Wow, what an intense ride from start to finish! I can’t believe this is the author’s debut novel — it’s that good. When I thought I had the plot all mapped out, the author threw in twists that completely blindsided me. I usually steer clear of stories that delve deep into parenting challenges. Still, I got sucked in on the premise of an estranged relationship and possible supernatural spirits, and it did not disappoint. It’s one of those books that stays with you long after you’ve turned the last page.

Fabulously twisted and viscerally maternal! Wow. This was a mindf**k and I loved every single second!

This perfectly encapsulates the incompetent feelings new moms in the face of their supposed instant ability to effortlessly keep a new life… alive. This was gratifying in that aspect. Flora was so human and I loved her!

Mixing the gory elements of new motherhood with this very terrifying anomaly of activity Flora is experiencing, we get a really unique horror read that kept me rapt!

No more needs to be said about this book besides it is so freaking good and you should check it out. But, take care of yourselves because there is some seriously intense content. Check trigger warnings!

Flora is getting used to life with her newborn, Iris. iris arrived a few weeks early, while Flora's husband was still deployed. Flora is absolutely exhausted - caring for a newborn on your own is hard work! The sleepless nights begin to take a toll on Flora. She realizes she needs some help. She reaches out to her mother, who she has spoken to in years. However, even with the help of her mother, Flora still feels like she is losing her mind. She's seeing and hearing things that can't be real. Or are they? Flora grapples with whether she is losing it or if something else is at play. Flora will stop at nothing to keep baby Iris safe.

Wow, what a crazy read! I cannot believe this is Jacquie Walters debut novel! Very well done and a very talented writer. I raced through it as I had to find out what was going on!

I really enjoyed the short chapters. It made for an easy read but also really kept the suspense levels high. There were tons of twists and turns that I did not see coming. Definitely a creepy and disturbing horror/thriller read. I also really liked that the author focused on the struggles of motherhood and was able to tie this nicely into a horror novel.

Thank you Mulholland Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

A new favorite horror and it’s a debut?! This novel worked perfectly for me. The creepy and grotesque imagery kept me hooked throughout the entire book. A lot of the descriptions were genuinely scary and made my skin crawl, which is what I look for in a horror novel. The twists and reveals were shocking and the construction of the plot, where these twists were placed, was really well done. I also love a horror that serves a bigger purpose and acts as a reflection of something humans experience. The conversations here about post-partum depression and exhaustion, motherhood, generational trauma, and mental health in general were satisfying. I highly recommend!

A fantastic horror debut that focuses on motherhood and has feminist undertones! 4.5 ⭐

Flora is a new mother to a beautiful baby girl named Iris. Her husband is currently deployed and she doesn't have many people to rely on for help. Trying to balance it all by herself, Flora begins to hear things that may not be real, see things that may not be real, and overall be manipulated by unseen forces. Can Flora trust herself? Or is she slowly descending into madness? Reaching a breaking point, Flora reaches out to her estranged mother who quickly arrives to lend a helping hand. But is there a more sinister reason behind her mother's willingness to help?

Phewwww. First of all, take any expectations you have for this book and throw them out the door. This book will blow you away and take you for a wild ride in which you will not be able to see what's coming. The story will captivate you from the beginning while you get to know Flora and sympathize with her struggles as a new mother - constantly worrying about something happening to Iris, constantly worrying that she will be the one to harm her, worrying about being a 'good' mother, worrying about being a failure, etc. I quickly felt connected to Flora and was hoping the whole way through that she would get her happy ending 🤞🏼

The writing was easy to digest and this made for a surprisingly quick read. The author was able to perfectly capture & describe Flora's feelings in a way that was extremely relatable (even though I myself am not a mother) and also did a great job in subtly working in certain messages & commentary she wants to get across. From the way that PPD is often downplayed and given a cutesy nickname such as 'baby blues' to the way woman are often not believed when seeking help for symptoms they are experiencing, being told all they need to do is simply 'get some rest.' The author makes a few references to The Yellow Wallpaper in here which really nails down the point she is trying to make.

On top of that - the horror itself in this book is top notch. I mean we get ghosts, seances, creepy crawlies, blood, possession and graphic imagery all in one (and I do mean GRAPHIC, solid horror imagery). This was WILD! I was gasping, I was laughing, I was screaming - this book has it all. Sprinkle in a few twists and turns and this makes for a very positive and fun reading experience.

I can see this being one that a lot of people really enjoy and I wouldn't be surprised to see it on some 'Top Books of 2024' lists. Listen, DO NOT hesitate to pick this up when it comes out.

