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Her First Child
9 hours, 25 minutes
A perfect mother. A loving daughter. A secret that could destroy them both.
New mother Eve is overwhelmed with love for her baby son, Kai. As she swaddles him in a fluffy white blanket, she shudders at a memory of her own childhood. She hasn’t seen her heartless mother Lydia in years, and she hasn’t told a soul about what really happened the night her baby brother died in the squalid little house she grew up in…
When the phone rings in the dead of night, Eve’s heart pounds as she hears the voice at the other end. ‘Hello Mother’, she replies, an ice-cold chill creeping down her spine. She grips her son’s tiny frame close to her trembling chest as she reluctantly agrees to let her mother visit.
But when Eve has to make an emergency call from Kai’s bedroom early one morning, she curses herself for allowing her mother back into her perfect little family.
‘Kai was fine when I checked on him a few hours ago.’ Her mother says, breathlessly as she watches her daughter’s face change from fear to rage.
Why was Lydia in Kai’s bedroom during the night? And as Lydia pleads her innocence, could it be that she’s not the most dangerous mother in this family?
A perfect mother. A loving daughter. A secret that could destroy them both.
New mother Eve is overwhelmed with love for her baby son, Kai. As she swaddles him in a fluffy white blanket, she shudders at a memory of her own childhood. She hasn’t seen her heartless mother Lydia in years, and she hasn’t told a soul about what really happened the night her baby brother died in the squalid little house she grew up in…
When the phone rings in the dead of night, Eve’s heart pounds as she hears the voice at the other end. ‘Hello Mother’, she replies, an ice-cold chill creeping down her spine. She grips her son’s tiny frame close to her trembling chest as she reluctantly agrees to let her mother visit.
But when Eve has to make an emergency call from Kai’s bedroom early one morning, she curses herself for allowing her mother back into her perfect little family.
‘Kai was fine when I checked on him a few hours ago.’ Her mother says, breathlessly as she watches her daughter’s face change from fear to rage.
Why was Lydia in Kai’s bedroom during the night? And as Lydia pleads her innocence, could it be that she’s not the most dangerous mother in this family?
Audible Audio
First published December 8, 2022
About the author
Sheryl Browne
34 books832 followersHi, I’m Sheryl Browne writing psychological thriller. My latest psychological thriller MY HUSBAND'S HOUSE is published by fabulous BOOKOUTURE. A member of the Crime Writers’ Association and the Romantic Novelists’ Association, I have several books published and two short stories in Birmingham City University anthologies, where I completed my MA in Creative Writing. I live in Worcestershire with my partner and a variety of disabled dogs. According to readers of my thrillers, I also apparently make an excellent psychopath. ;) Follow my @Bookouture Mailing List and grab a FREE short: https://t.co/bIigwwALCs
𝘼 𝙣𝙚𝙬 𝙝𝙤𝙢𝙚. 𝘼 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙬𝙞𝙛𝙚. 𝘼 𝙨𝙚𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙠𝙞𝙡𝙡…
A perfect mother. A loving daughter. A secret that could destroy them both. – She's the friend you trust with your life. But can she trust you with hers?
Do I Really Know You? – She's the friend you trust with your life. But can she trust you with hers?
The Invite – Kaitlin has been looking forward to her engagement party for weeks, but as the champagne corks pop, her dream party soon becomes her worst nightmare…
The Liar's Child – I’ll do anything to protect my daughter…
My Husband's Girlfriend – She told my little boy a secret and now he’s gone…
The Second Wife – SHE MADE HER BED. YOU'LL LIE IN IT.
The Affair – You trusted her. You shouldn't have.
The Babysitter – She's perfect. Too Perfect.
After She's Gone – He's killed your child and kidnapped your wife. What would YOU do?
Sins of the Father - What if you’d been accused of one of the worst crimes imaginable?
Deadly Intent - Tormented to the edge of sanity …
The Rest of My Life - “You can’t run away from commitment forever … “ Two damaged hearts, a sizzling sexual connection. Can love find a way to bring Adam and Sienna together?
Learning to Love – Sometimes help comes from the most unlikely places …
Somebody to Love – Sigh with contentment, scream with frustration. At times you will weep.
Warrant for Love - Blackmail, lies, adultery, heartache. Three love stories wrapped up in one sexiliciously hilarious package.
A Little Bit of Madness – White Knight in Blue rescues The Harbour Rest Home.
𝘼 𝙣𝙚𝙬 𝙝𝙤𝙢𝙚. 𝘼 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙬𝙞𝙛𝙚. 𝘼 𝙨𝙚𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙠𝙞𝙡𝙡…
A perfect mother. A loving daughter. A secret that could destroy them both. – She's the friend you trust with your life. But can she trust you with hers?
Do I Really Know You? – She's the friend you trust with your life. But can she trust you with hers?
The Invite – Kaitlin has been looking forward to her engagement party for weeks, but as the champagne corks pop, her dream party soon becomes her worst nightmare…
The Liar's Child – I’ll do anything to protect my daughter…
My Husband's Girlfriend – She told my little boy a secret and now he’s gone…
The Second Wife – SHE MADE HER BED. YOU'LL LIE IN IT.
The Affair – You trusted her. You shouldn't have.
The Babysitter – She's perfect. Too Perfect.
After She's Gone – He's killed your child and kidnapped your wife. What would YOU do?
Sins of the Father - What if you’d been accused of one of the worst crimes imaginable?
Deadly Intent - Tormented to the edge of sanity …
The Rest of My Life - “You can’t run away from commitment forever … “ Two damaged hearts, a sizzling sexual connection. Can love find a way to bring Adam and Sienna together?
Learning to Love – Sometimes help comes from the most unlikely places …
Somebody to Love – Sigh with contentment, scream with frustration. At times you will weep.
Warrant for Love - Blackmail, lies, adultery, heartache. Three love stories wrapped up in one sexiliciously hilarious package.
A Little Bit of Madness – White Knight in Blue rescues The Harbour Rest Home.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 129 reviews
December 8, 2022
Gripping, absorbing and clever! Her First Child was like a roller coaster ride on the way to the truth! Ever read a book where you KNOW what is going to happen. You have it ALL figured out. I mean you could see the REVEAL coming from a mile away, and then, the author brings out multiple twists and reveals which leave you reeling and knowing you didn't as much as you thought you did! That was this book!
Eve and her husband, Dom are proud parents to their baby, Kai. Eve is very protective of him and vows she will not be the mother to him that her mother was to her. Eve grew up tiptoeing around the anger, abuse and heavy mood in her home. The only solace she had was her best friend, Chloe. Eve is so happy that her son is growing up in a home with love. But then her mother, Lydia called with bad news and things take a turn. When Lydia arrives, Eve is reminded of her horrific childhood and is fearful for her son. Dom can't understand why Eve is acting strangely and it is soon obvious that she has been keeping secrets from him and is concerned about what her mother might tell him.
Secrets flow through this book like water. There are secrets and then there are family secrets! A not-so-happy mother child reunion proves to be the catalyst for change....
This book is told through the POV's of Eve, Chloe and Lydia. Each provides insight into the present and the past in dual timelines. This really worked for me and soon, I found that there was more going on with the characters in this book than originally met the eye. The characters are not the most likeable lot, yet they are all incredibly interesting. As I mentioned earlier, I thought I had things figured out and found quickly that I was shocked and fooled.
Another shocking, gripping, entertaining, hard to put down, page turner from Sheryl Browne! She kept me on my toes and wanting to know more.!
#HerFirstChild #NetGalley #Bookouture #SherylBrowne #BlogTour
Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com
Eve and her husband, Dom are proud parents to their baby, Kai. Eve is very protective of him and vows she will not be the mother to him that her mother was to her. Eve grew up tiptoeing around the anger, abuse and heavy mood in her home. The only solace she had was her best friend, Chloe. Eve is so happy that her son is growing up in a home with love. But then her mother, Lydia called with bad news and things take a turn. When Lydia arrives, Eve is reminded of her horrific childhood and is fearful for her son. Dom can't understand why Eve is acting strangely and it is soon obvious that she has been keeping secrets from him and is concerned about what her mother might tell him.
Secrets flow through this book like water. There are secrets and then there are family secrets! A not-so-happy mother child reunion proves to be the catalyst for change....
This book is told through the POV's of Eve, Chloe and Lydia. Each provides insight into the present and the past in dual timelines. This really worked for me and soon, I found that there was more going on with the characters in this book than originally met the eye. The characters are not the most likeable lot, yet they are all incredibly interesting. As I mentioned earlier, I thought I had things figured out and found quickly that I was shocked and fooled.
Another shocking, gripping, entertaining, hard to put down, page turner from Sheryl Browne! She kept me on my toes and wanting to know more.!
#HerFirstChild #NetGalley #Bookouture #SherylBrowne #BlogTour
Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com
May 6, 2023
4⭐
Featuring ~ multiple 3rd person POV, dual timeline, family drama, childhood bullying, controlling husband, abusive husband, infidelity, secrets a plenty, psychological thriller, suspense
Our narrators are ~ Eve, Lydia and Chloe.
Eve and Dom have a baby, Kai, in our present timeline.
Lydia and David are Eve's parents in the past timeline. There are some on page scenes of domestic violence by David.
Chloe has been Eve's best friend since childhood and she's married to Steve. Chloe wasn't a great friend and wasn't always nice to Eve.
Despite all the unlikable characters, infidelity, secrets, lies and cover ups, I liked this one. The dual timeline allows for everything to slowly unfold to keep up the suspense. As I said the characters were all unlikable, with Chloe being the cream of the crop for awfulness.
Narrated by Tamsin Kennard for 9 hours and 25 minutes. She did a fine job, but I do wish for multiple narrators when there are multiple POV's, since she didn't even try to differ her voice between the women. She did give a go at male voices and that was fine.
*Thanks to Sheryl Browne, Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for the advance audiobook. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*
Follow me here ➡ Blog ~ Facebook
Featuring ~ multiple 3rd person POV, dual timeline, family drama, childhood bullying, controlling husband, abusive husband, infidelity, secrets a plenty, psychological thriller, suspense
Our narrators are ~ Eve, Lydia and Chloe.
