Natalie Fanning is finding motherhood to be much more than she expected. She never sleeps, she’s lonely, and quite frankly her brain has never been less stimulated. Not to mention her baby cries. All. The. Time. Then she meets her neighbor Paul. Paul is a stay at home dad and somehow he always seems to understand or have just the solution Natalie needs for her new son. But Paul has his own plans, and he needs Natalie for them- will she figure it out in time? “The New Mother” by Nora Murphy is a game of cat and mouse until the last page!

WHEW. This book was emotionally heavy. Immediately it’s apparent that Natalie has postpartum depression. She’s constantly anxious and stressed and overwhelmed and emotional, but it goes further than that. Her brain is spiraling, and I was stressed just reading it. (Not me, screaming at the book for her husband to NOTICE…).

As for the actual thrill parts of the novel, I feel like Murphy set us up in a good way. We can see all the moving parts and can guess how they will play out, but it’s only once Natalie begins to engage that we see the true game at hand.

This book was good, but emotionally taxing. In the end, I gave it a solid 3 star rating. Thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. This book comes out May 30th!

The New Mother by Nora Murphy was a great read! Natalie seems to have the perfect life. She’s got a nice husband, they have just bought and moved into a new home in a really great neighborhood and she has just gave birth to her son Oliver. But Oliver is a difficult baby. He never sleeps and is always cranky and crying. Natalie is stressed, she misses her job as being a lawyer and her husband just doesn’t seem to be much help or understand what she is feeling. Then she meets her neighbor. He’s a stay at home dad who supposedly is writing a book. He seems to get Natalie and is very good with calming Oliver. But he has a motive behind his madness! Will Natalie continue to stay in this phase of postpartum depression or will she come out of it in time to save herself from the accusations that are about to come her way? This was an exciting read for me and one I really enjoyed. I could relate to a lot of what Natalie was feeling after giving birth. It’s a book I’d recommend and I believe any mother out there would connect with the emotions this new mother was going through. I’d like to thank Stephen Erickson, Associate Marketing Manager at St. Martin’s Publishing Group for the invite and widget and NetGalley for the arc. I thought this was a great read and I’m giving it a 5 star rating!

The New Mother is a spot-on story about a woman with a newborn and her experiences with postpartum psychosis and how her life gets intertwined with that of her married male neighbour. I had postpartum depression with both my kids and although it wasn’t psychosis, the author’s description of many of the symptoms ring so true. She builds the feelings of loneliness, feeling overwhelmed, isolated and unprepared for the changes that motherhood actually brings, very well. I applaud the author in helping to raise awareness of postpartum mental health - read her Author’s Notes as well

The domestic suspense part of the novel was somewhat predictable and there could have been more development of the secondary characters. However, the pacing was good, the topic interesting, and the writing engaging, making this a satisfying read for me.

Thanks to Minotaur Books and Netgalley for this complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

Short synopsis: Natalie is struggling with her life as a mom to a colicky baby, when she meets the stay at home dad Paul who seems to take a load off her shoulders.

My thoughts: The first half of this book was rough! It was giving me postpartum anxiety, even though my baby is 4! All too relatable in the struggles a new mom goes through, the mom guilt, the hormones, and trying to sleep and comfort a difficult baby all at the same time. It was very candid, and accurate.

The mystery side was a little predictable in my opinion, but I did enjoy watching it unfold. And the epilogue was done so right, in diagnosis and seeking help.

If you’re a new mom struggling, please go talk to someone and help yourself out! Nothing is wrong with you, and you’re not broken!

Read if you love:
- Domestic thrillers
- Motherhood
- small town setting with nosy neighbors

3.5 stars

The New Mother was good, it took a little bit to get into but ultimately I liked it. The narrators did a great job on the audio.

I felt there were times I was questioning what the plot was, but early on you learn. And guessing what will ultimately happen does keep you on the edge of your seat.

I didn’t love this book, but it definitely was bad. Just so-so. I would probably recommend it to another reader.

Book : The New Mother
Author : Nora Murphy
Release Date : 30, May 2023

Thank you Net Galley, St Martins Press — Minotaur and the author of this book for an opportunity to review this ARC.

This book cover is thrilling, makes you want to guess what’s going to happen in the book. I wasn’t quite sure what I was going to expect when reading this book but what I read was an amazing story about a mother whom I absolutely relate to. I felt that the fact this character was so relatable, the storyline was so incredibly relatable, this made the reading experience even that much more.

Parts of this book made me emotional, made me laugh & smile. I enjoyed every second of this book. Watching Natalie and the dynamics of the relationships in this story unfold. It’s a twisty little thriller that kept me turning pages not knowing quite what was going to happen.

