When You Were Mine is a story of a single mother who is doing, what she believes to be, her absolute best for her son.  She lives her life according to his needs despite the negative and social impact this has on her own life. But he is worth it and she would give her life for him without question.  

Despite her intentions, Dylan is taken into foster care and placed with a family who appear to be able to give him the stability his own mother cannot. But both mothers love him and who would be best for him?

The story is told from the viewpoint of Beth, Dylan’s biological mother and Ally, Dylan’s foster mother. This was a shrewd move from the author as it gives us the thoughts and feeling of each character who would naturally have a dislike of each other and leaves the reader conflicted.

This was a truly moving story and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

When You Were Mine by Kate Hewitt. Hewitt has managed to write both a heart-breaking and heart-warming novel at the same time. Beth has a seven-year-old son, Dylan, who is odd. He is not autistic but exhibits many of the same symptoms. He has such high anxiety that even grapes scare him. He is known to simply start screeching and keep it up for an hour. Beth is tired and at her wits' end but when the Department of Children and Families intervenes it means Dylan is sent to a foster home...all over a package of Twizzlers. Thus begins Beth's journey. The first day is a nightmare and then, with a friend's help, she figures out how to fight back. A higher force intervenes and she is late to court, losing Dylan for at least three months. She reluctantly starts parenting classes and starts counseling, seeing Dylan only occasionally. Ally and Nick are his foster parents, a seemingly perfect family. As Dylan gets better, their family unravels. It is an amazing look inside two families. 

Getting involved with the DFC is always a life-changing occurrence. The paperwork, the rules, the unmitigated power they have is astounding. Misused it creates havoc. Many of the caseworkers are doing their best, but they are so overworked. This is a beautifully written story that assigns no blame but pretty much tells it as it is. Parenting is not easy, and despite a parent's best efforts, things happen. A parent's past intrudes on the raising of her/his children and there is nothing that can be done. Stories of families are always difficult to write and to read, but his was especially. So fraught with drama and nostalgia. Love, always a difficult topic was death with generously and fairly. I cannot give When You Were Mine a high enough recommendation. 

I was invited to read a free ARC of When You Were Mine by Netgalley. All opinions and interpretations contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #whenyouweremine

As the cover suggests, this book was absolutely beautiful and heart breaking. Beth is a single mum to complex, anxious, clingy Dylan. She is trying her best to keep things “normal” and safe for him, but she is struggling emotionally, financially and socially…

Can the solution suggested by the Department for Children and Families help her and Dylan get some more balance in their life?

The characters in this one are raw, their flawed but they’re also believable, honest and in many ways, likeable too. Beth’s realisation that her parenting style is influenced, or even, damaged by her past is one that resonates with me after reading about the psychology of parenting.

She feels mum guilt, and is struggling to juggle everything, but she is really trying. It was good to see her grow and come to terms with her issues.

There are many gripping, dramatic plot points that make this a real page turner. There is the occasional cliff hanger ending to a chapter, which is one of my favourite features of a book!

This has been a great read and I have really enjoyed it, though I have felt my heart twisting in my chest while seeing some of the heart breaking moments unfold!

My favourite quote comes at the end, and demonstrates Beth’s growth and wisdom:

“No matter how charmed someone’s life looks on the outside, on the inside everyone is messy and uncertain and afraid. Everyone needs help. Everyone holds possibility.”

When You Were Mine is such a heartfelt book. I’m not a mother so I couldn’t fully imagine what a situation like Beth’s must feel like but the author’s credible stance on the story gave me an inkling of the type of heartbreak having your child taken away might bring.

Despite the alternating chapters between Beth and Ally, at one point it felt like the main focus of the book was Beth and her story. However, as the story unraveled we are introduced more to Ally’s life as a mother to her own two children and it becomes apparent that When You Were Mine is not just a book about Beth and Dylan, it is a reflection on motherhood as a whole and the different problems mothers face. Quite simply, it tells us that nobody is perfect.

While I felt sympathetic toward both Beth and Ally, I also compassion toward Susan, Beth’s caseworker. It was nice to read a story where child services is not the villain. No doubt they aren’t perfect but there are people out there like Susan who really want to help struggling families.

I really enjoyed When You Were Mine. This is my second book from the author and certainly want to read more.

Two mothers, birth and foster, both wanting the best for the child Dylan, this was their poignant story. 
Beth loved her son, but his issues broke her, and she couldn't give him the help he needed. Put in foster care, Ally loved him too but had her own family needs to contend with. 
Kate Hewitt's writing had me choking back my tears at some places. There was so much to love in this book. Both the characters pulled at my heartstrings. With alternate chapters of their story, the chapters gave me a complete view of parenting. 
Overall, quite an emotional read.

