Absolutely amazing, 4.5 stars! I've only deducted 0.5 stars because at times I got so overwhelmed reading, but that is on me and it's a testament how good the writing is!
The story follows Annie, first time mum to a 4 month old baby. She lives with her husband and his two kids, whos mother passed away and they are not thrilled to have Annie around. Annie is sleep deprived, constantly on edge, forgetting things, having black outs... Something is very wrong with her, but what exactly is going on?
This book kept me on the edge of my seat, my pulse was sky rocketing as I was devouring the pages. I was feeling for Annie as the book took me back to the times of being home with a small baby having no clue what I was meant to be doing at times.

Absolutely brilliant book, I definitely didn''t see the end coming, so many shocking twists and turns throughout the story.

First Time Mother is my third venture into a book by Campbell. It's also my favourite to date.

I was immediately drawn in from the prologue and that was it, I was hooked right until the last page was turned.

It's pacey, has unreliable narrators and so many unpredictable twists to mess with your mind.

The characters are great, the plot is clever. There's intrigue, suspense and an extra layer of tension to top it off.

Absolutely loved it!

First-Time Mother by AJ Campbell is a fast paced and twisty thriller that will keep you guessing until the very end!

New mom Annie is absolutely exhausted. Since little Lola was born she has felt like she is losing her mind. She is sleep deprived, keeps forgetting things, and is overwhelmed. But when strange things start to happen Annie wonders if this is more than just post partum. The formula she bought isn't in the cupboard, Lola's bottles are missing, and a pan of rice on the stove catches fire almost burning the house down. Her husband Max is busy trying to sell the business he runs with Annie's sister and Max's 17 year old twins aren't exactly helpful and kind to Annie. Things only go from bad to worse when a body is found right next to where Annie was sleeping... Can she figure out what is really going on before she loses her mind?

Wow!! From the synopsis of this book I was intrigued but what the book is actually about... I was shocked! This was such a twisty read, you could feel the paranoia and exhaustion from Annie as a new mom. With not a ton of characters you would think it would be pretty straightforward as to what was going on but nope!! Campbell takes what you think you know and flips it on its head!! I absolutely recommend this for fans of Daniel Hurst and Freida McFadden and also for readers of twisty domestic thrillers!!!

Thank you to NetGalley, AJ Campbell, and Bookouture for this ARC!! Publication date is April 14th 2025.

First-Time Mother by AJ Campbell is a thrilling rollercoaster of a read. Packed full of twists you don't see coming.
The pace was spot on, with bucket loads of suspense - had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. This was a very quick read, it kept me engaged from start to finish.
This psychological thriller by AJ Campbell was truly engrossing. It was impossible to put down.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was such a suspenseful read, I felt on the edge of my seat and felt completely gripped the whole way through.

"The sleep deprivation of motherhood is a silent destroyer of any new mum’s sanity and emotions."

Or so it would seem in the twisty First Time Mother, by the reliable, always gives us the shocking ending you won't see coming, author A.J. Campbell.

Annie is a new mother. Lola won't sleep, won't stop crying. Her husband Max is trying to be sympathetic, but he already raised his spoiled 17 year old twins with his first wife; and he's trying to sell his business and can't take off work to help her.

However, when there's a kitchen fire, when Annie has no memory of conversations, and then there's a startling death in the room next to where Annie fell asleep, and she hears nothing, well maybe something else, besides a tired first time mother, is going on with Annie...maybe something sinister!

Listening to voice actress Tamsin Kennard heightened panic, confusion and fear as Annie was a visceral experience deserving of a standing ovation. There were some reveals I knew right away but that ending was nowhere in my mind for this family drama thriller.

Did I mention that there is also reconstruction going on at the house? Constant hammering, drilling, people coming in and out of the house? Yeah it's a lot for a first time mother...and then Lola is missing!

If this is your first time reading or listening to this writer, after this shocking, what just happened ending, it won't be your last time seeking out her psychological thrillers.

I received a free copy of this book/audiobook from Bookouture and Bookouture Audio for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

Annie is a first time mother and constantly exhausted and struggling, looking after her daughter Lola. She lives with her husband Max and his 17 year old twins in the house he shared with his late wife. Unable to remember events and conversations, she is constantly sleep deprived and drowning in doubt when something far more sinister takes place in their home.

