This is the first book I’ve read by this author and I really enjoyed it. She writes beautifully and I adored the protagonist of the story Cora. An emotional read that will warm your heart and make you cry in equal measures.

Alison Ragsdale's book grabbed me from the first page and kept me hooked. I cared deeply about the children's well-being and why they were left with Cora. As I read, some questions were answered, but many more arose: Would Cora care for the children? Who was the better parent? Would Cora lose the kids?

My Husband’s Child deeply resonated with me. As a mom, I could sense Cora’s fear of losing the children. She wasn't sure she was ready to be a mom, but she always wanted to be. This was her chance, but would it last? I suspected there was more to why the children were left and hoped that Cora would stay in their lives.

This book is amazing. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys an emotional read. I felt deeply connected to the characters, especially Cora, and experienced a wide range of emotions throughout the story.

My Husband’s Child was a really good family drama that drew me in right from the very beginning. I thought Cora was a wonderful character and she just adored the two children, Ross and Evie. There were some heartbreaking and emotional parts and I did guess what was actually going on but it certainly didn’t take away from my enjoyment of this book. The characters were all really well described and I loved the relationship Cora had with her ex Father in Law James Munro. These two people were determined to do all they could for the young children. This was an emotional read at times and one which will stay with me.

Cora Campbell’s life immediately changed direction when her husband informs her that their marriage was over and he then marries another woman. Nonetheless, Cora has been enjoying her life, especially when it comes to her adventurous spirit. Cora’s busy life completely changes course when two children are left on her doorstep. Her ex-husband’s children.

Cora always had a good relationship with her ex-father-in-law James. Cora at first appeals to him to take the children, but his health concerns would make that quite difficult. So, in most of the ways that counts, Cora has become an instant mother. The children are quite young. A toddler and a pre-schooler, and Cora can’t help but to fall in love.

Whether or not Cora will gain full custody, as well as keeping it is challenged by the sudden reappearance of their mother. Soon after, their father reappears as well. It has been more than a few months now, and unsurprisingly, Cora struggles when it comes to imagining giving the children up. The children know Cora as Mummy and she wants to keep it that way.

Alison Ragsdale’s latest emotional read is praised for its well-developed characterization, particularly of Cora, a woman who became an instant mother and whose life was turned upside down. The book delves into Cora’s tragic past and her coping mechanisms, including her cochlear implant and her determination to keep it from hindering her life. I also really loved James, the children’s grandfather. His significant role in this book provided Cora for the sturdy support she needed at times. Lastly, her best friend Aisha. Definitely friendship goals. A story like this that depends on the relationships between the characters goes a long way to making this story authentic and memorable.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

My husbands child is quite the emotional rollercoaster. I would never and could never leave my children on someone's doorstep to care for them. And honestly, I can't imagine being put into Cora's shoes. What a strong and phenomenal woman.

This story is both beautiful and heartbreaking. It's definitely worth the read.

I received a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

A good book will pull and tug at your heart. It’ll know just the right words and terms to make you think you’re reading non-fiction. Alison Ragsdale knows exactly what she’s doing with her writing and I’m here to tell you, I needed tissues for this one! Sigh…I needed them for her last few – she’s perfected her craft and knows the right stories to make her words literally jump off the page at you.

Cora thought she was done with her ex husband until his two children were left on her doorstep one night. His two children by the woman he left Cora for. It seems they both have just up and vanished. Cora, being the amazing and caring woman she is takes them in. She doesn’t just take them in though, she loves and adores them, she becomes their “Mummy Cora” and then that role becomes threatened when both of the children’s parents come back into town.

