HOLD MY GIRL by Charlene Carr.
I can only describe this as a mothers worst nightmare. With that being said, Carr’s writing is beautiful and poetic. Two women, Tess and Katherine are both dealing with the overwhelming heartache of infertility when they both decide to try IVF. When Tess loses the baby, her pain is insurmountable and heartbreaking. Katherine’s IVF was a success and her dream has finally come true when she holds her baby girl in her arms. Then the night are begins. It is revealed that there was a mistake made at the lab and their eggs were mixed up which means the baby Katherine is holding belongs to Tess. We then go through the custody battle that poses the question “what makes a mother?” This book may trigger women who have dealt with infertility and miscarriage. But, Carr deals with these issues through her writing with grace and sensitivity. I felt every emotion these women went through. This is a powerful read that will make you think, break your heart a little, make you hug your kids a little tighter, and honor motherhood.
Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the honor of reading an advanced copy of this book.

What would you do if the child you birthed turns out to be not yours?
This is the premise (in a nutshell) of Charlene Charr’s novel Hold My Girl. Tess and Katherine, both struggling with infertility, seek IVF in their pursuits of getting pregnant. Tess loses the baby, while Katherine births a beautiful baby girl. But then it is revealed that the eggs were switched even before the IVF procedure took place and Katherine’s daughter is actually Tess’.
What ensues next is a custody battle like no other and a deep dive into both of the women’s live with revelations and twists I could not have seen coming.

Hold My Girl reminded me of the Judgement of Solomon, where two women claimed the living baby was theirs. The writing of Charr resembled Jodi Picoult’s style for me and reminded me of the social dilemma of Clare Mackintosh’s After the End.
The story is set in Canada, where Charr is also from.

Hold My Girl is full of hard topics, but handles these sensitive subject matters beautifully and intricate.

Hold My Girl is set tp be published on October 10, 2023.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the Advanced Copy of this book.

HOLD MY GIRL is an emotional read and, at times, the story is heart wrenching. I admire how the author approaches a very sensitive topic with poise and grace. Ultimately, the novel explores what it means to be a mother. Obviously, content warnings abound so reader, know thyself. For readers looking to explore a moral (and legal) dilemma, this novel will make you think-- and it might make you cry as well.

I received a complimentary e-galley from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review; all opinions are my own.

This book is just lovely. It's, beautifully written, sensitive, and looks at all sides of a very complicated issue. After a deliberate "mix-up" at a fertility clinic, Katherine finds out that she's not her well-loved daughters biological mother. Tess, who has lost the child she gave birth to and whose life is not going well is. The story gets more complicated as it goes on as there are secrets and challenges on both sides. As an adoptive mother of an adult-child, I highly recommend this book. It is perfect for a book club discussion.

Wow. An impossible situation and a rollercoaster ride of emotions. I honestly found one of the main characters to be infuriating and stupid. They made some of the worst decisions. I would have liked the story to end differently, but I get the authors purpose in the ending they chose. I really enjoyed the story and felt each emotion that both FMCs experienced. Overall I enjoyed the story and look forward to more from this author.

Stories about families are fascinating but not always well done, this novel was superb. It was nuanced and emotional. A real rear jerker at times. A very well written piece.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a review.

This is such a lovely bittersweet story of two women engaged in an unusual custody battle. Katherine, who is bi-racial gives birth to a lily-white baby with husband, Patrick and they are delighted. But then Tess, the woman who worked in the lab with IVF discovers there was a "switch" and the lab is being investigated. And the "fun" begins as everything unravels...who is the "real" biological mother and should she be given some custodial rights? It's a convoluted but poignant novel about so many things (rape, abortion, infidelity) that I was immediately caught up in its tangled web! It's a tear-jerker but when all is said and done, it's a lovely testament to parents everywhere as we never know what outcomes our decisions will bring!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

'You think you're okay. Then a word, a look, a thought, and the pain rushes on you, erupts from somewhere deep within and you're shattered...'.

This story has more hurt in it than a nest full of hornets. Both Tess and Kat have spent years trying to become pregnant - and stay pregnant. They've both let their lives become consumed in striving to achieve this goal. This primal ability that every woman should be entitled to - able to - realise, 'She couldn't remember what it was to not feel the pain of being a broken woman...'. Both women finally become pregnant but, heartbreakingly, Tess's baby is stillborn, whereas Kat finally fulfills her dream. Kat's dream becomes a nightmare though, when months after her baby's birth, a nurse confesses to purposely switching the eggs of these two women during their IVF process. Now, just who does the baby really belong to? 'Rose is my baby, no matter what the tests say, so kindly walk away'.

