Circle of Doubt

#CircleOfDoubt #NetGalley
An excellent thriller.
Emma and Dele’s dreams came true nine years ago when they adopted their daughter, Isla. It felt like fate, like they were meant to find each other, and now they’re living the life they always wanted. But then one day a new family moves into Forest Grove—and Emma can’t shake the chilling feeling that the wife looks just like Isla’s birth mother.
Emma tells herself that this sophisticated stranger can’t possibly be the troubled woman she remembers from the adoption. But as they get to know each other and it becomes clear that Tatjana has a special interest in Isla, her suspicions grow.
When small things start to go wrong and her parenting abilities are brought into question, Emma feels undermined, turning to her sister Harriet for support. But things only spiral further when secrets from her past suddenly resurface.
Characters and narration were good.
Thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for giving me an advanced copy.

Having read Wall of Silence with enjoyment, I was looking forward to this read.
Emma and Dele adopted Isla when she was a baby and have moved to Forest Grove, where Emma is having a hard time fitting in with the Yummy Mummies. She's shy and has no friends yet but being a mum to Isla is the thing that keeps her going...she loves her more than life itself.
A new family has moved in and the woman looks so much like Isla, that Emma wonders if she could be the birthmother. Nasty incidents start to occur as things get worse and worse for Emma; what on earth is going on?
I was a bit disappointed, it wasn't as good as the previous book, but still a pleasant, although forgettable, read.
Thank you NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for the eARC.

This is the second Tracy Buchanan book for me. While I do believe the first (Wall of Silence??) was a better book, this is still a good one. It touches on topics such as adoption, wild youths & abusive spouses while still being a solid suspense novel. And even after the “who” of the “whodunit” (or “who’s doing it, in this instance) is revealed, there are still more surprises to come. I’ll be looking for Ms Buchanan’s next one😊

Circle of Doubt, by Tracy Buchanan, was an enjoyable read. The storyline was fascinating, the characters were well developed, and the entire read I was entertained. The plot doesn’t have as many twists & turns as I like, but I’d still recommend this book.

📖Book Review 📖
Circle of Doubt - @tracybuchananauthor
Publication date 5th January 2021.

Thank you to @amazonpublishing and @netgalley for the Advanced Readers Copy.

Amazing book!! This had me hooked from the start!! And thanks to not being able to sleep, I finished this in a few hours.

Such an interesting storyline and I think everyone can relate to some of the characters as we’ve all come across bitchy women 😂.

This was a fast paced read and I raced through the end to see what happened.

I would highly recommend this book.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced e-copy of Circle of Doubt by Tracy Buchanan!!!

Emma and Dele are busy raising their adoptive daughter Isla when a new family moved in and the mother looks like Isla’s birth mother. Small things start to happen to make it look like Emma is not a fit mother and she begins to wonder if the birth mother lookalike is trying to steal back her daughter.

This is the first book I have read by Tracey Buchanan and I really like it!! The action starts taking pace almost immediately and never stops. Once you figure out what is happening, there are still more surprises to come and this book keeps you guessing until the very end.

Emma and Dele felt like they had created the perfect family when they adopted Isla. It’s not until several years later when they get new neighbors and Emma is creeped out by the fact that the wife is a dead ringer for Isla’s birth mother. She manages to convince herself that she’s overreacting, but as time goes by, it looks like Emma’s first assumptions may just be right. When dark secrets from Emma’s own past begin to surface, she wonders if she’s losing Isla, or her mind

i really enjoyed this book, it had a great mystery and the characters were really interesting. I enjoyed trying to figure out what was going on. I look forward to more from the author.

“Circle of Doubt” by Tracy Buchanan is a tightly woven family suspense. I really liked the characters and how they all interlocked with one another into the story.
Red herrings are thrown in to put the reader off the scent and it’s not clear who can be trusted until the moment it’s revealed!
This is the first book by this author that I’ve read and I’m looking forward to reading more by her. A great, fast paced, highly enjoyable read.

Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy. Great book! I don't think I have read Tracy before but this was a great start. Man did I think i had it figured out until the loop she threw at the end. Great characters. Great suspense. I also enjoyed the different formats/voices coming out. Highly recommended!

Took me a little while to get into the story line but it was an excellent, well written thriller which did keep me interested once I had got into it.

The characters were good although for me, personally, it wasn't an edge of seat read but I can recommend this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Amazon Publishing for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

May contain spoilers: Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book as an ARC in return for a honest review. I really enjoyed this book! The book follows Emma and Dele who are a married couple with an adopted daughter. They have moved to a new neighborhood and seem to be doing well until they get new neighbors who seem to be too interested in their daughter. Emma starts to believe that the new neighbor is actually the biological mother of her child. She becomes paranoid and as time goes on has good reason to believe something is array. When the truth came out on who was actually the one gaslighting Emma it was a surprise! In addition, Emma also has a secret that she has tried for many years to hide. It was a quick read and enjoyable. I would recommend.

Wow, this is one review that is hard to write. I really wanted to love this book as the plot line is right up my alley and I LOVE the cover too. I am sorry to say this just didn't do it for me. I found myself getting bored by the same thing happening over and over again. We have a female protagonist who is fooled by the most obvious things and seems more concerned with being popular than the safety of her daughter.

The book started out strong and then quickly falls into mediocrity, nothing happened for a long time and the petty infighting, of the school moms, on FaceBook got on my nerves quite quickly...it was becoming absurd. Do women really treat each other that way nowadays? I thought mothers were worried about bullying? I didn't connect with any of the characters, so didn't really care what happened to them except for ten year old Isla, she was so precocious...LOVED her!

This was a very short read at 209 pages as a .PDF so it was easy to get through at least. I have now had three books in a row that were pretty bad so maybe it is me and not the book. I seem to be in the minority of reviewers, so please take my review with a grain of salt. You may enjoy this book, as did many other readers.

Set in the fictional town of Forest Grove, the story centers on Dele and Emma Okoru, the adoptive parents of ten-year old daughter, Isla. As Emma struggles with insecurities about her personality and mothering abilities, especially as the white mother of a mixed race daughter, these are intensified when the rich, glamorous new couple, architect Lawrence and fashion designer Tatjana Belafonte, move to the village. Emma is quick to notice that Tatjana, who is black, looks like a matured version of Jade Dixon, the seventeen year old, heroin-addicted girl who gave birth to Isla. When Tatjana takes a particularly keen interest in Isla and mysterious events start happening that call into question Emma’s character and mothering skills, Emma is firmly convinced that Tatjana is actually Jade returned to take Isla away from her.

The story is told in a dual narrative. In one there’s the unreliable narrator Emma, who is sharing the daily unfolding of events, as she struggles to fit into the mean girl, catty mom culture of Forest Grove, where her every action is handled by the judge and jury panel of ladies who are members of the Mums of Forest Grove Facebook Group, which Emma doesn’t belong to. We also find out she has a hidden, mysterious past that she fears could threaten her custody of Isla, were it to come to light. In the other narrative, we have a series of inner monologue style “letters” to Isla, where someone clearly intent on getting Isla back unfolds their plan, while disparaging Isla’s “fake” parents. Each effort to undermine Emma is explained in a birds-eye view by this person, creating the unsettling feeling of how far they might go to get what they want, as the story shows them upping the ante with each new action against her.

The story does an excellent job of creating the dynamic tension between characters and displaying the fickle allegiances of various members of the community, especially the ladies. Those women are simultaneously awful and awesome. It was well-paced, suspenseful, and the main characters, at least, felt fully formed. The plot was intriguing, and the story did a great job of showing Emma’s isolation in her increasing desperation to prove her theory to her loving, but skeptical husband and others, that Tatjana really is Jade and that she really is plotting against her. There were two fantastic twists that I didn’t see coming at all - and both really elevated the story for me.

One minor issue that was mildly irritating is Buchanan’s borderline comical overuse of exclamation points. Really - the majority of them weren’t necessary and gave the writing a more amateurish feel than it should have had. Oh … and this particular gem of writing:

“The large window looking towards the garden was smashed, glass shattered on the carpet, the blinds covering the window tangled and broken. Lying among the glass was a boulder from the rockery outside.

Somebody must have thrown it through the window!”

Barring a rock sprouting wings, I’m fairly certain that could have been deduced without need of telling me, but hey … to each their own.

All in all, I had a lot of fun with this one and enjoyed it thoroughly!

★★★★

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. #CircleofDoubt #NetGalley

Thought this started off slow and was repetitive. But as I got further into the book it had more oomph to it. Ended up having a great twist I didnt see coming. Overall was a good book.

Thanks to the Author, the publisher and NetGalley for an early release of this book.

Already feeling like a bit of an outsider in her own community of Forest Grove, Emma begins to doubt herself more with the arrival of glamorous Tatjana and her family. And even though it would be nearly impossible, she can't help thinking how much Tatjana looks like Emma's own adopted daughter, Isla, who she saved from a terrible home life as a young child. Emma's husband, Dele, thinks it's just her self-consciousness causing her to make this comparison, but the more she gets to know Tatjana, the more she can't stop thinking about it.

Why else would Tatjana gives Isla so much extra attention? And all those subtle shots she takes at Emma - making her seem like an uncapable, forgetful mother who works too much. Emma knows she's not imagining that! And of course the gossipy school mom clique fawned over Tatjana from the get-go and take any opportunity they can to make Emma feel inferior. Could Tatjana be setting the stage to move in and take Emma's place as Isla's true mother? Emma's determined to dig into Tatjana's past, if only to alleviate her concerns and settle the matter once and for all. At least, that was the plan...

Just when you think that you know where the story is going, it takes a turn you won't see coming. I knew it couldn't be as straightforward as it seemed, and I wasn't disappointed! The seemingly idyllic community of Forest Grove holds many secrets and you'll find yourself racing through the pages trying to uncover each one.

