3 1/2 ⭐️‘s
What would you do to save your child’s life? “Sometimes we have to do the wrong things for the right reason.” Nate and Emma have the perfect life, he a police detective and her, a doctor. They have the perfect five year old son ... until everything changes and Josh gets sick, very sick. The only chance he has is a medical treatment that is very costly, something Nate and Emma can’t afford. That’s when Emma makes some life changing decisions, “some criminals are born. Others are formed by circumstances”. She has to get the money no matter what. Nate is investigating a big case. A case that he hopes will get him a big promotion and more money. Money they desperately need. How far will Emma go to save her son, will Nate be able to stop her before she goes too far or will the ends justify the means? I am a fan of McDonald’s writing, with a great premise, this book was quite intriguing...but I found Emma to be too cold and calculating and the story to be a bit too unrealistic. A twisty story for sure, one I have mixed feelings about, especially as I read the ending!

Thank you to @netgalley for the ARC of this book! Three out of five stars.

Do No Harm by Christina McDonald takes place in the area in and around Seattle, and is the fraught story of Emma, a family doctor, and her husband Nate, a police detective, whose son Josh is unexpectedly diagnosed with leukemia. With their world turned upside down by this news (and the impending cost of life-saving treatment for Josh), Emma and Nate both respond in massively different ways: Nate doubles down on his work on a case about an opioid ring in hopes of securing a promotion, and Emma begins selling prescriptions for opioids. As the story continues, Emma and Nate's choices hurtle them closer and closer to a heartbreaking confrontation--one that will change their relationship and lives forever.

This book had a strong sense of place, which I loved reading at this time of year. The broody, gloomy setting of the PNW just feels right to immerse oneself in at the start of the year. I did not, however, like the way that the author talks about addiction in this book. As a person whose relationships have been impacted by this disease, I feel that the author could have taken a more nuanced approach to the whole issue. It's not that the author didn't try to do this, but I was left wanting much more. If you're looking for something like that, I'd recommend Long Bright River instead.

Advanced Copy Received through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
2.5*, unfortunately this one just didn't work for me as a reader because so much of it felt over the top unbelievable.

I loved the premise of this book--a mother, a doctor, determined to do good in the world. A father, a cop, determined to do good in the world. That world shatters when their son is diagnosed with leukemia and their best chance at saving him is way out of their price range. The father does what's reasonable, pours himself into getting a promotion, the mother---does not and turns to dealing drugs. And that's where this book felt felt--Emma and her actions were not believable to me and I struggled to have any sympathy for her character or the situations she gets herself in. The twists were all over the place, and while I can't put myself in Emma's situation, I don't see any of these scenarios playing out the way they did. If I weren't invested in finding out what happened to their son, this would have been a DNF!

With that said, there are many many great reviews for this book, so if you enjoy twisty thrillers and Christina McDonalds' writing and other books (which were much better in my opinion), there's no harm (pun intended) in checking this one out too!

Just 20% let me know thta this book was not for me. Distrust along with lies and secrets in a marriage was bad enough, but add to that an intelligent woman making really stupid decisions and I simply had to call it quits.

This ARC was provided to me by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review..

I was lucky enough to receive this as an ARC. McDonald always writes wonderful characters. In this, you want to cheer on Emma even when she’s doing something sketchy. She’s flawed and has made mistakes in her past. McDonald is great at building moral conundrums with her readers. Because we inherently want things to work out.

“When did the war on drugs become a war on the disabled?” Yes, exactly! People who are suffering have to suffer even more because of people who game the system. It creates this vicious circle where it seems there is no hope because there is no help. McDonald also talks about lupus. As someone who has to get tested for it yearly because of other immuno-compromising diseases, I appreciate that she added this.

If there was one thing I didn’t love, it was that Emma and her husband didn’t talk to each other. Each is carrying some heavy things, and they are mutually going through something traumatic, and they aren’t talking to each other. I was screaming at them to communicate. Well done in wringing such emotion out of me. That is really such a small thing compared to how much I enjoyed this book.

Good isn’t always the good people think it is, in the same way as bad is down to a person’s judgment. Do No Harm is an engaging read that immediately draws you in. It’s well-written, and the research into the various facets of the book shines through. Very nicely done. Thank you, Gallery Books, for sending this along.

Do No Harm is heart wrenching! How far would you go to save your child? When Emma’s young son, Josh, is diagnosed with a often fatal type of leukemia, she is faced with this question. How far will Emma go to save Josh?
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Emma is a doctor, married to a police detective. She seemingly has the perfect life, but underneath this facade is a history of drugs and lies that threatens to surface. As she fights to get her son the necessary treatment for his leukemia, things begin to unravel for her both personally and professionally. And for the first time, Emma and her husband aren’t on the same page. Emma is in a race to save her son while her husband strives to solve his case - and things keep circling back too close to home for both of them.

