3.5 out of 5 stars (3.5 / 5) After having her first baby, Natalie realizes just how difficult motherhood is. Even more than that, her baby has colic and nothing seems to help.

Natalie goes through her days half-awake, half-aware of anything going on. Everything revolves around her baby and she’s starting to lose herself, but also her sanity. While on a walk, she meets the neighbor Paul who is instantly able to calm her baby down. Could he be the answer to everything she’s struggling with? After striking up a friendship with Paul, Paul’s wife goes missing. Both Paul and Natalie are suspects. In her sleep-deprived haze she can’t remember certain things and seems very suspicious to the investigators.

This book had a lot going on. Nataie’s new motherhood, her relationship with her husband, her job, her lack of sleep and more. Honestly, the details on new motherhood were too tedious for me, even though they are very accurate. It was hard to live those moments with Natalie when I remember them so well myself.

“Mom. It was the greatest honor. It was homogenizing. It was all-consuming, devouring, crushing.”

I did feel the book gave somewhat a negative expectancy of motherhood. It’s not always so bad, but this book focused on the bad and the judgement of stay-at-home-parents.

The end shabang was underwhelming- I wanted details. The shabang consisted of details before the climax then after. NOT DURING. Well psh, I want the good stuff. I want the reactions and the emotions and the surprise. So while that wasn’t as good as I’d hoped it still had a good ending and I was entertained.

Thank you to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the copy!

The book releases May 30, 2023.

Book about a woman struggling with a new baby and postpartum depression. After having the baby and living in their new house, Natalie can't cope. She's getting no sleep and her husband is not there to support her. She tries going back to work but has to give up as she is too sleep deprived. She befriends a stay-at-home dad who lives a few houses away and he helps her with the baby. But this father has ulterior motives for this friendship. A good page-turner though quite predictable.

Natalie and Tyler just had a baby, Oliver. He is a difficult child who rarely sleeps and constantly wants to be attached to the boob. Natalie feels overwhelmed and sleep deprived. She feels the constant need to follow the advice of all the baby books. She starts forgetting things, losing time, becoming moody, and making poor decisions.

Paul and Erin live in Natalie’s neighborhood. They have a loveless marriage. Paul is a stay at home dad, even though his daughter is 10 and in school all day. Natalie and Paul begin a friendship, or so Natalie thinks. Paul has ulterior motives for befriending this stressed out, sleep deprived mom.

This was a pretty good book! My first by Nora Murphy. There is discussion of postpartum, affairs, and murder. It delved into how women behave and feel differently after having a child, and how feeling isolated is real. This book focuses more on the postpartum aspect, and less on the murder and mystery part. I wouldn’t say this is a thriller at all, more of a contemporary fiction with a splash on suspense. The ending was predictable, but I enjoyed the book nonetheless. It won’t be for everyone though.

I loved the author’s note. Nora was vulnerable in telling us that while this isn’t her autobiography, she had postpartum and a difficult time after her first child.

I LOVED LOVED LOVED this book. Being a new mom is hard and can be quite alot for some to adapt to the new way of life. The way the author was able to convey Natalie’s struggles, adaption to motherhood and confusion made this story come to life. Being a mother, I could absolutely see this story happening in real life. Natalie 's struggles with being a new mom is all to real. This was a believable and cautionary tale. I read this book in one setting because it was just that good. Now, I will have to read this authors debut novel. She has a fan now.

Thank you to the publisher for the ARC. #netgalley

I thoroughly enjoyed this one. I love thrillers that keep you turning pages and at the edge of your seat. The New Mother is one many of us moms can relate to. The unreliable narrator trope is also well done here.

Nora Murphy proves once again that she is a master writer of domestic suspense. I was first introduced to her work last year when I reviewed an arc of her debut novel The Favor. It was an adrenaline rush from start to finish and a 5 star read for me. So when the opportunity to review her second book,The New Mother, presented itself, I dove right in.

The New Mother was so intense I couldn’t get through the words fast enough.
I was having heart palpitations and heightened anxiety about what was going to happen next. I wanted to scream and yell at Natalie’s husband, so he’d wake up and see what was happening to his wife and newborn son. But instead her creepy neighbour Paul saw what was happening and took advantage of Natalie in the worst way possible. Paul was a perfect villain. I absolutely loathed him. He preyed on, Natalie, a vulnerable new mom whom was clearly struggling with her new role as a parent. No spoilers as to what he did and why, but trust me, you’ll be shocked!

I really admire how Ms Murphy addresses important issues in her books such as domestic abuse, alcoholism, postpartum depression and psychosis. I could relate to the craziness and fluctuating hormones and lack of sleep that Natalie experienced as a new mother.

Thank you Minotaur Books and Nora Murphy for my electronic arc of the New Mother. It was a 5 ⭐️ read for me.

Publish Date: May 30, 2023

This one wasn't for me. I didn't find any of the characters particularly likeable, nothing much happened in the first half of the book, there was a little cat and mouse game going on in the second half, and then it ended rather abruptly. Can't recommend this one.

