Member Reviews

This is a story of family, friendship and secrets. This is a story of what happens when secrets are kept and friendships are put in jeopardy. It is an interesting story and I enjoyed it but found it a bit slow to read and hard to get into at first. The book got better as you read further into it and I think this is because the writing and the characters are quite good. You can relate to the characters and the friendships making it a story that becomes more real as you read it.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

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What a fantastic family drama book, it had me hooked from the first page and kept me turning the pages.Great style of writing and the story was told extremely well. Would highly recommend.

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I discovered this author recently and I was really impressed by her writing style. Jen likes to write books about friends and motherhood. Once again, she blew it out of the ballpark. I couldn't put it down.

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This was my first read from Jen Craven. Quite different to what I would normally pick up but I really enjoyed it. The daughter/mum relationship somewhat felt relatable to me in the context of tough parenting and keeping things a secret in fear of judgement. The twists that kept coming from this book was a huge gripper for me.

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What would you do if your best friend's teenage daughter came to you to tell you she is pregnant and not to tell her mom? This was a beautiful and sad story mixed with friendship, lies and secrets. It was a bit predictable , but I really enjoyed this book and can actually see this as a movie. I highly recommend!

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This book started slowly but developed into a great family drama.. Sad in parts but with a good twist I didn't see coming. Well worth a read
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC

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A decent enough story line to contend with. this was a story about a friendship that is put through it's paces, the families are close and

Despite being raved about in other reviews, I found it a little hard to ease into, this book is an okay read, it was however slow in pace for me, there didn't seem to be much of a plot and I struggle with books that are set out in pov from a selection of characters, I find them to be a bit choppy.

The writing was rather good though and I did feel engaged once I managed to get into it, the characters were realistic and plausible Just the story was a little bit flat for me.

Thanks to netgalley for my free ARC in return for my honest review.

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Jen Craven always writes a gem of a book. This has been no different. I was pulled in and unwilling to put this down. This is an incredible read which is completely unpredictable. I loved this from beginning to end.

The characters that make up this book are fantastic. Rachel and Monica have been friends since college. Their lives have gone in different directions but they remain the best of friends.

These are relatable characters and you can’t help but love them. They are relatable and the emotions are a bit of a rollercoaster as you read this one.

We really see the friendship change, it’s a real journey through this book and Craven has portrayed this perfectly. This is brilliantly written and completely addictive.

I’ve read a few of Craven’s books and they get better and better. This is a favourite of mine from her collection. This is a must read and one that I have adored.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

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The premise of the story sounded interesting which prompted me to request the book. I found it slow starting but the elements of the mother :daughter relationship was intriguing and how the relationship between the mother’s best friend and daughter felt like a competition. I was hoping for more drama but the story selves into the complexity of the relationships.

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Rachel and Monica were friends from their days at university and the story develops from there. It started slowly but developed into a great family drama with a good twist at the end. Well worth a read

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Wow, what a wonderful book! A great read. I absolutely adored this one. Five amazing stars. One of my favourite reads this year.

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This is a hard one for me as I was both disappointed and pleased with it and let me tell you why. I expected it to be a fast paced thriller with lots of unpredictability - we all know how much I love those, and it wasn't so I was disappointed. However, what I got was really well written and very thought provoking so still a pleasing read.

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This one had some great twists and turns and some really good characters. The plot was pretty good as well, a mystery but not murder but mostly just a drama read.
I found the time jumps especially near the end to make it rather choppy to read. There were moments of extreme detail and repetitiveness and then times of big jumps that could have used more meat.
I could also see the plot twist coming almost from the start.
Overall it was a good read. I enjoyed the characters and how their relations with each other moved.

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Her Daughter...

Well this one just about destroyed my little black soul.

This is a story about friendship, and what happens when you try to keep secrets. Both thrilling and riveting, once you pick this book up, you will never want to put it down.

