| Title | : | Not My Daughter |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 338 |
| Publication | : | First published May 2, 2019 |
Milly always dreamed of being a mother. Adopted herself, she has always imagined a powerful intimate connection with a child of her own. So when she and her husband Matt are told they can’t have children, her dreams are shattered.
But then their loved ones offer the ultimate gift – Milly’s best friend Anna and Matt’s brother Jack will be donors so that Milly can carry a child and finally have a chance to be a mother. And with everyone accepting and open, Milly believes that nothing could could go wrong.
Except none of the four people involved are prepared for the feelings that will threaten their most important relationships as their precious, longed-for daughter Alice grows up and receives a heartbreaking diagnosis.
Then those who love her best will have to decide what it means to be a parent, and to make decisions with far-reaching and devastating consequences… for Alice, and for themselves.
Not My Daughter Reviews
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Milly and Matt Foster planned to have a family, they have everything ready and the one thing missing is a baby. Being adopted Milly wanted to have an intimate connection with a child of her own, after a series of tests she finds out she has premature ovarian insufficiency and at thirty four she’s basically in early menopause.
Milly's shattered, her best friend Anna and Matt’s brother Jack offer to be donors, Milly becomes pregnant, they assume they have covered everything in the parenting agreement and Milly’s eagerly waiting for her baby to be born. The birth doesn’t go as planned, none of them are prepared for the roller coaster of emotions they will feel, for Milly she feels nothing and she doesn't even want to hold her baby girl.
Milly feels like a failure, she has what she's always wanted and when Anna steps into to help her look after baby Alice, it causes tension and the friendship ends. When Alice is four, Milly contacts Anna, a heartbreaking diagnosis brings the two friends together and young Alice has the love and support of the two most important women in her life.
Not My Daughter, is a story about infertility, post postpartum depression, and when a child receives a terrible medical diagnosis. The story will make you feel all kinds of emotions, happy, hopeful, sad and mad and you will need a box of tissues. I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and four stars from me. -
I received a free e-copy of Not My Daughter by Kate Hewitt from NetGalley for my honest review.
This is the first book I have read by Kate Hewitt. Amazing, emotional and heartfelt story.
Milly and Matthew are heartbroken when they find out that they they have fertility problems. Milly, who was adopted, has dreamed of having a child of her own. She talks to her best friend, Anna about the news. Anna then offers to donate her eggs so that Milly can have a child. She didn't even ask Anna, she just offered without hesitation. Milly then talks with Matt about it. Matt then goes to his brother, Jack and asks he he would donate his sperm.
Joy is suddenly all around as everyone has committed to help Milly and Matthew with their dream of having a child. Several months pass and Baby Alice is born prematurely. Milly is struggling with her emotions as she feels no maternal love for the baby. She decides to leave the baby with Anna and Matt while she goes off to find herself some rest, meditation and help to be the mother Alice needs.
Finally Milly feels well enough to go home but when she arrives she discovers she has a lot more things to deal with. A heart breaking emotional story of love, hope, friendship, lies and despair. -
Kate Hewitt has been one of my favorite authors ever since I read A Mother’s Goodbye which was one of my top read books of 2018. Hewitt continued to blow me away with one of her next release, The Secrets We Keep and again another one of my top reads of the year. Never could I have imagined that Hewitt would ever top A Mother’s Goodbye, but I was so wrong. Not My Daughter is THE book of the year! Hewitt just continues to surprise me and surpass all of my expectations with each new release and is one of those writers that pens an emotional and heartbreaking story that evokes every emotion out of you so expertly. Hewitt just knows all the right buttons to press to make me cry over and over again. Not My Daughter is one of those books that will stay with you for a long time to come.
Milly and Anne have been best friends since childhood. Not only were they best friends, they were more like sisters. So when Milly and her husband Matt receive the devastating news that Milly had a less than 1% chance of ever being able to conceive a child of her own, Anne steps up and offers to become an egg donor. This is what a best friend does afterall. Anne knows how much Milly wants a baby of her own and is determined to make her best friend’s dream come true. Only no one ever expected the heartache that would ensue.
Not My Daughter touches on a lot of subjects such as infertility, adoption, friendships, sickness, and even hope. The story is told in alternating points of view from Milly and Anne’s perspective and here is where the story really shines for me as I was able to relate and feel compassion both both of these women. I think every reader will be able to take something away from this story and apply it to their own life at some point. While, I might not be a mother, I can certainly feel empathy for Milly and Anne as both women have a story that is so heartbreaking and so real. I feel like I got to know both of them intimately which made the story seem all that much more real and honest.
