Her First Child is definitely a psychological domestic thriller!
I have to say…… with so many suspenseful moments going on, I felt like I couldn’t keep everything in order. In some ways, the story was confusing to me. I had a hard time understanding the flow of the story. But, with that said…you must read Her First Child. It certainly has a intriguing and mysterious plot.
Talk about so many lies! I mean, lies upon lies upon lies. And……then more lies!
Talk about jealousy among childhood best friends.
The story is written in a past and present/duel timeline.
The ending????? What???? That ending……I have no words.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Two women separated by a generation, mother and daughter, come together in a clash over a young child. There's Eve, a battered daughter both emotionally and psychologically by living in a household full of anger and trauma. Eve's father is a beast and yet her mother never seems to protect her, to care for her, to even speak to her. She feels like she is speck of dirt in a world that has turned away from her both at school and home. There's also Eve's sickly baby brother, Jacob, who seems to have to tackle every illness with dire consequences.

She does have eventually one friend, Chloe, who doesn't mind how dirty Eve is, how her clothes are in tatters, how no one else befriends her. Eve, though embarrassed, shares secrets with Chloe and this friend becomes integral to Eve's life as they grow.

Staying together, Eve, goes on to becoming a MD, meets a marvelous man, Dominic, and marries him. They have one son, Kai, and even live next door to Chloe and her husband, Steve. It seems idealistic, with Eve being an overly solicitous mother, trying to provide everything she never had to her son.

Then her mother shows up and all "hell" breaks loose as Eve is convinced her mother is about to do to her son, what she did to Eve's brother all those years ago.

There's more than meets the eye in this thriller which had many wonderfully done hidden clues to the fates of the characters in this story. I went from blaming one character to another in this round about tale that was cleverly done. It's a story about illness the real, imagined, and mental which propels the reader forward into lives woven with lies, trauma, and hate.

Thank you to Sheryl Browne, Bookouture, and NetGalley for a copy of this book due out on December 8, 2022.

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'Her First Child' by Sheryl Browne.

Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Sheryl Browne, Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous

Publication date 8th December 2022.

This is the fifth book I have read by this author. I have previously read 'My Husbands Girlfriend', 'The Invite', 'Do I Know You?' and 'The Liar's Child' which I highly recommend.


I was originally drawn to this book by its eye catching cover and its intriguing synopsis and title. The synopsis stated that 'Fans of The Girl on the Train, Gone Girl and The Wife, will absolutely love this gripping and addictive thriller. Her First Child will have you hooked from the very first page!' I am a huge fan of 'Gone Girl' and 'The Wife' so am looking forward to seeing if this lives up to this statement. I am also a huge fan of Sheryl and if this is half as good as 'My Husband's Girlfriend', 'The Invite', 'Do I Really Know You?' and 'The Liar's Child' it is sure to be a page turning read. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).

This novel consists a prologue, 65 chapters and an epilogue. The chapters are medium in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!

This book is based in the UK 🇬🇧. The bonus for me of books that are partly or fully based in the UK is that I live in the UK and have sometimes visited places mentioned in the book which makes it easier to picture.


This book is written in third person perspective with the main protagonists being Eve, Lydia and Chloe. The benefits of third person perspective with multiple protagonists are that it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything.

'Her First Child' discusses some topics that may upset some readers or may not be suitable for others. I like to point this out ahead of time in my reviews so you can judge if this book is for you or not. In this book Sheryl discusses/includes mental health, Munchausen syndrome by proxy and domestic abuse.

Wow!!! What did I just read!!! What twists and a half fairplay, I most certainly was NOT expecting any of that!!! Anyway, we shall return to that!!! This book is extremely well written and completely drew me in from start to end. The synopsis, title and cover worked perfectly with the storyline.

One of the best books I have ever read!!! Don't even think about even looking at the first page until you have cleared your schedules as you won't be able to put it down!!

