I was totally consumed by this beautiful book. Straight away I was pulled into the story.

The story alternates between Ally and Beth’s perspectives. This approach works so well, as it gives us an insight into both women’s experiences of motherhood, and of their preconceived views of each other’s lives.

I found myself liking both women, and really wanting the best for them, and their families. It’s quite complex, as each of them has Dylan’s welfare at heart, but with different approaches.

The central theme running through this novel is that of motherhood, and a mother’s love for her child. Above all else though, it’s a beautiful and totally absorbing read. I really couldn’t put it down.

Both heart-rending and full of hope, this book is an absolute must-read for anyone who loves a wonderful and human story.

Wow. This is a real powerful story that I’ll definitely be reading again.

Beth absolutely loves her son Dylan. When a misunderstanding has Dylan in foster care Beth is heart broken. She wants him back so much but is that the right decision for Dylan. This is a well written heart breaking story.

If you enjoy stories similar to Jodi Picoult and Diane Chamberlain then I highly recommend this gem.

A single mother struggling to make ends meet is having a hard time with her special needs son. A typical temper tantrum in the local CVS changes their whole world and she is forced to give him to a foster family while she is forced to go to counseling. She resists at first, but realizes sometimes you do what you have to do, especially if it means getting your child back.
You soon learn the family who take him in are far from perfect themselves, although they appear to be. The mom soon starts questioning if he would be better off with his foster family because there is no way she could ever provide him with what they do, but those things are material and what matters the most is love.
Mom gains the support system she's never had in the most unlikeliest of places, and it makes for a fantastic woman's drama, if you are into this kind of genre. I thorougly enjoyed this book! Thank you NetGalley for another fantastic find!

I was given an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an independent review.
This was not an easy book to read due to the subject matter. A 7year old little boy is taken away from his single mother and put into a foster family. The story is narrated by both the mother and the foster mother. It was well told and very emotional.
As a mother the love you have for your child is very strong and what you will do to protect them, sometimes will demonstrate your true strength. No spoilers but some of the situations that the mothers found themselves in, tugged on my heartstrings.
One of those books that I could not put down.
Highly recommended. 4.5 stars

When You Were Mine by Kate Hewitt is most definitely a story that will touch your heart it did mine! A beautiful, emotional story of a mothers love and the things mothers will do for their children.
Beth dotes on her seven year old son Dylan, she protects him with her life and she has made their world, just for them. If she is always with him no harm can come to this little boy who has chosen not to speak, elective mutism and the doctors name it these days. The world Beth has built for them means that Dylan does not attend school, go to the doctors or dentist. He has no friends as that would mean play dates and mixing with people who could cause harm. Beth lives exclusively for her darling son, nothing else. Then the day arrives that Beth is reported to the Child Protection Services for abusing Dylan, immediately he is taken away from her.
Ally is a woman who is desperate to be a foster carer, she has a family, two older children and her husband. Ally is ready for a foster child but when they place Dylan in her care it turns out harder than she ever expected. Dylan is heartbroken and distraught. He has never left his mother and knows nothing else. Ally, this pretender in Dylans eyes, knows nothing about him, not even his surname! She has no clue what food he likes, how to calm him down or that he doesn't like touching unless he wants to be touched and most of all Ally doesn't even know he doesn't speak! Ally and her family are in for more than they planned, a steep uphill ride.
Beth is truly desperate to get Dylan back and will jump through any hoop they put in front of her to make them see she is a good mother and return her son to where he belongs. She can't wait to visit him in his foster home and when she does, she automatically hates Ally just for being the one with her son.Ally has everything she doesn't, a beautiful home, clever kids and a husband who is wonderful. Beth slowly comes to a realisation that shakes her to the core but, she knows in her heart that maybe Ally is the better mother for her son.
My word! A heartbreaking and uplifting story of the journey through motherhood. Kate Hewitt has brought it as it is, no rose coloured glasses, the heartbreak, the stress and the worry that comes with the word mother is showcased to the hilt in this book. I thought both Beth and Ally were brilliant characters, Ally due to her total acceptance,inclusivity, determination and dedication throughout the book. Beth, because athough she didn't get it right first time, she became aware and opened her eyes to what was right for Dylan. I know how hard that can be and how much pain it can cause, so hat's off to her for that inner strength. Dylan just showed how strong kids can be, I loved him for the way he adapted to the best of his ability.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the copy of this emotional book for my review today.

