Member Reviews

A really good read, full of tension and keeps you guessing. I enjoyed the twists too. Looking forward to reading more from the author.

Was this review helpful?

Ooooo this is a tour de force of unpredictability and electrifying tension. The plot's layers peel away one by one revealing the stunning ending! One to watch out for.

Was this review helpful?

Great debut, found it to be an amazing read and could not put it down. Brilliant I would even say. Had a good amount of twists😁

Was this review helpful?

Believe Me Not by Natalie Chandler Narrated by Sarah Lam was a was a fast paced addictive thriller and a great page turner from the beginning till the end. The narrator Sarah Lam was excellent in every way and the way she read it, she had me sitting on on the edge of my seat.

When Megan wakes up in hospital she has no recollection of the recent events that led her to be in hospital, She was sure she just had a baby but where was her baby?

Her husband, sister and now the doctor refuses to answer all her questions about what happened and keeps denying the existence of the baby.

Megan has to find the truth on what happened and where is her baby before it's too late.

WoW this audiobook was so good and I highly recommend it

Thank you to NetGalley and Headline Audio for letting me review this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

I dont know what to say about this book.as I have mixed feelings about it. I did enjoy but didnt connect with the characters and didnt like the ending.

Was this review helpful?

Well, this was definitely a rollercoaster ride of a book. So many twisty secrets. I had a hard time putting it down, because I knew more was to come. Fast easy read, the characters are well rounded mostly....until you find out what each is hiding 😉
Thanks to netgalley, the publisher and mostly the author for this unputdownable read!

Was this review helpful?

Megan wakes up and asks where her baby is only to learn that she doesn't have one. She's not in a maternity ward, but is actually in a psychiatric ward. Everyone around her is telling her she doesn't have a baby but she knows she does. I like how the plot is told from both Megan and her husband's point of view. This helped to get a better understanding of Megan's mindset and it kept me guessing the truth until the very end of the book. It was definitely a great read. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced reader copy.

Was this review helpful?

Wow, what a debut! I loved this! For the most part I didn't know which way it was going to go. It read at just the right pace and although the final reveal was a little obvious it was still a page-turner. Can't wait for another by this author

Was this review helpful?

This looks rather exciting – tell me more about that dramatic tagline, “They say your baby isn’t real. But you know he is.” That piques your interest straight away, doesn’t it?

It so does, doesn’t it? So, here’s the beginning – Megan wakes up in hospital. She knows she’s had a baby – she even has a caesarean scar, and she also has a name – Luka – for the child, as well as fractured memories! However, she soon begins to realise that this isn’t a hospital for physical ailments, but a psychiatric hospital – she’s had a psychotic break.

So, what’s happened to Luka then? Where is he?

Well, this is the premise of the entire book – everyone else denies his existence. There’s Stef, her husband; Sophia, her sister: Dr Mac, the hospital doctor; Gemma, the nurse…and Megan’s told the “caeserean scar” is actually the result of a hysterectomy, which is sort of plausible….

Is the story told entirely from Megan’s perspective?

No, there is some background told from Stef’s viewpoint, where we learn about his twin brother Isaac.

So who’s telling the truth? Has Megan had some kind of breakdown, or are some – or all – of the people in her life lying to her? If so, why??

That’s the thing with psychological thrillers – you’ve got to try to figure out who to believe! I found certain characters somewhat shifty, but then I started thinking, is this just the author manipulating me to think this way, as a red herring? Because you have to have a few of these in any good psychological thriller! Stef, and Dr Mac particularly, seemed the most dodgy, but Sophia, Megan’s sister, had plenty of problems in her own background – are these relevant, though, I found myself asking myself. She has a daughter too – Amelia.

The big question – did you enjoy this book? And would you recommend it?

I did enjoy it, although it took me a little while to switch from my “police procedural” head – I’ve clearly been reading too many of these recently, when in the not-so-distant past I was reading mostly psychological thrillers! The author’s background in psychiatric medicine means the topic of mental illness was treated realistically – in my (layman’s) opinion – but sympathetically. The book really sped up towards the last third or quarter, and kept me on my toes – not that it was slow-moving previously, but you did notice it shifting up a gear towards the climax!

All-in-all, it was a really promising debut, and I’ll definitely be looking out for the next novel by Natalie Chandler. A thoroughly enjoying way to spend my time while I enjoyed my hot chocolate last week!

A very promising debut psychological thriller, recommended for fans of this genre!

Was this review helpful?

This is such a fabulous compulsive read & will not disappoint if you like a good psychological thriller.
It is one of those addictive reads that draws you in with it’s brilliant twists from start to finish.
Well written with good characters that kept me intrigued as the story developed.
Megan who the focus of the book is all about has just woken up in hospital with no idea of why she is there.
The first thing she asks is where’s my baby?
Everyone is denying its existence even her husband.
She also starts to realise she is in a psychiatric hospital & not a maternity ward.
She has had a psychotic break apparently but she starts to question things as her memories start returning.
Can she trust her memories that are trying to resurface or is her mind playing tricks with her.
This powerful storyline is a compelling read that will absorb you right to the end.
The author nailed this to perfection absolutely loved it.

