I liked the second half of this book better than the first. I had a hard time with feeling drawn to the main protagonist of Callie. Didn’t agree with her decision making. I also found the title to be a little bit distracting because I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop, because why would Billy need to be saying goodbye..

Really enjoyed this. Heart breaking yet heart warming family story. Nice narration & kept my interest throughout.

2.5 stars

Sigh...this was a book that I think a certain type of reader will absolutely love but was just not my cup of tea. It was kind of like one of those Hallmark movies. Lots of family and interpersonal drama but wrapped up in a neat and tidy package with a bow on top.

Unfortunately most of the story rang a bit "Pollyanna" to me. It was challenging to connect to the characters and experience strong emotion. The narrative was on the flatter side with a predictable ending. It had some of that "and although this tragedy happened, everyone lives happily ever after...." My favorite part was the backstory into the MC's life. I felt most connected during those chapters.

There are some higher reviews out there so I would recommend checking those out too. I think readers looking for a polished women's fiction that involves unrequited love and gently touches on a taboo subject will enjoy this much more than I did.

Thanks #NetGalley!

A beautiful heartfelt story about a mothers love - miscommunication - no communication and the impact that it all has on each other - especially a little boy. I was drawn to the characters and was enchanted with the plot. It was my first book by this author and will not be my last.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Oh my goodness! What an emotional read. The decisions made by many of the characters and the repercussions were astounding. There were so many layers of misunderstandings that it made me sad. I loved Billy and the way his mother cared for and protected him. She only wanted what was best for him. And my heart soared as things began to line up and relationships began to heal. I loved how the author slowly untangled the story and allowed you to experience the myriad of emotions of the characters. Be prepared with a box of tissues. You will need them!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookoutre for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

For more reviews, please visit my blog at: https://www.msladybugsbookreviews.com/. Over 1000 reviews posted!

The narration was really good on this story, but the story itself did not really hold my attention very well. I loved Billie, but Callie not so much. I didn't hate her, but I also did not love her nor her behavior or choices that led to her raising Billie alone.

There were some moments in this story that were heartbreaking, especially if you yourself are also a mother, but instead of crying and being all emotional I just heard it and thought I should be heartbroken, but I wasn't emotionally invested enough in this story.

So for me this was a good story, but not a great one. It was my first Ali Mercer story.

This is an amazing women's fiction book, which I truly loved so much.

The audiobook narrator did a fantastic job, and her voice was perfect.

The story is about a woman called Callie, who has a child called Billy. In her past, she ran away from her family due to a few things that happened to her, and she brought Billy up alone. One day she has an accident, and Billy is taken to her Mother's house to be looked after. From there, Billy finds out who his Dad is, and he enjoys meeting him, and the family he never knew. Callie and Billy and the family are all eventually happy to be reunited, and they get on well together.

Be prepared though, and get your tissues ready, as one part of the book will pull at your heartstrings. It did for me, and I was left in tears. But the book is so wonderful, and I highly recommend it. If you are looking for a heartwarming, emotional, family read that will touch your heart, then this book is for you, and you will love it!

Many thanks to the author, narrator, publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book.

Narrated by Stephanie Lane
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Beautiful soothing voice

Story by Ali Mercer ⭐⭐⭐

This is my first book from Ali Mercer.
I love a good emotional family drama however overall I struggled to get into this one.

I love Billie and his POV, but Callie and her terrible communication skills annoyed me. She is her own enemy.

The cover is beautiful and it's a book I would click on in the kindle store.

Thank you Net Galley for an audio ARC of A Child's Goodbye by Ali Mercer. This was a beautiful story. It was as though the MC had lived several lifetimes. All the feels!