3.5 stars
Natalie and Tyler are new parents and also new to the neighborhood. Natalie is struggling with motherhood. The depression, sleeplessness, breastfeeding, colicky baby, working husband, loneliness and more is catching up to her and leaving her resenting becoming a mother. Enter...Nat's neighbor, Paul. Paul is a stay-at-home dad to a now 10 year old daughter and can sympathize with Nat and even help her out some. Unbeknownst to Nat, Paul is using her for something else entirely.

This was a bleak story. Somewhat relatable as a mother, and it brought me back to those first tough months of having a baby. However, I was hoping for more of a thriller/mystery element than what we got. I felt that part of it was very predictable and was lacking in any suspense. It's a slow burn for sure.

Special thanks to NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for my review.

“I needed to work, I needed to bill…”

“Bring food and don’t stay long.”

These quotes totally describe how I felt when I returned to work after having my oldest. So many descriptions in this book really resonated with me and felt so authentic. It was so relatable. Being a new mom is HARD but it’s even more difficult if there are other components to it. This book does a good job of capturing the less talked about feelings of new motherhood.

I felt bad for Tyler, those helpless feelings he had were so heavy. He was legit clueless about when to do to help Nat. He was trying to be supportive but Nat wasn’t having any of it. Pushing away his support. I felt bad for Nat too feeling isolated, less than, unfulfilled and like a total failure. It was a perfect storm.

This is a like a modern day cautionary tale which just felt so incredibly realistic at its core.

Craziness. Trust no one.

TW: I don’t want to give too much away so check trigger warnings before reading.

4 stars

This was an intriguing and compelling story. It felt realistic, although it wasn’t quite what I had anticipated; I was expecting a lighter thriller, and it sort of was that, but it was definitely more of a dramatic yet believable story of maternal mental health, the social expectations placed on women/mothers, and how easy it could be for a certain type of person to manipulate and exploit the vulnerability of a new mother who’s not getting the support she needs. All in all, it was an interesting read.

After reading Nora Murphy's debut novel, The Favor, I was please to receive an e-ARC of Murphy's new book, The New Mother. Told from multiple points-of-view, this one kept me reading. I enjoyed the twists and turns. While it was a bit predictable, The New Mother was a good read.

I didn't like this book as much as I thought I would mainly because I found the character of Natalie so unlikable. I understand she was supposed to be suffering from postpartum depression and psychosis but it was just chapter after chapter of her complaining. I also felt the book ended somewhat abruptly - it was suddenly the epilogue with no real explanation. It was a decent enough book but I wouldn't go out of my way to read it. Thanks to NetGalley for the digital ARC.

This books was ok. There was nothing wrong with it, technical or story wise, I just couldn't connect. I don't know whether it's because I don't have kids or what. It just didn't do it for me.

I really enjoyed Nora Murphy's THE FAVOR, so I was super excited to receive a copy of THE NEW MOTHER. I think this book was well written and had some good twists and turns. It also tackled some important issues in regards to motherhood. I am a mother of two and I dealt with postpartum depression so I was definitely able to make a connection with this story.

This book was a slow burn but I did find it entertaining and I did enjoy it. I would recommend this book.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books and NetGalley for this ARC.

The New Mother by Nora Murphy is a slow-paced, messing-with-your-mind story about new mom Natalie and her very real struggles with post partum depression, sleep deprivation and colicky baby Oliver. Nat feels isolated and lonely and is frantic for escape. She hates the constant negative sleepless rut she is in. Where is the new mom joy she should be experiencing? Motherhood is not what she had expected it to be and she questions her own sanity.

Nat loves Oliver but wonders whether love is enough. Her husband Tyler is sympathetic but of course does not truly understand her desperation. He has his job to ground him and he also sleeps. Neighbour Paul notices Nat when she is out and about; she is as taut as an elastic band and obviously needs his help. When they meet Nat discovers he is an experienced low-key dad with the answers. She decides to trust him, though a few faint alarm bells go off. The bells should be pealing.

Do read this if you are drawn to dark domestic suspense. I loved the slow build up and empathized with Nat. I was not drawn to any of the characters but did enjoy the raw and very real story. The author has a wonderful way of writing gripping emotion into her words.

My sincere thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing me with an early digital copy of this riveting and enthralling novel.

I really enjoyed this domestic thriller!
I felt our FMC was extremely relatable as a mother going through struggles as she welcomes a new baby into the world. It was raw and honest and so very true for a lot of people.

Paul’s character was intriguing from the very beginning. I got the sense that something was wrong with him or the situation and because of him couldn’t stop reading.

The prologue immediately drew me in, it was well framed that made you move to the edge of your seat almost immediately because you knew something was coming.

I did feel that the ending was predictable, however i didn’t feel like it took away from the overall grab of this book!

I bounced between the audio and the digital during reading and truly enjoyed both! The narrators did a wonderful job of being the story to life!

The New Mother is a thriller/mystery read but is also so much more than that.

Natalie’s story of new motherhood is a common one but man…this one hit me hard. Postpartum is the real deal.

Natalie isn’t sleeping. She’s a new mom and her son Oliver is difficult and rarely sleeps. She feels she has to do it all, while she resents her husband Tyler for being able to continue to have his normal life.

