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The Adoption
Your little girl is all yours… isn’t she?
Dani and her husband Tate’s life together is almost perfect. But Dani is haunted by guilt for causing a terrible car accident that left her unable to have children. She can’t remember why she was driving so fast that day or where she was going. Her therapist says she should try to move on.
So when their application to adopt is accepted, Dani sobs with joy. As perfect little Willow nestles in her arms, Dani looks at Tate’s loving smile and knows he will always provide for his family, no matter what.
When Dani sees a woman staring as she pushes Willow’s stroller around the safe, gated Florida community where they live, she tells herself it’s simply an admiring passer-by. After all, Dani herself used to watch the local moms and wish she was in their shoes.
But when Dani wakes in the night to find Willow’s crib empty, their perfect life becomes a nightmare.
In her frantic distress for her daughter, Dani’s memories of the accident flash through her mind. And with a jolt she realises: everyone around her has been lying about that day.
Will Dani find out the truth before it’s too late for her baby girl?
Or will facing her own dark secrets tear them all apart?
Dani and her husband Tate’s life together is almost perfect. But Dani is haunted by guilt for causing a terrible car accident that left her unable to have children. She can’t remember why she was driving so fast that day or where she was going. Her therapist says she should try to move on.
So when their application to adopt is accepted, Dani sobs with joy. As perfect little Willow nestles in her arms, Dani looks at Tate’s loving smile and knows he will always provide for his family, no matter what.
When Dani sees a woman staring as she pushes Willow’s stroller around the safe, gated Florida community where they live, she tells herself it’s simply an admiring passer-by. After all, Dani herself used to watch the local moms and wish she was in their shoes.
But when Dani wakes in the night to find Willow’s crib empty, their perfect life becomes a nightmare.
In her frantic distress for her daughter, Dani’s memories of the accident flash through her mind. And with a jolt she realises: everyone around her has been lying about that day.
Will Dani find out the truth before it’s too late for her baby girl?
Or will facing her own dark secrets tear them all apart?
392 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 11, 2022
1,416 people are currently reading
715 people want to read
About the author
Jenna Kernan
122 books384 followersThank you for finding me on GoodReads.
Find my social media links here: https://linktr.ee/jennakernan
Here's a bit more about me...
Publishers Weekly bestselling author, Jenna Kernan has written over forty novels, most recently penning domestic thrillers. Her debut thriller, A Killer's Daughter, won the bronze medal in popular fiction from the Florida Book Awards in 2021. Jenna’s 2022 domestic thriller, The Ex-Wives, won the gold medal in the same category. The Nurse, was released in 2023 and The Patient's Daughter released in 2024. Her thrillers are intense, unsettling, and gripping with unexpected twists and turns.
Jenna began her writing journey penning historical romance, paranormal romance and romantic suspense.
A member of International Thriller Writers, Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, Florida Mystery Writers and Novelists, Inc. and a natural redhead living with her husband on Florida’s Gulf Coast, Jenna has recently increased her sunblock to SPF 50.
Jenna offers a FREE BOOK as a welcome gift to new VIP Readers. Subscribe here: http://littl.ink/GripThriller7
Visit Jenna at www.jennakernan.com
Follow Jenna here ...
BookBub: jenna-kernan
Twitter: @jennakernan
Instagram: jenna-kernan
Facebook: AuthorJennaKernan or join her newsletter at www.jennakernan.com
Find my social media links here: https://linktr.ee/jennakernan
Here's a bit more about me...
Publishers Weekly bestselling author, Jenna Kernan has written over forty novels, most recently penning domestic thrillers. Her debut thriller, A Killer's Daughter, won the bronze medal in popular fiction from the Florida Book Awards in 2021. Jenna’s 2022 domestic thriller, The Ex-Wives, won the gold medal in the same category. The Nurse, was released in 2023 and The Patient's Daughter released in 2024. Her thrillers are intense, unsettling, and gripping with unexpected twists and turns.
Jenna began her writing journey penning historical romance, paranormal romance and romantic suspense.
A member of International Thriller Writers, Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, Florida Mystery Writers and Novelists, Inc. and a natural redhead living with her husband on Florida’s Gulf Coast, Jenna has recently increased her sunblock to SPF 50.
Jenna offers a FREE BOOK as a welcome gift to new VIP Readers. Subscribe here: http://littl.ink/GripThriller7
Visit Jenna at www.jennakernan.com
Follow Jenna here ...
BookBub: jenna-kernan
Twitter: @jennakernan
Instagram: jenna-kernan
Facebook: AuthorJennaKernan or join her newsletter at www.jennakernan.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 126 reviews
March 3, 2023
This is a Psychological Thriller. There were things I liked about this book, but there were things I did not love about this book. I found a lot of things that were told to us over and over and over, and I got so sick of the information getting repeated to me. I just wanted to get to the point. I also found a good amount of this book to be moving very slow. The twisted I saw coming way before they were revealed. I did enjoy the ending. I also found the main character to be interesting and really enjoyed getting to know her. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Bookouture) or author (Jenna Kernan) via NetGalley, so I can give an honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.
April 25, 2022
Dani has just just got out of hospital after a car crash and therapy but can no longer recognise faces.
A slow moving story that had lots of repetition and confusing facts. Unfortunately I could not relate to any of the characters.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
A slow moving story that had lots of repetition and confusing facts. Unfortunately I could not relate to any of the characters.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
May 7, 2022
Oh. My. GOSH! This was absolutely bonkers and I loved it!
There’s a TON going on here but we start with Dani, who’s about to be released from the psych facility she’s lived in for several months. She was behind the wheel when she and her sister crashed into an overpass. Dani suffers from face blindness now, but her biggest issue is crippling depression and guilt. She caused the accident and her twin sister is paralyzed. She doesn’t even know why she was driving so recklessly.
Her husband Tate is a suspiciously young judge. He’s very ambitious but has also been propped up by Dani’s trust fund. Since she can’t even recognize her own spouse’s face, he wears yellow since it’s apparently the least popular color for men to wear. Learn something new everyday!
She is separated from her sister. Dani is stuck in Tampa with the tacky house Tate had remodeled to keep up with the Joneses. Shelby is in Jacksonville, where her rehab facility is. This is when things start to get fishy.
Dani always wanted kids but is barren. Tate suddenly comes up with a way to adopt an adorable baby girl. He’s making all her dreams come true! But is he abusing his power as a judge to do this? And most importantly, is she ready to be a mother? No normal adoption agency would approve them and for good reason. You’re not entitled to a child just because you’re wealthy.
Dani takes meds at night that make her non-responsive, which is really responsible when you have a newborn but she has help. There is some junk science going on here but it’s fiction.
She starts to see strange things and people don’t necessarily believe her. A woman coming after her. Tate is coming and going at all hours. Her neighbors are oddballs. Shelby seems hot and cold. It’s like she can’t trust anyone or herself.
I was immediately drawn in by a twin story because I’m a twin. I thought Dani was a really complex but likable main character. I was rooting for her. My heart ached for her at times.
I found it interesting and impressive that the author included Covid on a small but noticeable scale. For instance, masks making it even harder for her face blindness and following pandemic protocols where she went.
I also love that even though Tate was clearly a politician, we don’t know which party or side he was on. It got the point across without being divisive. That was really neat.
This was a suspenseful book. I was at the edge of my seat! One of the best books I’ve read this year.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read and review!
There’s a TON going on here but we start with Dani, who’s about to be released from the psych facility she’s lived in for several months. She was behind the wheel when she and her sister crashed into an overpass. Dani suffers from face blindness now, but her biggest issue is crippling depression and guilt. She caused the accident and her twin sister is paralyzed. She doesn’t even know why she was driving so recklessly.
Her husband Tate is a suspiciously young judge. He’s very ambitious but has also been propped up by Dani’s trust fund. Since she can’t even recognize her own spouse’s face, he wears yellow since it’s apparently the least popular color for men to wear. Learn something new everyday!
She is separated from her sister. Dani is stuck in Tampa with the tacky house Tate had remodeled to keep up with the Joneses. Shelby is in Jacksonville, where her rehab facility is. This is when things start to get fishy.
Dani always wanted kids but is barren. Tate suddenly comes up with a way to adopt an adorable baby girl. He’s making all her dreams come true! But is he abusing his power as a judge to do this? And most importantly, is she ready to be a mother? No normal adoption agency would approve them and for good reason. You’re not entitled to a child just because you’re wealthy.
