That’s why I wrote my book, Meant To Be; if I had read someone else’s story, I might not have felt so lonely and desperate. The book really hit home that not all is lost if things don’t go to plan, there are other avenues and that is the most important piece of information I have taken away from this inspiring journey to motherhood.

Excellent book for anyone thinking about adoption and asking themselves whether they are right for it. It was after I put in those days and months of being there to listen, hold and comfort that it felt real. this was a well written heart warming story, proving families come in all shapes and sizes no matter how they became to be. I understood looking at her how important the routine must be and how vital it was that she had her familiar sheets and teddies around her. Our names were to be used at all times – we were Lisa and Chris, not ‘Mummy’ and ‘Daddy’ and we knew and respected this.While the assessments were being carried out by the courts, as well as giving Billie her everyday care, we would be taking her for regular contact visits with her birth mother and monthly ‘looked-after child reviews’ with social services, not to mention being on the receiving end of home visits from social workers and district nurses. The journey Lisa and Chris, her husband at the time, take through this book is a bittersweet story of the ups and downs of trying for a baby and it not going the way others take for granted. I cried through a lot of this book, not for sadness of what was not to be but of the grief I felt at the time and wasn’t able to express.

Having experienced infertility before going on to have my own children, I felt a strong bond with Lisa and hope that others will be able to take comfort from her story. I had made dinner, we had kept her safe, we hadn’t done anything to overstimulate her and she had very happily gone to bed, and more importantly to sleep.When Lisa Faulkner learned that she wouldn't have biological children, her plans and expectations for her life were derailed.

So here I would like to recommend this book no matter if you have children or not, or if you are having trouble falling pregnant you may find some suggestions in Lisa's book Meant to Be. I hope I have shown her what it is to be in a loving relationship, and that life comes with its rips and tears, but they can be sewn up again.Over two years, my then-partner Chris and I went from trying to get pregnant naturally to having our fertility tested (everything looked normal) and going through IVF three times. I had 3 attempts but like Lisa I only have fleeting memories, I think it was all too sad and hidden away. This book is good for anyone who has been through this, or, equally, for those who haven’t, to gain an understanding of this difficult journey. But, in the months and years that followed, she discovered that there was more than one way to build a family - and that there is a lot of joy to be found in life's unexpected detours. I had to change her nappy in the middle of it and I felt like all eyes were on me as I picked up the changing bag and we headed to the loos.

An easy listen with a lot of relatable content, but lacked the depth of was looking for in the topic of adoption. It was just a bag, but I had really wanted to use it; filling it with nappies, wipes, a change of clothes, snacks and a book had brought me so much joy. A great reminder that our paths may be different to those intended, but we can still get to the destination.Chris and I stood on the other side of that door for about 20 minutes, looking at each other and listening to her gurgling into her bottle and singing to herself, hardly daring to move or make a sound for fear that we might disturb her. She was always chatting, using a language that she had made up, mixed with a few real words and sounds, always pointing to things and asking what they were. It was emotional and complicated and delicate for every single person involved and we were all just trying to do our best for this wonderful little girl. Hearst UK is the trading name of the National Magazine Company Ltd, 30 Panton Street, Leicester Square, London, SW1Y 4AJ.