Synopsis:

Isolated. Lonely. Tired. Nothing is easy about being a new mom, alone in a new house, especially with a collicky baby. Natalie Fanning loves her son, motherhood was not all she wanted to be. Paul, a neighbour, is the lifeline she needs. He helps with Oliver, calmed by his reassuring, steady presence, Nat feels she can finally rest. But Paul wants something in return. It's no coincidence he befriended Nat - she is the perfect pawn for his own plan.

Review:

This was a really twisted read, and I didn't know what was coming. I related to the "new mother" aspect - living in a fog, feeling isolated, looking for community. I can see how things could get blurry and confusing. It was so sad to see someone taking advantage of her this way. I believe this was my first Nora Murphy read - I would def read her again!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy of The New Mother by Nora Murphy in exchange for my honest review and opinion. I liked (not loved) this book as I think I thought it was going to be a psychological thriller than it actually was. I enjoyed it and will for sure read more by Nora Murphy in the future.

I wouldn't go as far to say that this book was a thriller/mystery. In my opinion it was more of a domestic drama that focused on the trials women go through when they have a newborn. That being said, since I was expecting more of a thriller, I was left feeling a little underwhelmed by the plot line.

Nora Murphy did it again. THE NEW MOTHER was a total trip- in a good way. I really enjoyed this novel, much like I did her previous book (which I also listened to as audio) THE FAVOR. In THE NEW MOTHER, Natalie
is struggling deeply with the challenges, change, and exhaustion that accompanies new motherhood. Her type A high achiever approach to parenting has set herself up for zero sleep, crazy stress, and the inability to successfully return to work. Paul befriends her and the reader immediately knows he has ulterior motives, we just don't know what they are. This is a twisty story that literally made me anxious, with plot points that truly surprised me! Good book. EXCELLENT narrator

Ugh, this book was good. It gave me all the creep vibes, which is what I loved. Not for the faint of heart but well done!

I enjoyed this novel by Nora Murphy. I felt so seen as how I experienced new motherhood. For anyone who has been a mother alone with a newborn you will totally relate. What a great setting for a thriller, such a common phenomenon for so many. I found the characters relatable and the neighborhood setting realistic. For fans of suspense or new mothers I would highly recommend.

This book was trippy in a fantastic way. I also loved the really human touch - new mothers are incredibly vulnerable so while it was super uncomfortable to read about, it made for a really compelling story.

The New Mother is probably one of my top books for 2023. This book is NOT a fast paced thriller which should be said in advance. However, it is loaded with suspense and unreliability that will leave you intrigued.

As a mom to a toddler that LOVES domestic suspense, this was right up my alley. The depiction of new motherhood in the first few chapters was SPOT ON. It is beautiful and joyous but it is so hard with your physical and mental well being constantly challenged. I think that Nora Murphy did an excellent job with this.

Natalie is a tired and isolated mom used to a big career and big responsibility. While now tasked with a new big responsibility, she is eager for some help. Enter Paul, the neighbor, and stay at home dad. Paul is a blessing who quickly turns into a curse. This slow burn suspense was a great read that kept me interested with its multiple POV.

5 stars for me!

*I received a free copy of this novel from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press and Minotaur Books for my honest review.*

A new mother is being gas lighted by her neighbor who doesn't want to be married anymore. None of the characters are particularly likeable. And I didn't feel like this was even a thriller. More like a drama. But the story unfolded nicely and there were things that happened that I was happy for.

It also made me very happy to not have had to deal with post partum. I will definitely keep reading novels by this author.

I got to part 2 and I guess as a mother, I can't listen any more. It is just repetitive and I'm not sure where the story is going, but I'm out.

Natalie is a new mother who extended her eight-week maternity leave into a sabbatical from a law firm because of the difficulty she is having caring for a Oliver, her demanding infant. Enter, the creepy neighbor, Paul, a stay-at-home dad and househusband who supports his wife's finance career by taking care of their daughter who is now ten years old. Paul is a former college instructor and allegedly an aspiring novelist, but his real fascination is with vulnerable women in this upscale neighborhood. As Natalie deals with her crying baby, sleeplessness, and depression, Paul appears as the helpful neighbor. The New Mother is an autobiographical novels about postpartum issues and most importantly, vulnerability. Recommended for discussion groups who enjoy talking about women and self care.

