First of all, I felt mislead by the "hook" after the title that says, "My baby is missing. Everyone thinks it's my fault." The story is more about how a woman feels when her child won't settle, is sleep deprived, she is forgetful, she has trouble bonding with her child and those around her are wary of her sanity and no one seems willing to pitch in and help. Also, the house is undergoing renovations, her husband is selling his business with 2 partners (one of whom is her sister) and a murder takes place. Lots going on which is a bit of a roller-coaster - quite enjoyable. I did find the "woe is me" and "I can't function" rhetoric was a bit over done. Annie's husband, Max, insists she needs help and hires an undocumented woman to help out. Zoe is magical and baby Lola loves her. When Annie is away from the ominous house, she feels better, which leads her to want escape. I found myself frustrated for Annie and understood why she felt overwhelmed. It was obvious there were secrets and biases and something unsavoury happening. I didn't care for Max who didn't seem to support her enough. I would recommend this and I'm going to look for more by AJ Campbell.

This book was so captivating. It captured my attention from page one. The book had so many twists and kept book interesting. I stayed up late to continue reading and find out what was going to happen next. There was a great mix of characters throughout the plot.

When I first started reading this, I was kind of like OK I get it. Annie is either going through a mental breakdown or someone is messing with her.
Her annoying teen twin step kids Jacob and Jasmine and husband Max aren't making things any better.
Max seems to be constantly gaslighting her and dismissive of her fears. The beginning of the book was a hamster wheel of exactly this.
But then there's a turn around before the middle. Something happens and things take off. I don't want to give too much away. But the secrets and twists keep coming and I couldn't put it down.
I love an unreliable narrator. I also love not being able to guess what's going on.
The last few chapters revealed an unlikely villain and a whole juicy reveal.
I would read another book by this author. It was well written and a slow burn isn't a bad thing.
I would love the characters to be a little more fleshed out. But overall, this was a good thriller.

Rounded up from 3.5 stars.

This book has short chapters and some twists so it reads a lot like a Freida McFadden novel. I also was able to read this within a day with ease. Some theories and paths didn’t follow through all the way and ended up missing the waters a little.

Overall it was a good read that made you think and suspect everyone for every reason.


Thank you to AJ Campbell, Bookouture and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions stated are my own.

Annie lives with her husband, Max, his two children from a previous marriage, and their newborn baby, Lola.

Annie is struggling, she’s forgetful, blacking out, and suffering with terrible stomach pains. Max thinks she has postnatal depression, but Annie isn’t convinced. She thinks something is going on, but what? Are his two older children trying to find ways of getting rid of her?

When a terrible tragedy happens close by, Annie begins to question the motives of those around her.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. My heart went out to Annie right from the start. It’s hard enough having a new baby, without everything else that was going on for her.

Like Annie, I was questioning everyone, as well as suspecting them all.

This was a thrilling and clever psychological thriller, with an ending that I didn’t expect at all.

This was my first AJ Campbell book and I will definitely be looking for others. This book gripped me from the very beginning. There were so many twists and turns all that I did not see coming! If you like Freida you will love this one!

Wow! This was my first read by AJ Campbell and it definitely won't be my last! Gripping from start to finish, First Time Mother will keep you guessing. This book is everything a physiological thriller should be. If you're looking for your next "just one more chapter" read, you have found it.

First Time Mother releases April 14th, available now for preorder on Kindle. Absolutely add this to your TBR, you won't be disappointed!

This book made my heart beat a little faster and it is so so ontense I was shook.

Books of this genre always make me emotional then when the twists start twisting and all is not as it first seems I get rather excited.

This author is a brilliant storyteller. I was hooked from the start and it had all the drama and OMG moments that kept me satisfied..

Its amazing to read.

This was an exceptional psychological thriller—intense from the very start and never letting up. I have to admit, I can usually predict twists in suspense novels fairly quickly, but this one completely took me by surprise. That level of storytelling is rare, and it speaks to the author’s talent. A truly gripping, unpredictable read!
I received an advance copy from NetGalley, but all opinions are my own.

Finished this in one day! I couldn’t put it down.. and just when I thought I had it all figured out,, twisty twist!

Definitely this book would keep you on your toes. From the very first page, I was hooked, unable to put it down! The pulse-pounding twists and heart-racing moments had me on the edge of my seat, biting my nails in anticipation of what would happen next. Campbell masterfully weaves a narrative that is both gripping and relatable, capturing the anxieties and joys of motherhood with incredible accuracy. This book is not just a story; it’s an emotional rollercoaster that will leave you breathless. I totally enjoy riveting reads and this book is the one you must read. It keeps your heart racing, I highly recommend it.

OH MY ! That was some book. It was so captivating I couldn't put it away. The story just grabbed me and didn't let go. I actually think that this may be one of the most unforgettable plots that I've read. You have got to give it a try. Its unbelievably great.

AJ Campbell always blows me away with her crazy domestic suspense/thriller books. The first half of this book was me totally gasping several times by 30% into it. I was hooked. I was disturbed and I was unsettled.

Annie is crazy. Annie is a bad mother and stepmother. Annie has post birth psychosis. Wrong wrong and wrong of course.

Her family is sabotaging her for sure. What’s going on here. The synopsis states that baby Lola goes missing and so I kept waiting for that to happen. Did it? Not really but what does happen is nuts and kept me totally mind boggled.

The twists keep coming and it’s hard to keep up here. Ultimately, the conclusion was surprising and I didn’t see it coming AT ALL.

For fast paced crazy popcorn thrillers, AJ is one of the best and I’ll never stop reading her books. Fun!