Such a great read and I can hardly wait for the authors next book to come out.

Race and put this on your TBR NOW!

The New Neighbor

Sad, suspenseful, and fast moving. This is a story that will keep your attention throughout. You will feel sad for Natalie, angry with Paul and wonder why her husband isn't more aware of what is going on.

A new mother suffering from post partum depression, overwhelmed by the care of her newborn and missing her career falls under the spell of a shady neighbor who befriends her with an ultimate plot in mind.

Only Natalie's intense love for her new son and her realization of what is happening will save her. At the last minute she wakes up and realizes she is in danger and that Paul is not really her friend but is trying to destroy her life.

I listened to the audio book and the author did a great job with the narration. I enjoyed reading the book and I would recommend it.

Thanks to Nora Murphy for writing a great story, to St. Martin's Press for publishing it and to NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of the audio book to listen to and review.

This book was so hard to get into. It just went on and on and on with absolutely nothing happening. I get that we were supposed to feel lost in her psychosis and depression, but it just felt like we could have captured those feelings in way less time. When nothing has happened at 50% in, it's way too slow a burn for me to stay invested. I really loved her first book, so am disappointed this one fell flat for me.

2 stars at best. I wanted to take the story seriously, but just couldn't. I understand that postpartum depression exists, although I'm not sure this was the right way to focus on it. Very repetitive throughout the story focusing on Natalie's sleep deprivation. Definitely not the thriller/mystery I was expecting.

An enthralling novel of a new mom who's struggling after the birth of her son, and of the neighbour with an agenda who comes in to help her out.. Quite an enthralling read.

This was okay. Story took a lot to really get into. Her last book I got into it quickly but this one was nothing I was super sold on.

The book was decent. It kept my interest but didn't knock my socks off. Its my ffirst-time reading a book by this author and I will definitely pick up another.

I loved this author's last novel but unfortunately this was a miss for me. I do not like novels of new mothers and their struggles, its really depressing to me. LOL so this was a me problem, not the books issue.

I was under the impression this book was a thriller when requesting it. I soon discovered it was very much about a new mother's crippling postpartum depression instead. As a mom to two young kiddos my heart was breaking for Natalie and I had to call it quits before finishing. It was just too sad and not enjoyable to read for me. Thank you St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this novel.

I think I am landing on a 3.5 for this one.
I enjoyed this book for the most part. The first 60% or so made me think of books like The Push or other novels about women who become mothers and aren't sure that motherhood is for them. I felt like it totally could have taken a turn in that direction and that would have been ok. Then something happens at 60% that really changes the tone and turns this into a pretty standard psychological thriller. I liked the overall story. I didn't mind the different POVs. We get alternating chapters from Natalie and then from her neighbor/friend. My complaint with this one is that I feel like it should have been organized differently. The big event that happens at 60% could have happened right at the beginning and then we could get kind of flashback info leading up to that. I just feel like we spent a whole lot of time with Natalie struggling with becoming a mother and very very little time resolving the big conflict. It felt like it just happened and then it got resolved and that was the end. The short amount of time that we were dealing with that conflict was pretty tense so I think had it spent more time with it it would have been a really tense, unsettling story.

I’ve come to realize that sleep deprivation as a plot point is my most hated trope. This book was disappointing to say the least. I loved her debut book and expected more greatness. This was more like eye rolls and predictable plots.

Some explicit details on physical and mental issues after childbirth. I wanted to like this woman but could not. I realized she was sleep deprived psychotic and suffering from post partum depression, but being in her head was a bit much. She is selfish, indecisive and resentful for most of the book. For an attorney, she sure was not logical or outspoken at all. It's way on further in the book before any action occurs and it is brief and maybe a little mystery there. Predictable events,and maybe something for new mothers to take into consideration. Quick read. Not what I expected. I was provided a complimentary copy of the book but was under no obligation to review. These opinions are my own. Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

The New Mother by Nora Murphy
May 30, 2023
Minotaur Books

Almost every mother acknowledges the joy of pregnancy and the impending birth of a long-awaited child. In the best cases, through the gestation period, everyone coddles the mom, offering assistance in any small matter. But no one prepares the mother for after the baby is born, and all the attention is turned to the infant.

Natalie Fanning is overjoyed by the arrival of Oliver. Things couldn't be much better. She has a position she is passionate about as an attorney, happy marriage to a lawyer husband, Tyler, and a brand-new dream home. Now, their family is complete with Oliver. She has 12 weeks of maternity leave, and though she loves her child unconditionally, she misses the hustle and bustle of her job. Oliver is a cranky infant and constantly vying for Natalie and no one else. His neediness is wearing her down, and she is exhausted from lack of sleep.

