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What's Yours Is Mine
Like a princess in a fairytale, Grace Hamilton has been showered with blessings: professional success, a happy marriage, and she even lives in a beautiful castle. But the only thing she really wants - her heart's desire - is the one thing she can never have. Her sister, the beautiful Susannah, has made a mess of her life. Like a reverse Midas, everything she touches turns to shit. But the Fate puts Grace's future in Susannah's hands, changing the balance of power between the sisters forever.
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First published January 1, 2010
About the author
Tess Stimson
18 books552 followersTess Stimson frequently contributes to newspapers and women's magazines. Born in England, she graduated from Oxford before working as a television news producer. Stimson is also the author of Hard News, Soft Focus, Pole Position, The Adultery Club, The Infidelity Chain (UK)/One Good Affair (US), The Nanny (UK)/Who Loves You Best (US), What's Yours Is Mine, The Wife Who Ran Away, The Lying Game and An Open Marriage, which will be published in July 2014. She is also the author of two works of non-fiction, Beat the Bitch: How to Stop the Other Woman Stealing Your Man, and Yours Till The End: The biography of a Beirut Hostage. She lives in Vermont with her family, and is currently at work on her next novel, The Wife-in-Law.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
August 18, 2011
Very confusing and frustrating. It's hard to like either one of the sisters because they are both so self-centered and every time I thought one was learning a lesson, something would happen that would put them right back where they started. Which is where the book ended, with the two of them right back where they started, minimal changes. It was very frustrating to finish this book, but I was curious to see where it would go...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 30, 2011
Blech. Just stupid.
March 28, 2010
Although they are sisters, Grace and Susannah have never really been close. Susannah was always sickly as a child and consequently had the constant attention of their mother much to Grace’s chagrin. Grace, however, worked hard and was determined to make her father proud of her. She managed to do so, and is now happily married to Tom, and the pair have everything they could dream of. Everything, that is, except a baby.
Grace resents Susannah for the way she has treated her own 2 children, and the fact she’s never been a proper mother to them. Susannah sees the opportunity to get the power back from her wealth and successful sister by giving her the one thing in the world that she wants – a baby. But as they say, you can choose your friends, not your family. What happens when the sisters start to clash again, will Susannah keep the balance of power in her favour or is Grace determined to trump her sister once and for all?
I came across Tess Stimson’s work when I first read her superb book The Cradle Snatcher last year. I loved how edgy and dark it was compared to some other chick lit out there, so when I was offered a chance to get a copy of this, I jumped at it and eagerly sat to devour it one evening. The gorgeous pink and black cover is incredibly striking and would definitely make me want to pick a copy up off the shelf, and I think it looks a little different to other covers in the genre too. As with The Cradle Snatcher, some of the themes and ideas in this book are dark but they make for extremely gripping reading, and I just couldn’t put it down once I’d started!
The story begins by introducing us to the sisters that are Grace and Susannah. I really liked Grace at first – she is successful, happily married but desperate to be a mother. I feel Stimson captures her despair at not being able to have a child perfectly, and the way this is handled in the book is really good and quite touching in parts. We aren’t told much about why the sisters are on such bad terms until quite a way into the book so its a bit of a mystery but I enjoyed this because I was eager to uncover what happened between them to make the situation so bad. Susannah on the other hand is a character I really didn’t like but warmed to her throughout the book and by the end, I really did like her character.
The way the relationship and the story between the sisters unfolds is really intriguing and I love the mysterious feel that Stimson manages to keep throughout the novel. Just when you think you have guessed what is coming next, something else suddenly pops up and has the book hurtling in a completely different direction.What I loved a lot about this book was the writing style. Stimson writes from the viewpoints of mainly Grace and Susannah, although there are a couple of other chapters narrated by others too. As well as the alternate narration, the two narrations overlap to show the scenario from both sides and this makes it so interesting because it puts such a different spin on it, and I love this about Stimson’s work.
The whole feel of the book is very dark, so don’t be fooled by its beautiful pink and black cover! It’s definitely a wolf in sheep’s clothing, there are some dark scenes in there and theme of surrogacy and adoption isn’t what you’d be led to believe, and I loved the twists and turns along the way. I also really loved how my feelings for both Grace and Susannah change so much throughout the book according to what was happening, and this is because of Stimson’s fantastic writing. By the end, I felt like I’d been on an emotional roller coaster with these characters and I think it all ended perfectly for how the book had gone.
