A captivating mystery thriller with a twisty and tense narrative.

The pacing was perfect and both lead characters Lauren and Hope we're beautifully drawn.

I thoroughly enjoyed the accomplished storytelling and felt so sad for their predicaments.

Its themes reminded me a bit of The Stolen Child drama on TV but there's so much different in this entertaining book.

When I say I want a twisty turny psychological thriller, this is what I mean! This book had me guessing every single step of the way. Every page turn had me thinking something new. I had absolutely no idea on what the outcome was going to be, and I wasn’t even close. I love when a storyline seems to obvious, but then you second guess if it is too obvious or if that’s the twist. So clever.

I really enjoyed the different POV’s for each chapter and the different timelines. It gave a brilliant insight to what had happened all those months before as well as what was happening now, and an insight to how everyone was feeling etc.

Overall a fab read which I’d recommend to any psychological thriller fan!

An emotional read and scary that this happens. I kept changing my mind on the characters and couldn't settle on if I liked them, felt sorry for them or not. Good story, easy to read, understand and follow.

I have to admit that I struggled with this. It jumps around in time and from person to person a LOT and it makes it difficult to work out what’s going on. The characterisations were good, however, and there was something about the book that kept me engaged until the end. A solid three stars from me. With thanks to the publisher for giving me access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book, I was instantly gripped and intrigued as to what was happening as well as what had happened in the past. I loved how it all came together and we found out pieces of the story that just slotted together brilliantly. It had me thinking one thing but I was wrong, I thought something else and was wrong too so I loved how it just kept me guessing!

Lauren is rebuilding her life in Spain with her son, Sam, whilst Hope is in England, mourning her son who disappeared without trace. When the Spanish police turn up on Lauren's doorstep, believing that Sam is the missing child, she knows she must return to England to fight for her son. Two women - one child! Who do we believe? As the story unfolds, we are treated to an emotional rollercoaster which any parent will relate to.
I loved the pace of the novel as it gave you time to consider who to believe as new 'truths' were revealed.
I thought it would be difficult for Ruth Mancini to follow 'The Woman on the Ledge' but boy, was I wrong. This was a gripping read that had me turning the pages until dawn!

The Day I Lost You is one of those stories that hooks you with a seemingly simple question—Whose child is Sam, really?—and then slowly, carefully unpacks layers of trauma, grief, and moral ambiguity until you're left not quite sure who to believe or how to feel.

We follow two women: Lauren, trying to rebuild her life in a small Spanish town with her little boy, and Hope, a therapist whose perfect life crumbles when her baby disappears. When a child matching Sam’s description is found abroad, the tension quietly kicks in. The story jumps between timelines and perspectives as we try to piece together what really happened—and who’s telling the truth.

Ruth Mancini does a great job creating complex, sympathetic characters. Lauren and Hope both feel like real women—flawed, grieving, desperate in very different ways. I appreciated how the narrative doesn’t rush to make one of them the villain; instead, it explores the grey space between right and wrong, especially when motherhood and loss are involved.

The pacing is more of a slow-burn than a pulse-racing thriller, but I didn’t mind that. Still, I did find the timeline shifts a bit disorienting at times, especially when jumping back and forth without much warning. A clearer structure might have helped here, as I occasionally had to double-check where we were in the story.

What really shines, though, is the way Mancini weaves her legal background into the narrative. The court proceedings and decisions are written with authenticity, and they ground the more emotional parts of the story in a very real-world kind of tension.

The ending struck the right chord for me—bittersweet, satisfying, and reflective rather than dramatic. It might not please everyone looking for a big twist or a black-and-white resolution, but I appreciated that the story stayed true to its themes. Overall, The Day I Lost You is a thoughtful, moving psychological mystery. It’s less about shocking plot twists and more about emotional depth, which I think makes it stand out. I’d definitely recommend it to readers who enjoy character-driven suspense and don’t mind a slower pace in exchange for a story that sticks with you.

#TheDayILostYou #NetGalley
One child. Two mothers. A haunting past that refuses to stay buried.
In The Day I Lost You, Ruth Mancini weaves a haunting psychological thriller that grips from the very first page and doesn’t let go until the final, shattering reveal. This is a novel that plays with your perceptions and emotions, forcing you to question every character’s truth. Lauren, desperate for a fresh start, escapes to a quiet seaside town in Spain, trying to rebuild her life after an unthinkable loss. But when she's accused of kidnapping a child—Sam—whom she insists is her own, the cracks in her story begin to show. Back in England, Hope's idyllic life is torn apart when her infant son Sam disappears. When the authorities track a woman in Spain with a boy matching Sam’s description, Hope is overwhelmed with hope—only to be met with a woman who claims the child is hers, with documents to prove it. What unfolds is a gripping tale of identity, trauma, and motherhood where the truth is layered under years of secrets, and the line between victim and villain is blurred beyond recognition.
What I like :-
1 Dual Perspectives: Told through the perspectives of Lauren and Hope, the book keeps readers in suspense, constantly shifting allegiances as both women reveal more of their stories.
2 Emotional Depth: The raw, complex emotions of motherhood—grief, love, obsession, and desperation—are portrayed with chilling authenticity.
3 Twists with Purpose: Each twist deepens the mystery while also revealing something profound about loss, resilience, and the lies we tell to survive.
Overall, The Day I Lost You is a heart-pounding, emotionally charged thriller that masterfully explores the fragility of truth and the fierce bond between mother and child. Ruth Mancini delivers a smart, suspenseful ride packed with shocking revelations and heartbreaking choices.
⭐ Rating: 4.8/5 — Powerful, unpredictable, and deeply moving. A must-read for fans of psychological thrillers with heart.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK Cornerstone Century for giving me an advance copy.

