Thank you to NetGalley and Inkubator Books for an early copy.


Aaah, mirror twins. Perfect twins. The idea of talking to someone and not having the slightest idea which of the siblings you're talking to. Don't we all love that idea?

No. No, we certainly don't.
Which might well be why twins have become such a huge part of thrillers and crime books. Who did it, it's the same DNA??? Well, it's the twin, of course!

It could become old, seeing murderous twins everywhere, and yet, The Child Who Never Was twists the usual story upside down and fully loses you in the plot. Is there a nice twin, a bad twin?
One page, you'll be sure twin 1 is the meanie; the next one, you'll be feeling for her.

It's truly an efficient thriller in the number of twists there are – especially as I really didn't see the last one coming.

There is, however, at least to me, an issue with the writing rhythm. Sometimes, everything happens in the space of a few pages, to the point that your brain is finding it almost a bit hard to follow. And then, suddenly, for a dozen of pages, nothing much happens except for the repetition of things that have already been said.
Sadly, this slightly broke my involvement in the book, hence the slightly lower note that it has compared to other thrillers I've reviewed.

I am, however, really impressed by the twists and turns of the story, and the way the author managed to confuse us as to who to like best!

Thank you Jane Renshaw, Inkubator Books and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book and give my unbiased opinion.
The beginning held my interest and I was intrigued by the characters. I liked the in which way Jane Renshaw crafted the characters and her description of Sarah's psychological problems. However, although I liked the book and wanted to know what happened at the end I did find it a bit far fetched at times.
Hence the 4 stars and not 5.

Thank you NetGallery, Inkubator Books, and Jane Renshaw for allowing me to read this ARC.

I was really excite to read this book since the whole description is right down my alley, creepy, plot twist, mystery but I couldn’t get into it. I found myself struggling and make myself read it. 

I was most intrigued to find out how Sarah would figure out how she really was the mother, and how her crazy sister played her..... the reality wasn’t as exciting. It was all still a bit creepy but I couldn’t connect with this one.

WoW!!!! If you want a book that will keep you up to the early hours in the morning and thats full of twist and turns this is a book for you!!!  The Child Who Never Was by Jane Renshaw was an excellent read and I was hooked from the very first page. 

Sarah is a single mum to a toddler called Oliver. Then, one day Oliver goes missing. No-one believes her and not even her twin sister Evie believes her! No one has ever seen Sarah's son............Because she never had a son! She has never been seen with a young child as Sarah never travels outside from her house.
But, Evie has a son and he is always mistaken for her son and he is called James.......But he he her son not Sarahs?

I love the way Jane the author has made you question yourself throughout this book! especially is Sarah - Evie or is it Evie - Sarah.....
Who is telling the truth? Sarah or Evie?
Who is Oliver? Who is James? 
Is Oliver Sarah's Child?
Hangon is......James Evie's child?
OMG who is Oliver? Who is James? I need a coffee!!!!

I have to finish this book now to find out these questions!!!! 

Oh, Where does their local doctor fit in all this? 

OMG I can hear the birds singing outside!!! Warning - don't start reading this book when you are just about to go to sleep!!!

WoW, What a brilliant book this is! I loved it!

10/10 read. I highly recommend it. 

Thank you NetGalley, Jane Renshaw and Inkubator Books for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an impartial review; all opinions are my own.

This was an interesting story.  There were a lot of twists and turns throughout.  Some things were predictable and others were not.  It was very dark in some places.  It is a complex storry

An amazing story, clever plots, great suspense, a fantastic psychological thriller.  I highly recommend this book.

This was a fantastic psychological thriller that had me hooked from the start! Such a mysterious story that makes you constantly wonder who to believe.

I had high hopes for this book but for me it didn't deliver all the way through. It hooked me at the start and reminded me of the film 'The Forgotten' which I love. It then slowed down too much for me and I wasn't as engaged as I wanted to be. It picked up in the middle and the end though

This is a togh review to write. This story has so much potential but the writing is a real struggle. I understand the writing of desparation is hectic and frantic but it made the book very hard to read.

A shame.

I greatly enjoyed this book, thank you for giving me a preview copy. The plot was interesting and fast paced and I sympathised with the characters. This is the first novel I have read by this author but I hope it will not be the last!

Immediately after reading this book I thought it was worth 5 stars. Thinking about it the past few days made me feel that it was really a 4 star for me. 
The title of the book, together with the blurb, made me think this story would go a different way from what it did. To be honest, I initially thought the plot would end with the revelation that there were no twin sisters, just one sister...
But ok, I soon found out that there are really two sisters and one little boy. Sometimes the reading was a bit slow and I missed a little more depth and insights. I would have loved to know more about the strange parents and the way the girls were brought up. A very strong part of the book is where Sarah somehow finds the strength to really go and investigate why she keeps thinking the boy is hers and not her sisters. You can almost feel her desperation between the lines.
A very entertaining and captivating read; I hope to read more of this author. 

Thanks to Netgalley for this digital review copy.

Twins Sarah and Evie have always shared everything. 

One night, Sarah awakes to find her toddler son, Oliver, missing during a horrible storm. She runs to her neighbors for help, and one neighbor, her GP, calls the police and has Sarah sectioned to a mental hospital. 

When Sarah wakes up in the hospital, everyone tells her the impossible- Oliver is not her son. She doesn’t have a son and never did. The Oliver that she knows is actually Evie’s son James. But she has memories of giving birth, stretch marks from pregnancy, and a distinct maternal bond to this baby, whoever he actually is. 

Is Sarah delusional as everyone claims? Or is the toddler in question actually her son, which Evie denies? 

I LOVED this book. There is so much to explore here about sisterhood, motherhood, and who you can trust. There weren’t many twists, and that’s fine! Because the read is GRIPPING. 