Dani takes meds at night that make her non-responsive, which is really responsible when you have a newborn but she has help. There is some junk science going on here but it’s fiction.
She starts to see strange things and people don’t necessarily believe her. A woman coming after her. Tate is coming and going at all hours. Her neighbors are oddballs. Shelby seems hot and cold. It’s like she can’t trust anyone or herself.
I was immediately drawn in by a twin story because I’m a twin. I thought Dani was a really complex but likable main character. I was rooting for her. My heart ached for her at times.
I found it interesting and impressive that the author included Covid on a small but noticeable scale. For instance, masks making it even harder for her face blindness and following pandemic protocols where she went.
I also love that even though Tate was clearly a politician, we don’t know which party or side he was on. It got the point across without being divisive. That was really neat.
This was a suspenseful book. I was at the edge of my seat! One of the best books I’ve read this year.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read and review!
April 20, 2022
3.5 stars rounded up
Dani and her husband Tate's life together is almost perfect. But Dani is haunted by guilt for causing a terrible car accident that left her unable to have children. She can't remember why she was driving so fast that day, or where she was going. Her therapist says she should try and move on. So when their application to adopt is accepted, Dani sobs with joy. As perfect little Willow nestles in her arms, Dani looks at Tate's loving smile and knows he will always provide for his family, no matter what.
The pace is slow to begin with. We are around the 40% mark when the story really kicks off. The first half basically covers the aftermath of the accident and it's very repetitive. You won't know who to trust or where the nest twist will appear. I was shocked with the events whilst reading the ending. If the first half of this book had been more interesting, this would have been a five star read.
I would like to thank #NetGalley #Bookouture and the author #JennaKernan for my ARC of #TheAdoption in exchange for an honest review.
Dani and her husband Tate's life together is almost perfect. But Dani is haunted by guilt for causing a terrible car accident that left her unable to have children. She can't remember why she was driving so fast that day, or where she was going. Her therapist says she should try and move on. So when their application to adopt is accepted, Dani sobs with joy. As perfect little Willow nestles in her arms, Dani looks at Tate's loving smile and knows he will always provide for his family, no matter what.
The pace is slow to begin with. We are around the 40% mark when the story really kicks off. The first half basically covers the aftermath of the accident and it's very repetitive. You won't know who to trust or where the nest twist will appear. I was shocked with the events whilst reading the ending. If the first half of this book had been more interesting, this would have been a five star read.
I would like to thank #NetGalley #Bookouture and the author #JennaKernan for my ARC of #TheAdoption in exchange for an honest review.
March 14, 2023
The first half of this book is a character driven book in which we get to know them all and moves at a slow pace. The second half is very much action orientated when the baby comes into a story and moves at a faster pace. The character I connected to the most was Dani. I loved her determination in not giving up. The book is told by her POV . I felt the plot was a realistic one and could see it happening to someone. I found that it the first half it was very repetitive , and the ending to be predictable. These two factors affected my rating. In saying this I still liked the book but I couldnt say I loved it.
May 5, 2022
★★★★ 4.5 stars
I am excited to be taking part in the #BooksOnTour #BlogTour for Jenna Kernan's captivating thriller THE ADOPTION.
Excuse me while I dry my eyes and stop sniffling. OMG...that was so heartbreaking! It was just positively sad. There really are no other words for it. But it didn't start out that way...
In the beginning, THE ADOPTION starts off with a very slow and steady climb...like when you are riding a bike up a never-ending hill and you are pacing and forcing yourself to keep at it, that you'll get there. Then throw in the repetitive commentary as the reader is told the same thing over and over, sometimes in the same paragraph or page. Some of it was even unnecessary and could have been edited down to make an even tighter tenser thriller. And yet...it is still one heck of a thriller! But only when you get past all the aftermath of the accident which set this entire ball rolling and the repetitiveness...only then do you begin to see the cracks. And it is then you begin to wonder just exactly what is going on here.
Dani has an almost perfect life. She has an adoring husband Tate who has just been nominated as a circuit judge, they have a beautiful house in an exclusive Florida gated community and thanks to her parents' trust, she never wants for anything. The only thing missing from their lives is the pitter-patter of tiny feet and the joyful sound of a baby's laughter. And now that will never come. Because three days before Christmas, Dani was involved in an horrific car accident that left her with a brain injury, face blindness and unable to have children. Not only that, Dani is plagued with guilt for crippling her twin sister Shelby, now a paraplegic as a result of the accident. But as haunted as she is, Dani cannot remember why she was driving so fast that day or where she was going.
After six months in hospital then a psychiatric unit, Dani is finally going home. But it's not home as she knows it. She's only seen staged pictures of the house Tate is bringing her back to as she has no memories of this palatial home in a gated community. And every time she sits at the kitchen bench or underneath the crystal chandelier or on the plush leather sofas, Dani cannot help but long for their old home. That felt like home. This...is more like a display home. She may have views of the water and Tampa Bay but she doesn't have the stillness of nature with the variety of songbirds she used to enjoy. Just noisy jet skis and motor boats and squawking seagulls.
Dani's greatest wish is to be a mother. But it's a wish that will never come true now...that is, until Tate gets off the phone one afternoon to say their adoption application has been approved and that they will be getting a baby the following day. A week after being out of hospital? Red flag, much. But Dani blinks any doubts away and delights in the wonder that she is actually going to be a mum! She is so thrilled she shares excitement with Shelby while she and Tate deck out their new nursery with every-baby-thing they could find. Their child will want for nothing.
And then Sunday arrives...with their new baby daughter she names Willow. And Dani couldn't be happier.
But then strange things begin to occur. A wild haired, wild eyed woman barefoot in their backyard bashing at the windows screaming to be let in. But with her prosopagnosia (face blindness) means Dani could never identify the intruder...even if she saw her again. And she does see her again. This time, the woman makes a specific demand of her. And Dani is left wondering...has Tate been lying to her? Is everything she perceives in fact real...or is it just in her head? How can she decipher truth from fiction? And just who can she trust?
As I first stated, the story does start off slow and to be honest I do feel some of it could have been edited down to keep the pace moving a bit quicker and keeping the plotline tighter. The repetitiveness does get a little monotonous...I lost count of how many times we heard how much Dani preferred their old home to this sparkly new one or the brand new SUV Tate had bought her "that she would never drive". These were mentioned over and over that it drove readers nuts...and I wasn't alone in that, I noted. But it was alluded to that maybe this repetitiveness was intentional to give readers an insight into Dani's confused state of mind. Because to be honest, Dani was forever second guessing herself and questioning everything she thought or did or may have done. I guess, this could be true. But still, it felt as though this bogged the narrative down a little too much.
However don't despair, readers, and don't give up. Because it does get better. Boy, does it get better! I found around the 30% mark, the pace began to pick up as did the plot and I began to notice some anomalies to the narrative. Not in a bad way but more like what exactly is going on here? Are we getting the full picture? Or are we only seeing what we are meant to see? It began to feel as if Dani was being gas-lighted but with her fragile state of mind who would believe her?
I love the fact that the story focused on the protagonist having a brain injury because right away that makes her an unreliable narrator, making us question everything she says, does or thinks. The focus on mental health was very sensitively done and made for some heartbreaking reading. I found my heart just breaking for Dani as she struggled with her own reality as opposed to actual reality. The narrative, though in the third person, was twisty and sometimes confronting. But it was clear from the beginning that there was something so much more going on that none of us had any clue about.
Given the fact this was a twisted thriller, I began to pick holes in everything and create my own narrative as to what I thought was going on. Imagine my surprise by the end to discover how right I was! Although it was clear where the story was heading, it wasn't so clear as to what was actually going on. I just decided to delve deeper and seek out clues and piece bits together. One aspect (is all I'll say, so no spoilers) was a big one that jumped right out at me from the first moment. After that, everything fell into place.
Despite the beginning making a slow start off the mark, I do feel it played a big part in the bigger picture but could have been edited down and still been as paramount to Dani's story. My advice is to stick with it because it truly does get better and then it's a race to the end as the tension mounts and the twists are revealed.
I loved the ending. It was sad, poignant and even heartbreaking but it was fitting. That final twist that turned everything on it's head was a perfect touch.
Filled with betrayal, lies, deception and secrets, THE ADOPTION is a domestic and psychological thriller that is unique in its originality and plot that keeps you guessing throughout. If it wasn't for all the excess and unnecessary repetitive features, this would most definitely be a 5 star read. Once I reached that point of no return, I could not put it down and I devoured every twisted minute of it.
