I’ve been getting into thrillers a lot lately. I went into this book expecting a lot, and for the most part, it delivered.

Burgess frequently switches back and forth between characters and POVs, giving the reader the opportunity to know more about what’s going on than the characters (and making this reader want to smack the characters on the side of the head!). For the first half of the book, I hated every single character in this book. I had no one to root for, and I actually kind of liked that. Burgess wrote the characters in a way that I wanted to know what would happen to them, even though I couldn’t stand them.

Now, normally I wouldn’t say this in a review at all because I’m a reader that hates to know there’s a twist. If I know it’s coming, I’m going to be looking for it and then it doesn’t hit as hard. The only reason I’m mentioning a twist now is because the phrase “with a shocking twist” is written directly on the cover.

So, after the advertised twist, things….well, they twist. Previous chapters are revisited with new insights or previous events are described from another character’s POV. This is all well and good, except it gets a little too repetitive. I read this over the course of two days (25% the first day; 75% the next), so the narration and dialogue was still fresh in my mind. I started to get annoyed with reading the exact same dialogue or a character’s feelings about a situation twice. I kept wishing that paraphrasing would have been used in these situations.

Overall, it was enjoyable and I would definitely watch this if it was a limited series or movie.

Well, this archived the day I requested it ... a good thing it still let me review it as I am all about the 100% reading and reviewing date. And I am glad I got to read it before it disappeared into the "buy me" zone. (I have spent ... $450+ on books this month!)

Synopsis (from Netgalley, the provider of the book for me to review.)
*********************************************************
She says she’s his daughter. But what does she really want?
Alice and Richard are happily married and about to achieve their lifelong dream – giving up their jobs to sail around the Mediterranean on their own boat.

But shortly before they are due to leave, a young woman, Sally, appears on their doorstep and says she is Richard’s daughter, given up for adoption by his former lover.

After he gets over the shock, Richard is welcoming to Sally, but Alice is unsettled. Discovering that Richard is a father is a painful reminder of her own desire for a family and her inability to conceive.

But is this what makes her wary of Sally, or is her intuition trying to warn her that something much darker is happening here?

When one suspicious incident follows another, Alice starts to dig into who Sally really is and why she has suddenly come into their lives. What she finds is something she could never have imagined in her wildest nightmares…

I was adopted so my views on the definition of parent and child are skewed and skewered by beliefs for I have a brother, but my parents have another daughter (vs me having a sister) …. She’s a sociopath so there is no love lost there and my poor dad, who has Alzheimer’s, thinks that his other daughter is a man because she dresses as a failed 1970’s orange-haired rock star. WHAT? YOU THINK THAT YOUR FAMILY IS WEIRD??

Intuition is something we should always trust – it can cut down on those nightmares that Sally and Richard find themselves ending up in. This book is a rocket ride of a thriller, and I could not put it down … I read it in one fell swoop. Decidedly a fabulous book that I will recommend far and wide – it is a perfect beach read but be sure to take a gallon of SPF 1000 as you will fry when you lose track of time in this wonderful read. (P.S. Literature snobs? This is not the book for you ... lolololol!)

This starts out terrifying. Yikes.
And Richard is the worst. Right off the bat I just hated that guy. Alice is like waiting on him and doting on him and he's being a gross loser. And then it gets worse!
I like that because they aren't american they're basically rich. Just retire at 56 and sail the world! Shopping without having to work 3 jobs. Lunches with friends. It is nice to live in a fantasy.
I love that the second half of the book is the same stuff but with a different perspective. That was phenomenal.
The russian bad guys are a nice touch.

Bravo! Thank you for the ARC.

Holy cow! What did I just read? Thought this was a book about a couple sailing around the world, who have a big shock before they go! But that is not what this book is about at all! Lies, secrets, cheating, gambling addictions. murder. Wow! Who is the bad guy? Who is trying to betray who. Great book!

