I enjoyed this story. Such an emotional book on how parents can leave children . Well written. 3.5 stars overall.

This is an emotional roller coaster ride. Cora answers her door one night to find her ex-husband's children, with a note, please take care of them. Cora brings them in, and her ex-father-in-law gets custody of them, with Cora taking care of them. The children are 3 and one and a half. She takes care of them, and they bond, and the children call her Mommy. Ten months later, their mother reappears and wants them back. Cora says she has to earn the privilege of seeing the children. They start with a visit, and Cora notices, she treats her daughter, much better than she does her son, which makes Cora wonder what is going on. Their mother hires a law firm so she can get custody, and her ex-husband comes back. Oh, the things we learn, when he comes back, will keep you reading, Alison Ragsdale takes us through their journey, through the secrets, the uncertainty, and brings us to the outcome. I wasn't planning on reading the whole book today, but that is what I did. I just had to know.
I received an ARC from Bookouture through NetGalley.

As always, another great book from Alison Ragsdale. This is a very heartwarming story, which is Alison's signature style of writing. I love how her characters are built so well, almost like you are reading about an old friend. I also love that she describes the places so well that you can picture them while reading. I'm convinced you can never go wrong with a book by Alison. She is definitely on my must-read immediately list.

A very emotional read, thought provoking and beautifully written with good characters that were described well

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for this ARC which I thoroughly enjoyed and can thoroughly recommend.

I really liked this book! Wow! It made me cry, smile laugh. Even through it was a sad book. Impossible to put down….read it . You will not be disappointed….Highly recommend…..

A really enjoyable read that took me on an emotional roller coaster. I couldn't put it down I had to know what happened

Really enjoyed this book! How you can leave kids is beyond me. However it gave the way for a lovely emotional story!

Cora is living a quiet life after her divorce when her doorbell rings and there are two children standing there. They are her ex-husband's and both he and his wife have disappeared. For 10 months they are a family building a life with Cora and James, her exes' father. Suddenly, Holly, the children's mother reappears followed by the dad. Custody becomes a battle. Kids aren't returnable and this is a major storyline. How do you leave your babies and then think you can just come back. This book pulls at your heartstrings. Loving children is hard and the very best privilege. I received an advanced reader copy of this book from NetGalley and this is my honest review.

Cora’s ex husband leaves his two children at her house. His wife has also taken off. Cora starts raising these kids with help from her ex’s dad. When they both come back for their kids, Cora doesn’t know what to do. Why did they leave the kids? Who should get them?

Book Review:
MY HUSBAND'S CHILD by Alison Ragsdale
ARC
Expected Release: March 4, 2025

A fan of Ms. Ragsdale, I will always be!

I knew from the start
'MY HUSBAND'S CHILD' would have its hold on my emotions, through tears and smiles, leading me along a captivating journey, yet not without a few surprises.

With her trademark of weaving the threads of hope, and the promise of a beautifully crafted tale of secrets, love, loss, and resilience, Ms. Ragsdale once again shines in creating a story of the heart!

What resonated with me most was how this story tackled profound themes with such grace and sensitivity, bringing to light the importance of family, community, and the moments that shape us, be it small or significant.

Through their rich and tender touch, each page became a gift to this reader, and every chapter left me eagerly anticipating the next. By the time I reached the end,
I felt as though my heart would break again for the characters I was leaving behind, ones I became so fond of. A true testament to the power of storytelling in connecting us to our deepest emotions and experiences.

I thank Ms. Ragsdale for allowing me the opportunity to wholeheartedly recommend 'My Husband's Child' to anyone looking for a deeply moving and thought-provoking read.

5 Stars

#MyHusbandsChild
#AlisonRagsdale
#Bookouture
#Netgalley

Wild Sage Book Blog

This book made for a change of scenery between fantasy books. And a change it definitely was.

I loved Cora, Evie and Ross. Their blossoming relationship warming my heart even more than I thought it would. Their family from the heart was just gorgeous.

There are many lines this book took and I'm very happy with the way it all played out. I was worried there for a minute that they way I pictured it all would be ruined and tears would be rolling.

Also loved James and Cora relationship. It made me all warm a gooey.

As a vivid fan of Alison Ragsdale writing I knew this book would be fab, and saved it for just the right time after being put in a reading slump by a certain viral book.

Enjoyable read, found the story a bit slow but kept me entertained enough to keep me reading. A feel good ending. Great style of writing

Well, well, well, this is a story that tore me in two.

On the one hand, I cannot understand how some parents can leave their children behind, hoping someone will take them in and care for them, while they do what exactly?

That was my first thought when I read this book. Little by little everything is revealed and I see what the parents were doing, but they way they went about it, is utterly despicable. Maybe you were feeling very low at the time, but a parent should always think about their children's best interest no matter what.

