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The Stranger In My Home
The Number One eBook Bestseller
What would YOU do if your child wasn't yours?
Utterly compelling, Sunday Times bestseller Adele Parks's new contemporary novel The Stranger In My Home, is sure to move, grip and delight her fans, along with readers of Liane Moriarty, Lisa Jewell and Shari Lapena.
Alison is lucky and she knows it. She has the life she always craved, including a happy home with Jeff and their brilliant, vivacious teenage daughter, Katherine - the absolute centre of Alison's world.
Then a knock at the door ends life as they know it.
Fifteen years ago, someone else took Alison's baby from the hospital. And now Alison is facing the unthinkable.
The daughter she brought home doesn't belong to her.
When you have everything you dreamed of, there is everything to lose.
What would YOU do if your child wasn't yours?
Utterly compelling, Sunday Times bestseller Adele Parks's new contemporary novel The Stranger In My Home, is sure to move, grip and delight her fans, along with readers of Liane Moriarty, Lisa Jewell and Shari Lapena.
Alison is lucky and she knows it. She has the life she always craved, including a happy home with Jeff and their brilliant, vivacious teenage daughter, Katherine - the absolute centre of Alison's world.
Then a knock at the door ends life as they know it.
Fifteen years ago, someone else took Alison's baby from the hospital. And now Alison is facing the unthinkable.
The daughter she brought home doesn't belong to her.
When you have everything you dreamed of, there is everything to lose.
480 pages, Paperback
First published September 28, 2016
584 people are currently reading
9080 people want to read
About the author
Adele Parks
60 books3,421 followersAdele Parks MBE is one of the most-loved and biggest-selling women's fiction writers in the UK. She has sold over 4 million books and her work has been translated into 30 different languages.
She has published 21 novels, all of which have been London Times bestsellers.
Adele has written 19 contemporary novels and 2 historical ones, Spare Brides and If You Go Away, which are set during and after WW1. Her latest novels, Both of You, Just My Luck, Lies Lies Lies, I Invited Her In, The Image of You and The Stranger in My Home are twisty, domestic noirs. Adele likes to scrutinize our concepts of family, our theories on love, parenting and fidelity.
During her career Adele has lived in Italy, Botswana and London. Now she lives happily in Surrey, UK with her husband, son and cat.
If you want to stay in touch you can find Adele on Twitter @AdeleParks, Instagram @Adele_Parks or Facebook @OfficialAdeleParks. You can sign up to her newsletter at eepurl.com/cI0l and there’s lots more info about Adele and her books on www.adeleparks.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 413 reviews
November 1, 2016
I'm not sure if I liked this book or not. About half way through I was bored and annoyed with the main character. She seemed so utterly unrealistic. It was almost sickening the constant descriptions of her affection for her daughter. It did become more interesting in the last few chapters with a bit of menace and an abduction. But even even that felt halfhearted and lacklustre. A mediocre read.
January 27, 2023
This is the story of two babies swapped at birth and the ramifications of that event 15 years later.
Adele Parks does not disappoint. Ever. She totally caught me in this book. I actually didn't like the main character for most of the book, but she intrigued me, kept me turning the pages. I could barely put it down to see what happened next.
Five stars.
Adele Parks does not disappoint. Ever. She totally caught me in this book. I actually didn't like the main character for most of the book, but she intrigued me, kept me turning the pages. I could barely put it down to see what happened next.
Five stars.
May 10, 2020
I bought my own paperback. The Stranger In My Home One of the best books by Adele Parks that I have read. I think even crime readers would enjoy this particular novel. Two girls were swapped at birth. A simple mistake. Alison has a lovely home with Jeff and their fourteen year old daughter Katherine . When a man knocks on her door and tells her that her daughter Katherine is his and that this daughter is Alison's, she thinks that this man is mad and isn't telling the truth. Tom drops another point to rock Alison's world. Tom tells Alison his wife died of cancer and that Katherine will need to be tested for the BRCA1 and BRCA2 as she has the fifty percent chance of inheriting it. I loved reading how both sides of the family deal with this news about the two girls being swapped at birth, with the two mothers taking home the wrong baby. It was very page-turning reading how and why after fourteen years the reason how the mix up was discovered. A novel with tears, laughter ,lies and a crime. There are some scenes that get ugly and frightening I'm not saying what, you will have to read it to find out. If you do buy The Stranger In My Home, I hope that you enjoy it as much as what I did
June 15, 2017
Would I recommend this book? No. It's an easy read but the book's description makes you think it's going to be a super exciting psychological thriller. It's not. Nothing exciting happens until you're about 80% in. The author then totally skips over the ending and just does a chapter of 'a few months later'. Don't waste your time reading this, it's not worth it. It wasn't awful which is why I've given it 2 stars but I definitely could have done without it. Confused by all the rave reviews.
