I feel so dizzy with glee at how good it is!! Wow!! I initially thought it was a simple story of a child sneaking off when you take your eyes away from them for a second but it turned out to be so much more! Secrets,lies and danger made me flip through the pages so fast my head is spinning.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.

In "The Playgroup" , Leah Mercer masterfully weaves a tale that ensnares the heart and ensnares the mind.

This gripping psychological suspense is not merely a book; it's a journey into the labyrinth of the human psyche, where mental health lurks like the minotaur in the dark corners of societal stigma.

The story unfolds around a bright and welcoming haven—the playgroup—nestled within a red-brick building at the heart of the town.

Here, mothers entrust their children to the care of newfound friends: Alice, Beth, and Georgie. But when tragedy strikes, the safety of this sanctuary shatters, leaving lives forever altered.

Leah Mercer explores the complexities of family bonds, secrets, and the lengths we go to protect our loved ones. The other mothers harbor their own dangerous truths, and as the layers peel away, more secrets are discovered.

A compelling mystery for fans of psychological thrillers.

The Playgroup

Book Review 📚

🩷🩷🩷💞(3.5)

This is an arc book Thank you to @netgalley for allowing me to read and do a review. I am very honored.

This is the first book I have ever read from this author.

This book is as a psychological thriller.
There were some twists and turns; my brain felt like a Rubiks cube half the time I was reading. At some point I did like the storyline… it’s just there weren’t that many thrills in this book for me to love it.
I just felt like I was on a mini roller coaster ride.

🚩No Spoliers🚩

The Playground

This novel is about a woman that wanted to move away from her old village and start a fresh new look for her life with her and her child away from the past to start with a clean slate.

Starting at a new job at a nursery, she had her child with her every time she worked to keep her safe and protected.

Feeling like an outcast at work, trying to make new friends, and having new boss, she kept to herself most of the time. One day, a coworker opened up to her about her life and work.

While feeling the same connection with her coworker, she had shared something about her past. She told her, “I feel safe and my child safety is the most important thing for me,” Did she make a new friend?

Before she took this job, her boss told her that this nursery is a safe Haven. It is safe place for children and they wouldn’t hurt her here.

Was she lying to her?

Was this nursery really a safe place? Did any kids get hurt here before? And what kind of past and secrets does this place have?

Must read to find out!!

I do recommend this book; I say give it a try. It’s a very fast read.

I Let Her In follows Cassie and her husband Jon return to his childhood home after the death of his mother. Cassie hopes to find both solace and a fresh start. But not everything is as it seems, and she has a journey finding the truth lurking behind the shadows of her life.

This thriller is told by different points of views, and I felt hooked me since the very start. The characters are well written, and the plot is quite interesting. This is a suspenseful thriller full of twists and turns that will not allow you to see the end coming. I felt like I was being pull down a rabbit hole without predict the ending.

I really enjoyed this story; it has the right pace and has so many secrets and suspense. The storyline was well developed, and I was so engaging in the story that I could not stop until the end.

Thank you, Bookouture & NetGalley, for approving me to read this arc and write this review.

The story starts by introducing us to Florence, a mom looking for a fresh start, and the three coworkers and friends she meets in a new town. Beneath the “warm and fuzzy” surface, each woman juggles her needs and ambitions. When a tragedy happens, will friendship prevail?

Florence: A mom and former teacher that has recently overcome post partum depression. She is taking her toddler on a vacation of sorts, house sitting in the country and proving to herself that she is a capable mother without the help of her husband.

Alice: launched the Nest, a nursery everyone loves, and struggles with the stress of knowing she could lose it. She also feels excluded by her family, even as she prioritizes work.

Georgie: A Nest employee who wants some time off to focus on her teenage children, one of whom has been diagnosed with MS. Is she strong enough to express her needs?

Beth: a Nest employee who has struggled with infertility and is finally pregnant! But some past mistakes haunt her.

The Playgroup tells a story about the secrets we keep and our willingness to let others suffer unmerited consequences in order to keep our own skeletons firmly locked in the closet.

Quick enjoyable read. Characters felt a little underdeveloped for me. I loved the secret trope. It felt rushed at the end.

In the poignant narrative by Mercer, a mother navigates the tumultuous waters of postpartum depression, a storm threatening to consume her very essence. The story begins with a tragic car accident involving Florence, the mother's daughter, fighting for her life, while the mother wrestles with guilt and uncertainty, facing potential blame for the crisis. The tale unfolds, exposing the harsh truth that individuals grappling with mental health struggles are often unfairly targeted, their pain intensified by a society that turns a blind eye, leaving them isolated. Through the protagonist's struggle, a stark reminder emerges of the crucial need for empathy and comprehension towards those confronting mental health challenges. "The Playgroup" stands as an irresistible force, urging the dismantling of biases that restrict conversations surrounding mental health.

