I loved this. I don't typically love audio books because the narrators always feel off to me. HOWEVER, the narrators of this book were perfect. I gave this 5 stars but I couldn't stop thinking about it when I wasn't listening. I wanted to know what happened and why and what the outcome would be.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review!

This is a moving look at new motherhood, postpartum depression, the deep need for connection, and the pitfalls of perfectionism.

Brynn Hallman should feel lucky that she is able to stay home with her newborn son Cody. But when she compares herself to all of the moms she sees around town and online, she knows she's pretty much a failure at this motherhood thing. She can barely take care of her son, much less do anything about losing the baby weight and actually getting a few hours of sleep. One bleary night, she looks out of the window and sees a light flash six times. Then she sees it again the next night. When she takes Cody for a walk to investigate, she becomes acquainted with her elderly neighbor, Joy, and the two forge a connection.

Brynn's story hit very close to home for me, I could completely identify with every emotion she was going through. It took me back to those days in vivid detail. I think it's so important to point out that postpartum depression looks different in everyone. We can't blame or shame Brynn's husband for not noticing, because it's not always easy to spot and those who suffer from it feel so much shame that it's often disguised or covered up. I was a little disappointed after so much setup for the healing process to occur off the page, but it was only a minor disappointment.

This is an emotional story that many moms will connect with intimately. However, it's not a book that everyone will enjoy. Unless you have been through the wringer of new motherhood, the endless talk about breastfeeding and everything else involved will be more tedious than touching.

I really appreciated the author's vulnerability at the true difficulties of new motherhood, which is made all the more complicated with the inclusion of social media and the comparison trap it promotes. I'm encouraged by this book to reach outside of my online world and connect more with others around me. It really does take a village.

I listened to this as an audiobook and the two narrators gave the book life and were perfect for Brynn's and Joy's voices.

- This was such a beautiful reflection of motherhood, mother and daughter relationships and friendship. I completely resonated with so much of what the main character was feeling during her early postpartum days and like Nightbitch, which I recently finished, the writing felt like it could’ve been describing my own experience. Differently than that book, which I also loved, this one did not have the crazy factor. I read this in less than 12 hours.

Thank you @netgalley for the Advanced Reader Copy, in audiobook format. Brynn is a new mother-and it is way harder than she expected. Her husband is supportive, but has no idea how she feels and what she is going through. She meets an elderly neighbor, and their relationship grows, but they both keep a lot of secrets. The characters are tough but very endearing. Heartwarming read. And I read this on audio-starting to really like audiobooks! #everythingstillthere #kalynfogarty #audiobook #netgalley #bookstagram #booklover #reader #bookblog #lovetoread #fictionreader #bookreview #bookrecommendation #readersofinstagram #bookloversofinstagram #takeapagefrommybook #readallthebooks #booksbooksbooks

I'm going to start this review with a disclaimer - I do not have kids. I'm a professional aunt, but no children of my own. This being said, I had a hard time relating to the characters and the feelings, but I know my sister (a mom of four) would love this book. It highlights the feelings, the struggles, the pressure, and the tradeoffs that get made by women for their families. It also deals with loss, sadness, loneliness and depression that many mothers face.

Although I didn't relate to the book, I do recommend it to all moms feeling like they just don't measure up or that are struggling.

I loved the book.
Told in two voices, we feel the characters, it give them personality, age and character.
The book reflects the reality of life.
Shows the pressure of being a stay-at-home mother with her child and how in addition to being expected to care for and keep the baby alive, since she is at home, she must do all the things around the house, have time to her husband and even herself.
This book shows how difficult is a mother's job, and it shows it beautifully.
And it shows what life is like after all that. When you have to entertain yourself because is difficult to leave the house, or be in touch with the kids and grandchildrens over the phone, because they are in their own lives.
In addition to making you feel the loneliness, comparison and exhaustion of both versions, this book is real.
It's about people dealing with life and what happens to them, trying to make the best they can.
And with that said, the book has its resolution, not an event, but something that goes on for life. And it's beautiful and wonderful. And they totally deserved it. One of the best endings ever.

The writing is deep, delicate and yet simple, showing all the emotions and making us feel the character. It grows on us!
One of the best books I've ever read, because I can't stop thinking about it.

