Can I Give My Stepkids Back?

When I first started this book I was expecting a cute rom-com with a dash of hijinks and a generous sprinkling of emotion. What I got was a wonderful read full of depth and emotion that had my eyes welling up at some points.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for this advanced copy which I received in return for an honest review.

This book was so cute!
I loved the children especially, Lea was adorable and so sweet and it was so fun to read about their daily lives. Morgan was super relatable for me and definitely a great protagonist, and I enjoyed reading about her backstory and her struggles felt very real and authentic. I also really liked her little romantic storyline in the end.
The plot itself was pretty average. Some scenes were quite boring and I sometimes felt like some chapters were unnecessary long. I did like the split POV between Elliot and Morgan and the inclusion of the letters. I do think there could have been some more excitement though.
Overall this was a pretty cute book, and definitely a very light, fun and quick read.

Thank you to NetGalley, Aurelie Tramier and Hodder & Stoughton for the ARC of Can I Give My Stepkids Back?
This is my personal review .
Morgan takes custody of her sisters children when the parents are killed in an auto accident. This would make her their Aunt and not step mother which made the story go a different way than if she was parenting step children from a marriage.
This was a story that has happened in many people lives and to read this with myself not having this type of experience really made me stop and think about how I would handle this situation.
The words flow smoothly and it was interesting that it was also told by Elliott, her nephew, thru letters he writes to his Mom to tell her what is happening even though she will never read them it helps him deal with the changes in their lives. This story was filled with a lot of emotions.

A wonderful read an emotionally moving read that had tears rolling down my face.A book that has you crying at moments laughing out loud at others,.A book death of the authors sister and brother-in-law and her sudden path to being a parent..#netgalley #hodderstoughton

When I started this book I didn’t know what to expect but the more I read and the more I became involved in the story. It made me wonder how any of us would cope with a life changing situation being thrust upon us.

Morgan’s past has affected her life. When her sister and brother in law are killed in a car accident she becomes guardian to two grieving children. The book is beautifully written. and I loved how Elliot looked after his little sister.

This is such a lovely feel good book ,a story of loss.love and forgiveness.Told through the main characters of Morgan and Elliott I felt that the characters were very real and I had sympathy for both of them .The translation was very good and I thoroughly enjoyed this book and loved the ending .I just thought the title was misleading .Many thanks to the Publishers The Author and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest review .

Thank you #Negalley for the advanced copy!

Morgan was a nursery school director, with a trained background in nursing, living as a single professional women, when one day her life got turned upside down. She received a call that her sister and brother in law were killed in a car crash and she was left as the guardian of their two young children. Elliot and Lea were very surprised they were going to live with Morgan who was always so serious and unaffectionate. The novel is told from Elliot and Morgans perspectives and how they each progress during this time of change and family dynamics.

This was a bit of an unexpected treat. I was all set to read about a wicked stepmum, but what I got was a really heart-warming story.

Morgan is the manager of a children’s nursery in France. She has a very contained life, putting all her energies into her work with long hours and she finds solace in her very controlled home with everything soothing, comforting and in its place.

Her life is disrupted when her sister and brother in law are killed in an accident and her sister’s instructions are for her niece and nephew to live with their aunt, and not their devoted grandparents as they had expected.

I was absolutely charmed by this book. Ok you can say it is all a bit predictable at the end, but sometimes things just do work out, and the world can right itself. It is a really comfortable tale, with enough pathos and sadness to prevent it being saccharine.

If you are up for a book that makes you think and feel ahh – this one’s for you.

Thank you to the author, publishers and NetGalley for providing an ARC via my Kindle in return for an honest review.

When you suddenly 'inherit' two young children and have no idea what to do with them? You may mange a nursery but as for interaction -none whatsoever.
A story of difficult family relationships. Emotions never explored or expressed. It takes two young, lost children to bring many worlds together. Heartbreaking and heartfelt.