The narrative unfolds through the perspectives of Lenore, the mother, and the three daycare workers, offering a deeper insight into each character through their individual chapters. Surprising revelations in the prologue caught me off guard, adding an element of astonishment to the plot. The book delves into challenging themes such as postnatal depression and substance abuse, with Lenore's and Beth's viewpoints standing out as the most developed. The story excels at maintaining intrigue and a fast-paced plot. An engaging aspect of the book is its exploration of gaslighting within the context of hidden truths and shifting blame among the characters. This adds a layer of complexity to the interpersonal dynamics, enhancing the overall narrative tension.

The novel concludes satisfactorily with unexpected character resolutions. Mercer retains her skill in concealing characters' secrets, building tension until the climactic reveal. Fans of the author are likely to find enjoyment in this gripping tale and eagerly await her future works. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advance review copy in exchange for my honest review.

Told from the perspective of each of the lead characters, Mercer weaves a twisted tale by revealing the secrets each character holds throughout the book. They’re full of flaws & realistic problems in this gripping psychological suspense about how far one may go to protect their secrets even if it means ruining someone else.

Thank you, Leah Mercer, Bookouture, & @
netgalley for my copy! All opinions are my own.

I liked the way the four main characters were introduced - each having a story which is gradually revealed. Gosh Alice frustrated me because I didn't like her and while feeling some sympathy for her, I also wanted her empire to come down at least a little!

The husband - it was clear to me right from the start that this was the kind of husband who would hold a mental health episode against her and use it at some point.

The story was intriguing and the ending certainly satisfying. A good story overall with realistic characters with interesting pasts. It can be so hard to start a fresh, the past has a way of catching up with us.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a review copy of this book.

Leah Mercer, who also publishes as Talli Roland is an author I have been following since 2010 when she published her first novel. In my opinion over the years her writing has gone from strength to strength. It took me less than two days to read this latest addictive psychological thriller. I just had to finish before going to sleep last night!

Four women that are connected by their workplace and the secrets they keep are the basis of the suspenseful storyline. The protagonists, Lenore, Alice, Georgie and Beth alternately narrate this twisted web of secrets, that unravels at quite a pace. Depression, addiction, chronic illness and controlling partners all feature. Quite concerning when you consider that all theses women are working with young children!

Certainly kept me guessing, as every time I thought I had worked it all out there was another revelation. If you enjoy psychological thrillers this one is worth reading.


Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Playgroup by Leah Mercer

Published: March 21, 2024
Bookouture
Pages: 283
Genre: Women’s Psychological Fiction
KKECReads Rating: 5/5
I received a copy of this book for free, and I leave my review voluntarily.

This was a wild ride. I enjoyed the alternating perspectives and the dynamic that added to the story. It made things move at a nice pace.

This book was a perfect example of how secrets can be dangerous. And boy, were these secrets heavy. There were a lot of twists and unexpected turns throughout this novel, and it was hard to like the characters most of the time.

The development was strong, and the writing was solid. The storyline was original and entertaining. The last half moved a lot faster than the first half, and once the chaos ball started rolling, there was no stopping the destruction.

I've read several of Mercer's books via Bookouture to date and The Playground is definitely up there as my favourite.

The plot was twisty and compelling, the narrations were brilliant and had me questioning each of them throughout the read as to who was telling the truth.

It's a fast paced psychological thriller that you will not want to put down. Where secrets and lies are concerned you always know you're in for a wild ride, as the truth will always out and collateral damage is imminent.

Thank you Bookouture and NetGalley for the ARC! After coming out of post parade depression, Lenore needs a break from her ever present husband and takes her daughter to their new life to a town an hour away. Finding a new job in a nursery with free child care is a dream until one day she sees her daughter run out into the street and get hit. Each person at the nursery has a secret and the end will be surprising!

Interesting read about 3 women and the secrets in their lives. I would have enjoyed the read even more if the POV was first person, but it was still enjoyable, just a little slow at time. I really didn't see the twists come at the end !

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for access to this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Enjoyed this book and loved how the story unfolded. It was told very well and great style of characters.

This thriller is a fast paced page turner from the start. This story follows the lives of four mothers. The story begins when one of the woman decides to get away with her daughter after struggling with post pardon depression. This is going to be the fresh start she feels she needs and the chance to finally fit in with the mums. She discovers the nest will offer her child care and everything’s looking up. One day she comes to pick up her daughter just in time to see that she’s been in a terrible car accident outside of the nursery and no one seems to remember how it happened. This start the labyrinth of secrets, so many secrets that everyone’s hiding. Secrets that could destroy everyone.

