'Just Between Friends' follows Aisha and Lucy who have joined the same baby group. Both ladies are in the later stages of pregnancy and the chapters are told in each of their points of view.

Their relationships are very different. Jason, Aisha's husband, is working a lot of overtime in preparation for the baby and she feels that he is stressing out about being a father.

Oscar got together with Lucy after she had IVF to conceive her baby, saying he would be there for the two of them.

It soon becomes clear that there is a secret that connects these two women, but what is it?

I had guessed pretty early on what the connection was so I was eager to read on to see if I was right. The story itself is well-written and full of humour. If you are a parent, you will definitely be able to relate to a lot of the stories in this book.

I loved all of the supporting characters and the different family dynamics/circumstances, touching on relatable subjects such as both vaginal and caesarean section births, colic, poo-splosions - it brought it all back to me!

I read this for a blog tour.

At first this seems like a rather traditional cosy slice of fiction, but then it develops into something a little darker, a little less cuddly.

When Aisha joins the local group for expectant mothers, she hopes to make a friend or two in the same boat as her. She and her husband have recently moved back from Hong Kong and she's a bit adrift.

Lucy seems glamorous and funny, rolling her eyes at the over the top group leader, and bringing delicious salads for the group lunches. Aisha bonds quickly with her, and is thrilled to have a new friend.

But Lucy is keeping secrets, and they could destroy Aisha's happiness. As the women's pregnancies continue, the secrets start to trouble Lucy more and more.

Building up to something that could be truly awful, but none of these people are truly monstrous, they're just people, who are fallible and make stupid mistakes.

This is a clever, almost thriller, that doesn't quite take the turns you expect but is instead something much more enjoyable and realistic.

Aisha and Lucy are first time mums who meet at a baby group and become friends. Lucy however has a big secret that could end the friendship. The story is told from both perspectives in separate chapters. You can guess pretty early on what the secret it is but it I don't think that it detracts from the story and it's written well enough that it keeps your interest.

The two protaganists and their relative partners are relatable and I like how the book doesn't sugar coat the early stages of motherhood.

A nice read but not a WOW book.

Thanks to Netgalley and HQ for the ARC.

I read an I corrected proof copy for review. This book started out as a light hearted, romantic lifestyle novel but ended predictably and disappointingly. I found the characters twee and stereotypical, with little depth or personality. Having spent some time around Clapham and ‘Nappy Valley’ I thought I’d feel at home in this story but I felt alienated and put out.
About a third of the way through I correctly predicted what would happen which made the rest of the story dull. I read on hoping I’d be wrong.
There were a few inconsistencies that annoyed me: the characters went into ‘town’ to go to Boots but really they were in Clapham. In one chapter a baby was described as a three month old and then a few paragraphs later as a five month old. One baby was eating solid food at 3 months but WHO guidelines say around 6 months which isn’t very responsible writing. And the concluding chapters were set a year later in 2022, which means the babies were born in 2021, and the main event in September 2020. I know this is fiction but no mention of COVID added a level of fantasy that didn’t sit well.
A disappointing read.

I found this novel very relatable to my own life being a first time mum myself. I very much liked how it showcased the good and bad sides to having a newborn baby, but also how seeing other mums go through the same thing as you it's comforting.

The book was well written, and I liked how it flicked between the characters show their point of view. It really gave the book depth and it helped to understand how each character was feeling.

The only thing I personally didn't not like was the predictability of the storyline. I was able to guess very early on that Lucy and Jason knew each other more than they were letting on.

I really enjoyed this book. Any woman who has been through pregnancy and child birth will relate to many of the situations both Aisha, Lucy and the rest of the baby group find themselves in. Although the storyline was predictable I did enjoy it. It was humorous, heart wrenching and relatable.

Thank you for the opportunity to read an advanced copy by Netgalley and HQ Stories in return for my honest review.