The storyline was extremely compelling and I was completely addicted from the beginning starting with a prologue putting my heart in my throat to absolutely explosive ending!!! I started it this morning and finished it in a day!! It was filled with Mysteries, infidelity, secrets, cover ups, twists, lies and surprises and and had me completely absorbed throughout. This book ticked absolutely every single box!!! It was filled with suspense, lies, romance, twists, heartbreak, deceit and shocks!! It had me on tenterhooks on the edge of my seat and biting my nails to get to the truth. I absolutely loved how it completely shocked me at the end!! There's not much worse in a book than when you have already figured out what is going on by 50%!! I love that the fact that Sheryl has done her research shined throughout. One of my pet hates is when an authour picks a subject to include in their novel but hasn't done any research, it litters the books with mistakes and errors and it can spoil a storyline. This book is not only an epic psychological thriller filled with twists and turns that I would have never expected all the way to the end but it is also quite sad and heartbreaking when it comes to the end and when we find out what really happened to who and why. In this book Sheryl discusses a very important subjects that include mental health, Munchausen syndrome by proxy and domestic abuse and manages to weave them all into an addictive, realistic and emotional storyline. I won't go into too much detail and Sheryl explains it all beautifully in her letter at the end of the book so make sure you continue to the end to read it. A huge well down to you Sheryl you should be extremely proud of yourself!! I would love to see this book turned into what would promise to be a massive hit movie!!

This is only the fourth book that I have listened 100% on Audiobook. If I listen to a book on audiobook I usually also read the physical book between but for the second time I listened to the whole book and I was impressed! I must say a HUGE congratulations to the narrator Tamsin Kennard who did a great job bringing this story to life. I would listen to it in the car, in the gym and while walking at any opportunity and Tamsin did a fantastic job on both male and female characters voices!!! I'm not only looking forward to reading more books by Sheryl but also to listening to more books narrated by Tamsin!

It is set over multiple time lines. When books show what has happened in the past and what is happening in the present I find it really helps the reader (if it is well done) understand why things are happening and what has lead to the present activities and decisions. It also shows the bigger picture.

Absolutely addictive, unputdownable and most definitely EXPLOSIVE!!!

The characters were vivid, realistic, unique and very compelling. Throughout the book I liked, disliked and questioned most of the main characters unsure of who was to blame and who was doing what wrong and right. After I had done all that I was still wrong!!! Throughout the book I flicked from feeling sorry for either Eve, Dom and Lydia and then by the next chapter I thought that same character seriously needed help or were just horrific. I became suspect of them all. There was an additional character my heart completely broke for at the end but I won't be saying any more on who or why as, again I don't want to spoil it for future readers. I felt the book ended perfectly the way it did and everything was explained with no loose ends, another pet hate of mine. Well done Sheryl!!! The perfect eclectic mix of strong and realistic characters came together to make this book a real page turner!!!

Make sure you read to the very end of the book to read the prologue and first two chapters of Sheryl's 'The Affair' which promises to be just as addictive as this book and I cannot wait to get stuck into it!!!

This book would make a truly captivating movie which I would love to see and I am definitely looking forward to reading more books by Sheryl. Congratulations Sheryl on yet another amazing read!!! Here's to your next success 🥂

This is exactly why Sheryl is one of my favourite authors. I love every book yet she still manages to make them better and better which is not an easy feat!!

Overall a page turning, gripping and addictive psychological thriller that will shock you at times and break your heart on others!!


Genres covered in this novel include Mystery, Domestic Fiction, Thriller, Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Crime Fiction, Domestic Thriller, Noir Fiction, Crime Fiction, Contemporary Fiction and Psychological Fiction amongst others.

I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of 'Gone Girl' , Shalini Boland, 'The Girl On The Train', 'The Wife', Lisa Jewell and anyone looking for an explosive novel with a bombshell twist!!!


369 pages/ 9 hours and 25 minutes

This book is just £1.99 to purchase on kindle, £16 for audiobook and £8.99 in paperback via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!

Rated 5 /5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.

