A book on revenge for abusive and harmful men? Don't mind if I do lol
First book by this author, I absolutely loved this book and flew through it. It's fast paced, full of Suspense and tension and will have you flipping the pages to find out more. I'll be purchasing a copy for my co-worker

Don’t Call Me Baby is a dark, twisty thriller with bite. Katy’s transformation from school principal to unapologetic femme fatale is laced with Catholic guilt, dry wit, and a whole lot of vengeance.

I was sitting at a 3.25 until the end which bumped it up to a 3.5

We follow our FMC who gets assaulted right at the beginning of the book. The first 25% includes heavy discussion of catholic guilt and religion. Set against the background of Ireland, the jargon creeps into the writing in a way that could be very fun in an audiobook.

I love an unhinged FMC and found this book following the same vibe as Boy Parts by Eliza Clark, where we get an interesting 1st person POV into the mind of someone who tries to focus on presenting as “good” and “put together” but on the inside likes seeking revenge on men more than she likes being with them.


What I liked:
There were many beautiful sentences and things I wanted to underline, especially as a woman.

Female friendship and family dynamics

The length of the book

Vocabulary choice

Inner dialogue




What I was neutral about:
Time jumps

Death descriptions (some a little more disturbing than others)



What I didn’t like:
This book seemed to be missing a cohesive story throughout, and while each chapter had their own “slice of life” quality- it seemed like many characters were introduced only to show her hatred to men. Each chapter seemed to focus on a different situation or man, who we typically had no previous knowledge of, and once their story played out- seemed to not be mentioned again in the novel.

While I understand some people like this writing style, it doesn’t work the best for me, as I enjoy a more seamless plot with a clear beginning middle and end structure. If you liked the structure of One Day in December by Josie Silver, this may work for you.



What I think was a heavily missed opportunity:
Throughout the book, the FMC has a running inner dialogue, where she refers to herself as “baby”. I think a huge opportunity was missed at the beginning of the book when Brian did not refer to her as that, which would logically make sense to stem her hatred. (Not a spoiler, in the first chapter)




I was wondering where this book would end, and it was a good way to wrap it up in my opinion. I overall had a fine time with this book, and with a couple small tweaks I think it would’ve been a bit smoother and cohesive. By absolutely no means a bad book, and if you’re feeling extra man hatey at the time of reading, you may rate it higher. Could be good to read fresh off a breakup (if you’re willing to be disgusted by men again). I would try another book from this author.

This was a heck of a read!! Revenge on abusive men...hello?? I'm in!! Great storyline with an intense main character. I will be lookfprward to more from this author

A twisty thriller.
Well thought out storyline and wonderfully written characters.
Flew through this one.
My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my copy.

A thriller with dark humor? Yes, please! This book is both relatable and satirical, making you laugh while still in the grips of what darkness is next! Great read!

this is such a gripping and impacting read. what i know people will say this book is...a man hating woman. i suppose im questioning why we are once again labelling this as that when all this woman is doing is reacting to these men. these men who deff hate woman if they act in such ways. with what happened to our main character right at the beginning of the book can we not totally see why she would fear them and it lead to other thoughts on herself and them. but instead we make it again something the "woman is doing" and "hating". no merely reacting to some very real men. believe it or not woman dont go out to fear and react to men. they do so because of men. men. men. and what men do, say, behave. so maybe we not to stop spinning any book with a woman finally blowing her much to the brim top a spiralling as suddenly oh it "woman hating man". id argue its is most definitely not.
but off my soap box now this book was brilliant. you see what happens to our character right at the start. and you see how this inflicts so much on her. and surrounding a belief and faith system too notched it up a level in the after effects and how she might or might not deal with that. and then how it manifests from there. and how once again the woman's facade of who she was meant to be and seen to be at all other times led to this double life. which for me only added to the pain we feel for her and the others she meets along the way.
of course me feeling for this woman and others doesn't make it not morally eeeeeekish. but this is a book not where i stand in court people.
and its our main characters voice that really shines for me in this read. i was just there, with her, by her side,hearing her. and all others. and i just was gripped to how Cara made her voice seem so vivid. at some points this one woman and other points another depending on what face she was having to put out there.
the dry and brutal honesty of it really swung it for me too. im sorry it seems so wrong to see the wit in it, but yeh this wit in it was right down my street. completely dry touches that got me every time.
this is a compelling book with an even more compelling main character.

Twisted, kinda dark, but also sprinkled with a good dose of dark humor. Not your typical serial killer for sure - kinda Dexter vibe, you will root for her while at the same time thinking "this is so wrong", but not! Entertaining and bloody good fun!

This was an intense and surprising read. Katy’s double life makes the story interesting, and the mix of everyday moments with dark twists kept me reading. It’s a dramatic, emotional book that sticks with you.

Finegan is an author new to me and I will definitely be reading her next release. What starts as a coming of age type book turns quickly into a satirical thriller which is highly original and fast paced. I loved Kate, the main character, and that kept me reading despite having to suspend belief with many improbabilities. Her inner chatter was so relatable. This is a very funny book even as it describes extreme violence. It's smart, sharp and very dark. I like the exploration of gender and enjoyed all the truth bombs about Irish men. Revenge, Catholic guilt, marriage, femaie empowerment all get some consideration. The dialogue was very honest to modern Northern Ireland and I enjoyed that setting as the backdrop. This was a nice break from the serial murderer trope. No paragraph is wasted. This is an unputdownable well written, clever read that I thoroughly enjoyed and had me laughing oftern,

This novel is a bold, unsettling, and utterly captivating dive into revenge, trauma, and the complicated ways a woman can reclaim her power. From the very first chapter, Katy’s voice pulls you in - sharp, witty, deeply honest, and chillingly calm as she recounts the moment her life fractures and the path she chooses to take because of it.

What makes this story so gripping is the contrast between Katy’s outward life and her hidden crusade. By day, she’s a polished primary school principal and devoted mother; underneath, she’s a razor-focused avenger determined to dismantle anyone who tries to manipulate or control women. Her blend of charm, intellect, and ruthless determination makes her one of the most compelling antiheroines I’ve read in a long time.

Such a gripping psychological thriller - perfect for readers who love complex female leads, dark humor, and stories that aren’t afraid to dig into the messy, dangerous side of empowerment.