Alice and Richard have taken early retirement and are going to upend their lives and sail around the med. As they are making preparations, a young woman, Sally, appears on their doorstep claiming to be Richard’s daughter,

What a page-turner! This pacey novel is filled with twists and turns with an unexpected but pleasing ending. The characters are fantastically developed and the multiple points of view are very well done. A very intriguing thriller.

A gripping read. Highly recommended.

Professor Richard Barnes retires from the Biology department of Bristol University as a stalwart member of staff at the university for fifteen years. Richard and his partner Alice decide to leave Bristol to sail off to the vibrant blue sea of the Mediterranean as their retirement plan. Alice had been Richard's lab assistant and they had worked together for twenty years and that's when they had met and got married. Shortly when they have a few days to leave for their trip a young woman appears at their door claiming to be Richard's biological daughter leaving Alice in shock and tears.

Even though bitterness, jealousy, and anger spark Alice, the whole story takes a turn in the later chapters. The situation gets suspenseful when Alice learns some darker secrets about Richard's plans and motive. Richard found Alice old, miserable, and boring therefore his plan was to get rid of her and take her inheritance money gifted by her mum, and leave for the Mediterranean with a young hot woman like Sally beside him. He had devised a plan that Sally would pretend to be his daughter and they can run away in a boat. Alice discovers this plan and more about him that he was an addicted gambler, murderer and was setting up things behind her back. Richard even took money from the University without keeping an account and Alice catches him red-handed for trying to exploit her.

I enjoyed the plot and the story thoroughly. Some sequences were repetitive. Various characters with action-packed chapters and unexpected twists make this book outstanding.

Thanks to Netgalley and Inkubator Books Publishers for an advance copy for my honest review.
Find book reviews at : https://smithareading.blogspot.com/

Alice and Richard have been a couple for 20 years, and have just retired with the aim of embarking on a boat trip to European countries. Shortly before embarking on this journey, a young woman knocks on his door who claims to be Richard's daughter, and whose arrival threatens to change the course of the future of this couple, that with the running of the pages we are realizing that it is far from perfect.

This book reads super fast, it hooks you from the beginning with a flash forward that makes you immediately start trying to guess what happened or will happen. Several times when you think everything is solved, again there is a twist, which keeps you hooked throughout the reading. I also highlight that the book has a good share of black humor that made me smile, and that made me think that the author was a woman, because it describes very well an unbearable man (although in reality he is a man).

Book Review 📚
The Adopted Daughter by JJ Burgess - 4/5 ⭐

What a fantastic thriller! If I'm given a good thriller I can devour it in a day, easily. This book done exactly that and I couldn't put it down. I was captivated by the entire thing and I'm so happy to have read it!

The plot is mind blowing. There are twists and turns everywhere you look and the pace just doesn't let up. I questioned so much but at no point did it become predictable. I didn't even anticipate the ending, it was that good!

There's a fantastic combination of characters in the book and they all kept me intrigued whilst I was reading. I hate when a book is amazing but has dull characters but The Adopted Daughter did not bore me in a single way. Both plot and characters were written incredibly well and Burgess is a phenomenal thriller writer.

Thank you to NetGalley and Inkubator Books for allowing me to read this ARC - this is an HONEST review from my own personal opinion.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book with its many twists and turns. The characters are well-written. Written from both Alice and Richard's point of view, there’s never a dull moment in this book. I really enjoyed Alice as the main character.

Alice and Richard are about to achieve their lifelong dream – giving up their jobs to sail around the Mediterranean on their own boat. But shortly before they are due to leave, a young woman, Sally, appears on their doorstep and says she is Richard’s daughter, given up for adoption by his former lover.

If you think the story is about the daughter, you'll be wrong. It is focused on Alice and Richard's relationship, as well as the circumstances surrounding Richard leaving his position as a professor. The pacing is perfect, it's very predictable but still intriguing, and the nail-biting story will have you guessing until the end.

Thank you Netgalley and Inkubator for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

The Adopted Daughter by JJ Burgess is a quick thriller read about a couple who recently got to know that they have a daughter. This arrival of new daughter unfolds many secrets between them and few secrets hold the power to scatter their marriage life.

