The plot twist was a huge surprise and so good! I really thought Annie's husband Max was the one who drugged her, had an affair with her sister and killed her. I love how Annie trusted her gut about the baby sitter and fought tooth and nail to get Lola back. Loved this suspenseful, action-packed thriller.

A page turner about a new mom whose daughter goes missing, Annie is worried- very worried- because things don't feel right to her. There are gaps in her memory and she's not as bonded as she thought she would be to baby Lola. Her husband Max and his kids don't help matters. Then there's the crisis and Annie turns into tiger mom. There's a good twist here. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good one for travel.

Wow I loved this book i could not put it down. It was a great twisty psychological thriller with such well written characters. I devoured it in a few hours as I couldn’t put it down I needed to know what was going on and wow I really didn’t see the ending coming. I loved the writing style and how the story unfolds with enough suspense throughout it kept me glued to my kindle. I love this author and know when I see one of there books I am going to be in for a fantastic read and this was my favourite so far. Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this great book which I will be recommending to everyone’.

Thank you to Bookouture via Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

First time Mom, Annie, is exhausted and seems to be struggling with her newborn Lola. At least that is what everyone keeps telling her. She feels something more may be going on as she is falling asleep and not remembering how or what she did for hours before. Her husband and stepkids blame her for things going wrong at home, but is it really Annie?

This book was a great thriller it had you thinking all different scenarios of what could be happening not at all guessing the final major twist. I was able to piece parts of the twist but not the major piece. Loved the plot, very well paced, and the character development was well developed. Reminded me of reading a Freida McFadden book and I love her books.

If you love Freida McFadden and domestic thrillers then this is the book for you. Would definitely recommend to others.

I really enjoyed this book. A quick book with lots of twist that make you want to read more and hooks you in.

this book is such a heart pumping read.
Annie doesnt feel like she is being the mum she should, or wants to be. she loves her child but feels shes not got the instant bond. its such a awful feeling. not to mention these moments where is memory is zapped. but everyone around her is explaining it all away. so is she just sleep deprived and overthinking? then the unthinkable happens. she wakes to find her baby gone. and her world falls apart.
its every mothers worst nightmare. not only do you have a missing baby. but with all thats being going on you're not sure you can believe in yourself either. so were you at fault? have you left the baby somewhere? are they hurt? or worse? and who in the family can you trust because things havent been adding up. or have they and its all about you being mad!? you question every turn. especially when your husband just throws your worries aside and links its to being anew mum. so is he being kind,loving and reassuring. or has he something to do with it. whats going on!

this is such a brilliantly pased book. you are already too involved because of mother and baby aspect. and that level of doubt that you can feel perfectly jumps you through the pages. because you and the mother dont know whats going on. and your all question everyone. the unraveling of the questions and then the answers are all revving up until the conclusion.

3.5⭐️. Really enjoyed this book. Read in one sitting. A fast paced thriller with a good twist. Thank you to Netgalley and Bookoutre for ARC.

Annie is a first-time mom (as the title suggests) and seems to be experiencing postpartum depression. She constantly forgets things, no matter how important they are. A crime occurs inside her house while she is sound asleep in the next room, yet she can't remember anything. She even starts questioning herself—did she have something to do with it? But she can't recall a thing, no matter how hard she tries.

This book is action-packed and fast-paced at the same time. The writing style is neat, not confusing, and a real page-turner. There are plenty of twists, all executed swiftly. This isn’t one of those books where the author leads you to new plot points only to abandon them, leaving loose ends. The last 20% of the book is one WTF moment after another!

Jasmine, Priti, Nisha, and Maisie are my favorite characters! Despite their different personalities, they made the story even more enjoyable. These ladies are lovely, and I’d love to read more about them.

Rating: 5/5

If you enjoyed Freida McFadden’s books, you’ll definitely love this one, too. I highly recommend it for anyone looking for an easy, fast-paced mystery and thriller read.

Wow! Another fabulous read by AJ Campbell! This was a total nail biter. I was hooked early on and had no idea who to trust. This was packed with secrets and tension. A roller coaster ride with a lovely case of emotional whiplash. Big 5 stars from me.
Thank you NetGalley, AJ Campbell and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review this gem of a book.

I’ve recently become a huge fan of AJ Campbell and this one did not disappointed
Was absolutely amazing !!
Was on edge most of the book
Super intense amazing characters a fantastic plot
Couldn’t put it down !!

