This Child of Mine

This is one of the best books I’ve ever read! 5 out of 5 stars! To me, a book is worth 5 stars only if it makes me laugh, makes me cry, and changes me in some significant way. That’s a tall order, but this debut novel of Emma-Claire Wilson’s is all that and much more! It is real life at its’ best… and its’ worst.

Stephanie and James desperately wanted to become parents and had just learned they were expecting! Their hearts were overflowing with joy as they began to plan for their little “peanut.” Unfortunately, that joy was short-lived. Expecting to gaze at the beautiful sonogram of their child at their next pre-natal visit, they were instead met with the news that Stephanie had a life-threatening illness. Time was of the essence and the decision was an impossible one; save Stephanie or continue the pregnancy. Stephanie wanted to keep her baby at all costs, and James wanted to save his wife.

I was invested in this book from page one. This story holds a roller-coaster of emotions, and I felt every loop, twist, and drop right along with them. It wasn’t that I was ‘reading’ their story, it was like I was ‘in’ their hearts feeling each emotion. Additionally, this story hit very close to home for me in several ways. I lost many close loved ones during childhood, raised by a single parent, experienced a pregnancy with severe health complications, and the unbearable grief of losing a child.

I loved this book; it will stay with me always. It was sensitively written, exploring the most heart-wrenching and life-affirming moments that define one’s life. The end was beautiful and supported the theme; what is meant to be, will be. The story reminded me of a Jodi Picoult novel by addressing many significant issues of our time; grief, trust, faith, pregnancy and abortion, childhood emotional trauma, single-parent families, eldercare, and forgiveness. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a story that pulls you in an makes you consider what’s important in life.

I am grateful to Author Emma-Claire Wilson, Avon Books UK, and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to review this Advanced Reader’s Copy. This is a voluntary review, and all comments and opinions are entirely my own.

This is a poignant, touching, heartbreaking story of love, loss and hope. It is emotional and impactful, and a real tearjerker.

Stephanie has wanted a baby for a very long time, so when she found out she was pregnant and also had a debilitating illness at the same time, there was no choice for her whether or not to keep the baby. Her husband though wanted her to choose her own life over that of the baby. They argued, they cried, they nearly destroyed their marriage, but fate intervened and made the choice for them.

I could not put this book down, I read it in a single day, and it brought me to tears, both happy and sad, many times over. I highly recommend this book and rate it 5 great big stars. Thank you, NetGalley and Avon Books UK for the advanced copy.

Firstly I don’t think any review or star ratings could live up to how this book truly made me feel. A few weeks ago I asked my social platform about books that had left them in tears as I had yet to experience that. Well today I experiences just that. I’ve been bought to tears by movies, tv series and even songs but today this was the first book that bought tears to my eyes accompanied by ever different emotion and feelings that came with reading this raw novel.

I didn’t feel like I was just an outside reading each sentence, flicking each page, coming to the end of each chapter. I felt every heartache and emotion that the characters of this book were feeling. I wanted to reach inside this book a take Stephanie and James and lock them away from all the bad things that they had to have ever experience during their lifetime.

I started this book crying from utter heartbreak of the unexpected twists and turns in this beautiful couples journey and ended the book with floods of joy in my eyes and heart and with such closure.

This book was a breathtaking, heart-wrenching, emotional rollercoaster for me and I cannot wait to get my hand on a hard copy to keep on my bookshelf forever once this has been publish.

I only ‘𝐻𝑜𝑝𝑒’ this isn’t the end of your writing Emma.

𝑷𝒖𝒃𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒉 𝒅𝒂𝒕𝒆: 3𝑟𝑑 𝐴𝑢𝑔𝑢𝑠𝑡

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

If I could give more stars I would...what a phenomenal book! "This Child of Mine" is a tragic story about a woman who has an impossible choice to make. She makes her decision, even though not everyone agrees, especially her husband, only for it to completely implode. This book is all about loss and grief and then overcoming it by resetting and starting anew. It's an exceptionally written book that released a lot of tears for me as I could relate to it in ways. The ending really blew me away though, especially when the penny dropped about the little girls name!

