Review: A Child of My Own by Vanessa Carnevale

A Child of My Own

by Vanessa Carnevale

Publisher: Bookouture

Pages: 344

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  You love your friend. But what she wants could break your heart.

Isla and Ben are devoted parents to their beloved daughter, Reese. She is their little miracle, the child they thought they’d never have until donors made her existence possible. But Isla has never told Reese about her biological parents. She wants to be honest with her daughter, but can she bear to open up old wounds?

Then Isla receives a call from Lucy, once her closest friend and the donor who made her dreams come true, and it seems she may need to make a decision sooner than she thought. They haven’t spoken in almost ten years, but Lucy has devastating news: she has lost her beloved husband Nate, just after they decided they wanted to become parents after all.

Heartbroken for her friend, Isla welcomes Lucy back into her life. But then Lucy comes to Isla with a request that changes everything. If Lucy gets what she wants, Isla’s perfect family could be destroyed. But would she deny the woman who helped her become a mother the chance for her own happiness?

Kritters Thoughts: Isla and Ben and Lucy and Nate used to be a foursome that did everything together and Lucy and Nate made Isla and Ben's biggest dream of parenthood a reality with a donation.  Reese is the daughter that Isla and Ben wished for for a long time, but Reese doesn't know the hurdles they leapt to become parents and maybe the truth will come out and change all of their lives.  

This book took place in Australia, a country that I visited once and have dreamt for a long time to return.  I really appreciated reading this book about fertility laws in another country and the custody of embryos and seeing how a different country is dealing with technology advancing faster than law.  

For me while I was reading this book, I had a post it note with the characters, so I could keep the couples straight.  There were a few moments in the book where I kept mixing up the who was with who and who's mother was who and the characteristics of that mother - they played big roles in the book and in the character's lives.  

This was my first read of Vanessa Carnevale and I would like to dive into her backlist and read more and hope for more in the future!

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

Ebook 2021 Challenge: 17 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Bookouture.  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.