I am not familiar with this author but the synopsis sounded good.

A futurist thriller based around the idea of manufactured babies and stolen DNA.

What we get is a scarily believable thriller, set in a future that is not that far away, that twists and turns its way through the plot.

Then drops you at the end where you think eh what???

I read this in one sitting which I have not done in a long time and I enjoyed every minute of the read.

Baby X is going to be huge in 2024.

Awesome book. I loved guessing the plot points. I did figure out how two characters were connected and I was wrong about another but I still enjoyed it. I found myself wanting to read more and more. Just disappointed it doesn’t have a sequel.

I recommend this to people who like scifi and dystopians.

I got this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books/The Quick Brown Fox & Co for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed this one so much! The writing was very accessible and the setting and characters were super interesting. I also love when a book has a twist that I didn’t predict, but could have. The roots for the twist are definitely seen throughout, but I didn’t see it coming!

Fans of dystopian style books will likely enjoy the realistic sci-fi elements.

WOW. I was absolutely enthralled by this book from start to finish. I read thrillers almost exclusively and it's been a long time since I found one with such a unique storyline. I felt like I was in a labyrinth with all the twists and turns, and I was so satisfied with how the story ended. With 3 POVs intertwined flawlessly, this creepy medical x domestic thriller had an extra layer of complexity given that this is easily something that could happen in our world soon. The author references pandemics and 21st-century privacy concerns, paving the way for how this future could be our reality soon. 5 stars, and I knew it would be from the first few pages.

This is set in a not-so-far-away future where phones are archaic, self-driving vehicles are the norm, and "designer" babies have taken the term to a new level. Parenthood is democratized (to a certain extent - lots of ethical considerations here as well) where parents can choose from a selection of 3 eggs: each egg shows its personality characteristics, the likelihood for diseases, what they will excel in (from sports to academia) and their physical look.

It all comes at a price because now the top concern is nonconsensual conception, AKA people paying top dollar to have children with celebrities without their knowledge. Ember is a bio-security guard, hired by pop star Thorne to ensure none of his DNA is left behind and stolen. She follows him around on tour, sanitizing and sweeping the stage once the show is down to cleanse it of any hairs, saliva, or DNA fragments that could be taken. But when they're approached at a coffee shop by a woman claiming to carry his child, all bets are off. Told in a parallel storyline, a young journalist is struggling with her identity as her parents (her mother is over 60, but "golden parents" are commonplace) decide to have another child through the Selection. Lily hopes to use her family as the basis of her big story to land her dream job but begins to unravel secrets of the past.

While a captivating storyline with riveting characters, Baby X also weaves in ethical concerns about genetic engineering and DNA use -- what would happen if we all could really "play God?" Thank you, NetGalley for the advance copy!

Thanks to NetGalley and Meryl Moss Media Group for sending me an ARC of Baby X in exchange for an honest review.

In the near future, almost all pregnancies begin in a lab. Any cell can be manipulated into an egg or sperm cell, allowing any couple to create a biological child. Further, couples are given a profile of each of their embryos and then they select the one to be implanted. Ember Ryan operates a bio-security business designed to protect celebrities’ DNA from The Vault, a shadowy group that facilitates stolen cell pregnancies. Originally hired by superstar singer Thorne to protect him on tour, she’s now his fiancée, but their relationship is strained when a young pregnant woman named Quinn approaches them in a coffee shop and says she thinks she’s carrying his baby. Meanwhile, Lily is a young reporter trying to earn a full time job at a trendy magazine. But she’s haunted by her fear that being an Unforeseen—a baby conceived naturally rather than Selected—will leave her permanently second best.

Baby X is a science fiction hybrid. The Ember/Thorne/Quinn storyline is a classic mystery/thriller. Is Quinn really carrying Thorne’s baby, and if so, how and why? Who or what is behind The Vault, what are their purpose and endgame, and can they be stopped? The Lily storyline is much more subtle, speculative fiction that the the book more philosophical and emotional depth. Assume we could develop the genetic tools described in this story … should we use them? Avoiding inherited disease is pretty non-controversial, but allowing parents to select their children’s strengths and weaknesses feels fraught with risk, though the characters here seem to make relatively benign choices. And what would the emotional impact of such choices be on those Selected and Unforeseen? It’s all interesting stuff.

My biggest issue with Baby X was that the two storylines feel quite unrelated until almost the very end. But that’s a minor quibble. Overall, this is a solid, entertaining speculative thriller. Recommended.

I really enjoyed this book. Based on CAWPILE it's a 4 star for me, but I would go ahead and give it an extra .5 star. Solid 4.5 stars for me.

The characters are really well done, and I enjoyed seeing how their stories all wove together. I would say what really won me over on this one was the suspense. I was really on edge about what was going to happen and how it would all round out. Peikoff definitely keeps you on your toes, and I enjoyed that about this book. I didn't really figure out how one of the plot lines tied in with the rest until (I think) the author wanted us to, so that was nice. I love it when they can keep me guessing. Several of the reveals were not a surprise to me, but the ultimate reveal got me, which is nice.