In the first chapter I though, Oh No!, and then I went along and enjoyed this intense journey. I was definitely pulled into the story immediately. This is the second book in the Forest Grove series taking place in a “picture perfect” village. Of course everything is not what it seems, and that is true in this community.

Full of tension and doubt, this is a fantastic getaway from normal life. The author talks about writing this book during the Covid pandemic. I read it while the world is still in the pandemic and it definitely took my mind off what the world is facing. I was focused on the Forest Grove village and what would be the outcome of the situation occurring there. I think the author did an amazing job creating this plot. The characters were believable and flawed, which makes them real to me.

I read the first book, Wall of Silence, in this series and do think it is good to have the background knowledge of the village before reading Circle of Doubt, but each book can be read independently and enjoyed fully. In addition, I want to add that I love the book cover!

I want to thank NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK, Lake Union Publishing for giving me the pleasure of reading the advance reader copy, with no obligation to write a review. My review is done freely as a hobby, and is totally my own opinion, not influenced by receiving the ARC.

To start, I love the cover of the book. The colour is pleasing and the circle of thorns is very fitting.

The title, Circle of Doubt, really describes my feelings about the book. As I was reading it I had my doubts that I would be able to give a positive review.

The story is about a young biracial couple moving into a “perfect” community with their adopted daughter. Right from the beginning, the mother had trouble fitting in with all the “perfect” mothers. Then strange things started happening, making her doubt her sanity. She thought that someone was trying to make her look like a bad mother. They were.

In today's reading world, there is a glut on the market of psychological thrillers. In order to stand out from the others, there has to be a unique aspect to the characters or storyline. The story just did not have these aspects.

I could not identify with the main characters, they seemed very insipid. The “perfect” mothers of the community were just plain bitchy. They followed their leader all the way. I don't need characters or a storyline that is realistic because I read to be entertained. I can't even figure out if they were realistic or not, I found them annoying. This was just a struggle.

Then, around the 70% mark of the book, the twists and turns started and it really did get interesting. The things that happened really did surprise me and I found some redemption in the rest of the book. I finished reading the book on an up note but it took me too long to get there.

I see that there are many positive reviews for Circle of Doubt. Perhaps it was just the wrong time and place for me to read this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance reader's copy of the book.

Really enjoyed this book. It’s based on your own doubts and the way that you can take one thing one way and turn it into a spiral or circle or doubt which is the best way to describe this book.

A disclosure in the first chapter and I was convinced I knew where this was going. Nope, not even close.  This story was a plethora of strained situations: family dynamics, a 10 year old that was a little too sweet and understanding, neighborhood gossips (and how easily THOSE heads were turned), revenge, mental health, marriage issues, maternal love……..it had it all. The big “aha” moment in the book was then followed by another one making for a real page turner. My only letdown was that I felt the final chapter was wrapped up too tightly with a bow for all the excitement that preceded it.

Emma and Dele’s dreams came true nine years ago when they adopted their daughter, Isla. It felt like fate, like they were meant to find each other, and now they’re living the life they always wanted. But then one day a new family moves into Forest Grove—and Emma can’t shake the chilling feeling that the wife looks just like Isla’s birth mother. Emma tells herself that this sophisticated stranger can’t possibly be the troubled woman she remembers from the adoption. But as they get to know each other and it becomes clear that Tatjana has a special interest in Isla, her suspicions grow. When small things start to go wrong and her parenting abilities are brought into question, Emma feels undermined, turning to her sister Harriet for support. But things only spiral further when secrets from her past suddenly resurface. With rumours swirling, Emma begins to doubt herself. Could Tatjana be Isla’s birth mother? And, with everything that’s happening, is Emma the right person to be raising her daughter at all?

This is Buchanan's second book set in Forest Grove and was an aspect I was really excited about. Forest Grove is the perfect setting for a thriller; stunning from the outside but with deadly secrets lurking within its midst. Plus a returning setting means returning characters which is always a bonus.

Back to this read and Buchanan has written a secretive, twisting read that will have you hooked. I was engrossed in this very early on and in particular I enjoyed how this was written. We have our regular chapters and then chapters set in another's perspective that slowly hints at the truth, plus chapters featuring Forest Grove's Facebook page which provides the reader with an insight to the characters mindset. This read is full of twists but more than this, it is a very secretive read. The book is all about the characters having secrets and Buchanan hints at these throughout and then slowly reveals them. Some are more shocking than others but all of them have a place and all inject more excitement to the read.

I have touched on the characters already but I just love this set of characters. Buchanan has created an array of quirky characters and they all bring something to the read. They have their eccentricities but they have their secrets too and it is these secrets that will prove to be important.

I just loved reading 'Circle of Doubt', the setting is perfect, the atmosphere intense and the characters are in possession of dark secrets that will soon out themselves causing shockwaves through this idyllic, claustrophobic setting.

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for an advance copy.

I'm a big fan of this author and have read all her books. This one was good too. I was a little confused as the setting and some characters are the same from Wall of Silence, not sure if that was intentional? But it doesn't matter. The plot was tense from the start, the connection between Emma, Dele and Isla was warming, and the mystery was exciting. I did figure out a couple of the twists early on, but they were pulled off in a way that was satisfying. A good read overall.

I enjoyed this book. Once the identify of the narration directed at Isla was revealed the story picked up. There were a lot of issues packed in one and they could have been better developed and revealed in the story. I thought that the ending was good.

Tracy Buchanan has crafted an outstanding domestic thriller that relies heavily on its characters. Focussed on interpersonal relationships, ‘Circle of Doubt,’ to be published January 5, 2021, explores the potential for evil in a seemingly perfect neighbourhood. It is a richly layered and utterly immersive read.

Emma and Dele Okoru, a biracial couple, adopt a beautiful little girl and move to fictional Forest Grove to start family life in an idyllic location. This picturesque village is on the edge of a forest and the families who live there embrace nature, walk their children to school, have stay-at-home moms and are heavily involved in the community. Sounds perfect, doesn’t it? That’s just on the surface. Just one look at Mums Of Forest Grove Facebook Group will confirm your doubts. Everyone looks perfect, but the snarky and petty comments left on the feed show the residents’ true colours. The Okorus have their share of skeletons in the closet, but they are united in their focus of providing their daughter Isla with the best childhood. As soon as Emma meets the other neighbours at school pick up, her insecurities about her capability of mothering Isla start to surface. These insecurities are compounded as soon as the new neighbours move in and the wife looks disturbingly similar to Isla’s birth mom.

Tatiana and Lawrence Belafonte, another biracial couple, are the dream team of Forest Grove. Everyone envies and aspires to be the Belafontes. Not only do they have a to-die-for new home, luxury vehicles, fashion-forward apparel and a big bank account, but they also seem like the perfect match. In fact, it’s Tatiana’s ‘too perfect’ persona that repels Emma and ignites her deep dive into her neighbour’s past. Tatiana’s perfection, both in-person and online, is just what struggling mothers don’t need - more strain to add to the already heavy load of community pressure.

What a deliciously wicked read! I absolutely loved this gripping thriller and devoured it in one sitting. The idea of a perfect family fascinates us even when we know, at some level, that there’s no such thing. Tracy Buchanan explores this issue as she exposes the stresses society puts on mothers to be perfect. It was made ‘next level’ fantastic with the addition of the Facebook posts and the stalker’s perspective. They added to the characterization and plotline because readers could get a glimpse of each neighbour’s true character and they give readers a feel for the vibe of the community. One particular post had me giggling; Dele was described as “living in hipster-snowflake hell.” In addition to interpersonal relationships clouded by feelings of inadequacy, Buchanan also highlights how grief affects us and what coping mechanisms we employ to allow us to walk through the trauma. How refreshing for a five star read to have no guts, gore, sex or profanity! I love Buchanan’s writing style. She has the ability to insert unexpected twists and turns into her writing, producing a binge-worthy read. This may be my first introduction to Buchanan, but I’m definitely going to read book 1 in the Forest Grove series and put her on my ‘go-to’ list.

Thank you Tracy Buchanan, Amazon Publishing UK, Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for this fantastic advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC. This book started out creepy and menacing. Then it switches to a normal family trying to get ready to start the day. The book alternated between the creepy, menacing chapters and the more "normal" chapters. I felt Isla sounded to grown up for only being 10. Dele was such a minor character I don't really know what to say about him.. The book was well-written and thought the "Facebook" transcripts seemed very real and typically bitchy. There were so many characters it was hard for me to keep everyone straight. Emma to me was kind of pathetic. The reveal completely surprised me. The ending/epilogue was a little to pat for me.

Emma, Dele, and their daughter Isla move to a small town. Emma is already struggling to fit in when a new family moves in, and the wife, Tatjana, alienates Emma even further. Isla is adopted and Emma feels that the Tatjana looks like Isla's birth mother and even scarier, seems to take a special interest in Isla while shutting Emma out. The story is primarily narrated by Emma, with chapters thrown in from an unknown sinister voice.

This book seemed pretty straightforward to me for much of it and I was wondering if that was all there was. However, the author starts throwing some interesting twists out in the 2nd half of the book and there are definitely some surprises. I was completely caught off guard by one of the twists in the latter part of the book.

I thought Emma's lack of confidence and the extreme bitchiness of the other moms got pretty old, but both of these areas improved as the book continued. I also thought that the ending tied things up just a little too neatly to seem plausible, though I appreciated the sentiment.

Overall, a decent read that mixes mystery with questions around family bonds. I think it was worth the read even though it wasn't my favorite. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of Circle of Doubt by Tracy Buchanan.

Emma and Dele have everything they could ask for after adopting their daughter Isla nine years before. They knew she was coming from an unsafe parentage, but now they could give her all of the love and security she would ever need.

But everything gets shaken up when a new family moves into the neighborhood, and while the mother of the family is posh, popular and well liked, Emma senses something familiar about her. Not only that, but Emma has noticed small things going wrong in her life, mix ups in communication, and even her own daughter turning against her. Is this Isla's birth mother, coming back from the past?

