First-Time Mother is a fantastic psychological thriller!

I absolutely loved this book! The amount of times I gasp out loud and my jaw dropped was insane! From the amazing plot, to the shocking twists this book held my attention the entire time. I literally didn't put this book down. I can't even tell you the amount of times I've recommended this book. Pretty sure the author was getting tired of me tagging her on IG lol.. I think this was the first book I've read from this author but I can't wait to read more of her books!!

I always enjoy a good thriller. First-Time Mother by AJ Campbell was an entertaining book and it's available now.

This gripping psychological thriller pulls you into the emotional chaos of new motherhood—and the secrets that can destroy it. A.J. Campbell weaves tension and vulnerability into every page, making you question who to trust. Twists, suspicion, and raw emotion collide in a story that feels all too real.

Kept me on the edge of my nerves (SO annoying) never on the edge of my seat.

This is my second by the author and I really enjoyed The Phone Call , but this seemed liked a different author wrote it! Absolutely not a "missing baby/edge of your seat" thriller. It is about the wife/mother called Annie (though her hubby calls her darling ad nauseam). I really wanted to scream, "STOP"!

Anyway, Annie is exhausted, as I was reading this. She has mommy mind and brain fog so bad that her family thinks she has lost it and she thinks someone is trying to kill her. There is much repetition and talk of this and other tricks of the mind she suffers from.

The conclusion was laughable, but I will say the last secret Annie revealed was pretty clever, just not enough to elevate my rating.

Annie’s life takes an unexpected turn with a new marriage, a baby, and two teenage stepchildren. Adjusting to these changes proves to be more challenging than she anticipated, leaving her feeling fatigued, uncertain, and overwhelmed. Although certain that her husband, Max, only wants the best for her, Annie struggles to cope with the daily fumbles and uncertainties that plague her. While Annie loves her new baby, Lola, and has embraced the role of stepmother to her stepchildren, she can’t help but wonder why she’s struggling so much. But with little sleep, even that love is questionable.

The twists and turns in this book, expertly narrated by Tamsin Kennard, keep the reader on the edge of their seat. Some of the events are cringeworthy, as it’s impossible not to empathize with Annie’s pain and uncertainty. Is she unwell or being gaslit? What about Max’s first marriage? Did he treat his first wife the same way he’s treating Annie?

As I began listening to this book, I couldn’t help but notice several familiar tropes: a new marriage, stepchildren, a new baby, a baby with colic, baby blues, gaslighting, and more. However, AJ Campbell’s storytelling is so compelling that I found myself thoroughly enjoying the shocking surprises along the way. This book will be with me for a long while.
Many thanks to Bookouture Audio and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Big thanks to Bookouture for a copy on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
First Time Mother is a hooking, entertaining and fast paced thriller.
AJ is a masterful storyteller and cleverly pulls the reader into the story making them second guess everything.
Annie is a mother to a young daughter, Lola.
She lives with her husband Max and his twin teenage children, Jasmine and Jacob, from a previous marriage and lives in their house.
Finding it awkward and being sleep deprived makes for an uncomfortable life.
When strange things occur like fire, missing baby bottles, empty wine bottles and non existent conversations, Annie thinks she’s going mad.
Max and the twins think she needs to see a therapist.
When Lola goes missing, it all will never be the same again…..
A suburban family domestic drama that will trick you with every chapter until that very last reveal.
Well executed, a great twist and one hell of an impressive ride.

Annie new mother to baby Lola is exhausted, she feels like she is losing her mind and that someone is trying to slowly kill her. When her sisters body is discovered in her en suite bathroom is she a suspect? Twists and turns, a good read.

Total rating 3.5 stars

Where and how to begin this review, my mind is well and truly blown 🤯. One of my favourite authors, I always look forward to the next release and it always astonishes me how much she excels herself with each book.

This was so tense at times, not to mention scary. The radiator incident completely freaked me out, initially I was feeling the story was going somewhere else, so it was a complete surprise.

There was so much going on, I loved all the characters, but at times, I did get frustrated with Annie for not standing up to the twins more, but all of the characters worked well together and I was constantly chopping and changing my opinion on them, especially Jasmine!

The main twist was awesome, completely out of the blue and unexpected, I never even saw a hint of a clue with that. I don’t want to risk spoilers as I just want to gush about it, it was just bloody brilliant!

This is a must read if you want a thriller full of family drama, gaslighting, deceit, misdirection, twists.

Y’all need to add this to your TBR!

I truly enjoyed this book. It took me some time to get familiar with the different slang, but once I was able to readjust what I was reading, I loved it!

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review, as well as the author for reaching out and suggesting I check out her book on NetGalley.

First-Time Mother had a lot of elements that I typically enjoy in a book - unlikeable characters, an unreliable narrator, quick packing and short chapters. However, I find myself in the minority with this one, and I had to DNF at 34%. I still gave this 2 stars for what I've read, however, for the elements I did enjoy. The premise was fine but there were too many things that held me back from fully connecting and enjoying what I was reading.