My Review: 

I normally don’t read these touchy feely warm hearted stories but OMG I couldn’t put this one down. It was just that good, no I mean great. Warning, you better have some tissues ready and waiting. This is definitely a tear jerker. This is my first book by Kate Hewitt and it won’t be my last. So glad I went outside my comfort zone and tried something else. 

This book was about two mothers who in the end needed to find each other. One mothers son was taken away and the other mother stepped in for her. How are their worlds so vastly different but yet so similar? How are are they going to get along? Are they ever going to come together and work as a team? These answers may surprise you. 

I want to start off by saying how much I loved this book and really connected with each character in the book. I felt their sadness when they cried. I felt their happiness when they smiled. Each character touched my heart so deeply and will affect me on some level for many years to come. Now lets talk about that story line. A child who is taken away from his beloved mother and a mother who is trying so desperately to get him back. I really felt for this mother. She may have been over the top but I really thought she was trying her best. All mothers make mistakes. It’s part of being a parent. Did her mistakes cost her everything, yes they did. She really did redeem herself in the end though. She grew into something better and it was what her son needed all along. With this book I really felt like I was watching a feel good Hallmark Movie that I never wanted to end. 

Between the plot, characters and all the twists in this book it made it an easy and fast read. I would definitely recommend it and happily give it 5 Hearts❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Heart wrenching story about two moms and their ability to love & care for their children. Beth and her son Dylan have been each others’ best friends ever since Dylan was born. When DCF removes Dylan from her care, Beth is beside herself. She doesn’t have any friends or family and really struggles to find a support system. 

Allie and her husband decide to sign up to be foster parents and end up with Dylan in their care. Dylan is a challenge and while fostering Dylan, Allie’s own children go through some traumatic experiences. Allie feels pulled in a million directions and realizes that her ‘perfect’ family doesn’t seem to be very perfect anymore. 

We all struggle as moms with the question ‘are we doing enough for our children?’ That is a question that both Allie & Beth ask themselves throughout this story. 

I loved this book. I found I got emotional at times relating to both of the main characters. Thanks to NetGalley & the publishers for the ARC!

The plot is deceptively simple. A young single mother is overly rough with her son who has undiagnosed special needs. She’s reported to Child Services and after some court complications, loses custody of the boy for three months. The foster parents, new to the program, are an excellent choice. Upper middle class, parents of two teenage children, they are warm and welcoming. However, there’s so much more in this heartbreaking, beautifully written story. 

In When You Were Mine, Kate Hewitt lays motherhood and all its surrounding problems and doubts bare. Beth, the single mother of seven year old Dylan, is reluctantly forced to confront her neediness and change her parenting style. Ally, the foster mother, sees that her perfect life has wide cracks under the surface. As the two mothers become friends, they share advice. Ally asks “ why do we so often blame mother’s for their children’s choices?” and rationalizes that mothers make mistakes but try to do their best. Beth tells her the secret is to “Show up - again and again, even when they mess up big time.” 

While motherhood is at the center of this emotional novel, there are other important issues. We see that while Beth’s partner is physically absent, Ally’s husband is often emotionally absent, spending time alone in his home office. Both women then have to deal with the majority of daily childcare on their own. While Ally tries to be a sort of super mother to her teenage children, she misses signals as she prides herself on their achievements. We also see the workings of Child Services (in this case, in Connecticut). The case workers try to do their best but they deal with too many cases and cannot give as much individual attention as they should. 

When You Were Mine is at times painful to read. It overflows with raw emotion and will bring you to tears. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and Kate Hewitt for this ARC.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4

Single mother Beth loves her seven year old son, Dylan with all her heart. But life with Dylan isn't easy. His emotional issues push Beth to her limit. But when a misunderstanding leads to Dylan being taken into foster care, she's determined to do whatever it takes to get him back. 

Ally has always dreamed of being a foster parent. She already has two children of her own. But when Dylan joins her family, Ally finds herself struggling to balance his needs with those of her own family. Beth witnesses this when she visits and wants nothing more than to take Dylan home.

The characters were all true to life in this emotional story. It cover aspects of motherhood accurately.  Dylan has development issues which make him act up. The book has been well researched. This is a beautifully written book that's also thought provoking.

