The Swap

by Fiona Mitchell

***The second novel from Fiona Mitchell, author of the stunning The Maid's Room***

Two women. Two children. But whose is whose?

When two strangers, Tess and Annie, undergo IVF at an American clinic, their embryos are mixed up and each woman gives birth to the wrong child.

The women only discover the devastating error three years later. Tess wants to swap the children back; Annie doesn't. As the pair wrangle, neither of them expect what unfolds.

*******

PRAISE FOR THE MAID'S ROOM

'A modern-day The Help' - Emerald Street

'Passionate . . . powerful' - Daily Mail

'Exquisite writing . . . a shocking and powerful story line that had me gripped and moved until the uplifting conclusion . . . A fascinating read about survival and the strength and resilience of the human heart' - Katie Marsh, author of A Life Without You and This Beautiful Life

Genres: Contemporary, Psychological Thriller, Fiction, Thriller

304 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 18, 2019

About the author

Fiona Mitchell is an award-winning writer and has worked as a journalist for many years. She is the author of two novels, both published by Hodder & Stoughton - the newly published The Swap as well as her debut The Maid's Room which she wrote after living in Singapore for three years. She now lives in London with her husband and daughter.

Reviews

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything about this book from the cover to the description screamed at me to be read and I could not wait to start it.

Set in Surrey, England and America. Two women undergo IVF,where their embryos are mixed up, causing them to give birth to babies that are not genetically connected to them.

In Surrey, Tess and Matteo have 3 sons, their youngest Freddie does not look like their other sons and is a bit of a handful. She has never bonded with him and was desperately hoping for a daughter. When Tess has a car accident they discover from blood tests that Freddie is not their son.

In America, Annie and Carl had IVF to have their daughter Willow. When they receive the news that Willow is not their natural child Annie does not want any contact with the other family involved in the swap and will not consider that Willow is not theirs.

Loved how this very delicate and heartbreaking subject was beautifully written. The contrast between the 2 families couldn’t have been any more different, their lifestyles and how they react to the news of the swap.

Having been through IVF, although sadly for us not successfully, I can only imagine going through that emotional process to later find out you have the wrong child. After bonding with them for 3 years could you imagine giving them up so you can have you’re real child who is a stranger to you?

A thought provoking story that gripped me from the start. A must read book that will stay in you’re thoughts long after reading it.

Thank you to Netgalley for a copy in exchange for a review.

[ReadAlongWithSue recovering from a stroke★⋆. ࿐࿔ · Rating 4 out of 5]

How I anticipated this book since her debut novel The Maids Room. When it arrived in the post I loved the cover and just wanted to jump in. I was aware that putting my review up before release is not so well planned, preorder is good, but what if you want it now!

I can’t imagine what it would be like to take a wrong child home.
But this is a whole new ball game.

Going through IVF and the most horrendous mix up that is unimaginable however, it has happened in real life.

Going through this story I stopped to think several times. As a Mom how would I feel.? You know what? I really don’t know!

You give birth to the wrong baby that’s not genetically yours and raise for three years? Then you find out that your genetical baby was implanted inside another woman who had also given birth and raised your child?
OMG nightmare.
Emotions
Fears
Anxiety
Anger
Frustration
And how could this be possible?

It’s a very powerfully written story.

It’s so well written. So clear. So compulsive.
I was well invested in this storyline that at times I thought it real. But hang on, there have been cases such as this but how is this fiction going to end?

I just had one irritant.
It sometimes read like a play in places with all the descriptive narration. It was like someone’s actions were written down to perform before speaking.

Let me quote

“The spanner slips out of Carl’s hands and clanks onto the floor.
(Then he speaks)
He picks up the spanner, lays it on the table and looks at his own empty hands.(then he speaks)”

Quote

Gill unravels a mint and pops it into her expectant mouth “would you like one .” She crinkles the packet.

Unquote


I won’t do more, but for my personal taste I felt there were far more words of description than necessary and it read more like a play for “action” before speaking they’re part.

It’s just a minor personal irritant, it didn’t spoil my enjoyment though and I still credit it 4* it’s a book I enjoyed.