I was a little nervous to read this book because of the nature of the subject. But the author did a fantastic job of telling both points of view of the foster care system. Beth is the mom of 7 year old Dylan who is non-verbal. Ally is the foster mom to Dylan.

The story is so important to me as we have been involved in a similar way as a foster parent. OT was such a unique always to hear both points of view.

Thanks so much to netgalley and the publisher for the book. The reviews are my honest opinion.

Beth is the devoted single mother of Dylan. He is her world, her reason for living. She loves him with all of her heart and she knows how to calm him. He wraps himself around her with love just like an infant monkey would his mother. She understands him so well and has built a protective bubble all around him. She keeps him safe and makes him happy. He is seven-years-old and is silent by choice, elective mutism is what the professionals would call it. Their bubble is exclusive; there is no room for anyone else. Dylan has no friends, so he has no playdates. He doesn’t attend school, the doctor’s surgery, the dentist or have connections with anyone else. That is until someone reports Beth, accusing her of abusing her son. Then, as quick as a flash, the Child Protective Services descend upon her and take Dylan into care.
Ally has two teenage children an older daughter already studying away from home, and a younger son who will soon take a similar journey into adulthood. She is keen to become a foster carer and her husband is on board as well. Dylan is taken to their lovely home the day he is snatched from his mother. He is distraught. He knows only his mother and he is adrift in the home of virgin carers. Ally does not know what food he likes, how to calm him down, she doesn’t even know his surname. This is going to be a massively steep learning curve for Ally and her family. Dylan’s home is very small. He has always slept with his mother. She knows how to react when he has a meltdown of frustration. She knows that he doesn’t like grapes or to be touched unless he initiates it. She does not know that Dylan doesn’t speak.
Beth is desperate to get her son back home again. She will jump through hoops; do everything asked of her, just so Dylan can come home to her. She longs for her first visit to see him. She immediately hates Ally who is calm and collected. She is jealous of her, her lovely home, her wonderful husband and clever children. But gradually she comes to the decision that maybe the best mother for her son and his future may just be Ally. This is a story of motherhood, the trials and tribulations of it, the joy and sorrow, pain and pleasure, acceptance and love and the sacrifice and the rewards. This is Ally and Beth’s story.
I absolutely loved this involving and beautiful novel. Kate Hewitt is an extremely wise and talented author who writes from her heart. Her research ethics are meticulous and this acquired knowledge adds authenticity to her informative storyboard. My favourite character was Ally whom I admired immediately for her dedication, warmth and nurturing. Beth, although misguided in her care plan for Dylan initially, definitely grew on me throughout the development of the story and I thought that she and Ally made a very beautiful friendship throughout the journey Kate planned for them. I thought the story was a sparkling and inclusive journey for these two main characters and I grew very fond of Dylan as well, as I admired his tenacity and joy of learning and making friends. I received this book through my membership of NetGalley and from publisher Bookouture in return for an honest review. Thank you for my copy. I am very happy to recommend this Novel as an excellent and pleasurable read, awarding it 5 sparkling stars *****, bright and spellbinding.

This book was truly unique. The story was both heartbreaking and heartwarming, and really did consume me from the start.
The characters were so brilliantly brought to life, and the authors unique story telling gave the book a whole new depth.
The bond between a mother and her child was portrayed beautifully, and the decisions and sacrifices that were made along the way truly pulled at my heartstrings. I would definitely recommend this book.

First, I want to thank Kate Hewitt, Bookouture, and NetGalley for providing me with this book so I may bring you this review.

WOW!! I am blown away by Kate Hewitt’s new book When You Were Mine!! I knew she was going to pull on and capture my heart as she loves to do. However, never did I fathom this one subject matter affect me so much.

