I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Good story, well written. I think the characters were a little shallow, but overall good story. 

Thank you kindly to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for this review copy.

Jillian Reed was raised by her widowed mother, Connie Harrison.  Now Connie has dementia and lives with Jillian and her husband, Malcolm and their daughter Destiny.  The dementia sets in and Connie starts rambling in confusion.  There is a recent frequent customer that keeps showing up at Jillian's job at Starbucks.  Then one day this stranger approaches Jill and says he and his wife would like to speak to her in private.  Jill has no idea why this stranger and his wife wants to speak to her.  But once she meets with Major and Elaine Logan they will reveal some shocking news that Jill finds unbelievable.  But once she gets undisputed truth she has to come to some realizations and makes some decisions.

Finding out your whole life has been a lie is shocking enough.  But when all the truths are revealed she will be torn between understanding both sides and finding a way to live with it.

This was a well written story that will draw you in and make you look at things from all different angles

This is ReShonda’s 51st Book. Wow 😲!!

The Stolen Daughter was a page-turner. Once I picked it up I couldn’t put it down. I told myself I would only read for three hours, but the characters and plot wouldn’t let me go.

A grieving vengeful young woman does the unthinkable. She does it for a “somewhat” reasonable reason and never regrets it. Over the years she dedicated herself to her child. Being the best Mom she could be. Jillian is hers and that’s all that matters. Unfortunately, this devastating story involves others. Connie’s act ruined the lives of others and ReShonda explores vividly how it destroyed and how humans can destruct from grief.

This story asks the reader many questions. In the beginning my responses were quick of the choices and decisions I would’ve made once the truth of the events came apparent, but after learning about the perpetrator and the victims (direct and indirect) I had to reevaluate.

Writing 5.0
Plot 4.0
Characters 4.5
Pacing 5.0
Overall 4.5

I would highly recommend. I won’t forget the racist great grandmother or the complicit family members any time soon. I can’t believe, at books end, I feel any sort of compassion for Connie/Vivian. However, I’m so confused as to how their aunt Marilyn didn’t know more.

The title of the book gives away the main point of the story, but it's really about so much more.

A young woman is living as so many people do, paycheck to paycheck, juggling bills with family responsibilities, just trying to stay ahead of the game.  Jill was raised by a single mother.  While they did not have much, Jill always knew her mother loved her and was doing the best she could to keep them together.  Now Jill is married with a baby, maybe not living rich, but happy.  As her mother ages, she has developed enough health issues, Jill moves her into the small home she shares with her husband and child.  She has accepted her role in life, giving care to those she loves.  

Then Jill meets a man who tells her she is his child.  He tells her she was stolen as an infant and he has been looking for her ever since.  A fairy tale?  Maybe.  But everyone knows that fairy tales seldom end with happily ever after.  As Jill meets her real family, she learns they can give her a very different kind of live, but at what cost?  She is forced to choose between the mother she loves and the family that could give her daughter a higher living standard than she has now.  

This is a very emotionally charged story.  It will pull on your heart strings, leaving you to wonder what you'd do in Jill's spot.  After all, haven't we all dreamed of something that would take us away from the less than perfect moments in our lives?  ReShonda Tate Billingsley has taken a headline from the local news and turned it into one of the best fictional reads I've had in awhile.  Her writing skills are so good, you'll be pulled into Jill's life and feel her conflicting emotions as she must choose between her past and her possible future.  I'm sure I'll read this one again.  It's a 5 star that deserves so much more.

Where do I start? Jillian lived a life  that some might deem poor. Although she may not have a lot in money and material things, she makes up with her kind and loving spirit. Jillian and her family are trying to survive while dealing with her mother’s failing health.  One conversation facilitate some changes to her life.  Hard questions will be asked. Hard decisions will be made.  This was a good read. The book ended in a manner that gives possibility to a second book.

Imagine being an adult woman, a mother and a wife then finding out that you are not who you knew you were! Your life has been a good one, you love your husband, your mother and child with all your heart. You are not financially rich but you are incredibly rich with all the things that truly matter and you are happy! Then one day you find out the you that you know is not you at all and that you could live the life of your dreams and your husbands dreams. What concessions do you have to make, what do you have to give up? Worse yet, what price do you have to pay and what disrespect do you have to take? Is it worth it? Do you give up, give in or do you fight to survive and not give up your dignity or self respect?  In The Stolen Daughter by ReShondra Tate Billingsley, the stolen daughter has to decide. Could you? I loved this book and wanted to pick it up every time I had to put it down. I chose to stay up until 4:00am to finish it! I am glad I did. Could the events In this story really happen? I think so!