This book is full of sorrow and betrayal. Betrayal of your own body, to not give you what, as a woman, you should innately be entitled to. Betrayal of a family who should be unconditionally supportive, and the nurse who decided to 'play God'. Betrayal of a society that can be deaf to the heartache some women go through in order to fulfill a primal yearning. The hurt that results from all of this is aching. The ethical questions unleashed in trying to derive the answer to this dilemma are wide and deep. Just what makes you a mother?

I normally do not bother with trigger warnings, but feeling such a depth of sorrow after reading this book, I would definitely advise that some readers might be affected. I really enjoyed reading this book, however, and I was fully engaged in discovering just how it might turn out. Charlene Carr has done well to highlight such a common, yet somewhat 'taboo' topic. Like with many 'secret' societal issues, the more they are discussed and normalised, the quicker, hopefully, people will stop feeling 'shameful' about them. To that end, I recommend this story to enhance anyone's understanding of the harrowing journey many women, their families, and their friends, go through each year.

Hold My Girl is an illuminating look at infertility and the struggles some couples must endure to have a child. The writing is articulate, mesmerizing and gripping at times.

After years and years of fertility treatments, Katherine finally carries a baby to term and delivers a beautiful baby girl, Rose. She is nothing short of a perfect mother, with a perfect marriage, and a perfect little family unit, until the unspeakable happens.

Tess gives birth to a stillborn after conceiving via IVF. And, sadly, must undergo an emergency hysterectomy to save her life. She’s despondent, she’s dejected and she’s struggling to move forward from her loss.

When news comes out that there’s been a lab error and eggs were switched, both Katherine and Tess’ lives are irrevocably changed.

This book brilliantly explores the moral and legal dilemmas involved in such a case. It also explores infidelity, alcoholism and sexual assault during the custody case. My heart was breaking for both families involved as it seems there’s no answer as to who should get custody, the biological mother or the mother who both carried the baby and cared for the baby for almost a year.

This book gets 5 stars from me and I urge you to pick up a copy for yourself. It is due to be published on October 10, 2023. Thank you, NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the advanced copy.

What does it mean to be a mother? What would you do if you found out the baby you gave birth to was not your own? This was the case in this emotional story by Charlene Carr. Katherine and Tess both had IVF at the same fertility clinic. Katherine gives birth to a healthy daughter and Tess’s baby is stillborn. Almost a year later they both get a call that there is an issue and that a technician purposely switched the eggs. The story unfolds from there. I can’t imagine what it feel like to be in this situation, and at times I found myself identifying with both women. This was a good story, with well developed characters, and a satisfying ending. Trigger warnings for issues of infertility and miscarriage/stillborn

Thanks you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for a digital copy in exchange for an honest opinion.

So I gave this one a whopping 5 stars! ⭐️

This is my first time reading a book about an accidental embryo swap and it didn’t disappoint. This book was emotional, but-wrenching, and thought provoking in all the right places and ways! Here’s the description for it below ⬇️

Katherine, after seven years of trying—and failing—to conceive, she finally gives birth to Rose, her IVF miracle child. But she’s afraid that Rose may not be her daughter; her pale skin doesn’t match Katherine’s own.

Tess’s daughter, Hanna, was stillborn.

Ten months later, Katherine and Tess get a call from the fertility clinic that reveals shocking news: the two women’s eggs were switched. It will take a custody battle to decide who deserves to be Rose’s mother, a battle that will push both women to the brink.

Wow, just wow! A story that I didn't know that I needed. This is a beautiful tale centered on numerous motifs including empathy, compassion, motherhood, and trauma.

Amazingly written. Mid paced. Highly recommend!

I’m not well versed on fertility or infertility, but do enjoy reading contemporary fiction selections that deal with real issues. This book does a good job on showing how two families navigate these issues along with some curveballs thrown in.

Even if you don’t care for this kind of topic, I’d still recommend you give it a go for the characters alone, as I found them refreshing and very real, so to speak.

For a read that’s different than your normal selection (for myself that would be domestic thriller/thriller type reads), definitely give this a go. I’ll be checking for this author again, most assuredly.

How refreshing to read a story about infertility but in this case there is a mix-up and the author explores all the ramifications for the two families involved.

Although this was a serious subject, the author was able to integrate a few twists to the story and make it suspenseful. as the families are not what we would call traditional! However, the major twist was a bit predictable and I guessed pretty early.

