Loved this book ,good relationships between the characters.i would recommend this book .I find myself reading more in the winter.five stars given

Full review on good reads
I already wrote a review for this but apparently clicked on the wrong book so now the original review is for the wrong book and idk how to fix it. Awesome.
Anyway, 2/5 stars.
Very repetitive. We get it. Bethany wants to be Eliza’s friend
And that ending was horrible!
I will not be reading anymore from this author.

Good thriller that keeps you interested to see what happens next. Will be looking for more of Shiner's books.

Wanting to be somebody else to taking over their life- this one quickly became crazy and a bit outlandish. Keep in mind, it's fiction! Thanks NetGalley for the ARC!

I'm sorry to say that I just couldn't get into this story. Neither Bethany nor Eliza were remotely sympathetic characters, one being an obsessive and the other a terrible snob. I found myself unable to care what happened to either of them so in spite of several attempts I couldn't finish the book.

WOW, I didn't know you could have 2 crazy people in one story but goodness you sure pulled it off in The stolen child. I really enjoyed this book and did not want to put down because I wanted to know who won in the battle of the stolen child or the one who kept the secret the stolen child A definite must read!

This book has left me speechless and still spinning from the amount of suspense in this story.Yet another book by Emily Shiner, that I could not out down and could not predict the ending.

What a crazy, twisted page-turner! Um, wow, I really don't even know what else to say! I liked that we got to read the story from the perspectives of both of the women.

Today, is my spot on ZooloosBookTours blog tour for The Stolen Child by Emily Shiner. This thriller is published by Inkubator Books and I read it as an ebook for this tour. I’m so glad that I took part on this blog tour as I really liked this novel. It was suspenseful, thrilling and exciting. It is a very topical novel too, as more and more people are becoming bloggers and social media influencers. This thriller tells a story of a family who kidnap their nephew and of a crazed fan who blackmails them. It sounds like every mother’s nightmare scenario and this novel discusses serious topics such as the dangers of sharing your personal life online.
This novel was unputdownable and I wanted to read it as quickly as possible to find out what happens in the end. I liked discovering a new author for me on this blog tour whose writing style I like. While this was my first novel that I’ve read by Emily Shiner, I can’t wait to read more novels by her in the future. I’m giving this novel 4 stars as I throughly enjoyed reading it and I’m sure other readers will like it too.

Eliza has the perfect life. Bethany wants it.
Eliza has the perfect life. A beautiful home, a hugely successful blog, a loving husband and two adorable children.
Bethany barely scrapes by in a dead-end job. Her only happiness comes from reading Eliza’s blog. Obsessed with her, she believes they’re destined to be best friends.
But Eliza doesn’t want another friend . . . especially one as pushy as Bethany. Because Eliza is hiding a family secret. One that would shatter her entire world if it was ever revealed.
Rejected and furious, Bethany starts stalking Eliza. And, as she watches her every move, Bethany discovers Eliza’s secret and threatens to expose it.
But Eliza will do whatever it takes to protect her perfect life. Even if it means getting rid of Bethany . . . forever.

This was an amazing suspenseful read.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and found myself second guessing every thought I had continuously.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.

I was provided an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. This is my own honest voluntary review.

The Stolen Child by Emily Shiner
Eliza has the perfect life. Bethany wants it.
Eliza has the perfect life. A beautiful home, a hugely successful blog, a loving husband and two adorable children. Bethany barely scrapes by in a dead-end job. Her only happiness comes from reading Eliza’s blog. Obsessed with her, she believes they’re destined to be best friends.
Brilliant read. I loved this author. 5*.

I always enjoy novels taking social media influencers as a key element - so I was looking forward to this novel. It started well, showing how easy it is to stalk and glean knowledge about people online - but I found the plot rapidly become very unbelievable, with the idea of the stolen child at its heart. The ending was rushed and inconclusive also.

How far would you go to protect your children? That is what Eliza must ask herself when Bethany holds a dark secret over her. This quick read is highly engaging. It is told in dual POV, one from Bethany and one from Eliza. Eliza is a stay at home mommy blogger and Bethany is single and works in a bar. You would think they have nothing in common but Bethany is determined to be Eliza’s best friend because they have so much in common. I loved reading both sides of the story to really understand the characters thinking. I could not read this book fast enough.

This was an engaging book, but you really have to suspend your sense of disbelief during the read.

Interesting characters and plot

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of the book.

So, girl mum Eliza is a mummy-blogger with a dark secret. She kidnapped her druggie sister’s kid and now keeps him hidden away in her house, while also detailing every other aspect of her and her daughter’s life online.

Super fan Bethany really wants be best friends with Eliza so engineers a few “chance meetings” with Eliza which just freaks Eliza out. After having her advances rebuffed a few times, the eagle-eyed Bethany notices something in the background of one of Eliza’s photos and instantly works out Eliza’s secret.

What did Bethany notice that was so incriminating? A blue cup.

That’s right, a blue cup caused the entire house of cards to come crashing down. Because everyone knows girls aren’t allowed anything blue! And there absolutely couldn’t possibly be any other explanation for this innocuous blue cup than a hidden boy baby living in the house…

The entire plot was ridiculous and poorly written. The wording was repetitive - the words “power” and “control” were used on pretty much every page.

The main characters were both unlikeable and their actions illogical.

There wasn’t really much action, there were no twists, and the ending was unsatisfactory.

@sarareadingbooks

This book was really good it flowed well and was to follow, loved the characters and kept my interest all the way through if haven't read a Emily Shiner book before I highly recommend you do she's very good

Eliza appears to have an ideal life. She has a doctor husband, a beautiful house, a blog/instagram following, and the picture perfect family with a daughter and a son.

