What if you found out that your family isn’t yours at all? How far would you go to protect them? A gripping new psychological thriller from the bestselling author of The Girl Before. . . .“[JP] Delaney takes domestic suspense beyond its comfort zone.”—Marilyn Stasio, The New York Times Book ReviewPete Riley answers the door one morning and lets in a parent’s worst nightmare. On his doorstep is … parent’s worst nightmare. On his doorstep is Miles Lambert, a stranger who breaks the devastating news that Pete’s son, Theo, isn’t actually his son—he is the Lamberts’, switched at birth by an understaffed hospital while their real son was sent home with Miles and his wife, Lucy. For Pete, his partner Maddie, and the little boy they’ve been raising for the past two years, life will never be the same again.
The two families, reeling from the shock, take comfort in shared good intentions, eagerly entwining their very different lives in the hope of becoming one unconventional modern family. But a plan to sue the hospital triggers an official investigation that unearths some disturbing questions about the night their children were switched. How much can they trust the other parents—or even each other? What secrets are hidden behind the Lamberts’ glossy front door? Stretched to the breaking point, Pete and Maddie discover they will each stop at nothing to keep their family safe.
They are done playing nice.
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I enjoyed the tangled web of this book! Pete and Maddie find out that their son isn’t theirs. The babies were switched in the hospital. They hope to work together to keep things peaceful with the other parents, Miles and Lucy. But it doesn’t take long to realize perhaps they can’t. They are up against something that will change their lives forever. There are investigations, lawsuits, and secrets. Their lives are picked apart.
More Suspense than Thriller but What a Great Book!
A new author for me and it won’t be the last book I buy from JP Delaney. He’s a talented writer. This story is told through the two protagonists, Pete and Maddie, a couple who endure the most heartbreaking experiences starting with the revelation their prematurely born baby was switched just after birth.
Delaney has created two wonderful characters who somehow manage to gel despite being like chalk and cheese. As the author acknowledges, he has done his research especially into the world of family law as Pete and Maddie are dragged through the courts in desperate attempts to keep ‘their baby.’
This is one heck of a story that pulls on the heartstrings and has you rooting for the couple in their battle with the Machiavellian antagonist, Miles.
“Playing Nice” is the story of something that simply does not happen; babies are not swapped in the hospital. Yet it seems that for these families, it did happen. Two years later, when DNA results reveal the switch, both families are shocked and devastated, but determined to keep their sons, both biological and custodial. The story unfolds in first person narrative chapters alternating between the points of view of Pete, and his partner, Maddie. Between these accounts are copies of entries in the police case file, an ominous cloud that hangs over the story, and readers know that things are not going to go well for these parents. In fact, everything they do seems to make matters worse.
Delany creates characters who are sympathetic, tragic, troubled, and devious. After an initial agreement to peacefully coexist, they stop playing by the rules and start fighting dirty. The pace is deliberate with growing tension, apprehension, and resentment. Legal costs mount, and mistakes are made. Secrets ooze their way to the surface like bubbles squelching out of mud, and no one is who he or she appears to be. Things previously hidden from spouses and friends are subsequently discovered by enemies and by then by the authorities.
The world turned upside down for these two families. Nothing about this book is ordinary or predictable. The title is “Playing Nice,” but the parents absolutely do not play nice. I received a copy of “Playing Nice” from JP Delaney, Random House Publishing Group, and Ballantine Books. Just to relieve any possible reader concerns for the two boys, they will be fine. The parents will definitely not be fine ever again.
I never intended to read this entire book yesterday but once I started I could not walk away from it.
Imagine someone showing up on your doorstep one day and explaining that the child you and your wife had two years ago, the toddler you love and cherish, isn’t your biological child…that a mistake had been made at the hospital during a chaotic and traumatic delivery.
Being a mother both biologically and through adoption, I found this book riveting, thoughtful, and terrifying. The questions regarding nature versus nurture and whether parenting is defined by biology or the heart were so personal for me.
J.P. Delaney can do no wrong in my eyes, I love everything he has ever written, including under his pseudonyms, and this is his best to date, without question.
**And don’t worry there is plenty in here to keep the attention of those of us who need a little thriller in our books!
Thank you to J.P. Delany, Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine and NetGalley for giving me this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book was ok. I hated Miles which is to be expected but the stupidity drove me crazy. I loved the ending though for everyone involved.
This was well written and such an interesting topic a psychologist thriller regarding two premature babies switched at birth. It’s told from the POV of Maddie and Pete as they traverse the many hurdles resulting from the bombshell that two-year-old Theo is not their biological son but instead David who has severe special needs is.
