Thank you Netgalley & Mulholland Books Publisher for an eARC ♥️

As a horror enthusiast, I was thoroughly captivated by this book! Jacquie Walters masterfully weaves together a tale that's both deeply unsettling and eerily relatable, especially for a new mom like myself. Flora's struggles to care for her newborn, Iris, while facing the dark forces closing in around her, resonated deeply with me.

When Flora's desperation leads her to reach out to her estranged mom, Jodi, the story takes a dark and unexpected turn. Memories from Flora's childhood come flooding back, and the lines between reality and fantasy blur. The reappearance of her childhood imaginary friend, Zephie, and the strange occurrences that follow, had me on edge.

As Flora's grip on sanity begins to slip, I found myself fearing for her safety and questioning what's real and what's just her exhausted mind playing tricks on her. The truth, when it finally surfaces, is more shocking than I ever imagined. A long-buried secret threatens to destroy everything Flora thought she knew about herself and her family.

This book is a gripping and unsettling ride that I couldn't put down. As a horror fan and a new mom, I was thoroughly enthralled by the author's masterful storytelling and the eerie parallels to my own experiences.♥️

Dearest by Jacquie Walters is a chilling horror novel that delves into the complexities of motherhood and generational trauma. The story revolves around Flora, a new mother who is struggling with postpartum depression while caring for her baby girl, Iris. With her husband deployed, Flora is left to navigate the challenges of new motherhood alone. Desperate for help, she reluctantly invites her long-estranged mother back into her life. What starts as a plea for assistance quickly spirals into a nightmare as Flora begins to suspect that something far more sinister has entered her home.

Dearest by Jacquie Walters is a haunting exploration of the darker sides of motherhood and family secrets. With its compelling characters and a chilling plot, the book is a must-read for fans of psychological horror. Walters' debut novel is a testament to her skill as a writer and her ability to evoke genuine fear and suspense.

If you’re looking for a book that will grab and hold your attention (even when you think you don’t have time to read)…

If you are a new mother, an aspiring mother or curious about how motherhood might feel from the inside…

If you have ever had dark thoughts about your mother…

If you have ever felt like you are turning into your mother…

If you would like to put your unresolved childhood trauma into perspective…

If you like the horror genre or think you might like it, or even if you don’t think you will but have never tried…

If you like to support debut novelists…

Then you might like to pre-order “Dearest” by my writing friend Jacquie Walters, coming this September!

4.5 stars - Honestly, this shook me to my core lmao. I feel like this is really a story that readers will either love or hate but if you enjoy reading about postpartum experiences tied in with horror than I really think this is one you should be picking up. Walters really toes the line on body horror in this one, so some scenes were so disgusting to read as a pregnant person but I fear it's what made me enjoy it more. I found one of the twists in the novel to be pretty predictable but it didn't bother me too much especially once we got more to the end of the novel and developed on it a bit. The horror is sufficiently creepy that I think Walters can get away with a more predictable first twist. Otherwise I highly recommend this one, I think it was perfectly spooky for the fall season.

First of all, I did not realize DEAREST was a debut! You can officially count this as the third time my jaw has dropped since picking up this book. The cover is what first caught my eye, the Ashley Audrain and Grady Hendrix comparisons drew me in, and the fast-paced disturbing storyline is what made me stay.

New mother, Flora, has to navigate the newborn stage alone as she struggles with motherhood while her husband is deployed. As things get worse for Flora, she desperately decides to reach out to her estranged mother. When her mother surprisingly shows up, Flora begins to suspect she's invited in something even more terrifying.

This was chilling and creepy... then goes completely WTH bonkers at the end. There were a couple of surprises that genuinely threw me off guard and I really felt for Flora as she spiraled out of control. The classic pull between is-she-going-crazy versus something-f'd-up-is-going-on had me questioning everything. It explores post-partum depression, post-partum anxiety, grief and generational trauma. There are some gross scenes as well as heartbreaking ones that are seared into memory. And again, that ending gets WILD and I loved it. Regarding the comps previously mentioned, I feel like Dearest is not as campy as Hendrix and more disturbing than Audrain. @jwalterswrites debut is the perfect match of motherhood struggles 🤝🏻 horror. Mark this as one to pick up when it comes out this Tuesday 9/17!

