4.25/5. Leah Konen is slowly becoming an auto-read author for me! I’ve enjoyed her books and can’t put them down! This book deals with a lot of heavy themes but is an important read for the generation of 25-40 year olds. Look for this book in January 2023!

Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for an early review copy in exchange for my honest opinion!

3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️. Ok this is going to be short. Not much to say about this one. Didn’t love it but didn’t hate it. The storyline itself was good but SO slow!!! It didn’t pick up until about 70% and then it just seemed like chapter after chapter of people EXPLAINING what they did and why. For some reason I don’t care for books like that. I’d rather read the action while it’s happening instead of someone just having a conversation about what happened. Also, I didn’t really connect with any of the characters. I guess part of me liked Janie at times, but the ending with her “secret” had me rolling my eyes. It was almost like the author just needed to push in one more thing that would seem like a shocker…but it ended up feeling like an unnecessary filler. I don’t really know what else to say except it was okay but I don’t think I’d recommend rushing out to get a copy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

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Thank you Netgalley & Penguin Group Putnam for an eARC of You Should Have Told Me by Leah Konen.

Janie needs a break. She’s struggling as a new mother and a secret from her past threatens to tear new family apart. Janie’s partner, Max, offers to help with the night feedings…but when she wakes up, he’s suddenly disappeared. Alone with a newborn and desperate for the truth, the more Janie chases, the more she uncovers. How well does, and did she ever know, Max? And is he capable of murder?

There’s been a lot of “new mom” thrillers lately, and Konen does a great job with this one showing both the beauty and challenges of motherhood. I was instantly sucked into this one and felt that the pacing was quick with lots of layers and secrets to be revealed. I love a book that makes me constantly question who can be trusted, and this one does just that in this domestic thriller. I’m looking forward to reading more by this author. Also, this cover is beautiful!

4.25. The Prologue sucks you right in. It’s frenzied and dark and boom. New parents are on a holiday and the mom wakes up and her husband is missing. Where is he? Then news comes that rocks her world and makes her question everything. Interweaved is the story of a new mom that isn’t sure she’s good enough, strong enough, capable of being a new mom. This was a great story within the story and one that needs to be told. Very good novel that kept me guessing and wondering. Thank you to NetGalkwy for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Janie and Max are proud parents to Freya. Janie is struggling to bond with the child and is just so tired. Max offers to do the night feeding so she can sleep. She wakes up the next morning to Freya screaming and Max not home. She calls his phone and is getting no answer and leaving multiple messages. She is starting to freak out. Where is he and why isn't he answering his phone? She needs Max she can't do this on her own she was struggling before now she is alone.

She wants to file a missing person report as the police show up at her door. Max is wanted as person of interest as a woman was murdered at bar in town and Max was there.

Janie soon realizes her husband is holding secrets. She is too maybe they should have told each other the truth.

Great domestic thriller with so many layers to revel. Well written and interesting characters not sure who is telling the truth. Loved the surprise ending. First book by this author and will be looking for more

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of You Should Have Told Me.

This is another stereotypical domestic thriller where the domestic partners don't know each other very well and each of them is keeping secrets from the other.

Janie is struggling; she's a new mother suffering from the aftermath of an indiscretion with a client that caused her the loss of her job; her baby daddy, Max, is a doting father, a former sort of famous musician now a music teacher. He is kind, loving and supportive - until one day, Janie wakes up to find him gone.

As Janie delves into Max's disappearance, unsettling new facts come to light; Max's tendency to cut and run when he gets overwhelmed, the police appear on her doorstep looking to question Max on the death of a woman, and a bereaved father and widower missing his child.

How does this all tie back into Max? What has he done? And can Janie ever trust the father of her child again?

I read a lot of these books in this genre so none of the revelations was shocking; a secret phone, a secret son, everyone lying, Max's friend and bandmate, his parents, the widower.

To be honest, most of these events really test your ability to suspend disbelief.

Max is on the run but he can't take 10 seconds to text Janie to tell him he's okay? It just takes 10 seconds.

His excuse is that things happened so fast he couldn't text her to let him know he's innocent and will explain everything.

I don't buy it.

I guessed who killed the woman at the end, a lucky guess but like I said, I read a lot of books like this.

I found the identity a bit hard to swallow but by that time, I was near the end so it no longer mattered.

I found Janie difficult to like. I didn't dislike her, but I didn't like her. Her personality and behavior was very naive, which I found odd considering her unstable childhood.

Max was a decent guy; in books like these the husband or partner is usually a louse but in this case, Max wasn't.

He was a bit of a nitwit. There was something very scatterbrained and ditzy about his character, like he was a person who you could easily take advantage of, and you wouldn't mind doing it to him, either.

I didn't find this suspenseful and the pacing was slow; no surprise since Janie is a mother and her time is spent caring for her baby girl and worrying about Max and her indiscretion.

The writing wasn't bad, but the narrative was repetitive and lacked urgency and tension.

I think some readers will enjoy this more than I did but I appreciate the opportunity to review it before its publication date.

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, from PENGUIN GROUP Putnum and #NetGalley. Thank you for the opportunity to preview and review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Spellbinding, suspenseful, thrilling, you won't want to put this fast paced novel down.

This was a great book. I loved every paragraph, every sentence and every word of this masterpiece! I read it in 12 hours, which is a lot for me to do! It had everything and more laid out in the novel! I sure hope she writes more! I am totally hooked!

