Imagine your child was taken and years later you see a child that looks exactly like your missing child and the same age. How far would you go to prove she’s your child? This is the situation Rachel finds herself in when she sees a new child in town. Rachel is determined to prove Bella is her missing daughter, Holly. I was intrigued by Rachel throughout the book. The lengths she would go to to find her daughter is compelling for any parent but you had the feeling something was not quite eight. Even with my suspicions I did not expect the ending! This is a great book and I would recommend it to anyone who loves a thriller. I had a very hard time putting this book down! This was my first book by this author and it will not be my last.

I thought I knew exactly was coming and was honestly just riding it out but that was a plot twist I never saw coming. I was shocked by that turn and I can see this taking over Instagram. It was well written so that you never had to go back and re-read something in order to understand what was going on.

What an absolute nail biter of a book! I was hooked from the first chapter and enthralled throughout. The ending was shocking and surprising and I’d never have guessed the outcome.

Little Holly is playing while her mum Rachel chats to a friend. Then every parents worst nightmare happens! Holly is taken by a stranger and never found. The chapters flit between what happens with the stranger and Holly after the dreadful event and 9 years into the future, where Rachel believes she has found her long lost daughter. She needs to prove it’s her so she befriends the girls mother Kate. Hoping to get close to the daughter she never thought she’d see again, Rachel does some pretty crazy things, but wouldn’t you in this situation?!

I will be shouting from the rooftops about this book, I thoroughly enjoyed it and found it so hard to put down. Anyone who loves a psychological thriller will devour this book.

Thank you to Shalini Boland, Net Galley and Bookouture for my ARC of this book.

Book Description:
Nine years ago her daughter was taken. And now she’s back.

Two-and-a-half-year-old Holly is playing happily in a pink plastic playhouse, while her mother Rachel sips coffee and chats with a friend nearby. It should be an ordinary day for all of them. But, in the blink of an eye, it turns into every family’s worst nightmare.

Holly is taken by a stranger and never found.

Nine years later, Rachel is living a quiet life in Dorset. She’s tried to keep things together since the traumatic day when she lost her eldest daughter. She has a new family, a loving partner and her secrets are locked away in her painful past.

Until one afternoon when Rachel meets a new school parent Kate and her teenage daughter Bella. Rachel’s world is instantly turned upside down – she’s seen Bella before. She’d recognise that face anywhere – it’s her missing child.

And she will stop at nothing to get her back…

I've been a fan of Shalini Boland's psychological thrillers ever since I read The Girl From The Sea back in 2016, and I've enjoyed every single story since then. As you might already guess, every time I find out about a new Shalini Boland story, my heart skips a beat and I instantly have a new title on my wishlist. My reaction was no different when I first learned about The Other Daughter, and now I've had the chance to read it  I can say that this newest story without doubt lived up to expectations.

There is just something about the writing that draws you right in, and even before starting The Other Daughter I already knew I had to free my schedule, because Shalini Boland's psychological thrillers in general are so engaging that you will have a hard time letting go before you reach the end. The only reason I wasn't able to read it in one sitting was that I started it too late in the evening and had to get some sleep in between or I wouldn't have been able to function the next day otherwise. Mind you, I did this reluctantly... The Other Daughter is so gripping that you keep turning those pages without noticing the time flying by; both the writing and the plot itself are probably the cause of this.

As with most psychological thrillers, the suspense is build up slowly but surely, keeping you in the dark about certain key information until the plot twist bombs are ready to be dropped on you. Past and present chapters are mixed in a balanced way, enabling you to learn about those dreadful events nine years ago as well as learning more about what it happening in the present. The plot development is well handled, and constructed in such a way to give maximum effect to that humongous plot twist reveal close to the ending. It doesn't happen often anymore while reading (psychological) thrillers, but The Other Daughter managed to take me completely unawares. I'm talking about flabbergasted and staring at the page with my jaw dropping to the floor here! And I always love when that happens.

