This book really makes you think!! What would happen if someone turned up on your doorstep and said your two year old child wasn't yours but theirs!! After a supposed mix up in the neonatal unit Pete's and Maddie's baby is now with Miles and Lucy and vice versa.
They all start off trying to come up with a compromise and all getting along until Miles doesn't get his own way, his true colours are quickly revealed and how dirty he'll play to get Theo but to also keep his son he's bought up.
Maddy and Pete find themselves on a rollercoaster and fear they'll lose Theo, they decide if they want to keep him they'll have to play dirty like Miles!!
You never know what is coming next and keeps you guessing right until the last page!!

This starts off all nice and you think you know where it's going, but believe me, you don't. Two couples, two children swapped at birth. Nature or nurture? How far would you go for your child that is not really your child? It gradually spins out of control. I was drawn in from the first page and really enjoyed this all the way through the end, though I did questions the final a little bit. Anyway, don't let it stop you. This is an excellent beach/summer read.

Thanks to Quercus Books and NetGalley for the ARC.

My favourite JP Delaney book (so far!)

I was gripped from the first page and became more and more horrified as the story unravelled - initially the naivety and trustworthiness of one of the couples and their slow reactions to seeing what was happening. The 'villain' of the piece is masterfully drawn and unfortunately only too believable. The main characters are all flawed to a degree which actually makes them more interesting than they might otherwise be.

All in all a thrilling read with some "gasp out load" moments.

Highly recommended.

** 3.5 stars


Truly every parents worst nightmare,to have someone on your door telling you that your child isn't actually your child.

As a reasonable person,you decide to play nice,and try sort out the mess.... unfortunately not everyone is reasonable or nice.

Scary to see how things are easily twisted and the courts,fighting for best interest of child,aren't always on the right side.

Plenty of twists and turns that kept me turning pages right to the end.

If holidays were still a thing,I'd be recommending everyone take this in their suitcase for a great beach read.

I read it in one sitting. It's a great page turner with an unexpected end. The characters all have flaws and nothing is black or white which makes it a really satisfying read.

Another clever and fast paced thriller from JP Delaney. I couldn't put this book down and read it in a day.

I enjoyed that the novel was written from both the perspectives of Maddie and Pete and felt this added to the story by creating more depth and drama alongside the chapters which read as various court documents which helped to flesh out parts of the story.

The characters are very well-written, I felt empathy for Maddie and Pete despite the fact that they are both so naive and gullible - frustratingly so - and hated Miles' character but as a villian he is perfect.

Overall, a thrilling unputdownable read. Highly recommended.

Thanks to Quercus Books and NetGalley for the ARC.

Oh my goodness, I absolutely loved and hated #PlayingNice at the same time, I think it’s so well written, I made notes throughout reading with my guesses and I got them all wrong!
When I say I hated this book that’s only because I couldn’t read it fast enough and I was being impatient wanting to know what happened!
I have read quite a few of J.P. Delaney’s books now and honestly so far this is the best one, they just keep getting better and better.
I read this in two sittings and even stayed up until 2am one evening to read (this also happened to me with believe mr by J.P. Delaney too but it was so worth it !!
I loved all the different personalities and way the characters really came to life.

Thank you to J.P Delaney, Random House Publishing and #Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review

This is a really good, fast paced thriller but I really struggled with the dialogue when talking about/to Theo. It just didn’t fit with him just turning 2, in terms of understand and development, being expelled from nursery etc. If Theo had been older it would have made more sense.

Wow! Could NOT put this book down, even though my anxiety was rising with every page. SO clever, intricately planned out and excellent characters! Will definitely be reading more from JP Delaney! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher!

Thank you to Netgalley for the loan of this book and to Quercus.
I absolutely LOVED this book, what a thrilling adrenaline fuelled ride. JP Delaney has excelled herself with this book. Having read all her other books I was excited to read this, and wow did it exceed my expectations.
Imagine being a stay at home dad, while your wife works, playing with your son and living a normal, albeit humdrum life, when theres a knock on the door from a man claiming you have his son, and he has yours. Your whole life turned on its head in an instant when he proves this shocking revelation! How do cope with this news? How did it happen? Was it the hospitals fault? What will be the outcome? How do you deal with the fallout from such news? These questions and more went through my head and I read this at lightening speed as I needed to know how Pete and Maddie, the parents of the child in question managed to keep it together. The couple who have their biological child, Miles and Lucy seem so accommodating initially, but things soon turn sinister........
Throw in several court cases, people involved in the case mysteriously ending up hurt, and a lot of underhand tactics being played and you have a mind blowing, sensational story. It's rare my emotions are so heightened reading a book, but I felt shock, devastation, horror, anger, sadness, hopelessness and happiness throughout this book. It is simply awesome. I urge you to read this, i promise you'll be taken on an emotional ride of your life. Fantastic!

