Jake and Marisa rent a room to Kate in order to make ends meet in their new house. Marisa and Jake have been trying very hard to get pregnant and that process isn’t helped by Kate’s intrusion into their relationship. That’s part one of the book - then comes the Big Twist, which did surprise me.

The book veered back and forth between Marisa feeling insecure and put upon and Kate feeling insecure and put upon. Jake just tried to please everyone (but especially his domineering mother) and did what he was told to do by the women in the book. This is not a thriller and not suspenseful but I did want to know how it turned out so I kept reading. The ending was actually a little wimpy. This is the second book I’ve read by this author and I thought that were both just OK.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

3.5 Stars raised to 4.

Different story line than I expected. Solid writing drew me in, twisted characters kept me reading. So much I could say, but it would give too much away. I started feeling one way about some of the characters, then there was a switch. All I can say is that the ‘Mother’ calling her 40 year old son by a nickname throughout the book was cringeworthy, but added to the story. Did I want to smack all the characters at one point or another, absolutely! Ending was tied up a little too neatly for me. Would recommend as a summer read..on the deck or poolside with your favorite beverage, but you just may end up reading not the evening.

Thanks to Ms. Day, Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone.

This book was like reading two different books, and for the most part-it worked well. Without providing any spoilers, I thought I had settled into a good, easy quick domestic read, when the twist occurred. I didn't see it coming and was pleased for the shift. It made the rest of the book fly. The topic and subject of infertility were new to my personal experience so I cannot speak to whether the author over/under delivered on the theme. At times there are a few characters that seem a little too stereotype, but overall-a good read.

Magpie is a reminder that not everything is as it seems – and we should never take what we have for granted. Written by Elizabeth Day, this thriller was an exciting read with a few twists.

Marisa and Jake give off that classic appearance of being the perfect couple. With the ideal house and now the ideal lodger. But we all know how it goes – behind closed doors, they are very different people.

Just a little bit of strife is all it takes to rip off the veneer of any relationship, especially one founded on appearances. A lesson that Marisa and Jake are about to learn the hard way.

'One for sorrow, two for joy ..'

Magpie is one of those thrillers that is difficult to describe. It feels like any attempt I make will venture too close to spoilers for my liking. So, forgive me if this review ends up being on the shorter side.

You've got to pick up Magpie for those looking for a thriller with a genuinely shocking twist. It literally had me gasping – and that is all I will say on that matter. Okay, almost all – you don't want to miss it!

Part of the reason this book works so well is that the multiple perspectives help to obfuscate the truth. I adore it when that happens. Likewise, Magpie weaves in subjects such as motherhood, marital issues, and much more. It makes for a complex read worth checking out.

Marisa has finally found the perfect man. They haven’t been dating long, but they’re moving in together and trying for a baby. Then Jake tells Marisa they could use some more income, so he has an acquaintance move into their house to be a lodger in a spare room.

It goes fine for a while, but then Marisa notices Kate is just taking over her personal space. She follows her to a prenatal yoga class, she cooks Jake his favorite meal, she leaves her things around. And then Kate seems totally obsessed with Marisa’s pregnancy. Who does she think she is? She is just a lodger. It’s creepy.

Marisa then decides she has to get to the bottom of what’s going on with Kate. But it could cost her.

Magpie starts off as a thriller and then mostly abruptly morphs into a family drama. It feels a bit like two novels pieced together. It makes sense when you read it, but it’s a little jarring when it shifts. It’s more about the heartache of infertility, what lengths some people choose to go to to have a child, and how much it can strain a relationship.

I thought it was well-written particularly with that insight into how difficult and draining it is to go through infertility, so I would recommend it as a window into one couple’s experience. If you’re expecting the whole book to be a thriller, however, you’ll be disappointed.