Overall a decent story, it was just a bit over-the-top dramatics. I struggle to think that after even a fraction of what had happened, would ever bring any of those families to share a similar space ever again. The characters all felt like campy cartoon character versions of themselves, and the villain of the story was a bit too "mustache twirly" for me.

Really enjoyed this book, plenty of twists and turns, had my gripped till the end. Definitely worth a read!

Great book! I was hooked from the start, thank you so much for providing me a copy of this book to read. This is something I would love to purchase.

This gave me chills, I can't imagine how Emma must be feeling knowing that Tatjana could be the birth mother of their adopted daughter. The fear and uncertainty would be devastating and playing mind games with Emma. The book was thrilling and had me on the edge of my seat. Tatjana definitely did have ulterior motives and it just shows you that you never truly know someone no matter what. Emma second guessing herself had my heart breaking for her - she was put in a truly awful position.

This was an excellent read! Absolutely adored it and would highly recommend. Thank you NetGalley and Tracy for allowing me to read this wonderful book.

Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an early copy of Circle of Doubt. What an interesting plot for a book, a wild ride! I absolutely Loved this novel. The characters were so real and it kept my interest throughout the whole book. A nice twist close to the end, one that I did not see coming. Happy reading, you will NOT be disappointed.

LOVED IT, thanks Sophie for telling me how good it was, you were right!
The only problem I am having is what to say as don’t want to give anything away really, it’s a good book to ‘go in blind’
But...what I will say is this...Emma and Dele have a near perfect life in the amazing wooded village of Forest Grove, it is as idyllic as it sounds, except for the playground Mum’s ( all nastily wonderful ) and the bitchy fest Watsapp group they run ( also nastily wonderful ), a new family arrive, they seem VERY OTT and are taking an interest, too much of an interest in Emma and her family, Emma is suspicious of them
but could her mind be playing tricks on her, again
The story is really well told and there are many faucets to it, it’s exciting, quick moving and horrifying yet keeps the dream like status of Forest Grove alive, it’s a clever tale of the past hurtling forward, manipulation and also has a nod to even baddies being redeemable
Once doubt arises, it grows..and grows
Really, really good and will definitely be reading more from this author

10/10
5 Stars

Circle of Doubt is full of Red Herrings that will keep you guessing who is gaslighting Emma in the small town of Forest Grove.

Emma and her husband have an adopted daughter Isla and she is convinced that one of the Mum's on the school drop off is Isla's birth mother.

No one believes her, that no one being her husband Dele.

Strange things start happening and Emma is looking to be not so great a mum after all.

I don't want to say much more as it is better you follow the clues and see just who Emma can trust if anyone.

This is my first Tracy Buchanan book but it wont be my last. Circle of Doubt was a roller coaster read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK, Lake Union Publishing for a page turning read.

Circle Of Doubt by Tracy Buchanan is a fantastic book with many unexpected twists and turns. The storyline was fantastic and really appealed to me. I would highly recommend Circle Of Doubt and look forward to reading more by Tracy Buchanan.

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for my ARC.

This book was just ok for me, a 3.5. It felt very repetitive, variations on the same theme over and over again, then the reveal came and i had figured it out, but managed to not care very much. felt like formula writing, like so many of this genre, unfortunately since it is my favorite genre

5+ solid shining, glowing stars! Unputdownable and unforgettable! WOW! One of the best books I’ve read in a long time!

Tracy Buchanan certainly knows what readers want, and expertly delivers the best of the best! Once I started Circle of Doubt, I couldn’t put it down! It was so captivating that I held onto every word. I loved the story so much that I was sad when it ended.

Circle of Doubt is a wickedly wonderful story of love, hate, betrayal and deceit fueled by rumors, revenge and redemption. I was addicted to the plot, hooked by the characters, shocked by the twists, and left speechless by the explosive ending! Circle of Doubt is a thrilling, gripping, suspenseful, and nail biting intense emotional roller coaster ride that you’ll never forget!

I LOVED the inclusion of the Welcome to the Mums of Forest Grove Facebook Group posts and discussion threads! I will never be able to look at any of my Facebook groups the same again! Tracy Buchanan brilliantly exposes the imperfections of the seemingly perfect residents of Forest Grove and proves how easily people can be influenced by their so called “friends” on social media. There are also anonymous thoughts interspersed throughout the book that are directed to the child, Isla. The mystery behind who is having these imaginary conversations with Isla heightens the intrigue and suggests that significant danger is creeping towards Isla and her family.

Emma, her husband Dele, and their daughter Isla have been living in Forest Grove for several months, but in a small town where everybody knows everybody else, Emma still feels like an outsider. Emma and Dele have been truthful with Isla about her being adopted, but since she was so young at the time, she has no memories of her biological parents. They are a close knit family, and even though Isla is happy and well rounded, Emma somewhat wishes that she had the luxury of being a stay at home mom. Not only do working mothers seemed to be looked down on for working in the Forest Grove community, but she loves spending time with Isla. Juggling the demands of work and family is hard!

Many residents of Forest Grove are initially appalled when Lawerence and Tatjana Belafonte and their two sons move into town because they have decided to build their monstrosity of a house in the forest area. Residents of Forest Grove are upset that part of the forest area will have to be cleared to accommodate the Belafonte’s dream home. While Emma is still struggling on the outskirts of the social circles, Tatjana smoothly and quickly fits in with the other mums effortlessly. That isn’t Emma’s only problem with Tatjana though. Tatjana stands out because of her poise, beauty, and elegance, but her strong resemblance to Isla’s birth mother is very disturbing. Tatjana’s immediate and overwhelming attention towards Isla is even more disconcerting, but Emma’s sister, Harriet, is the only person who seems to understand.

Is it possible that Tatjana is using a fake name to cover up her identity as Jade, Isla’s birth mother? Given the appearance of her perfect lifestyle and happy home life, is it possible she’s now in the process of trying to get Isla back? Worse yet, is it possible that a she knows about Emma’s secret? Emma has always known that if anyone found out about her secret that it would destroy her life and her family. The only person who genuinely understands Emma’s problems and fears is her sister, Harriet.

When knowledge of events from the past collide with the present, the results are catastrophic and none of their lives will ever be the same.

Thank you Tracy Buchanan, Lake Union Publishing, and Netgalley for allowing me the privilege of reading Circle of Doubt. My feedback is voluntary and expresses my honest opinions. The links below are to my group and page, but I also added the links to the reviews that I posted in other groups where it specifies to add links.

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https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=147631640452009&id=101513968397110

https://m.facebook.com/mustreadfavorites/?ref=bookmarks

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This is the first book I have read by this author but I am keen to read more. I enjoyed the style of writing and the characterisations.

It dealt with some very topical issues; adoption, abuse, relationships but not in a ‘preachy’ way. The descriptions of the school playground parents and trying to fit in were so on point!

A book which had me turning the pages quickly to discover what exactly was going on and keen to see if I was right. An excellent read.

Circle of doubt

One word for Circle of Doubt, one word...Fantastic!
Family thriller but done is a totally new way. I’m obsessed with Circle of Doubt!

Was a fan of duel chapters of mother and mother until around halfway point then it starts giving too much of what’s coming up away.

Great twist, didn’t see coming and left me reeling!

The second of Tracy Buchanan’s book set in the small fictional town of Forest Grove.
I must admit I didn’t click at first that it was set in the same town but I sensed it had the same feel about it. It’s definitely not a book that centres on the characters of the town, it’s solely on the main characters in the book. But she sets up the closed, clicky feel of some small communities very well.

Like the author’s previous novel set in Forest Grove, it did take me quite a while to get into it but once I did, I found it very engrossing and rollicked along to a very satisfying conclusion.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy to read.

3.5
This really would have been a 4 star read had the writing not really irritated me at the beginning. Maybe this is just my reading quirk but I really loathe the info dumps that you now tend to get at the beginning of these kinds of domestic noir thrillers. I don't need this whole scene-setting, info-dumpy, clumsy way of introducing characters and their backstory. I didn't need to know what Emma did for a job so early on, etc.
There were a couple of clangers in the novel, in my opinion. Why would the parents put an 18-month-old in a cot when they first adopted her? They'd surely buy a toddler bed. Also, Isla was apparently adopted at 18 months, but then that later became two years old. There was a scene where Isla was talking with her mouth full and this was described, for Emma to then say "don't eat with your mouth full." I presume this is a mistake?
And, to end the negatives, why, in these domestic noir thrillers, do people call each other darling all the damn time? I loathe the word. I never hear it in real life, it makes me cringe.
And for the positives ... I got into the novel after a few chapters. I liked the undercurrent of Emma having previously done something terrible, and was fairly surprised when that event was revealed (although I didn't like Harriet's inclusion **no spoilers**)
The Facebook exchanges felt true to life of a small, isolated village with parents all competing for the popular crown at the school gates.
Overall, I liked the suspense and the plot was an interesting one. I will seek out more by this author.
I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

This book did not resonate with me at all. It is rife with red herrings and secrets revealed too late in the story to be useful. Hints are dropped throughout the book, something that became quite annoying.. The book looked like it would be a good read, but for me, it was not.

I received this book as an ARC from the publisher and NetGalley.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher and author for providing me the ARC. This review is based on my honest opinion only.

Emma and her husband Dele moved to the Forest Grove with their adopted daughter, Isla. Emma is white and Dele is Black and they experienced a sort of racism when they moved into their house, starting with someone smashing their house window.. Then another rich family, Tatjana and Lawrence move into Forest Grove as well and Emma couldn't help but notice how similar Tatjana looks to Isla's biological mother, Jade. Then someone starts spreading vicious rumor about Emma and the whole mother's club turn against Emma--and one of them who seems to be Isla's biological parents would do anything to get Isla back by destroying Emma.

At first, the story sounded interesting. The writing was good and engaging. However, this was not a fast paced thriller as you would expect and also a bit predictable as who this mysterious person, who is targeting Emma could be. The ending was good though nothing new about the ending.