Annie has a new born baby Lola and is living with her husband Max and his two teenage children. Annie is exhausted and is really struggling and then a tragedy strikes and Annie starts to think is she really going insane or is something much more sinister happening? From the first page I was hooked in the delicate plot! I felt so sorry for Annie who is trying to juggle a new born while at times believing she is going crazy because I could feel her emotions prominently featured. The plot is filled with twists some you see coming and some you don't but it definitely pulls you in and keeps you guessing. I kept telling myself I'll read one more chapter but because the chapters are short, sharp and intense before I knew it I came to the explosive ending!

This is the first time reading any title by AJ Campbell. Let's just say if you are a Freida McFadden fan, you are going to love this book! AJ keeps you guessing till the last chapter!

Thank you Netgalley, A J Cambell and Bookouture for the eArc of First-Time Mother,

First-Time Mother is a medium paced domestic thriller with some great psychological twists and turns. We Follow Annie, a few Mum with a blended family of teen twins and what seemed like a happy marriage. Something changed though when Max and Annie has Lola. Annie finds herself tired all the time, memory laps, black outs and monstrous nightmares. Everyone around her tries to be supportive but Annie feels that she just needs some decent nights sleep. Very quickly, things start getting out of hand and you don't know if Annie is an unreliable narrator or something more insidious is going on.

I pretty much sat and read this in one sitting, it's a page turner for sure. I feel that the portrayal of Motherhood, postnatal depression ( Postpartum for some readers ), the difficulties of blended families is spot on. I loved the characters, Max, the dotting father has a side that's quite controlling. The twin teens, exchanging looks that only twins on the same wave length can communicate and the circle of friends that Annie and Max have are very well built. My heart went to Annie though, the writing portrays the absolute confusion and exhaustion of a new mother feels.

I sussed out some of the twists as the foreshadowing was subtle and well placed but didn't seen the big reveal which surprised me. The pacing was even throughout the narrative and this will be one I'll be buying when it's released! I do believe this is my first of AJ Campbells books Ive actually read and I'll be looking for more.

4.5 stars for Storygraph. 4 for other review sites

My review of the ARC of First Time Mother
Author AJ Campbell

Releases on 14/04/25.

I have read a few of AJ's books, so I was excited to get straight into this one.
Annie having a new born baby girl Lola, after finding out she was pregnant, she moved in with Max and his twin son and daughter and then got married.
The twins weren't to happy about it.
What was happening to Annie, she was confused, the pressure of motherhood and being deprived of sleep.
During times she collapsed into deep sleeps some disturbing incidences occurred around the house, they all think it's her doing as she was the only one home, she couldn't remember and swore it was nothing to do with her and thinks she is being set up by someone close.
Annie is distraught when she finds Lola her daughter, her life goes missing.

First Time Mother is a very fast paced, gripping and intense thriller, I could not put this book down.
So many twists, I had no clue to how and could not guess this was going to finish, and WOW that ending I was really blown away by the totally unexpected ending, it is absolutely edge of your seat stuff.
A brilliantly written book by AJ Campbell, outstanding descriptive characters and settings.
The tension starts from page one and rapidly builds throughout, can Annie get her life back with or without Max? You have to read it to find out.
This most definitely is a must-read book, I
recommend it and is truly deserving of more than the ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating.

I must give praise where praise is due. This is the first time in a LONG time that I read a book in one sitting. I literally absorbed this book and could not put it down. I loved the short chapters and how they picked right off where the last one ended, no weird cuts or jumps to a week later or any of that. It felt like I was standing next to the characters and watching it all happen.

It was also written very well and I felt the same sense of confusion as our main character, which really added to the atmosphere and storyline. The synopsis did confuse me a bit though as a solid 80% of the book focused on a different issue but at the same time, that was yet another thing that threw me so I didn't really mind.

With that said, this book gets a solid 4.5 stars from me. Why not 5? The ending.

I knew about halfway through that it was either going to be absolute gold, one of my fav thrillers OR the ending was gonna knock off some points. Now to be honest, I didn't even know what exactly I wanted the ending to be. I had a few theories and I would've probably felt just as meh if any of those came true. So the author really couldn't have won that battle with me.

But that out of left field solution and reasoning behind the actions.. they were a bit tooo far fetched to me. The author did give solid explanations but it still felt like a bit of a letdown.

But hey, I was still fully into the plot regardless and very much enjoyed the reading experience. Fully recommend.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with this free copy in exchange for an honest review!

When it comes to psychological thrillers, "First-Time Mother" truly delivers. If you love stories where reality blurs with illusion, this is the book for you.

Annie’s life should be picture-perfect — she lives with her loving husband, his teenage twins, and their newborn baby, Lola. But motherhood isn’t the blissful experience she expected. Lola won’t stop crying, Annie is severely sleep-deprived, and her memory is slipping. She's starting to confuse details, forget conversations, and misplace things. Everyone around her is worried — what’s really wrong with her?

Annie feels like she's spiraling, and everyone around her seems suspicious. Who can she trust when her own mind is failing her? Or worse — can she even trust herself, or is she the one putting her loved ones in danger?

Just when you think you know where this story is going — trust me, you don’t. The people in Annie’s life are hiding secrets, and nothing is as it seems. Short chapters and constant tension make this one impossible to put down. I warmly recommend reading it!

This is definitely a brilliant, fast paced thriller of a read, just what I like in a book from the beginning until an even more brilliant ending.

All the characters were extremely well described and everything was brought to a satisfactory conclusion.

This twisty read is now another of my top ten reads for 2025 and definitely another favourite author for me to follow.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for this fantastic ARC which I have no hesitation in recommending.