This was a really well written, moving story of love and loss. The author skilfully weaves the story together and it’s a great read. You need tissues though!

Incredibly moving story that has strung out my heart and taken all my tears. You feel so emotional, yet through this you see the power of female friendship.

Margo has just lost her husband and is devastated but further trauma follows when she receives a letter
informing her that her beloved daughter was accidentally switched at birth with an american child, an emotional
story of trauma, disbelieve, friendship and support but a mothers love is upper most in this book.

Interesting story line, I found myself getting pulled into the story. I agree with the others who say the ending is a bit to pat. That took away a bit from the book for me, but I appreciated the chance to read an ARC.

I don’t want to just offer criticism of this book because I was hooked from start to finish but when I started to reflect on the story it has to be said that it was all just too neat and convenient. Within that neatness and convenience however there are plenty of dramas to entertain you and it’s also a nice quick read which falls delightfully under the great holiday read title.

Imagine it. Out of the blue, you receive a letter telling you that the child you’ve raised and loved was switched at birth with another.

What do you do?

This is the conundrum that Margo and Cassie face. Margo and her daughter Elsa live in a small village in Ireland. Cassie and her daughter Tilly live in the United States. Both women gave birth in France, and due to a hospital employee’s negligent actions, they both went home with the wrong babies.

Margo and Cassie must face this difficult situation alone – Margo because of her husband’s death, Cassie due to divorce and the fact that when her soon-to-be-ex learned Tilly wasn’t his biological daughter, he pretty much dropped her like a hot potato. Lawyers on both sides advise against contact. But both women know that only they know what is best for their daughters, and they’ll have to sort this situation out themselves. So Cassie and Tilly make the journey to Ireland to meet Margo and Elsa.

This story, y’all. It really stuck with me. I was adopted as a baby, and the concept of nature versus nurture has always fascinated me. Here, we see two mothers meeting their biological daughters for the first time as preteens. Do they see themselves, their husbands, in the features and gestures of a child raised by another family? What has shaped the daughters they raised, their upbringing or their genetics? Or maybe it’s both.

I’m an attorney by education, and I couldn’t just take off my attorney hat while I read. It boggled the mind a little, the extent to which both women just disregarded legal advice after no doubt investing a lot of time and money into hiring their respective legal counsel. But Ann O’Loughlin packs a lot of emotion in this book. That really carried the story for me and made this a compelling read. It isn’t just the switched girls. It’s all of the other things they’re dealing with that draw the two women closer together – death of a loved one, the struggles of divorce, illness. And I did love how Margo’s friends eventually expanded their circle to include and support Cassie and Tilly, too.

Family doesn’t come in one form. (I know that better than some – adopted, birth family, two sets of in-laws along the way. My family tree is a family flow chart!) Ann O’Loughlin illustrates that beautifully here, and that is the heart of this story – family found, sustaining each other even through the most challenging circumstances. An excellent read!

Well the title seems to be inappropriate as two daughters were the focus on this book. The book had a lot of events that made the ending just a tad too perfect. All the characters that may have caused the ending to be not so perfect were conveniently eliminated. Ida was a great character but I am not sure I would have been so obliging to allow her husband relationship with Cassie. So many events in this book just seemed too contrived with the necklace, the money so available for the medical procedure , the rainstorm , how easy the legal dealings occurred. The story itself showed the love mothers have for their children and how they sacrifice for their health and well being.

A truly emotional but beautifully written story that pulls on the readers heartstrings, how much can two mothers cope with ? This story spans two continents yet a wonderful friendship develops. Keep the tissues handy whilst reading this enjoyable read.

This was a wonderful story about 2 Mother’s who find out their babies were switched at birth. They don’t find out until their daughter’s are 12 years old. They both go through so much and try to do what’s best for them. They develop a beautiful friendship while holding secrets of their own. There’s a lot of pain and tragedy in the story which you can expect while reading it. However, I was hoping the ending was going to be different. The author should write a sequel since the girl’s at the end of the story have just turned 18. It would be great to see them find out the truth and still be the best of friends supporting each other in adulthood like their mother’s did. Overall, I loved the characters and storyline and look forward to reading the author’s other book.