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While this book seems straightforward, there are some parts where it took me a second to recenter myself and figure out what I just read. As with many a psych thriller, the story starts with a prologue. It seems fairly normal…right up until the final sentence of the section. The plot is interesting because, in some ways, it really doesn’t go anywhere. There is action, but some of it stays vague even as the reader sees flashbacks to Eve’s past. I never got a good grip on Chloe – was she jealous or just mixed up? The second half of the book, where storylines began to converge, got confusing. I felt like I was in the middle of a pinball game where everyone was making accusations, and nothing really landed. I thought it took a lot of concentration (that maybe I didn’t give enough to), but other readers may have a different experience. For more details, please visit Fireflies and Free Kicks. This review was written based on a digital copy of the book from Bookouture.

I have mixed emotions about this book. The beginning was great, and I was immediately pulled into the characters and story. Towards the end, though, it felt a bit scattered and convoluted instead of twisty and clever.

Eve and her husband, Dom, are the main characters, along with their infant son, Kai. As you’ll realize when reading the story, Eve had a very traumatic childhood, and now she dotes on Kai. She’s always terrified that something in her past will come to light, and she’ll lose both her husband and her son. A large part of the book concentrates on leaving you guessing what happened in the past (and you’ll get a somewhat vague answer).

Chloe is Eve’s best friend, and was with her during the traumatic event that changed both of their lives. Living across the street with her husband, Steve, Chloe and Eve are bound by that secret from the past. This secret heavily involves Eve’s mother, Lydia, who one day shows up unannounced to see her grandson. Eve’s fears are intensified; what will her mother say to her husband? Will the past come out and ruin the life she’s made?

The past does come out, and while it was a good plot line, it was almost overly dramatic. There wasn’t really a big twist, because the past is the twist and you find out about it slowly, in increments as the book progresses. I didn’t mind this approach, but as I mentioned, the ending just got a bit convoluted for me. I’m giving this 3.5 stars, rounded up because for the most part, this was entertaining and fresh!

(Thank you to Bookouture, Sheryl Browne, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review.)

This is a book that had me guessing who was telling the truth. It is written in a different style to Sheryl's previous books but never the less a very enjoyable read.
Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC

Unfortunately this book wasn’t for me and I really struggled to finish it. I hate leaving a negative review but this one just done nothing for me. I had no interest in any of the characters and the storyline just went over my head and the ending just made no sense . Not one I’ll be recommending.

This is a gripping page-turner, which is divided between present and past, but I am pleased to say, there is a clear distinction between the timelines. The story has lots of suspense and intrigue, as well as a plethora of dislikeable characters! I didn’t warm to any of them, they are all unreliable and simply trying to absolve themselves of any wrongdoing…

It’s safe to say I was hooked right through to the end, but I must admit to being a bit confused by the conclusion, even after re-reading the epilogue, this is reflected in my 4-star rating.

Yikes! This was a harrowing tale of deception, lies, and abuse! I kept going back and forth on the person I thought was guilty….the author really kept me guessing! Good psychological suspense!

So this book had a lot crammed in. Being new parents, a jealous best friend, a past history of being neglected and emotionally and physically abused by her parents Eve has a lot to deal with. When her mother comes back into her life she has to face all these issues while protecting her own baby. Being with her mother again brings back the awful time of her baby brother dying. There is a long thread through the book which hints at who is responsible for his death. I wanted to finish it and I did but I found the last 20 minutes a bit of a rush and it left me trying to work out the final endings.

Thank you to the publisher for the ARC

As Eve tries to find balance in her her life as a new mother, she is confronted with memories of her own childhood and her own mother that she hasn’t talked to in years.
With her mother back in her life, Eve is confronted with secrets of her past. When she has to make an emergency call early one morning, her secrets are no longer easily hidden.
As her past and future begin falling apart in front of Eve, secrets begin to unfold.
Good thriller that keeps the reader on edge throughout.

