This audio book started out slow and I honestly wasn’t sure if I’d be able to finish it. Man am I glad I did.
While it was fairly easy to figure out how the baby arrived, the remaining twists and turns were fun to follow. Then the realization at the end, whoa, I missed that. If you like a mystery that keeps you wanting to listen,this book won’t disappoint.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

A.J. McDine's 'The Baby' is a riveting thriller that hooks you from the very first page and doesn't let go until the final twist. McDine's skillful storytelling keeps the tension high as protagonist Jamie delves into a world of secrets and danger surrounding a seemingly innocent infant. The pacing is relentless, with each chapter delivering new revelations and unexpected turns that will leave readers eagerly turning the pages. McDine's vivid prose and well-developed characters add depth and complexity to the story, keeping readers invested in Jamie's journey every step of the way. 'The Baby' is a gripping rollercoaster ride of suspense and intrigue that will leave readers breathless and eagerly awaiting McDine's next literary offering.

Really enjoyed this book! I listened to the audiobook and the narrator was really good. Nice to listen too and accents were acceptable.
The story itself was different, I haven't heard a similar one and I liked it.
I wasn't sure how it would go, I knew there'd be some twist, but I didn't guess what was coming.
Kept me interested until the end - I normally only listen when driving, but found myself listening on the sofa so see what happened next!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture Audio and A J McDine for this pre-release audiobook of THE BABY BY A J MCDINE. Narrated by Tamsin Kennard.
First of all, Tamsin Kennard did an amazing job narrating this story, brining the story to life and adding that extra bit of excitement, great work!

Lucy wakes up and realises there’s a baby in her living room, it’s not hers, is it? Her memory is very foggy over the last few days..

How does Lucy deal with this bundle of joy that’s seemingly just been delivered to her door, and how will husband Miles react? Lucy has always wanted to be a mother, but could this be too good to be true? This might be their chance to have that happy family she’s always wanted. Is there more to this, and how does Lucy cope when the pieces start to form a clearer picture.

I finished this audiobook in under 24 hours and I honestly I was so engrossed in this story, sometimes I found myself rolling my eyes at Lucy though because I was frustrated with her naivety. There were some parts where I got a bit frustrated because I was able to see where the story was going very early on and never got that ‘SHOCK’ feeling, that didn’t really take away from the overall enjoyment though.
I found this a really enjoyable listen and would recommend for a thrilling listen that entices you in from the first few sentances.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

“The Baby” by AJ McDine Audiobook: 4 stars. This was a pretty good domestic thriller! I enjoyed the narrator too. There were some great twists, a couple I saw coming but there was one in particular that left me shocked. Always love a good twist! AJ McDine is a new author to me but listening to “The Baby” makes me want to seek out more of her books. Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for an advanced copy. Best of luck on Pub day!

I'll begin by saying that, while the synopsis piqued my interest, I wasn't truly convinced by the protagonist's lack of memory for the previous night—to the point where she gaslighted herself into believing she had kidnapped the baby or that it had always been hers—when I started reading the story. This was not IT in the scheme of inpausibilities.

Though there is some extra narration towards the end of the book, most of the story is told from the perspective of Lucy, who is married to Miles and has a "slight" drinking problem. Lucy's chapters, together with the author's elaboration of the idea and explanations, were compelling. However, there were still aspects that I found difficult to relate to and some characterisation. Even so, it was a really captivating book!
A. J. McDine's other works seem worth checking out, I believe.

I really enjoyed this book! I flicked up on the twist early on, but still really enjoyed the process and how the ending tied it all up. Thank you so much for letting me listen!

Super gripping and twisty, I loved this one!

Lucy's husband, Miles, works away on the oil rigs and when he's not around, Lucy drinks a bit too much (to put it mildly), so when she wakes one morning to find a young baby in a drawer, she questions her hazy memories. How did the baby get there? Did she take him? She is about to go to the police, but realises the baby is hungry and it seems that every time she is ready to go, something else gets in the way, until she realises it's too late to go to the police station without getting herself into trouble for not having reported it straight away. When Miles comes home unexpectedly, red flags start waving madly as we peel back the layers of Lucy and Miles' marriage and their past.

The pace was steady, the writing flowed and the character development was on point.

There were some breathtaking twists and some crazy tension as the action spiralled to its explosive conclusion, with one big final twist that left me reeling! Brilliant!

Tamsin Kennard is one of my favourite narrators and once again, she did an excellent job of bringing the characters to life.

5 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, A. J. McDine and Bookouture, for an ARC in return for an honest review.

I listened to the audiobook and the narrator was perfect for the book! I was invested in this storyline within the first few pages and I basically listened to it from beginning to end nonstop! I had a bunch of theories of what was going on and I needed to know. Loved it, super fast paced and I will
definitely be reading more by this author in the future…like today! Highly recommend this one!

I couldn’t stop reading this story! I so wanted to flip to the end… which is hard with an audio book, so I didn’t.
The author had me invested into finding out where the Baby came from. The narrator did a good job.

When I tell you my jaw was on the floor by the end of this book….. I was shocked! This was such a twisted domestic thriller and I loved every second! This was an easy five star read for me!

