MY HUSBAND’S CHILD is the latest beautifully-written and heart-tugging novel from one of my favorite authors, Alison Ragsdale. I have loved every book I have read by this author and I am always excited when I learn she has a new book coming out. In this engrossing story, we meet Cora who is living on her own, trying to put her life back together after her husband leaves her for another woman and starts a new family with her. She is stunned when one evening her doorbell rings and on her doorstep are her ex-husband’s two young children, with nothing but a small suitcase and note to please take care of them. She brings the children in and over the coming days, she frantically tries to locate their parents. Over the coming weeks, Cora and her former father-in-law, James, care for the children and Cora soon finds herself loving them as if they were her own. Life is once again turned upside down when both parents re-emerge each telling a different story of why they abandoned their children. Cora faces an impossible choice – can she trust either her ex or his wife enough to allow the children back into their custody? What follows is a gripping and heartbreaking story of love and family that evokes every possible emotion. As always, Alison Ragsdale has written a deeply moving story with characters that feel so real, I felt like I knew them personally. The complex themes are approached with compassion and sensitivity. I highly recommend this thought-provoking and touching book. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read and review an early copy.

Another heartfelt story by one of my favorite authors. Alison Ragsdale captures your heart with her stories. They are always so realistic that I wonder if she has lived it or knows someone who has. Her books always make me shed tons of tears.

Cora Campbell is a divorced woman who was raised by loving adoptive parents. Before them she had been in foster care and it was hard. She's always wanted a family. Children. When her husband told her he fell for someone else it almost did her in. Then when he started a family with this woman it devastated her further.

One night there is a knock on her door and standing there in the dark are her exe husband's children. The older is a girl about three years old and her baby brother who is eighteen months. She brings them in and takes care of them. She does everything she should to make sure they are protected. How could their mother do such a thing. How could their dad. And why...

There is a mystery involved in this story that will keep you guessing. The why of a mother and father leaving their children. With her exe's dad's help Cora is able to gain the children's trust and love. But when their mother, Holly, returns what will be her excuse. Then shortly after their father, Frasier, also returns. Cora and Frank, Frasier's dad, are willing to fight for these children. They also want what is best for them.

When certain secrets are finally revealed Cora is stunned. So was I.... I expected a whole other direction but this was done perfectly. I was glad I didn't guess it.

This book is about some abuse. Both child and spousal. It's not graphic so no trigger warnings. But it does eventually come out.

I loved this book. It was, like her other books, a page turner. One that was hard to put down. This story was about a subject that I have not read much at all about. It was very heartfelt and sad. But it did have a good ending.

Thank you #NetGalley, #Bookouture, for this ARC. This is my opinion of this story.

Alison Ragsdale, the Author of “My Husband’s Child” has written an emotional and heartfelt novel. I love that Alison Ragsdale discusses important contemporary topics in her books with empathy and compassion, and “My Husband’s Child” is a well-written and vividly told story. The genres for this book are Women’s Literary Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Mothers and Children Fiction, and Women’s Crime Fiction. The author describes her dramatic characters as complex, complicated and flawed.

Cora Campbell is a divorced chef that has had a difficult life. Cora seeks for happiness and contentment and the feeling that she belongs to a family. As an adult, Cora has a cochlear implant that helps her hear, but has difficulty with certain loud noises or sounds. I appreciate that Alison Ragsdale mentions disabilities in her characters, and how they can function in life. One night she answers the door to find her ex-husbands young daughter and baby boy with a note asking her to take care of them, and telling her they are better off with her.

Cora is surprised that their mother Holly would just leave them, and she seeks help from the children’s grandfather. Cora starts to fall in love with the children, and is now the legal guardian The children call Cora their mother.. Holly does come back and wants her children. At the same time, her missing ex-husband, Frasier returns and doesn’t want Cora to give the children to Holly. What should Cora do?

I appreciate that the author discusses important topics such as mental health, physical and mental abuse, physical disabilities and handicaps, the importance of family, friends, communication, honesty, self-growth and awareness, love and hope. I highly recommend this thought-provoking novel.