Wow! This is a first novel by Aurelie Tramier and I sincerely hope that it won't be the last.
Elliot and Lea are tragically left orpahaned and left in the care of there aunt Morgan who is left floundering in what is to come for them all. Follow the lives of the children and Morgan adn even the extended family as they discover love, forgiveness and trust together.
The book left me wanting more and it is truly a lovely reafm
Thanks to#NetGalley for the advance copy in return for an honest review
#CanIGiveMyStepkidsBack

Right from the very beginning I was engrossed in this story. It was beautifully written and I especially enjoyed the letters Elliot wrote to his Mum. It shows all sides of family relationships. Brilliant!

I enjoyed this book a lot more than I thought I would. I expected it to be a rather dimensional chocolate box kind of book but it wasn't. Most of the characters have backstories, layers, complexities and the story doesn't run too neatly from A to B but takes a few detours along the way. Recommended.

A wonderful, feel good story. Morgan has legal responsibility for her nephew and niece following their parents sudden, tragic death. her mother feels she should have control. Will Morgan cope with 2 children in her well ordered life and can she prevent her mother taking them? Really enjoyable.

Morgan is given custody of her sister's children, Elliot and Lea, after an accident. She struggles looking after them and this story covers their developing relationship.
I did struggle getting into the book to start with, however persevered and was rewarded with a story that grabs at your heartstrings. The synopsis calls this a humorous romance, this is not strictly true as the romance is a very small part of the story and the humour is interspersed with really sad moments. The story actually is turns out to be a very moving, emotional story of two children recovering from the death of their parents and their aunt struggling from the loss of her sister, the strain of bringing the children up against a backdrop of her own loss years before. She also has a very poor relationship with her own mother, so is suffering with no support.
I can recommend this book for those who enjoy emotional dramas with traces of hope in them.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley, however this did not influence my review of the book and I enjoyed it so much that I also pre-ordered it

This story about Morgan who becomes the guardian of her niece Leah and nephew Elliot when her sister and her husband are killed in a car accident, had me sad, laughing, and experiencing every human emotion that exists. I loved that it was told through the alternating perspectives of Morgan and Elliott, to understand the two sides of the story. I was surprised at just how many layers the plot had, with so many new developments as the book progressed.
The only downside, was that at times Elliott’s telling of the story seemed to be coming from an adult narrator and not written like a 10 year old would speak. This made the book a little less realistic in my eyes.
Overall, it was a quick and fun read that I would recommend!

I wasn't sure what to expect with this, as it's not my usual genre and is translated from French. However, I was gripped from the start. A really emotional read from start to finish. Strong characters, great story, kept me turning page after page. Morgan is an amazing character, and you just want to keep reading to find out more of her story. Just brilliant....

This book is set in France (I found out after reading the book that it was originally written in french as well) and is based on the premise of loss, resilience and healing.
It followed a family trying to heal amid a great tragedy whilst dealing with scars cutting deeper than the loss of one of their own.
One minute 10-year-old Elliot is waiting outside his school with his little sister Lea, the next he’s receiving the worst possible news. Morgan is also just having a regular day at work when bad news strikes. Following an untimely accident that claimed both Elliot’s parents, Elliot Lea and Morgan are forced to live together. We watch them struggle but ultimately help each other onto the path of rebirth.
The story carries on with the backdrop of football and the World Cup, highlighting a people’s love for both the sport and their country, a fact I believe gives the book more character. The story alternates between the narratives of Morgan, and her nephew Elliot, giving a unique 10-year-old perspective that most books do not.
Amongst the secondary characters, we have a very sage undertaker, a woman trying to balance motherhood and cancer, a very agreeable dog and his vet.
Very early in the book, we get to explore Morgan’s fractured relationship with her mother, I would share my thoughts on this and its resolution but I’d rather let you develop your own opinion.
The writing style isn’t what I’m used to and it was by no means the romance I envisioned when I chose to begin it. The title gives a false representation of what the story is, portraying a potentially comedic romance as opposed to the heart-wrenching story that this is. With a little research, I found that the French title is ‘Peindre la pluie en Couleurs’ which means ‘Paint the rain in colour’ (a more beautiful name, in my opinion).
Aurélie Tramier is a true storyteller, she paints the picture so vividly and with so much emotion you feel like you’re living in it. I won’t say anything further but I’m humbled by this story.

