This Child Of Mine by Emma-Claire Wilson is a simply beautiful contemporary tale that will tug at your heart. Tissues will be needed.
The story is told in the first person from the point of view of the leading lady. We can ‘feel’ her pain and her fears. We understand her tears.
Receiving the best and the worst of news on the same day, is enough to tear anyone apart. We see a rift appearing as a character decides to take control of the only thing she can – her choices. Life moves from ‘our’ to ‘my’, and as it does, journeys of isolation begin.
On our hardest days, we need not travel alone, as those who love us will journey beside us, if we let them. “Grief is a path best walked in company.” We can never take away the pain but we can hold hands and walk together.
There has been much loss in the lives of both leading characters. “We were falling apart, in separate places.” In our hurt and pain, we sometimes pull away. The hurt and pain that we are pushing down, never goes away, it is just hidden. Those who know us, offer tea, sympathy and “the I get it hugs and the it gets easier smiles” – except it doesn’t get easier, we just learn to cope – or not.
We witness a character drowning in guilt. Words spoken in anger can never be taken back.
There are the difficult topics of miscarriage and cancer diagnosis. Emma-Claire Wilson has sensitively portrayed them. I identified with the character who tried to ignore the cancer diagnosis and hoped it went away. This was me last year, following my husband’s cancer diagnosis. I thought if I didn’t say the c-word, it couldn’t be happening. Emma-Claire Wilson’s characters were very relatable to me.
Without giving the ending away – I absolutely loved the ending. It was very beautiful, very moving and totally believable. It is worth reading the book on the strength of the final chapters alone.
I absolutely loved This Child Of Mine. It was so very beautiful. It made me cry as I ‘felt’ the pain and identified with the characters. It is a work of great beauty.
I received a free copy via Rachel’s Random Resources for a blog tour. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.

Not my usual type of read but a very well written book, a sad and heartbreaking storyline but was certainly a good read with great characters.

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon Books for this ARC.

Stephanie and her husband James have dealt with numerous fertility complications. Finally, receiving their miracle, they are pregnant and everything is progressing well until it isn't. Stephanie gets a terrible diagnosis and she has to choose between saving her life or protecting the health of the fetus. Meanwhile, her husband James is being cagey, apparently keeping secrets from her. Her perfect life is unraveling bit by bit.

This is an emotional gut wrenching story, and I felt every emotion, all the way through. It gives a different spin on choice and I had a hard time picking a side as both James and Stephanie had strong opinions and valid points.

The complexity of the emotions dealt with in this book was impressive. I was also extremely moved by the bit of kismet. I love a goods story with destiny as an underlying theme.

This was truly an amazing debut.

I was hooked from the start and drawn into the word of uncertainty and a medical diagnosis. The writing was absorbing and emotional. What a terrible dilemma the characters face. I was struggling to hold back the tears and didn’t succeed.

Thanks to Emma-Claire Wilson, and Rachel’s Random Resources for my eARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.

5 stars.

The emotions I felt reading this book were off the scale. Lost of little snippets of my life and people I know all put in one story.

The ending weren’t to my taste but I won’t say why as h don’t want to spoil anyone’s experience.

Would definitely recommend.

I enjoyed reading this book as it kept me wanting to read more and find out what happens next. I would recommend this book to my friends for their book club.

It’s a hard read. An emotional rollercoaster that one can’t even comprehend unless you have experienced pregnancy, cancer and loss… all at the same time.

Steph’s pregnant. And one of her scans has shown up that she has cancer. Tough decisions ahead. A marriage now in turmoil. Secrets from both Steph’s family and James’ are being revealed.

I raced through the book simply to find out those’ secret.

A beautiful ending.

Beautiful, but very emotional story of tragedy, family, love, and life altering decisions. There are so many different paths my emotions went down in this book. I have to say I cried, got angry, sad , and of course happy. Left with a heart wrenching decision of choosing to live or give your unborn child life is the center of the story. From there the reader is taken on a rollercoaster ride through many side stories that all meet to form one plot. This is the type of book that stays with you long after you read it.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Imagine discovering that you are carrying a baby you've been dreaming of and praying for for years, only to discover weeks later that you have ovarian cancer.
This is what happens to Stephanie whose entire being is thrown into utter horror as she navigates her options and makes decisions that will affect her and those she loves forever.

