I had to drag !myself through this. There are a lot of vague mysteries and secrets but literally nothing happens until the end. I was so bored and then I felt like I'd been thrown up on in the last 20% or so.

I'm a sucker for domestic thrillers involving babies and young children, so I was thrilled to add this one to my t0-be-read list. The chapters alternate between the expectant mother and the midwife. It's made immediately clear to the reader that both women are keeping secrets and that, for some reason we're not aware of yet, the midwife has selected this patient for a specific reason. By the last few pages, all of their motivations finally started to make sense, but what I never quite understood was why Lauren trusted Jackie. It didn't feel like there was any particular bond or friendship between the two women.

The Midwife, by Victoria Jenkins
2.5/5⭐️⭐️

TRIGGER WARNINGS-
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.
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Murder, death, alcohol, drug, mentions SA, birth

This book focuses on the two main characters/narrators: Lauren, an older soon to be first time mom, who did IVF with a donor and Jackie, a midwife, who switches hospitals and becomes one of Laurens midwives. Only Lauren has a secret that she's worried others have found out about that's starting to put her and her unborn child's lives at risk. While Jackie also harbours secrets of her own.

This book is told from the perspective of Lauren, a single pregnant, soon-to-be first time mom and Jackie, a midwife.
There's a mysterious air around Lauren and Jackie. It leaves you wondering if Lauren is the bad guy or if Jackie is and who's trying to protect who. Is Lauren protecting her unborn child and herself from someone, or is Jackie protecting lauren and her unborn child or just her unborn child from someone...
You're left with a lot of questions that you carry with you throughout the majority of the book. Like there are
so many questions that you ask yourself in order to try to fully understand the story or what's going on. It felt like you didn't want to read the book out of suspense to figure out what was going on rather you wanted to read it to see if it would get less confusing and if you could kind of sort it all
straight but at the same time you also want to stop
because you're confused, irked, and ticked. There's too many mysterious aspects woven through out and not enough answers. Some books give answers, (whether they be small kind of answers or larger ones), and back stories throughout the novel to keep you engaged and intrigued with the story, this book I felt did not. Literally all of the answers were at the very end.
I liked the plot and story concept I just felt like it wasn't executed properly.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for giving me an E-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

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This book started off a bit slow for me but I didn't really care because it had me hooked within its grasp. As the tension increased, the pacing also increased and by the end I was on the edge of my seat. it is twisty and unpredictable and I really enjoyed it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC of this book. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

The title and premise of this book, as well as being in my favourite genre, was what drew me in, however it was quite a slow read and it took me over half of the book to get into the story. The writing was very descriptive and the characters were built well, but the story itself felt a bit flat and hollow.

This is a new author for me so wasn't sure what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised how good it was. I read it in 2 sittings as I couldn't put it down. It's well worth the read just for the unexpected ending, I certainly wasn't expecting that. I will definitely look to read more by this author.

This is a new to me author and after finishing this book I'm keen to read more.

The midwife start with an air of mystery. Lauren is pregnant, Jackie is her midwife. Both have secrets.

All is not as it seems and it takes until the end of the book for everything to unfold. The major twist is well worth the wait.

This book captivated my attention from the very beginning. I was sucked right in. I have never read this author however I will definitely look into their other books. I enjoyed the character development and all the twists. As a healthcare provider this was especially intriguing to read. I was not expecting all the twists and turns.

Spine-Tingingly Snazzalicious! 😳😯🤯😳😯

Holy Fluffer Bobble Doodles! Jenkins has never failed me yet and once again hits her target with a bulls-eye of this novel! It's absolutely nail-biting, gasp-worthy and eye-popping the entire time you read it. She takes you on a twisted, unsuspecting journey that you think leads one way before she yanks you and veers you in something completely opposite! I was totally caught off guard and completely shocked once all was revealed. The ending was a sure jaw-dropper and I'm pretty sure my BP rose to dangerous levels. I'm not a drinker but this novel, by the end, sure had me tempted! Be ready to enjoy this fantastic treasure map of thrilling fun... just don't trust the map!

Mყ 𝐒ყɴ𝐨ρѕιѕ: Jackie is a midwife who has recently started working at Pinewood Hospital. She's excelling at her job and with her patients of mother's and newborn babies. Lauren is a soon-to-be mom not far from her due date. But Lauren is someone who is very isolated and to herself. Jackie can sense Lauren needs extra care and attention and tries to reach out to her in different ways to provide support and feels strongly for Lauren. Lauren has her reasons though, for being a nervous new mother and keeping to herself and she's got to keep her secrets at all costs. But just how much can she rely on Jackie?

🔴 Trigger Warnings: Baby Death ; Talk Of Miscarriages

Thank you to NetGalley & Bookouture for this ARC.
Release Date: November 14, 2022

𝐌𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐭: 4.5 / 5 Jack-o'-lanterns! 🎃

Wow, what a read! I didn’t even see the twist at the end coming which is quite unique.
I was engrossed from page 1 and raced through it almost one sitting.
It’s a true page turner and one that I’d definitely recommend.

