This was another strong book by J.P. Delaney and what I particularly like about all of his books is that they're all very different. This book focuses on the difficult relationships that happen after option. It's clearly a very complex situation and one that I probably hadn't thought about in as much detail. The characters were, as always, incredibly detailed and lifelike and I love that everyone has flaws.

What I also really liked about this book is it faced difficult questions about people's past actions and the idea of cancel culture. This added another layer of complexity to the book and made it even more relevant in todays world.

The twist and turns as always kept you on your toes and made it a very enjoyable book to read.

A brilliant read! (4.5 stars rounded up)

Susie has never forgotten her baby Sky whom she had to put up for adoption 15 years ago, so when a girl called Anna gets in touch saying that she is Sky; Susie is elated that she might actually get a second chance with her daughter.

Concerned by things that Anna reveals about her home life with her adoptive family, Susie and her husband Gabe decide to try and help Anna. Big mistake! What on earth have they invited into their home? 😬

What a great read this was! I have to say I love a psychotic character and this book serves up one in the shape of a 15-year-old 🤣 I can’t quite believe some of the things that happened in this story, it’s quite scary to think someone so young could be so clever and conniving.

Susie is a sweet character who’s clearly learnt from her past mistakes and wants to make amends and do the right thing, but jeez I wanted to shake her a few times! I think her guilt from giving up Sky as a baby meant she couldn’t possibly reject her again now, but she’s a stronger woman than me, I’d have sent the girl packing after some of the things she did! Also, how Gabe didn’t lose his s**t more than he did, I do not know!

What a rollercoaster ride Anna/Sky takes everyone on! Whilst a lot of what happens is totally crazy and entertains us as the reader, It is also quite thought-provoking as some of the issues Anna/Sky had are a real thing, so potentially could happen in real life! It highlights the importance of giving the correct help and support to children who are fostered or adopted.

Whilst this isn’t a book full of twists it is certainly one full of shockers! The story is multi-narrated, which I enjoyed as you get to read from more than one perspective. The only slight negative I’d say is that the end felt slightly rushed for me. I had 16 minutes left to read on my kindle and I still had no idea how everything was going to wrap up. Having said that I really liked the ending and would happily read about these characters again in another book!

Full of secrets and lies and one crazy ass teenager! I definitely recommend giving this one a go!

Thank you to JP Delaney, Quercus and NetGalley for my copy of this book.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the chance to read this arc.

This book was superb . I just couldn't put it down . Highly recommended thrilling to the end. 5 ✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️

Beautiful story of hope and dealing with trauma. Anna has a rough time of it with foster parents and then adoption, so has attachment issues. Her biological father is a drug dealer who puts her in danger. Susie and Gabe,her adoptive parents, fight hard for her safety and her future.
Very powerful novel, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

This book follows Susie and Gabe, who welcome Susie’s daughter, Sky, back into their home after she was adopted 15 years ago.

This was a great thriller book and it definitely got me sucked in straight away!

Some parts were predictable but that’s like most thrillers.

I rated this 3 stars!

First thing I must say about this book is that to me it is very clear that a lot of research has gone into this book and I love that as it shows just how much the author cares about what they are writing.

Susie is 35 and is living a happily married life with her husband Gabe. She is shocked when 15 years later she gets a social media message from a 15 year old girl she gave up for adoption 15 years ago.

Susie is so excited to get to know her daughter especially given that she can no longer have children so her only chance is to get to know Anna who it seems isn’t happy with her current life. Susie starts to believe that Anna would be better off moving in with her after hearing what she has to say about her life so far.

This book was told from three different perspective and I felt as though I was generally there with them. I found it an enjoyable and fast paced read even if at times it was a little predictable.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for an advance copy of this book in exchange for this review.

⭐️ 5/5
📚 89/36
📍 🇬🇧
🗂 Domestic Thriller
📖 Susie and Gabe are finding it difficult to have children together. Both have had children with previous partners but neither have them in their lives. Then things get a little messy but who is telling the truth?
👉 NetGalley eARC
✅ Multiple POV
✅ Action packed
✅ Gives you that uneasy feeling but you’re not sure what you’re uneasy about!
✅ Has a similar vibe to Playing Nice: small amount of main characters, fast paced and drama in most chapters.
😱 A few shocks
🔀 I have The Perfect Wife on my book shelf that I want to read. I’ve just bought The Girl Before. Believe Me is on my wishlist.
⚠️ Miscarriage, fertility issues, death, self-harm
📆 September 2022
*Publication Date - 15th September 2022 (hardback). 19th January 2023 (paperback).