Janie is struggling and out of sorts. She and her boyfriend Max have moved to a quieter neighborhood and she has a baby she doesn't feel connected to. She confesses her feelings one night and Max tells her to get some sleep, he'll take care of the baby. Instead, she waked up to the baby screaming and Max gone. Then the police show up to question Max about a woman's murder. Max's family/friends aren't concerned by his absence and Janie starts to question how well she really knows Max as secrets are revealed. This is suspenseful but not crazy twisty, it is grounded in reality as a lot of the day to day care of a baby is described. Perhaps a bit boring at times but I appreciated it, I hate books where newborn babies don't seem to require any care or impede the characters' actions in any respect.

Thank you @netgalley and @penguingroupputnam for the advanced reader copy of “You should have told me” by Leah Konen.
I was so happy to get an ARC of Leah’s newest novel after reading her incredible novel “The Perfect Escape.”

“I wanted out. I wanted my old life back. I wanted to run, to disappear, as maybe Max had. Only a mother couldn’t run, could she?”

…

“I wished I could go back to me and Max. Simple and easy and in love.”

A twisty and profoundly emotional book about motherhood, postpartum depression, and secrets that come back to haunt people. This novel takes a raw dive into postpartum depression in a way that is rarely shared. Questions that are too heartbreaking to ask sometimes are explored…is my husband cheating on me?
Why don’t I move my child
Enough?
Is my husband a murderer?

This novel will take you down an emotional journey full of realizations and a shocking end. Highly recommended!!!

This novel covered about everything a woman fears after having a child. Post partem depression, infidelity the list goes on. At times the story did lag somewhat but overall a fast paced thriller. Not what I was expecting.

Janie is a new mother who is struggling to bond with her baby. She tells her partner Max that she resents the baby and the next day, he disappears without a trace. Then, the police show up mentioning someone was murdered and he needs to make a witness statement. Janie is understandably freaked out. From there, the mystery unwinds.

This book was interesting and kept me turning the pages. I will say that as more was revealed, I wasn’t exactly sure who killed Grace, and there were parts I definitely thought the best friend was in on it. A couple of twists at the end make this an interesting book, though I’m not sure the sexual assault was necessary in a book with so much violence and abuse already.

I’d recommend this one for a quick read and page turner. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

How much easier would life be if we were just honest? But honesty doesn’t make great books! In this story, we are following Janie who is a new mom and struggling. Her partner Max makes her take a night off and get rest while he got up with their baby and Janie does. Once she wakes up, Max is gone. Can’t find him anywhere so as she is about to call the police they arrive at her doorstep and tell her about a woman being murder. They are also looking for Max. This one was a twisty delight and although they weren’t mind blowing twists, I enjoyed them!

I enjoyed this book, though it was a little repetitive at parts. The story centers on Janie, who is struggling as a new mom when her partner Max disappears and those closest to him don’t seem that worried about it. Then the plot thickens as his disappearance is tied to the murder of a local woman.

There were some good twists in the book; also, there were some things I thought were going to happen that never did, so there was always a sense of mystery. I thought the story moved along at a fast clip throughout. I could have done without so many mentions of Janie feeding the baby- it seems like that’s all she ever did when they were together! And while I was frustrated with her for not letting the people who wanted to help her get close, I also thought she made decisions that people would really make, even if some of them were ill-advised. I liked the ending of the story and thought it tied up loose ends well.

Overall, this was a good book and I’d recommend it to those who enjoy mysteries, though prepare yourself for nonstop baby feeding :) Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was just kind of "meh" for me. It took a while to get going and I pretty much had the ending figured out halfway through. The concept of the story was good but it was just really predictable. The ending did have a couple unexpected twists though. It wasn't bad, just an okay read.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced reader copy.

Rating: 4 (rounded up from 3.5)

Janie’s man disappears and she’s left holding her newborn. She searches for answers and of course finds out he was keeping secrets from her. Is her man trash, or are things not as they appear on the surface?
Some of the bits about Janie adapting to motherhood & her new routines were a little repetitive, but I assume that’s how life is with a newborn – doing the same thing over & over. But it felt like she spent half the book breastfeeding and that was too much.
Some expected & not so expected twists kept the story moving along.
Overall a solid read and I will look for more books by this author.

Thank you to @Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for the opportunity to review this ARC.

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Good book! This book took me a while to get through, it seems lately they all do lol but I am glad I finished it! This book had a bit of everything! It had light suspense, intrigue, murder, heartache and heartbreak, and a great who done it! The storyline was very interesting and kept me glued to my Kindle! I will definitely recommend reading this book as it was well worth reading! Thank you netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

This was a great book, it really portrayed the emotions that Janie went through very well. Did she know anything about her boyfriend after all?

This was a very very good book to read, but it definitely wasn't one of those books you just blow through mindlessly. While reading this I felt, like the main character, that I was having a breakdown, or meltdown or whatever you want to call it. I felt as paranoid as she was & I didn't dare take my blood-pressure while in the middle of it. I don't know how the author was so aptly able to express the panic & chlostrophbia that this mother felt. All the way thro the story I had mixed feelings towards the missing boyfriend and wasn't sure if he was an ass or just an idiot. I definitly won't forget this story for a while. Thanks to NetGalley for the pleasure of previewing this book..

Janie and her boyfriend Max have a baby together and decide to move away from Brooklyn for a bit to spend time as a new family in a quieter setting. Janie is having trouble adjusting to being a new mother. She goes to bed one night and Max says he’ll take care of the baby so she can get some rest. The next day Max is missing and is wanted by the police in connection to a murder.

As the days go by Janie is confused and doesn’t know what to believe. She goes out to try to find out what happened that night and finds out Max has secrets that she doesn’t know about.

There is a twist at the end of the story that I definitely didn’t see coming. I loved the way motherhood is portrayed in a realistic way and how Janie comes to feel about the baby by the end. This was a fast read that I really enjoyed and would recommend to everyone especially mothers who will understand Janie and her feelings.