[ABCme · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the ARC

This is a quick, fast paced read.
Two petri dishes are swapped at the IVF clinic, resulting in two woman giving birth to each other's child. This only comes to light when one of the children needs a blood transfusion. Although the subject is heartwrenching, the tone of the book is quite airy. We mainly follow the mothers, who couldn't have been more different from each other. One a posh career woman, the other a sloppy wannabee artist.
At first they only seem to care about what should rightfully be theirs, but through the course of the story they come to realise how blessed they are.
However gripping the subject of this book is, it never got too deep and never brought tears to my eyes. It's just a well told story, not leaving a massive impression.

[Miriam Smith (A Mother’s Musings) · Rating 2 out of 5]

"The Swap" is Fiona Mitchell's second novel after her success with "The Maid's Room" and my first read by this author.
"Two women. Two children. But whose is whose? When two strangers, Tess and Annie, undergo IVF at an American clinic, their embryos are mixed up and each woman gives birth to the wrong child. The women only discover the devastating error three years later. Tess wants to swap the children back; Annie doesn't. As the pair wrangle, neither of them expect what unfolds"
The premise to this story really intrigued me, being a mother myself, although not an IVF user, I was interested in reading the emotions of women who have used this method to conceive. Potentially poignant and thought provoking, this story had all the hallmarks of a powerful and emotional read. However, it just didn't quite reach those levels for me and left me rather disappointed. I did relate to the frustrations of being a parent to an unruly and demanding child and think every parent has been in those shoes. The delight in finding that your IVF has been a success only to discover three years on, you were given the wrong embryo must be gut wrenching and heart breaking, after truly believing the child you were bringing up was yours genetically. I did feel these emotions the writer was trying to convey, though the characters Annie and Tess weren't easy to engage with and generally the characters as a whole, were rather flat and difficult to relate to. There were also too many exact and precise attention to details that were totally unnecessary for my enjoyment, which tended to spoil the flow of the story.
This book does leave it open for many book club discussions from child behaviour, to discipline, gender selection IVF and moral issues surrounding the main premise of switched embryos and will certainly make for potential interesting debates.
These are only my personal thoughts and opinions and not necessarily what the next reader may find.

Sadly 2 stars.

[Claire Douglas · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderfully written, thought provoking novel about two women who each discover that the embryos implanted during IVF aren't their own.
I raced through this novel, desperate to know how it would end, all the while thinking what I would do if I'd been in this situation.
Tess and Annie are two very different women who each react in their own way when they find out about the mix up. Annie loves her daughter Willow who's beautiful, dark haired, olive skinned and looks nothing like her. Tess, on the other hand, has always struggled to bond with Freddie and has been desperate for a daughter after losing her own many years before.
The story, at times, is truly heartbreaking and I particularly felt for little Freddie. I don't want to say anything else as I don't want to spoil it but I highly recommend this original, beautifully written and gripping read.

[Liz Barnsley · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Swap is an emotionally charged and insightful story following two women and their families as they deal with a difficult moral and heart breaking problem.
Tess struggles with her young son, her desperation for a daughter colouring her viewpoint. When she discovers he is not her biological child, she and her opposite number Annie have very different idea’s on motherhood and the rights and wrongs of it all.
This is a cleverly woven tale that takes on many themes of parenthood, motherhood and nurture. Fiona Mitchell creates setting and character that allows you to feel sympathy for both these women and their wider family unit and is hugely thought provoking- I mean what would you do?
It’s an intricate and fascinating read, with a strong emotional core, encompassing all the shades of grey such a situation might throw up and really putting you at the heart of it all. The Swap may not go in the direction you expect, I found it to be a highly engaging read that made me really think about what I may feel and do in the same circumstances . I’m not sure there’s an answer to that.
Recommended.

