Member Reviews

This book is perfect for this generation. Only in this period of time would you hear tales of rogue videos ruining your whole world. The whole book resonates with people today. Realise issues- groups of friends- lack of trust- simple mistakes or events - life changing issues with the online world.
One for those who love modern life.

Was this review helpful?

This domestic noir was well paced and interesting. Other than the repetition of descriptions (how many times do we need to be told about Emma’s welsh accent) I enjoyed this sorry in two sittings.

Was this review helpful?

I received an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book wasn’t my favorite psychological thriller of late, but it was perfectly serviceable and did the job. The epitome of a three star thriller

Was this review helpful?

This was a quick, twisty drama mystery that I enjoyed.

The characters were realistic and believable, and the plot was interesting enough.

It didn't really 'grab' me as I found it quite predictable, however it was still a fun read.

Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this E-book to review via Netgalley.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book for an honest review.

On the face of it Scarlett has it all a handsome wealthy husband, a beautiful baby daughter, a house in the country and a successful blog .Scarlett also has a good well paid job in the city and on the day she goes back to work after maternity leave she is shocked to find out that all her colleagues her friends and family have been sent a sex tape made in her past life which was not so successful. Scarlett is in danger of losing it all . This is the story of her downward spiral from her perfect life. The story is also told by Anon one of her baby friends who is the leaker of the tape and responsible for Scarlett’s loss of control in her life.

This book described the absolute horror of Scarlett’s loss of dignity and control and describes the secrets of her past and the reinvention of herself. Anon is also obviously unhinged and is well hidden amongst this small group of friends. It was a good read however at times I found the story overlong and at times too much repetitive information .

Was this review helpful?

Thank You to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for this ARC!!

Scarlett’s golden life suddenly unravels when someone sends a shocking video of her to everyone she knows. The only people who claim they haven’t seen it are the friends in her new mothers’ group: Cora, Emma and Asha. Scarlett is forced to delve into her past to discover who is out to get her.

An amazing book with a brilliant concept and characters.

It keeps you interested mainly to find out who is the culprit but also to know why?? The story is narrated from Scarlett's point of view and the anonymous person who is out to destroy her. There are many secrets and past stories which are revealed as the story progresses.

The twist at the end was so good that I did not see coming at all. Sometimes you just don't know who your friends are and how the things we do in the past can haunt us in the future!!

Was this review helpful?

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick.

Was this review helpful?

This is a great read.
Young modern mum, Scarlett, has a reasonable peaceful life with her husband and baby, in their little country town. She runs a blog which is getting more popular. Leaving her friends behind in the city, she is friends with 3 other mums from their baby group.
On her Scarlet's first day back to work after maternity leave, a sex video is released, to all her work colleagues, friends and family. But not to her baby group. Scarlet's world starts to collapse, and she is desperate to find out who is responsible. With her marriage falling apart, her world falling apart, she doesn't know who she can trust, and who to turn to.
Great story, loved the last third of the book, and just had to keep reading to find out where it went.

Was this review helpful?

The Baby Group by Caroline Corcoran is a twisty and utterly addictive read that had me racing to the end with breathless anticipation. This was my first read from this author, but it certainly won't be the last.

Scarlett is returning to work following the birth of her daughter, Poppy, when a sex tape from years before materializes at her job. Scarlett is stunned and mortified. Why has this surfaced now, and who would want to humiliate her in this way? Is she being targeted because of her success as a local blogger? Scarlett is sure that one of the two men featured alongside her in the video must be responsible, but when each denies any knowledge, she begins to question who could possibly despise her enough to hurt her in this way.

Told primarily from Scarlett's perspective, with intermittent chapters in the ominous voice of 'Anon', whose hatred of Scarlett is almost tangible, this one will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for this ARC.

Was this review helpful?

I liked the concept of the book, the back stories of characters were interesting and well written but I felt the conclusion was a little obvious and it felt rushed somewhat.

Was this review helpful?

You know, these kind of books really get my back up, but I can’t stop reading them. I love them! The baby group did not disappoint, it had me hooked from the start and guessing until 3/4 of the way through. Would highly recommend

Was this review helpful?

Thank you for the arc of this book!

Wow, what a fantastic read. It was one of those books that was genuinely hard to put down, towards the end I was up Into the small hours desperate to get to the end and find out what happens!

The book is centred around a group of new (very different) mums from an NCT group who have all formed a formidable bond since the birth of their children. The main focus of the book is on Scarlett, who seemingly has it all, amazing home in a leafy suburb of Cheshire, a successful mummy influencer and a high flying media job she is about to return to after maternity leave, when disaster strikes and Scarlett’s world is turned upside down!
A sinister video from Scarlett’s very hedonistic past has come back to haunt her and has gone viral online and sent to everyone she holds close - aside from her mum friends!