* I received an advanced reader’s copy of this book from NetGalley and Bookouture in exchange for my honest review

I always know when I download anything by Sheryl Browne that it is going to have me reading into the early hours. Her First Child is no exception. It’s a twisty and sometimes emotional journey as Sheryl ramps up the tension and pulls the reader in – something she’s incredibly good at.

Secrets from Eve's past create tensions between her and husband Dom. Eve's inability to share her past with him cause problems when her estranged mother Lydia turns up. Told from three viewpoints: Lydia, Eve and Eve's best friend Chloe, Her First Child is a story of abuse, family relationships and secrets and friends who might not be as loyal as they appear.

Well written and full of suspense with great characters, some you'll love to hate.
I would like to thank Sheryl Browne, Bookouture and Netgalley for an ARC of Her First Child in exchange for an honest review.
Recommended.

This new psychological suspense novel will have you guessing from the beginning until the end. None of the characters are who you think they are when you first meet them. But who are they? I'll tell you right from the beginning, I didn't like ANY of the characters -- they are all unreliable narrators and try to present themselves in a much better light than they really belong in. So who are the characters

-Eve is the young mother of a new baby. She loves him and wants to protect him totally differently than the way so was protected as a child - she was totally unprotected from her parents.
-Dom is Eve's husband. He knows that she's keeping secrets but can't get her to open up. Even though he is a stay at home dad, he feels like Eve doesn't totally trust him with their child.
-Lydia is Eve's mom. She and Eve had been estranged for years until one day she shows up at her daughter's house to see her grandson. She lived with her husband (Eve's dad) until he died. He was an abusive husband and Lydia did nothing to protect her daughter. They both doted on their young son who was sickly but we don't find out what happened to him until later in the story.
-Chloe has been Eve's best friend since childhood. She's in a rocky marriage but had always been close to help her best friend through some of the turmoil in her life.

Right from the beginning, there are a lot of questions
-Why is Eve so protective of her baby
-Why does Eve want to keep her mother away from the baby
-Why won't she share her past with Dom
-What happened to her younger brother
-Was Chloe really a good friend or had she been stirring up Eve's life for years

You'll get answers to all of these questions but won't totally understand the family dynamics until the very end of the story. I went from feeling sympathy for a character and a couple of pages later, I'd realize what an awful person they really were. This is a roller coaster ride of a novel that will keep you guessing until the end!

In the sense this is a rather sinister book. Never quite sure who is actually telling the truth. A girl suffers from the mental and physical abuse of her childhood later she is a mother herself but will the Demons of her past escape her, is her life as idyllic as they think and who is the tormentor and who is the victim?

Sheryl Brown has once again pulled it out the bag. A story that is a quick read and will hold your attention and keeps you thinking long after you’ve put it down. Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to see an ARC

I’d like to thank Bookouture and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Her First Child’ by Sheryl Browne in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Eve and her husband Dom are happily married with their baby Kai until her mother Lydia arrives uninvited at their home. As a child Eve was callously ignored by both her parents and despite caring for her sickly baby brother Jacob she was unable to save him. Dom doesn’t know of Eve’s past history and invites Lydia to stay overnight but in the early hours she’s seen comes out of Kai’s bedroom just before he has a seizure.

‘Her First Child’ is a page-turning psychological thriller with chapters that alternate between the present time and 1997 when Eve is nine years old and her brother Jacob is showing signs of ill-health. It’s superbly written with perfectly described characters and a compelling plot that becomes increasingly chilling the further I get into the story. This is an exceptionally exciting thriller with a profusion of suspense, intrigue and twists and turns that’s had me gripped and unable to stop reading until I reached the end, although I had to read the epilogue twice and am still confused as to how it ended.

📚📖 CURRENT READ 📖📚

📖 Book - Her First Child
✍️ Author - Sheryl Browne
📕 Publisher - Bookouture
📆 Publication- 8/12/2022

. ➡️➡️ Sypnosis ➡️

Eve is a new mum to her son Kai and loves with her husband. The ok it family she has around is her little family and her best friend and husband across the road. Her childhood friend.

