I have read many books by Sheila Norton and this emotional family drama shows the mothers love and how far she will go to protect.

I've read this author before and enjoyed that stories but this one just didn't entertain me. I didn't like the characters as in other of her stories.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this story, this is my honest opinion.

My Daughter’s Keeper is an emotional and thought-provoking family drama that explores the lengths a mother will go to in order to protect her child.

After a painful separation, Daisy begins to spend more time with her father, his new partner and her stepsisters. On the surface, it looks like she is adjusting well, but when Daisy confides that all is not as it seems, her mother is forced to confront the terrifying possibility that her child is in real danger.

Sheila Norton writes with compassion and tension, capturing both the fear and the fierce determination of motherhood. The book raises difficult questions about trust, family and how far someone will go to keep their child safe. The dynamics between Daisy, her father’s new family and her mother are layered and believable, making the unfolding events even more unsettling.

Although the pacing is steady, it serves to heighten the suspense, and the gradual reveal of what is truly happening at Whitegate House keeps the reader engaged. The emotional weight of the story ensures it resonates long after the final page.

This is a heartfelt and gripping book that will appeal to readers who enjoy psychological dramas centred on family and resilience.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

This was the very first book that I have read by this author so I went into it completely blind. The only hints I had were from the description which is sometimes known to be deceiving so I couldn't wait to start this one and find out for myself. The book is all about our main character Tasha. Everything in her life is going perfectly with her marriage her work and her child that is until the night of her birthday her husband, Craig, comes in and tells her he is leaving her for another woman, and not just any woman but his boss, Kristy. Tasha's who life now starts spiraling since in the blink of an eye she loses her family and even her home as she is now forced to move into a smaller residence, thankfully she still has her daughter and is determined, for Daisy's sake, to make things work and take care of her daughter first. Tasha is trying her best to make everything special for her daughter when Daisy age six, comes to her one night and tells her that her new step sister, Amelia age twelve, isn't kind to her at all and is in fact hurting her. I found the beginning of this book to be super strong and I liked how quickly the author got to the plot. I found this book to be very well written and the characters very three dimensional. I really felt for Tasha's character and I couldn't imaging being concerned for my daughter but unable to help in any way it would be absolutely heart breaking. I couldn't get enough of this plot and the more I read the more I was determined to find out exactly what was going on behind those closed doors. This was a family filled drama book but also full of tension and apprehension. I loved how there weren't to many characters but the ones that were there were very fascinating. While the plot seemed simple enough there was lots of tension the you knew there was a big bomb coming but you just didn't know what it was going to be or when. I couldn't get enough of this book and was desperate to get to the bottom of what was going on in this story. Fantastic job and as much as I loved the plot it really was the characters that made this book for me. The ending was completely shocking and left me almost stunned after I read it. A super twist ending wasn't what I expected but I loved every minute of it. I can't wait to hear everyone else's opinion on this book and I'm so glad I got the chance to check it out. And after a story like that I can't wait to read more by our author.

This is my first introduction to this author and I wasn't disappointed.
it wasn't an in your face storyline that happened really quickly, but it grew and grew.
A family saga, that seemed to unravel at the edges as time went on.
I enjoyed it , and found it very easy to read.

A truly emotional book about motherhood and what her daughter experienced after a painful breakdown in marriage. Very well written.

A heartfelt read that focuses on Daisy a little girl who is torn between two homes. One with her mum and the other with her dad and his glamorous and wealthy new partner. As Daisy tries to fit in she becomes overwhelmed. Daisy’s mum feels that something is wrong and all is not as it seems. A suspenseful and tense read.

Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood books for a chance to read this book. I loved it another great book by Sheila Norton. A thriller with lots of emotion thrown in, it follows the story of Tasha after the break up of her marriage and not only how she is but also the family . I loved how you didn’t know that something was about to happen in places.

I found it to be a great page turner and kept me awake till the early hours. If you haven’t read any books by Sheila I suggest you do.