Annie is a first rime mother to four-month-old Lola. She lives with her husband Max and his 17-year-old twins from Max’s previous marriage. Anne loves her daughter dearly but hasn’t got that special bond yet like other mothers do and, she is living in the house that he shared with his late wife and the twins. She is finding it all quite difficult and she is quite sleep deprived and she thinks that something is going on in the house when some of Lola’s bottles go missing and there is a fire in the kitchen. Her husband Max thinks its all down to her being depressed. Bit when she wakes up after being asleep, she finds Lola missing. Where is Lola, who has got her and what is the hell is going on.
This is another fast-paced gripping thriller from AJ Campbell. It is full of suspense and lots of twists and turns which I devoured it one sitting I didn’t know where the story was heading but I found it quite surprising twist as I got to the end. This is a great read. 4 stars from me.

AJ Campbell is at it again with another heart-pounding thriller that will keep you guessing the whole way through!

Annie doesn’t have that “motherly instinct” that so many new moms talk about, but she knows she loves her baby daughter Lola, with all of her heart. When Lola suddenly turns up missing and Annie can remember nothing of the event, it becomes a race against time to find her baby girl before something even more sinister happens. Can Annie trust her husband Max and his two older children? Can she even trust herself?

Find out in AJ Campbell’s newest suspense novel “First-Time Mother.” Campbell has always been a master of thrilling plot points and jaw-dropping twists, but her last two books have been my very favorite! Special thanks to NetGalley and AJ Campbell for allowing me to review another wonderful page-turner!

Holy cow! I was all set to say this book follows the simple plot of a mother being gaslighted etc. BUT IT IS NOT!!! Annie has a new baby, Lola, who cries all the time. She doesn't feel like herself, and her husband, and his kids are ganging up on her. Annie needs sleep and some help, so her husband hires Zoe to help out. Meanwhile, her sister dies, and there are arguments between business partners trying to sell their company. This book has a lot of suspense and soooo many twists I did not see coming. Awesome!

I loved this book it was fast paced and full of twists. I couldn't put it down and read it in one sitting. I can't wait to see what the author writes next

My new favourite book from the fabulous AJ Campbell. What a book!

So many twists and turns from start to finish. I don’t want to say too much about the plot as I really think you just need to read it and be shocked like I was. All you need to know is that Annie is a new mum and she is struggling with everything. Her husband and step kids think she is going to mad. She desperately needs sleep and for her colicky baby to stop crying. Her life is about to be turned upside down and starts to fear for her life.

I had so many trust issues with these characters! i didn’t know who to believe. I felt so sorry for Annie but at the same time frustrated. I remember the early days as anew mum, it is hard. You feel like you can’t do anything right and the sleep deprivation is torturous.

You need to read this bio and be prepared to be given whiplash!!

Thanks so much to AJ and Bookouture for my early copy of this book to read. Publishes on April 14th.

Wow! At the risk of repeating myself, what a book! When I know this author has a book out it’s an auto read for me - I don’t even need to know what it’s about as her books are just so good. Yet again Amanda has written a psychological thriller that has you suspicious of everyone in it as the secrets and tension between the characters leaks out. Every time I thought I knew what was happening the plot twisted again and again. It’s has short chapters, the pace just builds and builds - so much my husband kept asking me if I was ok as I approached the last few chapters, as I kept shouting out! Set aside time to read this, as once you start it you won’t want to put it down.

Book: First-Time Mother
Author: A. J. Campbell
Genre: Psychological/Thriller
Publisher: Bookouture
Pub Date: April 14, 2025
My Rating: 4 Stars
Pages: 353

Story is told from the POV of Annie Carpenter a first-time mother. She and her husband Max are bring newborn baby Lola home to meet Jasmine and Jacob his seventeen year-old twins from his previous marriage. (Max’s wife Isabelle died eight years ago. The twins are all that excited about having a baby sister and a step-mother!)
Annie is nervous about carrying tiny Lora but already loves her so much.

Soon Annie is experiencing blackouts; Max reassures her that she is sleep-deprived.
Baby Lola is fussy, cries a lot. She has colic and surely hurting as well as not sleeping enough.

Annie thinks she's going mad. Things keep happening such as a kitchen fire and she doesn’t remember leaving a pot of rice cooking on the stove. The when she goes to get Lola a bottle it appears she did not preparing enough when she knows she did.

Are the twins trying to get rid of their step-mother?

When Annie is so exhausted she passes out aka falls asleep while holding Lola – when she wake up she cannot find baby Lola - and finds a lifeless body. Yikes I nearly screamed!!!! Okay not to be a spoiler but the lifeless body is her sister Samantha who appears to have killed herself in the room next to where Annie was sleeping.