[Ceecee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Two women have the wrong embryos implanted during IVF. That’s it really. Very predictable and unexciting. In fact, I nodded off once. Ok. Possibly twice.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this book was really good. It’s such a tough subject to write about but I think it was written extremely well. It’s an impossible situation to be in and it makes you think what would you do that in that situation. I think they did the right thing in the end. I think if that happened to me I’d definitely keep the child I raised but would absolutely want contact with my biological child but it’s hard to say if you haven’t been in that situation before. I really liked this book and it had me hooked throughout. I didn’t really like Tess that much but really liked Annie. I liked how it was told in both women’s perspectives so we got two sides of the story. I would definitely recommend this book and can’t wait to read more from this author.

[Rachel (not currently receiving notifications) Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absorbing, sensitively observed & emotive family drama of an IVF mix-up. Brilliantly thought provoking.

Five thousand miles and economic and social differences separate mothers, Tess Rossi and Annie Amstel, but their lives are irrevocably thrown together when it comes to light that their embryos were swapped when they attended the same treatment centre for IVF and human error intervened. As a consequence Tess gave birth to Freddie and Annie, daughter Willow, both now three-years-old with neither mother biologically related to the actual child they birthed. Well heeled social media marketeer, Tess, and her hotelier husband, Matteo, already parents to two boys opted for gender selective IVF in the hope of having the daughter that Tess craved at the age of forty-one. Meanwhile in Florida, struggling artist, Annie and husband Carl, living a hand to mouth existence simply wanted the chance of starting a family in the knowledge that IVF was the only way in which they could do so.

An impactful opening captures attention and Fiona Mitchell opts to dive straight into the drama with a frazzled Tess, run ragged by the boisterous and the challenging behaviour of Freddie involved in a car crash, the upshot of which is the discovery that it would have been genetically impossible for Tess and Matteo to be the biological parents of their son. Seemingly confirming Tess’ fears and making sense of her inability to bond with Freddie, the knowledge that she has a biological daughter on the other side of the world sends her headlong into a quest to be united with the child that she yearns for. Annie and Carl, however, have no intention of simply swapping the children or accepting that their claim on Willow has lessened or no longer belongs to them. The Swap explores the paths of both families as the dilemma and impasse plays out with some very surprising results.

Mitchell’s characters are superbly crafted and at different times I found myself concurring with each of the two mothers involved and readily empathising with their individual plight and it is this aspect which makes apparent the real impossibility of the situation. Although it is the responses and emotions of the two mothers, Tess and Annie, that the story primarily reflects, the contrast with their husbands attitudes and own marital dynamics add another dimension to the story. Both women’s back stories are drip fed throughout the unfolding journey and add plentifully to readers understanding of their behaviours and emotions, ensuring the the novel maintains credibility and is sensitively observed.

Whilst other readers have picked up the attention to detail, it is the controlled narrative in the face of a catastrophe which allows the reader to reflect on the ongoing strain of managing such a situation in the knowledge that the mix up cannot be rectified and there are no neat endings for anyone involved. Likewise it was this close quarters and nuanced look at two ongoing families domestic situations and continuing lives, from economic circumstances to ideas on nutrition, that gives depth to the novel and challenges the reader to see both perspectives. From initial hair-trigger reactions to eventual considered responses, both families realise that although it will undoubtedly be painful they need to move forward and involvement in each other’s lives will be a necessity,

An intense and insightful read with a well handled denouement. As neither a mother nor a woman who has ever wanted children I was surprisingly engrossed throughout. The details on the process of IVF are minimal and for readers in search of a realistic family drama, The Swap, comes highly recommended. It is certainly a book to consider if you enjoyed Clare Mackintosh’s powerful novel, After The End, which focuses on a different but equally heartbreaking and divisive moral dilemma.

[Louise Beech · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so excited to get an early copy of The Swap after devouring The Maid's Room last year - and my excitement was richly rewarded. The hook on the cover - Two Women. Two Children. But Whose is Whose? - would grab anyone, but it's the gorgeous writing, the stunning attention to detail, and the searingly difficult themes explored that kept me. I read this in just two days. The impossible dilemma is so sensitively addressed, and yet Mitchell has still created an addictive, page-turner. An unforgettable book.