This is a story that truly tugs at the heart-strings.
There are so many issues that the two mothers in this heart-breaking story face.
Margo and her daughter, Elsa, in Ireland, are struggling to come to terms with the passing of their beloved husband and father.
In America, Cassie and her daughter, Tilly are facing the fact that their husband and father, has walked out on them.
But then they are hit with the news that their daughters have been switched at birth! Being strangers, they don't know how the other will respond to this news.
But when life deals Cassie a blow, she turns to Margo and soon it's these two mothers against the world!
A beautiful story of love that goes beyond blood to turn strangers into family.

Loved it!! I recently read The Irish House, so I couldn't wait to read this and it definitely didn't disappoint. Margo loses her husband and finds out her daughter was switched at birth all with in a few days of each other. Luckily, she has Ida and Jack to get her through everything. If it wasn't for Cassie's ex-husband refusing to pay child support, no one would have known about the babies being switched. The DNA test probably saved Tilly's life. From the start, Cassie and Margo only wanted to know the child that they each raised. I kept wondering why they weren't interested to even meet their biological child. Weren't they curious? Cassie was my least favorite character. She took a lot more than she gave. Her relationship with Jack was ridiculous and completely inappropriate. I'm not sure how she was able to look at Ida without feeling guilty. She was completely disrespectful. Ida loved Tilly and was a friend to Cassie, all the while Cassie wanted something more from Jack. I definitely need an Ida in my life. Ida knew how to get things done, was the perfect grandma to Tilly and Elsa and truly loved Jack. She allowed him to spend time with another woman. I really don't think I would have been able to do that. Charles got what he deserved. What type of man wants nothing to do with a child he raised for twelve years? Without Charles being a horrible man/father, Cassie and Margo would have never found each other. Not sure how I feel about the ending, with regards to Cassie's letters.

Definitely recommend the book. The story was an emotional rollercoaster and it was hard not to cry at times. Rathmoney House sounded like a beautiful place to live. Loved the characters, writing style and story. I loved it from the first chapter until the very end. Look forward to reading more books by the author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bookouture through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Two new born babies, accidentally exchanged
Raised by the other's parents, what should be arranged?
When one husband, divorcing, demands a DNA test
He's no idea he's triggering so much drama and unrest.

News of the drama reaches the other mother by letter
Just as her husband succumbs and won't ever be better.
With tragedy already, she can't lose the child she's raised, too,
She's unsure what is going to ensure.

A moving story told from the Mum's points of view,
Where tragedy, illness, and lots to go through.
The two girls who were swapped are central, too,
Making the Mum's unsure what the other will do.

Such an emotional read, full of tragedy and hope
Where female friendships help them all to cope.
For my complementary copy, I say a huge thank you,
As I share with you this, my honest review.

Ann O’Loughlin’s new book, My Only Daughter, presents the reader with a conundrum right within the first few chapters that has you constantly questioning - what would you do? - as you read through the story. Told from the perspective of two women - Margo and Cassie - this story is a heart-breaking read which shows how one incident can have a rippling and long-lasting affect that perhaps can never be remedied. The story is divided into three distinct sections and the chapters alternate between the two women providing the reader with a broad and well balanced viewpoint in order for them to make up their own mind as to what they might do if they were faced with the same decisions and choices. Not that any decision made will be an easy one and the manner in which the women cope with the fallout was fascinating to read as it not only affected them but so many other people too.

Margo lives in Rathmoney House in County Wicklow with her 12-year-old daughter Elsa. She is experiencing such pain, loneliness and loss as her husband Conor has just recently been buried following a battle with cancer. With Conor gone her hopes, dreams and aspirations for their continued life in Wicklow have gone with him or so it seems to Margo. Life for Margo and Elsa has changed drastically, and she doesn’t know how she can continue on. I thought this quote summed up perfectly how Margo was feeling about Conor’s death and the words used are fitting for us all when we experience loss. ‘Death was peculiar, she thought.It visited with such drama but exited quietly leaving nothing behind, only garlands of loss’. These garlands are ensnaring Margo and she would rather just curl up and let the world pass her by but she has a daughter to look after and with the help of her neighbours, husband and wife, Jack and Ida perhaps she can fulfil Conor’s wish of turning Rathmoney House into an upmarket B n’ B.

