Holy heck!!! JP Delaney has blown me away with Playing Nice!! Absolute edge of your seat read!! I found the premise extremely thought provoking- this is a novel that even when your not reading it, you’re still thinking about it!! I was so hooked on this novel the I found myself dreaming about and ultimately waking up at the crack of dawn so I could finish it!! I have come to learn JP Delaney writes extremely original and unique novels that leave a lasting impression!! 5 huge stars!!!

This book will keep you up, because you'll need to know what happens. Two women give birth prematurely, and their infants are rushed to the hospital NICU. The babies recover but 2 years later, one family gets visited by the other father who insists that their son is really his son, and the son he is raising is theirs. The couples try to work it out among themselves, but you know that's not going to work out well...

The story opens with Miles Lambert ringing the doorbell at the home of Pete Riley and his partner Maddie. Miles and his wife Lucy have come to advise that the child that Pete and Maddie brought home from the hospital two years ago is not their son since he was switched at birth with Miles and Lucy's son. An attention getter if there ever was one. After the shock settles the couples decide to settle who gets which child in a fair and calm manner. But that is not the way things go in a novel that touches on two very important topics. First, the intervention of government organizations that are overworked and simply do not have the time to fully investigate instances of child neglect, and whether or not a child should be taken from the birth parents. Second can strains of violence be passed from parents to their children?
The book is set in England so that it is the British government agencies that are cited. But it is obviously universal in description of the pressure placed on these agencies and their possible responses to people caught up in the bureaucracy involved in adjudicating custody cases. The same story could definitely take place in any country in the world.
The second question of the possibility of psychopathy being passed down comprises the gist of the story and the pressures being put on the two couples to "play nice" while the situation is resolved and custody rights established. The author has set up an extremely engrossing story surrounding a birth mix up that normally does not occur due to excellent controls utilized by most institutions that house women giving birth. The solution, when it comes is a logical one and as suggested by the title is one taken outside of the legal since playing nice did not work.
There is no way to put the book aside once begun and Mr Delaney (a pen name) continues his reputation of coming up with fascinating and different ideas for his stories. Read this one and just keep looking for the next one!

I'm a big fan of JP Delaney and loved this latest novel! An interesting premise that has not been repeatedly done in modern literature.

YES, yes, yes! Dang this book hit it out of the ballpark. I mean wow, at first I didn’t know if I was going to really like it but oh my goodness the suspense y’all... dive on in. You’ll love it!

QUICK TAKE: I absolutely loved this twisted thriller about two couples who accidentally switched babies at birth. Super dark and captivating and hard not to put yourself in the characters' shoes as to what you would do in a similar situation. the ending is a little quiet, but overall I really enjoyed this one...probably my favorite of JP Delaney's.

What would you do if you found out that your child had been switched at birth? What if the son you always thought was yours has a father who is a psychopath? JP Delaney answers these question in PLAYING NICE. A truly creepy tale that examines the bonds of parenthood and marriage when both are under threat. Definitely a page turner.

Thank you to #netgalley and #randomhouse for the complimentary ARC for an unbiased review.

4 stars

This is the first book I've read by JP Delaney but will not be my last. What a roller coaster! Quick premise overview: 2 babies are switched in NICU (intensive care) and Peter and Maddie find out when their son is 2 years old. The biological parents of Theo- Miles and Lucy have Pete and Maddie's biological son who suffered from developmental delays.

Miles tells Peter and Maddie about the baby switch, the couples become friends and try to make the best out of the situation, and then Miles completely changes.....

As a Mom who has lived the last few years in family court over custody issues, this book really grabbed me. Family court is scary and unpredictable and this book had a lot of tense moments because of it. There are some unreliable characters that make you question everything and a terrible villain. What more do you need?

I love JP Delaney and was exited to receive an advanced readers copy of Playing Nice. The storyline was so suspenseful, emotional, and even stressful at times (in a good way). I was immediately engaged and pulled a couple late nights in order to finish, because the book was impossible to put down!