August 11, 2024
I love Adele Parks but I do have mixed thought on this book! Alison’s works is turned upside down when she discovers that fifteen years ago she took the wrong baby home from hospital, this comes as a massive shock as she loves the child she always believed was hers with all her heart! Something that was repeated a lot throughout the book!
I also struggled to warm to Alison’s character, that being said the story kept my interest and I did want to see how this would all work out!
There were a couple of twists at the end that I didn’t see coming and I enjoyed how it all wrapped up!
I also struggled to warm to Alison’s character, that being said the story kept my interest and I did want to see how this would all work out!
There were a couple of twists at the end that I didn’t see coming and I enjoyed how it all wrapped up!
November 19, 2016
I read this about halfway through and couldn't bear to finish it. Alison was a dreary character, I didn't care about her or anyone else and if I had to read about her feeling she was being 'disloyal' one more time the Kindle was going out of the window. Something amazing must happen in the second half for so many great reviews, but for me, nothing would make it worth struggling through.
November 20, 2016
This is the first novel I’ve read by Adele Parks having previously assumed that she wrote light women’s fiction I’m afraid I’d never looked beyond the covers, until I saw this, her latest contemporary fiction book. Reading the blurb I couldn’t resist the premise, imagine someone coming along, telling you that the child, the perfect daughter, that you’ve lovingly cared for over the past fifteen years, isn’t your daughter!
I know an unlikely opener but that’s what happened to the fictional Alison when a handsome stranger, Tom Truby knocks on her door one evening. The story he tells is terrifying as it appears that his daughter Olivia, is actually Alison’s, and her beloved Katherine belongs to Tom, a recent widower.
Adele Parks having set off the bomb in her happy and blessed couple Alison and Jeff then reveals how they react to the news. Is Jeff, a writer, able to observe the destruction right at the heart of his family in his normal observant if removed style? What about the naturally more anxious Alison? What about her new daughter, Olivia who has just lost her mother? And yes the questions just keep rolling in and the author make us wait for the answers by weaving a storyline so tight around those affected. I must admit I had my strong suspicions about a key aspect of this plot fairly early on, but there was enough misdirection dripping off the proverbial pen, that I wasn’t entirely sure, which only served to increase my satisfaction to be proved right.
All of the characters, including the teenagers (Tom has three children in all) are realistically portrayed as they cope with an upheaval that would test anyone’s sanity. Given the unusual situation they behave with the range of responses that seem entirely plausible and not anywhere near as outrageous as a less confident author might have been tempted to take them. The tension is however, palpable. How on earth will the families resolve the issues that the accidental swap has posed?
With the action starting in the autumn term the author cleverly marks the time with annual events such an autumnal walks with Tom’s dog and Bonfire Night we see everything unfold through Alison’s eyes in the first person present tense. Can she come to terms with the fact that Katherine is not biologically hers and deal with the fact that Olivia, who is at best stand-offish, reflects so many of her own characteristics. There are also secrets from the past that helpfully muddy the already murky waters.
With all of the elements of secrets, half-truths and lies running through the entire book, this could have easily been quite a depressing read but there were many interjections of wry humour to lighten the read with observational humour, simple but incredibly effective in keeping this reader turning the pages, completely engrossed in all the different elements. This meant that the original self-satisfied Alison became far more appealing, not just because who wouldn’t sympathise with someone in her situation but because she keeps moving forward, overwhelmed and distraught she might be, but she’s also not prepared to lose her daughter without a fight.
