The headstrong Essie Kaur is in the process of finally getting her law degree after delaying it for a few years for her husband, Sanjay. However, she gets the shock of her life during a visit to the doctor when she discovers she is pregnant.

Pregnancy wasn’t part of the plan; she had so much she wanted to do. It was not such a pleasant thought for Essie but she decides to continue the pregnancy.

Indeed, pregnancy is a delicate time and often women are expected to make more sacrifices than men when it comes to pregnancy and raising a child while men are celebrated for doing the bare minimum. Imagine striving hard for your dreams only to find out that you are carrying a child and would have to change all your plans and delay getting your degree again for a few years.

Initially, I was wondering if there was any connection between Isabel, Anna and Essie. Later on, it is revealed that the three women are connected by a generational curse that sees their husbands stolen from them.
Told between different POVS and timelines, this story is perfect for women who have gone through pregnancy, and those who like spooky reads and fast-paced stories.

Thank you to the publishers at Poisoned Pen Press and Netgalley for this e-ARC of No Child of Mine.

#nochildofmine #NetGalley

When Essie learns she's pregnant, Essie and her husband Sanjay are in for a much bigger surprise than just their unexpected parenthood. The story spans generations and despite the gothic flavour and spookiness scattered all around, draws you in once you realize the background behind the familial curse. The book does not let us down in the creepiness factor - whispering voices, jump scares, lurking shadows, and recurring nightmares, all add to the horror element. Giraldes handles the characterization well, and deftly presents a multi-person narration quite well, and the book has good pacing. This was a lovely read. I am thankful to Giraldes, and the publishers Poisoned Pen Press, for gifting me with a copy of this book.

This book kept me hooked! Half the time I wasn't sure what was going on and I was so intrigued! But it all came to climax in the end in a very cool, amazing ending!
Family curses, a threatened marriage, a desperate mother, a bit of a supernatural element...this book was a great read!

I love a good thriller and a ghost story too? Oh yeah!
I was eager to start this one and got into it very quickly. The story flowed well, character development was good, on the whole an easy read.
However I’d like to have had more of the creep factor. More from the ghost story side. The ending was a bit anticlimactic considering the story, but overall, I’m happy to have read it.
Thank you to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for the arc.

I generally enjoy books that have ghost stories and this one originally did not disappoint. I really liked the alternating timelines and felt the character development was fantastic, specifically with Isabelle and Ana. However, the ending was too abrupt. I was looking at the page count and could not believe that the book was going to be done within 10-15 pages. This book would have easily been a four or five star if the ending would have been more drawn out; however, it felt almost wasteful to read an entire book and have it end so quickly.

Thank you to Netgalley and Poison Pen Press for the ARC for an honest review.

Thank you so much Netgalley for letting me read and review No Child of Mine by Michelle Giraldes.
I really enjoyed this book. I had a tough time putting it down. I wanted to find out what was going to happen next to Essie & Sanjay as well as Ana and Isabel. Essie's story really grabbed my attention and would not let go. And the whispers gave me the heebie jeebies!!! Eeek!! I really enjoyed Ms. Giraldes writing style, it was well written and it kept me on the edge of my seat and guessing until the end. I definitely highly recommend this one!!

Essies story definitely caught my attention early on, I was intrigued to figure out where this curse started. I find that her husband plays a huge role in adding to the thriller of this read. This was an average thriller I give it a three, it could have been more creepy as for the haunted house and more details about the characters would have been a wonderful add. I don't regret reading it I enjoyed it.

A picture-perfect family you see at the beginning of every horror film. In a new house with old wall paints and creaking attic floors, Essie and Sanjay's married life is starting from scratch. While adjusting to the new home and studying for her bar exams, Essie's becoming a mother is not a welcome celebration she did not see coming.

With a loving husband like Sanjay, such a thing would be the greatest development that could happen, but Essie fears that their generational curse would continue the crumbs that left her father in misery.

The story was split into two alternate perspectives: a new married journey with Essie and Sanjay, and the story of two women who love each other secretly through letters. I love that we get to see these tales in one book. Their love has a lot of risks and sacrifices that will make you connect with them deeper. 

The eagerness to know about that generational curse and the connections between these two timelines kept me going so fast that it was hard to put down most of the time. Although it was marketed as horror, it didn't scare me as much. But Essie's struggle with becoming a mother put fear in me as a woman. That's the real horror for me—that your life and dreams are slipping away because another little human being is inside you. 

Perfect to read if you love the books Nightbitch and The Push! This is out on September, so I feel honored to have the opportunity to read it before it's out to the world.

I received this book from Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This statement is always true. I’m not given compensation to discuss a book and I’m not told how to rate a book. I am given a book in exchange for my opinions on it, and I am truthful in all my reviews whether I loved them or not.

4.5 stars. This book starts out on the slow side. After reading the book, it ended up making sense why. As the events unfold, it continues to get creepier and creepier.

Essie and Sanjay are a happily-in-love-couple with dreams to be successful. Essie had never wanted children, but finds herself pregnant right in the middle of finishing her college degree. Sanjay dotes over Essie and her pregnancy, but things start to get strange.

Isabell and Ana are strangers from the past, however, they cross paths with Essie and Sanjay. Sanjay starts to slop away from Essie and having a complicated pregnancy, Essie is stranded by herself to try to safe the man that she once loved, not the man that he is becoming.

Murder, fear, curses, and a secret past that has been hidden for generations. Will Essie be able to save the family that has been haunted for generations or is this the end for her? The ending fell somewhat short of what I was expecting. A last chapter that glimpses into the future by 20 to 25 years would have made the book a true 5 star rating.

This book will make your skin crawl. The characters are well defined in the book. Giraldes takes her time forming and developing the characters individually. Describing each one's dreams and aspirations, she doesn't miss a beat. I felt like I was in the book, vividly imagining the scenes. Very in depth descriptions, but not overbearing.

This book I would definitely read again. Sometimes it got so intense, I found myself wanting to get to the end as quickly as possible. Overall, I would recommend this book to people who love suspense, thriller, horror and paranormal stories.

Thank you @Poisoned Pen Press and @NetGalley for the opportunity to read and rate this ARC. #NoChildOfMine

I requested this one because it might be an upcoming title I would like to review on my Youtube Channel. However, after reading the first several chapters I have determined that this book does not suit my tastes. So I decided to DNF this one.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #poisonedpenpress for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
The premise for this book had me excited! Haunted house, family curse…yes please! For most of the book, it was 4 stars, then the ending wrapped things up way to quickly and easily. The curse was great however, what was the dark? Where did it come from? I would’ve liked more about the origin of the dark. So, bottom line, I liked it, but the quick wrap up fell a little flat for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for allowing me to read this book. I was very intrigued by the book's description and was super excited when my request was approved. Which, unfortunately, makes this negative review even harder to write.

The book was slow, repetitive and anticlimactic. The main character was painful and it felt like a lot of the story could be solved if she just spoke to her husband about her concerns, especially when it told us how incredibly close they apparently are over and over again. The dual timeline with the letters was kind of interesting but the constant switching between first and third tense was off putting.
There was so much repetition, especially in the first three quarters of the book. Pregnancy sucks and you're sacrificing your career, I get it. The house makes noise and is scary, I get it. Your husband is looking and acting different, I get it. Some strong editing would have been beneficial.
The book's name, cover and blurb all build it up to be a scary horror story but it just want. The descriptions of the house and the dreams weren't scary and the husband's decent was another missed opportunity to add a scary element to the story. The ending was anticlimactic and could have been a strong, engaging scene but it was slow and meh. I was disappointed that I read the whole book for someone to just light a match and for the bad guy to be gone. Also, the book's title doesn't even make sense. It doesn't really reflect the events of the story and I'm struggling to see how it fits.
Again, thank you for allowing me to read and review this book. I hate how negative my review is but it is honest.

This book was hard to put down. I loved both stories and how they blended together. The author paints pictures so well you feel like you are there. I was so nervous for the ending but - wow! Highly recommend!

Rounded up to 3.5

This book went super quick and was very easy to follow and read; I was definitely engrossed in both Essie's story and Ana and Isabel's story, however, I did feel like the ending was rushed and the conclusion happened way too easily/quickly. The ending itself also felt a little abrupt compared to the rest of the book as a whole, but overall I did enjoy the book.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC

This was a slow burn book that I had a hard time getting into. I was very interested to read it as the premise sounded really interested.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for my ARC!

An interesting and heartfelt into the experiences of relationships and motherhood. Both mentally and physically it challenges beliefs, hopes and experiences. A haunting of a couple and a house and the past that follows them. A fascinating and challenging read, sometimes deep, emotional and scary.

I like the concept of this story but I didn't feel it had enough tension or suspense. The idea was quite clever and it wasn't a terrible read, but It just didn't have a lot of impact on me or leave me wanting to share it with others. I love a dark tale and this could have been so much more.

I found it a bit slow and got tired of reading "she hummed in reply" and "I'm fine."

I received this arc from netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

ℕ𝕆 ℂℍ𝕀𝕃𝔻 𝕆𝔽 𝕄𝕀ℕ𝔼 𝔹𝕐 ℕ𝕀ℂℍ𝔼𝕃𝕃𝔼 𝔾𝕀ℝ𝔸𝕃𝔻𝔼𝕊


🍼🍼🍼🍼
4/5

Essie is an ambitious, strong willed woman, who’s only soft spot is for her husband Sunday. Essie never saw herself as a mother, but then she finds out she’s pregnant, and her family is cursed. Essie’s fear is Sunday dying, and having to raise their baby on her own.

This book talks about depression, through the character Sunjay. I appreciate that mental is talked about, and even discussed making sure to take your medication.

This book kept me guessing, and is full of suspense.

When happily married couple Essie and Sanjay move into what they plan to turn into their dream home, life unexpectedly unravels. Essie, concentrating on finishing law school and embarking on her career, is surprised by an unplanned pregnancy. As the pregnancy becomes increasingly difficult, she finds herself on bed rest, isolated in her home and Sanjay, once her rock, has become a stranger. Added to this, Essie has been warned by her grandmother that the descendants of her family, always daughters, are cursed to lose the one they love. Her story, overlapping with those of her ancestors, is a haunting tale of both the destructive and redeeming power of love.

Recommended.

Essie and Sanjay’s life together is turned upside down when Essie unexpectedly becomes pregnant. Now there are whispers in the house, brief glimpses of shadows seen, and a long standing family curse that may just rip their little family apart.
This book was a slow burn, but not dull by any means. The character and storyline building was top notch. I feel like we really got to deep dive into the characters lives and past and really build up the sense of dread. The ending was a little underwhelming, which is the only reason I didn’t give it 4 stars. With as much build up as I got, it felt like a quick resolution, but I was content with it. It was a good mix of haunted house and a Practical Magic vibe with the family curse. All in all, I definitely enjoyed reading it and would recommend it.