I loved the claustrophobic interiority of The Push, and in her next book, Audrain moves her setting into a wider social setting, embracing the simmering secrets of suburbia in all their glory. It explores the inherent struggles of motherhood, of trying to become a mother and being an older grieving mother. Also great on female friendships and messy, confusing relationships. For me, there's a hint of Leane Moriarty's Big Little Lies to this book but that's definitely no bad thing – and Audrain's writing is superb.

Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read this book in return for an honest review. I really enjoyed The Push so I had high hopes for this next book. I have to admit that I wasn’t disappointed. Truthfully I enjoyed this book more than her previous one. I found myself so invested in all the characters and drama that I literally felt like I lived on the street with them. Brutally honest reflections regarding marriage and raising children, definitely no sugar coating in this book. A thoroughly enjoyable book which I will definitely be recommending. 5 stars from me.

The Push is one of my favourite books so I was beyond excited to read Audrain's latest. And although The Whispers is slightly more domestic, it still hits hard with both emotion and shock.

What I loved most about The Push was the discussions around motherhood, and Audrain again explores the topic brilliantly here. I highlighted so many quotes throughout my read, as they perfectly captured the conflicts we sometimes have going on in our head about wanting to do the best for our children but losing a part of ourselves along the way.

Told through the perspective of four women who are each experiencing a different side of motherhood - from appearing to have it all together, to struggling to get pregnant, to dealing with the loss a child, and to resenting it all together - we get to see so many different perspectives and attitudes, all of them developed incredibly.

Some of the stories absolutely broke my heart, and I think it's definitely worth mentioning a trigger warning regarding miscarriage as there are some very detailed descriptions included. Audrain does handle every topic very sensitively, but there are parts that are difficult to read all the same.

I felt so many emotions throughout reading this. At times, I was made to consider some dark thoughts as I imagined myself in these scary situations, other times I felt comfort from knowing that we all go through these tough times, and then other scenes absolutely broke me.

Then when all of the emotions are over, and we finally get some answers, the twists come into play. The thriller aspects aren't quite as dark this time around, but they certainly kept me guessing and left me shell-shocked at the end.

Yet again, Audrain has written a winner for me. The Whispers absolutely consumed me, and her stories are always ones that I look forward to re-reading.

I really enjoyed reading 'The Push' by Ashley so was looking forward to this new book from her.
Within the first couple of pages you realise something terrible has happened.
The book then begins at a neighbourhood party and we are introduced in turn to each of the main characters and couples living in the same street. Then one night there is an accident that leaves a child fighting for his life.
We begin to see the build up and during that week from different characters points of views.
The book explores different types of relationships, mothering styles, lies and secrets.
The story kept me turning the pages to find out what really happened on 'that' night.
I will be recommending this book to others and looking out for more from this author!

Goodness, this is not a gentle read but it leaps off the page demanding attention. The lives of families in a well-off community are more intertwined than anyone realises - simmering under the surface is lust and hate, being loved and being able to love and a whole lot of secrets. Not everyone is very likeable but I was gripped by the story and loved that explosive ending.

When I say I enjoyed this authors previous book The Push, I mean I really enjoyed it. It was an easy 5 star read for me, so going into this I had high hopes and was really looking forward to it.
This has the same sort of theme as The Push (motherhood, being a wife etc.) but unfortunately I was never grabbed nor invested in this from the start to the finish.
I found it to be SO slow paced, dull and character driven, that it didn't leave much room for any actual plot.
Not much happens AT ALL in this and it all felt a bit disjointed with the timeline jumping around all over the place, it was hard to keep up.
Most of the characters were unlikeable and I never cared about what would happen to them.
The story itself seemed to skim over the actual 'incident' and there were quite a few chapters that had no bearing on the story at all.
By the last 30% I had completely lost any interest and found myself skim reading it.
I must say however, there were some interesting/good points made about motherhood in this that I liked and I don't dislike the authors writing, the problem I had was the plot or lack thereof.
This was a very disappointing read for me and quite the let down after having enjoyed her previous work.

Audrey Audain’s debut ‘The Push’ was one of the stand-out novels of 2021 for me, so I could not wait to to review this, her newly released novel. In it, Audrain reprises the themes established in her debut novel: exaggerated notions of motherhood and familial toxicity that lead otherwise privileged, enlightened individuals to make questionable choices. The setting of ‘the Whispers’ is the upscale community of Harlow Street where four fictional mums live in affluence but not necessarily happiness: perfect party host Whitney who does not treasure her ten year old son Xavier as she should is juxtaposed with Mara who has tragically lost hers and Rebecca who has so far been denied a son at all due to her infertility. The fourth woman in this potentially toxic cluster is Blair, a born organiser devoted to good causes who may not be as perfect as she appears on the surface. Xavier’s terrible injuries, suffered in in unexpected fall from a window, set in chain a motion of terrible events that lead up to a satisfying, although not necessarily comfortable, denouement. I thought this novel was just as spellbinding and illuminating as Audrain’s first work – definitely an author to watch!

