Suzie and her husband Gabe are successful musicians trying unsuccessfully to have a baby. Suzie is contacted on social media by Anna, the baby she gave up for adoption 15 years earlier hen Suzie was 20. They get together with Anna and are shocked by what Anna tells them about her adoptive parents, and get sucked into Anna's web wanting to help her. But is everything what it seems? The story alternates between Suzie, Gabe and Anna's points of view and in addition to being suspenseful the story touches on a lot of serious, weighty topics that make this a little more deep than the usual psychological thriller.

I would firstly like to thank Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Honestly this was this author's weakest book so far. Don't get me wrong, it's not a bad book, but it's just missing that unusual intrigue that I normally experience from this author's books. I may not have loved this read, but I did like it. Suspenseful and a book full of disturbing secrets!

Overall a good well written plot with interesting characters but unfortunately this one didn't keep me on the edge of my seat, not like the previous book from this author and I found it hard to get into the storyline.

Thank you to Netgalley and Quercus Books for this ARC.

My Darling Daughter by JP Delaney

Synopsis
Out of the blue, Susie Jukes is contacted on social media by Anna, the girl she gave up for adoption fifteen years ago.

But when they meet, Anna's home life sounds distinctly strange to Susie and her husband Gabe. And when Anna's adoptive parents seem to overreact to the fact she contacted them at all, Susie becomes convinced that Anna needs her help.

But is Anna's own behaviour simply what you'd expect from someone recovering from a traumatic childhood? Or are there other secrets at play here - secrets Susie has also been hiding for the last fifteen years?

Review
Fairly easy read, the problem with stories like this, the characters make stupid decisions and are very naive which makes it hard for me to be sympathetic.
The author had clearly done alot of research on adoption which I appreciated.
Overall I enjoyed it but it didnt wow me.

Rated 3/5

Thanks to Netgalley for a advanced copy in return for a honest review.

Another pacey, thrilling novel from Delaney that I could not put down! With short chapters, it is so easy to promise yourself “Just one more” with My Darling Daughter, until you find yourself an hour on, with no chores done, fully immersed in the story with no intention of stopping. This was the perfect read for a summer staycation (even if I am not behind on the housework!) and sure to delight fans of Delaney’s past work - The Girl Before remains my favourite!

Susie and Gabe are a successful couple, both in the music industry.
Susie gave up her daughter for adoption fifteen years earlier and has never had any contact from her, until a message on social media.
Anna, or Sky, is a very troubled teen and what begins as a seemingly nice reunion takes a dark turn.
I didn’t like Sky’s character at all, she was such a piece of work. Yes, she had a difficult start in life but seems to shun all support and thinks she’s above everyone.
I liked Susie and Gabe but did find Susie really naive, to the point it was a bit annoying.

It is easy enough to read with short chapters. Each chapter is from the point of view of one of the main characters, so you see their perspective on what’s happening. Overall 4 stars.

My Darling Daughter follows a husband and wife who are sought out by the wife’s daughter who was adopted at birth. With it being a psychological thriller, I knew that this reunion was going to go wrong somehow but I didn’t expect to be taken on the journey of twists and turns I ended up on.

The ending fell a little short for me as it wrapped everything up a little too conveniently but if you’re looking for a quick and easy read, you may enjoy this one.

Delaney is one of my favourite authors and my expectations for the book were really high. I enjoyed it overall but would have definitely preferred more twists. I was gripped though and raced to the end.

When a child you gave up contacts you out of the blue and knows your life and wants to live with you - what do you say. A gripping psychological family thriller.

Absolutely brilliant! I love the books by JP Delaney and this is one of the best. It had me gripped from the first page right to the last. The story evoked many emotions as I read - happiness, sadness, anger along with tension. The actual tension in this book was relentless. The characters were all strong and well drawn. This is a must read.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review. I absolutely loved it.

I really enjoyed this book. The characters were well developed and once I picked it up, I couldn’t put it down. The book follows Gabe and Susie, a couple who are struggling to conceive. They both lost a child each in the past, Gabe’s daughter died aged 3 and Susie put her daughter up for adoption after becoming pregnant at 20. When a chance to meet her now 15-year old daughter appears, they jump at the opportunity. But Susie’s daughter also includes a worrying final line in her letter - that she needs help.

