Elise and Maya meet at a surrogacy support group.. Elise is unable to have children and her sister Julie is acting as surrogate for her. Maya is surrogate for a childless couple Will and Nina. Elise is beginning to feel her sister might be having a change of heart as she no longer includes Elise in any of her doctor's appointments and seems reluctant to meet her. Meanwhile Maya is under pressure from Nina and Will who want to be involved in every aspect of the pregnancy even insisting on singing to the unborn baby. There are hints through the book that Maya and Elise might have had a past connection. This is another great read from Sam Vickery which I thoroughly enjoyed. I must admit some of the characters really annoyed me, Nina in particular! However the ending was both unexpected and shocking with quite a surprising twist.

This was another fantastic thriller from this author. It was so gripping I couldn’t put it down so many twists throughout. I loved the dual perspectives and how it went from past to present it helped build up the suspense throughout. I will definitely be recommending this fantastic thriller to everyone. Amazing thriller! thanks to netgalley and publisher for the opportunity to read this excellent book.

Wow! What a great psychological thriller! Thank you #Netgalley for the advanced copy!

We follow two women, Maya and Elise, who meet in a surrogacy support group. Each woman has experienced their own personal trauma that we don't fully learn about until later in the book. They each have their secrets and do not know who to trust, but at least they are going through similarities via the surrogacy group. They share their experiences with their surrogacy partners and how it affects their lives, they bond over this. So when one goes into labor the other tags along to be there as a support system, but then the nightmare comes to light. I did not see any of this coming! I could not put the book down, finished in two sittings!

This book had twists that had my jaw on the floor! The dual POV from both female main characters gave interesting perspectives throughout the story in different ways. It was suspenseful, thrilling and an overall great read. The little tidbits of knowledge we received before the twist kept me hooked and never wanting to put it down!

This thriller had me hooked at the title and the blurb. For some reason I do like thrillers with stories about missing children as I feel that they have more emotions and angst in hem.
This thriller was good, it wasn’t great because I struggled with the points of views two characters and then seeing what had happened in the past for them. The first part of this book did feel like a bit of a muddle and I did struggle to understand at times what was going on.
The second part was a lot better, more tensions, more emotions and that’s when I really got hooked to the story and couldn’t stop reading. I didn’t expect what happens and the twist is a major twist that alters the whole story.

Some parts of the story were a bit cringe, I struggled when the main character has sex with another character out the blue, no foreplay nothing just straight on penetration which makes it totally unrealistic.

I would otherwise recommend this book and think that it has great potential.

It took me a long time to really get into the book but once the puzzle pieces started to fall into place, the twists took off. The story alternates between ‘Now’ and ‘Then’ and multiple POVs. The chapters are short and quick to read. The final twist will shock you. Never underestimate a woman who has been separated from her child!
(2.5/5 rounded up)
Thank You to NetGalley, Bookouture, and Sam Vickery for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Wow!! This was my first ARC and I was super excited to dig in- and I’m so glad I got to. This was different than anything I’ve read before.

This story follows Elise, a woman who’s unable to have children and has found a surrogate in her sister and her sister’s husband— Julia and Ben. Elise meets Maya at a surrogate support group. Maya is pregnant and giving up the baby for a couple, Nina and Will, who are unable to have children. They form an unusual friendship. The plot thickens as Maya struggles with the decision to give up her baby, and Elise feels her surrogate pulling away and blocking her out of midwife appointments. As we read, we are eluded to the fact that both these women have a past that they are doing this surrogacy journey with hopes of healing their past wounds//righting some wrongs.

I was super invested in the juiciness of this story and was dying to know their hidden connections. I also was on edge waiting to see if Elise would get her son via Julie, and what Maya would end up deciding with Will and Nina. I truly didn’t see The Twist coming, and the ending left me saying “wait, whaaaat?!”

4.5 stars, and I will definitely be reading more from this author.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC, all opinions are completely of my own.

I don’t want to say too much about this one as I don’t want to spoil anything but the storyline focuses on Elise and Maya, who are both going through a surrogacy journey when they meet. They become friends, connected over their shared experiences and are worried that things won’t go to plan. Being a mystery there are plenty of surprises, suspense and secrets.

I read this author’s previous book, The Child At My Door, and really enjoyed it so I was desperate to read this one too; the cover drew me in also! This was another cracking read which went in directions I did not see coming. The first part of the novel, although a bit slower than the second part, helped to build the character’s backstories, creating a connection to them. Then suddenly the twists start and carry on coming. Often I guess twists but these were crafted so cleverly, I didn’t fully predict them and had some real wow moments. I found myself wanting to look back and see if I had missed any clues!

The writing style is compelling and I found that I was fully invested in the story. I couldn’t put it down by the end, desperate to see what would happen next! I went through a range of emotions… this really took me for a ride, although I’m still not sure what to make of the ending. I’ll definitely need a few days to get over this story, I feel sorry for the next book I read as it has a lot to live up to. I can’t wait to see what the author comes up with next. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy in return for an honest review.

"The Perfect Baby" is a book about surrogacy, secrets, lies, deceit and most of all payback. This thriller is packed full of action from the get go, but you won't know the whole extent of the action until the end! It's written with true heart felt emotion throughout but will make your blood boil in the end. 5 stars for sure!

I can’t get over what I just read, my head is spinning, my mind is reeling, my heart is beating way too fast! What a fabulous plot!

Elise and Maya meet at a surrogacy support group; Maya is a surrogate for a couple who can’t have their own baby and Elise’s baby is being carried for her by her sister, Julia.

