My Daughter's Keeper by Sheila Norton is a family drama that deals with the aftermath of the collapse of a marriage. Tasha had no idea that her partner and the father of her little daughter, Daisy, had been cheating on her with his boss until he literally walked out on them both. Blindsided she struggles to get to grips with her new life which involves moving to a smaller house and picking up more shifts at work, which in turn means that Daisy will be spending more time with her Dad and his "new" family, Kirsty and her two daughters, twelve year old Amelia and Freya who is closer to Daisy's age. There is a stark contrast in the lifestyle of this new family with their large house with a pool , private school for the girls etc and the more modest lifestyle Daisy experiences with Tasha, who is definitely struggling for money. As if all of this was not difficult enough, it soon emerges that Daisy is afraid of Amelia, and not without reason as she seems prone to unfortunate accidents when Amelia is around but when Tasha broaches the subject with her ex and even with Kirsty, they both brush it off. How far will Tash go as a mother desperate to protect her child?
I really think the idea behind this book had a lot of potential, the relationship dynamic between many blended families is fraught with tension and ripe for exploration, but unfortunately this book fell flat for me. I didn't find the character of Tasha to be believable and that meant that I struggled to engage in the story and it just did not hold my interest. I also thought the attempts to make the subplot involving Tasha's financial struggles seem mysterious were really overdone, it was obvious what the likely problem was and the repeated attempts to dance around the issue before the big "reveal" was frankly irritating. I also thought the ending was both rushed and more dramatic than the rest of the book warranted. One thing I think the author did really well though was the depiction of selective mutism, I thought she did an exceptional job of explaining it and it made a lot of sense in the context of the story. I think readers who enjoy family dramas will enjoy the book, it just wasn't quite the right fit for me.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

My thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘My Daughter’s Keeper’ written by Sheila Norton in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Craig waits until it’s Tasha’s 40th birthday before revealing that he’s leaving her and their six-year-old daughter Daisy to live with his wealthy boss Kirsty and her two daughters Freya eight and Amelia twelve. Kirsty welcomes Daisy into their home and she soon makes friends with Freya, but Tasha is worried when she hears of accidents that keep happening to Daisy at the ‘big house’ that she believes Amelia is causing. It’s up to Tasha as Daisy’s mother to be responsible for her safe-keeping but she can’t help thinking she’s failing her little girl, especially as she’s having problems at school.
‘My Daughter’s Keeper’ is a domestic drama of a mother having to cope with a marital breakup and how it’ll affect her daughter when she has her own problems to worry about. As with the previous books by Sheila Norton, I’ve enjoyed this latest novel that’s well-written and focuses on the dynamics that comes with merging two families and has enough intrigue to keep me reading, but the plot was fairly predictable and there was nothing spectacular about it to make me say ‘wow, that was great’. I recommend it as a novel that’s easy to read without being demanding and has an interesting and unexpected ending.

Tasha's husband leaves her for Kirsty with her two daughters and her lavish lifestyle leaving Tasha to struggle with her small house and all the bills.
Tasha's six year old daughter Daisy is shared between the two families and is finding it difficult to adjust bonding with Kirsty s seven year old but is scared of Amelia who is twelve and says she is a bully but things are not as it seems which keeps you in suspense.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC and I give my honest review

Emotional read and brilliantly written.
Daisy is confused her father has left and her mother is moving her to another village and a new school. But she starts to enjoy her visits to the big house where her father has moved with his new family but then things start to happen.
This was a great book and had you thinking you knew everything until the last few chapters.

After a difficult break-up, my six-year-old Daisy is finally settling into life in two homes. She's spending more time with her dad, his wealthy and glamorous partner Kirsty, and her new step-sisters, Amelia and Freya. She seems happier, more relaxed. Like she's finally found her place. It should be everything I've ever wanted for her. So why does it feel like i'm losing her.?

Tasha is separated from her cheating boyfriend Craig. Their daughter Daisy is being co-parented. Craig's new partner Kirsty has two daughters. Then Daisy tells her mother that she is being hurt.