Hey there good people! I finally broke me long standing reading slump.  @reshondatatebillingsley came through for me like she always does.  I've been reading her books for years.  She writes wonderful family stories that may break your heart or make you cry and often end up making you smile.

The Stolen Daughter was just what I needed.  It's a wonderful story based on a true life event.  I'm not giving too many details, but you all need to check out Ms. Jill (main character). She will be a character you'll never forget. Swipe to read the synopsis. (Released May, 26th)

Thank you @kensingtonbooks for sending me over this copy.  I started reading #Dafinabooks many years ago.  When I need to reset, I find myself always picking up a book published by them.  Please check their catalog as it's their 20 year anniversary and they have  published many Black authors over the years.  We don't hear much about some of these authors on IG but we should.

I hope you all are still practicing plenty of self care, take it easy and read something different 💜

Great read! Looking forward to reading more by this author! Highly recommend this book and author to all!

I was so impressed with this book! I read it in one day because I could not put it down.
As a 27 year old Starbucks barista, Jillian is not where she thought she would be, but she works hard to try to make ends meet for her famiyl. Her husband Malcolm is trying to find another job. He has hopes of being an app developer and has been working on his idea for some time now. They live in a tiny apartment in a dangerous neighborhood with their infant daughter and Jillian's mother. Things have been getting harder as her mother's dementia makes things stressful.
One day Jillian is approached by a regular customer, who claims that she is his daughter that was stolen as a baby from them. She is baffled and doesn't believe him. But in the back of her mind she needs to know.
What would you do if you found out your whole life was a lie? Instead of living paycheck to paycheck with shut off notices being a regular occurrence, you could be in line for millions of dollars.
This book will make readers question if they could make those difficult decisions, how can you accept the truth and how can you turn your back on your past.
The only part of this book that I really disliked was Malcolm. He frustrated me the whole time because I felt he only cared about money, he seemed insincere when helping Jillian make decisions and I was surprised as to the ending.

This book is amazingly written that had my attention from the very first page. This is a story that has deep themes about choices, consequences and forgiveness. I loved this story for its amazing characters, the story line about an abduction, the meaning of family – biological or otherwise, and of course family secrets and drama. 
Jillian our protagonist is at a crossroads and going through a lot – from financial difficulties, caring for a young child, and an elderly mother with Alzheimer’s. When you are at a loss, all you can dream of is being saved financially. What if there is a solution? But the solution is about a difficult past that can affect what you think of the people you love and consider as family. 
This book was such a great read that I thoroughly enjoyed. I recommend this book for an amazing story that will have you thinking about days after. This would be a great book club read and would make for amazing discussions.

I highly recommend.

I’m excited to share The Stolen Daughter by @reshondatatebillingsley with you all!! Thank you @tlcbooktours and @kensingtonbooks for sending me a copy! Add this one to your list of new releases to buy from fantastic Black female authors. This is her 51st book!! .
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Raised by a widowed mother, Jill Reed has come a long way from her difficult youth. But while she may not have had money, Jill never doubted she was rich in love. Her mother, Connie, made Jill the center of her world. Now, even though she has a young family of her own, it’s Jill’s turn to care for her ailing mother.

When early dementia begins to set in, Connie starts talking about Jill’s “other life.” Jill assumes it’s just rambling confusion. Still, Connie’s stories about Jill’s childhood, and her father’s early death, never quite added up. And when a strange man shows up to Jill’s job bearing news that turns Jill’s life upside down, there’s no denying Connie’s devastating secret.

As Jill sets out to learn more about her past, she’s stunned by what she learns and what it will mean for her future. Now, she must decide what price she’s willing to pay to claim the life that’s rightfully hers.