This well written novel showed a totally different reason for wanting to give back step kids! I found it enjoyable, thought provoking and plausible. Morgan, the stepmom had a lot of relationship issues which made adapting to the children’s needs difficult.

Can I Give My Stepkids Back? by Aurelie Tramier is a novel that took me completely by surprise in the best possible way. Based on the cover and accompanying blurb, I was set for a lighthearted read with a few laughable moments, but what I got instead was an emotionally engaging, beautifully written story about a family energing from tragedy, finding strength and resilience in the power of love, and in each other.

When solitary Morgan's sister and brother-in-law are killed in an automobile accident, it falls to an initially reluctant Morgan to take in the children, Elliot and Lea. Struggling with the demons of her past, and locked in a battle with her own mother regarding the children's guardianship, Morgan tries to bond with the children at a time when all three are reeling from loss.

Told from the alternating perspectives of Morgan and Elliot, the latter primarily speaking in letters to his departed parents, this one is guaranteed to tug at the heartstrings. Recommended.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Morgan loves her sister, and when she's killed in a pointless car accident, she is deeply in mourning. But so are others, namely the mother she hasn't ever really gotten on with and Emilie's two children, Elliot and Lea. Overnight, Morgan, the cool, aloof, unfeeling, unmaternal Morgan, becomes a parent.

What then transpires is a struggle, for Morgan to accept that Emilie knew what she was doing when, on her literal deathbed in the back of an ambulance, she granted custody to her sister, and for the children to accept that things will never be the same, and that, despite appearances to the contrary, Morgan does care for them, and then grow to love them. Horrendous secrets long buried are unearthed and more than Morgan has to face the truth.

I chose this book thinking it to be a comedy. It isn't. I'm not entirely sure it isn't a translation - there's nothing in the arc I read to suggest definitely it is, but I do expect it to be a translation from the original French - the language is just a tad 'out' in places which is easily explained if it is a translation. It doesn't harm the book, but does hint at the even more beautiful prose of the original.

There is in truth, little to dislike in this novel; it may not be the most sophisticated (see above about translations) but what it definitely is, is stuffed full of emotion that makes you cry. I read this, if not exactly in one sitting, certainly in one 24 hour period, I just had to keep reading and dinner was postponed until I'd finished. In parts gentle, in others brutal, this is a novel that will stay with you, not necessarily for the plot - that isn't entirely original - but the raw emotion that is so real and honest, and characters who are unforgettable.

Wow!!! This was an excellent book. It was very realistic. I could not put it down. The characters were lifelike. Their interactions and activities were realistic. This was the first book I’ve read by the author, but it won’t be the last.

A wonderful story of how a devastating accident takes away a mum and dad and how their two children have to cope. Their mum has put their lives in the hands of her elder sister who even though she runs a nursery hasn’t the slightest idea about kids. The story is about there journey with its ups and downs , likes and dislikes and finally finding happiness and most importantly love.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I knew without even seeing the summary that I wanted to read this based on the title alone.

This was my first book by this author, so I wasn't too sure of what to expect from them.
I was pleasantly surprised, honestly.
Morgan's sister and BIl die in an accident, which means she steps up to take care of their children. She adopts their two children after thinking / assuming she'd never have children of her own. When her dog "sprains its ankle," she and the kids are swept off their feet by the handsome single vet. Cue matchmaking by the kids. It's a CUTE novel. Seriously. It was a great break in between all my dark romance reads.
While I did fully expect a cheesy rom-com style book, there was much more emotion in it than expected, which made it even better to me!

I'll definitely be looking out for other work by this author.