I would like to thank #JennaKernan, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheAdoption in exchange for an honest review.
This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.
I am excited to be taking part in the #BooksOnTour #BlogTour for Jenna Kernan's captivating thriller THE ADOPTION.
Excuse me while I dry my eyes and stop sniffling. OMG...that was so heartbreaking! It was just positively sad. There really are no other words for it. But it didn't start out that way...
In the beginning, THE ADOPTION starts off with a very slow and steady climb...like when you are riding a bike up a never-ending hill and you are pacing and forcing yourself to keep at it, that you'll get there. Then throw in the repetitive commentary as the reader is told the same thing over and over, sometimes in the same paragraph or page. Some of it was even unnecessary and could have been edited down to make an even tighter tenser thriller. And yet...it is still one heck of a thriller! But only when you get past all the aftermath of the accident which set this entire ball rolling and the repetitiveness...only then do you begin to see the cracks. And it is then you begin to wonder just exactly what is going on here.
Dani has an almost perfect life. She has an adoring husband Tate who has just been nominated as a circuit judge, they have a beautiful house in an exclusive Florida gated community and thanks to her parents' trust, she never wants for anything. The only thing missing from their lives is the pitter-patter of tiny feet and the joyful sound of a baby's laughter. And now that will never come. Because three days before Christmas, Dani was involved in an horrific car accident that left her with a brain injury, face blindness and unable to have children. Not only that, Dani is plagued with guilt for crippling her twin sister Shelby, now a paraplegic as a result of the accident. But as haunted as she is, Dani cannot remember why she was driving so fast that day or where she was going.
After six months in hospital then a psychiatric unit, Dani is finally going home. But it's not home as she knows it. She's only seen staged pictures of the house Tate is bringing her back to as she has no memories of this palatial home in a gated community. And every time she sits at the kitchen bench or underneath the crystal chandelier or on the plush leather sofas, Dani cannot help but long for their old home. That felt like home. This...is more like a display home. She may have views of the water and Tampa Bay but she doesn't have the stillness of nature with the variety of songbirds she used to enjoy. Just noisy jet skis and motor boats and squawking seagulls.
Dani's greatest wish is to be a mother. But it's a wish that will never come true now...that is, until Tate gets off the phone one afternoon to say their adoption application has been approved and that they will be getting a baby the following day. A week after being out of hospital? Red flag, much. But Dani blinks any doubts away and delights in the wonder that she is actually going to be a mum! She is so thrilled she shares excitement with Shelby while she and Tate deck out their new nursery with every-baby-thing they could find. Their child will want for nothing.
And then Sunday arrives...with their new baby daughter she names Willow. And Dani couldn't be happier.
But then strange things begin to occur. A wild haired, wild eyed woman barefoot in their backyard bashing at the windows screaming to be let in. But with her prosopagnosia (face blindness) means Dani could never identify the intruder...even if she saw her again. And she does see her again. This time, the woman makes a specific demand of her. And Dani is left wondering...has Tate been lying to her? Is everything she perceives in fact real...or is it just in her head? How can she decipher truth from fiction? And just who can she trust?
As I first stated, the story does start off slow and to be honest I do feel some of it could have been edited down to keep the pace moving a bit quicker and keeping the plotline tighter. The repetitiveness does get a little monotonous...I lost count of how many times we heard how much Dani preferred their old home to this sparkly new one or the brand new SUV Tate had bought her "that she would never drive". These were mentioned over and over that it drove readers nuts...and I wasn't alone in that, I noted. But it was alluded to that maybe this repetitiveness was intentional to give readers an insight into Dani's confused state of mind. Because to be honest, Dani was forever second guessing herself and questioning everything she thought or did or may have done. I guess, this could be true. But still, it felt as though this bogged the narrative down a little too much.
However don't despair, readers, and don't give up. Because it does get better. Boy, does it get better! I found around the 30% mark, the pace began to pick up as did the plot and I began to notice some anomalies to the narrative. Not in a bad way but more like what exactly is going on here? Are we getting the full picture? Or are we only seeing what we are meant to see? It began to feel as if Dani was being gas-lighted but with her fragile state of mind who would believe her?
I love the fact that the story focused on the protagonist having a brain injury because right away that makes her an unreliable narrator, making us question everything she says, does or thinks. The focus on mental health was very sensitively done and made for some heartbreaking reading. I found my heart just breaking for Dani as she struggled with her own reality as opposed to actual reality. The narrative, though in the third person, was twisty and sometimes confronting. But it was clear from the beginning that there was something so much more going on that none of us had any clue about.
Given the fact this was a twisted thriller, I began to pick holes in everything and create my own narrative as to what I thought was going on. Imagine my surprise by the end to discover how right I was! Although it was clear where the story was heading, it wasn't so clear as to what was actually going on. I just decided to delve deeper and seek out clues and piece bits together. One aspect (is all I'll say, so no spoilers) was a big one that jumped right out at me from the first moment. After that, everything fell into place.
Despite the beginning making a slow start off the mark, I do feel it played a big part in the bigger picture but could have been edited down and still been as paramount to Dani's story. My advice is to stick with it because it truly does get better and then it's a race to the end as the tension mounts and the twists are revealed.
I loved the ending. It was sad, poignant and even heartbreaking but it was fitting. That final twist that turned everything on it's head was a perfect touch.
Filled with betrayal, lies, deception and secrets, THE ADOPTION is a domestic and psychological thriller that is unique in its originality and plot that keeps you guessing throughout. If it wasn't for all the excess and unnecessary repetitive features, this would most definitely be a 5 star read. Once I reached that point of no return, I could not put it down and I devoured every twisted minute of it.
I would like to thank #JennaKernan, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheAdoption in exchange for an honest review.
This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.
May 13, 2022
Set in Florida, this tense domestic thriller by Jenna Kernan is all about Dani Sutton, recently released from a psychiatric hospital who has been thrust into motherhood. As a result of a car accident, Dani has prosopagnosia (facial blindness) and relies on voices and other markers to identify those around her. She and her husband, Tate have adopted Willow but as Dani tries to settle into a routine, she finds everything is at sixes and sevens. Can she trust anyone?
Although the first part of the novel is relatively slow going, I found The Adoption to be an extremely enjoyable read, overall. In the first half, I felt Dani’s vulnerability and there was a palpable underlying uneasiness as well as a sense of mistrust. The second half of the book was faster paced and I found myself wanting to see what might occur next. Highly recommended, I'm keen to see what this author pens going forward.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Bookouture via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.
Although the first part of the novel is relatively slow going, I found The Adoption to be an extremely enjoyable read, overall. In the first half, I felt Dani’s vulnerability and there was a palpable underlying uneasiness as well as a sense of mistrust. The second half of the book was faster paced and I found myself wanting to see what might occur next. Highly recommended, I'm keen to see what this author pens going forward.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Bookouture via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.
May 15, 2022
BLOG TOUR REVIEW
Review for 'The Adoption' by Jenna Kernan.
Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Jenna Kernan, Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous.
Publication date 11th May 2022.
This is the second book I have read by this author. I have previously read 'The Hunted Girls' which I would also recommend.
I was originally drawn to this book by its colourful and interesting eye catching cover and its intriguing synopsis and title. I am a fan of Jenna and if this is half as good as 'The Hunted Girls' it is guaranteed to be a page turner. It also stated in the synopsis that 'Fans of The Woman in the Window, Gone Girl and The Wife Between Us won’t be able to put down this incredible thriller from bestselling author Jenna Kernan'. I am a huge fan of 'Gone Girl' so am looking forward to see if it lives up to this. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).
This novel consists of a prologue and 30 chapters. The chapters are medium in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!
This book is based in Florida, USA 🇺🇸.
This book is written in third person perspective with the main protagonist being Dani Sutton. The benefits of third person perspective with multiple protagonists are that it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything.
Wow!! What a non stop action packed psychological page turner!! Fantastically written with vivid descriptions that really put you in the storyline. The synopsis, title and civet worked perfectly with the plot.
The plot itself is unique and intriguing and filled with heart in your mouth in the edge of your seat moments. Several times I realised I was holding my breath and biting my nails. This book has everything you could want in a psychological thriller novel!! It was filled with love, mystery, deceipt, secrets, tension, suspense and several messed up people!! I was completely absorbed from page one until the explosive ending. I cannot wait to read more books by this fantastic author. Just when I thought I had worked one thing out I was absolutely mind blown by another shocking reveal!! It is getting harder and harder to shock me when it comes to thrillers but this book absolutely messed with my head!!! Well done Jenna!! The storyline is unique and I've never come across one like it before. It was also intriguing that it mentioned covid as I've only read one other book that mentions Covid before. It was also interesting to read about Prosopagnosia as I've never heard of it before. The fact that Jenna has done her research absolutely shines through so another congratulations for that! There's nothing worse than a book littered with mistakes as the author has not spent the time researching their subject.
