This was an absolute 5 stars for me. As someone who experienced postpartum anxiety after the birth of my son, I have never felt more seen than when reading this book. With that said, if reading about postpartum depression or anxiety is triggering for you, this might not be the book for you. It felt triggering for me at first but I am happy I pushed through to the end. This was a wonderful read into the mind of a mother experiencing mental health issues after birth, the importance of making your own health a priority, and to the praise that all mothers deserve. The fun little murderous twist with Paul made it all the more interesting. Gosh, I don’t like Paul 😜

Natalie, a lawyer, is trying to cope being a new mother. She’s sore from the delivery; her baby Oliver screams a lot; her husband isn’t much help. It is hard being a New Mother!

Nat meets a new neighbor, a stay-at-home father. They become friends. Not lovers, just friends.
The neighbor is so helpful.

Then things happen. Who is using whom?

After giving birth to her son, everything changes for Natalie! Her career, home, neighborhood, neighbors, becoming a murder suspect!!
Well told cat and mouse thriller that will leave you turning the pages!

My thanks to Net Galley and Minotaur Books for allowing me to review this very good and quick read.

Natalie just has baby Oliver. Her and her husband are both lawyers but Natalie gives up her life for the baby and is overwhelmed till she meets creepy neighbor Paul who is all anxious to help, but has an agenda all his own.

The positives. Book was a quick easy read. I like the way it addressed post partum issues and awareness beings that I never experienced or knew anyone that had. Loved the cat and mouse between Paul and Nat. Will hold your interest to keep reading. Paul was an interesting villain though his behavior was predicted.

The negatives. Slow burn..Too much time focused on Natalie s incompetence. I found my self thinking "get your breast pump and put bottles in the fridge", " let your mother in law help you, why are you befriending your married neighbor when his wife is out?" Natalie was a bit annoying but all in all a good read.

4 solid stars!

Natalie just gave birth to a baby boy and is struggling to adjust to her new role as a mother in a new home. Oliver seems to cry all the time and Natalie cannot sleep. After 8 short weeks of maternity leave, she returns to work but she often makes mistakes and seems to be losing track of time due to her tiredness. She reluctantly takes a sabbatical from work to be a stay at home mom, and she begins to resent her husband for being the sole breadwinner and becomes jealous as his career starts to take off. Then she meets her next door neighbor Paul. Paul is a stay at home dad of a 10 year old girl named Petra and he is the only one that can hold her colicky son and calm him down. Natalie finds herself going over to Paul's house everyday so he can watch her son while she can get some rest. She tells him things she can't tell her husband or her best friend, and she connects with him instantly as she feels that he has gone through it too with Petra when she was a baby. But it seems that Paul has a hidden agenda while helping Natalie and things begin to take a sinister turn.

This is Nora Murphy's second novel and I couldn't put it down. As a mom of 2 kids myself, one 3 year old and one 3 month old baby, I found the author's depiction of postpartum life to be relatable and disturbingly honest. Those first few months are lonely, exhausting, and isolating so I felt empathy for Natalie's character. The chapters shift between Nat and Paul's POVs and you get a sense of Paul's bad intentions from the start. While this was a slow-burn, the pace of the story was quick and I was intrigued. I just wished for a better ending, I found it to be anti-climatic and wanted more from it.

Natalie is used to her high-power lawyers life, so after giving birth to her first child she is overwhelmed with the care of him. Sleep-deprivation adds to her sense of inadequacy and being left alone all day while her husband goes to work makes her easy prey for her helpful and friendly neighbor Paul. Is he really that kind and helpful or does he have other nefarious plans?

Nora Murphy is 100% a new favorite author of mine. Both The Favor & The New Mother were fast, addicting, twisty, thrillers that were easy 5 stars!

The New Mother was such a realistic account of the early days of motherhood. I felt totally connected to main character Nat and her story of exhaustion and being in a fog. The storyline regarding Paul was intriguing & unpredictable.

Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur Books for a copy of "The New Mother" in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was a wonderful and thrilling read which started out alluding to the fact that a murder had taken place without giving away who was murdered or who the suspect might be.

