Cover Image: No Child of Mine

No Child of Mine

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Member Reviews

Thank you Netgalley, author and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC.

Essie Kaur is a fiercely independent woman on her way to becoming a lawyer, settle down renovating her new home with the love of her life, her husband Sanjay. Her unplanned pregnancy comes as shocker since she never wanted to have children and this would be derailing all her future plans. But as they go ahead with her pregnancy, she feels conflicted with herself as she hates being pregnant but already is in love with the daughter she’s confident is going to have but isn’t confident if she will be a good mother . Her husband is over the moon and she knows he’ll be the best dad ever , he’s accommodating all her needs and doing his best in taking care of her. But Essie can see he’s having trouble, he seems to be pacing in the Attic at nights and seems distant lately. As she gets to know the curse that’s on the family for generations may actually be true and affects the love of their lives!

I went into this expecting it to be horror thriller but that wasn’t the case. This story is more like a drama with elements of mystery and some supernatural elements involved.
Alternating chapters that tells you the story of Essie in the present timeline and the other in past timeline about two friends Ana & Isabel , they both end up tying the pieces of the whole story together.
Personally I found the story of the past interesting & was wondering how it would all turn out.
The ending felt a little abrupt and many portions of the story on Essie , her pregnancy and the nightmares she kept having felt repetitive.
Overall I felt this book was not for me, while the story managed to evoke an eerie feeling and it does make you want to keep reading to know what’s happening since it’s a quick read too. But it did not have big impact story wise. For the build up I expected the ending to be better.

It’s a 2.75 / 5 ⭐️ read for me.

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This was not a bad book, but it definitely wasn’t the book for me. This was what I believe to be the definition of slow burn horror. I watched as page after page everything was being set up, but it happened so slowly and so subtly that it made it hard for me to want to continue. I think if will definitely work for those that enjoy a gradual buildup to the main story.

While it wasn’t the story for me, I am glad I read it because it taught me more about my reading preferences.

I did enjoy watching the internal debate that Essie had over her life, her pregnancy, her degree, and everything that was happening to her. I also enjoyed watching the slow degrading that Sanjay went through, though I wish it had been a little more on page.

I would’ve liked things to progress a lot faster than they did, but I can see why it was done in the way it was, and can appreciate and respect the story that was told.

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Essie has put her career on hold for her husband and now that it's her turn to finish her degree she realizes she's pregnant, something she never wanted. She moved to a new place and now she fears her family curse of raising fatherless daughters has come true again when Sanjay starts spending every night pacing the attic and becomes a shell of himself. But there's something darker in the house's history and when Essie is forced into bed rest with this difficult pregnancy, she starts hearing strange noises and seeing a woman that's not there. Is the house haunted or is it a product of her isolation?
This story is told in alternating chapters with Sanjay and Essie and letters between two friends in the past that shed light on events happening in the present. I really enjoyed the chapters from the past as Essie's chapters were a lot of misery with her pregnancy and problems with the husband. The creepy ominous vibe was there but not really the horror that I was expecting from the blurb. Overall this story was just OK for me.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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While a slow burn this book was totally worth sticking with. The ending was great! No cliff hangers here. This is my first book by this author and I will definitely read more. Paranormal of sorts, but more real life issues then the spoopy!

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I absolutely loved this book! There was a little bit of everything in it. It kept my attention and kept me wanting to read more! Essie is a perfect character that I wanted to love. She is kind and wants what’s best. But she frustrated me throughout the book. It was very repetitive. I enjoyed this book but found myself a little lost in some of Isabelle’s parts. The ending seemed quick as well. Overall a good read!

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Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Two stories intertwined make for a thought-provoking and well-written story as a whole. Truly an enjoyable and entertaining read that left me with more than I imagined going in to it.

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No Child of Mine is a dual timeline, one with Essie and Sanjay in the present and one with Anna and Isabel in the past. I listened to the audio and did like the different readers (Essie/Sanjay, Anna, and Isabel). However, it was still hard to follow until it came together in the end. I didn't realize the house was supposed to be haunted, so that could have been portrayed creepier. I did however, love the writing style, but I felt like the story was missing something.

If you enjoy slow burns, then you may enjoy this one. I on the other hand didn't feel like the ending was worth the wait, but you might like that. I might be biased as I like more suspense and more thrills than this slow burn, but still a solid book.

3/5.

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I really liked the idea of the dual timelines in this book, as it keeps you enthralled and gripped throughout. The curse and its results keeps you reading until the end. Will read more by this author in future.

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This was a very well written book. I really enjoyed the story, and the journey we took throughout the book.

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Did not enjoy this one as much as I hoped but will certainly read from this author again in the future. Loved the premise.

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<b> <br /> Rounded down to 2.5 Stars
Sanjay and Essie have been a couple since high school and throughout college. Having put her post-grad studies on hold for Sanjay, Essie is now looking forward to her turn to finish her medical degree. In another turn of bad decisions, Essie also agrees to move into an old house to please her husband. Childless and seemingly happy about it, an unexpected pregnancy occurs in tandem with creepy things happening in the home. Essie is having severe doubts about becoming a mother, filtering in and out of the progressing pregnancy, along with severe morning sickness. There are some haunted severe house vibes when Essie's husband suddenly starts spending the entire night, every night, pacing the attic. Before her eyes, he becomes a former shell of himself, and she can do nothing while on bed rest. A family curse is taking hold. The women in Essie's family only give birth to daughters, and their husbands are affected by the curse.
Ana and Isabel's story enthralled me, and I couldn't wait to get to their chapters! Not that Essie and Sanjay were dull, but there was a lot of repetition of complaining about her pregnancy, morning sickness, and ghostly occurrences. The story attempts to bring about supernatural tension with the creaks in the house and doors creaking open. Sadly, there wasn't enough suspense or horror in this book. The chapters containing the letters between Ana and Isabel, women of a century or more, paint a picture of an illicit love affair between best friend and their subsequent marriages. A deal with the devil creates havoc for all future generations.
No Child of Mine is an excellent epistolary story on one side and a modern marriage on the other, with smoky, ghostly happenings tying the two together. I enjoyed the letters between the lovers the best. Essie's relationship with her husband is unbalanced, and she never seems to accept the pregnancy she chose to continue. I kept trying to determine whether that had to do with the haunting.

The ending was abrupt and disappointing, and it's where this tale lost me the most. Without giving away spoilers, it seemed far too simple of a solution for the book's depth. There is macabre imagery, but in dreams only, and the dreams felt very repetitive. I'm unsure about the purpose of the repetitive dreams and extending that narrative for so long in the book. I don't think it helped the story's pacing, but it bogged it down. There is a sense of isolation and madness, but not all for the protagonist, and the isolation doesn't drive the Gothic feel in the story. I'm left wondering how to categorize the story. Things between Sanjay and Essie were unclear, and then new information was revealed at the end, which spurred Essie to stand up and make things happen for her family in a way she was unwilling or unable to. I found it hard to connect to the main characters. The only thing I found enjoyable were the chapters with Ana and Isabel's letters.

I want to thank NetGalley and the publishers Poisoned Pen Press for the ADC in exchange for an honest review.

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An interesting read but I would not think of it as a horror novel. It was a little creepy at times but I feel that it was more about Essie and her pregnancy. What she was thinking and her feelings.
Many thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

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Two stories entwined into one; this book was spooky and I loved it. Curses, a haunted house, etc... so many elements rolled into one to make this novel hard to put down. I can't wait to read more by this author.

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I mostly skimmed through this novel at a faster pace than normal. It did give me spooky sensations and some anxiety reading it. I typically lean toward more sunshiney happy stories, so this challenged me somewhat. The FMC is pregnant which also added to the angst.

Story is told in dual timelines and was a little repetitive at times. Author did a good job representing hardship and grief.

I received an advanced copy for free and am leaving a review voluntarily.

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It took me a little while to get into this one, but I did enjoy the story once it picked up. Very atmospheric, and the author does a good job of really highlighting the anxiety that so many pregnant people have, but then turns those anxieties into your worst nightmare! Quick read once it picks up.

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The author masterfully conjures a chilling atmosphere, weaving the anxieties of pregnancy with the oppressive weight of the family curse. The whispers in the dark, the secrets hidden within the walls, and the ever-present feeling of dread keep the reader on the edge of their seat.

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Told in dual timelines, the current day follows Essie and her husband Sanjay, while several generations earlier, we delve into the love story of Ana and Isabelle – two women entangled in a forbidden romance during a time when such relationships were deemed impossible.

A cursed legacy, born out of love and selfishness, has been robbing daughters of their fathers for generations in Essie's family. Despite my expectation for spookiness in Essie's new house, it mostly amounted to whispers and sporadic object displacement. The anticipation for the Horror/Creepy element to unfold with the curse gripping the family never materialized. The ending, addressing a curse that spanned countless generations, felt rushed and too easily resolved.

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A really great read with thrilling twists and turns. I never knew what to expect and it kept me Interested until the very end.

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This was a very slow burn with little appeal to me. More about the unplanned pregnancy than anything. Not what I was expecting going in, based off the description.

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A boring slow burn of a book, about even MORE boring and dumb characters that you could care less about. I don't get what the hype and reasoning behind this book. Sooooooo drawn out, and there was nothing, and I mean NOTHING that even happens in this stupid read. The cover with the creepy (a bad homage to 'Rosemary's Baby') looking carriage makes you 'WANT' to think that it is going to be creepy.......not a thing creepy about this.
Cannot and would NOT recommend this to anyone. Don't waste the 6 and half hours on it like I did listening to it.
1 'So what's!

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