This story indeed was one wild ride!
I read a lot of thrillers so know to suspect everyone but still got this all wrong.
The ending was something I never would have guessed!!!

This is AJ (Amanda) Campbell tenth psychological thriller; although only my third, I am delighted to have a new favorite author!
She draws inspiration for her stories from seemingly unbelievable situations in which ordinary people find themselves. In this case, she tells us she got the idea about Annie while taking a shower.
This indeed was another of her twisty psychological suspense thrillers!!!

Want to thank NetGalley and Bookouture for this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for April 14. 2025.

Name :- First Time Mother
Author:- A J Campbell
Genre :- Psychological Thriller
A.J. Campbell delivers a heart-stopping psychological thriller with First Time Mother, a gripping tale of paranoia, memory loss, and a mother’s desperate fight to save her child. Fans of The Push and Gone Girl will be drawn into this intense, twist-filled story that keeps you second-guessing everything.
New mother Lola is fragile—recovering from a difficult birth, exhausted, and plagued by terrifying blackouts. Her loving husband Max assures her it’s all normal, that sleep deprivation is playing tricks on her mind. But when she wakes up to find her newborn daughter missing, everything spirals out of control. The authorities suspect she’s to blame. Even Lola begins to question herself—could she have done something terrible in a moment she can’t remember? After all, she’s made mistakes in the past. But deep down, she knows someone else is responsible. And she’s willing to do anything to prove it.
Likes and Dislikes :-
Likes:-
1 Intense Psychological Suspense: The unreliable narration keeps you hooked, constantly questioning what’s real and what’s a twisted manipulation.
2 Emotional Depth: The portrayal of new motherhood—the exhaustion, the anxiety, the overwhelming love—is deeply realistic and adds to the tension.
Dislikes:-
1 Some Predictable Elements: Readers familiar with psychological thrillers may recognize certain tropes.
2 A Slow Start: The initial chapters focus heavily on Lola’s struggles, which may feel slow before the thriller elements fully kick in.
Overall:- First Time Mother is an addictive, nerve-wracking thriller that explores the fragile line between perception and reality. A.J. Campbell crafts a compelling mystery with a deeply emotional core, making it a must-read for fans of dark domestic thrillers.
My Rating:- 3.5/5.

Release: April 14, 2025
Author: AJ Campbell
Publisher: Bookouture

Rating: 4 ★ 

A.J. Campbell does an excellent job of creating tension and mystery throughout the story. The protagonist’s growing sense of panic and confusion is deeply relatable, and her internal struggle, as she questions whether she’s responsible for her daughter’s disappearance, is both heartbreaking and suspenseful. The author masterfully portrays the feeling of being trapped inside your own mind, unable to trust yourself, while others around you suggest that the pressures of motherhood have caused her to crack.
What really stands out in this book is the unreliable narration. As the protagonist uncovers more pieces of the puzzle, you’re left wondering: is she the victim, or has her mind betrayed her? The twists and turns will keep you guessing until the very end. Fans of psychological thrillers like Frieda McFadden and Jeneva Rose will absolutely devour this book, as it perfectly balances suspense with emotional depth.

First Time Mother follows new mom Annie who is struggling bonding with her daughter, Lola. She has been struggling with blackouts and memory loss, and while her husband Max insists that this is just a normal part of the new motherhood experience, she starts to fear that something darker is at play.
Annie becomes convinced that someone is deliberately manipulating her, setting her up for something sinister.
This psychological thriller is a tense, edge-of-your-seat ride that will leave you questioning the nature of memory, guilt, and the lengths a mother will go to protect her child.

Favorite Quote:
"motherhood is not a type or a job; it's a transformation of who you are."

I'm here with another 5 star review from this author, and I may sound like a broken record at this point but... psychological thriller fans, YOU NEED to read her books if you haven't already.

Postpartum life has not been an easy journey for Annie so far. Lola is 4 months old, and the restless nights have Annie questioning her sanity. Max is a doting husband, but with teenaged twins from a previous marriage, a demanding job, and house renovations to contend with, Annie is feeling alone.

Then a family death happens under their nose, under suspicious circumstances. Adding grief into the mix of Annie's stress, she no longer knows who to trust.. not even herself.

This full of books is full of unexpected twists, and so many layers. The readers find themselves full of empathy for Annie, but also questioning her at times, too.
I honestly suspected everyone of playing a part in death at times. With sideline stories of infidelity and work/financial secrets, the red herrings are there at the end of every chapter.
This was another book I found myself invested in and picking up at every opportunity. I ended up finishing it at 3am one morning when waking with my own toddler.

I'll forever recommend Amanda's books, but I think this is one of my favourites.