I was very much intrigued by the idea of The New Mother, especially since the book deals with what I consider an underrepresented topic, postpartum depression. It's such an interesting and important topic that is not often discussed. I struggled with this one though because I found absolutely no reason to like the main character, despite wanting to feel some kind of compassion for her. The story was somewhat dull and I didn't find the twist to be all that intriguing.

Is this a new genre- new mother horror? I've read, or tried to, a couple of books now focusing on the first couple of weeks postpartum and what it does to, specifically, the mother's life. Not for me, and I skipping ahead didn't progress the story enough to keep trying.

I really enjoyed this book! It was somewhat predictable but still really great. Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy!

I loved this book! I will definitely recommend it. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

A novel which tells the struggles of a new mother and the neighbor who seems to understand and be there for her. Is everything as it seems?
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Predictable AF. Did not like it.

Thanks to Netgalley, Nora Murphy and St Martins Press Minotaur books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Already available

Thank you to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for my gifted advance reader copy.

With the birth of her son, Oliver, Nat quickly learns that being a mother isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Oliver is a difficult, colicky baby, and Nat is exhausted, losing track of time, and doubting her own memory. At some of her lowest points, her neighbor Paul swoops in to help. He’s a stay-at-home father to a ten-year-old girl who seems to know just what to do with a disgruntled newborn. What Nat doesn’t realize is that Paul has an ulterior motive and wants something from Nat, and he’ll go to great lengths to get it.

I really enjoyed Murphy’s writing in this one, and I think I overall liked this more than THE FABLE. I felt she was able to capture the thoughts of a woman in the throes of postpartum depression so accurately that her words were almost visceral.

The main downside of this one is that I felt that the mystery/thriller was secondary to Nat’s mental state/inner world and that her monologue felt somewhat repetitive in nature.

This is a book I probably should have skipped.... not because it wasn't a good book, it was just a bit much for me. Definitely a mystery/thriller..... it was okay and I finished it but at times had to put it down and take a break for a few days.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC copy.
All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Nothing is simple about being a new mom, all alone in a big new house, but this is particularly compounded when your baby is collicky and won't stop crying. Natalie Fanning loves her son Oliver unconditionally, but being a mother is not measuring up to what she thought it would be. Enter Paul, the helpful neighbor. Finally, Natalie can rest! Unfortunately, it turns out that Paul wants something in return .....

This book was a quick read - very suspenseful and surprising with lots of twists and turns. It kept me guessing the whole time, I did not see the ending coming. I highly recommend it if you like thrillers.

Natalie is a new mom, complete with the adorable newborn and all of the anxieties.
Her insecurities and loneliness cause her to befriend Paul, a stay-at-home dad who lives in her new neighborhood. She thinks he’s a savior, but he might actually have plans that are a bit more nefarious than swapping recipes and sharing parenting tips.
Natalie was pretty whiny and annoying , but the book was fun and engaging.
Thanks to #netgalley and #minotaurbooks for this #arc of #thenewmother by #noramurphy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you for a free copy of this e-book in exchange for my honest review. I have been sitting on this one for a sometime while I process my thoughts and digest what I read. I guess that speaks well to what Nora Murphy did in her execution! At times I loved this and other times, I struggled a lot with staying engaged and suspending disbelief with some of the events in this book. The struggles of motherhood were EXTREMELY HEAVYHANDED and while I know that was intentional to portray the perspective of some women after giving birth, it really overtook the story and overshadowed the thriller aspects of the plot. The entire first half/60% had so much baby talk in it that I'm sure it will turn some readers away. The second half did pick up and it was rather scary the way the protagonist's memory and sleeplessness really messed with her judgement and put her in danger. Overall, this is sticking with me, but there were so many problems with that I can't truly call it a well-balanced and effective thriller.

Murder and motherhood in suburbia! This book about the trials of motherhood really turns things upside down yet seeks to highlight the all too real effects of postpartum depression and psychosis. I found this an engaging read and definitely recognized some aspects of my experience as #thenewmother. Thank you to #netgalley and #minotaurbooks for this book to read and review, all opinions are my own.

I love the family suspense genre and this one certainly did not disappoint. I hadn’t read this author before and i’m very glad I got introduced to her.

This wasn’t my favorite book of the year, but it was definitely worth the read. I will continue to read books by Nora Murphy in the future! Thank you so much NetGalley for this ARC.

Not only is Natalie a new mother, but they also moved into their new house right before she had her son, Oliver. She loves her son, but motherhood isn’t what she expected. Oliver is colicky, she is on her own, spends all her time trying to quiet him and be the perfect mother, and she feels like she’s failing. It’s even harder for her because she was a successful attorney before her maternity leave and her husband, whose star is rising, just doesn’t understand. Enter her neighbor, Paul, a stay-at-home dad who seems to have the magic touch with Oliver and understands what she’s going through. Natalie is relieved to have a friend, but is Paul what he seems? Is he truly the lifesaving friend Natalie thinks he is?
This was a tough one, especially with its subject-matter. Natalie had a tough time adjusting to motherhood and no one saw it, leaving her vulnerable in more ways than one. There were twists, and I was happy when things started to come together. I am not sure I liked Natalie as a character, but I certainly empathized and rooted for her to find her way and come out on top.
In THE NEW MOTHER, Nora Murphy tackles the tough subject of post-partum depression and post-partum psychosis, and it is a difficult topic. For me, the set up was a little harder to get through, but the twists had me turning pages to see how it would come together and who would come out on top.
Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of the novel. All opinions are my own and freely given.
#THENEWMOTHER #NORAMURPHY #MINOTAURBOOKS

The New Mother was my first book by Nora Murphy. Now, as an avid thriller reader I was excited for this one after reading the blurb. However, this was faaaar from a “bone-chilling” thriller as marketed.

This is a family drama at best; which isn’t a bad thing, but this book just didn’t work for me. Let me explain why…

The title of this book is 100% what the book is about, a new mother. It’s all about breast feeding, and crying babies, and a worn out mom. How hard it is to go back to work and a career after having a baby, yearning to stay at home with a the baby instead…And on and on. By 20% in I was over hearing about “nipples” and was ready for something to happen.

I’m not going to lie, I wanted to DNF this one more than once. By the time we got to the murder, I’m not even sure I cared anymore. I know this book is for someone, but just not for me.

This was a thriller for the ages! Kept me on the edge of my seat. I love a book that keeps me turning the pages!

The New Mother is aptly named. Nora Murphy did an excellent job of making you feel the complex feelings of motherhood. I felt the isolation and exhaustion that Natalie was going through.
I thought Murphy was really able to get the reader into the headspace Natalie was in before moving to the mystery which really helped with understanding how she got herself into the mess she was in.
I do wish we dove a little deeper into Paul's character and thinking. I realize the unveiling of his intentions and motivations was part of the mystery, but I felt it made me less invested in the story. A lot of time was spent in understanding Natalie, so when the twist arrived, we were already so far into the book, it felt like we didn't get a lot of tension. Overall though, I still thought this was a solid neighbourhood mystery and would recommend.
Thank you St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, for the copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book had way too much info on postpartum depression and didn’t hit the mark as a suspenseful thriller.

I really wanted to like this book because I very much appreciated the representation of postpartum depression. I could relate to the sleep deprivation and the first few months with a newborn but I couldn't connect with Natalie nor did I like her very much. I found the story slow and repetitive and the mystery didn't factor in until much later in the story. I wanted more from the mystery.