I really enjoyed this book. It's my first time of reading this author's work but I will now check her earlier books. This was a good family drama about the aftermath of a couple's break up and how two families try to accommodate their children as well as dealing with their own issues. Mum, Tasha, is struggling with a big secret and finding it hard financially because of it. Her young child has selective mutism and her ex partner's new family all have issues. As the two families strive to co-parent the children, secrets are revealed and the tension mounts. The twist is very well done and the book concludes satisfactorily. I read this quickly as I found it a gripping storyline. My thanks to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

My Daughter's Keeper by Sheila Norton is a family drama that deals with the aftermath of the collapse of a marriage. Tasha had no idea that her partner and the father of her little daughter, Daisy, had been cheating on her with his boss until he literally walked out on them both. Blindsided she struggles to get to grips with her new life which involves moving to a smaller house and picking up more shifts at work, which in turn means that Daisy will be spending more time with her Dad and his "new" family, Kirsty and her two daughters, twelve year old Amelia and Freya who is closer to Daisy's age. There is a stark contrast in the lifestyle of this new family with their large house with a pool , private school for the girls etc and the more modest lifestyle Daisy experiences with Tasha, who is definitely struggling for money. As if all of this was not difficult enough, it soon emerges that Daisy is afraid of Amelia, and not without reason as she seems prone to unfortunate accidents when Amelia is around but when Tasha broaches the subject with her ex and even with Kirsty, they both brush it off. How far will Tash go as a mother desperate to protect her child?
I really think the idea behind this book had a lot of potential, the relationship dynamic between many blended families is fraught with tension and ripe for exploration, but unfortunately this book fell flat for me. I didn't find the character of Tasha to be believable and that meant that I struggled to engage in the story and it just did not hold my interest. I also thought the attempts to make the subplot involving Tasha's financial struggles seem mysterious were really overdone, it was obvious what the likely problem was and the repeated attempts to dance around the issue before the big "reveal" was frankly irritating. I also thought the ending was both rushed and more dramatic than the rest of the book warranted. One thing I think the author did really well though was the depiction of selective mutism, I thought she did an exceptional job of explaining it and it made a lot of sense in the context of the story. I think readers who enjoy family dramas will enjoy the book, it just wasn't quite the right fit for me.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

My thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘My Daughter’s Keeper’ written by Sheila Norton in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Craig waits until it’s Tasha’s 40th birthday before revealing that he’s leaving her and their six-year-old daughter Daisy to live with his wealthy boss Kirsty and her two daughters Freya eight and Amelia twelve. Kirsty welcomes Daisy into their home and she soon makes friends with Freya, but Tasha is worried when she hears of accidents that keep happening to Daisy at the ‘big house’ that she believes Amelia is causing. It’s up to Tasha as Daisy’s mother to be responsible for her safe-keeping but she can’t help thinking she’s failing her little girl, especially as she’s having problems at school.
‘My Daughter’s Keeper’ is a domestic drama of a mother having to cope with a marital breakup and how it’ll affect her daughter when she has her own problems to worry about. As with the previous books by Sheila Norton, I’ve enjoyed this latest novel that’s well-written and focuses on the dynamics that comes with merging two families and has enough intrigue to keep me reading, but the plot was fairly predictable and there was nothing spectacular about it to make me say ‘wow, that was great’. I recommend it as a novel that’s easy to read without being demanding and has an interesting and unexpected ending.

Tasha's husband leaves her for Kirsty with her two daughters and her lavish lifestyle leaving Tasha to struggle with her small house and all the bills.
Tasha's six year old daughter Daisy is shared between the two families and is finding it difficult to adjust bonding with Kirsty s seven year old but is scared of Amelia who is twelve and says she is a bully but things are not as it seems which keeps you in suspense.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC and I give my honest review

Emotional read and brilliantly written.
Daisy is confused her father has left and her mother is moving her to another village and a new school. But she starts to enjoy her visits to the big house where her father has moved with his new family but then things start to happen.
This was a great book and had you thinking you knew everything until the last few chapters.