[Jannelies (living between hope and fear) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although the story sounds very promising, I was rather disappointed. A large part of the book is devoted to describe, in minute detail, what two three year olds are doing. Willow, the daughter Tess feels she should have had, is a nice enough girl with even some manners, but Freddie is a typical badly behaving little boy. They scream and shout and demand, demand, demand.
I could relate to the behavior of those kids because our neighbors happen to have a bunch of Freddies... which is absolutely horrible.
Anyway, reading about every movement the children make is very boring. Annie, Willow's mother, is a rather poor and insecure woman. Tess, Freddie's mother, is a rather rich and insecure woman. Nothing, absolutely nothing in this story is positive. All characters suffer from scratches, pain, cold sores (yech, imagine someone with an upper lip full of those things...) which are described in detail, they poo in public (Freddie) or cry and scream (almost all of them).
Everything surrounding the families is dirty, decrepit and disappointing. When the sun shines, it is too hot. When it rains, it is not a gentle rain but a pouring rain.
For me, there is no clear ending to the story too. I finished the book because I was curious to read how the author would solve this (I must admit) very interesting problem but I learned nothing new.

Thanks to Netgally for this digital copy.

[S.E. Lynes · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant premise: two embryos planted into the wrong women, a mistake discovered by chance when those embryos are not embryos anymore but living, breathing children. The set up has you turning the pages to find out how, how the hell, these characters will navigate their way through something so impossible on every level, a classic no-win situation in which there can only be heartbreak, if not total devastation. Premises like this are the stuff of great drama and, as an author, I was initially struck by 'of course, why didn't I think of that?' Once you have a great premise, however, it becomes about how you develop it and follow it through. By established wildly contrasting characters who live thousands of miles away in vastly different cultural and economic realities, the author is able to pick apart the messy and emotional business of nature versus nurture, what it means to be a parent, what constitutes a bond of love, and to contrast ways of being, the validity of any given upbringing. I won't say anymore because I hate spoilers, other than I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a good story, well told.

[Clare · Rating 4 out of 5]

With thanks to Netgalley and Border and Staughton for this ARC in exchange for an open and honest review.

The Swap was about two families separated by the Atlantic. British parents Tess and Matteo Rossi went to an American clinic to have IVF, the couple had two boys but they wanted a little girl. On the day Tess was due to have her eggs implanted they were accidentally swapped with American couple Annie and Carl. Tess went on to give birth to Freddie and Annie had Willow.

Three years later Freddie was difficult and showed signs of challenging behaviour. One day Tess was driving with Freddie in the back, he had a tantrum which caused Tess to crash her car. At the hospital Freddie was given a blood transfusion that showed neither Tess or Matteo could be his genetic parents. Tess had always known deep down that Freddie wasn't theirs. After a DNA test proved that Freddie was not genetically theirs, Tess decided to sue the clinic.

In Florida Annie and Carl struggled for money, they both felt grateful that Willow was not like them. When Annie received a letter asking from the IVF clinic asking to do a blood test on Willow she was worried that Willow was ill. When Annie and Carl discovered the truth they refused to contact the Rossi`s and were not interested in meeting Freddie.

The Swap was a thought provoking read, perfect for a bookclub. The plot was fascinating, I was engrossed in the story and found It hard to put down.

I didn't like Tess because I thought she was trying to `replace' Freddie with the perfect daughter. However the story about Ava, Tess and Mateo`s first born was absolutely heart breaking. I was mad at Mateo when the story of Tess`s burnt hand was revealed.

I liked Annie who was an artist for a publishing company but wanted to become an artist. I wanted to shake her for feeling inferior to the sophisticated Tess.

I was wondering how this book could possibly end, but the conclusion was satisfying. I recommend this powerful book.