This was a gripping read, well-plotted and full of suspense. It is not light women’s fiction but something entirely darker and full of foreboding. In many ways it reminded me of Lisa Jewell’s novels, a story that pulls you in which also makes you laugh at life, making for one very satisfying reading experience.
I was lucky enough to be offered a copy of The Stranger In My Home by Amazon Vine ahead of the paperback publication on 9 February 2017 although it was published in eBook format on 28 September 2016.
I know an unlikely opener but that’s what happened to the fictional Alison when a handsome stranger, Tom Truby knocks on her door one evening. The story he tells is terrifying as it appears that his daughter Olivia, is actually Alison’s, and her beloved Katherine belongs to Tom, a recent widower.
Adele Parks having set off the bomb in her happy and blessed couple Alison and Jeff then reveals how they react to the news. Is Jeff, a writer, able to observe the destruction right at the heart of his family in his normal observant if removed style? What about the naturally more anxious Alison? What about her new daughter, Olivia who has just lost her mother? And yes the questions just keep rolling in and the author make us wait for the answers by weaving a storyline so tight around those affected. I must admit I had my strong suspicions about a key aspect of this plot fairly early on, but there was enough misdirection dripping off the proverbial pen, that I wasn’t entirely sure, which only served to increase my satisfaction to be proved right.
All of the characters, including the teenagers (Tom has three children in all) are realistically portrayed as they cope with an upheaval that would test anyone’s sanity. Given the unusual situation they behave with the range of responses that seem entirely plausible and not anywhere near as outrageous as a less confident author might have been tempted to take them. The tension is however, palpable. How on earth will the families resolve the issues that the accidental swap has posed?
With the action starting in the autumn term the author cleverly marks the time with annual events such an autumnal walks with Tom’s dog and Bonfire Night we see everything unfold through Alison’s eyes in the first person present tense. Can she come to terms with the fact that Katherine is not biologically hers and deal with the fact that Olivia, who is at best stand-offish, reflects so many of her own characteristics. There are also secrets from the past that helpfully muddy the already murky waters.
With all of the elements of secrets, half-truths and lies running through the entire book, this could have easily been quite a depressing read but there were many interjections of wry humour to lighten the read with observational humour, simple but incredibly effective in keeping this reader turning the pages, completely engrossed in all the different elements. This meant that the original self-satisfied Alison became far more appealing, not just because who wouldn’t sympathise with someone in her situation but because she keeps moving forward, overwhelmed and distraught she might be, but she’s also not prepared to lose her daughter without a fight.
This was a gripping read, well-plotted and full of suspense. It is not light women’s fiction but something entirely darker and full of foreboding. In many ways it reminded me of Lisa Jewell’s novels, a story that pulls you in which also makes you laugh at life, making for one very satisfying reading experience.
I was lucky enough to be offered a copy of The Stranger In My Home by Amazon Vine ahead of the paperback publication on 9 February 2017 although it was published in eBook format on 28 September 2016.
November 6, 2016
Last 3rd of book was good but the beginning and middle dragged.
March 1, 2017
Synopsis: It's every mother's worst nightmare to find that the precious child she's raised for fifteen years isn't her own.
Alison comes from humble beginnings and is in a relationship with the successful writer, Jeff with whom she's raised Katherine, who is well-behaved, successful at school and sports and beautiful. At one point, all that is put under perile.
TV shows and movies such as "Switched at birth" have explored this topic and it's a premise that allows for interesting stories. The book as such could easily be turned into a television script.
I'd describe the reading experience as tedious and arduous. Meaningless details were emphasized in great length, some of which had no significance at all and didn't carry on the plot.
Most characters were underdeveloped and their mannerism and even pastimes were stereotypical and bland. There wasn't really anyone you could identify with. The book didn't capture me at all. Some parts were highly unrealistic and made up out of thin air.
The fact that the book was so well-received and is even a New York Times bestseller surprises me. I am not sure if the reviews are forged or if people nowadays have very low standards when it comes to literature. There is nothing remarkable about the book.
Alison comes from humble beginnings and is in a relationship with the successful writer, Jeff with whom she's raised Katherine, who is well-behaved, successful at school and sports and beautiful. At one point, all that is put under perile.