Bethany is quite the opposite. She works in a bar. She lives in a crappy apartment. Has no friends and is alone. She follows Eliza on Instagram and loves her blog. She's almost obsessed with Eliza and truly believes is she could meet her, they would be best friends.

Eliza keeps to herself though. Because her family has a huge secret. One that could ruin their lives if it comes out.

A chance meeting at a coffee shop puts Eliza in Bethany's path. She latches on to her, trying to make friends with her. She fancies them best friends. When a photo on Instagram gives Brittany a clue and she uncovers Eliza's secret, the blackmail begins and it's a wild ride!

The ending threw me for a loop!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Inkubator Books for an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Let me start off by saying anything by Emily Shiner is going to be great! Add this book to your TBR immediately! It did not disappoint! I do not want to give the story away but it is one of the best psychological thrillers I have read this year! Eliza has everything a girl could ask for. Bethany has nothing and becomes obsessed with Eliza. Bethany wants to be Eliza's friend but it is not going to happen. Eliza does not like Bethany and she is hiding something. Bethany starts stalking Eliza, discovers her secret and threatens to tell. It has a lot of twists and turns!

Eliza has the perfect life, Bethany does not,
Bethany becomes obsessed over Eliza and wants to be the best of friends, but Eliza doesn't want too. Eliza is withholding a family secret. Bethany learns the secret and Eliza doesn't want it exposed. How will the situation unfold? What would you do? Gotta read this spectacular book to find out what happens.

Thanks to inkubator, netgalley, and the author in exchange for a review.
Publishing date Sept 11, 2022

Emily Shiner's latest intense darkly comic thriller, THE STOLEN CHILD, explores a blogger influencer's secret life when an obsessive unhinged stalker fan uncovers her dark secrets and threatens to expose her.

From the Prologue, we meet Eliza (blogger/influencer) and her husband, James (doctor). They are in Canada checking on Eliza's drug addict younger sister, Camilla.

Her sister has thrown her life away on drugs. They find her passed out but alive in a nasty house with no power or plumbing with a filthy mattress on the floor. They thought about calling the police, but she knows cops do not like druggies.

Eliza had not seen her sister in years, and her guilt had led her here to hunt her down. They were both in the foster care system before they aged out, and she told herself she would stop her from spiraling out of control. This is her last attempt.

She is passed out but appears to be breathing. Then all of a sudden, they see a little blonde-haired boy in a sagging diaper sucking his thumb with a dirty stuffed animal. She did not know about a child? Where did he come from, and what is he doing here? The boy says nothing. They must get him out of this environment.

Her husband wants to call the authorities. Eliza is against it due to her background. She cannot have this little boy in the system. This boy is filthy and needs a bath. She will not put another child in the foster system.

Eliza wants to take him home with them. James is against it. Eliza kidnaps him and leaves her sister without a word. Now she must hide him away and keep him safe. (this part makes no sense)

From here, they are back home in Tennessee. There is no mention of the relationship with the little boy or character development. We jump to Eliza and her life as a blogger and influencer, posting photos and worried and excited about getting sponsors. She loves to put her daughter Penelope in the limelight of her perfectly curated life.

However, they call the little boy Knox, and he does not get to leave the house. Very unrealistic. They keep him hidden away. We hear nothing from their relationship with him except they must keep him a secret. Eliza is also unhinged, obsessive, and crazy.

What she did NOT consider. One of her stalker fans.

Meet Bethany: She sees everything. She is obsessed with Eliza and wants to be her friend. She sees a photo in the background on Instagram with a sippy cup, and she knows that her idol has only a daughter. So why is she keeping a toddler a secret? The sleuthing begins. OBSESSION.

Of course, she stalks her everywhere she goes and even shows up at her house, and the door opens, she sees the little boy. BAM! Sorry, the secret is out. Bethany wants Eliza's perfect life.

The blackmail begins, but Bethany does not want money, she just wants to be friends. Good close friends. Meaning— they tell each other EVERYTHING!

From alternating POVs, we hear from Bethany and Eliza. Each chapter becomes more insane and unbelievable as the book progresses. Bethany is delusional, wanting to move in with the family, vacation together, shopping, and be their BFF.

On the other hand, Eliza plans how she will MURDER Bethany. She cannot have her secret exposed.

The book turns almost comical and unbelievable. Little does Eliza know that Bethany knows more than appears about her secret and has a file on her.

However, when Bethany takes off with Knox, the chase is on. (no spoilers) From here, the novel takes a rather creative, darkly funny, unexpected turn, which makes for a jaw-dropping twist and then another twist that leaves you flipping the pages when you realize this is THE END, leaving you with your thoughts.

I like the idea, but it is a short book; however, would have liked more character development for Knox, Camilla, and Eliza and less of the crazy banter between Bethany and Eliza.

Also, you need to suspend your disbelief to enjoy this one as over the top and has that Gone Girlish ending. However, you may enjoy the wild ride if you go into it more expecting a funny, darkly sinister humor versus a gripping psychological thriller. However, it is entertaining.

Otherwise, a creative idea if it was done something like Elle Cosimano's Finlay Donovan series or Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series. It could be an ongoing series which would have been fun, and then we could get more from each character.

James is a dull character with no backbone. Bethany is completely nuts, and Eliza is narcissistic and thinks of only herself. No likable characters here, but lots of laughs.

I enjoy NC authors, and the last book by Emily was great, so I look forward to reading more from her.

Thank you to #InkubatorBooks and #NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Blog Review Posted @
www.JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 3 Stars
Pub Dat: Sept 11, 2022