Thanks to NetGalley and Inkubator Books for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Jane Renshaw  has a great ability to bring characters to life. This book is centered on twins Sarah and Eve mirror twins. They are both architects with a thriving  business. Eve is the frontwoman  while Sarah comes up with all the designs..
Sarah doesn't like to leave the safety of home so Eve has become very protective of her.  
Sarah had deep physological issues which have resulted on been sectioned.
Eve takes care of everything for her. Trouble starts when  Sarah comes out of an episode looking for her little son Oliver only to be told there is no Oliver but Eve has a son James. Thus starts the intrigue in this well written captivating book. I really enjoyed Jane Renshaws'The Child who never was'. Great read. You should read this if you love intrigue  suspense ane tension. It delivers these and more!

I love it when I read a book, come to trust and empathise with the narrator and then have it all ripped away, making me question all I had believed up to that point.  The main character is strangely engaging but clearly unreliable in her narration.  The story itself is  rarely do I find myself second guessing myself as I read!  A touch of Sophie Hannah in this one.  Well worth reading and hope to see more from this author.

When Sarah's son goes missing, she ends up in a psychiatric hospital because according to everyone else in her life, she has no son.  The baby she thinks is hers is actually her twin sister's child.  For a lot of the book, you don't really know if Sarah is right or if she is crazy or what is going on.  I liked this but I didn't love it.  I wasn't too surprised by most of it.  3.5 stars, rounded to 3.

This book was perfect to greet me after I came out of my reading slump. Fast-paced and thrilling, I just could not put it down!
.
The Child Who Never Was by Jane Renshaw had me arguing with myself for the entire first half. Is Sarah being completely gaslit or is she truly delusional? I swung wildly between the two and have to admit that I still had not made up my mind when the answer was revealed. This was such a great use of the unreliable narrator device, making me doubt what I was reading.

The second half was just as exciting but the plot had shifted to a battle of wits. Just who will be able to best the other and emerge victorious? It sounds like a huge change in tone but that’s because there is so much that I can’t say. It flows very smoothly in the actual book!

I was impressed by how the last tiny twist caught me by surprise. Like I guessed what had happened in the past but not about that. And I really should stop writing or I’ll be tempted to give everything away!

Diversity meter:
-

Sarah experiences every parent's nightmare. Her eighteen months old son Oliver is taken, but nobody believes her. Even her identical twin Evie tells her she never had a son. Sarah is severely agoraphobic and never leaves her house, but now she has to fight this to find out what happened to Oliver.

This book was such a page turner. I could not put it down and flew through it during the course of a day.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

I was immediately drawn in to the story from the prologue. A woman believes that her child has been taken, but no one else believes her. Is she living in a fantasy? Is her baby even real? What happened to him, and why are the people closest to her telling her different things?

The story is centred around Sarah and her mirror twin Evie who are both architects in a small town. Sarah’s life has crumbled since ‘what happened to mum and dad’, manifesting itself into agoraphobia and other mental health conditions. I personally feel that Jane Renshaw explores Sarah’s struggles in such a raw and vivid way that definitely evokes sympathy and makes you empathise with her situations.

I have always been fascinated by the idea of twins and a ‘sixth sense’, and the depiction of Sarah and Evie’s bond is definitely the crux of the story. Sarah is dependent on Evie in so many ways and this has impacted the dynamic of their relationship. Although they are mirror twins, their personalities are far from identical.

This novel is a roller coaster ride and will keep you on the edge of your seat! That being said it is at times a slow burner but stick with it, it suddenly picks up the pace and you will not be able to put it down.
Sarah is probably one of the most unreliable narrators I have read which may not appeal to everyone, but it genuinely adds to the authenticity of the narrative. We get to hear her point of view and most importantly her mindset which is so important as the pieces of the puzzle begin to fall in place.

I literally could not put it down during the last third of the novel as I just had to know what happened! I cannot recommend this book enough. If you like a good domestic thriller, make sure to pick it up. 

Thank you to Net Galley for sharing this ARC with me in exchange for my honest review.

I received an ARC copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion. 

This is the first book by Jane Renshaw that I have read. 

It has been a rollercoaster of a read, throughout I was left with an uneasiness and mistrust of the main characters. 

Sarah’s baby has been taken - or has he?

The person Sarah trusts the most, her identical twin, Evie says Sarah doesn’t have a baby, she is having a psychotic episode. 

The story follows Sarah’s admission into hospital and the relationship of the sisters. Bringing incidents from their childhood to give foundations to what is happening now.

I was tossed between the sisters - who’s telling the truth Sarah or Evie. I really had no clue and kept changing my allegiance. 

Lots of lovely unexpected twists and turns in what could have been a depressing read, lead it to being engaging and un-put-downable!

The child that never was is in my top 3 books of 2020. I loved it.

Synopsis: This story follows the unraveling of a mother battling mental illness and the alleged kidnapping of her son by her identical twin.Or does it? How to we know who is telling the truth?  

The good: The author paints a astounding delicate picture of the mind of someone battling mental illness. The book left me questioning who I believed to be the villain in the story, which made it a quick read for me. I also appreciated how the book touched on trauma in childhood and the long term effects as an adult. 

The bad: I felt like I was on a roller coaster during this book, there were points where anticipation was drawn out to nothing and other points where bombs were dropped seemingly quickly. Some chapters could have been developed more for the reader while leaving others leas detailed.  The ending felt rushed to me and the epilogue felt disconnected, while it did answer a few of my pending questions.

The ugly: Overall, I enjoyed this book. It kept me guessing and trying to figure out what was really happening, which I like in a good psychological thriller. I think the cover of the book is intriguing, it draws the reader in.