Oh my, this gripping, tear-jerker kept me engrossed from beginning to end. We learn about a couples' journey to parenthood whilst also learning about her mums journey. It's not a straight forward story. I felt at times that I could have been Katharine's mum, Hazel and at others it felt like Katherine's life was similar to mine in a different way. It was extraordinary how real I felt the characters were in the book. Brilliant!

Katherine and Davis have kept their twin pregnancy a secret because of Katherine’s overbearing mother Hazel. When she has a difficult delivery and her infant daughter is born dead, the couple decide to tell her mother that only one baby, their son Jamie, was born. Then Katherine is told that she can never have another child. Plunged into a deep depression because of unsharable grief and premature menopause, Katherine becomes overly protective of Jamie and begins obsessive research into foreign adoption. Although Davis is not supportive, he’s puzzled by Hazel’s violent objections.

The story is told is alternating chapters. Katherine’s voice is in the present while Hazel’s often describes the past. We begin to see how events have affected them in very different ways. My Only Child is an emotional, beautifully written story about what makes a family. Katherine, Davis and Hazel have already decided what they share and what they keep secret. At the novel’s conclusion, they have learned how to love. 4 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and Sam Vickery for this ARC.

⭐⭐⭐⭐
My Only Child
By Sam Vickery

A very emotional read with family dramas, this book is about love, motherhood, pregnancy, difficult labor, lost, adoption. It's also about the relationship between mother and daughter, husband and wife and mother-in-law. It was a very slow read for me but very full of details making it easy to feel sympathy for the characters. The book made me feel sad because I also want to have a house full of kids and I can't imagine my life if something like that happens to me and I know I would probably be Katherine. There's no really a twist, it's more like an emotional read that you kinda know the ending but it's still intriguing to read. I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

My emotions were going all over the place in this book. Katherine delivered one healthy baby, but they were unable to save the twin sister! I can only imagine what the mother was going through and the pain and grief, but then she does have one beautiful healthy baby.
Then she is told they had to do a hysterectomy because they couldn’t staunch the bleeding! What? She is no longer able to have anymore children. She is never going to have a daughter? OMG! What a kick in the pants is that to tell a woman who just lost a child! But, she does have one beautiful baby boy is what everyone says!

Hello! People she has a beautiful little girl you are ignoring and this is where I feel for her the most! Katherine needs support from Davis in dealing with the death of their daughter. He is totally ignoring the fact of her birth and Katherine is feeling that quite intensely and it is causing her to struggle emotionally..

Davis the husband is just not getting it about grief and knowing how to express it openly. He needs some help to make him open up or they are doomed!

Katherines mother is truly trying to help, but it seems like she is being overbearing at times, but it’s her way of being protective and making sure everything is okay whether it is or not she is going to make it happen. This is when Katherine most gets that claustrophobic feeling and shuts her mom down.

I loved how the author developed the characters, but it seemed to be a little bit much. The characters seemed stilted and stiff at times and we could have skipped along more. I found myself speeding over paragraphs super quickly and still getting the point at the end of a cutoff page.

Overall the storyline was really good.

I received an advanced copy from NetGalley and these are my willingly given thoughts and opinions.

My Only Child is an emotional rollercoaster of a read. I was hooked from page one and read it all in one day! This is a multi-layered story of mothers and daughters, husbands and wives and the secrets that keep us apart. The characters are well developed, although not always likeable, but you can figure out their motivations. A really good read overall!

I’d like to thank Bookouture and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘My Only Child’ by Sam Vickery in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Katherine is taken into the operating theatre where she expects to give birth to twins but the surgeon makes the decision that in order to save her life she must have a hysterectomy. Her first baby, a son she and husband Davis name Jamie, is delivered safely but the second, a daughter, doesn’t survive. Katherine is overcome with the loss of being unable to have any more children as she’s always wanted a large family and decides to investigate the possibility of adopting a brother or sister for Jamie. Katherine’s mother Hazel feels left out of her daughter’s life and when she’s told of the adoption it brings to the forefront a devasting secret she’s kept from Katherine.