Jacquie Walters, I'll be keeping my eye on you and (im)patiently awaiting future horror releases 👀

This book was so good! I found the motherhood aspect and being alone, very relatable. I connected to the book in that sense. When her estranged mother shows up, things get weird! I loved this book so much. This was the first I’ve read from this author, but I am now going to see what else she has written and devour that.

Thank you to Netgalley and Mulholland Books for providing me with this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.
As a busy, working mom of a one year old, I don’t have a ton of time for hobbies. I try and be selective with the books I read, especially horror. I need a good scare to make it worth skipping a few minutes of closing my eyes or answering emails..
This book shook me to my core. I was constantly reminded of the experience I had both with the film Hereditary, and the novel Mary by Nat Cassidy. That is to say, it gave me chills and an uncomfortable feeling in my gut in the same ways. It also made me challenge my idea of horror and what it means to be scared.
I loved that this novel presents you with two real and honest fears - both the paranormal and the reality of postpartum depression.
At times I wasn’t sure what I was reading - was this a ghost story? Was this a woman simply losing her mind in postpartum psychosis? Maybe a little of both.
I would love to watch this play out on the big screen, which goes to show how thrilling of a reading experience I had with Dearest.
If you can stomach the darker themes especially regarding motherhood, this book will take you on an uncomfortable and exciting journey.
Very excited to read more from this author in the future and looking forward to witnessing Dearest’s success when it is published on September 17th!

“Dearest” is a psychological thriller that centres around the intricacies and difficulties of new parenthood and womanhood.

The plot focuses of a struggling woman, a recently new mum whose husband is working away. As she is trying to take on the task of being a parent to a newborn whilst wading through the health impacts of that, such as sleep deprivation, anxieties, new challenges, feeling isolated and alone.

Things seem to be on a decline when her estranged mother makes an unannounced appearance and offers her assistance.

Flora may soon come to regret her decision of letting her mother in when events become creepy with a touch of paranoia. Is the sleep deprivation rearing its ugly head or is this her new reality?

I enjoyed the pacing of this book i found it to be a quick read with lots of forward momentum.

Thank you to Mulholland Books, Jacquie Walter’s and NetGalley for the EARC!

Publish date: September 17th 2024

I am not sure what I just read but I could not put it down. Bizarre, addictive story of a struggling new mom with a husband deployed in the military. Flora loves her new baby daughter but is struggling with sleep deprivation, loneliness, and having no help whatsoever. Enter a surprise visitor, Floras mom whom she hasn’t had contact with for years. Even with their estrangement, Flora is happy to have some help, but when strange things start happening Flora may regret her decision to let her mother in. Surprisingly creepy, fast paced delicious novel that is not to be missed. This is an author to watch!!

Flora’s husband is deployed and she’s home with new baby, Iris. The story starts with an immediate bang - Flora wakes up confused and not sure what happened to Iris.

There is a deep sense of dread throughout the book and the author does an incredible job of holding that tension. Mixing postpartum depression with classic horror, this book is 5 stars for me.

Thanks so much for allowing me to read in advance!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of Dearest by Jacquie Walters.
Based on the description, I really, really wanted to enjoy this book. Sadly, that was not the case. For me, the storyline moved at a snails pace. About 66% into the book, it started to get interesting and then it just got really weird. At 91% I had to force myself to finish. This one was not for me.

Everything that Flora goes through as a new mom is so refreshingly relatable and personally made me feel not alone. Then Flora gets thrown into a nightmare with all of these various horror aspects and the relationship with her own mother. It was a GREAT read with tons of twists, some completely unhinged. Highly recommend for any thriller lover!

Thank you Mulholland Books for the gifted digital ARC.

I am 8.5 months postpartum and thought I would be able to handle this one but 10% in and it's triggering my postpartum anxiety very badly and I unfortunately have to call it quits on this one.

This is absolutely no fault of the author whatsoever (in fact I commend her for writing so perfectly she has encompassed EXACTLY how I felt freshly postpartum). I will not hesitate to read this author again in the future and the only place I will rate this book is NetGalley as I don't feel it's fair to rate books I did not finish!

Trusting your gut is hard as a new parent. For survivors of trauma, “normal” can be so hard to define, right? Add in some post-pregnancy hormones? Flora’s left living a nightmare.

Flora’s reality-checking as a result of sleep deprivation and new-mom self-doubt is deeply relatable and so well drawn. Her vulnerable state compounds our concern for her baby. The baby’s questionable safety cues some serious dread throughout these pages. As the door to examining her own relationship with her mother opens, what’s let in is a dark question of who Flora will be to her baby.

Ah, the new-parent urge to ‘do it right’, ‘heartfelt enough’, or ‘steadfast enough’ while recognizing you may not even have for context for what that means is hard. Doing it all alone as a (temporarily) single parent, harder.

5/5 I loved it!

