This book starts out with a twist. When I first was reading this I was super excited that the victim stood up for themselves. Usually in books their is the one person everything is happening to and they just don't really do anything about it. It can get frustrating when characters don't stand up for themselves. Like I said I was super excited that the victim stood up for themselves and then...BAM...another twist. This book had me all over rooting for different characters at different times. I really enjoyed it and highly recommend.

I didn't know what to expect from this book, and was first drawn in by its cover and comparisons to Gone Girl and The Perfect Nanny. This is a psychological suspense novel that will absolutely have your jaw dropped by part 2. I thought I knew the twist, but I was wrong! I found the first half of this book fast paced, but the last half was slower for me and not as exciting. That being said, I really enjoyed reading it and look forward to seeing what Elizabeth Day comes up with next!

Trigger warnings: sexual assault, infertility, miscarriage

This review will be posted on April 29, 2022 to: https://instagram.com/amandas.bookshelf

When you like the book for what it is (a psychological thriller) but you dont love the way the subject matter was handled. (See below, but spoilers within!) I thought there were a few twists, but they felt more outlandish and less believable as the novel progressed. Also, I thought the novel meandered unnecessarily near the end and I found myself just skimming. #Magpie Rating: ☹️ / didn't like it
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This book is scheduled for publication on May 3, 2022. Thank you @simonandschuster for providing me this digital ARC via @NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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Marisa had a psychotic break and was bundled away to the country without proper mental health care. She was packed away to the country and forced to live in Jake's parent's guest house to preserve the surrogacy contract (basically so Kate and Jake could get their baby). This felt like forced confinement to me. It was very very problematic and irresponsible to see mental health issues and surrogacy treated this way. Yes, this is fiction, but some issues require sensitive and authentic treatment, not drama for drama's sake.

Unfortunately, this was a miss for me. This was a very well-written novel, but ultimately the plot just didn't satisfy.

Marisa and Jake have a great life together. While they haven't been together very long, they're eager to move in together and start a family of their own. To save on rent, they find a roommate, Kate. Kate seems perfect at first, but the longer she lives with them, the stranger things become. Kate seems overly interested in the couple's life and future child, and Marisa begins to think that Kate might be trying to upend her seemingly perfect life.

The twist in this book simply wasn't satisfying. It was easy to predict and didn't capture my attention in any significant way. The pacing was also a bit off, especially in the second half. Ultimately, there have been several great thrillers about motherhood recently, and this one just wasn't up to snuff.

The writing was engaging and the plot twists were great. It was a quick and enjoyable experience reading this book.
The chapters written in Marisa’s POV were so believable and her perspective made Jake and Kate seem despicable!
The ending wrapped everything up nicely. I would recommend this book to readers who have enjoyed soap operas and dramatic media. The message about doing anything for your child was clear and helped me sympathize with the women in the story.

Ok- so hard to review without spoilers! Marisa is finally happy. She's been through multiple relationships with men that didn't last and now, at long last, she's moved in with Jake. When her business slows, finances dictate that they take in a lodger- Kate- who becomes a source of friction between them. And then, after infertility problems, Marisa is pregnant and even happier. Until Jake's mother Annabelle shows up. And even worse, when she spies Kate and Jake in an embrace. What happens next surprised me (although the title of the book should have been a clue). Not everything is what it seems and there's a big twist (and there are clues along the way that I for one missed). It's an interesting and intriguing portrait of two women and one hapless man (seriously Jake), obsession, meddling parents, and mental health. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. A page turner!

Marisa has it all; the perfect partner, the perfect house, and now she is pregnant. At least she seems to have it all until Kate enters the picture and slowly ruins everything.

This fast-paced thriller had me gripped from the beginning. I was disappointed when I had to put it down. Taking readers on a roller coaster of a read, Elizabeth Day does not disappoint. Telling the story from both Kate and Marisa’s perspectives, the reader understands the motives of each woman. My only qualm with this book is that the ending seemed a little too neat and tidy, almost more unbelievable than the events leading up to in.

How do we know what is real and what is imagined?

