Loved this book. Aisha is 8 months pregnant when she joins a baby group where she meets Lucy. They become friends but there's something that Lucy isn't telling Aisha

I was gifted my copy for the blog tour.
Aisha is a expecting her first baby, at 8 months pregnant she is not only excited but also a little bit nervous especially as it is taking her husband Jason a little longer to get his around this. Lucy is also expecting her first child and whilst the circumstances are not what she wanted, it doesn't mean she is any less excited and besides Oscar will be a great dad regardless. The only thing is the women still feel a little daunted so join a local baby group.

The pair soon become friends as the group brings them together, and find themselves confiding in each other about their individual circumstances, but their is one big secret between the pair and it could alter everything. As the pair give birth, the relationship changes more and things need clearing between them.

I really enjoyed this read, it was the perfect coffee shop read, i found although i had picked up pretty early on what was going and where it was going to go i really enjoyed reading it and watching how it would pan out between the friends.

Aisha and Lucy are both well rounded characters with their own complex stories and personalities which makes them stand off the page to the reader. The relationship between the pair is really interesting and i loved discovering the dynamics as things changed. I also really loved watching the pair bond with their new babies and how everyone in the book was in their own different situation and how things flourished.

The narrative was easy and enjoyable, a one to get lost in the pages as you devour the story, its complex in places but not too heavy that you come out of it feeling worn out. Instead you just find you have had an overall enjoyable reading experience.

Aisha Moore and Lucy Raven are two older new mothers who have recently joined a baby group. The baby group is made up of a diverse group of characters, lead by the enthusiastic doula Maggie. They are a diverse bunch with a same-sex couple, Lin and Susie and their surrogate, another same-sex couple who’ve used an anonymous sperm donor, a young couple in their twenties - Ian and Helen, and two older women who are Aisha and Lucy. It is these two, Aisha with husband Jason, and Lucy with partner Oscar, that this storyline primarily focuses on. Told from the viewpoints of Aisha and Lucy the pacing was leisurely and it was an easy read. I liked both Aisha and Lucy, who for varying reasons are approaching motherhood with disquiet. Likewise, their partners are possibly not embracing impending fatherhood with as much gusto as might be imagined. Aisha and Lucy embark on a halting friendship which seems to cool rapidly as the storyline progresses. I appreciated the way Rosie Nixon tantalised the reader with soupçons of information, never letting too much slip at once. Wickedly sharp, with revelations and some standout, highly amusing anecdotes, I found Just Between Friends a pleasurable way to while away some time.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from HQ via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

I have just finished reading this book and unfortunately I just could not get into this, I found it a struggle. I seemed to be constantly waiting for something to happen but it just didn't and unfortunately for me the ending/secret was overly predictable.

It's a no from me, but thank you Netgalley for the chance to read this in return for a review.

Well this was just a lovely book! I really enjoyed the writing and I LOVED the alternating first person perspectives from Aisha and Lucy. I love being in the heads of multiple characters. I think I read too many mysteries so I figured things out from pretty much the beginning but it was still fun to read the details as they emerged. It was definitely refreshing to read a women’s fiction novel. Definite 5 stars from me!

Thank you so much to HQ and NetGalley for the incredible privilege of reading this book!

The cover of this book really caught my attention in the first instance... but that's as far as my attention stayed.

I'm really sad to say that I just could not get into this AT ALL, I found it so dull! As a mum of 3 I really thought I'd be able to resonate with the characters in some way but it just wasn't meant to be obviously.

I seemed to be constantly waiting for something to happen but it just didn't and unfortunately for me the ending/secret was overly predictable.

It's a no from me.

Thanks to netgalley and HQ for the ARC.

I enjoyed reading this book. The characters were well thought out, although there were some that I felt were there just for padding. There’s a few twists and turns in the story, keeping the reader interested, although I thought the ending a little weak (seemed rushed somehow). A great holiday read.

A very interesting read about what it means to be a new mum and the secrets that are hidden within your very own family. I liked the way in which it was written and the characters felt real and close to me. The book touches on important issues such as friendship, motherhood, marriage, trust and infidelity. But it also shows hope in the middle of it all.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Just Between Friends is a 3.5⭐️ rounded up to 4⭐️.
This book has me split a little, on one hand it was a funny read at times and on the other I wouldn’t class it as a thriller, more family, romance, drama. All mixed together. The secret I got before it was revealed and was a little shocked to see how much of the book was left and I did feel it lost its pace after the reveal.
The book is about a group of couples that meet at a pre birthing class. They are all different characters and as you learn about them you discover two of them are connected from things in the past. I feel with this book the less I say the better but on the whole it was a good read it just wasn’t the thriller I was expecting.
I would like to thank Netgalley and HQ for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

When I first looked at this book I thought it was a thriller with lots of twists and turns and I was pleasantly surprised that I was wrong. I think this book goes more into the suspenseful category?