If you enjoy your chick lit with a bit of an edge, then make sure you get a copy of What’s Yours Is Mine by Tess Stimson. I loved the characters, the story that kept hurtling in different directions and the brilliant writing of Stimson which holds the thing together with ease. I really didn’t want to stop reading whenever I picked it up because I knew if I put it down I’d be missing out on something exciting, and often I was right! The pink cover is gorgeous, but don’t think it’s going to be a girlie love story because it certainly isn’t – it’s much more than that and I adored it. As you can tell, I highly recommend it, and think it’s a superb read.
Grace resents Susannah for the way she has treated her own 2 children, and the fact she’s never been a proper mother to them. Susannah sees the opportunity to get the power back from her wealth and successful sister by giving her the one thing in the world that she wants – a baby. But as they say, you can choose your friends, not your family. What happens when the sisters start to clash again, will Susannah keep the balance of power in her favour or is Grace determined to trump her sister once and for all?
I came across Tess Stimson’s work when I first read her superb book The Cradle Snatcher last year. I loved how edgy and dark it was compared to some other chick lit out there, so when I was offered a chance to get a copy of this, I jumped at it and eagerly sat to devour it one evening. The gorgeous pink and black cover is incredibly striking and would definitely make me want to pick a copy up off the shelf, and I think it looks a little different to other covers in the genre too. As with The Cradle Snatcher, some of the themes and ideas in this book are dark but they make for extremely gripping reading, and I just couldn’t put it down once I’d started!
The story begins by introducing us to the sisters that are Grace and Susannah. I really liked Grace at first – she is successful, happily married but desperate to be a mother. I feel Stimson captures her despair at not being able to have a child perfectly, and the way this is handled in the book is really good and quite touching in parts. We aren’t told much about why the sisters are on such bad terms until quite a way into the book so its a bit of a mystery but I enjoyed this because I was eager to uncover what happened between them to make the situation so bad. Susannah on the other hand is a character I really didn’t like but warmed to her throughout the book and by the end, I really did like her character.
The way the relationship and the story between the sisters unfolds is really intriguing and I love the mysterious feel that Stimson manages to keep throughout the novel. Just when you think you have guessed what is coming next, something else suddenly pops up and has the book hurtling in a completely different direction.What I loved a lot about this book was the writing style. Stimson writes from the viewpoints of mainly Grace and Susannah, although there are a couple of other chapters narrated by others too. As well as the alternate narration, the two narrations overlap to show the scenario from both sides and this makes it so interesting because it puts such a different spin on it, and I love this about Stimson’s work.
The whole feel of the book is very dark, so don’t be fooled by its beautiful pink and black cover! It’s definitely a wolf in sheep’s clothing, there are some dark scenes in there and theme of surrogacy and adoption isn’t what you’d be led to believe, and I loved the twists and turns along the way. I also really loved how my feelings for both Grace and Susannah change so much throughout the book according to what was happening, and this is because of Stimson’s fantastic writing. By the end, I felt like I’d been on an emotional roller coaster with these characters and I think it all ended perfectly for how the book had gone.
If you enjoy your chick lit with a bit of an edge, then make sure you get a copy of What’s Yours Is Mine by Tess Stimson. I loved the characters, the story that kept hurtling in different directions and the brilliant writing of Stimson which holds the thing together with ease. I really didn’t want to stop reading whenever I picked it up because I knew if I put it down I’d be missing out on something exciting, and often I was right! The pink cover is gorgeous, but don’t think it’s going to be a girlie love story because it certainly isn’t – it’s much more than that and I adored it. As you can tell, I highly recommend it, and think it’s a superb read.
April 8, 2016
The first chapter of this book was terrific. It painted a heart-wrenching picture of a woman, Grace, who yearns for a baby and has just been told she can't have one, even with IVF.
Then I got to the second chapter. I simply didn't find her sister, Susannah, believable. She was more caricature than character. When I discovered that the third narrator was their mother, who was actually in a coma but had left her body to watch over her two daughters (!?) - I really went off the story altogether.
However I did skim and skip through the book because I was curious to see how it ended. The answer is disappointingly.
I got the feeling that Susannah was originally created to be the villain of the piece - she's a moral vacuum, she's selfish, she's a nympho, she abandoned her children - and the ending
There is a REALLY stupid sub-plot involving Grace's husband Tom having medical treatment secretly, which enables the final twist to the tale. It's too contrived and not believable.
Then I got to the second chapter. I simply didn't find her sister, Susannah, believable. She was more caricature than character. When I discovered that the third narrator was their mother, who was actually in a coma but had left her body to watch over her two daughters (!?) - I really went off the story altogether.