‘My Only Child’ is the emotional story of complex relationships and the secrets, lies, love and loss experienced by a family. The story moves easily from the present time with Katherine and Davis and their grief at losing a child, to the past as Hazel reflects on her life with her alcoholic husband and the sacrifices she made to give her daughter a secure and happy childhood. It’s a well-written and touching story that handles the adoption process and the trials and tribulations involved with sensitivity and compassion. It has a poignant and pensive plot with believable characters and ends with a heart-warming and satisfying conclusion to what is an engaging story. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel and can recommend it.

Katherine has always wanted a large family but after suffering complications following the birth of her son, those dreams are shattered. Her baby boy is perfect and she should feel grateful but she can’t help mourning what she can’t have especially as she was a lonely only child. She has an overwhelming desire to adopt but her husband thinks she should be thankful for what she does has. This causes problems not only with him but also her mother. Should Katherine pursue what she truly believes will make her happy or will that risk her losing the family she has. This book is heart wrenching and covers many difficult topics however it wasn’t the page turner for me. I know others have loved this though but I would rate this 3.5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for the chance to review.

I was intrigued and eager to read this book as soon as I read the summary, and was thrilled that the book proved to be as good as I thought it would be!

I felt a myriad of strong emotions when reading it, for a number of reasons. The most prevalent emotion that comes to mind right now is the feeling of utter shock and frustration at the actions of Davis and Katherine’s mother. I wanted to shake one or the other, or both at the same time, several times. It’s amazing how someone’s life can be so directly affected and changed unknowingly based on what others do. It does not seem right at all.

I can relate to Katherine in a few ways and, without giving away any spoilers, I will say that I can sympathize and commiserate completely with how she was feeling, and that made me feel even more emotional towards everything and everyone.

The author did such an outstanding job at capturing such realistic situations and creating a masterful and captivating story! I am impressed and am a new fan of this author! I just read summaries of other books written by Sam Vickery and added almost all of them to my TBR list, they all sound just as, if not more, enchanting as this one!

This story broke my heart at times and I’m certain that every reader will shed a tear at some point whilst reading My Only Child, so having tissues to hand is advisable.

This is my first time reading Sam Vickery’s work and what I loved about this story was that it didn’t just focus on what Katherine and Davis were going through, but she also gave us Hazel’s story and how this affected them over the years and in the present time. The stories of both Katherine and Hazel I thought were seamlessly written, although my main niggle is that I felt Hazel’s perspective and feelings were repeated a little too much, even though I can appreciate that the author was aiming for the reader to have a good understanding of Hazel’s relationships. Also, I would have loved a little more to the conclusion to this story, which will also have you reaching for the tissues of that I'm certain.

I found this story to be very thought-provoking. I have been a mother for a number of years and I found myself looking back over my time with my boys. I have every faith that the author will have brought out all the emotions in every reader but I certainly could understand how Katherine and Hazel must have been feeling as they came to terms with their situations and tried to move forward.

I recommend this book to you to read. It has been a welcome change from the books that I tend to choose for myself (focusing more on the romance of a story) and I look forward to reading more of Sam’s work in the future.

Firstly a big thank you to the publishers for my copy to review on netgalley. Ive recently read one of Sam’s books and it was my first. Having read this one its safe to say shes a great writer.

This is a story of family, and all the trials and tribulations that make up that family. Lies,secrets,loss and love.

With each chapter another layer is revealed meaning this really keeps you on your toes.

Emotive writing that is thought provoking and relatable.

Published 2nd November and i highly recommend.

Wow, Sam can really make you feel the emotions and this one is no different.!
It deals with the loss of a baby and the pains of adoption.
It is about the sacrifices that a mother makes for her children and all we can do is hope we have made the correct choices. It features a mother and daughter hoping that the choices and sacrifices they make are the correct ones and once they open up and share their secrets, with each other, they learn more about motherhood.
I received this arc from NetGalley for an honest review.

This is a heart tugging story. Imagine you are pregnant with twins and during the delivery you not only lose one of your children but have a hysterectomy to save your life. You kept the twins a secret so you can’t even properly grieve with your loved ones.