I enjoyed this book but it fell a bit flat for me midways through which disappointed me as I have loved all this authors previous books but it is still a good read x

3.5 stars.

Susie Jones and her partner Gabe were successful musicians with quite a following. One day, Susie was contacted by a girl named Anna who claimed to be the daughter she had to give up for adoption fifteen years ago. Anna’s adoptive parents had strong reactions towards this contact, which convinced Susie that she needed her help. Did she?

Let me preface this by saying I’m a massive J.P. Delaney fan. The plot of this book was undeniably a very effective psychological thriller. I went from being captivated by Anna, excited about what she’d do next, anxious for Susie, to being completely annoyed.

I could tell that Delaney had done a massive research on adoption and fostering systems before writing this book. The details about child fostering, the problems and the loopholes were eye-opening (and sad). I really felt for Susie and Anna.

Unfortunately at the end of the day, I got a bit frustrated by Susie and Gabe’s lack of proactivity. They kept being placed into terrible situations, and yet they did nothing to outsmart the villain. I did love their relationship, though; they reminded me of the couple in Delaney’s previous book, Playing Nice, as they had to team up to navigate challenging situations, one after another.

It was a good book, but I felt it was pale in comparison to Delaney’s other masterpieces, which I adored tremendously.

Brilliant, gripping and twisty!! I thoroughly enjoyed "My Darling Daughter" By J P Delaney
5 stars from me! Would recommend you read this Autumn!

Well this went off like a rocket! Actually, maybe comparing it with a Catherine wheel would be better as it spun round and round rather than heading in one direction. And I do mean that in a good way!
We start with a childless couple Susie and Gabe. Not for want of trying, it's just not happening for them. Both have lost children in the past though. Gabe to illness and Susie gave up a child back in the day when she really wasn't in a position to bring her up herself. She has always wondered about the child - Skye... And then Skye gets in touch. She is now Anna and, well describes a homelife which is, shall we say, not ideal. Susie is over the moon to have reconnected, but sad that Skye/Anna is struggling...
And so begins a twisty turny, heart in mouth, story chock full of secrets, lies and so much dysfunctional behaviour... None of which I will illustrate here for fear of spoilers, you'll just have to take my word...
There's so much going on in this book. So character driven too. And what characters - wowsers... so many secrets, so much trouble in their pasts, so much fallout in the present. It was, at times, quite uncomfortable reading - like trying not to look at a car crash but you inevitable always do. You can't help it, even though you know it's bad. And that's how I felt reading this book. I guess it's cos I connected with the characters, and cared what was happening.
Yes, it is a bit over the top in parts, but then it's a delicious spiral that the author takes the characters on - a totally loop-the-loop roller coaster ride that shakes EVERYONE up. Spitting them all out at the end... An ending that, well, fitted what went before and left me sated. It's also a bit thinkie in places and has more than a couple of shocks along the way.
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

My Darling Daughter is quite a page turner! I finished it in a day. It was disturbing and a bit far fetched at times, but I enjoyed it.

I started and finished this book in the same day which I think goes to show what an easy and addictive read it is! Told from multiple points of view, tension is built well and the plot is thick with sinister twists and turns. The chapters are short and punchy which is something I enjoy and appreciate in a good book, especially a thriller, and I felt a general sense of uneasiness throughout which only quickened my reading pace. While not a five star read for me as there were some minor flaws and situations bordering on implausible, there is no denying that this author’s writing is totally compelling and I will be looking to read his other books, some of which are already on my TBR.

Thanks to Quercus and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and Quercus for my early copy of this book by JP Delaney. I was hooked from the beginning by the premise of a woman being contacted by the daughter she gave up as a baby who is looking for help. But all is not as it seems and lots of twists and turns follow. A good read that drew me in and held my attention right to the end!

I'm a huge fan of Delaney's books and have been really pleased to see his success over the last few years. While I enjoyed this, I didn't find it as compelling as some of his previous works. It doesn't have the same edge-of your-seat tension as Believe Me or The Girl Before. That said, it's still a well-paced read and deals with some uncomfortable but current themes - sexual assault, childhood abuse, institutional failure - shedding light on institutions such as social services.

