"The New Mother" is a hauntingly beautiful tale that will stay with me long after the last chapter. I highly recommend it to anyone seeking a captivating and introspective audiobook journey. The New Mother" audiobook left me with a sense of satisfaction and awe. This gripping story explores the theme of motherhood in a unique and thought-provoking way. The narrator's performance was exceptional, conveying the emotions of the characters with great depth. The plot was filled with unexpected twists that kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. It was original and stressful!!! While delving into complex family dynamics, the book also touched on broader societal issues, making it a profound and impactful listening experience. "The New Mother" is a hauntingly beautifully thrilling tale that will stay with me long after the last chapter. I highly recommend it to anyone seeking a captivating and introspective audiobook journey with a complex and satisfying story that will keep you glued to the book.

This is a twisty domestic suspense that will keep you guessing! It’s about a new mom that is stressed to the max with her colicky new born. Then she meets a neighbor, who seems to make everything better. But is there an ulterior motive? 👀

Thank you Macmillan audio and Netgalley for my gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

The first half I could not see where the heck this book was going!! It wasn’t until the second and third part where I started to pick up what was happening. I didn’t really enjoy the first half. It was too much background information. The last half was much better, but the ending ended pretty quick. Yes loose ends were tied up, but it just ended so abruptly.

The audiobook was good. I liked both of the narrators and was able to listen on 2.5 speed.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

𝙄𝙨𝙤𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙙. 𝙇𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙡𝙮. 𝙏𝙞𝙧𝙚𝙙. 𝙄𝙩'𝙨 𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙙 𝙗𝙚𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙉𝙚𝙬 𝙈𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧. 𝙎𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙞𝙩'𝙨 𝙢𝙪𝙧𝙙𝙚𝙧.

I read 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗿 by this author not too long ago and really enjoyed that book. I did a combo of the digital and audio versions of this book. I went into this one with such high expectations, and while I did like parts of it, it did feel a bit underwhelming compared to the previous book.

This is being labeled as a thriller, but I honestly wouldn’t put it into that genre. It felt more like a literary fiction story, it does talk about motherhood issues.

I definitely was expecting this to be action-packed, but unfortunately, it was so underwhelming. I do think I would have enjoyed this more if I went into it expecting something different than what the synopsis gave.

The book is broken down into four parts. I struggled so much with part 1 but decided to push through. I did enjoy the second half of the book a lot more, I wish it would’ve been like that throughout the whole book.

Also, the characters… like I’m sorry, but I just did not care for Natalie. Yes, I felt bad for her… but it was so difficult actually rooting for her.

Overall, I think this book was just fine - the beginning is not so great, but the ending is where it picks up (with a murder). I am a fan of this author's writing so I will definitely pick up more in the future, I just struggled at times with this one. It did not give me the thrills I was looking for. I will say though - the author’s note was appreciated: about postpartum depression. I would still recommend this to certain readers, just don’t expect this to be as thrilling.

Thank you so much NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the eARC and Macmillan Audio for the ALC in exchange for my honest review!

I was really excited to read The New Mother, which was billed as “a spine-chilling game of cat and mouse”, but the execution fell a bit flat for me and instead of feeling like a thriller the book was more of a domestic drama and discourse on motherhood and postpartum experiences with a minor side plot of murder.

When Natalie Fanning gives birth to her baby boy, she realizes that life with a newborn isn’t exactly what she expected. Instead of the challenges of her high-stress job as a lawyer, she is dealing with a different set of challenges: postpartum depression and anxiety, isolation, and struggles to accept the many changes to her life and marriage. Just as her frustration with life as a new mother comes to a head, she meets her neighbor Paul. Paul happens to be something of a baby-whisperer and Natalie is so relieved that someone can soothe her fussy baby that she trusts him immediately. But Paul isn’t exactly what he seems, and is dealing with his own family drama… and unbeknownst to her, he sees Natalie as the way out of his own challenges.

As a mother, I can certainly relate to the challenges of the newborn phase, and the author’s note at the end of the book brought a lot of clarity to what Nora Murphy was trying to portray with this novel. Ultimately, I wish that she had picked a side - the thriller aspect had a lot of potential but I think Paul’s character was underdeveloped, and I also felt like the entire plot line was wrapped up in one short chapter. On the other hand, I think the discourse about the challenges of being a new mother (especially in the United States where maternity leave is laughably short) we’re spot on and relatable, but felt repetitive in the book because I was waiting for more thriller and suspense elements.

The audiobook was easy to listen to, and I enjoyed both of the narrators! I really like when dual POV novels feature different narrators, and the execution of that element was great in this book.

This book was insane. I really loved that you got chapters from both the heroine and the killer. i like getting a glimpse inside the killers mind. I feel like it helps to really submerse yourself into the story.

