I received a free copy from NetGalley. This book does a great job of showing what it is like to be a new mother, but it does so by repeating the same day over and over again just like new motherhood. It makes for a slow read. The mystery mixed in is good, but the pacing is slow.

Date is for the review, not the reading.

Natalie and husband Tyler have moved into a new home. A new baby, Oliver has arrived and Natalie is struggling with not sleeping and a screaming child. it is affecting her ability to focus on work or her husband, since Oliver is all consuming and only needs her. Trying to be the perfect mom is exhausting . The kind neighbor Paul sees her weakness and uses it to his own advantage; setting her up for the murder of his wife. While reading, I think too much detail goes into Nalalie’s postpartum depression. No one else seems to see it and the marriage is struggling.

This was a really dark and interesting read. I feel likethe plot of this one takes a backseat as you experience the thorough description of the inner struggles of postpartum. I have not yet become a mother so I cannot relate to these experiences but they seemed really well detailed and researched. Murphy captures the physical, emotional and mental struggles descriptively. Because of this groundwork, the actual plot doesn't start until 50% in and is a bit lackluster.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this advanced arc!

Natalie and Tyler are excited about their new baby, but after Oliver is born, he is colicky and Natalie has a difficult time. Reading it, I immediately recognized post-partum depression and psychosis, but none of her family or friends seemed to understand that she was suffering, not even her doctor friend!
This allowed a neighbor, Paul, to worm his way into her life, and frame her for the murder of his wife. He is sneaky and takes advantage of Nat's weakness.
I liked how the book ended, but I was exhausted by all the craziness that Natalie was experiencing, and how she refused help or using formula.
3.5 rounded up to 4 stars.

Many thanks to Netgalley and St. Martins Press for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

As the title suggests, the story revolves around new mom, Natalie. Her and her husband Tyler have just purchased a new home, she has taken a sabbatical from work to stay home with baby Oliver and she is struggling. She doesn't sleep, she feels as if she is constantly breast-feeding and she's just trying to find a new norm when she befriends neighbor Paul. A stay at home dad, he seems to know just what do to quiet the baby and he understands her. But when Pauls wife goes missing, Natalie begins to question everything.

I am not sure I have ever read a book that gave me so much anxiety. As someone who suffered from postpartum depression, there were moments I couldn't breathe reading this. Yet, I still kept coming back for more. While I wouldn't necessarily consider this a thriller, it definitely affected me. The main focus is much more on postpartum than the mystery surrounding the missing woman. It is definitely a slow burn and not twisty and full of thrills, if you are good with that, then I would highly recommend it!

I read this while also reading a very similar book, which had be lowkey confused for some time. The other book was almost a better version of this one, but I’m not sure if I’d think that if I had read it at a different time. Either way, what I’m certain of is that this MC was hard to root for. The book addresses post-partum psychosis (a real thing) but also had other unreliable characters that made it feel kind of chaotic.

3.5 ⭐️’s

I feel like I need to stop reading books where authors make motherhood sound awful lol

The writing was fine and super easy to read, but there’s so many books out there like this. The story just screams “let’s take advantage of new mothers!!”

Thank you Minotaur for my ARC!!

With a fussy new baby, a career put on hold, and a new neighborhood where she knows nobody, Natalie is really struggling. Her neighbor, Paul, seems too good to be true. A stay-at-home dad/writer, Paul has all the time in the world and a knack for soothing babies. Natalie soon finds herself spending hours with Paul, confiding in him while he holds Oliver.

At the same time, she is increasingly worried about her forgetfulness and her husband's seemingly obliviousness to how sleep-deprived and anxious she is. When Paul's wife is inexplicably hostile and then disappears, Natalie's fragile new reality crumbles around her. When Paul's wife is found dead, Natalie does not immediately realize suspicion is focused on her.

Thrilling, page-turning suspense that is all-too-relatable to many parents of extremely fussy babies. #TheNewMother #NetGalley

Thank you for providing me the opportunity to review this book. I am appreciative and leave my sincerity review voluntarily.

This book was just ok to me. Not super exciting or thrilling. It was more like a story of PPD. The ending was a little surprise but it was just dragged out drama… not a true THRILLER.

However, it was a quick read.