Do No Harm uses the unconditional and limitless love of a parent for their child to explore the opioid crisis, and repeatedly asks the question, “does the end justify the means?” That’s for the reader to decide.

A must read for Christina McDonald and thriller fans!! In her typical style, Christina McDonald keeps you turning pages. Do No Harm is one you won’t want to put down!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC! This was an amazing show of the depths a parent will go to save their child. This is the second book I have read by this author and loved it just as much. I love a good complicated family and this one didn’t disappoint.

Do No Harm by Christina McDonald is a fantastic thriller. This is the third book by this author that I have read and Do No Harm blew me away!

Emma is a physician at a local hospital and her husband Nate is a police detective living the seemingly perfect life until their son is diagnosed with a rare form of Leukemia.

At the end of her rope, Emma chooses to sell opioids to finance the medical bills for an experimental procedure not covered by insurance.

This was a thrilling story about the choices that we make and what we would do for our children.

Filled with twists and excellent written family dynamics, I highly recommend this story.

This book by Christina McDonald is definitely a page turner. What lengths will a mother go to when her child life hangs in the balance? I was shocked at her choices. A great plot and a great read. I gave it a solid 4 stars.

<i>Do No Harm</i> was a mixed bag for me. The emotional aspect of two parents (one a doctor, the other a detective) finding out their little boy has an aggressive form of cancer is written so well by the author. You really feel for the family, especially when they discover the specific treatment for their son that might save him isn’t covered by insurance - and must be paid in full before they will proceed - to the tune of $98K.

Then comes the moral dilemma. What would you do? Would you risk your life to get that money, to save your son, no matter what the cost? One parent chooses that path and it’s a very slippery slope.

On one hand, as a reader, I connected and resonated with the parents, Emma and Nate, as they were going through something catastrophic. But as the novel moves forward, I felt that Emma disconnected from her character somewhere and there were many times it seemed like a completely different person. Nate’s background and his self-harm also felt a little off and misplaced.

Overall, I’d give this novel 3.5 stars, especially for the plot twists at the end, which I did NOT see coming. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Emma has the perfect husband, child, and career. None of that matters when her child is diagnosed with a rare leukemia. Her salary as a doctor and her husband’s as a detective won’t be enough to cover the treatments he needs. To pay for her son’s medical care she jumps into the dangerous world of drugs.

This book kept my interest the entire time. It was hard to read, given that it dealt with a child suffering from cancer. However, you can’t help but root for the main character, who does what she has to do to help her child. I liked the examination through fiction into the opiate crisis. It did a great job of showing the true nature of addiction and that addicts aren’t evil or making bad decisions; their brain structures and chemicals have been unbalanced. It also showed how there are some that suffer because of the opiate epidemic. It is difficult for those truly in pain to receive relief because of strict regulations. The story did a great job of showing that when every person thinks the end justifies the means, many could get hurt.

“I should’ve known addiction was indiscriminate and eternal. It invaded the homes of rich and poor, black and white, young and old. It’s effects were far reaching. It’s causes deep. And it never, never went fully away.”

Do No Harm comes out 2/16.

This is a breath-holding thriller the whole way through. Christina McDonald’s is a genius writer that keeps me up into the night reading. I could not get enough. Characters I both liked and disliked at the same time. Creepy descriptive scenery and heart pounding events. Five stars. I highly recommend.

Wow, Christina McDonald does an incredible job making you question motherhood and right vs. wrong in Do No Harm. I could not put this down!

Emma, a physician, and her husband, a police officer, are faced with every parents nightmare, their 5 year old son, Josh, has an aggressive and rare form of cancer. Emma decides to form an opioid ring in order to fund the expensive and life-saving treatment for Josh, all while her husband is trying to lead a case to stop the opioid crisis in their town. Emma gets dragged into drugs, murder and lies, but justifies it as a means to an end. Will she risk too much in the end?

This book had many twists and turns that you didn’t expect, keeping me engaged. McDonald is amazing and building her characters and plot, keeping you questioning what is right and wrong. A parents willingness to do everything they can to keep their child safe and healthy and the many sides of the Opioid crisis.

Definitely pre-order this book! It kept me up reading all night!

Thanks to NetGalley, Gallery Books and Christina McDonald for my Advanced Reader Copy.

