*I was provided an advanced copy by Netgalley and the publisher for my honest review.*

This is the first (but not the last) book I have read from S.E. Lynes. I read late into the night to finish this one - there were several twists that I didn't see coming. I would recommend this book and I look forward to reading more books from her.

Thanks NetGalley, Bookouture and S.E. Lynes for an ARC to review.
In way less darker theme than the author's other book The Housewarming, we meet Jane and her little circle of friends, her little family of husband and dog and the newest addition to her life Lexie.
Like a playground drama but for adults we follow Jane in frustration being bullied and manipulated by the glamorous polished Lexie..
The book begins by a hit and run accident, Jane, her husband and another victim are there
A gripping engaging page turner thriller with couple of twists while discussing serious current issues of fake pretensions life styles and materialism to impact on our relationships with the people around us and our judgment on ourselves reflected by what we see on the surface of other people Instagramble lives playing on our insecurities and vulnerability

Another addictive, unputdownable thriller by author S. E. Lynes. Even though I did manage to guess the big twist, this tale of revenge and toxic friendships kept me hooked until the end. I found our main character, Jane, to be both likable and relatable. Jane is pretty content with her life. She has a successful business, a devoted husband, and a supportive friend group. However, all that changes when Sophie, one of the friends from the group, invites Lexie to join their group. Lexi is rich, glamorous, and seems to have it in for Jane. From taking digs at her appearance to creating misunderstandings between Jane and Sophie, it's clear to Jane that Lexi dislikes her but why? Is this a case of petty playground politics or does she have something more sinister up her sleeve?

Aside from all the twists and turns, I really loved the friendship between Jane and her friends (not Sophie of course) and her relationship with her husband. I thought the author did a wonderful job of writing and developing those relationships. There are a few topics discussed in this book, however, the one that sticks out the most is the issue of male consent and sexual assault. This particular topic plays a big role in the story so please keep that in mind when going into it.

Overall, I thought this was a gripping and well-written read. The twist about Lexi was predictable in my opinion but I enjoyed the ride and I appreciate the author for tackling an issue that isn't very talked about. This is my favorite book by S. E. Lynes so far. I look forward to reading more.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Jane has a relatively good life, a husband who loves her, her own successful coffee shop and good friends. The only thing missing is a baby which just isn’t meant to be. When her friend, Sophie, introduces Lexie to their group things start to take a turn for Jane and life begins to fall apart. Who will believe her that Lexie is not what she seems?
I love this author’s books so much! Her characters are always relatable and the emotions are always highly charged. This was fantastic work and I highly recommend! Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

This was actually really good!

Jane and Sophie had been friends...until Lexie comes along. Lexie changes Jane's life drastically so much that she loses her only friend Sophie to her, who has fallen into her spell. Lexie somehow makes Jane's life miserable, for no reason. Then both Sophie and Lexie gets pregnant and Lexie hosts a baby shower at her expense. By chance, Jane sneaks into Lexie in the bathroom...and finds that she wasn't pregnant and has been faking it...

Initially, it started out a little slow but gradually, it started gaining its momentum. The story is told from Jane's perspective mostly and also Frankie, Jane's boyfriend, who falls into a woman named Natasha's charm. Towards the middle of the book, with the start of the baby shower--things start getting interesting with Jane finding out that Lexie is faking her pregnancy. Jane being a loyal friend tells Sophie who dismisses her and the two friends stop talking. It was really intense what with Jane finding out about Frankie and soon, the ending got really interesting. I kind of predicted the ending but nonetheless, I was hooked into the book from start to finish! The author did a good job of drawing the reader into the story. I started liking Jane as in my opinion, she is a strong and courageous woman. I was glad "SPOILER ALERT" that she and Sophie did not continue being friends .

This is quiet an unputdownable thriller that will keep you up all night--worth four stars!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

This was lighter than my usual genre but it was nice to get a bit of lighter relief.

Loved the camaraderie between the established group characters had some LOL moments especially the Hitler moment!

I could relate to the plight of the main couple within the novel on a personal level and it was written with precision and truth.

There are some real sensitive issues that have been covered within this book and they all had the ring of truth to them.

A reflective novel, thought provoking a real page turner.