TV shows and movies such as "Switched at birth" have explored this topic and it's a premise that allows for interesting stories. The book as such could easily be turned into a television script.
I'd describe the reading experience as tedious and arduous. Meaningless details were emphasized in great length, some of which had no significance at all and didn't carry on the plot.
Most characters were underdeveloped and their mannerism and even pastimes were stereotypical and bland. There wasn't really anyone you could identify with. The book didn't capture me at all. Some parts were highly unrealistic and made up out of thin air.
The fact that the book was so well-received and is even a New York Times bestseller surprises me. I am not sure if the reviews are forged or if people nowadays have very low standards when it comes to literature. There is nothing remarkable about the book.
March 19, 2019
That was twice as long as it needed to be and significantly less exciting.
June 12, 2017
I have had this book on my Kindle for a long time and when I finished my last book I wasn’t sure what to read next, so I randomly when through my book list and stopped on this one. I had no great expectations for this book, I couldn’t remember how, when or why it got on my Kindle but I figured that I wanted it at some point.
The storyline for this book was really interesting. We follow Alison who seems to have a perfect middle class suburban life with her husband and daughter until one day there is a knock on the door and a stranger tells her their daughters were switched at birth. We learn that not only were they were switched at birth but that the daughter Alison has been raising may have a mutated gene that causes cancer. The story that follows shows us the emotional journey that the characters go on whilst learning the truth about where they came from.
I really didn’t love this book, which was a shame as the storyline seemed like it would be really interesting. I think it was largely due to the fact that I found Alison really unlikable. She came across as a snobby, over protective mother who was really obsessed with her perfect daughter. It felt like the author tried to introduce a backstory to explain why Alison was like that but it all felt very unconvincing and I didn’t feel any compassion or empathy with her at all.
The book was slow and not much happened for a long time and then (as if the author sensed that a shake-up was needed) there is a twist. Unfortunately, the twist was boring and felt really half-hearted. I found it all a bit unbelievable and really surprised that the other characters had acted the way that they had if the twist had actually been real. It all felt a bit too scripted and fake.
I would give this book a miss if you want a good story by Adele Parks, it is not one of her best, which is a shame as the premise of the story was good and so much more could have been done with it.
The storyline for this book was really interesting. We follow Alison who seems to have a perfect middle class suburban life with her husband and daughter until one day there is a knock on the door and a stranger tells her their daughters were switched at birth. We learn that not only were they were switched at birth but that the daughter Alison has been raising may have a mutated gene that causes cancer. The story that follows shows us the emotional journey that the characters go on whilst learning the truth about where they came from.
I really didn’t love this book, which was a shame as the storyline seemed like it would be really interesting. I think it was largely due to the fact that I found Alison really unlikable. She came across as a snobby, over protective mother who was really obsessed with her perfect daughter. It felt like the author tried to introduce a backstory to explain why Alison was like that but it all felt very unconvincing and I didn’t feel any compassion or empathy with her at all.
The book was slow and not much happened for a long time and then (as if the author sensed that a shake-up was needed) there is a twist. Unfortunately, the twist was boring and felt really half-hearted. I found it all a bit unbelievable and really surprised that the other characters had acted the way that they had if the twist had actually been real. It all felt a bit too scripted and fake.
I would give this book a miss if you want a good story by Adele Parks, it is not one of her best, which is a shame as the premise of the story was good and so much more could have been done with it.
October 2, 2016
I honestly didn't realise how much I had missed Adele Parks' contemporary writing until I picked up The Stranger in my Home.
This is a novel that I have been (im)patiently awaiting for some time. Although I love Adele's two previous historical fiction novels, it is good to have her back writing contemporary fiction - particularly when it is SO good.
Alison Mitchell is lucky, lucky to have the life she has, lucky to have Jeff, and lucky to have their daughter Katherine, a bright teenager destined for great things.
When a complete stranger in the form of the (very) handsome Tom Truby knocks on the door, and delivers some devastating news, the family's perfect world quickly begins to fall apart.
Everything they thought they knew about their daughter is thrown into turmoil.
As if that wasn't enough, Tom's visit delivers a second, equally as devastating blow, that makes the family question their future together as well as their past.
