The Stay-at-Home Mother by Nicole Trope is a highly recommended psychological thriller set in Sydney, Australia.

Terry, Andrea and three-year-old Jack move into a run down house in an expensive neighborhood. Andrea is very pregnant and not pleased with this turn of events. They lost their home due to Terry's gambling problems, so moving into this house, a fixer-upper, is thanks to Andrea's father who knew the person buying it was willing to rent it for awhile to them. Andrea is less than thrilled, but she feels she is stuck in her current situation and that Terry is going to try.

At the beginning Andrea is a bit distrustful when the neighbor across the street, Gabby, reaches out to her in friendship, but soon she is becoming a part of Andrea's life. Gabby is busy with her teenage son, Flynn, but is always available for tea and snacks with Andrea and Jack. She even pulled out some old dinosaurs Flynn used to play with for Jack. Gabby has offered to babysit anytime Andrea needs help. What young, exhausted, pregnant mother doesn't need this kind of support, especially when Andrea is suspicious that Terry is gambling again.

The writing is very good and the plot is fast moving, entertaining, twisty, and surprising. Some of the twists are easily guessed and others are truly surprising. There are several strange, odd occurrences going on and so suspicions and tension will rise while reading. You will be on alert for something to happen, and things do happen, which only results in raising the tension some more. The opening of the narrative will definitely grab your attention and keep you glued to the pages for answers.

The narrative alternates between the point-of-view of Andrea and Gabby. Both women are complex, interesting characters, and both of them are hiding secrets from each other. Andrea is keeping her husband's addiction and how it has ravaged their family's security, financially and physically a secret. Gabby's addiction to social media where she posts about her son was an interesting character trait, but the more engaging trait is that it becomes clear quite that she is a very unreliable and unbalanced narrator.

You may have to suspend disbelief a time or two, but The Stay-at-Home Mother is a great psychological thriller that most readers will enjoy start to finish.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Bookouture via NetGalley.




The review will be published on Barnes & Noble, Google Books, and Amazon.

Thank you for giving me this copy of The Stay-at-Home Mother!

At first I thought it was another of those stay-at-home mothers usual stories where the two mothers get involved in some way with each other. But, no! Gabby had all her Facebook posts (couldn't wait to see how many likes she got every day) with her son, Flynn. Andrea wonders what kind of a son Flynn is and also wonders to herself why she has never actually seen Flynn.

Why does Gabby seem so set on babysitting HER son? She hardly knows him. Why is she so involved with her brother in the U.S.? What has Andrea's husband, Terry, gotten into again with the mysterious man in the beat up red car constantly stalking her in her neighborhood? Or is he here for Gabby?

There are lots of twists and turns in this book that will keep you guessing until the end. Then, just when you think you have it all figured out, you probably don't!

I have read several books by Nicole Trope and look forward to reading more!

Once again Nicole Trope knocks it out of the park with an exciting thriller about missing children and unreliable narrators.

The story revolves around a heavily pregnant, exhausted young mum, Andrea who has just moved into a new neighbourhood. She is quickly befriended by her neighbour Gemma who has her own blog/FB page that is full of pearls of wisdom for mothers about raising their kids. The two hit it off instantly but it becomes quickly obvious that each of them are keeping secrets - big ones.

Nicole Trope has been a personal favourite, as IMO, she is simply the queen of plot twists which is yet again proved with this book. And just when you think you are done with all the twists, BAM!!.. there comes yet another jaw-dropping one in the epilogue..

Overall, too good. Thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for providing a digital copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

When Andrea and Terry move with there young son Jack to Melbourne Andrea is nearly due to give birth to their daughter Gemma and she’s miserable. They’re not moving because they bought a beautiful home but because they lost one and must live 40 minutes away from her family in a rundown mansion because of Terry‘s bad decisions. She is at her wits end the day her neighbor Gabby comes and introduces herself and although Andrea find some of the things the woman says odd, she blows it off because she is happy to meet one of her neighbors. Andrea hates living in this new house but he’s going to try to make the best of it for her Jack little Gemma and her husband Terry… If only Terry would do the same. It’s when she’s bringing little Jack home from nursery, she sees a maroon Lincoln with a mismatch door that slows down while the man leers at her. When she brings it up to her husband Terry he tries to gaslight her and make her think she’s jumping to conclusions or didn’t know what she saw. At the same time her neighbor Gabby is hoping this man isn’t here for her. Gabby has made it a habit to take little Jack over to her house to give Andy a break but one day when she can’t be found nobody contacted Terry is livid and Andrea is beside herself but no worries Gabby texted they just didn’t go through… Right? When little Jack is returned Andrea thinks bullet dodged, but Terry see’s something more sinister in their neighbor. Can Andrea trust Gabby, after all she’s isolated in her family so far away after all Gabby wouldn’t leave forever she has her own 16-year-old son Fin so she couldn’t just pick up and leave anyhow. Not to mention all her Facebook followers for her mommy group. this book was such a good book and I love the ending I love the middle I love the beginning if you love a good mystery thriller twist your love “the stay at home mother“ it’s every mom‘s worst nightmare and poor Andrea is such a sympathetic character. 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.