I found this book a bit of a slow starter Rather heavy on the mechanics of running a coffee shop. Once it got into the relationships among the friends and the manipulation by Lexie, I was hooked and couldn't put it down. Jane begins to doubt herself. Is she really jealous or is there something off about Lexie's sudden monopolizing of Sophie? Why does Sophie believe Lexie's version of events? An enjoyable book.

Really enjoyed this book and I am very grateful as always to the Publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review it. I connected with the main character Jane who seemed like such a genuine person. When her best friend Sophie's head is turned by new comer Lexie, Jane tries her hardest not to be put out. She tries to welcome Lexie into their group of friends but something isn't right about Lexie. She certainly doesn't like Jane and seem to want to create a wedge between her and Sophie . But why. The book drags you in and you won't be able to put it down. Why is Jane's life slowly unravelling since the arrival of Lexie. Even her loving husband is acting strange. The book is full of twists you won't see coming, it will keep you on the edge of your seat. Amazing..absolutely gripping. A must read.

I will include a few content warnings at the end of the review in case anyone would like to go into this book completely blind and not see them.

Despite seeing the big twist in this thriller very early, I still enjoyed the reading experience. If you have ever had a close friend become friends with someone else and seem to be getting very close to that new person, you will relate to the main character in this book. Jane tries her best to be cordial to her friend, Sophie’s, new friend but everything she does seems to backfire on her.
When it seems like newcomer, Lexie, isn’t the person everyone thinks she is, Jane is put in a tough spot. Does she try to talk to Sophie about it? Or would that just make her seem like a jealous friend? I think the author handle what Jane is going through really well in this book.
There are also a lot of other conversations this book manages to bring in very naturally that don’t talked about a lot so it was nice seeing characters dealing with those issues.
This book is very British. So for someone who is not super familiar with some of the slang, it was hard for me to get into this book. But once I got into it, it was fine. Just keep that in mind if you are finding some of the conversations between characters strange.

All in all, I would consider this a slightly above average thriller. It isn’t the craziest thing I have ever read. There are several small twists that I did not see coming that kept me entertained while reading and the very short chapters make this book hard to stop reading. I would read other books by this author.


Content warnings include fertility issues, miscarriage, sexual assault.

I loved this book. Apart from it being a great story it speaks volumes of the friendships between women and brings a chill as you get further and further into the plot.
I did see some of the plot early but I think that was intentional as it gave me a false sense of knowledge so when the twists were revealed it made this not only a great read but one I will not forget in a hurry.
I would thoroughly recommend this one

Oh my goodness this book is absolutely fantastic. I was on the edge of my seat throughout, I just couldn’t tell what was going to happen next. Honestly it will really make your heart pound with suspense. I seriously couldn’t put this down! It is that good!

Wow! Five stars for The Baby Shower by S.E. Lynes. This book immediately drew me in and kept me turning pages deep into the night. Emotional and at times gut-wrenching, I couldn't wait to see what would happen next. Very engaging characters and an excellent plot make this one a winner. Be prepared to lose some sleep over this one!

This book was a wild crazy ride that I enjoyed every minute of! I connected with the main character Jane in so many ways that I felt like everything happening to her was happening to me. I couldn't fathom being in Jane's situation and wondered what I would do. I had expectations about what I thought the story was about, but I was SO wrong. The story exceeded my expectations in that it was a very unique, well told plot about the lengths people go for revenge and the chaos that results that ruins people's lives. The title is deceptively simple, but the story is definitely not. I enjoyed the book so much I am going to search out other books by this author.

Enjoyed this book. Some parts a bit more predictable than others,however plenty of twists to ensure you want to keep reading. Fast paced and sinister.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an Arc in exchange for an honest opinion

Sorry, but I didn’t enjoy this book. The story and ending were very predictable.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read it.

My anxiety wasn't ready for this book! INCREDIBLE!! S.E. Lynes is such a fantastic writer. The main character, Jane, had me feeling all of her emotions and caused so much internal turmoil from reading what she was going through. It's so hard to tell the truth and then have someone come around and blame you for everything that goes wrong in their life or be blamed for everything. It's the worst when you tell the truth and then the person thinks you're lying and making things up.

Sophie got caught up in the Lexie glory and decided to follow in her footsteps. It's easy to like the new and shiny object, especially when she is treating you like a princess, but is it too good to be true? Is she what you dreamed she would be?

