The Push was my book of the year in 2021 so I was delighted to be offered the chance to read The Whispers. An ingenious title explained as being the things that happen to change your life without you realising it until much later, as well as the obvious whispers that happen, ie gossip. This is a slow burner, but nevertheless compelling. Some readers may find issues triggering e.g miscarriage and child abuse. It is told through the voices of each of four women.

A group of families live close to each other: Whitney, a high flying career women married to Jacob with three children; Blair married to Aiden, a stay at home mother whose daughter Chloe is best friends with Whitney's 10 year-old son, Xavier; Rebecca, a paediatrician who longs for her own children with her husband Ben; elderly Mara who lost her son many years ago.

The book begins with a party at Whitney's home where the guests overhear her screaming at Xavier. Shortly afterwards there is a terrible accident resulting in Xavier lying in hospital in a coma. Relationships between the women are put to the test and it would be difficult not to feel empathy with them.

The Whispers is a book about women, their friendships, relationships and motherhood. Ashley Audrain is a most talented writer and I look forward to more from her. This is for readers who appreciate dark psychological stories of contemporary life. Once again, a book of the year for me. Many thanks to NetGalley and Michael Joseph/Penguin Random House for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Although this book got off to a good start and I did enjoy it to around about the half way mark then I found slow and it reminded me of a plot from another book, so the plot didn’t feel that original. Also I found the pacing slow which is ok if there’s lots going on, I was also slightly disappointed there were no big reveals.

On the plus side there are lots of five star reviews for this book. So on this occasion I’m going to put it down to my mood rather than the author who has obviously put a lot of work into this book..

The best book I've read this year. What sounds like a 'quiet' story is so deftly done in Audrain's hands - these characters were both so repellant and so compelling, I stayed up long into the night reading this. The last line is the best I've ever read. A must read.

This was a slow burn of a book and initially I wasn’t so sure I was going to enjoy it but little by little I found myself drawn into the lives of the characters and I was hooked. The story is told by the main females, Mara, Blair, Rebecca and Whitney and what I really loved was the way I felt so involved in their lives and oh boy what lives they had.
This is a read that seriously pulls on your heartstrings I really felt for all these women and that’s down to the brilliant writing of Ashley Audrain. I’m not going to say too much about the plot line I got this book book purely on the fact I had loved the authors previous novel The Push and I think this read was better from not knowing what it was about.
The story addresses a variety of issues and does so in an extremely good way making you care about what’s happening and it certainly keeps you glued to the page and a book I thoroughly enjoyed.
My thanks to NetGalley and Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House for giving me the opportunity to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

An absolutely incredible twisty novel from Audrain. I devoured The Push, and was very excited to see what her next piece of work would be. This did not disappoint

I was given an eARC of The Whispers to review as I had read and enjoyed The Push, also by Ashley Audrain. Many thanks to the publishers and Netgalley.
I’ll start with trigger warnings for themes of child abuse and miscarriages. This psychological drama is based on a group of neighbours and four mothers who couldn’t be more different.
I really enjoyed reading this book. It was a change from my normal YA or dystopian books and I think it was well written with interesting characters.
If you like adult books that have family themes and a few twists and turns along the way this is well worth a read.
I like the ending! There are things not said but implied, and I have questions I’d love to ask the author, but it’s not an ending that left me upset or NEEDING more.

Hooked me from the opening pages, friendships are tested as women balance being friends, parents and wives. A traumatic event for one family brings people together and destroys other relationships. An engaging read.

Wow, that was a lot darker than I thought it was going to be. Not in a bad way, just an unexpected way.

The book starts with a party in the Loverly's backyard which ends up with Whitney yelling at her son, Xavier for all the street to hear.

Fast forwarding to 9 months later, Xavier is in a coma having fallen from his bedroom window in the middle of the night. But did he fall? Why was he up so late? And why does everyone on the street seem to have a secret to hide?

This was so well written, the characters were multi-layered, believable and flawed. The story moves between the women on the street each hiding secrets, facing their own demons and telling their own story.

The ending may not be for everyone but I thought it was fantastic.

Thanks to Netgalley and Michael Joseph publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

I really enjoyed this book. Much like Audrain's previous book 'push', it explores the imperfect mother and how this is misunderstood, and perceived in society.

Whitney is not the mother she thought she would be. Shes not a bad mother but she's not as engaged with her children as she would like and has a fairly difficult relationship with her eldest son, Xavier.

Tragedy strikes Xavier who wavers between life and death and how his parents and his neighbours and friends deal with this accident and their own relationships.

A great, challenging read.

Four families, who live on the same street, get terrible news when one of the families young son falls from his bedroom window at night. The story is told by four main characters and explores their lives and secrets, as well as what they believe happened to the son. I really enjoyed The Push so was excited to read The Whispers and although this new offering was well written, I found that I preferred her previous novel.

The story we get is largely character driven and a domestic thriller. Although the characters are written well, I found myself not connected to them or gripped to the story. The book was a bit too slow going for me and usually I like to get a few surprises but there were few within the pages. Although this wasn’t a favourite of mine it is definitely a well developed, emotional story, which I can see many people really appreciating. I will definitely still like to read the authors next book. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this copy.

The Whispers by Ashley Audrain
I give this book
4 stars

The whispers had started long before the accident on Harlow Street . . .
But on that terrible night they grew louder, more insistent.
Neighbours gather round. Questions are asked. Secrets are spilled. Everyone is drawn into the darkness.
Because there's no smoke without fire.
No friendship without envy.
And no lie that does not conceal a devastating truth . . .

An absorbing tale of motherhood & secrets.
This dark and twisted domestic drama is set in a neighbourhood full of whispers. Told as a character driven plot we hear from 4 very different women……Whitney,Mara,Blair and Rebecca POV’s that involve different timelines to unravel their personal stories and the mystery of the accident.l love this authors writing style and the ending definitely left me wanting more! Can’t wait to read her next one……
With thanks to Netgalley,Ashley Audrain and Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House for my chance to read and review this book

"Where she'd once felt that motherhood had given her so much more than she's had before, now she could only see it as having taken everything away... These are the feelings she hates herself for having. These are the things she'll never say out loud."

I'm not even sure how to begin classifying this book. Is it a mystery, a domestic suspense, a drama? It's kind of all these things.

The book follows the lives of four women who live on the same street. There is Whitney, mother of three who seems to have it all: a high-powered career and handsome husband. Blair is a stay-at-home mother who immerses herself in taking care of her daughter. Rebecca is a paediatrician who is desperate to be a mother after multiple miscarriages. And there's Mara, the elderly neighbour who watches them all, and sees all their flaws and failures.

What they all have in common: secrets. Whitney struggles to love her children the way Blair loves her daughter. Whitney's personal life is not what she thought it'd be and she feels trapped. Blair, as perfect as Whitney thinks her friend is, is feeling cornered too. She suspects her husband of having an affair and sometimes fantasises about leaving him and her daughter. And Rebecca is lying to her husband about stopping their attempts to fall pregnant.

When Whitney's 11-year-old son is found on the ground, having fallen from a third-storey window, questions are asked about what really happened. Whitney is known for being verbally abusive. Did she lose control? Or, did Xavier jump, having been bullied just one too many times? Why would he be leaning out of the window in the middle of the night?

This book is one of the most powerful I've read about motherhood and families for a while. Motherhood is seen as something beautiful, something selfless that comes naturally. What is never spoken about is women who may regret having children, even though they love them. Motherhood is not sainthood. It can be so all-consuming that there is nothing left of yourself. These characters are highly flawed, and yet, you cannot help but have some empathy for them. For some women, motherhood can be suffocating. It doesn't mean someone doesn't love her children, just that it's not what they thought it would be.

There's a shocking twist in this story and the ending packs such a punch that I was reeling. I felt for these women, even as I judged them for their faults. 'The Whispers' is a book that deals with the things women will never admit to, their innermost thoughts. A compelling read.

Wow. I was worried this wouldn't live up to The Push and I needn't have worried, because I loved it even more. I love the twisty, turning chapters where a little bit more information gets dripped into the plot so that as the reader we can have theories over what happened. I was very proud of myself for thinking I'd worked it out half way through, only to realise I'd only picked up on half the clues!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this novel.

I really enjoyed the author’s previous book, The Push, which had a killer ending and whilst I didn’t enjoy this one quite as much, I did enjoy it and it once again had a brilliant ending. Not really many likeable characters but so well written that I do t think that really detracts from the novel. Recommended.