Alison has had to fight in the past to get what she wants, she is no stranger to the concept, she is just a little out of practice, but her motherly instinct tells her that she needs to protect Katherine, no matter what the consequences.
And so the fight begins...
I don't want to say much more, as I don't want to give anything away.
You MUST discover this absolute gem of a novel for yourself.
I'm pretty sure I say this after every Adele novel - but The Stranger in my Home, is definitely her best yet. It had me truly gripped from start to finish, and I know it is going to fly off the shelves.
March 12, 2018
A wonderful story, brilliantly told.
July 7, 2023
This was a reasonable read, with a fair plot. The attitudes of the characters were an interesting take.
November 5, 2016
I loved this novel.Adele Parks takes on a hugely difficult subject and handles it in a sensative and accessable way. There are twists and turns I never saw coming and kept me turning the pages. Highly recommend.
February 10, 2017
An engaging, well-written story, full of wonderful characters. The suspense had me turning the pages right to the end. This is the first book by Adele Parks I have read, and I'll certainly be looking for more!
February 2, 2018
This book was a real chore to read. Not one to leave a book unfinished I persevered through. It only really started getting interesting in the last couple of chapters when the "twist" was revealed - hence the 2 stars.
March 2, 2017
It's already a long, long time since I've read an Adele Parks' book, so I was over the moon when my review copy arrived - it has such a gorgeous cover, and I also loved the sound of the blurb, so intriguing and so promising. All the raving reviews have also made me desperate to read the book so sooner rather than later I found myself glued to the pages. It is for sure unusual book with a difference. Already the tag line "I thought she was my daughter. I was wrong" is so intriguing and after seeing it many scenarios kept scrolling in my head. It is a story about picking up pieces of broken hearts, about finding yourself afresh, dealing with what must be one of the worst possible things a mother can be told.
I think this is a book that you must discover and read for yourself and make up your own mind about it. It started very good, it was quickly paced and we didn't have to wait long for the main secret to be revealed. Then the story is built around this secret and this is when it goes a little downhill for me. There is a lot of talk but not much is happening, in fact. However, then it comes to the surprising end that I didn't see coming, really, it took me totally by surprise and I think this is what saved this book for. However, I can't seem to remember if the author explained what has happened with Mozart?
The author makes it easy with her writing for us to immediately fell for the characters, to feel as devastated as Alison, Jeff, Olivia and Katherine. Just imagine - you are a normal family and then someone comes and destroys it and what should you do or feel, as a parent but also as a child? Adele Parks deals with this particular topic in a good way, I think, she explores all the possibilities, gives her characters free rein. She shows how differently they deal with the issue: when Alice is full of despair, Jeff retreats into his own fictional world, Olivia doesn't want to accept any changes, she's hostile and it's only Katherine who's flexible enough and open to changes - but are the changes really so good? Wouldn't it be better to stay in the comfort zones, just like Olivia did? Or is there any particular reason why she's behaving this way?
The characters are very realistically portrayed, with all their flaws and problems and the way they coped with the situation seemed also realistic - however, I haven't expected that they come to terms with the situation so quickly, but on the other hand I think they didn't have a choice, right? So their responses, the way they react are plausible and Adele Parks has proved that she's a really talented author - because I think it wasn't an easy task to get into the characters' heads and to write them and their act this realistic way. Alison was a rather controversial character, I think. I don't know guys, but if I were in the same situation I am not sure if I'd pushed so much towards keeping in touch with Tom Truby. She was very quick to judge other people and the way they brought their children up, yet her own methods were not the best in my opinion. It wondered me also a bit that she so quickly gave up on Olivia, and not because she felt loyal towards Katherine but just because the girl was not as she imagined her to be.
The book was gripping, even with the moments that dragged too much for my liking. I also had a feeling that the author hasn't managed with the difficult topic so well. There was this great, promising idea but then the development was not as I had expected it. I mean, I didn't know how the story should go, how it should end, what would be better, what would be worst, but I hoped for the better delivery and development. However, I mostly focused on the relationships and the way the author captured them all. This book is a great psychological portrait of all the characters and their way to cope with the situation, showing how they cope (or don't!) with the revelation - and it also makes you wondering over and over again what you would do. I can't imagine I could live normally after receiving such news. I also am not sure if I would like to know the truth or rather happily carry on without such knowledge.