This story was so well crafted, it was written with love and full of character. Cora’s personality shined bright through each of her interactions. It was as though we were watching this story take place in front of our eyes and I gasped with every climax of the story. Alison took us for a gut wrenching ride where love played its part so brightly and it was a 5️⃣⭐️ trip that I thoroughly enjoyed❗️

My Husband's Child by Alison Ragsdale was another beautifully written book from start to finish. This was a book that took my breath away and I so needed tissues and lots of them. Alison has a way of writing that will have you gripped from the beginning till the very end and you will find it hard to put it down once you start to read it, My Husband's child was a great page turner for me. I just loved this book, All the characters were realistic and I felt for the all,

I would say its a great holiday read. . .. . . . But you will need to hide under a sun parasol and your sunglasses as it will have you in tears. It's an emotional ride. I do recommend it. Another 5 star book

Big Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC.

An emotional rollercoaster that is heartbreaking and heartwarming. The characters are so well described that the reader can live through the story with them . A wonderful book that I loved

First, I want to thank Alison Ragsdale, Bookouture and NetGalley for providing me with this book so I can bring you this review.

My Husband’s Child by Alison Ragsdale is a heartwrenching, poignant and compelling book and beautifully written. The storyline was so exceptional and addicting that I binged read it til the wee hours into the morning.

My Husband’s Child I feel would be perfect for book clubs and book discussions because there are so many important life lessons and messages in this book that can be discussed. Not only that but the family dynamics of the storyline I feel there could be some heavy discussions within the groups.

In My Husband’s Child the character I most liked the most and could relate to was Cora. She wanted to become a mother but never had the opportunity. Until her ex husband and his wife ups and abandons their two kids and leaves them with Cora. Seriously, who does that?! Turn not only Cora’s life upside down but those two innocent kids that don’t know what is going on.

Needless to say there is a lot of family drama in My Husband’s Child. This is one story that took me on an emotional rollercoaster where I was literally yelling and screaming at my Kindle because some of these characters pissed me off.

There were some very tender and sweet moments between Cora and the kids that just melted my heart.

My Husband’s Child is one of those books that the storyline will stay with you way after you finish reading the book. This has to be on your tbr list for sure.

My Husband's Child is the latest stunning creation by the incredibly talented Alison Ragdale.

The story introduces us to Cora, who's husband left her for another woman,as well as grappling with the loss of her adoptive parents, and reflects on her difficult early childhood. A couple of years later she is stunned to finds two young children left on her doorstep, who turn out to be the offspring of her ex-husband and his new wife. What will she do? Naturally, she'll fall in love with them! But can she ensure their safety?

I was completely engrossed in this novel from start to finish. Alison has crafted wonderful, relatable characters that kept me turning the pages to uncover the larger story. It's truly not what you would expect!

I highly recommend you get your copy soon!

Thank you to Alison Ragsdale, Bookoulture & NetGalley for the ARC. My review is voluntary and all opinions are my own.

I wonder how many of us could step up and care for our ex-husband's children from another relationship! Cora does just that finding herself while doing so. This book kept my attention throughout this story of two innocent children and the people that align to care for them!

I always enjoy Alison’s emotional and heartbreaking stories and this one too touched my heart.
Cora is completely thrown in at the deep end when her ex husband’s children are left in her care and she has to make the difficult decision to look after them.
Cora knows what it feels like to be left without parents, her own childhood was blighted by being in homes without love and protection.
It was so beautiful to watch Cora slowly becoming the special adult that these children needed, I was soon completely immersed into this heart rending story.
After becoming their caregiver and settling into her new role, Cora’s life is shook by the reappearance of the parents.
It was so interesting to gradually discover the truth behind the reasons why the children were left so suddenly in the care of Cora and the significance of the choice of her too.
Wonderful characters and some clever twists made this book difficult to put down. Ultimately an uplifting read that tugged dramatically at my heartstrings throughout.

A beautifully written and emotional story. I can't imagine how any woman would cope with her ex-husband's children from his current marriage being left on her doorstep with a note, but in this gorgeous book, exactly that happens to Cora, with no contact from her ex or the children's mother.

