Overall I enjoyed this book. I appreciated how thoughtfully the author handled the dementia portions of the book as well as the care for the characters suffering with postpartum psychosis. As a mother I know how mentally and emotionally taxing the job is but I truly appreciated how Erin had grace for both Imogen and Ava. Not exactly the book I thought I would be reading but one I enjoyed.

A good, easy to follow book, about the family relationships between of 4 women. I did feel like the plot was a bit slow, waiting for something to happen that never did, but overall I enjoyed it.

Such a heartbreaking story woth a very tough subject of postnatal depression. The author was so sensitive when writing this and my heart went out to all the characters. Beautifully written

I felt bad for Emma for most of the book. She was dealing with her mother’s growing incapacitation and that her daughter might move an ocean away.
Then who is Imogen? Emma learns, slowly, the truth of her childhood.
Sometimes when some one leaves another person comes into our lives and Emma experiences this fully.
It’s a tender story with lot of shifts and bends.

Please Take My Baby is about family secrets coming to light, and the difficult decisions moms are faced with. I like how it focuses on the important topic of what the postpartum experience is like for some people. The book held my interest throughout and I enjoyed how the present timeline came to light with the past. This is my first time reading Emma Robinson and I'm wondering why she hasn't been on my radar before. Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book.

What an emotional, heartbreaking, beautiful story this is. Any book by Emma Robinson is guaranteed to grip from the start and this did exactly that. Lovely characters and a satisfying conclusion that tied up all the loose ends
Highly recommended and many thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in return for an honest review

Please Take My Baby is exactly the type of book I have come to expect and love from Emma Robinson. It is a highly emotional story that had me reaching for the tissues on many occasions. It had me hooked from the first page and I highly recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC.

Thank you Bookouture for inviting me to be part of the Books on Tour for “Please Take My Baby” by Emma Robinson. This book ripped my heart right out of my chest and made me cry so much. This is a great story about the relationships between mothers and daughters.
This book will have you flipping the pages so fast to see what happens. If you are looking for a book that is filled with hope, this story is for you. Many thanks to the author, Bookouture and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
#PleaseTakeMyBaby #EmmaRobinson #books #tbrpile #bookaddict #bookreviewer #bookishcommunity #bookstagramcommunity #readingcommunity #Books #bookfriends #booksbooksbooks #booksta #netgalley

“When you’re told a mother makes sacrifices, you think of the sleepless nights and the wrecking of your body and the nights you’ll have to stay home. But they are easy when compared with the biggest sacrifice. The one where you have to let them go. Worse, you have to make them feel as if they can walk away and not look back. Freedom without strings.”

My heart was not ready for this book. A story about identity and the relationship between a mother and her children that explores the sacrifices mothers make and what it means to really put your child first. Gut-wrenchingly emotional and moving, it broke my heart into pieces before putting them back together again.

A story about four generations of women, a family secret that has been hidden for decades, and life-changing decisions, it centres around Erin, a forty-something divorcee who has recently moved back into her mother Ava’s home to help care for her as she battles dementia. The pair have always had a strained relationship and there is added tension in the home as Erin’s fifteen-year-old daughter, Harriet, is far from happy with the move as it meant leaving her school and friends behind. But it’is when Erin finds a photograph of her mother holding a baby she’s never seen before that things really begin to unravel, leading Erin to a shocking discovery that makes her question everything about herself and her life.

“Layer upon layer of lies. Her whole childhood covered and hidden and papered over. Now those layers were peeling and tearing apart and what was she going to find underneath?”

Emma Robinson has created a beautifully and sensitively written story filled with compelling and real characters that make you feel everything they do. I felt like I walked in Erin’s shoes at every step and there were times I had to put the book down to compose myself before picking it up again. Themes of maternal sacrifice that run through every facet of the story but it was Erin’s agony over Harriet possibly moving away to live with her father that resonated most with me. Having recently sent my eldest off to university in another city I felt her pain in my soul but loved that she chose to put her daughter’s best interests above her own again and again.

“Hang on in there. That's how she felt, like she was hanging on by her fingernails to both her mother's past and her daughter's future. What would happen if she let go?”