Was this review helpful?

When Megan wakes up in a hospital bed, her first question is: where's my baby?
But her husband, her sister, and her doctor said he doesn't exist.
Megan's not in a maternity ward, she's in a psychiatric unit.
Convinced that they're lying to her, Megan is determined to find out the truth.
But how can you prove your baby exists when you can't trust your own memories?


The blurb states that it is an utterly chilling psychological thriller with a heart-stopping twist and I do agree with it. I enjoyed this book and the overall experience!

Was this review helpful?

Believe Me Not
By Natalie Chandler
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I went in completely blind to this book and was not disappointed! Megan and Stef have a complicated history but are so in love and very happily married.

The story begins with Megan waking up in hospital and asking after her baby son, Luka. They tell Megan she is delusional but she is convinced he is real. As the story continues, we meet Megan’s sister Sophia and it turns out each one has a secret just as bad as the others.

I loved how this story takes you back to the past and then forward to the present day, and all collides beautifully. Based on what was once a very taboo subject, psychosis, the author really invites you into the subjects lives and helps the reader understand how it is for everyone involved. Such a powerful storyline!

A very twisty and compulsive read with lots of moments I did not see coming along with a rush of emotions.

Natalie Chandler has done a wonderful job with this book and highlighting psychosis and how it affects everyone involved. An absolute must read this year - did not disappoint!

Was this review helpful?

Megan wakes up in hospital, confused to find herself alone without her new baby. This confusion turns to panic when her husband and sister tell a confused Megan there never was a baby. As Megan delves deeper to try and find the truth, events spiral out of control. The past and present will crash into each other - and lives will never be the same.

An absolutely 5 star of a book! A proper is it real/is it not book that had me questioning myself the whole way through. The way the book completely flipped near the end to show *what* really happened in the past was outstanding.

Fantastic thriller that will have you questioning absolutely everything while you read it. One of a kind!

Was this review helpful?

Pretty good book. I was definitely invested in it. I love reading debut authors and Natalie Chandler did not disappoint! I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

Was this review helpful?

A brilliant super twisty thriller with such absorbing characters. I raced through this one, barely drawing breath at the end.

Was this review helpful?

Loved this one! Kept me guessing right till the end and I was still surprised, it was so addictive and easy to read, can't wait to read more from this author :)

Was this review helpful?

She can't trust her own memories, or the people she loves most...

Megan wakes up in a hospital disoriented and confused. She knows something is missing, but she can't put her finger on it. Then, the realization slams into her- she's missing her baby. When she asks where her baby is, her husband, sister, and doctor all gently tell her she doesn't have a baby. She's in a psychiatric ward, and they tell her she is suffering from psychosis. If that's true, why does she remember her baby so clearly? And why does it seem like everyone is hiding something from her?
This novel was absolutely amazing! I was filled with so many questions from the start. Once I thought I had everything all figured out, I found out I could not have been more wrong! I was not expecting things to play out the way they did. The story is told from alternating perspectives of Megan and her husband Luca, with some snippets from the past. I read the eARC and listened to the audiobook version of this story. The narrator perfectly nailed Megan's escalating emotions as she desperately tried to find the truth about her situation. I would recommend this novel to anyone who is looking for a compelling thriller to read.

Please note that this novel can be triggering to anyone who has experienced a mental health crisis.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you NetGalley and Headline for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis:
Megan has had a psychotic break and wakes up in the hospital with no memory. She does remember she had a baby, Luka. Why does her husband, sister, and psychiatrist keep telling her there is no baby? That one never existed? Megan is determined to uncover the truth and reveal the secrets that are being kept. Can she trust her memories? Or is everyone lying and why?

I liked this book. It was a quick easy read. It didn't blow me away but it was satisfying. I did find it fast-paced and hard to put down. I would read another book by Natalie Chandler.

Was this review helpful?

Really good book. You get straight into the action. We join Megan at the psychiatric unit where she believes she has had a baby and everyone is lying to her but she has no idea why. Why would her husband stef and sister Sophia lie to her. We follow her as she tries to uncover what has happened to her and why. Gripping from start to finish.

Was this review helpful?

A huge thank you to the publisher for inviting me to be part of this tour
I loved this book. Absolutely loved it. It was the book of the month for me in May
I really found it hard to believe that this was a debut
We are introduced to Megan, who is recovering in hospital, from a psychotic break.
The book focuses around her recovery and people closest to her - who appear to be lying to her
Megan knows she gave birth, Megan knows she had a child. But no one will admit this
Throughout this book I had so many theories, so many conclusions, but none were in fact the actual truth.
I had was so engrossed in this novel and could not put it down. I hated everyone in the novel on Megan’s behalf and I believed her
The writing is tense and dramatic And this book is a real page turner
I really enjoyed this book and cannot wait for more by the author

Was this review helpful?