At first, Maddie and Pete are thrilled that Miles and Lucy seem to be so agreeable and accommodating but it’s not long before Miles is crossing boundaries and it becomes apparent that Miles is not quite the charming nice guy he at first appears. Peter and Maddie now find themselves in the fight of their lives. Trying to retaining custody of Theo as Miles throws every dirty trick in the book their way.
So I did enjoy this but it did seem to move quite slowly I also thought that David their biological son very much took a back seat in this story and I would have thought he’d be more central to the narrative. I also thought the wrap up was rushed and I definitely found this anticlimactic especially considering all the build-up things just then fizzled out and that disappointed me slightly.
Still, this was such an intriguing subject and It did manage to keep my interest. I found the second half of this much more gripping than the first which did take a while to build momentum. Overall this was a decent read but it contained few surprises and was fairly predictable. I voluntary reviewed a copy of Playing Nice.
Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
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I’ll tell you now this is a great book , because it’s a fantastic read, especially if you are like me and into psychological thrillers. I could write a lengthy and wordy review but if what I have written can say what I thought of this book then it’s long enough! Thank you for writing such great books!
A creepy tale of what went wrong. An act of love turns tragic.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in return for an honest review.
This is definitely the psychological thriller I’ve been waiting for! Don’t read the reviews that give away the spoilers. You need to just sit back and read this twisty, crazy story from beginning to end.
We begin with Pete and Maddie, the parents of two-year-old Theo. Pete is primary caregiver, working as a freelance journalist from home. He takes Theo to his daycare one morning, and notices a couple with another man outside the school. Thinking it’s a househunting couple with a real estate agent, he goes about his day. Imagine his surprise when they later show up on his doorstep, introduce themselves as Miles and Lucy, and inform Pete that Theo isn’t his son. Pete’s first thought is Maddie had an affair, but Miles and Lucy give him the devastating news that Theo and their son, David, had been switched at birth. Both boys were born prematurely on the same day and something happened in the NICU. David is developmentally challenged, while Theo is now a hale and hearty little boy. The two families try to work through grappling with the truth and finding an amicable solution to an impossible question: whose child is whose? But Miles has a different idea and, being a psychopath, his retribution plummets Pete and Maddie’s lives into a terrifying tailspin. Secrets are revealed, betrayals are uncovered, emotions are questioned, and feelings are running high.
So, that’s all I will tell you as I don’t want to give anything away that would spoil the story for you. If you are looking for a gripping and suspenseful read that keeps you guessing, by all means this is the one. Great plot which may sound formulaic, but it works. The story is primarily told by Pete and Maddie, and you get to see all facets of the characters from their own perspective as well as their partner. Your feelings toward each continually change as more secrets are revealed. This was a page-turner with a satisfying ending and I highly recommend this one!
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What a twisted, edge-of-your seat, nail-biting story. I can’t imagine what Maggie and Pete experience when opening the door to their house opens up their lives to a true nightmare. I won’t rehash the storyline, but be prepared for a rollercoaster ride of emotions. This book is family drama at its finest. The characters are well developed. The ending merged the various aspects and packs a punch!
Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.
Enjoy all delaney’s books. Twisty plots and solid believable characters
Other books by J.P Delaney I hadn’t rated very high, so I started this one a little hesitantly. Wow, did it draw me in quickly, though. There are all sort of additional twists and turns AFTER Pete and his wife, Maddie, are told that their little son is not really theirs. Apparently, babies were switched in the hospital shortly after birth. At first, it looks like everyone just wants to make it easier for all involved and work something compatible out. But looks can be deceiving. Oh, how they can be deceiving!
I seldom re-read books, but this might be one I could stand to read again in a couple of years.
WARNING: Language, not as bad as many books I’ve run across but still rather offensive.
Great ending!
Overall it took 2 days to read due to being a very captivating story and also easy to read. I think the twists are unpredictable and the plot was well thought out. Would recommend for a read by the fireplace.
I had no idea where this story was going. Well written and a definite page turner.
**MY FAVORITE BOOK OF 2020 THUS FAR IS AVAILABLE NOW! YAY!**
Hello, friends! Meet my first 5-star stunner of 2020!
I’ve had a few 4.5 star reads which I’ve rounded up, but Playing Nice has become the understated hit of my reading season thus far.
I confess, after The Perfect Wife, a story of which I was NOT a fan, I honestly didn’t have high hopes going in. However, since I really enjoyed The Girl Before, I was absolutely willing to give J.P. Delaney another shot.
