Not Yours to Keep

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Published by: She Writes Press
Release Date: October 8, 2024
Pages: 336
ISBN13: 978-1647427245

 
Synopsis

Billie Campbell, a Massachusetts adoption specialist grappling with fertility issues, dreams of adopting a baby, but not just any baby—her pregnant client’s baby. While her longing threatens to send her down a dark path, her husband, Tyler, is keeping secrets: he’s full of doubts about becoming a father, and he’s also trying to figure out who is sending him upsetting anonymous texts and photos. On the other side of town, Anne, a woman scarred by childhood abuse, obsesses with a second chance at becoming a family with the two people she regrets ever having let go of: the baby she gave up for adoption twenty years ago, and the man of her dreams.

Their lives get tangled when the client’s newborn is abducted, and Billie becomes a prime suspect.

Amid the chaos unleashed by the abduction, Tyler uncovers a link between the person tormenting him and the abduction—but now Billie has disappeared too. The race to find both her and the baby is on; but will they find them before it’s too late?

Read Zelly's Essay:

Book Inspiration: Why I Chose Adoption for the Narrative

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Praise

“Two women are pulled together by their complicated relationships to motherhood in the tense but humane thriller Not Yours to Keep…whose suspense is directed by the intense emotions brought forth by the loss—or unrealized gain—of a child.”—Foreword Clarion Review

“An often intriguing narrative about loss and enduring hope.”—Kirkus Reviews

"Part emotional story of adoption and motherhood, and part heart-pounding suspense, Not Yours To Keep will have you racing to the end as you are swept into the lives of three people on a collision course."
—Lyn Liao Butler, Amazon bestselling author of Someone Else's Life

“With a gentle hand and tender heart, NOT YOURS TO KEEP examines what it really means to be a family. With captivating prose and a plot that will have you on the edge of your seat, Ruskin explores the ways we cleave to hope no matter how much adversity or unexpected change we face. Most definitely a novel that will keep you glued to the pages as you race toward the unexpected conclusion, Ruskin’s debut is a gem and a true winner!”
—Jacqueline Friedland USA Today Bestselling Author of He Gets that From Me

“A missing newborn, an adoption worker struggling with infertility, and an abused woman desperate for a second chance at motherhood, all collide in Zelly Ruskin’s page-turning debut. About the ache for love, the desperate choices of birth and adoptive parents, and the struggles to make and keep a family, Not Yours to Keep is a stunner.”
—Caroline Leavitt, New York Times bestselling author of Pictures of You and Days of Wonder

"One missing baby. A missing woman. Lots of secrets, lies, twists, and turns. In this heartfelt and heart-pounding domestic suspense, I found myself racing to the breathtaking conclusion. A sensational debut."
—Rea Frey, #1 bestselling author of Don't Forget Me and The Other Year

A thought-provoking look at the secrets that lie beneath the surface of seemingly perfect lives, Not Yours To Keep is a slow-burn that pays off with a thrilling end. Ideal for readers, like me, who enjoy a peek inside the heads of morally gray characters who find themselves in "what would you do" moments.
—Jen Craven, Author of The Baby Left Behind

"With high-stakes emotion and pulse-pounding suspense, NOT YOURS TO KEEP will have you turning pages well past your bedtime... In her debut novel, Zelly Ruskin writes full-throttle drama with a tender touch."
—Katie Sise, bestselling author of Open House and We Were Mothers

“Electric and haunting. A taut, perfectly paced thriller that will surprise and satisfy. Ruskin is a writer to watch.”
—Taylor Larsen, author of Stranger, Father, Beloved

“Zelly Ruskin’s ability to combine her career and personal experience with fertility issues and adoption procedures into the fictional mystery Not Yours to Keep makes for a compelling read. This debut novel will both rivet and educate couples facing such life-changing dilemmas and decisions.”—IndieReader