This book was outstanding in my opinion. All along I thought I knew what direction the plot was taking me, then with a twist it sent me in another direction. Just when I thought I had it figured out came the unsuspecting, shocking ending! Would definitely recommend reading this book if you like suspense.

My thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Baby Swap’ written by Daniel Hurst in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Many years ago Jade applied for a position with a luxury cosmetics brand and she still feels a grudge at the treatment she received at her interview from the marketing director Avril Anderson. Now, seven years later, both Jade and Avril are in adjoining beds on a maternity ward giving birth to their baby boys. Jade recognises Avril and her husband Bobby and decides to hurt them by swapping their quiet and placid baby Luca for her continually screaming one she’s called Calum.

‘The Baby Swap’ is a chilling thriller that begins seven years ago when Jade first encounters April, leading to the present time as Jade thinks up a scheme to destroy her nemesis. As the characters’ stories intertwine I sympathised with Jade, but the audacious way in which she swapped babies had my allegiance transfer to a distressed Avril as she failed to understand how her baby’s placid nature could change overnight. There’s been plenty of suspense and shocking twists and turns as the story progressed and the tension increased. By the time I reached the final chapters I was gasping with amazement at how the story was unfolding and was shocked at how it ended which wasn’t what I’d expected. This is another brilliant thriller by a very accomplished author that’s worthy of a huge five stars.

The Baby Swap Daniel Hurst Explores the ultimate struggle for revenge and the consequences of outdoing one another. After an initial slow start, the story became intriguing. While there were some good twists and turns, the ending felt rushed. An interesting read.
Thank you to the author, Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

I liked this one. It was full of tension and twists. Liked how the lives of main characters were tied together.

Some things seemed unlikely but it is a fiction and for a fast read to get you out of the reading slump wild ride like this is exactly the thing you are looking for.

Thank you Netgalley for an ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.

★★★★★ 4.5 stars (rounded up)

Someone stole my little boy and I'll do whatever it takes to get him back...

And...he's back!! I've taken time out from this author's thrilling 20 Minute series to read this latest release of his and Daniel Hurst is back with a bang! In his unique style of twists and whiplash, he delivers something of his trademark addictive plots that I have come to know and love. I devoured this book in around five or six hours reading time (I had to sleep in between) and it was thrilling and fast paced from beginning to end.

The story opens with a prologue that draws you in and grips you from the start. And leaves you guessing as to which mother is going to make the swap. Rewind back a few hours to the day before when both mothers go into labour and arrive at the hospital to find themselves sharing the same room, their beds beside each other.

We meet Avril, a forty-one year old woman who has undergone IVF for her miracle child, and Jade, a thirty-eight year old woman who found herself in a position she never thought possible. Both women give birth on the same day to the boys, within hours of each other, and back on the maternity ward have nothing but a privacy curtain separating them. One baby is placid and latches onto breastfeeding immediately while the other does nothing but scream the place down, his mother at a loss as to what to do to soothe him.

But in the hours that follow a plan is hatched, a swap is made and nothing is ever the same again. Each woman has the other's baby - one knowingly, the other completely unaware - as they each navigate the birth of motherhood.

Now while the concept was predictable enough - we guess pretty quickly who makes the swap - the why behind it slowly unfolds. But as with any Hurst thriller, nothing is as it seems and we just know there is far more to the tale that what we are being told.

The story unfolds through the alternating perspectives of Avril and Jade, both in the past and present, as we get to know each of the women and their secrets. And everything about them has lead to this moment. Both women were unreliable narrators and my opinion on whose side I was on kept changing. In the end, I found both of them deplorable in their actions but like any true Hurst thriller, he has finished with us readers yet...and he deals us with yet another and another and another twist. And true to form, there is never a dull moment, no lull in the plot and no way was I falling asleep, such was the action-packed thrill ride Hurst takes us on.