This story made my skin prickle with unease. It takes awhile to unearth why Andrea is agitated and suspicious about her husband.
Her neighbor Gabby gave me the creeps Immediately.
I actually yelled out a few times while reading because the questionable actions of both Gabby and Andrea.
I think Terry was given much more sympathy than he deserved. He should have been dumped at the curb.
The ending was just, well, you’ll have to discover for yourself, but it gave me goosebumps.

Dark secrets and sinister intentions. This was a gripping read full of tension. I really enjoyed it but I wish there had been more twists and I didn't much like the ending. I couldn't get enough of Gabby though. She was quite the character. Yikes!

This book was so good it was read in 2 days
It was about a boy that was missing
The Epilogue was brilliant
I had an ARC

The Stay-At-Home Mother was an addicting fast read, with a couple twists I didn’t see coming. It flips between Andrea and Gabby’s perspectives, and while I couldn’t stand Andrea’s husband Terry and wished for a more satisfying ending, I will say that I was shocked overall and I love books that stun me! I would definitely love to read more from Nicole Trope.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a review and opinions are my own.

The Stay at Home Mom is a fast paced thriller that kept me reading from start right til i was done with no breaks.

I enjoy Nicole's books and this story is just as good. So many twists and turns. Loved the ending. Definitely recommend.

Thanks Bookouture and Netgalley for allowing me to read Nicole Trope' arc.

All thoughts and opinions are my own and aren't influenced by anyone else

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for this ARC of The Stay-At-Home Mother by Nicole Trope.

This is the first book I’ve read by Nicole Trope (though I do have another one by her waiting for me on my bookshelf!)

What it’s about:
Andrea moves to a new house with her husband and young son- by no choice of her own. Heavily pregnant and far away from the friends and family who love her, she befriends a neighbor, Gabby, who has a teenage son, a husband who is always traveling for work, and is frequently checking in on Andrea and offering to help her with her son. Gabby’s intentions are not pure, however, and it becomes clear that Andrea should never had trusted her neighbor.

My thoughts:
Right off the bat, I could tell there was something wrong with Gabby… and was there ever. I don’t want to say that this book was predictable because there was a lot that I didn’t see coming- I just think I read this type of suspenseful domestic thriller style genre so often that I’m becoming able to anticipate what comes next. Throughout the book, secrets are explored about both women and their families, leading to a heart stopping ending- or what you think is the ending. The final twist in the prologue did surprise me! The amount of mind-blowing manipulation in this book is absolutely wild. My least favorite part in this book was the long chapters. "18 minutes left in this chapter" feels daunting to me, I much prefer shorter chapters in general.

Publication date is set for January 3rd 2023!
#TheStayAtHomeMother #NetGalley

The Stay-at-Home Mother by Nicole Trope

Another great book by Nicole Trope!

Andrea, who is heavily pregnant, and Terry have just moved to a leafy suburb in NSW with their three-year-old son Jack for a fresh start. Gabby lives across the road to them with her teenage son Flynn. Gabby and Andrea soon become friends but they are both keeping secrets about their past they don’t want the other to know. Maybe some friendships are best not made….

I loved everything about this book. It was a true edge on your seat thriller and as soon as one chapter ended, I had to read the next one until I finished.

I would like to thank Net Galley and Bookouture for a copy of this eBook in exchange for an honest review

It was an interesting enough book! A tad predictable at times but that’s nothing too bad. I thought Andrea was a neat character, though she seems to gravitate to characters giving off major red flags lmao. I think I was invested enough but I do think that the author wrote more in the vein of “what will make the reader gasp” instead of “does this plot twist actually make sense?” I think the final twist made me the most confused, as it was certainly surprising, I guess, but ultimately didn’t really make a whole lot of sense with what was going on.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Ever read a book that makes it immediately clear that you’re going to go pick up every other book the author has ever written? This is exactly that kind of book. This story tells the story of Andrea and Gabby, who become friendly after Andrea moves in across the street. Andrea has a toddler and is heavily pregnant with her second, while Gabby has a teenage son.

The book is told in alternating perspectives and does an exquisite job of building tension. The anxiety and uneasiness is present from the beginning and mounts from there, making it clear that something is rapidly about to go very wrong with this surface level friendship of two mothers in a nice suburban neighborhood.

The author did a phenomenal job of keeping me on the edge of my seat! Every time I thought I knew what was happening, I was wrong. The twists are well executed and fresh, the story is well written, and the pacing is just right - not too slow and not too dizzyingly fast. I already look forward to reading her next one!