This book is dedicated to her sister Susie, who is a wonderful example and inspiration of motherhood, and also answered many of her questions on foster care.

Kate brings awareness to fostering a child and the ins and outs of the system However, I love how she decided to do it and show you every side of the story. She shares the birth mom story, the family who wants to give back since they have been blessed, then you have sweet Dylan. The combination of the three stories intertwine make for a very intense read.

She also brings awareness to drugs and suicide.

Dylan fascinated me to no end. He is different and so unique unlike any other character I had ever read about. My heart broke for him on so many occasions.

Obviously, there were difficult and emotional scenes for many characters. Kate did an amazing job digging down deep and bringing out their raw emotions. There were some tense scenes.

Kate sure did her homework when it came to her researching foster care. She educated us readers who didn’t know what to expect.

In a way I was surprised at the outcome of the book. I was more shocked by the epilogue.

I need a hug and a lie down and some hot chocolate and marshmallows and something soft to cuddle after reading this incredible book. My poor heart will never be the same. A hole’s been punched straight through it. This is an incredible book. It touched me in a way a book hasn’t for a long time. I cried so much reading this. My eyes are still sore. I haven’t read a book before about a mother having her child taken into care so this was new territory for me. My heart went out to Beth form page one. It seems to me Dylan is taken off her for the flimsiest of reasons and I never felt Susan’s actions were justifiable. I also grew to love Ally struggling to take care of a child with special needs like Dylan and keep her splintering family together. I loved the fact the chapter bounce between both their POV’s. This will stay with me for a long time.

Kate Hewitt always seems to find the biggest fears of being a mother and finds a way to write about them in a way that, on one hand, will tear your heart out, and, on the other, give it back to you full of love. Hewitt does it well and she has long been a must-read author for me. WHEN YOU WERE MINE is Kate Hewitt’s newest heart-wrenching and emotional novel.
When Dylan was born, he became Beth’s world. With no family to help her, everything she has done has revolved around him and his behavioral issues. An unfortunate incident puts her back on the radar of child services, the unthinkable happens when Dylan is removed from Beth’s care and placed in a foster home. Beth is devastated, especially when she’s told that some Dylan’s issues may be caused by her. Beth decides to she will do whatever it takes to get Dylan back, right away. Ally’s kids are grown and don’t really need her anymore, so she and her husband decide to become foster parents. Ally feels it’s a way she can make a difference, there are so many kids out there that need help… besides, she did a pretty good job with her own kids, right? Dylan is a challenge, initially, but soon integrates into her family, ultimately shining a light on what her own family is missing. When it comes down to it, which home is the best for Dylan?
I felt so much for Beth. I can’t imagine a stranger telling me that I might be causing my son’s issues and that I am, essentially, a bad mom. I admire her will to fight and, then, do what it takes to make not only Dylan’s life better, but her own, including going back to her past and reconciling how it has affected her present. My heart also broke for Ally, when she realizes that what looks perfect, isn’t always so. It has to be hard, too, to let a stranger into your heart, knowing that you may never see them again.
This novel was family, heart, and love. Hewitt’s development of the story and its characters is so well done that you realize that these characters could easily be anyone you know. I love the way she makes a story flow pulling you in and wrapping around you as you feel and experience the story with the characters, as she alternates between Beth and Ally’s viewpoints.
Grab your box of tissues, all your comfort items, and find a cozy spot so you can get lost in this novel and the emotions it evokes.
Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for an advanced copy of this novel. All opinions are my own.
#whenyouweremine #katehewitt #bookouture

Thank you to the publishers & netgalley for allowing me to read this book.
Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy this book & didn't finish it.
Whether it was the subject matter or the fact that it was too 'American' for me I simply could not get into it.

When You Were Mine is a story of a single mother who is doing, what she believes to be, her absolute best for her son. She lives her life according to his needs despite the negative and social impact this has on her own life. But he is worth it and she would give her life for him without question.