What a tearjerker. A beautiful, poignant and heartbreaking novel and I loved every page of it .James and Steph have had to cope with more loss than most people but when they finally think all their dreams are about to come true by becoming parents to a longed for child their lives are changed forever when the news isn't they expected. Their journey is so difficult and threatens to tare them apart but it is so beautifully written with sensitivity and healing that it takes your breath away. Highly recommend 5 🌟read

Heart-wrenchingly good. A real tearjerker, get the tissues ready.
A fabulous debut. Can't wait to read more from this author.

What a breathtaking read! Forget the usual emotional rollercoaster, this is a rocket of emotion that explodes from the page, nestling the characters into your heart making this story unforgettable.
The blurb offered the premise but the book gave so much more than expected; nothing prepared me for the immersive heartbreak that kept me engaged until the the last page. Beautifully written, Emma-Claire Wilson has not only captured the turmoil of a devastating diagnosis and horrendous dilemma to resolve but also the impact grief and childhood trauma. Despite not being in the specific scenarios covered, there were many moments when the unspoken feelings I’ve experienced were laid bare on the page, making it a strangely cathartic read.
The difficult subjects covered were expertly tackled with love, and raw honesty that will sing to many readers though boxes of tissues are required. And preparation for a severe book hangover is also needed.

A book of impossible choices which at once are solely central to one person and yet so many others have - or feel they have - a voice. In many ways a painful read but the dilemma unveils the strength of a mother's love and the sacrifices they will make for their child.

Such an emotional rollercoaster of a read but in all honesty this is one of the best books I have ever ever read I kept going back to it every few mins !!!!was sad when I finished it absolutely a cracker of a book!!!!

Wow, what a heartbreaking read but beautifully written story, I absolutely loved every minute of this book, and aww what an ending!

Is there a more heart-breaking book to come out this year than this? Even before I'd started reading it I knew I was going to be in for a tear-soaked time.

I can't even explain the way it's written to give it the justice it deserves. The words...they're like poetry, like silk moved on the page, like smooth melted chocolate - it's just so poetic and elegant and eloquent.

It's not an easy read. If you're like me, you'll cry within the first few pages. It's a hard story but a beautiful one.

I mean, it goes without saying that there's difficult subjects: pregnancy, miscarriage, cancer, death, grief, abandonment. So yes, it is hard to read in that sense, but it is handled so tenderly and sensitively that it's just a masterpiece of read. And it's a debut novel, which is just astounding, to have this much clarity of voice in a debut.

It's an impossible decision to make that Stephanie is faced with. Some may not like her for her one-track-mind, but I liked her for her strength. She was willing to discuss other options, but she knew in her heart what she wanted to do, and as it's her body at the end of the day, she believes that is all that matters. Whereas her husband James, I was a bit on the fence with for a lot of it. I understand his emotion and his frustration, but he seemed closed off to any other options, and he irked me somewhat. I just wanted to give them both a shake, make them sit down until they had an adult discussion. Neither can do it alone. He often called her selfish but I think at times he is the one that's selfish. They were my initial thoughts on the couple. But it's a complex book with complex emotions and complex characters; I flitted from sympathy to anger and back again throughout the book.

There is something so personal about the way it is written that I fear it's come from first-hand experience, and I really hope that's not true.

Somehow, given how dark and sad the storyline is, there's this potent undercurrent of hope and joy and love. Even in the worst of times, there is always something that'll lift you up, even if you can't see it at first. It's weird, there were moments where I was reading with a smile on my face but with tears streaming down. I think it's impressive writing to be able to balance the grief of the moment with sympathy and empathy and tenderness, without making a spectacle of it but without sugar coating it.

As someone who has had more than their fair share of grief over the years, I often find it difficult to fully put into words how I feel, but it's like Emma-Claire has written what my heart and soul needed to hear.

I think I am going to have the biggest book hangover from this one. It's proof why I generally steer clear of star ratings when I can, because this is worth more than 5 stars. In fact, I'm not sure there's enough stars in the sky to give this book the credit it deserves.