Dementia is not an easy subject to write about but Robinson deals with it brilliantly, her skill for writing difficult subjects in a candid but sensitive way evident once again. She provides a raw, honest, emotional, and detailed exploration of dementia, the emotions it stirs up, and the repercussions for the patient’s whole family. I felt Ava’s confusion and fear as she moved between lucidity and forgetting simple things like how to make a cup of tea and Erin’s heartache and devastation was palpable, reminding me of how I felt watching my own grandmother descend deeper into dementia.

Heartfelt, poignant and affirming, Please Take My Baby is a powerful and thought-provoking read that I highly recommend. Just make sure you have a box full of tissues handy.

Emma Robinson's "Please Take My Baby" is a heartfelt examination of motherhood and the ties that bind families together. The story centers around Erin, a single mother, as she uncovers family secrets that shake her sense of self. The beauty and honesty of Robinson's writing lies in its portrayal of the complexities of parenthood and the sacrifices made for children.

This book offered a compelling exploration of the bond between mothers and daughters and prioritizing one's child's needs, even in challenging circumstances. Is forgiveness attainable in a family rooted in betrayal? A complicated family drama unfolded in this novel, brimming with surprising moments. The book had enough intrigue to make me rapidly turn pages, eager to uncover more secrets.

The writing was beautiful, delicately approaching sensitive topics, and it kept tugging at my heartstrings.

Many thanks to @Netgalley & @bookouture for the chance to read this emotional rollercoaster.

Please Take My Baby is an emotional family drama about the sacrifices mothers make for their children.

I do feel the prologue ruined my reading pleasure because too much was revealed too soon and it took away the suspense and the usual build up but it was an easy read with likable characters and I would recommend it readers who enjoy this genre.

Please Take My Baby by Emma Robinson

Emotional, heartbroken, but a story that full of sacrifices, love and motherhood.

She passed her newborn baby to her mother, said “Please take my baby.”

Among all these years, Erin had no idea about her true identity. Until the day her daughter found a picture in a biscuit tin at their home. Erin thought it was herself and her mother Ava. But it’s not…Erin could not get the straight answer from her dementia mother.

The story then followed along Erin was finding the truth. She discovered more about the secrets and history of her family.

It was totally touched by the story. Perfectly written storyplot. How a mother took care of herself after giving birth, how helpless a mother felt, how fragile a mother could be…all these feelings were strongly showed in the story.

I also loved how smartly the author put Erin as the center character by putting her as a daughter and at the same time a mother. Erin could then show her strong side as a mother and the understanding side as a daughter.

Erin and her teenage daughter, Harriet move in with Erin's mother, Ava as she is suffering from dementia. While going through some old photos, Erin comes across a picture of a woman and the name on the back says Imogen. Ava gets agitated when Erin asks her about it. Erin has never seen this woman before and wonders about her connection with Ava.

It is difficult to write this review without giving anything away. This is a multi layered story, both emotional and uplifting at the same time. I loved how Erin handled the situations and challenges with her mother, her ex-husband and her daughter.

Though a bit slow moving in parts and not as intriguing as the blurb mentions, Emma has done a wonderful job of portraying complex, intense, loving and heartbreaking relationships between mothers and daughters.

With realistic portrayal of themes of memory and motherhood, this one will pull at your heartstrings.

Thank you @bookouture for having me on the #booksontour and @netgalley and @emmarobinsonuk for a digital early copy to read and review.

I enjoyed meeting Erin, her daughter and mother. Erin works in a hotel and lives with her mother so she can take care of her. I could not stand her ex husband and how he handled things that was going on in his life and including the daughter without talking to Erin first. He seems to be a very selfish and controlling person.
When Erin finds out her mother isn't who she thought she was I was just as invested in learning the truth myself.
Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for the ARC.

This book has an interesting blurb but the way it was executed made it basic and I’m not sure I’ll remember it in a couple of days. Some information was given away far too soon and it lacked the build up and suspense. It does touch on important topics which is always good. I found it drawn out for what it all came to. I did like the characters and their different relationships with each other. Unfortunately it just fell a little short for me. I didn't think it was mind blowing or anything different to many other books of a similar topic.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review #PleaseTakeMyBaby

This was definitely an emotionally charged drama. It gave the reader different points of view and how things aren't always as they seem. Harriet was probably my favorite character as she rolled with the punches of her dysfunctional family.



Thanks so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc. The opinions are my own.

