Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown for allowing me to read this prior to publication. I completely and utterly lost myself in this book over a couple of days and now have lots of chores to catch up with.

A heartbreaking story that prompts the reader to sit upright and absorb every syllable and emotion that two leading characters share with us. Dr Sue, a highly respected doctor, TV star and mother juggles her responsibilities with finite care and attention, drops a ball and pays the highest price and is then judged by everyone in a very public forum. Adelaide Gold, a journalist and news presenter has her own heartbreak which has been boxed up and buried, finds the media storm releasing unwanted emotions and thoughts she has shared with no-one. A compelling story that provokes lots of questions and a realisation that we are all fallible.

My mum recently got a copy of this and read it in a week which is quick for her so I knew then it must be good so as soon as I saw it on netgalley I had to request it.
It did not disappoint. I loved how they changed the POV with different chapters. I think I much preferred Adelaide’s side of things. I think she showed a lot more emotion compared to Dr Sue but I think Dr Sue has to come across strong minded & not weak due to the job she has.
It’s a heartbreaking story & definitely puts things into perspective.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. I was gripped by the harrowing storyline from the beginning. Well written, with great characters, it looks at the issue of the pressure on women and mothers to be ‘all things to all people’. A really great read that I highly recommend!

Can women really have everything, career, life, family? Susannah makes a mistake that sadly kills her daughter. Vilified by the public, press and dragged through the courts. Wil the outcome be disproportionate or a justification of the fast, overloaded life we all lead?

Thanks to Netgalley and Little Brown Book Group UK for the advance read of this debut book publishing 20th January 2022.
This was a harrowing read in parts and I really felt for Susannah.
I can't say I enjoyed it due to some of the subjects raised throughout the book but it was an interesting read none the less and im glad I read it.
Look forward to reading more from this author.

Dr Susannah is a highflying media-famous US paediatrician, with a wonderful husband and 2 much loved daughters. Her days are so scheduled and packed to the final second, but everything is in control and life is good. Until one terrible day when her husband asks for a lift, they pack the girls into the car for nursery, and drop one child off, leaving the other asleep in the car, forgotten and unnoticed. The worst outcome happens, baby Louise passes away, and the rest of the book focusses on the court case and the repercussions for the family.

I read Kia Abdullah's Next of Kin recently and for me, that edged it on storytelling - perhaps this was a bit too American focussed for me. Having said that, the most shocking part was the terrible US maternity leave policy, with so many women having to return to work after just 2 weeks or less- appalling and rightly raised as a factor in this book.

2.5 stars raised to 3

A courtroom thriller like no other, is how I would characterize this amazing book. The writer was able to capture the trials and tribulations of modern motherhood, and the price you often have to pay for “having it all”.

This is a really good first novel however, due to the fact that I had very recently read another book with a similar plot I wasn't able to enjoy as much as I would have otherwise. The topic of discussion in Breaking Point is a very important one about women and their need to juggle parenting with their careers. Definitely worth a read!

Dr Susannah Rice, aka Dr Sue, well-known celeb doctor known for her expertise with children's wellbeing, leads a hectic schedule where she balances being a successful career woman with being mother to two small children. It takes a lot of juggling, and one day she drops one of the balls with devastating results - her beautiful baby daughter dies. Worse is to come as she is brought to trial as her culpability for her daughter's death is to be decided by jury.

It's an emotional and harrowing exploration of the nature of modern life and the pressures put on everyone, but particularly women, to be all things at all times. Edel Coffey's story is a powerful indictment of current laws in the USA, one of the few countries in the world with no legal rights to any paid maternity leave at all, and illustrates just how much pressure modern women are when they have to balance being both a member of the workforce and a mother, and how there is no escaping the inevitable judgement of elements of society who think that somehow they ought to be doing something differently.

I thought it was an excellent novel, perfect for fans of Jodi Picoult and Diane Chamberlain.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

I was confused when I started this book as it’s broadly similar to another one I’ve just read. However this does explore other avenues and at times is a harrowing read. An issue where we’d all think we would never do that, but you never know, do you?

Dr Susanna Rice is an exceptionally busy mother of two girls, she’s also a sought after paediatrician, author and a go to baby/parenting expert on television. One fateful hot day her morning routine is broken, she’s pushed for time and as she rushes into work she forgets something very precious that’s in the car … Adelaide Gold ex New York Times journalist, now a CNN reporter, is asked to cover the story that sends her equilibrium into free fall. The emotional novel is told from the perspective of both women, backtracking ten years for Adelaide’s story.

When I first started this I thought ‘Next of Kin’ by Kia Abdullah and there are similarities in the central core of the story. However this one takes a different tack and a deep dive into the pressures and expectations of a highly skilled job versus motherhood and the differing demands of childcare. It gives an insightful spotlight on the pressure on women to return to work quickly after childbirth so as not to ‘inconvenience’ colleagues. If you add in society’s judgement which is demonstrated very effectively in a witch-hunt of a court case brought against Susanna. The prosecution lawyer, the jury, the press and the male perspective poses many interesting questions including feminism versus misogyny. The prosecution lawyer is a piece of work and makes your fists curl in anger. This is a very emotional novel which is not an easy read but it’s written with intelligent sensitivity and realism. At times it’s heartbreaking, there’s loss and the torment of it and the impact on relationships. I especially like the juxtaposition of Adelaide as a representative of the press and how this affects Susanna and her husband John. Both the female stories are extremely good, they do connect and one of the most touching, intense and poignant scenes in the book features them
both. The ending is a dramatic surprise but it feels right and I like the final sentiment that you have to make a decision to be happy!

