3 neighborhood couples are the main characters through most of the book. Their thoughts and anxieties are detailed and make you wonder how everything can end. The disloyalty, the frustration and the tragedies.
One Mother has 3 children and a full time job, she hates that her children take up her time. One Mother who stays at home and dotes on her daughter and the third who wants desperately to have children but can’t. They all have very different lives, but become entangled in so many ways.
It is a very emotional story, one that is difficult to put down, because you can hardly prepare yourself for what is going to happen next. Each section is spoken by one of the ladies, their thoughts and emotions come through loudly! A very well written soap opera!

Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada, Netgalley and Ashley Audrain for an ARC of this book.

I absolutely loved The Push so was really looking forward to this one. The Whispers is another domestic thriller based around the concept of motherhood. It definitely held my attention and kept me guessing, but I didn’t like it quite as much as The Push.

I did find myself a bit confused by the ending, especially with the paper airplane bit. Maybe I just missed something? I also didn’t think it was necessary to have such graphic descriptions of miscarriage. I think those parts would be triggering to any reader, not just me and I skimmed those parts.

Overall, this was another good book by Audrain, and she has definitely become an auto read author for me!

After reading The Push, I absolutely could not wait for Ashley Audrain's next novel. The Whispers did not disappoint, and frankly, I enjoyed it more than The Push!

The novel revolves around a group of neighbours who live on Harlow Lane. The chapters alternate between their various perspectives. The story starts when one of the neighbourhood residents, Whitney, gets some terrible news. Her son fell out of his bedroom window in the middle of the night. Whitney is immediately by his side in the hospital, waiting for him to wake up.

We meet Whitney's various other neighbours: her best friend Blair and her husband; Rebecca who is a doctor at the hospital Whitney's son is at and desperately wants her own child and her husband; and an elderly woman Mara, who is keeping tabs on thee neighbours and dealing with her own heartbreak.

Over the course of the novel, shocking events unfold. Secrets come out. The choices of the four women are explored as well as the consequences of their actions. Everyone has something to hide.

As much as this novel is a thriller, it also deals with complex issues such as motherhood, grief, miscarriage, and marriage. This was a page turner and kept me guessing, but was also an emotional rollercoaster.

Thank you Penguin Random House Canada, Viking, and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I was provided an ARC of The Whispers by Penguin Random House Canada.

“She’d once heard it described as The Whispers - the moments that are trying to tell you something isn’t right.”

When 10-year old Xavier falls from his window and is brought into the hospital in critical condition, all eyes turn to Whitney Loverly, a privileged, picture perfect, career mommy with a demonstrated hair trigger temper seemingly reserved for her oldest son. Is all as it seems? Was the accident really an accident? Were the Loverly’s responsible, or maybe Xavier’s friends? What about the Loverly’s neighbors and friends? Perhaps it was a cry for help? The story arc runs the gamut of options (and a couple red herrings) as the ensemble cast begins to unwind a twisted web of secrets and relationships in this domestic thriller.

Audrain once again delves into the topic of Motherhood, exploring the struggle to reconcile the privilege of being a parent with the inevitable confinement it brings. The story is told through the eyes of very relatable women with vastly different backgrounds and priorities. At its core, The Whispers is a brutal examination of assumptions, privilege and loss.

True to form, the end of this book left me wondering if all was truly as it seemed and if our narrators were as reliable as I’d like them to be. The last chapter of this book was an absolute mind F.

I’m usually not too keen on domestic thrillers but after reading The Whispers, I can solidly say I’m a big fan of Audrain’s. Her characters are extremely well fleshed out and individualistic, which is key because this was a very character driven novel, with a slower pace and seemingly lower stakes than Audrain’s debut novel The Push. I would love to see Audrain explore some different subject matter and look forward to her (hopefully many) future releases.

Thank you to NetGalley for the free review copy

After reading The Push I was very excited for her second book. It did not disappoint! It was full of domestic drama, mystery and secrets. Would definitely recommend to a friend!

Dark, twisted, and delicious!

This book is not for the faint of heart!

Audrain has found her niche, exploring the dark, taboo, often not talked about side of motherhood. You know those feelings you have as a mother (the not touchy feely happy feelings) but tamp them down and admonish yourself for having them? Audrain gives them voice.

You will not like many of the characters in this book but you will not be able to look away. You will be reading this late into the night to find out how Whitney's son fell out of the window, if he'll survive, if Rebecca will get pregnant and what happened between Mara's husband and her son, and Blair...well she's a whole other toxic mess.

Audrain's superpower is exploring the dark side of relationships and bringing to life the uncomfortable.
You will not forget these four women that Audrain expertly crafted - long after you put the book down and walk away.

Game of Thrones meets Desperate Housewives; Audrain's second novel takes a deep look at a neighborhood, at the relationships and secrets everyone keeps.

