Didn’t expect to be reading this book in one sitting, but this was such a compulsive read. Pete and Maddie’s story is enough to get every parent thinking... What if? Nature v nurture. Great characterisation, and a twisty plot that has you wondering how things will resolve themselves, right up until the last few pages. A great read!!

The story follows a couple who realise their child was switched at birth. The story was too predictable.

It’s been a long time since I’ve stayed up until the early hours kept awake by a book that I just couldn’t put down: ‘Playing Nice’ did exactly that.

Delaney’s characters are as three-dimensional as ever in his latest release, and we are quickly introduced to the mirrored lives of Theo and David – two premature babies born on the same day and both taken to St Alexander’s neonatal intensive care unit for life-saving medical intervention.

The plot follows the first two years of Theo’s life, documenting the real struggles mother Maddie faces with post-natal psychosis in the weeks after his birth and the everyday routine of bedtimes, nursery runs and online parenting forums from his stay-at-home father, Pete.

However, this quiet life is upturned when Detective Inspector Macguire appears on their doorstep to enquire about a Missing Persons case.

Turbulent and trepidatious, the subsequent chapters introduce Miles and Lucy Lambert, doting parents of baby David, who deliver the news that an administration error at St Alexander’s had sent both parties home with the wrong sons when they left the NICU. David wasn’t as lucky as Theo in his critical early life developments and whilst Theo miraculously makes an almost full recovery, a bout of oxygen deprivation leaves David brain-damaged and requiring around-the-clock care.

With conclusive DNA tests delivered to both families, can they live with the knowledge that someone else is raising their child? This ultimate sacrifice will surely cast pressure on the new parents, but at what cost?

A tale of double-crossing, hair-pin turns and lethal threats, this ‘who-dun-it’ had me on my toes throughout. Although I guessed a major twist in the middle of the plot, there were countless more to follow which kept me questioning the true intentions of the characters until the very end.

Having finished this book in one sitting, it is an excellent book that is wholly deserving of its outstanding praise. Gripping from the very first page, Delaney writes with confidence, flair and evidenced research to produce this original psychological thriller about families, fitting in and fighting back.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I found the first part of this book really difficult to get through. It wasn’t badly written or even uninteresting, it was actually quite stressful and very clever. I just didn’t fully connect with the direction the story was taking. When I got to about half way through the pace picked up and I started to enjoy it. The format of the narrative and constant changing of perspective kept me on edge. The ending didn’t quite have the impact I expected, but I can say that, ultimately, I enjoyed this book.

Well written with believable characters. Good unexpected twists all through the story.
Well written with believable characters. Good unexpected twists all through the story.

This is my second book by PJ Delaney, and I don't know which i like the most.
Amazing writing, provoking, shocking page turning story.
I dare to say that the story was unique and it makes you think in the end what would you do if something like this happens in reality?
Definitely recommend!
Big thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and to the JP Delaney.

Wow, i thoroughly enjoyed this book!

It was gripping, heart stopping, thought provocking, page turning story which is every parents nightmare.

I read this in a few days as I couldn't put it down!

You can tell the author had done thorough research of the topic and I really liked that. This is my first JP Delaney book but will definitely be reading more of his work!

I’ve read JP Delaney books before and have enjoyed them so was looking forward to this.

Pete opens the door one day to a man telling him that his son isn’t his and that they have each other’s children. What starts off as an amicable relationship between the families soon becomes anything but.

This is an interesting idea for a plot and I thought it was something different to the norm. It got me thinking about whether something like that could happen and go undetected for years.
Some parts of the plot are a bit unrealistic but it is a work of fiction.

The characters in the book are well developed and there aren’t too many so it isn’t confusing to follow. I really disliked Miles and thought something was off about Maddie too.

I found this book to be quite a page turner and I wanted to know what was going to happen next. It’s easy to read and the chapters are a good length, just enough to make you think you’ll read ‘just one more’

The ending was fine but it did seem a bit abrupt.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and it was a different read for me.

This is one of the best books I’ve read in years, I absolutely loved it. Great plot, well written, loved the ending

Books from different peoples point of view really grab me. With this book it also has exerts of court documentation which really brings some excitement to it.

I’d like to see JP Delaney top this.
4 stars.

I've read all of J.P. Delaney's books, and I have always admired the unique concepts he comes up with. This story intrigued me from the beginning. I wouldn't really describe it as a gripping thriller, but it got under my skin. The story alternates from Pete and Maddie's perspectives, and I enjoyed the inclusions of case notes throughout the book - I found them really interesting.

