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.

This book came so close to being a 5 star book for me but kind of fizzled out in the end… it did have some great twists that I didn’t see coming. I really enjoyed this thriller. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy in exchange for review.

Speaking of better, could there be a more epic tag line than: “She has almost everything. The rest she’ll take.”? Catchy, right?

I’m not going to say too much about Elizabeth Day’s @elizabday Magpie, other than get yourself a copy. Get an audio copy, get a digital copy, or get a paper copy, but just get one and then send me a DM and let me know if you saw that twist coming.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to review!
Link to 5/4/2022 Instagram post:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CdJeizwrlQ_/

This book was a wild, unexpected ride. There were a few times that I thought it was going to go the predictable route and it completely surprised me. There was a big shocker in the middle, which I LOVED and then I just couldn't rely on anything and I loved that. It's hard to review without giving any spoilers, but I really recommend it!

Sadly this one was not for me. A bit too slow of a slow-burner and didn’t find a few scenarios believable, I do appreciate this arc in exchange for an honest review and thank the publisher and netgalley for this privilege.

One-sentence summary:
Even though they haven’t known each other long, Marisa and Jake have moved in together and are trying for a baby, but when they take in a roommate named Kate, who seems a little too ‘familiar’ with Jake, all three lives suddenly become upended.
—
This book is 110% psychological thriller, which is sort of my favorite thing in the world, so I couldn’t stop turning the pages! I basically finished it in 24 hours.

It’s told from the POVs of Marisa and Kate, and there’s a very fun twist about one-third of the way into the story that turns the entire scenario on its head. I also really enjoyed the family dysfunction of Jake – his mother, in particular, is a perfectly flawed character.

While certain plot points do stretch the imagination a bit, it is written so well that it’s easily forgiven. One thing that helps to keep it grounded is that the exploration of the struggles of infertility in the book is thorough, well-researched and very much based in reality. In addition, Day does such an exceptional job of getting the reader into the heads of both Marisa and Kate.

This is now out in hardcover!

Thank you Simon & Schuster for the ARC!

This story wants to be so many things: a testament to infertility, a statement on mental health, a psychological thriller, etc. The author really tries to tie it altogether in one neat package but the story unraveled for me when the character point of view changed halfway through.

Magpie is a solid read for the first half and then comes the twist which changes everything. This is a difficult storyline to review without revealing information. I did like the change in point of view. A story of the trials and tribulations of infertility, Kate and Jake and Marisa, have a plan to have a baby. I did identify with Kate to a point, but once Annabelle entered the picture it became more difficult. The plan that evolves in the second half seemed very unrealistic to me and the ending was a letdown. I kept hoping for a reoccurrence of the magpie, as I loved the prophetic symbolism of its first appearance.
Many thanks to Elizabeth Day, Simon Schuster, and NetGalley for affording me the opportunity to read an arc of this recently published book.

A twisty thriller that examines the misery and grief of those who struggle with pregnancy. There is also a great mental health representation that I feel was handled well. Throughout the story you wonder who's point of view is reality and who's is delirium. Some may not appreciate these themes, but I thought it was done well.