The New Mother was so good! ! I found it to be really entertaining even though it includes one of my least favorite tropes. And the narrators were excellent!

3.5 stars.

"The New Mother" by Nora Murphy is a visceral read in the beginning, but not because of the thrills or the mystery... because of Murphy's vivid, frankly awful descriptions of what it's like to be a new mother. My god... if you're a birthing person and you've ever had doubts about having children and you're leaning towards the "no" side of the argument, read this book to firmly cement your decision against children. Murphy's descriptions of what main character Nat (Natalie) goes through shortly before and immediately after giving birth are what I can only describe as nightmarish. The lack of help, the sleepless nights, the resentment that her husband gets to go to work where he just got a promotion, the changes in her body, being unsure of her own memory, a clingy baby that will never stop crying and won't respond to anyone but you, feeling isolated and unloved from her husband, feeling judged by her in-laws and neighbors... Murphy nails all of these post-partum descriptions and feelings! Unfortunately, everything else in this book falls by the wayside. It's light on mystery, very slow to unfold, and apart from one scene, the thrills are kept to a minimum. When Paul, Nat's neighbor, enters the book, he feels way too good to be true...because he is. Towards the end of the book, things start to happen quickly and pick up a bit, but it was too late to save it at that point. The ending just doesn't delivery, in my opinion. It also ends rather abruptly. I also feel like this book is slightly miscategorized. It's more of a psychological book than anything, maybe women's fiction. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it. Good audiobook narration by Dylan Moore and Lee Osorio, though!

Thank you to NetGalley, Nora Murphy, and Macmillan Audio for the ALC of this book. All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated for my review.

The New Mother by Nora Murphy will bring back many memories for those of us who have made the transition from being childless to having a newborn. All of the sleeplessness and feelings of being overwhelmed are rampant in this book. Natalie is not only a new mom but she is also living in a new house in a new neighborhood. She is feeling disconnected from her before motherhood life and is thrilled to make a friendship connection with her neighbor, Paul. However, all is not as it appears with Paul and Natalie discovers this firsthand. Lots of secrets and intrigue in this book that keeps the reader engaged to the very end. I listened to the audiobook and thought the narrator did a great job of keeping me in the story. Read and enjoy!

I was excited to read this one after Murphy’s solid debut last year with The Favor! I’ve also throughly been enjoying the newly popular trope of the dark side of motherhood and the exploration of the struggles of being a new mother. While I am not a mother myself, I still found it quite relatable and disturbingly compelling!

Now, this isn’t your typical thriller as it’s a slow burn story with no huge mystery to unravel and you understand exactly where it’s going but it’s still entertaining and intriguing nonetheless!

I got my eye on you Nora Murphy and looking forward to seeing what you do next! 👀

3.5 rounded to 4 for goodreads

This book was pretty good kept me curious the entire time. Thank you for the audiobook. I'll definitely be recommending

A brand new mom who seems to have a chip on her shoulder, a gripe against her husband and really everyone else around her, begins to fall into the depths of new motherhood and struggles immensely. She refuses to open up and ask for help. That is, until a friendly, understanding new neighbor offers some relief.

This new friend has some ulterior motives though. Plotting and scheming and taking advantage of Natalie’s, the new mom, struggles.

Natalie almost falls completely into Paul’s, the friendly neighbor, trap but then she wakes up and saves herself.

This was not high on my favorites list. I found Natalie to be a bit of an annoying character, perhaps because I cannot relate to her. There was a lot of buildup, which at first seemed unnecessary but then proved to be absolutely necessary in the last part of the book. The ending felt a little unfulfilled, though relieving. I did listen to this as an audiobook, so I’m left to wonder if maybe I’d have enjoyed this slightly more if I was actually reading it.

I received this as an audio galley to listen to for free in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for giving me access.

Murphy does an amazing job at portraying a new mother and all the difficulties she faces as such. While we are aware of the villain in this story, the fact that Natalie is an unreliable character with missing time, really makes you question what really happened.

As a mother that has gone through a less than ideal birth and suffered severe postpartum depression, I can relate to Natalie’s character oh so much. Not only did this story pull at my heart strings, there was just the right amount of suspense to keep me glued to each page.

Definitely one for all my thriller/suspense loving friends. Hindsight, if you struggle with postpartum or harmful/intrusive thoughts, this may not be for you.

Really fun to listen to. I loved the narrators, they truly brought the characters to life. The plot was surprising at times. I'd definitely recommend this to thriller readers.

Mom. It’s the greatest honor. It’s homogenizing. It’s all consuming, devouring, crushing. It’s dichotomous. That’s what malpractice insurance is for: new mothers. We were made to feel this way, to struggle with these choices, to strike impossible balances.

Natalie loves her baby with a fierceness that almost feels deadly. She would die for him. The epitome of a mother’s love for her child. The willingness to make the ultimate sacrifice. But it’s becoming clear that she might die taking care of her new son. Maybe she is dying. Maybe she is already dead. That’s how a good mother feels, though, right? Like she’s won, or would die trying.

