3.5 ⭐️ | Enjoyed this story overall. Perfect chapter lengths, and good narration on this audiobook. This was my first book by AJ Campbell but I do plan on reading more. The story creates a tense atmosphere as you continue to try and figure out what is truly happening. Very thought provoking read that keeps you guessing. Thank you Bookouture Audio for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Talking about the jaw on the floor... First-time Mother by A.J. Campbell will deliver you one! WoW!!!
Complicated family dynamics, sleep deprivation, love and hate mixed with secrets, sprinkled with crime and decorated with nail-biting ending. Like seriously WOW!!!

A high-quality audiobook narrated by Tamsin Kennard will make this journey even more enjoyable! I could not believe that there was just one narrator! You could feel how much she connected with the book and the characters! It was so easy to separate who was who, with no confusion or questioning. Just excellent!

In true A.J. Campbell style, the story sucks you in from the first page. Layer by layer author puts together the story in a way that you don't trust anyone and you suspect everyone! You can get a proper headspin trying to work out what the hell is going on?!
The book is told in the present and from Annie's perspective, so it's easy to follow. Characters were irritable but lovable once you understand the emotional side of their actions.

Annie's and Max's four-month-old baby girl Lola is a crybaby. Annie can't remember when she had good sleep so things are complicated. It's not helping that her 17-year-old stepchildren dislike her. Strange things start to happen and Annie questions herself, is she losing her mind? Why she can't remember things she did or heard? Annie thinks she's going mad. How much she can trust herself or others?

Thank you, NetGalley for this copy!

If you're in the mood for a gripping mystery with emotional depth, pick up this thriller that follows a new mother navigating the blurred lines between exhaustion, paranoia, and reality. The story captures the intense vulnerability of early motherhood-combining sleepless nights, overwhelming love, and the creeping fear that something isn't quite right. When things begin to go missing and family and friends seem concerned about the new mother the noose of conspiracy tightens. This novel masterfully blends maternal instincts with psychological suspense, making it impossible to put down. A page-turner that will keep you questioning everyone and everything until the final reveal.
I would like to thank NetGalley, A.J. Campbell, and Bookouture for the advance reading copy in exchange for my honest review.

Wow! I don't even know where to begin with this book. From the beginning it had me hooked. I finished this in 1 sitting. I could not stop listening. I thought I had it figured out from the start and my mind changed quite a few times but the ending still came out of no where and shocked me. I loved this book and will be adding the rest of this authors backlog on my TBR! Pick this one up!!!

I received this ALC for free in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for this ALC

#FirstTimeMother #NetGalley

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and AJ Campbell for providing me with an audiobook ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Spoiler Free: I could not put this book down! The writing and audiobook narration absolutely absorbed me and I finished it in a few hours. I hadn't read anything by AJ Campbell before but I definitely have to check out more books by her now! I love having more female thriller authors :)

I really enjoyed spending time with Annie. Even when I felt I would do something different, I always understood her motivations and I was rooting for her and her baby the whole time! The narrator really brought the words of this book to life and every conversation felt so real. Really immersive work!

Also, the ending felt a bit flat for me but I still really enjoyed it and felt like I could see every scene clearly as if I was watching a film! (I would love to see an adaptation of this one day haha). I would definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys thrillers, whether you're a seasoned reader like me or just dipping your toes in! You'll devour this in one sitting, I promise haha.

SPOILER WARNING:

The only thing that I feel could be improved is the marketing. From the description and cover, I thought this was a book mainly about a missing child and not the fallout following a family members suicide, the child being missing didn't even happen until the last few chapters. It felt a bit confusing on that aspect.

Wow! The kind of thriller I love to read! The book had me hooked from the beginning! I totally thought I had it figured out mid book but the ending threw me for a loop! I was even on the edge of my seat reading some of it! I would definitely recommend to everyone!