There are a lot of big events that happen in this book that I can't get into without spoiling it, but be prepared for some life changing dynamics. I wasn't prepared for them to happen, but I am happy with how it was all addressed.

Can't wait to read more books by S.E. Lynes. Thank you Netgalley and the author for allowing me an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I will be purchasing upon publication release!

The Baby Shower was my first book by S.E. Lynes, and I'll definitely be reading more in the future. Even though I found a lot of this book to be predictable, it was still an enjoyable read. The main character, Jane, is both likeable and relatable. She is the owner of a small cafe, has a happy marriage, has a dependable friend group, and is planning a world trip. All seems to be going well until Sophie, one of the friends in the group, invites Lexie to join. Lexie appears to have it out for Jane. Just how far will she go to take everything away from Jane? Toxic friendships, family, and guilt are all themes explored throughout the book. Again, while I was able to predict a few of the big twists/reveals, I still enjoyed the book. I also found the ending to be quite satisfying. I'd recommend The Baby Shower to anyone looking for a mystery/thriller.

Jane Reece has a pretty great life. She's running a successful coffee shop, married to a hardworking and dedicated man and has a group of supportive friends. Jane is particularly grateful for her best friend, Sophie. They have been by each other's sides though thick and thin. Sophie even helped Jane through her issues with and subsequent depression from infertility. But when Sophie reveals that she's pregnant, they're relationship is thrown off kilter. Jane is happy for her friend, but is also struggling with jealousy.
Then enters Lexie Lane. She is glamorous, she is rich and she is pregnant-all the things that Jane isn't. Lexie's arrival further deepens the chasm between Jane and Sophie, and the deterioration of this friendship is devastating for Jane. More devastating still is that no one believes her when she says Lexie is trying to destroy her life. But is Lexie the villain here? Or is Jane making all this up in a bid to keep her friends close?

This may be my favorite book by Lynes to date. The characters and their relationships were so well done and displayed a great deal of emotional depth. Watching a once loving and supportive friendship deteriorate into toxicity was heartbreaking.
Additionally, I wanted to keep reading to find out what the motives for doing this were. Is Lexie really evil? Or is Jane paranoid and mentally unstable? I couldn't wait to find out!

I also appreciate this novel tackling issues that aren't often discussed in books (or society for that matter) such as the toxicity of female relationships and male consent.
While women are more often the victims of sexual abuse/violence, it's so important to remember that men can also be victims of this terrible crime.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Scottish novelist J.M. Barrie wrote: 'In prosperity our friends know us; In adversity we know our friends.'
Such is the case for protagonist Jane, café owner, wife to Frankie and devoted friend to Sophie. When Sophie reveals a piece of news that rocks Jane's world, it takes all her inner strength to give the appropriate reaction. But Jane is a kind person, generous and loyal. Friendship means everything to her, even when newcomer Lexie Lane is invited into the circle which includes fellow running club mates Kath and Hils.
While Jane may not be prosperous in the financial sense, she values her solid marriage and the warm camaraderie that buoys her spirits during darker moments. However, Lexie's arrival threatens to shatter the bond between Jane and Sophie and causes Jane to begin doubting her own sanity. Little things begin to niggle and accumulate, especially when Lexie imparts some news of her own…
As always, the author generously peppers her pitch-perfect writing with stand-out lines:
And whatever they're thinking, what is certain is that the usual Friday night hilarity has been extinguished like a match between damp fingers.
Funny, Jane thinks, how even in a crowded café with background music she can still hear silence.
So much is written about fractured relationships in the romantic sense but here, the author delves into the impact of potentially losing a friend. Of being replaced in someone's affections by another and the pain that inflicts. Oh, and there's so much more to this cleverly constructed tale, but you'll have to find out for yourself. An easy five stars for this one.

I loved this book so much! It kept me on the edge of my seat and the main character, Jane, is such a badass. She's so likable and relatable. It's refreshing to see characters like Jane because it often seems that the lead female characters in thrillers are overly naive. It's not that Jane has everything all figured out, she doesn't, but she approaches the situation in a realistic way. All this to say...Jane seems like a real person even in a book where things can get outlandish. Thanks for the advance review copy.