Thanks netgalley for allowing me to read this excellent story, that could really happen to two babies.
Two babies were born and both were taken to ICU.
One baby was fine, but the other had brain damage.
Somehow by accident or intentional they had their name tags swopped, and each baby was given to the wrong parents.
I could imagine this story actually happening, if it has already not happened.
The mystery into how the babies were swopped and the.court case leading up to who should have the children two years on was very interesting and really enjoyed it.
Great book waiting for the next one from this great author.

Pete and Maddie's lives are turned upside down by a knock on the door one morning; they are told by some strangers that their son Theo isn't biologically theirs, and their children were somehow swapped in the hospital shortly after birth. What starts as a fairly amicable but awkward situation quickly deteriorates into a custody battle that looks like Pete and Maddie may end up losing custody of not just Theo, but of their biological son David to the other couple.
I really enjoyed this book, the story actually made my heart pound in a few places - I think the horror that your child could be ripped from your home made me think of my own children and how difficult and horrifying the situation would be.

Thanks to Netgalley for the preview of this book. I have read Delaneys previous books and was so excited to read this. I loved this book. It was a complete different style and topic to his other two books and managed to be thrilling gripping and exciting. It is one book not to be missed.

Two families, two 2 year old children and a truly dreadful situation. Delaney provides a plot that would be any loving parent's nightmare. The story spirals into a terrifying scenario where personal trust, belief in justice and even faith in the NHS all collapse. As readers we find ourselves questioning everything and everyone without finding any tidy answers. This is down to Delaney's great skill as an author in keeping all the balls in the air at the same time. Not much more can be said without giving away too much of the plot, but I highly recommend Playing Nice to those who enjoy skilled writing and an edge-of -the-seat story. Only one small criticism. Over 100 chapters is perhaps just too many for allowing the novel to flow.

I have not read a book by JP Delaney before but having read the premise I was intrigued. Two babies mixed up at the hospital and being given to the wrong parents.
Now I must say the plot is amazingly well written everything that happen happens for reason and as the book progresses you realise why certain events have been described. The writer has plotted the story so well from start to finish.
You really do not know what to expect as the book unfolds but I could not put it down as you want to find out what happens next. It is written in the form of the two main characters describing what happens interspersed with narrative from other areas (to say much about how this is used gives away some of the book) but this is a master stroke by the author as you start to wonder what is really going on in the book.
I HIGHLY recommend this book and hope it gets a shot at a major TV drama or film as it is BRILLIANT.

I’m a big fan of J.P Delaney and have read all of his works under this pseudonym. I have to say I think this might be my favourite of his books!

This story hooks you in straight away as our main characters Pete and Maddie find out that the son they have been raising for the last two years isn’t actually theirs...

The story is told from the points of view of Pete and Maddie and is absolutely harrowing and really does raise some moral questions along the way and puts you in the shoes of these characters and this awful situation.

Thank you to NetGalley and Quercus Books for providing an ecopy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What a fantastic book and one that I would recommend to anyone. It’s probably my favourite book by this author and it’s definitely worthy of 5 stars. It is absorbing, original and well written. The characters are intriguing and develop through the book and there’s lots of twists and turns to keep you guessing.
Cancel all plans and read it!

‘Playing Nice’ is the latest psychological thriller from the master of the genre JP Delaney and this time around, the take focuses on two couples each with a two year old son. To their absolute horror, Miles and Maddy are informed by the other couple that their babies were accidentally swopped at the neonatal unit shortly after birth. What follows, is story of heartbreak and mental torment as both families are torn apart of they attempt to discover what really happened in the hospital and fight to keep their children.
Of course, there is more to the tale for the reader and Delaney has a wonderful ability to build up a slow, creeping dense of dread, ensuring that the reader remains engaged with the story and is constantly wondering who is telling the truth.
It’s rare that a thriller, can actually give you chills and also stay in your mind for hours afterwards. One of my favourites of recent reads.

I literally could not put this book down. I devoured it in a little over 24 hours.
A brilliant storyline. I thought I knew what was happening and then came the twists and turns. You will not be disappointed with this book!

I have only read one J P Delaney book previously, The Girl Before, and really enjoyed it, but hadn't got around to reading the others as the books I have to read for work always had to take priority. Having now read this one, I have just put those others on top of my to read pile! I will also investigate books the author has written under other names as well.

Thanks to Quercus for giving me the chance to read this new book and re-introducing the author to me..

As a parent, I can easily imagine the horror and torment of emotions a parent would go through in suddenly discovering the child you have cared for and loved for 2 years is not actually your biological child, but was accidentally switched at birth at the hospital. In this believable and page turning psychological thriller, the reader is totally immersed in the worlds of the two sets of parents caught in this dilemma and the obsessive and dark turn the story takes. Excellent!