The characters in The Other Daughter are without doubt an interesting bunch. While I'm not sure if they are exactly likeable and some actions and personality traits can really get on your nerves, there is no doubt that the characters are thoroughly developed and feel realistic as they all have their flaws and make their mistakes. Who can you trust and how is the past related to the present? What happened to Holly that day? If you are looking for your next psychological thriller, The Other Daughter is without doubt a gripping and brilliant read. There is a reason she is one of my favorite authors of the genre!

You sit with a friend, just for a little while, for coffee and a chat, in a familiar shopping centre; there's even a play area for you little girl with a wendy house she loves. Five minutes later your life is in tatters and your daughter nowhere to be seen.

Nine years ago that was Rachel's nightmare but now, having squashed down her emotions for almost a decade, she has a loving partner, two beautiful children and a quiet life she could only have dreamed of but then ...

This is a rollercoaster ride of a book from the very first page. The happy family life Rachel and boyfriend Matt have worked so hard for is suddenly threatened by her mental turmoil at seeing a child who, she is absolutely convinced, is her long-lost daughter. Swallowed up by lies, deception and a desperate need to get closer to Bella, the eldest sister of two new pupils at her children's school, Rachel allows her fragmented thoughts to be taken over by 'what ifs' and 'how can I' scenarios which threaten her very existence.

This was a great read and I thoroughly enjoyed trying to work out what would happen. Many publishers erroneously describe their books as having a great twist but this one absolutely does and I did not see it coming. The characterisation is excellent, the protagonists and antagonists are realistic and easy to visualise from the first page while the changes in time frame is simple to follow and tension packed.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an unbiased review and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good psychological thriller with an original take on a common theme.

Wow! You are just so sure where this one is going, have settled in and then BAM! huge twist at the end. One of the top 5 reads of the year. I most definitely will be reading more Shalini Boland!

Wow. One of the quickest books I’ve read. I was griped. Rachel’s daughter was kidnapped years ago from a shopping centre. Then one day a new mum comes to school with her children. Suddenly Rachel recognises her daughter Holly . Rachel is then desperate to reconnect with her stolen child.

This book will have you on the edge of the seat. A fantastic ending I didn’t see coming. Highly recommended. Totally worth a 5 ⭐️ review

Thank you Bookouture and Shalini Boland for the netgalley! All opinions are my own.

The thing about thrillers is that when you read them quite frequently as I do, they all eventually sound alike. However, The Other Daughter was different. Normally I don't read anything about child abductions, but this had such high reviews that I wanted to try it. I thought that while it surrounded around a missing child it also talked about family dynamics. It wasn't a sad book, but the main character was definitely spinning out of control. I didn't see the ending coming as I had drawn up another conclusion, but all in all it was a good read. I kept it at three stars because it kept my attention just enough to finish it, but it wasn't something I was attached to.

Terrific story!

Unfortunately i went into this book with lots of peoples high praises and it was a very good story but it didn't live up to my too high expectations which is my fault.
i is a good read but at times i hated the main character for the way she acted, i understand some of it but to completely ignore that bad advent only backfires.
i will keep my eyes on this author because she has a great way of writing.

