The Name You Gave Me

by KG Jessup

What if your life wasn't your own… and neither was your name?

When her husband’s promotion brings Averie Hale back to the suburbs, she finally has the perfect life she dreamed a career she loves, a beautiful home, and a baby on the way. But caring for her mother as dementia advances is anything but simple—because Vera isn’t just losing memories. She’s been hiding a secret for decades, one that could shatter everything Averie believes about her family and herself.

Two houses down, nurse Wren Foster is fed up with her parents dodging every question about her adoption. Determined to uncover her roots, she digs into a past no one is willing to discuss—and unearths a terrifying truth. Only one woman holds the answers both Averie and Wren desperately need, but her mind is slipping fast. They must find the truth before her memory erases it.

267 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 28, 2025

Reviews

[Eileen Murphy-Schmehl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Averie has everything she ever wanted- A great husband, a new home near her best friend, and after much heartache, a much wanted pregnancy. Averie wants her mom to share stories from her childhood before dementia takes hold. What stories can mom Vera share, and what is she hiding?

There are a lot of moving parts in this story. Much attention must be paid to how people come together, but the author brings it to a great end. A great thriller- drama.

I received a copy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily.

[NomadicReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an emotionally gripping journey of discovery shrouded in mystery. The storyline alternates POVs and timelines. The lives of two women, from two different worlds, collide with shocking revelations of family secrets and betrayal. The author slowly and expertly planted seeds of doubt and revelations that kept me guessing till the end. An unknown adoption, a woman who struggled to get pregnant, secrets, lies, betrayal, and a mother with a failing memory who holds the answers to everything make up the gripping plot of this novel. I knew this would be an author to watch when I read her debut novel, Home Is Where The Hurt Is, and she did not disappoint with her second domestic thriller. My only critique is that the ending of this one felt a little rushed, but all the loose ends were wrapped up, and everything answered.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you, Booksirens and KG Jessup, for the arc.

[Gail Fisher · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the author's first novel and was excited to read this one. And this second novel is even better than the first. I had planned to read it over the course of several days, but I ended up devouring it in one day! I kept trying to figure out all of the secrets, which we knew from the outset involved tangled relationships but couldn't easily guess.

The characters are well fleshed out and believable. They each have their faults, the teenagers act in very traditional teenaged fashion, and yet I would happily sit across a table from almost any one of them and have an enjoyable chat.

POV changes with each chapter - Wren, Averie, or "Her". A lot of the mystery is over who the "Her" is - whether it's one of them, another character we already know in the book, or some shadowy different character we see only in her own chapters. Wren and Averie know each other and interact both with each other and with others that each knows, but we never see "Her" in connection with any of the others. This separate strand can't be unrelated, right? Keep reading!

Lots of pregnancy and babies in the book, and in fact, that was the part that led to any confusion I had - who's pregnant, who isn't, whose baby is this, who's happily pregnant (married) or not so much (unmarried)? Just to track this, I felt I needed a scorecard. But otherwise, the book is delightful and will absolutely keep you turning pages!

[A · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to BookSirens for the advanced reader copy, its always a great read.

The synopsis for this book was captivating from the start but as soon as i started with the first few chapters i know it was going to be a great read along the way.

There are quite a few different points of view in this book which allows you to look closely at the character development.

Averie Hale has many exciting things going on in her life but she is plagued by other memories that just seem to appear in her pregnancy. As anyone would do they dont question the thoughts they just focus on what comes next. We meet Vera Averies mum who has dementia but theres quite a few things when you start to look closey that dont quite add up. Averie is aware of this and what i really loved about this book is the " Live for the moment " when your faced with hard times you enjoy the little things. I think the author has a good way of appreciating things and showcasing this through the writing, it almost gets the reader to reflect on whats important.

We also meet Wren who is on a journey on her own but crosses paths with Averie and Vera at a neighbours dinner party. There are alot of unsaid comments and funny looks that happen, Averie tries not to dwell on the behaviours of others but there is just that back of the mind nagging comments what if. When the digging begins into the past none of it makes sense at first ,but the writer does well to reveal all

This is well put together but you have to follow it properly to follow the timelines and events and how they merge together to find out the truth.