The questions in this novel just keep rolling, and the author takes her time to answer them. The tension and the feeling of uncertainty, the questions of what to do are palpable. As it turns out, the story is full of half - truths and lies but Adele Parks' skilful writing doesn't give a hint till the end of what's going to happen. So really, it is not the easiest book to read and rate. It could be much shorter, or it could be written differently, or it could focus on different things, and because of this it was a 3 stars for me for a long time. However, then came the twist - and yes, it was probably the only twist in this long story that was so shocking and unpredictable, that came out of the blue and hit me across my face and made many things in the book clear, and the rating immediately jumped to 4 stars. So whatever you think, keep reading! It will be worth in the end. Recommended!
Copy provided by the publisher in return for an honest review.
February 10, 2017
Disappointing
The lead character is extremely irritating from the off. Its only when you get a third of the way through the novel you realise why! Having really enjoyed this authors other books I was disappointed with this. Far fetched plots and intelligent characters doing unlikely things! I only stayed with it till the end because I thought something momentous was going to happen...it didn't, very predictable ending.
The lead character is extremely irritating from the off. Its only when you get a third of the way through the novel you realise why! Having really enjoyed this authors other books I was disappointed with this. Far fetched plots and intelligent characters doing unlikely things! I only stayed with it till the end because I thought something momentous was going to happen...it didn't, very predictable ending.
October 5, 2016
Brilliant! Couldn't put it down, didn't guess the plot & had to read into the early hours of the morning just to see what happened!
June 26, 2021
I don't normally write reviews with spoilers, but I'll make an exception for this. I want to explore every element of this fantastic tome.
I have always been an Adele Parks fan. She's influenced my own writing, my character, themes. So when I bought her latest offering, I expected her usual brand of sharp, but light hearted women's fiction. It was immediately obvious that this was something very different.
As a mother, I found the concept of changelings very difficult to immerse myself in. Just the thought of it was so desperately sad and I think AP did a fantastic job of bearing this out; so much so that at times I found it hard to go on.
I didn't immediately like Alison. I found her cold and I was urging her to be kinder to her biological daughter. But I did understand her reticence, her need to be loyal to the daughter she had brought up.
But, of course, this is a tale of two halves. And what a flip this book performs. I love coming to books without a preconception of what they are and this is the reason why. I didn't see it coming! At all. When Tom transforms, when Annabelle turns up and the horror of it unfolds, it is utterly mesmerising.
The theme of animals looking after their young runs through the book subtly, but comes into its own at the climax. I was there with every punch and kick Alison delivered in defending her daughter.
I bow down to the genius of this story. I loved it. The characters were complex and interesting, the plot entrancing from start to finish.
As a side note, I listened to this story via Audible and the performance was fantastic. The narrator was just the right choice.
I have always been an Adele Parks fan. She's influenced my own writing, my character, themes. So when I bought her latest offering, I expected her usual brand of sharp, but light hearted women's fiction. It was immediately obvious that this was something very different.
As a mother, I found the concept of changelings very difficult to immerse myself in. Just the thought of it was so desperately sad and I think AP did a fantastic job of bearing this out; so much so that at times I found it hard to go on.
I didn't immediately like Alison. I found her cold and I was urging her to be kinder to her biological daughter. But I did understand her reticence, her need to be loyal to the daughter she had brought up.
But, of course, this is a tale of two halves. And what a flip this book performs. I love coming to books without a preconception of what they are and this is the reason why. I didn't see it coming! At all. When Tom transforms, when Annabelle turns up and the horror of it unfolds, it is utterly mesmerising.
The theme of animals looking after their young runs through the book subtly, but comes into its own at the climax. I was there with every punch and kick Alison delivered in defending her daughter.
I bow down to the genius of this story. I loved it. The characters were complex and interesting, the plot entrancing from start to finish.