I thought the characters were well developed, though I found Pete to be a bit too perfect, he did irritate me sometimes. There were a few parts of the story I wish had been explored further, for example the baby monitor Miles gave to Pete, and I'd have liked to have known more about David. I felt like I was waiting for something huge to happen, but the parts that I think were the "twists" weren't particularly shocking. A few parts of it felt like they'd been included for the shock factor, such as the chapter set in the park towards the end - I didn't find it quite as believable as the rest of the story. Overall though, it's a really good read, it's well paced and I enjoyed it.

I devoured this book in a few days. The word "unputdownable" was made for this title! I often get angry at these kinds of books where the main protagonists fall for obvious traps or make unrealistic decisions in order to advance the plot and make their predicament more pressing. I often find myself shouting at the characters and it hinders my enjoyment of the story. This book teeters perfectly on the edge of this for me. Enough actions to draw the story around but not enough to leave me exasperated at their stupidity. I thoroughly enjoyed the ride of reading this and will now seek out more by this author.

What a brilliant read! An extremely well written and fast paced thriller. A very easy read that didn't fail with the twists and turns!

Highly recommended and well deserving of 5 stars.

Thank you Quercus and Netgalley.

Incredibly page turning. One of the most unique novels I’ve read in a while. Domestic suspense turned psychological thriller. Amazing

The protagonists in this story were Pete and Maddie, and the story is told from their perspectives. Pete is unemployed/freelance journalist, who loves being the main carer of his son – Theo. Pete is very sweet and a true people pleaser. Maddie is working in advertising and has difficulty finding her motherly instinct when it comes to Theo. We also have Miles and Lucy, the real Theo’s parents, that are truly strange. The only character I really liked was Pete, he is just so sweet and innocent man. I did not like Maddie, I think she is an absolute hypocrite. However, I have to admit, her input in this book was intriguing. The author is an absolute expert when it comes to creating psychopaths in his novels. Every single book has one, and they are really well developed and delivered. In this book it was Miles. I really have nothing good to say about him at all.
The plot of this novel started pretty slow. It was a pity to see Pete struggling so much, but when the cruel twists came through, my blood just boiled for all the injustice happening in this book. It was like an avalanche of bad news hitting Pete and Maddie, and all that made me sad, angry and kind of annoyed. The topics discussed in this book were premature babies, mental health issues, infidelity, controlling and psychopathic partners and their behaviour, the legal system in the UK, family courts, challenging of stay at home dad stigma, and many more. I really liked how the author released the important information in this novel, somewhere thrown in like a bomb, but other important details were shared slowly throughout the book.
I really like the writing style, it is very well researched, truly personal and a challenging read. The book is set in London, and I really enjoy learning about different boroughs. The chapters are pretty short, and the book is so riveting and emotionally absorbing, that the pages just flew by to me. I really liked the ending of this book, it is very surprising but extremely satisfying, to say the least. :)

Another page-turner from Delaney. I really enjoy this writer's books. Very well-paced, intriguing with well-written plots.

thanks a lot to NG and the publisher for this copy.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a hard,maddening and enthralling story to read that was full of twists and turns that make you want to scream. Just when I thought the final plot twist was revealed there was always just one more!

The characters were interesting and complex, each individual personality was written wonderfully. The pacing of the book was a little slow for me at the start but kept me engaged throughout. The ending of the book was my favourite part, the last few chapters had my heart racing with panic about what the final twist of fate would be.

Altogether is was a great read and one I recommend to anyone who loves a real world psychological thriller.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Quercus books for sending me a copy of this book for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own and are in no way impacted by the nature in which I received the book.

review will be posted on my blog and instagram on octoeber 8th 2020

I really enjoyed this book. Lots of twists and turns. Very sensitive subject and absolutely terrifying the thought that this can happen. Really gets you thinking about what would you so if this was you. Such tough times for both families.
Thanks to netgalley for the arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this book, I loved the twists and turns and I couldn’t put it down. Although it made me squirm at times, being a parent you really don’t want to think about swapped babies and hopefully it doesn’t happen very often.
I would love to read more by this author in the future.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Really enjoyed reading this book, couldn't put it down, must admit its one that I would happily pick up again and read,
Overall I would recommend to anyone to read it, can't wait to get it on my page and let my followers know what I think about it!