I want to thank Netgalley, and Simon & Schuster for an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

**Many thanks to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster, and Elizabeth Day for an ARC of this book!**

You and me and baby makes three...

...but what happens when a fourth player just won't let go?

Marisa and Jake are the picture of bliss. They have a place of their own and now are looking to fill that last empty place in their hearts...with none other than a beautiful baby, of course. Infertility troubles strike, however, and the path is laden with landmines. As the struggles continue, Jake and Marisa decide to allow a roommate, Kate, to move in to help them financially. At first, there's nothing but harmony, but the situation shifts quickly and Marisa realizes that Kate knows a bit more than she should...about EVERYTHING....and a little too invested in the baby-to-be. Is there cause for alarm here, and is one member of this trio much more dangerous than they appear to be? Certainly, three's a crowd. But will a mother's unconditional love and sense of possessiveness be TOO powerful, TOO far-reaching...or even deadly?

Magpie is an interesting bird. (No pun intended...mostly.) First off, the blurb I read from the publisher in the printed copy of the ARC gives A LOT away about the plot, to the extent that I pretty much knew what was going on from about 20% on once I dove in and started reading. Even without this forecasting, any seasoned thriller lover will pick up on the twist almost immediately. So then the question becomes...is the book still enjoyable if you know what's going on and are waiting for the big reveal?

In the case of this book...ALMOST. It nearly was.

Day's writing is solid and enjoyable for the first 50-60% (until the big reveal), although reading so much about IVF and fertility struggles was a bit hard to get through, even without personal experience in that department. I can only imagine how hard that would be if I DID have those experiences, so trigger warning alert to those who don't want to hear about it, because the author does not hold back. By the end, I honestly don't think I could have handled hearing any more about the subject matter...things got fairly intense.

What took this from an enjoyable read and turned it into something head-scratching was this book's "second act," as it were. The book veered from thriller territory into something else entirely...and I'm not sure I understand why. One of my pet peeves when reading a thriller is a too-happy-and-clean cut ending....and after a brief sojourn with the TRUE villain (again, nothing original here, in terms of this reveal...another easily predictable plot point)...we ended up there. Not only was the ending sappy, I just found it wholly unrealistic and almost off-putting in terms of how it handled the subject matter, and at the very least, the author missed an opportunity to handle some of the serious subjects broached here with a bit more grace.

The first half of this book I would solidly give 4 stars, and the second a definite 3, so I'd give this book a 3.5, but I'm rounding down here for the reasons above...and also perhaps because the only kind of pie I think I'm going to stick to in the near future is pumpkin.

3.5 stars

This is a thrilling novel with unexpected twists and a satisfying ending. The characters and their relationships seem a bit cartoonish at times and very clichéd but the seriousness of some of the topics and the authenticity with which the author portrays them balance out the stereotypes so prominently displayed.

Twisted and exciting. Do you truly know what is real and what is imagined? Plan on reading this in one sitting as it's difficult to stop.

Magpie by Elizabeth Day 🪶

First, thank you @netgalley & @simonandschuster for the eARC. Magpie releases May 3! ⭐️

Marisa and Jake are a perfect couple who are planning for a baby on the way. For financial reasons, they decide to have a lodger rent their spare room to a woman named Kate. Kate is quickly overly comfortable in their home and has no personal boundaries, especially with Jake. But Marisa chooses to ignore it because she knows Kate will be out of the house shortly and they will be back to being a perfect family with their new baby. However, Kate’s behavior turns almost obsessive, and as Marisa decides to figure out who Kate really is, it might end up destroying everything, including her family.

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ ; this psychological thriller was super fast paced in the beginning and immediately had me hooked. I just had to know what was happening! 4 ★s for me because the ending was a bit slower and anticlimactic.

I am realizing that my absolute favorite books are usually fast paced thrillers! Drop recommendations below 👀

Magpie is a twisted story following a couple as they try to have a baby. It is a crazy but interesting story. The reader has to suspend belief a bit to believe that people would make these decisions. It really puts a magnifying glass on the fertility industry and what people will do to have a baby.