A tense, shocking (if a little OTT in parts, as is his style) and oh so hard to put down thrill ride. Pretty much, if Daniel Hurst writes it then I'm going to read it...whether I like it or not...because you are always guaranteed to be entertained from start to finish. I think I have read about 40 of his books so far and there are still so many more to devour...so I best get to it!

Another hugely entertaining read that was thrilling and captivating from beginning to end.

I would like to thank #DanielHurst, #Netgalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheBabySwap in exchange for an honest review.

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

The Baby Swap by Daniel Hurst is a gripping psychological thriller that explores every parent’s worst nightmare—discovering that their child was switched at birth. Hurst builds suspense as the characters grapple with the devastating truth, forcing them to make impossible choices that test their morals and emotions. This fast-paced narrative, filled with plot twist kept me hooked til the very last page! The Baby Swap is a thought-provoking and unsettling read that will stay with you long after you finish. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read this book!

This one started off with a bang. As you can tell from the title, there is a baby swap.

The two moms in the story, Jade and Astrid, have a history. Seven years ago they met for the first time and the bad blood remains.

Daniel Hurst switches back and forth between the two moms as well as going back into the past to give them a believable back story.

For the first 75% this was headed for the top of my Daniel Hurst list. In my opinion, there were a few too many twists in those last pages. The ending I had in mind would also have been less violent.

You may be wondering which DH title is at the top of my list? The Doctor’s Wife and from what I have read about rankings, am not the only one.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.

Another hit for Daniel hurst! This was a great read. I was anxiously awaiting for the next thing to happen. I couldn’t imagine switching a baby, but then when I continued to read WHY she did it, I guess it made sense. But it cost her her life, so clearly not worth it. I enjoyed the way this book was written. Overall 4 stars

All I can say is that I’m mind blown! Not only do we have one crazy person but two! The lengths that both Avril and Jade are willing to go to make sure the other doesn’t win their weird and twisted game is insane! It’s crazy to think that people would come up with this stuff and go through with it! I was so worried about what was going on between them that I didn’t even see the twist coming. This was a quick read that has put author Daniel Hurst on my radar; I will definitely be reading more of his books. The Baby Swap will have you on the edge of your seat from start to finish!!

And....he's back! Seriously, Does Daniel Hurst ever sleep? Is he chained to his desk? Readers may never know but what I do know is that Daniel Hurst has delivered yet again with The Baby Swap!!! I found this book to be an addictive, gripping, thrilling, fast paced page turner! As with his other books, The Baby Swap is wonderfully written, well thought out, tense, shocking, and hard to put down!

The book begins as two mothers give birth and share a room separated by a privacy curtain with their newborns. A swap is made, and nothing will be the same ever again! Holy Moly! I love that Daniel Hurst was able to pull the wool over my eyes quite a few times while reading this book. Just when I thought I knew where this book was heading, he changed directions on me and left me with my mouth hanging open! I enjoyed the POV of both mothers and learning more about their backstories. The things I learned had my head spinning. Whew!

This book has quite a few twists and one quite a few reveals. There were several times I thought "What did I just read?". Seriously, there are some jaw-dropping and shocking scenes in this book. There is never a dull moment, never any down time, and never any slow parts. I was completely sucked into this book from the first page until the very last page.

I've said it before and I will say it again, if Daniel Hurst writes it, I am going to read it!

Someone stole my little boy. I’ll do whatever it takes to get him back…

ME: Staring down at the sweet baby in my arms, I feel panic instead of love. Because this isn’t the child I gave birth to. My husband whispers to the midwife. They all think I’m going crazy. But the tiny boy in my arms is crying again. I’m certain: he knows I’m not his mummy. And I’ll do whatever it takes to get my son back.

HER: I did it. I swapped my baby with another newborn in the hospital. As I hold the child in my arms, I hear my own little boy start to cry on the other side of the curtain. My heart is shattering into a million pieces.

I know I had no choice. I didn’t want to do this. But no one can ever find out the reason why I swapped my baby.