Eve and Dom have a baby, Kai, in our present timeline.
Lydia and David are Eve's parents in the past timeline. There are some on page scenes of domestic violence by David.
Chloe has been Eve's best friend since childhood and she's married to Steve. Chloe wasn't a great friend and wasn't always nice to Eve.
Despite all the unlikable characters, infidelity, secrets, lies and cover ups, I liked this one. The dual timeline allows for everything to slowly unfold to keep up the suspense. As I said the characters were all unlikable, with Chloe being the cream of the crop for awfulness.
Narrated by Tamsin Kennard for 9 hours and 25 minutes. She did a fine job, but I do wish for multiple narrators when there are multiple POV's, since she didn't even try to differ her voice between the women. She did give a go at male voices and that was fine.
*Thanks to Sheryl Browne, Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for the advance audiobook. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*
Follow me here ➡ Blog ~ Facebook
December 7, 2022
Two women separated by a generation, mother and daughter, come together in a clash over a young child. There's Eve, a battered daughter both emotionally and psychologically by living in a household full of anger and trauma. Eve's father is a beast and yet her mother never seems to protect her, to care for her, to even speak to her. She feels like she is speck of dirt in a world that has turned away from her both at school and home. There's also Eve's sickly baby brother, Jacob, who seems to have to tackle every illness with dire consequences.
She does have eventually one friend, Chloe, who doesn't mind how dirty Eve is, how her clothes are in tatters, how no one else befriends her. Eve, though embarrassed, shares secrets with Chloe and this friend becomes integral to Eve's life as they grow.
Staying together, Eve, goes on to becoming a MD, meets a marvelous man, Dominic, and marries him. They have one son, Kai, and even live next door to Chloe and her husband, Steve. It seems idealistic, with Eve being an overly solicitous mother, trying to provide everything she never had to her son.
Then her mother shows up and all "hell" breaks loose as Eve is convinced her mother is about to do to her son, what she did to Eve's brother all those years ago.
There's more than meets the eye in this thriller which had many wonderfully done hidden clues to the fates of the characters in this story. I went from blaming one character to another in this round about tale that was cleverly done. It's a story about illness the real, imagined, and mental which propels the reader forward into lives woven with lies, trauma, and hate.
Thank you to Sheryl Browne, Bookouture, and NetGalley for a copy of this book due out on December 8, 2022.
She does have eventually one friend, Chloe, who doesn't mind how dirty Eve is, how her clothes are in tatters, how no one else befriends her. Eve, though embarrassed, shares secrets with Chloe and this friend becomes integral to Eve's life as they grow.
Staying together, Eve, goes on to becoming a MD, meets a marvelous man, Dominic, and marries him. They have one son, Kai, and even live next door to Chloe and her husband, Steve. It seems idealistic, with Eve being an overly solicitous mother, trying to provide everything she never had to her son.
Then her mother shows up and all "hell" breaks loose as Eve is convinced her mother is about to do to her son, what she did to Eve's brother all those years ago.
There's more than meets the eye in this thriller which had many wonderfully done hidden clues to the fates of the characters in this story. I went from blaming one character to another in this round about tale that was cleverly done. It's a story about illness the real, imagined, and mental which propels the reader forward into lives woven with lies, trauma, and hate.
Thank you to Sheryl Browne, Bookouture, and NetGalley for a copy of this book due out on December 8, 2022.
February 23, 2023
“A perfect mother. A loving daughter. A secret that could destroy them both”
...
Okay! Will somebody please explain exactly what has just happened to me…
This book definitely needs to come with a health warning. I think I have read a psychological thriller, which has not only messed with my mind, but left me physically feeling as though I have been eaten alive, chewed up and spat out. And I’m still not really certain who did what to whom, how, where, why or even when… Answers on a postcard please!
But wait, I am getting a little ahead of myself now, so let’s backtrack a bit…
...
The story begins in 1997, with Eve, a nine-year-old, living with her parents and new baby brother. Hers is not a happy life however, as her father David, is a coercive and controlling bully, with a temper which seems to change direction with the wind and who was in no rush to have a second child underfoot; another mouth to feed and to add disruption to his strict regimes. Her mother Lydia, is always kept short of money and is expected to ensure that peace and quiet reigns in the house when her husband is at home. Suffering from what these days would undoubtedly be recognised as post natal depression, Lydia feels she has no other tools with which to keep calm in the home other than by ignoring Eve completely, as if by not speaking to, or acknowledging her presence, she will force Eve herself to maintain a silence which will be enough to pacify her father. Lydia, perhaps mistakenly, truly believes that she is protecting Eve, when actually her daughter is left feeling unloved and unwanted, unlike baby Jacob. Shunned by her classmates at school because she wears dirty and ill-fitting clothes and isn’t able to participate in any out of school activities, means that Eve lives a very lonely and solitary existence, with the exception of her one and only friend, Chloe, on whom she perhaps mistakenly, becomes totally dependent.
All is not well with Jacob’s health though and there seems to be a constant round of illnesses, hospital stays and near death experiences, before the poor mite finally succumbs and passes away. It is only during the spells when Jacob is very sick that David shows any compassion for his children and affection for Lydia, making these, despite the tragic circumstances which cause them, welcome respites for all. For Eve, the frequent visits to the hospital open up great new prospects for her future. She spends every moment of the lengthy wait times, chatting to one of the doctors about Jacob’s various ailments, which she then follows up by hours spent on the internet at Chloe’s house, doing her own research. Following Jacob’s death, David no longer lives at the family home, leaving Eve and Lydia to their own devices. Rather than bringing them closer together however, the wedge which Lydia had previously driven between them only becomes exacerbated and Lydia decides to seek psychiatric help for Eve, which only serves to see them become estranged completely.
Fast forward to the present day: Eve is now a qualified GP, married to Dominic the man of her dreams and new parents to baby Kai. With Chloe, her husband and two young children, living in the house right opposite, it seems as though Eve has the perfect life, until that fateful day when the phone rings and it is her mother calling… Things very quickly begin to unravel for Eve and cracks begin to show in the polished veneer she has built around herself. Although he knows that Eve had survived a troubled childhood, it soon becomes clear to Dom that he is only in possession of the most basic of facts about his wife’s past and when challenged, she is unwilling, or unable to trust him enough to open up to him completely, which leaves him feeling afraid for the wellbeing of baby Kai, fearful for the future of their relationship and very susceptible to the whisperings of someone whom both he and Eve had thought they could trust.
Lydia suffers a stroke and in another totally unexpected and rather strange turn up for the books, Eve decides to move in with and care for her mother. Is there a more deep and dark motive for her sudden change of heart? With tension between Chloe, her husband Steve, Dominic and Eve, almost at breaking point, Lydia and Chloe are both victims of separate attacks, clearly motivated by the hope that either one or both of them will die. Who has the most to lose from these complicated and surreal events? Will the wheels of justice stop at the right person, or will someone who is guilty be able to deflect the blame once again?
So many questions, I just hope you are up to the challenge of finding the correct answers!
...
This well structured, multi-layered storyline was powerful, highly textured and intense. Fast paced, the atmosphere for the most part was desperately tense, claustrophobic and totally immersive.
Short, well signposted chapters were narrated in the voices of Eve, Chloe and Lydia and were predominantly focussed on two timelines, 1997 when Eve and Chloe were nine and baby Jacob had just been born and the present day, although there were one or two diversions into the year 2000, when Lydia had decided that Eve should be seen by a psychiatrist.
That’s where anything uncomplicated about this story ended, as there were more and more clues drip-fed into the narrative little by little, nothing was quite as it seemed and the twists and turns just kept on coming – and I mean right to the very end, which I am still not sure I figured out correctly! Author Sheryl Browne just about threw in the kitchen sink when she was putting this plot together, including everything from bullying, coercive control, emotional and psychological abuse; to jealousy, cheating and illnesses both real and imagined including Munchausen syndrome by proxy. That’s without the tangled web of lies and secrets which overlaid everything, until I just didn’t know who to believe any more.
This story was definitely all about the characters and plot, with location being irrelevant and barely mentioned, so if you are a committed ‘armchair traveller’ then this probably isn’t going to be one for you. Although I’m certain you won’t be left feeling short-changed with all those love to hate characters Sheryl has filled this thriller with. Not a huge central cast, but what they lacked in numbers was more than compensated for by the sheer malevolence, deviousness and manipulative qualities they all displayed. I was never really sure just who I was meant to have sympathy for, or empathy with, so found myself sticking them all in one box marked ‘cheats, frauds and liars’. I genuinely wanted to believe in a couple of them, however they were such an emotional mess, that uncovering and exposing their true motives and feelings, or finding any authenticity about them, was almost impossible.
What always makes reading such a wonderful experience for me, is that with each and every new book, I am taken on a unique and individual journey, by authors who fire my imagination, stir my emotions and stimulate my senses. This story definitely scored heavily in just about all of those criteria, having the power to evoke so many feelings, that I’m sure I won’t have felt the same way about it as the last reader, nor indeed the next.
If anyone familiar with this book happens to read this slightly garbled review, then please put me out of my misery, as everyone seems divided about the outcome and I have been left an emotionally exhausted wreck, trying to get my head around it all!! But I loved the finished book and aim to try and work my way down Sheryl’s list of titles 🙂
...
Okay! Will somebody please explain exactly what has just happened to me…
This book definitely needs to come with a health warning. I think I have read a psychological thriller, which has not only messed with my mind, but left me physically feeling as though I have been eaten alive, chewed up and spat out. And I’m still not really certain who did what to whom, how, where, why or even when… Answers on a postcard please!
But wait, I am getting a little ahead of myself now, so let’s backtrack a bit…
...