With her life turned upside down, Cora takes the two children into her home and into her heart. I loved the rawness of the writing; heartbreaking and difficult at times, and then, at other points, exuding so much warmth and love. Cora was such a brilliantly written character with a lot of depth ad the children captured my heart, just as they did hers. There was a complexity to the relationships between the adults in the story that added another layer to the story, particularly in Cora's link to James, the children's paternal grandfather.

But this is so much more than a sweet, happy ever after. When Holly, the children's mother, reappears, the safe and loving environment that Cora has created for the children is threatened and it doesn't end there... the emotional rollercoaster just gets faster! Tissues at the ready!

5 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Alison Ragsdale and Bookouture for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Alison Ragsdale always delivers stories that pull at my heart strings.
This was a read that gripped me from the start and was a page turner for me.
I loved the plot, I felt the characters were realistic , and I felt their emotions. It was an emotional roller coaster ride which I absolutely adored.
This is such a wonderful and heartwarming story.

My thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘My Husband’s Child’ written by Alison Ragsdale in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

It’s 8.45pm on a Sunday evening in Ballater when Cora hears her doorbell and finds on the doorstep the two children of her ex-husband Fraser and his new wife Holly. Evie is three years and Ross eighteen months and they’re holding a small suitcase and a note asking Cora to look after them. She takes the children in and over the following months they become attached to her and think of her as their mother. Ten months later Holly turns up in Ballater intending to take the children with her but when Fraser puts in an unexpected appearance he tells a different story. Both Holly and Fraser want the children but which one of them can Cora believe?

‘My Husband’s Child’ is the moving story of a woman’s love for her ex-husband’s two children and the lengths she’ll go to to keep them safe. The story is beautifully written with wonderful descriptions of Scottish towns and the friendly community who watch out for each other. I’ve loved reading of how deeply Cora feels for Evie and Ross, and her close relationship with Fraser’s father James and her best friend Aisha. This is a gentle story that’s had me gripped from page one and ends with a perfect outcome that’s fair for all concerned. My thanks to the author Alison Ragsdale for writing such a heart-warming story that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed and can happily recommend.

Wow..... Alison Ragsdale has once again made me bring out the tissues. Heartbreaking and emotional.
This book, like her others, pulls such emotions and will stick with you for a long time after you have finished.
I highly recommend this as well as her previous releases. You will not be disappointed however you may need to invest in some extra tissues.
I received a copy of this from the author in exchange for fair and honest review.

I loved this book. It was heartwarming and shows how someone can come to love a child and/or children that aren’t yours as your own. I was so curious what the big secret was that made the parents decide to leave the kids with the ex-wife. I feel like it was a good reason to do so. I had no idea that is what the secret would be tho. I really liked the ending, it seemed like the best way to end it. The grandfather’s help with the kids was so wonderful to see. Grandparent relationships are so special. I loved how involved he was with the kids. This was a great quick read. Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC.

Two of the characters in this book made me so angry. First Fraser was a lout and jerk for what he did to Cora. Holly was no better.
They dump their kids on Cora’s doorstep because they couldn’t handle the mess they had made.
I thought Cora’s comments to both of them hit the nail on the head. They were bot( very selfish and the kids deserved to stay with Cora because she was their true champion.
I loved Aisha because her directness echoed what I was thinking.
The book has a positive ending but I think Fraser and Holly got off light. Sometimes people don’t deserve another chance.

Alison Ragsdale surely knows how to tug at your heartstrings! Cora's husband left her for another woman, and she is putting her life back together when the other woman's two children show up on her doorstep. Would she/Could she take them in? And where are the children's parents? Good read!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC!

This was a book that will take your emotions on a roller coaster. Cora is shocked to find that her ex-husband and his wife have disappeared and left their young children on her doorstep. She and their grandfather join together to give the children the love they need. Where are the parents and what secrets are they hiding? When the parents resurface, how can Cora cope with possibly losing these children that she loves and that know her as Mummy. Family is so much more than blood.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher, Bookouture, for an ARC of this book which I had the pleasure of reading. All opinions are my own. Publication date: March 4, 2025