This story centres around Kate Farnborough and is told in two different timeframes and with multiple viewpoints. It is pacey, engaging and totally addictive right from the very first page. It is exciting, full of suspense, red herrings and twists and turns. It sizzles with intrigue and comes with the warning that you will want to read this relatively short story of only 260 pages in just the one sitting.
Kate has a beautiful two and a half year old daughter called Holly. One day she is out for a rendezvous with her friend, her baby daughter and Holly, in a busy café in a shopping centre. The children’s play area soon catches Holly’s eye and Rachel tells her she can go to play there. Holly loves Wendy Houses and is soon playing her imaginative games inside it. Distracted by the conversation with her friend, Rachel does not notice Holly being led away by someone who is shrouded in loose clothes and wearing a hat pulled down to hide their identity. She soon discovers her daughter is no longer in the play area and from then on her life is a nightmare come true.
Her husband Andrew blames her and soon the cracks in their already fraught marriage overflow. He leaves her and sets up a home in Spain and soon he has a new family. Everywhere Rachel goes in London stir up her memories of Holly and so she relocates to Dorset where she soon starts a new relationship with Matthew. They add to their family with another child and so the story continues.
Nine years later Rachel meets Kate Morris and her two young children in the school playground. It is their first day in their new school and coincidentally Rachel’s son is in the same class as Kate’s son and her daughter is also in the same class as Kate’s daughter. Kate also has an older daughter who will be starting her new school the next day. When Kate’s oldest daughter gets fed up of waiting for her mother, she walks into the playground to find out why her mother is taking so long. Kate introduces Bella and straight away Rachel is certain Bella is her missing daughter. She has such an emotional and physical reaction that she has no doubt at all. What happens next is the main story thread, as Rachel vows to collect evidence about Kate and Ella ready to take it to the Police. She wants her daughter back and will do anything to make her wishes come true.
Here begins a roller-coaster of a story about Rachel’s journey to claim her daughter. It is an amazing but compelling story with a totally unexpected ending that (although it seemed unbelievable) was terrifying, desperate and full of action. I was engrossed and convinced by the believable and superbly crafted main characters and by the stories that ran parallel with Rachel’s quest. I received a complimentary copy of ‘The Other Daughter’ by Shalini Boland from publisher Bookouture through my membership of NetGalley. These are my own honest opinions without any outside influences. The storytelling was engrossing and I enjoyed reading this novel. I recommend it as good read for those who enjoy reading Psychological Thrillers with a twist in the tale.

Another triumph for Shalini Boland! She really knows how to tell a story and she draws the reader in so much so that the characters just leapt off the page. Especially Rachel who seems like a normal everyday mum bringing her kids to school, working in the local cafe, in a suburb of Dorset where she now lives with her boyfriend Matt and their two children.

But Rachel's earlier life in London has been traumatic, her daughter Holly was abducted while she was having coffee with a friend. She has tried to bury that fact until one day she meets a new neighbour Kate. Rachel is convinced that Kate's eldest daughter Bella could be her missing daughter Holly and Rachel goes about ways in trying to prove that she is in fact right.

The reader is brought on an emotional journey of a mother trying to find her missing daughter while trying to juggle all the other things that life throws at her but it doesnt seem to be working. Her family and her job are suffering and Rachel is slowly losing her mind while trying to figure out if Bella is indeed Holly and OMG the ending!!!!!!!

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for the ARC.

The Other Daughter is a psychological thriller that will keep you wanting to keep reading to see what is going to happen next. The main character, Rachel, is living a happy life but she has a secret. Things take many twists and turns when she meets a new mom at the school pick. .many lives will change drastically. This is a fast paced book that I would highly recommend!

Guess whose back? The queen of twisted psychological thrillers!

I find I seem to repeat myself with this authors books as they are all so good and her latest standalone is no different. As soon as I pick one up, I literally can not put it down. I started this just before going to bed and then the next thing I had read over 70%! Needless to say I was shattered the next day but it was worth it as I had less than 30% to read which I devoured in no time.

The author has a knack of grabbing your attention right from the very first page. She doesn’t let you go either. The reader is very much there for the long haul as you race through the pages to find out if Holly really is Rachel’s daughter.

The suspense is almost electrifying as Rachel definitely had me convinced. She’s been battling demons with the collapse of her relationship with Holly’s dad and always having at the back of her mind where her daughter is and whether she is alive or dead. Her new partner Matt is the perfect partner though and she has two wonderful children still but seeing this girl gives her new hope.

At times the story feels almost frenzied in Rachel’s quest to prove that Kate’s daughter is in fact her own. Hell, I was desperate to know! I wanted more than anything for there to be some closure for Rachel. When that all important climax comes. Wow, oh Wow! That’s all I’m saying.