Throughout the book, there is a chilling undertone, the sense that something isn’t quite right, underpinned by the mysterious prologue and the man who visits Elise, making her feel very uncomfortable and when the first big twist dropped, I just couldn’t believe it! I was absolutely stunned and never ever would have expected that!

This is a fast paced and completely gripping story, with brilliant writing from Sam Vickery, once again.

5 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Sam Vickery and Bookouture, for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Another great red from a Bookouture author. Whenever I see a new Bookouture novel I jump at the opportunity because I know it's going to be good, and The Perfect Baby didn't disappoint!!

Elise and Maya meet at a surrogacy group and bond over their own respective situations which are the complete opposite. Maya is a surrogate whereas Elise is expecting a baby via her surrogate, Julia, who also happens to be her sister. One of them is keeping a dark secret from the other, what ulterior motives are driving this unlikely friendship?

The novel is told in first person from various POVs, and the timeline jumps from then and now. The chapters were brienf and the story moved along easily.

The ending was incredible, the final twist made me gasp out loud!

I've consistently enjoyed the advanced copies from Bookouture and always look forward to their selections. This book intertwines two narratives: one from the perspective of a surrogate and the other from someone using a surrogate. The plot takes unexpected turns, initially leading in one direction before veering off into another, which kept me engaged and intrigued.

I appreciated how the individual stories not only complemented each other but also converged to form a cohesive and complete narrative. There were moments when I was curious about how the various elements would connect, but Vickery skillfully brought everything together, enhancing the overall storytelling experience.

DNF
I acknowledge the effort and imagination put into crafting this story, but it didn't personally resonate with me. There were moments when the chapters felt disconnected, and I found it challenging to form a connection with the storyline and characters. Although the author had a clear vision, the overall pacing and tone didn't captivate my attention as much as I had anticipated. It might just be a matter of personal preference, but the content didn't completely align with what I typically seek in a story. Nevertheless, I believe that others may find it more compelling than I did.
Thanks the publisher for giving me an opportunity to read a digital arc of this book.

Oh this book was so haunting and nerve wrecking in the best way possible!
It was my first thriller involving a pregnancy/baby theme, and I have to admit that things are somehow so much more creepy when kids are involved. Everything is so much more precarious and the stakes are much higher. This book has definitely made me want to read more books with the same theme to see how else the theme can also be handled.
Suspense-wise the book delivered for the most part, though the start was a little slow which made it a tad hard to get into the book in the beginning. But at the 30% mark I was invested. So that can be something to think about, if you find the start to be slow. It does get better and it is definitely worth the read! Around the 70% mark it was nearing midnight but I could not put the book down.
The twist was not something I expected at all, and when I found out, it made me want to go back and read all the interactions between the two characters to see if there were any hints to it.

Thank you to Bookouture for providing this ARC so I could give my honest review.

A good gripping story, although it wasn't one of my favourite books by this author, it was an enjoyable read with a mad ending!

This book was great! I was on a journey whilst reading this. I was hooked and read the book in two days! I loved the contrast between the two main characters Elise and Maya— they were in such similar situations, but opposite of each other. It was interesting to see both sides of the surrogate journey. The book kept you wanting to read more with questions you don’t get answered until closer to the end. The plot twist was wonderful, did not see it coming. I loved how small details from the entire book were used for the big plot twist, but it was still unpredictable. This was a very exciting and suspenseful read with a crazy ending! This is one of those books where you want more at the end— either they’re leaving room for a sequel or letting us imagine what happens next.

This book was shocking, I did NOT expect things to go the way they did. I got fooled by the characters and I fell into the web of lies. The reason I am giving it 4 stars instead of 5 is because the ending was not it for me, it wasn’t very satisfying.

An incredibly gripping psychological thriller with one giant twist at the end that will definitely give you whiplash! Very well written!

Thank you Sam Vickery for this amazing book. I thought this was going to be the same old same old. I didn't read the blurb and went into the book blind. What a ride. So many twists.

Our 2 main characters are Elise and Maya. They meet at a surrogacy group. Maya is pregnant and is a surrogate, and Elise is waiting for her sister's baby. Her sister, Julia, is having a baby for Elise. Maya and Elise become close bonding over the whole surrogacy thing. Maya's intended parents are pushy and want to barge into Maya's life whenever they feel like it. Elise's sister, on the other hand, is distant and Elise is worried the surrogacy won't go through.

There is a huge twist toward the end that gave me whiplash. I had to sit and think about the ending for awhile because I thought something different was going to happen. The more I thought, the more I liked the ending.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC. I greatly appreciate it. I highly recommend this book. Happy reading !

The Perfect Baby - Sam Vickery
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“There were so few joys in this world, why cut them short when you found one?”

She wanted to become a mother, so she made sure she did, even if the baby wasn’t hers to take. This story follows Maya and Elise as they contend with their rather opposite situations, before realising they have more in common than they thought.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Perfect Baby and found myself racing through it, needing to know what was happening! I haven’t read many thrillers involving pregnant women, even less so surrogacy, but I enjoyed the uniqueness of the concept and found it was a nice change of pace and sub genre.

I will say it is definitely psychological! I flicked between loving and hating Elise, Maya and Julia. At times I found myself enraged, then at other times I felt understanding and empathetic towards them instead. I enjoyed reading from the different perspectives due to this, as well as enjoying the flashback chapters which fed small hints towards the plot and provided suspense and tension.

I thought I had worked out the twist, however I could not have been any more wrong. I was completely blindsided and felt the urge to go back and read everything again to see how I possibly missed it!

The short chapters, fast pace, emotion, hints, twists and turns made this book completely captivating and I would definitely recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley, Sam Vickery and Bookouture for sending this advanced copy of The Perfect Baby in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
📍This book is out 27th September 2024!