Great book, solid character development, loved Jax as the sometimes unreliable narrator. Domestic thriller that ticks all the boxes. Loved it.

Thank you, NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for giving me this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Six couples, who are different from each other in every expect, the only thing connected them is that they are expecting. They met at an antenatal group. Now they are supposed to meet in a party showing off their little bundle of joys, Everything is supposed to be perfect. Until one person falls from the balcony.

Alison is assigned to this case, she doesn't think it is an accident. There isn't evidence which supports her gut feeling, but she is not going to get it away. As investigation proceeds, she found it nothing is perfect. Everyone got secrets, grey or black. 

There were a lot of POV, from different couples, from Alison, from past and present. So it took time to distinguish one voice from another. 

It took time to reveal who is dead, which was interesting and kept me hooked. I like the story and pace. But the mystery? Two major secrets were in plain sight. I guessed many things even before 50% of the book, which made me sad. What is the point of mystery when you already know things? There wasn't any twist or turn which shocked me. So it was kinda plain for me.

Another great book by Claire McGowan! This psychological thriller had me turning the pages as fast as I could to see how this story would end. Loved the storyline, loved the characters and loved how the plot line unfolded. Definitely recommend for a book you can't put down.
Thank you to netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

(4.5⭐)

This book tells the story of six couples in the same baby group and how just one party on a hot summer day can go wrong.

The party should have been perfect: six couples from the same baby group, six newborns, a luxurious house. But not everything has gone to plan, and while some are here to celebrate, others have sorrows to drown. When someone falls from the balcony of the house, the secrets and conflicts within the group begin to spill out …

Alison Hegarty, herself struggling with infertility, is called in to investigate. She’s convinced the fall was not an accident, and finds the new parents have a lot to hide.

It’s a nightmare of a case, and as events get even darker it begins to look impossible. Only one thing is clear: they all have something to hide. And for one of them, it’s murder.

Where to start? Well, this book is incredible.

It was the first book I read by the author and I was completely surrendered. I loved the author's writing, the chapters are short and fluid which makes reading very addictive.
The author pays attention to details so small details that may not seem like anything are really important.

I loved having chapters alternating between the past and the present and having different points of view of several characters (although we have two outstanding characters), this way you can get to know these characters and their relationships better.

At first I was a little afraid of getting lost in the middle of so many characters but it didn't happen. I was able to quickly understand who was who and understand all couples.

All the characters are well developed (my favorites are undoubtedly Jax, Alison and Chloe).

The couples between them are very different so it is much more than just six couples waiting for a baby. I loved that we have lgbt diversity. No doubt the book has earned extra points for that.

In addition to the couples being different, the pregnancy itself is also different (in addition to the traditional pregnancy we also have adoption and FIV).

I loved seeing the development of some relationships (especially Jax's relationship with his mother).

From the beginning we see that everyone has secrets and is hiding something.

In addition to the main mystery we have many other secondary mysteries which makes the story more captivating.

I liked that in addition to being a mystery about who is to blame, it is also a mystery of who is the victim up to half of the book.

At one point we started to doubt the sanity of one of the characters. Is everything really happening or are they in her head? I really loved this dilemma.

The book talks a lot about pregnancy, which at first seems uninteresting but believe me it is not.

The book also shows the negative side of pregnancy. That it's not always flowers and rainbows and that sometimes there are problems and complications, thus making the book more real.

Despite being very brief, the book addresses some of these themes: child abuse, overexposure to social networks, privilege, racism and prejudice.

This thriller also surprised me a lot because it caused me moments of reflection that thrillers normally can't do.

Now let's talk about what the thrillers can't miss - plots twist. This book, in addition to having many twist plots, they are all amazing and surprising. When I thought I knew what was going on, the author would put a plot twist and I would drift again.

The end of the book is perfect. I would not change anything. The last 20% of the book is just incredible, full of revelations and just impossible to let go.

I loved these characters so much but so much. I will miss you so much.

I want and need a book only focused on Chloe and another one only focused on Alison please.

I think the only downside is the introduction. Not that it's bad, it's just slow because we are still getting to know all the couples and the history that surrounds them. And I also wish that the interrogations had been a little more developed.

To conclude I can say that it is a perfect thriller for any thriller lover.
Full of secrets, revelations, discussions and even a hint of drama (which I love).

I highly recommend this book and don't forget - not everything is as it seems and everything is possible.

Thank you to Netgalley and Amazon Publishing Uk for proving this copy in exchange for as honest review.

I read this book in one go, As a horrible rainy day! I enjoyed it and thought the mix of characters worked well ( though very simple). I guessed who had been killed early on and that she was also the mother! No spoilers... but it didn’t stop my enjoyment of it! All in all a good quick read.

I was really excited when I saw this book on Netgalley as I have previously read Claire Mcgowan and really enjoyed.
Firstly the title of the book, very clever as based around an antenatal group and a 'push over the balcony.

Very unique story a 'who done it' based around an antenatal group.
Lots of characters which I do feel some could have been explored more in depth, as I did not feel a deep connection with many.