The story begins in 1997, with Eve, a nine-year-old, living with her parents and new baby brother. Hers is not a happy life however, as her father David, is a coercive and controlling bully, with a temper which seems to change direction with the wind and who was in no rush to have a second child underfoot; another mouth to feed and to add disruption to his strict regimes. Her mother Lydia, is always kept short of money and is expected to ensure that peace and quiet reigns in the house when her husband is at home. Suffering from what these days would undoubtedly be recognised as post natal depression, Lydia feels she has no other tools with which to keep calm in the home other than by ignoring Eve completely, as if by not speaking to, or acknowledging her presence, she will force Eve herself to maintain a silence which will be enough to pacify her father. Lydia, perhaps mistakenly, truly believes that she is protecting Eve, when actually her daughter is left feeling unloved and unwanted, unlike baby Jacob. Shunned by her classmates at school because she wears dirty and ill-fitting clothes and isn’t able to participate in any out of school activities, means that Eve lives a very lonely and solitary existence, with the exception of her one and only friend, Chloe, on whom she perhaps mistakenly, becomes totally dependent.
All is not well with Jacob’s health though and there seems to be a constant round of illnesses, hospital stays and near death experiences, before the poor mite finally succumbs and passes away. It is only during the spells when Jacob is very sick that David shows any compassion for his children and affection for Lydia, making these, despite the tragic circumstances which cause them, welcome respites for all. For Eve, the frequent visits to the hospital open up great new prospects for her future. She spends every moment of the lengthy wait times, chatting to one of the doctors about Jacob’s various ailments, which she then follows up by hours spent on the internet at Chloe’s house, doing her own research. Following Jacob’s death, David no longer lives at the family home, leaving Eve and Lydia to their own devices. Rather than bringing them closer together however, the wedge which Lydia had previously driven between them only becomes exacerbated and Lydia decides to seek psychiatric help for Eve, which only serves to see them become estranged completely.
Fast forward to the present day: Eve is now a qualified GP, married to Dominic the man of her dreams and new parents to baby Kai. With Chloe, her husband and two young children, living in the house right opposite, it seems as though Eve has the perfect life, until that fateful day when the phone rings and it is her mother calling… Things very quickly begin to unravel for Eve and cracks begin to show in the polished veneer she has built around herself. Although he knows that Eve had survived a troubled childhood, it soon becomes clear to Dom that he is only in possession of the most basic of facts about his wife’s past and when challenged, she is unwilling, or unable to trust him enough to open up to him completely, which leaves him feeling afraid for the wellbeing of baby Kai, fearful for the future of their relationship and very susceptible to the whisperings of someone whom both he and Eve had thought they could trust.
Lydia suffers a stroke and in another totally unexpected and rather strange turn up for the books, Eve decides to move in with and care for her mother. Is there a more deep and dark motive for her sudden change of heart? With tension between Chloe, her husband Steve, Dominic and Eve, almost at breaking point, Lydia and Chloe are both victims of separate attacks, clearly motivated by the hope that either one or both of them will die. Who has the most to lose from these complicated and surreal events? Will the wheels of justice stop at the right person, or will someone who is guilty be able to deflect the blame once again?
So many questions, I just hope you are up to the challenge of finding the correct answers!
...
This well structured, multi-layered storyline was powerful, highly textured and intense. Fast paced, the atmosphere for the most part was desperately tense, claustrophobic and totally immersive.
Short, well signposted chapters were narrated in the voices of Eve, Chloe and Lydia and were predominantly focussed on two timelines, 1997 when Eve and Chloe were nine and baby Jacob had just been born and the present day, although there were one or two diversions into the year 2000, when Lydia had decided that Eve should be seen by a psychiatrist.
That’s where anything uncomplicated about this story ended, as there were more and more clues drip-fed into the narrative little by little, nothing was quite as it seemed and the twists and turns just kept on coming – and I mean right to the very end, which I am still not sure I figured out correctly! Author Sheryl Browne just about threw in the kitchen sink when she was putting this plot together, including everything from bullying, coercive control, emotional and psychological abuse; to jealousy, cheating and illnesses both real and imagined including Munchausen syndrome by proxy. That’s without the tangled web of lies and secrets which overlaid everything, until I just didn’t know who to believe any more.
This story was definitely all about the characters and plot, with location being irrelevant and barely mentioned, so if you are a committed ‘armchair traveller’ then this probably isn’t going to be one for you. Although I’m certain you won’t be left feeling short-changed with all those love to hate characters Sheryl has filled this thriller with. Not a huge central cast, but what they lacked in numbers was more than compensated for by the sheer malevolence, deviousness and manipulative qualities they all displayed. I was never really sure just who I was meant to have sympathy for, or empathy with, so found myself sticking them all in one box marked ‘cheats, frauds and liars’. I genuinely wanted to believe in a couple of them, however they were such an emotional mess, that uncovering and exposing their true motives and feelings, or finding any authenticity about them, was almost impossible.
What always makes reading such a wonderful experience for me, is that with each and every new book, I am taken on a unique and individual journey, by authors who fire my imagination, stir my emotions and stimulate my senses. This story definitely scored heavily in just about all of those criteria, having the power to evoke so many feelings, that I’m sure I won’t have felt the same way about it as the last reader, nor indeed the next.
If anyone familiar with this book happens to read this slightly garbled review, then please put me out of my misery, as everyone seems divided about the outcome and I have been left an emotionally exhausted wreck, trying to get my head around it all!! But I loved the finished book and aim to try and work my way down Sheryl’s list of titles 🙂
December 8, 2022
I can’t believe this is the 12th book I have read by this author, what I did believe from prior reading was that it was going to be good….I would say this was my favourite (so far)
Sheryl Browne always takes a diverse and often controversial subject and writes her story around it, the research done is always obvious as is the factual presentation that is weaved into the story and characters behaviour, I wont say what the subject matter is but it is emotive and one that pretty much all of us find abhorrent and fascinating
The story centres around a family and the wife’s Mum and their fraught past, their silent’ past with lots of ‘covering up’ and bad deeds done…the question is though by who, when and why…add to the mix a lifelong friend and her hubby and the scene is set for a gruesome exciting psychological thriller where you never quite know who to believe and what is going to happen
Some good inclusion of rehabilitation after a stroke in the book and the frustrations therein
Great reading and writing and very enjoyable
Sheryl Browne always takes a diverse and often controversial subject and writes her story around it, the research done is always obvious as is the factual presentation that is weaved into the story and characters behaviour, I wont say what the subject matter is but it is emotive and one that pretty much all of us find abhorrent and fascinating
The story centres around a family and the wife’s Mum and their fraught past, their silent’ past with lots of ‘covering up’ and bad deeds done…the question is though by who, when and why…add to the mix a lifelong friend and her hubby and the scene is set for a gruesome exciting psychological thriller where you never quite know who to believe and what is going to happen
Some good inclusion of rehabilitation after a stroke in the book and the frustrations therein
Great reading and writing and very enjoyable
December 4, 2022
I have mixed emotions about this book. The beginning was great, and I was immediately pulled into the characters and story. Towards the end, though, it felt a bit scattered and convoluted instead of twisty and clever.
Eve and her husband, Dom, are the main characters, along with their infant son, Kai. As you’ll realize when reading the story, Eve had a very traumatic childhood, and now she dotes on Kai. She’s always terrified that something in her past will come to light, and she’ll lose both her husband and her son. A large part of the book concentrates on leaving you guessing what happened in the past (and you’ll get a somewhat vague answer).
Chloe is Eve’s best friend, and was with her during the traumatic event that changed both of their lives. Living across the street with her husband, Steve, Chloe and Eve are bound by that secret from the past. This secret heavily involves Eve’s mother, Lydia, who one day shows up unannounced to see her grandson. Eve’s fears are intensified; what will her mother say to her husband? Will the past come out and ruin the life she’s made?
The past does come out, and while it was a good plot line, it was almost overly dramatic. There wasn’t really a big twist, because the past is the twist and you find out about it slowly, in increments as the book progresses. I didn’t mind this approach, but as I mentioned, the ending just got a bit convoluted for me. I’m giving this 3.5 stars, rounded up because for the most part, this was entertaining and fresh!
(Thank you to Bookouture, Sheryl Browne, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review.)
Eve and her husband, Dom, are the main characters, along with their infant son, Kai. As you’ll realize when reading the story, Eve had a very traumatic childhood, and now she dotes on Kai. She’s always terrified that something in her past will come to light, and she’ll lose both her husband and her son. A large part of the book concentrates on leaving you guessing what happened in the past (and you’ll get a somewhat vague answer).
Chloe is Eve’s best friend, and was with her during the traumatic event that changed both of their lives. Living across the street with her husband, Steve, Chloe and Eve are bound by that secret from the past. This secret heavily involves Eve’s mother, Lydia, who one day shows up unannounced to see her grandson. Eve’s fears are intensified; what will her mother say to her husband? Will the past come out and ruin the life she’s made?
The past does come out, and while it was a good plot line, it was almost overly dramatic. There wasn’t really a big twist, because the past is the twist and you find out about it slowly, in increments as the book progresses. I didn’t mind this approach, but as I mentioned, the ending just got a bit convoluted for me. I’m giving this 3.5 stars, rounded up because for the most part, this was entertaining and fresh!
(Thank you to Bookouture, Sheryl Browne, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review.)
February 1, 2023
The book's intriguing premise was 5-star:
A perfect mother. A loving daughter. A secret that could destroy them both.
Unfortunately, the book's execution was flawed.
Too many characters, too little time.
As a result, the book's characters were superficial and lacked the strong character development that I was seeking.
Told from multiple POVs in dual timelines, the book was difficult to follow at times.
And, finally, I had issues with the book's pacing.
I am not a fan of "slow burn" and this book was definitely too S-L-O-W for my fastidious palate.
I listened to the audiobook read by Tamsin Kennard.
Since the book was told from multiple POVs in different timelines, the book would have strongly benefited from multiple narrators.
Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
2 stars rounded up.
A perfect mother. A loving daughter. A secret that could destroy them both.
Unfortunately, the book's execution was flawed.
Too many characters, too little time.
As a result, the book's characters were superficial and lacked the strong character development that I was seeking.
Told from multiple POVs in dual timelines, the book was difficult to follow at times.
And, finally, I had issues with the book's pacing.
I am not a fan of "slow burn" and this book was definitely too S-L-O-W for my fastidious palate.
I listened to the audiobook read by Tamsin Kennard.
Since the book was told from multiple POVs in different timelines, the book would have strongly benefited from multiple narrators.
Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
2 stars rounded up.
November 25, 2022
New mother Eve is overwhelmed with love for her baby son, Kai. As she swaddles him in a fluffy white blanket, she shudders at a memory of her own childhood. She hasn't seen her own heartless mother Lydia in years, and she hasn't told a soul about what really happened that night her baby brother died in the squalid little house she grew up in....
There's a lot going on in this suspenseful and mysterious read. The storyline has been cleverly crafted, filled with twists and turns, and I was hooked from the first page. Eve had a very troubled childhood, so troubled that she can't even talk about it, not even to her husband. But then the secrets she's tried so hard to keep start revealing themselves. We learn of how the events unfolded through the past and present-day format. The characters are well developed, unreliable and unpredictable. I love the way Sheryl drip feeds us just enough information, never giving too much away about what had happened. just enough to keep you fully engrossed. I loved this book.
I would like to thank #Netgalley #Bookouture and the author #SherylBrowne for my ARC of #HerFirstChild in exchange for an honest review.
There's a lot going on in this suspenseful and mysterious read. The storyline has been cleverly crafted, filled with twists and turns, and I was hooked from the first page. Eve had a very troubled childhood, so troubled that she can't even talk about it, not even to her husband. But then the secrets she's tried so hard to keep start revealing themselves. We learn of how the events unfolded through the past and present-day format. The characters are well developed, unreliable and unpredictable. I love the way Sheryl drip feeds us just enough information, never giving too much away about what had happened. just enough to keep you fully engrossed. I loved this book.
I would like to thank #Netgalley #Bookouture and the author #SherylBrowne for my ARC of #HerFirstChild in exchange for an honest review.
April 8, 2023
Review coming soon.
December 9, 2022
I am a new reader of psychological thrillers. As a new reader of this genre, I am drawn to the synopsis of the books, and I have enjoyed the ones I have read. The pace of this one is fast; you never really know what to expect.
This is my first read by this author and I am open to reading more by her.
The story was very suspenseful, I thought I understood what was going on but then it flowed into another scenario, another possibility.
Who can you trust when relationships are based on neediness and lies. Oh, so many lies.
What is good in this life, what is bad? You think you know, but you don't.
Betrayal, abuse, neglect, despair, tension, you will find this and more.
A mother unable to do the one thing she was made to do, protect her children. As her daughter grows into a woman will she inherit her mother's mannerisms, her silence, the madness, the inability to cope with reality?
In this dual timeline, there is a lot of covering up, hiding the bad, the secrets must never see the light of day. Twists and turns with a very unexpected ending.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.
This is my first read by this author and I am open to reading more by her.
The story was very suspenseful, I thought I understood what was going on but then it flowed into another scenario, another possibility.
Who can you trust when relationships are based on neediness and lies. Oh, so many lies.
What is good in this life, what is bad? You think you know, but you don't.
Betrayal, abuse, neglect, despair, tension, you will find this and more.
A mother unable to do the one thing she was made to do, protect her children. As her daughter grows into a woman will she inherit her mother's mannerisms, her silence, the madness, the inability to cope with reality?
In this dual timeline, there is a lot of covering up, hiding the bad, the secrets must never see the light of day. Twists and turns with a very unexpected ending.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.
November 18, 2022
Her First Child by Sheryl Browne (audiobook review)
Narrated by Tamsin Kennard (9 hours 25 minutes).
Psychological thriller
"A perfect mother. A loving daughter. A secret that could destroy them both." - Sheryl Browne
The first chapter introduces us to Eve, a first-time mother who has vivid memories of losing her little brother as a child. It has taken her a long time to come to terms with his death. Eve struggles with her newborn son Kai as she fears history repeating itself and she switches between the past and the present.
Red herrings are Sheryl Browne's signature trick for keeping her fans guessing. There are several characters to follow, all of whom seem to harbor dark secrets. Listening to the audiobook requires your full attention. Several plot twists kept me on my toes and made me rethink which character was the villain. Throughout the chapters, the story slowly unfolds and builds to an exciting conclusion.
Her First Child book and audiobook by Sheryl Browne are available on November 24th. (3.5 bumped up to 4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐)
Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture Audio, for sharing this intriguing audiobook with me. Your kindness is appreciated.
#HerFirst Child #Audiobooks #netgalleyreviewer #bookworm #bookishcommunity #bookstagramcommunity #readingcommunity #Books #bookfriends #booksbooksbooks #booksta #bookstagram #newtobookstagram #bookreview #bookreviews #instabookstagram #bookish #bookishielife #newtobookstagram #newtoinsta #newtoinstagra #Bookishcom #trending #bestsellingbooks #bookoutureauthors #b
Narrated by Tamsin Kennard (9 hours 25 minutes).
Psychological thriller
"A perfect mother. A loving daughter. A secret that could destroy them both." - Sheryl Browne
The first chapter introduces us to Eve, a first-time mother who has vivid memories of losing her little brother as a child. It has taken her a long time to come to terms with his death. Eve struggles with her newborn son Kai as she fears history repeating itself and she switches between the past and the present.
Red herrings are Sheryl Browne's signature trick for keeping her fans guessing. There are several characters to follow, all of whom seem to harbor dark secrets. Listening to the audiobook requires your full attention. Several plot twists kept me on my toes and made me rethink which character was the villain. Throughout the chapters, the story slowly unfolds and builds to an exciting conclusion.
Her First Child book and audiobook by Sheryl Browne are available on November 24th. (3.5 bumped up to 4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐)
Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture Audio, for sharing this intriguing audiobook with me. Your kindness is appreciated.
#HerFirst Child #Audiobooks #netgalleyreviewer #bookworm #bookishcommunity #bookstagramcommunity #readingcommunity #Books #bookfriends #booksbooksbooks #booksta #bookstagram #newtobookstagram #bookreview #bookreviews #instabookstagram #bookish #bookishielife #newtobookstagram #newtoinsta #newtoinstagra #Bookishcom #trending #bestsellingbooks #bookoutureauthors #b
November 17, 2022
Eve has to leave work early when she learns her deadbeat mother Lydia is visiting. She doesn't want Lydia around her son Kai without Eve's watchful eye. Eve hasn't told Dom, her husband, about the traumas of her childhood. He doesn't really understand what's going on and neither do I.
We then go back to the past and find out from Lydia's POV that she was abused by her husband and let her daughter take some of it too. Her other son, Jacob, has a seizure disorder and stops breathing.
It seems Kai may have the same issue because not longer after Lydia arrives, Kai stops breathing as well. What a coincidence. As we unpeel the layers, we wonder whether Lydia is evil or if she was just incompetent. We also wonder how much Eve had to do with the Jacob situation, as he doesn't appear to be with us any longer.
This started off strong but I started to lose interest with so many characters. Even my synopsis probably isn't great because I got lost a few times. Her friend Chloe became an important player and she had marital issues and it was just a little too all over the place for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to listen and review. The narration was great.
We then go back to the past and find out from Lydia's POV that she was abused by her husband and let her daughter take some of it too. Her other son, Jacob, has a seizure disorder and stops breathing.
It seems Kai may have the same issue because not longer after Lydia arrives, Kai stops breathing as well. What a coincidence. As we unpeel the layers, we wonder whether Lydia is evil or if she was just incompetent. We also wonder how much Eve had to do with the Jacob situation, as he doesn't appear to be with us any longer.
This started off strong but I started to lose interest with so many characters. Even my synopsis probably isn't great because I got lost a few times. Her friend Chloe became an important player and she had marital issues and it was just a little too all over the place for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to listen and review. The narration was great.
June 5, 2023
Page-turning, full of secrets and lies, Sheryl Browne's take on dark and unsettling topics will keep the reader guessing to the very end in her latest domestic suspense —HER FIRST CHILD.
Told from POVs from past to present:
Eve (present) and (1997, 1998, 2000, 2009)
Lydia - Eve's Mom (present) and (1997, 2000)
Chloe- Eve's friend (present)
Dom- Eve's husband (present)
Topics: Family, affairs, domestic abuse, murder, sickness, mental health, and Munchausen syndrome by proxy.
Evie and Chloe have been best friends since childhood, and both are married with children. What secrets do they have?
Chloe is married to Steve with two children, Thomas & Rose.
Eve is married to Dom with a baby son, Kai.
She is quite protective of her son.
Eve did not have a pleasant childhood. An abusive father and a heartless mother who never stood up for her or herself.
Evie's younger brother, Jacob, was sick a lot, and once she found him not breathing and later died. Was someone making him sick? Was it an accident or intentional?
She still believes her mom, Lydia was responsible for his death.
In the present, Lydia shows up, and Eve does not want her around her son. She has not shared her traumatic childhood with her husband, Dom, so he does not know what is happening.
Then something goes wrong with Kai. Who is responsible? What secrets are they hiding? Is history being repeated?
Eve is a complex character and suspects everyone due to the traumas and dangers of her childhood and emotional abuse.
Can she trust her friend, Chloe, her husband, Dom, or her mother, Lydia? OR herself? Long-buried secrets rise to the surface, and we aren't sure what to expect and who to believe.
Eve must confront her darkest fears and family secrets that threaten not only to upend her life…but to destroy it. With many red herrings and mind-twists, as the reader, you do not know whom to trust. No likable characters here, so difficult to sympathize with them.
My first book by the author, and I look forward to reading more—for fans of author D. J. Palmer's Saving Meghan and Stacy Willingham's All the Dangerous Things.
Also includes an expert from The Affair.
A special thank you to #Bookouture and #NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Blog Review Posted @
www.JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 3.5 Stars
Pub Date: Dec 8, 2022
Dec 2022 Must-Read Books
Told from POVs from past to present:
Eve (present) and (1997, 1998, 2000, 2009)
Lydia - Eve's Mom (present) and (1997, 2000)
Chloe- Eve's friend (present)
Dom- Eve's husband (present)
Topics: Family, affairs, domestic abuse, murder, sickness, mental health, and Munchausen syndrome by proxy.
Evie and Chloe have been best friends since childhood, and both are married with children. What secrets do they have?
Chloe is married to Steve with two children, Thomas & Rose.
