Claiming Noah

I hope everyone is having a fabulous Thursday.  I spent the day doing chores around the house and writing reviews.  It was also time to bake more cookies.  My mother just loves her chocolate chip cookies.  There are some great books coming out next week. A couple of the novels coming out on October 4 are Masking for Trouble by Diane Vallere, Little Boy Blue by M.J. Arlidge, Putting on the Witch by Joyce and Jim Lavene, and Crepe Factor by Laura Childs.  I will be sharing more releases with you over the next few days!

Claiming Noah by Amanda Ortlepp is a compelling novel set in Sydney, Australia.  Catriona Sinclair is married to James.  James has always wanted children and finally convinced Catriona to have a baby.  Unfortunately, they cannot conceive naturally.  They are led down the road of tests and eventually IVF.  They were able to get four embryos.  The first one resulted in a pregnancy, but Catriona miscarried.  The second one did not take.  Catriona agreed to try one more time and it resulted in a pregnancy.  Catriona stated this was the last time and they agreed to donate the embryo.  A couple that would be unable to conceive would get an opportunity to have a child.  Catriona and James had a little boy that they named Sebastian.  Catriona has a rough time adjusting.  Sebastian did not take to breastfeeding and he cried frequently.  Then Catriona started seeing a person in the house and hearing voices.  James had her see a doctor and he put her on antidepressants.  However, Catriona did not tell him about the voices and hallucinations.  Catriona ends up spending time in a clinic that helps her overcome the postpartum psychosis.  It is a rare condition, but it does happen.  James take time off to take care of Sebastian.  When Catriona returns home, she is happy to see her son. 

Diana Simmons and her husband, Liam are unable to conceive on their own.  After going through the various options, they choose to adopt an embryo (it is like adopting a baby).  Despite objections from her mother and the local priest, they went ahead with their plans.  Diana was lucky enough to get pregnant.  It resulted in a son, Noah.  Diana loves being a mother.  Then one day she is at the grocery store with Noah asleep in his stroller.  She has it covered with a blanket so the lights in the store do not wake him up.  When Diana gets out to her car and removes the blanket, Noah is gone.  Someone kidnapped her son.  Who would take him and why?  Join Diana, Liam, James, and Catriona as their lives spiral out of control.

Claiming Noah is an emotional book.  There are high points and some very low points (makes you cry).  The story is told from the viewpoint of the two women:  Catriona and Diana.  We get to see how each person reacts to pregnancy and raising children (and how it affects their husbands and marriage).  The story has good writing (for the most part), but it could use a little editing (and reworking).  This author’s writing is very descriptive.  She likes to describe the trees, furnishing, clothes in great detail.  It was interesting to find out about embryo donation and how it is handled.  Amanda Ortlepp shows what happens when an embryo donation goes wrong.  It is an emotionally charged issue that presents legal and emotional complications.  We get to see how it affects the two families.  I did find that some of the novel was predictable, but I did enjoy the overall story.  I give Claiming Noah 4 out of 5 stars (I liked it).  This is Amanda Ortlepp’s debut novel, and I look forward to reading her next book.

You can follow Amanda Ortlepp on Facebook and Twitter.  I received a complimentary copy of Claiming Noah from NetGalley and the publisher (FaithWords) in exchange for an honest evaluation.  The comments and opinions expressed are strictly my own.

Thank you very much for visiting.  If you like my blog, please consider joining (right hand side).  I am off to finish Crepe Factor by Laura Childs. I will return tomorrow to review another novel! Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris 

The Avid Reader