2.5 stars
Hmmm. I have to give props to whoever wrote the blurb for this book because they piqued my interest and got me to press play on the audiobook. Unfortunately, the book itself didn’t quite measure up to the hype. It’s a toss up for me because I don’t think I’d have liked reading the book as the tone was heavy but the narrator for Joy didn’t work for me so that definitely affected how I felt while listening to the book.

*Thanks to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for this audiobook copy for review.

I'm giving yhis 2 stars i like the premise of the story and the narrator but for thr life of me it dragged on when it didnt need too. I had to fasten the speed to get through this one

This is so lovely. We have an overwhelmed new mother who has pushed away her support system and is relying on social media mom influencers for her mom advice, which is the worst thing any of us can do (it's all fake), and a lonely older woman around the street who is lacking her support system because of life.
They connect but it isn't honest. I loved every word. I loved all the characters. This was all wonderful. The narration was prefect.

Reviewed for NetGalley:

Probably the most realistic and relatable portrayl of motherhood and post partum depression I have ever read. You could feel Brynn’s agony of just hoping to survive those early days.

The narration was great, but found myself skipping Joy’s section at times, only due to the exaggerated narration.

I think that maybe I would have enjoyed this book more if I had read it when my kids were younger. I had a hard time relating to the characters, and so I became incredibly bored. The last bit was okay. I am sure other women will enjoy this more than I did, but it just didn't draw me in, unfortunately.

A new mother and octogenarian bond in this story that really communicates a serious message.

I almost didn't finish Everything's Still There, but so glad that I did.

As 55+ female who is not a mother, I had not expected to learn so much about breast feeding.

Thank you to NetGalley for introducing me to (yet again) another "new to me" author. Thank you to NetGalley, Kayln Fogarty the author, Dreamscape Media the publisher and Mia Hutchinson-Shaw and Bernadette Dunn the narrators. I was able to review the audiobook and the narrators did a fabulous job; I especially liked the chapter where both narrators worked together in the chapter. I especially liked the voice of Joy with the wonderful NE accent, it was perfect! The advance listen copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.

Everything's Still There by Kalyn Fogarty instantly brought me back to the early days of being a new mom. The worrying, not sleeping, and stressing about what you're doing compared to others all accurate. I enjoyed Brynn's journey through this and her friendship with Joy. I also liked the Mama Monty posts at the start of Brynn's chapters, but don't feel like the Agatha Christie passages at the start of Joy's added anything to the story.

I am disappointed to have glanced at a review that wasn't hidden for spoilers that stated something that distracted my reading, taking me out of the story a few times. I wish Goodreads would actually fix the posts that are reported instead of doing nothing and continuing to let the reviews ruin books for others.

Mia Hutchinson-Shaw and Bernadette Dunne are good narrators. My only complaint is that the narrator for Joy was too slow so I had to increase the speed to 1.25, making the narrator for Brynn a tad too fast since her pace was perfect. It would be nice if both voices could have been synchronized to allow for better flow.

Overall, I rate Everything's Still There 4 stars.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media for providing me with an ALC.

A really deeply emotional book about the effects of post-partum depression, new motherhood, toxic affects of social media and new found friendships in unlikely places. I loved how raw this book was and how you get a real view of how stressful life can really be after having a maybe and trying to live up to perfect social media standards in all aspects of your life. I also loved seeing Brynn’s character development and how Joy helps her grow as a person (we all need a wise sweet old lady in our life). Overall a great read.

What a web this one weaves. Yet another novel about how social media can impact our mental health negatively- a subject that is so darn important to highlight. I also think it’s important to note that this one discusses postpartum depression which is another important topic that people tend to shy away from. A lot of heavy topics in here but it’s written very well and I loved all the stuff about the lighthouse.

🌀Synopsis
Brynn is convinced she’ll be the perfect mom. Things go wrong right away when her labor doesn’t go as planned and from there it seems to be downhill. She’s shutting people out of her life- including her husband- and feels like she’s not good enough. Add on the fact that she’s obsessed with influencer moms on social media plus she’s quit her job as a party planner and you’ve got the perfect storm of postpartum depression.
Some blinking lights in the morning finally draw her out of her home and over to a neighbor’s home. Joy tells her the stories of her kids and husband and even steps up to watch Kyle. This is at a time when Brynn starts to spiral out of control. She finally walks off one day and that’s the last straw. Both her husband and Brynn realizes she needs help and together they start to get her out of the depression.