This is the story of Kathleen and her struggle to cope with everything that has happened. It’s also a story of her mother, Hazel, as flashbacks show she did not have the best marriage. Both women struggle with having only one child and wishing they could have more.

This story highlights the importance of letting others help you, even if you don’t want it.

I was delighted to be able to read an ARC of this latest book by Sam Vickery and thoroughly enjoyed it. Katherine is the only child of Hazel who is what I would describe as a helicopter parent in that she is, or would like to be, constantly hovering over her daughter. However Katherine doesn't appreciate her mother's fussing and when she becomes pregnant decides not to tell her mother that she is expecting twins. Sadly one of the twins, a girl Adriana, doesn't survive though the little boy Jamie is healthy. Katherine is also devastated to learn she had an emergency hysterectomy so won't be able to have any more children. Her mother is aware of the hysterectomy but still doesn't know one baby has died. However Hazel has secrets of her own and when Katherine informs her that they are planning on adopting another child, she is not supportive and tries to persuade Katherine's husband Davis that it isn't a good idea. The relationship between the two women goes from bad to worse but will the adoption of Aaron bring them closer again?

I've loved Sam's previous books for the raw emotion contained within the pages and this book is no different. You jump start into the action from page 1. I didn't read the blurb so I had the shock factor that most won't get.
This book told two stories that wove together so well. I didn't warm to Hazel very quickly but that was very much led by the story.
It was very cleverly written and I'd highly recommend it.

WOW!! Raw, emotional, heart-breaking & honest! This is a one-of-a-kind read! Haven't read anything by Sam Vickery before this, but you can be sure I will be looking for latest! This is a must read!

There he is, my baby boy. His eyes are closed, his tiny rosebud mouth is pursed in sleep. My eyes well up as I catch a whiff of his newborn skin and I swallow back a wave of emotion. I should feel happy, I should feel grateful, but all I can think about is everything I just lost…

It’s a miracle when Katherine’s baby boy is born healthy. But his twin sister doesn’t survive, and when Katherine is told she can’t have any more children the loss is almost too much for her to bear.

Katherine always saw herself having a big family: she remembers how the loneliness of being an only child used to overwhelm her, and she is desperate to adopt a sibling for her son.

But her husband Davis won’t agree. He worries that Katherine will struggle when the new baby arrives. What if growing their family only adds to the grief she feels over losing her little girl? What if this breaks their marriage apart?

I received an ARC from Bookouture through NetGalley for an honest review. This was a hard book to read but I am glad I did read it. When Katherine went into labor there were complications and one of the twins didn't survive. Her and her husband, Davis, hadn't told anyone they were having twins, so they kept it a secret that their daughter died. Katherine wanted to name her daughter and have a funeral but her husband didn't want to but she did and he did attend the funeral with her.
I was glad I read the book because I got an understanding of what a woman goes through when their child doesn't make it. Katherine didn't get along with her mother but her mother was always nice to her and wanted to be close to her daughter but Katherine just kept pushing her away. As the book moves along we learn both the mother and daughter have secrets and it looks like it will totally destroy them.
Davis and Katherine did an International adoption and adopted a little boy. Things didn't work out the way Katherine had dreamed and it looked like Katherine was hitting rock bottom. The day did come, that she had a breakthrough and things started to turn around. The ending was so special.
Sam Vickery did an amazing job writing this story. I think many people will have a better understanding of what someone goes through when they lose a child. The book shows us the difficulty of moving forward, figuring out what to do, and really how to just make it through a day. It is written with understanding, compassion, and so much feeling.

My Only Child
Sam Vickery
Publication date 11/2/20

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

This is a very emotional tale of bringing home only one baby when you are having twins. My heart broke over and over again as Katherine tries to come to terms with the changes her life will take after a devastating birth. I was quickly attached to Katherine and was fighting for her to overcome such a loss- at times her husband Davis and her overprotective mother expect her to just move on. This is a delicate story with secrets and lies embedded between the pages. Quick paced and riveting pick this one up, you will not be disappointed!

A sincere thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing me with a copy of My Only Child for my honest review.

