This book unfortunately was not for me. I struggled getting into the book and ended up not finishing it. I am hoping to come back to this title in the future.

Magpie Review!

Thank you Simon & Schuster and Netgalley for this gifted copy of Magpie, in exchange for an honest review! Magpie is out now!

I thought this one sounded very interesting after reading the synopsis. I’ve heard a lot of surrogate horror stories in really life and this one seemed like it could be an great read. Magpie was a 4.25/5 ⭐️ for me! This book had one of the greatest twists I’ve ever read. It was crazy, my mouth literally dropped open reading it. The twist was in the middle and I wish there would have been more at the end, but it turned out to be a pretty average thriller after that! But really though, I can almost guarantee you will not figure out the twist! 😳

Synopsis: Marisa and Jake are down on cash and trying to have a baby isn’t going to help with that. To take in some extra income, they decide to take in a lodger who will pay rent. Their new renter seems to have an unhealthy interest in Marisa or is she just being paranoid?

Thank you to Simon & Shuster for sending me an advance copy of Magpie.

Marisa’s life is coming together nicely. Sure it’s fast, but she has a lovely boyfriend, he’s recently asked her to come live in his lovely house, and despite a slight drop in income, they are prepared to start trying to have a baby. The solution to their change in money is simple – a lodger named Kate is going to come live with them for awhile. Kate immediately makes herself at home and Marisa thinks it’s strange, but she has bigger problems. Getting pregnant takes some time and it’s too stressful to focus on anything else. Things like Kate making Jake ‘his favorite dinner’ or leaving her shoes in the hall by the door. The last straw for Marisa is Kate being seemingly obsessed with Marisa’s fertility and pregnancy. As Marisa starts looking into Kate she is alarmed at how little she knows anyone in her life, including herself.

This is one of those books that is really tricky to review. I don’t want to give anything away and going in with minimal info really makes for the best reading experience I think.

This book was enjoyable and even though the subject matter does not lend itself to being described as ‘quick-paced’ it was a very quick read, cleverly written to keep me wanting to read on.

I really liked Marisa. She was easy to root for, easy to believe, I was immediately on her side and continued to stay there. Kate did not rub the wrong way, but she was written in a way that I can totally understand other readers not liking her. She was abrasive and commanding, though nice. As for Jake, I neither liked or disliked him. He had traits that I enjoyed, but I felt overall he came across immature and secretive.

The twist was good, it was not something I anticipated…and while I say time and time again that I rarely guess a twist, I really don’t know how anyone could’ve guessed this one, it was that unexpected to me.

This one just didn't really do it for me. There were some weird vibes in it and why did all the women have to be made out to be crazy?

This one just missed the mark for me.

oh…so we’re still using mental illness as a ‘reveal’ in 2022? this was a pretty entertaining read but that just doesn’t sit right with me, please come up with something else!

Magpie by Elizabeth Day is an unusual book. It is a psychological thriller that isn’t what you expect. The characters, for the most part, are not very appealing and the unreliable narrator will take the reader down several rabbit holes before the entire plot is revealed.

The writing is very well-done and the plot is creative and clever. But, overall I found that the story seemed to drag at times and the ending was a bit too neat and tidy to be satisfying. I enjoyed parts of the book but it’s not a book that I truly liked from beginning to end.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.

Marissa has met the man of her dreams and is pregnant with their first child. Their idyllic life is disrupted when a lodger moves in, but is everything as it seems?

After the initial twist, I waited for another switcharoo. It left me on edge and nervous, but the resulting story was unexpected. 3.5 stars because while I was very interested in it, the ending seemed a little rushed.

This was so cleverly written and presented to the reader, and just proves that old adage - Always remember that there are three sides to every story - my side, your side, and somewhere in between is the truth. What you think you know is only your perception of the truth because of the way the facts are presented to you...so be very careful what you believe with this one. I really really really love when a thriller can surprise me, and this one left me uttering a lot of "Oh Wow"s.

I enjoyed the book, but didn’t love it. There are twists and turns to keep you intrigued, but not enough to make me want to shut out the world.

I literally couldn’t put this book down from the moment I picked it up. Marissa and Jake take on a lodger to help with rent while they work though adding onto their family everything seems great at first. But are things as they seem? I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This was a good read containing many twists and turns. Jake and Marissa are married and upon numerous failed attempts to start a family, hire a surrogate, Kate. Kate moves in with them. Kate is very different from them and they try to find out who she really is. Add to this Jake's parents, Steven and Annabelle. A great read.

Magpie by Elizabeth Day is a unique suspenseful and psychological novel. Marisa and Jake meet and quickly fall into a loving relationship. They move in together and everything is going well until Jake runs into some financial challenges and they bring on a new lodger, Kate, to help cover the cost of the rent. At first things with Kate are fine but as time goes on she starts to get more and more familiar and the boundaries begin to feel blurred. This would be tricky enough for the two of them, but they are also trying to conceive, and it seems like Kate may be getting in their way...

I really enjoyed the first half of this book - it had me hooked and I was furiously turning the pages to find out what was going on. There is a twist half way that hits you hard and made me excited to keep reading to find out what was next. While the story continued to crescendo I felt like the payoff was less satisfying and ultimately wrapped up too neatly and predictably.

Overall, I did enjoy this read and it was an easy and enjoyable one - perfect for vacation or if you want something to take your mind off of things.

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC - Magpie is out now!

This was such a twisty domestic thriller! It started off one way and totally flipped my mind when things went in a completely different direction than I was expecting. The book opens with one couple, Marisa and Jake, trying to have a baby but needing a little extra money to get by. Jake decides to bring in a lodger, Kate, and suddenly Marisa's life gets turned upside down. When Kate starts inserting herself more and more into their lives Marisa starts digging trying to figure out who this woman is and what she finds out will leave you reeling. Perfect for fans of Gone girl. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my advance review copy!

CW: infertility, surrogacy

"one for sorrow, two for joy, three for a girl, and four for a boy."

Marissa and Jake are the perfect couple, they only thing they are missing a baby. To earn some extra money to prepare to become a larger family, Jake and Marissa get a lodger, Kate, to move in and help with some expenses. Jake is convinced this will help cover the cost to expand their family so Marissa agrees. But once she actually becomes pregnant... things change. Marissa is more on edge and paranoid, and Jake and Kate seem to be getting more and more cozy. Marissa is convinced Kate is making moves and is obsessed with them!! Marissa decides to take matters into her own hands- even if it means risking everything she has worked so hard for. How far will she got to protect her growing family ???

WOW !! This book was too much more than the synopsis leads it on to be!!! I can't really go into with much spoilers but holy crap it gets insane !!! Marissa, Kate and even Jake's mom Annabelle all have their own experiences with motherhood, whether it be infertility, abandonment or obsession. I loved the different view points on motherhood this way. I also loved how the first half of the book was told from Marissa's POV and the second half from Kates... I was really able to understand each character more. Now with that being said, the main reason this isn't getting 5 stars is because the main "twist" happened to early for me... I was hoping for more of a BANG ending but it just kinda resolved itself after that...

Overall, this book was great !! I loved the crazy characters, the twist was insane and the motherhood theme was great!!

"There was no sacrifice to great; no lack that she wouldn't willingly suffer. She had her baby, finally after so much suffering."

Thank you Simon & Schuster, Netgalley and Elizabeth Day for an advanced readers copy of this book !!

Content Warnings: Abandonment, Grief, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Rape
Stalking. This book is very heavy on infertility and trying for a baby. This may not be the book for you if this is a trigger

“Magpie” is a quintessential psychological thriller, where much of the book is spent in the heads of its main characters and then you realize they may not be as reliable as you’d think. The major twist in the book comes in the middle of it, but then it felt like the book meanders after that point. I was expecting more high drama to occur after the twist is established, but that was not the case. The last half of the book was largely uneventful. As a result, this is a 3 star 🌟 book for me, solid, but not one that I really loved. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the copy in exchange for a review.

A mother's love clash when two women fight for the birth of the same child. One is fighting to be a mother and the other is fighting for the babies future and its father. This novel shows just how far women will go for their family.

Magpie is a stylish suspense novel filled with feminism and hope. A bit predictable, this novel tips the edge of devotion into obsession. Thank you Simon & Schuster for the complimentary copy.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and Netgalley for an ARC of Magpie in exhange for an honest review!

Magpie is a domestic thriller full of twists and unlikable characters. It kept me guessing throughout. This book heavily depicts infertility and mental illness, which may be triggering for some readers. The story is fast-moving and bingeable - I couldn't wait for the ending!

I was really into this book until about 75% in. The ending was disappointing - I wanted more from the villian or something off the rails to happen!

From my blog: Always With a Book

I had this book on my radar ever since I saw it being talked about when it was published last year in the UK. I just knew it was something I wanted to read and I’m so glad I did – it was exactly the type of psychological thriller I love!

This book kept me guessing all the way through. I loved that every time I thought I knew where things were headed, a new twist would totally turn things upside down. It takes the unreliable narrator and adds in so many other layers that you aren’t sure which way is up or who to trust.

I will say that if you are sensitive to the fertility journey, this might be a tough read for you. I myself struggled with infertility, though I am many years removed, and yet reading this I felt like I was right back there – that’s how spot on and real these scenes are. The book takes you on quite the emotional journey on that end, so just be aware if that is a trigger for you.

I loved this book. It is so cleverly plotted and things are definitely not what they seem. Not only is fertility touched upon as I mentioned above, but also mental health, which makes it such a fitting book to read this month. You just know things aren’t right, but you can’t quite put your finger on what exactly is wrong and there is this sense of impending dread coming. This, to me, is what makes it such a good psychological thriller and I had such a hard time putting this one down once I started it.

This is the first book I’ve read by Elizabeth Day but it certainly will not be the last, especially if all her other books are as engaging and gripping as this one!

Yes Yes Yes! I feel like this book is underrated on social media when it should absolutely be a book that everyone picks up! It's such a good one and I had a hard time putting this down - I pretty much read it in one sitting and loved it. Cannot wait to read what the author writes next! Thank you so much for the opportunity to read and review!

This book was just ok for me. It definitely wasn’t the thriller I was hoping for. Thanks to NetGalley for the privilege to read and review this book.