⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐+⭐
The Baby by A J McDine an audiobook narrated by Tamsin Kennard was an insane, absolutely gripping, mad, incredible psychological thriller with a jaw-dropping twist! Straight to my 6-star shelf! This book grabbed me from the beginning and I knew I would need to finish in one sitting as there was no way I would be able to wait for the next day!

Tamsin Kennard’s narration of this book was incredible! She does a surprisingly fantastic job with both male and female characters and made it incredibly easy to listen to! The way she managed to change the voices and linger in between characters and accents is pure talent!

Usually when Lucy passes out after drinking too much the only thing welcoming her in the morning is a hangover... until this morning. There is a baby in her living room! And Lucy doesn't have any memory of how this happened.
Her husband, Miles, who is working on an oil rig will be home tomorrow and he doesn't like kids... Lucy is out of mind with what to do so she constantly checks the news for missing baby but there are none! She is running out of time and ideas about what to do but she must do something.

If you are in a reading slump grab this book and you will be out of it in no time!

Thank you NetGalley, Bookouture, and Bookouture Audio for this fantastic and incredible story!

Finally a book to get me out of my reading slump! Just the right amount of mystery and suspense. Main character wakes up after a blackout to discover a baby in her home. Trying to unpack the events that led to this, readers are quickly thrown into a series of cringey memories and unending questions. Definitely recommend this one!

The Baby is an entertaining mystery with a twist at the end you won’t see coming! McDine has written a story with a unique plot; it’s a fresh take on the domestic thriller. The book kept me engaged and I devoured it in a day. This one will be a hit.

ARC audiobook provided in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed Tamsin Kennard’s narration on this book! She does a surprisingly good job with both male and female characters and made it incredibly easy to listen to! The story had some predictable moments and with the main character having a drinking problem, she’s definitely an unreliable narrator. There were some parts I didn’t see coming and the story as a whole held my attention and kept me guessing. I would recommend to anyone who likes psychological thrillers and mysteries!

This is an intriguing domestic thriller that has your spidey senses going many different ways. It’s a fast paced read that holds your attention. There are many twists and turns with some I could see coming and but some that were a complete surprise which is always a plus. I honestly couldn’t stand Miles from the get go and wasn’t sure initially if I liked Lucy but that was short lived. This is a rollercoaster read that doesn’t let up with some really good surprises along the way. The narrator did a great job of building the storyline and keeping the listener engaged. A good read for sure.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review #TheBaby

From the first sentence to the last, I was immediately hooked. It’s a fast paced read with an engaging subject. There are some major trigger warnings that I will not disclose. Just use your imagination of what those TW might possibly be when you read the title “The Baby”. Your discretion is advised and you have been warned. I loved the character development, you will learn to love and hate these characters, that made the story exciting to read. It was a drama/psychological thriller that will pull out every emotion you have. I look forward to reading more novels from this author AJ McDine. I listened to the audiobook and I loved the narrator, Tamsin Kennard. Their voice was soothing and used punctuational tone fabulously. I highly suggest listening to the audiobook. Thank you NetGalley and publisher Bookouture Audio for this wonderful ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to listen to The Baby audiobook. The premise is interesting. What if you woke up one morning and the baby you dreamed of having was in your room, but you have no idea how it got there? Of course, most people would say they would go to the authorities, but would you? I enjoyed the character development, but had a hard time in the beginning with Lucy. As the book progressed, it was clear what was happening. The book had lots of twists, some easy to figure out in the middle, but I love when a book twisted at the end and I didn’t see it coming. Kudos for that in The Baby.

The Baby by A J McDine
(Narrated by Tamsin Kennard)

Imagine there’s a baby in your drawer and you can’t remember how can that be happened, because you were drunk. But you know he can’t be your baby, even you are desperate to have one…your husband doesn’t want to report to the police. Can you really trust him?

Super gripping with a great twist. The story setting just kept me hooked from the beginning, because I want to know what’s going on with the baby! It’s totally smartly written.

