I enjoyed this audiobook, finding the story to be unique and well-written, gratifyingly some plot twists emerged that had me hooked!

Eve has a baby, Kai, with husband Dom, and all is going well until her nightmare of a mum pitches up to stay! The relationship between Eve and her mum is clearly fractious. Things take a turn for the worse when Eve finds that baby Kai has stopped breathing, to which she immediately seeks emergency services - cue a backstory involving Eve's troubled childhood where baby brother Jacob experiences similar health concerns. Eve's best friend, Chloe features heavily, however Chloe's marriage to Steve is on the rocks, and Eve suspects Chloe has her sights on Dom.

This is a tale of suspicion, paranoia and traumatised childhoods - it makes a gripping read/listen if the audiobook version is enjoyed. The narrator does a great job on this, there is really nothing to criticise.

My thanks to NetGalley, author and publisher for the opportunity to review this audiobook in exchange for an advance copy.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4

I really enjoyed how the plot was built and how the author succeeds in portraying the psyche and feelings of the characters, it seems to me that I could feel what the characters felt.

The story is told from different points of view and basically follows two timelines that reveal an intricate maze of lies, which leave the reader wondering who's telling the truth and who's seriously a dangerous psychopath. At this point, I want to underline that the book might be a real can of worms for people whose triggers are (child) abuse and domestic violence. Whereas the leaps across timelines and points of view aren't confusing because the author masterfully intertwined them, I found the ending pretty puzzling, as if the author wanted to hurry up and just end the book. I felt I was left with more doubts than I had at the beginning of the book and couldn't really be sure who the liar was. Maybe it was her intention? Or maybe there will be a sequel...? I only know a clearer explanation would've been preferable.

This was my first time reading a book by this author and it kept me hooked and guessing the whole time. I listed to this as an audiobook and it was hard to turn off. I never guessed the ending and was left stunned.

The book is full of secrets. Eve is the mother of baby Kai and she had a difficult childhood with her mother, Lydia and an abusive father. Her best friend is Chloe and they have been together since childhood. Eve's baby brother died as a young child and it has left her scarred and protective of her own son. Then the past seems to start to recreate in the present and the secrets start to come out.

This is books is full of shocks and grips you from beginning to end.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC Audiobook.

I'm landing at a 3.5/5 stars on this one. This is definitely a wild and twisty ride. These are some messed up characters, like literally there is not one likable character in this story. They're all consumed by pain, mental illness, cheating, lying, you name it. However, I cannot deny that I was rather intrigued and entertained while reading it. The audiobook narration was excellent. Thank you Bookouture, Sheryl Browne, and NetGalley for this audio in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC. This one was an interesting read. A story of tragedy and loss when Eve was a little girl and this resulted in a strained relationship with her mother. Now that Eve is a new mother, Lydia has been in contact with Eve as she wants to get to know her grandson. One night history repeats itself and Eve has to rush her son to the ER in order to save his life. Did this have something to do with Lydia and is it a repeat of what happened to Eve's brother. I was kept entertained as I really wanted to see how this would turn out with the "messed up" mother being back in Eve's life. The more I read the more I asked myself is it Lydia who is messed up or Eve? Then that ending....WTF.....I immediately wanted to reach to someone to discuss this with as I just couldn't believe how it ended and what that meant....my brain hurts. Enjoy!!

This was a decent book that kept me listening (audiobook) all the way till the end. However, the ending was confusing and I was very unhappy with it. Personally, I think it could have been better.

Gripping roller coaster of a ride. You assume you know what is going to happen, then bam the author surprises you. Even though the characters are awful and difficult to Luke, I was pulled in.

Really interesting sounding blurb. It started off strong and I settled in for a really good listen. Unfortunately though it just didn’t follow through. Told in 2 different timelines of past and present but it became so confusing to the point I had to rewind the audio and still at times it didn’t clarify things. To begin with characters were likeable and intriguing but as the storyline played out it was like they became totally different characters. The outcome left me pondering and scratching my head. Just didn’t work for me unfortunately…

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture Audio for the opportunity to listen to #HerFirstChild

I’ve lost count of how many of Sheryl Browne’s novels I’ve read now, they never ever disappoint. This was no exception to that. A gripping psychological thriller, full of twists and turns that you genuinely don’t see coming. Told from multiple points of view and flipping timelines seamlessly the story flows really well, the characters are easy to connect with and make for a truly chilling tale. The narration was excellent too. Thoroughly enjoyed this!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook in return for an honest review.

