The beginning started really strong and kept my engrossed but the rest definitely dragged where I caught myself just kind of skimming. I honestly hoped the end gave me good twist but ended pretty much how you'd expect.

I have feelings about this book!
Both good and bad.
Motherhood is HARD. Let's start with that. We want to help new moms and guide them. I know we're all guilty of spewing the occasional "you know what you should do". Sleepless nights, hormones are ranging (and have nowhere to go), family driving you insane (but you don't want them to leave). The works. So, I found it quite odd when I thought the mother in this book was way TOO much. And as a mother that is hard to say.

While there was a murder-plot I felt it was a bit outlandish, and beyond all realistic thought. However, with that being said, I didn't hate the book. I absolutely adored Murphy's debut novel and know her talent is sizeable! The writing is still well-done, and the story while a bit predictable, was well rounded.

I would definitely continue to read this author.

An emotional and unputdownable book with characters that I fell so in love with. It wasn't an intense thriller but more of a domestic drama/suspense. I enjoyed it so much, as I always do with Nora Murphy books!

A huge thank you to St. Martin's Press for granting me access to this title. I found this book riveting. I was hooked from the beginning and couldn't wait to see what would happen next! I highly recommend this read! I found it surprising, while relatable despite being so different from my lived experience.

Thank you to netgalley.com for this ARC.

This was a good page turner. At first, I had a hard time connecting with the main character and her way of dealing with things. As the story progressed, I found myself understanding her more and and rooting for her. The story deals with post partum depression and the stresses of new motherhood. Add in a too good to be true neighbor and it makes for a great thriller.

This is the second book I've read from this author and looking forward to more.

I appreciate the author's attempt to tell a much bigger story than what you might find in a typical domestic thriller. Unfortunately, it bogged down the story to the point in which I was reading more to finish rather than enjoying the reading experience.

Chilling read. As a new mother trying to adapt to sleepless nights, a new home and feeling cut off from life as she knows it, Natalie is struggling to figure out what is real and what isn’t. When the husband down the street befriends her she sees a small light at the end of the tunnel until his wife is murdered and she is the number one suspect. This story shows how things can hurl out of control and how post-partum depression can be missed so easily. Wonderfully written, this book will have you thinking about many things as well as enjoying a terrifying psychological thriller.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you NetGalley, Nora Murphy and Minotaur Books for hearing my honest review. Looking forward to reading more with you
#partne

"Isolated. Lonely. Tired. It's hard being The New Mother. Sometimes it's murder."

I was disappointed with this one as I was expecting it to be more of a thriller so don't go in with that expectation. It's definitely more of a slow-burn domestic suspense. I'm a mother so the description sounded right up my alley but the beginning was definitely hard to get through and honestly made me feel a little claustrophobic. Maybe that was the point but I already had all those feelings when I had each of my babies and I didn't really enjoy revisiting those times through Natalie's eyes. I did enjoy the second half more but by then I wasn't quite invested in the story enough to care how it was going to end.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for providing me a digital reviewer copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

this book was interesting to say the least. it definitely gives the perspective how new mothers minds can be when they first have a baby. postpartum depression is so real and I love how much the author really digs deep into it.

Oo yes, y'all this one was a great book that instantly captured my attention. I loved the writing and I thought that the characters especially the main one were complicated and brought a whole new vibe to the storyline. Great read!

Nothing is simple about being a new mom alone in a new house, especially when your baby is collicky. Natalie Fanning loves her son unconditionally, but being a mother was not all she wanted to be.
Enter Paul, the neighbor. Paul provides the lifeline she needs in what feels like the most desperate of times. When Paul is helping with Oliver, calmed by his reassuring, steady presence, Nat feels like she can finally rest. But Paul wants something in return. It’s no coincidence that he has befriended Nat—she is the perfect pawn for his own plan. Will Nat wake up in time to see it?
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for giving me an advance copy.

