This book just did not do it for me. I really struggled to identify with the main character and her negativity. The thriller aspect of the story took way too long to get to (more than halfway through the book) and I was never excited to pick the book up. I love that the book highlighted an important topic, postpartum depression, but the way it was done just did not make me feel sympathetic. And after 3 kids, I am incredibly sympathetic to every woman's postpartum experience, struggles and challenges.

Natalie is a new mom, spending most of her time alone, struggling with her collicky baby. When Paul, her neighbor, enters the picture he seems like a savior during her struggles. Oliver, the baby adores Paul, allowing Natalie a chance to rest. But Paul befriended Natalie for a reason, and will she become aware before time runs out?

Thank you Netgalley for my advanced reader copy.

A struggling and desperate new mother who needs a break meets a helpful neighborhood dad, but the motives of this meeting aren't pure. A jealous wife enters the picture and things get sticky.

This was a great domestic thriller. It held my attention the narration (audiobook) was excellent. Overall, it was a quick, fun read!

This put the psycho in psychological thriller! Natalie Fanning is a corporate lawyer who has just moved to a new home and just had her first child. After her husband goes back to work, Natalie struggles with sleep and isolation. After returning to work at 8 weeks post-partem, she decides to take a sabbatical as she is having major issues with losing time and memory loss.
On a walk with her son, Oliver, who on top of being newborn, has reflux issues and basically never sleeps, she meets her neighbor, Paul. Paul seems like a godsend; he's a stay-at-home dad who is perfectly comfortable with babies and children. He lends a sympathetic ear to Natalie, who seems to be spiraling on no sleep. But Paul has a hidden agenda where Natalie is concerned. Will her fog lift before its too late?

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this audio e-arc.*

I absolutely loved this book. Captivating read. Couldn’t stop listening. There were a few far-fetched things. I didn’t care. Love the characters. Love the story and plot. I can’t thank NetGalley and the publisher enough for providing the advanced copy to me.

I was excited to read The New Mother by Nora Murphy since I really enjoyed her debut novel The Favor. Murphy excels at writing lawyer characters as she was a lawyer. In this novel the main character Natalie and her husband are lawyers. As Natalie struggles with her newborn baby she befriends her neighbour Paul who has ulterior motives. The motherhood aspect is extensive in this one and it’s an extreme slow burn. A pretty standard domestic thriller. It was over halfway before anything interesting happened. I wasn’t shocked at any point. I didn’t love this one but I’d be interested to read her next book. I listened to the audiobook and the dual narrators Dylan Moore and Lee Osorio are fantastic as we flip between Natalie and Paul’s perspectives.

3.5 ⭐️
This was my first book by this author & I felt like the story had strong potential. I enjoyed the characters, plot, and POVs and felt like there was great buildup. The ending kind of just flopped, though. Like we went through all of that just for a blah ending? The ending was disappointing.

"The New Mother" by Nora Murphy is a captivating novel that skillfully weaves together themes of postpartum complications and thrilling suspense. This thought-provoking story delves into the depths of a mother's struggle with her newfound role, while also keeping readers on the edge of their seats with a mysterious neighbor who harbors hidden intentions.

One of the book's standout aspects is its sensitive portrayal of postpartum challenges. The author delves into the emotional and physical toll that accompanies becoming a mother, illustrating the raw vulnerability experienced by the protagonist, Natalie. Through Natalie's journey, readers are given a glimpse into the complexities of postpartum depression and the immense pressure that can weigh on a new mother. As someone who could personally relate to these experiences, I found myself immersed in the authenticity of Natalie's emotional turmoil.

Nora Murphy's writing effortlessly balances the exploration of postpartum complications with an intriguing suspenseful narrative. The introduction of the enigmatic neighbor adds a layer of mystery that gradually unravels as the story progresses. The pacing is well-executed, with the revelation of the neighbor's true intentions coming as a surprise at the midway point, adding an exciting twist to the plot. This clever integration of suspense keeps readers eagerly turning the pages, craving answers and uncovering the secrets lurking beneath the surface.

Although the book primarily focuses on Natalie's personal journey and the neighbor's role, I would have appreciated a deeper exploration of secondary characters and their relationships with the main protagonist. Developing these connections further would have provided a richer context and allowed for a greater emotional investment in the overall story.

In conclusion, "The New Mother" is a compelling novel that successfully blends the portrayal of postpartum complications with an enticing suspenseful plot. Nora Murphy adeptly captures the challenges faced by new mothers, evoking empathy and understanding. With its well-crafted narrative and unexpected twists, this book will appeal to readers who enjoy a mix of psychological exploration and thrilling suspense.

Raw. Relatable. Real.

I went in completely blind and I recommend you guys do too if you want to pick this one up. It's a thriller and you get some ideas based on the title and cover alone. But if you want more info swipe for the synopsis.

This book is such a bomb thriller! The first part paints the picture of new mom Natalie and her struggles as a new mom. Without giving any spoilers, it's very raw in what postpartum looks like. As a mom I could relate and I really appreciated how real it felt. If you're a mom, you know those first weeks after giving birth is no where near easy. Reading this gave me so many flashbacks to those first weeks. 😓

Then comes the thrill. I kept making guesses and was pleasantly surprised multiple times. It left me on the edge of my seat waiting to see all the twists and turns. I enjoyed it so much and I recommend it if you are looking for a bomb thriller you can devour in one day!