She makes friends with a seemingly kind neighbor who is a stay at home Dad. Paul helps her with Olivier and seems to be the only one that understands her during this difficult time.

What are his motives here Nat wonders, but only briefly. She welcomes the help and compassion (what new mother wouldn’t?) Let’s just say someone winds up dead here and things go a little haywire. Nat finds herself rethinking everything and has to prove her innocence and find herself again. Can she do both?

Loved this one and how it brings the spotlight on how hard being a new Mom can really be. If you are a parent, this one is scary and relatable.

The reader always knows what’s going on here as the story progresses and it didn’t take anything away from it for me. I devoured this one and really enjoyed it.

Nora Murphy has something here and it’s real and raw.

3.5⭐
Publication date ~ May 30, 2023
Page Count ~ 304
Audio length ~ 11 hours 51 minutes
Narrators ~ Dylan Moore & Lee Osorio
POV ~ single 1st & single 3rd
Featuring ~ 4 part story, lawyers, unreliable narrator, murder, postpartum depression

Natalie is a brand new mom having a tough time. Oliver won't stop crying and she's feeling the stress of lack of sleep. There is no doubt she is struggling and although her husband, Tyler, tries he just can't seems to help in the way Natalie needs and she begins to resent him.
Paul is a stay at home dad in the neighborhood and weaves his way into Natalie's life with his understanding demeanor and stellar skills of calming Oliver down.

I totally think men and women can just be friends, but I think it's different if you'd already had that friendship before you were married then if it was developed during your marriage. Everyone will always make assumptions that something sinister is going on.

It's not a secret that Paul has something up his sleeve when he starts showing up when Natalie is taking strolls. I knew a crazy plan was up his sleeve, but I was surprised about the murder. Overall, this had definite slow points where I thought it was just all going to be about new motherhood, which is not super fascinating if you did it yourself, and probably if you haven't either. It takes a while for the pace to pick up, but it does so after the murder.

I was fortune enough to have both an audio and a kindle copy. I'd recommend reading over listening. Natalie's narrator was very stiff/robotic sounding, but I was able to listen to her at a faster speed. Paul's narrator had a nice voice, but I had to slow down his speed.

The book is told from two points of view, new mother Natalie and her neighbour Paul who is a failed writer and stay-at-home dad. I really wanted to like this book because it deals with an important topic, postpartum depression. But it was very repetitive in the beginning and nothing really happened until I was half finished. The book is told in four parts and doesn't pick up until part three. I don't mind a slow burn but this was just monotonous.

There is a continuous loop of Natalie suffering from sleep deprivation and her son non-stop crying. Being a mother myself I know that's what happens with newborns but to read it over and over again in a book is tedious and boring. I can relate to the issue because my youngest didn't sleep through the night until he was almost three years old.

Even though I had something in common with Natalie, I did not connect with her at all, or any of the other characters. I think this is mislabeled as a thriller and the part that would fit into that genre was a bit too far-fetched for my liking and the ending was very abrupt and anti-climatic.

I did like the author's notes at the end of the book and recommend they be read. It's very touching and personal.

I can think of very few people I’d feel more sympathetic to than a new mom. A tiny human now relies on you for everything, and you’re trying to do it with chemical and hormonal changes, sleep deprivation, societal and family pressures, and all the other demands of life that don’t stop just because you gave birth. It’s rewarding beyond measure, but let’s be honest … it’s HARD!

So, having said all that, this puts me in the very awkward position of saying this is one of the most miserable books featuring motherhood that I’ve ever read. Yes, there’s a murder storyline that shows up around the 60% mark, but up to that point it’s really a lot of anger, whining, confusion and snark from the MC, first-time mom Natalie, as she struggles to care for her colicky newborn, Oliver, while essentially never sleeping.

Despite his repeated offers of help, Natalie treats her husband, Tyler, like an irritating nuisance at best, while she views her neighbor, Paul, a stay-at-home dad and virtual stranger, as a baby whisperer on whom the sun rises and falls. It was annoying and served to make me more sympathetic towards Tyler than Natalie! I’m not sure that was the author’s intent.

Speaking of “perfect” Paul, he’s basically a polite, charming, diabolical narcissist who manipulates Natalie continually but is somehow still a stellar dad to his daughter and a baby savior to Natalie’s constantly crying son. The two sides of him don’t add up to a real human.

Bring in the late-stage murder storyline and a comically unbelievable investigation featuring a female detective who Natalie and Paul use as the human equivalent of a ping-pong match (She did it … no, he did it … no, look at her … no, look at him! …), and my eyes rolled through the remainder of the book.

I loved Murphy’s debut, The Favor, and I respect her effort in this book to bring attention and awareness to the very real issues of post-partum depression and, in more extreme cases, post-partum psychosis. For the real women who’ve experienced either of those conditions, they have ALL my sympathy. I wish Natalie had been a character that would’ve elicited the same response. It feels like a missed opportunity.

I still think Murphy is a talented author, and I’ll absolutely watch for her next book. This just wasn’t the right book for me.

★★ ½

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, NetGalley, and author Nora Murphy for this ARC to honestly review. It’s due for publication on May 30, 2023.