The Giveaway Girl

by Chrissie Bradshaw

Joy’s world is turned upside down when she discovers she was given away as a newborn. She runs away from her home in Australia to go in search of her birth family in Northumberland, England.

Coming face-to-face with the Kelly family ignites Joy’s envy of her sister, Rose, and she plunges into a tailspin of mistakes and heartache.

Joy’s trouble-strewn journey is set in the sixties, a time of freedom and promise. She sees that popular culture and attitudes are changing, yet she still hides the shame of being the giveaway girl.

What will it take for her to accept the events of the past, come to understand the meaning of love and discover her true worth?

328 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 29, 2024

About the author

Chrissie, the 2016 winner of the Romantic Novelists' Elizabeth Goudge writing trophy, has published four novels and a novella.
Her latest is a compelling family saga, ROSE’S EVER AFTER. This is the second book in ‘The Colliery Rows’ series and follows on from ROSE’S CHOICE.
There is a spin off novella , THE UNWELCOME ANGEL that tells the story of the winter of 1944 in more detail.
A JARFUL of MOONDREAMS is a contemporary story about family relationships, secrets and how dreams can come true, and THE BARN OF BURIED DREAMS is her second contemporary story about two sisters who are struggling after the death of their mother. Both are available as ebooks and paperbacks on Amazon.
Chrissie has always loved match-making a book to a reader. Writing the kind of book she loves to read takes this a step further. When she is not writing or reading, you will find Chrissie walking Oscar, her Welsh Terrier, on the beach, trying to avoid the gym and spending time with her family and friends.

Reviews

[Sonja Charters · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one of those stories that I know will stay in my heart for a long time.

When Joy discovers that she was given away as a baby, she heads off to England to search for her birth family.
What she discovers there brings jealousy and feelings of loss and uncertainty.
As her life turns to chaos, will she ever come to accept her true worth?

I immediately felt the love for Joy.
Her situation is like so many others, but being set back in the 60's, a time where there is shame on the mother's and the children who find themselves stuck, I really took her into my heart all the more.

Although I've obviously never encountered this myself, it was easy to relate and connect with Joy and also the rest of the Kelly family.
I can't say too much as I don't want to give any spoilers, but this really was a captivating story and one that will have you going through a range of emotions as Joy, herself does, along the way.

I loved the authors writing style. This was a lovely cosy read and I was completely immersed in the storylines.

My only complaint is that I did not realise it was a book 3 in the Kelly Family series and I really do feel as though I'd have loved this even more had I read the other books first.
I believe that there is mention of Joy in books 1&2 - so hope that this hasn't ruined those books for me - as I'd love to go back and catch up on this series.

Even so, this was a beautifully written story and I can't wait to find out more.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joy’s world is shattered when her mother reveals that she was given away by her birth mother. Angry, confused, and feeling unwanted, Joy travels from Australia to England to find her family. What she discovers further confuses her and leads her to make heartbreaking choices of her own. As Joy finds friendship and love she still feels like a ‘giveaway girl’ and makes decisions she thinks will protect her heart. But do they? Will she let go of her anger and find her way back to her family/ This story caught my heart. It is a story of family and love and growth that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Thanks to the author and Love Book Tours for providing a copy for my honest review.

[annasbook nookk · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book. I felt for Joy and what she went through.
The secrets she found out must have shocked her to her core.
Finding out she was given away as a newborn she was adamant to find out what caused this to happen.
On this journey family rifts happen and love comes and goes.
A ride of a read that had my emotions all over.
A must read and I look forward to reading more of this authors work.

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book!

This is a relatively new genre that I have been dipping my toe into and I have to say... what a book...!

This is the 3rd Book of the Kelly Family and revolves round Joy.

It is an epic Saga and an emotional rollercoaster ride as we see Joy go through emotional turmoil after finding out the truth about her past, while also seeing the effects this has on everyone around her.

Joy is very young and over the course of a few years, flies off the rails after finding out the truth about her birth. We her and those who love her desperately try and help her get back to the person she was.

She is a very emotion evoking character and I really, really felt for her. It must have been a massive shock to learn the truth and my heart also broke for her after seeing her nativigate the aftermath when she evidently felt so, so alone.

She's very upset and at various points, I was shocked by the raw anger that I felt through the pages. Powerful writing on Chrissie's part.

Chrissie crafts a beautiful story and expertly navigates an upsetting topic - will Joy find Joy in the end?

I honestly cannot recommend this book enough. Gorgeous story and I'm off to read Book 1 and Book 2 of the Kelly Family now as I rather liked Rose!

