The Girl You Gave Away
Erin never stopped loving the daughter she gave up for adoption. But she was so young – she felt sure her child would have a better future without her.
She has worked hard to create a new life, and couldn’t be more grateful for her husband Tom and kids Ollie and Chloe. She has always been determined to protect them from the darkness in her past. But at her fortieth birthday party, surrounded by friends and family, everything changes with the arrival of a little red envelope.
The letter in the envelope is signed ‘the girl you gave away’. Jade is a vulnerable young woman who has grown up in care. She wants to meet her mother, get to know her siblings, and be part of Erin’s wonderful, happy family.
Erin wants to accept Jade but she makes her feel uneasy – even a little scared. Jade is unpredictable. She’s getting too close to Chloe. Friends say she’s paranoid but Erin knows something is wrong.
Is Jade really who she says she is?
What does she want?
And what if she doesn’t get her way?
Although this is an uncorrected ARC copy there were a few errors, two of which are below.
The book says Erin and Amy go to see where Jade's mother lived, but it was Jade and Amy going together.
When Jade thought Amy had planned things she wonders if it was because she thought Erin was a rich businesswoman but not as rich as Erin's adoptive parents, but it was Jade's adoptive parents who were rich.
These are careless errors and there were more.
The whole book was not plausible and a psychological thriller this isn't. It just got more ridiculous as it went on.
Too many coincidences.
Child born late to Irish/Catholic parents who are cold and unloving, child suddenly goes off the rails drinking and having unprotected sex with an older man. Gets pregnant, now there's a surprise.
The baby is adopted straight away.
Mother becomes an alcoholic, dries out and turns her life around.
Twenty five years later adopted daughter finds her birth mother.
Adopted daughter just happens to have Foetal Alcohol Syndrome, ADHD and a host of other problems and plays on these problems.
A whole load of other things are thrown in for good measure, blackmail, kidnap, attempted murder etc
Individually these things happen, but everyone of them? No, not realistic at all.
Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for my ARC in return for an honest review.