but I wasn’t too sure about her husband Tate, who seemed a bit too good to be true.

The tension and suspense really build up and this is a hard book to put down. It was responsible for quite a few late nights of reading for me.

Then along comes the twist and things move really fast from then on.

I was absolutely consumed by this book. It’s got superbly well drawn characters and this, combined with the perfectly paced, twisty plot, make for an addictive book.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author and it certainly won’t be the last, I’ll be adding to my ever growing tbr list!

I’d really recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good psychological thriller that completely gets into your head and under your skin.

I could feel the sinister vibes coming off this book within two chapters, which made it all the more compelling. There was a real sense of tension, horror, and deception. As someone who is open about my struggles with mental health, I appreciated the way the subject was handled in a sensitive manner.

What a set of characters! Dani, recently returned home from the psychiatric hospital where she has lived for six months, now with a medical condition that prevents her recognising anyone’s faces. Then there is her husband Tate, who I had pegged as a wrong’un from the start. At first I thought he was gas-lighting her and using her for her inheritance. The truth became more sinister. I just could not bring myself to like him.

I cannot say too much without ruining your pleasure of reading this book. An original plot with twists aplenty, and that wealth of characters, all of whom made the story more enjoyable and compelling. Would I recommend this book? Yes, of course for any readers of mysteries, and psychological thrillers. I gave The Adoption, by Jenna Kernan, four stars.

This story follows our main character Dani who is coming home from being treated in a psych ward after a horrific car accident where she has developed face blindness (not sure of the medical name). The story takes off from there. Unfortunately I found the story to be very slow moving and very repetitive. We were told the same aspects of the story again and again, she had a terrible accident, can’t recognize peoples faces, can’t drive etc etc. I found myself waiting nearly 200 pages for something to happen. I did see the twist coming but I still really enjoyed the direction that the story went it. I did find some of the explanations to be confusing at times and had to re-read things a couple times to fully understand. Overall the ending was good and I did enjoy that but the beginning was long winded and repetitive.

FANTASTIC psychological thriller in a tense & intriguing plot involving lies, deceit & the mental damage devastating incidents can effect a persons' psyche. Totally enjoyed this well written & emotional novel as it has stayed with me for days after reading it. RECOMMEND fully for a terrific read by this impressive author. Thanks to #NetGalley & #Bookouture for this ARC in return for my honest review.

#netgalley #theadoption
This is a domestic physcological thriller with great twists and turns although a little repetitive at times, it still has some great storylines which are unpredictable. Overall I loved this book 5/5 stars