Overall, this is a thought provoking read and one I’ll keep reflecting on.

4 stars.

With thanks to Netgalley and especially to Little Brown Book Group/Sphere for the much appreciated widget in return for an honest review.

For many Dr Sue – Susannah – has the perfect life, one that may look as though it’s come easy. She is a mother to two happy daughters, she’s got a great marriage, a busy but rewarding job and lovely clothes and shoes (she doesn’t own shoes under $400 per pair). But it comes with a heavy price. On an exceptionally hot day, a frazzled Susannah is on autopilot as she rushes to assist another child in need… only realising hours later that she has made a horrific and life changing mistake. Baby Louise – baba Loulou as her sister calls her – is left in the car, in the heat and by the time her mother is aware of her error, it’s too late. People are quick to take sides and make judgements – on her life, her marriage, her mothering skills. As she awaits trial, there are plenty who want to make it a witch hunt rather than a legal proceeding. Plus, there’s someone watching the whole thing who understands with what Susannah is going through… but why is she so reluctant to be on her side? A heart-in-mouth type of novel that will have you wonder how you’d react if in similar circumstances.

I was very confused after starting this book as it is almost identical to another one I reviewed on Net galley recently. In both books there is a young child in the back of a car being driven to nursery. In the original book by an aunt and in this case by the mother, and in both cases it occurs whilst in the middle of a heatwave.. The toddlers are forgotten about as mother/aunt go to work and the child dies. A disturbing and hugely upsetting story line. At first, on starting Breaking Point, I thought it was the original book that had been rehashed but it appears not.

This was an excellent book but my goodness it was harrowing. When I realised the Irish author had set the book in America I was disappointed at first as I do love an Irish setting. However, it soon became clear why the book had to be set in the US, I was absolutely shocked to discover they have no statutory paid maternity leave. The main character goes back to work 2 days after the birth of her baby due to pressures of work. Most women haven't even got dressed by day 2! It soon becomes clear that in many professions women are not cut any slack at work for having small babies or children and they are expected to get back to a full working life as soon as possible. This book made me really angry and it certainly opened my eyes.
The characters were all well written and I certainly felt the ending was fitting. I would definitely read more from this author.

I would like to thank the author, the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of this book. It was quite a harrowing read at times but well written and highlighted the problems faced by working mothers.

I could not put this book down and it is a genuine co tender for best book I have read this year. It was gripping, tense, suspenseful, frightening, emotive and unpredictable. The writing was great, the characters were great and the storyline was immense. I loved it

Breaking Point - Edel Coffey

An intense and deeply moving emotional thriller involving the death of a baby and the subsequent trial.

Susannah Rice, better known to millions of TV viewers and the readers of her bestselling books as Dr Sue. A tragic oversight leads to the death of her baby Louise.

Adelaide Gold is a TV reporter at the forefront of the media frenzy covering the story.

The book gets off to a cracking start, fast and intense. We get to know the characters very well, very quickly. There is a real and empathetic depth to the characters throughout.

The story is harrowing and deeply emotionally involving as Susannah struggles to cope with grief, the media witch hunt and the impending trial. I was reading through the tears and couldn't read it fast enough.

A brilliant book, the closest comparison would be Gillian MCAllister's best books, a stunning debut and I'm looking forwards to whatever Edel Coffey writes next.


Thanks to Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group

Amazing book. Held off reading the next pages when it got to the court verdict as the tension was so high over which way it would go. The reader is given both a huge sense of guilt and also of relief as so many examples are given which could easily have been you.

This is a gripping, cleverly-written novel with a devastating beginning. Hard-working paediatrician, Dr Susannah, makes a terrible mistake caused by the pressure of her working life and journalist Adelaide, who has a tragic past, has to report on the story although it is extremely difficult for her. If you want an addictive, pacy read, this is for you! I found I was thinking about Susannah and Adelaide all day and kept sneaking back to the book to read the next chapter. The characters are well-defined and sympathetic. There is a lot here about our society and the huge pressure on women to succeed at work and at home. It makes very interesting reading - uncomfortable at times, but there is also so much to enjoy in this fast-paced book. I couldn’t put it down. Definitely five stars!

This was amazing - debut book? Never!

A tragic, desperately sad story that at times was a hard read, but so captivating.

The book focuses on Susannah, a first class paediatric doctor, and Adelaide, a journalist. Their paths had crossed 9 years previously over a tragic event, and now they are drawn into each other’s lives because of another tragedy.

This book is extremely well written, the story flows at a fast pace and it’s a real page turner. The scenarios of women in the workplace are eerily accurate, especially regarding new mothers. The way in which the media revere and glorify someone who is high profile, then reduce them to nothing after one (horrendous) mistake is so typical of these times, a real trial by media.

I read the book in one sitting, unable to leave it alone.

A proper story, with a beginning, middle and perfect ending, I would thoroughly recommend.

Thank you NetGalley.