Natalie is a new mom alone with her colicky baby in a new house. Things are difficult for her. Her neighbor, Paul, comes along and everything changes with his help. But Paul wants something from her in return. Will Natalie see that he’s using her as a pawn?

THE NEW MOTHER fell flat for me. I was expecting a thriller and instead found a slow-paced book that was incredibly descriptive about postpartum issues. This wouldn’t necessarily have been bad if it was what I was looking for, but at the time I picked this book up, I really did want to read a thriller. Nothing significant seemed to happen until quite late in the book and by that point if felt pretty lackluster.

Thank you to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the DRC.

Natalie is a new mom and she's dealing with all the pressures that come along with it, including postpartum depression. Her baby is difficult. He cries constantly and Natalie is the only person who can soothe him. She's left her job as a lawyer temporarily and her husband has made partner and is working long hours. She's resentful towards her husband for this and ends up finding comfort and friendship in her neighbor, Paul, who happens to be a stay-at-home dad and is good with babies. Erin, Paul's wife, is unhappy about Natalie, a younger woman, spending time with her husband and she makes it known at a neighborhood Halloween party. Not long after this confrontation, Erin goes missing...

The New Mother had me drawn in from the beginning. I could sympathize with Natalie because I've experienced life with a difficult baby. It was really nice to read a title that shines some light on the struggles of being a new parent and postpartum depression. With that being said, this was definitely still a mystery/thriller. My heart was literally racing during portions of this title. I was drawn in and needed to know what happened. I finished this title in a day. I gave 4 stars just because the ending seemed abrupt to me and kind of rushed when the rest of the book was so intriguing. I wanted something a little "bigger".

Thank you so much to Nora Murphy, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

As I often do with mystery/thrillers, I went into this completely blind to avoid any preconceived ideas and spoilers for myself. Had I known going in that the plot was heavily based on post partum depression, I probably would have skipped this.

🎧I paired the book with the audio and really enjoyed the narration choice, and often even preferred this format.

WHAT TO EXPECT -the trials of being a new Mom/New Mom Horror -domestic suspense -slow burn -unlikeable characters

*many thanks to Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio for the gifted copy for review

2.5 rounded up to 3 stars. Post partum issues had this mother all kinds of messed up. The issues she was having, trouble in connecting, obsessiveness and protection of her child, inability to separate herself from home life and function on anything else in the world, felt all too real. That portion of the book gave me anxiety and sorrow for what she was facing within herself.

The thriller portion of the book had me wanting more. I could not stand her tendency to continue to push the friendship across the street, it was very uncomfortable and made me angry. I saw no twists in the plot, the ending though abrupt, was predictable, I just didn't feel like I was on the edge of my seat in any way.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this copy in exchange for my honest review.

Being a new mother is tough. Especially for Nat, who feels alone in her struggles to meet her own ideas of being the perfect mother mixed with a recent new house/move and her struggles for sleep and sanity. You also get the POV, right from the get-go, of a neighbor couple. It's hard to read because their family is pretty dysfunctional and they are awful to each other.

The twist in this one was great. It really blew me away because I didn't see it coming. But the wrap up felt a bit rushed and I wish we'd had just a little more in the end. It is an entertaining and very quick read and I did like it!

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

I found that this book dragged for me a bit. As a mother myself, there were parts hard to read so check trigger warnings before reading. It definitely gives you the in sight on what it’s like to be a new mom without the support of others around them

Fun book with some really good twists. A few of them relied too much on coincidence, but overall, the book provides exactly the experience that its readers want.

This was an ARC from St. Martin's Press and NetGalley. My first from this author and I was impressed. The writing flowed well and she was able to weave a domestic suspense w an important issue facing women.

I was a little iffy on this book if I am being honest. I feel like postpartum mental/sanity issues as a trope has just been beat to death. This author chose to try to revive this trope. I could really feel for the new mother and this was written well, however after this information being repeated ad nauseum, I was quite a bit bored. The neighbor swoops in on a white horse to save her and immediately decides to use her in his plot. The whole plan was ridiculous and I felt that it really lacked depth. I wish I would have passed on this book. Thanks for the ARC, NetGalley.