The characters were all very different with their own unique personalities. They were all strong and well developed characters along with being very believable. I was completely invested in Dani and my heart completely went out to her for all she went through. I loved seeing her character develop throughout the book and was extremely proud of her at the end. I lost trust in both Tate or Enid and started disliking them both extremely quickly. However I won't say more than that as I don't want to spoil it for future readers. Regardless of whether I loved or hated the characters they all worked perfectly together to create an unputdownable psychological thriller.
Congratulations Jenna on yet another fantastic page turner!!! Here's to your next success 🥂
Clear your schedules as you won't be able to put this book down!!
Overall a heart stopping, page turning must read psychological thriller that will suck you in from start to finish.
Genres covered in this book include Psychological Fiction, Suspense, Domestic Thriller, and Psychological Thriller amongst others.
I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of Angela Marsons, Carol Wyer, M. J Arlidge, 'The Woman in the Window' , 'Gone Girl', 'The Wife Between Us', PJ Tracy and anyone looking for a book guaranteed to shock you!!
407 pages.
This book is just 99p or free in kindle unlimited (at time of review) to purchase on kindle via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!
Rated 5/5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.
Feel free to add me on Goodreads or follow me on my website or Facebook for more reviews
#TheAdoption #Bookouture #JennaKernan #NetGalley #BookReview #BlogTour #BooksOnTour
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Review for 'The Adoption' by Jenna Kernan.
Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Jenna Kernan, Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous.
Publication date 11th May 2022.
This is the second book I have read by this author. I have previously read 'The Hunted Girls' which I would also recommend.
I was originally drawn to this book by its colourful and interesting eye catching cover and its intriguing synopsis and title. I am a fan of Jenna and if this is half as good as 'The Hunted Girls' it is guaranteed to be a page turner. It also stated in the synopsis that 'Fans of The Woman in the Window, Gone Girl and The Wife Between Us won’t be able to put down this incredible thriller from bestselling author Jenna Kernan'. I am a huge fan of 'Gone Girl' so am looking forward to see if it lives up to this. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).
This novel consists of a prologue and 30 chapters. The chapters are medium in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!
This book is based in Florida, USA 🇺🇸.
This book is written in third person perspective with the main protagonist being Dani Sutton. The benefits of third person perspective with multiple protagonists are that it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything.
Wow!! What a non stop action packed psychological page turner!! Fantastically written with vivid descriptions that really put you in the storyline. The synopsis, title and civet worked perfectly with the plot.
The plot itself is unique and intriguing and filled with heart in your mouth in the edge of your seat moments. Several times I realised I was holding my breath and biting my nails. This book has everything you could want in a psychological thriller novel!! It was filled with love, mystery, deceipt, secrets, tension, suspense and several messed up people!! I was completely absorbed from page one until the explosive ending. I cannot wait to read more books by this fantastic author. Just when I thought I had worked one thing out I was absolutely mind blown by another shocking reveal!! It is getting harder and harder to shock me when it comes to thrillers but this book absolutely messed with my head!!! Well done Jenna!! The storyline is unique and I've never come across one like it before. It was also intriguing that it mentioned covid as I've only read one other book that mentions Covid before. It was also interesting to read about Prosopagnosia as I've never heard of it before. The fact that Jenna has done her research absolutely shines through so another congratulations for that! There's nothing worse than a book littered with mistakes as the author has not spent the time researching their subject.
The characters were all very different with their own unique personalities. They were all strong and well developed characters along with being very believable. I was completely invested in Dani and my heart completely went out to her for all she went through. I loved seeing her character develop throughout the book and was extremely proud of her at the end. I lost trust in both Tate or Enid and started disliking them both extremely quickly. However I won't say more than that as I don't want to spoil it for future readers. Regardless of whether I loved or hated the characters they all worked perfectly together to create an unputdownable psychological thriller.
Congratulations Jenna on yet another fantastic page turner!!! Here's to your next success 🥂
Clear your schedules as you won't be able to put this book down!!
Overall a heart stopping, page turning must read psychological thriller that will suck you in from start to finish.
Genres covered in this book include Psychological Fiction, Suspense, Domestic Thriller, and Psychological Thriller amongst others.
I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of Angela Marsons, Carol Wyer, M. J Arlidge, 'The Woman in the Window' , 'Gone Girl', 'The Wife Between Us', PJ Tracy and anyone looking for a book guaranteed to shock you!!
407 pages.
This book is just 99p or free in kindle unlimited (at time of review) to purchase on kindle via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!
Rated 5/5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.
Feel free to add me on Goodreads or follow me on my website or Facebook for more reviews
#TheAdoption #Bookouture #JennaKernan #NetGalley #BookReview #BlogTour #BooksOnTour
@JennaKernan @Bookouture @Bookworm1986 @bookworm86
https://kcmw86.wixsite.com/bookworm86
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May 1, 2022
Sniffly Snuffly Sneezles! 😳😯😳🤯
I will admit I didn't care for how long this book was and made it a bit overwhelming. As well as some repetitiveness that just didn't need to be rehashed. Some of it felt slow moving but perhaps it was because the novel was so long & some parts rehashed. But close to half way this novel totally rectified itself with all the juicy twists, the who to trust, etc! The ending was super fab!
Dani is married to Tate and they have it all. Well, almost. Dani can't have children of her own since she recently was in an accident with her sister Shelby that made her a quadriplegic, & Dani with a brain injury that affects her being able to see faces properly and be familiar with them. She doesn't know why she was driving so fast or what could have caused the accident. But after spending time in hospital & talking with her therapist, she's determined to get better and be better. After Dani and Tate apply for adoption, very quickly they're accepted and they're holding their girl, Willow. But soon one night Dani wakes and Willow is gone. Could the past connect to her daughters disappearance? Just what happened a year ago on that night of the accident?
That ending was wicked! And I loved learning about Dani & the other characters. I have to say this plot & premise was unique and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It had such promise and potential and I still enjoyed reading it. You think you'll know and get it but don't be so sure!
Thank you to NetGalley & Bookouture for this ARC.
Release Date: May 11, 2022
I give this 3.5 / 5 Lily's! 🪷
I will admit I didn't care for how long this book was and made it a bit overwhelming. As well as some repetitiveness that just didn't need to be rehashed. Some of it felt slow moving but perhaps it was because the novel was so long & some parts rehashed. But close to half way this novel totally rectified itself with all the juicy twists, the who to trust, etc! The ending was super fab!
Dani is married to Tate and they have it all. Well, almost. Dani can't have children of her own since she recently was in an accident with her sister Shelby that made her a quadriplegic, & Dani with a brain injury that affects her being able to see faces properly and be familiar with them. She doesn't know why she was driving so fast or what could have caused the accident. But after spending time in hospital & talking with her therapist, she's determined to get better and be better. After Dani and Tate apply for adoption, very quickly they're accepted and they're holding their girl, Willow. But soon one night Dani wakes and Willow is gone. Could the past connect to her daughters disappearance? Just what happened a year ago on that night of the accident?
That ending was wicked! And I loved learning about Dani & the other characters. I have to say this plot & premise was unique and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It had such promise and potential and I still enjoyed reading it. You think you'll know and get it but don't be so sure!
Thank you to NetGalley & Bookouture for this ARC.
Release Date: May 11, 2022
I give this 3.5 / 5 Lily's! 🪷
May 10, 2022
The Adoption follows Dani, who suffers face blindness after a terrible car accident. Struggling with the trauma, she keeps full faith in her husband, Tate, who is doing everything in his best to make her feel normal after the accident. Unable to have children, the couple decides to adopt a child and sweet Willow brings happiness to their life. But, when a woman starts harassing Dani to give her baby back, Dani realizes the truth is not what it seems...
𝗧𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗪𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 - Trauma, Accident, Violence, Stalking, Death.
𝗣𝗹𝗼𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘆.
The story started slow and too much information was provided which made it difficult to proceed. But once the story increases the pace, everything becomes so chaotic that I love it. There were so many twists and turns, and the rising tension towards the climax was amazing. This book is very engaging and will keep you hooked till the end.
