This is a really good read, as long as you are okay suspending belief. Too many elements of the story were glossed over in order to 'make it work', but of course in real life it would never happen as it plays out in the book.

Sarah Walker is not your typical kidnapper...

While traveling for her successful business, Sarah sees Emma, the beautiful gray-eyed child who seems like a forgotten piece of luggage to her mother and father. When Sarah has a second encounter with Emma and sees the continued neglect she is subjected to, she makes a rash decision and takes her. Takes her away from the only family she knows, into a life where she can be nurtured and loved.

Amy Townsend is not your typical loving mother...

She hates everything about her life. Anger bubbles just below the surface and it doesn't take much to make it rise and explode. Emma bears the brunt of this anger. Every day Amy thinks she will be a better mother, and every day she fails.

Then Emma is gone, and Amy has to face the fact that she's more worried about what will be uncovered about her parenting skills over the welfare of her daughter. She's not even sure if she wants Emma back if she is found.

While I hated Amy's character and all that she stood for, she is actually the glue that held this book together for me. I think Frey did an outstanding job of exposing the dark inner thoughts of this woman and her struggles to come to terms with who she is...even if it's at the expense of her daughter.

The ending was a bit too pat for me, but overall this is a great piece of fiction that I highly recommend.

ARC provided by NetGalley

What motivates people to hurt children? Rea Frey gets up close and personal with this question in a story about a woman who impulsively kidnaps a 5-year-old girl. Sarah is the kidnapper--reeling from a break-up and with memories of her own childhood with a mother who didn't want her, she impulsively snatches a girl whom she believes is being abused. Amy is the mother--overweight, trapped in a suffocating marriage with children she didn't want and trying to balance taking care of kids with a full-time job, she's sleep-deprived and permanently stressed. After Sarah takes the girl, Emma, the story alternates between Sarah's attempts to get away with kidnapping and Amy dealing with the aftermath, in a legal system that always looks at the parents first. Author Frey also shows us the back story of what happened to these women before the kidnapping. With Sarah's tale being told in first person while Amy is in third, the story is more geared toward Sarah, and she comes across as more three-dimensional than Amy does. Emma is a completely different child depending on which woman she is with, a truth many parents will identify with.

Not Her Daughter is a story of love, hate, and deceit. Told from the perspective of the mother and the kidnapper, this story is every mother's worst nightmare. Five year old Emma, a beautiful little girl with big grey eyes and a bright red bow, goes missing from her family home one evening after a confrontation with her mother. Confrontations are not uncommon between Amy and Emma, as Amy takes her own insecurities out on her innocent daughter. Already in an unhealthy marriage, Amy and her husband Robert do everything in their power to find their daughter and bring her home safely, all while emotionally beating one another down.

Meanwhile, little Emma, stolen by single woman, Sarah, is blossoming like a little flower. Missing out on the special bond between mother and daughter as a child, Sarah feels a void being filled through her new relationship with Emma. Emma feels love and what it means to be a child for the first time. Will Sarah return Emma home? Will Emma want to go home? Does Amy want Emma to come home?

I struggled right from the beginning with this story. I was excited for the suspense and the concept of the story was something I would normally gravitate towards, however, this one fell flat for me. The dialogue didn't ring true and though the author did a decent job developing the characters, I just couldn't quite connect, and kept finding myself posing the question, "would this really happen?"

The ending didn't get much better, and without giving away any spoilers, I really struggle to believe this is a believable ending. This story was one I can appreciate, but also don't foresee myself picking up and reading again.

Not Her Daughter is an emotionally gripping tale that explores parenting, child abduction, love, and loss.

I really enjoyed Rea Frey's writing style... she easily grips her readers with an emotional story that leaves you hanging on until the end!

Sarah is still heartbroken from her break up with former boyfriend Ethan. Sarah throws herself into her job to help ease the pain of the breakup. She travels frequently for her job and one day she sees a family with a little girl in the airport. Sarah quickly feels for Emma as she sees her mother Amy dragging and pulling her through the airport.