Thanks again Netgalley and Minotaur Books for the ARC, in exchange for my honest review.

This book was hard to read. Make sure you check out the TW! I felt so bad for Natalie and how much she struggled with her new baby. When Paul came along, he seemed like a lifeline for her. But nope…Paul has ulterior motives. This was more mystery than thriller. Most of the story dealt with the difficulties Natalie was facing as a new mother. That part of the story did drag on a little. The last 1/4 of the story really ramped up. Thanks to NetGalley and Minatour books for my ARC.
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 3.5 stars

The New Mother is a phenomenal thriller from start to finish. Filled to the brim with twists and a captivating plot, this one is sure to keep readers hooked. The characters are well-developed. The story is incredibly fast-paced. This is one not to be missed! Highly recommended! Be sure to check out The New Mother asap.

Tough to read with the intense scenes of depression and post Partum. This was just too slow of a burn for me

The New Mother follows Natalie, who just gave birth to her sweet son, Oliver. As her husband transitions back to work, Natalie is left to figure out feedings, diaper changes, and functioning with a lack of sleep. All of it seems impossible, until her neighbor Paul, offers his listening ear and support. His friendship seems like the only thing Natalie can count on. But is it sincere?

Thank you, NetGalley, for an advanced copy of this novel!

I think the phone it in Canva Cover was accurate for the overall quality and experience of this book.

I wish I could come at this with a better review, but I had to DNF this one. I had heard fantastic things about her first book, The Favor, and was really excited to read The New Mother. Sadly, it was not for me.

First, I'll start out by saying, I will absolutely check out her first book and anything she writes in the future. This book simply did not resonate with me. I'm not a mother, nor do I have plans to become one, so I could not relate to Nat's character. I know others have really enjoyed this book, and I was not the right demographic for it.

Second, this is more of a drama, than a thriller. At least by that point, I had put it down to around 46%. I've heard that there's a great twist further into the book, but I couldn't get there.

I will say, I did feel for Nat's character and all that she was going through.

Anyways, not for me, but others have loved it.
Thank you Minotaur Books and St. Martins Press for providing me with the ARC and the opportunity to provide my honest review.

'It wasn't the sort of neighborhood for murder.' That was the tag line in the promos I had seen for this book, and it was also at the beginning of the book. So of course, that line drew me in and made me want to know more.

As Natalie tries to settle in as a new mother with a colicky, demanding baby, the nice stay-at-home father who just lives down the street comes to her rescue and seems to be her lifeline to sanity. Motherhood is hard and to have someone to lean on is a god-send. As she comes to depend on him more and more, things take a turn, and maybe their friendship isn't what she thought it was.

The New Mother was intense as I tried to figure out who was going to die, and how it was going to go down. I kept setting up scenarios for a murder and then I would be wrong. The ending was very satisfying and the last sentence? Wow, just wow! Is she serious?

This book was not what I was expecting. It was a psychological thriller, which I enjoy, however, it dealt a lot with new motherhood and postpartum depression. That was so much of the story that I took away some of the thriller aspects of it.

This was not a book for me but it was well written and I am sure will be enjoyed by many others.

“The New Mother” is for you if you’re wanting a slow-burn domestic suspense novel with tinges of psychological thriller and crime fiction. It is NOT for you if any postpartum/motherhood issues are triggering.

“The New Mother” is about …. you guessed it, a new mother! 🥁 Natalie was a rising star at a Baltimore law firm when she had baby Oliver, who’s extremely fussy. While her career is on hold, her husband’s is taking off — and he has no idea what Natalie is going through. Then Natalie meets Paul, a stay at home dad in the neighborhood, who seems to just get what she’s going through. But what does Paul want in return?

I found myself super entertained and engaged by this one. The first half of the book, you’re pretty much stuck inside Natalie’s head, but I found it darkly riveting. The second half, this book becomes a little more crime fiction-y. It’s a good mashup of genres, a quick read, and I thought the writing was fantastic. I haven’t read the author’s debut “The Favor,” but I know it was a very popular book, and I’ve added it to my list.

loved this romance and her trying to find love and finding herself. loved the friends and and the romance. I would read this author again. I really enjoyed the pacing and how the story and the character worked things out.