This was my first audiobook I’ve ever listened to and it did not disappoint!

Lacy has always wanted to be a mother. She finally gets the opportunity when one morning after a drunken bender she wakes up to find a baby in her home. The only problem is, Lucy has no recollection of how that baby got there. The Baby follows Lucy as she attempts to unravel where this baby comes from and who it belongs to.

The Baby is full of twists and turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The story started off a little slow, but once the bombshells started to drop, it began to pick up. I also found some of the twists to be a little predictable, but nevertheless, it was a fantastic listen!

A great fast pace thriller! The story wasn’t dragged out which I loved (I feel like thrillers drag out the story too much sometimes). I also love when the FMC isn’t an idiot. This book was slightly predictable, I definitely figured out the twists before I was half way through. That being said it was still a very entertaining and enjoyable book. Narration was good and easy to listen to.

I absolutely devoured this is one day. I loved all of the twists and turns. The suspense had me on the edge of my seat. Definitely a wild ride! I will be watching for more books by this author!

The Baby by A J McDine had me absolutely gripped! Lucy wakes up one day with no recollection of the night before, and a baby in her home. Now she must race to find who this baby and who took him. Could it be her who abducted a child?

Kept my interest to the end!

When her husband returns from several weeks working offshore, Lucy must explain how she suddenly has a new baby at home..... the only problem is, she doesn't know.

It took me a minute to get into this book because I found both character's reaction to suddenly finding a random baby in their home to be wildly unrealistic. I do not care how drunk I was he night before, if I woke up and found a baby I didn't know in my house I would call the police *instantaneously*. Similarly, if I came home and found my husband with a random baby I didn't know, I'd have called the police before I took my coat off. The first few chapters I was actually a little distracting because there is literally nothing, you could do to convince me NOT to call the police immediately so the character's reactions were beyond bizarre. Still, the narration was excellent and I kept listening and I'm so glad I did!

The story quickly starts to explain why the characters reacted the way they did and began to address the legal and logistically issues concerning finding a child. When it become evident that neither Lucy nor Miles was being as straight forward as you were led to believe it all starts to fall into place.

The excellent narration kept this one going in the beginning but once you hit the ten percent mark it really takes off and run on it's own. I can't say I was shocked by the twists, but the story moves very quickly once it gets going and it's a wild ride to the end. I would definitely read more from this author!

Is this was a good listen. It started off keeping my interest and held my interest until the very last minute. A story of lies and deceit. There was a twist at the end, not a huge twist, but a twist that I sort of figured might be the case. The narrator did a great job. I listened at 2.x the speed easily.

A.J. McDine is a new, to me, author and The Baby was a great introduction to McDine's talent. An audio arc, which I flew through, I'd love to be able to tell you why I loved it - but this is one that could easily be spoiled with details. In brief, a married couple are childless, his job keeps him away for long periods, she wakes one day to find a baby in her home.

And then get ready for intrigue with plenty of twists and turns. It's fast paced and, on audio, has a stellar narrator in Tamsin Kennard. She is a real pro and any book narrated by Kennard is one you will enjoy.

So, my conundrum is I now want to give you the trigger warnings, but, these will be a bit of a spoiler, so stop reading if you don't want ANY story clues:








Depression, miscarriage, heavy alcohol use, gaslighting and rape.

That's a lot, and for those of us with some trauma, they can be too much even in a solid book.

First of all, I love an unreliable narrator. And this story has a woman with a severe drinking problem who everyone seems to recognize, but her. Her husband Miles is an off shore oil worker, who is only home for a few days a month. While he is gone Lucy ambles about the house trying to fill her days, but is plagued by loneliness and depression. One morning after a particularly bad bender she wakes up to find an infant in her living room. The odd thing is - she has no idea whose baby it is, or where it came from.

As the layers of the story are peeled back we learn that everything isn’t as it may seem.
I really feel for the main character Lucy, and though I don’t think I would have handled things as she does, she is a likable character and I found myself rooting for her. The ending was realistic and satisfying, though I figured it out about 25% in- though it took poor Lucy much longer. Enjoyable read.

I would like to thank Net Galley and the publisher for a chance to review this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This was a quick listen for me! Finally an audiobook that kept me engaged throughout. The past few ones I’ve listened to have been pretty boring.

The Baby was unique! I will say, it wasn’t as twisty as expected because you could guess where it was going, but it was unique nonetheless.

I would recommend you read/listen to this book!

4ish stars

As I suspected, most of this book is essentially the definition of “gaslighting to the extreme.” I always find stories like that a bit difficult to read, but I also still enjoyed it and continuously wanted to know what was coming next. Parts of the ending were a bit unexpected, which was nice, and the ultimate conclusion was pretty satisfying. All in all, it was a good one. I’ll look forward to other stories from this writer in the future.

A childless woman wakes up with a painful hangover and an adorable 4-month-old baby.