The author does a wonderful job of perfectly portraying the vulnerabilities of being a new mother and postpartum life. I could totally relate to Annie's frustration with being unable to form a connection with her four month old daughter. There are things going on in the house that Annie doesn't remember talking about. I was pulled into Annie's constant spiral of fear and paranoia, making me question everything right alongside her.

The characters are complex and well drawn and every one of them has secrets. The plot is masterfully executed and the short chapters built up the suspense and kept me guessing until the very end. Filled with drama and intrigue, this is a gripping psychological thriller that is bingeable and entertaining.

Thank you @ajcampbellauthor for inviting me to read this book and @bookouture for the digital ARC.

Annie is a new mother to Lola and new step mum to teenage twins Jasmine and Jacob. Her husband Max is a good father but he's busy trying to sell his business with partners Sean and Samantha (who happens to be Annie's sister). Suspicions arise about Annie's mental health and capabilities when she starts experiencing extreme fatigue and brain fog. Is it the missing wine that's causing it or something more sinister?
And when Annie discovers a body and her baby is missing, things only get worse for her. Can she uncover the truth before she loses everything?

With such a small cast of characters, you'd assume it would be easy to work out what was going on and who's responsible for it all. But you'd be wrong. I know I was. This book contains many a secret and many a surprise twist that keeps you guessing. You will not be able to trust a single person, I was even dubious of the baby at one point.

Packed full of short and snappy chapters, it is easy to read this fantastic book little and often. Or, as I did, get through half of it in one go during a long journey. It will always leave you wanting a little bit more so don't read it at night if you've got an early start the next day.

Newly postpartum mother Annie has a colicky baby that never stops crying, step kids who seem to not like her, and things suddenly start happening that don’t make sense. A pan of rice on the stove she fell asleep and forgot about catches fire and nearly burns the house down, the bottles she made up the night before aren’t in the fridge where she thought they were, the formula she swore she bought last week isn’t in the cupboard. Is she really forgetful from lack of sleep or is something more sinister going on? Annie and her new husband are also keeping secrets from each other that could change everything.

First-Time Mother is a gripping thriller with several twists I never saw coming! As a mom, I could relate to Annie and feeling like you’re losing your mind from sleep deprivation. I’m a little confused by the part on the cover that mentions her baby is missing because 98% of the story wasn’t about her missing baby or about it being her fault. Anyway, I would highly recommend!

*Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"My family say I’m unwell. They think I can’t care for my baby. But they’re lying. Who can I really trust?"
First-Time Mother is a captivating read that had me turning pages until the very end. This one follows Annie who is a new mom who loses track of time, is always tired and can't remember things. What happens when she wakes up from a nap and her life ends up changing? The author did a great job writing this one and all of the characters were interesting in it. The book will keep you guessing until the end. I enjoyed this one and would recommend it to any reader who likes psychological thriller. Thank you to the author A.J. Campbell for this ARC read in exchange of my honest review of First-Time Mother.

AJ Campbell has become one of my favorite psychological thriller authors and First Time Mother is one of her latest books which will be released on the 14th.

The story follows a woman named Annie who has been struggling with post-partum after giving birth to her daughter Lola. Because of Annie's foggy brain and with Annie accidentally almost making the house on fire, Max, her husband hires a sitter named Zoe. Meanwhile for the renovation of the house, Max hires a group of builders. One night, Annie falls asleep with her baby in her arms. The next thing when she wakes up, she realizes that her sister Samantha is dead in the room. Annie has no recollection of what really happened. Initially, Samantha's death was considered suicide, but the autopsy reports proved that Samantha was in fact murdered. Annie maybe a prime suspect as she was the only one to see Samantha alive. Annie knew that someone in the house is responsible for Samantha's murder and she must find out before it is too late.

This was a fast paced thriller. The whole story was unputdownable and there were twists and turns along the way. Not only that, the story is told in Annie's POV and you can see her emotions as she battles to find out what is real and what is not. The writing overall was great and the author manage to put the reader on the edge when reading this one. The ending was completely an unexpected ending. Overall, this is a highly recommended thriller and would rate this book five stars.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

First-Time Mother
A twisted mind-bending thriller. A fast-paced read…full of surprises. Could not put it down! I was flying through the book, I had to know what happened!