Eve is married to Dom with a baby son, Kai.
She is quite protective of her son.
Eve did not have a pleasant childhood. An abusive father and a heartless mother who never stood up for her or herself.
Evie's younger brother, Jacob, was sick a lot, and once she found him not breathing and later died. Was someone making him sick? Was it an accident or intentional?
She still believes her mom, Lydia was responsible for his death.
In the present, Lydia shows up, and Eve does not want her around her son. She has not shared her traumatic childhood with her husband, Dom, so he does not know what is happening.
Then something goes wrong with Kai. Who is responsible? What secrets are they hiding? Is history being repeated?
Eve is a complex character and suspects everyone due to the traumas and dangers of her childhood and emotional abuse.
Can she trust her friend, Chloe, her husband, Dom, or her mother, Lydia? OR herself? Long-buried secrets rise to the surface, and we aren't sure what to expect and who to believe.
Eve must confront her darkest fears and family secrets that threaten not only to upend her life…but to destroy it. With many red herrings and mind-twists, as the reader, you do not know whom to trust. No likable characters here, so difficult to sympathize with them.
My first book by the author, and I look forward to reading more—for fans of author D. J. Palmer's Saving Meghan and Stacy Willingham's All the Dangerous Things.
Also includes an expert from The Affair.
A special thank you to #Bookouture and #NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Blog Review Posted @
www.JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 3.5 Stars
Pub Date: Dec 8, 2022
Dec 2022 Must-Read Books
December 11, 2022
Sheryl Browne is one of my favorite Bookouture authors. Her First Child is the tenth book I have had the privilege of reading by this talented author. No matter the setting, Sheryl Browne has always delivered. That proved to be just the case with her latest offering.
In this thrilling read, we see Eve as a mother to baby Kai. Eve cannot forget tragic memories of her past, especially when her mother Lydia insists on coming back into her life. Eve and Lydia’s relationship had never been very good, and was made virtually nonexistent when Eve lost her baby brother Jacob years ago. She can’t help but wonder if her son Kai will suffer the same tragic fate as Jacob with Lydia now back in the picture.
Jacob’s sad little life plays over and over for Eve. Any changes, any irregularities make Eve worry about Kai. This fear increases when Lydia comes for a visit. As this is a psychological thriller, there are different facets to this story. Not only do we have the fear Eve is experiencing, there are also issues involving sickness, mental illness, abuse and more, even Munchausen by proxy.
Despite Eve’s tragic childhood past, she has become a successful doctor, is in a strong marriage, and is now a happy young mother. There are secrets of the past, and the question is whether or not her past will clash with her present. In fact, this is when Eve becomes what is known some readers as an unreliable narrator. Perhaps she started off as someone that we would be rooting for, but with skill and talent, Sheryl Browne takes readers down a different path.
What a fabulous read. This is a book that should come with a warning. This book will be impossible to put down. Putting the pieces of this story together, blending the past with the present, then factor in deceit, lies, secrets and sensitive issues, all resulting in a powerful conclusion. Her First Child is a completely satisfying read.
Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
Please enjoy my YouTube video review - https://youtu.be/faGNhxv9EP8
In this thrilling read, we see Eve as a mother to baby Kai. Eve cannot forget tragic memories of her past, especially when her mother Lydia insists on coming back into her life. Eve and Lydia’s relationship had never been very good, and was made virtually nonexistent when Eve lost her baby brother Jacob years ago. She can’t help but wonder if her son Kai will suffer the same tragic fate as Jacob with Lydia now back in the picture.
Jacob’s sad little life plays over and over for Eve. Any changes, any irregularities make Eve worry about Kai. This fear increases when Lydia comes for a visit. As this is a psychological thriller, there are different facets to this story. Not only do we have the fear Eve is experiencing, there are also issues involving sickness, mental illness, abuse and more, even Munchausen by proxy.
Despite Eve’s tragic childhood past, she has become a successful doctor, is in a strong marriage, and is now a happy young mother. There are secrets of the past, and the question is whether or not her past will clash with her present. In fact, this is when Eve becomes what is known some readers as an unreliable narrator. Perhaps she started off as someone that we would be rooting for, but with skill and talent, Sheryl Browne takes readers down a different path.
What a fabulous read. This is a book that should come with a warning. This book will be impossible to put down. Putting the pieces of this story together, blending the past with the present, then factor in deceit, lies, secrets and sensitive issues, all resulting in a powerful conclusion. Her First Child is a completely satisfying read.
Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
Please enjoy my YouTube video review - https://youtu.be/faGNhxv9EP8
August 12, 2023
Eve and her husband Dom are proud parents of Kai. Eve is overprotective and possessive, vowing to be a better mother to Kai than her mother was to her and her younger brother Jacob.
Eve had a horrid childhood. An abusive father and a heartless unloving mother. Eve's younger brother Jacob died and Eve was convinced her mother had something to do with this.
Eve's heartless mother turns up and things take a turn for the worse. She is reminded of the past and is fearful for her own son.
A great gripping and shocking read that kept me turning the pages late into the night.
Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review. .
Eve had a horrid childhood. An abusive father and a heartless unloving mother. Eve's younger brother Jacob died and Eve was convinced her mother had something to do with this.
Eve's heartless mother turns up and things take a turn for the worse. She is reminded of the past and is fearful for her own son.
A great gripping and shocking read that kept me turning the pages late into the night.
Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review. .
December 5, 2022
BLOG TOUR REVIEW
Review for 'Her First Child' by Sheryl Browne.
Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Sheryl Browne, Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous
Publication date 8th December 2022.
This is the fifth book I have read by this author. I have previously read 'My Husbands Girlfriend', 'The Invite', 'Do I Know You?' and 'The Liar's Child' which I highly recommend.
I was originally drawn to this book by its eye catching cover and its intriguing synopsis and title. The synopsis stated that 'Fans of The Girl on the Train, Gone Girl and The Wife, will absolutely love this gripping and addictive thriller. Her First Child will have you hooked from the very first page!' I am a huge fan of 'Gone Girl' and 'The Wife' so am looking forward to seeing if this lives up to this statement. I am also a huge fan of Sheryl and if this is half as good as 'My Husband's Girlfriend', 'The Invite', 'Do I Really Know You?' and 'The Liar's Child' it is sure to be a page turning read. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).
This novel consists a prologue, 65 chapters and an epilogue. The chapters are medium in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!
This book is based in the UK 🇬🇧. The bonus for me of books that are partly or fully based in the UK is that I live in the UK and have sometimes visited places mentioned in the book which makes it easier to picture.
This book is written in third person perspective with the main protagonists being Eve, Lydia and Chloe. The benefits of third person perspective with multiple protagonists are that it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything.
'Her First Child' discusses some topics that may upset some readers or may not be suitable for others. I like to point this out ahead of time in my reviews so you can judge if this book is for you or not. In this book Sheryl discusses/includes mental health, Munchausen syndrome by proxy and domestic abuse.
Wow!!! What did I just read!!! What twists and a half fairplay, I most certainly was NOT expecting any of that!!! Anyway, we shall return to that!!! This book is extremely well written and completely drew me in from start to end. The synopsis, title and cover worked perfectly with the storyline.
One of the best books I have ever read!!! Don't even think about even looking at the first page until you have cleared your schedules as you won't be able to put it down!!
The storyline was extremely compelling and I was completely addicted from the beginning starting with a prologue putting my heart in my throat to absolutely explosive ending!!! I started it this morning and finished it in a day!! It was filled with Mysteries, infidelity, secrets, cover ups, twists, lies and surprises and and had me completely absorbed throughout. This book ticked absolutely every single box!!! It was filled with suspense, lies, romance, twists, heartbreak, deceit and shocks!! It had me on tenterhooks on the edge of my seat and biting my nails to get to the truth. I absolutely loved how it completely shocked me at the end!! There's not much worse in a book than when you have already figured out what is going on by 50%!! I love that the fact that Sheryl has done her research shined throughout. One of my pet hates is when an authour picks a subject to include in their novel but hasn't done any research, it litters the books with mistakes and errors and it can spoil a storyline. This book is not only an epic psychological thriller filled with twists and turns that I would have never expected all the way to the end but it is also quite sad and heartbreaking when it comes to the end and when we find out what really happened to who and why. In this book Sheryl discusses a very important subjects that include mental health, Munchausen syndrome by proxy and domestic abuse and manages to weave them all into an addictive, realistic and emotional storyline. I won't go into too much detail and Sheryl explains it all beautifully in her letter at the end of the book so make sure you continue to the end to read it. A huge well down to you Sheryl you should be extremely proud of yourself!! I would love to see this book turned into what would promise to be a massive hit movie!!
This is only the fourth book that I have listened 100% on Audiobook. If I listen to a book on audiobook I usually also read the physical book between but for the second time I listened to the whole book and I was impressed! I must say a HUGE congratulations to the narrator Tamsin Kennard who did a great job bringing this story to life. I would listen to it in the car, in the gym and while walking at any opportunity and Tamsin did a fantastic job on both male and female characters voices!!! I'm not only looking forward to reading more books by Sheryl but also to listening to more books narrated by Tamsin!
It is set over multiple time lines. When books show what has happened in the past and what is happening in the present I find it really helps the reader (if it is well done) understand why things are happening and what has lead to the present activities and decisions. It also shows the bigger picture.
Absolutely addictive, unputdownable and most definitely EXPLOSIVE!!!
The characters were vivid, realistic, unique and very compelling. Throughout the book I liked, disliked and questioned most of the main characters unsure of who was to blame and who was doing what wrong and right. After I had done all that I was still wrong!!! Throughout the book I flicked from feeling sorry for either Eve, Dom and Lydia and then by the next chapter I thought that same character seriously needed help or were just horrific. I became suspect of them all. There was an additional character my heart completely broke for at the end but I won't be saying any more on who or why as, again I don't want to spoil it for future readers. I felt the book ended perfectly the way it did and everything was explained with no loose ends, another pet hate of mine. Well done Sheryl!!! The perfect eclectic mix of strong and realistic characters came together to make this book a real page turner!!!