Did she steal the baby during one of her drunken stupors?

Where did the baby come from and who is the baby's mother?

"The Baby" by AJ McDine sizzles and soars.

Characterizations were compelling and the pacing was spot-on.

Twists, turns, and unreliable narrators were plentiful.

This is the fourth book I have read by talented author AJ McDine and she is now one of my go-to authors.

I listened to the audiobook read by Tamsin Kennard, who did an outstanding job with the narration.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐+⭐
The Baby by A J McDine an audiobook narrated by Tamsin Kennard was an insane, absolutely gripping, mad, incredible psychological thriller with a jaw-dropping twist! Straight to my 6-star shelf! This book grabbed me from the beginning and I knew I would need to finish in one sitting as there was no way I would be able to wait for the next day!

Tamsin Kennard’s narration of this book was incredible! She does a surprisingly fantastic job with both male and female characters and made it incredibly easy to listen to! The way she managed to change the voices and linger in between characters and accents is pure talent!

Usually when Lucy passes out after drinking too much the only thing welcoming her in the morning is a hangover... until this morning. There is a baby in her living room! And Lucy doesn't have any memory of how this happened.
Her husband, Miles, who is working on an oil rig will be home tomorrow and he doesn't like kids... Lucy is out of mind with what to do so she constantly checks the news for missing baby but there are none! She is running out of time and ideas about what to do but she must do something.

If you are in a reading slump grab this book and you will be out of it in no time!

Thank you NetGalley, Bookouture, and Bookouture Audio for this fantastic and incredible story!

Finally a book to get me out of my reading slump! Just the right amount of mystery and suspense. Main character wakes up after a blackout to discover a baby in her home. Trying to unpack the events that led to this, readers are quickly thrown into a series of cringey memories and unending questions. Definitely recommend this one!

The Baby is an entertaining mystery with a twist at the end you won’t see coming! McDine has written a story with a unique plot; it’s a fresh take on the domestic thriller. The book kept me engaged and I devoured it in a day. This one will be a hit.

ARC audiobook provided in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed Tamsin Kennard’s narration on this book! She does a surprisingly good job with both male and female characters and made it incredibly easy to listen to! The story had some predictable moments and with the main character having a drinking problem, she’s definitely an unreliable narrator. There were some parts I didn’t see coming and the story as a whole held my attention and kept me guessing. I would recommend to anyone who likes psychological thrillers and mysteries!

This is an intriguing domestic thriller that has your spidey senses going many different ways. It’s a fast paced read that holds your attention. There are many twists and turns with some I could see coming and but some that were a complete surprise which is always a plus. I honestly couldn’t stand Miles from the get go and wasn’t sure initially if I liked Lucy but that was short lived. This is a rollercoaster read that doesn’t let up with some really good surprises along the way. The narrator did a great job of building the storyline and keeping the listener engaged. A good read for sure.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review #TheBaby

From the first sentence to the last, I was immediately hooked. It’s a fast paced read with an engaging subject. There are some major trigger warnings that I will not disclose. Just use your imagination of what those TW might possibly be when you read the title “The Baby”. Your discretion is advised and you have been warned. I loved the character development, you will learn to love and hate these characters, that made the story exciting to read. It was a drama/psychological thriller that will pull out every emotion you have. I look forward to reading more novels from this author AJ McDine. I listened to the audiobook and I loved the narrator, Tamsin Kennard. Their voice was soothing and used punctuational tone fabulously. I highly suggest listening to the audiobook. Thank you NetGalley and publisher Bookouture Audio for this wonderful ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to listen to The Baby audiobook. The premise is interesting. What if you woke up one morning and the baby you dreamed of having was in your room, but you have no idea how it got there? Of course, most people would say they would go to the authorities, but would you? I enjoyed the character development, but had a hard time in the beginning with Lucy. As the book progressed, it was clear what was happening. The book had lots of twists, some easy to figure out in the middle, but I love when a book twisted at the end and I didn’t see it coming. Kudos for that in The Baby.

The Baby by A J McDine
(Narrated by Tamsin Kennard)

Imagine there’s a baby in your drawer and you can’t remember how can that be happened, because you were drunk. But you know he can’t be your baby, even you are desperate to have one…your husband doesn’t want to report to the police. Can you really trust him?

Super gripping with a great twist. The story setting just kept me hooked from the beginning, because I want to know what’s going on with the baby! It’s totally smartly written.

The secrets behind, the hidden letter and the traumatic experience just created an enjoyable thriller. The narrator presented in a perfect tone, pace and accent which I truly enjoy a lot!

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for my copy.

Pub date: April 23, 2024

Really great domestic thriller. Lucy made a great main character who is horribly gaslighted. Lots of surprises and twists in this book. I didn’t have too high expectations when I started this audiobook as I tend to skip kidnapping and missing children books because I find them to be all the same.
This one is definitely different and full of surprises.
Worth a listen. Well narrated.