This is not an easy read by any means, it is filled with heartache and grief and so much emotion that I could not stop myself from crying. Not My Daughter is a tear jerker and I don’t think I have ever cried as much as I have with another story like this one especially during the second half of the story. I was completely devastated and to be honest writing this review even has me teary eyed just remembering certain parts of this story.
Kate Hewitt writes multi layered and three dimensional characters that you can’t help but feel empathy and compassion for. Hewitt immerses you into Milly and Anne’s lives so thoroughly making me feel as if I know them both personally and intimately. For me, Hewitt has some of the best written characters in all of her stories and she really shines in character development. While Milly may not have always been my favorite and I may even found her to be selfish at times, I still felt so much sympathy for her as a wife and a mother going through one of the toughest things anyone could ever go through.
Not My Daughter is a heartbreaking and unputdownable story that is both compelling and touching. I read this all in one sitting and the closer I got to the end the more emotional I became because I never wanted the story to finish. To say this story is a five star read is an understatement. There are not enough stars in the world to show how much this book has touched me and for that reason alone Kate Hewitt will always be one of my favorite go-to authors. -
My Rating: 4.5 Stars
It was a decision made out of friendship, kindness and love. However, when Anna offers the gift of a lifetime to her best friend Milly, and her husband, there was no way to imagine the heartbreak that would follow. Milly was adopted as a child, and her one dream was to become a mother herself. After having years of problems conceiving, and then receiving the worst news of all, Anna offers her egg and Milly's brother-in-law Jack contributed his sperm. Now, Milly can finally have a child of her own.
This was the perfect opportunity and no one expected any problems. However, problems is what were experienced. First for Milly. Then for Anna. Everything that the friends had certainly came to a test. More than one actually. Not only do Milly and Anna experience agonizing trials, but the baby, Alice, as she grows into a young girl, is found to have a devastating condition.
During the pages of this book I felt an overwhelming sense of sadness. While Milly was preparing for the birth of her daughter, there were certainly many things that caused a lot of grief. For one thing, as mentioned, this strained her relationship with Anna. Then there were things about Milly's past that came to light that showed how deep her insecurity actually was. Furthermore, we learned about things that were very sad and heartbreaking that left no doubt as to what direction this book would eventually take. At not even 50% into this book, I felt very sad for both Anna and Milly.
I did actually have to put the book down because I had to stop and analyze everyone. I had to think about Milly, her parents, especially her mother. Then I had to worry about Anna and the imbalance of her relationship with Milly and how that as formed, even though they had been friends for quite a long time. Then there was Matt, Milly's husband, who had tried so hard to be supportive. I also began to feel very torn about Jack and his role in all of this and what type of things that might come up when the baby was born.
This sensitive book discusses infertility, IVF, postpartum depression and the diagnosis and outlook for little Alice. In the end, I felt rather torn by this story. In some ways this felt like a rather ethical read and was definitely a story of what if. Not My Daughter is the third book by Kate Hewitt that I have read. This story, like the others, is very effective and ran me through a gamut of emotions. I definitely look forward to continuing to read more books by this talented author.
Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion. -
This book made me cry, my heart is all wrenched out, my emotions are so raw that even breathing feels like a friction burn. The story depicted a situation in life where everyone was right, and everything was so wrong too.
Milly couldn't have a child due to early menopause that devastated and nearly destroyed her and husband Matt. So her best friend Anna offered to donate her egg for IVF, and Matt's brother Jack decided to give his sperm. The embryo was implanted into Milly, and child Alice ensued. Post Caesarian section, Milly had post partum depression due to which Anna stepped up and looked after Alice, who was genetically her own child and love enveloped her, she wanted Alice for herself. Things happened and she was banned from Matt, Milly, and Alice's lives. Till a devastating truth caused Milly to call Anna after 5 years.
Kate Hewitt was brilliant in this book, her writing pure magic. Every word was so poignant and so seeped in emotion that I couldn't help following her down the roads of darkness and pain. Then like the rising sun bringing the hope of a brighter tomorrow, Kate brought me to the crossroads of life where there was not only pain but hope and joy at the little things that we should be thankful for. The characters were etched from the depths of the author's heart, they were real, they were true and oh so honest with their emotions. The feelings they evoked in me caused me to write this review with a film of tears.
The chapters were short absolute perfect while reading, each line left me with the anticipation to know more. The story kept me hooked to it from beginning to end, and I think Kate Hewitt is my most favorite author, even when she made me cry, especially since she made me cry.