I loved “The Night Olivia Fell,” but McDonald’s last two just have not worked for me. This one in particular felt a lot like a less captivating Jodi Picoult plot. There were a lot of names to keep track of and although I recognize it was set up to be an “impossible situation,” this just felt too outlandish to be believable. Way too many convenient plot tropes. The ending chapter, at least the last few paragraphs, also was very disappointing. I didn’t expect growth from the main character but I also didn’t expect that ending, and it wasn’t a good surprise.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

After a tough childhood, where she was orphaned and spent time in foster care, Emma finally has the life she's always wanted. A successful doctor, she has a loving husband, Nate, and a young son, Josh. But that all stands to change when Josh, who is only five, is diagnosed with leukemia. Even with her hospital insurance, Josh's potential life-saving treatment will cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. Determined to save Josh no matter what, Emma makes the decision to sell opioids. Her choice puts her directly against Nate, a local police officer, who is investigating the death of a potential drug dealer. Emma will do anything to save Josh--does that include murder?

"I felt like I'd been dropped down a rabbit hole with the wolf sitting right outside. And the wolf was my husband."

This is a brutal dark read that pulls you into Emma and Nate's dilemma immediately. Personally, I found it hard to read about Josh's illness. I have a difficult time with books about kids being sick. But, McDonald is an excellent writer, and she does a wonderful job portraying stricken parents, pushed to the brink, who would do anything for their child. For Emma, it's turning to selling drugs. For Nate, it's working constantly to solve his current case, which means a promotion that could brings additional money for their family. The story is told from each of their perspectives, ratcheting up the tension with each chapter.

Emma, it seems, really has no limits on what she would do for Josh. McDonald makes the reader question: how far would you go to save your child? The book also offers a nuanced perspective on the opioid crisis, versus the usual "drugs bad" stance we get in many novels, which I appreciated. The entire novel makes you think and question standard perspectives in so many ways. It turns good versus evil and right versus wrong on its heels. And it offers a dark and insightful look into drug addiction and chronic pain and how families support each other (or don't).

Overall, this isn't an easy read, but it's a well-written and compelling one. It's timely, with an excellent perspective on the drug problems facing Americans and leaves the reader questioning much about right versus wrong. 4 stars.

A good start but the further I read, the implausibilities multiplied, the characters devolved and became way too make-believe and hyper-manipulative. Gabe, grow a spine and walk away! I was holding out hope that Nate would be the shining star, but not so much. How blind can he be? This story could have been so much better.

5⭐️
I absolutely loved this thriller! The writing was so good, I just couldn’t put it down. The story was so relatable, I understood a lot of what Emma did. You’d do anything you could even extremely questionable things to save a child. But what happens when it all gets out of your control? These characters are so real they nestle in your heart and you can’t help but root for them all but how can they all win?
Christina McDonald is now and auto buy authors, each of her books are better and better!

{Thank you to @gallerybooks and @netgalley for my review copy}

Excellent roller coaster ride of a book. This book shines a spotlight on the opioid crisis and brings up many thought provoking points. This book is edge of your seat impossible to put down (just like Ms. McDonald’s other novels.) When Emma and Nate get devastating news about their sons health their world is forever changed. Their sons diagnosis will test the bounds of their relationship and how far they will go to raise funds to save their son. Beautifully written, this book will stay with me for a long time.

Thank you NetGalley for the Advance copy. This is one of Christina McDonald's best book yet. It is riveting and makes you ask the question how far would you go to save your child. This book is an emotional rollercoaster and fighting between good and evil.
Emma loves her life. She’s the mother of a precocious kindergartener, married to her soulmate—a loyal and loving police detective—and has a rewarding career as a doctor at the local hospital.

But everything comes crashing down when her son, Josh, is diagnosed with a rare form of cancer.

Determined to save him, Emma makes the risky decision to sell opioids to fund the life-saving treatment he needs. But when somebody ends up dead, a lethal game of cat and mouse ensues, her own husband leading the chase. With her son’s life hanging in the balance, Emma is dragged into the dark world of drugs, lies, and murder. Emma loves her life. She’s the mother of a precocious kindergartener, married to her soulmate—a loyal and loving police detective—and has a rewarding career as a doctor at the local hospital.

But everything comes crashing down when her son, Josh, is diagnosed with a rare form of cancer.

Determined to save him, Emma makes the risky decision to sell opioids to fund the life-saving treatment he needs. But when somebody ends up dead, a lethal game of cat and mouse ensues, her own husband leading the chase. With her son’s life hanging in the balance, Emma is dragged into the dark world of drugs, lies, and murder. Emma may have bit off more than she can chew . What parent wouldn't do whatever it takes to save their child. I would just not sure how far I would have gone. But I think the power to save your child you just never know what you would do. This was such a heart pounding book. This should be a movie. Great Great Book.

When Christina McDonald comes out with a new book, I run, I don’t walk to get it. She is my newest favorite author as I loved the book The Night Olivia Fell and now I love this latest one too. When your child has a life threatening disease, I think you would do anything to save your child! And boy did she ever!! Great story, great plot, I loved it and couldn’t stop reading it from the very first page! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release in exchange for my honest review.