Ida was a fantastic character. Perhaps the best in the book even though I know Margo and Cassie and their daughters take centre stage and for very good reason. Yet, there was just something about Ida that I was completely drawn too. She was bossy and forthright, but she needed to be. She was like a busy bee always on the move helping and supporting in any way be it in some small action or some powerful words that needed to be said. She was a prop for Margo and became almost a mother to her. Someone Margo could confide in but also when a few home truths were needed Ida had no qualms about getting things off her chest. She said things as they were and was never afraid to shy away from the realities of the situation that developed. Underneath, her exterior she had a heart of gold and one angle of the story that developed concerning her well I really wasn’t happy with it at all and it felt contrived and that it happened so randomly and in my mind it took away from the main theme/plot of the story. But Ida is strong and resolute and she passes these qualities to Margo and the book wouldn’t have been the same without her and I just wanted more and more from her.

Cassie lives in Ohio with her 12-year-old daughter Tilly. When we first encounter her she is filled with rage as her husband Charles is seeking a divorce after he upped and left her. Charles is claiming that Tilly isn’t his and that he will not pay child support. I loved Cassie when she got her revenge on Charles when she went to his place of work. It really put the term a woman scorned into action and it brought a smile to my eye that Cassie was a fighter and would defend her daughter no matter what. Boy, would she need this characteristic the more the story developed especially when a DNA test is done and in fact Charles is correct and Tilly is not his. In fact Tilly is not Cassie’s biological child either.

So sets in motion the main plot of the book as it’s soon discovered that a mistake occurred in the French hospital where Tilly and Elsa were born and Margo and Cassie ended up bringing home the wrong babies all those years ago. This is just a horrific situation to find oneself in and numerous questions and worries go through both women’s minds. ’What about love? What about all the years, our history, our future?’ The reader doesn’t want to place themselves in the same situation even if this is only fiction as the whole thing is just so difficult and painful to comprehend and even more so when Cassie discovers her precious daughter needs urgent surgery to ensure she continues with a good and happy life? Needless to say, a very difficult situation presents itself and it was interesting to see how thigs would unfold once Cassie and Tilly reached Rathmoney House.

I will say, initially, I would have thought that there would have been more of a struggle per say as to whether Cassie and Margo would want their biological daughters back with them. Well, that was my gut reaction, of course they should do the right thing but then as the chapters pass by and you see the dynamics develop and the thought process’ of both Margo and Cassie you come to see that things are not clear cut at all. As Margo says they were ‘good people caught up in a series of events’. Even more events and twists and turns start to make themselves known. One I had growing suspicions about but really I didn’t think things would unfold the way they did and given the whole situation had no clear answer the ending and the final few chapters were fitting and well thought out and on reflection it couldn’t have turned out any other way. There are so many life changing events that occur for each of the characters and numerous twists and turns, some that in my mind that were far fetched yet others fitted perfectly well with the friendships and family connections that were developing.

Where do your loyalties lie? That’s one big question that arises time and time again the more you become engrossed in Margo and Cassie’s story and to be honest I still don’t know the answer and am thankful I was not the one faced with the decisions they had to make. My Only Daughter was an interesting and gripping read, in fact I read it in only two sittings as I found myself flying through the chapters wanting to know how things would pan out. It is a heart-breaking journey to friendship which shows women supporting each other in the most difficult of times. Without doubt, it’s an emotional read that reminds me slightly of the early Jodi Picoult books where there is an enigma at it’s centre that gets everyone talking.

Two women, Margo and Cassie living in different countries, the US and the UK don’t know each other or have any reason to, but they soon will. See these women raised each other’s biological daughter but don’t know this yet.

One is newly widowed, the other divorced with a husband that didn’t have time for his daughter. Both girls were born on the same day in the same hospital but one of the couples moves out of the country shortly after their daughter’s birth.

When a letter is delivered one day it changes the life of the woman who receives it when a dna test proves that not only is her ex-husband not the father, but she is not the mother.

This story follows the lives of the women, their daughters, family and friends as the women meet to save one of the girls’ lives.

There are so many ups and downs, my emotions could not keep up. I needed the Kleenex multiple times. I don’t want to give anything more away, but this is so heartwarming you’ll not want to put it down. Celebrating such strong female bonds that will last a lifetime. An absolute must read!

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.