This books follows two different POV's: Aisha and Lucy. Aisha and Lucy are both pregnant and both sign up to join a baby group for first time mums. They soon become friends, but Aisha thinks that there is more to Lucy than she is letting on. But, what is it?

Both women in this story are likeable and relatable in some ways. I felt a deep empathetic connection towards Lucy and her strong want/need to have a child of her own. I feel as though this could have been that little bit more relatable for readers who have been through pregnancy and have children of their own but that didn't take away any enjoyment I got from this book.

However, I guessed the plot from early on and I am a huge fan of thrillers/suspense books in which I have no idea what is going to come from it. So, unfortunately that did knock the rating down ever so slightly for me!

Overall, this was a really enjoyable book that I would definitely recommend to anyone who enjoys a good suspense novel and would be very happy to read more of Rosie Nixon's books again!

Thank you so much NetGalley, HQ and Rosie Nixon for a copy of an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.💫

I did enjoy this novel, it was compelling and I enjoyed the baby group setting having had two babies myself. However, while this was very commercially written and I was engaged throughout, I did spot the twist very early and then felt a bit disappointed by the ending which felt too easy for all involved.

I think anyone who has attended antenatal classes or baby & toddler groups will be able to relate to this book. It certainly brought back memories of the diverse variety of parents-to-be in the classes I attended back in the day and the sense of everyone assessing/judging each others circumstances and relationships was portrayed very well by the author.
The story is mainly told from mum to be Aisha's perspective and she relates her worries about just about everything from how good a mum she will be to how invested her husband is in the antenatal group classes. She seems to click straightaway with one of the other mums, Lucy but the other woman seems to run hot and cold with Aisha, one minute she's wanting to be best mates then others she's hard to get in touch with. As a whole the group gels really well and there are some great comedy moments which I'm sure are very relatable to anyone who has experienced these type of groups.
One by one the women have their babies and distance creeps in as the parents' lives get taken over with colic, nappies and cracked nipple dramas. But there's something else, something Aisha can't pin down which is making her feel like something isn't quite right. I really enjoyed this book because the characters are so real and credible. The later chapters were rather daunting and my heart went out to Aisha whilst I wanted to throttle both Lucy and Jason for their part in Aisha's traumas. On the other side of the story, I hadn't expected to like Oscar as much as I did by the end of the book. The other peripheral characters in the group add depth to the story and make it an enjoyable novel despite the main plotline not being too pleasant for Aisha.
This would make a great book club read as there are plenty of contentious issues and moral dilemmas to discuss.

A fabulous feel good book about mums to be who meet at an ante natal class and the bonds and secrets that come out.....loved the characters and love the story.

Just Between Friends' follows the trajectory of a group of impending new parents as they meet in their ante-natal class, following them up to and beyond the births of their first children. Like the film version of 'What to Expect when You're Expecting', each milestone or moment during this time is weaved into the story like a teaching moment disguised as fiction, and then layered on top is the conflict at the heart of the story: the friendship between Aisha and Lucy. Unfortunately, that friendship and its conflict feels like an afterthought to accompany the author's account of birth classes, as opposed to the birth classes acting as the backdrop to the core plot. It's an easy and entertaining read, but very light on story.

Just Between Friends - Rosie Nixon
⭐⭐⭐⭐
After being accepted on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review I was excited to get started with this one. A more relaxed paced type of suspense book, and even though I guessed the storyline pretty early on, I still really enjoyed the book as we move through the lives of Lucy of Aisha. Two new mothers who we follow through pregnancy, to birth to newborns and toddlers, with a huge secret hanging over their new friendship.
I found the descriptions of the early days of motherhood accurate and leaving me chuckling at the thought of tackling my own poo-nami's, colicky babies and sleepless nights wandering aimlessly around the house.
Not only is this a wonderfully told story of parenthood & discovering your new identity as a first time mum but Rosie manages to capture the overwhelming newborn days alongside themes of friendship, betrayal, loss of identity, romance and a huge secret that can rock the foundations of even the most stable relationships.
Told from the two narratives of Lucy and Aisha as they start attending a baby group towards the end of their pregnancies they quickly become friends, but Aisha senses something off about her new friend. But Aisha has enough on her plate with her baby due to arrive any day and worrying whether her husband Jason is up to fatherhood.
I was initially worried about some parenting styles being mocked as certain things are usually mocked and deemed abnormal, but I persevered as I was enjoying her writing style & thankfully Rosie captured many different parenting styles quite well. For example, same sex couples, surrogacy, IVF pregnancy, different ways of feeding a baby and the struggles that come with each of them. It is the perfect cosy book you want to read curled up under a blanket over the winter months.
Thank you Netgalley HQstories and Rosie Nixon for allowing me to read a copy of this book.

