The Love Child

by Amanda Brookfield

Perfect for fans of Joanna Trollope and Anita Shreve, Amanda Brookfield's The Love Child is a profoundly moving story about the redeeming power of love.

When Janine and Dougie fell in love they thought it would be for ever. Fifteen years later their relationship is well and truly over, their daughter Stevie their one remaining connection.

Stevie is on the cusp of adulthood. At sixteen, she's not quite a child, but not quite grown up: a dangerous age. But it's only during a birthday celebration in Spain, when she gets too close to one of Dougie's best friends, that her parents realize just how dangerous.

With friendships shattered and trusts betrayed, Janine and Dougie - brought together in Stevie's moment of crisis - know they must see beyond the past if they're to secure their daughter's future. But even with such a lot at stake, can a relationship with so many complications ever have a future.

Touching and heartfelt, The Love Child is a story about discovering what matters most in your life, and having the courage to reach for it - not just once, but again and again.

520 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

I have two elder sisters and a twin brother who is much quieter than me and with much longer legs. Our Dad was in the Foreign Office so we spent our childhood living in far-flung places like Shanghai and Stockholm. In fact, until the age of 32 I had never spent more than 3 years under the same roof...it's left me with the opposite of 'itchy feet'.
I fell in love with writing aged 11 when my class was asked to write a ghost story - that thrill of being able to make it all up! Studying English at Oxford was a dream come true, but then real life got in the way and I started a career in advertising, climbing the greasy pole for four years, helping sell washing powder and cold remedies.
Aged 25, I got the chance to go and live in Argentina. I left advertising, set myself up as a freelance journalist and wrote my first novel,'Alice Alone' which was published (to critical acclaim!) in 1989. I haven't stopped,or looked back, since.
I am now published by Penguin. At the last count I had produced fifteen novels and two sons. There will be no more offspring, but lots of books I hope.

Reviews

[L · Rating 4 out of 5]

An outstanding, truly remarkable novel!

Profoundly poignant, touching and acutely perceptive this credible novel speaks to the heart with such sincerity. Exploring the harsh realities of life and human relationships {in particular those not founded on sentimentality or ‘fairytale dreams’}, is a hard thing to do and incredibly bold. The author’s acute perception on life and those struggles that one faces with divorce, tensions and divergence especially magnified when a child is involved. This book is ideal for reading groups & book clubs as the words hold such meaning, for a wide-readership. This is a story about discovering what matters most in life and having the courage and inner strength to reach out for it - - something that empowers and inspires us all!

Janine and Dougie fell in love based upon the ‘dream’ of everlasting happiness, however relationships can become over the years messy tangles and not at all fairytale-like. After fifteen years their daughter Stevie is the one remaining link that binds them together, who’s caught in the midst of turbulent teenage life. When Stevie is faced with crisis it is in the hands of her parents to help secure her future, while also giving their own love a chance.

Heartrending and full of unbridled intensity this tale transcends all polite boundaries, by exposing the truth about human relationships with such candidness. Amanda Brookfield is an accomplished, assured writer who puts such warmth and authenticity into her novels so as to form a deep connection with the characters. No one is flawless nor is marriage without ups & downs, but a steadfast strong relationship is always built on trust and loyalty.

I won a copy of The Love Child by Amanda Brookfield through a Goodreads, first-read giveaway.

[Mrs Hasmik Davtian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Through a Goodreads giveaway, I won Amanda Brookfield's signed copy of The Love Child.
This is the first book I have read from this author. I give it five stars and I definitely highly recommend this book. This is a great story about family, friends and a good neighbor. Enjoyed reading this book so much that it became one of my favorite books. I love the main character Dougie and his good neighbor Nina. At first, I liked Victoria and Simon, but then I couldn't stand Simon, and how Victoria acted when she visited Dougie, One of my favorite lines from the book was Dougie's dad saying "it was bad enough losing her, the last thing I wanted was to rake up old ...difficulties." Felt like this is true in real life as well. I really feel as though this book can be made into a movie. The story was one that many people could relate to.

[Marianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and want to thank the author for the ebook she sent to me. Her comprehensive yet flowing prose made the story really come to life. Her characters were people you know with short comings and triumphs you share. These characters could easily be your group of friends. The characters were very real and I was saddened when the book came to a close. This will not be the last book I read by Ms. Brookfield. I highly recommend "The Love Child". Thank you again Amanda, for the very enjoyable read.

[Zoe · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is more to this book than "teen girl sleeps with fathers best friend". Touching, honest and compelling - I really enjoyed reading this and getting to know each character.. all very different. A long novel full of twists, turns and drama.

[Katie O · Rating 2 out of 5]

A plethora of selfish, dickhead men take advantage of women around them. Dougie is the hero for doing the bare minimum and realising women aren't just for sex. Nah.

[Jan Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Janine and Dougie were married for fifteen years until Janine decided she could no longer live with his addictions and his infidelity. Although she is now in a relationship with Dependable Mike, the depth of Janine and Dougie's history together still lies like an unbreakable, invisible bond through Janine’s teenage daughter, Stevie. Their friends are something of a mixed bag including Dougie’s best friend Simon, and his wife, Victoria – who is so desperate for her own child she is often blind to Simon’s slippery ways. But when it comes to Stevie, Simon bites off more than he can chew and eventually, the dynamic of all their relationships implode.

This is a novel about relationships and how they connect: lovers, friends, husbands, wives, siblings, step-children, parents. It tackles some big issues alongside the domestic strata confirming that genuine, selfless love can overcome anything; and how something better can grow from the ashes of despair. Dougie enjoys the most development as a character, he’s so vibrant and colourful, almost larger than life! But for all his faults he's big-hearted enough to still care for Janine’s daughter, and his personal struggle to once again build his life back from nothing is an enjoyable, remarkable journey and skilfully executed. The push and pull of emotional chess is rich and insightful, with just enough drama to keep the plot boiling without losing a grip on reality or resorting to sentiment. Deeply compelling, relatable, and hugely enjoyable.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. After reading the synopsis I thought the book was just about a young girl sleeping with her father's friend, but that's just a small part of the book. You get to know the different characters of the book. At first I just wanted to slap Stevie, she was a typical 16 year old girl. Then my attentions turned to how vile Simon really was. I couldn't believe how he justified his actions to his best friend Dougie. Through the whole book I was hoping Dougie would get his life on track because he seemed like such a great father. The book deals with the ups and downs of life, making new friends and shedding old ones. I definitely recommend it. I very happy that the author Amanda Brookfield sent me a copy because I can't wait to read her next book.

[Mel · Rating 1 out of 5]

The blurb sounded dramatic; a 16 year old girl sleeping with her Father's best friend. But the novel itself was disappointingly lacking. I found the plot and slow and far too subtle for my liking. None of the characters felt well developed, except Dougie which gave the book a skewered feeling. The fall out was unrealistic and emotionless (except perhaps for Victoria's reaction). Overall, disappointing.

[Mike Finn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent enough story, well enough told but perhaps over-long and many times a bit lightweight.

[Tez · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

Janine and Dougie marriage is over and their remaining connection is their daughter Stevie.

Dougie and his friends take a birthday trip to Spain and during this holiday Stevie gets too close to one of Dougie’s friends.

I found it really hard to enjoy this book. Stevie who is barely 16 and her father Dougie’s oldest childhood friend sleep together and her parents reaction was ‘she’s almost an adult, these things happen’ approach did not go down well worth me. I felt the reaction to what was the climax of the story was very lackluster.

I didn’t feel any connection to the characters, the one character I did enjoy was Nina and sadly her story started and ended rather quickly in the book although it did have its desired effect on Dougie.

An interesting premise but just did not deliver for me.

[Laura Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable

Very easy to read with an enjoyable concept. Good characterisation with the main characters brought to life. Will read more of this author.

[Paul Cruickshank · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good realistic story.

This story held my interest from page 1.
Strengths and weaknesses captured and human failures brought clearly real.
The characters were very believable.

[Elaine and Tess the Springer. I won’t be on GR for a bit. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always have a good feeling when I pick up an Amanda Brookfield because I know I’m in for a great read and I’ve never been disappointed. A brilliant read.

[Julie Haigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful book, I enjoyed it immensely.

I read about this book's content with interest when it was listed in a goodreads giveaway. It sounded like just my sort of book. I didn't win the giveaway but Amanda Brookfield very kindly asked me if I would like a copy sent for review. The book has a striking start-straight in, grabs your attention and you just want to keep reading. It's an engrossing story based around friends and their families. These are all very 'real' characters that you soon feel for. On many days during my journey with this book I could easily have read for longer and often until 1/1.30am! I found it wonderful and intriguing; finding out who's who, who's with who, deep feeling really came through the writing. A few things started to come out and it was soon getting very interesting. There is an excellent scene between Stevie and Janine. Edge of your seat stuff yet it's normal family issues, everyday problems that families face, told so well, it really gripped me, so many questions arose in my mind from it. I could picture this as a TV mini series! The writing continued to be so realistic and absorbing. The desperation and the spiralling out of control because of debt with one character was particularly poignant. I loved how clues kept popping up and unravelling. I have read this book along with a few others in between and each time I went back to this I was straight in, it's irresistible, you're intrigued to find out who's who and what their stories are. This is SO addictive and intriguing-like having a good gossip with a few of your mates over a long meal. It's a very substantial book with long chapters but it really kept my attention. I read a few books of other genres in between reading this and it helped to savour this story. For me-a luxurious book. Amanda Brookfield manages to capture the character's thoughts and emotions brilliantly on the page. The many times I have 'filled up' reading this! It feels so real, so absorbing are the character's lives and problems. Beautiful and comforting descriptions of the surroundings. This book kept providing me with so many questions so that I needed to keep reading to find out. Addictive and absorbing. An astounding book. Would make a great holiday read. When I was just before half way through the book- wow, what a fantastic chapter! Intrigue, tension, I was blown away by this. A real luxury read for me. Suddenly, a chill was sent through me as I read the sudden jolt and finality of a particular statement. It was as I thought, yet still unexpected at the same time. This book is such a great one-up there with the top best-selling eg. Penny Vincenzi. Why have I not heard of Amanda Brookfield before? I certainly want to read many more of her novels on the strength of this one. It's a very special book and I was loving it all the way. Some very emotional scenes and then some real tense scenes. You just don't know where it's going to go. A wonderful book, I enjoyed it immensely. Exquisite.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

More like a 2.5 star rating.

I was invited to download a copy of this book by the author after not being selected to receive it through a giveaway on Goodreads.

Overall, I felt like The Love Child was okay; however, I did struggle with getting through it (I usually can get through a 500 page book in 3-4 days and this took me almost 2 weeks.) It seemed like there were too many extraneous details, and even characters--specifically the couple of Gary and Ruth, and the teenager Paul. While I understand the need for tertiary characters, too much time was spent on their back stories for what little they contributed to the story.

Parts of the plot seemed unfocused, as well. Based on the book jacket, a reader would expect a majority of the story to focus on the event between the 16 year old Stevie and the 40 year old Simon, and it's aftermath--including a potential reconciliation between Stevie's divorced parents. Unfortunately, very little of the story addresses these events. And when it does, it seems like there is a rush to get through these details, with no clear understanding of what lead up to them.

Now, what I really did like about the book comes down to 3 characters: Dougie (Stevie's father); Nina (Dougie's neighbor); and Victoria (Simon's wife). These were three strong, well written characters who greatly added to the story. The friendship between Dougie and Nina was great and I wish the author had spent more time on it, not only for the entertainment value, but also because I feel like it would have given the reader more insight into the final disposition of Dougie's relationship with his ex-wife (Stevie's mother). And, while I was originally not so keen on the character of Victoria, her attitudes and actions in the last half of the book were engaging and helped facilitate some resolution to the story.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Initially I was excited for this book. The title was so catching and the premise sounded interesting. Scandal, marriage and life.

Generally this book can be a bit boring at times. Some scenes do not seem necessary. Janine seems to be in a rather stable relationship at the beginning. Dougie is trying to pick up the pieces of his failure of a life. What with his womanizing, being an alcoholoc and smoker. The chapters also focus on his friends, Victoria and Simon who are married. Dougie's daughter Stevie has a big role as well. Since she is the link between her parents. I found her quite the worst example of teenager as she was so rebellious eg smoking, not cooperating, angst filled but at other times incredibly mature. Nina was a surprise but had a big impact on Dougie and I was so surprised that Simon turned out to be so different from who I thought he was. The whole time I was feeling sorry for Victoria. Honestly. I felt that Janine and Dougie's reunion was rushed. It happened too fast to find it believable. It is like the author spent so much time in the middle and threw the reunion together for an ending.

Overall an okay read but the British slang can be hard to understand at times. I like how this book says that love is hard, you have to be forgiving and willing to fight for it. But also not make things up to hide what you do not want to see or to pretend things are okay when they are not. Good lessons.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This could easily have been a four star rating, apart from the fact I found it so difficult to get into. In the early chapters none of the characters appealed to me - stroppy teenager Stevie, mother Janine struggling to cope and her ex husband Dougie sinking into self pity and alcoholism following his divorce and business collapse. I almost gave up on the book and returned it to the library. However after a 2 week break from it, and nothing else to read, I tried again and by page 100 I was beginning to get drawn into the story line and the characters - and was hooked! I surprisingly liked Dougie and the way his character developed as a father and good friend to Nina, with some beautifully written passages. I could see this a good choice for a book club discussion with the themes of family conflicts, friendship, betrayal and love.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book offers a glimpse into the day to day life of a group of London friends. Nothing very eventful happens as it is more a character based story. My favourite character was Stevie as she certainly kept her mum and stepdad on their toes. She was who kept me reading as I wanted to see how her life would pan out and subsequently affect those around her. The writing is very realistic and as such each character has the flaws and worries of the average person in their thirties.

[Colleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I entered to win this book on goodreads. I was not chosen but the author allowed me to download a copy for free. Overall I liked the book. There were a few characters that I couldn't like, Simon being the most obvious. I found the story a little wordy and felt myself wishing it would get to the point. Once it got going I found the book hard to put down. I am also a sucker for a happy ending and this one was very happy.

[Maggie White · Rating 4 out of 5]

The ripple effect of an event on different relationships. A group of friends have a weekend at a finca in Spain. the daughter of one of them has an adult relationship with her father's best friend. The consequences of this are felt throughout the group.

[Ozone-nut/ Zoe · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn't great. It only just merits a three star rating. Characters were mostly unbelievable, and didn't react to most of what happened in the story in any way I would have expected. Which in a way actually made it quite interesting.

[Lynda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was very different to the books I usually read,was much more serious but still dealt with the usual chick-lit themes which is what drew me to it originally.I thought it was a really good read and would like to read more by the same author as a result

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Didn't think I was going to enjoy this book at the beginning as it seemed quite slow. But it soon picked up and once I got to grips with all the main characters I enjoyed it. What a tangled web some people weave?

[Marisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read the book, it was a bit difficult to follow, I'm not sure if it was the writing that was difficult to follow the banal story line, however I did get though it, and can't really recommend or not to others to read.

[Liz Nield · Rating 3 out of 5]

not bad overall - started well but turned into a bit of a chick-lit read towards the end - I listened to it and although I'm a northerner Janine's voice/accent got on my nerves a bit I have to say. I decent holiday read I would say

[Bronwyn Rykiert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Doug and Janine had split up because of his drinking and infidelity while I think they were still in love in some way. Stevie, their daughter kept them in contact even when Janine moved away with her new boyfriend. It was an interesting enough to listen to.

[Coffee4me · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book deals with addiction and what it means to be a grown up and does so with compelling emotional depth.

[Sandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mediocre

[Lisa Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this story. It is a story about something that can happen to any couple. I like a happy ending, and this story had just that.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good book. Kept me interested to the end. Liked the way the characters developed.