[Pat Simpson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a story about two different women, both mothers and struggling in different ways, bringing up their children. A few years earlier Tess had a baby girl born stillborn. She went on to have two sons but decides that she would like a daughter. So her and her husband Matteo, go to the USA to have elective IVF. Annie, who lives in the USA with her husband Carl, is struggling to get pregnant goes to the same clinic as Tess as her mother in law pays for her to have IVF treatment. What happens at the clinic is so heartbreaking and mind blowing as somehow the two womens embryos get muddled up. Tess has a baby boy called Freddie who seems to cause her problems. Whilst Annie has a daughter Willow and she is struggling to make ends meet. Three years later when Tess and Freddie are involved in a car accident, Freddie has to have a blood transfusion and they learn that there blood groups don’t match so they cannot be Freddie’s biological parents. So Tess and Matteo decide to sue the clinic and try to solve the mystery of Tess’s missing embryos. Anne and Carl meanwhile receive a letter from the clinic asking them to have blood tests. The torment then begins for the two families. What do they do? After loving and raising a child for three years what a shock to discover you are not the biological parents. This is a fascinating and very thought provoking book, I felt the emotions, bewilderment, despair and heartache of both the families and of Freddie and Willow. A highly recommended read.
Thanks to NetGalley and Hodder and Stoughton for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

[Jood · Rating 1 out of 5]

Two women sharing the same surname of Perry, attend a clinic in The USA for IVF treatment. Tess, the English woman is desperate for a girl, Annie an American just wants a baby. The title of the book suggests that things don't go to plan, and indeed they don't.

With Tess's son Freddie approaching his third birthday she is convinced Something is Wrong. He is a Difficult Child prone to temper tantrums and biting other children. He also looks nothing like her or Italian husband Matteo. They have two older boys and have suffered the loss of a daughter several years before, which is the reason Tess wanted a girl. She's overwrought, overworked, stressed out and hormonal, possibly menopausal, and dislikes Freddie, eventually becoming convinced he is not the child they should have had.

Meanwhile Annie, living in Florida with her husband Carl and Willow, the beautiful-daughter-who-looks-nothing-like-them (what a surprise!). Carl and Annie are laid back, sloppy, untidy who absolutely adore Willow and cannot believe their luck.

So here we have four stereotypes – Tess and Matteo living in Surrey with their branded goods – the iMac and the Balzac armchair, each successful business people. On the opposite side Annie and Carl who live in sloppy, comfortable chaos without a brand name to their names. Four people I can no longer read about because between them there is not one likeable feature or quality.

The writing is often clumsy and odd:

When Tess suggests counselling for Freddie, this is Matteo's reply:
“Come on, Tess, you don't eat meat, but you aren't imposing that on the kids. The same should go for counselling”. Can someone please tell me the relevance of that first sentence?

Another inexplicable sentence from Matteo:
“ Go and get some arnica gel” Matteo says to Luca, pointing towards the balloons netted on the ceiling.

Does that make sense? Is the arnica gel in with the balloons? If so, why? If not why point to them?

The author likes detail – a lot of it. We're given unnecessary explanations for just about everything from why the baby monitor is switched on, to how Tess fills a kettle, to Matteo's pouring a glass of whisky. A death is described as “a little death”. What? Tess's line of thinking is often totally off the wall: thinking about how she takes food out of the freezer only to throw it away days later is compared to what happens to unused embryos.

How many offices do you know that have chandeliers? Tess's does. Of course it does, it's to go with the iMac and Balzac chair.

Foreheads don't just frown, they fold, or they crimp, while Tess's blood pumps, wildly and out of control on so many occasions it's a wonder the woman can function. The author's use of the word “vagina” suggests she has just discovered it and is showing how clever and unabashed she is as it's thrown around frequently. Does anyone know what “a rhombus of pain” is? I'm still puzzling over that one. But the following is probably one of the best. Tess is recalling the day she was in the clinic for the transfer of the embryos:

“....only patches of detail about the day of her transfer – the hair tassels frothing from the doctor's nostrils....”

That really did it for me. I limped on to page 72 knowing it wasn't going to get any better, so have now consigned this to my rubbish-never-to-be-picked-up-again pile, and wishing I had a log burner....

My thanks to Amazon for a complimentary copy

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Swap revolves around two very different families.
Tess and her family live in England, her youngest son Frankie was conceived by IVF, and whilst Tess does love Frankie, she finds it very difficult to like him. She was desperate for a daughter to complete her family, and Frankie is not like her other sons. He looks different, his behaviour is challenging; she finds it so difficult to bond with him.


