A scary book. You wake from a period when your mind was not your own and have to believe everything the people around you tell you, because they have your best interests at heart, don’t they? All you want is a happy family with your loving husband isn’t it. A clever book with plenty of twists to keep you guessing. Scary to start to consider the ‘what ifs ‘

Oh. My. GOSH! This was absolutely bonkers and I absolutely loved it!

There’s a TON going on here but we start with Dani, who’s about to be released from the psych facility she’s lived in for several months. She was behind the wheel when she and her sister crashed into an overpass. Dani suffers from face blindness now, but her biggest issue is depression. She caused the accident and her twin sister is paralyzed. She is crippled by guilt.

Her husband Tate is a suspiciously young judge. He’s very ambitious but has also been propped up by Dani’s trust fund. Since she can’t even recognize her own spouse’s face, he wears yellow since it’s apparently the least popular color for men to wear. Learn something new everyday!

She is separated from her sister. Dani is stuck in Tampa with the tacky house Tate had remodeled to keep up with the Joneses. Shelby is in Jacksonville, where her rehab facility is. This is when things start to get fishy.

Dani always wanted kids but is barren. Tate suddenly comes up with a way to adopt an adorable baby girl. He’s making all her dreams come true! But is he abusing his power as a judge to do this? And most importantly, is she ready to be a mother? No normal adoption agency would approve them and for good reason. You’re not entitled to a child just because you’re wealthy.

Dani takes meds at night that make her non-responsive, which is really responsible when you have a newborn but she has help. There is some junk science going on here but it’s fiction.

She starts to see strange things and people don’t necessarily believe her. A woman coming after her. Tate is coming and going at all hours. Her neighbors are oddballs. Shelby seems hot and cold. It’s like she can’t trust anyone or herself.

I was immediately drawn in by a twin story because I’m a twin. I thought Dani was a really complex but likable main character. I was rooting for her. My heart ached for her at times.

I found it interesting and impressive that the author included Covid on a small but noticeable scale. For instance, masks making it even harder for her face blindness and following pandemic protocols where she went.

I also love that even though Tate was clearly a politician, we don’t know which party or side he was on. It got the point across without being divisive. That was really neat and appreciated.

This was a suspenseful book. I was at the edge of my seat! One of the best books I’ve read this year.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read and review!

This book was a good plot overall but the story felt like it dragged. It also took quite a bit for me to get into even though it was interesting. I enjoyed the ending though.

You will not find a tale more twisted than this one! A wealthy woman recently discharged from a psychiatric hospital is able to go to her new home with a husband she loves very much. While she struggles to maintain her mental health there are forces working against her - or are they?

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC!

I really enjoyed The Adoption. It was a little bit slow to begin with but once it got going there were twists and turns galore. It was a good solid read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC.

Dani and Tate are the picture perfect couple. With one exception - Dani can't have children, due to a terrible car accident she caused that severely injured her and her twin sister, Shelby. Dani knows she is responsible for the accident but can't remember why or how it happened.

Tate secures an adoption of a baby girl for them. Everything seems wonderfully blissful - until it isn't. Tate is acting strange. There's a woman harassing Dani. Her therapist seems to think it's no big deal. Then, Dani has a breakthrough. She realizes that everyone in her life has been lying to her about the day of the accident. Will she uncover the truth or will it be too much for her to handle?

WOW. This novel was SO much better than I anticipated it would be. It does start off slow, but it ramps up in a big way. My heart was racing and I couldn't read fast enough. I absolutely had to know what was happening next. There are plenty of plot twists in this one that will keep you on the edge of your seat! I did not see the ending coming at all!

My one complaint other than the slow start is the length of the chapters, they are a little long. I know some other reviewers said they felt that the book was repetitive in nature and that it was unnecessary. I completely disagree. I believe the repetition is imperative to understanding the severity of Dani's condition.

If you like a good psychological thriller! This one is for you! I will definitely be checking out Jenna Kernan's other novels!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Bookouture and Jenna Kernan for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. This title is schedule to be release on May 11, 2022.

I strongly disliked this story. The writing was difficult to read. The characters felt two-dimensional. There were a lot of things in the story that had nothing to do with anything. There was a lot repetitiveness. And, oh my god, it was so, so, so unnecessarily long.

★★★★ 4.5 stars

I am excited to be taking part in the #BooksOnTour #BlogTour for Jenna Kernan's captivating thriller THE ADOPTION.

Excuse me while I dry my eyes and stop sniffling. OMG...that was so heartbreaking! It was just positively sad. There really are no other words for it. But it didn't start out that way...

In the beginning, THE ADOPTION starts off with a very slow and steady climb...like when you are riding a bike up a never-ending hill and you are pacing and forcing yourself to keep at it, that you'll get there. Then throw in the repetitive commentary as the reader is told the same thing over and over, sometimes in the same paragraph or page. Some of it was even unnecessary and could have been edited down to make an even tighter tenser thriller. And yet...it is still one heck of a thriller! But only when you get past all the aftermath of the accident which set this entire ball rolling and the repetitiveness...only then do you begin to see the cracks. And it is then you begin to wonder just exactly what is going on here.

