This was a super interesting story! Definitely some horror aspects but I loved how the story dealt with motherhood. Essie was an interesting character and her and Sanjay’s relationship was also very interesting to watch. I liked the spooky shadows and the dual timeline. It worked out really well and gave a perspective on the family curse and how it came to be.

Good read but overall not for me. Didn't care much for the writing sadly. Did not finish and skimmed most of it.

I had to read this in one go! It was so well written, and it perfectly captured my own twisted feelings of motherhood, even though now I am even more afraid of getting pregnant. Ana ans Isabels love story was just so touching, and I really did love them both so much. I found it a bit unfair that the author kinda made me hate Sanjay at some point, so that I wasn't sure that I even wanted him to be saved.
The pacing was quite ok, although it was a bit slow at times, I can see why it had to be so. My only complaint is the fact that the shadows were quite easy to defeat in the end, and I expected Isabel and Ana to fight some more for salvation, and maybe even have a conflict between them. Still, a marvelously written book!

I typically enjoy ghost stories with haunted houses and family curses, but this story of a couple's unraveling after moving into a new house and learning of their unplanned pregnancy really missed the mark for me. It wasn't the dual timeline element, I really enjoyed learning of Essie and Sanjay's relationship in the present day, as well as Ana and Isabel's beautiful bond in the past; it wasn't the slow-burn pacing, I can appreciate taking the time to thoughtfully build a story up. No, I think what was missing is that the circumstances which connected these two couples across time was a more complicated situation than the author ultimately addressed, and I think the whys and hows of it even occurring at all needed more exploring. I get that the mystery of the paranormal should leave something up to the reader's imagination, but I think, as a reader, I needed just a little bit more to work with.

No Child Of Mine
By Nichelle Giraldes

5 Stars

A family curse follows two females. One past, one present. This book gives a spooky ride through the shadows, tinged with romance and happiness. Essie and Sanjay are happy. They just bought a house, and all is well until the one thing happens they never planned for, Essie falls pregnant. Can she save the one she loves unlike so many before her?

This book was awesome. This is a new author and so I didn't know what I would get. I want to thank the author as well as Netgalley for this opportunity. I was enthralled with this story. It was spooky and romantic. It was haunting. I hated to put it down, so wrapped up in the curse. If you want horror and spook, you get that here. If you want romance, you also get that here. Powerful characters and magical writing left me reading late into the night. This will be a story I spread the word about. It is definitely worth the read.

Stormi Ellis
Boundless Book Reviews

- Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the free copy! -

Disclaimer: I'm not trying to offend the author with my review. I'm simply offering it because of the NetGalley program. I'm a writer myself, and happen to be in the middle of my own horror novel about motherhood, so I hope my opinion's helpful.


First of all, this is not a horror story. It's more like a drama/romance with a little bit of psychological thriller, and it has ghosts. Not the same thing as horror. I'm not sure if the marketing was misleading, but that caused me to be extremely frustrated with the narrative, because I was expecting other storylines and symbols. Even if there's a curse, it's not enough to be horrifying. I did feel anxious, but overall had no pervasive dread or climatic moment to cling to. I felt a bit cheated.

Second, I had sooo much trouble with connecting to any of the characters, especially the main couple. They have no flaws! 'Not wanting to be a mom' is not a narrative flaw. 'Depressed' is not one either. I would've loved to see actual taboos and edgy dynamics between them, since this premise had a lot of promise for those.

I guess the past narrative was more interesting to me, personally, because it had more "colors" to the characters, and they felt more real and complex. The other aspect that bothered me was the repetition of sequences. The attic, the dreams, the "how are you feeling" questions... Perhaps nobody noticed it, but the majority of the novel is repetition of the same spaces and actions. Maybe there could've been a more diverse environment or worldbuilding that added to the horror conventions.

Even so, I think the theme is very cool, and the depiction of this risky pregnancy is captivating.

It was really very very awesome book. The binding between the sisters I liked it amde me cry. It has parallel plotlines. Essie along with her husband has shifted to a new appartment. Essie didnt wanted to get pregnant while pursuing her studies in Law. But she get pregnant. And things began to change afterwards, Meddling between her pregnancy and studies, Essie began to feel strange during the night in that apartment. Strange things began to happen, she could hear murmurings from behind the closed doors, something like a shadow she would always see even at day time. She didn't knew that she belongs to family where the father of the every daughter in the family are bound to die.
Even the death couldn't part the sisters, they became the stars they wanted to .

It has domestic violence, sisters bonding, horror, and many more emotional events.

I don't generally go for generational curse books but this one was worth the read. The MC is headstrong and independent and the overall story creepy and solid. Worth the read!

A solid first novel, compelling and, while it got a bit repetitive at times, the characters were drawn well. Both Essie and Sanjay are affected by the curse in their own way. and it is Essie's tumultuous pregnancy that creates the most nail biting suspense, as you wonder whether the malicious presence in the house is responsible, or her own body. I was honestly thinking that the 'baby' might be a demon, but I'm glad the book didn't go in that direction. This is the sort of horror I like: it doles out doses of something just a bit 'off' in the real world.