Overall, it was an OK thriller--worth four stars!

I’d like to thank Amazon Publishing UK and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Circle Of Doubt’ by Tracy Buchanan in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Emma and Dele live in Forest Grove with ten-year-old adopted daughter Isla. When Tatjana and Laurence move into the new house nearby Emma’s surprised at how Tatjana resembles Isla. The more she thinks about it the more convinced she becomes that Tatjana is in fact her daughter’s birth mother, especially as the woman seems obsessed with watching every move she makes. When small things start going wrong Emma doubts her ability to be a good mother and worries that a secret she’s kept for years, not even telling Dele, could result in Isla being taken away from her.

‘Circle Of Doubt’ is an engaging novel and the thoughtless comments made on the Mums of Forest Grove Facebook Group added to the story, but I found it a bit slow to get going and struggled to get involved until halfway through. The plot was different, the characters interesting and despite wanting to like Emma I just wanted her yell at her to have faith in herself. Although not the best novel I’ve come across it was okay and worth reading.

In Circle of Doubt we return to Forest Grove where we meet new family Dele and Emma Okuru and their adopted daughter Isla.
Emma is a working mother, frowned upon by long standing Forest Grove residents and has struggled to settle in.
We also meet another new family to the area, glamorous Tatjana and Lawrence Belafont, who are welcomed by everyone.
Emma begins to feel as if everything she does is wrong and everyone hates her. Is this all in her head or is someone behind the things that keep happening.
Why is Tatjana so taken by Isla? What secrets is Emma hiding? Who is out to expose them?
Told from Emma’s perspective as things go wrong and her family seems to be falling apart and from a mysterious other who we soon discover is behind the things that are happening.
Also interjected with social media posts from residents of the Grove as they speculate on the things happening in their perfect village..
The tension between the characters, the fickle villagers and the development within the story is well paced, full of suspense and intrigue as the story reaches its conclusions and secrets are revealed..

Emma and dele live a happy family life in Forest Grove with their adopted daughter Isla. Emma is a busy working mum and sometimes can't believe her luck of having Isla in their life.
One morning there window is unexpectedly smashed by a brick. Shocked, they must put it down to random thugs. However Emmà becomes increasingly nervous after a new, apparently affluent family, move into the village. Tatjana, is a stay at home mum, but appears to be taking an unusual interest in Isla. Emma's concerns raise as she becomes increasingly concerned that Tatiana is in fact Jade, Isla s birth mother.

This book has many twists and turns and was an extremely easy read. Had me drawn in with twists along the way.

Highly recommend.

This is a story about mistaken identities and mistaken suspicions. The protagonist suspects that her adopted daughter's birth mother has moved into town with the purpose of gaining her child's affections and loyalty. The reader is also led to believe this through the use of journal entries, ostensibly written by the birth mother. The story takes a darker turn when the true identity of the writer is revealed to the reader but not the protagonist, and from there on I thought it felt like a long and torturous journey waiting for the protagonist to find out what I already knew.

Subplots involved feeling unwelcome in a community of self-righteous stay-at-home moms, a past hidden trauma that isn't revealed until the very end of the book and looming mental breakdowns by several of the characters.

It was well-written with good character development, just not one of my favorite stories.

I enjoyed this twisty book and want to thank Amazon and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review it. Emma and Dele move into the idealic village with their adoptive daughter Isla whe they meet their neighbour who happens to look very like Isa's birth mother. Is Emma paranoid or is it true. Sub plots are very clever throughout the book and I found I enjoyed it. The book was a very good follow on from Wall of Silence.

Firstly a big thank you to the publishers for my copy to review on netgalley. I love this authors books and read her last one in lockdown which was set in the same place as this one.

I raced through this, its intriguing and unpredictable. I am adopted so i could relate to elements of the plot. A exploration of what makes a good parent and who gets to make that call?

Great mix of characters though who can be trusted?

Additive reading and compelling twists and turns. I really enjoyed this and highly recommend.

Published 5th January

Having loved Wall of Silence, Tracy Buchanan's book set in the town of Forest Grove, I was really looking forward to reading Circle of Doubt, especially when I found out it would be the second book set in the fictional town. Many thanks to Netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Circle of Doubt centers on interracial couple, Dele and Emma Okuru, and their adopted daughter, Isla. They live in the town of Forest Grove, having moved there seven months ago. Working full time, Emma feels out of place next to all the other stay-at-home school "mums" in the tight knit community.

When the new Belafont family moves to town everyone is in awe. Tatjana and Lawrence (another interracial couple) are wealthy and glamorous. When Emma first meets Tatjana, she's relieved and overjoyed that Tatjana seems to want to be her friend. Though she does find it a little odd how much attention she gives Emma's daughter Isla.

Then things start to fall apart for Emma. She forgets about permission slips. She screws up at work. Tatjana starts giving her the cold shoulder, though she still spends a lot of time with Isla. So Emma begins to wonder... is Tatjana's resemblance to Isla's birth mother, Jade, more than just a resemblance? If she is Jade, does she know about Emma's past? If she does, Emma will surely lose Isla for good.

I'll be honest. I didn't enjoy this book as much as Wall of Silence. The plot and characters seemed similar to so many other books. When I read something in this genre, I usually like it to be different or new or fresh in some way, because there's just too many psychological thrillers out there and not enough time to read them all unfortunately. I also just did not like the character of Emma. All she seemed to do was whine all the time!

I did like the short Mums of Forest Grove Facebook Group chapters. I've seen this kinda thing in a few other books. I think it adds a lot in terms of backstory and character development. I also appreciated the fact that both couples were in interracial marriages. It shows real life to an extent.

I would rate this book 2.5 - 3 stars. This one just wasn't for me. I would read another book from Tracy Buchanan. I would recommend this book to fans of psychological thrillers and suspense.

When Emma and Dele and their daughter Isla move to bucolic Forest Grove, they plan to have a peaceful life in the country away from London. However Emma, shy by nature and haunted by her sister’s death, finds it difficult to make friends and is intimidated by the cliquey mothers she meets at Isla’s school. Enter Tatjana Belafonte. Tall, gorgeous, confidant, she’s a fashion designer and a former model. She and her architect husband Lawrence are building a mega mansion in Forest Grove. Everyone wants to be her friend but Tatjana singles Emma out.
Emma and Isla. Especially Isla.

This becomes a problem for Emma. Isla is adopted and Emma is convinced Tatjana is really Jade, the birth mother. She retreats more into herself, afraid to share her worries even with Dele. As her obsession grows, she looks everywhere for proof. When she discovers the truth, it’s almost too late.

What a thriller! Circle of Doubt is full of suspense and surprises! The added narration by the Mums of Forest Grove Facebook Group is especially entertaining. This is a quick, exciting read. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and Tracy Buchanan for this ARC.

Circle of Doubt by Tracy Buchanan is a thriller with a couple of shocking twists. Emma and Dele adopted their daughter Isla nine years ago. Everything was great until they moved to Forest Grove and strange things started happening. Is Isla's birth mother their new neighbor? Emma starts questioning everything, even herself. This book was well-written, but I guessed the twists pretty early on. Also, I found some of the talk about Isla to be rather creepy and over-the-top at times. Thanks to NetGalley for the free digital review copy. All opinions are my own.

This is a good read with a few shocks in the plot. I didn’t warm to any of the characters. I don’t know if the author did this deliberately or not. I also feel that it was predictable in a few places.

Thank you to NetGalley for my copy.

Last year, with everything else going on, my reading suffered. I struggled to get into a lot of the books I picked up, even by authors I love and genres that had previously drawn me in left me cold. It was, then, with some trepidation that I started Circle of Doubt, even though I had really enjoyed my last Tracy Buchanan book, Wall of Silence.

Turns out I needn’t have worried. In fact, Tracy Buchanan may just be my lucky charm because, for the first time in forever (sorry for those now signing songs from Frozen), I found myself really enjoying what I was reading – so much so, I basically didn’t put it down until I had finished it. I really couldn’t have asked for a better way to end 2020 (and hopefully start 2021!).

Why did I like it so much? The story mainly, which is actually liked to one of my biggest fears as an adoptive parent, that somehow I will be challenged in my role as a parent. It’s a fear many adoptive parents have and, while the tension is ramped up here to a point I don’t think I’d ever face, there is a realism to it that suggests Buchanan did her research, which I appreciate as a reader.

I also liked the characters, especially Emma (and not just because of her name 😄). She is just the right side of stressed and anxious. The school moms are a bit more stereotypical but I have to say that – having moved to a new area myself – still believable. The only slight downside I’d Dele who I couldn’t get a handle on and I didn’t like how he didn’t side with Emma from the start. That, though, is a slight niggle in what is a great book and one I would highly recommend.

Circle of Doubt is the first book I have read by Tracy Buchanan and she had me glued to my Kindle with all the tension and twists and turns in Forest Grove. As soon as I realised there was another book which was set in the same place (Wall of Silence), I had to buy it as from the first chapter of this book I was fully engrossed and made every excuse to sit and read all day. Forest Grove is home to a bitchy community with plenty of animosity and backstabbing and where rumours spread like wildfire. This made for such a fun read with plenty of drama and unpredictability.

Emma, Dele and their adopted ten-year-old daughter Isla are on surface the perfect little family. But the arrival of a new family in Forest Grove sends Emma’s suspicions into overdrive. There is just something about Tatjana Belafonte that unsettles Emma. From the way she looks just like Isla’s birth mother to the uncomfortable pace she seems to grow attached to Isla at, Emma simply cannot trust her and does her best to find out just who Tatjana really is.

Along the way, Emma’s obsession sees her doubting herself and as Tatjana grows ever-present in her life, cracks soon begin to form within Emma’s perfect little family. I loved the intrigue behind many of the characters in this book. From the main characters to the mean girl vibes the school mums gave off, there were so many people I had my doubts about and couldn’t trust and this contributed perfectly to the unease throughout. I’d love to see Tracy Buchanan explore more of these characters in future books as there were hints at their lives and personalities during this book but there is obviously room for much more development in future books I hope.