Dani has an almost perfect life. She has an adoring husband Tate who has just been nominated as a circuit judge, they have a beautiful house in an exclusive Florida gated community and thanks to her parents' trust, she never wants for anything. The only thing missing from their lives is the pitter-patter of tiny feet and the joyful sound of a baby's laughter. And now that will never come. Because three days before Christmas, Dani was involved in an horrific car accident that left her with a brain injury, face blindness and unable to have children. Not only that, Dani is plagued with guilt for crippling her twin sister Shelby, now a paraplegic as a result of the accident. But as haunted as she is, Dani cannot remember why she was driving so fast that day or where she was going.

After six months in hospital then a psychiatric unit, Dani is finally going home. But it's not home as she knows it. She's only seen staged pictures of the house Tate is bringing her back to as she has no memories of this palatial home in a gated community. And every time she sits at the kitchen bench or underneath the crystal chandelier or on the plush leather sofas, Dani cannot help but long for their old home. That felt like home. This...is more like a display home. She may have views of the water and Tampa Bay but she doesn't have the stillness of nature with the variety of songbirds she used to enjoy. Just noisy jet skis and motor boats and squawking seagulls.

Dani's greatest wish is to be a mother. But it's a wish that will never come true now...that is, until Tate gets off the phone one afternoon to say their adoption application has been approved and that they will be getting a baby the following day. A week after being out of hospital? Red flag, much. But Dani blinks any doubts away and delights in the wonder that she is actually going to be a mum! She is so thrilled she shares excitement with Shelby while she and Tate deck out their new nursery with every-baby-thing they could find. Their child will want for nothing.

And then Sunday arrives...with their new baby daughter she names Willow. And Dani couldn't be happier.

But then strange things begin to occur. A wild haired, wild eyed woman barefoot in their backyard bashing at the windows screaming to be let in. But with her prosopagnosia (face blindness) means Dani could never identify the intruder...even if she saw her again. And she does see her again. This time, the woman makes a specific demand of her. And Dani is left wondering...has Tate been lying to her? Is everything she perceives in fact real...or is it just in her head? How can she decipher truth from fiction? And just who can she trust?

As I first stated, the story does start off slow and to be honest I do feel some of it could have been edited down to keep the pace moving a bit quicker and keeping the plotline tighter. The repetitiveness does get a little monotonous...I lost count of how many times we heard how much Dani preferred their old home to this sparkly new one or the brand new SUV Tate had bought her "that she would never drive". These were mentioned over and over that it drove readers nuts...and I wasn't alone in that, I noted. But it was alluded to that maybe this repetitiveness was intentional to give readers an insight into Dani's confused state of mind. Because to be honest, Dani was forever second guessing herself and questioning everything she thought or did or may have done. I guess, this could be true. But still, it felt as though this bogged the narrative down a little too much.

However don't despair, readers, and don't give up. Because it does get better. Boy, does it get better! I found around the 30% mark, the pace began to pick up as did the plot and I began to notice some anomalies to the narrative. Not in a bad way but more like what exactly is going on here? Are we getting the full picture? Or are we only seeing what we are meant to see? It began to feel as if Dani was being gas-lighted but with her fragile state of mind who would believe her?

I love the fact that the story focused on the protagonist having a brain injury because right away that makes her an unreliable narrator, making us question everything she says, does or thinks. The focus on mental health was very sensitively done and made for some heartbreaking reading. I found my heart just breaking for Dani as she struggled with her own reality as opposed to actual reality. The narrative, though in the third person, was twisty and sometimes confronting. But it was clear from the beginning that there was something so much more going on that none of us had any clue about.

Given the fact this was a twisted thriller, I began to pick holes in everything and create my own narrative as to what I thought was going on. Imagine my surprise by the end to discover how right I was! Although it was clear where the story was heading, it wasn't so clear as to what was actually going on. I just decided to delve deeper and seek out clues and piece bits together. An address (is all I'll say, so no spoilers) was a big one that jumped right out at me from the first moment. After that, everything fell into place.

Despite the beginning making a slow start off the mark, I do feel it played a big part in the bigger picture but could have been edited down and still been as paramount to Dani's story. My advice is to stick with it because it truly does get better and then it's a race to the end as the tension mounts and the twists are revealed.

I loved the ending. It was sad, poignant and even heartbreaking but it was fitting. That final twist that turned everything on it's head was a perfect touch.

Filled with betrayal, lies, deception and secrets, THE ADOPTION is a domestic and psychological thriller that is unique in its originality and plot that keeps you guessing throughout. If it wasn't for all the excess and unnecessary repetitive features, this would most definitely be a 5 star read. Once I reached that point of no return, I could not put it down and I devoured every twisted minute of it.