I love the mystery part, even though it may be predictable for some, I loved it coz I couldn't predict many aspects. This one kept me on the edge, guessing and double-guessing what is actually happening. Once you read it, you'll see how predictable this book was but I have no regrets about not being able to guess. It was worth reading for all the OMGs and WHATs!!
I have read two books now with the protagonist suffering from memory loss and past trauma which causes this much chaos. I love the confusion it brings as it makes it difficult to predict what's going on. I guess this is something I should look for in future books😅
𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁.
Even if I talk about how I love the protagonist suffering from mental problems creating mayhem, the truth is I feel so bad for Dani. What she went through in this book was so heartbreaking because she lost so much. Barely holding herself after the accident, she went through hell and everybody around betrayed her.
But she is an extraordinary woman. So resilient, she became stronger despite everything. Losing so much, Dani stood bravely in front of the ones who wanted to hurt her and her baby. Even when her mental conditions worsened, she fought for her daughter's safety and to find out the truth. A truly incredible female protagonist!!
𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗼 𝗤𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.
Why the blurb is so different from the actual story? It says the daughter gets kidnapped and problems arise because of that. But that doesn't happen anywhere in the book. The blurb is so far away from the story which is disappointing because it is the first thing that makes readers pick up a book.
𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻.
Overall, The Adoption is an amazing psychological thriller which will keep you hooked. A little slow at the start but worth reading for the chaos and confusion that follows. With so many twists and turns, it was amazing to see how strongly the protagonist fought for her sanity and safety. Recommended for mystery and psychological thriller lovers who like chaotic plots.
I would like to thank Jenna Kernan, NetGalley and Bookouture for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book will be released on 11th May 2022. #TheAdoption #NetGalley
Read the full review on my blog - The Adoption
𝗧𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗪𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 - Trauma, Accident, Violence, Stalking, Death.
𝗣𝗹𝗼𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘆.
The story started slow and too much information was provided which made it difficult to proceed. But once the story increases the pace, everything becomes so chaotic that I love it. There were so many twists and turns, and the rising tension towards the climax was amazing. This book is very engaging and will keep you hooked till the end.
I love the mystery part, even though it may be predictable for some, I loved it coz I couldn't predict many aspects. This one kept me on the edge, guessing and double-guessing what is actually happening. Once you read it, you'll see how predictable this book was but I have no regrets about not being able to guess. It was worth reading for all the OMGs and WHATs!!
I have read two books now with the protagonist suffering from memory loss and past trauma which causes this much chaos. I love the confusion it brings as it makes it difficult to predict what's going on. I guess this is something I should look for in future books😅
𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁.
Even if I talk about how I love the protagonist suffering from mental problems creating mayhem, the truth is I feel so bad for Dani. What she went through in this book was so heartbreaking because she lost so much. Barely holding herself after the accident, she went through hell and everybody around betrayed her.
But she is an extraordinary woman. So resilient, she became stronger despite everything. Losing so much, Dani stood bravely in front of the ones who wanted to hurt her and her baby. Even when her mental conditions worsened, she fought for her daughter's safety and to find out the truth. A truly incredible female protagonist!!
𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗼 𝗤𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.
Why the blurb is so different from the actual story? It says the daughter gets kidnapped and problems arise because of that. But that doesn't happen anywhere in the book. The blurb is so far away from the story which is disappointing because it is the first thing that makes readers pick up a book.
𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻.
Overall, The Adoption is an amazing psychological thriller which will keep you hooked. A little slow at the start but worth reading for the chaos and confusion that follows. With so many twists and turns, it was amazing to see how strongly the protagonist fought for her sanity and safety. Recommended for mystery and psychological thriller lovers who like chaotic plots.
I would like to thank Jenna Kernan, NetGalley and Bookouture for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book will be released on 11th May 2022. #TheAdoption #NetGalley
Read the full review on my blog - The Adoption
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 12, 2022
3.5 stars
After reading and loving Jenna’s Agent Nadine Finch books I was looking forward to seeing where she would go with a standalone domestic thriller. From the first page it was unmistakably her writing, with it’s familiar easy flow and interesting characters.
This time the protagonist is Dani and it starts just as she is being released from a psychiatric facility. She entered the hospital voluntarily for depression, following a car crash that left her with a brain injury and her sister Shelby paralysed from the waist down. As well as the mental trauma Dani has been left unable to have children and also with the inability to recognise faces.
With gaps in her memory she has no idea why she was driving so fast that day or what led up to the accident. With her therapist encouraging her to move forward, her and husband Tate adopt a little girl called Willow. Then Willow is taken and it seems everyone has been lying to her……
As with all Jenna’s books it is the characters that held my attention here. Prosopagnosia, the fascinating condition that Dani was left with really heightens her paranoia. I can’t even imagine being unable to recognise people you are with every day. Even little things like her husband wearing a yellow shirt after researching that it is the most unworn colour by men and women showed the detail the author has included. As for Tate my guilty radar had pinned him as dodgy no matter how thoughtful he was doing that.
While the first half of the book is slow and often repetitive it is worth sticking with for what comes next. It transforms from a tortoise to a hare and as the lies and betrayals are revealed it is pure dynamite, amazingly plotted and with a very unexpected ending.
After reading and loving Jenna’s Agent Nadine Finch books I was looking forward to seeing where she would go with a standalone domestic thriller. From the first page it was unmistakably her writing, with it’s familiar easy flow and interesting characters.
This time the protagonist is Dani and it starts just as she is being released from a psychiatric facility. She entered the hospital voluntarily for depression, following a car crash that left her with a brain injury and her sister Shelby paralysed from the waist down. As well as the mental trauma Dani has been left unable to have children and also with the inability to recognise faces.
With gaps in her memory she has no idea why she was driving so fast that day or what led up to the accident. With her therapist encouraging her to move forward, her and husband Tate adopt a little girl called Willow. Then Willow is taken and it seems everyone has been lying to her……
As with all Jenna’s books it is the characters that held my attention here. Prosopagnosia, the fascinating condition that Dani was left with really heightens her paranoia. I can’t even imagine being unable to recognise people you are with every day. Even little things like her husband wearing a yellow shirt after researching that it is the most unworn colour by men and women showed the detail the author has included. As for Tate my guilty radar had pinned him as dodgy no matter how thoughtful he was doing that.
While the first half of the book is slow and often repetitive it is worth sticking with for what comes next. It transforms from a tortoise to a hare and as the lies and betrayals are revealed it is pure dynamite, amazingly plotted and with a very unexpected ending.
May 13, 2022
The Adoption is the first book I’ve read by this author and it’s a gripping domestic thriller. The first half of the book is quite slow paced but once we get past that it’s like being hit by a steam train there is so much going on in the second half. I felt like I was on a roller coaster at times with all the twists and turns. Often in a book I’m reading I know who to trust and where things are heading but with this one I was completely clueless and didn’t know how things were going to turn out. This is the first book I’ve read by this author and I’ll certainly be reading more.
April 5, 2022
I really wanted to like this book. The concept was really great. I think for me the biggest obstacle was that there were too many repetitive informative details in the first half. I felt like I wasn’t trusted to remember what I’d just read in the previous chapter, so it was given to me over and over again and it took away from my ability to really get into the story. It also made the first half of the book drag really slowly because the repetition took away from building the plot. The story started to pick up a lot by the second half and got me really interested to see where it would go, but then there was too much going on too fast that it also took away from the experience.
I think this book would have been much more enjoyable if we had spent less of the first half reading details of Dani’s disabilities over and over again and all the action from the second half was spread out over more of the chapters.
I think this book would have been much more enjoyable if we had spent less of the first half reading details of Dani’s disabilities over and over again and all the action from the second half was spread out over more of the chapters.
August 4, 2022
This was a really enjoyable story and Jenna Kernan is another author who is going on my favourites list.
