I really enjoyed this book, but wasn’t sure if I missed something or if something was left out, so I had to go back and relisten to try to figure out what I missed. Great pace, captivating, and would recommend for friends to read! Thank you for the opportunity to listen to this ALC!

4.25⭐️This one got my attention right away. We get the story through Annie’s words and to be honest she is a bit of a mess which works really well in keeping us confused and guessing.

She is a woman who appears to at best suffer from postpartum depression or at worst maybe even postpartum psychosis. She is clearly suffering and when help and support is offered to her she refuses it which makes her hard to sympathize with at first. But as we get deeper into this it becomes obvious there is more going on. It was definitely an edge of my seat kind of thriller for me and I devoured this one really quickly. I felt stressed the whole time.

If I had one complaint to make it would be how misleading the book blurb is. If you go in thinking this will be about a missing baby you will be disappointed.

Thank you to Bookouture, NetGalley and the author A J Campbell for the advanced listening copy, all my opinions are my own.

*ARC Review*

“First time Mother” is a gripping book that was hard to put down! I loved the drama, lies and twists and I was hooked from the beginning right to the end. This author is new to me and I can’t wait to read more!

Annie is the mother to a newborn and adjusting to life in a blended family. There are the usual struggles (postpartum, sleepless nights, family dynamics, etc) but something feels very wrong and she can’t put her finger on it. One afternoon she falls asleep and wakes up to a murder in her home, and things just get wilder from there.

This was a solidly suspenseful domestic thriller. I enjoyed the pacing and the short chapters which moved the plot along. The synopsis speaks of the baby going missing but that does not happen until the last quarter of the book. There were plenty of other intriguing selling points with this book and I don’t think that aspect needed to be the focus.

Thank you to Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for this audiobook ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

First-time Mother hooked me from the beginning! In my opinion, the story seems well thought out!
I love the narrators different voices/ accents to differentiate between people. I thought I knew what was going to happen (spoiler: I did not. At all).
It was shocking, mysterious, and intriguing all at the same time. The plot twists, that kept coming one after the other, kept me guessing & on the edge of my seat during the end.
Overall a really good book!!

The story follows a first time mother, Annie, and her family. She is married to a man with two children from a previous marriage who don't like her or welcome her into the family. The story kept me engaged because of the constant twists and turns. The narrator was great and put a lot of emotion into the story. The ending blew my mind--it was a twist I did NOT see coming. I am now adding this author's books to my TBR pile!

The story did not match the synopsis. This wasn't a mystery about a missing baby, and why is the baby carriage on the cover? There was a murder, but it was a completely different character, and the child was not in danger.

Weak twists and endings, plus wildly bizarre coincidences with the family, parentage, and multiple people they knew who had died in tragic events. It was difficult to suspend my disbelief that much.

It was not anywhere near as good as Freida McFadden's books for me. Reminded me of Don't Let Her Stay, but also not as twisty.

I really enjoyed this book! This is the first book I have read by AJ Campbell and look forward to reading her other books..

The story follows first time mom Annie. She is completely overwhelmed with the responsibilities of a new baby, new step children and new husband. When items start disappearing and people start thinking she's crazy and needs help, she starts to believe it. Her anxiety made me anxious also. I could feel her pain when she thought she was a bad mom and everyone was blaming her for all the issues.

I was completely taken in by the story and shocked by the ending. Full of twists and turns and an ending you never see coming!

Thank you NetGalley and AJ Campbell for giving me a chance to read this amazing book early!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC opportunity!

This was really good. I didnt see the twist coming at all. I actually expected it to play out entirely different. Once one part of the twist was revealed, i was able to piece the rest together.

My only complaint is that i wish we got more details on the DNA test and the backstory there. We got so many other side details but not that.

This thriller was fast-paced, with twists and turns throughout the book. I kept wondering what is going on!? For the majority of the book. Thrillers like this keep me invested from start to finish. Listening to this audio, I gasped in surprise at part in this book. This was such a tun, addicting, binge-worthy thriller.
If you love a twisty thriller, this is for you!

Annie is a sleep-deprived first-time mother. She begins to lose pieces of time, but her husband assures her it's the slack of sleep. When strange things start to happen, she begins to question everyone in her orbit.
Thank you @netgalley and @ajcampbellauthor for the audiobook!