Nathalie is a new mother who is very likely suffering from post-partum depression or even post-partum psychosis. She is obsessed with her baby Oliver to the point that she feels she can never put him down to sleep in his crib. She must always be feeding him or holding him. She believes that as a good mother she cannot take time to shower, sleep, or eat. She is always anxious and stressed. She hears her baby screaming when it is actually asleep. She forgets things - like the fact that she put muffins in the oven to bake. She holds Oliver all day long to keep him quiet. Refusing help from her mother-in-law or even friends. Her husband Tyler is a lawyer who has just made partner and is caught up in his own world.

Paul lives across the street with his wife Erin and their 10-year old daughter Petra. He is a stay-at-home dad who is supposedly writing a novel - but he's not written a word in a decade. He resents his wife and has history with the previous owners of Nathalie and Tyler's house. He soon realizes that Nathalie might be the solution to all his problems because she is so lost and could easily be taken advantage of.

This book was quite the page turner and very suspenseful in spots as you could see what was coming but how was it going to be avoided is why you keep turning the pages.

The New Mother by Nora Murphy is a staggeringly, smart, and twisty psychological thriller, jam packed with unbearable levels of tension and suspense, with her trademark twists that appear to come from nowhere.
Nora Murphy is a hugely talented writer and here she demonstrates that she’s at the top of her game.
I thoroughly enjoyed this compelling, well written and excellent read.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank You NetGalley and Minotaur Books for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Wow! What a book. This is definitely one that'll make moms (both new and experienced) feel seen.

We follow two perspectives. One from Natalie--a new mother struggling to balance life with a newborn. The second perspective is from Paul, Natalie's neighbor. He stepped in when Natalie felt desperate for relief, however his intentions were selfish...to say the least.

There wasn't much of a mystery, and all real action took place outside of the book. If there was a murder or arrest, we heard about it second hand, which made this less of an action plot story, but more of a character driven book. It takes a long time to really get going, but it seems intentional to me. We are inside of Natalie's head while she is struggling. We see her deal with typical newborn struggles, to full blown hallucinating psychosis. This pacing choice adds to the overall tone, of which I very much enjoyed. I don't need constant action in my plots, but I DO need well developed characters.

This isn't a "new" story that we've never heard before. It's an easy book it's super convoluted or twisty, but the relatability of the plot will be something I never forget.

I will absolutely be reading her previous book soon.

Natalie and Tyler, married attorneys who are expecting their first child, move into a new home, one in which their family can comfortably grow. After Natalie delivers Oliver, she develops a case of postpartum depression that no one seems to recognize. Paul, a neighbor, is a stay at home father who purports to be writing a novel. His wife, Erin, is a financial advisor whose practice is no longer doing as well as it used to. They have one child, Petra, who is almost ten and attending an expensive private school. This leads to gaslighting, murder and incredible amounts of distancing and detachment. It is a psychological thriller that is very hard to put down. Thanks to Net Galley and Minotaur Books for an ARC for an honest review.

Synopsis (It's a fiction book, so it helps…from Netgalley, the provider of the book for me to review.)
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Isolated. Lonely. Tired. It's hard being The New Mother. Sometimes it's murder.

Nothing is simple about being a new mom alone in a new house, especially when your baby is colicky. Natalie Fanning loves her son unconditionally, but being a mother was not all she wanted to be.
Enter Paul, the neighbour. Paul provides the lifeline she needs in what feels like the most desperate of times. When Paul is helping Oliver, calmed by his reassuring, steady presence, Nat feels like she can finally rest. But Paul wants something in return. It’s no coincidence that he has befriended Nat—she is the perfect pawn for his own plan. Will Nat wake up in time to see it?

This is an excellently written domestic thriller that will have you questioning your neighbours: I already do that on a daily basis and as the biggest creeper IRL is Paul, what a fitting name for the villain in the book. Great characters, a spooky plot and a satisfying ending will guarantee that I will recommend this book far and wide to my readers, family and friends.

#shortbutsweetreviews

I LOVED The Favor, so when I saw that Nora Murphy had a new book, I had to read it.

Natalie Fanning is a new mother. A lot of us have been there. I know I sure have. Paul is the neighbor. He's been there before. He's a stay-at-home dad and a writer (who doesn't do much writing), and his daughter is now ten, but he easily remembers those early days and the feelings that come with them. So it's natural that Paul wants to help Natalie. But what does he want in return?