Aisha and Lucy both pregnant with their first children become friends at Maggie's parenting group. The group are very diverse and at times entertaining. As their friendship grows they begin to confide in each other. A secret so big is going to change their world more than a new baby. Intriguing and addictive.

Just Between Friends starts with a pregnancy group but we soon learn that there's so much more to it than learning about the birth process. I really connected with Lucy - I fell in love when I was 20 but we broke up and found each other again over 10 years later when we were both married to other people! The story shows us just how important it is for ladies who opt for a medical termination to get some help with coming to terms with their loss, at the time and for it to not be brushed under the carpet. Aisha showed that she could be strong and learn from her husband's mistakes. I lost myself so much in the story that I cried! Awesome read

I really enjoyed Nixon’s writing style, her characters were well written and liked watching their journeys unfold. Reading about their pregnancies and experiences as new mothers bought back happy memories of my own children, attending baby groups and getting through the hard first few months. At times the story was predictable and I had already guess the twist early on in the book, however I did still enjoy the story and will look for others by Nixon.
Thank you to the author, publishers and netgalley for gifting me this arc in exchange fo an honest unbiased review.

I was fortunate to receive a copy of this ARC from NetGalley.

This was an enjoyable read, focusing on two women who meet at a baby group. They both have secrets, from each other and from their partners.

My favourite quote:
"But it was just a whisper of what love had to say. Just a tea cup out of the ocean."

I found this quite a predicable read but the ending was neat.

Aisha and Lucy are both expecting their first baby and like many of us they join their local baby group to learn about birth and bringing up baby. The group is quite diverse about how they want to bring up their baby but Aisha and Lucy become friends as they wait for their babies' births.
But things are not as they seem. Someone in the group has a secret. Who is it and how will Aisha and Lucy cope with it getting out?
Definitely one to read.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC for an honest review

An innocent baby group, a chance to make friends with other new parents. This book brought back so many memories, right back to the nervousness and need to make a good impression - and being terrified of that precious new baby. Then throw in an exciting storyline of colourful characters intertwined in more ways than you would expect. A thrilling read.

Aisha and Lucy are expectant mothers who join a baby group in Clapham. The two quickly become friends but are unaware they share more things in common than being new mothers...

Well, I enjoyed the book. The book opened my eyes to the journey new mothers experience when expecting. Nixon mentioned all the highs and lows which was a very nice touch. She did a great job of having diverse parents join the baby group too and strange but hilarious happenings during some of the meetings (Mooooo!). I did enjoy Aisha and Lucy's budding friendship but I felt the book dragged before reaching the plot twist. I was so close to DNFing due to this.

However, once we reached the plot twist, I did want to know more! Nixon really left me in suspense as I had to keep reading to find out the results! But then the book was wrapped up swiftly. I didnt feel satisfied by the ending. Just Between Friends did give me all the warm feels about motherhood, pregnancy and what follows when the baby arrives. The highs of motherhood for Aisha was overshadowed by the secret Lucy had, so I felt sorry for her. For some reason, I connected more with Aisha than Lucy. Overall, I honestly didn't know what to expect with this novel but I did enjoy it.

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for a honest review.

Aisha is having her first baby and decided to join a baby group for expectant mums, there she meets Lucy def the pair become friends, sharing secrets and worries about the upcoming arrival of their unborn babies.

A good book with a few twists and turns. I enjoyed the book.

I’ll admit that I went into this book expecting something of a psychological thriller but it actually ended up being more of a domestic/friendship drama. However, it was still a fun, quick read that had me thoroughly gripped.

Aisha is about to give birth to her first child with her husband Jason but Jason doesn’t seem to be quite on board with the reality yet. She joins a local Baby Group to try to learn the things she needs to know and to connect with other expectant mums. That’s where she meet Lucy, who is also expecting her first baby, although in less than ideal circumstances. The two women become fast friends but there is a secret that Lucy is keeping and she can’t quite bring herself to come clean to Aisha.