The kind of book I kept wanting to sneak back into during my workday.

The New Mother was wholly absorbing. After a slow start, I found myself not wanting to put it down. And, once I had, I wanted to pick it right back up again.

It centers on Natalie, who's recently given birth to a difficult baby -- a frequent crier who will only be soothed by her. On leave from work and married to a busy lawyer, Natalie doesn't really have a support system to help her through these tough days. That is, until she meets the neighbor who's been through it himself, and is suddenly there with a kind word.

My biggest critique with this one was the pacing, which I'll put behind a spoiler tag (perhaps overcorrecting after someone spoiled a major plot point for me). Even still, I'm always going to want to read a thriller that I find this hard to put down. Nora Murphy is now 2/2 for me, with enjoyable books incorporating real issues (that too often go unnoticed).

I thought Dylan Moore and Lee Osorio were well cast. Moore was easier to understand at 3x speed (I think her diction?), but I didn't have problems with either at 2.5x.

I could relate to many of the struggles that Natalie had as a new mother and found those parts particularly hard to listen to. My biggest issue with this book is how unbalanced that it felt. The mystery doesn't come in until 60% of the novel is finished, and it just sort of...ends. I would still check out another book by this author, though this was not my favorite.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review!

Short synopsis: Natalie is struggling with her life as a mom to a colicky baby, when she meets the stay at home dad Paul who seems to take a load off her shoulders.

My thoughts: The first half of this book was rough! It was giving me postpartum anxiety, even though my baby is 4! All too relatable in the struggles a new mom goes through, the mom guilt, the hormones, and trying to sleep and comfort a difficult baby all at the same time. It was very candid, and accurate.

The mystery side was a little predictable in my opinion, but I did enjoy watching it unfold. And the epilogue was done so right, in diagnosis and seeking help.

If you’re a new mom struggling, please go talk to someone and help yourself out! Nothing is wrong with you, and you’re not broken!

Read if you love:
- Domestic thrillers
- Motherhood
- small town setting with nosy neighbors

3.5 stars

The New Mother was good, it took a little bit to get into but ultimately I liked it. The narrators did a great job on the audio.

I felt there were times I was questioning what the plot was, but early on you learn. And guessing what will ultimately happen does keep you on the edge of your seat.

I didn’t love this book, but it definitely was bad. Just so-so. I would probably recommend it to another reader.

This book was so hard to get into. It just went on and on and on with absolutely nothing happening. I get that we were supposed to feel lost in her psychosis and depression, but it just felt like we could have captured those feelings in way less time. When nothing has happened at 50% in, it's way too slow a burn for me to stay invested. I really loved her first book, so am disappointed this one fell flat for me.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC of this audiobook. Honestly, this book was really frustrating and hard to get into. I’ve had kids before so all the birth lingo and postpartum stuff wasn’t new news but it was just over the top and the whole book felt like I post birth story. I didn’t quite think the book was suspenseful nor thriller like to be in that category.

This was okay. Story took a lot to really get into. Her last book I got into it quickly but this one was nothing I was super sold on.

When being a new mom takes a turn for the worst you roll with the punches...
Welp! This one was quite the bang up production as we encounter a situation in which a collicky baby leades to a neighbor offering to assist.
Unfortunately, not everything is as it seems and the true intentions are exposed in quite an unbearable way.
Lets note here that a wife was just threatened to stay away from the other's husband, WTH?
Oh, and the other half of this equation turns out that someone will die.
You know this reminds me of the saying -be careful what you wish for and the other saying -there's millions in life insurance on the line.
Folks, money is the root of all evil and who knew that a baby item might just take the whole show down.
Post partum depression is real. No doubt! So, too is getting framed!
YIKES!
Ty, to Nora, Macmillan Audio, Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for this honest review.

This book was the perfect thriller. The narrators were fantastic. I had no idea where this book was going but it kept you on the edge of your seat the entire time. The ending was a bit abrupt but did wrap things up pretty well. I really enjoyed this book!

The twists and turns in this book were so riveting. I had the audiobook version and the narrators were great and really captured the emotion of the characters and made for a great listen. I wasn’t expecting what happened to happen and that’s always a good thing!

I did like the narrators and felt they brought the characters to life. Especially the anxiety and chaos that Natalie felt. I felt her anxiety through the narrator.

I really loved The Favor when I read it but this one fell a little short for me. I’m not sure if it’s because I’ve chose to stay childless in my life so even though I felt bad for Natalie and how stressed she was, I also felt like she was being incredibly rude to her husband but odd that she was letting this stranger in solely cause they shared staying home with a child. ⁣
⁣
I realized early on she was experiencing Post Partum Depression and I know how serious this medical condition is. Especially with psychosis involved as well. It’s not a joke. I truly feel for moms struggling with this and I felt the author wrote about that in a well educated way and in a way to make people aware how serious it was.⁣
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The thriller aspect wasn’t super “thrillery” to me. Paul was sketchy from the beginning and his plotting taking care of a naive woman and his back history made him also unlikable.⁣
⭐️⭐️⭐️

Dnf at 2 hours. This is billed as a thriller/suspense and seems more like maybe literary fiction. Narrator is monotone and this is very snoozy. I’m not invested enough to continue. Also a causal drop of breast cancer is not my jam. I did like the authors debut novel.