The secrets behind, the hidden letter and the traumatic experience just created an enjoyable thriller. The narrator presented in a perfect tone, pace and accent which I truly enjoy a lot!

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for my copy.

Pub date: April 23, 2024

Really great domestic thriller. Lucy made a great main character who is horribly gaslighted. Lots of surprises and twists in this book. I didn’t have too high expectations when I started this audiobook as I tend to skip kidnapping and missing children books because I find them to be all the same.
This one is definitely different and full of surprises.
Worth a listen. Well narrated.

I went into The Baby with really no expectations, as this was my first A.J. McDine book, but wow! I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the audiobook the entire way through. The beginning obviously grabs you right away. I mean, what would you do if you woke up to a baby in your drawer?! I found myself really enjoying Lucy Quinn in her journey of finding where this baby belongs, and also her own journey of self discovery along the way. The Baby takes you through all of the emotions from confused to devastated to happy to confused again to “good for her!” If you’re a fan of Lisa Jewell, John Marrs, or Catherine Ryan Howard, read The Baby! I will definitely be picking up more books from A.J. McDine as well!

What would you do if you woke up after a night of drinking to find a baby in your house? You can’t go to the police with no memory of how you got the baby. What if you kidnapped it?
This book was gripping, suspenseful, shocking and twisty. There were many points where I was certain there were plot holes and coincidences that could never be explained in a believable way. And yet, I was delightfully proven wrong again and again.
The main character is flawed yet lovable and relatable. Her back story is told in an interesting series of flashbacks that are not confusing to the timeline but cleverly allow the reader to slowly put the pieces of the puzzle together.
The plot moves at a good pace, even up to the last minute.

What an addictive, brilliant and absolutely suspenseful thriller! I couldn’t put this one down! This story was super fast-paced and entertaining. The suspense made for a compelling plot, and the ending gives the reader more intriguing revelations and twists that you don’t see coming. This one is for the thriller lovers out there.

The harsh light streams into the living room. On the worn rug sits an out-of-place wooden drawer and swaddled inside, with rosy cheeks and large round eyes, a baby looks up at me. A shiver runs through me. It’s all I’ve ever wanted, but this baby is not mine…. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🎧 Audiobook is available and an absolutely fabulous narration by Tamsin Kennard

🛑There are trigger warnings- fertility, alcoholism, baby loss



Thank you to Bookature, A.J. McDine and Netgally for the ARC in exchange for my review. This book is slated to be released on April 23, 2024. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

This is an excellent domestic thriller with some excellent twists! I couldn't stop listening to this and will definitely check out more by the author, I also liked the narrator which is always a bonus! I will look out for books by the author in the future and would round this up to 4.5 . Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for a chance to read and review this arc.

The Baby is a gripping (and highly bingeable) domestic thriller, with a satisfying twisty ending.

Lucy is prone to drinking heavily, and frequent blackouts. One morning she wakes to find a baby in her house, with no recollection of the night before. Desparate for a child, Lucy struggles to solve the mystery of the baby's origin.

I love a good domestic thriller, and while this is the first I have read of McDine's books, it won't be the last. It had a similar feel to Girl on the Train, with an unreliable narrator and a mystery which comes together by threads. Lucy's character development was so subtle that I was shocked to find my feelings towards her change throughout the book. I did pick the ending by about halfway throughout the book, but still thoroughly enjoyed seeing how the different events came to be.

The suspense built well - I listened to this book in a day, and I loved the fast pace. The narration was excellent - the characters were easily discriminated, felt authentic, and I was quickly immersed in the story.

Thank you Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed are my own.

Wow i was throw straight into this gripping domestic thriller. The premise you wake up can't remember the night before but there is now a baby with you.
It was a binge high quality listen. The pov and character arc pf her rediscovering the truth about her past and now it skilfully fitted into her presand future. The narration was really good and i was sad i didnt have the time to finish it on one setting. Its a true masterpiece that tugs at the heartstrings. The premise is a hook for anyone as its so many questions who is the baby how did it get there and why cant she remember..
Hooked on every word and blown away through all the twists and turns. The final reveal was out of this world. Wish there was a sequel.
Thank yoy so much netgallery and publisher and author and narrator for this highly recommended 5 star listen

Thank you, NetGalley, Bookouture, and A.J. McDine for early access to the audiobook version of The Baby!