All Dani Sutton has known for the last 6 months is the Windwood Psychiatric Hospital after a car accident left her and her twin sister, Shelby, with life changing injuries. Dani suffered a brain injury which left her with Prosopagnosia- face blindness, meaning she can’t recognise people and therefore she has been learning strategies to help her cope with the condition and also how to deal with her guilt that the accident has left her twin in a wheelchair. Her husband Tate is determined to bring her home and although Dani is apprehensive to go home, she feels with his support and the support of her psychiatrist, Dr Allen, that she is ready to return to normal life. However, she didn’t realise how strange things would be, from the house that is supposed to be home but doesn’t feel like it, to the neighbours she used to know but now struggles to recognise. She has always yearned for a baby, but the accident also left her unable to have a child due to her injuries. Soon after she returns home Tate suddenly declares that they been accepted by an adoption agency and a new-born baby is waiting for them. Dani knows that with her psychiatric history this adoption seems very irregular, but she is so desperate to become a mother she over looks it, trusts Tate, and throws herself into motherhood. When a strange woman starts appearing to Dani, first at her home and then at her doctor’s office, and demanding that Willow, the baby is hers, Tate’s story about the adoption suddenly changes, Dani doesn’t know who to trust and starts to wonder if she has come home too soon and would be better back at Windwood where she feels safe. She feels she can’t trust Tate and also can’t figure out who this woman is that is claiming Willow is hers.
This was a good story and it definitely kept me on my toes! There were a lot of twist and turns and the ultimate twist did come as a surprise to me even though I had noticed a clue that had been dropped earlier on, I just thought I hadn’t understood, and then later I realised it had been a clue. Very good writing and I thought that the author portrayed Dani’s confusion very well, in fact I often felt I was as confused as Dani when reading. I’ve never heard of face blindness before, so it was interesting to learn about it and also learn about the different strategies that sufferers have to employ for everyday living. We definitely take it for granted that our brain recognises people unconsciously and we don’t have to put any effort or thought into it.
All in all, I would highly recommend this book and anyone who enjoys psychological thrillers or domestic dramas will enjoy this. It was a good read; I was impressed by Jenna Kernan and I have already requested her next book “The Ex Wives” from NetGalley.
Thank you to NetGalley, Jenna Kernan and Bookouture books for my advanced reading copy. Out now.
All Dani Sutton has known for the last 6 months is the Windwood Psychiatric Hospital after a car accident left her and her twin sister, Shelby, with life changing injuries. Dani suffered a brain injury which left her with Prosopagnosia- face blindness, meaning she can’t recognise people and therefore she has been learning strategies to help her cope with the condition and also how to deal with her guilt that the accident has left her twin in a wheelchair. Her husband Tate is determined to bring her home and although Dani is apprehensive to go home, she feels with his support and the support of her psychiatrist, Dr Allen, that she is ready to return to normal life. However, she didn’t realise how strange things would be, from the house that is supposed to be home but doesn’t feel like it, to the neighbours she used to know but now struggles to recognise. She has always yearned for a baby, but the accident also left her unable to have a child due to her injuries. Soon after she returns home Tate suddenly declares that they been accepted by an adoption agency and a new-born baby is waiting for them. Dani knows that with her psychiatric history this adoption seems very irregular, but she is so desperate to become a mother she over looks it, trusts Tate, and throws herself into motherhood. When a strange woman starts appearing to Dani, first at her home and then at her doctor’s office, and demanding that Willow, the baby is hers, Tate’s story about the adoption suddenly changes, Dani doesn’t know who to trust and starts to wonder if she has come home too soon and would be better back at Windwood where she feels safe. She feels she can’t trust Tate and also can’t figure out who this woman is that is claiming Willow is hers.
This was a good story and it definitely kept me on my toes! There were a lot of twist and turns and the ultimate twist did come as a surprise to me even though I had noticed a clue that had been dropped earlier on, I just thought I hadn’t understood, and then later I realised it had been a clue. Very good writing and I thought that the author portrayed Dani’s confusion very well, in fact I often felt I was as confused as Dani when reading. I’ve never heard of face blindness before, so it was interesting to learn about it and also learn about the different strategies that sufferers have to employ for everyday living. We definitely take it for granted that our brain recognises people unconsciously and we don’t have to put any effort or thought into it.
All in all, I would highly recommend this book and anyone who enjoys psychological thrillers or domestic dramas will enjoy this. It was a good read; I was impressed by Jenna Kernan and I have already requested her next book “The Ex Wives” from NetGalley.
Thank you to NetGalley, Jenna Kernan and Bookouture books for my advanced reading copy. Out now.
April 18, 2022
The Adoption
Jenna Kernan
This is the first book I have read by Jenna Kernan. This book keeps you on the edge of your seat. Just when you think you know what is going on something shifts.
The book opens up rather slowly, and does take a bit to build. But once it takes off, it really takes off. I really felt for Dani and she seemed to be barely holding on throughout the whole story. The lies and betrayal definitely do not help her issues. I know that I couldn’t put this book down, because I wanted to see what would happen next. I read this book in one sitting. If you really want to read something that keeps you second guessing this is the book for you.
I give this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you to NetGalley and the Author for the ARC
Jenna Kernan
This is the first book I have read by Jenna Kernan. This book keeps you on the edge of your seat. Just when you think you know what is going on something shifts.
The book opens up rather slowly, and does take a bit to build. But once it takes off, it really takes off. I really felt for Dani and she seemed to be barely holding on throughout the whole story. The lies and betrayal definitely do not help her issues. I know that I couldn’t put this book down, because I wanted to see what would happen next. I read this book in one sitting. If you really want to read something that keeps you second guessing this is the book for you.
I give this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you to NetGalley and the Author for the ARC
May 12, 2022
This book was a big disappointment for me. The pace was slow in the first half of the book and confusing and too much going on in the other half. And I was expecting the twist. I did care for the main character, Dani. I could relate to her need to have a baby. I also felt that the novel was longer than it should have been but I did want to see where the novel would go.A more enjoyable reading experience would have been ensured if we hadn't spent most of the first half reading details about Dani's disabilities over and over again.
Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for the Advanced Reader Copy of this book .This was a honest review.
Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for the Advanced Reader Copy of this book .This was a honest review.
May 21, 2022
I don’t know what to think about this one . The story was ok, slow. It was hard to get into it. All of the characters were shady, you had no idea who to trust. The end was just way too confusing and overly done for my taste.
May 20, 2022
This domestic thriller is full of secrets and lies. Although sometimes repetitive, I enjoyed not knowing what to believe and how the twists unraveled at the end.
May 13, 2022
To begin with I really wasn't loving this book or even liking it at all. It was all repetitive details being told over and over again. How Dani is feeling after the accident and her guilt, like you would read a bit of the plot, Dani is home now and things are moving on, for a couple of pages and then it would revert back to her accident and guilt. Her mind never stopped wandering back. It was draining and it took away from any actual plot and therefore it was very slow moving.
As a reader, you clearly have an idea where this story is going, her husband is clearly up to something, possibly cheating on her and using her accident and injuries as a cover, making her out to be silly or imagining things. I'd like to think that prior to the accident Dani wouldn't have been so gullible. She did really irritate me with the way she believed everything she was told and to see her doubt herself was horrible. But the girl was suffering with a brain injury.
However, come the second half of the book and it really starts to pick up the pace, we no longer are being subjected to so much of Dani's guilt and feelings and I really started to enjoy the book then. So much so I couldn't willingly put it down. It just got twistier and weirder and there was clearly so much more going on that Dani had no clue about and we the readers are only discovering the closer to the end.
The last part was amazingly done I think, it really made me feel so sorry for Dani and just wanted to see her triumph and finally have someone on her side. That little twist at the end was excellent and as sad as it was and not the happy ever after for all concerned, I'm glad the way it ended. It was just right, sad, but right.
I would highly recommend this book and want to thank Bookouture and NetGalley for the advanced copy.
As a reader, you clearly have an idea where this story is going, her husband is clearly up to something, possibly cheating on her and using her accident and injuries as a cover, making her out to be silly or imagining things. I'd like to think that prior to the accident Dani wouldn't have been so gullible. She did really irritate me with the way she believed everything she was told and to see her doubt herself was horrible. But the girl was suffering with a brain injury.
However, come the second half of the book and it really starts to pick up the pace, we no longer are being subjected to so much of Dani's guilt and feelings and I really started to enjoy the book then. So much so I couldn't willingly put it down. It just got twistier and weirder and there was clearly so much more going on that Dani had no clue about and we the readers are only discovering the closer to the end.
The last part was amazingly done I think, it really made me feel so sorry for Dani and just wanted to see her triumph and finally have someone on her side. That little twist at the end was excellent and as sad as it was and not the happy ever after for all concerned, I'm glad the way it ended. It was just right, sad, but right.
I would highly recommend this book and want to thank Bookouture and NetGalley for the advanced copy.
April 9, 2022
Wow! This story packs a wallop. It’s a myriad maze, down one path, then down another, and back again. Dani constantly questions her sanity and I began to question mine as well. So many lies and so much subterfuge. The cause: money and lots of it. I was on high alert as I began this book because I knew things were off, just from the description.