SPOILERS BELOW (for the first 34% of the story).

A few things really irritated me while reading, and over time I just had to quit because I was getting too angry and not really caring about the characters or the story. First, it was a bit of an adjustment to the choppiness of the writing. However, that wasn't a dealbreaker, but it definitely didn't help in the end. My biggest issue was with all of the characters. First of all, the husband was completely awful. The way he was mean to his wife, short with her for her forgetfulness, and even YELLING at her literally after her sister was found dead in their house...honestly it made me sick. It also just felt too close to home with friends and how their husbands have treated them. Additionally, the FMC was insufferable. I know she is supposed to be unreliable, but the fact she blatantly kept refusing mental healthcare, and her views on it in general (only for moms with 6 kids, only for women who are sad after giving birth) - it was just so gross to still have this opinion in 2025. Usually there is some discussion or side comments from other characters to try to show that mental health is important, but that wasn't the vibe I was getting and it just left a bad taste in my mouth. When her sister died, the FMC was so sure she died by suicide, but then couldn't fathom the fact she could have been so depressed. And yet, the FMC constantly brought up how her sister was probably upset she could never have children, but she (the FMC) got pregnant accidentally. It was just weird to me, and didn't make sense. Along this line of thought, I just really can't stand the surprise pregnancy trope...along with the idea that if you "fall pregnant" by someone, then you have to marry them. There were just so many antiquated mindsets among these characters who were in their 30s (I think), and I just don't know many people (as someone in their 30s) that still thinks that way. Also, the baby still hadn't gone missing (which was the tagline on the cover?), but the sister's murder/suicide seems to be more important at the moment.

At this point, I just did not want to continue reading. Maybe one day I'll come back to it and finish reading, but it won't be any time soon unfortunately. This just wasn't for me.

⭐️⭐️⭐️
I had a hard time connecting with the characters and I found the plot to be a little forced. Good pacing and it was a quick read.

Another great book from AJ Campbell! Great, relatable characters and a story line that kept me guessing. Perfect family thriller.. Thanks AJ Campbell and netgalley

AJ Campbell has quickly been one of my favorite thriller authors. Her books are consistently good, quick reads. When you get caught up in one of her books, you do not want to put it down! Her books are twisty and thought provoking. First-Time Mother is no different.

Annie is a new mom to a beautiful baby named Lola. She is also the wife of Max, living in the home he built with his ex-wife. And she is a step-mother to their children, whom she feels do not like her. She is forgetting things, and it appears as if she is drinking and can’t sleep. She is looking for help, but no one seems to be able to help. Being a new mom is stressful enough, but then her sister ends up dead in her home, while she is sleeping. The book spirals into a frenzy. Annie doesn’t know if she is coming or going and feels like she is going crazy, all while being a new mother, a step-mother and dealing with the emotions of losing her sister (and wondering what happened?!).

Many of the characters in this book are not trustworthy. I couldn’t tell who was genuine and who was out to get someone. The character of Annie was relatable as a new mom, I could feel her emotions, especially when she was asking the doctor for help. Everyone around her made her feel like she was crazy. Max didn’t seem to provide his wife with enough support, even as he was dealing with his own things. I remember being a new mom and all of these additional stressors are enough to drive you crazy! I loved the short chapters, I was invested in the book and couldn’t wait to find out what happened next. I really enjoyed this read by on of my fav authors! Can’t wait to see what comes next!

I came across this author after being highly recommended to read her books. This book was just the book I needed in my life. I loved it. It had me guessing and I was very wrong. Absolutely brilliant from start to finish.

This novel is best to go in blind without reading the synopsis. If you don’t pay attention to the tag line or the synopsis, you’ll find that AJ Campbell has delivered what’s become her signature: a twisty domestic thriller.

I absolutely enjoyed reading this. Will definitely be recommending. Kept me really hooked I'll love to reread again

This was totally unexpected. This book is a gripping narrative that explores the complexities of motherhood, trust, and the human psyche. It’s a compelling read that will keep you questioning what’s real and what’s imagined, right up until the final page. It will hook you from the very beginning. As a reader, you’re immediately pulled into the chaotic and vulnerable world of the main character, a new mother battling sleep deprivation, self-doubt, and the creeping feeling that something just isn’t right.

The pacing is spot-on, and the emotional intensity builds beautifully toward a satisfying and chilling climax. If you enjoy domestic thrillers with complex female leads and plenty of psychological twists, this one’s definitely worth a read.

I received an arc copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest opinion of it. I really enjoyed this book and will definitely look for more by this author. The author did a really good job of keeping me guessing until the end when the twists were revealed and I was surprised with the directions they went to. I highly recommend this book. It really held my interest.

Goodness me, this was such a good book. Highly entertaining. Would definitely recommend to others, that's for sure!

I wasn’t sure what to expect with this book if I’m honest, I didn’t know if it was going to be your standard thriller book but it was so much more, please give this book a chance you won’t regret it!