This book is a thriller about a couple, Marisa & Jake that are looking to try and have a baby. They allow a roommate to move in to help out financially. We are given to pov’s in the book. Lots of infertility treatment in this plot, so trigger warnings. I felt it was talked about way too much, bogged down the reading experience for me.
The author writes well, but this book just wasn’t for me, I’m so over the evil mother in law storyline. It took me awhile to get through this book, which makes me feel bad because I know the author puts their soul into their work. It is well written but all the infertility talk and evil mil just was not for me. But it could be for you, some people love this trope.
I was given an arc in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley, thank you.

This book unfortunately was not for me. I struggled getting into the book and ended up not finishing it. I am hoping to come back to this title in the future.

Magpie Review!

Thank you Simon & Schuster and Netgalley for this gifted copy of Magpie, in exchange for an honest review! Magpie is out now!

I thought this one sounded very interesting after reading the synopsis. I’ve heard a lot of surrogate horror stories in really life and this one seemed like it could be an great read. Magpie was a 4.25/5 ⭐️ for me! This book had one of the greatest twists I’ve ever read. It was crazy, my mouth literally dropped open reading it. The twist was in the middle and I wish there would have been more at the end, but it turned out to be a pretty average thriller after that! But really though, I can almost guarantee you will not figure out the twist! 😳

Synopsis: Marisa and Jake are down on cash and trying to have a baby isn’t going to help with that. To take in some extra income, they decide to take in a lodger who will pay rent. Their new renter seems to have an unhealthy interest in Marisa or is she just being paranoid?

Thank you to Simon & Shuster for sending me an advance copy of Magpie.

Marisa’s life is coming together nicely. Sure it’s fast, but she has a lovely boyfriend, he’s recently asked her to come live in his lovely house, and despite a slight drop in income, they are prepared to start trying to have a baby. The solution to their change in money is simple – a lodger named Kate is going to come live with them for awhile. Kate immediately makes herself at home and Marisa thinks it’s strange, but she has bigger problems. Getting pregnant takes some time and it’s too stressful to focus on anything else. Things like Kate making Jake ‘his favorite dinner’ or leaving her shoes in the hall by the door. The last straw for Marisa is Kate being seemingly obsessed with Marisa’s fertility and pregnancy. As Marisa starts looking into Kate she is alarmed at how little she knows anyone in her life, including herself.

This is one of those books that is really tricky to review. I don’t want to give anything away and going in with minimal info really makes for the best reading experience I think.

This book was enjoyable and even though the subject matter does not lend itself to being described as ‘quick-paced’ it was a very quick read, cleverly written to keep me wanting to read on.

I really liked Marisa. She was easy to root for, easy to believe, I was immediately on her side and continued to stay there. Kate did not rub the wrong way, but she was written in a way that I can totally understand other readers not liking her. She was abrasive and commanding, though nice. As for Jake, I neither liked or disliked him. He had traits that I enjoyed, but I felt overall he came across immature and secretive.

The twist was good, it was not something I anticipated…and while I say time and time again that I rarely guess a twist, I really don’t know how anyone could’ve guessed this one, it was that unexpected to me.

This one just didn't really do it for me. There were some weird vibes in it and why did all the women have to be made out to be crazy?

This one just missed the mark for me.

oh…so we’re still using mental illness as a ‘reveal’ in 2022? this was a pretty entertaining read but that just doesn’t sit right with me, please come up with something else!

Magpie by Elizabeth Day is an unusual book. It is a psychological thriller that isn’t what you expect. The characters, for the most part, are not very appealing and the unreliable narrator will take the reader down several rabbit holes before the entire plot is revealed.

The writing is very well-done and the plot is creative and clever. But, overall I found that the story seemed to drag at times and the ending was a bit too neat and tidy to be satisfying. I enjoyed parts of the book but it’s not a book that I truly liked from beginning to end.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.

Marissa has met the man of her dreams and is pregnant with their first child. Their idyllic life is disrupted when a lodger moves in, but is everything as it seems?

After the initial twist, I waited for another switcharoo. It left me on edge and nervous, but the resulting story was unexpected. 3.5 stars because while I was very interested in it, the ending seemed a little rushed.