I want to tell you everything about this book, all the ins and outs, the names of the main characters, what happened, how good the plot was, the twists and turns and how I reacted to them with an intake of breathe sometimes and the sound of my gasp saying in my mind “what! But, what,”

But I’m not.

It would spoil it for you. I want you to discover all the things I did and experience all the reactions I did.

Just go into this with the pain of wanting a baby but you cannot…..then one lands on your lap…..so to speak.

The narrator was excellent and rolled this story on very well not allowing for the reading to get bored or edgy.

My first time with this author.
Love the style.

Now I want to read her backlist.

This captivating story completely engrossed me. It reminded me of "The Girl on the Train" with its thrilling plot and complex characters. The main character's struggle with alcohol addiction leads her to a peculiar situation where she finds herself with a baby. But this is no ordinary baby. It's the baby she has been yearning for, for many years. The story takes an exciting turn when her husband appears and uniquely takes on this unusual situation. The characters' interactions are so well crafted that the story takes off with many phenomenal twists, keeping the reader on the edge of their seat.

I was drawn in by the vividly portrayed location, the secrets, and the twists and turns. The ending brought much-needed closure to the characters, and I felt the novel had gone full circle, arriving at the perfect ending. I would recommend this novel to my fellow mystery readers. It's a fast-paced read, ideal for a cozy night with a glass of wine.

I am grateful to Netgalley for providing me with a free and advanced copy of the novel, which allowed me to immerse myself in this brilliant story.

A gripping psychological thriller. When Lucy wakes up after a night out to find a baby in her house not knowing how it got there. Plenty of twists along the way. Well drawn characters it grips you till the end. The narrator did an excellent job. Thanks to Bookoutre and Netgalley for this review copy.

First by this author!

This book didn't disappoint! I loved loved that the MV was not this perfect person was nice change of pace! The MC loses a baby and she cannot get pregnant again due to an accident but one night she is drunk and wakes the next morning with a baby in her house. The plot was very intriguing and loved the authors writing. It kept me intrigued and wanted to find out what was going to happen.

This book was fast paced and kept you engaged.

Thanks NetGalley for letting me read and review.

I whipped through this book. I wanted to listen to it all day. Thank you so much for the audiobook of this arc. When other books are going to be published by this author I will be planning to read the others… I thought the narration by Tamsin Kennard was phenomenal. Sometimes audiobooks that have narrators that have an accent I cannot tell a lick of what they are saying so I have to slow it down to a super slow speed at first. However, with Tamsin Kennard that was not the case. I will be looking up other books that are narrated by her because I loved it. I also love her accent.
A baby is crying in my house and I do not remember having a baby….where did this baby come from and why is it in a drawer? Lucy tries to remember the transformation of events of the previous night and how a baby got to be in her house. Lucy cannot find however, the reason or the solution. Yes, she had a heavy night of drinking, but where did it come from? Should she go to the police? Should I keep him because he kind of looks a little like me?
The transition of this book from trying to figure out where this baby came from to the backstory on how the baby got there had me in awe. I did not expect any of it. AJ McDine took you all the way over to the outfield and maybe out of the park. I did not see it coming and the whole time I was trying to figure out where it was going to go. I love how everything was connected. If you are looking for a good psychological thriller that will not have you finish until the very end this book is for you! I totally recommend it!
5 starts/5 stars

4.5

The author started this book thrusting you right into a situation with little explanation and I actually loved that. It grabbed me from the start and I was excited for this story to unfold.

Miles' character made me so uncomfortable with his toxic behavior and Lucy I really grew to love and was rooting for. Fantastic character development. I really did enjoy the dynamic of lucy's drinking and how it played out, it wasn't too much and was believable.

Narration was great.

All in all, I really enjoyed this book and was entertained the entire time. I devoured this book and read it in less than a day. Highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy.

4/5 Stars! Thank you, NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for the audiobook of The Baby by A J McDine narrated by Tamsin Kennard.

The narrator did a fantastic job with narrating this novel. This is my first novel by AJ McDine, and if it's like this with his other books, I'm definitely going to become a fan! Very quick and easy read (or audio session). I did increase the speed to get through it quicker and it is very easy to follow. The characters are well described and the twisted plot got me!

Again, the narrator did a fantastic job keeping my interested and voicing all of the characters. I'm definitely a fan of hers!

Totally binge-able, great pace, stellar narrator, and I loved the ending. 3.5* rounded up to 4.

Thank you to NetGalley & Bookouture Audio for an advanced copy of the audio to review.

#TheBaby #NetGalley

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for the early copy of the audiobook version of this book. The narrator was fine. Tamsin Kennard's narration was fine.

First of all, I loved that we're following from a POV of a flawed person. She lost her baby and won't be able to be pregnant because of the accident that led to losing her baby. She woke up one night after being so drunk and woke up with a baby in her house.

The premise was so intriguing and the author's writing was very readable. It easily lured me into the story and to care to the main character.

However, when we're finally about to reveal who the baby really is, it switches POV which I find so unnecessary. It somehow lost the thrill but then the author redeemed herself by the end of the story.

I still give this a three-star rating because the intrigue kept me reading and I wanted to know what really transpired. I would recommend it to those who want a fast-paced relatable main character POV.