I like that Peikoff is giving us a lot to think about and chew on with this book. IMO, good Sci-Fi/dystopian SHOULD make us think and reflect. I feel like it would be a great book club pick for that reason.

4.5 rounded up! To be honest, I haven’t read a lot of sci fi and it’s a genre I want to read more of but I loved this book!I thought the premise of couples being able to select their children based on a genetics report was not something that was super far fetched which I think made it more interesting. It did take me a little bit to get into the story since there were three different POVs. I did feel that the writing is a little clunky in some parts. Other than that, there were good twists that kept me turning the page and I was a very surprised towards the end.

Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read this book!

Thanks to NetGalley and The Quick Brown Fox & Co., Crooked Lane Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4 stars

Set in the future, the technology exists to make egg or sperm from anyone's cells. Ember Ryan has a business protecting celebrities from exposure from having their cells stolen. Told from multiple POVs (Ember, Quinn a surrogate, Lily a young reporter)

Lots of cool concepts to think about as technology continues to evolve.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for an ARC of this novel.

If you would have told me last year that I would enjoy books with a sci-fi spin, I would have thought you were nuts. This was my third sci-fi thriller for the year and I loved every bit of it. The twist at the end was just the straight up best- I’m a little disappointed I didn’t catch onto it sooner, but it made the ending even that much better. Highly recommend reading this, even if you think you don’t like sci-fi! 5⭐️s from me.

RATING: 2/5 STARS

The premise of this book sounded amazing, which is why I requested it, but I didn't mesh with the writing style so it was difficult to engage myself in the story.

A good sci-fi take with shifting POV, which made the story more interesting. There is a definitely a Brave New World homage here. As is typical with these stories, the natural born children are the ones looked down upon. A nice, quick read.

The synopsis of Baby X had me hooked immediately. A world where biological matter can be used to create babies with everyone and the challenges that poses for famous people who are now risking seeing children of themselves being born without their consent? Sign me up!

But, after reading this: don't sign me up.

Let's start with the positives. Baby X is written very accessibly and despite some intense sci-fi world building, the story is not hard to get into. The plot is like a rollercoaster, easy to get through and makes you want to keep reading. The author is good at building suspense and keeping you engaged.

Sadly, besides the core idea of 'everyone being able to have babies with famous people' the book doesn't add anything new to the sci-fi genre. The worldbuilding felt a bit predictable and wasn't really something I hadn't read before. And when it does ask big questions about privacy, agency and reproductive rights, it tends to answer them in the same paragraph, not allowing readers to draw their own conclusions.

The characters all ended up feeling a bit flat to me. Baby X weaves three different POV's together, but the three characters it focuses on don't feel very different from each other in tone of voice. No one's motivations are very clear and it's quite hard to connect with the characters because you don't really get to know them. The conversations between them also feel quite unnatural and very exposition heavy, moving the plot along without spending much time with the characters' own thoughts and feelings. This also results in the main love story in the book not feeling very believable and when we get a random sex scene in the middle of the book it feels like it comes out of nowhere and there's no chemistry to be found.

No thriller is complete without a good twist, but sadly this book doesn't really nail that either. I'm a big believer in the fact that you should be able to guess a twist yourself if you pay attention and it shouldn't come as a complete shock, but this one was obvious from the start leaving no room for speculation.

An interesting premise, I just wish the execution was a bit better.

2,5*

5 ⭐️

Society takes scientific advancements aimed at helping people and turns it into a perverse means of discrimination and unbalanced power dynamics. Aka the premise for most sci-fi/thrillers but I loved this storyline in particular!!!

In the late 21st century, science has made strides within human reproduction. Sex is no longer the number 1 means of procreation. In fact, it’s considered archaic and selfish. Instead, 2 humans (they can even be the same gender) simply offer DNA and shortly after begin a selection process to determine the embryo they’d like to implant. Think like an ethically gray IVF process bordering on eugenics. You can choose your embryo based on the genetic markers for personality, athleticism, mental health, intelligence, etc. All in the name of making sure your baby can stay clear of avoidable genetic diseases. *sidebar: I know I’m supposed to suspend belief but I feel like there’s no way the US let’s this happen on a federal AND state level before 2050 considering the fights we’re having for women’s rights decades after Roe v. Wade!!*

We follow multiple POVs to understand this new society from every angle. Kids that are born without the selection process and wondering how they measure up against their potentially biologically superior agemates. Older Women getting a second opportunity at motherhood. Surrogacy. And the black market called The Vault that steals celebrity DNA for embryos for the highest bidder and the security teams hired to keep them safe. Typically, I dislike multiple POV because there are always characters more intriguing than the others and I find myself getting irritated I can’t skip the other chapters lol. However I genuinely liked each storyline presented!

I was gripped from the beginning and pleasantly surprised they were able to wrap up the story so well towards the end! Plus, what’s a good sci-fi novel without a solid plot twist? 😉

Baby X is out X 2024

Thank you to the author, publishing company, and NetGalley for the ARC! All opinions are my own.