Emma Claire Wilson has written such a powerful narrative that is raw with grief and pain yet deeply touching and completely human.

Never have I shed so many tears over a book before. It is fair to say that I was a total soggy mess by the time I reached the last page!

Trigger warnings
This book deals in depth with the issues of terminal cancer and miscarriage.
Perfectly and tenderly handled but may cause upset if read by someone not at a place in their life where they can address these topics on page.

Thanks to Net Galley for granting this book - having read the current five star reviews I feel guilty to review and only leave 2 stars but this is an honest review. Unfortunately for me it was far too long winded and I felt frustrated at times as felt like I was reading for hours and not a lot of action.

All through this book I kept on thinking e what would. I do in the same circumstances . It was a very moving story that brought the characters to life. I loved this story and will look out for others by this excellent writer.. Anyone who likes Amanda Prowse will love Emma-Claire Wilson as she writes in a very similar manner..
Highly recommend this book to make the reader think a lot.

Deciding between cancer treatments or continuing a pregnancy and then getting treatment. A pregnant mother to be has decisions to make. This book was sent to me electronically by Netgalley for review. Thanks to the publisher and the author. This talented author has written a page turner. The subjects are heart breaking. The characters are realistic. The story is difficult to read at times. Real life takes over. This fiction reads like nonfiction.

wow! congratulations to Emma-Claire Watson. what a rollercoaster of a book. I I couldn't put it down. but what an excellent read it was. definitely recommend.

TW: pregnancy loss, parental loss, cancer, cancer loss


This book was intense, from the blurb I was expecting some but from reading it was more emotionally charged than I was anticipating.

The story takes you through a couples tales of love, loss, friendship and finding each other and a family again. You feel the pain, joy and frustration along with the lead characters as they face an impossible choice, and it is that, a choice.

Ultimately I would recommend this book but would also recommend being in the right headspace to read it when you do.

A heartbreaking scenario of finally achieving your dream of a successful pregnancy, only to find that you are seriously ill and advised not to carry to term.
Stephanie finds herself in exactly this position and is desperate to see through the pregnancy despite her husband wanting her to save herself.
The emotions of the situation are so well written that you will cry along with the couple as they navigate through he decisions they are faced with.
Moving and heart-rending.

This Child of Mine by Emma-Claire Wilson is a beautifully emotional read that had me going through an entire box of tissues but loving every page of the journey. The author so intimately intwined love and grief that it became a new emotion, more powerful the the sum of its parts. Highly recommend!

From reading the blurb, you know you're going to be in for quite a ride with This Child of Mine, but Emma-Claire Wilson draws you into the lives of Stephanie and James with such force that you barely have time to draw breath before the next emotional punch. I loved the idea of how shock waves radiate from Stephanie's situation and how her decision impacts on all of those around her, particularly her husband, James, a character who is revealed in more depth as the book progresses. It's a book that reveals human frailty and fallibility and is about the bonds that make us, as well as the things that can drive us apart. A brave novel that made an impression on me.

When faced with an impossible decision, how can a mother to be choose, between that of her much longed for unborn baby or her own life? This book was well written, although personally I did find it very long winded in places and found myself scanning through some paragraphs. But it keeps you 'hooked' as you want to find out what she eventually decides.

A truly heart breaking story, what you will do to become a mother, after many miscarriages, she finally hears the
news she has been waiting for but also finds out she is ill. A beautiful books that show all the emotions
involved in becoming a mum. And ending that she was not expecting.

This Child of Mine is a story of the painful journey a woman makes when she learns she has ovarian cancer and is just into her second trimester pregnancy. Stephanie and James have plotted out their lives-home and family. She is ecstatic to be finally pregnant and now faces a hard reality. She is wrapped up in her feelings and emotions and fails to consider James’ feelings. It is not an easy book to read. It is filled with true emotions, fears and struggles.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.