Circle of Doubt is definitely a book much better to be read than discussed in a review, as its fast pace means there is too much to spoil by talking about it and the book is really worth reading for yourself. I will say that the way Emma narrates her side of the story is so believable that I felt like I had it all figured out very early on but the story became more suspenseful with every chapter and later on in the book I was second guessing myself and enjoying every little revelation because for the most part I didn’t see them coming.

I obsessed over this book and raced through it, only stopping for the odd what just happened break to take it all in. It was truly gripping and I am definitely looking forward to going back and reading the first book so I can continue my fix of Forest Grove.

The book was good, but at the same time, it was the same rehashed plot. A small happy family with Emma, Dele and daughter Isla, then new neighbors moved in. The only issue was the woman looked like her adopted daughter’s mother. This raised Emma’s suspicions, especially when strange things too started happening. Sounded familiar?

I went into this book with low expectations as I knew author Tracy Buchanan’s books could go either way for me. The story was exciting in the beginning, then slowly dragged on. I never understood why the husbands of the main characters never believe them when they present their fears. Everything is shoved as paranoia with some past mental illness quoted. Grow up. There is something known as a woman’s instincts.

Here too, I wanted to whack Dele when he refused to believe his wife even when she presented him with proof. I liked Emma in places when she became proactive with the support of her sister.

Facebook groups and messages were highlighted as there were many catty and bitchy neighbors of the two-legged kind who wrote awful things about Emma based on rumors. I knew these things existed as I had been on the other end of the bias. Those felt realistic.

The story had the POV of a silent hidden spectator who spoke about Isla’s past before she was adopted, and it was absolute fun to try to guess that person. As the story progressed, there were a couple of twists that were different than the other thrillers. That made the book interesting.

Overall, I would say it was a good book.

The second novel from Tracy Buchanan set in the fictional Forest Grove. This time the storyline is about adoption. Dele and Emma move with their ten year old daughter Isla to Forest Grove from London for a safer lifestyle but Emma has a hard time settling in and making friends with the other mothers at the local school. When another couple Lawrence and Tatjana move into the village strange things begin to happen to Emma. Also Emma notices that Tatjana looks like Islas birth mother Jade which doesn’t help her feelings of inadequacy. As in the first book the local Facebook group is quick to gossip about Emma and tension builds between the main characters with some very surprising turns along the way. There were some situations throughout that I found hard to believe but on balance I did enjoy the book and it did keep me guessing to the end.

Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book for my reviews. I enjoyed reading Wall of Silence and this was also a good read. There are many twists and turns throughout the book. It was very clever how the writer steered you in one direction and it was a completely different direction.

Circle of Doubt is about a young biracial couple who move to a small, "perfect," forest town with their elementary-aged daughter, who they adopted as a baby. The mother, Emma, has a hard time making friends + fitting in with the "perfect" stay-at-home moms at her daughter's school, and her world is rocked when a new family moves to town and the mother looks eerily familiar.

A solid read with twists and turns I didn't see coming! It seemed predictable until the 70% point, but then things got very interesting and I liked the end of the book.

Such a great book! Circle of Doubt turned out to be, truly, a circle of doubt. Just when you thought you new what was going on, there was a twist that pulled you in another direction! A young family living in a new town has their lives rattled when another young family moves in down the road and a connection is sensed. It turns out it is not at all what you expect.

Despite the various twists and turns, the book flowed well. The surprises didn't feel forced like they sometimes can--I was genuinely surprised several times during reading, which doesn't often happen to me.

I definitely recommend this book if you like twisty psychological thrillers. Thank you to the publisher and #NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Happy Publication Week! ( Jan. 5th)

This book was phenomenal! I think my thriller-loving heart will keep this one with me for a long time.

I read this in one day, because I just couldn’t put it down. I HAD to know what was going on!

“ ...I can’t tell you how frustrating it’s been to only be able to grasp at small pieces of you, when I ought to have you as a whole.”

Emma and Dele Okoro adopted Isla when she was almost two years old. She had a rough start at life after spending her first year with her mother who was addicted to drugs, followed by 6 months in foster care.

Emma, a social media consultant and Adele, a book store manager were able to give young Isla the comfortable and loving home that she so desperately needed in Forest Grove. A place that is “Home to Strong Branches and Deep Roots” and known as the “ Utopia of the woods.”

The people in this town, mothers especially, can be a bit snobby and Emma has found it hard to fit in , that is until she meets the new girl in town, a fashionista named TatJana “Tat” who extends an olive branch. A fashion designer is all Isla has ever wanted to be when she grows up, so she immediately takes a liking to her as well.

Tat and her architect husband,Lawrence Belafonte, are the ones that everyone’s been gossiping about. They are the family employing the gigantic red crane that is tearing apart the forest to lay down their newly constructed mansion.

The only problem with the friendship is that Tat looks JUST like Isla’s birth mother Jade Dixon and Emma begins to panic. How can’t her husband see this uncanny resemblance? TatJana is everything that Jade could have been if she had gotten her act together, and nine years later she very well could have.

This novel contains dual perspectives, one person who desperately wants Isla back, and another who is determined to keep her...and some of the threats get GOOD.

“What if i strode over to her right now and picked that log up by her feet and smashed her head in?”

“ ...Game over for your pretend parents.”

But, Emma’s past isn’t as perfect as it may seem, for she’s holding onto a debilitating secret— one that could cause her to lose her daughter.

A jaw-dropping thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat. This one had a twist that I didn’t see coming at all, and one that I figured out only minutes before, and that’s really saying something!

Tracy Buchanan—You got me! I can’t wait to read more of your work.

Thank you to Netgalley, Lake Union Publishing & Tracy Buchanan for allowing me to read an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

4.5 ⭐️ rounded up to 5 for Goodreads.

Spoilers below—BEWARE:

I didn’t give this book a full five stars because there were a few circumstances that I thought were a bit far-fetched, such as Emma not knowing that the drink was spiked at the Halloween party—she definitely would’ve tasted rum and vodka. Also, Emma not even using the bathroom after claiming to have been looking for it when she was caught in the Belafonte’s bedroom. It also bothered me that it mentioned that black people were hard to tell apart a few times in the story.

I love domestic thrillers and this one is as good as they get! Emma and Dele thought their world was complete when they adopted their beautiful daughter. Isla. When a new family moves into the neighborhood and Emma thinks the lady looks like Isla's birth mother she tells herself that she is just being paranoid. But when odd things start happening she doesn't know what to believe. This is a great story with realistic characters and lots of twists and turns throughout. The ending is a big surprise and one you won't see coming.

Thanks to Net Galley for allowing me to read this incredible arc for my honest review.

Thank you @ netgalley and @amazonpublishing UK for the early copy in exchange for my honest review. This was such an entertaining read!

Emma and Dele form a lovely little family with their adopted daughter Isla. She is their everything.
When they move from London to the small and scenic town of Forest Grove, it doesn't take Isla long to make friends at school. Unfortunately that doesn't count for her mother Emma. The fact that she is a working mother does not fit well with the other mums at the school yard who love to gossip and judge. Emma has always been insecure and is struggling to cope with all the prejudice around her. When a new family moves into town, Emma is startled to see that the woman shows a great resemblance to Isla's birth mother. And when the family shows a huge interest in Isla as well, Emma feels she's getting paranoid. But is she really or is something more sinister going on...

Loved the storyline. It's surprising and kept me guessing throughout. I flew through the pages and sympathized with the main character.
Looking forward to read more from this author.

This was my first thriller of the year and it was a great one! For the first 60% of the book, I thought I had it figured out and was starting to feel disappointed that it was so obvious...and then I was shocked at a twist that I had not seen coming. That to me is what makes a great thriller.

The book is told in dual perspectives, that of the main character, Emma, with snippets told from an unknown and dark perspective. The focus of the book is on a mother's insecurities - highlighted by the awful and tedious "mommy circle" of a small community. Personally, I could relate to Emma's feelings of dealing with the feelings of not quite fitting in to the "mommy circle" at school drop offs and pick ups, as I was that mom myself.

The judgments and pressures placed on young moms is something that just struck a chord for me, and the resulting second-guessing of ourselves that can come with that.

This is the story of a mom of an adopted daughter, juggling her love for her child and her fears that the child's biological parents may try to use her past against her. I won't say any more about the plot itself, as I do not want to give anything away, but trust me when I say that you may think you have it figured out but you probably don't.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book in exchange for my honest opinion. I will definitely be reading more of this author's works.

I received an ARC copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest opinion of it. Emma and her husband, Dele move to a new neighborhood with their daughter, Isla. When a new neighbor moves in who looks exactly like Isla's birth mother, things get creepy. I just didn't enjoy and did not finish it. I thought the Facebook conversations were annoying and didn't need to be in the book at all.

This is a very good story with lots of twists, some of them being totally unexpected. I enjoyed it and would definitely recommend it

Isla is the adopted child of Emma and Dele. They live together in an wonderful small town. Emma struggles to fit in with the other moms at Isla’s school, while Isla has no troubles making friends. When a new family moves to the town, it turns their lives upside down. There are several twists to this story. It was a good read!

📣 Review 📣

⭐⭐⭐

Emma and Dele live with their adopted daughter Isla in a quiet village. When a new family moves into Forest Grove, Emma can't shake how similar the wife looks to Isla's birth mother. But this sophisticated, accomplished woman couldn't be the same person who was addicted to drugs? She turns to her sister Harriet for support when strange things happen and she starts to become undermined. Is this her birth mother? And will Emma's secret be unveiled?

My interest in the plot waned in the middle of this book; the residents of Forest Grove are some of the most unlikeable people - essentially nothing short of bullies. I know these people do exist in real life, but there seemed very little contrast. There was a few twists in this book, one of which I didnt see. The book also left questions unanswered (the picture Emma found...) that didn't make sense to the plot line.