Read this book and then collect your senses; you’ll need to confirm you’re all there.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the early copy.
Read this book and then collect your senses; you’ll need to confirm you’re all there.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the early copy.
May 10, 2022
Dani Sutton is the wife of Judge Tate Sutton who is running for the Florida Supreme Court. Six months ago, Dani, while angry, was driving with her twin sister, Shelby, and started driving so fast, she had a terrible accident. Dani ended up with a neurologic brain injury where she can never recognize people’s faces. In addition, she cannot have children. Shelby, on the other hand, is paralyzed from the waist down. Before the accident, all Dani remembers is that she was very angry which made her drive so fast.
Dani’s parents left her and her sister a $23 million dollar trust to care for them. Dani and Tate live in a large home in Florida and there is a large suite for Shelby when she is able to visit.
The story is slow to start and quite confusing at times. As it picked up, it became more and more bizarre. In addition to being way too long, I kept cringing as I read things that were just too crazy. The dialogue seemed to come straight from a soap opera. As someone who has read and reviewed a number of thrillers, I prefer one that is much more believable that this one. Sorry.
Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Dani’s parents left her and her sister a $23 million dollar trust to care for them. Dani and Tate live in a large home in Florida and there is a large suite for Shelby when she is able to visit.
The story is slow to start and quite confusing at times. As it picked up, it became more and more bizarre. In addition to being way too long, I kept cringing as I read things that were just too crazy. The dialogue seemed to come straight from a soap opera. As someone who has read and reviewed a number of thrillers, I prefer one that is much more believable that this one. Sorry.
Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
August 27, 2022
Dani is released from a psychiatric ward after a 6 month stay due to a traumatic car accident leaving her face blind and her twin sister paralysed. Her husband Tate surprises her with a baby upon her homecoming, the baby they always wanted but failed to conceive naturally. So when she started believing someone is after her new daughter and no one believes her apart from her sister Dani thinks her judge husband may have done something illegal to push the adoption through.
As a fan of Jenna Kernsn i was excited to get stuck in and i honestly enjoyed this book, I was intrigued to find out if I had guessed the twists correct and how the author got us to them. I ofcourse got them correct but this didn't distract from the enjoyable ride of the story itself.
I found Dani's character to be quite a sympathetic one, not only can she no longer see faces, she has all this guilt built up around paralysing her sister. But their relationship during the book is one of the strongest throughout. She is clearly traumatised and needs support. Her husband on the other hand Tate is not a likable character even him presenting Dani with a baby just seemed suspicious early on and kind of rediculous also. He seems to not trust Dani's ability to trust fact from fiction which brings into question why the heck he would of brought this child home anyway especially as he's campaigning to be a supreme judge.
I found myself questioning the validity of Dani's claims if they are true everyone is hiding something and if they are not true then thsts just terrible. But what I will say is adding in a face blindness storyline really pulled this mystery together, because who believes a woman from a psych ward who can't see face? 🤔 This aspect elevated the storyline as a reader as we also can't see anyone's face and don't know what we can see either.
All in all the adoption is a good book. The concept of the adoption itself is ludicrous but for the purpose of this storyline really gives it weight. I love thst we read from Dani's pov and therefore have all the information she has. The twists I had guessed extremely early on so were a bit of a let down I wss hoping for more. This is one of those books that has you not putting it down until it's finished which is why I was hooked!!!! 3 stars 🌟
Thanks to Netgalley, Jenna Kernan and bookouture for the digital ARC of the Adoption in exchange for my fair and honest opinions.
As a fan of Jenna Kernsn i was excited to get stuck in and i honestly enjoyed this book, I was intrigued to find out if I had guessed the twists correct and how the author got us to them. I ofcourse got them correct but this didn't distract from the enjoyable ride of the story itself.
I found Dani's character to be quite a sympathetic one, not only can she no longer see faces, she has all this guilt built up around paralysing her sister. But their relationship during the book is one of the strongest throughout. She is clearly traumatised and needs support. Her husband on the other hand Tate is not a likable character even him presenting Dani with a baby just seemed suspicious early on and kind of rediculous also. He seems to not trust Dani's ability to trust fact from fiction which brings into question why the heck he would of brought this child home anyway especially as he's campaigning to be a supreme judge.
I found myself questioning the validity of Dani's claims if they are true everyone is hiding something and if they are not true then thsts just terrible. But what I will say is adding in a face blindness storyline really pulled this mystery together, because who believes a woman from a psych ward who can't see face? 🤔 This aspect elevated the storyline as a reader as we also can't see anyone's face and don't know what we can see either.
All in all the adoption is a good book. The concept of the adoption itself is ludicrous but for the purpose of this storyline really gives it weight. I love thst we read from Dani's pov and therefore have all the information she has. The twists I had guessed extremely early on so were a bit of a let down I wss hoping for more. This is one of those books that has you not putting it down until it's finished which is why I was hooked!!!! 3 stars 🌟
Thanks to Netgalley, Jenna Kernan and bookouture for the digital ARC of the Adoption in exchange for my fair and honest opinions.
May 13, 2022
First, I want to thank Jenna Kernan, Bookouture and NetGalley for providing me with this book so I may bring you this review.
O.M.G. Jenna Kernan my mind can’t stop spinning from the events that unfolded in The Adoption! How in the world did you come up with that crazy, twisted, devious, mind boggling storyline that left me speechless multiple times?! It is just a brilliant storyline that is written totally out of the box! I loved it and couldn’t get enough of it!
One thing that I liked is that Jenna made her story present day by adding the aspects of the pandemic into the storyline. I feel that we will see more authors go this route.
The Adoption has so many powerful and intense layers to this storyline. Some very important issues are addressed that will have readers talking.
Jenna’s storylines will pull you emotionally and mentally in many different directions in The Adoption.
There were so many characters in this book that I had a love hate relationship with. One minute I would like them…and the next they would rub me the wrong way…so much so I would yell at my Kindle.
Out of all the characters in the book Dani I had a sweet spot for. My heart broke for everything she had gone through and was going through.
In the middle of the book I had an idea of just how the book would end. It just made sense. Ohh no she went a lot deeper than what I had pictured! It was an ending that was jaw dropping and left me totally speechless.
O.M.G. Jenna Kernan my mind can’t stop spinning from the events that unfolded in The Adoption! How in the world did you come up with that crazy, twisted, devious, mind boggling storyline that left me speechless multiple times?! It is just a brilliant storyline that is written totally out of the box! I loved it and couldn’t get enough of it!
One thing that I liked is that Jenna made her story present day by adding the aspects of the pandemic into the storyline. I feel that we will see more authors go this route.
The Adoption has so many powerful and intense layers to this storyline. Some very important issues are addressed that will have readers talking.
Jenna’s storylines will pull you emotionally and mentally in many different directions in The Adoption.
There were so many characters in this book that I had a love hate relationship with. One minute I would like them…and the next they would rub me the wrong way…so much so I would yell at my Kindle.
Out of all the characters in the book Dani I had a sweet spot for. My heart broke for everything she had gone through and was going through.
In the middle of the book I had an idea of just how the book would end. It just made sense. Ohh no she went a lot deeper than what I had pictured! It was an ending that was jaw dropping and left me totally speechless.
May 28, 2022
This book kept me on my toes as I tried over and over to figure out who was good, who was bad, was I imagining things or were the main characters just doing a number on my head?
Dani was the driver in a car crash that seriously injured her and her twin sister. Having spent time in rehab for depression after the accident, she is now home with her adored husband, Tate. The crash left her with the inability to recognize faces, and she is unable to conceive, as well. The trauma of coming home to an unfamiliar house that the couple purchased just prior to the accident, her confusion and inability to recognize even her own husband's face, and her inability to remember what made her crash the car, leave her upset and paranoid. Her only solace are the mutual texts and phone calls between her and her twin sister, who is recuperating elsewhere.
When Tate arranges a private adoption for them, she is overjoyed, but also very wary and confused. How did the adoption happen so quickly, and why is she suspicious of the circumstances surrounding it?
The story leads up to a brilliant ending that blew me away.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
5 stars
Dani was the driver in a car crash that seriously injured her and her twin sister. Having spent time in rehab for depression after the accident, she is now home with her adored husband, Tate. The crash left her with the inability to recognize faces, and she is unable to conceive, as well. The trauma of coming home to an unfamiliar house that the couple purchased just prior to the accident, her confusion and inability to recognize even her own husband's face, and her inability to remember what made her crash the car, leave her upset and paranoid. Her only solace are the mutual texts and phone calls between her and her twin sister, who is recuperating elsewhere.