Eve’s mum calls and turns up, at a time when she can take advantage, to get back into Eve’s good books. It become very apparent that this is not a healthy relationship between mother and daughter. Also her best friend…. Is she as loyal as she would like Eve to think.

Ohhhhh I loved this. It genuinely kept me on edge and certainly kept me guessing. It actually got a bit creepy and I’m a woose lol! But it was interesting, to see how I reacted/enjoyed as I haven’t read a book that had creepy elements. The book has a now/then element but it was easy to follow and helped the suspense of the story!

Seriously ….,: get in your cosy chair, hot drink, get those feet up and read this book!!

Thanks #netgalley #sherylebrowne #bookouture for allowing me to read this ARC
#bookstagrammer #bookstagrammers #bookstagrammersunite #bookstagrammeroftheday #bookstagrammerph
#herfirstchild #sherylebrowne #bookouture #netgalley

The book summary initially intrigued me as I enjoy psychological thrillers. I really enjoyed the duel timeline but it felt odd to have only one chapter of Dom. I felt like he either needed more or to just be left out of his POV. I also struggled liking any of the characters. I felt for young Eve but adult Eve was hard to like. Which made it hard because I wasn’t “rooting” for anyone! I was hooked most of the book and unsure where things were going or what happened the night that Jacob died but then the ending lost me. I felt like the book got vague on what really happened and if anyone was really sane or correct in their version. I re-read the last chapter and epilogue twice and was still confused about the ending. The wrap up was confusing to me. I’d still recommend someone to read it if they enjoy fast paced psychological thrillers. Will post on good reads and my book Instagram.

I'm a little biased as I love Sheryl's writing and she can near enough do no wrong in my eyes, but I was surprised and unsure when I first started reading Her First Child.
It's quite different from her other work and quite an intense topic so it was a hard read (not that this is a criticism!). I've made an effort to be as vague as I can to avoid spoilers!

There's a good and clear distinction between timelines (present day and flashbacks / childhood context) which is so incredibly important and personally I find it's not often done well. The story was well conveyed and the plot developed at a good pace using the dual timeline format.

There were zero clues until the very end reveal which is always impressive to me, there were multiple red herrings along the way and a bounty of reasons to distrust almost everyone involved. My only complaint was the ending seemed a little rushed and I had to go back and read it again to really get my head around it (although I think that was on me, not the writing).

I'm still of the opinion that books need trigger warnings for some topics, so I'll mention domestic violence (to a lesser extent), childhood illness / mortality and abusive parents.

Her First Child by Sheryl Browne Narrated by: Tamsin Kennard
Length: 9 hrs and 25 mins was an excellent audiobook from start to finish. This is an author that always writes books that just draws you in from the very first few pages till the end and this book was no different. This was an excellent psychological thriller and every character within this book was excellent.

The narrator Tamsin was excellent and I highly recommend this audiobook! I loved it.

Big Thanks you to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC.

New mother Eve is overwhelmed with love for her baby son, Kai. As she swaddles him in a fluffy white blanket, she shudders at a memory of her own childhood. She hasn't seen her own heartless mother Lydia in years, and she hasn't told a soul about what really happened that night her baby brother died in the squalid little house she grew up in....

There's a lot going on in this suspenseful and mysterious read. The storyline has been cleverly crafted, filled with twists and turns, and I was hooked from the first page. Eve had a very troubled childhood, so troubled that she can't even talk about it, not even to her husband. But then the secrets she's tried so hard to keep start revealing themselves. We learn of how the events unfolded through the past and present-day format. The characters are well developed, unreliable and unpredictable. I love the way Sheryl drip feeds us just enough information, never giving too much away about what happened, just enough to keep you fully engrossed. I loved this book.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #Bookouture and the author #SherylBrowne for my ARC of #HerFirstChild in exchange for an honest review.