Her Daughter by Jen Craven was a gripping and utterly emotional page-turner.
These characters are so relatable and well written. The characters were well drawn and I was able to really relate to them.
I loved all the secrets, lies and betrayal that was inside the story. Held my attention and kept me flipping the pages. The pacing was well done and the plot moved along smoothly.
I read this in a day and wanted to know how this one would end.
If you want a book that keeps you guessing and gives you a lot to think about, this is the book you need to be reading.

Thank You NetGalley and Bookouture for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

This may not be a thriller, but THAT TWIST! I was floored!

University friends Rachel and Monica (yes, I know, and it is part of the story 😉) are now married with their own careers and children. They’re still as close as they were all those years ago, or are they?

There’s some serious underlying tension and it kept me hooked, waiting for everything to come to a head and boy did it!

There are plenty of relatable and well written characters in this story, and it was Rachel and Monica, the two mothers, who I really felt invested in and felt very much part of their lives.

A really enjoyable read, which I recommend to anyone who enjoys character focussed. family drama.

4 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Jen Craven and Bookouture, for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this Advanced Reader’s Copy of Her Daughter by Jen Craven due to be published March 1, 2024.
Rachel and Monica have been friends for a long time, but Rachel has three children – two younger ones and one in college (Chloe) so she doesn’t have as much time for Chloe. When Chloe gets pregnant, she confides in Monica instead of Rachel.
And, what would a good thriller be without everyone harboring secrets of one sort or another?
The summary of this book sounded very intriguing, and I’m glad I read it. It was sad to see Rachel neglect Chloe to take care of her two other children when she so very badly needed her, but that is the way of parenting sometimes. It was also sad that Chloe chose to confide her problems to Monica instead of her own mother. I can’t imagine how difficult it would be to keep secrets from your best friend that you saw on a regular basis.
When Rachel’s husband, Chris, went to work on Monica’s husband’s mayoral campaign, there were also secrets with Roman that were bound to come out. Roman was a very hard character to like – so selfish and deceitful.
Even after all the secrets are revealed, in the end it’s friendship that is the most important.
Her Daughter kept my interest, and I read it in 24 hours – wanting to find out who would discover the secrets and when!
I will definitely look for more books to read from Jen Craven!

.#NetGalley #JenCraven #Bookouture #HerDaughter

This book is about Friendship, dreams, hopes and scandals. Main characters are Monica and Rachel - both somehow wishing they were more like the other and their families. The friendship starts to crackle when Chloe ( Rachels daughter, finds out she is pregnant and chooses to tell Monica but Rachel ).

Slowly we are getting into the secrets and then boom BEST PLOT TWIST EVER ;) no really, I was left with my mouth open!

Not to say it took me completely by surprise but it has been well written, so still if you had some suspicions it was well executed.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to review an advanced copy of Her Daughter.

I am sorry to say that this book didn't really grab me. I found it to be too slow, but I am an impatient reader, and hopefully readers who are not so impatient will enjoy it more.. The story was pretty much as described and it wasn't a bad book.

Two friends since high school and still friends, but one wishing she had what the other had.

What might make it worse is that Rachel’s daughter finds out she is pregnant, but she tells her mother’s friend, Monica, instead and asks Monica to not tell her mother yet.

Monica feels terrible because she and Rachel have never kept secrets from each other.

We follow all the characters in this emotional, character-driven novel with all characters having current and past secrets.

The secrets and betrayals brought to light how they can destroy friendships and families.

This book is for women's fiction fans and those readers who enjoy family drama.

HER DAUGHTER isn't a book I normally read, but it turned out to be one I enjoyed even though I guessed one of the secrets. 4/5

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

It’s been a while since I have anything less than 3 stars but I just can’t bring myself to give this book anymore than that.

It was an easy, chilled read but it was just a bit boring. Not the twisty gripping thriller I’m used to and love. I kept waiting for something more to happen but it just didn’t.