Up Delaney never fails chilling heart wrenching a book of child custody.I picked this up to read a few pages & found myself reading late into the night.A book Inwill be recommending an author I will continue to follow,#netgalley#randomhouse

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
4.5
Playing Nice
J.P. Delaney
Publication date 7/28/20

This book is a parents worst nightmare!! Imagine a stranger knocking on your day with information that will change your life from this point on. Switched at birth - how could this happen in this day in age? The families decided to get to know one another, the original plan gets twisted and this thriller takes a crazy turn. You will question every character in this story. All the characters are complex and you will not be able to put this book down
Do you believe in nature versus nurture? This book will take you to place where you will question everything and everyone......
Another fabulous book from J.P. Delaney!!! This author never disappoints!

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I really, really loved this novel. Beautifully written, it was dark and tense, loving and scary all at the same time which I guess could easily be said about the act of parenting and parental love at the heart of the story. A young London couple realize that their son, Theo, had been switched at birth, I hesitate to write that phrase in lower case as we always see it in headlines with exclamation points and I always read the articles with fascination. Wouldn’t they know? Nature vs nurture? Intuition? What happens now? How is it in twenty years? Do you switch them back or keep the status quo? . Do you do something differently? How can relationships withstand this bizarre nightmare? Does money and power get an advantage.? What if one parent orchestrated it? So many questions and we explore them all along with a dire sense of foreboding. This can’t turn out well, surely?

Nerve-wracking from start to finish. Kept me on the edge of my seat. Great thriller.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49078674

Playing Nice is another great thriller from Delaney! Loved this book thoroughly!
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I am a very enthusiastic fan of J.P. Delaney and I was excited to get a ARC of this book.

Once I picked it up I read it nonstop even in a busy airport. This story dealt with a interesting plot of two families fighting for custody of their children. I won't spoil the ending but I will say the story keeps you on your toes until the final chapter. Lots of twists and turns and characters who have complex backstories.

This is definitely in my top 2 books by this author. I highly recommend this book if you want a fast paced and engaging story to add to your reading collection. 5 stars.

Thank you NetGalley and JP Delaney for this Advanced Copy.

I finished this book in 3 sittings when I didn't have many checkouts from the library. JP Delaney is back on top of thriller writing with this book because The Perfect Wife wasn't so perfect to me, especially after reading The Girl Before. Imagine the angst and horror a couple feels after a surprise visit at their door about the son they have raised for the last two years. Imagine their shock to discover that the child they have loved for 2yrs isn't their child, and was switched at the hospital. So many questions about that night come rushing back to all involved. Was it really a mistake or was this planned?

I was honestly at the edge of my seat reading Delaney's latest book. I had a hard time putting it down actually. I was so glad this wasn't predictable even though I thought at one point it was going to be. So glad I was wrong. Be prepared for many shocked, twists and turns in this book! It is worth the read!

Thanks to NetGalley, JP Delaney and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I will definitely be recommending this one for sure.

What would you do if you found out that you took the wrong baby home from the hospital? That's the premise of JP Delaney's "Playing Nice". Two couples have to decide what to do when they discover that they've been raising the wrong child. Their relationship quickly descends into hatred and revenge. This book has a lot of twists and turns, but they sometimes felt predictable. Overall, "Playing Nice" was a good book.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Thank you so much for this ARC!

Everytime I receive approval to read one of JP Delaney's books I am SO HAPPY! I am such a huge fan.

Playing Nice is a bit different than previous books, but amazing in its own right! I loved the story line, and makes you think, wow this could happen!

I loved how the characters were developed. Even though Miles was terrible, I did enjoy reading how he planned to carry through the case during this story.

Forever a JP Delaney Fan!

This is unlike any story I’ve read before. Such a crazy idea especially now that I am a parent. I couldn’t imagine what both men must be feeling. Told from both mens perspective, alternating between the two of them... it reads pretty easily as well.

I loved this book! Two babies, switched at birth, discovery made two years later. What should be done? JP Delaney is the master of writing about narcissists which makes me wonder what he’s like 😂. But seriously, he has a grasp on psychopaths, narcissists and even very flawed protagonists. I read this book through the night, as I needed to know how it would end.