However I did skim and skip through the book because I was curious to see how it ended. The answer is disappointingly.
I got the feeling that Susannah was originally created to be the villain of the piece - she's a moral vacuum, she's selfish, she's a nympho, she abandoned her children - and the ending
There is a REALLY stupid sub-plot involving Grace's husband Tom having medical treatment secretly, which enables the final twist to the tale. It's too contrived and not believable.
July 11, 2012
Grace is the perfect rich sister who can't have a baby. Susannah is the gorgeous, messed up sister who has already had two sons she put into foster care. She cannot support herself. When she comes home to London after a decade drifting in the US, working as a tattoo artist, the sisters decide Susannah should have a baby for Grace. Chaos ensues when Susannah thinks she would prefer to keep the baby. This book was pretty typical, but I loved a few things about it. First, the attorney Grace consults is a crossover character from the author's prior novels (I always enjoy that). Second, I love English novels b/c the character are always lots wilder than the American chick lit characters. For instance, Susannah was totally whoring it up with her sister's BF's husband. The BF barely even cared!! The spouses lie to each other when necessary and never actually come around to telling the truth, which would only happen in an American book with a lot of soul searching. In Britain, it's more like everyone knows the husband doesn't need to know everything and no one has to talk/write about it. There was a mom in a coma skulking around like an all knowing spirit I could have done without, but she didn't show up all that often. I also loved that the good, smart sister wasn't also not that beautiful - usually when one sister is supremely successful in a novel, she has everything. It was nice that the messed up sister had beauty, even if it was totally marred by a million tattoos and piercings.
August 25, 2016
Hlavní zápletka se točí mezi dvěma sestrami - dokonalou Grace a průserářkou Susannah. Tatínkova dokonalá holčička versus maminčina nejdražší. Už z přebalu víme, že "Setkání obou sester je zprvu jako setkání dvou bytostí z rozdílných planet. Přesto se dokáží shodnout na jedné věci: Susannah se stane náhradní matkou Graceina dítěte. Odnosí a porodí je, pak novorozeně předá jeho biologickým rodičům. Zádrhel nastane ve chvíli, kdy se Susannah rozhodne, že si dítě nechá…".
Zápletka opravdu na hranici uvěřitelnosti, ale díky náhledům na situaci obou sester (plus pak ještě i pohled jejich matky, která mi nejdřív tou svou transcendentálností trochu vadila, ale co se týče děje, pak její postava dodávala na obě sestry velmi zajímavý pohled) je nesmírně zajímavé sledovat jejich pohnutky a činy. Vše je sepsáno tak, že čtete a čtete a když už si myslíte, že víte, tak přijde další zvrat někam úplně jinam. Tak se mi jednou stalo, že jsem se od knížky nemohla odtrhnout, ačkoliv hodiny ukazovaly už půl druhé v noci. Když to shrnu - velmi dobře napsané postavy a zajímavý příběh (krkolomnou zápletku pomíjím), který hltáte, i když nechcete. Z mého pohledu velmi dobré, koho neodradí chick-lit kategorie, tak směle do toho.
Zápletka opravdu na hranici uvěřitelnosti, ale díky náhledům na situaci obou sester (plus pak ještě i pohled jejich matky, která mi nejdřív tou svou transcendentálností trochu vadila, ale co se týče děje, pak její postava dodávala na obě sestry velmi zajímavý pohled) je nesmírně zajímavé sledovat jejich pohnutky a činy. Vše je sepsáno tak, že čtete a čtete a když už si myslíte, že víte, tak přijde další zvrat někam úplně jinam. Tak se mi jednou stalo, že jsem se od knížky nemohla odtrhnout, ačkoliv hodiny ukazovaly už půl druhé v noci. Když to shrnu - velmi dobře napsané postavy a zajímavý příběh (krkolomnou zápletku pomíjím), který hltáte, i když nechcete. Z mého pohledu velmi dobré, koho neodradí chick-lit kategorie, tak směle do toho.
August 9, 2011
I thoroughly enjoyed this page turner, it was a lot more in depth than the blurb would have you believe, and more involved than your average bit of chic lit.
The story (& each chapter) is told from the different perspectives of various characters, giving you a more rounded view of them. It has enough twists & turns to keep you interested.
I'll certainly be reading another of this author's books.
The story (& each chapter) is told from the different perspectives of various characters, giving you a more rounded view of them. It has enough twists & turns to keep you interested.
I'll certainly be reading another of this author's books.
July 16, 2011
Awkwardly written. Unbelievable plot.
November 18, 2022
Really enjoyed this but the timelines are all over the place. .