What a scorcher again from Audrain!
From a mysterious “accident”, Audrain delves into the lives of 4 families, with their ways, secrets and pains, she portrays motherhood in an extraordinary fashion. She captures to perfection all the mixed feelings and emotions one might experience, the challenges of reconciling motherhood and womanhood the unconditional love that can never die.
4 different women, from different backgrounds and with opposite experiences of motherhood, yet having more in common than meets the eye.
Very clever and unputdownable!

I read Ashley Audrain’s debut, The Push, two years ago, and thoroughly enjoyed it. The ending left me eager to read more, such a cliffhanger. So I have patiently awaited her follow up, I can’t wait to dive in to The Whispers.

The story finds a group of neighbours, living in a moneyed area. An area that once housed a strong Portuguese community. That tight knit, strong community has now completely faded, as the older residents leave their beloved homes. Young, wealthy couples are ready to snap up the land, to build huge new gleaming homes.

The narrative mainly focuses on Whitney. Outwardly, an incredibly successful woman who has it all. A fulfilling, powerful career, an attentive husband, three children, and a beautiful home. So many are drawn towards her, like moths to a flame. Just like moths, when they get too close, they see the danger she can wield, the power she likes to hold.

The Whispers is an uncensored story of motherhood, jealousy, insecurities. Of never quite thinking you are, or what you have, is enough. The endless desire for more. So much hidden away beneath the veneers that are outwardly shown to the world.
There are so many elements covered, many versions of motherhood, many different experiences. So many emotions, positive and negative. The title itself, The Whispers, has so many meanings within the story too.

I read the second half of the book in a morning. Each page turned, increased the sense that soon we would understand Whitney’s guilt. What exactly she was hiding, what had happened that night. Though it’s fair to say she isn’t the only resident, hiding things away from other’s eyes. So much more of the history of those four households on Harlow Street, the four marriages, reveal themselves, as the story progresses.

Domestic thrillers aren’t my usual genre, but this author’s writing will always draw me in. The well written, raw, emotive words grip me, making me turn the pages quickly. Yet again, Ashley Audrain drops a bombshell on the last page, then turns and walks away, leaving you wondering what happened next. She cleverly leaves you with your thoughts, running through the possibilities. The fate of the character’s lives are within your own imagination.

This unflinching, brutally honest book is 5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ without doubt or question. It also goes without saying that I will eagerly look forward to her next book.

There is a strong theme around late miscarriage, so please consider this before reading.

With many thanks to Netgalley, Michael Joseph and Penguin Random House for this free ARC - I am leaving this review voluntarily
The Push blew me away so Ashley Audrain has been on my radar and she has not disappointed me with this book. An intriguing multi layered story that comes together like a jigsaw puzzle - bits fitting in to complete the story piece by piece. Fantastic writing from the POV of the three women each detailing their experience and/or expectations of motherhood - so realistic that it’s hard to believe it’s just one writer. As with The Push it’s the killer ending that makes this author unique. Loved it

A really interesting and dynamic story from Audrain - off the back of The Push I expected this to be more of a thriller but in fact it's more of a suburban drama. Obviously at the centre of the story there was the tragedy of the hurt child, but the ripple effect of the whispering and gossip in the neighbourhood was so gripping and effective. It also had a heartbreaking yet sensitive depiction of different stages of motherhood (or lack thereof). And the ending!!!!

A toxic neighborhood ★★☆☆☆

After she loses her temper with her ten-year-old son at a garden party, Whitney Loverly’s suburban life is no longer perfect in the eyes of her claustrophobic neighbourhood. However, her neighbours Blair and Rebecca and their husbands have their own secrets and despairs.

Whitney seems to have everything but hates being a mother; Blair adores her daughter but suspects her husband of having an affair and envies Whitney’s glamour; and Rebecca is desperately trying to have a baby and has suffered multiple miscarriages.

After Whitney’s son has an accident, the neighbours’ grimy secrets and affairs are gradually exposed to the harsh light of day.

Apart from Rebecca and Whitney’s husband Jacob – and maybe Mara – I found it very hard to identify with and like the characters. However, it’s a brave exploration of what it means to struggle with motherhood.

A tough and sometimes depressing read which exposes the underside of motherhood – unwanted, enjoyed, and desperately desired – and the pain and loss of miscarriage.

I recommend the author’s previous novel The Push (2021) which is a disturbing psychological exploration of motherhood but has a more empathetic main character.

Telling the story of 4 women who live in the same street.

Their stories unravel throughout the book and of how their lives intertwine.

Lots of topics are dealt with throughout with motherhood being the main theme.

Definitely worth a read!