I became attached to the characters, Chloe, especially. Rachel and Monica's friendship was admirable yet also complicated. They are completely different parents and the way that Monica truly wanted to support Chloe, pulled at my heartstrings. Yet, if I knew a big secret about one of my friends children, Im not sure I would be able to keep such a secret.

This is a story that will keep you on your toes and also have you thinking what you would do in a similar situation and to be honest, I still don't know what I would do.

If you're looking for complicated and "real" characters with "real" issues. This is a book for you.

Check out this teaser :

When my best friend’s teenage daughter comes to see me, I know something is wrong. With tear-filled eyes, she says she’s pregnant and begs me not to tell her mother. I know I’m betraying my best friend but as I look at Chloe’s terrified expression, I don’t know how I will find the strength to say no…

No matter what life throws at me, I have always been able to depend on my best friend Rachel. In nineteen years of friendship, we’ve never argued or fallen out. So, I’m wracked by guilt over my decision to keep her daughter Chloe’s pregnancy a secret. I don’t want to break Chloe’s trust but, if I don’t say anything, it could destroy my relationship with Rachel.

I hoped Chloe would find the confidence to tell her mom, but days have passed, and the guilt is eating me alive. As much as I want to support Chloe, I don’t know how much longer l can lie to my best friend. I spend every day completely gripped by a panic that sends my heart racing.

The pressure only worsens when I discover that Chloe has one more thing that she’s been hiding. Something that could destroy the perfect life I’ve worked so hard to build—the family I love so much and the career I’m so passionate about.

And then I realize that Chloe isn’t the only one with secrets. Rachel has been lying to us all…

The three of us are more entwined than ever but when the truth comes out, what will be left of our friendship and our families?

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Thank you @netgalley @jencravenauthor and @bookouture for this ALC to listen and review.

This women's fiction novel was such a realistic and beautiful read about friendships and families.

Two women who have been friends since college going through life. Both at different points in their life. Both wanting things that the other has. This shows their struggles and how they navigate them. How broken promises affect you. Even elements of domestic suspense.

The family drama was so well done and made even more real with the narrator's help in this audiobook. She did a fantastic job with the three different POVS.

There was even a twist that I totally didn't see coming.

Such a solid read. I went into this blind and was pleasantly surprised. I flew through it needing to see how all the secrets were uncovered.

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Although Her Daughter doesn’t have the fastest pace, nor does a huge amount happen in the storyline, it is a really interesting look behind the scenes of a long friendship filled with history. It is a fascinating exploration of Rachel and Monica’s relationship that is already decades long and seems perfect; build on love and support. However, it doesn’t take long for the cracks to appear with assumptions, resentment and jealousy all playing a part in a rift that climaxes when everyone’s secrets are exposed.

I can’t say I loved all the characters and the decisions they made, but I have to admit that it really did make me think and wonder what I would do in both Rachel and Monica’s position and I’m not sure that I have the answer to that though.

This one ended up being a bit of a miss for me, but I can say though that it made me appreciate what I have and I am pleased to say that I have plans with my best friend this week and will try to never take her for granted!

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Gripping, a page turner and emotional are the words that come to mind when I read Her Daughter. I am still thinking about it a few days after I finished. I felt so many of both Rachel and Monica's emotions reading this and felt some of the same way they felt, in my own life. It is always a special book when you can relate tidbits to your own personal life. Friendship is the main theme in this novel and I related to it in so many ways. Women friendship is so unique and special and you are very lucky in this world if you have these type of special friendships in your life. This was a nice palette cleanser from all the thrillers and mysteries I consume. This is a emotional family drama and I felt like I was watching it the whole time and had to keep reading to figure out how everything is going to turn out. Jen Craven will be an author I pick up again. I am very thankful for the opportunity to read Her Daughter and will order it for my library and recommend to my patrons and my book following as well.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for a part in the book tour for Her Daughter. Congratulations to Jen Craven for a wonderful book. A big thank you to Sarah Hardy for including Hedwig's and Hopes on the Book Tour.