The book gets off to a slow start, but the writing is SPOT ON regarding the early days of new motherhood. I wasn't really sure what direction this story was going to take but when it got going, it really got going. Ultimately, I didn't love this one as much as The Favor, but it was still a good read.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Natalie is enjoying watching her young son, but is lonely. She meets her neighbor who seems nice, but he seems to good to be true. What is his game? I liked the characters in this book.

I was completely captivated by this book. The way the author was able to convey Natalie’s struggles and confusion made this come to life. Unfortunately, this is a story I could completely see happening in reality. This was totally believable and a great cautionary tale. I really couldn’t put this one down, once I started reading it I was engrossed. I would definitely recommend this read if the synopsis is intriguing to you!

Thank you to the publisher for the ARC.

This is some honest, realistic fiction here. If you really think about its it's downright scary when it's not even a horror novel! This made me think and feel different emotions and for that I I loved it.

Natalie and husband Tyler have moved into a new up and coming neighborhood and are expecting their first child. They have everything ready and are prepared. Natalie will take maternity leave from her job. Oliver comes and they are ecstatic. Natalie wants to be a good mom and Tyler will help, but Oliver is a difficult baby and things soon change. Natalie turns to a neighbor, Paul who is a stay at home dad.

This was quite the engrossing read, I stayed up until 1:30 this morning to finish it, I couldn't wait to see how it ended. Murphy writes so well, that this book brought back memories of when I had my own children, I could really relate. I could feel how exhausted she was and understood her attachment to Paul. I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review this book.

As a mother, this book chilled me to the core. If you have ever had, lived with, or been around someone with a newborn, you know those early days are TOUGH. Painfully isolating even. This is what Natalie is experiencing all the trials of new motherhood and feeling depressed, alone, in pain, and questioning her new reality. [There should be some mention of trigger warnings for anyone who has had a traumatic birth via c-section, or even breastfeeding because for many women, including myself, that is no easy feat. ] Back to the book... Natalie's husband is struggling to emphasize. She takes a sabbatical to try and wrap her mind and body around her new life as a mother.
As she is out walking with her baby, Natalie meets Paul, her neighbor, who is a writer and also a stay-at-home dad. She quickly begins to trust Paul as he can calm her baby. However, what is the return Paul wants from his friendship with Natalie? What is Paul planning? Will Natalie catch on? Is she safe and is her baby safe?
This is such a fast-paced, tension-filled read that truly resonated with me. I cannot wait until this comes out in May.

Thank you to NetGalley, Nora Murphy, and Minotaur Books for the eARC. Stay tuned on Instagram @joyfullyoverbooked for this review closer to pub date.

As a new-ish mother myself, this book hooked me from the beginning!!
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Natalie is a new mom, living in a new home, in a new neighborhood with her husband Tyler. Dealing with postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis, Nat is struggling as her husband goes back to work after his parental leave is up. Looking for a source of comfort and help during such a difficult time, Nat meets her neighbor, stay at home father Paul. Paul is married with an 8 year old daughter. Their friendship grows and Nat ends up relying on Paul to help her get her son to sleep and to help give her a rest. Jealousy rises amongst some of the characters and someone ends up dead. Who is it? And who did it? Could it have been Natalie during one of her psychosis episodes??
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Thank you so much @noramurphybooks, @netgalley and @stmartinspress for giving me the opportunity to read this before its release on May 30!!
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Nora Murphy’s newest book, The New Mother, combines an incredibly accurate portrayal of the struggles of being a new mom with a crime that is able to occur due to those struggles. Natalie is a first time mom with a son she adores but who doesn’t sleep. Soon Natalie starts forgetting things, having memory problems, and has such bad mood swings she feels like no one understands what she’s going through. Enter helpful neighbor Paul, who is a stay at home dad and befriends Natalie and makes her feel seen. What Natalie doesn’t realize is that Paul is going to use her to get away with murder and take advantage of her struggles.

I have to say I have read a lot of books that try to portray what it can be like to have a new baby and no one has come close to what Murphy has done. As she put at the end of her book, she hopes women feel “seen” and Ms. Murphy I personally feel just that.

Thank you to Netgalley and to the publishers for allowing me to read this advanced copy.