For fans of: The Silent Patient and John Marrs

Book Title: Baby X
Author: Kia Piekoff
Publisher: Quick Brown Fox/Crooked Lane Books
Genre: Mystery. SciFi
Pub Date: March 5, 2024
My Rating: 3.5 rounded up
Pages: 336

I am okay with Sci-Fi stories and especially liked that it was set in Laguna Beach. I live in SoCal not all that far from Laguna Beach this got my attention!

This is Science Fiction thriller set in and around 2050 where parents can select their babies based on talent, academic ability etc. Technology is so advanced that anyone wanting to have a child born from the cells of a famous person and only need a small amount of DNA.

Celebrities are a big target. “The Vault”- is a black market site devoted to stealing DNA and selling it to the highest bidder.
Rock Star Trace Thorne has been the targeted several times. So hires a bio-security guard Ember Ryan to ensure his biological safety.

The story centers on three women – Quinn, Ember and Lily.
• Quinn Corrigan claims that Thorne is the father of her baby.
• Ember Ryan- is a bio-security expert.
• Lily Thompson is a young journalist who wants to expose the “stealing selection clinics”.

There is no doubt that this is intriguing. I did like the ending.
My only disappointment is that since this is an early eGalley there isn’t the author’s note or Acknowledgements. I was so hoping for the inside scope on the motivation in writing this story.

Thank NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for March 5, 2024

Thank you to Netgalley and The Quick Brown Fox & CO, Crooked Lane Books for an ARC copy of Baby X.

I'm going to be honest, when I originally read the description of this book, I quickly filed it in the "nah" pile, but then I came back to it later after seeing a bunch of good reviews. Let me tell you, I am SO glad I have it a chance. I loved the way the characters stories were woven together so carefully and THAT TWIST...I had to re-read one page like 3 times because I thought my brain would explode. It kept me hooked all the way up to the great ending.

Fans of John Marrs "The One" should hurry to add this to their TBR.

5 STARS! 😍

This was a great futuristic novel! It held my attention and kept me wanting more. I enjoyed the storyline as it was something different for me but like I said, kept me wanting more.

This book was so different and SO good. The plot was brilliant and Peikoff did a great job pulling it off. This was well written, with very well-developed characters.

This was a futuristic, sci-fi style novel where DNA is at the heart of the book. In BABY X babies can be created from a simple DNA sample and it leads to people trying to steal the DNA of celebrities to create babies.

This book is a thriller with a lot of twists and a lot of obsession! I can’t wait to read more of this authors work! This was so well done!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC!

First, thanks to the publisher, Crooked Lane Books, and Netgalley for early access to this book.

This is a super compelling thriller narrated by three interconnected women telling a story that, while set in a futuristic world where children are genetically chosen via a Selection process, is more about the choices one has to make and who/what gets to tell you who you are.

At first, I had some trouble getting into it, but by about 1/4 of the way through, I was hooked and flew through the rest! Peikoff does a great job of worldbuilding and attempting to ground her futuristic world into our own, with references to recent and current events. The characters did not feel like typical sci-fi characters but instead felt very very real.

I did guess the final twist, but only because I realized that the third narrator had not intertwined with the other two, and her world just seemed a bit more advanced than the other two. It had a great lead-up and payoff, even with me guessing it, which is a sign of a good thriller!

Thank you Netgalley & Crooked Lane books for an eARC of Baby X by Kira Peikoff! I'm so glad I pushed this one up on my TBR as this is no doubt one of my favorite reads of 2023. If you're a fan of John Marrs' speculative thrillers set in the future - Then you are absolutely in for a treat with this book.

The plot is brilliant and everything ties together effortlessly at the end. I typically find myself having unanswered questions at the end of a speculative thriller novel, and I didn't once I finished this one - but I DO want more.

What's it about?
Future United States has advanced technology that can create egg or sperm from any person's cells. Because of this, celebrities face the potential of having and meeting children they never conceived - or knew about.

This book follows a few characters - One being a famous singer, Trace Thorne, who is being targeted by a black market site devoted to stealing celebrity DNA. He hires Ember Ryan as his bio-security guard to ensure nobody gets their hands on his hair, saliva, etc. The relationship gets complicated as she begins to fall for him just as a pregnant woman, Quinn, claims that Thorne is the father of her baby.

This is not your typical "thriller" by any means but I encourage you to put this one on your TBR for its release in March. Highly recommend and can't wait to see what this author comes up with next.

This is not my usual genre, but I saw so many recommendations that I figured it was worth a try!

Baby X is set in the near-future, in a time where babies can be grown from a simple DNA sample. The downside to this is that there are groups of people who try to steal DNA from celebrities to create babies. The book follows several characters and their different stories, all culminating in a wonderfully dramatic ending where you realise how they all slot together.

I usually avoid future based books, but I'm SO pleased I gave this one a go. The characters were well written and interesting; I genuinely found myself caring what happened to them. The story is such an interesting one and it gave me many moments where I wondered if this is something that could actually happen.

A very clever and thought provoking read and one I would highly recommend.

My thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for sending me this ARC in return for an honest review.