There is also one other reason I’ve had to give this book 2 stars and that’s because in the blurb it refers to ‘Rachel lying to everyone’ and that just didn’t really happen… If they’re referring to what I think it is in the book I don’t even think it’s worthy mentioning it never mind the last line of the blurb.
I thought I’d missed a chapter of the book or something when I read it read the blurb when I finished the book! Very bizarre.

All that aside, if you’re looking for an easy true to real life read, give this one a go.

“If life hadn’t thrown her a curveball, maybe she wouldn’t be passing off Walmart cookies as her own.”

Dr. Monica Cross, MD, one of the top fertility specialists in Pittsburgh, and Rachel Moreland, tired, underappreciated mom to a 19-year-old university child, have been inseparable besties since they met in college. When Rachel gets pregnant 30 credits short of college graduation, their lives take different paths.

Rachel and Chris Moreland are empty nesters and trying to find meaning to their new life. In evaluating their child-raising years, they look back with bitterness at the ease their friends seemed to experience. Needing to be fulfilled and recognized, both at home and in a career, Rachel becomes jealous and feels like her friend has been taking advantage of her kind-heartedness.

Monica and Roman Cross are the ultimate career-driven, life-in-the-fast-lane, power couple. They have a nanny to raise their two boys and struggle to balance the familial commitments with those of their careers. Their dedication to their professional lives comes at a cost.

Both women are keeping secrets and their marriages, friendships, and careers depend on the secrets staying hidden. When Chloe, Rachel’s daughter, confides in Monica, it puts Monica’s friendship with Rachel in jeopardy. Does she keep it and risk betraying Rachel? When Chris starts working for Roman, financial discrepancies/indiscretions attempt to dissolve their friendship and that of their wives. The couples soon discover that money doesn’t solve everything and the grass isn’t always greener on the other side.

Although this story is mainly about friendship, it also explores the:
✔️Cost of career fulfillment
✔️Fear we have of history repeating itself
✔️Secrets we keep
✔️Tough decisions, especially the split-second choices
✔️Jealousy we harbour
✔️Acceptance of one’s lot in life
✔️Intuition we need to rely on
✔️Motherhood journey
✔️Family dynamics
✔️Unconditional aspect of love
✔️choices that impact your future

Craven’s coming-of-age journey told in three distinct POVs highlights how one decision can change everything. She examines the dynamics of female friendships, the deception of jealousy, and the danger of secrets. This upmarket women’s fiction is one you’ll want to source for your book club or Spring reading list.

I enjoyed everything about this book a great storyline with good characters.

Although it was sad in parts I was involved from the beginning and it was definitely a page turner for me

I will read more from this author and thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for this ARC which I can thoroughly recommend.

Her Daughter was a well-written women's/family fiction novel that tells a story of two families closely knit with secrets they all have to protect. While the biggest secret didn't come as a huge surprise, I thought it was well done and the characters were well-developed enough to make the reactions of each one to the news believable. You watched some of these characters grow while others never seemed to learn.

I enjoyed Her Daughter as a women's fiction/friendship novel and recommend it to anyone who enjoys those types of books.

Thank you Bookouture and NetGalley for an early copy of Her Daughter. Monica was definitely put in a bad position, and I do understand Rachel's reaction. This was an emotional book about friendships and it was a WINNER!!!! I did see where the plot was going and I definitely was not surprised with what happened. I really enjoyed it and I felt like I was right there in the middle of all that was going on. EXCELLENT READ! Thank you again.

Jen Craven has woven a tale of friendship, betrayal, trust and honesty...with a twist. I was intrigued by Monica and Rachel's relationship, as well as the dynamic when the two husbands were involved. I found myself looking forward to how it was all going to come to a climax, but it was fairly predictable. I also thought their conflicts over keeping secrets weren't as dramatic as they came across. Overall the writing style flowed and was easy to read, so I will pick up another of Craven's to try.

You can have many friends and friendships can start at a young age, lasting a life time. I think though, there is only one friend you can turn to any time, whether it's to share good or bad news, whether you have to support one another or laugh with each other. It's a bond that is cemented and not one single thing can ever break that bond. At least that is what you always thought...