Someone is out to get Scarlett and it is down to her to delve into her murky past and her new present to find out who!

The book is superbly written and full of deep twists and turns with an ending you truly don’t expect!

Absolutely fab book!

Was this review helpful?

Firstly a big thanks to Avon for accepting my request to read on netgalley. I loved her debut earlier in the year so was eager to read this.

The title and cover alone are striking and really set the tone for the book.

Dark secrets from the past come to light but who is behind them. And why?

As the pages turn so do the friendships and the trust.

An exhilarating read and i think most mums can imagine the friends in this baby group.

Unpredictable and thrilling this is a great read . Packed with tension you cant help but feel the paranoia scarlett is feeling.

Published September 17th.

Was this review helpful?

As someone who attended NCT Baby groups and maintained a solid friendship with the women and (now) toddlers we all birthed, I thoroughly enjoyed this twisty thriller centred on that world!

A good pace, solidly developed characters and realistic plot. I found that it laboured slightly in the middle, and Scarlett demonstrated more teenage angst that adult pain, but it recovered towards the end for a solid finale.

I did guess who the culprit was from around half way, but there are elements that made me second guess myself and the overall conclusion was satisfying.

This novel delves in on the complicated female relationships we form and the strange friendships that form between women who have nothing in common other than having a baby. It has a lot to say about the way women are treated for their sexual past, how we try to present a particular version of ourselves online and to the world, and the newish murky area of revenge porn. I especially liked how it highlights the emptiness and superficiality of social media. Relevant to all our lives.

It needs tidying up a little (there were several grammatical errors and it would definitely benefit from one final edit!) and maybe slightly less melodrama in the middle, but it was a solid summer read and perfect for blitzing on a beach with a cocktail!

See all my reviews at thatbookishgem.com

Was this review helpful?

This book would certainly draw in many people. It has the quick pace, good characters and storyline. The general storyline isnt exactly up my street but it certainly hangs onto a market that is very popular at the moment

Was this review helpful?

Gripped me from the first page. The realism of the relationship between the four women at the start of this book made me reminisce on my maternity leave and the bonds I formed with my fellow baby group mum's. The fond memories end there, for their relationship takes a very different turn. One of lies, deceipt and suspicion. This book will have you on the edge of your seat and unable to put it down until you reach the nail biting conclusion. Cannot recommend it highly enough.

Was this review helpful?

This was a decent read, centered around Scarlett, a new mom who moved out to the country and got herself a group of mom friends. On the day she returns to work from maternity leave, someone sends a sex tape that was recorded ~15 years ago out to pretty much everyone she knows. The rest of the book has Scarlett questioning the decisions that she made, while trying to figure out who did this to her.

The book was fairly fast paced, though there were some times where I felt that Scarlett belabored or repeated points that didn't need further discussion. That being said, she was pretty introspective and some of that content took the reader along with her as she questions herself. I thought she overreacted initially to the sex tape being released- while embarrassing, it was also a long time ago, and I was surprised at how poorly she handled it. There were also a few grammatical errors (namely the use of "me" versus "I") in a couple places throughout the book.

I did figure out who the villain was, though I didn't figure out the reason for it until Scarlett herself did, and I second-guessed myself a couple times. There is another twist when you get to the big reveal that I did not see coming at all. I thought the back third of the book was really fast paced when it all came to a head.

I was satisfied with the ending of this book as well=- I thought the loose ends were tied up nicely, even if it maybe wasn't super realistic.

Overall, I found this to be a good read that was fast paced for the most part, with some interesting twists. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

I did enjoy this - I can’t deny I powered through finding it hard to put down, and I couldn’t wait to find out who dunnit! It lost a star because it was just so unbelievable!! Couple that with some pretty unpleasant characters and you got yourself a decent read - but I did wonder who would actually care that much in this day and age - after all it made Kim kardashian famous! Worth a read - but expect the very unexpected!

Was this review helpful?

A good, easy read book, which alternates between Scarlett, and an unknown protagonist. There were only three potential suspects but there were enough clues along the way that all of them were suspicious at one time. I thought the impact of having such a tape released interesting, especially the impact on the people we are closest to. There were some unexpected twists and overall, a satisfactory ending.

Was this review helpful?

This is the author’s second psychological thriller but the first I’ve read. I really enjoyed “The Baby Group”. It has a good selection of characters, nice and nasty! More twists than a never ending maze! I thought I knew who to trust, only to be proved wrong numerous times. A great read and now I’m going to read her first book “Through The Wall” very soon.

Was this review helpful?