When 10-year-old Xavier falls out of a window, he ends up in a coma and the lives of the women in the neighborhood become more and more entangled as the story unfolds. From the history of a woman who emigrated from Portugal, to a doctor suffering from misarrange after misarrange, to the stay-at-home mom questioning her husband's fidelity, the depth of these characters makes you feel like you know each and every one of them. But how their stories intertwine become more engrossing after each page.

Similar to the overall vibe of The Push, Audrain is coming through with a very strong voice as she shares her thoughts on modern-day suburbia. I'd love to see her take on new subjects, hopefully we get a strong third novel from her soon!

I absolutely loved Ashley Audrain's debut, The Push, so I jumped at the chance to read and review her new novel The Whispers.

How do I start this....Audrain sure has a knack for stressing a mama out! It's possible that I would have felt different if I didn't have children but I almost couldn't finish the book. I didn't feel like I connected with any of the characters and I felt completely sick to my stomach during certain chapters.

All that being said, I didn't completely hate it. I was invested in the story so pushed through. I'm not breaking up with Audrain and I'll definitely pick up any future book she writes.

I enjoyed reading this book, as it has many facets. It explores being a wife, being a mother, wanting to be a mother and loss. The title The Whispers, is so relevant to this story. When people whisper and gossip about others, without actually having the facts, it can cause many things to happen and become distorted. Most of the book takes place over three days, and how it effects all the main characters, mainly the women, and then their husbands and families.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for allowing me to read this title. I would recommend this as it is something a little different from the norm. 3.5 out of 5.

Welcome to Harlow Street. An upscale neighbourhood. The Whispers introduces the readers to four women, motherhood, infertility and love lost. Four different women dealing with their everyday lives, their insecurities, and their relationships. A tragic accident reveals all. Ashley Audrain’s writing kept me engaged. What a neighbourhood!
Thank you NetGalley for an ARC.

This has been on my most anticipated list ever The Push was my favourite book the what it came out.

The Whispers had the same dark writing as The Push and once again looks at the gritty, less talked about parts of motherhood, which seems to be the author’s sweet spot.

There’s something that amazes me about someone who can create such an ominous, chilling tone with their words.

This book is a true domestic drama. Following the lives of four neighbourhood women- of course they are all in each others business, and there are secrets and lies all around.

I found the parts about motherhood and marriage to spark many emotions in me.

This one comes with a VERY heavy and descriptive content warning for miscarriage/infertility, so please proceed with caution. I’d even go so far as to say it’s unnecessarily graphic.

Whispers
The whispers. We all hear them. That little voice you hear, the voices of others about you.

Do you know your neighbours? The ones you socialize with. Everyone thought Whitney was perfect. The perfect one who did it all. Big career, perfect wife to Jacob, perfect mom to three kids. But everyone was wrong and when they all heard those terrible words Whitney said to her son in irrational anger, her crown started to slip. And now, the unthinkable has happened and who is to blame?

Blair lives across the road with her husband Aiden and has a very strange habit. Whitney’s best friend. She’s always wanted to be Whitney, has always been in awe of her and maybe a little in love with her. But now, she has a reason to hate her.

Rebecca, the doctor married to Ben, only wants one thing. One thing so easy for some, but heartbreakingly is out of her reach. What is holding them together? Can they survive after all the heartache?

Mara is the older woman on the street who has seen her share of tragedy. She doesn’t fit in with the younger crowd but she sees it all.

They all have secrets.

When I got the opportunity to read and review this book, I was ecstatic. I loved “the push”; it was definitely one of my favourite reads and I eagerly anticipated digging into her yet to be released. But sadly, I was disappointed. This book was missing the magic of her precious book. At times, I just wanted it to be over. Many books go from past to current time but this was all over place. It was missing the flow of a good novel. I couldn’t put “the Push” down. I had to force myself at times, to read this one. Maybe if I hadn’t read “the Push”, I wouldn’t have as high expectations with this one.

I tried really hard to relate to these women. I know we are all flawed but I wouldn’t want to be friends with Whitney or Blair. So different, yet each jealous of the other. Blair is more harmless, just a wanna be. And Whitney? I disliked pretty much everything about her. The woman who seemed to have it all, should not have had kids. And the men in the story? Mostly, they are unlikable as well. Sometimes if you dislike a character, it can colour the way you think about a book. I don’t think that’s the case here. I just think this book didn’t have near the caliber of “The Push”.

Knowing what she is capable of, I would read another one of her books and am not ready to write her off. But this one is a 2.5 for me, rounded up.

Thank you to net galley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book by giving me a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

This review can be found on goodreads as well as book purchase sights.

Ashley Audrain hit it out of the park again. She will be an automatic buy for me. While this novel is not exactly a thriller, it is still suspenseful and reads like one. There is enough drama and revelations doled out in small pieces consistently throughout that makes this a page turner like The Push.