Overall I did like this book, but it just left me wanting a little more. What the middle of the book lacked, the last few chapters made up for

Thanks to @netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for an opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.

[b] The ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review [/b]

3/5 Stars

Right, for those who want to read it: [b] DON'T READ THE BACK [/b]. I would recommend as some other reviewers have said, go into it as blind as possible. You will benefit from it from your reading experience.

Pro's: I liked the writing style, use of social media, and perspective from two characters. The plot twist took me by surprise, which they don't often do.

Cons: Characters sometimes felt a bit fake and undeep, The way racism was discussed and pointed out in this book felt almost a tad odd. I think that's the only way I could describe it. I would assume Emma and Dele, an interracial couple that used to live in London, would not talk about race and skin colors this way. Then again, that's my opinion, I have not seen any other reviewers comment on that, so it might just me that noticed that or found it odd.

Was a quick read, finished it in two days. So if you need something to pick up for a reading challenge, and you like a surprising plot twist, it can be the book for you!

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for this copy of Circle of Doubt by Tracey Buchanan.

Emma and her family may live in Forest Grove but Emma does not feel like she fits in with the other Forest Grove moms. Emma works, drives her daughter to school instead of walking and isn't big on socializing making her feel like the odd man out. When a new, glamorous neighbor takes interest in Emma she wonders if she's finally found someone who wants to be her friend. Is it friendship that her new neighbor is looking for or something more sinister?

I really enjoyed Circle of Doubt. The characters were very well written and it was easy to picture Forest Grove and it's citizens from the descriptions given. There were plenty of plot twists to keep you interested throughout the book. I really enjoyed the chapters that were written as threads from a private facebook group that were interspersed throughout the book. Those sections really added authenticity to the toxic relationships that the main character experienced with the other moms in Forest Grove. I liked Circle of Doubt so much that I just ordered the first book by Tracy Buchanan set in Forest Grove, Wall of Silence. If that's not an endorsement of a book, I don't know what it.

What a great book. The kind that sucks you in and keeps you interested from page one! Despite thinking I knew who was behind it, I did not see the ending coming! Multiple twists that caught me by surprise. Read it in 24 hours because I just needed to know what happened. An interesting, unique, new storyline from the usual psychological thrillers.

When Tatjana moves to town, Emma's life is turned on its side. While Tatjana befriends Emma, she seems overly interested in Emma's adopted daughter Isla. Emma suspects she is Jade, Isla's birth mother, but can't prove anything other than her gut feeling.

As things start to go wrong, Emma wonders if she is losing her mind or if Tatjana is behind a series of circumspect events.

The blurb 'She thought she was the perfect mother—until the new neighbours moved in.

Emma and Dele’s dreams came true nine years ago when they adopted their daughter, Isla. It felt like fate, like they were meant to find each other, and now they’re living the life they always wanted. But then one day a new family moves into Forest Grove—and Emma can’t shake the chilling feeling that the wife looks just like Isla’s birth mother.
Emma tells herself that this sophisticated stranger can’t possibly be the troubled woman she remembers from the adoption. But as they get to know each other and it becomes clear that Tatjana has a special interest in Isla, her suspicions grow.
When small things start to go wrong and her parenting abilities are brought into question, Emma feels undermined, turning to her sister Harriet for support. But things only spiral further when secrets from her past suddenly resurface.
With rumours swirling, Emma begins to doubt herself. Could Tatjana be Isla’s birth mother? And, with everything that’s happening, is Emma the right person to be raising her daughter at all?'

This book was so good, really well written, great plot and interesting twists. I didn't guess the ending which is always great. I read this overnight, I just couldn't put it down........ in fact I enjoyed it so much I went ahead and purchased two more of the authors' books to enjoy!

I would like to say a huge thank you to Netgalley, Amazon UK and Lake Union Publishing and Tracy Buchanan for being kind enough to allow me to read an early copy of Circle of Doubt, I really enjoyed and appreciated it.

This is the second books set in Forest Grove from Tracy Buchanan, however both are stand alone books. When Tat and Lawrence move to the forest community, Emma wonders if Tat is her adopted daughter's birth mother due to the similarities.
Is Emma being paranoid or is something there? Emma has struggled to fit in to the community in Forest Grove but Tat manages it so quickly and takes a shine to Isla.
There is a lot going on with the storylines of adoption, secrets and Emma's past to contend with but this is a nice easy read with a good twist at the end.

Convinced that the new woman in town is her adopted daughter Isla's birth mother trying to steal her back, Emma faces strange occurrences and increasing hostility from the crunchy mommy crowd in idyllic Forest Grove.

This book has a lot of wild twists that kept me guessing and was quite a fun read. I love the way the author set the stage in believable Forest Grove (apparently this is the second book set there, but it is not necessary to have read the first). Isla seemed like a sweet and adorable kid, and the other characters were well written too.

Note: I received a free eBook copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I would firstly like to thank Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely love that we got another Forest Grove read! I didn't immediately make the connection, but I really enjoyed 'Wall of Silence', and this one topped that! It doesn't continue on so both books can be read as standalones but I do hope Buchanan writes more! Developing the stories of characters we have already been introduced to is something that makes me very excited for further books!
Sinister events, scandal, juicy gossip, lies, a fast-moving plot, relatable characters, drama, clever writing, suspense, and plenty of twists and turns, what more could you want??
Can't wait for the next!

I loved the cover and wanted to love the book but I didn't. I could not connect to the characters and felt that I had read this plot before in many different ways.

I would still recommend this to thriller fans.

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for my ARC.

Ever since Emma, Dele, and their adopted 10 year old daughter Isla moved to Forest Grove, Emma has always felt like an outsider with the other mothers. It doesn't help that she is shy, introverted and has a full-time job, which is frowned upon by some of the mothers. When a wealthy new family moves into the tight-knit community, Emma is shocked at how Tatjana strongly resembles Isla. Tatjana, her husband Lawrence, and their two young boys are quickly embraced by the residents. But all too soon strange, unnerving things begin to happen to Emma. She's convinced that Tatjana will do whatever is necessary to get Isla back. When Dele doubts her concerns and theories, Emma feels more alone than ever. With her sister Harriet's help she's determined to expose Tatjana, before she has the chance to expose Emma's deep, dark secret.

This is my first time reading this author's work and I really enjoyed this book. The small community of Forest Grove has it's shares of gossipers and a clique-y mother's group, which time and time again excludes and isolates Emma. She has her suspicions of Tatjana being Isla's birth mother but no one believes her. She's also dealing with mysterious rumors and issues with Isla's school making her look forgetful and a workaholic. This book was a page-turner for me with all the twists and turns. I am looking forward to reading more books from this author.

Thank you Netgalley, Amazon Publishing UK and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read this book.

Definitely a thriller that kept the suspense through its rapid pacing. Loved the use of several narrators as well as the inclusion of Facebook conversations between members of the exclusive Mums of Forest Grove. Emma and her husband Dele adopted a daughter, Isla, when she was two. They have recently relocated to the picturesque town of Forest Grove. Emma is experiencing awkwardness trying to fit in with the other mothers. Interactions between the moms was catty but also seemed very realistic. A new couple moves in and immediately Emma feels threatened, thinking that Tatjana eerily resembles Isla’s birth mother. And with that the idyllic life in Forest Grove is turned upside down. The Mums become involved and everything escalates. Secrets slowly are brought to light causing more drama. Kudos to Tracy Buchanan for keeping the tension high and the pacing tight. I totally enjoyed the suspense. Many thanks to Tracy Buchanan, Kindle Edition, and NetGalley for affording me the opportunity to read this recently published book. Looking forward to more from this author.

I enjoyed Wall of Silence, so I thought I may like this one as well. I thought Circle of Doubt would be more of a thriller, but instead found it to be a petty fiction women's drama book about a bunch of bad gossipy suburban people . It felt like a bunch of other books I've read before and I'm sure I will completely forget what this book was about. I gave it two stars because of the two twists toward the end, which I had already guessed were coming, but it was still made the book more enjoyable.
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Set in the fictional village of Forest Grove, Circle of Doubt centres on Dele and Emma Okoru, the adoptive parents of ten-year-old Isla. They have a good life... until a new family moves into the area and Emma is convinced that one of the new mothers on the school run is Isla's birth mum. With her suspicions growing, things start to go awry and her parenting abilities are brought into question. As Dele doubts her concerns, a troubled Emma turns to her sister Harriet for support, but things only worsen when secrets from her past emerge.

This book has a very strong start. The story is told in a dual narrative, the first being the unreliable narrator Emma, who is sharing the daily unfolding of events as she struggles to fit in with Forest Grove life and the other mothers. The second narrative is a series of 'letters' to Isla, where someone disparages Isla’s 'pretend' parents. Snippets from Facebook group posts are also interspersed. Tracy Buchanan did a great job with the pacing and Circle of Doubt contains some intriguing elements in the storyline, dealing with emotion, manipulation and malice, but also redemption. This gripping novel is well-written, packed with mystery and contains some excellent character portrayal. A clever, compelling tale I'm immensely pleased to have read.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Amazon Publishing UK, Lake Union Publishing via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

Another winner by Tracy Buchanan. I am a sucker for any book that takes place in a quaint little town and I now dream of moving to Forest Grove! Suspenseful and fast paced, this book kept me guessing the entire time! A definite must read.

This is a good solid suspense novel. I liked the characters, the story, and the twists. However, I kept waiting for a "wow" but didn't get it. If I could go back, would I still read this book? yes, of course - its a good book. But will I be calling up my bestie saying "you have to read this"? Probably not.

I do want to thank the author, the publisher and #netgalley for the ARC which did not impact my review.