I would like to express my special thanks to the publishers and to NetGalley for a free digital ARC that allowed me to read this novel ahead of publication in exchange for this honest, unbiased review.

Writing this review is so tricky. I really wanted to like this, as I loved The Push, and I can see the themes Audrain wanted to explore such a toxic mother-son relationship, child suicide and infertility amongst others, and while parts of the novel where engaging and relatable, overall I found the story meandered and lost control of a tight structure.
This starts with a party which ends in an embarrassing moment for Whitney. Months later, her son has had an accident but is there more to this than it seems?
There is a multi-cast POV, which is usually one of my favourite things about novels as it adds pace and when done well can create tension. Unfortunately here it didn’t work especially as there were tonnes of flashbacks and when there was plot it was concerned with the usual suspecting-that-my-spouse-is-cheating-on-me and oh-to-be-a-middle-class-woman-with-a-house-and-a-husband-and-why-aren’t-we-all-over-each-other-like-when-we-first-met-anymore woes. It was very first world problems, which can be juicy and compelling when done well. Sadly it’s not here. I will however look forward to Audrain’s next novel, as I did think The Push was brilliant.

Reading this book I found it to not be what I expected after reading the synopsis. It was an interesting domestic drama but not really a mystery/thriller for me as the only real mystery was who was doing something they shouldn't and who knew it within a group of neighbours.
It was however a very interesting look into the extreme's of the ways motherhood can affect us women. There was the desperate to become a mother, the should never have become a mother, the grieving mother and the one to whom it all came naturally. Seeing life through all of their eyes as they struggle through these few days around the incidents and revealing the truths of their lives made for an interesting read that kept me going back until the last page was turned so i knew the answers.

Wow! Ashley Audrain has really excelled herself with this tense, twisty emotional drama about neighbours on Harlow Street. Sexual tension abounds, as do secrets, loneliness and loss. Her characters have wonderful depth and will make you look at your own relationships too. Its really a book about love and regret and how sometimes it is too late to put things right. The ending will just break you.
My favourite book of 2023.

I rather enjoyed The Push by Ashley Audrain and found the synopsis for her follow-up intriguing enough to request. It had the ingredients of a captivating read with strong Big Little Lies vibes, unfortunately the execution just wasn’t there for me. I didn’t find the characters except Rebecca relatable enough and found the writing lingered over tiny details way to much that I didn’t care much about the middle-class married lifestyle advertisements of designer furniture and clothes. I felt the story meandered and needed a stronger focus on the actual story which Xavier’s fall and what it means.
The premise is exciting - at a party neighbours are gathered in a garden when the host goes to check up on her son, she finds him in his room with the dessert that she has prepared and viciously scolds not realising that the window is open. And everyone indeed does hear…cut several months later and her son has had an accident. He fell from the window. But is it accident or is there more to it? Is she a negligent parent? The whispers soon start.
I felt the connection between the women just wasn’t strong to make for a compelling multiple pov story. Also I strongly felt the story isn’t really of a mystery or a thriller, it felt more contemporary therefore my expectations were misplaced.

The Whispers is a domestic drama about the occupants of a street. Motherhood, loss and betrayal are the key elements in the story and although the narrative flows well, it is an overlong journey to the end. Readers who have experienced miscarriage will find the story uncomfortable. I felt the male characters were written sparsely as if they were secondary to the plot. However, a satisfying read. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

Thank you NetGalley and Michael Joseph for this eCopy to review

Everyone seems to live the perfect life on the Street, but behind closed doors family life is far from perfect. After Whitney's is admitted to hospital after falling from his 3rd story bedroom window all the lives on the street start to unravel as secrets are revealed and betrayals come to light. I found it gripping it was like being a fly on the wall watching the carnage unfold.

Told from multiple points of view helps the drama unfold as each protagonists take on the events is told

A gripping read

The Push was a hit with my book club so I was keen to read this title. I enjoyed the premise and liked the different POVS (though I cared most for Mara’s and wish there was more involvement for her in the fall).

To begin with I worried I’d find the different threads of the plot hard to follow but the use of chapters dealt with this. The final line had me (literally) gasping. I found the repeated references to miscarriage a little much (and really wanted a happy ending for her).