First Time Mother❤️
By A.J. Campbell💫

Review👏🏻

When I first started reading this, I was really intrigued. I've always like domestic thrillers. I was feeling terrible for the main character because she believes she is going insane after having a baby. The twist was the best part of the novel, although it took a long time to get there. I was completely surprised by the ending, so kudos to the author for making me feel so stunned. I enjoyed the book, however I felt it was a little prolonged. I believe many people will love the thrilling features of this story.

Domestic thriller🏡
Suspense🫣
Plot twist🌀
Crime🚔

Audio:
Loved the narrators voice. I thought she did a fantastic job and her voice was perfect for the story.

I Swear this year, pretty much all the audiobooks that are coming my way are good! This one has a story a bit like if it was written by John Marrs or Sarah Langan, but maybe more like Sarah because we had only one point of view, and I really enjoyed because until almost the end we didn’t know if our narrator was reliable or not. The twists and turns made me guess things on the story, some became true and others I was just lead there and it was another completely different story. In the end I enjoyed this story, I think only why was a neckless in the pocket of a pair of trousers stayed without answers…

The person reading this book, Tamsin Kennard, did a brilliant job reading the book, she did accents, it was really nice and made me enter the story and full concentrate on it.

it was a good story, keep me on my toes, and I just wanted to listen to more and learn the truth, if you like thrillers (before I didn’t enjoy thrillers, but I guess it depends on what kind of stories are told, now I like this kind of thrillers, and if you enjoyed “A better world”, believe me, you’ll enjoy this one.

Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture Audio, for the free AAC and this is my honest opinion.

From the tagline of this book I was expecting a baby kidnapping story but the baby doesn't actually go missing until near the end of the book and instead we get a bit of everything - a murder mystery, domestic thriller, blended family dramas, post-partum struggles and some!
Short punchy chapters, lots of twists and turns and plenty of intriguing characters which will leave you on the edge of your seat and desperate to know what is really going on.
The audiobook was very well narrated providing an entertaining and suspenseful experience.
I am grateful to Netgalley and the publishers for an advanced listener copy of this fast-paced audiobook.

I received an advanced audio copy of "First-Time Mother," a psychological thriller by AJ Campbell. The story revolves around a new mother whose life is thrown into chaos when her sister dies under mysterious circumstances. As she delves deeper into her sister's life, uncovering lies and secrets, the line between murder and suicide blurs.

This book was a solid read that successfully held my attention. The main character is well-crafted, and as a listener, you find yourself empathizing with her plight and rooting for her as she seeks the truth. The narrative follows the traditional structure of a thriller, with suspense and plot twists that keep you engaged throughout. Overall, "First-Time Mother" is an enjoyable and gripping read for fans of psychological thrillers.

This was such a good read! This book hooked me from the start with its twists and suspense. It had that addictive, can’t-put-it-down energy that makes thrillers so fun. I loved how the tension built around the themes of motherhood and trust. So many moments had me questioning everyone and everything haha I didn’t know what believe!!!

That said, a few parts felt a little predictable or drawn out. Also the ending fell a bit flat for me. After all the buildup, I was hoping for something a little more impactful or unexpected. Still, it didn’t take away from the overall experience too much. It was a fun, thrilling ride and definitely worth picking up if you’re into twisty domestic dramas.

First-Time Mother by AJ Campbell
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Intense!!! Loved this extremely entertaining and gripping psychological thriller!
It started with a bang and never dropped off with the drama and excitement! It’s so fast paced that it didn’t take long to get through the audiobook! The twists and turns are amazingly wild!
Annie, a brand new mom to a colicky baby, is very sleep deprived and questioning things she’s forgetting. Certain events aren’t making sense to her, along with her trying to deal with a horrible family tragedy. Is Annie going crazy?

This is my first book from this author, but I’m so excited to read more!
Thank you to NetGalley for an audio copy of this amazing book! The narrator was excellent too!
*This book comes out April 14, and I highly recommend it!*

Thank you to the publisher for an advanced ready copy. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It’s been a while since I’ve read a mystery/suspense novel and didn’t guess the ending early on. This was an outcome I didn’t see coming. Initially , I felt the beginning was repetitive, but by the end of the novel, everything made sense. I also enjoyed the character development. The relationships in the novel were relatable. I highly recommend First Time Mother.

A.J. Campbell returns with her latest twisty and jaw-dropping domestic thriller, FIRST-TIME MOTHER —her best yet!

Sleepless nights can be more terrifying than anything from the horror shelves. A pulse-raising thriller that keeps you guessing until the very last page.

About...

Annie and Max are married. Max has twins (17-year-old Jacob and Jasmine) who reside with them. Their mom is deceased. The couple also has a four-month-old new baby girl, Lola.