The pace is on the slow side in the first half of the book. Craig and his partner share a lavish new lifestyle while Tasha is struggling to make ends meet. I did not like any of the characters. It's quite an emotional read. The ending felt a bit rushed.

Published 21st August 2025

I would like to thank #NetGalley #BoldwoodBooks and the author #SheilaNorton for my ARC of #MyDaughtersKeeper in exchange for an honest review.

In a bolt out of the blue, Craig tells longtime partner Tasha he is leaving her for another woman. This necessitates cash strapped Tasha and their six year old daughter Daisy having to move to the other side of town. Craig's new love Kirsty is the extremely wealthy widowed owner of the company he works for. She has two children of her own; one soon loves Daisy, the other appears to hate her and as Daisy begins to spend more and more time with Kirsty and her family, things go from bad to worse.

I raced through this book in a couple of days however found the storyline predictable and the characters incredibly frustrating. For me the plot was too obvious, I was ahead of the book on all but one of the reveals. A good family drama should have at least one main character that you root for, sadly for me this didn't have any.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for my advanced reader copy in return for my honest and unbiased review

Such a brilliant story with so many twists in it. I suspected the story was going down one path only to be completely blown away as it pivoted!

I always give honest reviews but feel guilty when I award low ratings - unfortunately for me this book did not deliver in the slightest - I found it extremely slow and I preserved as much as I could but unfortunately there was just nothing to keep my interest -

After the end of her long-term relationship with Craig, Tasha is left raising their daughter, Daisy, while struggling financially. Craig’s new partner, the glamorous Kirsty, enjoys a life of comfort and luxury with her own daughters Amelia and Freya,a stark contrast to Tasha’s day-to-day reality. In a desperate bid to solve her money troubles, Tasha turns to online bingo, but what begins as a small gamble quickly spirals into addiction and serious debt.

When Kirsty agrees to look after Daisy after school, it seems like a lifeline—until Daisy admits that Amelia can be cruel and, at times, violent. Tasha’s unease grows, but without the funds for childcare, she feels she has no choice. As secrets begin to surface and lies come to light, Tasha starts to fear that Whitegate House might be far more dangerous than she imagined.

If I had to capture this novel in a single word, it would be motherhood. Norton writes with emotional depth, conveying the love, fear, and resilience that drive Tasha’s every choice. While the pacing is occasionally slow, the emotional tension and unfolding mystery kept me engaged throughout.

Overall, it is a moving psychological family drama with an undercurrent of suspense, this story grips from the start and lingers after the final page.

The way the author unfolded these characters and their underlying issues on topics many of us are faced with while weaving in a storyline that kept the attention was great. When the plot is so close that you find yourself asking what you would do if it were you or someone you knew….

Not My Daughter's Keeper by Sheila Norton ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Slow start but stick with it, it picks up towards the middle. It gives me Cinderella retelling vibes. Mother, Father, step mother and her children. Her children do not wrong, they get what they want while Amelia gets nothing and then some.

My heart hurts for Amelia, yes I know it's just a novel but I felt her pain. What would you do if Amelia was your child?

I hope you get this book when it releases on August 21st. Form your own thoughts. And not just reviews of others. The author did a good writing it.

Thank you Netgallery and Boldwood Books for the advanced copy for my honest review and these are my opinions only.

This book started off strong and hooked me right away, but unfortunately, it eventually became irritating. If the goal was to make readers dislike most characters, then that mission was accomplished. Just when the story began to ramp up, it suddenly wrapped everything up, checking off all the boxes with a twist that most readers could see coming from a mile away. I did enjoy the writing style and will likely give Sheila Norton another chance, as I see she has a substantial backlog of titles.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC

“My Daugher’s Keeper” is by Sheila Norton. In some ways this book was well done - it explores family dynamics after a divorce (and processing all that) along with new family dynamics. I felt the mystery was well done, but there’s a bit of repeated information along with the last twist that made this, overall, a meh read for me. My recommendation is to read reviews by others - I think I’m an outlier in my opinion.