The Other Daughter is a brilliantly twisted, edge of your seat ride that will have you gripping on for dear life. The authors mind is so dark and twisted and I can’t get enough of it. My pulse is racing just thinking about it. Brilliant read yet again.

I was given an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest and independent review.
This is the first book I have read by this author and it was a well written book with an interesting storyline which kept me intrigued with lots of twists and turns. But I was a bit disappointed as I felt the ending unravelled too quickly and felt rushed, which slightly ruined my enjoyment.
3.5 stars overall

This is the second book I've read by Shalini Boland and it's another good psychological story. I wouldn't really call it a thriller because I found parts of it to be a bit slow and also unrealistic. All that aside, the writing style and the characters make up for some of those issues and I enjoyed it overall.

This is not a standard kidnapper thriller, which I am grateful for. It's the story of a woman whose child is kidnapped, only to believe she's found her years later in the form of her new neighbor's daughter.

I've said this before and I'll say it again: Shalini Boland is an amazing author who creates gripping, unputdownable suspense novels with twists. I didn't see this one coming.

A quick, fast paced read that had me hooked from the beginning. Thanks to Shalini Boland and NetGalley for an ARC.

Another belter from Shalini Boland! This is the sort of story where, bam, you're straight into the dilemma and then you think on thing is happening only to find out, much later, that reality is something else entirely. Such a clever plot, pacey, emotive story-telling and a killer twist that left me reeling. Brilliant, just brilliant!

Rachel is out for a coffee with a friend and takes her eye off her 2 1/2 year old daughter, Holly for a moment while she's playing in a wendy house beside her in a shopping centre, and in the blink of an eye she disappears.

Fast forward 7 years and Rachel is in a very happy relationship with Matt, and mother of Jess and Charlie. Holly however is always on her mind. When a new family move into the area and Rachel sees their 10 year old daughter, Bella, she is in shock, this girl is the spitting image of her daughter Holly. Rachel is convinced it is her and she will go to any extreme to get her daughter back.

Told from the POV's of both Rachel and the lady who took Holly, we learn of the traumatic incident that takes place which is the catalyst for a person to do something as drastic as take another child, and the devastation in the aftermath of such an abduction.

I really enjoyed this book and raced through it. It grabs you from the outset and doesn't let up until the very end. There is a level of craziness that goes with having had a child taken from you that is difficult to understand but comes across really well.. It is very easy reading and short chapters which I love. It will take you through a whole range of emotions, from sympathy, empathy and heartbreak, and ultimately hope. The characters came across as entirely believable and the situation heartbreaking, however, there were a couple of parts that were slightly unrealistic, but that didn't mar my enjoyment of this thrilling and riveting story.

This book was excellent. The flow of the story was great and I didn’t want to put it down.
Rachel is grieving the loss of her daughter Holly who was stolen from a mall several years ago when she was a toddler, but has another daughter and son. When Kate, who has just moved to town, with her husband and 3 children, hits it off with Rachel and their kids all become fast friends. This all changes when Kate’s eldest daughter, Bella is at school pick up one day, and Rachel is convinced that this is her missing daughter. She is drawn to her immediately and feels this undeniable connection and will do anything to find out if it is truly her missing daughter. She becomes obsessed with Bella and ends up pushing her and her family away with her actions. Rachel will stop at nothing to get the proof she needs that will show that Bella
is her missing daughter Holly and she doesn’t care that she is the only one who believes it.
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

#theotherdaughter #shaliniboland #netgalley #bookstagram #bookreview what a wild and twisted ride this was. From the beginning to the end I could not stop reading this book. I was so enthralled with the characters and the story line. I didn't know what was coming next. Or who or sinister enemy was. You will cry and get angry and smile. It is a fascinating read and I can't wait to read more by this author. Do yourself a favor and be first in line on the 5th of November to get this book. I promise you won't regret the investment.