My thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Not Their Daughter’ written by Laura Elliot in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

As Gaby Grace sits at her dying father’s bedside she hears him whisper ‘I Stole You’. Gaby can’t grieve until she confirms he wasn’t saying ‘I love you’ so carries out a DNA test on herself and her parents. On receiving the results, the action Gaby takes will test the love she has for her family to the hilt.

‘Not Their daughter’ is a compelling family drama where three-month-old Isabelle Russell was abducted twenty-eight years ago and the information that Gaby has recently been made aware of holds has the capacity to destroy two families. The story unfolds as Gaby travels between her work in New York and home in Ireland seeking the truth, and comes across individuals who want to silence her. As she struggles to come to terms with family loss and rekindles a past relationship, the tension increases until the conclusion is reached and the truth revealed. This is a story with a cleverly conceived plot that has suspense, twists and turns and so many unexpected circumstances that it’s been impossible for me to put my Kindle down and stop reading. This is the first novel I’ve read by this author but it certainly won’t be the last.

Really enjoyed this book. I have read Laura's books before and they are incredibly emotive reads and this one was no different I found it incredibly immersive

Thank you for the opportunity to review

OH MY GOODNESS! 5 FULL stars!! Laura Elliot does it AGAIN and there is no denying the skills! This book kept me hanging on with every word. Every chapter was one exciting thrill after another! Turns and shocking secrets kept my mouth on the floor! This will be on my bookshelf VERY soon!

A little slow to start but stick with it as it gradually picks up pace. Some twists and turns along the way and an excellent ending.

Twenty nine years ago a newborn was gone from her cot
Am I the missing one
I grew up and my father who was dying told me that he had stolen me
I thought what has happened to me
I have to find out
I had an ARC

Not their Daughter was a novel that was filled with lots of twist and turns. This book will keep you guessing until the very end.

OMG I have just finished this book! Wow! Couldn’t put it down at all! I’m shook ! What an ending! Was totally invested in all the characters. I didn't want it to end just a fab book!

The plotline really interested me and I was really engaged with the first few chapters.
 
For whatever reason, the book lost me, my interest waned and I just lost the connection with the story.
 
A real shame, as I was intrigued by the whole plot idea.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookoutre for providing me with an Advance Reader's Copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

Gaby has always felt a sense of disconnection from her family, a feeling that intensifies after the death of her father, who cryptically uttered the words, "I stole you" on his deathbed. This statement leads her to question her identity and her place within her family. In an effort to uncover the truth, she decides to take a DNA test without informing her relatives, hoping to find answers that could explain her feelings of not belonging. As she grapples with the implications of her father's words, she confronts the complexities of grief and the bonds of family.

The narrative unfolds as Gaby navigates her emotions surrounding her father's death, her tumultuous breakup in New York, and her family's dynamics. Despite the predictable plot that echoes common themes of stolen babies, the character development and emotional depth of the story resonate with readers. While some may find the storyline familiar, the unexpected twist at the conclusion offers a surprising turn that challenges Gaby's understanding of herself and her family. Overall, this novel explores profound themes of love, loss, and the search for identity, making it a compelling read.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance review copy in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed the pace of this thriller & the story/character development so much! Multiple times throughout I felt a connection to a few characters which made the book that much more enjoyable. Not your typical thriller either - which was awesome.

Gaby is back home in Ireland after getting news her father is sick with cancer with not much time left. She gets home and gets 16 hours with him before his death. His last words to her were not “I love you” but “I stole you”.

Throughout the story Gaby is trying to come to terms with what might be the truth about her real identity, the loss of her father, a horrible break up in NY, and the dynamic of her family.

The ending of the story was not what I thought or expected at all- it was a wild twist I would never had expected!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this arc in exchange for my honest review.

This is a fantastic read and I really went on a journey with Gabby to uncover the truth of her dad's dying words. Heartfelt and emotional but also thrilling, it wasa perfect mix of the two. A really engrossing and fabulous read.

Wow! What a gripping and immersive novel. It was easy to connect to Gaby and become invested in her quest to discover the truth of her birth. The emotional depth and analysis of family dynamics kept me hooked.
I didn't want it to end and will look at reading more from the author.

Read and reviewed in exchange for a free copy from NetGalley. Unfortunately I didn't click with this book. The plot was fantastic, but I found the writing very slow and the book difficult to get through as a result. There was also limited character development, and while elements were intriguing and tense, unfortunately it was not enough for me to be fully captivated by the story.

I've read and enjoyed other books by this author and this book was no exception.

I could see the biggest twist but this is only because the author does such a good job in characterisation that it couldn't be any other way. I felt for Maria but I also had sympathy for Cass. In fact, I was invested in the journeys of all the female characters. It was well paced and well written with plenty of intrigue and interest to keep the reader hooked! I enjoyed this book and will continue to look for others by this author. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my copy of this book.

Even the title is intriguing. The main character discovers secrets after the death of her father. Has her life been a lie? Secrets and red herrings add to the mystery. This talented author has written a page turner l. Thanks Netgalley.

This was an overall gripping read with elements of grief and family secrets. I didn't find it quite as twisty as I would've expected but Gaby's story was a bit heartbreaking. Overall a fairly decent read.

Thank you to NetGalley, author Laura Elliot and Bookoture publishing for the ARC and opportunity to review this book.

In my opinion, it was an okay read. I didn’t find it gripping or suspenseful but an okay read nonetheless. The character development was well done and the book is very descriptive in details about the characters and their lives.

The plot was just too predictable. There really wasn’t anything ‘thrilling’ per se and sadly it reads just like all the other books about a stolen baby. It didn’t really contain any stand alone moments of suspense or page turning moments.

I would like to read other books by this author though and recommend this book if you are looking to read something with a predictable and overused plot and ending. I wish the author had taken the storyline a little further and added something not so overly saturated in the themes of stolen baby books.

3⭐️⭐️⭐️

Wow what a read. This book will break your heart a million times but also remind you that sometimes family isn’t just blood it can be more than that. When Gabby looses her dad to cancer she can’t get over his last words to her “I stole you” as she tries to make sense of his words her mother pulls further and further away from her and as she investigate further she ends up questioning everything in her life and the people around her. Was her father an evil man who snatched her away from her rightful home or was there more to it than that and should some secrets just stay buried!

Not Their Daughter by Laura Elliot is the definition of a thriller masterpiece. This story highlighted the struggles of a grieving family and exposing family secrets. The twists presented were astonishing because i never figured it out. This books gets a 4 star rating from me.

Not Their Daughter by L. Elliot, published by Bookouture is a n absolutely gripping domestic thriller.
I started reading and soon I was that intrigued, I read the book cover to cover in one single sitting. I just couldn't put it down.
Blurb: Twenty-nine years ago, a newborn baby named Isabelle was taken from her cot by her mother’s side. Am I the missing girl?
As the tears roll down my cheeks, I’m shaking as I stare at the faded newspaper photograph of my beloved father. In one moment, my world has been turned upside down. I’m already exhausted by grief, I’m not thinking straight, shattered by his death. But finding this old photograph could change everything I thought I knew about who I am…
A shiver runs through me as the idea that my life is not what it seems begins to take hold. My younger sisters are so different to me, so calm and perfect. I’ve never fitted into this family; I’ve never belonged.
My father’s dying words ring in my ears. The last thing he said to me ‘I stole you.’ But could the kind and gentle man who raised me really have done something so terrible?
I’m determined to unravel my family’s secrets because I have to know if I’m the child who was taken all those years ago.