Despite her intentions, Dylan is taken into foster care and placed with a family who appear to be able to give him the stability his own mother cannot. But both mothers love him and who would be best for him?

The story is told from the viewpoint of Beth, Dylan’s biological mother and Ally, Dylan’s foster mother. This was a shrewd move from the author as it gives us the thoughts and feeling of each character who would naturally have a dislike of each other and leaves the reader conflicted.

This was a truly moving story and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

When You Were Mine by Kate Hewitt. Hewitt has managed to write both a heart-breaking and heart-warming novel at the same time. Beth has a seven-year-old son, Dylan, who is odd. He is not autistic but exhibits many of the same symptoms. He has such high anxiety that even grapes scare him. He is known to simply start screeching and keep it up for an hour. Beth is tired and at her wits' end but when the Department of Children and Families intervenes it means Dylan is sent to a foster home...all over a package of Twizzlers. Thus begins Beth's journey. The first day is a nightmare and then, with a friend's help, she figures out how to fight back. A higher force intervenes and she is late to court, losing Dylan for at least three months. She reluctantly starts parenting classes and starts counseling, seeing Dylan only occasionally. Ally and Nick are his foster parents, a seemingly perfect family. As Dylan gets better, their family unravels. It is an amazing look inside two families.

Getting involved with the DFC is always a life-changing occurrence. The paperwork, the rules, the unmitigated power they have is astounding. Misused it creates havoc. Many of the caseworkers are doing their best, but they are so overworked. This is a beautifully written story that assigns no blame but pretty much tells it as it is. Parenting is not easy, and despite a parent's best efforts, things happen. A parent's past intrudes on the raising of her/his children and there is nothing that can be done. Stories of families are always difficult to write and to read, but his was especially. So fraught with drama and nostalgia. Love, always a difficult topic was death with generously and fairly. I cannot give When You Were Mine a high enough recommendation.

I was invited to read a free ARC of When You Were Mine by Netgalley. All opinions and interpretations contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #whenyouweremine

As the cover suggests, this book was absolutely beautiful and heart breaking. Beth is a single mum to complex, anxious, clingy Dylan. She is trying her best to keep things “normal” and safe for him, but she is struggling emotionally, financially and socially…

Can the solution suggested by the Department for Children and Families help her and Dylan get some more balance in their life?

The characters in this one are raw, their flawed but they’re also believable, honest and in many ways, likeable too. Beth’s realisation that her parenting style is influenced, or even, damaged by her past is one that resonates with me after reading about the psychology of parenting.

She feels mum guilt, and is struggling to juggle everything, but she is really trying. It was good to see her grow and come to terms with her issues.

There are many gripping, dramatic plot points that make this a real page turner. There is the occasional cliff hanger ending to a chapter, which is one of my favourite features of a book!

This has been a great read and I have really enjoyed it, though I have felt my heart twisting in my chest while seeing some of the heart breaking moments unfold!

My favourite quote comes at the end, and demonstrates Beth’s growth and wisdom:

“No matter how charmed someone’s life looks on the outside, on the inside everyone is messy and uncertain and afraid. Everyone needs help. Everyone holds possibility.”

When You Were Mine is such a heartfelt book. I’m not a mother so I couldn’t fully imagine what a situation like Beth’s must feel like but the author’s credible stance on the story gave me an inkling of the type of heartbreak having your child taken away might bring.

Despite the alternating chapters between Beth and Ally, at one point it felt like the main focus of the book was Beth and her story. However, as the story unraveled we are introduced more to Ally’s life as a mother to her own two children and it becomes apparent that When You Were Mine is not just a book about Beth and Dylan, it is a reflection on motherhood as a whole and the different problems mothers face. Quite simply, it tells us that nobody is perfect.

While I felt sympathetic toward both Beth and Ally, I also compassion toward Susan, Beth’s caseworker. It was nice to read a story where child services is not the villain. No doubt they aren’t perfect but there are people out there like Susan who really want to help struggling families.

I really enjoyed When You Were Mine. This is my second book from the author and certainly want to read more.