Make sure you read to the very end of the book to read the prologue and first two chapters of Sheryl's 'The Affair' which promises to be just as addictive as this book and I cannot wait to get stuck into it!!!
This book would make a truly captivating movie which I would love to see and I am definitely looking forward to reading more books by Sheryl. Congratulations Sheryl on yet another amazing read!!! Here's to your next success 🥂
This is exactly why Sheryl is one of my favourite authors. I love every book yet she still manages to make them better and better which is not an easy feat!!
Overall a page turning, gripping and addictive psychological thriller that will shock you at times and break your heart on others!!
Genres covered in this novel include Mystery, Domestic Fiction, Thriller, Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Crime Fiction, Domestic Thriller, Noir Fiction, Crime Fiction, Contemporary Fiction and Psychological Fiction amongst others.
I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of 'Gone Girl' , Shalini Boland, 'The Girl On The Train', 'The Wife', Lisa Jewell and anyone looking for an explosive novel with a bombshell twist!!!
369 pages/ 9 hours and 25 minutes
This book is just £1.99 to purchase on kindle, £16 for audiobook and £8.99 in paperback via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!
Rated 5 /5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.
Feel free to add me on Goodreads or follow me on my website or Facebook for more reviews
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Review for 'Her First Child' by Sheryl Browne.
Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Sheryl Browne, Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous
Publication date 8th December 2022.
This is the fifth book I have read by this author. I have previously read 'My Husbands Girlfriend', 'The Invite', 'Do I Know You?' and 'The Liar's Child' which I highly recommend.
I was originally drawn to this book by its eye catching cover and its intriguing synopsis and title. The synopsis stated that 'Fans of The Girl on the Train, Gone Girl and The Wife, will absolutely love this gripping and addictive thriller. Her First Child will have you hooked from the very first page!' I am a huge fan of 'Gone Girl' and 'The Wife' so am looking forward to seeing if this lives up to this statement. I am also a huge fan of Sheryl and if this is half as good as 'My Husband's Girlfriend', 'The Invite', 'Do I Really Know You?' and 'The Liar's Child' it is sure to be a page turning read. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).
This novel consists a prologue, 65 chapters and an epilogue. The chapters are medium in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!
This book is based in the UK 🇬🇧. The bonus for me of books that are partly or fully based in the UK is that I live in the UK and have sometimes visited places mentioned in the book which makes it easier to picture.
This book is written in third person perspective with the main protagonists being Eve, Lydia and Chloe. The benefits of third person perspective with multiple protagonists are that it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything.
'Her First Child' discusses some topics that may upset some readers or may not be suitable for others. I like to point this out ahead of time in my reviews so you can judge if this book is for you or not. In this book Sheryl discusses/includes mental health, Munchausen syndrome by proxy and domestic abuse.
Wow!!! What did I just read!!! What twists and a half fairplay, I most certainly was NOT expecting any of that!!! Anyway, we shall return to that!!! This book is extremely well written and completely drew me in from start to end. The synopsis, title and cover worked perfectly with the storyline.
One of the best books I have ever read!!! Don't even think about even looking at the first page until you have cleared your schedules as you won't be able to put it down!!
The storyline was extremely compelling and I was completely addicted from the beginning starting with a prologue putting my heart in my throat to absolutely explosive ending!!! I started it this morning and finished it in a day!! It was filled with Mysteries, infidelity, secrets, cover ups, twists, lies and surprises and and had me completely absorbed throughout. This book ticked absolutely every single box!!! It was filled with suspense, lies, romance, twists, heartbreak, deceit and shocks!! It had me on tenterhooks on the edge of my seat and biting my nails to get to the truth. I absolutely loved how it completely shocked me at the end!! There's not much worse in a book than when you have already figured out what is going on by 50%!! I love that the fact that Sheryl has done her research shined throughout. One of my pet hates is when an authour picks a subject to include in their novel but hasn't done any research, it litters the books with mistakes and errors and it can spoil a storyline. This book is not only an epic psychological thriller filled with twists and turns that I would have never expected all the way to the end but it is also quite sad and heartbreaking when it comes to the end and when we find out what really happened to who and why. In this book Sheryl discusses a very important subjects that include mental health, Munchausen syndrome by proxy and domestic abuse and manages to weave them all into an addictive, realistic and emotional storyline. I won't go into too much detail and Sheryl explains it all beautifully in her letter at the end of the book so make sure you continue to the end to read it. A huge well down to you Sheryl you should be extremely proud of yourself!! I would love to see this book turned into what would promise to be a massive hit movie!!
This is only the fourth book that I have listened 100% on Audiobook. If I listen to a book on audiobook I usually also read the physical book between but for the second time I listened to the whole book and I was impressed! I must say a HUGE congratulations to the narrator Tamsin Kennard who did a great job bringing this story to life. I would listen to it in the car, in the gym and while walking at any opportunity and Tamsin did a fantastic job on both male and female characters voices!!! I'm not only looking forward to reading more books by Sheryl but also to listening to more books narrated by Tamsin!
It is set over multiple time lines. When books show what has happened in the past and what is happening in the present I find it really helps the reader (if it is well done) understand why things are happening and what has lead to the present activities and decisions. It also shows the bigger picture.
Absolutely addictive, unputdownable and most definitely EXPLOSIVE!!!
The characters were vivid, realistic, unique and very compelling. Throughout the book I liked, disliked and questioned most of the main characters unsure of who was to blame and who was doing what wrong and right. After I had done all that I was still wrong!!! Throughout the book I flicked from feeling sorry for either Eve, Dom and Lydia and then by the next chapter I thought that same character seriously needed help or were just horrific. I became suspect of them all. There was an additional character my heart completely broke for at the end but I won't be saying any more on who or why as, again I don't want to spoil it for future readers. I felt the book ended perfectly the way it did and everything was explained with no loose ends, another pet hate of mine. Well done Sheryl!!! The perfect eclectic mix of strong and realistic characters came together to make this book a real page turner!!!
Make sure you read to the very end of the book to read the prologue and first two chapters of Sheryl's 'The Affair' which promises to be just as addictive as this book and I cannot wait to get stuck into it!!!
This book would make a truly captivating movie which I would love to see and I am definitely looking forward to reading more books by Sheryl. Congratulations Sheryl on yet another amazing read!!! Here's to your next success 🥂
This is exactly why Sheryl is one of my favourite authors. I love every book yet she still manages to make them better and better which is not an easy feat!!
Overall a page turning, gripping and addictive psychological thriller that will shock you at times and break your heart on others!!
Genres covered in this novel include Mystery, Domestic Fiction, Thriller, Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Crime Fiction, Domestic Thriller, Noir Fiction, Crime Fiction, Contemporary Fiction and Psychological Fiction amongst others.
I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of 'Gone Girl' , Shalini Boland, 'The Girl On The Train', 'The Wife', Lisa Jewell and anyone looking for an explosive novel with a bombshell twist!!!
369 pages/ 9 hours and 25 minutes
This book is just £1.99 to purchase on kindle, £16 for audiobook and £8.99 in paperback via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!
Rated 5 /5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.
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December 5, 2022
I was pretty surprised when I realized I was only about 40% through this book and this were already getting pretty crazy. The drama starts nearly immediately- and so do the cliff hangers. We are fed a trail of breadcrumbs that gets more and more difficult to follow. Overall, an interesting plot that kept me looking for more.
🌀Synopsis
It’s no coincidence that when Eve’s estranged mother Lydia shows up, her son starts having health issues. Eve, Lydia, and Chloe all remember the years past- the death of Eve’s brother.
As her husband starts to hear more pieces of her history, he also starts to become concerned. There are a lot of things people aren’t telling him and they’re all throwing blame at each other. Transgressions within their marriage also come to light, leaving the couple on very unstable terms.
When Lydia has a stroke at the same time Chloe is attacked things become even more strange. Eve’s husband no longer trusts her with their child and, instead, turns to Chloe. Now Eve must make him see what is happening and save her son too.
🌀Synopsis
It’s no coincidence that when Eve’s estranged mother Lydia shows up, her son starts having health issues. Eve, Lydia, and Chloe all remember the years past- the death of Eve’s brother.
As her husband starts to hear more pieces of her history, he also starts to become concerned. There are a lot of things people aren’t telling him and they’re all throwing blame at each other. Transgressions within their marriage also come to light, leaving the couple on very unstable terms.
When Lydia has a stroke at the same time Chloe is attacked things become even more strange. Eve’s husband no longer trusts her with their child and, instead, turns to Chloe. Now Eve must make him see what is happening and save her son too.
November 20, 2022
I'm a big fan of suspense thrillers, and an audio book listener since the 1980s when everything was on cassette tapes, so I have some experience with the genre and the medium. This was my first Sheryl Browne book, and it was good. It wasn't great, but I think that is because there were too many characters and, as an audio, it was easy to become distracted and lose the plot. Plus throw in red herrings and lots of secrets and the audio made it hard to manage.
Also, I'm sorry to say, I did not care for the narrator on this one. I found the reading pace to have been slow, and when you speed up the content, nuance is lost.
Overall the story of a current new mom, a fractured relationship with her own mother, (trigger warning) child loss - it was an okay book, but probably not one for me.
Also, I'm sorry to say, I did not care for the narrator on this one. I found the reading pace to have been slow, and when you speed up the content, nuance is lost.
Overall the story of a current new mom, a fractured relationship with her own mother, (trigger warning) child loss - it was an okay book, but probably not one for me.
December 8, 2022
Sheryl Browne is one of my favorite authors.
And once again this book hit it out of the park.
Did I like the characters? Absolutely not not one bit. But sometimes that makes for a great story.
This book touches on a lot..family, affairs, murder, sickness, mental health, Munchausen syndrome by proxy. Wow I know a lot to cover in one book. Well written as always.
Mind was reeling at times wondering what exactly was going on??
Suspense up to the final page.
Bravo...until we meet again on your next book..don't keep us waiting too long Sheryl
Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an early release of this book.
And once again this book hit it out of the park.
Did I like the characters? Absolutely not not one bit. But sometimes that makes for a great story.
This book touches on a lot..family, affairs, murder, sickness, mental health, Munchausen syndrome by proxy. Wow I know a lot to cover in one book. Well written as always.