Amy on the other hand... is a mother that loses her patience very easily with her daughter Emma. Emma and Amy have a very strained relationship.... with Amy losing her temper very frequently.

One day... Emma disappears without a trace... and the story unfolds with a dark yet beautiful emotional voice from Rea.

I loved how the story alternated between Amy and Sarah's POV with "before", "during", and "after" Emma's disappearance/kidnapping.

This was a gripping thriller that I really enjoyed. There were some aspects that were a tad bit unbelievable especially at the end.

Characterization was strong in this novel. Rea did an amazing job portraying motherhood and the different struggles of being a mother from Amy's point of view and Sarah's.

The story flows beautifully and the characters are interwoven beautifully through the lens of her readers.

This is definitely an author to put on your radar and am looking forward to seeing what Rea comes out with next! :)

Thank you so much Jordan, St. Martin's Press, and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest review.

4 strong stars!

Publication date: 8/21/18
Published to GR: 7/8/18.

Rea Frey didn't write your typical kidnapping suspense book, it's more complex and tests your ethics. Would you kidnap a child if you believed you were helping them, is it wrong to do so if you're offering a better way of life?

I couldn't put this book down, it has moments that make you cringe, cry and your heart race. Following the lives of Sarah the kidnapper, the tumultuous relationship she had with her mother that brought her to take Emma for the betterment of Emma's life. Amy, Emma's selfish horrid mom that you love to hate and then REALLY hate as the book moves along.

Not Her Daughter will have you questioning what would you do if presented the same situation/opportunity.

(I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for making it available.)

This one pulled at my heart strings for sure!. Completely understand why sarah did what she did, did it in the wrong way possibly but I understand. Makes you wonder what you would do in the same situation. Now as for Amy.....i was disgusted at her attitude with the whole situation. One character that is easy to hate!. All.in all I thought it was a brilliant book! 5 stars for sure!

I liked the book blurb & layout (During, Before, After), but I didn't care for the storytelling itself. It felt rushed and choppy. It didn't quite have the flow I was hoping for or am used to.

Thank you Netgalley & St. Martin's Press for my copy.

This book was amazing. It is sectioned into before and after segments the after is when our main character Sarah has kidnapped a young girl of five named Emma from her abusive mother Amy. Amy doesn't mean to be abusive however sometimes she just snaps. Her life isn't going as she wanted it to, her relationship with her husband is rocky and she never wanted to be a mother in the first place. Feeling overwhelmed at the best of times she sometimes snaps and ends up taking her frustrations out on her five year old daughter Emma. The before is tales from Sarah's own abusive childhood and what led her to take drastic actions in regards to what she witnessed with Emma. I found the characters in this book really interesting. I really felt for Sarah's character having to witness such terrible things happening to this poor child. I understand how this would be a terrible thing to witness and how it would take everything in you not to just snap on the poor woman however I believe that she should have taken another approach. Even though I disagreed with everything Sarah did she was my favourite character in the story. Smart, compassionate and impulsive. I liked how she took action even though it was the wrong thing to do at the time. Another thing that I really liked about this book was it gave two different perspectives on what was happening to two very important characters. It gave you behind the scenes information that changed how you saw the situation of the kidnapping (not that it is ever a good thing.) I never expected to side with a kidnapper, but that just shows how great a job that Rea Frey did at making her characters they were amazing and very intriguing. While I've read many kidnapping books there has never been one that was written to this level of style. Every chapter had me wondering what was happening and siding with/ yelling at the characters and their decisions. I couldn't read this book fast enough and at the same time I never wanted it to end. Great book, everyone should pick this book up when it comes out. The only thing I didn't like was the ending I thought that it was a little rushed for the rest of the story. Besides that little point I loved this one.

4/5 Stars.

This is a story told from the viewpoint of the kidnapper (Sarah). Sarah sees a young girl (Emma, 5) at the airport being abused by her mother (Amy) and it really resonated with her. Due to Sarah's career in children's learning kits, she finds Emma again at a school and quickly learns where she lives with her family and sees more abuse. That is when she decides to kidnap her. In her mind, it was to save her.

