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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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!

Please note that I received this book via NetGalley. This did not affect my rating or review.

All in all, I enjoyed this. This was a very strong 3.5 haunted horror book that I rounded up to 4 stars. I thought the character of Essie was great. And I loved the backstory we get on Isabella. The writing and pace was solid too. The main reason why I did not give this 5 stars is that I wanted the “darkness” to be darker and have a better explanation of what it was and where it came from. That said, the heart of this book is Essie and Sanjay’s love story and it was wonderful.

"No Child of Mine" follows law student Essie Kaur. Essie has followed her husband Sanjay so that he could fulfill his dreams of being an architect. Now it's her turn. When they buy the house of their dreams though, things start to go wrong. Smells that only Essie can smell. Sounds and voices of people that can't be there. And when Essie finds herself pregnant, she realizes a family curse she has always made fun of, may not be fake after all. The book shifts from the present with Essie and then to the past following a young woman named Isabel who is devastated after her best friend marries and moves away.

I liked Essie a lot. Here's a woman that knew her own mind and what she wanted. I loved that Giraldes had her as ambivalent as having a baby since she realized that her life was going to change and it was not going to be what she wanted it to be. Essie and Sanjay work a lot too. I think that Giraldes was smart enough to give us enough of their teen and now adult love story that you end up rooting for the couple throughout the book.

Just wrapped up "No Child of Mine," and I'm sitting on the fence with this one. It's a complex tale of Essie Kaur's unexpected journey into motherhood, with a spooky family curse thrown into the mix. On the upside, the author does a solid job depicting Essie's transformation from an ambitious woman to a soon-to-be mom. The rawness of pregnancy and the unraveling of her plans are relatable. The cursed family history adds a layer of intrigue, and the house taking on a character role is a neat touch.

However, the pacing felt a bit uneven, with moments of gripping suspense but occasional lulls that left me wanting more. Some characters lacked depth, and I found myself wishing for a deeper exploration of their motives. The atmosphere is thick with mystery, but at times, it felt like the suspense didn't quite reach its full potential. The ominous presence hinted at taking everything away, but the impact wasn't as powerful as I expected.

In the end, "No Child of Mine" is a decent read, especially if you're into family curses and supernatural twists. It didn't blow me away, but it held my interest.

No Child of Mine is a haunting and spooky ghost story about what we will do for those that we love and how far you are willing to go.

Wow! What a story! This was a unique plot. I didn't see anything coming and was on the edge of my seat the entire time. I highly recommend this book.

Unfortunately I DNFed this one about 25% in. I was expecting much more spookiness, etc and this just didn't do it for me. Seemed like this was more about having an unplanned pregnancy and parenting complications which just wasn't my bag.

Thank you very much for the review copy!

I really wanted to get to this one, as it seemed interesting. This was requested when I first found out about NetGalley and I had requested so many ARCs that I could not get to all of them before they were archived. If I can find this somewhere for a reasonable price, I will try to get it!

I couldn't put this book down! I loved the idea of comparing a pregnancy to a haunting. The descriptions of the changes pregnancy causes to the body and how you feel like your body doesn't belong to you anymore were spot on, and the detailed descriptions made it feel gory and scary. I also loved the mystery surrounding the visions and dreams Essie is having and the chapters from her ancestor. They really added to the story and everything tied together well at the end. If you like feminist horror, this book is for you! An amazing debut!

Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

This was such a unique storyline and I loved the dual POV. I loved that the book went back in time to help the reader understand the present and how it relates to the current time. This book definitely kept me engaged; however, there were some parts where it was a little slower and I was waiting for it to pick back up a bit. Additionally, I think in my mind based on the cover I was expecting more suspense or thrilling read but it did seem to lack with that at times. But again, the storyline was unique and I was invested in the book and wanted to know what was going to happen! Overall, definitely one that I would recommend!

"She was not exhausted from the work of multiplying cells. That work could be done by a mouse or someone in a coma." I'm still not sure how I feel about this horror novel where one of the biggest horrors is just being pregnant. Essie's birth control fails and although she almost immediately decides to keep the pregnancy, she sees it as an inconvenience that will derail her law school graduation. There's also a curse that causes the women in her family line to lose their husbands shortly after giving birth, but she's not as concerned about that. The plot alternates between Essie's daily life and two women in a previous era. It gets seriously creepy and I was holding my breath for the last few chapters, but I spent the first three quarters of the book feeling extremely critical of the protagonist.

This book is told in both past and present and there are different storylines occurring that revolve around different characters.

The main characters Essie and Sanjay seem to have it all. Then. when Essie becomes pregnant, she's upset with her mixed emotions. Meanwhile, Sanjay is unaffected and happy about the pregnancy because it won't affect his ability to maintain a career. It would be so easy for Essie to become bitter.

There is a lot to unpack with Essie and Sanjay's relationship. Then when you throw in the other couples that Essie had met in the airport, It's already enough to trigger some tears but yet it's only beginning.

The storyline is creative and creepy.

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: I also chose to review the audiobook and found the narration to be fine. It wasn't anything spectacular. It wasn't bad but it also wasn't phenomenal. 4 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for both early copies of the audiobook and ebook. I chose to review them both and the opinions contained within are my own.

Loved this book! So much so I purchased a hard copy. Great story, kept me guessing until the end! I will definitely reach more on this authors books!

No Child Of Mine
Written By Nichelle Giraldes
Published By Poisoned Pen Press in ding out they are expecting and then
Release Date. September 12, 2023

Essie and Sanjay have had a lot going on lately. Buying a house, finding out they are expecting a baby, and now remodeling their home to where they can feel as though it is their dream home.

Sanjay has settled into his job and Essie is in Law school where she finds out that she is unexpectedly pregnant, which she never thought she wanted to be. However, Sanjay now starts spending time away from her. Spending time in the attic pacing, it seems Essie is going through this alone… but is she? Essie is put on bed rest and she starts seeing a woman but in reality she wonders if she is losing her mind. Their lives are then thrown into what we learn is a curse that has haunted Essie’s family forever.
The book has a parallel narrative where you meet Anna and Isabel. Where it adds the necessary depth and suspenseful mystery to the story. The author does an amazing job of thrusting the reader b3tween two different timeframes and keeping the reader completely perplexed and unaware of what will happen next. I felt as though both stories blended well and kept me engaged and entertained from page one.
The build up of the story as well as the characters was perfect but the ending just did not really do it for me. I was hoping for something more explosive but it just did not do it for me. The book overall is a 4 star book for me as the rest was awesome.

4 stars

Thank you to NetGalley as well as the author and publisher for giving me an eArc to read and in return give my honest and unbiased review.

Sadly, I didn't love this one. For something listed as 'horror', nothing truly horrific happened. I actually kind of feel like nothing happened in the entire book. I get there was supposed to be this slow building of dread, but I didn't even feel that. It just felt like a book about a pregnant lady who was extremely unhappy about being pregnant and a curse that wasn't very curse-like. I wanted more curse and less angry pregnant lady.