Overall an enjoyable read, even if it wasn’t the most memorable.

Got to say at the beginning that the book does feature a character who has had multiple miscarriages and this continues through the book, dealt with in some detail which may upset some readers, not wanting to give anything away re the book but felt important to mention

This is a book about a street and families who live on it and how their complex issues affect not just their families but others too, I have to admit to almost not finishing the book on multiple occasions and yet here we are!, every time something drew me back in, be it a character ( and being frank some are rancid 😎) or a situation but whatever it is I did finish it and although not overly my type of book can appreciate the authors skill at what I have just read, some of the inter head dialogue is superb and the honesty shown by the characters has to be applauded even when that applause would be done silently!
It is brutal at times and yet charming at others and the time spent ( for me ) getting over the wobbles I had was in the end a worthy dynamic if not altogether suited for me read

A total page-turner that I read in virtually one sitting. Every chapter flows and has you on the end-of-your seat for more. The book is about the families on Harlow Street, each with their own problems. However, when a child of the most envied household lands up in hospital, fighting for his life, suspicions are roused and questions are asked. Everyone's secrets start to come out.
There is no doubt this author can write. She creates wonderfully real characters with realistic flaws. We have all been that mom that screamed at her kid in public, or the neighbor that's a little too nosy. It is very relatable, but she also challenges, when does it go too far? At what point do we need to judge or take action?
And then there is the relentless pace, with one exciting reveal after another which makes it hard to predict where the story will lead.

As a standalone, this was a cracking read. Is it as good as The Push? That was always going to be the challenge. A great effort.

I am not sure what I feel about this book. It is set in a world of which I have no experience. I was absorbed by the story to find out how all the secrecy and mistrust was resolved. The conclusion left me speechless and my brtain in overdrive with the possibilities.of resolution.

A domestic novel avout what happens when we put our own needs before those of our children.
What a messed up bunch these people are!
A dark domestic novel with twists and turns.
Aweful characters you will love to hate.

Having read her previous novel The Push which I absolutely loved i was a little apprehensive about wether she was able to grab me as much as the previous.

Well i was engrossed and i did finish it within a day, but i did enjoy The Push more.

I would not say this is a thriller more of a social structure of family and friend dynamics.

Normally when reading a book that has a lot of characters their is a least one who you can relate to or at least like, but that was hard in this book, maybe because of all their secrets and lies, and she does write this so well.

These kind of books leave you kind of flabbergasted at the end for what is implied, said and done to and about the characters that there are probably people like this existing in the real world which is pretty terrifying and scary.

Full of secrets and lies.

I will look forward to what she writes next

Thank you Netgalley for a copy for an honest review

Marriage, Motherhood, Betrayal 3.5 rating, raised

Audrain’s previous novel, The Push, was, I thought, exceptional. It was always going to be a hard one to follow. I liked this one, which in many ways is covering similar territory – the devastating, cataclysmic changes made by becoming a parent. However, this one somehow misses the overwhelming intensity and rawness of The Push

This follows the entwined lives of four women, their relationships which each other, their partners, and the choices which having children, or not being able to have children, despite intense yearning, have placed on their relationships

Whitney is a powerful glossy and successful woman, with 3 children and a husband who seems to dote on her. She is an unwilling mother, and her oldest boy moves her to incoherent, sometimes violent rage. Femme fatale, she is disliked by most of the other women in the neighbourhood for obvious reasons. Her wealth and power provokes both envy and a strange friendship between her and utterly sacrificing-everything-for-her-children, ‘ideal’ wife and mother Blair. Whose husband takes her completely for granted, is probably unfaithful, and their marriage is only alive ‘for the sake of the children.

Rebecca is the most likeable, the most admirable, and the youngest of the women. She is a doctor, and she and her husband are very much in the honeymoon stage when we first meet the community, at a party Whitney is holding for the neighbourhood, very much in her ‘lady of the manor’ mode. The young couple have no children as yet.

Mara is an old lady, not really taken account of most of the others. She has a dying, decrepit, unpleasant and bullying husband. They had one child, a son.

There are mysteries to be uncovered, skeletons in cupboards (many) and betrayals, both major and minor.

There is also a terrible accident which happens, which both changes everything and might not be quite what it seems to be. There will also be kindness and loyalty in unexpected places and the reverse – betrayals not quite in the expected places

The book is told backwards and forwards, from each of the four women’s perspectives.

Unlike ‘The Push’, I did not really find myself quite inside, quite fully engaged. Everything made psychological sense, but this was a kind of psychological thriller about a fairly privileged group of people. It seemed a little ‘Hollywood’ and it wouldn’t be surprising to find it optioned as a film