Thanks to bookouture and netgalley in letting me review this arc W.O.W i was hooked from the first page, i found it exciting, i would put it down then 5 minutes later i would pick it back up.
Jackie is a midwife who has a secret, but what could it be???? Something happened years ago, are the 2 women linked ? How?
Lauren is pregnant and registers at the hospital jackie now works, why has she transferred? Lauren has a brick through her window,, nasty notes pushed under her door, and even a fire set whilst she is sleeping.. who is doing this? Why? Does lauren have a secret too? Has her past caught up with her? Loved it, my heart skipped a beat a few times whilst reading it

"The Midwife" is an excellent read if, like me, you don't want a book to give too much away. The book is a little confusing at times as there are a lot of names and name changes and a question of "what really happened" but it's 100% worth it because the ending was amazing and I did not see it coming.
The book is suspenseful, captivating and an expertly written page turner! Can't wait to read more from this author!

The Midewife follows Lauren, an expected mother who is hiding from both her past and her family, and Jackie, a midwife who appears to have a secret agenda. I have mixed feelings about The Midwife. On the positive side, I was not able to predict many of the big twists. I really hate when I know what the huge reveal is going to be from the start of the book. I also enjoyed the dual POVs and the pacing. However, on the negative side, I thought that the story became convoluted. I actually had to stop a few times to try to remember how all the pieces were fitting together. Even after finishing the book, I had to think back to make sure everything actually made sense. Overall, it's a fine thriller and I definitely had wanted to finish the book to find out the ending.

The midwife is absolutely gripping! It's obvious from the start that there's some kind of "long game" in play by the midwife and the why is what makes this such a page Turner.

Ahhh this book was creepy and a little disturbing, and I really loved every minute of it. Highly recommend.

The Midwife by Victoria Jenkins starts with an excellent premise. Lauren is a single woman in her 40s who has known her whole life that she wants to be a mother. Finally, after a round of IVF, she's doing it on her own. Lauren soon meets Jackie, a midwife, who encourages her to join a support group. for other soon to be mothers. Strangely, the only other people who show up are Lauren, Jackie and another pregnant woman, Amber.

*sigh....

There's other plot point about some man named Peter and Lauren getting letters or something....I don't remember. The plot was so jumbled and uninteresting that I just couldn't keep my eyes open. I tried reading this one during lunch and even then, I struggled.

I think that Victoria Jenkins is a good writer but this story could have used some editing. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

“Lauren Coleman “ has known loss in her life so she is taking her last chance to have a baby and she does this with artificial insemination One day at the clinic she meets a midwife named Jackie who was so kind and seems to really care about her patients. They form a professional relationship and Jackie even invites Lauren to a support group to meet other pregnant women but it seems only Jackie and another pregnant woman name Amber ever show up. One day while Lauren is at home a brick is thrown through her window with a note that says “I know what you did!“ she is shaking up but calls her landlord Khalil who fixes it this is only the beginning of the strange events that happened before the birth of her baby while this is happening Jackie the caring midwife is having an affair with some guy named Peter who has a vested interest in a dim opinion of what happens to Lauren. Although her opinion of Lauren and peters seem to vastly differ she still agrees to go through with the plan but what is the plan and why is he doing this? These are all questions and more that I had by time the end of the book came around. I love a good thriller and a good mystery and although I found this one to be a tad bit slow it wasn’t so slow that I didn’t enjoy the story I love this authors books and I wasn’t disappointed with this one I just thought it was a tad bit less greatness than her others but having said that I would still recommend it either you’re going to love it and tell your friends about it are you going to think it wasn’t so great but either way I promise you will finish it. I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

It was the title of this book that caught my eye as well as the genre being a thriller. The chapters of the book are written from the two main characters Lauren and a midwife named Jackie.
Lauren is vulnerable, isolated and pregnant with a secretive past and after achieved her pregnancy through IVF is both anxious and excited.
Jackie also has a hidden past and she befriends Lauren offering much needed support but not all is what it seems as the story develops.
This is an intriguing tale which mysteries are all revealed towards the end with surprising answers.
My thanks to Net Galley and Bookouture for the advanced digital copy of The Midwife.

I usually enjoy reading Victoria Jenkins' novels but this wasn't her best thriller book.

The story is about two women--Lauren who is pregnant and Jackie the midwife. Lauren has a secret and soon, someone knows about the secret that Lauren gets threatening letters. Jackie is also determined to know Lauren more.

This book wasn't as great as her other novels. This started slow-burn and it was also slightly boring in my opinion. What made the story interesting was towards the end, when Lauren's secret was revealed. There weren't too much twists or any unexpected turns that you would normally expect in a good psychological thriller and for me, the whole story kind of felt bland to me. The characters were in ,my opinion was boring as well. The plot was good but I really felt the execution of the whole story wasn't great.

Overall, this was an OK thriller that is worth three stars.

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

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.
This one was ok. It was a bit slow for a thriller and I had a hard time staying interested.
It wasn’t bad but it could have been a lot better.