This is a domestic thriller with a lot of twists and turns. It wasn't really all believable and even the ending seems out of left field. I do like this author and her writing style. I plan to read more from Nora Murphy for sure.

I went into this thinking it was a thriller since it was marketed as such and thus was very disappointed. It's more of a drama with a strong focus on postpartum depression. As someone who has experienced PPD twice, I can obviously relate in a way....but at the same time I cannot because this is one of the most miserable books about motherhood I've ever read. This was so repetitive and difficult to read.

This book was an amazing feat, to deceive the post party in experience is quite an undertaking. As a new mother it was a bit challenging of a read for me but one that others will enjoy for sure.

Some of this was relatable being a new mom, but also hit close to home. It was hard to read at times, but was a good glimpse into the world of a new mother. It had a great amount of dialogue and action.

This book was bananas - but not in a good way. The plot was absolutely bonkers and unrealistic. It was hard for me to believe that a character could be so easily manipulated by someone, even if she is a sleep-deprived mother. This read less like a thriller and more like a contemporary fiction focusing on the struggles of motherhood and postpartum depression. Maybe it would have been more successful if that had been the purpose of the book, but as a thriller/mystery it really didn't come together. It was equal parts unrealistic, boring, and irritating. Natalie was unlikable, and despite trying to highlight the struggles of motherhood, her complaints made her even more unlikable. Paul was just plain bizarre. He was like a caricature of a villain instead of a well-developed sociopath. I don't really have anything else to add because I'm frankly just exhausted from reading about the struggles of being a new mom.

With all of that being said, I've heard good things about Murphy's other book "The Favor" and will still consider reading it.

Rating: 2.5 / 5

I really wanted to love it, but unfortunately, I did not and I really struggled to finish it. First, it is marketed as being a thriller/mystery-but it is far from that. It is more so about the struggle for the main character experiencing post partum depression and her struggle with it. It was rather boring, repetitive, and nothing at all what I was expecting (and not in a good way, unfortunately). This one was not for me, and I probably should have DNFed it.

Natalie is having a hard time coping as a new mother, and as a new mother, your world is turned upside down for your child. Then, Natalie feels isolated and feels distant from everyone I can relate to that. Plus with all the stress and fatigue of being a new mother her son Oliver has colic, then when her husband tries to help she won't let him and she feels like she is going insane with it all.
Then Natalie meets Paul, he is a neighbor and he has a daughter. He and Natalie bond and he sympathisers with her so of course they make fast friends. However, Paul's wife is not enthusiastic about their newfound friendship and warns Natalie to stay away from her husband. Not long after the encounter Paul's wife becomes missing and Paul plays the part calling the cops. This is all part of his big plan, will Natalie realize the wolf in sheep's clothing is right there or will she find out too late in the game?
This was a wild ride and a hard-to-put-down book! If you are looking for a good mystery then this should be your next read! Thank you St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the extraordinary opportunity to read and review this one!

The New Mother
Nora Murphy

As a nurse and a mother - I really empathized with the story and Natalie - the difficulties of being a new mother, a colicky baby with lack of sleep, the pains of delivering a baby and how it changes your body, a professional career on hold, and then the hormones and post partum depression. Then a friendly neighbor appears and seems like all is well until it isn’t. And oh my goodness is this terrifying when you are so vulnerable.

I thought the premise is great and the story shrouded in suspense and the feeling that something is just not right.

Overall, I enjoyed the wonderful storytelling.

Natalie is a new mother having a hard time adjusting to the demands of motherhood. When she meets her neighbor, Paul, he seems to have a magic touch with her son. But Paul has an ulterior motive for befriending Natalie.

The New Mother is told using the dual points of view of Natalie and Paul. The characters were interesting, but the buildup was slow. I had a hard time getting into this one.

This is novel focuses a lot on Natalie and her postpartum depression. Recommended for readers who enjoy slow burning domestic thrillers.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.