This was so cleverly written and presented to the reader, and just proves that old adage - Always remember that there are three sides to every story - my side, your side, and somewhere in between is the truth. What you think you know is only your perception of the truth because of the way the facts are presented to you...so be very careful what you believe with this one. I really really really love when a thriller can surprise me, and this one left me uttering a lot of "Oh Wow"s.

I enjoyed the book, but didn’t love it. There are twists and turns to keep you intrigued, but not enough to make me want to shut out the world.

I literally couldn’t put this book down from the moment I picked it up. Marissa and Jake take on a lodger to help with rent while they work though adding onto their family everything seems great at first. But are things as they seem? I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This was a good read containing many twists and turns. Jake and Marissa are married and upon numerous failed attempts to start a family, hire a surrogate, Kate. Kate moves in with them. Kate is very different from them and they try to find out who she really is. Add to this Jake's parents, Steven and Annabelle. A great read.

Magpie by Elizabeth Day is a unique suspenseful and psychological novel. Marisa and Jake meet and quickly fall into a loving relationship. They move in together and everything is going well until Jake runs into some financial challenges and they bring on a new lodger, Kate, to help cover the cost of the rent. At first things with Kate are fine but as time goes on she starts to get more and more familiar and the boundaries begin to feel blurred. This would be tricky enough for the two of them, but they are also trying to conceive, and it seems like Kate may be getting in their way...

I really enjoyed the first half of this book - it had me hooked and I was furiously turning the pages to find out what was going on. There is a twist half way that hits you hard and made me excited to keep reading to find out what was next. While the story continued to crescendo I felt like the payoff was less satisfying and ultimately wrapped up too neatly and predictably.

Overall, I did enjoy this read and it was an easy and enjoyable one - perfect for vacation or if you want something to take your mind off of things.

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC - Magpie is out now!

This was such a twisty domestic thriller! It started off one way and totally flipped my mind when things went in a completely different direction than I was expecting. The book opens with one couple, Marisa and Jake, trying to have a baby but needing a little extra money to get by. Jake decides to bring in a lodger, Kate, and suddenly Marisa's life gets turned upside down. When Kate starts inserting herself more and more into their lives Marisa starts digging trying to figure out who this woman is and what she finds out will leave you reeling. Perfect for fans of Gone girl. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my advance review copy!

CW: infertility, surrogacy

"one for sorrow, two for joy, three for a girl, and four for a boy."

Marissa and Jake are the perfect couple, they only thing they are missing a baby. To earn some extra money to prepare to become a larger family, Jake and Marissa get a lodger, Kate, to move in and help with some expenses. Jake is convinced this will help cover the cost to expand their family so Marissa agrees. But once she actually becomes pregnant... things change. Marissa is more on edge and paranoid, and Jake and Kate seem to be getting more and more cozy. Marissa is convinced Kate is making moves and is obsessed with them!! Marissa decides to take matters into her own hands- even if it means risking everything she has worked so hard for. How far will she got to protect her growing family ???

WOW !! This book was too much more than the synopsis leads it on to be!!! I can't really go into with much spoilers but holy crap it gets insane !!! Marissa, Kate and even Jake's mom Annabelle all have their own experiences with motherhood, whether it be infertility, abandonment or obsession. I loved the different view points on motherhood this way. I also loved how the first half of the book was told from Marissa's POV and the second half from Kates... I was really able to understand each character more. Now with that being said, the main reason this isn't getting 5 stars is because the main "twist" happened to early for me... I was hoping for more of a BANG ending but it just kinda resolved itself after that...

Overall, this book was great !! I loved the crazy characters, the twist was insane and the motherhood theme was great!!

"There was no sacrifice to great; no lack that she wouldn't willingly suffer. She had her baby, finally after so much suffering."

Thank you Simon & Schuster, Netgalley and Elizabeth Day for an advanced readers copy of this book !!

Content Warnings: Abandonment, Grief, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Rape
Stalking. This book is very heavy on infertility and trying for a baby. This may not be the book for you if this is a trigger