The ending was not was I was expecting but everything you could hope for!

Thank you to the author and publisher for getting to read this pre-published copy of this fantastic book!

Lenore is finally starting to feel more herself after months of crippling postpartum depression following the birth of her daughter, Florence. But her husband, James, still doesn’t seem to trust her with their child, so she decides to take some time away by herself with Florence so they can both learn to trust her as a mother again so she moves to a house in Mappelstow, just outside London. In the heart of this town sits The Nest, a playgroup run by a co-operative of the town’s parents which seems like the ideal place for not only her daughter to socialise, but for Lenore to begin working again. Lenore soon settles in and begins to see the other women working there as her friends. Until that terrible day.

Lenore stands helpless, paralysed by horror as her little girl runs into the road. Tyres screech and Lenore’s scream pierces the air as she races to her daughter’s side. Little Florence is alive, but only just, and is rushed into hospital. Lenore and her husband, James, begin a vigil by the unconscious little girl’s bedside hoping for a miracle. But their nightmare gets even darker when the other women tell Lenore the accident was her fault. Could they be right? Could her PPD have clouded her mind and she really put her child in danger? Lenore is sure it wasn’t her fault. But why would her friends lie? What might they be hiding?

Tense, twisty and surprising, Leah Mercer had me in the palm of her hand as I devoured this book in just 24 hours. Narrated by Lenore, Alice, Georgie, and Beth, this is a story where everyone has something to hide. It explores topics such as postpartum depression, drug addiction, chronic illness, and coercive control, spinning a twisted web of secrets and lies that is cleverly woven together. Fast-paced and addictive, I could never be sure of the truth and when the truth was revealed it left me speechless. I did not see that coming!

A suspenseful and surprising thriller, I’d highly recommend The Playgroup to anyone who enjoys psychological thrillers.

Lenore is recovering from postpartum depression. She decides to take a break from her hectic London life in order to spend more time with her toddler, Florence. Lenore gets a job at The Nest, a nursery playgroup. With this job, Lenore also gets free childcare for Florence.

One day, the unthinkable happens - Florence darts out onto the road and is hit by a car. Lenore trusted her new friends at The Nest to watch Florence. Why weren't they watching Florence? How did she manage to get out of the outdoor play area and wind up on the road? At the time of the accident, Lenore happened to be driving by the area and witnessed the terrible event. Florence is left fighting for her life in the hospital. To make matters worse, Lenore's friends from The Nest blame the accident on her. Lenore adamantly disagrees with her friend's stories - she had not picked up Florence yet, so how could the accident be her fault? Lenore quickly begins to doubt herself and her memories, worried that she might just not be able to remember picking up Florence. As time goes on, we learn that everyone at The Nest has something to hide.

I requested an advanced copy of this book based off the very interesting premise. The Playgroup definitely does not rely on overused thriller subgeneres. It is a quick and easy read. I appreciate that the author explored difficult issues, such as postpartum depression and drug addiction.

I feel like there was just too much thrown into this book. I of course love plenty of twists and turns, but I don't think that all the extra things added to this novel increased the suspense. It just made for a bit of a messy plot with too many subplots. Some things also did not make sense and were super unrealistic, to the point that a few plot holes were created.

Overall, an average read.

Thank you Bookouture and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

A good read
Plenty of secrets in this book
It will keep you guessing
And I didn’t expect the ending
Thanks NetGalley

First, I want to thank Leah Mercer, Bookouture Books and NetGalley for providing me with this book so I can bring you this review.

OMG!!! Leah Mercer’s The Playgroup is every parent’s worst nightmare and thensome! My jaw was literally on the floor and my heart was beating out of my chest! Oh there were so many emotions going on throughout this book-and yes I needed some tissues! This is a must read book that deserves way more than 5 stars!

Leah had me glued to my Kindle in this fast paced addictive read! For me I devoured this in one sitting. It was SO good!!! Infact, I feel that this is one of her best books that I have read. That being said you need to go pick this book up and put it to the top of your tbr list.

Leah Mercer brought awareness to some very important topics such as MS, drug overdose and Oxycotton.

There was one adorable scene in the book that made me smile and giggle a little bit. It was the moment little Florence found Beth’s pregnancy. Oh, it was so cute!

I will admit there was one major event/scene that was difficult to read due to the circumstances. However, it was an extremely powerful heart wrenching scene that had me gasping!

The Playgroup was filled with drama, deep dark secrets, and tons of shocking bombshells that you will not see coming and leave you speechless!