The entire afternoon, I could not help but fall into the magical world of the author, the plot arc was a dark truth, but every letter inscribed on paper, was carved into my heart. It had the power to drag me from the reality of my life. One cannot help but long to hug and thank such an author. -
I knew this wasn’t going to be an easy read when I picked it up. Not in the sense that it wouldn’t grip me as it did. I read it in one afternoon as it was so compelling. It is more in the sense that I knew that it was going to be emotional, and boy was it that.
The story alternates between Milly and Anna who have been close friends since they were children. I’m sure many of us would do anything for their best friend. Like Anna, I think if I could give my best friend the chance of motherhood, I would do it in a heart beat. I don’t think either friend realises though how much heartbreak this would bring.
My heart went out to both of these women. More so for Milly and Matt though when they get the diagnosis on what’s wrong with their daughter and that’s when the tears started. I’m an emotional person anyway but boy did this story grab me by the heart and put it through the wringer. I’m not sure if I have ever been in such floods of tears reading a story before but this one really got under my skin. You don’t have to be a parent to feel the characters anguish and pain.
This is a story that covers so many different issues that no doubt affects more than a few of us. It’s also about how we face up to them.
Not My Daughter is an emotive roller coaster of a read. I’m sure I felt my heart literally break a couple of times in the story. Definitely one that will stay with me for a long time to come as Milly, Anna and Alice made a huge impact on me and that is thanks to the authors wonderful writing. Make sure to have a box of tissues on stand by!
My thanks to NetGalley and Bookuture for an advanced readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway. -
*thank you to Netgalley, Kate Hewitt and Bookouture for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
4 stars.
There is only one word to describe this. Heartbreaking. It is such a strong emotional read that you really need to be prepared for before you begin because it's really going to put your feelings on a rollercoaster. An excellent read. -
I love this author's books and this one was just beautiful! An incredible, moving, heartfelt story that took me on an emotional journey alongside the characters. Love, in all its forms is explored so delicately and sensitively in this beautiful book. A story that makes you think, to care, to bleed, Amazing and very highly recommended.
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Milly can't have children and its devastating to both her and her husband who only wanted to be parents,
so as a last ditch effort she decides to go the route of a surrogate, but where to start and who will she pick. Much to Milly's surprise, after hearing about what is happening, her best friend Anna, decides to step up and take on that major position for her. Thing's couldn't be better Milly gets the child she's always dreamed of and with her brother in law donating as well the child is almost biologically theirs as well, Things couldn't go wrong, or can then? I really enjoyed this story because its not something that is written about in most literature, surrogacy. The only thing I didn't like about this story was the point of view change with each chapter. I understand why it was written that way, to give the reader inside on both sides of the situation however it was a little confusing and jarring sometimes. On the other hand however the beautifully written story and the characters made the chance of views a little easier to take. I really enjoyed all of the main characters however I think that my favourite one would have to be Milly. I just really connected to her and the way that she was written made her, her friends, and her situation so realistic. This book was great and I would highly suggest it to anyone else. While this is the first book I've ever read by Kate Hewitt after the intense roller coaster ride of emotions this one put me on it sure won't be my last. -
I have mixed feelings about this book. I think I would give it 2.5 stars. It wasn't my favorite book. I think it was the characters. I didn't love them and never felt like I really knew them. Milly and Anna's friendship seemed one-sided. Everything was always about Milly. Anna could have spoken up. She decided to keep what happened to her a secret from Milly, although she found it easy to share it with two men she hardly knew. Matt and Milly pretty much dumped their newborn baby on their friend. I understand Milly was suffering from postpartum depression but Matt had no excuse. Anna did go to the extreme but she was put in an awkward position. From the moment Matt and Milly decided to use Anna's egg , I just knew it wouldn't end well. I'm still not sure why Matt refused to use his sperm. His reasonings sounded ridiculous. Anna was a wonderful friend to Milly. Whenever Milly needed her, Anna was always there. Lara was definitely the worst HR person.
I recommend giving the book a try, especially if you are a fan of the author's previous book. This just happened to not be the book for me. I look forward to reading more books by the author.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bookouture through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. -
Milly and Anna are close friends and when Milly discovers that she cannot have children she is devastated. Milly was adopted and has always wanted a family of her own, Anna has no hesitation in offering to donate her eggs and Milly’s brother in law the sperm. Milly doesn’t have an easy pregnancy and baby Alice is born prematurely by Caesarian section. Milly then suffers from post partnum depression and cannot bond with Alice. She turns to Anna for help in looking after Alice but when Milly feels that Anna is getting too close to Alice she cuts her out of their lives. Five years later she gets some devastating news that sees he calling on Anna once again. This incredibly moving book is told in alternate chapters by Milly and Anna and is totally enthralling and heartbreaking and impossible to put down. A brilliant read.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book. -
Sometimes a review does not need to be long. After reading this book I am gobsmacked, blown away and totally lost for words.
