Review: Not Her Daughter

Not Her Daughter by Rea Frey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

By chance, Sarah crosses paths with lonely and mistreated 5 year-old Emma at the airport. Sarah is upset by how the girls parents treat her but doesn’t know what she can do to help. It isn’t until she sees Emma by coincidence a few weeks later that she impulsively decides to save her from her parents. As Sarah runs with Emma, Emma’s mother, Amy, struggles with whether she even really wants her daughter back.

I had never truly considered what I would do when faced with an abused child until reading Not Her Daughter by Rea Frey. Obviously, I would not kidnap them, but would I walk away? Call child services? Sarah’s gut reaction felt relatable, and her ability to pull off be kidnapping actually seemed plausible for the most part. The action moved quickly, and I loved getting to know Sarah and Emma. I felt that Amy, though, was very one-note. I would’ve liked to feel a little internal conflict as to whether she deserved to raise her daughter; instead I just felt disgusted by her chapters. There were also a few elements that were a little unbelievable as Sarah ran away, but the story was compelling enough that it didn’t pull me out of the narrative.

Not her Daughter was a fun suspense novel. Fans of Liane Moriarty will enjoy this one.

Thanks Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC!