When You Were Mine: An utterly heartbreaking page-turner

Name: When You Were Mine: An utterly heartbreaking page-turner
Rating: 4.4285712242126465 (14 reviews)

Kate Hewitt

Oct 2020 · Bookouture

4.4

14 reviews

Ebook

350

Pages

Eligible

About this ebook

“OMG I couldn’t put this one down. It was just that good… Definitely a tear jerker… Touched my heart so deeply and will affect me on some level for many years to come.” Blue Moon Blogger ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Mother-of-two, Ally has always dreamed of fostering—it feels like her chance to give back when she has been so lucky in life. And when seven-year-old Dylan joins her family in their big suburban home, Ally is overwhelmed by love.

But Dylan doesn’t speak and Ally isn’t prepared for the impact he has on her family. Each day has its struggles, but she would never give up on the child now in her care.

Dylan’s mother, Beth, can’t forgive herself for losing her son. He’s her world and she’ll do whatever it takes to get him back. Everything is different now, and he belongs with her.

With his whole life at stake, which mother can truly give Dylan the love, security, and home he deserves? Which mother can help him find his voice?

Beth and Ally sit on opposite sides. Two mothers, both desperate to do what is best for Dylan, but neither able to imagine their lives without him…

A beautiful, powerful and ultimately uplifting story about the heartbreaking power of motherly love, for fans of Diane Chamberlain, Jodi Picoult and Jojo Moyes.

Praise for When You Were Mine:

“My poor heart will never be the same. A hole’s been punched straight through it. This is an incredible book… I cried so much… My eyes are still sore… This will stay with me for a long time.” The Book Lover’s Boudoir ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“With this heartwarming and at times heart-wrenching drama Kate is hot on the heels of the likes of Jodi Picoult and Kelly Rimmer… Tearjerking.” Rachel M Writer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“To say this story is a five-star read is an understatement. There are not enough stars in the world to show how much this book has touched me. It is sad, thrilling, gripping and completely pulls on your heart strings. Beautifully written.” Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“This amazing book packs an emotion punch!… I could not put this down. I found myself originally on the side of one character, then the other. Both sides absolutely tear at your heartstrings… A must read.” Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Heart-breaking… I was completely engrossed… an incredibly moving story that tugs at the heartstrings… When I wasn’t reading I was thinking about it… A beautifully-written story with a perfect ending that will stay in my thoughts for a long time.” NetGalley reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Kate Hewitt does a brilliant job portraying the best and hardest moments of being a mother… Sure to touch your heart, make you reach for Kleenex, and bring you insurmountable joy… Will resonate within your soul long after you finish reading it… One of those books that you never forget!” The Reading Snug ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Had me in bits from the beginning… [It is] like you are actually living the lives of the characters and once you have finished the books, you will not forget them!” Stressed Rach ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“This book breaks your heart in pieces one by one and then slowly puts them back together again… Read this one in two sittings. I couldn’t put it down.” Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Kate Hewitt has wrecked me… Such a heartbreaking story… What is best for a child?… I cannot recommend this book any harder… Amazing.” Sinfully Wicked Book Reviews ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Ratings and reviews

4.4

14 reviews

Vanessa Menezes

October 20, 2020

Single mother Beth loves her seven-year-old son Dylan with all her heart. He’s her world. But life with Dylan isn’t easy—and his emotional issues push Beth to her very limit. When a misunderstanding leads Dylan to be taken into foster care, she is determined to do whatever she can to get him back. Mother of two, Ally has always dreamed of fostering—it feels like her chance to give back when she has been so lucky in life. But when Dylan joins their family, Ally finds herself struggling to balance his needs with those of her own children and husband. Narrated in alternating chapters between Beth and Ally, this book very nicely covers the different problems that parents face during parenting. There is never something called as 'perfect parenting'. Each situation is different and every mother tries to give the best for their child. In terms of the main characters, I did feel sympathetic towards Beth. Having to hear that the love and attention she exhibits towards her son is unhealthy and taking her son away to be put into foster care is something quite sad. Whereas, Ally's story in this book was more of a message that sometimes being perfect is not everything. The ending was beautiful and made this book even more special. Thank You to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC!

2 people found this review helpful

Jeanne Bringley

October 19, 2020

Beth is a single mother and Dylan is a difficult child. One afternoon in CVS he has a tantrum and at the end of her rope she grabs his arm so they can leave. Unfortunately someone sees and calls Child Services. From there things to spiral out of control until he is taken away from her and placed with the Fieldings. The story is told from Beth's point of view and Ally's, the foster mother. Beth was a complex character. Dylan's dad has no part in his life and she is estranged from her parents. She has no friends because her life is devoted to Dylan. For money she works at home making jewelry that she sells on Shopify. She could be impulsive with the big things but would over think small decisions. Beth accepts Dylan's behavior and only tries to avoid melt downs rather then doing something to help him. She keeps him close and is needy, jealous of any time he is not right with her. Ally seems to have it all, mid-forties, one daughter just off to Harvard and a teenage son. She sees a video about foster care and decides their family has a lot to offer. Dylan is their first placement and it was a rocky start. There is a lot of growth in the story, mostly for Ally and Beth, that comes on gradually as Beth has to accept things that have happened in her past and let them go for the sake of Dylan. I liked the ending and their was a satisfying solution that benefitted Dylan. This is a new author for me and I look forward to reading more of her writing. Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for providing me with a copy of this book.

Stacey Morgan

April 8, 2024

It took me awhile to get into this book but once I did I didn't want to put it down. I really related to both Ally and Beth with how they felt about their lives.

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