No Child of Mine is an entertaining psychological and supernatural thriller. Sanjay and Essie have been a couple since high school and throughout college. Essie having put her post grad studies on hold for Jay, is now looking forward to her turn at finishing 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. Serious doubts about becoming a mother filter in and out of the progressing pregnancy along with severe morning sickness. Jay, also seems to be having issues of his own and mysteriously hides away in the upstairs office. A family curse is taking hold.
Chapters that contain letters between two women of a century or more before paint a picture of an illicit love affair between friends and their subsequent marriages. A deal with the devil creates havoc for all future generations.
A good 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 figure out if that had to do with the haunting or not.

The ending is where this tale lost me the most. Things between Jay and Essie were unclear then new info was revealed at the end which spurred Essie on to stand up and make things happen for her family in a way she was unwilling or unable to before. Still and all, and enjoyable read.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press for access to an early e-copy via Netgalley.

This one was bit topsy tirby for my liking. I wanted to like it very much but I found the story strange and disorganised. The cover art doesn’t really make sense to the novel. The book is based around a woman who gave up her career so that her husband could progress and move up in the world and then when it was her turn she feel pregnant. Essie and Sanjay had never thought about having children and this threw a spanner in the works for both of them. Sanjay seems to really want one and Essie just didn’t seem to have a maternal feeling to her (I guess that’s the point in this case) to add to all this there was a random family curse from like years ago that for me didn’t add much to the storyline. I guess I just had different thoughts when I read the synopsis.

However I am glad that at the end of the book both Essie and Sanjay came back together after all the trials and tribulations that happened in the book and it was a somewhat happy ending. I guess the shock of finding out Essie was pregnant would have been a lot to digest and it was so unexpected. I would praise the book in that light cause it just shows the progression of maybe not being able to juggle so much as pregnancy goes on and that sometimes evaluation needs happen for a positive outcome ( I can not relate as I don’t have kids) I can only imagine the struggles that happen.

review will be posted on publication day

After reading the first few chapters of this book, I realized that the story is not for me, unfortunately.

Creepy house,hearing voices.
Essie is in a family curse.
Story was a little slow. She's a lawstudent whose pregnant who adores Sanjay

I enjoyed this book, but I didn’t love it. However, Nichelle Giraldes spins a fascinating tale of hardships, love, grief, and what it can really be like to grow another human being within yourself.

Essie comes from a long line of women. These women have daughters that must succumb to an everlasting family curse- the love of their lives must die.

Essie is hugely independent and stubborn when it comes to how she has planned out her days. She will become a lawyer and be successful in her career. She had to wait while her husband, Sanjay, took steps toward an architecture degree first. So when she learns of her unplanned pregnancy while finally able to step her feet into a classroom, it does not come lighthearted. She’s far behind and feels that she deserves to focus on herself. Her entire life will change and she isn’t sure if she wants that. But in the end, she loves the life she is creating. When she must endure a terrible pregnancy full of pain and isolation, she becomes cognizant of forces that can irrevocably transform her life into one without love. Without Sanjay.

This novel is marketed as horror. I don’t necessarily agree with that notion. There were creepy moments sure, but nothing that would keep me up at night. I want gore. I want jump scares. I wanted more!

Every other chapter was also a blast to the past. At first, I really didn’t like it. Another book with the plot surrounded by something that happened ages ago. I’m kind of over that trope, so it didn’t settle well with me. In the end, it makes sense, but still…

Overall, I gave it 3 stars. It was quick and entertaining, but I don’t believe I’ll find myself thinking about it again. A huge plus was that it did have a different feel and type of plot line that was unique and I honestly found it refreshing!

Trigger warning- If you have strong feelings about pregnancy and motherhood, you might want to skip this one!

A great thank you goes out to Nichelle Giraldes, Poisoned Pen Press, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

*ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. *

First of all I want to say thank you to Netgalley and the publisher,  Poisoned Press Pen to give me the opportunity to read this book. This was an okay read for me. I was fist confused with the dual timelines but after awhile I started to enjoy it. 

I missed the suspense and the haunting in this story. I have expected a lot more. I felt like the haunting house aspect in this was on the back burner. With the dual timeline aspects I always wonder why we were reading the story of Anna and Isabel and what where the connection with them to Essie. You would only find out the answer later in the book. 

Now this book is about Essie Kaur who is a very headstrong women that is studying to become a lawyer. She has been delaying it for a few years for her husband, Sanjay. However she will have to delay that dream once more when she found out she was pregnant. At first she was not happy about this because she never wanted kids - she did decide to keep the baby. 

In this book we have read all the sacrifices she has to make for the pregnancy. All the changes she feels her body has to go through. The men don't go through such changes when they find out there wife is pregnant. 

This book was an interesting read and was written well enough. I just needed more suspense. The ending though was quite abrupt for me. Especially when it came to this family curse. The foundations are there to develop this writing style and I would read more books from this author.

No Child Of Mine by Nichelle Giraldes is an intensely compelling book that grips you from start to finish. It is a riveting story that delves deep into the lives of its characters, exploring their deepest fears, struggles, and desires.

The protagonist, Essie Kaur, is a fiercely independent woman who is forced to confront her deepest fears when she finds out she's pregnant. The story takes a dark turn when she discovers that her family has been cursed for generations, leaving a string of fatherless daughters in its wake. As Essie's pregnancy progresses, she is forced to grapple with the reality of her situation and to face the terrifying truth that her family's curse might destroy everything she holds dear.

Giraldes writes with a raw honesty that makes the characters come alive. She delves deep into their thoughts, feelings, and motivations, exploring the complex relationships that exist between them. No Child Of Mine is an emotionally charged story that will have you on the edge of your seat from start to finish.

The book's themes of family, love, and sacrifice are embodied in Essie's struggles and the choices she makes. This is a story that will resonate with readers who have faced similar challenges, and it offers a powerful message of hope and resilience.

In conclusion, No Child Of Mine is a profound and thought-provoking book that will leave a lasting impression on its readers. It is a must-read for anyone who enjoys complex, character-driven stories that explore the intricacies of the human experience. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a gripping and emotionally charged read.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this book ahead of time in exchange for a review. It didn't disappoint! Must read!!

2.5 stars

No Child of Mine is a book I really wanted to love. The cover gave off a creepy vibe, and the idea of a haunted house storyline was a definite plus. Unfortunately, this book just didn't work for me.

Please take my thoughts with a grain of salt, as there are many that loved it. But for me, the pacing was painfully slow and dragged on for far too long. It became so repetitive that I actually started feeling nauseous as I read about Essie's never-ending morning sickness throughout her entire pregnancy.

The story is told from Essie's perspective and I couldn't help but wish that I could have heard from Sanjay as well. It would have been a nice change of pace and given me a glimpse into his thought and feelings. The book is divided into two timelines, one in the present and one in the past. However, I found the chapters in the past to be too short, making it difficult to connect with the two women and truly understand their emotions. It just didn't feel authentic to me.

No Child of Mine follows the journey of a couple as they embark on the next chapter of their lives in a new house, with a baby on the way. As I mentioned before, the pacing was slow, repetitive, and lacked any suspense or tension to create a truly horrifying atmosphere. I was left feeling disappointed.

But like I said, many are loving this book story.

No Child of Mine releases on September 12 and my thanks to Poisoned Pen Press for an advanced copy in exchange for a honest review.

Thank you Nichelle Giraldes, Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC e-book. This book sets around a wife and husband and weaves in a storyline that sets us up to dislike the wife from the beginning. Throw in that she does not want to have children yet suddenly finds herself pregnant and here begins the story. As her pregnancy progresses and her body and life changes she finds her husband pacing the attic at night changing into a complete stranger before her eyes. Suddenly the house wraps her family up in an inevitable curse that has plagued her family for generations and she must figure how to finally fight off the destruction for those she loves. This book read a little slow paced and if we were supposed to hate the wife from the first chapter... mission accomplished. I think that may have played into show her devotion to only her husband but honestly she treated him not that great too so I'm questioning that.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5, rounded to 4 for Netgalley and Goodreads.

Release date: September 12, 2023

Becoming a mother was never part of Essie Kaur’s plan. She’s graduating law school in the spring, taking the bar in July, and then vacationing with her husband wherever they want. But when she finds out she is in fact pregnant and is eventually put on bed rest, she finds herself entangled in a family curse that’s haunted them for generations.

I enjoyed this, it was an incredibly fast read (I finished in just just a couple hours). I liked how driven and fierce Essie is. The main reason I didn’t give it a full 4 stars is that based on the summary I honestly expected it to be more spooky. While there are scenes in it that definitely have that ghostly spooky vibe, they feel sprinkled throughout whereas I was expecting it to be much more consisten throughout the story. Otherwise, it was an interesting and enjoyable read!

I started reading this a few months ago and took a break because I couldn’t get into it. I decided to finish it up this week and it was still just very underwhelming for me. I feel like pieces of the story were very well written but it could have been executed so much better, it was just really really slow.

Essie Kaur never imagined being a mother. Then she finds out she's pregnant soon after moving into a new house. The house is old and creepy at times. Strange things begin to happen. Even her husband is acting different. Then there are rumors of a family curse.

No Child Of Mine is mostly an atmospheric psychological thriller. There are some creepy elements as well. Chapters alternate with letters written between two women in an undisclosed time in the past. Do they have anything to do with what's going on in the present?

I found this to be a slow read and I wish the spooky elements bad been more of a focus. The letters from the past were well written but the connection to the present wasn't strong enough for me.

This has some interesting ideas but they didn't quite come together in the way I was expecting. Read this if you like stories about motherhood and expectations of women.

More than a ghost story. Also a social commentary on women's labour, queer women, and motherhood. Enjoyed!
#poisonedpenpress
#sourcebooks
#womensfiction
#queerfiction
#lovestory
#ghoststory

Essie is a law student who after putting her career on hold to support her husband Sanjay's career has decided it's finally her turn for success, and she's good at it. But then she gets pregnant, something she never really wanted. Her mother and grandmother have always talked about a family curse that takes away the men in their lives right after their daughters are born. Essie has never believed in it, but then Sanjay starts acting really skittish and odd.

There's also 2 other POV characters, Ana and Isabel, with their stories told through letters to each other. Isabelle and Ana are in love, but are both each married to separate people. Ana is in a troubled marriage and Isabel wants nothing more than to save her, but Isabel is pregnant.

This had so much potential but this was more than just a slow burn.. it was just SLOW. Almost nothing happens in the entire story! Hard to really call it a thriller, or even horror for that matter. What this really is, is a deconstruction of motherhood. That's ok, but call it what it is.

Thank you netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for giving me an advanced review copy in exchange for an honest review.

I loved how this book had two different timelines that seems to overlap and blend together. It was beautifully written and a quick read. Getting down to the mystery of where the curse began in this story is what kept me reading. This book definitely also had me a bit creeped out at certain parts. A truly lovely read.

Main character Essie is happy with the way her life is going. Married to the love of her life, moving into a new home, finally finishing law school. She soon finds out she’s pregnant, which is not part of the plan. Essie never wanted children. And her pregnancy is more difficult than she ever imagined. She’s slowly becoming someone she doesn’t recognize. And so is her husband. She starts spending a lot of time alone on bed rest after a scare at the hospital and that’s when the whispers start. Essies family has been plagued by a curse for generations. Will they fall victim to the same fate? Or will Essie find a way to break the curse and keep her family whole?

Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC in return for my review.

This was an extremely slow descent into paranoia and depression, with the barest hints of the supernatural sprinkled throughout until the very end. The ending barreled through like a freight train, providing a neat, if trite, solution to the mystery. Essie's change of heart from ambitious law student with no desire to be a parent to sudden baby love is a bit unrealistic and jarring, I think I would have enjoyed more development through a complex range of emotions. This could easily and satisfactorily taken the place of some of the constant whining. While I enjoyed the back-story of Isabel and Ana, I would have loved to see more supernatural happenings and an increase in tension throughout. As it stands the entire story could be explained by stress over the pregnancy and increasingly deepened depression.

This book was just ok for me. I liked it, but I couldnt feel the suspense. It ended way too quickly for my liking.

This was a really fun and fast paced read. I really enjoyed the split POV chapters. I kept telling myself just one more chapter but they kept ending in ways that made it so I couldn't put the book down. I found myself looking forward to diving back into the book throughout the day. And that's the best when reading! I can't wait to read more by Nichelle Giraldes. I would definitely recommend this book.


Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for allowing me to read this ARC in advance for my honest opinion.