When Tate arranges a private adoption for them, she is overjoyed, but also very wary and confused. How did the adoption happen so quickly, and why is she suspicious of the circumstances surrounding it?
The story leads up to a brilliant ending that blew me away.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
5 stars
April 22, 2022
Thank you Netgalley for an arc in exchange for my honest opinion. The Adoption is set to hit shelves on May 11!
First off, I love thrillers so when I saw this synopsis I figured that this would be the perfect book for me to enjoy, Unfortunately, I did not enjoy this book at all.
This is a very slow starting book and so repetitive that I was really turned off by this book. The immensely long chapters paired with the repetition really drove it home that I was going to struggle with this book. Due to this, I couldn't appreciate the twists because I never got a chance to connect with the characters. It almost felt like the author needed to hit a certain word count so she would add in extra random sentences.
I guess I'm not the reader for this book unfortunately but I'm sure other people may resonate better than I did.
First off, I love thrillers so when I saw this synopsis I figured that this would be the perfect book for me to enjoy, Unfortunately, I did not enjoy this book at all.
This is a very slow starting book and so repetitive that I was really turned off by this book. The immensely long chapters paired with the repetition really drove it home that I was going to struggle with this book. Due to this, I couldn't appreciate the twists because I never got a chance to connect with the characters. It almost felt like the author needed to hit a certain word count so she would add in extra random sentences.
I guess I'm not the reader for this book unfortunately but I'm sure other people may resonate better than I did.
August 4, 2022
This is a difficult book to review. It was mostly tedious with too much detail of everyday life and never ending wondering if our protagonist was really completely mentally ill or being made that way. However I did want very badly to find out what was going on so in that sense it was hard to put down. The ending was somewhat clever, but also somewhat of a disappointment. I am putting this one at three stars.
August 16, 2022
Wow. Heartbreaking and poignant and thrilling, this was such a beautiful, brilliant read. A strand out book, one of my absolute favourites of 2022.
Do read this one. Just wow .
Do read this one. Just wow .
May 10, 2022
This book cannot be taken seriously but all in all I really enjoyed it and just went with the flow. It was addictive and wanted to find out what happens. You do have to suspend believe but that is what a good book does for you - takes you away from everything.
It was one of those books which I had to finish in one setting to know what happened next.
I was given an advance copy by netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely my own.
It was one of those books which I had to finish in one setting to know what happened next.
I was given an advance copy by netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely my own.
April 22, 2022
Right away into this book I knew that it was going to be the type of thriller that really grabbed me. I always enjoy books where the main characters have any sort of brain injuries. Our main character in this book, Dani, has a very different brain injury where she can't identify faces. This type of disability seems so traumatic that I can't imagine having to live with this. Add this injury on top of now being unable to have children and Dani is racked with guilt, so she decides to try to adopt a child, since that will be their last chance to be the parents that she so desperately wants to be. When the couple unexpectedly get approved for adoption Dani is confused but her husband's joy and excitement take over and she becomes very excited. It isn't long however when she notices a woman watching her and her baby and she becomes a little rattled. It isn't until she wakes up one night and finds Willow missing that she starts to panic. She starts to do anything and everything to find her lost baby, and that is when the story really takes off as she starts to uncover what is really going on and what really happened with her accident. I really enjoyed this book the characters were very well written.
I also really enjoyed the fact that the main character suffered a traumatic brain injury because you don't see that too often in novels, or when you do, they are very much played out. This time, however, it wasn't all of who the main character was it was just a part of her which I thought was a nice change. There were so many twists in this story of all sorts and right when I thought I had it all figured out I would be thrown another curveball from the author. This book was just full of mystery on every
story line and each one was better than the last one. I loved how they all connected even though it didn't seem like they would at all in the beginning and I loved how you got to see this book as a third person perspective because it allowed the author to show you things that our impaired main character Dani, would not have been able to see. The story was amazing however I think it was the way that the characters were written that really hooked me as a reader. I'm so glad that I got the chance to check
out this novel, and this is one that you must read especially if you like books that deal with brain injuries. The ending of this book was amazing and everything I could have hoped for. If all of the rest of Jenna Kernan's books are even half as good as this one then she will be one to watch for sure and I can't wait to see what she comes out with next.
I also really enjoyed the fact that the main character suffered a traumatic brain injury because you don't see that too often in novels, or when you do, they are very much played out. This time, however, it wasn't all of who the main character was it was just a part of her which I thought was a nice change. There were so many twists in this story of all sorts and right when I thought I had it all figured out I would be thrown another curveball from the author. This book was just full of mystery on every
story line and each one was better than the last one. I loved how they all connected even though it didn't seem like they would at all in the beginning and I loved how you got to see this book as a third person perspective because it allowed the author to show you things that our impaired main character Dani, would not have been able to see. The story was amazing however I think it was the way that the characters were written that really hooked me as a reader. I'm so glad that I got the chance to check
out this novel, and this is one that you must read especially if you like books that deal with brain injuries. The ending of this book was amazing and everything I could have hoped for. If all of the rest of Jenna Kernan's books are even half as good as this one then she will be one to watch for sure and I can't wait to see what she comes out with next.
July 20, 2022
Jenna Kernan’s The Adoption is a chilling, unpredictable and terrifying tale about old sins, past mistakes and dangerous decisions full of jaw-dropping twists and turns that will leave readers breathless.
Dani and Tate seem like the perfect couple. Living in a gated Florida community, the couple’s life as close to idyllic as it is possible to get – except for a guilty secret from Dani’s past that has left her overburdened with shame, remorse and terror. One night, Dani had caused a terrible accident that had left her unable to have children. She cannot remember what had caused her to drive so recklessly, however, she has been trying to move on with her life and leave that terrifying night behind her. At long last, the baby she has yearned for for so long is about to placed into her arms with the arrival of her adopted child. But, Dani’s perfect life is about to be completely and utterly destroyed beyond repair.
Baby Willow is simply adorable and it’s no wonder that women in her gated community stop to coo over her in her stroller. However, one particular woman seems to be taking her interest in Willow too far. Dani thinks it’s her imagination playing tricks on her – until one night she goes into her daughter’s room and finds an empty crib! Where is Willow? Who has taken her? And will Dani ever manage to find her?
As long-buried memories from the night of the accident come rushing to the fore, Dani realizes that the people around her having been lying to her all along. Desperate to be reunited with her baby and with nobody she can trust, Dani realizes that the key to finding Willow is facing up to dark secrets from her past. But will the truth set her free? Or will it wreck everything she holds dear?
Jenna Kernan’s heart-stopping thriller is one twisty rollercoaster ride full of shocking secrets and revelations readers will not see coming. A nail-biting domestic drama that cleverly amps up the tension, terror and suspense, The Adoption is an addictive, creepy and chilling crime thriller perfect for Paula Hawkins and Shari Lapena fans!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Dani and Tate seem like the perfect couple. Living in a gated Florida community, the couple’s life as close to idyllic as it is possible to get – except for a guilty secret from Dani’s past that has left her overburdened with shame, remorse and terror. One night, Dani had caused a terrible accident that had left her unable to have children. She cannot remember what had caused her to drive so recklessly, however, she has been trying to move on with her life and leave that terrifying night behind her. At long last, the baby she has yearned for for so long is about to placed into her arms with the arrival of her adopted child. But, Dani’s perfect life is about to be completely and utterly destroyed beyond repair.
Baby Willow is simply adorable and it’s no wonder that women in her gated community stop to coo over her in her stroller. However, one particular woman seems to be taking her interest in Willow too far. Dani thinks it’s her imagination playing tricks on her – until one night she goes into her daughter’s room and finds an empty crib! Where is Willow? Who has taken her? And will Dani ever manage to find her?
As long-buried memories from the night of the accident come rushing to the fore, Dani realizes that the people around her having been lying to her all along. Desperate to be reunited with her baby and with nobody she can trust, Dani realizes that the key to finding Willow is facing up to dark secrets from her past. But will the truth set her free? Or will it wreck everything she holds dear?
Jenna Kernan’s heart-stopping thriller is one twisty rollercoaster ride full of shocking secrets and revelations readers will not see coming. A nail-biting domestic drama that cleverly amps up the tension, terror and suspense, The Adoption is an addictive, creepy and chilling crime thriller perfect for Paula Hawkins and Shari Lapena fans!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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