Early on it mentions Susannah hasn't seen Grace since she went to uni 5yrs ago. So that puts Grace at 22yrs old but later on you find out they're 34 & 37!
It also says Susannah was 19 when she had her 1st son & that he was 12 which would make her 31??
Several other timeline discrepancies too which surely her editor should have picked up on?
Apart from this I enjoyed it & looking to reading more of her books
Early on it mentions Susannah hasn't seen Grace since she went to uni 5yrs ago. So that puts Grace at 22yrs old but later on you find out they're 34 & 37!
It also says Susannah was 19 when she had her 1st son & that he was 12 which would make her 31??
Several other timeline discrepancies too which surely her editor should have picked up on?
Apart from this I enjoyed it & looking to reading more of her books
April 2, 2021
Two self-centered sisters who are hard to like. A father who apparently could care less that his daughter almost died twice (the author introduced him in the beginning of the book and then inexplicably, he was barely mentioned again?). The writing style was confusing and repetitive, and lacked any creativity. Just blah.
January 19, 2018
I found this to be an interesting and fun read! All of the characters are flawed, but that's what makes them real. The story is gripping. I'm impressed by the author's ability to weave storylines around one another. Definitely R-rated, but not in a terribly crude or unnecessary way.
February 1, 2022
A very easy read, probably would make good holiday/ beach reading as it doesn't require any thinking. I thought the story got a bit silly in the end and there was far to many sex scenes which could have been avoided.
January 5, 2018
Chaotic read. wow. 😍😍
December 27, 2018
Complicated family relationships and the obligatory misunderstandings, lies and deceits. Add a dash of the supernatural and you are good to go.
June 5, 2019
A gritty, convoluted story of surrogacy, seen from several perspectives.
August 8, 2019
Some of the most deeply unpleasant characters I've ever encountered.
November 5, 2019
See more in https://www.fahasa.com/
August 12, 2022
Loved this book!
January 3, 2023
Quick read, enjoyable
October 5, 2023
This was a good story line although I feel some things weren’t addressed that should have been.
July 13, 2024
amazing !!
Read
July 27, 2014The end of this book is so unrealistic that normally, I would be disgusted. I however, was so pleased that I was able to stick with it, I just relieved to make it to the end.
I have read other Tess Stimson books and loved them. This one just did not work for me.
I did not believe the choices the people made. I did not think the characters make choices that feel real.
For example, Susannah is so horrible, so disrespectful, she has a history of being completely irresponsible. So, even though Grace is desperate, I cannot believe the choice she makes. It just feels like a plot device and not an authentic choice.
There is so much that I was frustarted with in this book.
However, honestly, as a mother their mom's attitude and thought process toward Grace was so eggregious that it put me off. She then excuses completely inexcuasable behavior by Susannah.
I question whether Grace has grown enough to be concerned about her husband and what is happening, in his life.
There is a secret that is left, at the end of this book, that I cannot help but think would eventually ruin any HEA we, the readers are supposed to believe in.
Here's an update on my review. I will leave my original thoughts in case I want to read them again in the furture.
It's been about two weeks since I originally read this book.
After some reflection, this book has stayed with me for well over a week, I will say that while I did not care for the mother nor the children, I understand what the author was trying to demonstrate. I believe, Mallery was allowing us to see how dysfunctional a family can be when one child is openly preferred over another.
In demonstrating how destructive having favorite children can be, the author did extremely well.
I did not care for the people in this book but the book did a great job in detainling how destructive favoritism, in families, can be.
Not my favorite people, nor a reread for me but it is worth the read.
I have read other Tess Stimson books and loved them. This one just did not work for me.
I did not believe the choices the people made. I did not think the characters make choices that feel real.
For example, Susannah is so horrible, so disrespectful, she has a history of being completely irresponsible. So, even though Grace is desperate, I cannot believe the choice she makes. It just feels like a plot device and not an authentic choice.
There is so much that I was frustarted with in this book.
However, honestly, as a mother their mom's attitude and thought process toward Grace was so eggregious that it put me off. She then excuses completely inexcuasable behavior by Susannah.
I question whether Grace has grown enough to be concerned about her husband and what is happening, in his life.
There is a secret that is left, at the end of this book, that I cannot help but think would eventually ruin any HEA we, the readers are supposed to believe in.
Here's an update on my review. I will leave my original thoughts in case I want to read them again in the furture.
It's been about two weeks since I originally read this book.
After some reflection, this book has stayed with me for well over a week, I will say that while I did not care for the mother nor the children, I understand what the author was trying to demonstrate. I believe, Mallery was allowing us to see how dysfunctional a family can be when one child is openly preferred over another.
