Playing Nice by J.P. Delaney

☆☆☆☆☆
ebook, 334 pages
Expected publication: July 28th 2020 by Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine
About the Book:
Pete Riley answers the door one morning and lets in a parent’s worst nightmare. On his doorstep is Miles Lambert, a stranger who breaks the devastating news that Pete’s son, Theo, isn’t actually his son—he is the Lamberts’, switched at birth by an understaffed hospital while their real son was sent home with Miles and his wife, Lucy. For Pete, his partner Maddie, and the little boy they’ve been raising for the past two years, life will never be the same again. The two families, reeling from the shock, take comfort in shared good intentions, eagerly entwining their very different lives in the hope of becoming one unconventional modern family. But a plan to sue the hospital triggers an official investigation that unearths some disturbing questions about the night their children were switched. How much can they trust the other parents—or even each other? What secrets are hidden behind the Lamberts’ glossy front door? Stretched to the breaking point, Pete and Maddie discover they will each stop at nothing to keep their family safe. They are done playing nice.

People said it took a village to raise a child, but I didn’t even have a cul-de-sac.

J.P. Delaney never ceases to amaze me. Her ability to get inside the head of the reader is amazing. This book follows the tale of a switched at birth scenario. There are two points of view in this book, Pete and Maddie. They are the parents of the now healthy Theo. This story is so believable, you can almost feel the emotions of both sets of parents.

This story-line is a bold undertaking, and the tale is compelling. It draws you in and moves quickly, but the quickness doesn't sacrifice details that make the characters feel real or the impact of the events. We feel the hurt, betrayal, longing, and disbelief while fully immersing in the aftermath.

If you're anything like me and enjoy a good story that truly pushes you to the edge of your seat in suspense where you literally can't turn the pages fast enough then you need to experience Playing Nice. In my opinion the characters are well developed and you will feel different emotions toward them in each chapter. I think the author did a great job with this book. It made me cringe in parts where it felt so realistic.

Thank you NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and the talented JP Delaney for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an impartial review; all opinions are my own.

#PlayingNice #NetGalley