Delaney is a master of complex protagonists but I couldn't find myself warming to any of the main three characters in the way I did with with previous creations. I felt quite detached from them, but I think this is intentional.

Definitely recommend for fans of Delaney. If you're new to his books though, I'd start with something else.

I really enjoyed this one. It’s a fast paced read with good twists throughout. It’s written in the characters different perspectives which kept me turning the pages and it keeps you guessing as the story unfolds. It’s a great tense, psychological thriller. Definitely recommend. I couldn’t put it down.
Thanks to #NetGallery #Quercus #JPDelaney for an arc of #MyDarlingDaughter in exchange for an honest review.

My Darling Daughter by JP Delaney
I give this book 4.25 stars

Out of the blue, Susie Jukes is contacted on social media by Anna, the girl she gave up for adoption fifteen years ago.
But is Anna's behaviour simply what you'd expect from someone recovering from a traumatic childhood? Or are there other secrets at play here ……..

A well told sinister domestic thriller tackling adoption and exploring several other deep subject matters. Each short chapter is told from either Gabe,Susie or Anna/Skye’s perspective and this works brilliantly as the story unfolds, I love the way this author writes,how he builds up the tension,inserts facts and information and delivers the twists and turns which make this such a compulsive page turner.I don’t want to say too much but there’s a lot more to this book than you might expect!
With thanks to Netgalley, JP Delaney and Quercus Books for my chance to read and review this book

Susie is married to a former boy and member and now her own music career seems to be taking off. She then out of the blue receives a message from a girl who claims to be the baby she gave up 15 years ago and she does not appear to be happy with the family she is with. Are her foster family as bad as she makes out or is she a troubled child who makes up stories to get what she wants? Will Susie get a happy ending with her child or will her world fall apart?

I enjoyed most of the previous books from the author and was looking forward to read this new one.

The plot was intriguing from the beginning to the end. It was interesting to see how a fifteen-year-old girl comes along at the right time to say she is the adopted daughter that Susie gave away those years ago. The book touches on topics that I think were well researched and represented, especially when written by an author.

It is a mixed bag of characters, not sure if I liked any of them.

And I guess that’s the whole idea. Because none seem to be honest and truthful in the end. The extend some of them will go to aim for their end goal was chilling in parts.

An interesting story overall, one with different narratives and a twist that while was predictable for me, it did not slow down my enjoyment of reading it.

I have previously read and enjoyed JP Delaney’s other books, ‘The Perfect Wife’ and ‘Playing Nice’ so I was excited to get the ARC for their latest book – ‘My Darling Daughter’. What I love about JP’s books is how well they write domestic drama and let events unfold in a really sinister way that leaves the reader feeling unsettled. I also have a problem with their books in that I have finished each of them in around 2 sittings – they are so engaging and difficult to put down!

My Darling Daughter was no different, although I must say it’s not a book I particularly enjoyed. We meet Susie and Gabe, who are initially living the fantasy life – they are both famous musicians with a lovely house and lots of money to go to exciting places. However, when 15-year-old Anna, Susie’s adopted child reaches out to come back into their life they start to see everything come slowly crashing down around them.

I am not a parent, and I don’t have any desires to have children so perhaps that is why I really didn’t understand some of the decisions that Susie made throughout the book. Anna is a horrendous character, and her flaws are revealed slowly and deliberately as the plot goes along. From stealing and lying to arson and domestic violence, Susie seems to forgive everything, whereas I was just screaming out for her to kick Anna out or at least show her the consequences of her actions. The plot is clever though and it shows how, with just a few small actions, your life can be ruined if you let the wrong person in your life. It also shows how the care system works and the pitfalls of this when it always takes the child’s viewpoint as truth.

The chapters alternate between Gabe, Susie and Sky (Anna) and this works well to keep up the pace and show events from different perspectives. There’s a lot of secrets being kept which aren’t revealed until later on and I must admit that I didn’t really relate or empathise to any of the characters. It did keep me engaged throughout though, even though I was frustrated with it I still wanted to know what would happen next.

Overall, My Darling Daughter is a chilling, if frustrating read, but nevertheless I could not put it down. Thank you to NetGalley & Quercus Books for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.