Thank you to @netgalley and @mulhollandbooks for the free eArc.

Rating: I loved it ❤️

Postpartum depression? Psychosis? Or something more sinister?

Flora is losing her mind. And while reading DEAREST, I started to think I was losing mine, as well.

Initially, I could relate to Flora, a new mom, exhausted, struggling, totally in love with her newborn but also wanting just five minutes of peace. Then stuff started getting weirder. I was questioning everything. I had ideas, suspicions, but…

Nope, I did not see that twist coming!

And that’s all I’m saying.

If you’re looking for a unique read during spooky season, this book should keep you on edge!

Flora's husband is deployed, so she has to care for her newborn daughter alone. Feeling desperate, she reaches out to her mother who she hasn't seen or spoken to since her wedding.

Pick this up if you like:
- The Push by Ashley Audrain
- Horror
- Twists

I don't recommend this one if you are expecting or have a newborn 😆

Wow this one was wild! I don’t read much horror but every year around this time I try to read a few and then the description of this one just sounded really good to me and it totally was. I loved that it was a balance between really strange and bizarre happenings and the regular occurrences of being a new mother, it made it all the more frightening to me because it seemed like the crazy shit that was happening to Flora may actually be possible. This was very creepy and pretty gory, think descriptions of gross stuff and you definitely get that here, but it is horror so I expected to be grossed out and I was. The author captured some of those unique experiences that new mothers face but she did it with a supernatural twist and I have to say, it was clever. If you don’t mind dark and disturbing this was pretty good!

This was some of the most intense body-horror that I’ve EVER read, and most of it revolves around pregnancy and being a new mother. I’ve experienced neither of those things, so the fact that I was so skeeved out, and so totally enraptured, really is a testament to the writing and the story.

This takes all the fears of new motherhood and mixes it with supernatural suspense, resulting in one of my favourite reads of the year!

Thank you @mulhollandbooks #partner for the gifted eARC of this book!

Wowza I am so very surprised this is a debut novel! Kudos to Ms. Walters for knocking it out of the park! If you’re in the mood for a mind bending horror book grab yourself a copy of this one next week! Flora is the mom of a brand new baby girl and she is struggling to adjust. Her husband is always gone traveling for his job across the world and so all of those sleepless nights start to add up. Plus she is starting to question her parenting skills anyway as it doesn’t seem like she had the best role model to look up to. However in one of those blurry moments she asks her mother for help. Although she’s not talked to her in years, she shows up when Flora was most in need. As her mother helps she starts to notice things are becoming more strange and hard to decipher what reality really is. Is she imagining things? Is she sleep deprived? It’s hard to tell!

This book was wildly entertaining and also relatable at times. I can remember those blurry sleepless nights that left me feeling alone at times like Flora. I loved peeling back the covers and looking at Floras upbringing, her relationship with her mother because it made me feel so unsettled! This book is the perfect blend of horror and suspense that brought on a great sense of dread. Just how I like my books! 😂 The ending was anything but predictable and worked so well! I cannot wait to see what Jacquie writes next!

This was bonkers! Heavy on the post-partum depression so be warned about that. Lots of family secrets to unpack in this and deep psychological horrors. Couldn't put it down but was a little too close to reality (PPD part). Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC

Dearest: A Chilling Tale of Motherhood and the Monstrous

"Dearest" is a haunting debut that burrows deep into the anxieties and vulnerabilities of new motherhood. Flora, isolated and sleep-deprived, finds her reality unraveling as she struggles to care for her premature daughter. The arrival of her estranged mother offers a glimmer of hope, but it soon becomes clear that her presence brings more darkness than light.