I also enjoyed the setting in Halifax, Canada.

If you want something different than reading romance or historical fiction, this contemporary fiction might be just what you are looking for!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me a complimentary e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

"Two eggs. Two women. One life-changing switch" This novel packs a powerful punch and definitely made me think about what it means for a woman to be a mother.

"Hold My Girl" is the story of Katherine & Tess, two women fighting for their happy ending, both wishing for their own children after dealing with years of loss and struggling with infertility. After successful IVF treatment, Katherine ends up with the baby she's always dreamed of, but Tess ends up alone once more. Worlds are rocked when the women find out that there was a mix up at the fertility clinic.

After getting news of the mix up, the story spirals into court cases, legal battles, dark secrets coming to light; and the ultimate questions of who's wrong/right? What makes a woman a mother? and so much more. This book had me in a serious moral dilemma! It made me think, HARD, but not just about issues with family, but also about racial identity, grief and loss, and biology and science. My heart ached for both women the entire time, as well as for the sweet baby Rose. Overall, this was a super interesting and thought provoking read! Thank you so much to NetGalley and Charlene Carr for providing this ARC for me to read and review!

Heart wrenching a true page turner a book about family adoption and the meaning of motherhood.I cried many tears have tissues nearby .#netgalley #sourceslandmark

Great family drama. Had me on pins and needles.
Thanks to author, publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book. While I got the book for free it had no bearing on the rating I gave it.

With more and more people taking DNA tests, people have discovered that many scandals have occurred at fertility clinics and unfortunately, legislation has not caught up to the technology. In “Hold My Girl” Charlene Carr has taken a situation that absolutely could occur in real life, and has written a compelling, character-driven novel about two women, both longing to be mothers. Big trigger warning for infertility among other issues. I don’t want to go into any more details, since that would be spoilers.

Katherine and Tess are two young women living in Canada, and although they are opposites in many ways, both have used the services of the same fertility clinic. They live in a smallish community with mutual friends, which is important to the story. Katherine is Black and Tess isn’t, which adds another dimension. One day, to their horror, they discover that their eggs were switched during IVF and one has given birth to the other’s biological child. We follow them during this heart-wrenching time, from the discovery to the final decision of custody.

Although this is not a thriller, I found it extremely suspenseful. The short-ish chapters, each from the point of view of Tess or Katherine, kept me turning pages and the writing flowed effortlessly. The characters were crafted so well that I truly felt I knew each one, inside and out. This book has a psychological depth that I seldom encounter in novels. I also especially appreciated reading about a Black woman written by a Black woman since I know I read too many books by white authors. Since Carr is focusing on the women, the father’s point of view is never really shown in the same way, and that felt a bit unfair to him, but this novel is focused on the mothers. Charlene Carr’s ability to craft characters that feel like living people is a testimony to her talent as a writer. (This novel felt so cinematic and I could see it being made into an amazing miniseries). If you can handle the heavy subject matter, this book would be perfect for a book club and there is a Reading Group guide in the back with very relevant questions. I can see this novel being a huge success. Bravo Charlene!

Thank you NetGalley and SourceBooks for letting me review this book. I will publish my review on social media closer to the publication date.

Wow.. what would you do if it was discovered that the baby you gave birth to, wasn’t your own biological child? In this book the harvested eggs had been switched and the error was discovered about 2-3 years later. If it was possible to switch babies at that point, would you? What if only one fetus had made it to birth? Would you share? Would you dig up dirt on the other mother to try to keep custody? This is quite the interesting story that brings up all kinds of questions. This book is quite possibly a trigger for families using IVF or banking eggs for later use and for families experiencing fetal loss or miscarriage. Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the digital ARC. This review is my own opinion.

WOW. What a phenomenal story. I've heard such good things about this novel, and I'm so glad it didn't disappoint.

Carr paints an impossible situation here: when two eggs are switched during IVF, but only one child survives, who should have claim over that child? Should it be the birth mother or the biological mother? It is such a terrible position for any family to be put in, and Carr does an excellent job of showing both mothers' sides and why they both (quite understandably) believe they should have custody. Things become even more complicated as the news of the swap goes viral, and soon strangers weigh in on the debate, and call into question the authenticity and right of either mother to have the child.

Carr deftly weaves in questions of race and identity, and the difficult subjects of fertility and loss. This is an utterly propulsive and compelling page-turner, and I am excited to see what else Carr may publish in the future. She is definitely an author to watch!