The Day I Lost You - Ruth Mancini

Trigger - Baby Loss

I’d never read anything by Ruth Mancini before this title, but the story will be relatable to many. The loss of a baby at any stage, pregnancy or beyond birth are heart breaking and leave a lifetime impact. The final part was what got me, tears came when Lauren and Gabe agreed on the new baby name. 🥹

Wow! This is the first book I've read by Ruth Mancini, but it certainly won't be the last.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and read it in two sittings as I really couldn't put it down.
Edge of the seat writing that really made mew think. We start at the end and work backwards through flashbacks but the changes in timescale all added to the tension and made me invest in the main characters, constantly changing allegiance as I learnt more of the story.
An amazing tale, based on a real life story, this really appealed to me and I would highly recommend this book.
Thanks to NetGalley and Ruth.

The Day I Lost You is a gripping and emotionally charged thriller that had me hooked from the very first page. Ruth Mancini has done an incredible job crafting a story full of suspense and mystery, rooted in a real-life scenario that feels all too plausible. The plot is so well planned and executed that I found myself constantly guessing—and second-guessing—what was really happening. Just when I thought I had things figured out, another twist would throw me off course.
The characters are beautifully developed, each layered and authentic, which made the emotional stakes feel even higher. I truly cared about what happened to them. Mancini’s writing style is engaging and fluid, making the story both easy to follow and hard to put down. I really enjoyed the way it was written—smart, compelling, and heartfelt all at once.
If you're looking for a psychological thriller that keeps you on your toes and makes you think, The Day I Lost You is a must-read.

I really enjoyed this one sat in the sun and read it in one sitting as I couldn’t put it down love the head spinning with the lies it was such a good thriller

Lauren is living in Spain with her young son Sam. She is a single parent but enjoying her life. In the UK are Hope and Drew who claim that Lauren had kidnapped their own son Sam. The Spanish police get involved and eventually they catch up with Lauren. She goes into hiding with the help of a friend but realises that she will have to return to the UK to put her case forward that Sam is her child. Lauren leaves Sam in Spain and returns home. This is where the story really begins and we find out how complex the situation is and not is all it seems from start to finish. There are two mothers who claim Sam is theirs and it takes the full story to get to grips with the dynamics of it all. Whilst reading the book you wonder where Lauren’s husband is, how does her life coincide with Hope and Drew. As the story continues and it all comes together it is a great book.

After a rather slow start, this book builds bit by bit and turns out to be a rather satisfying domestic noir. First book I’ve read by this author. The plotting is skilled, with a back looking timeline, it’s difficult to know what’s going on at first. Lauren has a new life in Spain with Sam. Sam has a birth certificate and passport, but there are doubts. Is Sam Lauren’s child, what’s the connection to another investigation in England? Something is clearly amiss in what should be the perfect new start, but the author is clever at misdirection so I found it impossible to guess where the story was heading. Wasn’t really rooting for any of the characters, but I found the plotting and premise intriguing and it kept me hooked.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

Slow to begin, the story unravels with a backwards timeline. I was not sure what was happening at the beginning but the narrative picks up towards the middle. Several times I thought I knew what had happened but was told otherwise. Only at the last does it become apparent what had occured. None of the characters were especially likeable which makes empathy difficult, although they have all had wrongdoings upon them. That is real life I suppose.

My advice if you are struggling at the beginning is to stay with it. Once the pace picked up it was a very fast read.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Baby Sam has moved to Spain with his mum Lauren. But one night she gets a knock on the door. It’s the police and they want to see evidence. Evidence that this baby Sam is Lauren’s baby. It’s no worry - she has his passport. She has his birth certificate.

Back in England, another baby Sam has gone missing. But why are his parents only reporting this now when he hasn’t been seen for weeks?

This is a gripping story, with several twists and turns. Child abduction? People trafficking? Murder?

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. The story of a little boy and his parents was well written with lots of twists which keep the reader guessing. Definitely to be recommended.

A very thought-provoking story and quite emotional. It's based on true events so that makes it even more impactful.
I enjoyed it and found it a moving story.

This book start in the near present, then goes backwards before ending in the present. I must admit to finding it quite confusing at times. It was quite difficult to remember the time zone and character especially if you have a break. The storyline was very compelling, filled with twist and turns leaving the reader unable to guess how things were going to end. As a reader I felt my allegiance to a character swing as events unfolded.. It was very well written, I could have done with more chapters with timeline and character at the start of each chapter as a reminder

I loved Women on a ledge and was excited to read Ruth Mancini's new novel, The Day I lost you and it didn't disappoint!

The author explains at the start of the book that her novel is based on a case she's worked on in the past, which made it all believable

Lauren has moved to Spain with her son, Sam, and is making a nice life there but she's accused of abducting hime despite having his passport and birth certificate and everything starts to fall apart.

At one point we are made to think she was a surrogate that decided to keep her baby but secrets start to rise and it was impossible to know what was going on until the very end.

I really felt for both women and it was a heartbreaking story, thought provoking and full of suspense