Someone pass me the Box of Tissues.......I so need the Whole box
If you want a book or audiobook that will have you hooked from the beginning till the end and will have you fighting back the tears -
A Child's Goodbye by Ali Mercer and Narrated by Stephanie Lane is a book for you. Ali always writes from her heart and all her books I have read have been beautifully written and a 5 star read or audiobook. This was a book that just took my breath away......Just amazing!!!!
Ali's latest book is a powerful heartbreaking family domestic drama filled that is about motherhood, grief that has pulled her a family apart by so many secrets. But Sadly secrets have a way of coming out in the end.

All Callie remembers is the screeching of brakes and the sound of tyres swerving on tarmac. The last thing that crossed her mind was her beautiful boy Billy, who is waiting alone at the school gates for her to pick him up after school….........

Who's going to pick up Billy whist Callie is in Hospital?

When Callie found out she was pregnant she couldn’t have been happier. Ever since her own father died, She felt utterly lost. But this little bundle of joy changed everything for her future. Finally, she had found her purpose: to be the best mother she could be.

Sadly, Callie couldn’t and wouldn’t tell anyone who Billie's father was. This was a secret that could never be spoken but this secret will come out and tear people apart around her.

WoW this book was Soooooo Good.

The narrator Stephanie Lane was superb.

I would recommend this book it will not disappoint!.

Big thank you to Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for my copies of “A Child's Goodbye” I loved it.

To be honest, I didn’t see where this book was going and I really didn’t love the ending, but it did make sense that it had to be that way. The secrets that finally were revealed and the happiness finally found, only to be lost again. Tragic and beautiful at the same time.

🌀Synopsis
Callie is on her way to pick up her son, Billy, when she is hit by a car. Unable to pick up her son she sends a friend to get him. This friend, however, is very busy and doesn’t have time to watch a child so he drops them off with the grandparents he has never met.
The history starts to come out, and multiple secrets open up. The reason that Billy hasn’t met his grandparents- Callie and her mother fought over an incident with their neighbor in which her mom thought Callie was being a slut but really she was assaulted. The secret of who Billy’s father is- hidden because the person who assaulted her was his father and he walked in while it happening and got the wrong impression.
All of these things- the loneliness, heartache, and loss of relationships- because one terrible old man did a terrible thing to a young girl.
Things begin to be mended when Callie finally opens up about it and everyone sees the truth and hurt she’s been hiding. It seems all is finally back on track when another health issue plagues Callie and after one surgery all of their lives are changed forever.

This is a different type of read to my usual genre but it definitely pulls at the heart in every way. It moves at a steady pace moving between past and present timelines building the backstory. There is great character development and the characters are so lovable along with the beautiful relationships they have with each other. There is a lot going on within the storyline but the author weaves such a story that when things take a turn it’s a real wrench to the heart to the point I found myself questioning if it really was happening. This is such a lovely read and written in such a way it’ll stay with you.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture Audio for the opportunity to listen to #AChildsGoodbye

In a Nutshell: This will be good for fans of emotional family stories. I thought I was one of those, but turns out, my tastes have changed! Mixed feelings about this one, but it is still recommendable.

Story Synopsis:
Callie has always kept the identity of her child’s father a secret from everyone, including her son and his birth father. She has been a happy single mom to her eleven-year-old Billy, despite their financial struggles. However, when she gets badly injured and hospitalised after an accident, Callie wonders if she should unite Billy and his dad, just so that Billy will have someone to care for him in case something happens to her.
The story comes to us in the third person perspective of the key characters.

Bookish Yays:
💐 Billy’s perspective was the best in the book. His voice was authentic to his age, and his thoughts were endearing. He was the only character I liked without reservations.
💐 I appreciate how the author highlighted the prevalence of anxiety issues in children, and how adults might be totally clueless of what their children are going through or doing.
💐 The difficulties of single parenthood come out well in the book.
💐 ‘Who will take care of my child after I am gone’ is a question every mother would have worried over at least once. The story highlights the importance of having reliable people around in case something happens. There’s no point in keeping old grudges just to keep your ego intact.
💐 There are some truly beautiful quotes in the book. The one about the starlight was my absolute favourite.

