The striking cover of Baby Factory immediately caught my attention, and the story itself kept me engaged throughout. Suleiman Ocheni’s writing has an intriguing energy, and the premise was unique. However, while the book held my interest, certain aspects of the plot and character development didn’t fully deliver on the promise of its compelling start. Still, it’s a thought-provoking read that I’m glad I picked up.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"Baby Factory" by Suleiman Ocheni is a gripping and emotionally charged novel that takes readers on a roller-coaster journey of discovery, danger, and personal growth. The story centers on Aleeza, a woman who has lived a sheltered life, oblivious to the complexities and emotional upheavals that many face. Her world is upended when she discovers unsettling inconsistencies surrounding the birth of her daughter, propelling her into a perilous quest for truth and safety.

Ocheni's narrative skillfully balances elements of suspense, drama, and romance, making for a compelling read. Aleeza's journey is fraught with danger and filled with daring thrills, as she steps out of her comfort zone to protect her daughter. The stakes are high, and the tension is palpable as Aleeza navigates a world she is unprepared for, forcing her to confront her own vulnerabilities and strengths.

One of the novel's strengths is its well-drawn characters. Aleeza is a relatable protagonist whose emotional turmoil and determination resonate with readers. Her evolution from a sheltered individual to a courageous mother fighting for her child's safety is both believable and inspiring. The reappearance of a figure from her past adds layers of complexity to her journey, as old feelings resurface and complicate her already tumultuous situation.

Ocheni deftly explores the themes of love, trust, and resilience. Aleeza's interactions with the people she encounters on her journey highlight the intricate web of relationships that shape her life. The emotional depth of the characters and their relationships is handled with sensitivity, adding richness to the story.

The pacing of "Baby Factory" is well-managed, keeping readers engaged from start to finish. Ocheni's writing is both evocative and accessible, drawing readers into Aleeza's world and maintaining suspense throughout. The plot twists and turns keep the narrative dynamic, ensuring that the story remains unpredictable and exciting.

Overall, "Baby Factory" by Suleiman Ocheni is a compelling and heartfelt novel that explores the lengths a mother will go to protect her child. With its blend of suspense, emotional depth, and character development, it earns a solid rating of 4 out of 5. Readers looking for a thrilling and emotionally resonant story will find much to appreciate in Aleeza's courageous journey.

Whilst I wanted to love this book, I just couldn’t get into it. I read 15% of the book but I wasn’t motivated to read on. Unfortunately, I didn’t finish the read. It is a book I will try to revisit in the future!

This book was interesting and I liked it. Sometimes a little confused but definitely enjoyed the read.

As a first time mom-to-be, I found this book to be quite difficult to read. I have read stories with similar subjects and themes but this one did not feel good, nor did it feel like the emotions were authentic, it felt forced. The writing style wasn’t engaging, unfortunately, and I found myself taking long breaks between readings. I am disappointed.

I spotlighted Baby Factory as book of the day and included it in my weekly and monthly roundups of new releases on my Black Fiction Addiction platforms.

I was drawn to this book by the cover, and then forgot about it, but finally decided to go back to it. The whole idea of babies being taken from their mothers is very disturbing, and how she isn't believed by her own family is heartbreaking. I wanted to be sucked in and fly through the novel, but I found myself skimming and wanting it just to be over. I can see this becoming a movie and honestly think I might enjoy that version more.

The Baby Factory by Suleiman Ocheni is a good, quick read mystery. Aleeza Kalu gives birth to her first child, a little girl. Aleeza is not with the baby’s father, but before Richard can meet his daughter, they learn she passed away. Aleeza knows something is amiss because her baby looks different and she is missing a birthmark on her foot.
The story moves into a backstory about Aleeza and Richard. Then it kind of got off the rails for me. How did Russia get involved? Some parts became a little unrealistic.
I want to thank Cherimoya Publishing and Netgalley for a complimentary copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Baby Factory tells the story of a woman on a mission to prove that her baby isn’t dead. It is a very interesting premise but I couldn’t help wishing by the end that certain steps had not taken place. I think the book was a bit too confused as to what it wanted to be. A romance with a side of mystery? A mystery with a side of romance? It ultimately didn’t pick any and therefore suffered as a result. The plot was also quite unbelievable at times.

Good idea, so-so execution.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC.

Baby Factory is a well written book which takes readers on the journey as a new mother searches to locate her newborn baby.

I’m not sure what happened but some kind of way I got lost and didn’t realize what the title meant but very quickly I learned. My heart broke for Aleeza, everyone thought she was delirious but she was right the whole time. The author did a great job with the storyline, keeping my interest in the missing baby and the budding second chance romance that was playing out. This book had some highs and lows but nothing prepared me for the curveball. I enjoyed this book a lot.