Annie and her family are based in the US. A small, but perfectly happy family of three. Her daughter Willow is also an IVF baby; conceived in the same clinic as Frankie. Willow is everything that Annie dreamt of; the perfect beautiful daughter that she longed for.


Tess and Frankie are involved in a car accident, and whilst neither of them are badly injured, this accident will transform their lives forever. Blood tests reveal that it is impossible for Frankie to be their son. Whilst this news is devastating; it also means that Tess can look for her real child.
When Annie receives a letter from the clinic to inform her that there was a dreadful mistake made, and that Willow is not her daughter, she goes into denial. There is no way that Annie is letting Willow go, as far as she is concerned, she is every bit her daughter.


What follows is a complex story that follows the almost impossible dilemma faced by these two women, and their partners. The author writes so sensitively, taking into account the differences in circumstances of the families and their totally opposite opinions.


The searing anguish experienced by the characters in The Swap is so very well portrayed, and I found myself questioning the characters, and myself at many times throughout the story.


This is powerful stuff, excellently written, with characters who are lifelike and credible. I enjoyed this so much and look forward to more from this author in the future.

[Noemi Proietti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two families on the opposite sides of the Atlantic Ocean. What do they have in common? They went at the same fertility clinic at the same time. In England, Tess and Matteo have a baby boy, while in USA Carl and Annie have a girl. Following a car accident, Tess and Matteo find out that their son Frankie is not biologically theirs. Someone at the fertility clinic made a mistake and switched the embryos and now their real daughter is out there with Frankie’s real parents.

The Swap is a compelling and thought-provoking read. Two families have to face an impossible situation: choosing between the child who is biologically theirs and the child that they have raised and loved for three years. A nightmare that the author narrates in heart-breaking and emotional details. Told from the perspective of the mothers, Annie and Tess, we follow these two women struggling with the truth. Tess and Annie’s stories and circumstances are different and they react in their own way to the truth. I found myself questioning them, sympathising with them, feeling for them, while hoping for the best solution for both families.

Beautifully-written, moving, and intense, The Swap addresses sensitive themes like IVF treatments, parenthood, and what makes a family, love or genetics? I was completely captured by The Swap and I highly recommend it!!!

[Lainy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 304

Publisher - Hodder & Stoughton

Source - ARC

Blurb from Goodreads

The second novel from Fiona Mitchell, author of the stunning The Maid's Room***

Two women. Two children. But whose is whose?

When two strangers, Tess and Annie, undergo IVF at an American clinic, their embryos are mixed up and each woman gives birth to the wrong child.

The women only discover the devastating error three years later. Tess wants to swap the children back; Annie doesn't. As the pair wrangle, neither of them expect what unfolds.



My Review

Tess and Annie have their embryos implanted after IVF in a clinic in America, Annie lives in America, Tess in England. Three years later and Tess hasn't bonded with her child, she dislikes him and can't help but stress over his behaviour, issues, trouble. Annie couldn't be more blessed, Willow is everything she wanted in a child and more, her only baby. When it comes to light Freddie can't be Tess's son she digs deeper and becomes obsessed, what is her real baby is out there and nothing will stop her trying to find out.

Ooft guys I don't have any kids (I have furbabies) and I felt the emotional punch from this one. A lot of Tess's decisions, behaviour and choices really makes you question her as a human being. But it is so easy to judge someone when you don't walk in their shoes, live their lives and as the book progresses we get a bit more insight into why she is the way she is. Annie on the other hand is so different but would she be the same if she brought up the other child? How much is reactive behaviour, how much is learned? For a wee bit I felt echos of "We Need To Talk About Kevin" with some of Freddie's scenes but then is that to provoke you into thinking a certain way?

If it a book that pulls you a bit through the emotive ringer, you try not to judge but scene after scene you find yourself doing just that. Then re evaluating, what would you do? I also wondered if you found yourself in that situation *touch wood* what would you do?

The two families are so different in many ways, financial status and the struggles that come with each class, children, Freddie has siblings, Willow is an only child and the women could not be more different. There are so many parts to this book that will get the reader thinking/chatting/debating. This is the second book I have read by this author, I very much look forward to her next, 4/5 for me this time!

