Book Review for My Husband's Child by Alison Ragsdale

 

My Husband's Child by Alison Ragsdale

Published: March 4, 2025 by Bookouture

Genre:  Family Drama

Taken from Goodreads:  When I find a little girl standing on my doorstep, I don’t know what to do. But as I take her small hand in mine, she whispers words that will change my life. ‘Mummy said you’d look after me.’

Ever since her husband left her for another woman, Cora has been trying to put her life back together. But when she hears he started a family, her heart breaks all over again. And so, when the doorbell rings late one night, the last person Cora expects to find is her husband’s child.

The little girl is shivering, clutching her baby brother’s hand. With no other choice, Cora ushers the children into her home. As she settles them by the fire, she tries to work out what happened. But as the days pass and her phone calls go unanswered, she realises the children’s parents have vanished without a trace…

Over the following weeks, Cora grows to love the children as if they were her own. And as she tucks them into bed each night, pressing a kiss to their foreheads, her heart feels fuller than she ever could have imagined.

But when her ex-husband’s wife reappears, Cora senses she isn’t telling the truth about why she abandoned her children. And when Cora’s ex-husband returns, claiming the children aren’t safe with their mother, she faces an impossible choice. Should Cora believe him or the children’s mother? And should she trust her instinct that something is terribly wrong?

An utterly compelling and heartbreaking story about motherhood and a devastating family secret. Readers who love Kate Hewitt, Jodi Picoult and Diane Chamberlain will be totally captivated by this deeply emotional novel.

My Thoughts: Alison Ragsdale's book grabbed me from the first page and kept me hooked. I cared deeply about the children's well-being and why they were left with Cora. As I read, some questions were answered, but many more arose: Would Cora care for the children? Who was the better parent? Would Cora lose the kids?  

My Husband’s Child deeply resonated with me. As a mom, I could sense Cora’s fear of losing the children. She wasn't sure she was ready to be a mom, but she always wanted to be. This was her chance, but would it last? I suspected there was more to why the children were left and hoped that Cora would stay in their lives.

This book is amazing. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys an emotional read. I felt deeply connected to the characters, especially Cora, and experienced a wide range of emotions throughout the story.

Thank you to the author for a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

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Meet Alison Ragsdale (taken from her website):  A proud Scots lass, I was born in Edinburgh and the connection to my homeland has never left me. Consequently, my novels are set in the stunning Highlands and islands of Scotland.

I’ve had what could be termed a varied career. I trained as a professional ballet dancer and worked in the field of dance for many years. When an injury called a halt to that, I eventually became a marketing executive. After two decades in that world, I started my own health-services business but it took too great a toll on me so my husband encouraged me to focus on writing, as I’d always dreamed of doing.

I took the leap of faith in 2014 and dived into my first full-length novel TUESDAY’S SOCKS. It was a scary feeling, putting my ‘baby’ out there, but I was delighted when readers fell for my sweet protagonist, Jeffrey Mere. TUESDAY’S SOCKS soon became an Amazon bestseller. My second novel, THE FATHER-DAUGHTER CLUB, came out at the end of 2014. I was thrilled when it too made it to an Amazon best seller list, receiving a wonderful review from Kirkus Reviews, and going on to win the 2016, IPPY Bronze medal for Best Regional Fiction – Europe.

My third Amazon best selling novel, FINDING HEATHER, was released in October 2016 and my fourth, A LIFE UNEXPECTED, won a 2018 IPPY Bronze medal in the Popular Fiction category, then become an Amazon best seller too.

TTHE ART OF REMEMBERING, released in July, 2019 debuted as a best seller. It has since been included in BookBub’s 2019 Best Book Club Book list, was honored as a finalist in the 2019 American Fiction Awards, was shortlisted in the 2019 CIBA Somerset Award, and was a finalist in the 2020 Eric Hoffer Award.

THE LIAR AND OTHER STORIES is my first collection of short stories and was released in May, 2020.

My seventh book, DIGNITY AND GRACE, was released in July, 2020 and is an Amazon #1 bestseller.

My eighth book, HER LAST CHANCE, was released in April, 2021 and is an Amazon #1 bestseller.

SOMEONE ELSE’S CHILD, was released in January, 2022 and is an Amazon bestseller.

THE CHILD BETWEEN US, was released in September 2022 and is an Amazon#1 bestseller.

My latest book, AN IMPOSSIBLE CHOICE was released on June 7th, 2024.

While I didn’t set out to be an author, it has always been a dream of mine and now, thanks to my incredibly supportive husband and the forces of the universe, that has become a reality.

I hope you enjoy reading my books as much as I loved writing them.