A five star emotional, heartfelt journey of a young couple who are expecting their first child.
So wanted, so loved, their tiny "peanut" that they have been praying for.
It is a family story that had me so drawn in, as Stephanie and James come to grips with the challenges in their lives and the grief that has flooded them all at once.

But... the gift they will receive is nothing short of a beautiful miracle that was meant to be. I believe in miracles and when you read this story, you will too!
*Tissues are definitely needed!*

Thank you to @NetGalley and to @Avon Books, Uk for this amazing ARC and allowing me to read and provide my own review.

"Sometimes, a child finds its way into your heart, via a path you never expected."

Beautiful, but very emotional story of tragedy, family, love, and life altering decisions. There are so many different paths my emotions went down in this book. I have to say I cried, got angry, sad , and of course happy. Left with a heart wrenching decision of choosing to live or give your unborn child life is the center of the story. From there the reader is taken on a rollercoaster ride through many side stories that all meet to form one plot. This is the type of book that stays with you long after you read it.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Imagine discovering that you are carrying a baby you've been dreaming of and praying for for years, only to discover weeks later that you have ovarian cancer.
This is what happens to Stephanie whose entire being is thrown into utter horror as she navigates her options and makes decisions that will affect her and those she loves forever.

Emma Claire Wilson has written such a powerful narrative that is raw with grief and pain yet deeply touching and completely human.

Never have I shed so many tears over a book before. It is fair to say that I was a total soggy mess by the time I reached the last page!

Trigger warnings
This book deals in depth with the issues of terminal cancer and miscarriage.
Perfectly and tenderly handled but may cause upset if read by someone not at a place in their life where they can address these topics on page.

All through this book I kept on thinking e what would. I do in the same circumstances . It was a very moving story that brought the characters to life. I loved this story and will look out for others by this excellent writer.. Anyone who likes Amanda Prowse will love Emma-Claire Wilson as she writes in a very similar manner..
Highly recommend this book to make the reader think a lot.

Deciding between cancer treatments or continuing a pregnancy and then getting treatment. A pregnant mother to be has decisions to make. This book was sent to me electronically by Netgalley for review. Thanks to the publisher and the author. This talented author has written a page turner. The subjects are heart breaking. The characters are realistic. The story is difficult to read at times. Real life takes over. This fiction reads like nonfiction.

wow! congratulations to Emma-Claire Watson. what a rollercoaster of a book. I I couldn't put it down. but what an excellent read it was. definitely recommend.

A heartbreaking scenario of finally achieving your dream of a successful pregnancy, only to find that you are seriously ill and advised not to carry to term.
Stephanie finds herself in exactly this position and is desperate to see through the pregnancy despite her husband wanting her to save herself.
The emotions of the situation are so well written that you will cry along with the couple as they navigate through he decisions they are faced with.
Moving and heart-rending.

This Child of Mine by Emma-Claire Wilson is a beautifully emotional read that had me going through an entire box of tissues but loving every page of the journey. The author so intimately intwined love and grief that it became a new emotion, more powerful the the sum of its parts. Highly recommend!

From reading the blurb, you know you're going to be in for quite a ride with This Child of Mine, but Emma-Claire Wilson draws you into the lives of Stephanie and James with such force that you barely have time to draw breath before the next emotional punch. I loved the idea of how shock waves radiate from Stephanie's situation and how her decision impacts on all of those around her, particularly her husband, James, a character who is revealed in more depth as the book progresses. It's a book that reveals human frailty and fallibility and is about the bonds that make us, as well as the things that can drive us apart. A brave novel that made an impression on me.

A truly heart breaking story, what you will do to become a mother, after many miscarriages, she finally hears the
news she has been waiting for but also finds out she is ill. A beautiful books that show all the emotions
involved in becoming a mum. And ending that she was not expecting.

Stephanie finds herself pregnant with a much longed for child whilst also finding out she has a serious illness. Her husband is desperate to save her even if it means losing what they have both always wanted and what would make their lives complete.
The author dealt with the issues very sensitively and I do believe with a certain amount of personal experience.
It's hard to believe this is the first published book by this author and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.