When Cora finds one day her husband’s two children on her doorstep she doesn’t know what to do. But when the parents didn’t show up she has to make a decision, going along with her own life of taking care of the children. But what will happen when the parents want their children back? What is the best solution for them?
I really enjoyed this emotional story, the choices that have to be made, what people to trust. Again a great story by this author.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing this ARC, this review is my own opinion.

When Cora opens her door one evening, she is astonished to discover the young children of her ex-husband standing on her doorstep, accompanied by a note requesting her care for them. Over the following weeks, Cora develops a profound attachment to the children, experiencing joy in nurturing them and forging a bond that warms her heart. However, the tranquility that Cora has cultivated is abruptly disrupted when their mother, Holly, reemerges, demanding the return of her children. This predicament places Cora in a challenging position, as she grapples with her affection for the children and the responsibilities inherent in motherhood amidst their mother’s reappearance. As she navigates the complexities of her emotions and the needs of the children, Cora confronts trust issues and contemplates the possibility that their abandonment may involve deeper circumstances than initially perceived.

"My Husband’s Child" by Alison Ragsdale is a poignant novel that explores themes of family, love, and the challenges associated with motherhood. Cora's journey is replete with both uplifting moments and heart-wrenching decisions, rendering it a deeply engaging narrative. This story evoked strong emotions and enables me to connect deeply with Cora and feel her pain. The characters were well developed and the storyline was compelling. This is a wonderful read. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance review copy in exchange for my review.

I can truly say that I love Alison Ragsdale's books and make it a point to never miss even one of them. Her stories are heartfelt tellings of family and connections, especially with children and their maternal role models. In this story, we meet Cora on a doorstep when her ex-husband's young children show up there, alone and unaccompanied, with only a note to to explain their presence. In part it reads, "We're better off with you." With nothing left to do but take them in off the street, Cora begins an uncertain journey with lots of questions and very few answers to guide her. What happened to their parents? The answers are uncertain, even when you read them through the pages of this book. And that's why I love Ms. Ragsdale's stories. Through her writing, you feel every emotion, every dilemma, and every uncertainty that the characters are feeling. You will find yourself drawn into the mysteries as they unfold. The result is a well-rounded story filled with equally well-drafted characters you come to know personally and feel a strong connection with. I love peeling the layers and finding surprises here and there as I form my own opinions about how things should ultimately end up. Maybe that's what will happen, and maybe it won't. But I know one thing. I won't end up disappointed. Highly recommend. 5/5 stars.

To be honest by the title it had thriller esque title vibes to it. So my shock at these being a hook your heart, prick your tear duck type book shook me even more.
This is an exceptional book. I cannot recommend it enough. The pace. The setting and descriptions. The characters all fleshed out brilliantly. Bravo.
Yes this is a heartbreaker and warmer.
Cora is trying to get her life together after her marriage breaks down. Fergus has moved on which makes it worse. And worse still moved on with kids to the package.
The shock of her lire comes when said kids end up on her doorstep asking for help via their mum Holly.
Cora od course does take them in and starts to relish mothering and caring for me.
Then Holly returns. And the twists and turns keep coming from there...

My Husband's Child by Alison Ragsdale is a heart-tugging read about what it really means to be a family.

Cora is navigating life on her own after her marriage to Fergus comes to an end. Fergus has moved on, having two children with his new partner, Holly. So it comes as a complete shock when Cora finds said children at her door with only a note asking her to care for them. Taking them in, Cora becomes the mother that the children need following their biological parents' choice to abandon them. But just as Cora begins to allow herself to reimagine a future as a family of three, the children's mother returns and is ready to reclaim them, leaving a heartbroken Cora devastated by the possibility of losing them forever.

This is an emotionally charged and engaging read that will certainly stir anyone who has ever loved a child. 4.5 stars

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for an ARC.

I am a sucker for a book involving children. Even more so when it can be heartwarming and thrilling all in one. I loved Cora who kept me hooked from the first introduction of her character, and was turning each page excited for what was coming next usually through laughs, gasps or tears. The emotions were fast paced and kept me enthralled from the very first page. I absolutely recommend this book, so you can experience the emotions and love it yourself. Trust me, get this book!

What a lovely, heartwarming story this is!
Cora is such a genuinely lovely and likeable character that this made her story very easy to read.
I have sailed through this book and loved every page of it and would definitely recommend it.

This was a great book. I cried so much that I thought I might get dehydrated. It was so sad, yet so beautifully written.

This was a fast read. I finished it in just a few hours.

Cora Campbell lives in a small village in Scotland. After a sad early childhood, then being left by her husband for another woman, Cora has carved out a peaceful, quiet existence. Her peace is shattered one night, however, when she opens the front door to find two children standing there, three-year-old Erie and 18-month-old Ross. These are the children of Fraser, her ex-husband, and Holly, his new wife. A note left with the children asks Cora to please take care of them.

The book was enjoyable, if a little predictable. Cora begins to love the children and accepts legal guardianship.

Then, their parents return.

I remember many of my writing teachers exhorting us to “show, not tell”. This book has a lot of telling. Pages and pages of history, of backstory, of explanations on what Cora is feeling and why. Although the book reads quickly, there doesn’t seem to be a whole lot of action or even much tension. For example, Cora takes in the children and then…boom…you turn the page and it’s 8 months later. No scenes of everyone trying to adjust to the new normal. No trying to find where the parents went.

It’s not a horrible book. Reading it was soothing. But, I didn’t experience the incredible emotion and heartbreak that the subtitle promised, and because of that, it gets 3 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

When Cora opens her door one evening, the last thing she expected to see was her ex husband’s two young children standing there with a note asking her to look after them.

As weeks turn into months, Cora grows attached to the children, as they also have to her. With her ex father-in-law’s help, the two of them do all they can for the children.

When their mother finally turns up and demands her children back, Cora knows she has to do the right thing by the children, no matter how hard that is.

With Cora feeling that there is more to Holly than meets the eye, she is determined to get to the bottom of just what has gone on.

I found this story quite hard to start with, how could anyone just up and leave their young children?

As the story progressed, I could feel the love between Cora and the children, and willed everything to go okay.

I liked most of the characters in the story, they were down to earth and supportive to Cora.

It is a dark tale with some difficult subjects that were sensitively handled.

My thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

What would you do if your ex-husband's children- aged 3 and 1.5-turned up on your doorstep? Well, Cora took them in and cared for them, all the while wondering about James and Holly. And then Holly appears and Cora slowly starts to allow her time with the kids. Until....James appears. This is a twisty family drama that's more than a little implausible in spots but which kept me reading. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. Family secrets and lies about.

My Husband’s Child is a beautiful, heart-stirring novel. Cora’s story is a roller coaster of emotions, after her ex-husband’s two children are left on her doorstep. The feelings are raw, complicated, and genuine, as lives are turned upside down, leading to a beautiful story of the love and devotion of one woman and the children left in her care. This is not always an easy story, with its share of upheaval and hard choices; but it is a story that will fill your heart with love and hope and healing. I received an advance reader copy of this novel.

Wow... this book had me on a wild ride with my emotions! The story was raw, deep, and thought provoking dealing with children and their parents.

I really really enjoyed this I read it in one sitting as I just couldn’t put it down
It had everything I loved in a good thriller and so much more.
It was a rollercoaster of emotions I was crying one minute heartbroken I think this will live rent free in my mind for years to come.

I have been through an emotional wringer… a tearjerker! I was completely absorbed from the first page… My heart was in my throat

Cora has been rebuilding her life since her husband cheated on her. He has since remarried and has young children. And Cora has done her best. Until the night she opens her door to find her ex-husband’s two children abandoned on her door step.

Cora takes them in and loves them like her own when her ex-husband and new wife come back to claim the kids.

Okay, first the title of the book is a bit misleading as it is her ex-husband and there were two children.

I did enjoy the book, but it was truly a very very slow burn.

Another raw and deeply emotional read from this author. This was a heartbreaking read which takes you on an emotional rollercoaster and provides engaging characters and a storyline that I was invested in from the start.

The over arching theme of this story is that family can be made up of anyone that you choose it to be and that your family doesn’t have to be the one you are born into but made up of those who are there to support you no matter what.