The true horror, you might say, is what biology does to us: change, sickness, everything turning upside down. Pregnancy makes both a parasite and a deep bond out of Essie, and her unwilling bondage to the baby is also a rather neat parallel to the love story told in flashbacks. Enjoyed the lesbian relationship, but I do wish it had been a bit less schmaltzy.

Always good to see more Indian characters too. Not that I'm biased or anything.

This is a great book that centers around Essie - an ambitious woman that has a plan and wants to see it through fruition. However, a wrench is thrown in her plans when she finds out she's pregnant... and the spookiness begins. As her story unravels, the story of Ana & Isabel also begins to.

I found myself not wanting to put this book down after I got a few chapters in as this book is fast paced and has short chapters (something I love). I felt my heart BEATING during certain scenes- ex: the bathtub scene. I didn't hate any of the characters, but Isabel had me rolling my eyes quite a bit.

At the end of the day, what wouldn't you do for love and what wouldn't you give up to save someone dear to you?

If you like multiple POVs on different timelines, a sprinkle of paranormal horror, and a generational family curse I would recommend this read to you.

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press, Nichelle Giraldes, and Netgalley for giving me the chance to read this ARC.

I need more!! This book was excellent!! Totally chilling and creepy vibes. Definitely more than a typical haunted house story. The multiple POV really kept me engaged and turning pages. Terrific suspenseful read with a heartfelt conclusion.

I did not care for this story. It started off strong, but I did not like the 'supernatural', spirit aspect. I found I began to lose interest once this part of the story started to develop more.

Actively horrifying in the best way. Creepy and couldn’t put it down. Can’t wait to read more by this author.

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for a review.
I was so excited to be approved for this read, I dove right in and could not put it down! I absolutely loved this book and can’t wait to read more by this author!

Eerie and heartfelt, I enjoyed this book and found it difficult to put down. Highly recommend to those who enjoyed a haunted house with a thoughtful conclusion.

Don't believe the whispered promises of the darkness.

No Child of Mine is the story of a married couple moving into what they hope to be their dream home. Essie is an aspiring lawyer trying to survive law school. After finding the perfect fixer-upper with her husband, Sanjay, Essie is shocked to discover she is pregnant. She never wanted to have kids but she immediately feels bonded to the unborn child she knows will be her daughter. While everything should be perfect, Essie's family has a history of bad things happening to the men they love. Already Sanjay is changing and acting strange spending his nights in the attic. Will Sanjay succumb to the family curse or will Essie find a way to put an end to it?

The story unfolds switching between Essie's point of view and letters between two women in love, Ana and Isabel. Isabel is a distant relative of Essie's that may be at fault for the family curse. I really enjoyed the split POV chapters. The chapters with Isabel were relatively short and kept me hooked. I kept telling myself just one more chapter but they kept ending in ways that made it so I couldn't put the book down. I found myself looking forward to diving back into the book throughout the day. And that's the best when reading!

I love that this book had Isabel and Ana's love story because it was a natural thing. Some books put LGBTQ plots to be shocking or act like it is only a modern thing. Even though we know that gay people have always existed. Love is truly the major theme of No Child of Mine. Love for your spouse, child and yourself. I loved how Isabel and Ana mentioned in their letters that even though they were marrying men they would not lose sight of themselves.

My favorite movie is Rosemary's Baby. This book doesn't involve worshipping and sacrificing a child to the devil but I found some similarities that made me love the book even more. Sanjay > Guy Woodhouse for sure!

This appears to be the first book by Nichelle Giraldes and I will definitely follow to read more! Thank you to Nichelle and NetGalley for the opportunity to read No Child of Mine. I have written this review voluntarily.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley. This book will have you sleeping with the lights on! Chilling, smart, and well written!

Essie and Sanjay buy a house, and soon after they have a surprise pregnancy. Not long after that strange things start to happen and Sanjay becomes a different person.

This is a psychological thriller with a supernatural twist. It’s told through two POV, Isabel and Essie. At first I struggled to figure out how they were connected, but once it became clear I was looking forward to seeing where the story was going and how it would end.

I did find this to be a bit slow at times, I thought it was focus more on how Sanjay changes, but it was mostly about Essie’s pregnancy and the origins of the curse.

While I did enjoy this book, I felt like the ending was rushed, especially with the overall slow burn in f the entire book. I would have liked a more exciting ending.

Thank you for allowing me to preview this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Press for an ARC of this title. No Child of Mine is what I like to refer to as light horror. No graphic descriptions, just a slow burn creeping dread. The story is told in alternating voices and times. Present day young couple dealing with busy lives and an unexpected pregnancy and a pair of women from centuries before. The couple are both experiencing a haunting in their new home, yet never discuss it with one another. I found that part of the story to be a bit implausible. Overall, it is a good light read. I prefer a bit more scary bits, but if you like your horror light, then this title will be a good choice.

I was intrigued by the title and the cover design.

I found this story eerie, ambiguous - maybe chilling, is an appropriate word. I was interested in the characters, even if I didn't really relate to them. There were moments when I felt slightly uneasy, but I think that wascwhat actually encouraged me to keep reading.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free copy to review.