As always with Daniel Hurst's books I was immediately drawn in to the secrets, lies and danger that intensified throughout the book.

I really enjoyed this
Everything a good thriller needs and so much more
The last chapter I’m still not over!!
Loved the characters the fast paced intense story line
I read it in one sitting as I just couldn’t put it down
Loved how it was from 2 characters point of views
Really kept me on my toes
Loved it

Thank you to Daniel Hurst, Bookouture, and NetGalley for an arc of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion. Publish date February 19, 2025.

Another brilliant tale by Mr. Hurst, the master of thrillers. He had me hooked from the first chapter and it was so difficult to actually put it down (work really interferes with my best book life).

You've got 2 different POVs in past and present. Jade is hell-bent on revenge and she has Avril in the bullseye....and then there is a swap of babies. Hold up...WHAT?! Why do they hate each other, how does one even swap a baby, and who is unfortunate enough to get mixed up in the chaos between these two women? Oh...and most importantly, what happens to these precious little boys? You'll just have to read to find out. This is a deliciously woven story of revenge, secrets, and lies. There are plenty of twists and turns with a satisfying conclusion and a thought provoking epilogue. Daniel Hurst never delivers anything less than a 5 star epic thriller. It's a must read!

I love Hurst’s book. I would love to hear more of the background of the main characters and have so many questions. For example, what happened to their families, what was their childhood like? Would a job interview really motivate such an extreme action and self-harm? do the main characters have any extended relatives who would have known about the pregnancy or could help? I often wonder if the character has zero relatives or could anyone else have taken in the baby. Did the husband have any emotional connection caring for the baby? Could the neighbor could have adopted the baby as a happy ending? Any other inner thoughts of how any of the parents felt or learned? Love the books and series.

Absolutely love Daniel Hursts books, they never ever disappoint. Fantastic book that kept me hooked right from the start. Read it in less than 24 hours. If your looking for something that makes your jaw drop as well as being a really nice easy read then this is your book. Will be recommending to all my reader friends and family xx

Oh no stop! This book had me from the get go. It's premise, the plot has your throat clogged with angst all the way through.
Who's the goodie? Who's the baddie? Are they all hiding something and why are they all lying...telling the truth...neither! Aaargh so much tossing and turning through the pages. I couldn't read and turn to the next page fast enough.

I can't imagine both swapping a baby and or then being a mother who is convince her baby has been swapped. To be adamant about that when all around you people don't beleive it must make you want to explode.
But what reason could a mother possibly swap her own new born. What danger and desperation leads a mother to do this. And then suffer a different kind of pain from this decision. Well huckle down and read on!

I am grateful to have received a free advanced reader copy of this book, and am leaving a review voluntarily. This was a fun read. The characters were well-developed and I appreciated how the development caused me to shift my connection with the characters. Ultimately, however, I personally lost interest in and connection with every character by the end of the book, which was a bit disappointing. Nonetheless, it was an easy, quick, entertaining, and well written book with a nice build up of suspense.

Wow! The Baby Swap is one hell of a read. I read it in one sitting! There are so many twists that it gave me whiplash. I cannot recommend it enough.

Let me start off by saying that it was impossible not to binge read this book... Wow!!!

From the beginning to the very last page I was fully consumed! This book had so many shocking twists that I kept asking myself how it could possibly get better, but it did! The intertwining stories of Jade and Avril built so many layers of suspense, I couldn't even begin to predict where the story was headed. The ending solidified a very well-earned 5 star rating!

This was one of the twistiest (is that a word??!) thrillers I have ever read‼️I could not consume this book quickly enough. (I even increased the font size on my Kindle to make it easier to read 😂 it was THAT good.)

Daniel Hurst absolutely hit it out of the park with this one!

Publication date: 2/19/2025, so make sure you go secure your copy. You do NOT want to miss out on this one! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review this absolutely phenomenal book!