A great book which I loved, when does keeping a secret become too much to bear and if death happens what happens to that secret?
With lots of twists and turns and the final reveal which left me on the edge of my seat.

Thanks to net galley and the publishers for this arc.
4 stars

This book was such a mess that I'm surprised I finished it at all.

To begin with, neither Tara nor Dino are likeable characters in the least. Tara went through a horrible childhood, and then something as a teenager that no woman regardless of age should have to go through, so I wanted to be able to cut her some slack. But the way she became absolutely obsessed with Brianna to the point she was lying to her husband and spending hours outside of the woman's home made it hard to sympathize with her.

Dino on the other hand keeps talking about how good looking he is, and how no woman can resist him (he used to be called the Italian Stallion don't you know). You would have thought that after his wife's death, he would have thrown more of himself into their children, but instead he seems content to pawn them off on his parents most of the time (even though his dad is suffering from Alzheimer's). Now before anyone comes for me, I lost my husband when we had two young children, and while both my parents and my father-in-law were close by and more than willing/capable of taking them, I didn't go that route. As the sole parent left after an unexpected loss, I wanted to spend time with them, so I really cannot understand Dino's motivation (not even with Tara's "lies).

Aside from a bunch of random things thrown in that still don't make sense , for example why did Mr.Grant leave his car running and in Dino's driveway, and why was Dino forced to go give a statement when he obviously wasn't home at the time? Or why was Tara so convinced that Sean was the person behind what happened to her when she repeatedly said she didn't see the person responsible? Or, and this was one of my favorites, why was it necessary to reveal that the Officer in charge of Tara's case was having an affair? It did nothing to move the plot along.

But then we get to what was supposed to be the "big reveal" and man, I had had this one figured out early on. All of the signs were there.

But what really killed this one for me was the way that it ended. I guess we're just supposed to be happy with there being no real resolution to two of the biggest plot points of the story? Alrighty then.

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

I want to start off by saying that as someone who was raped as a teenager, this book was very hard for me to read as it does include rape. I would advise anyone who has gone through something similar to go in to this book cautious and prepared. I read the plot beforehand and wanted to love this book, but because of my past trauma it wasn't the right one for me and I decided about 40% of the way through to stop reading it. I hope to read more from Jane E James as the book was written very well and the storyline sounded intriguing.

TRIGGER WARNING: rape, adoption
Dino is struggling after the death of his wife Tara. But he discovers a letter from her which confesses to secrets. It makes him realise he hardly knew his wife at all...
Not My Child is a domestic drama, psychological and crime thriller set in the UK.
Dino is a heartbroken widower trying to make sense of his wife's death whilst being a loving son to his dad who had Alzheimer's and a support to his grieving children. He is in frequent contact with the police officer in charge of his wife's hit and run but fears he didn't really know or understand the real Tara.
The book is written from Tara's first person perspective as she reflects on her life and Dino's viewpoint (and Ryan's a teeny bit) in the present day. Dino feels betrayed by his wife's lies but Tara's narrative shows us her unhappy childhood and teen rape which are hugely emotive. As Tara's story moves nearer to the present, we are caught up with her obsession with the truth which ultimately led to her death.
The author's note at the start is open about the unpleasant topic of rape which is depicted in the book. She highlights the facts of poor reporting and conviction rates which underpin the plot. This book includes a rape scene but it is the emotional trauma that follows which is much more upsetting.
Dino is desperate to bring his wife's killer to justice. There is a mystery for him to unravel as he tries to find the truth behind the secrets. I was concerned by the lead police officer's familiarity bordering on friendship as I felt it was inappropriate. OK, so I guessed the big twist about a third of the way through, although I did briefly change my mind at the two thirds point before reverting to my original opinion. This didn't spoil my enjoyment at all as I couldn't wait to see how events would play out and I wasn't disappointed.
Not My Child is an emotional and engaging book with plenty of secrets and mystery as well.

Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC to review. Here are my thoughts. This book was just not for me. I hated the characters and just couldn't get in to the story. The twists were predictable and I felt it was very repetitive.

The story starts with the death of Dino's wife, Tara. After her death, Dino discovers that Tara had kept a huge secret from him. 18 years earlier, Tara had a baby. Throughout the course of the book, we alternate between the past (Tara's perspective) and the present (Dino's perspective). We learn how Tara's secret came to be and how she managed one the years.

I found this story really dragged on at times. It was riddled with many unneeded details that made it boring at times. The vast majority of the twists were predictable. The ending felt incredibly rushed and unresolved. I feel as though the author tried to throw too much at the reader, instead of taking the time to really develop a couple of shocking twists.

Thank you Joffe Books and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

Ufff 😮‍💨 this book right here! I was addicted from the very beginning! The amount of secrets this WHOLE family is hiding is intense! I honestly don’t think there was a single chapter where I felt like I was bored. If it wasn’t for the fact that I have two kids and adult responsibilities I could have easily finished this in one sitting! There are heavy topics in this story so please be mindful of that and read the trigger warnings. All in all though this book was extremely good and a serious page turner!

I did not finish this one, it was not for me, I couldn't relate to the characters, and just did not care for the story.

Not my child by Jane E. james.
Unputdownable Psychological Thrillers book 2.
Looking out at my dead wife’s family in the pews, I know I’m meant to read the eulogy that’s tucked into my pocket. The one that tells a story of the life I built with my wonderful wife before she was tragically killed in a hit-and-run.
I really enjoyed this book. Twisty and gripping. I certainly didn't see that coming. Wow. 5*.