When (not if) you start this book, I am sure your will share my feelings and I suggest you keep the tissues handy.
My heart broke about a dozen times, but the author always found a way to mend it again.
In my opinion, this story deserves a thousand stars and more.
Thank you, Kate Hewitt, Bookouture and Netgalley.
https://bforbookreview.wordpress.com -
Milly has always known that she was adopted, and that a family doesn't necessarily has to biologically related. Milly also knows that she wants three children with her husband, Matt. They've got the perfect house to raise a family... But sadly, Milly is unable to ever have children of her own.
So imagine her dream coming true thanks to the generosity of her best friend Anna and brother in law Luke. Milly spends her pregnancy in a bubble of happiness and positivity, envisioning the perfect future.
But the arrival of Alice also brings the beginning of everything going wrong. Milly sadly suffers from postnatal depression, which also leads to the breakdown of her friendship with Anna. For the next five years, the pair are estranged.
Until little Alice is diagnosed with a terminal disease. With this shocking and very sad news, can the past be forgiven and forgotten in order to make this little girl's time left meaningful? In the end, these four parents only want the best for their daughter.
Why do I do this to myself? Find a book that's about a terminally ill child, knowing that it's going to break my heart, and still read it?
Because I've managed to hold back the tears whilst reading Not My Daughter. For me, the stand out character is Anna. There is no doubt that Anna, being the biological mother is fighting that maternal urge to nurture Alice. And it's totally understandable, given what you learn about her troubled past.
Kate Hewitt is a new to me author. Seeing that Not My Daughter gave me all the feels, I'm looking forward to more. Even if I really should avoid these potential tear jerkers.
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟/5 -
I enjoyed this story that revolves around the pitfalls of IVF. This one is heartbreaking but very true to life. I found myself really understanding the two different points of view and being sympathetic to both.
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Similar to a Jodi Piccoult book with a moral decision made concerning donors for IVH and the ramifications of those decisions. It is a heartbreaking book, but I found myself waxing and waning on if I could finish it. The last half was stronger. Would I recommend this book to a friend? Jury is still out!
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Milly, age 34, and her husband, Matt, have long been trying to have a baby. The doctor now tells them that Milly has a type of premature menopause which eliminates any hope of her conceiving. Heartbroken by the news, she knows that although being adopted herself, she just does not want to adopt a child, but wants to bear her own.
Anna is Milly’s best friend and has been Milly’s support through her long struggle to get pregnant. They have been friends for many years and for that reason, Anna offers to donate an egg to Milly. After much consideration, they all agree. Matt chooses not to be the sperm door, so his brother Jack volunteers.
Soon Milly delivers a cute baby girl that looks just like Anna. They name her Alice. But Milly is hit with a bad case of prenatal depression and Anna steps in to care for Alice until Milly gets better. Anna soon bonds and can’t help but want to keep Alice for herself. But Milly and Matt soon send their good friend packing.
After some years pass, Alice becomes an adorable little 4-year-old girl but then some devastating medical news about her sends all of them spiraling.
I don’t want to add any more due to spoilers. However, I have to say that this is by far the most depressing book I have ever read. All of the events that happen are depressing! Yikes. Sorry, but not my cup of tea.
Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. -
Interesting story, but I could not stand Milly. I understand that she has to focus on her own family and their needs when Alice gets sick, but before she was even pregnant, Milly was so selfish and a terrible friend that I didn't really understand why Anna put up with her. I guess maybe they had so much history that it was hard to dump her as a friend?
Also, I am annoyed at the summary of the book because it gives a lot away. Milly doesn't even have Alice until halfway through the book and Alice's sickness does not show up until more than halfway through the book. Why have that plot point in the summary if it shows up much later? -
This book seemed to be a cross between a Hallmark channel movie and a medical TV series. Some people will like this but it wasn’t for me. -
I loved the synopsis of this book, so when I saw it available on NetGalley and couldn't wait to ask Bookouture if I could read and review it and was pleased when I was approved.