Confused about Yay or Nay:
🌹 Callie’s character left me with mixed feelings. On one hand, she was a strong woman who didn’t allow her unexpected pregnancy to bog her down. She knew her mind, and she did what was best for her and her child without anyone’s support. On the other hand, most of her problems stemmed from communication issues. She saw only what she wanted to see, and didn’t bother to set things right when there was an opportunity to do so. Therefore, despite the sadness in her arc, I didn’t find myself rooting for her.


Bookish Nays:
🌵 Other than Callie and Billy, the remaining characters didn’t create much of an impression. They had their stock roles to play, and rarely went beyond that requirement.
🌵 There was no direct foreshadowing in the writing, but the extended build-up made things very predictable, thereby not creating any surprise/shock moments. Even intensely emotional moments lost their charm because I could see them coming a mile away.
🌵 It was quite slow-paced. The backstory of the broken relationship went on for too long. The audiobook helped a lot!
🌵 Certain things stay unexplained even until the end.
🌵 I am not a fan of blurbs using the first person when the whole story is in third person. Also, the blurb creates a very different picture of the story. The title also doesn’t suit the book at all.

The Audiobook experience:
The audiobook, clocking at almost 13 hours, was narrated by Stephanie Lane. I didn’t much enjoy the voices she used for some characters, but on the whole, she narrated nicely and I wasn’t bored.

Basically, the parenting struggles are well-written but the rest of the story *mostly* sticks to the tried-and-tested. I think having the audiobook helped me a lot. I don’t know if I would have had as much patience with it if I were actually reading it. There was a time when I used to devour such family dramas, but in the last few years, reality itself has turned so depressing that such stories leave me feeling meh. I am sure it will be more emotionally impactful to the right reader.

Recommended to those who love emotional family-oriented stories, and love being ready with tissues to cry their hearts out.

3.25 stars.

My thanks to Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for the ALC of “A Child's Goodbye”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the audiobook.

Content warnings: Death, sexual abuse, bullying, infidelity. (This last one was totally not needed for the plot – it felt forced.)

I am a huge fan of Ali Mercer’s books. They are family oriented and emotional reads. I listened to the audiobook and while I loved the story, I did not like the audiobook book. I’m starting to listen to audiobooks so maybe if I was more experienced, I would feel differently. The story is heartbreaking and heartwarming at times. It is told in the present with flashbacks to give more information. I enjoyed this story and would read the book.

You can guess from the title of the book that something is going to happen to the mom so i kept waiting for it to happen the entire book, but the story draws you in because it’s about a single mom trying to do it on her own and misconceptions that have been formed along the way, and judgements people have passed on her, and a little boy wanted to know where he came from, and who his father is, and broken relationships that are mended during crisis. Really well written!

This book immediately had me attached to the characters and invested in the storyline.
The author's descriptions and writing style kept me deeply inthralled in the characters and storyline!
Great book start to finish!

This is the first book I have read by Ali Mercer and I can honestly say it won’t be the last.
I was taken on an emotional rollercoaster throughout the book and found myself in tears towards the end.

Callie is a single mother to Billie, a sweet and shy 10 year old boy who suffers with anxiety. She has never told anyone who Billies father is, which caused her and her mother to fall out on Billies first birthday. Callie suffers an accident on her way to pick Billie up from school which leads to the past catching up with her.
Rueben is the boy who lived across the road from Callie when they were teenagers, his mother died when he had just left school and he has an off relationship with his father and step mother. Reuben’s dad becomes ill and coupled with the fact Callie has had an accident and Billie has some how ended up with his grannie across the road from Reuben’s dad it brings Rueben back to his childhood home.
With Callie out of hospital and her mother and Rueben back in hers and Billies life, the past secrets begin to unravel and we find out why she never disclosed who Billies dad is.

Twists I didn't see coming kept me hooked and the way the story is told from Callie, Billie and Rueben’s perspective is the perfect balance.