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this novel.

I love neighborhood drama, crazy as it is its exciting. So much excitement in this one. Some sadness, miscarriage trigger warning, affairs, death, and secrets.. what more could you ask for. The chapters were just the right length and smoothly brought you from one person to another. Loved this book.

Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an early release of this book.

What I love about Audrain’s books are all the nuances starting with the title and funnelling down through the thematic elements. Whispers are the things we don't want others to hear, things we say to ourselves, things we say about others, and things that may or may not be true.

Raw and visceral, THE WHISPERS is a comment on how trying motherhood is, how awful it is to want to be a mother, and how awful it is to not be one anymore.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada (Viking) for an e-ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review. THE WHISPERS comes out June 6th.

Disclaimer: If miscarriage and pregnancy loss is difficult for you to read about, I would skip this one, as this book talks about that topic a lot.

CW: miscarriage, spouse death, child death, infidelity

THE GOOD: THAT ENDING. This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year, and the ending was the best part.

THE BAD: After loving THE PUSH by this author, I had high hopes for this one, but I didn't enjoy it nearly as much. There were a lot of characters and I found it hard to keep track of everyone's role in the story. All of the characters, except for the children, were unlikeable and that made it difficult to root for anyone. The plot wasn't very compelling and can honestly be summed up as a lot of "rich people drama." I kept hoping for a shocking twist or plot point and did think there was one at one point, but it turned out to not be a twist after all. I guess it's safe to say this one was a bit underwhelming.

Favourite quote: N/A

THE VERDICT: ★★★☆☆

This was a tense domestic drama mostly revolving around 3 couples, each with their own hardships. After an accident leads to one couple's ten-year-old son in a coma in the ICU, the tension is high and secrets start unfolding, all leading up to how the young boy fell in the first place.
Thorough character development and raw emotion throughout, this was a slow burn with a great payoff, right until the very last gut punch of a line.
3.5/5 ⭐

Ashley Audrain strikes again and I am HERE FOR IT. if you liked The Push then you will like this one as well. It has similar themes and is just as chilling as her first novel. There was a lot going on but it was never confusing. I devoured this one and LOVED how it ended. Thank you to NetGallery and Penguin Random House Canada for this eARC!

Ashley Audrain definitely has a specific writing style; this book had huge The Push vibes. She is very talented at writing layered characters that seem very real, but I didn't really find this book to be much of a thriller. It was more of a drama. I enjoyed reading about the characters' lives, and she is amazing at writing the minds of many different mothers, but besides the last sentence, there wasn't really anything in the book that I didn't see coming. It reminded me of the show Desperate Housewives.

I thought that the whole concept of the "whispers" that we let take control of our minds and start to create their own narrative was really interesting. It's totally true that we can get a small idea in our head and run with it, and before we know it, we have created a whole situation that we find difficult to believe isn't real. It can be hard to know if you are trusting your instincts or creating something from nothing.

If you enjoyed The Push, then I definitely recommend reading this book by the same author; I'm sure you will like it. Or if you enjoy slow burn, character focused, domestic dramas.

I received a copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Four women.
Blair, the 'perfect mother' at the expense of her marriage
Whitney, the 'career woman' at the expense of her children, or, perhaps she should never have been a mother
Rebecca, the doctor unable to carry a fetus to term and could not be a mother
Mara, the elderly woman who was a mother and now lives with crushing guilt.

This is a novel about four very different women, their daily lives, private thoughts, ended dreams, the men they love or simply bear because they must, secrets they desperately hide, and for one of them, who's blend of never-ending guilt for one person and hatred for another brings her to a dreadful, yet understandable decision.

The story begins one end-of-summer day at the home of Whitney and her husband Jacob who are hosting an outdoor garden party for the neighbourhood. We meet all main characters and catch a glimpse into their lives and personalities. It is here one of the women's shameful secret becomes shockingly revealed, thus setting the centre point event for the rest of the book.

I found this story to be well-written and suspenseful throughout. At times we are taken into the past in order to glean a better understanding of the present and thus I found myself growing an empathy where I previously sat in judgment of one or more of the women. In fact, some of their thoughts held a familiarity to some of mine as they echoed back to me from my own past as a wife and mother.

I enjoyed reading this book as a psychological adventure. It kept me very interested and at no time did I think of not finishing it. Speaking of finishing, the end of this novel was, in a word, novel! The end was so abrupt, it felt as if an axe, from out of nowhere was suddenly embedded into the page without warning, as the final words reverberated within my brain. So many instances were left open, it wouldn't surprise me to see a sequel, or perhaps it was Audrain's purpose to have each of us close those instances as we wished.

The "whispers" , I deduce, are the often unheard or ignored messages of our intuition, those 'gut' feelings we tend to brush aside, if we hear them at all.