FIVE STARS!
I loved listening to this during my daily commutes. So many twists and turns! I was completely shocked at the end, I didn't see any of it coming at all. The narrators voice was very soothing to listen to and kept me listening to find out what happened next! I really enjoyed this book. Thank you so much for giving me an ARC listen!!

Thank you to @netgalley for this audiobook! WOW! This thriller is absolutely perfect for fans of Frieda McFadden and Lisa Jewell. While her husband Max tries his best to convince Annie that her blackouts are due to her being a tired and stressed first time mother, Annie can’t help but feel something is wrong. When their baby goes missing and another crime is committed all eyes are on Annie as she faces questions and doubts but who can she really trust? Her husband? His kids? Their friends? Those around her? Or even herself?

This was a twisty thriller that kept me guessing throughout! I was suspicious of absolutely everyone and it’s because of that that I couldn’t stop listening to this. I didn’t know who to trust and whether or not Annie was a reliable narrator. AJ Campbell did an incredible job at capturing the very real exhaustion and stress of being a first time mother. The doubts, worries and tiredness felt so accurately portrayed and made us feel so connected to Annie at times feeling sorry for her but also frustrated as she pass her paranoia onto me as a reader. This was a fun thriller that didn’t stop with the twists and with two major plots to the story we are left hooked! The audio narration was full of emotion and clear and I loved the bathing scenes that brought the scenery to life! I would highly recommend for fans of a twisty domestic thriller!

This is my first AJ Campbell thriller book experience and easily my new favourite thriller author .. This book was an absolute masterpiece in every sense of the word! Full of twists, gripping and just all-round perfection! Keeps you guessing and wanting more! I will definitely be coming back for more from this author

Story follows Annie, a first time mother who lives with her husband Max and 17yr old twins from his previous marriage; she lives in the house he once shared with his late wife. On top of being sleep deprived, she feels something is going on in the house when things go missing and look out of place as well as Annie's unusual blackouts and strange behaviour...

First-Time Mother by A.J. Campbell
Narrated by Tamsin Kennard

There is a lot going on in the household of Max and Annie. They met and married quickly and now have a new baby. Max was widowed and his twin teens live with him and Annie in the very nice but old home where he and his teens lived with his late wife. Annie would like to move to a house doesn't belong so much to Max's old life but he wants to stay in this house and there are workers on the property everyday making much needed long term renovations to the property. Annie has her work from home business in a building at the back of the property but she seems to be in some kind of postnatal fog that she cannot shake. In fact, the fog is getting worse and her family is blaming her for more and more things going wrong around the house. And Max is in the middle of selling the business he owns with Annie's sister and another partner and that is a huge stress for Max and his partners.

Annie doesn't think she's made half the mistakes that are blamed on her but she's so muddled, exhausted, and unable to remember anything from one moment to the next, she just has to accept the blame and try to do better. She knows she's missing out on enjoying her baby but she can hardly go on. She'll wake up hours later from a nap she didn't mean to take, so many important things are missing that she apparently misplaced, and numerous empty wine bottles indicate she's drinking without remembering she has done so. Max is worried about their baby because he sees Annie is acting in such a careless manner. He's made Annie accept a part time baby minder and Annie has no choice but to agree as she seems to be deteriorating by the day.

Tamsin Kennard narrates characters such as Annie very well, all fraught, frazzled, and falling apart. Are we being led astray by Annie's poor me story or is someone sabotaging Annie, doing something to cause her muddled mind and actions? Is this postnatal depression or something else? The twins never seemed to like Annie from the time their dad sprung her on them and now Max is acting strange and distant, too. There is no way I could have figured out what was going on with the many characters and extenuating circumstances. Annie's ride is a wild one and you have to hope the baby will come out of this ride safe and sound.

Thank you to Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for this ARC.