I did figure out most of the ending about 3/4 of the way through but this did not deter my enjoyment.

Thank you Netgalley for my advanced copy a great read.

#ThePush #NetGalley
Big thanks to NetGalley, Amazon Publishing UK and the talented Claire McGowan for a free copy to review of The Push.
A fast pace gripping thriller in a similar air of Big Little lies and The Husband's secret. Get ready to get comfortable and have plenty free time because as you begin reading the first couple of lines you wouldn't be able to stop till your reach the end.
Six couples who met through a baby group are gathered in a glass fancy house that belongs to one of them to celebrate the arrival of their babies to the world. An incident happens where one of the people present in the party falls to death from a balcony. Was it an accident, an innocent fall or was there a push, a deliberate murder act?
The story is told by the different characters switching between their days before the incident and the day the incident happened. You couldn't have a more diverse group of people; Jax aged 38 having her baby with 24 years Aaron who feels inadequate to have a baby in her age, Monica aged 44 who throws the party and drives everyone crazy with her perfectionism and effortless achievements, Aisha and Rahul Asian Muslim couple, Cathy and Hazel a gay couple, Anita and Jeremy who are waiting for a baby that seems to never arrive whom they were adopting overseas, and finally Kelly aged 22 and her partner Ryan.
I have to admit that till almost halfway the book I even guessed the wrong victim. Some of the plot twists could be easily spotted early on but that wouldn't make the reading any less enjoyable. You wouldn't completely figure out what actually happened till the very end.
All of the characters are not telling the truth, is it because they are hiding something related to the incident or simply because each one of them is hiding his own personal secret?
Alongside the main story line, couple of serious issues are discussed as well, like postpartum depression, teen pregnancy, social media pressure, the emotional and financial ache couples suffer upon trying to get pregnant, and the cons of the foster care system.
After enjoying this I'll be looking forward to reading all the titles by Claire McGowan.
The expected publishing date for this book is 12 Nov 2020, keep your eyes on it.

Six couples from completely different backgrounds are together by the one thing that knows no discrimination: Pregnancy. They all meet once a week for a parenting class ran by the mysterious but helpful Nina. Tensions between these clashing personalities start in the parenting class and escalate with dire consequences during a party. Six couples, four newborn babies, a luxurious glass house and one dead body.

DS Alison Hegarty (who is struggling with infertility) is called in to investigate the death. Despite what all the guests have said, she’s convinced the fall was not an accident. The more she digs, the more she realizes each member of the parenting group has something to hide. Which one has a secret worth killing for?

This was a twisty tale told from multiple perspectives. There were so many layers to the characters, and I loved how their personalities, motives and secrets were slowly revealed throughout the story. I had a particular fondness for DS Alison and her partner Diana, and would love to read more stories with them in the future. (Fingers crossed). Was the story predictable? Yes. But I still enjoyed the journey. Plus the ending wrapped all the story lines up nicely, and I appreciate that.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Push by Claire McGowan follows the stories of an antenatal group throughout their pregnancies. The Push creates suspense building up to a party, hosted by Monica, post birth of all the babies. The Push highlights the trials, tribulations and joys that becoming a mother becomes for everyone. It places emphasis on relationships and how important they are. The book was full of suspense 75% in.

I was so excited to see a new book from Claire McGowan ARC available! And it did not disappoint - solid 4.5!

Alison, a detective, finds herself at a posh house with a body fallen off a balcony and surrounded by a diverse and hysterical group of mothers and newborns. For the first third of the book, we don't know who has met this untimely demise. When we do find out, questions abound. What possible motive and connection could there be? It turns out, each person and couple has their own secrets and no one is entirely innocent.

While this is definitely a thriller, I felt like it was also a character study in marriage and pregnancy/motherhood. I found it to be a fresh take in the genre and very enjoyable! The twists kept coming right up until the final pages - and I was genuinely surprised at the ending. It seemed like most of the storylines wrapped up very neatly, which was surprising given some of the admitted transgressions.

Overall, I would recommend this as an enjoyable, draw-you-in domestic thriller with a new take on the genre!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The premise of this book is a good one but the plot has a number of holes and didn’t feel very plausible. It was also fairly easy to predict certain key plot spoilers. Nevertheless it was a good quite pacy read.

I enjoyed this one. I mean…I hated almost every character, but I hated them equally and I was totally invested in who died and why.

I did love the fact that the author gave us such a diverse group of characters – not only in race, but age & economic status. While they all had impending parenthood in common, they had little else in common and that really added to the tension in the book.

Finally, it was a solid police procedural. The author did a good job of using different character POVs to build out the story and our solution to everything was satisfying.

Would read the author again!

*ARC via Net Galley

The Push - Claire McGowan

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review thanks to Amazon Publishing and Netgalley.

The Push is a book that once you start reading, you just can’t stop. It is a fast paced book which easily tells the story of six couples and DS Alison Hegarty, who is charged with investigating the ‘incident’. The story focuses mainly on the last 8 weeks of Jax’s pregnancy, whilst also incorporating the events of ‘the day’ from each of the character’s perspective and also details Alison’s current day investigation.

Whilst every couple is vastly different from the next, they have one thing in common, they all have a secret. Alison is tasked with unravelling the secrets to determine what actually happened on ‘the day’

Rating: 4.5/5
This is the first book I have read by Claire McGowan, but after reading The Push and really enjoying it I think I will check out some of her other books.

It was supposed to be the perfect party: Six couples are to come together for a party, having met at an antenatal group. They're supposed to have six perfect little babies to show off. But not everything has gone to plan.

Especially not now that someone has fallen off the balcony...

DS Alison Hegarty is called to investigate. It's thought to be nothing more than a terrible accident, but Alison believes it's much darker altogether. And the deeper she digs, the more secrets these people all seem to be hiding. Including murder...

I have mixed feelings about this book. I'll get the things that didn't quite work for me out of the way first.

I had a hard to connecting to a lot of the characters--in particular the ones who took up the most space on the page--because they were so awful. My sympathies went to Aisha, Chloe, and Aaron, but their parts were so small. And speaking of the latter, Jax did not deserve him. Her condescending attitude toward someone with whom she decided to get pregnant was repugnant. I couldn't stand another "Oh woe is me how can he take care of me and the baby when he's just a hoodie wearing big man-child" statement. I know the book was aiming at some point that she was suffering from post-partum depression; instead her attitude throughout left me with zero sympathy for it.

It was also a little hard to take the overall heavy handed anti-pregnancy message this imparted. Maybe I'm being overly sensitive because I actually like being a mom, but aside from Cathy and Aisha, who seem to be ok with motherhood, we're treated to a variety of "kids are terrible because climate change, overpopulation, they ruin mothers' bodies/homes/finances/lifestyles, etc."

BUT, and I know those negatives seem kind of major, but I really did enjoy this book. It was truly a page turner and an interesting premise that I had a hard time putting down once I started. It takes some time before you know for sure who dies and then you never know for sure "whodunit" until the very end. McGowan does a great job keeping you guessing the whole time.

It's also well written and the voice of the characters is great. There are a lot of POVs in this book (I really liked Alison), but it wasn't difficult to tell them apart. And though I mentioned not liking many people here, it takes a certain skill to voice them in such a way to draw out your negative emotions. And I definitely do like feeling something when I read. And all things together, I'll definitely check out McGowan's other books.

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for proving this copy in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this novel. A group of six couples and their instructor from a pre-natal class plan to meetup for a celebratory party a couple of weeks after most women have delivered. An awful accident/ murder happens at the party when one of the women falls from a balcony. Alison, a detective sent to the home is suspicious. Told from various POV’s counting down from the first of the six week class we are introduced to all attendees (too many characters to keep up with at first). Unusual in that we are halfway through before we find out which women was dead, which I liked, but did guess. The second half is the continuation of our character’s back stories (all have something to hide from either the police or their partner). None of the women or their partners are really likable but I was invested in finding out who was dead, and then why. Alison, who wants a baby, is convinced it’s murder and so do we,

It all begins with a group of mothers and their partners see an advertisement for a group for expectant mothers. They are a diverse group and the members could not be more different. The one thing they all have in common is that they all have secrets that they are hiding. There has been an event that could be an accident, or could be a cold blooded murder. The timing could not be worse the the detective on the case. DS Allison has been struggling with infertility and now she is surrounded by newborns with a side of deception. I thought the characters and situations in this book were fairly novel and liked that it went back and forth between different characters to prize out their side of the event. I thought this was a fairly well written and am thought the pieces came together well. Thanks for the ARC, NetGalley.

This is a page turning book, where I was so keen to know what happened next, that I would have finished the book in one sitting, if my tablet charger had not run down. Nothing daunted I was reading the next day, and there are so many twists and turns to the plot, that I will not spoil it for the reader. All I can say is that I recommend this book, and happily give it a five star rating.
The book concerns a group of mother's to be, who join an ante natal group, where a death takes place. Was it an accident? This is what the detective, Alison, wants to find out. In the process, she discovers that every person at the barbecue has something to hide. But is it relevant to the death or not? I can say no more without spoiling the book.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ecopy of this book for review. What a page turner! An economically and socially diverse group of soon-to-be parents meet for a series of prenatal classes at a community center in South London. At the start of the book we learn that, post giving birth, the group will meet at one of the members home for a bbq. An accident happens and one member dies. Is it truly an accident or murder? From that point on the story flys. We learn the back stories on all the couples as the story switches back and forth from their pregnant states to the day of the party and subsequent accident. The investigation is conducted and we learn how each of the couples had secrets they hope to protect. I am really looking forward to reading more by this author.

What happens when a diverse group of people ends together in prenatal class and everyone has their problems, secrets and doubts?

I love these type of thrillers where every character has his/hers own narrative. It was a little predictable in the end but nevertheless a gripping story that I've read in one evening.

I didn't really get into this story line until about the middle and I couldn't really engage with the characters. Overall it was a well written book but probably wasn't really suited to me.

Thank you to Netgalley and Amazon Publishing for giving me the opportunity to read this book.