Setting/Worldbuilding: 7/10
Main characters: 10/10
Side characters: 10/10
Dialogue: 7/10
Plot: 10/10
Technique: 10/10
Prose: 9/10
Romance: N/A
Ending: 10/10
Overall enjoyment: 10/10
Total: 83/90 (4.61)

Wowowowowow. This was an utterly intoxicating read, the kind that flies by and next thing you know it's three hours later and you're at the last page and feeling utterly flummoxed by where the time has gone.
Expect a Gone Girl-type thriller full of twists and turns, exploring the lives of two stay at home mothers in suburban Australia who have secrets to hide. The author does a very good job at portraying the struggles of motherhood on one end and the deceitful nature of Stepford wives-type parenting on the other (except this time let's add a thousand sociopathic points thank you). I DID NOT expect the development of the story to unfurl the way it did and was SOOOO satisfied with that ending.
UTTER. RECOMMEND. JUST READ THIS.
Thank you so much for the ARC!

I just finished this book, and, although I thought it was entertaining, I struggled to get through it because it seemed to move rather slowly. The story itself was interesting and worth a read if you don’t mind a really slow burn. I prefer books that have a little bit of a faster pace.

thank you to netgalley for allowing me to read this before its official release in exchange for an honest review.

ive read a lot of thrillers recently and while this one definitely wasnt my favorite, it was the one that made me the most paranoid!! maybe its because i just finished it and its 2am buttttt.
this book is pretty predictable and i just skimmed through a few of the slower parts, BUT there were some parts that had my full attention! i genuinely got goosebumps a few times and had to stop and take a deep breath before continuing!
i do wish that the characters were a bit more developed and had more of a distinct personality.
3.5 stars, wasnt the biggest fan overall but it was alright!

New review:

"Everyone is hiding something. It's just that some are better at hiding than others"
I have been reading a lot of Christmas romance so fancied a thriller style book.
🗨blurb given:

‘I’m assuming this is the Andrea Gately listed as a contact on the Missing Children of the World website. I’m calling to let you know that I’ve given your details to the police. Why are you using a picture of my son on a missing children’s website? Why are you using it and where did you get it?’
🗨
The blurb is somewhat misleading but that will be kept as a secret.
The book is written in a two POV perspective. Andrea a pregnant woman. A boy who was 3 and a girl on the way. Gabby an apparent mum of Flynn a 16 year old. I have to admit at the start it took a while to connect the two POV so I had to bare with.
🗨
Once connected it soon became very unsettling. I had a real fear of gabby the neighbour who lived across the street she just seems psychotic. But I also felt that Andrea was a very naive human and it made me quite annoyed.
🗨
I however did not expect the ending at all. I was quite surprised at how it all turned out.
Nicole has a way of writing that draws you into thinking you have found out the ending when the truth is she is going to shatter it.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Stay at Home Mom is a fast paced thriller that kept me reading late into the evening. Andrea, mom of one little boy and due soon with her second, moves out of her comfy home and life after her husband makes some bad choices. She is lucky to move across the street from Gabby, mom of a teen who seems to have the perfect life. But as we know, all we see on Facebook isn’t always true! Twists, turns, and a mind blowing ending!

I am a huge fan of Nicole Trope, and was excited to read this, her latest book.

This, I found to be less emotionally engaging. Andrea (one of the two main characters / narrators) is quite a sad and vulnerable character, the circumstances leading to how she came to be living in this street and the state of the house are unfortunate and depressing.

Gradually unravelling the mysteries and back stories of Andrea and Gabby, her helpful neighbour from across the street piqued my interest, working out where the story is going next. The imagery evoked from the descriptions clearly appeared in my mind, whether they were of Andrea or Gabby’s houses.

I did find myself reading with a certain amount of expectation / predictability, but still the quality of Trope’s writing had me hooked.

I felt the first half of the book was quite slow, almost too much detail of suburban life, however the chapters are short and add some pace to the reading.

The story being told from two POV’s was interesting, and Gabby in particular put me on my guard, looking for holes in the seeming friendly, safe situation, waiting for the action. The second half of the book is full of action and twists, some predictable, some surprising but really upped the hold of the story.

Overall it was a good, easy read rather than a great one, I lacked the real emotional attachment Nicole’s books normally grab me with.

I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Andrea and Terry are trying to start over, leaving his gambling addictions behind. . Andrea quickly befriends a seemingly helpful, welcoming neighbour at their new house. Gabby is a mommy advice blogger who's navigating life with a rebellious and sulky teenage son, at least, that's who her online presence is. Can she really trust her neighbour, or better yet, can she even trust her husband who's constantly dodging questions, and acting rather suspicious. What are everyone's motives and is Andrea on her own?

Lots of turns and twists , I finished it within a day!