Another well written book, as I have come to expect from this author.
As ever, the characters are well developed and the story written in such a way as though you are there and can see the scenes unfolding around you.
I felt this one was a little different from the authors previous books, (not in a bad way!) maybe not quite so heart wrenching and not quite so on the edge of my seat to know what happens next.
All in all a lovely read with characters you care about and can feel sympathy towards.
I certainly do love books from this author and will be looking out for the next offering!

One of the many beautiful things about Please Take My Baby by Emma Robinson is its relatability. Anyone who’s loved, or been loved will empathise with this heart wrenching story of motherhood and sacrifice.
Robinson’s seamless writing keeps the reader firmly in the story, following the lovely character, Erin, as she tries to make sense of her tipping world and make the right decision for her daughter, Harriet.
I loved the way Erin’s selflessness is tried. She’s not perfect, but none of us are, and her utterly believable struggles will speak to mothers and daughters the world over.
Another wonderful book by Emma Robinson. An easy 5 stars.

Master storyteller, Emma Robinson returns following My Stepmother's Secret with her latest, PLEASE TAKE MY BABY —a heartfelt, beautiful, emotional story of three mothers— four generations of women whose lives connect unexpectedly at just the right time when they need each other the most.

COMPELLING —a poignant testament to the immeasurable and restorative power of love. A captivating tale of life, loss, sacrifice, love, and the power of family.

Four women:
Ava
Imogen
Erin
Harriet

Set in London, Erin is a divorced single mom of Harriet, and her ex-husband, Simon, is currently remarried, and they are expecting. He is looking at a new job and wants to take their daughter Harriet to live with them in California.

Erin is stressed and worried about losing her daughter and, at the same time, wants to do what is best for her. All the while, she is caring for her elderly mother, who has dementia. She goes to The Oasis, a drop-in center for dementia sufferers and their carers.

She finds a photo in an old biscuit tin of her mom, Ava, with a baby. That baby's name was Imogen. However, her mom's memory goes in and out, making it difficult to learn more about her. How will she find the answer to the dark secrets of her mom when they are buried within? She seems to be agitated when bringing up the subject.

Erin is determined to find this woman, who may be her sister and her mother's daughter before it is too late. There are so many unanswered questions.

But what she does not expect when she finds her is that she is not her sister. She is something more.

What happened to Imogen? Why did she leave? Why did she give up her baby? Is she too hurt to revisit the past? Things are not as they seem, and three mothers have spent their lives thinking something different. What if someone could put all the pieces together for a second chance before Ava loses all her memories?

From past to present, the author takes us back to Imogen as a young girl who gets pregnant. Her parents were very strict. She had the baby, but she was so young and did not know how to care for her little girl. Her mom helped, but then the father would not allow her to keep coming back when she left, or she could take the baby. Imogen had no where to turn.

We also learn about Ava and what she went through as a mother with depression. All the while, Erin is struggling as she is close to Harriet, and she may move. Erin has always put her daughter first as a mother, so she has had to pass up promotions in the hospitality industry.

There is much more to the story than you can envision, and I was surprised with each twisty turn. I enjoyed the strong theme of memory. Ava and Imogen see the events from different perspectives. As with dementia, it is difficult to determine which memories may surface and where those memories live.

The author delivers a page-turning novel about the complex, intense, love, and heartbreaking relationships between mothers and daughters.

Emma Robinson does a beautiful job diving deep into motherhood with compassion and sensitivity. As with her other books, this one will pull on your heartstrings. From love, sacrifice, longing to belong, and what it means to be a mother. This was one of my favorites of hers, with a sense of mystery and intrigue and a happy ending! I adored Erin's character.

PLEASE TAKE MY BABY is a bittersweet, emotionally intense, and uplifting novel recommended for readers who appreciate stories by Sally Hepworth, Lisa Genova, JoJo Moyes, and Jodi Picoult.

I was fortunate to read the ebook and listen to the audiobook narrated by Sofia Zervudachi for an engaging performance—I loved the audio!

Thanks to Bookouture, Bookouture Audio, and NetGalley for a gifted ARC and ALC for an honest review.

Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: Oct 17, 2023
My Rating: 5 Stars
Oct 2023 Must-Read Books

Another amazing, heart wrenching book by Emma Robinson, I absolutely loved this book, with characters that you grow to love and a story that is true to life, I highly recommend this book.