She Was Never Yours to Take
- Judith D Collins
- Jun 27
- 2 min read
Updated: Jul 21
By: Jen Craven
ISBN: 978-1835259795
Publisher: Bookouture
Publication Date: 09/15/2025
Format: e-books
My Rating: TBR
I take a deep breath and turn to my sister. I have to make things right, but my heart pounds as I say what I should have said sixteen years ago. “But she’s not your child. She’s mine.”
My adoring husband Reid squeezes my hand in delight as we gaze at the grey and white ultrasound images, tears in his eyes. Finally, we are going to have our perfect family. But my husband doesn’t know this isn’t my first baby.
As a teenager, I was forced to give my baby to my older sister. I desperately wanted to care for her myself, but our mother said I was too young. My sister couldn’t have children of her own, and I was told it was for the best. But as I watched my sister over the years, brushing Carley’s hair and tucking her into bed with a kiss, I wanted to cry out: I am her mother.
Now I have a new life growing inside me, I realize just how much I had to give up. As I look ahead to my baby’s arrival, I have an impossible choice to make. Do I tell my first child the truth of what really happened all those years ago? Or will telling her destroy our family forever?
An unforgettable and completely emotional story about family and what it means to be a mother. Perfect for fans of Diane Chamberlain, Jodi Picoult and Melissa Wiesner.
About the Author
Jen Craven is the author of six novels, both indie and traditionally published. Her contemporary debut, Best Years of Your Life was inspired from over a decade teaching at a small liberal arts university. In 2023, she signed with Bookouture where she publishes domestic suspense: The Baby Left Behind (Sept. 2023), Her Daughter (March 2024), and The Day She Vanished (Sept. 2024).
Aside from fiction, Jen has personal essay bylines in national outlets, including The Washington Post, Huffington Post, Today’s Parent, Scary Mommy and many more.
She writes from northwestern Pennsylvania, where she lives with her husband and three children. When not working on her books, she can be found thrift shopping, taking long walks, and kicking butt in backgammon.
Learn more at www.jencraven.com or by following her on Facebook and Instagram at @jencravenauthor