Circle of Doubt by Tracy Buchanan (@tracybuchananauthor) is a gripping novel about two mothers fighting for a child. Emma adopted Isla nine years ago. A new family moves into Emma’s neighborhood and the mother, Tatjana, looks like the birth mother of Isla. What follows next are the motherhood follies of Emma and how Tatjana comes to the rescue of Isla every time. Emma is afraid that she will lose Isla to Tatjana and Tatjana is determined to separate Isla from Emma.

The suspense held well until the end of the book. The author masterfully convinced the readers about the motives of the characters and added unexpected twists. A nice drama novel that makes you feel better about your own life unless there is a mom in your neighborhood who looks like the mom of your adoptive child.

Thank you to @netgalley and @amazonpublishing for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Category: Thriller
Publication Date: Jan 2021

As a keen follower of Tracy Buchanan I was really looking forward to reading her latest novel as none of them have ever disappointed me. She is a mistress of emotional reading with a gripping psychological twist. Circle of Doubt is another triumph! Emma and Dele have moved to Forrest Grove, an elite urban village, worlds apart from her previous city dwelling. Emma struggles with friendships and relies on her sister to lead the way. She hits a rocky start when taking her adopted daughter to school when she collides with the very vocal school mums on the playground. She is horrified to realise one of the mums looks like her daughter's biological mum and when she befriends her she has lots of doubts about her identity. I love how gripping this book is, I struggled to put it down and read it into the early hours. Tracy makes the characters so realistic and it is very easy to empathise. As to be expected there are a lot of twists and turns which I love. Certainly, one to add to the reading list!

This book was certainly an intriguing read from the start.
Emma has always felt as though she doesn't really fit in within her community in Forest Grove, and that feeling is magnified when a new, more glamourous looking family arrive into the neighbourhood, consisting of Tatjana and her family.
Emma's insecurities come bubbling to the surface when she notices a rather strong resemblance between her adopted daughter Isla and Tatjana. Although surely it is nothing, Emma feel's the uncertainty really sets in when Tatjana starts showing a rather fond interest in Isla, and some of the comments she makes towards Emma being an unsuitable parent.
When she speaks to her husband about her concerns, he assures her it is all in her head, but this does little to calm Emma's ever growing doubt.

This was an absolute page turner! The plot takes us through so many twists and turns it really keeps you on the edge of your seat. Just when you think you have the conclusion worked out, another twist throws your suspicions out of the water. The way in which the author brings this thrilling story to life is nothing short of wonderful. The characters are detailed and each have their own unique, in depth personalities which adds even more layers to the story.

This is undoubtedly a must read!

This was the perfect read for a rainy day when you’re stuck inside. I haven’t read any of Tracy Buchanan’s book before I got this free copy from NetGalley and the publisher to read but now I will go out and buy her other books. I really felt like I was living inside of Forest Grove. I was initially thinking this would be like the typical thriller where the baby was stolen or something but it really surprised me how the story unfolded. There were enough twists to keep me engaged. What I loved the most was the Facebook posts etc. So accurate! It made it feel like it could actually be happening and it made reading this book more interesting. I definitely would tell a friend to get this book and the other book in this series even though they could both be standalone books.

Circle of Doubt is a psychological thriller with a few twists along the way. It focuses on a couple, Dele and Emma and their adopted daughter Isla. When a new family move to their village, Emma thinks the mother looks like Isla’s birth mum. Emma’s confidence as a parent is lacking and as different events occur, it is brought further into question.
I found this book quite difficult, I didn’t relate to the characters and found them quite annoying. There are so many books of this genre to choose from, and this one just didn’t hold my attention. I am sure other people would disagree and I can see it appealing to readers who’d like something easy to get through.

Circle of Doubt by Tracy Buchanan has indeed turned out to be one of the best thrillers I have read this year. The story is fast- paced and thrilling. With every page the events take a feisty turn and you cannot put down the book before ending it.

Although the author has missed on describing some situations like how Tatjana resembled Isla. But, apart from all this, I will surely give a thumbs up to the book. And, surely, the climax won't disappoint you.

This one was a very well written and even a bit emotional. I think it had a good amount of thrills, chills, and twisty turns, but not really any shocks! It was all written, with amazing character development, which made for a pretty emotional read. I think that most who are looking for a quick, intriguing read, but not absolutely mind blowing will enjoy this one. Do highly recommend!

Thank you NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for my ARC. Emma has a great life with a loving husband and a beautiful daughter they adopted 11 years ago. When a new family moves into her picturesque village, Emma’s world is turned upside down. Her new neighbor resembles Isla’s birth mother. Does she want her daughter back, or is Emma just being paranoid? This character driven emotional thriller tugged at my heart while also surprising me with unexpected twists. Highly recommend to those who enjoy a compelling story with emotion and suspense. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Wow, what an enjoyable book. Started very slow then became an express train I did not want to get off..
The ups and downs of adopting a child. The big surprise comes in the middle. I would really recommend this to any body who likes a good mystery. Full of warmth, hate, love.

This book was free and sent to me as an ARC on NetGalley. However, all opinions are of my own.
I love a good thriller book - this caught my attention straight away. I was fully engrossed and managed to read it in two sittings.
I always love when a book draws you in with the first chapter. Short and snappy. I was so invested in this story line and really wanted to know what was happening. I was completely thrown off course when the actual plot twist happened - I wasn’t expecting it. However, I’m so happy with how the ending turned out and that it ended up being a happy ending.

Wow this is crazy and intense! Emma and Dele Okoru have a wonderful marriage and a daughter, Isla, who they adopted nine years ago. But their lives takes a turn when a new family moves into their community, Emma has a feeling that something isn’t right. She believes Tatjana Belafonte is someone connected to the adoption, could she be Jade Dixon, the birth mom?

Tatjana takes interest in Isla causing Emma a lot of stress and undermining her parental abilities. Things become very intense, suspenseful and twisty. Emma has a few secrets that will soon be shared. Thank you to NetGalley, Amazon Publishing UK, and the author for a gifted copy. This is my honest review.

First book I have read from this author. Tracy Buchanan has a lovely writing style, the characters are well written and you can really relate to each of them in turn or, you know a kitty!
The description of the surroundings gives you a sense of the setting.
The story flows well and will keep you reading into the small hours!
You really route for Emma throughout the book, Her husband is a bit wet and you just wish he’d man up and support his wife a bit more!
Looking forward to reading more from this author!

Circle of Doubt
by Tracy Buchanan

Publisher: Lake Union
Publication date: January 5, 2021

299 pages
4 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Description:
She thought she was the perfect mother—until the new neighbours moved in.Emma and Dele’s dreams came true nine years ago when they adopted their daughter, Isla. It felt like fate, like they were meant to find each other, and now they’re living the life they always wanted. But then one day a new family moves into Forest Grove—and Emma can’t shake the chilling feeling that the wife looks just like Isla’s birth mother. Emma tells herself that this sophisticated stranger can’t possibly be the troubled woman she remembers from the adoption. But as they get to know each other and it becomes clear that Tatjana has a special interest in Isla, her suspicions grow.When small things start to go wrong and her parenting abilities are brought into question, Emma feels undermined, turning to her sister Harriet for support. But things only spiral further when secrets from her past suddenly resurface.
With rumours swirling, Emma begins to doubt herself. Could Tatjana be Isla’s birth mother? And, with everything that’s happening, is Emma the right person to be raising her daughter at all?

🌟 MY REVIEW🌟
The story starts off really slow and boring, but soon moves to a nail biting, very intense thrill ride with lots of twist. I struggled with it at first and almost gave up. With all of that being said the plot was so intriguing it kept me turning the pages. The description to detail was so vivid. I felt like I was in the story and saw everything unfold as I read. Just when I thought I had it figured out....bam i was wrong . About half way through the book we find out who is writing the letters. While it was disappointing to find this out so early it kind of worked for this story.
All of the characters were very well developed and complex
. I didn’t necessarily like all of the characters, but that’s okay. That didn't make me not like the book as a whole. To me that makes each of the characters more believable and a thriller so great. After all in real life we don't always like everyone.

As always if you like the book you read please take the time to leave a review for the author in places like goodreads & Amazon. It does not have to be long. Just a few sentences saying you liked the book will do. Authors really appreciate every review they get !

I was lucky enough to be able to read and honestly review an ARC, courtesy of netgalley. I voluntarily provided an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
#CircleofDoubt
#TracyBuchanan
#NetGalley

#Circle of Doubt by author # Tracy Buchanan is a great new novel. She has been published around the world, including My Sister's Secret and No Turning Back. Like me she spends her days writing with her dog on her lap.
Emma and Dele's adoption of Isla nine years ago was a dream come true. Then the new neighbors move in. And this is when the story takes off.
Thank you for the advance copy,

#Netgalley, # Tracy Buchanan and # Lake Union Publishing

I absolutely loved this one. Definitely top ten books I have read in 2021. I felt bad for the couple specially the wife. Horrible no one believed her. I do Sympathise for the main character how the other moms treated her. Unfortunately many can relate.

Summary: Circle of Doubt is a mystery thriller surrounding Emma, a white working mom who has a biracial adopted daughter. When glamorous Tatjiana, moves next door and has more than a passing resemblance to her daughter, Emma will have to determine if this is a product of her insecurities or if there’s something more sinister at play.

When I was reading Circle of Doubt I thought it was going to be quite predictable because it seemed like the author revealed so much just in the synopsis. But I soon realized there were actually multiple plot twists that for the most part elevated the story. It definitely is not predictable in the slightest.

I wish it was a little less heavy handed on the main mystery surrounding the identity of Tatjiana, because until the plot twists started occurring, the book was quite repetitive. Emma spends so much of the book trying to figure out if Tatjiana is nice or not, who Tatjiana really is, and being obsessed about what the other moms think of her, which seemed a little needlessly boring. There’s a pretty interesting mystery that was shrouded by the smaller more unimportant details.

Circle of Doubt is also super engrossing. I read it in one sitting when I had meant to only read a chapter. The writing really wraps you in with just a few sentences which is pretty impressive.