The Baby follows Lucy, the wife of a man who spends weeks away working on an oil rig. One day while he is away, she wakes up to the baby in her home. The problem is Lucy doesn't have a baby! Lucy has no recollection of the night before. She goes back and forth about going to the police: part of her is worried about what she did during the time she can't remember, and the other half of her desires to finally live out her dream of being a mother. But her fantasy comes crashing down when Miles returns home from the rig.

I always enjoy a good domestic thriller, and The Baby did not disappoint! It was a good mix between The Girl on the Train and The Couple Next Door, but much more fast-paced! I admittedly found many of the plot twists predictable. I think only one twist actually shocked me, but the interesting storyline and fast pacing kept me engaged, so I still really enjoyed this novel. Highly recommend this novel to anyone who is a big fan of the domestic thriller genre.

Bonus point for mentioning Kurds :)

The Baby by A. J. McDine


Narration was well done by Tamsin Kennard

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for the ARC audiobook of The Baby

An addictive, fast paced psychological thriller that I enjoyed. Thought it was well written and the ending was satisfying. Lucy wakes one morning with a massive hangover and finds a baby looking up at her from a wooden drawer. Lucy and her husband Miles have no children. The less said about this the better so no spoilers are spilled.

This is my first book by this author and look forward to reading more from her. She writes dark, domestic thrillers about ordinary people in extraordinary situations.

Audiobook Title: The Baby
Author: A.J. McDine
Genre: Domestic Thriller
Format: 🎧
Audiobook Narrator: Tamsin Kennard
Publisher: Bookouture Audio
Pub Date: April 23. 2024
Star Rating: 3.5
Pages: 318

Lucy and re Miles are married with no children. . Lucy was pregnant once but a fall down the stairs resulted in a miscarriage as well as no longer being able to have children.
Lucy is lonely as Miles is an engineer and works on an oil rig which is a distance so work full time there for two weeks and then is back home. Lucy drinks too much while he is away. Years One morning Lucy wakes up from a night of heavy drinking and she finds a baby boy in her living room. She can’t remember anything. She has no idea if she committed a crime- did she steal the baby - as she has always wanted a child- or did she take the baby to protect him?

Lucy is a mess and I immediately didn’t like Miles as soon as he was introduced into the story,

This story got my attention and the reviews were fantastic.
I love a good audiobook and I like Tamsin Kennard the narrator. But. . . .I have a low tolerance for profanity- I hung in there and although the nasty language took away some of my enjoyment - the story was good! The ending was a surprise!

A.J. McDine] is new to me. So I checked her bio - She lives in Kent, UK, She is married to A.J. Willis, who is also a psychological thriller author, They have two sons, Oliver and Thomas, and three very demanding cats. She writes dark, domestic thrillers about ordinary people in extraordinary situations. When she’s not writing, playing tennis or attempting to run a 5k, she can usually be found people-watching in her favorite café.

Want to thank NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for granting me this early audio Galley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for April 23, 2024.

An infertile woman wakes up with a baby after a night out at the bar and no idea where it came from. Does she keep it, does she go to the police, what about when people start to ask? Addicting, quick read but I must say I figured out what happened rather quickly. If you don’t pick it up I can see where this could be a crazy thriller but if you do it beomes a good read waiting to watch why and how they did it unfold. I would recommed. Narrator was wash to listen to.

This has already been posted to Goodreads.

I was instantly obsessed with this one. What would you do if you found a baby stranger in your house? I loved Lucy and I felt for her.
I do not want to reveal even a single secret but I will say that I instantly did not like Miles and I love stories where I hate the husband.

I love this narrator. She is quickly becoming my favorite. She did perfectly with this one.

If you love these british thrillers give this one a listen. You will love it.