Thank you to the publisher for the ALC. Loved this one more than I thought I would. A really good domestic thriller.

The New Mother, by Nora Murphy, is a slow-burn thriller that focuses primarily on the difficult transition to motherhood, the hardships during the postpartum period, as well as the disillusionment, despair and even dissatisfaction that new mothers often face. This story is slow-building and rather repetitive, and yet the author does an excellent job building an impending sense of doom

Natalie Fanning is new mother who is utterly exhausted and struggling to manage her baby. She’s bitter about relinquishing her career and resentful towards her husband who has gone back to work and has received a promotion. Natalie has a misguided sense of motherhood and it’s obligations and as a result she is whiny, self-sabotaging and repeatedly makes poor choices, even when other options are available. Her antipathy towards her husband is hard to swallow when he is clearly trying and she simply won’t let him in.

When her neighbor, Paul, insinuates himself into her life, he not only shows compassion, but buoys her confidence, and provides much needed relief. He quickly becomes her friend and a savior, of sorts. But what begins as help from a kind neighbor, soon becomes twisted into something darker and far more threatening.

Admittedly, this novel employs one of the tropes I do not like at all in thrillers, but the author definitely creates a chilling atmosphere, despite the whiny, unreasonably frustrating characters and somewhat tedious nature of the topic. The final 20% of the story were far more interesting to me, and the conclusion, though it came rather quickly, was satisfying and important.

The New Mother definitely had it’s merits, but it was a bit of a slog for me to get through and I found myself more aggravated than intrigued, at least until the final scenes. I know others have enjoyed this story and I’m so glad. It just didn’t quite hit the mark for me.

The audio-version of this story was narrated by Dylan Moore and Lee Osorio and they embodied my feelings about the characters, which weren’t so positive, but perhaps that was the intent.

It took me awhile to get into it. I kept pushing and at about 45% I couldn't wait to see how it unfolds. As a mother myself and also a nurse in the maternity ward, I think Nora captured post partum depression well. I coudln't get over her husbands unwavering support. Natalie herself made it seem he was useless and unappreciative but as a listener it was cleatly the opposite. Natalie coming to her senses while being framed for murder was so liberating. Great read in the end but a long start to get there.

Thank you netgalley for my ARC in exchange for my honest review

I really wanted to enjoy the book but because it was claimed as a thriller, with no signs of thrill for almost 70% of the book, I was quite disappointed. I think that if this book was advertised as a domestic thriller, I would have had different expectations and would have perceived the book differently. I kept waiting for the twists and turns, but it did not happen. When it did, it was not shocking at all and quite expected. This book was about a new mother,Natalie, and her experience with her new born colic baby. I totally sympathized with her struggles, but I also felt that she kind of did that to herself. She had an image of how a perfect mother should be, and even when things did not work for her ( constant nursing, lack of sleep, relationship issues, memory loss), she was stubborn and did not want to take any advise or help from her husband. Her husband was portrayed as supportive, and successful , but all she felt were resentment and possibly jealousy towards her husband. Paul, her neighbour, on the other hand , was quite a charming personality for her. She saw him as a friend, and trusted him with her child. Paul was a stay-at-home dad, an aspiring writer,and a calm, charming personality for Natalie. However, not everyone is how they seem, and the dual perspectives ( Natalie's and Paul's) reflected that. I liked the narration and it made the story interesting to listen to. Again, I would have been ok with the book, and the writing style, if only it was not marketed as a thriller.

What I did like about this book was how postpartum depression was portrayed. It did not paint a rosy picture of motherhood, and that I think is very important for everyone to know. Bringing a child into this world, or caring for a new born baby is no easy feat, and postpartum depression on top of the changes, makes it even more difficult. On top of that, societal expectations of how mothers should be, often puts so much pressure on new mothers. While Natalie's compaints were repetitive, I think the author did an amazing job in writing her character.

Overall, ok as a one time read but do not expect any thrill.

I always appreciate Nora Murphy's ability to write raw female characters, now in both of her books. And wow does she nail the "new mom" character in her book The New Mother. I think as a mom, the grueling descriptions of after birth pain and sleepless nights, validate that it is okay to not be okay. I really loved this book especially when you twist in the murder. It had my attention from the beginning, and I did not want to put it down!

Ok so at first I was super annoyed with this book because it focused on being a first time mom. So I thought is this a novel?? Then as the plot began to turn I’m like alright now we are getting into a mild thriller. It was pretty good. Makes you realize how you took motherhood different than Natalie. I thought the book ending with the epilogue happened quick. I wish it would’ve discussed more of how Paul got caught. All in all super relatable for many first time moms. Very easy to listen to audiobook. Great narrators.