After a difficult break-up, my six-year-old Daisy is finally settling into life in two homes. She's spending more time with her dad, his wealthy and glamorous partner Kirsty, and her new step-sisters, Amelia and Freya. She seems happier, more relaxed. Like she's finally found her place. It should be everything I've ever wanted for her. So why does it feel like i'm losing her.?

Tasha is separated from her cheating boyfriend Craig. Their daughter Daisy is being co-parented. Craig's new partner Kirsty has two daughters. Then Daisy tells her mother that she is being hurt.

The pace is on the slow side in the first half of the book. Craig and his partner share a lavish new lifestyle while Tasha is struggling to make ends meet. I did not like any of the characters. It's quite an emotional read. The ending felt a bit rushed.

Published 21st August 2025

I would like to thank #NetGalley #BoldwoodBooks and the author #SheilaNorton for my ARC of #MyDaughtersKeeper in exchange for an honest review.

In a bolt out of the blue, Craig tells longtime partner Tasha he is leaving her for another woman. This necessitates cash strapped Tasha and their six year old daughter Daisy having to move to the other side of town. Craig's new love Kirsty is the extremely wealthy widowed owner of the company he works for. She has two children of her own; one soon loves Daisy, the other appears to hate her and as Daisy begins to spend more and more time with Kirsty and her family, things go from bad to worse.

I raced through this book in a couple of days however found the storyline predictable and the characters incredibly frustrating. For me the plot was too obvious, I was ahead of the book on all but one of the reveals. A good family drama should have at least one main character that you root for, sadly for me this didn't have any.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for my advanced reader copy in return for my honest and unbiased review

Such a brilliant story with so many twists in it. I suspected the story was going down one path only to be completely blown away as it pivoted!

I always give honest reviews but feel guilty when I award low ratings - unfortunately for me this book did not deliver in the slightest - I found it extremely slow and I preserved as much as I could but unfortunately there was just nothing to keep my interest -

After the end of her long-term relationship with Craig, Tasha is left raising their daughter, Daisy, while struggling financially. Craig’s new partner, the glamorous Kirsty, enjoys a life of comfort and luxury with her own daughters Amelia and Freya,a stark contrast to Tasha’s day-to-day reality. In a desperate bid to solve her money troubles, Tasha turns to online bingo, but what begins as a small gamble quickly spirals into addiction and serious debt.

When Kirsty agrees to look after Daisy after school, it seems like a lifeline—until Daisy admits that Amelia can be cruel and, at times, violent. Tasha’s unease grows, but without the funds for childcare, she feels she has no choice. As secrets begin to surface and lies come to light, Tasha starts to fear that Whitegate House might be far more dangerous than she imagined.

If I had to capture this novel in a single word, it would be motherhood. Norton writes with emotional depth, conveying the love, fear, and resilience that drive Tasha’s every choice. While the pacing is occasionally slow, the emotional tension and unfolding mystery kept me engaged throughout.

Overall, it is a moving psychological family drama with an undercurrent of suspense, this story grips from the start and lingers after the final page.

The way the author unfolded these characters and their underlying issues on topics many of us are faced with while weaving in a storyline that kept the attention was great. When the plot is so close that you find yourself asking what you would do if it were you or someone you knew….

Not My Daughter's Keeper by Sheila Norton ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Slow start but stick with it, it picks up towards the middle. It gives me Cinderella retelling vibes. Mother, Father, step mother and her children. Her children do not wrong, they get what they want while Amelia gets nothing and then some.

My heart hurts for Amelia, yes I know it's just a novel but I felt her pain. What would you do if Amelia was your child?

I hope you get this book when it releases on August 21st. Form your own thoughts. And not just reviews of others. The author did a good writing it.

Thank you Netgallery and Boldwood Books for the advanced copy for my honest review and these are my opinions only.