I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

The cover of this book was the first thing that drew me in - and reading a bit more of the author, I wanted to include it in my TBR in order to diversify my shelves. This novel attacks a lot of big ticket items: relationship tension (between parents and partners), human rights issues, crisis of faith and taking risks to seek truth.

The premise of the book is absolutely heart-breaking and builds off of the real-world tragedy of Baby Factories. These factories and operations are found throughout the world, but "child-harvesting" typically occurs in third-world countries. Locations such as Nigeria and the Philippines are subject to these cruel practices, where children are bred/taken, trafficked and sold to developed countries. Teenagers are coerced to provide children in exchange for money in order to survive in under-developed societies. The author does a wonderful job of pulling this scenario into a developed country, but does well to carry the same sense of panic and fear throughout the realizations of the novel.

Secondary to these events, Baby Factory focuses largely on relationships. The first instance we see this is with Aleeza and her mother, where their relationship is strained and their point-of-views often differ. Her mother can be seen as an oppressor and controlling figure, constantly reminding Aleeza of the restrictions of their faith and continuing to discount Aleeza's fears and suspicions surrounding the death of her daughter. I found it easy to dislike Zahara, as many aspects of her character remind me of parts of my relationship with my own mother, but through the intense journey of grief this family undertakes, they are able to see eye-to-eye in the end.

The other important relationship is between Aleeza and Richard, her baby's father, albeit he doesn't know until the child is already gone. I do believe this was an vital truth in the novel, however, I did feel that the first part of the book dragged in the description and characterization of their coupling. At one point, Aleeza mentioned writing letters to Richard shortly after their break-up, and promptly moves through each letter in detail - this gave the first part of the novel a fractured approach with information that wasn't all-to important to the plot and drive of the narrative.

As Aleeza and her family/friends dig deeper into the disappearance of her child, they start entering the underbelly of investigative practices: spies and ultra-secret contracts. This provided a good amount of suspense and action, but I did feel that it was a bit unrealistic in the depiction.

I did find this to be a very quick and enjoyable read. I started and finished it in the span of an evening. If you do intend on reading it, please review the trigger warnings associated to the novel, including, but not limited to, the following: child death, child abduction, torture (some graphic), and gun violence.

The title of this book and description definitely drew me in. Aleeza, a somewhat sheltered girl, falls pregnant. Soon after she gives birth the hospital tells her that her baby girl has died. From the beginning Aleeza is suspicious and goes on a quest to find out what really happened to her child. Aleeza frustrated me for the majority of the book because she seemed completely oblivious to things and feelings from the people around her. Along with the search to find her daughter we also see a love story build with her and her baby's father, Richard. I felt like Richard took the brunt of Aleeza's misjudgment being placed as the bad person at times.

The search for Remy was definitely interesting but left more to be desired. The climax was pretty underwhelming also. I definitely didn't expect the end but it also didn't make much sense to me either. I do love where we left their small family at the end of the story.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my review.

Baby Factory publishes December 26, 2021

This was a very good find on Netgalley.

The title of this novel drew me to request it a while back on Netgalley and it did not disappoint. Aleeza a young Nigerian woman living her life in Britain, just gave birth to a baby girl she named Remy. However, as Remy is immediately pronounced dead due to sepsis Aleeza demands to see her baby's dead body for confirmation. Her grief his halted as she realizes that the dead baby presented to her does not have a birthmark and therefore is not hers. Aleeza is convinced that someone in the hospital stole her baby. Of course this is difficult to prove.

Meanwhile Remy's father, Aleeza's ex, Richard is shocked to know that he was about to be a father. Aleeza told him nothing about the pregnancy. In trying to deal with the shock and his feelings about Aleeza the chain of events that follow is quite exciting.

I like the premise of the story. I knew nothing about Baby Factories prior to reading this topic was very interesting to me. I love Aleeza's determination throughout the story. I think the lengths she went to in quest to find her baby was really impacting. A mother's love is really something else indeed. The relationship between Aleeza and Richard was quite turbulent and romantic at the same time.

What was really good though was the ending. That was a shocker indeed.

Baby Factory drew me in with it's beautiful cover (isn't the model absolutely stunning?), but I was very curious and intrigued by the description.

We start the book right in the midst of action. Aleeza gives birth surrounded by her friend and her mother and that's when everything goes awry. Her world is flipped upside down, but she just knows it cannot be true. But no one will believe a woman that just gave birth and can't accept what is right in from of her. From there, the author takes us back in time to show how Aleeza came to the place she is now and how Richard (the father of her child) fell out of the picture because of decisions these two made in haste. Once we are caught up with their past, then we continue with what has happened to this ex couple and how they are going to move forward.