I've wanted to read Rosie Nixon's previous books, and while this one seems to be different in tone, having recently become a mother myself, this clearly piqued my interest, and I knew I had to read it asap.
This book was incredibly easy to get into, it is told by both Aisha and Lucy who quickly become friends, after meeting at antenatal classes. We hear from both women separately and they are both great to get to know, and boohoo quite distinctive personalities.
Lucy is very determined and focused. She wants something, she works as hard as possible to get that. I can picture her exactly in my mind. I think between her and Aisha, Lucy came across as the less warm of the two, but I loved seeing their friendship blossom.
Aisha was more emotional, you felt everything she felt, her natural nervousness at becoming a mother for the first time, her frustration at trying to get Jason on board with fatherhood.
The supporting cast certainly were an eclectic bunch, and I loved all of them.
The books pace didn't linger, but definitely gave you enough detail to lose yourself into their world.
This book has definitely got me excited to read future books by Rosie and to delve into my bookshelves and read her previous books too.
Bonus Point because I don't think it was uttered once in the whole book that morning
sickness doesn't only happen in the morning, which pretty much every book I've ever read with a pregnant character has mentioned to date. THANK YOU, I KNOW, THE PREVIOUS 563 BOOKS TOLD ME!!!

The fact I have a 15 month old drew my attention to this book about two friends at antenatal classes with a secret. I thought I could relate to the characters but it was such a dull book. The author has written for a lot of well known woman’s magazines and her quality of writing shows but the plot was just nothing, I literally was waiting for something to happen and it was page after page of boring pregnancy related issues. The secret is predictable and ends up being nothing when each character’s partner end up being doormats that conveniently make it all nice and happy for the ending. I just can’t recommend unless you like a light bit of fluff for a novel.
Thank you for NetGalley and HQ for the free copy.

A superb story about a group of new mums who meet at a baby group. Each has their own secret, some darker than others. I enjoyed the storyline and there a number of relatable characters. The big ‘reveal’ was predictable and at times some themes were dragged out. It’s the perfect book to relive their first early baby days. Other readers may not find this thrilling but a definite pick for me.

An easy going read with no great shocks or surprises. I imagine most readers will have worked out the secrets before the reveal but then it’s not aimed at thrilling.
My childbirth years were before the times of pre- baby groups and so the description of Maggie’s words of wisdom amused me greatly. I am not sorry to have missed the opportunity to go to such a class though

I originally thought this was a psychological thriller when I applied to read this, but it's more of a gentle suspense story.

The book is told from two different viewpoints - Aisha and Lucy. They are both at the latter stages of pregnancy and join a baby group to learn more about what to expect and perhaps to meet new friends. For the first few meetings, neither of their partners turn up so they are partnered together for the demonstration exercises. This starts off their friendship, where they meet for coffee, shopping and conversation. It becomes evident early on that Lucy is hiding a secret from Aisha.

At first I had a theory that was quickly proven to be completely wrong but my second theory was correct and as the book went on I learned, through some flashback thoughts from them both, more details.

Both the women are very likeable, and I really wanted everything to work out for them both. Although it wasn't a massively fast paced book, and I almost felt when I was half way through that nothing had actually happened yet, it was an enjoyable and interesting read. Maybe because it all felt completely believable.

I did like the ending, although at the same time I did finish feeling a little disappointed somehow. I can't quite put my finger on why, perhaps it just seemed a little underwhelming when the rest of the story had been so addictive?

I did however enjoy it and would recommend it, it was well written, the chapters were a good length and (most) of the characters were likeable.

Thank you to netgalley for the ARC of this book. #netgalley #rosienixon #justbetweenfriends

I have uploaded review to goodreads, it won't link with my netgalley account properly.