I did not jive well with this book at all. The characters were not very likeable at all and the storyline seemed convoluted and forced in some parts. The beginning storyline of needing a boarder was a little weird and it was predictable that the mother in law was the issue-as MIL’s often are. It felt as though Jake’s actions were too wishy washy to care about him at all. Overall, this book was just meh.

A fast and thrilling read. I enjoyed the multiple point of views of the main characters. Magpie is a solid thriller that left me guessing on how everything would play out.. well written, interesting plot, some great characters even if not all of them are likable.. I'm looking at you mother-in- law.

Marissa and Jake are a couple with idyllic life. They seemingly have it all, but are in need of help with the rent of their new home. Jake finds them the perfect housemate to live in the attic rooms. Slowly, Kate begins to assert more control in the house, making herself a little too comfortable. She doesn’t respect personal boundaries, and is much too comfortable with Jake. Marissa tries not to let it consume her, knowing after so many months of in vitro treatments that she is expecting. Soon just she, Jake and the baby will be a little family. Meanwhile, Kate’s lack of boundaries turns into obsession with Marissa, Jake, and the baby. How does she know everything about them? In order to find out who Kate really is, will Marissa destroy her perfect life?

Wow. Just…wow. I finished the book a little while ago, and I must say I read it breathlessly. The brilliant prose made me devour it, riding and twisting with the storyline to the very satisfying ending. Elizabeth Day captures so much in this work, from motherhood to standing up for oneself, from what could be to what actually is, from deception to human bonding. ”Magpie” lives up to its description as a psychological thriller. It is a smartly-written, insightful, consuming read, and I couldn’t recommend it more.

I’d like to thank NetGalley, Simon & Schuster, and Elizabeth Day for the ability to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Loved this book. A wonderful blend of suspense and believable characters. And many people identify with what one will put up with to have a child. Timely and compelling.

I very much enjoyed the first maybe 85% of this book. It was suspenseful and always left me wondering what would happen next. It built to a beautiful climax, but the final 15% of the book kind of stretched too far for my liking. There is a bit in here where I was cheering, but also felt like the dialogue played out a bit strangely. Regardless, it didn’t lessen my feelings for this book. Well written and definitely overall a solid book.

Since others have outlined the plot, I will not do so.

For whatever reason, my last several books have been thrillers with a quasi menage a trois, or quatre with mother in law, between a couple an another female. While Magpie was a quick read and had some twists, it fell a little flat. Maybe editing would tighten up the storyline. I do have sympathy for someone going through infertility issues. This was the hook that kept me wanting to know more and see how the story played out. Unfortunately, the ending was not a surprise. The author had too many obvious redirects that made it distracting. What could have been a great plot needs work.

Thank you, NetGalley, the publisher and author for an advanced copy.

According to the nursery rhyme sorrow is sure to follow the sighting of a single Magpie. And it does for Marisa as a lone Magpie flys through the "love nest" she is looking to buy for her, Jake, and the baby they plan on having. While they get the house, financial setbacks cause Jake & Marisa to take in a a border-Kate-who is short on respecting personal boundaries, and may have an eye for Jake. Magpie starts out as another straying spouse story (although Jake and Marisa are not legally wed), but morphs into a whopper of a thriller. Your head will spin at the sharp curve Magpie takes less than halfway through. What Magpie does best is highlight the trauma of infertility on couples willing to do anything to have a baby. It also deals with mental health issues in a realistic and sympathetic way. But Magpie struggles with credibility in other areas-Jake & Marisa have only known each other a few months when they decide to move in together and get pregnant, and their relationship feels "off" in other ways. Jake is often away for work and his mother makes Joan Crawford look like mom of the year. Turns out there's a reason why Marisa and Jake's coupling feels strange- and it does have everything to do with Kate, just not in the way Marisa believes. Magpie is well written and fast paced, and these attributes more than balance out its few shortcomings.

Moderately successful, it drew me in at first with the idea of the suspense building but it just didn’t. The “twists” were not that great. The injection of the weird-ass mother was just, well, weird. After a while I really wanted all the characters and the story to just end.