such a heart churning and head questioning book that made me sit down and read until the end. i needed to know how this would turn out. i couldn't put it down until i did so. and the writing meant that was an easy job to do!
this book follow Tasha after she has ended the relationship well, more like he left her for another woman, just like that.hes also the dad to her child so the ties are there forever and he promises to uphold that. hes got a new partner who has children of her own. and its a way away from how they used to love before and sadly how Tasha still finds herself living now. but her daughter is happy. right?
but then Daisy tells her mum that her new "step sister" isn't kind to her at all. that she is hurting her. what does she do now? what can she do? there is alot more to unpack for this story to unfold proper. and at first i thought "well what do you do what do you mean what do you do!" but then i read on and things got murky...
this is a book of so much relatable complexities and heart. its that protective all encompassing feeling of being a mother or even within someone you love with your whole soul and then some. and so what do you do to protect that, them? and how do you do so when it leaves you with the impossible?
i felt so bad for Daisy in this story. such a little innocent thing. right in the middle of it all, right in the middle of so much upheaval and angst.
there is dark and shade and grey areas to this story that makes books like this totally addictive from start to finish. at first reading the blurb like i said before i was left thinking, well cut and dry simple. but then we go deeper and nothing is quite that simple is it. not for these fab reads.
i had a fab time with this book. it had me gripped all the way through. the pacing and plot were perfectly in tune with each other and all the info and all the steady parts and building parts felt tight, smart and important pieces to putting this book together.
the relationship between that of a child is a true gift to be given and never a truer word felt or spoken.
spot on this book for me. the tension and thrills came from just how in there you were with this set of characters and what they were facing as a new type of "family" gets built or knocked to the ground.

My Daughter’s Keeper by Sheila Norton is a deeply emotional and beautifully told story about love, motherhood, and the bonds that hold us together even in the most challenging circumstances. This is a new author to me, and I was quickly drawn in by her warm, compassionate writing and the authenticity of her characters.

The story is heartfelt and engaging, with themes that you find relatable and moving. Sheila handles sensitive topics with care and emotional depth, creating a narrative that’s both touching and thought-provoking. I’ll definitely be looking out for more from this author.

A lovely, poignant read that lingers with you.

This was a shocker! The basic story was of a couple with a daughter who got divorced and their 6 year old daughter was having trouble adjusting to the change. She wouldn't speak in class, and that was interesting how that got solved. Amelia was an older child in the new girlfriend's house and was getting accused of hurting the 6 year old. How terrifying for the mother to not be able to protect her child.
The story had lots of drama, sadness, new friends and a very surprising ending.

I got this book from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review

This book was something else. The author did a good job of telling a story with lots of intrigue and mystery.

BUT, it just didn't flow. There were lots of little things that broke up the story enough to make it more blah.

And the repetitiveness was off the charts. To a ridiculous degree.

I wouldn't recommend this book.

Thanks to Netgalley, and the publisher, for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was everything that I wanted and expected from this type of book, it uses that heartbreaking element in a unique way and how the storyline worked together. Sheila Norton was able to weave a strong tale and was glad I got to go on this journey with the characters. The characters were so realistic and had that feel that I wanted and was glad I read this.

This book was a quick read domestic drama. The storyline keeps the readers attention. In addition, there were a few twists and turns towards the end of the book which added to the books enjoyment. This is a book which I would recommend to those who enjoy a domestic drama.

Tasha thought everything was fine with her and Craig until he comes home and announced he is leaving her and has fallen in love with his new boss Amelia. Amelia is recently widowed losing her husband to a tragic accidental death.
She has 2 children Amelia and Freya.
Freya loves having Daisy around and hates when she has to leave her and go back to her mom’s house.
Daisy loves going to Freya’s house and swimming and playing with her and then they get a new puppy but Daisy keeps having these little accidents and all hands point to Amelia. Tasha keeps telling Kristy something keeps happening and she blames Amelia for the little accidents and actually send her to live with her friend who they say she is very kind and considerate living in their house.
Tasha finds some very disturbing evidence that she takes to Kristy who says Amelia has to be sent away.
Amelia finds Tasha and tells her the truth about the whole situation and the rest becomes very clear.
Thank you for the ARC of this book