You can find my reviews here:
Instagram: @hedwigsandhopes
Goodreads: Nikki- Hedwig's and Hopes

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This was a good and enjoyable read and I will be sure to look out for more Jen Craven books.

Rachel and Monica have been best friends ever since they met at university in their freshman year where they were paired up to room together. Fast forward 20 years both are settled in life with husbands and children. Rachel’s biggest life regret was having to drop out of university when she got pregnant with Chloe, her eldest daughter, and it’s a dream that she can finally put in motion with Chloe and her two younger brother and sister now at an older age. But then Chloe totally blindsides Rachel by announcing she is pregnant, and Rachel sees the dream of finishing her degree slipping away. The pregnancy puts Rachel and Monica’s friendship on the line too when Rachel discovers Chloe told Monica about the pregnancy 3 weeks before she told her parents. Whilst this is all happening Monica’s husband Roman is running for mayor and suddenly both Monica and Rachel’s lives begin to change. Allegations made against Roman start, at first embezzlement and theft of public monies but then more serious accusations of sexual harassment of a staffer. Although Monica and Roman are in the eye of the storm Rachels husband, Chris, is also involved as he recently had been employed as Romans campaign manager. With Chloe’s pregnancy and the worries with the campaign, Rachel and Monica’s friendship teeters on the edge of breaking apart, then comes another huge life changing revelation that will affect both families for the rest of their lives. Can Rachel and Monica’s friendship survive, or will this be one bombshell too much for it?!

This was my first book by Jen Craven and I really enjoyed it. I warmed to the character of Monica pretty quickly and loved hearing from the different characters, Monica, Rachel and Chloe. I did, however, found it hard to like Rachel, she seemed very preoccupied with status etc. and also, she pushed her husband, Chris, into accepting a job with Roman despite him being happy with his current job which was a massive mistake for their family. I do admit I had guessed the bombshell at around chapter 28 (halfway through the book) but this didn’t ruin my enjoyment of the story. Indeed, the second half of the book really had me gripped and I was getting annoyed when the daily activities of living were taking me away from reading (for me the sign of a good book).

Overall, I would definitely recommend this book and I shall be watching out for more books by Jen Craven. Solid 4 stars for a good book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Jen Craven and Bookouture for my advanced reading copy. Out now.

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This is a beautiful book about friendship and motherhood and the strength of the bonds behind each relationship. It also delves into how secrets can harm these relationships. Beyond that, this book also explores difficult times, unhappiness in life and in jobs, over the course of a year and it also shows the growth that can happen.

I appreciated Monica’s role in Chloe’s life. It’s not easy always talking to your own mom, but to have someone like that to talk to is priceless. However, if a friend of mine knew a secret like that about my child and never told me, I would be really mad.

I also really enjoyed how drastically different Monica and Rachel were. Rachel works at a daycare and is around for all of her children’s activities. Monica works a lot and misses a lot of her children’s activities. I relate to Monica in that regard. My older son thinks all I do is work. I do try my best to be at everything, every school event, every game, but it’s not always easy. I try to live by the philosophy that my children aren’t always going to want me to be class mom or chaperone field trips, so I’m going to do it now while they still want me to.

This book can easily pull at your heartstrings. There is also some shocking reveals that I loved reading about. I did have a minor suspicion about a reveal and I was right, but I did second guess myself.

Overall, a great read!

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Her Daughter marks my first Jen Craven novel, a poignant read that may require a box of tissues by your side.

The story introduces Monica, a dedicated physician specialising in fertility, and her close friend Rachel, who faces the challenges of motherhood with her daughter Chloe and her younger children. Secrets unravel as Chloe's pregnancy becomes a shared confidence with Monica, leading to a web of hidden truths. Can they navigate through these revelations?

Initially, the story may seem slow-paced, yet it cleverly sets the stage for the unfolding drama. The characters, including a successful doctor, a woman balancing work and family, and a university student, resonate with real-life experiences. Dive into this compelling narrative today.

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