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am hopeless at reviews so all I will say is this book was amazing my first by this author. So if u have not read it it's a must

[Sheri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two women undergo IVF at an American clinic... Due to human error, the embryos of the two couples are mixed up and transferred into the wrong women’s wombs. As a result, two babies are born into families to whom, unknown to anyone, they have no genetic connection. A boy, Freddie - their third son - is born to Tess and Matteo in Surrey; a girl, Willow, to Annie and Carl in Florida.

It’s not until the children are three years old that the truth comes to light, dropping a bomb into both families. The effects are, not surprisingly, far reaching - and skilfully dissected by Fiona Mitchell.

Although Tess has undoubtedly suffered, I found her such an unsympathetic character that it was very hard to empathise with her. She has clearly never bonded with Freddie and seems to regard him, even before learning about the swap, as something of an interloper who has
never fitted in, taking the place of the girl she really wanted. Perhaps as a result, Freddie’s behaviour often makes him hard work, generating a vicious cycle whereby Tess finds the poor little boy even harder to love. I was honestly worried about poor Freddie’s well-being, both emotional and physical. And I was flabbergasted to finally learn the truth about what happened, or rather why it happened, to Tess and Matteo’s first daughter. I don’t even know what to say or feel about it.

Annie and Carl meanwhile, while poorer, scruffier and much less apparently successful, are far more likeable, though Annie has her own issues to contend with. The relationship between Annie and the elderly Tom was very touching.

The idea of “the swap” is an alarming and intriguing one - and having experienced IVF myself I can certainly relate to some of the feelings involved. It’s made pretty clear though that there are enough safeguards in place that such a mix-up should never be able to happen, except under extraordinary circumstances (here, a doctor flagrantly disregarding regulations and two women with identical surnames. Although, I’d hope that if you knew there were two patients with the same surname in at the same time, you’d take extra care not to mix them up.)

The Swap is an intriguing and well observed read about an almost unbearably difficult situation.

[Liz Taylor · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book initially had promise, a human interest story, but I was distracted but the over the top descriptions of people/places/smells and found myself skipping past them. I feel that there is a feeling of unfair judgement of the women characters, in particular the ‘larger” mother, who was described as slovenly, fat and scruffy in comparison with the thin well off mother, in an almost unkind, laughable way. I found myself wanting to defend the character as no matter who/what kind of person she was, her emotions were just as important as the other mothers. I found the older mothers attitude to her ‘son’ disturbing and the whole swimming pool incident unrealistic. The story ending didn’t tie up the many parts of the story well, disappointing read

[Karyn · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm approximately 3/4 of the way through this book and I can't wait to finish it. In all honesty, it's one of the worst books I've ever read! Some of the things a 3 year old was saying & acting in this book are so farfetched and not believable.
Way too much pointless, information on detail. Unfortunately I will not purchase another book from this author. Very disappointing

[Marie O'Halloran · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fairly average read. A bit more complex than the usual baby-swap story, but a few niggles - for instance:
why would a 3-year-old American child, whose parents can barely pay the rent, already have a passport?
why would kilometres be mentioned as mileage in a rental car in U.S.A.?

[EG · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. An unflinchingly honest take on a great concept for a book, but slightly strangely written with a lot of extraneous detail and (it seemed to me) imbued with a kind of distaste for bigger than average bodies.

[Tea Leaves and Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a quick and fast-paced read for me. I wanted to find out what happens, at the same time I was constantly challenged with the thought of ‘what would I do…?’

Early on in the book we find out that Tess and Annie have had IVF three years previously and have given birth to a son and a daughter. An accident at the start of the book in Surrey, England, highlights immediately to Tess that her son is not her own – confirmed by a DNA test. Meanwhile, we also meet Annie who is in Florida, blissfully unaware that the beautiful daughter she and her husband is raising is not her own. The book picks up pace as the clinic confirms their worst nightmare and we follow the two families in their respective homes as they collide with their conscience and morals.

The characters were strong, built up well but the descriptions of Tess and Annie were very different. Tess was painted as an elegant woman, Annie an overweight bumbling person. Sometimes the words used to describe Annie’s actions were a bit random – she ‘bounded’ up the stairs. In another chapter she struggles to keep up. It was a bit bizarre.

The storyline was good and that’s what attracted me to this book in the first place – but I felt that it could have been polished a little better in the end. Nevertheless, I wanted and needed to finish this book and see what conclusion was made and wasn’t disappointed that I did.

This book will be published in Hardback in September 2019 but is available on Kindle at the moment for the cost of £9.99.

[Nat PlainJanetheBookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love storyline’s like this! You just can’t even imagine the horror of one day finding out that your child isn’t actually you child 😱 Would you feel differently? Would you want to know your biological child? I really wasn’t a fan of Annie’s character, she rubbed me the wrong way with her judgmental views.I did enjoy Tess’s journey though and I enjoyed the interaction between characters which is something the author did quite well. I was disappointed with the ending, it kind just randomly ended so it’s left us readers sort of having to imagine h or w things have panned out for everyone… I just need an answer 😂 Great read overall.

[Hayley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story and the way it was written was perfect. The story is all about our main characters Tess and Annie. Both women are mothers trying to raise their children the only way they know how the only difference is while Annie's daughter is a well behaved angel Tess' son is a bit of a wild child. And to make matters worse Tess has always wanted a daughter and never a son so she sort of has a tainted look at everything to do with her poor little boy. When an accident with poor Freddie reveals that with his blood type it is impossible that Tess and her husband are the parents that starts her brain whirling. When a DNA test proves that they are not the parents of poor Freddie things start to fall apart. If Freddie is not Tess' son then where is her child? And is her child the daughter she always dreamed of? I found this book to be really well written and it leaves the reader in such a moral dilemma. What would you do in that case? Fight for the child that is your own blood out there? Or fight to keep the child that you thought was yours all these years? I've never read a story even remotely like this and it was such an interesting concept that it really makes you wonder as a reader what you would do in that situation, or wonder how many times something like this has happened to people around the world. I found Tess' character very sad. How could a mother be so cold towards her own son it just didn't make sense. I can't imagine raising a child for years only to find out he isn't mine and then be kind of happy about that because he's wild. It was very sad, however that is part of what made this story so interesting. Once I got into this story I couldn't put it down for any reason, it kept calling to me and I had to find out what was going to happen. Great book and I'm very glad I got the chance to check it out. If family thrillers are your book of choice than this is one that should go to the top of the list.

[Rebecca If Only I Could Read Faster · Rating 4 out of 5]

’m sure that a lot of people have wondered about mistakes made by fertility clinics, how often they happen and what the consequences of that. And while there are strict protocols in place to prevent any mistakes from happening, we all know that human error happens.

Mixing up the embryos of two patients with the same surname is pretty much as bad as it gets. Both resulted in a live birth, one family had a boy and the other a girl.

I have to admit that I am fascinated by whether a baby knows that they weren’t wanted, were the wrong sex (to what their parents wanted) or born into something else that isn’t quite right. I firmly believe that the baby often picks up on something that follows them through to childhood and beyond, leaving them with a sense of shame about themselves.

But would a mother know that the child they birthed wasn’t their child? And if so, would finding out that they were right, and the baby wasn’t theirs, provide relief?

It’s all very interesting and reading The Swap by Fiona Mitchell really got me thinking more about a lot of it. It’s a nightmare situation that no parent would ever wish to be in. I felt the author dealt with the subject matter beautifully, it wasn’t overly dramatic, it was realistic and felt entirely possible.

The characters were flawed and not always likeable, but they were believable and I enjoyed reading about them. The book took the characters on a real journey and I kept reading, desperate to know what was going to happen and whether there could be any resolution that would work for either family involved.

If you enjoy reading family dramas then this is a book for you. But, I think The Swap will appeal to many readers. Given the subject matter it won’t be easy reading for some but it will make you think.

[Mary Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

A heartbreaking topic, sensitively handled yet not without humour. Fiona Mitchell brings her characters to life by observing amusing idiosyncrasies, adding another layer to her storytelling. This is a pacy, page-turner of a novel that keeps you guessing till the end!

[Renita D'Silva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poignant