It starts simple. She forgets her son’s doctor’s appointment. She forgets where she lives. She forgets to do something for work. She forgets to close her privacy curtain while pumping. She forgets her wallet. She forgets what she’s done and where she’s gone until she becomes an unbridled disaster, hurtling recklessly through motherhood. A mess. A monster. A mother.

She waves to her husband from the porch as he backs out of the driveway, thinking that they must look like the picture perfect young family (in the event that the neighbors are watching, of course). Dad is busy and successful. Mom stays home with their beautiful baby, in a spacious house, in a neighborhood with highly rated schools and virtually no crime.

While Natalie is adjusting to new motherhood, Erin’s stay-at-home husband Paul seems like a hero, like a saint. He makes Natalie feel hopeful and safe. But beneath that mask was a cat, claws ready, teeth bared. And she was his mouse. When their neighbor Erin Riley is reported dead, strangled with a baby wrap--Natalie’s baby wrap—everything changes. Because she’s not going to be his mouse anymore. She is going to make him hers.

Thank you NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and Nora Murphy for the advanced copy of The New Mother in exchange for my honest review.

I got through about 20% of this one before I unfortunately decided to DNF. So far nothing has really happened aside from a new mom struggling to adjust to her life with a newborn, and as I was expecting a thriller it's just not doing it for me.

As is always the case for me, I will not rate this book on any retail sites aside from NetGalley since I did not finish it.

I thought The New Mother was incredibly well done, but I would add a trigger warning for actual new mothers - I could not have read or enjoyed this book if my kids weren't older and I was several years removed from this stage of motherhood. Postpartum can be a very challenging time, and I do think the author encapsulated a lot of the feelings and struggles that can come after giving birth. The story felt fast-paced for me, and I was anxious to see where it was going. The ending was very satisfying!

- I seem to be on a kick lately of reading books centered on the exhausting, vulnerable, lonely, and all consuming postpartum period!This was a well written, though sometimes a tad bit slow, novel that felt relatable (even three years postpartum) and kept me coming back for more.

This was a slow burn but a pretty good story. New mom Nat moves into a new neighbor and becomes friends with her neighbor Paul, who is a stay at home dad. Paul is a lifeline for her as she struggles with a her difficult baby, but Paul has an ulterior motive for befriending her that becomes more apparent as the story continues.

While the book does a good job as showing what those first few months of motherhood are like, I felt really sad that Natalie was clearly struggling with post pardum depression and no one around her even noticed. She also kept feeding that baby to calm him down and I was like “nooooooo”. Beyond that, I like the cat and mouse game that she and Paul were playing before all was said and done, and thought the ending of the book was enjoyable.

Overall, decent read that I liked ok, but didn’t love. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I honestly did not know what all categories to put for the ways to tag this book because, sadly, it was a DNF for me. I cannot stand doing that. I read, Revolutionary Road, if that tells you anything, It made me incredibly depressed, but I pushed on. For this one, I couldn't. I am a childless adult, but not by choice. I would do anything in the world to have a child. And I felt so terrible for this new mom who did not feel connected to her baby for so many reasons. I always worried I would not bond and have terrible post-partem depression due to my current help issues. But, bless this new mom's heart, this sweet baby has colic. This is more than just crying, this is not stop crying. I did get aggravated with the mom though when her husband was Husband of the Year, and brought her two baby swings. She acted like it was not good, and I thought, girl. You want this baby to stop crying? DO IT. My issue is that this book was not a labor of love for me, and I made it through halfway, and I just could not go any further. I have no idea when this guy was coming in I was promised, but I was ready for him to get on in there and DO SOMETHING! I am sorry, I am sure this is a wonderful author, but this was not the book for me. It was not a slow burn, it was a fizzle. I feel terrible for saying that.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for the honest review.

I previously left a review for the ebook. The narrators for this audiobook were absolutely AhMazing! They pulled me in completely and had me on the edge of my seat during the entire book.

I loved Nora Murphy's The Favor, and so I went into The New Mother with pretty high expectations, and every single one of them was met. The villain is one of those characters that is so well written, with zero redeeming qualities, that you can't help but dislike him right from the start. When he started to play on Natalie's insecurities and vulnerabilities, it notched my hatred of him up even more. The plot pacing and development is perfect, and this really could be any neighborhood anywhere, making it a completely relatable and addictive book. Nora Murphy, you're officially on my must-buy, must-read author list!

Thanks so much for the opportunity to review.

I thought this was a great representation of postpartum depression/psychosis, but as a genre book it didn't really hit the mark. The plot was easily predictable.

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Nora Murphy returns following her smashing debut, The Favor, with her latest twisty, gripping suspense—THE NEW MOTHER, when a young suburban mother gets caught up in a sinister game of murder.