Another Author that is on my TBR list. A really immersive read that i enjoyed.

[The Book Ssirren · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was truly amazing. A very well written thriller that keeps you completely engaged. This book was very intense, gripping, and has you guessing the entire time. So much to place. A mother with a failing memory, secrets, betrayal. This book leads down a chaotic path as the rush for the truth creeps up faster than you think. The twists and turns in this book were so well done. Excellently written. I enjoyed this one very much.

[Joanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Name You Gave Me is an emotionally rich thriller. Jessup’s choice to weave together a caregiving storyline with an adoption mystery balances heart and suspense. It offers both a deeply personal journey and a shocking revelation. Trust me you’ll enjoy this one!

[Johanna Price · Rating 4 out of 5]

BookSirens ARC Review,
The title locked me in before even reading, and it didn’t disappoint. Kept me engaged and curious of what was coming next. This story builds to a bombshell ending while it pulls at your heartstrings and reminding you that forgiveness is not just a word you know but a word you live by. I really enjoyed this story. It was thrilling and captivating. It also deals with the what if’s of the day and times we live in and sometimes we are not ready to accept but are faced with it head on and realizing we are not always in control of everything that happens in our life.

[Lydia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a pretty quick read. Two women are trying to unravel the secrets and mysteries of their pasts. Each secret revealed seems to make things even more entangled and messy.

It kept me guessing as I tried to piece things together to figure out the twist before it was revealed. At times I would get lost in the details. The buildup was exciting though.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Kaitlyn Stacks · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the second book of KG Jessup’s that I’ve had the pleasure of reading. This book offers mystery, thrill, and a few twists. I did find the book to be a little bit of a slow burn when trying to figure out who “her” is. When you think you have it figured out, there will be bits of info thrown in to have you rethinking your entire guess. Even with the slow burn feel, I did enjoy the book and the ending.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Hrudley · Rating 5 out of 5]

So suspenseful! I read it in one sitting!

[Carol D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE NAME YOU GAVE ME

BY K G JESSUP

With the holidays upon us, I've been busy. I thought I wouldn’t have any time to read the latest book I chose to review. After Thanksgiving, I finally found some downtime and was glad I used that time to read The Name You Gave Me by KG Jessup.

If I had to use one word to describe the book, it would be Fantastic! Other than a small part of the plot which wasn’t quite clear, this book is a must-read. I couldn’t put it down even if I tried.

From the beginning to the very end, I was so invested in the characters because they were strong and written authentically with flaws and all.

The main characters include Wren, a young, ambitious nurse who just found out she’s been adopted, Averie, a pregnant middle-aged woman trying to hold on to her baby after past miscarriages and Averie’s dementia-ridden mother.

These strong characters and their individual stories drove the plot, and I couldn’t stop reading the pages fast enough. The story flows beautifully as each woman’s story is revealed.

KG Jessup is a great suspense writer. She knows how to give enough clues to

keep you guessing to the very end! I kept turning the pages, dying to know what the outcome was.

Even after I was forced to put the book down to do my dishes or run an errand, I kept running the story through my mind, trying to figure out what was going to happen.

Even though this is KG Jessup's second novel, I also read her first book, Love Is Where the Hurt Is; she knows how to write a great story.

I can’t wait to read her third novel.

I would recommend this book to any suspense story lovers. I am giving this book five stars and would give it more if I could!

[Gabbie Keogh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was Lucky enough to have been given this book as an ARC read and I enjoyed it.
I wasn’t the biggest fan of our character wren, I’m not sure if she was meant to be likeable or not but for me she wasn’t.
But the end of the book I was able to guess who ‘Her’ was and it was not what I expected at first but I quite enjoyed that plot twist.
I personally don’t see this book as a psychological thriller than a mystery but that’s my only ‘bad’ opinion.
I rate this book a 4/5 stars

[Craig Simons · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredibly easy book to read. Very easy to follow with the multiple POVs. There is a twist and I somehow did not see it coming but it finally clocked in the chapter they revealed it in. KG Jessup has definitely become one of my favourite authors because of this book. I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily

[Debbie Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great twist.