Mind was reeling at times wondering what exactly was going on??
Suspense up to the final page.
Bravo...until we meet again on your next book..don't keep us waiting too long Sheryl
Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an early release of this book.
Read
November 12, 2022Sheryl Browne really knows how to tease her readers in her latest psychological thriller, Her First Child. She feeds you little snippets without giving too much away so it has you racing through the pages to see just what did happen in Eve's past and to her little brother Jacob. I couldn't put it down and was gripped from start to finish. A compulsive, mess with your head read that will keep you guessing!
January 13, 2023
Thank you Netgalley for the audio copy in exchange for a honest review. Eve has a baby son Kai with her husband Dom. When her Mum Lydia comes back into her life Eve is reminded of her own tragic childhood and fears for her sons safety. Her best friend Chloe lives close by and has always been there for her. This thriller is full of secrets and lies and kept me gripped from the beginning.
November 25, 2022
2.5 Stars
When Eve’s mom Lydia comes visiting, she is really worried as she doesn’t want her husband Dom to know about some of the childhood trauma that Eve has endured – but why exactly is Lydia here and does she have a hidden agenda?
Eve’s childhood friend Chloe also warns Dom not to listen to his mother in-law and at the same time Lydia tells Dom not to believe everything that Chloe tells.
As we go deeper into the story we learn that Eve’s son Kai might have health related issues and it could be genetic and could be the same as what happened to Eve’s brother.
The story started well, being told in multiple POVs but somewhere in between the author lost track of her story telling and some open ended questions started forming. Right when 2 people are attacked in this book, the story kind of lost it’s plot – I am still a bit unsure of what really happened as eventually the story felt a little all over the place.
The narration by Tamsin Kennard kept me going, thanks to Netgalley, Sheryl Browne and Bookouture Audio for the copy in exchange for an unbiased review.
When Eve’s mom Lydia comes visiting, she is really worried as she doesn’t want her husband Dom to know about some of the childhood trauma that Eve has endured – but why exactly is Lydia here and does she have a hidden agenda?
Eve’s childhood friend Chloe also warns Dom not to listen to his mother in-law and at the same time Lydia tells Dom not to believe everything that Chloe tells.
As we go deeper into the story we learn that Eve’s son Kai might have health related issues and it could be genetic and could be the same as what happened to Eve’s brother.
The story started well, being told in multiple POVs but somewhere in between the author lost track of her story telling and some open ended questions started forming. Right when 2 people are attacked in this book, the story kind of lost it’s plot – I am still a bit unsure of what really happened as eventually the story felt a little all over the place.
The narration by Tamsin Kennard kept me going, thanks to Netgalley, Sheryl Browne and Bookouture Audio for the copy in exchange for an unbiased review.
November 4, 2022
I am big fan of this author and yet again delivered a very gripping and addictive twisty read. Eve and Chloe have been best friend s since primary school always there for each other. both are now married Chloe to Steve and Eve to Dom they have had their first child Kai. Eve is very protective of him and as the story goes on you will see why. Eve has nothing to do with her mother Lydia .and when she comes home from work her mum is in the house and wants to stay the night .Eve did not have a good childhood her father was a controlling bully, and she has not forgiven her mother for not doing more and she lost her baby brother. this story is about control lies jealousy. I so very recommend this book once you start you won't want to stop reading
November 29, 2022
Oh wow!
At first I was a bit suspicious about this being another overprotective-new-mum- story. But I was so so wrong!
We get to know Eve, who is happily married and a new mother. She has not been in contact with her own mum for a long time- so why does Lydia turn up all at once?
Eve's friend Chloe is a very strong person as well.
I loved the narration done by Tamsin Kennard!
Thank you so much #NetGalley #Bookouture Audio for the audiobook
At first I was a bit suspicious about this being another overprotective-new-mum- story. But I was so so wrong!
We get to know Eve, who is happily married and a new mother. She has not been in contact with her own mum for a long time- so why does Lydia turn up all at once?
Eve's friend Chloe is a very strong person as well.
I loved the narration done by Tamsin Kennard!
Thank you so much #NetGalley #Bookouture Audio for the audiobook
January 7, 2023
This is a review of the audio book.
I enjoyed the book but it didnt grab me - the characters were too unlikeable and the ending felt very rushed.
With respect to the narration, she did a really good job but really do wish there was another narrator as there were so many different POVs and the women seemed to mould into each other.
I was given a free copy by netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely my own.
I enjoyed the book but it didnt grab me - the characters were too unlikeable and the ending felt very rushed.
With respect to the narration, she did a really good job but really do wish there was another narrator as there were so many different POVs and the women seemed to mould into each other.
I was given a free copy by netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely my own.
November 28, 2022
Her First Child
By: Sheryl Browne
4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
My first novel by this author.
Eve is a new mother with a young son. She wants to be the best mom as her childhood was not the best. She has not spoken to her mother in years.
Eve’s baby brother died when he was young Eve has been holding on to the past. Out of the blue her mother Lydia calls reaching out. Against her better judgement she lets her mother visit to meet her son.
One morning her son needs emergency care and she wishes she never let her mother back into her life. Her mother had checked on her son at night and he seemed fine.
What happened all those years ago? We go from the present and the past? Is history being repeated? This twisty audio kept my attention. I look forward to more books by this author.
Thank you @netgalley, @bookouture and author Sheryl Brown for this audiobook.
#bookreview, #audiobook, #bookouture, #bookstagram, #stamperlady50, #netgalley
By: Sheryl Browne
4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
My first novel by this author.
Eve is a new mother with a young son. She wants to be the best mom as her childhood was not the best. She has not spoken to her mother in years.
Eve’s baby brother died when he was young Eve has been holding on to the past. Out of the blue her mother Lydia calls reaching out. Against her better judgement she lets her mother visit to meet her son.
One morning her son needs emergency care and she wishes she never let her mother back into her life. Her mother had checked on her son at night and he seemed fine.
What happened all those years ago? We go from the present and the past? Is history being repeated? This twisty audio kept my attention. I look forward to more books by this author.
Thank you @netgalley, @bookouture and author Sheryl Brown for this audiobook.
#bookreview, #audiobook, #bookouture, #bookstagram, #stamperlady50, #netgalley
November 25, 2022
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC in exchange for an honest review!
The book summary initially intrigued me as I enjoy psychological thrillers. I really enjoyed the duel timeline but it felt odd to have only one chapter of Dom. I felt like he either needed more or to just be left out of his POV. I also struggled liking any of the characters. I felt for young Eve but adult Eve was hard to like. Which made it hard because I wasn’t “rooting” for anyone! I was hooked most of the book and unsure where things were going or what happened the night that Jacob died but then the ending lost me. I felt like the book got vague on what really happened and if anyone was really sane or correct in their version. I re-read the last chapter and epilogue twice and was still confused about the ending. The wrap up was confusing to me.
The book summary initially intrigued me as I enjoy psychological thrillers. I really enjoyed the duel timeline but it felt odd to have only one chapter of Dom. I felt like he either needed more or to just be left out of his POV. I also struggled liking any of the characters. I felt for young Eve but adult Eve was hard to like. Which made it hard because I wasn’t “rooting” for anyone! I was hooked most of the book and unsure where things were going or what happened the night that Jacob died but then the ending lost me. I felt like the book got vague on what really happened and if anyone was really sane or correct in their version. I re-read the last chapter and epilogue twice and was still confused about the ending. The wrap up was confusing to me.
December 10, 2022
★★★★★ 4.5 stars (rounded up)
I can't believe this is my tenth book by the masterful Sheryl Browne! I knew from past experience that I was going to be in for an enjoyable ride...and I wasn't wrong. HER FIRST CHILD, at first glance, appears to be the usual domestic thriller trope but the further we get into the story, the more we discover that it is anything but. Browne loves to take diverse topics and build her cleverly woven tales around them, creating thrilling yet emotive plots that will keep readers turning the pages long into the night.
New mother Eve has the perfect life with her perfect husband, perfect home and perfect job as a GP. It's all she has ever wanted and more than she ever thought she deserved. Her son Kai is just two months old and Eve is understandably very protective of him...even moreso when her own mother Lydia arrives unannounced and rather unwelcome, bringing with her long forgotten memories of her horrific childhood and a past she prefers to keep buried. Her husband Dom can't understand Eve's behaviour but then she's never shared her past with him either...and he can't understand why she feels she can't confide in him. But the longer Lydia is here, the greater the risk she will let something slip. And Eve can't risk that...for her past, her childhood, is far too painful.
Eve's childhood was one of anger, abuse and fear. Her father was a controlling man who used coercive abuse to control her mother and by default controlling her also. Her mother's weapon was silence. She wouldn't speak to Eve, almost pretending she wasn't there. Her childhood home was not a happy one, filled with emotional and psychological abuse that she had to tiptoe around. And no one was there to love her or protect her...no one except Chloe. She was her only solace; her only friend. Chloe knew everything about her - all her secrets, her pain, her fear and her sadness - and still she remained.
But now Eve is an adult and Chloe is still her best friend, living just a few doors down with her husband Steve and two children. Neither woman is thrilled when Lydia arrives and when she is found in her son Kai's nursery, Eve is immediately suspicious. Whatever reason she is here for, Eve does not want her mother anywhere near her son. Ever. On that she is clear. Which only serves to confuse Dom even further. Why does Eve hate her mother so much? Why doesn't she want him near Kai? And why won't she tell him anything about her childhood? She refuses to talk to him so Dom can only draw his own conclusions...that she doesn't trust him enough. But is it really that simple?
And then he discovers Eve had a baby brother, Jacob, who died. But what he can't fathom is how. And no one - not Eve, not Chloe and not Lydia - will tell him. All Eve will say is that she doesn't want her mother anywhere near their son. Surely, that speaks for itself?
But like all domestic psychological thrillers, just when you think you have it all figured out and can see the reveal a mile away, along comes another twist and another and another which turns everything about-face and upside down that will leave you reeling with whiplash.
HER FIRST CHILD is filled with secrets, lies and trauma on a massive scale that you can really sympathise with. It tears at your heart that you just want to take the child, throw your arms around them and whisk them away to safety. But then we wouldn't have this story to tell, would we? I mean, this book has it all - family drama, bullying, coercive control, emotional and psychological abuse, jealousy, trauma, lies and oh so many secrets. And then there is the illnesses - real, imagined and mental - which just propels readers into a tangled web of lies, trauma and secrets.
The characters were well developed and mostly unlikeable, with Chloe being the top of my list. I really loathed her. She had this passive aggressive thing going and a secret jealousy for someone who was supposed to be her best friend...and then went on to count the ways. I just wanted to slap her into the middle of the next millennium. But each of them had their own level of awfulness to contribute.
There is definitely more than meets the eye in this tale of domestic suspense and psychological drama. Browne has peppered clues all the way through, drip-feeding us little by little and ending with a bit of a surprise twist, leaving readers wondering. It really does need you to think about it at the end...I was left scratching my head at first. I thought I had it figured out long before the reveal but then I questioned myself. And then it becomes clear...sort of. lol
I thoroughly enjoyed HER FIRST CHILD and all its nuances. It definitely left me wondering...maybe a little too much? But thank you Sheryl for clearing it up for me. I wasn't wrong after all.
I would like to thank #SherylBrowne, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #HerFirstChild in exchange for an honest review.
This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.
I can't believe this is my tenth book by the masterful Sheryl Browne! I knew from past experience that I was going to be in for an enjoyable ride...and I wasn't wrong. HER FIRST CHILD, at first glance, appears to be the usual domestic thriller trope but the further we get into the story, the more we discover that it is anything but. Browne loves to take diverse topics and build her cleverly woven tales around them, creating thrilling yet emotive plots that will keep readers turning the pages long into the night.
New mother Eve has the perfect life with her perfect husband, perfect home and perfect job as a GP. It's all she has ever wanted and more than she ever thought she deserved. Her son Kai is just two months old and Eve is understandably very protective of him...even moreso when her own mother Lydia arrives unannounced and rather unwelcome, bringing with her long forgotten memories of her horrific childhood and a past she prefers to keep buried. Her husband Dom can't understand Eve's behaviour but then she's never shared her past with him either...and he can't understand why she feels she can't confide in him. But the longer Lydia is here, the greater the risk she will let something slip. And Eve can't risk that...for her past, her childhood, is far too painful.
Eve's childhood was one of anger, abuse and fear. Her father was a controlling man who used coercive abuse to control her mother and by default controlling her also. Her mother's weapon was silence. She wouldn't speak to Eve, almost pretending she wasn't there. Her childhood home was not a happy one, filled with emotional and psychological abuse that she had to tiptoe around. And no one was there to love her or protect her...no one except Chloe. She was her only solace; her only friend. Chloe knew everything about her - all her secrets, her pain, her fear and her sadness - and still she remained.
But now Eve is an adult and Chloe is still her best friend, living just a few doors down with her husband Steve and two children. Neither woman is thrilled when Lydia arrives and when she is found in her son Kai's nursery, Eve is immediately suspicious. Whatever reason she is here for, Eve does not want her mother anywhere near her son. Ever. On that she is clear. Which only serves to confuse Dom even further. Why does Eve hate her mother so much? Why doesn't she want him near Kai? And why won't she tell him anything about her childhood? She refuses to talk to him so Dom can only draw his own conclusions...that she doesn't trust him enough. But is it really that simple?
And then he discovers Eve had a baby brother, Jacob, who died. But what he can't fathom is how. And no one - not Eve, not Chloe and not Lydia - will tell him. All Eve will say is that she doesn't want her mother anywhere near their son. Surely, that speaks for itself?
But like all domestic psychological thrillers, just when you think you have it all figured out and can see the reveal a mile away, along comes another twist and another and another which turns everything about-face and upside down that will leave you reeling with whiplash.
HER FIRST CHILD is filled with secrets, lies and trauma on a massive scale that you can really sympathise with. It tears at your heart that you just want to take the child, throw your arms around them and whisk them away to safety. But then we wouldn't have this story to tell, would we? I mean, this book has it all - family drama, bullying, coercive control, emotional and psychological abuse, jealousy, trauma, lies and oh so many secrets. And then there is the illnesses - real, imagined and mental - which just propels readers into a tangled web of lies, trauma and secrets.
The characters were well developed and mostly unlikeable, with Chloe being the top of my list. I really loathed her. She had this passive aggressive thing going and a secret jealousy for someone who was supposed to be her best friend...and then went on to count the ways. I just wanted to slap her into the middle of the next millennium. But each of them had their own level of awfulness to contribute.
There is definitely more than meets the eye in this tale of domestic suspense and psychological drama. Browne has peppered clues all the way through, drip-feeding us little by little and ending with a bit of a surprise twist, leaving readers wondering. It really does need you to think about it at the end...I was left scratching my head at first. I thought I had it figured out long before the reveal but then I questioned myself. And then it becomes clear...sort of. lol
I thoroughly enjoyed HER FIRST CHILD and all its nuances. It definitely left me wondering...maybe a little too much? But thank you Sheryl for clearing it up for me. I wasn't wrong after all.
I would like to thank #SherylBrowne, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #HerFirstChild in exchange for an honest review.
This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.
November 29, 2022
This new psychological suspense novel will have you guessing from the beginning until the end. None of the characters are who you think they are when you first meet them. But who are they? I'll tell you right from the beginning, I didn't like ANY of the characters -- they are all unreliable narrators and try to present themselves in a much better light than they really belong in. So who are the characters
-Eve is the young mother of a new baby. She loves him and wants to protect him totally differently than the way so was protected as a child - she was totally unprotected from her parents.
-Dom is Eve's husband. He knows that she's keeping secrets but can't get her to open up. Even though he is a stay at home dad, he feels like Eve doesn't totally trust him with their child.
-Lydia is Eve's mom. She and Eve had been estranged for years until one day she shows up at her daughter's house to see her grandson. She lived with her husband (Eve's dad) until he died. He was an abusive husband and Lydia did nothing to protect her daughter. They both doted on their young son who was sickly but we don't find out what happened to him until later in the story.
-Chloe has been Eve's best friend since childhood. She's in a rocky marriage but had always been close to help her best friend through some of the turmoil in her life.
Right from the beginning, there are a lot of questions
-Why is Eve so protective of her baby
-Why does Eve want to keep her mother away from the baby
-Why won't she share her past with Dom
-What happened to her younger brother
-Was Chloe really a good friend or had she been stirring up Eve's life for years
You'll get answers to all of these questions but won't totally understand the family dynamics until the very end of the story. I went from feeling sympathy for a character and a couple of pages later, I'd realize what an awful person they really were. This is a roller coaster ride of a novel that will keep you guessing until the end!
-Eve is the young mother of a new baby. She loves him and wants to protect him totally differently than the way so was protected as a child - she was totally unprotected from her parents.
-Dom is Eve's husband. He knows that she's keeping secrets but can't get her to open up. Even though he is a stay at home dad, he feels like Eve doesn't totally trust him with their child.
-Lydia is Eve's mom. She and Eve had been estranged for years until one day she shows up at her daughter's house to see her grandson. She lived with her husband (Eve's dad) until he died. He was an abusive husband and Lydia did nothing to protect her daughter. They both doted on their young son who was sickly but we don't find out what happened to him until later in the story.
-Chloe has been Eve's best friend since childhood. She's in a rocky marriage but had always been close to help her best friend through some of the turmoil in her life.
Right from the beginning, there are a lot of questions
-Why is Eve so protective of her baby
-Why does Eve want to keep her mother away from the baby
-Why won't she share her past with Dom
-What happened to her younger brother
-Was Chloe really a good friend or had she been stirring up Eve's life for years
You'll get answers to all of these questions but won't totally understand the family dynamics until the very end of the story. I went from feeling sympathy for a character and a couple of pages later, I'd realize what an awful person they really were. This is a roller coaster ride of a novel that will keep you guessing until the end!
March 10, 2023
Eve and her husband, Dom are proud parents to their baby, Kai. Eve is very protective of him and vows she will not be like her mother. Eve grew up tiptoeing around the anger, abuse and heavy mood in her home. If it wasn't for her best friend Chloe she wouldn't have been able to stand it. Her baby brother died when she was young and that seems to be the reason she is so overprotective. When her mother, Lydia calls and says she is coming, things take a turn. When Lydia arrives, Eve is reminded of her horrific childhood and is fearful for her son. Dom can't understand why Eve is acting strangely and it is soon obvious that she has been keeping secrets from him and is concerned about what her mother might tell him. Is Kai safe with her mother around? What is going on between Chloe and Dom?
This story is told through the POV's of Eve, Chloe and Lydia. Each provides insight into the present and the past in dual timelines. As the story progresses, it is obvious to me that we are dealing with unreliable narrators. Everyone seems to have secrets and each character wants something different. There is domestic violence in the past timelines and some infidelity as well. As I read, I thought I had the story all figured out, but with Sheryl Browne, I should have known better. With unlikable characters, twists and turns, lies and secrets, I was left feeling shocked as the final reveal came. I enjoyed this book and the narration by Tamsin Kennard. My complaint about the audiobook is that with multiple POVs it is nice to have more than one narrator to differentiate the narrators. She really didn't give the characters individual voices, but did add expression and emotion to the story. If you enjoy a good psychological thriller, then I recommend you pick this one up.
This story is told through the POV's of Eve, Chloe and Lydia. Each provides insight into the present and the past in dual timelines. As the story progresses, it is obvious to me that we are dealing with unreliable narrators. Everyone seems to have secrets and each character wants something different. There is domestic violence in the past timelines and some infidelity as well. As I read, I thought I had the story all figured out, but with Sheryl Browne, I should have known better. With unlikable characters, twists and turns, lies and secrets, I was left feeling shocked as the final reveal came. I enjoyed this book and the narration by Tamsin Kennard. My complaint about the audiobook is that with multiple POVs it is nice to have more than one narrator to differentiate the narrators. She really didn't give the characters individual voices, but did add expression and emotion to the story. If you enjoy a good psychological thriller, then I recommend you pick this one up.
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