There is a lot of discussion about all the little things that circle the heads of expectant mothers. Aisha is a natural people-pleaser and she just wants everyone in the group to like her. She is very careful not to step on anyone’s toes but is often worried that she will. Aisha thinks and acts very much how I would imagine a real first-time mum to think and act. I guessed that Jason had been unfaithful quite early on in the narrative but she didn’t really seem to suspect it at all, so I really wanted to protect Aisha from it.

Lucy is a glamorous PR girl with a deep secret in her past. Although, she could be typically seen as a semi-villanous character in the book, she has a lot of vulnerability that you can’t help but warm to. I figured out her story reasonably quickly and I spent a lot of time willing her to do the right thing and bring Aisha into the light on what had happened.

Lucy struggles to bond with her newborn son and I did wonder whether the story was going to swerve down the path of post natal depression. Although I think this would have added a whole other fascinating dimension and depth to the book, it would have needed to be handled and researched in a very careful fashion, so perhaps it was a deliberate decision on the author’s part not to do this. The set-up was there though, so it could have made for some powerful, honest representation of a condition that a lot of women could relate to.

Just Between Friends is a fast-paced, intricate exploration of a new female friendship littered with secrets, during a time where the women involved both need infinite emotional support. Nixon did a great job of including a variety of families within the Baby Group and I did feel that I got to know all of them. I would have perhaps enjoyed a little more from some of the minor characters but as they weren’t part of the central plot, I understand why I didn’t get that. Give it a read if you love women’s fiction with drama and brilliant, truthful characterisations.

Just between friends - Rosie Nixon

We follow a group of soon to be parents at a baby group, where new friendships blossom and then unfold. I thought this was a very well written book, it was so easy to read and a good page turner. I did think that it was a little obvious what was going to occur however I did not feel that this took anything away from the story for me. I really enjoyed it and was super pleased with the ending as I felt it ended unlike most books of this type.

I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

Many thanks to NetGalley and HQ for allowing me the chance to read and review this book!

Although you could guess from the outset who was involved in Lucy's story, there was enough of an element of doubt to keep you reading, and enough of the book left following the revelation to feel involved in how it all worked out. A mish mash of people coming together in a Baby Club, for first time parents. Aisha and Lucy hit it off, as the two whose partners manage to avoid the meetings. As they all move on and have their babies, we see lives intertwining and just know there is going to be an explosive revelation - but what effect will this have on the individuals, the group and their relationships. Intriguing. #netgalley #JustBetweenFriends

A story centered on meeting at a antenatal group, the fears and worries of becoming first time parents, told from the perspective of two mothers, Aisha and Lucy, who strike up a close friendship. However, there is one secret Lucy hasn't told Aisha.

Cleverly written, i felt close to all the new parents but particularly Aisha and Lucy. Everything from the ante natal group, those last days of pregnancy and childbirth were very relatable and funny at times. I was transported back to those early days of motherhood, and all the emotions it can entail. An enjoyable read, i kept expecting something else.

Thank you to Netgalley and HQ Digital for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Although I enjoyed this book on the whole the story was a little predictable especially as I guessed about Lucy and Jason very early on in the story. I found some of the book drawn out and I found my mind wandering and thinking just get on with it!!!

One of those books which seems like a nice gentle story but there's a bit more to it than that!

Aisha is thrilled to be pregnant, but why does she feel that her husband hasn't quite got on board with it? Lucy is also pregnant; her boyfriend, Oscar, seems fine with it. Both women join the same baby group and before long there is a tentative friendship springing up - but one of them doesn't know what the other is hiding . . .

This is a well written book which draws the reader in. There is a wonderful mix of eclectic characters in the baby group providing much entertainment, and misdirecting the reader from where the heart of the story lies. Flowing beautifully, this is a very easy read but I had it all worked out before it was revealed. Perhaps the synopsis gave away just a little too much? Even with that knowledge, there were things to learn at the end of the book which I hadn't expected and it all adds up to a good read. An engaging book, worth four stars.

My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley' this is - as always - my honest, original and unbiased review.