A tense psychological thriller that had me flying through the pages. The writing style made me think ‘just one more chapter’ as I couldn’t put this down. Plenty of twists and turns which is perfect for any thriller fan, this is the second book I have read by this author and it definitely won’t be the last.

The story was compelling, and I especially liked the way it was written. The level of detail pulled me in, and the twists were genuinely surprising. At first, the pace was a little slow, but once things picked up, I was fully invested.

What I appreciated most was how the twists didn’t feel random. When you look back, the clues were there all along, which made those moments feel earned rather than forced. That kind of thoughtful plotting always wins me over.

First-Time Mother by AJ Campbell
3 ⭐

The book follows Annie, a first-time mother. She is feeling overwhelmed, sleep deprived, and beginning to lose her sense of reality, as she is clearly struggling with post-partum mental health symptoms. She starts losing time, hearing noises, and starts to wonder what's real, as strange things start happening around the house. She also has struggles connecting with her 4 months old daughter, all things that to me scream PND.
She begins to question if someone is attempting to hurt her or if it's all in her head, as her mental state clearly deteriorates during the course of the book, and the people around her grow suspicious, and you really feel you can't trust anyone.

Although I enjoyed the tension and overall concept, I occasionally found it to be confusing. Everything seems jumbled and foggy because we're inside Annie's head, which makes sense for her character but was a little hard to read. Although it has an unreliable narrator and is unquestionably a psychological thriller the way it was marketed (making the missing baby the tagline) didn’t quite match the actual focal point of the plot.

An ok read if you’re into slow burns and don’t mind feeling a bit lost along the way.

🍼First-Time Mother
✍️AJ Campbell
Published 14 April 2025

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Is Annie just being paranoid, or is she surrounded by lies, manipulation and betrayal? Are her family against her? Is someone playing tricks on her, or is she losing her mind? Who can she trust?

…TRUST NO ONE!

This one grips you from the beginning and keeps you guessing until the final twist. Every-time you think you’ve cracked it, believe me, you haven’t!

My fave AJ Campbell yet. Thanks for the ARC copy @ajcampbellauthor @netgalley and @bookouture

First-Time Mother is a tense, emotionally layered domestic thriller. Annie, a new mother navigating life with a newborn and two teenage stepchildren, begins to unravel when strange incidents occur—and then her baby disappears. Is it exhaustion, or something more sinister?

AJ Campbell crafts a suspenseful, well-paced story with strong psychological depth. Though the blurb didn’t quite match the plot, the twists at the end kept me engaged.

I would like to thank Bookouture & NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and fair review

Annie is a first time mom with a colicky baby, two step-children, an almost never present husband, and very little sleep. It's no wonder that she forgets things. Maybe falls asleep and lights the house on fire. But no....something is wrong! It's got to be someone else trying to make her look bad...the twins., who act like she's the wicked stepmom...or maybe even her husband Max.

AJ Campbell told this story in a way that made you feel as utterly exhausted as Annie, who was at her wits' end, until her husband insisted on bringing someone in to help. But every time someone else held her baby, from the new babysitter, to her friend, and even her friend's daughter, Annie felt even more incompetent. Why was this so hard? Was it postnatal depression, or worse, was she having a breakdown? Campbell leads you along as she takes you inside Annie's mind to the twists at the end. And even if you guess part of the ending, there's still a twist you won't see coming!

Thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture, and AJ Campbell for an advance reader's copy and a compelling read.

Annie is settled in her home with her new baby, husband, and two step children but something just isn’t right. Odd things are happening, she’s losing track of time, and doesn’t feel right. Is it post partum or something else?

This is the perfect vacation read. It’s fast paced and entertaining. You’re as confused as the main character as to what is going on but there are several possibilities that it could be. Once we are in on the twist, it becomes super exciting and nerve wracking. It also is pleasing because two unexpected characters begin to work together.

“I have so many questions. And literally no answers. But I’ll get them. I will.”

First-time Mother comes out 4/14.

A fast paced and twisty thriller with Annie who having just recently had a baby is sleep deprived, forgetful and doesn’t know who to trust. Loved all the twists and turns and enjoyed this book. Thanks for my ARC.