Whenever I read or listen to one of Sheryl Browne’s books, I always feel confident that I’m going to enjoy the story and this book was no exception. It has a great storyline that really made me question what was being said mainly by the 3 lead female characters.
The only thing I do wish to raise is that I had to rewind the audiobook on a few occasions as I got muddled up as to who the narrator was talking about and I just needed to clarify it to be able to follow the story. Apart from that, I really enjoyed this book and totally loved the outcome.

Eve, new mother to son Kai, had a very unhappy childhood and is disturbed when her mother she has had no contact with for years, turns up again. Then Kai is taken to hospital and Eva relives her childhood, when her baby brother is in and out of hospital then tragically dies.
Told from various points of view including friend from childhood, Chloe, the book did jump around quite and lot and sometimes difficult to grasp the timeline. Lots of secrets and not everyone are quite as they seem.

This was a good audiobook! Twisty is all the right places. After reading so many books in the same genre, it’s hard to shock me, but overall it was good. Thanks to NetGalley for the arc!

Impressive and absorbing in equal measures, really made me sit and consider for a while the implications. I found the characters well defined and made for easy reading.

Narrated by Tamsin Kennard ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Fantastic voice
Author Sheryl Browne ⭐⭐⭐⭐
This is the first time I've heard or tried this author but definitely won't be the last.
This story was so twisty and so many turns that even now it's over I'm not sure I fully trust the ending.

After reading the write up which said "A totally gripping and unputdownable psychological thriller" I was really looking forward to listening to this book but I wouldn't class it as unputdownable
It has a good story line with lots of twists and turns and it flicks back in time then back to current day and the chapters are about the individual characters but I really lost the story line towards the end I'm not sure if it was me or the narrator that got a chapter character wrong but it certainly threw me and I ended up listening to the last 6 chapters 3 times to get back on track .
The epilogue helped

4⭐️ audio book.

The book feature 3 POVs which is fine but the narrator Tamsin Kennard didn't differentiate the women's voices which could cause confusion for some.

Themes- childhood trauma, physical damage, dual timeline, suspence, secrets, infidelity, bullying, manipulation.

The three narrators are Eve, Chloe and Lydia.

Eve and Dom fall in love and have baby Kai- present timeline. Eves mum Lydia is the past timeline following her trauma. Chloe is the childhood best friend who's a horrible person in my mind.

For me most of the characters in this book are somewhat unlikeable. I do feel for Eve as her past has really damaged her leaving her struggling to see the chaos around her unfolding. I will agree it had suspence and I didn't quite predict the ending until I got there.

I listened at speed 2 and it was easy enough to follow at pace.

If your looking for a story to keep you thinking then this is the one. The beginning half is definatly more exciting than the ending as its a slow burner to get your answers but worth a read.

Her First Child follows the story of Eve, a new mother who has vivid memories of losing her little brother as a child. Eve is no longer in contact with her mother until, suddenly, she appears back in her life. Eve finds motherhood difficult, along with the return of her mother, and she is worried that history may repeat itself with her son, Kai.

Well, this is a book jam-packed with family secrets. There are three main characters - Eve, Chloe and Lydia, and the narration is split between all of them, spread across the past and present. I have to admit, this did make it a little tricky to follow as an audiobook, as I usually like to listen whilst doing other things.

No-one is who they seem to be and the story unfolds as we learn more about the secrets each character is hiding.

Overall, I did enjoy this book, but I just found it a bit hard to follow.

My thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for sending me this ARC in return for an honest review.

Five stars! A thriller from different time periods with twists and different POVs. This one caught me from the beginning and it was hard to stop listening. The narration was awesome as well. Definitely would recommend.
Thank you NetGalley.

Thank you Bookouture, Sheryl Browne, and Netgalley for this audio in exchange for an honest review. I love the narrator. The characters were engaging. Kept my interest through until the end. I did happen to guess who it was at the end of the book but it didn’t take my enjoyment of the book away. Giving it 🌟🌟🌟3/4 rating rounding it up to 4 on goodreads.

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

#HerFirstChild #Bookouture #SherylBrowne #NetGalley #BookReview #BlogTour #BooksOnTour #Goodreads

@SherylBrowne @Bookouture @Bookworm1986 @bookworm86 @Goodreads @Netgalley

https://kcmw86.wixsite.com/bookworm86

https://m.facebook.com/Bookworm1986/?ref=bookmarks

https://m.facebook.com/Bookwork86/?__tn__=%2As-R

https://www.instagram.com/bookwormwhitlock86/

https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/34299953-kirsty-bookworm86

https://mobile.twitter.com/kcmw86