[Alis Page · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Giveaway Girl by Chrissie Bradshaw is a romance book about a young girl who finds out she was given away as a newborn. This is the third book in the Kelly family series, and is the first book I have read, it can be read as a standalone as I wasn’t confused by anything that may have been written prior. Bradshaw delicately crafts a narrative that looks at families, secrets, and the journey of Joy to find out where she comes from and understand why this has happened to her.
The emotional journey for Joy is raw and draws you in, although at times I did not like her. However, the complexity of the situation was brought to life and the twists and turns of love, burdens and misunderstanding became an emotional roller-coaster.
The one thing that was not truly clear for me was that if I had not been told the story took place in the 1960’s I would not have known that there were a couple of clear references, but it didn’t always ring true for me and I would have loved to see more.
With all that said this for me is still a 4**** read with Bradshaws ability to tell a story make The Giveaway Girl a compelling read for those of you who love books about family and romance.

[Charlotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Giveaway Girl is a multi POV story about family, forgiveness and belonging. It shows the importance of telling the truth. Lies snowball and become bigger and bigger if you don't control them. It's a story about trying to belong when you don't know where you belong.

It centres around Joy, who, following the death of her father, discovers that the couple she thought were her parents were not. A secret her mother had kept for 18 years. Joy decides to travel to England to discover her birth family, but she also uncovers, and starts a lot more lies.

I wanted to like Joy, I really did. She had been through so much, but I just found that I didn't really. She grew on me a little, and I do think she redeemed herself.
Having said that, I didn't like Rose either. She didn't even try and understand the hurt that had been caused to Joy and the part she had played in that n

I found the writing quite simplistic in places and the conversations didn't always feel natural. That said, it was nice easy read which I thoroughly enjoyed.

[Bekky Clarke · Rating 4 out of 5]

So this was a change of pace compared to what I’ve been reading lately - but it was such an enjoyable read! I didn’t realise this was the 3rd book in the series until after I had finished - however I don’t feel like I missed out on too much of the previous storylines and it didn’t affect my enjoyment of this one at all. It does however make me want to go back and read the earlier books to get more of an insight into our characters!

Joy was a character that I struggled with at first. At times I found her behaviour to be harsh and I didn’t always like her. However - I did understand why she acted the way she did and felt this just added extra depth to her as a character.

I loved Jim as a character too. So caring and loving and basically just love how he was portrayed.

I really enjoyed this. It kept me captivated from the start and didn’t disappoint me. The author has such a lovely writing style that you can’t help but get sucked in to story and keep reading.

[Mystic KT · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an endearing redemption story of our complex main character, she finds out some life changing news which send her on fact finding adventure about her life and background. She travels all the way from Australia all the way to England to reunite with her birth family after finding out she was adopted and a twin. She has trials and tribulations when meeting some of the family and is accepted by others - this send her life in a spiral.

I found that this was exactly what i need to read as was on a burn out of fantasy so having a romance to read was a change of pace and read this in about 24 hours as i got sucked into the story which is amazing. I am now going to go back and read the other 2 books in The Kelly Family Stories to get insight in to a prominent side character. Thank you Chrissie Bradshaw for writing this and getting me away from a potential slump.

[callistoscalling · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Giveaway Girl is an absolutely beautiful novel that will tug at your heartstrings so grab the tissues. Set in the 1960’s, the story is a stark reminder of how far adoption and adoption language has come. After Joy’s father dies, her mother shares the secret that Joy was brought into their family through a secret adoption with her mother’s best friend, a secret even her father did not know. Joy journeys from Australia to England to connect with her birth family. What follows is a truly heartbreaking yet exquisitely narrated story. The Giveaway Girl is a cautionary tale of the fragility of relationships built on lies. Through the hardships and rough patches, is a hopeful reminder that life is precious. Beyond the hurt, anger, and grief is the chance for growth, healing, and love…and this book sure provides a beautifully cathartic ride through all of the emotions!

[Toni Everett · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story. Chrissie Bradshaw bought the perfect amount of drama and adventure and I was so hooked I couldn’t stop reading!!
After Joys father passes away and her mother reveals that they are not her real biological parents, Joy flees Australia for England in search of her real family.
Angry, confused and feeling like a ‘giveaway’ Joys reunion doesn’t go quite as planned and she ends up in circumstances that involves her making some heartbreaking decisions.
This book bought all the emotions for me. I laughed I cried I got incredibly frustrated but Chrissie Bradshaw promises a happy ending and I’m so glad she delivered after everything Joy has gone through ❤️
I really enjoyed the authors writing and can’t wait to read more of her books!!

[kirsty · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven't read anything else by this author but after reading this book, I am absolutely hooked. I loved it and couldn't put it down, so much so that I read it in one day. The premise was something that really intrigued me and I thought it would be such an interesting read.

The book is well written with a compelling and at times heartbreaking story line and well developed characters that I loved especially Joy and Jim. Although I didn't always agree with the way Joy was acting, I still loved her because I wouldn't know how I would react in those circumstances.