One of the easiest 5 stars I have given this year. This book is crazy! Jacquie does a great job blending aspects of postpartum into horror. It was at times completely relatable but also equally unhinged and scary.

This book was like five books in one in the best possible way. Every time I thought I knew where it was going it took a crazy and entertaining left turn into a completely different place. Combines hauntings, secret pasts, creepy imaginary friends, possession, paranoia, all into one scary and entertaining thrill ride.

This extremely creepy novel about a tormented first time mother descends into something much more terrifying as it goes on.

Flora loves her baby girl. But with her husband deployed for another two weeks, she finds herself bone tired and depressed. She's seeing things and having thoughts which no mother should have. Doing this on her own is taking a heavy psychological and physical toll.

Flora hasn't spoken to her mother in years but decides to reach out anyway, desperate for help. When her mother shows up with no hesitation, it appears that things might be okay. But, holy hell, they are going to get much worse.

There's a big revelation about her mother about halfway through which is going to change everything. And even after you think you know what's happening, that's going to change as well.

The slow and steady reveals of family secrets shed some light while also raising more questions. What's to be believed? Are the things she's experiencing real or hallucinations? Can she trust herself around her own child?

As this book ramps up to a chilling supernaturally charged ending, events are going to get downright horrifying and nobody is safe.

This novel is fantastic and brings the chills and creeps I like in my horror.. I very highly recommend it.

DEAREST is an absolutely scary and unnerving read. The tension builds throughout and the descriptive scenes throughout - from beetles to breastmilk - place you in the house with Flora. Walters builds in commentary on motherhood and insights into the isolation, despair, and fear that new mothers may feel but then adds in humor throughout to give a break from the horror that is building and building. Readers who enjoyed NESTLINGS and INCIDENTS AROUND THE HOUSE will enjoy DEAREST. Perfectly executed for a debut novel - I really enjoyed this and look forward to what Walters does next. Thank you to Mulholland Books for the advance copy.

Thank you to Netgalley and Mulholland Books for the digital galley in exchange for my honest review.

Readability = 100 I flew through this book in two days and when I was busy, I was thinking about how soon I’d be able to get back to it.

It really reminded me of a season of American Horror Story, in a lot of ways. In tone and content, but also in the way a really promising story will reliably go completely off the rails around the 60% mark.

Dearest tells the story of new mom, Flora, estranged from her own mother, and navigating the difficult process of raising a newborn. Her husband is deployed, and her father and stepmother (who stayed for a few weeks during and directly after the birth) have packed up and headed back to their own home. But it’s okay, because in only a weeks time, her husband will return home.

She is battling an infection caused by breastfeeding, badly sleep deprived, plagued by “baby blues,” and feeling like she is already a failure as a mother. Additionally, signs of postpartum psychosis such as the embodiment of her childhood imaginary friend appear, as well as hearing voices, and losing time. There is nothing she needs more than the guidance of her own mother.

But they haven’t spoken since “the incident” that occured at Flora and Connor’s wedding. “The incident” is built up to be some grand blowout which caused Flora and her mother, Jodi, to fight and become estranged for four years, but when I got to the explanation about the incident, it fell incredibly flat. And left Flora looking more nuts than Jodi, pulling some excuse seemingly out of thin air, saying her mother didn’t smile the whole day, despite one page earlier, saying her mother offered her a sad smile.

And I’m not sure if that was a good choice for the narrative. I think the reader needs higher drama than Jodi just acting bored at a wedding and Flora chewing her out for it. This certainly isn’t a fight that necessitates four years of silence. This is the first time the story lost me, but the writing is so fast paced and readable, it swept me back up.

Jodi may be full of reproach, but along with that comes practicality. She is barbed and seemingly unloving, but she comes the moment she is called and whips the house into shape. Until her presence becomes more of a threat than an assurance. This is where we take a supernatural turn.

I have to admit, the book lost me again at the 60% mark. The twist, if you will. My suspension of disbelief snapped, and despite best efforts, never fully won me back.

I really wanted this descent into madness to be comparable to Mona Awad’s novels, and it came close, but it ended up lacking depth.

The bad:
-no character really had a personality
-a lot of questions went unanswered
-sets itself up to show you a really scathing portrayal of toxic mommy issues but then excuses it because it was caused by outside forces not human failure
-rushed ending

The good:
-very readable
-fast paced
-interesting tie between mommy issues and demonic activity
-great beginning
-great imaginary friend backstory

This book just wasn't for me. I enjoy stories about motherhood (warts and all) but unfortunately, "Dearest" just didn't captivate me. I found the writing style to be grating and rather choppy. The dialogue also seemed a little unbelievable to me. I felt like real people don't talk like this. I really wanted to like this novel more, but overall, I found the plot to be far-fetched and lackluster.