Through flashbacks we are told the history of Sarah and her toxic relationship with her own mother and are shown flashbacks of Amy and her history and why she is such a bad mother.

The story goes back and forth between Sarah and Amy during the time before the kidnapping and during. It paints the picture of how happy Emma is to be with Sarah and how happy the mother is to be without her.

This story was so good and even though I usually don't like flashbacks in stories as they can get confusing if not done properly, this one wasn't like that. The flashbacks helped this story and were done well. My problem with this book is that ending. I feel like it was poorly done as it was just wrapped up so fast. I am having a hard time believing that Sarah could just call Amy and say her daughter was safe and asked if she could keep her and Amy saying yes. What about the police searching for her? Emma's father and rest of the family? I understand that Amy doesn't care, but throughout the book we are lead to believe that the father does love her and wants nothing more than to find her. This ending made this book drop to a four star from a five for me.

Overall, I would recommend this to anyone YA and up (adult book).

I was riveted from the very start. My stomach hurt for Emma, as she was subjected to repeated abuse. When she was kidnapped, I felt terribly for her family, even if they were not good parents. I was utterly torn. Root for Sarah, Emma’s kidnapper, and hope she isn’t caught or pray that she is returned to her parents, because they are her parents. This was a page turner. The ending was unexpected, but I wish last pages were better developed.

See my review at goodreads.com

Unfortunately, I found this book to be slow and not relatable, so I am unable to finish it. However, I think the slow build will be a hit with many readers. I do think that the plot will also be interesting for lots of people, and they will be caught up in this whirlwind kidnapping.

Not Her Daughter by Rea Frey is not for me. I could not relate to the characters or to the storyline. Not at all believable. I did like how the book was split into before, during and after the kidnapping, but that was about all I liked. Thank you St. Martin Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read the Arc and give my opinion.

Literally couldn’t put this book down. Devoured it in just 24 hours. Engaging story that goes back and forth between different points of view. Glued to the book until the last page. The ending didn’t let me down. Will definitely read additional books by this author.

This was a wonderful book. Emma is a 5 year old at odds with her mother, who has no patience for her and is always bruising her.

Sarah first sees Emma at an airport and observes the mother daughter interactions specifically how Emma's mother treats her.


Emma has a red dress and a red bow in her hair which is something that imprints on Sarah's mind.


Several months later she happens to view photos a co worker took of children at a Montessori school and sees that Ema was one of the children. She doesn't remember seeing her but she remembers a child screaming.

Sarah's mother abandoned her her when she was 8 so she empathizes with Emma's relationship with her mother.

Sarah returns to the school where Emma was, initially to observe her and determine if she is in danger.

She goes to her home also and watches nearby and observes how Emma is left alone in her backyard which backs to the woods and has no enclosed fence. She observes Emma's mother slapping her.

For some time Emma is left alone in the yard in the gradual darkness of the evening with no one coming out to get her.


We learn that Emma's mother has locked the doors to the house. a fact that is unknow to her husband.

Both parents fall asleep and 3 hours later Emma's mother wakes up and realizes that Emma is missing.


Sarah has entered the yard in the meantime and persuades Emma to go with her.

She and Emma travel around the country during the summer and Emma bonds with Sara and grows stronger and healthier.. Sarah dyes her harr and cuts it and does the same for Emma in hopes that no one will recognize Emma.

After a neighbor informs the police as to what she observed in Emma's backyard the night Emma went missing her mother becomes the prime suspect in her disappearance..


After Sarah and Emma are spotted a few times in their travels Emma calls the hotline and provides them with false information hoping to throw the investigators off their trail.


Sarah takes Emma home after a few months but Emma doesn't want to return home she wants to stay with Sarah.

Sarah calls Emma's mother to tell her she has Emma and that she is being well taken care of and is happy. She tells her that she brought Emma home but Emma doesn't want to go home and Sarah askes Emma's mother if she can keep Emma. Emma's mother agrees without asking if she can have contact with Emma or at least be kept updated on her.


I was prepared to hate Sarah for kidnapping Emma, but as I read further in the book I realized it wasn't a case of kidnapping but a case of rescuing Emma from a harmful environment. She only wants to give Emma a good life and have a change at being loved.