Morgan is single, a nursery school manager and lives alone with Snoopy her beloved dog.. She has a sister who she adores who is married with two children and parents that she doesn't really get on with. She would rather work with dogs!!
The the unthinkable happens and suddenly Morgan finds herself with two young children in her life and home.
They all muddle along together but its not easy especially when her mother believes the children should be with her.
Gradually life settles down and then Snoopy sprains a leg and a handsome vet comes into their lives. Will he help Morgan achieve her dreams and will life ever be the same again.

What a beautiful book about two young children who suddenly become orphans whiteout knowing.
Then they are sent to live with their aunt Morgan who hates kids and especially them, they wanted to go live with their grandparents but apparently their parents thought they knew best but Elliot thinks they don’t and decides to do something about it.
Lea likes her aunt Morgan thinks she looks like a princess but she also knows that Morgan works in a nursery with babies so isn’t used to looking after kids her and Elliot s age,
Grandma Cat takes the children on holiday as soon as she can back to the house Morgan grew up in in Marseilles, the sun will be shining and the sea will be perfect no homework great holiday
She will do this every holiday pushing a wedge between the children and Morgan
But Morgan has a secret, so has Elliot both need to unload their secrets and only when they do can this family heal and become united

A funny and lighthearted easy read.

Fun characters that made me laugh out loud in parts.

A great read

A very well written and entertaining romance with a bit of humor l. I highly recommend this book. I received an advance ebook from the publisher and Netgalley and this is my unbiased review.

Thanks to netgalley for the chance to read this book.

When Morgan’s sister and husband die in a car accident she is left to look after their two children Lea and Elliott. Morgan runs a nursery but isn’t maternal at all and struggles to accept Lea and Elliott into her life. Can lea and Elliott help her to change her views and accept that she can look after them as her sister wished or will she send them to her mothers.

Morgan has been living a quiet, lonely life in Paris for years when a tragic accident leaves her nephew and niece orphans and their mothers dying wish is for Morgan to care for them. Even though she trained as a nurse and now manages a day nursery, Morgan is totally out of her depth. Add in a grandparent who has never approved of Morgans’s choices in life and who wants the children to live with her.

This is a book about learning to love, to forgive and to build a new life when everything you planned is thrown into disarray. Oh, and a sprinkle of romance doesn’t go amiss!

When I realised this book was translated I was nervous that it wouldn't read very well, however you would never have known.
I think it's a lovely story, cried at some of it but all ended exactly as I wanted!

Despite running a childcare nursery children of her own were never on the cards but after an awful accident the two children are in need of a stepmum. Hapless to a fault, everything that could go wrong does but it is all a learning curve. What will be the best thing for the children, live with grandparents that would let them do what they want or a decent stepmum who may or may not come good in the end. I really enjoyed this and am giving it 5 stars.. Well written and I recommend it.

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for this eARC

As a childcare centre director, Morgan has to deal with kids everyday but would rather run her own boarding kennels. Snoopy, Morgan's beagle - is indeed the only living being she has considered family these past few years.

When her sister and brother-in-law die in a terrible car crash, she hads no choice but to adopt their two children.

The title of this book is deceiving. The kids in this story are not her stepkids but her sister's children, so the title is a little misleading. Morgan doesn't have a maternal bone in her body and struggles to cope with Lea and Elliot. WE get most of the characters backstories and it's narrated from Morgan and Elliot's perspectives. This is a stoy about a family who's lives were torn apart. This book has been translated from French to English.

I would like to thank #NetGalley, #HodderStoughton and the author #AurelieTramier for my ARC #CanIGiveMyStepkidsBack in exchange for a honest review.

As a childcare center director, Morgan has to deal with kids every day but would much rather run her own boarding kennel. Snoopy—Morgan's beagle—is indeed the only living being she has considered family these past few years. When her sister and brother-in-law die in a terrible car crash, she has no choice but to adopt their two children.

The unexpected addition to her household is clearly unlikely to get her closer to her canine goals—and as if this wasn't enough, she seems to be getting it all wrong with her "step kids". Elliot finds her terribly childish, and on Lea's birthday, she forgets to bake a cake for school. Grandma Catherine is convinced she'd do a much better job...

