
Member Reviews

The Day I Lost You is a psychological thriller by Ruth Mancini. Right from the start, I was pulled in, curious about who was telling the truth, who was hiding something, and what exactly was going on. It had all the ingredients for a twisty, binge-worthy read. Unfortunately, after the first hundred pages or so, the pace started to fizzle out, and for me, it never really got its spark back.
The premise is definitely intriguing, and I was excited to see where the story would go. I’ve read that it’s loosely based on a true story, which added another layer of interest. Mancini does a solid job with character development, and I liked the alternating POVs and timeline shifts. The short chapters made it easy to follow who was who and when everything was happening, something I always appreciate in a thriller with multiple threads.
Memories play a big role in the story, especially for the main character, who’s trying to make sense of a loss. Those emotional flashbacks were a strong part of the story, and they helped show how the past can echo into the present in both comforting and painful ways. I also appreciated how Mancini structured the novel, revealing a little of the story at a time. This can be an effective framework, but this time it just didn't work.
Overall, even though The Day I Lost You started off strong, it lost momentum about a third of the way through, and the ending didn’t quite work for me. I struggled to understand some of the main character’s decisions, especially around the baby, and the motivations didn’t fully add up. After such a promising start, I was hoping for something more impactful.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Harper Perennial, and Ruth Mancini for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

I was completely drawn into The Day I Lost You from the very first page. Ruth Mancini’s writing is emotionally sharp, character-driven, and layered with psychological tension. She blends traditional narrative with transcripts and reports, crafting a slow-burning, immersive mystery that feels both authentic and deeply moving.
The Day I Lost You concentrated on Lauren, a woman who relocated to a seaside town in Spain with her young son Sam, in search for a fresh start after her traumatic past. But her life unraveled when the police arrived, questioning whether Sam was truly her child and accused her of potential identity deception. In fear of losing her son, Lauren fled with him. Meanwhile in England, Hope and Drew, a couple who lived what seemed like the perfect life with their newly born son, also named Sam, happiness was shattered when Sam went missing. When Hope heard that a child matching her son’s description had been found in Spain, she dared to hope—but the woman who claimed to be the mother insisted she was the real parent, armed with Sam’s passport and birth certificate.
I really enjoyed the way this story unfolded through the alternating perspectives of Lauren, Hope, and Drew. I also appreciated how it moved back and forth in time, which added depth and intrigue. The inclusion of police reports, transcripts, and court documents enriched the main storyline, weaving together a suspenseful and multi-layered mystery. The nonlinear structure heightened the psychological tension and kept me constantly second-guessing who to believe.
The Day I Lost You was a tense and emotionally layered thriller that kept me questioning everyone’s truth. With its shifting timelines, unreliable narrators, and a haunting exploration of what it means to be a mother, the story slowly unraveled in a way that’s both heartbreaking and gripping. The unique format, blending legal transcripts with personal perspectives, added realism and depth. A slow burn, but worth the read!
Thank you Net Galley and Harper Perennial and Paperbacks for a complimentary copy in return for my honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
The premise for this book sounded really intriguing, and I was interested to know where the story would take me. The story is told backwards. We start in the present and work ourselves back to 18 months prior and then five months prior to that, etc and so at times it made it difficult to keep track of where I was within the timelines. The story started off quite strongly, and I will admit that I did go back and forth as to which character I should empathize with, which is a credit to the author. All of the characters in this story are flawed, and we quickly discover that each POV is filtered through the character’s justifications as to why they took the actions they did, which leads you to question who if any of them are in the right. While the author created complex, flawed characters I found myself unable to really root for anyone. I felt more like a spectator watching the tragic events unfold and didn’t really connect with any of the characters.

I generally enjoy Ruth Mancini without reservations. This was a fast read, but one that required considerable contrivance on the part of the author and suspension of disbelief on the part of the reader. For example, the book featured an unbelievably large number of infant deaths. 3.5/5 stars rounded up to 4.
Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Perennials for letting me read an ARC.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. So many crazy twists to this story that starts off as a missing boy and 3 adults who are connected in secretive ways. I found myself torn between the main characters as if I needed to pick a side but couldn’t because there were so many moving parts to ALL sides of this plot. For such an interwoven twisty plot, it was very easy to follow and the history was explained well as some chapters jump to the “before”. I was on edge as I read to the end, trying to see what would ultimately happen and how all characters would be affected.