Only Child – ARC Book Review

The police are here. The feeling of pure dread swirls in my stomach as a million scenarios start playing out in my head. My whole life I’ve expected something bad to happen to my daughter. It is as if part of me has been expecting it. As if I deserve it.

Fifteen-year-old Kayla is the apple of her parents’ eyes, their beautiful only daughter. They tried for so long to have her that she was even more precious when she arrived. But deep down, her mother Sherrie has always been terrified that their worst fear would come true: that Kayla would be taken from them.

Then one day – just as Sherrie had dreaded – Kayla fails to return home after a sleepover. In desperation, Sherrie and her husband Richard call Kayla’s friends. They scour the streets, their search becoming more and more frantic. Until the police arrive and deliver the shocking news, when their worst nightmare comes true: someone has their daughter.

As Sherrie and Richard grill friends, family, and even each other, Sherrie starts to wonder, has the secret they’ve been hiding all these years finally caught up with them?

Because Sherrie and Richard are living a lie. A lie so huge, so shocking, that it could destroy the one thing they hold most dear – their daughter.

And if the truth comes out, their family will never be the same. But if it doesn’t, they will never see their precious girl again…

A totally unputdownable psychological thriller that will have you gasping out loud until the very last page. If you love Lisa Jewell, K.L. Slater and T.M. Logan, you’ll be obsessed with Only Child.

Kayla is the apple of her parents’ eye. Sherrie, her mother doted on her but deep inside, Sherrie was holding a secret–a secret that if Kayla finds out, then their relationship will be ruined. And as dreaded, one day, Kayla failed to return and the police then deliver the news confirming Sherrie’s worst fear–someone has her daughter.

This was a fast-paced nail-biting thriller. This was a page-turner, unputdownable as well and the author did a good job of keeping the reader at the edge, making the reader feel like they are a part of the story. The story divides between Sherrie’s POV and a woman named Tessa who maybe the one having Kayla and who is trying to protect herself from someone. Towards the ending, it got more and more intense and the surprising twist at the end was completely unexpected. There’s a a bit of drama particularly between Sherrie and her husband Richard. Overall, this was a fast-paced thriller that will keep you hooked from the beginning till the end–worth four stars!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.