When released from the hospital, all she wants is rest:

“I wanted to unpack my things from the duffel bag. To take a shower beneath the rain shower head in the master bathroom. To pop a Midol. To lie down. But how could I do any of these things now that Oliver was here? I longed, ached, to put him back inside me. Then I could go about my business while knowing he was safe and comfortable and part of me.”

Tyler is of little help. When she pleads for him to care for their son, he reiterates that the baby only wants her, for he cries whenever Tyler takes him.

What can Natalie do? The fatigue starts to do her in, and she wonders if she is going crazy. Overwhelmed, she states:

“I felt broken. Heavy with exhaustion. Hunger was twisting my insides into knots. Pain was ricocheting through me as I sat on the unforgiving wooden chair. I felt like a nuisance to myself. A burden. That my needs and my feeling still existed wasn't fair. How could I possibly care for us both?”

Natalie realizes many women return to work after their sabbatical, but she hates to leave her baby. She feels caught between two worlds. She loves her son and job, but how can she mesh the two together without problems?

She finds her employment an effort while worrying about Oliver causes a clash at her company, so she takes indefinite time off. The walls of her house start to close in on her, so she puts Oliver in his stroller and decides to walk, hoping to calm him.

On her excursion, she meets a new neighbor from a few doors down. Paul Riley is a 40-something stay-at-home dad for his elementary-school-aged daughter Petra. Paul had been a professor at a local university when there was an indication that he was having an inappropriate relationship with one of his students, so he was asked to resign. His wife Erin has a high-powered job in finance, and she suggests Paul remain in the house and write the novel he's always talked about. This way, he can also oversee Petra and her studies and activities. She had never been able to bond with the child, so Paul is thrilled to be a "house dad"!

Before long, Natalie and Paul become friends, and it seems Paul is the only one who can soothe the cranky Oliver. Though he's older than she, and they're both married, Natalie finds a true friend in Paul. They often visit until Erin learns of their friendship and orders Natalie to "stay away from my husband!" In fact, at a get-together at her house, she makes a scene over this in front of those gathered.

Natalie and Tyler rush back home after Natalie asserts she and Paul are just friends, which causes a great deal of hostility and whispers by the neighbors. Once inside, Tyler is livid, asking what the heck is happening. Natalie again tells him she's drowning with caring for their son; Paul has been only a friend, and she cannot understand why Erin flew off the handle. Little does she know that Paul has his own agenda.

The following day, Erin goes missing. Paul calls the police and peruses the neighbors, querying everyone if they have seen his wife. When he gets to Natalie's house, acting oddly cool, she tells him the last she saw Erin was when she admonished her, so he leaves without another word.

Before long, Erin's body is discovered in the woods behind Natalie's home, wrapped in a baby blanket Paul had given her for Oliver. Shocked at this, Natalie questions herself, wondering if she maybe did something to Erin and, in her fugue state, doesn't remember it. Natalie becomes the prime suspect, and some neighbors can attest to Erin's argument with Natalie.

With this situation, Natalie is bewildered. She's lost her friend, Paul, her husband is concerned about her, and the residents of her street are wary of her. All she wanted was some companionship, as Tyler was working all day, and she needed someone to commiserate with her alleged failings as a new mom.

But the real question is: Who killed Erin?

Overwhelmed with losing her identity and caring for a colicky baby has made Natalie extremely vulnerable. In this novel packed with powerful suspense, one can easily understand her situation, making this an electrifying read.

I really loved The Favor when I read it but this one fell a little short for me. I’m not sure if it’s because I’ve chose to stay childless in my life so even though I felt bad for Natalie and how stressed she was, I also felt like she was being incredibly rude to her husband but odd that she was letting this stranger in solely cause they shared staying home with a child. ⁣
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I realized early on she was experiencing Post Partum Depression and I know how serious this medical condition is. Especially with psychosis involved as well. It’s not a joke. I truly feel for moms struggling with this and I felt the author wrote about that in a well educated way and in a way to make people aware how serious it was.⁣
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The thriller aspect wasn’t super “thrillery” to me. Paul was sketchy from the beginning and his plotting taking care of a naive woman and his back history made him also unlikable.⁣
⭐️⭐️⭐️

Natalie Fanning is a new mother who is overwhelmed by her colicky newborn son. When her neighbor Paul steps in to help out, she thinks he is a godsend. He has something other than just helping the new mother out. Cna she figure it out before she gets in too deep?