Two mothers, birth and foster, both wanting the best for the child Dylan, this was their poignant story.
Beth loved her son, but his issues broke her, and she couldn't give him the help he needed. Put in foster care, Ally loved him too but had her own family needs to contend with.
Kate Hewitt's writing had me choking back my tears at some places. There was so much to love in this book. Both the characters pulled at my heartstrings. With alternate chapters of their story, the chapters gave me a complete view of parenting.
Overall, quite an emotional read.

My Review:

I normally don’t read these touchy feely warm hearted stories but OMG I couldn’t put this one down. It was just that good, no I mean great. Warning, you better have some tissues ready and waiting. This is definitely a tear jerker. This is my first book by Kate Hewitt and it won’t be my last. So glad I went outside my comfort zone and tried something else.

This book was about two mothers who in the end needed to find each other. One mothers son was taken away and the other mother stepped in for her. How are their worlds so vastly different but yet so similar? How are are they going to get along? Are they ever going to come together and work as a team? These answers may surprise you.

I want to start off by saying how much I loved this book and really connected with each character in the book. I felt their sadness when they cried. I felt their happiness when they smiled. Each character touched my heart so deeply and will affect me on some level for many years to come. Now lets talk about that story line. A child who is taken away from his beloved mother and a mother who is trying so desperately to get him back. I really felt for this mother. She may have been over the top but I really thought she was trying her best. All mothers make mistakes. It’s part of being a parent. Did her mistakes cost her everything, yes they did. She really did redeem herself in the end though. She grew into something better and it was what her son needed all along. With this book I really felt like I was watching a feel good Hallmark Movie that I never wanted to end.

Between the plot, characters and all the twists in this book it made it an easy and fast read. I would definitely recommend it and happily give it 5 Hearts❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Heart wrenching story about two moms and their ability to love & care for their children. Beth and her son Dylan have been each others’ best friends ever since Dylan was born. When DCF removes Dylan from her care, Beth is beside herself. She doesn’t have any friends or family and really struggles to find a support system.

Allie and her husband decide to sign up to be foster parents and end up with Dylan in their care. Dylan is a challenge and while fostering Dylan, Allie’s own children go through some traumatic experiences. Allie feels pulled in a million directions and realizes that her ‘perfect’ family doesn’t seem to be very perfect anymore.

We all struggle as moms with the question ‘are we doing enough for our children?’ That is a question that both Allie & Beth ask themselves throughout this story.

I loved this book. I found I got emotional at times relating to both of the main characters. Thanks to NetGalley & the publishers for the ARC!

The plot is deceptively simple. A young single mother is overly rough with her son who has undiagnosed special needs. She’s reported to Child Services and after some court complications, loses custody of the boy for three months. The foster parents, new to the program, are an excellent choice. Upper middle class, parents of two teenage children, they are warm and welcoming. However, there’s so much more in this heartbreaking, beautifully written story.

In When You Were Mine, Kate Hewitt lays motherhood and all its surrounding problems and doubts bare. Beth, the single mother of seven year old Dylan, is reluctantly forced to confront her neediness and change her parenting style. Ally, the foster mother, sees that her perfect life has wide cracks under the surface. As the two mothers become friends, they share advice. Ally asks “ why do we so often blame mother’s for their children’s choices?” and rationalizes that mothers make mistakes but try to do their best. Beth tells her the secret is to “Show up - again and again, even when they mess up big time.”

While motherhood is at the center of this emotional novel, there are other important issues. We see that while Beth’s partner is physically absent, Ally’s husband is often emotionally absent, spending time alone in his home office. Both women then have to deal with the majority of daily childcare on their own. While Ally tries to be a sort of super mother to her teenage children, she misses signals as she prides herself on their achievements. We also see the workings of Child Services (in this case, in Connecticut). The case workers try to do their best but they deal with too many cases and cannot give as much individual attention as they should.

When You Were Mine is at times painful to read. It overflows with raw emotion and will bring you to tears. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and Kate Hewitt for this ARC.