Awesome read.  A desperate woman did what she felt had to be done.  A true example of loss and love.
I would recommend this book by this awesome author.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This, to me, is a perfect book.  There are all kinds of tensions and problems, but they all get solved.  The main characters are multi-faceted, they all had good and bad in them, but yet none are so bad you hate them and they were not villians.  And in the end (spoiler alert) there is a happy ending and everything "comes out in the wash".  This was a very fast read--it can be done in one day, but when done the reader has a sense of satisfaction.

This was such an amazing book!  I love the way ReShonda Tate Billingsley tells a story!  She pulls the reader in and doesn't let go!

The MC in this story finds out her whole life has been a lie.  She is a bit of a sassy character, making her quite the joy to read about!  I enjoyed that the author provided a lot of insight into the character's choices for their actions, which made me feel like I got to know them really well.  

The twists and turns the story took me on were wonderful, and I loved it!  

I was provided an advanced reader's copy of this book for free. I am leaving my review voluntarily.

Jill Reed is struggling to make sure her family is taken care and able to stay afloat.  from her husband losing his job, and taking care of her sick mother, who has Alzheimer's to taking care of a baby.  Things start to take a turn for the worse, until a stranger comes to her job. This stranger tells her that he is her father and was taken away from them when she was a newborn baby.  The next series of events will change her life as she knows it.

Although I've read books from this author before, the beginning was a little difficult to get through only because of the conversation Jill has with her mother, and the mother's medical condition, but once I got through that , I couldn't put it down.  It was a fast paced, great read that will keep you on the edge of your seat.  This was truly a phenomenal read.  I was well written and the characters were life like.  This book is going on my top reads of the year list.  

I received a copy of this book via Netgalley and the publisher, Kensington and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

This is one that pulls at the heartstrings, it is that well-written. I haven't read any of the author's other books, but am going to now because of how well written this book is!  The characters were well-developed and it was easy to invest in them.

This was a quick and enjoyable read. It held my attention but I didn't love it. Throughout the entire book, I was waiting for something dramatic to happen because there was so much foreshadowing, but there just wasn't anything that I would call majorly unpredictable. I was also annoyed by several of the characters - the husband (Malcolm), the biological mother (Elaine ), the great aunt who continually lied to Jill, the biological father (Major), and at times even the mother who raised her (Connie) were all very selfish. The only character I really liked and felt any connection to was Jill. Still, I did find the book entertaining and enjoyable overall.

JillIan and Malcolm Reed are struggling to make ends meet, Jillian is working a low end job while caring for her mother and infant daughter, Malcolm has recently been laid off from his job and with no success in finding A new one, things are getting worse day by day. Jillian is trying hard to support her family and her husband’s dreams of developing a app that he feels could change their lives when she receives some startling news that will forever change her and her family’s life.

The Stolen Daughter gripped me from the beginning and I just had to find out how things were going to play out. I went through quite a few emotions in this book. Malcolm really shocked me how he acted I really felt like he was all for his needs and not the family. I understand where he was coming from but I don’t feel like he should have asked her to do things he was not willing to do himself.  I was delighted with the choices Jillian made because that could of ended up a whole different way.

A good summer read about a woman who discovers she was abducted as a child. Although it is a serious subject, the book never gets too dramatic even as it explores all of the different aspects of how this discovery impacts everyone's lives.
Jillian Reed's mother has Alzheimer's and has been making comments about people coming to get Jill and such. When Jill discovers she might be an abducted child with a whole different family she is torn. Her new family is quite wealthy and she and her husband are struggling financially. When she finds out the price for financial security is to renounce her "mother", Jill is conflicted.
I thought the story stayed fairly reality based in terms of Jill's dilemma. Some of the characters were a it over the top but never too much. I enjoyed the book.

This is an absolutely devastating story about power and family. Jillian is raised by a single mother, Connie. Connie made Jill the centre of her world. When early dementia sets in, Connie talks about a different life, but Jill ignores it until she hears a life turning secret from a stranger!! This is a poignant story of mother’s past secret and daughter’s future!

I cant believe this is my first read from the author who she has written over 50 books!! Why am I not seeing more of her books here?? Beautifully written page turner, that made me think of the choices made by the characters from different angles. I didn’t expect an emotional roller coaster when I started to read this. The marvel of human emotions is embedded in the story. I cannot shake myself from the story and the characters. Everyone needs to read this book in their life.

4.5/5 

Thank you Netgalley, ReShonda Tate Billingsley and Kensington books for the ARC.