I would like to thank #NetGalley, #Bookouture and the author #KateHewitt for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I started out reading this book rather reluctantly. The subject matter wasn't one I'd typically choose, so I was hesitant. The plot centers on two women: Beth, the single mother of 7-year-old Dylan, who due to varying circumstances has been removed from her home and put into foster care; and Ally, wife and mother of two young adult children and who, along with her husband Nick, become Dylan's foster parents.
This book drew me in from the first chapter and I literally could not put it down until I finished. The two women had such different lives and backgrounds, yet their growth throughout the novel was so realistic and heartfelt. I didn't like Beth at first, and I related so much more to Ally since we are in similar phases of life. However both of them had trials and triumphs throughout the book that made me root for everyone's success.
I loved the way the author portrayed "the system" and gave faces and hearts to the social workers, the psychologists, the counselors, and everyone dealing with a very complex situation. It made me stop to think about how much internal judgment I've passed on people I've known in Beth's situation and how there is always more to the story than is shown on the surface.
This is an incredible book that is definitely a worthwhile read.

Beth is a single mother and Dylan is a difficult child. One afternoon in CVS he has a tantrum and at the end of her rope she grabs his arm so they can leave. Unfortunately someone sees and calls Child Services. From there things to spiral out of control until he is taken away from her and placed with the Fieldings.

The story is told from Beth's point of view and Ally's, the foster mother. Beth was a complex character. Dylan's dad has no part in his life and she is estranged from her parents. She has no friends because her life is devoted to Dylan. For money she works at home making jewelry that she sells on Shopify. She could be impulsive with the big things but would over think small decisions. Beth accepts Dylan's behavior and only tries to avoid melt downs rather then doing something to help him. She keeps him close and is needy, jealous of any time he is not right with her.

Ally seems to have it all, mid-forties, one daughter just off to Harvard and a teenage son. She sees a video about foster care and decides their family has a lot to offer. Dylan is their first placement and it was a rocky start.

There is a lot of growth in the story, mostly for Ally and Beth, that comes on gradually as Beth has to accept things that have happened in her past and let them go for the sake of Dylan. I liked the ending and their was a satisfying solution that benefitted Dylan.

This is a new author for me and I look forward to reading more of her writing.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for providing me with a copy of this book.

When You Were Mine by Kate Hewitt is a heartbreaking read that explores the question of just how far a mother will go in the best interests of her child.  Ms Hewitt can always be relied upon for a powerful and emotive story, and this one proves to be no exception.

Beth adores her seven year old son Dylan, but admits to feeling the stress of being a single parent.  When she one day grabs Dylan's arm with what is perceived as excessive force by an onlooker, the Department of Child Welfare Services is contacted and Beth's worst nightmare as a parent begins; her child is removed from her care.

Ally has always wanted to foster a child, and manages to convince her husband that it is the right thing to do.  When Dylan is temporarily placed in her care, Ally feels a deep connection with the troubled child from the very start.  Which of the two women will be of greater benefit to a little boy in desperate need of a loving home?

This is an addictive read, told from the alternating perspectives of Beth and Ally.  Each woman evokes empathy in her own way, and will demonstrate the true strength of a mother's love.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing a digital advanced copy of this book.  This was the first book that I read by Kate Hewitt, and it definitely will NOT be the last.  I really liked how the relationships changed and the characters developed.  It was interesting to read a book from the perspective of a character whose child had been taken away as well as the foster parent caring for that child. I sometimes got frustrated with both the Mom and the foster mom, but as their relationship developed came to like and understand both of them.

Two mothers.  Beth, one single and trying to make ends meet with a child who has a few issues, Dylan.  Ally, the other married with two kids and seems as if she has all the pieces put together with a great part time job, one child in college at Harvard and the other surviving school, but no issues to be reported.  Ally has thought about opening her home to foster children as her children leave their home and she finally decides to and Dylan will be her first placement.   

Told through the perspectives of both mothers as they are on two sides of the foster care perspective and throughout the story as they interact they learn about how each other approach motherhood and the highs and lows that each mother can go through with each child.  

Although not a mother myself, I really got into this book and really appreciated seeing two mothers go through motherhood in different ways and have very different experiences.  I loved seeing inside both their homes and then seeing through each other's eyes the other's life and both seeing positives and negatives in each other's lives.  

I have read a few Kate Hewitt's books and each one has met or exceeded my expectations.  She has quite the backlist that I hope to continue to read and catch up on!

Beth is a single mother who adores her son, Dylan.  When she is a victim of circumstance, Dylan is taken away from her and placed in the foster care system.  Beth is devastated and does everything she can to get her son back.  Meanwhile, Dylan is placed in the perfect home with the perfect family.  However what Beth learns is sometimes even those who appear to be perfect struggle just as much as those who are dealt bad hands in life.  As Beth tries to rebuild her life, she finds friendship in unusual places.