I didn’t love any of the characters as they just weren’t that well developed. In the novel it alludes to Emma, the main character, being a bit of an unreliable narrator with references to her mysterious past but I wish the author had committed more to this and made her more unreliable.

Also I found that there were some weird racial undertones with some of the statements made in the book. The main character, a white woman, spends most of the book being jealous of Tatjiana, a black woman and accusing her of lying. At times, I felt a little uncomfortable with the narrative.

I found the ending to be a little rushed, I think there needed to be more exposition after the ‘big reveal’.

Final Thoughts: An interesting premise but the execution had a few flaws. 3.5 stars.

I recently finished “Wall of Silence” by this same author so I was excited to read this one. From start to finish I had trouble relating to the characters or even caring about them or the storyline. I never felt hooked and was quite bored with the whole story and struggled to finish. To be honest, the storyline was far fetched and Emma became annoying paranoid. I hope her next book is better.

A story very well told with richly drawn characters that will keep you riveted to the page.
Many thanks to Amazon Publishing UK and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is the second book by Tracy Buchanan that is set in the glamorous wooded village of Forest Grove. Emma and Dele adopted Isla nine years ago and are living their dream in Forest Grove. But things start to change when a new family moves in. Tatjiana, the mum of the new family, reminds Emma of Isla’s birth mother and when she appears to be taking too much of an interest in Isla, Emma becomes even more suspicious. As her suspicions start to grow she finds that Dele doubts her concerns so she turns to her elder sister Harriet for support. But when lies and secrets from her past emerge, especially ones that Dele is unaware of, she doubts her own ability as a mother and even thinks that Isla may be taken away from her. Like the first book in the series, some of the chapters are told from the Forest Grove Facebook users also chapters from a person who speaks about Isla’s past before her adoption. This book is all about hidden secrets and the shock and enjoyment when they are revealed. A brilliant read
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read and review.

Every so often you read a book and think this is completely implausible. Is that a description of this book? Possibly. Did I care? Not really, I was caught up in enjoying it. I loved the writing style and I loved the setting. The characters were hit and miss for me and that was okay. There were a couple of good twists, not wows, just twists and they just pushed me to read faster.

So I needed an early night last night - a little to help me sleep turned into a very late night reading this book to the end!

The twists and turns - caught me in its spell and I was hooked. I’m not going to drop any hints other than it’s a perfect reading escape.

Today I am exhausted but I am so pleased I was able to read this book and can’t wait to read another of Tracy’s books.

This was a gripping novel, with a clever premise and brought to life well the suffocating experience of living in a small town, where everyone knows everyone and the politics of the school gates - and how new people can change everything.

Circle of Doubt by Tracy Buchanan was a great read and I really enjoyed this latest book by Tracy. However, It was very slow to start and then Bang........The further you got into it it got better and then ended up with a great twist at the end of the book

Thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. Circle of Doubt

An ok read for me. It wasn’t brilliant but the pace just plodded along nicely and I would read more from this author

This was a very solid read. I've loved Tracy's books for years - and I love that she's gone more into the psychological thriller genre than when she first started out. I saw this at my local library a few weeks back and just had to borrow it. It's been a while since my last read by Tracy but I slipped into this novel the same way I do a comfy, worn pair of socks.

I was immediately intrigued by the story - married couple, Emma and Dele adopt a little girl Isla, they move to Forest Grove (the setting of Buchanan's other novel Wall of Silence, as well as her new novel Trail of Destruction) however one day, a new family move in, the Belafontes, and Emma swears that Tatiana looks like Jade, Isla's drug-addled foster mother. And, as is the way in these novels, Emma's life slowly starts to disintegrate in small but fundamental ways and Emma assumes it's Tatiana who has come back to reclaim her daughter.

This novel was a super easy, read in two sittings kind of read. I read a massive chunk while out with my boyfriend and then finished it while work was quiet. The story just skipped along at a really nice pace, and I was intrigued to find out who the narrator was who was writing to Isla during a chapter here and there throughout the novel. I wasn't particularly surprised by the reveal, but it was very well done and very well written by Tracy.

I really liked Emma; I can't imagine adopting a child, having that child for eight years and then fearing the biological Mam might come back one day and just take the child back. I also assume that you can't actually do that, because y'know THE LAW, but still. Especially since Emma was hiding a quite massive secret - that of which I didn't guess and which DID leave my jaw on the floor. It was the kind of chapter where I had to re-read the last sentence two or three times to actually wrap my head around it because I was like '....sorry, WHAT?'. There wasn't even a hint of it in my opinion so bravo indeed to Tracy for fooling me.

I really liked Circle of Doubt - it was a solid, quick read with enjoyable prose and Emma was a really good narrator. I felt claustrophobic at times reading the novel as I imagined the forest in the aptly-named Forest Grove, and it's the second novel in a row (the first being When She Disappeared - I also recommend this novel) with a house IN THE ACTUAL FOREST. Like, that's my DREAM. A house just away from society. My boyfriend and I discuss it all the time, in fact, like 'Shall we just move to a cabin in the woods?' and the answer, invariably, is yes. We just haven't sorted the logistics of how we'll keep all of the animals we intend to have as cabins in the woods don't come with fields and our horses are going to have to go somewhere.

I am now going to order myself the other two Forest Grove books, because quick and easy reads really are my favourite thing and Tracy Buchanan is absolutely one of my favourite authors. Circle of Doubt was an incredible read.

Emma Okoro and her husband Dele, a biracial couple, move to the fictional village of Forest Grove with their 10-year-old adopted daughter, Isla. But Emma still doesn’t fit in, and feels judged and rejected by the trendy, stay-at-home mums that live there.

When Tatjana Belafonte, a glamorous fashion designer-turned-stay-at-home mum, befriends the shy Emma, she is pleased to have made at least one friend. But Tatjana has a hidden agenda. Emma too can’t shake off the fear that Tatjana bears an uncanny resemblance to Jade Dixon, Isla’s birth mother.

Emma loves Isla and can’t bear the thought of losing her, especially because of a secret in her past that might deem her unfit to be a mother. She keeps second guessing herself under the warfare unleashed by Tatjana, who begins an insidious game of manipulation, even seemingly turning Isla against her mother. Dele thinks Emma is overreacting and refuses to heed her fears.

Tatjana seems determined to take Isla away from Emma. But Emma isn’t going to give up her daughter. With Isla’s future hanging in the balance, which woman will succeed?



The book is written in dual PoVs, the first person PoV of an unnamed narrator who addresses Isla, and the third person PoV of Emma. The first person account is short, while the 3rd person account is longer. The narrative also includes posts from the Mums of Forest Grove FaceBook group. These posts are not relevant to the main plot but are just a side act.

The book calls attention on shy children and the difficulties they face, and at how some mothers shamelessly guilt-trip others. The chapters are short and make for easy reading.

I liked Emma and could identify with her, having been a shy kid myself. She knows her own inadequacies, and that makes her real. On the rare occasions, when Emma got confrontational, I rooted for her. I liked the fact that she listened to her instincts.

What was annoying was Dele not believing her.

The village is idyllic and beautiful, and yet just as probable a setting for deviousness, because human nature is the same everywhere. It serves as the perfect foil for the less than perfect residents, all seemingly comfortable in themselves.

Tatjana’s plans aren’t hidden from us, but the suspense comes from how she will attack Emma in the one area that she is most vulnerable in, her precious motherhood.

There was a twist at the 65 percent mark, after which I lost interest a little bit. Things just weren’t as heated as they were in the first half of the book. The back story of the antagonist wasn’t as compelling as I’d hoped. Even the menace seemed very muted.

One minor character only in her late forties is described as having ‘old cranky bones.’ I found the description unnecessarily ageist.

I generally enjoy domestic thrillers, but the intensity behind this one petered out quickly.

As mysteries go, this one is pretty solid with an intriguing plot and several unexpected twists and turns. However, for me, this novel lacked emotional connections. There are several "pull-at-your-heartstring" moments, but the way they were told fell flat for me. Not sure if it was the narration style, or the way new information/ facts were offloaded in rather large chunks, or something I can't identify that didn't result in a connection, but I feel this could have been so much better if I didn't feel so removed when reading. Thank you NetGalley and publishers for providing a digital ARC for review.

All is well in Forest Grove, Emma and Dele have everything they want, a daughter, Isla, they adopted 9 years ago, successful careers, and a wonderful home. All seems perfect until a new family moves to Forest Grove. The young mother, Tatjana, reminds her of someone she knows from Isla's adoption. It becomes quite apparent to Emma, that Tatjana has a special interest in Isla. Emma begins to question her parenting abilities when things start to happen and she feels like the only person she can turn to for support, is her sister Harriet. Is Tatjana Isla's birth mother? Is Emma the right person to raise Isla?

Told in dual narratives, I enjoyed parts of this book, the storyline definitely pulled me in. One thing I didn't care for was the gossipy women in the story, they definitely got on my nerves. I would definitely read more of Tracy Buchanan's books.

Thank you to NetGalley & Amazon Publishing UK for an ecopy in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, I didn’t find this book particularly exciting. There was enough to keep me going to the end, but there just wasn’t enough drama or tension to make it exciting for me. I’ll continue to read these books, as they’re part of series called Forest Grove, but I don’t rate them very highly. It’s a shame for me because I’ve read all Tracy’s books and her earlier ones are so much better!

Unfortunately I don’t think this was one for me, I found it to be lacking a bit in drama and intensity and found myself being bored in some places. I think it was just a little slow for me

A truly gripping read and I couldn't put it down. Great twists - just when you think you have a handle on what's going on, a curveball comes rearing up. Can't wait to read more from the author!

Emma and Dele have adopted a pretty girl, and everything is going well in their lives. No worries, no concerns. Until a new family moves to the neighborhood, and the wife of the family reminds Emma of someone. It soon becomes clear that she thinks the other mother is their adopted daughter's real birth mother, and her intentions are not pure. The book pulls you in, up to the end, and keeps you entertained throughout.