However, Lola is quite colicky, and Annie desperately needs sleep and help. Max is not a lot of help either and tells her she needs to hire a nanny or go to therapy.

She has not bonded as she should with her daughter and worries she is going insane or MAD.

Plus, they are undergoing significant home renovations, which are stressful and involve constant disruptions. Within days of Max's proposal, he had arranged for the contractors. Max is too busy with his business and the possible sale. Plus, the twins are there and do not seem to like her no matter how hard she tries.

Strange things happen: the lost keys, a fire, bad dreams, and she is losing blocks of time. Is it due to sleep deprivation or something more sinister?

Are the twins jealous, or is her husband trying to eliminate her? What about her sister? Then, Max hires a nanny, Zoe. She seems capable but makes Annie feel inadequate. Can she trust her?

Then, their worst nightmare.

The baby is missing, and everyone blames Annie. Is someone setting her up, and who has her baby girl?

Annie can trust no one. Not her husband, nanny, her sister, or her stepchildren. Annie has secrets and feels guilt, but why take her baby? What is the motive? Gaslighting?

What is going on? She must find her daughter.

My thoughts...

A.J. ramps up the suspense and suspicion from the first page and never lets up in FIRST-TIME MOTHER. A deviously twisted thriller.

You may think you know where the book is headed, but you will be incorrect. With clever plotting, twists, misdirection, red herrings, and surprises, readers will be glued to the pages to learn the motive. That ending ??!!! So clever.

You will love Annie and cheer for her if you have ever been a mother trying to do it all, a stepmom to two teens on top of it, working, and undergoing home renovations.

From revenge, obsession, trust, motherhood, blended family, lies, and plenty of dark secrets with characters you cannot trust— a well-written domestic psychological thriller with a jaw-dropping twist. I would like to see perhaps a sequel to continue this saga.

Audiobook...

I had the privilege of reading the book and listening to the audiobook narrated by the mega-talented Tamsin Kennard (a favorite), elevating the story to new heights and making the characters come alive with emotion, drama, and suspense for a superior, engaging listening experience. This is a MUST-Listen audio!

Recs...

FIRST-TIME MOTHER is for fans of the author and those who enjoy works by Freida McFadden, Jenova Rose, Christina McDonald, K.L. Slater, Miranda Rijks, and Emily Shiner.

Interview and Blog Tour Stop...

Stay tuned for my upcoming #LitLiftMiniAuthorChat and Blog Tour Stop, where we go behind the scenes with the talented author, Amanda, and the book. (pub day, April 14)

Thanks to Bookouture and Hachette UK for a gifted advanced review and listening copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 Stars
Pub date: April 14, 2025
April Newsletter
April 2025 Must-Read Books
#LitLiftMiniAuthorChat

Well I thought I had this sussed but how wrong was I. Good chracters and a plot to keep you hooked. Annie is a new mother who is struggling and Max her husband is supportive but why is she having blackouts and tried all the time? The Narrator Tasmin Kennard does an excellent job with the characters so you know who's talking. Thanks to Bookoutre audio and Netgalley for this review ARC.

I was a bit confused while reading this one because despite the tagline the baby doesn’t go “missing” for 80% of the story. Instead, there’s an entirely different mystery afoot here.

Annie is a new mom struggling with postpartum: she loses time, is constantly tired, and can’t remember key events. And one afternoon after waking up from a nap, Annie’s life changes forever.

The audiobook was amazing, I loved the narrator and the way she was able to portray the helplessness and confusion of Annie, as well as execute an audiobook with multiple characters and make the story as un-confusing as possible.

In terms of story, I was enthralled at the very beginning and could not stop listening. The chapters are short which helped me get through the book quickly, and there was a bit of a cliffhanger at the end of a lot of the chapters, which made me want to keep reading. But as I continued, the story dragged on a bit too long and had some obvious loopholes, so I was ready to get to the end and see how everything would come together.

With that said, the true mystery in the beginning was shocking which I loved, and I loved the constant guessing as to who was the culprit, but the revelation wasn’t so much of an AHA moment as it was a “hmm okay” moment. It was a twist, but was it well executed? Hmm idk. Was it satisfying? Not really. But this is usually the way I feel about domestic thrillers. I have yet to find one that really wows me, so maybe this is just me!

BUT I’m definitely going to give this author another try because I did love the twists, the constant guessing, and the style of writing. And I feel like this one just had the wrong tagline and led the reader to be a bit confused.