I sort of feel mixed on this book. While I did like the storyline and the premise, I'm not sure the execution was all that great. It sort of left me feeling meh.

3/5 stars

This novel was extremely moving! Such a sensitive topic should be handled with care and the author did just that! The characters were very relatable and the plot was easy to follow. I loved every moment of this novel.

Other People's Children is a deeply emotional story about a couple who are desperate to conceive a child and who finally believe adopting a baby will satisfy that need. The young, pregnant girl who chooses them is looking forward to getting on with her plans for college and reluctantly decides to give the baby up for adoption. She chooses Gail and Jon as the future parents.

All three, as well as the social worker facilitating the adoption, have issues from their past that will affect their reactions when the question arises - whose baby is this? Heart-wrenching decisions are compounded by the agenda of dysfunctional family members in a plot that takes twists and turns and arrives in a totally unexpected place.

Suspense and strong emotion abound in this book that leaves the reader wondering who to root for.

Some people don't want children and then there are other's who would give anything to experience parenthood. It is heartbreaking when a woman's body fails her and this book captures the emotional rollercoaster of having a child when your body won't give in. A comment I hear a lot is "why don't you just adopt?" and it is such an insensitive and naïve comment to make because it is not as easy as one would expect. I loved how this story shows the emotional rollercoaster that adoption entails from the birth mother, her mother, a social worker as well as the couple looking to adopt.

What a great story of family, parents, children and how to define family. The emotion and choices we make as parents and how to raise and guide our children is called into play in this novel. In Other People’s Children, three mothers make excruciating choices to protect their families and their dreams—choices that put them at decided odds against one another. You will root for each one of them and wonder just how far you’d go in the same situation. This riveting debut is a thoughtful exploration of love and family, and a heart-pounding page-turner you’ll find impossible to put down.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the early copy of this one in exchange for a review.

Gail and John Durbin are a couple desperate to have a baby. They have suffered three miscarriages and are trying to adopt but having a tough time finding a baby. When Carli, a pregnant by accident 18 year old, picks them for adopting her baby, they are beyond thrilled.

However, once the baby comes the drama starts. Carli’s mom doesn’t want to lose her grandchild and then Carli starts to get second thoughts.

This was an intense read. It felt like such a real story and I had to keep reading to see what would happen.

Other People’s Children features Gail and Jon, a couple who has had a very hard time getting and staying pregnant. They move to the suburbs so that they would have room for a nursery, but Gail has had several miscarriages and they are down on their chances to become parents. They begin to look at adoption and try to not get their hopes up too high.

Then they meet Carli, a pregnant teen from a working class neighborhood who seems like the perfect fit. Carli wants to give her baby up so that she can continue her dream of becoming a nurse. She also wants desperately to move out of her mother’s home, but she doesn’t have the money to do that. Carli’s mother, Marla is furious when she puts baby Maya up for adoption and begs and screams at Carli to get the baby back.

Gail and Jon won’t stop fighting for their daughter who they love dearly. They decide to take drastic action and what happens at the end, I didn’t see coming!

This book was heartbreaking in all the ways; for Gail and Jon, for Carli, and even Marla. It’s all about what you would do for your family and protecting them at any cost. I really enjoyed this debut novel.

I could not finish this book. The writing was very difficult for me and I could not get interested in the characters or the plot. The main character just comes off as so weird and sexist. I made it about half through but I knew I would not enjoy finishing it. Others have found this book moving, but it was honestly just not for me.

This one totally caught me off guard. I read it in one sitting, I could not tear my eyes away from the pages. The author weaves together such an intricate and realistic story, handling tough issues with such care.

After three miscarriages, Gail and John Durbin are ecstatic when Carli, a pregnant teenager, chooses them to adopt her daughter. But Carli’s mother, Marla, is determined that she won’t miss her granddaughter’s childhood as she did with her own children. She pushes hard for Carli to change her mind.

Fueled by love, intense emotions, and conflicting dreams, each mother makes impulsive choices that send them down a dire path–with a newborn baby at the center of it all. This book starts slowly down an expected path through the emotional process of adoption–and then it twists in some unexpected ways. It’s a bit of a wild ride for a book that starts out quiet and literary, but I had to find out what happened. Overall, a fascinating premise that was well-executed–save for a few outrageous turns that required some suspension of disbelief.

Gail and Jon are desperate for a baby and finally found a good birth mother to help their dreams come true. Little did they know, the birth mothers mom, Marla, had other plans. And amazingly, Jon knows Marla from a time long ago. When they meet at the birth of Carli's baby, Jon is filled with dread and a feeling that something is going to go terribly wrong.

When Marla gets to Carli and decisions are ready to be made, what Gail and Jon decided to do is clearly out of love. But, who are they really looking out for in this case? Definitely a great book that makes you think about your own ethics, as you are confused on who to cheer on.

Heartwrenching, but very interesting read.

Other People's Children has a distinct voice that I was quite fond of- the main characters were sharp, fleshed out, and ultimately very flawed. I had a bone to pick with every single one of them, but at the same time, I just wanted to give (most) of them a soft hug. My opinions of this book may be affected by my own experiences with adoption, with biological parents, and with regret. The beginning of the book felt very strong to me, and absolutely tore my heart to pieces. I felt loads of sympathy for both sides of the tale, but ultimately I still had my opinion for where the baby ought to belong. While the beginning was very well done, towards the middle the plot became convoluted and too much of a weird kind of car-chase situation that I did not expect (or particularly enjoy). Before reading the book, I thought it would be more of a "Little Fires Everywhere" type of contemporary fiction, rather than an almost thriller. The ending fell flat for me and did not leave much hope, I found it very depressing for everyone in the story. I definitely think the author is very talented and has great ideas, but I think they just lost the plot a bit. The writing was engaging and fast, which made the reading experience more enjoyable. However, after closing the book (electronically), I just did not feel satisfied and felt a little empty. The most prominent feeling I experience during this reading was a mix of sorrow and worry. I don't know if I was rooting for everyone or nobody- but I know that nobody's story wrapped up in a way I thought was healthy for them. Again, I think the author is extremely talented, and I do believe this book will move plenty of people; I just was not one of them.

Other People’s Children was an interesting story. Although I knew where it was heading , it still kept me engaged. While there were moments when I did not agree with certain actions of characters, I could sympathize with them based on their background stories. There were several moving parts in the story, but I do think it ended in a way that would appease most readers. Overall good story.

This is a well-written novel that follows mothers throughout the journey of infertility and adoption. It is thought provoking and hits on how the aforementioned topics seem to be treated by members of society. It is a slower paced book and while the latter portion seems like a bit of a stretch, I really enjoyed this one. Four stars ⭐️.

A thrilling narrative that never loses sight of the emotional weight being endured by its characters. Full review posted at BookBrowse: https://www.bookbrowse.com/mag/reviews/index.cfm/ref/pr273280

👨‍👩‍👧Other People’s Children by R.J. Hoffmann👨‍👩‍👧

✨What makes a family?

✨Gail and Jon Durbin moved to Chicago as soon as Gail got pregnant. But then she miscarried — once, twice, three times. They start realizing the best bet to expand their family is adoption. The only problem is many adoptions fail through.

✨Carli is a pregnant teenager who dreams of going to college and leaving her mother’s house. When she makes the decision to give up her baby for adoption, she chooses the Durban’s. The only problem is that her mother, Marla, has other plans in mind for her grandbaby.

✨In this family driven story, we follow three mothers: Gail, Carli, and Marla. All three of them have to make very difficult decisions regarding their family — choices they never would have thought they would make.

✨This is a debut novel from this author and I really did enjoy his writing style. I definitely will be reading more from him in the future.

✨Other People’s Children started out so strong with such a great premise. The idea behind the adoption process is such a lovely and heartbreaking topic. I really enjoyed following the Durbins and the decisions they end up making — all for their perfect family.

✨I had a great time following this story and the plot line. Carli is also such a relatable character as many teenagers go through that same phrase. It’s such an important topic that happens everyday in other people’s lives.

✨Although I enjoyed most of this story, I really did not like Marla. I really dreaded reading her part. I completely understand why she wants to act different with her grandbaby and become a better mother, but the things she did was so annoying.

✨This was a really fun and enjoyable read. It’s very family driven with so many emotions throughout the story. Overall, this was a beautifully written story.

This page-turning domestic thriller is a complex exploration of family and motherhood. The backstories of the main characters were just substantial enough to make them realistic and/or sympathetic. I could see them in my mind and kept thinking, “This would be a great movie!” The story starts with an unhurried pace and then, about 2/3 through, takes quite a dramatic turn and I couldn’t finish it fast enough. This tense debut novel was a quick, satisfying read.

Wow. This book really makes the reader think about different perspectives on adoption. Other People's Children by RJ Hoffman is his debut novel. He really knocked it out of the park for his first novel. I read the book in one day, and will be thinking about the theme of it for a while.

In the past, I have read other books that touch on similar adoption themes. My book club read Little Fires Everywhere a few years ago and the question of whether a child always is better with the birth mother caused quite the debate, There was a much different scenario in Little Fires Everywhere than there was in Other People's Children, but it raised some of the same questions.

Carli is a teenager who is from a low-income, single-parent, abusive home life. She has gotten into college and is working hard to pay her way through despite no financial or emotional support from her mother. She gets pregnant and without any input from her family, she decides to allow her baby to be adopted. She does her best to try to not connect with the baby while it is in her womb and also after delivery.

Gail and Jon are a childless couple who have struggled with multiple miscarriages and advancing age. Gail is determined and almost obsessive about adopting, though they have experienced rejection by birth mothers over and over. The strain of her desire for a child is taking a toll on her and Jon's marriage.

Carli chooses Gail and John and the three of them manage the pregnancy, doctor's visits, and all that is entailed very well. Gail and John are notified immediately when Carli goes into labor. All is going well until it becomes clear Carli's abusive mother will do everything in her power to stop the adoption, starting with FORCING Carli to look at and hold the baby girl once she is born, against Carli's wishes.

Legally Carli has 72 hours to change her mind without any recourse for the adoptive parents. She lets the baby go home with Gail and Jon without letting them know there is any question about her choice. They have three days to immerse themselves in parenthood and fall in love with baby Maya. During those 72 hours, Carli is mentally and physically assaulted by her mother trying to coerce her into taking the baby back.

At the last moment, Gail and Jon learn Carli has changed her mind....By then, they are mentally "Maya's Parents" even if the law says otherwise. Then they have to decide how to proceed. The way all parties maneuver through this drama is captivating. I could not put the book down. As an unbiased reader, I was in turns sympathetic to Gail and John and also to Carli. There was a point in the book where, as a reader, I genuinely could not fathom that the best place for Maya was with her birth mother in that abusive household, but the author did a masterful job of opening the readers' eyes to both sides of that story and making the readers' choice a very difficult one.

In the end, I was more than satisfied with how the author chose to resolve the issue, even though it might seem unrealistic to some. I feel this is a great book club option, however, through my book club discussion about Little Fires Everywhere, I realize some people have a hard-lined opinion about this subject matter and I don't know that those people would get anything out of discussing. For me, personally, the book had the effect of furthering my belief that life and all its issues are usually too complicated for me to say one way or the other is ALWAYS the right way.

I was 👏🏼 so pumped 👏🏼 for this one. A story about a couple adopting a baby. The point of view of the couple and the girl that is giving up the baby. Sounded poignant, heartbreaking and worth reading.

But... I had to give up. I read about halfway but just couldn’t do it. It was too well-written. The author did an incredible job capturing the pain of wanting a baby so badly. As someone who struggled with infertility, this shit HITS DIFFERENT. Even though I have my cute lil babe, that is a scab I am better off not picking at. At least not right now. So, I put this book down and went and watched HGTV instead. And ate a cookie.

This is an incredible book. Raw, real and emotional. Just not for me, but maybe it would be powerful for you! If you are interested about adoption, love family sagas or want to read a tearjerker, GO FOR IT.

Pretty much every mom on earth will tell you if prompted, that they would do anything for their kids. In Other People's Children by RJ Hoffman, a few women get put through the wringer and have to prove just how serious they are when they say 'anything.' A pregnant teen finally decides after much deliberation to give up her baby for adoption, though her mother does not want her grandbaby reared by strangers. She chooses Gail and Jon Durbin, a couple who have endured three miscarriages and are at this point desperate to have a baby. The intersection of these women and their desires regarding having or being a family slowly comes together as outside forces and emotions threaten plans. You will definitely want to read on to see what happens, as this borders on a page turner. The characters are well-drawn and developed. However, they are almost too developed, as some chapters did seem to drag and include more info than the reader really needs. Regardless, if you can get through a couple of meandering chapters, you will be rewarded with a really fascinating read that will make you want to call your mom or another matriarchal woman in your life to remind them that you love them.