All opinions expressed are my own.

An absolute gem of a book. A lovely heartwarming story of two little girls swapped in error after the were born until their lives became intrinsically linked when they were twelve years old. The second book of Ann’s that I have read.

Is it nature vs. nurture in this devastating case of babies switched at birth? Two mothers, Margo and Cassie, are grieving in their own ways. One is a new widow. The other is newly divorced and is suing for financial support from her ex-husband. They both love their daughters fiercely. Cassie lives in the US and Margo lives in Ireland. Is it any surprise that things cannot stay as they are?

Cassie and Margo each have twelve-year-old daughters who were born on the same day. That is no mere coincidence. What they tragically learn is that their daughters were switched at birth. The way this is learned is when Cassie’s daughter Tilly becomes very ill and through the course of events, a DNA test is run. Basically, both Cassie and Margo gave birth on the same day in a hospital in France.

Shockingly, a grave error was made and the babies were switched. While this becomes a very difficult thing to imagine for both mothers, the fact remains that Tilly is quite ill, and the fact that the girls were switched must be addressed.

What a highly emotional read. The course of events remains heartbreaking throughout and this book is truly thought-provoking. Any mother would wonder what they might do in this situation, and the author handled it quite well, making this book utterly impossible to put down.

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

O’Laughlin packs many subplots stemming from one main theme—mix up.
Two families are already in chaos from loss when another huge hurdle is unearthed. I’ve always been fascinated by stories where babies were switched, how heart wrenching.
So many emotions and decisions. Just when I thought certainly there can’t be more, there was.
One character is very vile and repulsive in the story. I thought Ida was very pushy and aggressive.
It’s a carousel of emotions.

Set mostly at Rathmoney House by the sea in County Wicklow. Margo’s husband Conor has just died. As Margo and her twelve year old daughter Elsa grieve for Conor a letter arrives informing Margo that Elsa may have been switched at birth with another baby girl.
Meanwhile in Ohio Cassie is heartbroken, her husband Charles wants a divorce and to get out of paying child support for his daughter Tilly he demands a paternity test. The results show that Tilly has different parents which follows with a search for Tilly’s real parents.
Cassie and Margo struggle with decisions and do not know what they should do.
This story will make you think about what you would do in a similar situation.
Full of grief and tragedy, some touching and unforgettable moments about family relationships, friendships, grief and identity.

My Only Daughter- Ann O’Loughlin.

Ann O’Loughlin is a relatively new author on my radar. But the more I read, the more I’m loving the work of this talented lady.

#MyOnlyDaughterquite honestly blew me away. I didn't just read this book, I felt it in my gut and my heart. It gripped at me and my every emotion.

Cassie and Margo both find themselves facing massive change in their lives. As bad as things are, neither of them is expecting what comes next. The bottom is about to be pulled out of their worlds.

I loved the characters in this book. Margo, Cassie, Elsa and Tilly are thrown together and have to find a way forward through the most heartbreaking circumstances.

As I said, #MyOnlyDaughter blew me away. What would any of us do in a situation where there are no easy answers and there is no right or wrong?

Ann O’Loughin shares this tale so beautifully. She writes with incredible warmth and such raw emotion.
I don’t often cry at a book, but hells bells, this one had be sobbing uncontrollably.

Emotional, thought provoking, moving, raw, touching and unforgettable.
Just remember to keep the tissues to hand.

This is a book that has found it’s place in my heart and a story that I will never forget.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

First, I want to thank Ann O’Loughlin, Bookouture and NetGalley for providing me with this book so I can bring you this review.

Ohh My Only Daughter by Ann O’Loughlin will pull on your heart strings BIG TIME! Ann’s story is every parent’s worst nightmare come to life on so many levels. It is a beautifully written story that will have you on the edge of your seat awaiting the outcome! This is a book that readers will be talking about way after you finish the book. Not to mention hold your loved ones a little closer.

Bookouture’s graphic artists yet again created a breathtaking cover! They totally embraced the concept of the book.

Even though I am not a parent I had sheer empathy for everything that Cassie was going through. I couldn’t imagine the pain and heartbreak when she heard the news! Actually, it is like something ripped from the headlines.

Tilly’s character pulled hard on my heart strings badly as she was dealt with very adult situations at such a young age.