Review: Not Her Daughter by Rea Frey

Not Her Daughter

by Rea Frey

Publisher: St Martin's Griffin

Pages: 352

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Emma Grace Townsend. Five years old. Gray eyes. Brown hair. Missing since June.

Emma Townsend is lonely. Living with her cruel mother and clueless father, Emma retreats into her own world of quiet and solitude.

Sarah Walker. Successful entrepreneur. Broken-hearted. Abandoned by her mother. Kidnapper.

Sarah has never seen a girl so precious as the gray-eyed child in a crowded airport terminal—and when a second-chance encounter with Emma presents itself, Sarah takes her, far away from home. But if it’s to rescue a little girl from her damaging mother, is kidnapping wrong?

Amy Townsend. Unhappy wife. Unfit mother. Unsure she wants her daughter back.

Amy’s life is a string of disappointments, but her biggest issue is her inability to connect with her daughter. And now she’s gone without a trace.

As Sarah and Emma avoid the nationwide hunt, they form an unshakeable bond. But her real mother is at home, waiting for her to return—and the longer the search for Emma continues, Amy is forced to question if she really wants her back.

Kritters Thoughts:  Two women and a young girl are at the center of this story.  Sarah Walker and Amy Townsend.  Amy Townsend is a wife, mother and full time employee.  She is not exceeding at all of these things as most people can't do it all.  Sarah Walker owns a company, but hasn't become a wife or mother.  At a chance encounter she meets Amy, her husband and child and has immediate feelings about her and the family.  When she acts on those feelings, the story begins . . . 

The story is divided into Sarah's parts and Amy parts and then subdivided into before, during and after.  I love how this story was presented.  It was all easily labeled, so the reader knows when and where we are and who is talking.  I like when the set up is elaborate but spelled out!

I love when I read a book and it makes me question everything in my being.  This book straddles so many ethical lines and it is so hard to make a decision and decide what side of the street you live on.  Even after a few days of finishing it I can't put into words how I feel about the story AND the ending.  I was so glad that my mom had read the book recently so I could talk to her about it, but we just kept saying WOW and REALLY!  I love when I have a hard time putting into words my feelings and thoughts about a book.  

I will definitely be on the look out for Rea Frey's next book.  I can't wait to see where she goes from here.  


Rating: definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row

Ebook 2018 Challenge: 68 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from St Martin's Press.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.