Sometimes though, life happens and you are trapped between a rock and a hard place. Someone confides in you and asks you to keep their secret.That should not be a problem unless the one person you have to keep it hidden from is your best friend. You are thorn apart, because you want to stay true to your word, but you so don't want to betray your bestie.

That's not the only thing that makes that strong connection become weaker and weaker. Will it break or is there enough to survive all this mayhem?

I understood both Rachel and Monica's points of view and I see why they felt hurt. I also loved the evolution they went through. When there is a will there usually is a way but it sometimes takes a few small earthquakes to make you see things differently and find the right path again.

A great and emotional page turner for me, without a doubt. 5 stars

Thank you

I was a just a bit disappointed that the book wasn't written in 1st POV since the blurb was, but I really enjoyed this book even if it was a bit slow at times. By the end, I was really shocked at the twist ! I'm happy with how it all ended, though. It was an emotional and touching read.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for access to this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Now picture this: unconditional love, tough decisions, and a rollercoaster of emotions. A touching story that really gets into the nitty-gritty of family ties. Grab some tissues and get ready for a feels trip! You're gonna need 'em!

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Monica and Rachel are best friends and have been for a long time, although they both have very different jobs their circles run tight because not only are they best friends, but their sons are the same age. Monica is a fertility specialist who is always working and Rachel is a day-care teacher and homemaker, picking up the parental slack from Monica.

But what happens when Rachel's daughter shares a secret with Monica and asks Monica not to tell a soul? What would you do if you were Monica? Would you keep her secret safe even if it meant betraying your best friend?
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This is a super emotional, gut-punching read that I inhaled in one sitting. I loved it all. and the twists were crazy! This was very easily a 5 star read for me!

Absolutely loved this! It's difficult to review without giving away the superb plot. I could not put this down and it was constantly wowing me.

Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me the opportunity to review this book. My main genre of books is usually psych thrillers or police procedural but every so often I enjoy a drama such as Jen Craven's Her Daughter. This book really hit home with me as my best friend and I have a similar relationship to Rachel and Monica's and I found myself constantly thinking "what would we do?" in the situations that arose. This is my second title from Craven and had forgotten how much I enjoy her writing. She writes about real life, the things that can, and often do, happen to us all. Rachel and Monica, for all of their closeness, each feel a certain amount of envy about each others lifestyle when in reality, none are perfect...just like everyone.

I did not see that coming. Twists and turns kept me wondering. Secrets and red herrings…deception…lies…love and romance…family and friends…these ingredients made a novel that I could not put down. This talented author has written a page turner. I did not want it to end…then the curveball…whew…I shook my head wondering if I had read correctly. Where did that come from? This author amazed me with her surprise…do not miss this book. Thanks Netgalley.

Did I absolutely love this book? No, but it did draw me in to take sides with certain characters and I really didn’t see the plot twist coming at the end. It is a nice easy read that you can finish in a few days. I would recommend it to friends and recommend you read it also.

Monica and Rachel have been best friends since college. Their lives are completely entwined with their children attending the same school, Rachel picking up the slack in Monica’s childcare issues and even joint family vacations. So when Chloe, Rachel’s eldest daughter gets pregnant but chooses to tell Monica first, it sets off a chain of events that keep you hooked until the final chapter.

I’m giving this book 3 stars because I did enjoy it. However, I struggled to get over the supposed main plot point of Monica not telling Rachel her daughter was pregnant. Monica is a doctor. A fertility specialist. Surely, doctor/patient confidentiality would have kicked in? Even if Chloe wasn’t, strictly speaking, her patient, the fact that she told her at her place of work would lead me to believe this was the case. It ruins the believability for me as all Monica had to say was ‘I took an oath’ and there could be no comeback, no matter how much Rachel disliked it.

I guessed the main twist before it even happened as it was not exactly subtle in set up. Definitely used a sledgehammer there! The characters were under developed in my opinion and didn’t always behave in the way I‘d have expected.

As previously stated, I did enjoy this book, hence the 3 stars but it’s a flawed read. The friendship theme is well explored but I did feel it was a bit overworked. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my copy of this book.