As a side note, I listened to this story via Audible and the performance was fantastic. The narrator was just the right choice.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 10, 2019
The story revolves around a doting mother whom previously gave her son away when she was sixteen. Fast forward a decade later, she got together with an author and had a daughter only to discover that her baby was swapped with someone else's. Parks managed to successfully depict how much the protagonist loves her daughter but the whole build up of the characters were unnecessary long. It wasn’t so much of a thriller up until you reach towards the end of the book. The backstory of how she lost her child was also unnecessary and did not contribute anything to the story. Overall, a disappointing read for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 17, 2016
I didn't have any idea what to expect with this roller coaster of a book. Covering a very sensitive issue of babies swapped at birth, albeit accidentally. How on earth do you cope with the information that your 15 year old daughter is not yours biologically and that your biological daughter has been brought up by someone else for the last 15 years?
I had no idea of where this book would take me but having read Adele Parks previously I knew it would certainly be well written.
A total page turner with some unexpected twists and turns along the way.
I had no idea of where this book would take me but having read Adele Parks previously I knew it would certainly be well written.
A total page turner with some unexpected twists and turns along the way.
December 31, 2018
This book was so well put together with a twist I could feel coming but didn't guess at at all. I've not read an Adele Parks book I've been disappointed in yet and this book was fabulous! The characters are well described and relateable as well as likeable. The story gelled together nicely and I couldn't put it down. I spent hours past my bedtime to finish this book and find out the ending and I wasn't disappointed.
November 21, 2016
I thought that this book was never going to end, I found it tedious. I didn't enjoy the way it was written, largely in the mind of the mother, it just seemed to go on and on with not much happening a lot of the time.
December 30, 2016
Could not stand the main character, Alison.
November 24, 2019
This book was quite a slow read, sluggish in its pace. By halfway through the book, it did get better but it still didn’t have the suspense but I thought it would in the plot.
I think for me I needed to have the characters more fleshed out, I felt like there was a Unemotional feel to them
I think for me I needed to have the characters more fleshed out, I felt like there was a Unemotional feel to them
June 24, 2025
This is overall a good read. It was a little slow in the middle and I was able to guess a major twist fairly early on. However, the beginning and end are pretty fast paced and you will be itching to find out how it all plays out.
February 24, 2020
Boring book
I regret the time that i have lost reading this book !!!
I regret the time that i have lost reading this book !!!
July 14, 2017
The title and synopsis of this book is definitely misleading in many ways. Or maybe it's just me.
Allison (Main) and her husband, Jeff loves their only child, Katherine very very much. Everything was perfect. Then one fine day, a guy named Tom appeared on their doorsteps claiming that there has been a mixed-up fifteen years ago at the hospital. Basically, his daughter (Olivia) is Allison's and Katherine is Tom's. Not just that, but Tom's wife Annabel has recently passed away due to a ovarian cancer, a mutated gene that can be passed down through the generations. This caused major concern to Allison and Jeff. Hence, while they love Katherine very much, they couldn't well run away and pretend the swap didn't happen.
In some parts of the book, it goes back to Allison's younger days which shows that she is neglected by her mother and gotten pregnant and given her child to another family.
As the two families began to "merge", Allison began confiding in Tom most of her worries etc. Then suddenly, Katherine disappeared. All of a sudden.
And that's where things get interesting. The beginning is more of the anxiety of the parents, the confusion etc. but only 3/4 of the book does things actually start happening. And I gotta admit I did not see it coming and it was pretty good.
Allison (Main) and her husband, Jeff loves their only child, Katherine very very much. Everything was perfect. Then one fine day, a guy named Tom appeared on their doorsteps claiming that there has been a mixed-up fifteen years ago at the hospital. Basically, his daughter (Olivia) is Allison's and Katherine is Tom's. Not just that, but Tom's wife Annabel has recently passed away due to a ovarian cancer, a mutated gene that can be passed down through the generations. This caused major concern to Allison and Jeff. Hence, while they love Katherine very much, they couldn't well run away and pretend the swap didn't happen.
In some parts of the book, it goes back to Allison's younger days which shows that she is neglected by her mother and gotten pregnant and given her child to another family.
As the two families began to "merge", Allison began confiding in Tom most of her worries etc. Then suddenly, Katherine disappeared. All of a sudden.
And that's where things get interesting. The beginning is more of the anxiety of the parents, the confusion etc. but only 3/4 of the book does things actually start happening. And I gotta admit I did not see it coming and it was pretty good.
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