I would like to thank #JennaKernan, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheAdoption in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.

Sniffly Snuffly Sneezles! 😳😯😳🤯

I will admit I didn't care for how long this book was and made it a bit overwhelming. As well as some repetitiveness that just didn't need to be rehashed. Some of it felt slow moving but perhaps it was because the novel was so long & some parts rehashed. But close to half way this novel totally rectified itself with all the juicy twists, the who to trust, etc! The ending was super fab!
Dani is married to Tate and they have it all. Well, almost. Dani can't have children of her own since she recently was in an accident with her sister Shelby that made her a quadriplegic, & Dani with a brain injury that affects her being able to see faces properly and be familiar with them. She doesn't know why she was driving so fast or what could have caused the accident. But after spending time in hospital & talking with her therapist, she's determined to get better and be better. After Dani and Tate apply for adoption, very quickly they're accepted and they're holding their girl, Willow. But soon one night Dani wakes and Willow is gone. Could the past connect to her daughters disappearance? Just what happened a year ago on that night of the accident?
That ending was wicked! And I loved learning about Dani & the other characters. I have to say this plot & premise was unique and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It had such promise and potential and I still enjoyed reading it. You think you'll know and get it but don't be so sure!

Thank you to NetGalley & Bookouture for this ARC.
Release Date: May 11, 2022

I give this 3.5 / 5 Lily's! 🪷

A tense thriller, which holds you to keep turning the pages, it involves tension, lies and mental trauma. Is every thing as it seems. Or is everything just imagined.

This was definitely a story full of twists and turns! I was left guessing what was going on a lot of the time and the story was interesting. However, it felt like there was almost too much going on (too many issues, too many plot points, etc) and I had trouble connecting with the characters because of it. It felt a bit confusing at times. But I did enjoy it and would check out further books by the author!

The Adoption is an upcoming thriller by Jenna Kernan about a traumatized women who struggles to grasp her new reality once she returns home from a psych facility. A near-fatal crash leaves her with feelings of depression, anxiety and despair, as well as unable to have her own children. Until her husband surprises her days after returning home with a newly adopted baby.

This book was slow at the beginning, but halfway through became fast-paced with a seemingly new twist every chapter. Although I overall enjoyed this quick read, it was a bit predictable and repetitive. It was easy to sympathize with Dani’s character but I also found myself irritated with how gullible she was. This book employed the unreliable narrator very well, utilizing a traumatic brain injury in a unique and interesting way. The ending, albeit mostly satisfying, was a bit too complicated for me and would have been better with a few less twists.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Dani is filled with guilt it was a terrible crash in the car
She was driving
So they put in for adoption and she is perfect for a little girl called Willow
But when Willow gets snatched
Then she gets upset
I had an Arc

a interesting thriller that I enjoyed. Great twists and interesting characters. I would recommend this to my friends

The Adoption by Jenna Kernan was an overall decent read, I found it a bit hard to follow the storyline, a LOT of unbelievable things occur during the book. I did finish the book and I appreciate the chance to pre read the story, but it isn't a must read IMO.

This is a great read, grabs you from the beginning and pulls you in! A really rollercoaster of a read, that I couldn't put down!

This really is an unputdownable psychological thriller. Dani is a wealthy heiress married to a handsome, politically ambitious young judge. A horrific accident leaves Dani depressed and brain injured, and her twin sister paralysed. After months in psychiatric care, she returns to her fancy home, and soon afterwards she and her husband Tate adopt a baby girl. This is where things get pretty hairy. Dani starts wondering, just how did Tate circumvent the usual adoption process, and who is the strange, angry woman who harasses her? Can Dani trust her fragile mental state? And can she trust that the people around her?

A horrible car accident left Dani unable to have children so when news breaks an adoption has gone through, she's over the moon. However, not everything is what it appears to be and soon Dani uncovers the truth, not only about the adoption but of the fatal accident as well.

This was a bit of a slow burner at the start as it was building up the story. I knew something shady was going on with the husband and kind of called his bluff early on. What I wasn't expecting though was the whole sister saga! I think I was so invested in being right about the husband, the sister blindsided me. The first half of the book did drag a little for me as I just wanted Dani to have the baby and for the twists to start but then when they did, I was so gripped! It was quite fast paced from there and I really enjoyed how it ended. This book wasn't what I expected at all but I enjoyed it and devoured it in a couple of days!

What a sad book that was. It was really well written with a great twisty storyline, but it was overall just a very sad book to read. I feel very sorry for people who are institutionalised in mental health facilities and the situation that forced the main character, Dani Sutton, to be in the facility was very sad. Overall, a great book, but just a bit too dreary for me.

What an amazing story!!

The whole thing has more twists and turns than the best rollercoaster you have ever been on

Dani, she becomes someone you want to help and be a friend to. Tate, someone you want to keep your eye on as he seems unpredictable

You try to second guess what is going to happen and you are shocked when the unexpected happens instead

A fabulous read that I found really hard to put down