It wasn't the sort of neighborhood for murder. Yet that was precisely what had brought her here —Detective Jill West. So we know something menacing and sinister is coming.

They had neighborhood watches, doorbell cameras, security systems, and where the parents felt safe allowing their children to ride their bikes with their friends.

Natalie is a new mom in her thirties, sleep-deprived, and caring for her young son, Oliver. She breastfeeds, and it seems her baby will not sleep unless she holds him. She is exhausted.

Tyler, her husband, gets to go to the office. She envies him. He is an attorney; she was also an attorney and put her career on hold before the baby. She wishes she could get dressed and speak to adults. But she tried it, and it failed —too much with the baby, the breastfeeding, his schedule, lack of sleep, and stresses. (plus other things).

Natalie feels isolated, lonely, and tired. She is depressed, exhausted, and sleep deprived. Her husband is of little help.

Then enter the neighbor, a stay-at-home dad, Paul Riley, a former college professor. He is a Godsend! He is great to talk with and good with Oliver. He listens to her problems and always gets Oliver quiet. He is her new best friend!

Paul's daughter, Petra, is ten and in school. He seems like a caring father and husband. Yet he still is at home, married to a wealthy woman that controls him. He is supposed to be writing a novel but failed to produce anything. His wife is tightening the reins on him. He would like to get rid of her.

Even though Natalie thinks Paul is her friend, he has different plans for her. He has alternative motives —she will be just a pawn in his devious game.

When someone winds up dead, and Natalie is a suspect, she must dig deep to find the strength to save herself and her son.

Told in four parts to the Epilogue, where all is wrapped up. The author gets into the devious mind of Paul, and parts are dark and witty. I appreciated the author writing an honest Author's Note about her experience to share with other mothers and a list of resources.

THE NEW MOTHER is a spine-chilling game of cat and mouse, with manipulation and gaslighting. Paul's character was so deceiving, and could see how a sleep-deprived mother could get pulled into his web of deceit.

The author does a fantastic job of creating a claustrophobic atmosphere —and the many struggles of a new mother— mental health, postpartum depression, and psychosis with compassion and sensitivity. Any mother will appreciate this book.

Murphy, a new mother herself and lawyer, knows the ins and outs of new motherhood apparent in the novel.

We all remember those days when our babies would not sleep. I was young, age 20 and 21 when mine were born —my two sons were only 18 mos apart, and neither was a sleeper. My mom told me it was PAYBACK because I never slept, driving her nuts. (I still have insomnia).

I was fortunate to read the e-book and listen to the audiobook narrated by Dylan Moore and Lee Osorio for an engaging performance for both voices. Highly recommend the audio.
Can't wait to see what the talented author comes up with next!

Thank you to #MinotaurBooks #NetGalley and # MacmillanAudio for a gifted ARC and ALC for an honest review. #MinotaurInfluencers

Blog Review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 4 Stars
Pub Date: May 30, 2023
May 2023 Must-Read Books

Disclaimer: The thoughts represented in this review are solely based upon my personal reading experience with this book. They are by no means meant to disparage this author, or anyone who has enjoyed this story. There is a book for every Reader and a Reader for every book. Unfortunately, The New Mother was not for me.

Let's just rip the band-aid off, shall we?

I hated this book for the first 60%. I rarely say that. Hardly ever, in fact, but this story just rubbed me the wrong way. Natalie's perspective got under my skin and I absolutely loathed everything she had to say. I was listening to the audiobook and at times, considered throwing myself out of my moving vehicle to get away from her. It was that bad for me.

I get it, post-partum depression is a serious issue. It is valid and it should be taken seriously. I understand that and respect that, but the way this is presented... I just couldn't stand it. Again, you've read the disclaimer, that's just me. I am sure many Readers will enjoy this from the start and will be able to connect with Natalie and her experiences.

Around 60%, it does start to pick up a little. I wasn't completely disliking it. There's a little deviousness going on in their neighborhood, a slight glimmer, but at that point, it was sort of too little, too late. I did know someone was going to get murdered, so I sort of hung around for that. Alas, there was no mystery, no thrills, and the only real suspense was whether or not the murderer would actually be able to pull off their plan.

Frankly, I was hoping that they would.

I won't drag this out any longer. You get the gist. Not for me, not at all, moving swiftly along. As always though, I mean this, don't take my word for it. If the synopsis sounds intriguing to you, give it a go. You could end up loving it. There are certainly plenty of Readers who have already.

Thank you to the publisher, Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I appreciate the opportunity to provide my opinion.

Okay this book was not for me. I thought it was going to be a thriller but it wasn't at all. It's mainly Natalie's struggles being a new mom. The first 75% is just her struggles with her newborn and then the last 25% her neighbor tried to frame her for murder.
I saw a lot of good reviews saying it was extremely relatable and real. Maybe because I'm not a mom yet I just couldn't relate to the mc at all. If anything this book just made me more scared to have a baby!!