I would like to firstly thank @netgalley @janeejamesauthor & @joffebooks for allowing me to read the ARC of this book - I absolutely LOVED it! ❤️

From the beginning I was intrigued and was constantly wanting to find out what happened next! The triple POVs made it gripping from the start and after finding out the main character Tara had died your mind automatically goes into overdrive wondering how and what has happened!

A psychological thriller is definitely my favourite genre to read and this book does not fall short! There were multiple plots to the story and the author manages to keep the reader in suspense while developing all the subplots! Very cleverly done! Even though there are a variety of twists and turns, the quick pace remains and you are constantly making your own theories and conclusions as to what has happened!

The ending was amazing and one I certainly didn’t see coming or expect. It left me with my mouth open in shock! I don’t want to give any spoilers away as I’d encourage anyone to read this but is is up there with one of the best endings I’ve read this year.

I would definitely recommend this and I’m really grateful to have been allowed to read the ARC of this! ❤️

I absolutely loved this book. I thought the way the chapters alternated between Dino in the present and Tara in the past kept the story really fresh. It also meant that I couldn't put the book down. I couldn't wait to find out what had happened to Tara that had had such a big impact on her future. Her chapters in particular had me holding my breath. The story was full of twists and turns but the final shock had me gasping. I just did not see that one coming. This is a brilliant read that has had me looking for other work by this author.

Thank you for the advanced copy.

I really enjoyed this book I love the two time lines. I am looking forward to reading more from this author.

Thank you to Joffre books and NetGalley for an ARC of Not My Child in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely loved the format of this book… multiple points of views and timelines, however the characters felt a bit flat for me. It took me a couple weeks to get through it because it never quite grabbed me. Trigger warning that rape plays a major part in the story.

Tara was definitely a better, more relatable character than her husband, Dino. The twists at the end are good, but it felt rushed and unfinished at the end.

I want to thank NetGalley and Joffe Books for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

The story was good, but I feel like it was a tad bit try-hard. There were a ton of twists, to the point where I stopped being shocked. By the end of it, I felt like I still had more questions, rather than getting a true resolution.. I didn't personally feel like I connected to the characters, either. Good story, but I would've loved to have just a few less plot twists, more relatable and likeable characters, and a more straightforward story.

This was an absolute roller coaster and I loved it! The ending was genuinely shocking to me! This was a fast paced wild ride that had me on the edge of my seat! I would recommend this! Special Thank You to Jane E. James, Joffe Books, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

NOT MY CHILD
by Jane E. James
Pub Date 12 Sep 2023
Joffe Books
Mystery & Thrillers



Joffe Books and Netgalley provided me with a copy of Not My Child for review:


All Tara wants is for her child to find her. However, she must be careful what she wishes for. 


There is almost nothing wrong with Tara's life. Dino, her handsome husband, adores her. There are two beautiful children in their family. Despite a tight budget, their marriage is happy. 



There's something missing, though. 



It is impossible for Tara to forget the baby she gave up for adoption all those years ago. Ryan was the name she gave him. There is always a question in her mind about what happened to him. 


Finally, a young man seeks out Tara. He claims to be Ryan, her long-lost son. 



Tara's carefully-constructed new life will be destroyed when he arrives. 



Since Tara has been keeping secrets from her husband and everyone around her. Ryan's appearance will bring into the open secrets - with horrifying consequences. 


I give Not My Child four out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

Wow! I did not see that twist coming. I enjoyed that the book was told from two points of view - made me want to get by each chapter just to be able to pick up where the previous left off. Hadn’t read anything from this author before - will look for her work in the future.

First, I want to thank NetGalley and Joffe Books for providing access to Not My Child by Jane E. James. I struggled getting through this book. My heart broke for the main character Tara. At the young age of fifteen she was sexually assaulted on her walk home one night. She ended up pregnant by her attacker and was forced by her family to put the child up for adoption. Throughout the years Tara kept her rape a secret. She eventually got married and had two children. Unexpectantly her past came back to haunt her. Tara was positive that she knew her attacker was, but she had it all wrong. This person was a lot close to home than she could ever imagine. Not My Child is a page-turner with moments full of tension and suspense. There are many shocking twists that kept me wanting more. Jane E. James definitely did not disappoint with this one.

Not My Child by Jane E. James is a superb, fast-paced and thrilling book to read. From the very first chapter, I was hooked and wanted to know what had happened and what was going to happen.

Not My Child centers around Tara, a mum and wife, and the extraordinary circumstances she finds herself in. It is mainly told from the points-of-view of married couple, Tara and Dino. During her childhood, Tara has suffered trauma from her mother and brothers that leads to a life-changing event. She retells the story from her past throughout the book.

Dino's story is told in the recent past and present and involves the police and an investigation. Tara gave birth to a child when she was young and was forced to give him up for adoption. She dreams about him finding her and wanting to meet her when he turns 18, but things don't go quite as she imagined.

This is a fast, edge-of-your-seat, compelling read set in Peterborough, England. I really felt strongly that I liked the main characters and felt their pain as events of the story unfolded. Jane E. Smith is a great writer with an ease of phrasing and writing dialogue that feels very real. I highly recommend this book and give it 10 points out of a maximum 10! Available through the always amazing www.joffebooks.com.

Thankyou to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC.
This is my first title from this author and I will be reading more in the future.
I really really enjoyed this book! I loved the multiple POV, the short chapters and the timeline from then and now.
I found myself hooked to this book and was surprised with the characters and character developments.
I can tell you you will be hooked and the ending you will never guess, it left me gobsmacked!
Read this book today. You will not be disappointed.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️