I’m so glad I did!
This book is everything I never knew I wanted. Swapped baby stories are such a cliché, but Playing Nice is so much more. This is a story about mental illness, addiction, abuse, murder, lies, betrayal, the law, and most importantly, it covers just how far parents are willing to go to protect the child they love, despite the multitude of nightmarish scenarios facing them. It’s a total roller-coaster ride. My emotions were all over the place!
It’s terrifying and addicting.
I had to force myself to stop reading last night. I’ve had an incredibly busy day, and it’s made me totally grouchy because all I could think about was getting back to this book.
Any of you who know me, and have read my reviews for awhile, know I’m not one to gush…but I am so gushing right now.
Just do yourself a favor and read it.
**Many thanks to the publisher for my review copy.
The foreshadowing was great in this book, and the ending did not disappoint! Pete Riley and his partner Maddie are given solid evidence that their two-year old son, Theo, is not their son. Miles Lambert informs them their children were swapped in the hospital, and Miles starts out proposing an amicable relationship wherein he and his wife, Lucy, and Maddie and Pete can become a sort of blended family, each spending time with their biological sons. We soon learn Miles is not all as he appears, and thus begins a horrific custody battle. I really didn’t care for Maddie the first half of this book, but boy did she come through the last half. J.P. Delaney does a fine job taking us through this story with little down time.
This book was dreadfully slow starting. I mean it took a bit over halfway to get me wanting more. I see where a lot of the first part was necessary but good grief. It just dragged on and on for too long. I also did not like the parts where the emails, letters from lawyers, and I think it was a facebook page for the one dad, were told. It was dribble for me. I just don’t like that in books that I read. Make it part of the story between the people not in tiny print and supposed text between them. It is just boring to me.
That being said this book was a good story. Once it picks up it is great. The story is one that will keep you wanting to know what is happening and why. Who switched these babies and why. Was one of the parents responsible or was it truly an accident that just happened during the ride from the private hospital to the NICU. What these parents went through was horrible for sure. One set of parents were more likable than the other. Or maybe it was one dad was more likable as I didn’t truly care for his mate. Pete was a good man. He loved Theo and did everything for him. His mate, Maddie, while she did love Theo, was hard to like. She seemed to be repulsed by their son from the start. Once he was born and was not carried to term and looked odd because of how early he was it seems he made her sick. She was also way to jealous of the other women around Pete. Nurses and all. They thought Pete was a great dad, as did I, yet she was very nitpicky about it. She seemed to find fault is so many things concerning Pete. Considering some things she did behind Pete’s back she should count her lucky stars that she had a mate that loved her and the boy that much.
Then we have Miles and Lucy, who were a bit unlikable all the way around. Mainly it was Miles. He started being a jerk way before we even found out what was going on. He comes across as a very arrogant person who can’t stand it if things don’t go his way. No matter what happened or was said it was his way or he pouted like a jerk. He did not seem to care at all about David, the boy who they are raising as their own child. It seems like Lucy may be a bit human but is under Miles’s thumb and does what he says when he says.
This book is good in the sense that it is a story that will keep you turning pages and wanting to know what happens and why. But I didn’t like the parts between when as I already explained where email, letters from lawyers, etc. It just didn’t do it for me. This book had great promise though and is a good story for the most part. I’m sure most will love it. It was just not one of my favorites.
Thank you #NetGalley, #JPDelaney, #RandomHouse,Ballantine for this ARC. This is my own true thoughts about this book.
I give it only 3/5 stars and do recommend you read it for yourself. We each tend to like different things.
4-4.5
Being a parent, I cannot even imagine how I would feel if a stranger knocked on my door and proceeded to tell me my daughter was not mine. But that is exactly what happens to Pete and Maddie in this twisted book filled with mind games. I know when I pick up a book by Mr. Delaney that I am going to be in for one heck of a ride. PLAYING NICE is no exception. What a ride! My jaw dropped towards the end and then just as I thought that was it….I actually gasped so loud I scared my teenager.
This is an interesting book about a horrible situation. A father (Pete) answers a knock at his front door one morning to find out that his life is about to spin out of control. The two men on the other side of the door are there to inform Pete that the boy he has been raising for the past two years isn’t his, somehow Pete’s son and the Lambert’s son were switched in the hospital. For Pete and his partner Maddie, and the little boy they’ve been raising, life will never be the same.
This story is a bit creepy-a good type of creepy, not something I would want to go through. I was sad, Intrigued, angry, puzzled, blindsided, and left with things to ponder while reading this book.
I would recommend this book to my friends.