My biggest complaint about this is the tag line on the front cover, along with the description.
"A baby is missing, everyone thinks its my fault"

And that is NOT the actual premise of the book. Annie a new mom struggling with post partum. Sleep deprived and unable to remember events and conversations, she has little connection with baby Lola and just wishes she could sleep.
One afternoon she literally passes out, only to awaken and find someone dead in her home, with her bathrobe belt around their strangled neck.

No missing baby for 3/4 of the story, so I downgrade this to two stars.

It also was really hard to follow. I originally thought it was because Annie is such a bad narrator, with her fumbled brain and poor recollection of memories. But no, it's more of a storyline flaw.

I can say I did not see the ending coming, but not in an "A-HA" way, more of just a "HUH" way for me.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Absolutely gripping! "First-Time Mother" by AJ Campbell was phenomenal. New mom, blackouts, missing baby... I was hooked! Twists galore, couldn't put it down.
Campbell expertly weaves a complex web of suspicion, making you question every character and every motive. The emotional depth of the story, coupled with the high-stakes suspense, creates a truly unforgettable reading experience. If you're a fan of Frieda McFadden or Jeneva Rose, you absolutely need to read this book. Prepare to finish in 24 hrs, because this is one thriller that will keep you absolutely HOOKED. Highly, highly recommended!

This was really good. I honestly thought I knew something and had a hint of a backup ending but bam did not see that coming. Initially I thought it was similar to the Parrish series but then it took a turn.

I got an advanced copy of the audiobook and really enjoyed the narration.

I’ll be thinking of this one for a while. It releases April 14th. Check it out.

Rollercoaster ride of a book!!! So many twists and turns that keep the reader invested.
I will say the description threw me off. That first sentence of the description misleads the possible reader a tad.
With that said highly recommend this title.

This audiobook hit me hard, and as a mom, it took me on an emotional rollercoaster. I was hooked from the very start. It’s one of those thrillers that keeps you guessing the whole way through. A mother’s worst nightmare.. her newborn baby goes missing, and with her memory full of gaps, even she starts questioning what really happened. The tension just builds and builds, and every time I thought I had it figured out, another twist completely threw me off.

The narrator, Tamsin Kennard, did an amazing job bringing the story to life. I could feel the desperation, the frustration, and the way no one believed her.. it was intense. And that plot twist? I did not see it coming. It completely flipped everything I thought I knew, and I just sat there, shocked.

This one is a must-listen if you love psychological thrillers, especially as a mom. It pulls you in emotionally, keeps you guessing, and doesn’t let go until the very last moment. I highly recommend it!

Absolutely devoured this book. Super fast paced, lots of twist, the perfect psychological thriller.

-The narrator does a great job!

Listened to this in one sitting and LOVED it. Kept me interested and its an easy read, Great story line.

This book has good twist and turns, making you second guess throughout. Overall it was a decent read but I found myself unable to connect to the characters which made it lack for me personally.

3.75 🌟 very nearly a 4, unfortunately in the last few days I’ve finished another title with an almost identical plot, although the story panned out quite differently, it was too much of the same for me to rate higher, which seems a shame as the book is brilliant and it’s definitely not either authors fault that’s they’ve crossed over, it just made it too predictable for me.

The writing is excellent, the plot is great, there are lots of twists and turns along the way that will keep the reader hooked on the story. There were a few little loopholes in the story that made me a bit confused. You know the type of thing that makes you shout at a horror movie?!

If these titles are anything to go by, people might want to start just recruiting childcare from the nearest bus stop.

Great narration as always by Tamsin Kennard 🎧

Huge thanks to Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to review to this ALC 🎧

First-Time Mother by AJ Campbell is a mystery/thriller with one twist after another. Annie is a new mom to an infant and a fairly new step-mom to twin teenagers. She’s struggling with her memory and life as a new mom. After a life changing event, Annie starts to stumble upon a lot of secrets. Things aren’t what they seem at all. I would start to figure something out and some new information would be thrown at me. It kept m guessing. I listened to the audio and narrator Tamsin Kennard did a fantastic job. Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture Audio for the opportunity to listen to this book.