In demonstrating how destructive having favorite children can be, the author did extremely well.
I did not care for the people in this book but the book did a great job in detainling how destructive favoritism, in families, can be.
Not my favorite people, nor a reread for me but it is worth the read.
December 3, 2013
Jo, je to chick-lit. Jo, zápletka je celkem nerealistická. Ale něco mě nutilo mačkat listovací tlačítko tak rychle, jako už dlouho ne, a být fakt zvědavá: nechá si to? nenechá si to? rozejdou se? zůstanou spolu?, že prostě musím dát čtyři hvězdičky. Takhle přesně by měla být oddechová literatura napsaná: děj je plný zvratů, hlavní hrdinové ani černí, ani bílí, na všech je čtenáři něco sympatického a něco ho štve. A přiznám se, že některé scény týkající se dětí mě rozbrečely, ale to je taková moje úchylka - mě rozbrečí i animák Na vlásku. Chlapi a méně hormonálně zatížené ženy si hvězdičku uberou. Moment, ti to vlastně nejspíš nemají důvod číst... :)
November 17, 2015
Story-wise, I really can't say I liked the book.
That said, I thought the two sisters, Grace and Susannah, were amazing. I thoroughly enjoyed the brutally truthful way in which the reasoning behind their behaviour was depicted. It was like reading someone's personal diary and learning all about their darkest secrets, thoughts that no one in their right mind would dare to admit aloud.
Which probably goes to show what kind of person I am, but I find it refreshingly honest to see the realization of the basic assumption of human selfishness on full display. It made me think just how far people can go before they can no longer maintain the facade of putting someone else's needs before their own.
That said, I thought the two sisters, Grace and Susannah, were amazing. I thoroughly enjoyed the brutally truthful way in which the reasoning behind their behaviour was depicted. It was like reading someone's personal diary and learning all about their darkest secrets, thoughts that no one in their right mind would dare to admit aloud.
Which probably goes to show what kind of person I am, but I find it refreshingly honest to see the realization of the basic assumption of human selfishness on full display. It made me think just how far people can go before they can no longer maintain the facade of putting someone else's needs before their own.
September 24, 2013
Co dělat, když jste v životě dosáhla všeho na, co jste jen pomyslela, ale to, po čem toužíte nejvíce je vám odepřeno? Grace byla vždycky ta úspěšná. Výborný prospěch, úspěšné absolvování univerzity, vdala se za hodného a milého muže, má vlastní firmu, dům. A teď, když už se cítí připravená na dítě, poprvé selhala. Proč zrovna ona? Proč to nemohlo potkat její nevyvedenou sestru Susannu?
Celá recenze na Books in Ashes
Celá recenze na Books in Ashes
April 13, 2015
This book was both predictable and surprising, which is always a little unsettling. But there were enough surprises to keep me going and although I didn't completely understand why the characters acted the way they did at times – it felt realistic. All in all, it was a good read and gave me lots to think about in terms of family dynamics and the ways in which we can inadvertently and purposely hurt the ones we love.
June 15, 2015
This is a tale of two sisters. One Grace is successful, plain, happily married and desperate for a child. The other Suzanne is beautiful, a drifter, single and the mother of two abandoned sons. Each sister tells her version in her own chapter, as does their mother who is in a coma as the book opens. It's an enjoyable, light hearted read that nevertheless raises some important points about family values and parents who favourite one child over another.
March 21, 2016
Third or so novel that I read which is about surrogacy went wrong and the theme is almost the same, 2 sisters, one is perfect, one wild, surrogacy stuff came on, the second decided to keep. Always interesting to read novels with themes like this because it's about human morality and conscience. Anyway, I enjoy reading this, I like the narrator change, it gives us a glimpse to every character's point of view and reasoning. I'm thinking of reading more works from this author.
January 4, 2011
Sisters Grace and Susannah are completely different - one is as gracious as her name implies, whilst the other is a immoral wastrel - the story is a fast paced and lively account of what happens when worlds collide and the title "What's Yours is Mine " hits home like a bullet.
Easy reading chick lit -an ideal book for a cold winter's afternoon.
Easy reading chick lit -an ideal book for a cold winter's afternoon.
August 5, 2011
Fabulous, mindless beach read. I love that Tess Stimson makes almost all of her characters morally reprehensible. This makes for fun reading. None of it is really plausible, and at different points you cringe at the actions of each character, but you still read on. It is like the book version of a really bad reality show. I love it!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews