This book was enjoyable from start to finish. Thanks NetGalley for allowing me to read in exchange for my honest opinion. If you enjoy domestic thrillers, you will like this one—not unlike a cozy hallmark Christmas movie (to use an out of pocket comparison) it hit all the right beats and followed the formula and was a very comfortable read.

If you liked: Daniel Hurst, Freida McFadden

I really enjoyed this book. There were lots of twists and turns that kept me interested and wanting more the whole way thru. The narrator was very good and easy to listen to keeping me engaged the whole time.

I was so enthralled by this book, from finishing the first chapter to the last chapter I could not stop reading. The twists and turns kept me guessing and the detail provided made it so easy to follow. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The characters were amazing and each played such a special role. I would highly recommend this book.

I really enjoyed this book! I am an avid reader of thrillers and when I read the synopsis for The Baby, I was so excited! A woman wakes up after a night of heavy drinking and finds a baby in her house with no idea as to where it came from or how it came to be in her house. So intriguing! I loved the first half of the story so much whilst we were piecing parts of this puzzle together along with our main character Lucy. The first few twists did get me and I found the whole book to be very fast-paced and fun to read. I will say that I guessed quite a few of the supposed plot-twists and the final twist is one that I had already guessed very early on. I also have just some little nit-picky problems with one aspect of the plot; at one point we are told that Lucy is being extremely careful to avoid using her phone so that she can't be tracked (keeping it turned off even though she needs maps) but at one point she uses her phone to check a schedule which is completely brushed over as in the next few pages she says something like oh I need to turn my phone on now even though I shouldn't... But I think the author forgot that a few pages earlier she had already used it. It also frustrated me because you can just turn location services off in settings on a phone and still use it without anyone being able to see your location. Small point and it probably won't annoy anyone else but I just thought I'd mention it. However, I still greatly enjoyed this book and would recommend to anyone who loves domestic thrillers. I would rate this book 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4/5.

I thought the narration was perfect. The narrator did really well managing to seamlessly switch between accents. Usually transitioning between multiple accents can be a bit jarring but it was done really well here. I thought the voices fit the characters perfectly, the pacing and tone was also perfect for this book in my opinion. The narration never felt monotonous and it always felt fast-paced without being rushed. I can't imagine a better narration for The Baby. I would give the narration for this book 5/5 stars.

Lucy wakes up from a drunken stupor to find a baby in her home. The Baby isn’t hers, or is it? How did the baby get there, what should she do now and what hidden secrets will she find?

I enjoyed listening to this audiobook! The narrator did a nice job portraying the different characters and adding in the inflections necessary to evoke emotion. This story pulls at your heartstrings, has plenty of mystery and a thrilling plot twist at the end. You’ll want to read this in one sitting!

Publication date April 23, 2024

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for providing an audiobook ARC of The Baby by AJ McDine for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

This book was so addicting I read it in one day. It's fast, addicting and keeps you on the edge of your seat. If you have not yet read this book. I suggest you go pick it up today. You won't be disappointed.

2.75 stars

Pros:

The narrator was quite good. Their tone was easy to listen to and they added life to the story where I might not otherwise have found any.


Cons:

I found the majority of this book to be difficult to take seriously. A person waking up to find a child not going directly to the police regardless of what might happen to them is insane to me but I suppose it is a part of the conditioning Lucy has from years of abuse from Miles.

This is a dark, depressing and relatively predictable book for me and not one I would find myself wanting to reread or remembering the title of later.

I spent all day listening to this book. It was a real rollercoaster ride. A tale of a manipulative narcissist creating his own reality and the lives he destroys along the way.
Beautiful twist at the end but not really a surprise

This audio book started out slow and I honestly wasn’t sure if I’d be able to finish it. Man am I glad I did.
While it was fairly easy to figure out how the baby arrived, the remaining twists and turns were fun to follow. Then the realization at the end, whoa, I missed that. If you like a mystery that keeps you wanting to listen,this book won’t disappoint.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

A.J. McDine's 'The Baby' is a riveting thriller that hooks you from the very first page and doesn't let go until the final twist. McDine's skillful storytelling keeps the tension high as protagonist Jamie delves into a world of secrets and danger surrounding a seemingly innocent infant. The pacing is relentless, with each chapter delivering new revelations and unexpected turns that will leave readers eagerly turning the pages. McDine's vivid prose and well-developed characters add depth and complexity to the story, keeping readers invested in Jamie's journey every step of the way. 'The Baby' is a gripping rollercoaster ride of suspense and intrigue that will leave readers breathless and eagerly awaiting McDine's next literary offering.

Really enjoyed this book! I listened to the audiobook and the narrator was really good. Nice to listen too and accents were acceptable.
The story itself was different, I haven't heard a similar one and I liked it.
I wasn't sure how it would go, I knew there'd be some twist, but I didn't guess what was coming.
Kept me interested until the end - I normally only listen when driving, but found myself listening on the sofa so see what happened next!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture Audio and A J McDine for this pre-release audiobook of THE BABY BY A J MCDINE. Narrated by Tamsin Kennard.
First of all, Tamsin Kennard did an amazing job narrating this story, brining the story to life and adding that extra bit of excitement, great work!

Lucy wakes up and realises there’s a baby in her living room, it’s not hers, is it? Her memory is very foggy over the last few days..

How does Lucy deal with this bundle of joy that’s seemingly just been delivered to her door, and how will husband Miles react? Lucy has always wanted to be a mother, but could this be too good to be true? This might be their chance to have that happy family she’s always wanted. Is there more to this, and how does Lucy cope when the pieces start to form a clearer picture.

I finished this audiobook in under 24 hours and I honestly I was so engrossed in this story, sometimes I found myself rolling my eyes at Lucy though because I was frustrated with her naivety. There were some parts where I got a bit frustrated because I was able to see where the story was going very early on and never got that ‘SHOCK’ feeling, that didn’t really take away from the overall enjoyment though.
I found this a really enjoyable listen and would recommend for a thrilling listen that entices you in from the first few sentances.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

“The Baby” by AJ McDine Audiobook: 4 stars. This was a pretty good domestic thriller! I enjoyed the narrator too. There were some great twists, a couple I saw coming but there was one in particular that left me shocked. Always love a good twist! AJ McDine is a new author to me but listening to “The Baby” makes me want to seek out more of her books. Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for an advanced copy. Best of luck on Pub day!

I'll begin by saying that, while the synopsis piqued my interest, I wasn't truly convinced by the protagonist's lack of memory for the previous night—to the point where she gaslighted herself into believing she had kidnapped the baby or that it had always been hers—when I started reading the story. This was not IT in the scheme of inpausibilities.

Though there is some extra narration towards the end of the book, most of the story is told from the perspective of Lucy, who is married to Miles and has a "slight" drinking problem. Lucy's chapters, together with the author's elaboration of the idea and explanations, were compelling. However, there were still aspects that I found difficult to relate to and some characterisation. Even so, it was a really captivating book!
A. J. McDine's other works seem worth checking out, I believe.

I really enjoyed this book! I flicked up on the twist early on, but still really enjoyed the process and how the ending tied it all up. Thank you so much for letting me listen!

Super gripping and twisty, I loved this one!

Lucy's husband, Miles, works away on the oil rigs and when he's not around, Lucy drinks a bit too much (to put it mildly), so when she wakes one morning to find a young baby in a drawer, she questions her hazy memories. How did the baby get there? Did she take him? She is about to go to the police, but realises the baby is hungry and it seems that every time she is ready to go, something else gets in the way, until she realises it's too late to go to the police station without getting herself into trouble for not having reported it straight away. When Miles comes home unexpectedly, red flags start waving madly as we peel back the layers of Lucy and Miles' marriage and their past.

The pace was steady, the writing flowed and the character development was on point.

There were some breathtaking twists and some crazy tension as the action spiralled to its explosive conclusion, with one big final twist that left me reeling! Brilliant!

Tamsin Kennard is one of my favourite narrators and once again, she did an excellent job of bringing the characters to life.

5 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, A. J. McDine and Bookouture, for an ARC in return for an honest review.

I listened to the audiobook and the narrator was perfect for the book! I was invested in this storyline within the first few pages and I basically listened to it from beginning to end nonstop! I had a bunch of theories of what was going on and I needed to know. Loved it, super fast paced and I will
definitely be reading more by this author in the future…like today! Highly recommend this one!

I couldn’t stop reading this story! I so wanted to flip to the end… which is hard with an audio book, so I didn’t.
The author had me invested into finding out where the Baby came from. The narrator did a good job.

When I tell you my jaw was on the floor by the end of this book….. I was shocked! This was such a twisted domestic thriller and I loved every second! This was an easy five star read for me!

I want to tell you everything about this book, all the ins and outs, the names of the main characters, what happened, how good the plot was, the twists and turns and how I reacted to them with an intake of breathe sometimes and the sound of my gasp saying in my mind “what! But, what,”

But I’m not.

It would spoil it for you. I want you to discover all the things I did and experience all the reactions I did.

Just go into this with the pain of wanting a baby but you cannot…..then one lands on your lap…..so to speak.

The narrator was excellent and rolled this story on very well not allowing for the reading to get bored or edgy.

My first time with this author.
Love the style.

Now I want to read her backlist.