Cora is worth her weight in gold, that's for sure, but what if she did not want to invest her time?

In the end it seems all intentions were good, but they just should have acted a lot faster and it would have done everybody a huge favour. 

I loved the story and those two little ones are just adorable. Very emotional and very beautiful. 5 stars

Thank you

This a wonderful, emotional, heartfelt story about a family.
The parents have so many secrets and their two children are caught in the middle of the drama.

One evening main character Cora, a divorced young woman finds a note with a little girl and her brother standing on the front steps to her home.
Cora knows that these two babies are her ex-husband's and his new wife, but where are they?
Did they just abandon them and why?
Can Cora truly give up her time and quiet life to care for these youngsters?

It is an incredible book that is sad, happy, suspenseful, and heartbreaking.
Thank you to @NetGalley and to @Bookouture for this amazing ARC and allowing me to read and provide my own review.

This is a beautiful and emotional story about family, and all the different ways you can be a family. The author took great care in richly developing all of the characters. I loved Cora's relationship with her former father-in-law and her bond with the children was truly heartwarming!

This is such an emotional heartwarming story! Cora hears someone at her door late at night. Not imagining who it could be she causally opens her door to find her ex-husbands kids standing there alone with a note to please take care of them. After a couple of months Cora and her father in law file for legal guardianship.
Cora grows to love them and can't imagine life without them. There has been no trace of the children's parents. What would happen if they suddenly come back for them?
This is such a wonderful heartwarming sweet story. I just love all of Alison Ragsdale's books. Alison just keeps you engaged in every page. Thank you for the ARC.

This was a touching and emotional story about family and serves as a reminder to the reader that family is not always just what you are born into, but the people around you who love you, care for and support you.

Cora's husband has left her and started his own family, and she has been putting her own life back together, mending her broken heart and rediscovering herself. One night the doorbell rings and there on the doorstep are her husband's two young children, alone in the cold with a few belongings and a note. Cora brings little Evie and her younger brother Ross inside and tries to make sense of what is going on, quickly realizing that their parents have both disappeared.

Over the next months, Cora with the help of James (her ex-husband's father), gets custody of and begins raising the two children. The bond between James and Cora strengthens and the two are committed to making sure that the kids are properly cared for. Cora raises Evie and Ross as if they are her own, forging a bond together that is so pure and strong. The children are happy and comfortable with her and quickly start referring to her as mommy.

When Holly, the children's mother, returns out of the blue and wants to reclaim the kids it sends everything spiraling. Then Fraser, Cora's ex-husband reappears and tells Cora that the children are not safe with their mother and should be with him. Cora is faced with an impossible decision while trying to get to the bottom of what is really going on.

This book explores the subjects of loss and abandonment as well as relationships, character and family. It explores sacrifice and putting the needs of the children first, doing what is in their best interest rather than satisfying one's own.

As a woman who can personally relate to parts of this book, there were many times I found it pulling on my heart strings. The deep bond that developed between Cora and the children was simply beautiful and the special relationship the two young children shared with each other melted my heart. But it wasn't just these relationships. Often, I notice an author's attention to character development. In this book I felt that the author took great care in creating richly developed relationships focusing on a multitude of dynamics including immediate family, extended family, friendship, etc.

My initial rating when I finished the book was four stars, but once I took a few minutes to process it, considering all of the care that went into the development of relationships, the realistic and raw telling of the story and my own personal connections to the story line, I had to adjust to five stars.

This book is set to release on March 4th, 2025. If you enjoy a book with a little bit of mystery and suspense, family and sacrifice, that is both sweet, heartwarming, filled with rich relationships and that will tug at your heartstrings, then this book is for you!

I would like to thank Bookoutoure for the advance copy of this book for review. It was a touching and beautiful read.

Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for allowing me to read and review this book.

I very much enjoyed this book. The writing was great and the characters were well developed. I hope to read more from this author in the future.

"My Husbands Child" is a heart breaking and heart warming book all in one. One evening Cora finds her exhusbands kids on her doorstep with no one else around...she takes them in only to realise that her exhusband and girlfriend have left the town with no explanations....an impossible scenario that Cora manages impeccably with a heart torn story and beautiful ending! A must read for anyone who loves drama, suspense and emotional books!

Cora opens her door one night to find her ex-husbands two young children on the doorstep with a note to ask her to look after them.
She grows to love them over the months, her ex and his wife having disappeared without trace.

This is a heart rending family drama. Beautifully written, with so much emotion.
I loved the story, and really felt so much sympathy for Cora and James, and for the children.
Reading further, I could understand why the children were left with Cora, but how cruel not to give a reason!
If you want your heart strings to be plucked and left to quiver with emotion, this touching book will definitely leave you with a tear in your eye in places.

I recommend.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the DRC.