What will the couple do?

This novel is quick thrilling read that keeps you hooked till the last line.

Thanks to NetGalley and Inkubator books for this ARC.
I really enjoyed this book. I finished it 3 hours. I couldn’t put it down. Lots of twist. Different POVs. A must read for mystery/ thriller fans.

Alice and her partner Richard are planning to set sail for a few years after their retirement, but unbeknown to them a stranger will come knocking at their door which will turn their lives upside down.

The stranger is Sally who claims she is Richards daughter.

OMG this book had me gripped from the start it had more twists than a rollercoaster and had my pulse soaring as if I'd ridden the big dipper!!!

A must read book that I would definitely recommend.

Thank you to Netgalley for my honest review in exchange for a copy of this book.

Wow, what an intriguing, twisted psychological thriller this was!! Alice and Richard are characters you think are living the dream and then Sally turns up. This book had me hooked from the start and I devoured it within 2 days. It was fast paced, full of great characters who were so devious. I loved the beginning, the middle and especially the ending. Definitely worth a read and i will undeniably pick another book by this author.

Thanks to Inkubator Books and NetGalley for allowing me an advanced copy to read in exchange for my open and honest review. As always, my reviews will also be posted on Amazon, Goodreads and Waterstones and interaction on Facebook and instagram where possible.

A recently retired couple make plans to sail throughout Europe until a twenty-something woman named Sally shows up on their doorstep claiming to be the husband's daughter and their plans are derailed.

When I read the description of this book, I assumed it would heavily focus on the adopted daughter, Sally. I was wrong, but the book ended up being even better than I thought. Instead, the plot centers on the married couple, Alice and Richard. Richard is recently retired from his position as a professor, but the circumstances of his departure are suspect. Alice is a sweet, and mild mannered stay at home wife who starts to wonder about the life husband is leading.

This book was full of suspense and twists I did not see coming. It was fast paced, and very exciting to read. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys psychological thrillers that keep you guessing!

Alice is shocked when a young woman shows up at her door one day claiming to be her husband’s daughter from before they were married. And what poor timing - they were getting ready to leave in a few days to sail around the Mediterranean together after his retirement. Alice is surprised, but is everything as it seems? Is this woman really his daughter or is something not quite right here?

What an interesting plot with just the right amount of twists! Written from both Alice and her husband’s points of view, this story clues you in to what’s going on just the right amount at a time, with definitely the right amount of twists. This was an intriguing novel with great character development. Looking forward to checking out some more from this author.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Release Date: August 6, 2023

Wow. This book starts out as a dream of a couple who is so in love. It does switch view points from the man and the woman. Then you start getting into the twits. They are things you wouldn’t expect. Then you hit part too and the beginning is somewhat of a repeat but with deeper details that will leave you saying what! Excuse me!! The ending is great! Something I absolutely did not see happening or coming!! Such a good book!

Thanks to Netgalley and Inkubator Books for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

This book was amazing !! I spent the first part wanting to scream at a character !! And the second part chearing at them haha. It was quite a twist.. I almost wanted the book not to end, wanted an epilogue (even if it's quite easy to guess what will happen next) . A rollercoaster of emotion all throughout the book. I loved it.

Strange one for me, i kept picking it up and putting it down for the first half. There just wasn't enough to keep me engrossed.
Second half, different story i flew through it! I was so glad i persevered great story line with a great ending.
My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my copy.

Super quick read with a lot of twists. This was entertaining and I wasn’t totally sure where it was going to go. I liked this one and the different POV and quick chapters. 3 stars while I did enjoy reading it wasn’t one that did particularly stand out. I want to thank NetGalley and Inkubator Books for the digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately I have not enjoyed this book, I’ve got to 50% with a struggle and will not finish it, I’ve found it drags and the stage I’m at now I can assume how the rest of the book goes (unless there’s a twist) and don’t wish to continue.