When You Were Mine tells a great story.  The characters and their plights have meaning and are relatable.  I really enjoyed this book.  Thank you NetGalley for an arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.  I enjoyed this book that focuses on motherhood and love and loss. Dylan is a young boy who is taken into care when his mother is deemed unfit to meet his additional needs. Ali is his foster carer, and all is not the perfect picture that is first portrayed in there house as we discover further in the story. Beth, Dylan's mother is a likeable character fighting to get her son back, not really understanding where she went wrong.  A heartbreaking tale.

This book breaks your heart in pieces one by one and then slowly puts them back together again. Such a poignant look at the child's services division of any state, this one being Connecticut. 
Beth and her son Dylan age 7 are super close. They are all they have and they like it that way until one faithful day when Dylan throws a public tantrum in CVS and child services is called. This starts a chain of events that Beth can hardly believe is happening to her. She is about to lose the son she's raised from birth because she's too close to him. What? 
Ally is married with two grown kids. Emma just started at Harvard in the fall and Josh is a junior in high school. Their life is idyllic from the outside. Beautiful house, upper middle class. Simple family dynamics. One night Ally decides she wants to be a foster family to give back to those less fortunate than them. Quickly Ally and her husband Nick agree and start the ten week training course. 
Events unravel quickly and Dylan ends up living temporarily with Ally and her family. Dylan is mute by choice and screams so loud with tantrums that others run for cover and the family quickly turns into chaos with Ally doing the brunt of the work with Dylan since Nick has decided he's weird. 
Beth becomes angry with her case worker Susan and decides to fight the hold on Dylan in court. Little does she know the fight she is about to take on. 
I read this one in two sittings. I couldn't put it down. It kept drawing me in with each turn.of events these characters struggled with. I fell in love with Beth first and then Ally. Intermittently being angry at one or the other. 
Being a mother myself, this book really showed me how people can misjudge you and call you a bad MOM but never really know your situation. You can be a bad mom whether you are rich or poor. Circumstances don't really matter. You can also be a good mom despite your situation.

I’d like to thank Bookouture and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘When You Were Mine’ by Kate Hewitt in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

From the age of two Dylan has been a difficult child and has been on the radar of the Connecticut Department of Children & Families.  Now aged seven he won’t speak although he can, or communicate with anyone, and he constantly screams, so the DCF have temporarily taken him away from his mother Beth and put him to be fostered by the Fieldings, Ally and Nick with their children Josh and Emma.  The Fieldings look on the outside to be the perfect family, which Beth’s definitely isn’t, but looks can be deceiving and Ally has her own problems to contend with.

‘When You Were Mine’ is the heart-breaking story of a mother’s love for her son.  Told through the eyes of both Beth and Ally we learn about the way the authorities have mishandled the whole Dylan situation and haven’t given Beth the help she should have received.  From page one I was completely engrossed in the two women’s very different lives and how they both want what’s best for Dylan.  It’s an incredibly moving story that tugs at the heartstrings and is so powerful and realistic that when I wasn’t reading I was thinking about it.  Thank you, Kate, for giving us such a beautifully-written story with a perfect ending that will stay in my thoughts for a long time.

Get a tissue because this book will break your heart! Our foster care system is truly there to help families, but it’s not the best and they are human. It has cracks, but if we can get one thing out of this book it’s that we all should definitely help in some kind of capacity to homeless families! 

The author does such an exceptional job at making the characters so humble and interesting that they become real to you! I felt for Beth and Ally! At times I wanted to choke the foster care workers! Then I wanted to smack Nick , Ally’s husband and shake Ally as well. However, we see them all grow and develop and I cried with them and was happy with them when Dylan reached goals!

This is one of those books that I just couldn’t put down! I definitely would recommend this book to anyone looking for a great drama!

I received an advanced copy from NetGalley and these are my willingly given thoughts and opinions.

When You Were Mine
By Kate Hewitt
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5 Stars

A heartwarming and heart-wrenching, deeply emotional, beautifully and well written story. This book caught my attention from the very beginning to end and I could not put this book down. It talks about motherhood in a very accurate way that is impressive. All the things mothers do for their children thinking it's the best choice and maybe it isn't or maybe they do everything right and things still go wrong anyway. This book goes deep into all the characters emotions and it is both heartwarming and heart wrenching. It's a must read! I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review