Author Laura Moretti skillfully crafts a chilling atmosphere of paranoia and dread. The mundane routines of childcare become tinged with a creeping sense of unease, blurring the lines between reality and delusion. As Flora's sanity frays, the reader is left questioning what's real and what's imagined.

The novel delves into the complexities of the mother-daughter relationship, exploring themes of forgiveness, betrayal, and the enduring impact of family secrets. The tension between Flora and her mother is palpable, creating an unsettling undercurrent that simmers beneath the surface.

"Dearest" is a captivating and disturbing read that will keep you on the edge of your seat. It's a chilling reminder that the monsters we fear most often reside in the shadows of our own past. If you enjoy psychological thrillers with a touch of the supernatural, this book is a must-read.

Thank you to Netgalley, Mulholland Books, Hachette Audio and Jacquie Walters for the ARC/ALC!

”It takes a village” - Idiom; proverb.
The notion that a child’s upbringing is a communal effort.
2. A phrase people throw around in a way that ultimately belittles how fucking impossible it is to raise a child without support.

Flo is a new mother who is head over heels in love with her baby girl Iris, and also overwhelmed, sleep deprived and alone. As the edge of reality begins to blur, Flo thinks she is beginning to lose her mind. But then it's all okay, because a surprise guest shows up to help: her mother. Flo and her mother have been estranged and not spoken in years, but Flo is grateful for her support at a time when she feels most vulnerable. Soon strange things begin happening in the house, but only Flo seems aware of them. As time goes by, she begins to think she is the only one who can protect her baby - before they take her away.

WOW. The first part of this book took me right back to my own postpartum days, especially after my second child, when I suffered from PPD/PPA. It’s very hard (I imagine) to have a new baby even with the best of support; without support, it is not surprising to me that so many of us struggle. We are not supposed to do this alone, but ultimately, we are. Whether we have support or not, the majority of baby caring falls on us, and we are inherently made to feel guilty if we ask for or accept help. But it’s an impossible task to do alone; truly damned if we do, damned if we don’t.

This book is much more than just a story about postpartum motherhood though. As Flo digs into her own mother’s past, what she finds is increasingly unsettling. I found myself getting anxious listening to the audio, and shocked at some of the twists the story took. There were several that made me gasp, as I couldn’t believe the direction the story was taken. But it just WORKED so well and the story was so well written. Flo’s motherhood, her childhood, and the life of her own mother all played such huge parts in this story, all while Jacquie Walters very respectfully examined the topics of generational trauma, loss and abandonment. Don’t get me wrong, it is still a bit of a horror book that scared the shit out of me when listening to this while home alone!

As a mother, this was a cathartic read for me, and as a reader who loves being scared, this book knocked it out of the park. Jacquie Walters is an author to watch!!

“Dearest” releases September 17, 2024. This review will be shared to my instagram bog (@books_by_the_bottle) shortly :)

“Dearest” was absolutely amazing and far exceeded my expectations. The way that the struggles of new motherhood were intertwined into the story (such as linking exhaustion to possible hallucinations… or is it all real?) was so unique.
I also particularly loved the connections to “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman! After graduating as an English major, that is still one of my favourite pieces I’ve read and I would highly encourage reading it before picking this one up.
Either way, an easy five stars from me! Every horror lover has to get their hands on this book ASAP!

Postpartum issues and a some haunting went together really well in this one. Excellent creepy book to kickstart the spooky season.

When new mom Flora, finds her self solo parenting while her husband is deployed, the sleep deprivation sets in. She quickly starts to realize how much she needs help. Flora turns to her estranged mother, but when her mother comes she brings something much darker with her. In this creative and thrilling debut, you’ll follow Flora on her postpartum journey, where you will start to question her sanity, or is something more sinister at play?!
•
I LOVED this book! Once I started I simply could NOT put it down. I was fully engrossed from the go. I loved the nuances between new motherhood, from the raw love Flora felt for Iris to the moments of deep and scary thoughts. The postpartum brain can become a scary place. I really enjoyed how the author tackled this topic and handled it with such care, while also creating a really creepy and awesome book!
Fans of Ashley Audrains “The Push,” I can’t recommend enough.
•I
Highly recommend for your fall TBR!