The story behind Not My Daughter by Kate Hewitt is this: Milly and Matthew are bummed when they discover they are having fertility problems. Because Milly was adopted, she has always dreamed of having a child of her own. As Milly is talking with her best friend, Anna about the news, without being asked at all, Anna offers to donate her eggs for IVF so that Milly can have the child of her dreams. Afterwards, Milly talks with Matt about it and then Matt goes to his brother, Jack and asks him to donate his sperm. Everyone around becomes super excited and committed to helping Milly and Matthew with their dream of having a child.
The embryo is implanted into Milly, and Baby Alice is born prematurely. Milly has issues developing maternal instincts toward the infant. She leaves the baby with Anna and Matt and goes off to find rest, meditation and help so that she can be the mother that baby Alice needs and deserves. When Milly feels well enough to return home, she realizes there's a lot more to deal with than she thought.
I loved the alternative points of view in the chapters -- it was really nice to get insight into both Anna and Milly's perspectives of the situation. I also loved how the complexities of the situation weren't glossed over or left vague as they can be sometimes. Not My Daughter is a heart breaking emotional story of love, hope, friendship, lies and despair, but most of all, I loved the ending.
I was provided with a complimentary electronic advanced reader copy of this book from Boukouture through NetGalley in exchange for my post. I was not required to post a positive review, but have chosen to do so because it was such a great book! -
I’ve read books by this author before and they have all been powerful and emotional reads, and this one was no exception! Millie and Matt are unable to have children of their own but when Millie’s best friend and Matt’s brother offer themselves as donors so Millie can have her own child, their dream of being parents may finally become a reality.
Just by reading the description I knew this was going to be a bit of a weepy! The story grips you from the beginning and you get into the hearts of the characters straight away. The story switches between Millie and her best friend, Anna, and as their story moves on you realise just how deep their friendship is.
The story takes a different direction when a shock diagnosis is made and it’s at this point in the book where I reached for the tissues as the tears started to flow. The characters are all so realistic, you can’t help but feel their emotions and their pain as they all begin to process what that have been told and the decisions that they have to make.
There are a range of topics covered in this book and, to be honest, none of them are particularly ‘easy reading’! Some may find it difficult to read such things about infertility, egg donation and post-natal depression, so a word of warning if this is a trigger. It has though all been written sensitively and with compassion and understanding.
This book certainly takes you through a rollercoaster of emotions ranging from the heart-breaking sadness to the love that only family and friends can bring. Would definitely recommend, but be prepared for tears! -
Wow, the second part of this title alone warned me, so I knew it was coming, yet I still cried. It definitely is a tear-jerker. Actually, it’s not. It’s a lot more dramatic than a tear-jerker, it is a down and out sobbing worthy story. I became emotionally attached to these characters early on and I felt their emotions throughout their journey; I felt elation, sadness, grief, anguish, excitement, hope, confusion, hurt, anger, depression, love. Then I felt all of them all over again. Not My Daughter tells a story of a woman who wants nothing more than to be a mom, but fate has a different plan. Not to be told no, Millie decides to go forth with a plan that will help her achieve her ultimate dream. Was the result because she played with fate, with the future? Should she have left it alone and be motherless? So many questions ran through my mind but then I “met” Alice. I can see her blonde ringlet curls, her big joyous smile, her laid back and happy personality towards life... How can you question anything that helped bring her to life? How can you try to provide answers or reasons behind what is to come? You read the book and you, too, will have the same questions.
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Such a sad and hauntingly beautiful book...
I have read Kate Hewitt Harlequin Presents series. So I was surprised to see that she had written regular fiction novels. Not My Daughter is about two best friends that would do anything for each other but not realizing it might end a beautiful friendship. Milly and Anna have been friends since elementary school. When Milly finds out she can’t have a child the normal way and IVF is the only way, Anna offers to help Milly and her husband Matt. Of course nothing goes the way it is supposed to and they both end up hurt. I recommend having tissues handy for this enjoyable sad book. -
Excellent book, full of issues most of us wouldn't give thought to.
Made me cry at the end, but it's beautifully written, and well worth the read. -
Tears and joy
Tears of love, of dislike, tears of happiness and of sorrow, tears of forgiveness..
My heart is warmed, and broken.....
A must-read. -
I couldn't put it down, such a good book
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Wonderfully written and left me with a few tears. Beautiful book!
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Well, not what I expected at all. I was drawn to the book due to its content regarding adoption and surrogacy. What I found out was it was going to be much more. I became invested in the characters. Has all the feels, dynamic friend relationships, and heartbreak with a twist.
A good read. -
So many emotions. This book was awesome. It had awesome characters and the parts they played. It shows what some people have to go through. This is the first time I have read this author. I will explore her books further.