This was completely different to what I was expecting but it was still a heartwarming read!

Despite her reservations, Morgan’s love for her sister supersedes everything. It was nice to read how she tries to improve and not just provide for her sister’s children but gradually begins to love them. I felt a lot sympathetic towards her while reading her personal struggles. Elliot’s letters to his mum were really heart wrenching as he poured out his secrets and all his emotions into them.

It was not an easy journey for any of them. But they deal with the ups and downs and finally do come together.

Thank You NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for this ARC!

Cute story. A light hearted romance. Sometimes I laughed and sometimes I cried. A nice story to read in front of a fireplace on a cold, snowy February day during Covid. Thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

As the manager of a children’s nursery in France, it means that Morgan has to work long hours and also likes everything to be tidy and organised.

But when tragedy strikes and her sister and brother in law are killed in an accident, her life is no longer her own, as she becomes guardian of her niece Lea and nephew Elliott.

An enjoyable story with characters you can relate to and sympathise with.

This book also had me laughing and crying. One which covered loss, love and forgiveness.

A really good read .When Morgan suddenly finds herself looking after her nephew and niece after a tragic accident her life suddenly takes a different path. Not being at all maternal and also having a secret from her past which she has never really spoken about, she really doesn't cope at all well and struggles to adjust . It's a lovely story full of emotions and also humour and I loved it

When Morgan's beloved sister and her husband are killed in a car crash she is left tp look after their 2 children. Morgan, a nursery teacher is not maternal at all and the children's grandparents are looking for full custody, a situation which would seem to suit everyone.
However as time passes the new family grow together and secrets come out which explain why Morgan is the way she is.
A lovely story, set in France, told from the point of view of both Morgan and her nephew Elliot.
Very poignant in parts, and very real characters who you find yourself cheering on.

I’d like to thank NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for inviting me to review this book.

The start of the story lands us right in the thick of the action. Elliot and Lea are waiting outside camp for their parents to pick them up, unfortunately they are met by Morgan, their aunty, who has the unfortunate job of telling them that their parents are dead. The story then evolves as we follow Morgan and the children as they adjust to a new reality.

There were many times that I felt for Morgan, she was thrown into this unknown world of looking after two children and held her hands up to say she didn’t have a clue what she was doing. On top of that she was trying to deal with her own grief from losing her sister and she had her mum constantly putting her down. Is it any wonder she’s depressed? As the story progresses we learn more about Morgan and her strained relationship with her mum. There were many times when I wanted to bash both their heads together and I’m pleased that Morgan’s dad stepped in to heal the rift.

My favourite part of the book was the chapters from Elliot. As a reader we get to see how a child copes with grief and their new surroundings which I thought was a refreshing take. Aurelie Tramier did a brilliant job of portraying a child’s POV, it felt genuine and gave the story that extra edge.

Vivienne and Valerie were two of my favourite secondary characters in the story. My heart broke for Valerie when she finally revealed why she was so late picking her child up and part of me was furious with Morgan. She should of sat down with Valerie and asked her what was going on instead of assuming she knew the problem. I actually didn’t like the other nursery workers, they seemed very catty and rubbed me up the wrong way. Vivienne was a great friend to Morgan and I loved all her ideas and the way she supported and defended Morgan to the other workers.

The only negative for me was the romance, I didn’t feel that it was needed and in my opinion it felt like a rushed add on. I didn’t like Lancelot and I didn’t feel the chemistry between him and Morgan. I was enjoying reading about the relationships between Morgan and her family.

This was a quick and easy read that explored the depth of grief and how it affected a family. We see the power of forgiveness and how life altering moments can push a family together.

Another favorite by a great author. The plot of the story was very well written. The author really draws the reader in as you read. I laughed so much.

This is such a lovely read, sad to start but with such perfectly flawed characters who go through so much , together and individually to get their lives on track it’s a joy! Heartwarming and beautiful.