This book was really beautifully written. Did it hook me and reel me in from the first page? No. But it was still a good read.

If you know me at all, you know that I absolutely love reading about motherhood, and all of the complexities that come along with it. As soon as I read the title of The New Mother by Nora Murphy, I knew that I had to read it. I didn’t even care about skimming the synopsis, I just dove right in. This novel is labeled as a thriller, but it’s not very thrilling at all until way past the halfway point. The majority of this novel is focused on exactly what the title suggests—a new mother navigating a major life change. You can’t help but sympathize with her over the sleep deprivation, isolation, breastfeeding struggles, constant anxiety, spousal resentment, and a demanding colicky baby. This novel brought me right back to the throes of new motherhood. I will say that the entire plot was completely predictable, and perhaps even a little overdone, but I still enjoyed listening to this novel—mostly for the motherhood aspect alone. I truly appreciated the focus on postpartum depression, anxiety, and the early stages of caring for a newborn. Overall, this was an enjoyable listening experience. It’s exactly what I look for in an audiobook—slow-moving, character-driven, and easy to follow. I definitely recommend going the audio route if you decide to pick this one up. The New Mother is out now, and I give it 3.5/5 stars!

This is a story about the new mom on the block.

This one was not for me. It felt like borderline horror that would really speak to you if you were a mother, potentially- but I found the narrative & experiences really off putting, especially the overly descriptive elements. I don't generally think I need to relate to a character to enjoy a book, but I think in this case perhaps it would've helped. All that being said I'll definitely check out other works by the author!

Thank you so much Minotaur Books and Netgalley, and Macmillan audio! The narration was excellent.

This fell a bit flat for me. The premise of the story and the issues addressed related to new motherhood were completely relatable and on point in a lot of ways, but I kept waiting and hoping for more substance and action. It was pretty anti-climactic, in my opinion.

Thank you Netgally and Minotaur for the eARC gifted copy. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Never has a book hit me so close to home. This glimpse (not really a glimpse as it was the majority of the book) of new and early motherhood was terrifyingly accurate and definitely the most spot on with my personal experience. From the lack of sleep, phantom cries, physical and emotional pain, sense of loneliness, and the need to feel like a martyr, so much of myself connected to Natalie.

It was easy to get lost in the world of new motherhood with Natalie but the book takes an even darker turn over halfway through when it becomes a thriller/mystery. I think for many readers, this delve into the early days with a new baby will be too much and could have perhaps been abbreviated. However, it really did set the tone for Natalie to be taken advantage of and fall so far as she did.

I listened to this novel on audio and really did not enjoy the narrators. The woman was extremely mechanical and robotic, overenunciating words and lacking emotion. It was hard to tell if this was intentional or a lack of experience. The man had a lisp which I just found to be an odd choice for Paul.

Overall, the book really captured by attention but most likely because I connected so much to Natalie. I think more readers would enjoy this novel if the mystery/thriller aspect was introduced earlier on and there had been less of deep dive into Natalie's post partum state.

Thank you to MacMillan Audio, Minotaur, and NetGalley for the copy.

Had potential, but I found that it was so repetitive. The first 60% of the book was just the same thoughts and feeling of the character over and over. There was an attempt at setting the mood for what was about to happen. Then finally around the 60% mark the murder mystery part started but I felt like there was no actual mystery and again was so repetitive. There was details missing that would have made the suspense and mystery more thrilling. Then it just ended.

*3.5 Stars On My Instagram Account*

"It wasn't a neighborhood for murder."

Neighbors change neighborhoods. In The New Mother, by second novel author Nora Murphy, overwhelmed Natalie moves into an over priced suburb and nothing will ever be the same.

Natalie's resentful of her husband who gets to leave, go to work, get a promotion and she stays never sleeping just breastfeeding, changing diapers, and responsible for keeping her baby safe. She is on edge, moody and having dangerous thoughts. When a neighbor is killed she's the suspect. She knows she didn't do it...right?

Narrator Dylan Moore was heartbreakingly fervent as Natalie dealing with the pressures of new motherhood. Narrator Lee Osorio plays charismatic Paul who helps Natalie cope with a cunning intensity. We learn the truth early but proving it is a new story.

I received a copy of this audiobook from MacMillan Audio via #NetGalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

Interesting novel, it's been a week since I've finished it and I'm still not sure about this one. I felt it was a very compulsive read and I could not put it down, I felt for the main character and thought the character development was great. My only complaint is that I felt as if the transition from the before the murder to after the murder was a bit muddled. It didn't feel like a smooth transition with all the discoveries laid out nicely in the end. This may have been entirely the point, in which case this was just not the right book for me but may be better suited for other readers, but I truly did want more punch out of the end of the novel. The build up was done so well!