Thanks NetGalley and Dreamscapes for the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I chose this story hoping for a good story on motherhood and it did well meeting my expectations. The main character, Brynn, is a new mom with a tiny baby. Though newborns are hard, Brynn is struggling with nursing her baby enough, sleep deprivation as baby Cody doesn’t sleep well either and her husband works a lot so Brynn carries the weight of the parenting. She feels inadequate, especially when she sees other moms that don’t seem to be struggling and the moms on social media who somehow are excelling at mommyhood. As she’s up with the baby she looks out of the window in the early morning hours and sees the flash of porch lights on her neighbor’s house that intrigues her. Brynn finds herself curious and drawn to the house and begins a lovely friendship with an older woman named Joy who sees the young mother struggling and cannot help drawing her in, sharing lemonade, rocking the baby as Brynn takes a needed nap.

The book is a decent interpretation of postpartum depression and also finds Brynn discovering and eventually treating other mental health struggles. I appreciated the author’s ability to show Brynn being in well-rounded treatment (medication, therapy, support groups) and I loved that her husband was supportive after she was diagnosed.

However, I struggled with the fact that the husband really didn’t see the signs and bother to push to spend more time with the baby. He must notice his wife isn’t sleeping.

I loved Joy as a character and as Brynn’s friend. She was a sweet old lady not without her own struggles though I think there could have been a bit more attention on her since her story was given equal story time but it wasn’t really until the end of the book that we saw her struggles and understand her.

Regardless, I did enjoy this book and it tugged at my heart reminding me of the births of my own children and my own struggles those years.

Everything’s Still There by Kalyn Fogarty really punched me in the gut. This novel made me feel seen. I must say that Fogarty captured new motherhood perfectly. My gosh, did this novel ever take me back to my early “first-time-mom” days, and it even made me a bit emotional. I was never officially diagnosed with postpartum anxiety, but I know that I had it. I’ve always been an anxious person, but my anxiety levels definitely skyrocketed after I became a new mom. There’s no doubt about that. So yes, I related to the main character, Brynn Hallman like you would not believe. Motherhood can be beautiful, joyous, and rewarding, but it can also be very miserable, exhausting, and lonely. It’s an experience that definitely changed me, and will forever define me.

READ THIS IF YOU ENJOY:

- Multiple perspectives and timelines
- Honest, harsh, and realistic looks at new motherhood
- Stories about postpartum depression and anxiety
- Themes of marriage and parenthood
- Emotional reads
- Character-driven novels
- Unlikely friendships
- Female friendship
- Found family
- Ilona Bannister’s novels

This novel is very thoughtful, raw, and well written. The author handled the harsh realities of new motherhood with extreme care. Everything’s Still There releases on May 2nd, and it gets 4.5/5 stars from me! Highly recommend!

I listened to the audio and loved the narrators, they were perfect for the characters. The book itself was so good- I related so much to both main characters. Highly recommend this one to anyone looking for a good, solid read.

Thank you Net Galley for an audio ARC of Everything's Still Here. It's about a struggling woman new to parenting and her valuable friendship with a neighbor.

Rin is a planner but when she has her little boy nothing goes as planned and she feels like she is failing as a mother one thing out on a walk she meet her neighbor joy a widow and an experienced mother in Rin takes comfort in her new friendship with the help of joy Rin will slowly but surely find her feet when it comes to mothering and will gain a new chosen family at the end. This is not only a very interesting book but one that should be read by all new mothers. Unfortunately throughout my pregnancy I was addicted to True Crime not such a great topic when giving birth to new life and I wish I would’ve read more books like this. I love joy and no I would’ve also loved to been her friend as well written it’s like most new moms insecure and trying to find where she fits in her new role it all comes together at the end but what a great journey to get there. I love this book and love the two narrators and I think they both did a wonderful job most times when there are multiple narrators there’s usually one I have a dislike for but not in Everything Still There it’s a wonderful book with wonderful narration. I received this book from NetGalley and a publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.