The author did a wonderful job of creating a world that pulled me in from page one and kept me flipping the pages wanting to know what was going to happen next. It was filled with action, some violence and parts of the story that could very well be happening in countries today. He did a great job of weaving together two different cultures, including the language of Aleeza and her family. It fit with the dialogue and gave the extra something to the story that lifted it up. Some of the actions of the characters frustrated me a bit, but it helped lead to their character growth as well.
While I enjoyed this book and was totally engrossed with the mystery and suspense of it all, the ending wasn't really my cup of tea. That part really made me bring it down a star. I just couldn't understand it or see it. It threw me for a loop and not in the best way.

Overall, this was a story that kept me on my feet and had me turning the pages wanting to keep up with the story, the characters and their journey to find their truth. I liked the cultural representation, the bit of romance and the mystery and suspense. It worked for the characters and their overall arc. It was just the ending that I had a few issues with. 3.5 stars

This books deals with grief in a very serious way. It takes a special talent to be able to translate raw emotions like that to someone who's never had to deal with loss in that way. I enjoyed the fierce loyalty she has for her child, and her will to not give up is truly inspiring. The story is action-packed and a page turner for sure!

When Aleeza meets Richard via a dating App she didn't realise how much her life would change forever.
An interesting story of friendship, love, family ties and espionage.
Will anyone believe that Aleeza isn't suffering from the loss of her daughter and she's act alive?
An easy to read book.

Baby Factory by Suleiman Ocheni is the story of Aleeza Kalu, a Nigerian woman who is studying in London and looking towards and dreaming towards building a bright future for herself till a relationship with a man leaves Aleeza pregnant.
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Aleeza decides to have the child and on the day she gives birth to a baby daughter who she names Remy who is declared dead after some time by the doctors as the baby couldn't survive as she was told by the doctors.
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Aleeza thinks otherwise. Then there is also the story of what transpired between her ex-boyfriend Richard Henderson which led her to giving birth on her own without the father of the baby having no knowledge about it.
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Aleeza persists that the baby corpse that was shown to her was not of Remy. As Aleeza tries to remember the events that took place before the birth of Remy, the others around her see this as a way of her coping with grief and her friends and family also think the grief has sent Aleeza in a Major setback.
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But Aleeza knows her daughter is alive and is out there and thus begins the tale of Aleeza fighting against the world, taking huge risks and crossing dangerous terrains to find her daughter Remy.
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The story building towards the beginning was a little slow. I felt the author wanted to say a lot but wasn't able to. The chase in the present day scenario and Aleeza's dynamics with Richard was also explored.
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This wasn't a simple thriller and the narrative was certainly not fast paced. The end certainly couldn't live up to its mark because the build-up in the second half was good but when you find out it kind of kills your enthusiasm.
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I learned about the Baby Factory that operates in Nigeria and you will also witness how a black woman has accepted that there are some things the white would JUST not understand which is something to pay attention to.

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Baby Factory was an interesting book to dive into. I honestly forgot that I was accepted to read this book until I randomly noticed it on my kindle. Luckily, for me, I found the time to finally dive into it.

In this, you will meet Aleeza and Richard. After giving birth to her baby, Aleeza finds out that she has passed away. When she is brought to her dead baby, she swears that it wasn't her and that her daughter is still alive. Now I have no idea how a person would cope with this horrible news. Let alone seeing a dead baby and claim that it's not theirs.

I've never had a kid and don't really plan to either. So seeing Aleeza's raw emotion towards this dark subject was eye opening. It nearly broke my heart when she wasn't claiming the baby either. But it also made me question.. could this be true as well?

While everyone is just saying she isn't grieving well with this news Aleeza decides she's going to find out the truth for herself. It's not a huge surprise that she wasn't alone in thinking that her baby was taken from her. With each twist and turn, we are getting closer and closer to solving the big mystery.

Now I won't lie. This book had a ton of action in it. Which definitely made this a page turner. I was also really investigated in the whole baby stealing mystery as well. But, and yes a huge but, the one thing that kind of killed my interest was the actual ending. It did nothing for me. I was honestly kind of expecting something different after all the twists and turns.

In the end, this had potential to be a great book but the ending just didn't feel realistic to me.

This book had me all in my feelings. I truly felt for Aleeza and all she had been through. A very good read!
I voluntarily read this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Apologies this archived before I realised my copy would not open , my bad, I look forward to buying this and reviewing on release

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion