This was a brilliant audiobook, a domestic drama by Sarah Vaughan. I loved her legal thriller, Anatomy of Scandal and was thrilled when the ebook was offered to me as a NetGalley widget. However when I listened to the NetGalley audio sample recently, I loved it and requested the audiobook, as I knew I’d enjoy it even more in that format and I was not disappointed!

The story is mostly told by Liz, a doctor working in A&E paediatrics in an NHS Hospital and Jess, an old friend and stay home mother of three children, plus Ed, Jess’ husband. Further on into the story there are points of view from other characters.

Liz and Jess they first met at antenatal classes, but hadn’t seen each other for months, mostly due to Liz’s work commitments. They meet each other again in very surprising circumstances, when Jess brings in her fractious baby to A&E and Liz really wants to believe the best of her friend and not the worst! Following hospital procedure she has to call in social services and the police, much to Jess’ horror!

What a dilemma, but what a fantastic story, that gripped from the start and kept me hooked all the way through it’s 10 Hours, 52 Minutes, 33 Seconds! I was desperate to find out what really happened to Jess’ baby.

There were flashbacks from when Liz and Jess first met, and other moments through their shared history with other families in their friendship group. I loved the slow dissection of their lives, exploring the theme of mental health, particularly post natal mental health.

I don’t normally enjoy domestic dramas, normally because the one’s I’ve read in the past don’t have any likeable characters. Fortunately the characters in this books were more likeable which made it such a powerful audiobook! Whilst listening I kept thinking back to when I was a new Mum and how scary everything was and hard it was to open up to anyone about those fears. I could really sympathise with Jess. most of the time, but also really felt for Liz.

There were four narrators for this audiobook, Sophie Roberts, Esther Wane, Elliot Fitzpatrick, and Sarah Feathers. All these narrators were new-to-me even though they’ve all narrated audiobooks before. I really enjoyed their portrayals of the different characters and would definitely listen to more audiobooks read by any of them.

This book really does confirm to me that Sarah Vaughan is definitely an must read/listen author for me! I highly recommend this one if you enjoy contemporary domestic dramas, exploring mental health themes.

I’m glad I took this book on audio as I think I might have given up if I had been reading it. Good start and decent finish but far too many extra bits that had little or no bearing to the main story. I thought there was confusion with postpartum depression and OCD both probable cause for all the trouble. It’s much more a woman’s fiction than thriller too.

I was excited to read this book as I thoroughly enjoyed Sarah Vaughan's book, Anatomy of a Scandal and I did enjoy this book too but it didnt blow me away. If anything I wanted the end to come quickly and I have to admit to skipping a couple of chapters.
The subject matter of post natal anxiety was a great subject to choose for a book and the story highlights how even the most experienced of mothers can be affected by it. The subject is dealt with realistically and Jess' self doubts are relatable. Alongside this main plot runs the story of Liz, a paediatric doctor who has experienced a similar situation to Jess as a child herself. Personally I felt that this sub plot wasnt needed and is one reason why I found the book tedious and skipped forward. The book started off and ended really well but there just wasn't enough twists and turns in the middle for me. I felt like the story just didnt gather pace until near to the end by which time I had already guessed correctly the outcome. However I can see that a lot of readers have rated this book 4 or 5 stars. This is just my opinion. Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read and review this book in exchange for an honest review.

Liz sees Jess as the perfect stay at home mother whilst she struggles to juggle a busy career as a doctor and mother. They have a group of friends who all bonded as first time Mums in their mother and baby group. But things are not as they seem, Jess has hidden struggles that are impacting her emotionally, whilst Liz struggles with her relationship with her mother. All these dynamics combine in a book which will challenge your thought processes. I was drawn to fragile Jess and was willing her to find her voice however when Jess rushes her baby to the ER where Liz is on call all is not what it seems. Despite having a group of close friends it seems Jess doesn’t know where to turn. Meanwhile Liz was a character that developed in-depth throughout the book, and she struggles to reconcile the mother who has brought a baby to ER with an alarming injury and the friend she has looked up to . The pressure for Jess and Liz to live up to their own expectations as a modern wife and mother were evident as their characters were revealed and flaws explored. The narration contributed to the character building and fast paced story. This audiobook would be an ideal choice for anyone who likes a sensitively handled plot of family secrets and a struggle to protect your child at all costs.

A great read. This keeps you guessing as to just how the awful scenario will unfold and makes you think about first impressions people give and then what really lies below that initial impression. It is a great observational story, with considerable pace and a plot to keep you reading until the end. Excellent.

I absolutely loved this book! The plot is one I have not come across yet which, I must admit is a breath of fresh air after reading recent books.
I loved all the characters and I couldn't choose a favourite; It is a fast-paced drama/mystery and was such a heartbreaking story with fantastic imagery.
I have not read any other books by Sarah Vaughan but since reading this one I can't wait to read more of her books. There were several layers of twists to this story and every time I though one was coming to an end another one was revealed.
The narrators for this audiobook were perfect for the roles, especially the chapters from Frankie and Liz's perspective.
I think this book shines a light on how exhausting and unrelenting being a mother can be. It shows that even supposed perfect parents have their moments of panic and distress.
Thank you so much to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for the ARC.

Audio version of this book 📚. The audiobook was narrated by 4 narrators , giving the three main characters In the book a voice which enhanced their characters in the book and made them believable. I found the book itself a little bit of a slow burner and it took me awhile to get into the storyline as it kept jumping from past to present, and I felt a little long winded in parts . It’s a very thought provoking book which makes you ask yourself ‘ what would I do in that situation??’ The ending has a great twist which came as a surprise as I thought I’d worked it out half way through!! This book was under the mystery & thriller genre, but I think it’s more women’s fiction

This book is along similar lines to those of Jodi Picoult's titles. It looks into dark areas of our lives and examines what can happen in the extremities. Jess always seemed like the perfect mother, but suddenly her baby is in hospital with a skull fracture. Her excuses feel like lies, and her friend, a paediatrician, has to make the dreadful decision to call the police and social services. The tale examines the lives of both women and their nearest and dearest. Towards the close of the book we are hit by a couple of twists; one seen, the other a real surprise to me. The story is well written and the narrators excellent

I liked this audiobook. The story is tenderly told, putting readers in the minds of these people slowly, so you can see why they act as they do, and you can empathize with them, even when their actions are so, so wrong.

There's an air of melancholy that permeates the whole novel that is very appropriated, considering the matter. I think the author approached a very tough subject in a respectful and credible manner.

It is hard not to be bothered, though, by Jess's antivaxx's ludicrous claims but it compounds the character and makes her ordeal seem even more believable. I just hope the message people take here is: get help if you feel like you need it and believe in science!

The narrators did a great job delivering the story. This is an audiobook that will resonate for fans of Jodi Picoult and Liane Moriarty.

I'd like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

I have recently read this on Netgalley's Read Now section so I have copied my review here, as well as my review of the audiobook.
I enjoyed this book.
I felt it was a little slow in parts and I predicted the ending fairly early on but I liked the characters and sympathised with their situation.
t was a startling account of the pressures on mothers to keep their children safe.
The audiobook was easy to listen to and a strong retelling of the plot. I am becoming a huge fan of audiobooks and I definitely prefer having multiple narrators to show the different perspectives in a stronger way.