I can't wait for this to be published so that I can recommend it to my book club. This was a nice break from all the thrillers that I have been reading lately.

I'm still trying the words to describe this book. How far does someone go to make sure that they feel history does not repear its self. It's made me look at people differently and realizing that not everything is what it seems.

"Not Her Daughter" is a book I could not put down. I wanted to know the outcome of Emma, Sarah and Amy's lives. It was a wonderful portrayal of family - the dysfunctional family and also what a loving family can look like. I was a bit disappointed in the final chapter, as I feel the ending was rushed. Otherwise, I would recommend this book to anyone wanting a quick engaging read. Thank you, Netgalley!

WOW!! This book was something else!! When one’s child is abducted, it’s got to be the scariest thing ever!! If there is such a thing as a perfect kidnapping, I think this was it. And the scary thing is … this stuff goes on EVERY SINGLE DAY throughout the world I am sure. This book kept me on the edge of my seat till the end. And then the ending – I did not see that one coming!! Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Sarah, a single 30 something who owns and runs her own educational resource business is struck by Emma, a beautiful, sad, often scared 5 year-old when they cross paths in an airport. Months later, Sarah runs into Emma again and knows this is a chance to make a difference in her life. Haunted by her own memories of an angry and distant mother, Sarah strives to give Emma the type of childhood she never had herself. The only catch is she must get Emma away from her current family, breaking the law and sending off a country-wide manhunt for the kidnapper.

Sarah and Amy, the mother, are both credible women; however I never really felt emotionally attached to either. I saw WHY they made the choices they did, but I wasn't invested in them like I thought I would be. Emma, on the other hand, stole my heart and towards the end, I found myself really rooting for her to find a happy ending for herself.

Sarah and Emma go off on a cross-country adventure to stay hidden from the authorities. One major problem presented itself when Sarah's ex, Ethan, showed up at the cabin she was hiding in and threatened to tell the authorities. The problem compounded when he didn't wait the 48 hours he said he would but instead called it in much sooner. Sarah has a few close calls with law enforcement and tipsters phoning in to the hotline.

I liked the book, but I didn't love it. I expected there to be more of a scene when Sarah faced her own mother or more in the way of follow-up since that relationship seemed paramount to her decision to take Emma. I would recommend this book but with the caveat that they might not love it. I wonder if I would feel differently if I either had given birth to a child or had some mother relationship issues like the two main characters.

Also, as a side note, if I were a public librarian, I would very likely purchase this book; however as an elementary school librarian it is not relevant to my collection.

Now that was quite the ending! I seriously need someone to read this just so we can talk about it. The book opens with Emma being abducted and continues on with the perspectives from the mother and the kidnapper. The author manages to create enough backstory to understand what the kidnapper was thinking and oddly enough because of that I couldn't dislike the woman if I tried. I don't really know what else to say, but really that ending...

What would you do if you saw what you thought to be abuse to a child by a parent in a very public place? Sarah was faced with just this decision. In an airport, at multiple locations inside, Sarah witnessed a mother - distraught, tired and angry - taking out her aggression on this beautiful innocent five year-old girl.

This incident never leaves Sarah's memory and when she unexpectedly comes upon this little girl, she knows she needs to help. Careful examination of the situation to ensure that this little girl's parent was not just having a bad day, leads Sarah to the realization that this indeed is how this family lives. She needs to act. NOW.

Convincing little five year-old Emma to come along with Sarah is easy. The two of them begin their escape.

Amy, the mother of Emma, is a very unhappy lady. Nothing in life has gone the way she would like. Her job is not what she wanted, her husband doesn't live up to her expectations, her body is not at all as she pictured and finally her daughter is impossible to connect with. Finding out that Emma is gone at first is shocking, but as she begins to live with it, becomes almost a relief.

The police are working every angle to find and bring Emma back to the family. Is this what is best? Sarah doesn't think so. Emma doesn't think so. Amy doesn't think so.

A good solid story with a few twists that are unexpected and almost heart wrenching. A good read!