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OH MY GOD! It’s not the first time I start a review with this exclamation and it won’t certainly be the last time either. I had to write it in capital letters and in full because the small abbreviation would not cut it. It would not express my feelings about this book.
I opened it and my heart already started breaking. It broke more and more until I found myself with one million pieces of it. But I was lucky. The author added a very good glue to the story so that finally I could put it together again.
The book made my heart bleed, my eyes well up and my bin fill up with wet tissues, but I ended with my heart full of warmth, my eyes crying happy tears and a big smile on my face.
An amazingly beautiful story that I could not put down. 5 stars

Thank you, Sam Vickery and Bookouture

Wow. Sam Vickery has a new fan in me. This story was devastating, unbelievable, enraging, humbling, frustrating...
Katherine and Hazel's relationship seems a little toxic, Katherine and Davis' relationship seems a little unstable. The complexities here made the ending seem a little too easy, but it doesn't even matter because the rest was so good. Katherine and Davis face such a tremendous loss and my heart broke for them and their strained marriage. Hazel was harder to identify with, but I understand the overwhelming need to become a mom and the intense love for your child. I will be adding more of this author to my library!

Genre: Domestic Fiction 
Rating: 5/5
Plot: 
It’s a miracle when Katherine’s baby boy is born healthy. But his twin sister doesn’t survive, and when Katherine is told she can’t have any more children the loss is almost too much for her to bear.
Katherine always saw herself having a big family: she remembers how the loneliness of being an only child used to overwhelm her, and she is desperate to adopt a sibling for her son.
But her husband Davis won’t agree. He worries that Katherine will struggle when the new baby arrives. What if growing their family only adds to the grief she feels over losing her little girl? What if this breaks their marriage apart?
And Katherine is forced to make a choice. Give up the second child she has always dreamed of or risk losing the family she already has?
An unforgettable and heart-wrenching page-turner about fighting for those we love. Readers of Jodi Picoult, Diane Chamberlain and Kate Hewitt will remember this story forever.
My verdict: Firstly thank you to Netgalley for letting me read this heartbreaking and equally heartwarming story by Sam Vickery. For me, Vickery is fast becoming a favourite of mine and this book is another knock out of the park for me. Touching on themes such as child loss, adoption, postnatal depression, helicopter parenting and attachment parenting I was reminded of Books such as Jodi Picoult's Leaving Time, Diane chamberlain's The Midwife’s confession and a dash of Kate Kate Hewitt and Emma Robinson for good measure. Told through two narratives Vickery manages to show us there's more than one way to lose a child and how the protection of the child is of the most important even if it results in alienating others. However, through Hazel’s narrative and her about the true nature of Katherine’s childhood, we learn that keeping secrets no matter how good the intentions do more harm than good. On the other hand, through Katherine’s narrative, we learn that parenting isn't always plain sailing and slowly she realises that sometimes it's okay to lean on others. We also see the effects of grief not just with Katherine but as the family as a whole and acceptance is the only way to heal. Through the adoption process, we see her and realise that by pushing to pursue the adoption of another child that she may lose the family has already had. Through Davis’s perspective, we learn that people do not always show grief but it doesn't mean they don't feel it. Davis has been brought up and taught that a man isn't emotional, we also see that the strong bond between mother and son due to the traumatic circumstances surrounding the birth can make the father feel inadequate. Overall, Katherine and Davis learn throughout the adoption that they are capable of doing more than they realise and working together, as well as good communication will make it work. It is nice to see Katherine realising that her overbearing parenting style is like history repeating itself in regards to her childhood and it's good to see that she recognises it and wants to have a more harmonious family dynamic by letting Davis in. Overall, the message is that it's not disloyal to the child you've lost to carry on making a family and only by carrying on living life together can they honour their memory, they will always have a place in your heart This book for me will have a special place in my heart because what Katherine’s been through I watched my parents go through. It leads me through a rollercoaster of emotions and I would like to applaud Sam for writing about a taboo subject whilst remaining true to the realities of child loss and at the same time being sensitive. How apt that I finished this book at the start of rainbow baby week. There was not a dry eye in the house as I read this book and it will stay with me forever.