This book was an enjoyable read - a real page turner. From the outset I could tell something was going to be weird about the daughter and her adoptive parents and in true JP Delaney style - this book involved plenty of twists. My only critique would be that the middle part of the book was a little too drawn out and had some unnecessary information that wasn’t necessarily needed. In addition to this, the final twist was good but a little watered down (I just expected a little more).

And finally, it seemed a little unrealistic that every main character (Susie, Gabe and Sky) had this victim mentality. It just felt like they were in trouble for so many things (drug-use, sexual assault etc) but it was just a terrible misunderstanding in every case. Is everyone in that much bother really so squeaky clean and just in the wrong place at the wrong time? I don’t know.

Anyway very enjoyable read and I would recommend to read! Great book to get you out of a reading slump!

Well this is an addictive read. Couldn't put it down and had it finished in a few hours, it was that good and so easy to read and just fly through.
Susie's fifteen year old daughter Sky, whom she gave up when she was a baby, suddenly appears in her life again, with tales of a terrible life at home with her controlling adoptive parents. She pleads with Susie and her husband Gabe to intervene. Sky is very compelling and at first I felt sorry for her and her life, but as things unravel the truth comes out and it's a lot more shocking than you think.

Life as they know it starts to crumble for Susie and Gabe, all thanks to Sky and yes this poor girl has been through horrendous experiences in her short life so far, but nothing excuses the things she does next. I really really disliked Susie for the way she handled it, yes you can understand this is her long lost daughter who she has finally been reunited with and she doesn't want to turn her back on her, but the things Sky did where unforgivable, they could have destroyed them!

It's always horrendous reading about young teenagers and kids with accusations that can destroy innocent people and how social services have to back the child, but at the expense of people and families that have done nothing other than try to help the child in question.
It was also interesting about adoption and fostering and how the help is available from many sources, including financial, when a child is fostered, but it's totally different when a child is adopted.

Thank you to NetGalley and Quercus Books for the ARC in return for an honest review.

An ingenious plot line with twists and turns all over the place. Brilliant writing from JP Delaney as ever.

I’ve been a big fan of Jp Delaney since the first book and waiting in anticipation of another release.
This book did not disappoint again I was hooked from the first chapter. Itching to find out more.
The twists and turns in this book had me not wanting to put the book down.
The ending was not what I expected but that made it more exciting.
Thank you for another amazing book and I look forward to another.

I couldn’t put this book down and had to keep reading to find out what was going to happen next!
Susie’s daughter that she adopted out 15 years earlier suddenly makes contact turning her life upside down.
Thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.

I have read this authors other works and I thought this was just as good. Well written and a good atmospheric tale. The author must of done lots of research and really bought the story together to make it almost like a true story. A good read.

A very well researched novel, it almost felt like a true story to start with. Ive had some experience in my life with the storyline and was easily drawn in as it was very credible…then it became a thriller and I just couldn’t put it down. It’s such an absorbing read, I liked that it was written from other peoples perspectives which gave a rounded story and became totally gripping. Finished at 2.30am…I’m not normally a middle of the night reader!

Similar to Delaney's 'Playing Nice' this domestic thriller explores parenthood, specifically how far a mother's love can stretch forgiveness.

Social media has become an essential part of our daily lives but remains highly controversial. As it continues to dominate, we are introduced to new issues. In his authors note Delaney explains that the Adoption Society estimate one in four adoptee's make contact with their biological family before the age of 18, usually through social media.

Although far fetched at times, elements of this narrative come together to give it an authentic atmosphere. For example, I love that Delaney uses real examples from recent psychology misdemeanors such a coercive restraint therapy. CRT or 'Holding Therapy's was used and advocated for in the UK as recently as 2010.

I particularly liked the interspersed literary devices such as snippets of articles and reports which added a fun and engaging element to a heavy topic.

By no means my favourite or most emotive Delaney book I still found this a really enjoyable read. Perfect in-flight entertainment ✈️🌏

Thank you @netgalley for my ARC! ❤️

A solid read overall, though I would have liked a bit more tension at the beginning. I felt there was a too much research explained at the start, which made it a tad dry for my liking and took me away from developing an emotional bond with the characters. I would have enjoyed more twists.

Yet another great book from JP Delaney.

The narrative switches between the perspectives of the 3 main characters, which makes for an easy and enjoyable flow. This is a classic psychological family drama that touches on some very serious topics, all well researched and handled with the utmost care and respect.

A very enjoyable, clever read.

Thank you NetGalley and Quercus Books for a Review Copy.