I have so many thoughts for this book, but mainly it was that I was FLOORED. It caught me completely off guard—in the best way possible. I went in knowing it was about a new mother’s relationship with her baby, expanding retroactively to her relationship with her own mother, but I wasn’t prepared for the kick-ass creepy gut punch this book delivered.

This story crept through my veins just like a painful letdown (If you know you know). As a mom of two, I found it almost too relatable. And because of that, I would honestly say, if you’re in the thick of postpartum life or in the nearby vicinity of having children - maybe wait before diving into this one.

I loved that it’s not just a story about motherhood. It’s a tense, creeping horror story, and part of the fun is trying to peel apart the mystery of "is it a haunting, or is she just crazy?" It’s a testament to the relentless drive mothers feel to protect their children, a primal instinct that’s so well captured in these pages that it made my heart race.

Jacquie Monroe doesn’t just tell a story; she pulls you deep into Flora’s mind, the new mother at the heart of it all. But here’s the thing — this isn’t a slow, character-driven tale that drags on. The plot moves with purpose, and yet the character development is so rich and vivid, you can’t help but feel every ounce of Flora’s struggle, fear, and fierce love. It starts at about medium pace and continually ramps it up to 11.

Not everyone will connect with Dearest in the same way. It does take a relatable audience to fully appreciate how on the nose the author portrays motherhood - especially new motherhood. It’s not a light read, but it didn't feel heavy either. It was thrilling! But if you’ve been through the highs and lows of new motherhood, if you understand that visceral, almost involuntary driving maternal force, then this book will speak to you on a level few others can. It’s raw, haunting, and will stay with you long after you’ve turned the last page.

Wow, what a creepy, immersive read. As a mother of two I really connected with Flora's struggles as a new mother. It was SO well done and I will definitely be keeping an eye out on Jaquie Walters' books in the future!

The early days of new parenthood are exceptionally hard and Dearest brought me right back to that place of insecurity, sleep deprivation, and feeling utterly overwhelmed. If Walters isn't a mom - and a relatively new one at that - then this book is all the more impressive for how accurately she portrayed the emotions, fear, and burdens of new motherhood and the shift of a new parent's identity.

As a new-ish mom myself, I've focused quite a bit on books discussing the trials and tribulations of motherhood. Dearest felt on point for any mama's suffering from PPD or PPA, sleep deprivation, or going at it without a lot of support. However, it felt maybe TOO on point sometimes and I was ready for the shift once Flora's fraught relationship with her mother became more the focus and the horror elements cropped up.

The writing was really well done and it doesn't surprise me at all that Walters has written several adaptations. The scenes were vivid and without knowing that Walters has written many pilots and tv series, I felt that this book would translate perfectly to the screen.

This novel was in many ways genre bending. It's likely classified as horror but really didn't feel or read as a horror until well into the plot. Much of the book read as a family drama or as a suspense and I appreciated the mix of flavors and genres.

I listened to this novel on audio and enjoyed the narrator. It was well acted but not over-acted, she had a good voice, and the theatrics were well executed.

All in all, this was an enjoyable read and one I definitely recommend. Thank you to Mulholland Books and Hachette Audio for the copy.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a review copy.

Dearest will be achingly familiar to those who suffered from post-partum depression. This book put me through the wringer, y'all. After my daughter was born, I almost lost my battle with PPD. Thankfully, I was able to get the help I needed in time. This book describes the trials of a new mother in such honest, unflinching detail. To say too much would invite spoilers, so I will say the book ended up going a whole different direction than I expected. This is a book I could definitely see myself purchasing and reading again. 5 stars