This book was so lovely and so cosy it was like a big warm hug. I didn't realise that this is part of a series but I will definitely be getting the others to have a read.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first book in the Saga Genre, and I'm so glad I was part of this tour! It is set in the 60s, and with Joy's past coming to light after her father has passed, without giving too much away, it shows how far things have come since then!

We get to see Joy's journey from Australia to England, Joy was a character that I couldn't quite connect with at first with some of the decisions she was making, but she did grow on me as the storyline continued and I was pleased with the outcome!

It is a book that is full of emotion, drama, heartbreak and adventure, I enjoyed the writing style and how the characters developed throughout the book, will definitely be adding more of Chrissie Bradshaws books to my TBR list!

[Sue Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Giveaway Girl by Chrissie Bradshaw.
Book 3 of the Kelly family.
Joy’s world is turned upside down when she discovers she was given away as a newborn. She runs away from her home in Australia to go in search of her birth family in Northumberland, England.Coming face-to-face with the Kelly family ignites Joy’s envy of her sister, Rose, and she plunges into a tailspin of mistakes and heartache.
Omg what a read. I really did enjoy this book. Even though its book 3 i got into it straight away. The emotion I felt in this book. Joy was angry and emotional and I felt it through the pages. I did sort of like Rose. I didn't like how Joy was with Rose. I loved Jim and how he wouldn't give up. I will definitely be looking at the first 2 books. I do hope there is more to come. 5*.

[Kirsty Crawford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joy finds out the truth of her birth shortly after the death of the man she thought was her father. She runs away from her home in Australia to go and discover her birth family in Northumberland UK. Joy arrives at her ‘grandparents’ and then goes in search of the Kelly’s, her birth family to re-unite herself with her twin brother. This is only the start of Joy’s mistakes which cause her to truly discover herself and accept her story.

I really enjoyed the super short chapters from multiple points of view. I didn’t really take to Joy, I really struggled to connect with her initially, then about half way through I came to quite like her character. I loved how everything came together in the end when all truths were out and how Joy came to accept herself and finally accept that despite everything she was still worthy of love.

Overall a brilliant story, so much so I’m going to go back and read the others in this series about the Kelly family.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

The third book in the Colliery Rows series, we finally got to know Joy better.
I loved the first two books so was looking forward to reading this book set in the 60s. Again it was really well researched and I loved where the story took us. I don’t want to share any spoilers but if you enjoyed the first two books you’re going to love this one.
I read it in two sittings and can’t wait for Chrissie to write more

[PAM · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the characters Chrissie brought them to life and made you feel as though you really knew them
There are family secrets , tragedy and love I needed the tissues to hand but enjoyed every page. I can’t wait to see what she does next. A fantastic war time saga.

[Sarah Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely fantastic

Don’t you just love these rare kind of books which pull you in and don’t let you leave until it’s finished. What a page turner and fantastic story. Highly recommended.

[Pauline Guy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. What a character Joy is from an angry confused young lady it took a while but she got there in the end. She found her happy ever after.
I have to say I did cry a few tears it really did pull me into the story. Loved it

[Lisa Bentley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story had me sobbing! Poor joy finding out that not only are her parents not her parents but that her real mum just gave her away! Imagine your whole life being a lie!
We follow her journey to find answers and try to find somewhere that she belongs.
Family feuds, love, heartbreak and an amazing sacrifice are just some of the things awaiting you when you open this book and start to read!
I thoroughly enjoyed every second of this book and have already written down some of the other stories that are connected by this author.

[Bianca Duthie · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a lovely story this was. Set in the 60s, it explores some very delicate topics, including child loss and cheating.
Joy was, at times, unlikeable, but it was, for the most part, understandable why she felt and acted the way she did.
Jim was so lovely, understanding, and wholesome. I loved his character.
I really liked the Liverpool characters, I only wish there had been more of Wayne, I'd have liked to have seen him have a bit of happiness.
I really liked the premise of the giveaway baby and thought it was really interesting.
I hadn't realised there were previous stories focusing on Rose, I think they would have been good to read, but I didn't feel like I was missing anything in this.
The writing style and pace were just right for me. I would definitely read more by this author.

[Fatguyreading · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Giveaway Girl is the story of Joy who discovers that she was given away as a baby. She then travels to England to find her birth family.

But her life soon takes a turn for the worse and chaos ensues as she learns of loss, jealousy and hurt in her family's past. I tend to avoid spoilers in my reviews so won't say any more about the storyline.

The Giveaway Girl is a novel that will take you through various emotions, it's deep, raw and insightful.

The writing style was just perfect for this type novel , the story flowed well and was just beautifully written.

4 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 's from me.