Thank you netgalley, the publisher and author.
Well written story about how life changes at the most unexpected time.
Heartwarming, tears to your eyes.
Recommend

This was an interesting read and I think the translation of the title doesn't really do it justice. The characters were well written and the issues of grief and loss well explored. It had many sweet and tender moments and I enjoyed reading their story as they grew and adjusted to their new lives. Would recommend

Can I Give My Stepkids Back? is one of the funniest books to be released this year. It has numerous moments where you will find yourself laughing out loud. It's a fun, cute and quirky romance that will make you smile and one you will pass on to your friends,

It’s been a while since I read anything in translation, partly because I’ve not been getting through as many books as usual over the past 12 months. The opening to the blurb for this one caught my eye, however, and my interest increased when I realised that not only was it set in Paris, but it was by a French author. So while some of the tropes and topics are familiar, the setting – especially seen through the eyes of a local – is anything but. As it turned out, the author also put quite a different spin on the background to the story as well as on the main characters’ motivations.

Morgan manages a nursery (of the childcare, rather than the plant-care variety) in Paris, but dreams of owning a boarding kennels in the country. She lives alone, except for a beagle called Snoopy, and gives every impression of being happy with her life, even though the nursery staff suspect that she doesn’t like children all that much. Meanwhile, Morgan’s younger sister – their parents’ apparent favourite – is happily married with two young children, and seems to have a very different set of priorities to Morgan. Everyone’s lives are turned upside down by a fatal car crash, following which Morgan is named guardian of her now-orphaned niece and nephew in preference to either set of grandparents.

Although she knows little about caring for school-age children, and her flat is by no means equipped for new residents of that variety, Morgan tries her best to make the transition into a new family comfortable for everyone. Her mother is disapproving, and her father takes his wife’s side, but Morgan is determined that she can offer more stability than they can, and sets out to prove it. The kids are initially unsure about Morgan, but slowly warm to her unorthodox attitudes and start to take an interest in her life and those of the people they encounter together.

Told from the alternating points of view of Morgan and the older of the children, this book had a cast of delightful side characters, particularly the gruff-seeming vet who treats Snoopy’s paw, and the undertaker who always plays (loudly!) music that Morgan considers inappropriate for a hearse. There are references to past child abuse, which colours some characters’ interactions with each other, and also several contrasting stories of adoption from the points of view of birth parents, adoptive parents, and the adopted children. Overall, though, this is very much a feel-good story with some moments of out-and-out hilarity. I want to find translations of the author’s other books now.

This book is a translation from french, so the book's title is kind of misleading because aren't her step kids but their niece and nephew.


That being said, I loved this story is so nice and heart-warming that I cried a bit once the story advanced. I will try to talk about the book without giving anything that could ruin the story for you, but Morgan is a woman in charge of her "step-kids" but she cannot connect with them and as the story starts moving they also start to connect and it warmed my heart because a family is built, as we see in the book.

The way that Morgan's adopted kids because they are adopted once she became her guardian, is so endearing that I cried, if this book ever became a film I will watch it without a doubt.

I know that some people feel like this trope is kind of overused in order to force a woman to fulfill her society role as a mother, I feel that we don't talk about how adoptive families still count as a family and we should see more of them because there is more that one way of being a family as the book perfectly shows.

A real laugh out loud book. This is so funny and really made me laugh. Such a light hearted fun read. Heart-warming and entertaining. This is a must read!

THIS WAS EXACTLY WHAT I NEEDED!! I loved the main character and the writing was so powerful I felt exactly what she was feeling! The stress and frustration, I felt it all. Although I don’t have stepkids, I really connected to her and her struggles and it was wonderful! Definitely a re read! Also, the stepkids grew on me and I ended up loving them as well!

I cried and laughed reading this wonderful book. Aurelie had obviously done a lot of research before writing this book into all aspects of grieving. The story line was amazing and the characters. Will be looking out for more of Aurelie's books to read..
Thank you