Blog Tour Review, The Baby Left Behind

The Baby Left Behind 
Jen Craven

311 pages
Bookouture
published Septermber 20, 2023

Amazon | Goodreads

About the book

Take him. Please forgive me. Cate grips the note with trembling hands, looking down at the delicate bundle on her doorstep. As she reaches down to the baby, she knows she has finally got everything she’s ever wished for. But is he hers to take?

Cate tries not to cry as she closes the door on the nursery room once again. All she has ever wanted is to be a mother. Cursed with a medical condition that means she is unable to have children, her only option is to wait for a call from the adoption centre. But that call feels like a lifetime away.

Then she hears a faint cry from outside her house. She’s convinced she’s imagining it, that the grief is starting to overwhelm her. But when she opens her door and looks down, her heart swells. By her feet is the most perfect baby curled up in a soft blanket.

As the newborn’s eyes light up, Cate feels instant love for him. She knows she can’t just accept a stranger’s baby – she has to call the police. But as she picks him up, it all finally feels right. This is where the baby belongs.

But when her darling baby is rushed into hospital, Cate knows that in order to save his life, she needs to expose the lie she has been so desperate to hide. Can Cate discover who the child’s real mother is? And if so, will she be able to make the hardest decision of her life to protect the child?

An emotional story about family, secrets and what makes a good parent. Perfect for fans of Jodi Picoult, Jojo Moyes and Kate Hewitt.

My review

This was not what I was expecting.  It was an emotional novel about what it is to be a family and a mother.  I really felt for both Jada and Cate and while I was sure I knew where this one was heading; it was the process of getting there that was so gripping.  The two couldn’t be more different but had one little boy in common.

I liked that this delved into both women’s family and friends and had a slew of supporting characters.  I am not sure what I would have done in either woman’s shoes, but it would be an interesting book club book as there are so many things to discuss.  Cate’s condition and desire for a baby.  Jada not knowing she was pregnant and her decisions.  And all the decisions both women make over this little boy.  Was justice served?  Was the right outcome decided?

I read this in a day and wanted to know how this one would end.  Seriously if you want a book that isn’t a thriller, but keeps you guessing and gives you a lot to think about, this is the book you need to be reading.

Sharing is caring!