5 stars for this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ali Mercer for the chance to read this book for my honest and unbiased opinion.

I love the story! Definitely a four-star read! Shout out to netgalley i and publishing for allowing me to listen and review the snack. Awesome narration.

I think my biggest issue with this book is that it was just way too long and slow moving. There were so many parts that I thought could have been shortened or left out altogether.

I also really disliked the main character. She basically forced her son to be friends with these other boys that are horrible to him and she has no idea. If she’s the wonderful, responsive mother that she’s supposed to be, how could she possibly have no idea that her son was being picked on my these boys. There were a couple other problems I had with this character that I don’t really want to go into without spoiling too much, I’ll just say I didn’t find a lot of it to be believable.

When I first read the synopsis of this book I was a little worried that I wouldn’t be able to handle it emotionally since I am a mother of a young boy. Turns out I didn’t need to worry because I felt nothing when it came to the “emotional” part of this book. Because the story was so long and drawn out and because the characters weren’t likeable, I just wasn’t invested and didn’t have the emotional response I was expecting.

The story definitely had potential but unfortunately it was just a miss for me.

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'A Child's Goodbye' by Ali Mercer.

Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Ali Mercer, Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous

Publication date 28th March 2023.

This is the third book I have read by this author. I have previously read 'The Marriage Lie' and 'The Family I Lost' which I would also recommend.

I was originally drawn to this book by its eye catching beautiful cover and its intriguing synopsis and title. I am also a huge fan of Ali Mercer and if this book is half as good as 'The Marriage Lie' and 'The Family I Lost' it is guaranteed to be a page turner. The synopsis stated that 'Fans of Diane Chamberlain, Jodi Picoult and Kate Hewitt will be swept away by this heart-breaking, totally gripping page-turner about motherhood, grief and a family torn apart by secrets.''. I am a huge fan of all three of these authors so am looking forward to seeing if this lives up to this statement. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).

This novel consists of a prologue, 41 chapters and an epilogue and is set over three parts. The chapters are short to medium in length so easy to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!


'A Child's Goodbye' discusses some topics that may upset some readers or may not be suitable for others. I like to point this out ahead of time in my reviews so you can judge if this book is for you or not. In this book Ali discusses assault.

This book is based in England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 , UK 🇬🇧. The bonus for me of books that are partly or fully based in the UK is that I live in the UK and have sometimes visited places mentioned in the book which makes it easier to picture. I have actually visited and holidayed in England on several occasions so am looking forward to see if I recognise anywhere.

This book is written in third person perspective and the main protagonist is Callie. The benefits of third person perspective are that it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything.


This book is very well written and the insights into the past let's the reader piece together what is going on. The descriptions are vivid and help to set the scene. The cover and synopsis worked well with the storyline.

Yet another fantastically written book by the very talented Ali! This book is a rollercoaster ride of emotions and is filled with family, loss, sadness, heartbreak, motherhood, secrets and lies. It goes to show how one minute can change not one but several life's. Since I have had children I find it harder and harder to read books involving children and when I do I always find myself becoming emotional throughout and this book is no exception. It is one of those addictive books that I listened to whenever I had a spare moment whether on the school run or doing the dishes and I became completely absorbed throughout. It is a scary thought as a parent that if anything happens to you then who will be there for your children and this is even harder when there isn't another parent involved. Callie is involved in a car accident and needs to rely on an old friend to take care of her son but when the friend decides she hasn't got time and takes him to Callie's mother's house everything starts to unravel and change it just goes to show how one moment can change not just one life but several. In this case there were so many moments which would have left to different outcomes including the first one which was because an assumption was made. It is a heartbreaking story which changes the lives of Callie, Billy and Rueben forever. I don't want to go into too many details as I don't want to give too much away but make sure you have the tissues at the ready as yet again Ali manages to make the tears flow and emotions run high. This would be one of my worse nightmares as a mum myself. Ali's evocative writing skills brings the story and characters to life around you making your heart beat faster and pulls on your heart strings. She manages to weave the past and present storylines together perfectly to give you a full picture of what happened then and why things are as they are now. Another great success from an extremely talented author and I can't wait to see what she comes out with next!!


It is set over multiple time lines. When books show what has happened in the past and what is happening in the present I find it really helps the reader (if it is well done) understand why things are happening and what has lead to the present activities and decisions. It also shows the bigger picture.


This is one of the few books that I have listened 100% on Audiobook. If I listen to a book on audiobook I usually also read the physical book between but I listened to the whole book and I was impressed! I must say a HUGE congratulations to the narrator Stephanie Lane who did a great job bringing this story to life. I would listen to it in the car and while walking at any opportunity and Stephanie did a fantastic job on both male and female characters voices!!! I'm not only looking forward to reading more books by Ali but also to listening to more books narrated by Stephanie!

The characters are strong and realistic. My heart really went out to Callie, Billy and Rueben all for different reasons. Callie is a strong woman, an amazing mother and a fighter. She goes through so much heartbreak yet still continues to fight for the sake of her son. I was rooting for her throughout and it was heartbreaking how everyone assumed the worst of her including her own family and I can see why she cut ties even though it left her on her own with no support network. Rueben really annoyed me after what he had done but he grew on me and seeing him want to do his best and to make up for the years he missed made him likeable and he grew on me. Billy is such a sweet boy who is having problems in school as well as everything that is going on with his family and my heart broke for him. It would be hard for an adult 2ith everything going on let alone a child. I'm not going to say anymore about the characters as I don't want to let anything slip but Ali does a fantastic job of making realistic and strong characters that come to life in front of the readers eyes.

Clear your schedules and get the tissues ready as you wont be able to put this down!! Well done Ali on yet another emotional page turner and hers to your next success!!

Make sure you read to the very end of the book to read the prologue and the first chapter of Ali's 'His Secret Family' which looks just as addictive and emotional as this page-turner, 'The Family I Lost' and 'The Marriage Lie'!

Overall an addictive rollercoaster ride of emotions that will keep you turning the pages.

Genres covered in this book include Mystery, Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Literary Fiction, Romance Literary Fiction, Women's Literary Fiction, Women's Literary Fiction, Women's Friendship Fiction, Contemporary Women's Fiction, Family Life Fiction, Sisters Fiction, Women's Domestic Life Fiction, Thriller, Suspense, Romance, Women's Literature, Romance Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, and Domestic Fiction amongst others.


I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of Amanda Prowse, Diane Chamberlain, Jodi Picoult, Kate Hewitt, Susan Lewis and Kerry Fisher.


445 pages/ 13 hours and 3 minutes listening time.

This book is just £1.99 to purchase, free on kindle unlimited, £10.99 in paperback and £20.03 for the audiobook (at time of review) on kindle via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!

Rated 5/5 (I loved it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.

Feel free to add me on Goodreads or follow me on my website or Facebook for more reviews

#AChildsGoodbye #AliMercer #Bookouture #BookoutureAnonymous #NetGalley #BookReview #BlogTour #BooksOnTour #Goodreads #NetGalley #Amazon #AmazonKindle #Audiobook #Bookstagram #Bookblogger #KindleUnlimited #Audible @Audiobook

@AChildsGoodbye @AliMercer @BookoutureAnonymous @Bookouture @Bookworm1986 @bookworm86 @Goodreads @Netgalley @Amazon @AmazonKindle @Bookstagram @BookBlogger @KindleUnlimited @Audible @Audiobook



https://kcmw86.wixsite.com/bookworm86

https://m.facebook.com/Bookworm1986/?ref=bookmarks

https://m.facebook.com/Bookwork86/?__tn__=%2As-R

https://www.instagram.com/bookwormwhitlock86/

https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/34299953-kirsty-bookworm86

https://mobile.twitter.com/kcmw86