This book had a great plot with intriguing characters. I’ll definitely be looking out for more from this author.

Thanks to the publisher, author and netgalley for the copy 💕

I found that this book was alright. I was gripped for both the beginning and end of the book, however I really didn't feel engaged for the midsection of the book sadly. I really enjoyed the suspense the book had throughout as well as the constant questions the book left the reader asking. The characters I loved and I loved trying to work out the mystery of it all

Dearest - Jacquie Walters

Horror is a genre I’ve been dabbling with reading this year. I’ve seen a lot of praise and awards for Dearest so was curious to read it.

Flora, a new mother struggling with exhaustion, sleepiness nights and loneliness. Her estranged mother comes to help. The edges of Flora’s reality begin to blur as stranger and scarier events occur.

The blurring of reality is superbly handled, there’s a constant creeping unease and regular shocks and shifts in perception. I was reminded of Zoje Stage’s Mothered and William Friend’s Let Him In.

Eerily compelling with plenty going on.

Recommended.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bonnier Books UK

I devoured this book in a weekend - it gave me the creepy vibes I was looking for as well as the engaging and captivating world to keep me interested page after page. I loved the characters and the pacing of the story kept me hooked

I devoured this! Absolutely hooked me from the first page. I honestly was kept guessing what the hell was happening throughout. The writing style was exactly what I enjoy and, even though it’s not the genre I teach my students I know many will love this! I will be looking out for more from this author! Highly recommend this book!

A dark and twisty read which engages the reader from the very beginning. An exploration of love and loss that beautifully captures the complexity of relationships. The characters are well-developed and relatable, drawing you into their emotional journeys. WWhile some pacing issues arise in the middle, the powerful conclusion makes it a worthwhile read. Overall, it’s a touching story that lingers in the mind long after the last page.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my copy

I couldn’t get into this book. I found it really long winded to say what they wanted to

New mother Flora, like all new mothers with a newborn at home is exhausted. The usual sleep deprived insomnia scrambled in amongst all the new emotions and routine. It doesn't help that Flora's husband Connor is currently deployed overseas and when flora starts hearing and seeing things that cannot possibly be there and then her estranged Mum Jodie appears at her door what unfolds is a dark and twisted ride that actually blew my mind!!

This book perfectly captures the utter emotional and truly life changing way as mother's we almost morph into different people when we have children, especially our first. It is the most beautiful and amazing thing in the world to become a mother but, it can also be a very lonely and scary point in life for some. How we inherently go into "look after the baby mode" and as a result neglect ourselves. As a Mum who struggled with post natal depression after the birth of my son I found my self resonating with Flora so much, the feelings she had, the way she felt so hopeless and unworthy is a horrible place to be and this book simultaneously broke my heart and scared the shit out of me at the same time because this book is also a fictional horror thriller and I loved it!

The author blends very real life mental health struggles with pure horror delicately and seamlessly. I will say I've found this a really hard book to review because it's so unique and different but, I would recommend it in a heartbeat.

Holy moly! When I was asked if I wanted to review this new horror novel – a novel that, according to the publisher, will ‘grip you, terrify you and haunt you in equal measure’ – I was hesitant. I mean, horror is not my go-to genre in the slightest.

It did sound intriguing, though. I find the accounts – fictional or otherwise – of the early days of motherhood endlessly fascinating. Reality does alter in those first moments of adjusting to a different rhythm of life. It can be so exhausting… and exhaustion can play dirty tricks on the mind.

I convinced myself that – armed with this knowledge – I wouldn’t find the book so scary after all. It would be fine! Little did I know that the nightmare that Flora, new mum to Iris, finds herself in is not one of those that can be fixed with a good sleep and a nutritious meal.

Ladies and gentlemen, you’re in for a ride. And in perfect time for spooky season!

What an incredible horror debut! Walters so brilliantly toes the line between psychological thriller and supernatural horror, once I started reading there was no chance of me putting it down.

Her raw and unflinching look at post-natal depression and new motherhood is both utterly captivating and at times hard to read. My overwhelming concern for Flora and Iris became so unsettling, it was heart-shattering.

As the novel goes on, events descend into increasingly disturbing depths with body horror, seeming hallucinations and bug infestations. The unreliable narrative and delightfully twisty plot chilled me to the bone.

All in all, an extremely satisfying read. Delivered exactly what I want out of a horror novel and more. Cannot wait to see what Jacquie Walters writes next!

I haven't read a horror for quite a while, and after reading this I remember how much I enjoy them! The adrenaline from your heart racing as you read through the pages discovering what is going to happen. I was hooked early on, desperate to find out what was going on and what fate lied ahead for flora. It did dip a little bit for me about a third of the way through picked up again to brilliantly terrifying finish! Like reading a horror movie!

This was a super creepy and atmospheric book, full of twists and turns.

Flora is home alone with her new baby as her husband has been deployed. Though he's due to come home in several days, Flora is not coping. Odd things are happening and she needs support. In desperation, she calls on her estranged mother for help. At first Flora is relieved and grateful for the help...but then her imaginary friend from her childhood turns up and secrets are uncovered as her mother's behaviour gets stranger.

This was a disturbing read and I loved it!

Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for the ARC.

I've seen a lot of thrillers called 'a wild ride' and then all that happens is some nondescript people get murdered or a nice old neighbour turns out to be evil, but I think Dearest is the first time I've got halfway through a book and thought, this is a bit of a wild ride. Flora is trapped alone with her newborn daughter while her husband is on deployment; desperate, she calls on her estranged mother for help, but she doesn't expect Jodi to actually turn up at her door. As Flora struggles with unreal hallucinations and the very real body horror of early motherhood, clogged milk ducts, infected nipples and all, she starts to wonder if her mother is all she seems. Dearest starts as a bit of a slow burn but really accelerates once Jodi appears. My favourite sequence was when Flora and Jodi were alone together with the baby; Jacquie Walters is great at both the supernatural tension caused by mysterious power cuts and cursed objects, and the darkness of dealing with childhood trauma personified by a parent. Unlike many a writer, she's able to balance the fear of going mad with the fear that the things you're seeing are actually real. I had some quibbles; the subject-matter of Dearest is not exactly close to home to me, as I've never given birth, but is perhaps a few doors down considering the history of postpartum psychosis in my extended family. I felt that, given this sensitive subject, a twist regarding Flora's imaginary friend was unnecessary, inserted for shock value, and actually diluted the suffocating focus on the mother-child dyad. But given how much has been written about the horrors of early motherhood, I was impressed by how hard this still hits.

Flora's husband is working away, leaving her with new baby Iris. Like any new mum, it's a challenge for her, managing alone. However tough being a lone parent is, that's nothing compared to the horror that was to come....
Her only human contact for a while are the video calls with husband Connor from his undisclosed location, wherever in the world he has been deployed. The only other presence in her big rambling empty house is the occasional beetle scurrying around..isolated with a newborn, the house starts to close in around her. Flora's childhood nightmares return to haunt her. As does her childhood imaginary friend, Zephie. Is Flora being haunted, or is her sleep deprived imagination playing tricks.
Scared and alone, Flora reaches out to her estranged, cold, emotionless mother, who to Flora's surprise, turns up at the house, and with her comes no end of horror.

This book covers you with waves of fear and dread, it's full of suspense and menace as it explores two faces of motherhood. One of nurture, protection and something far bigger than love, the other is sinister, threat and danger. But which mother is which..
Thank you lovely @jwalterswrites and the fab @zaffrebooks also @netgally for this amazingly exciting and wonderfully disturbingly thriller of a novel....

One thing that is so great about the horror genre is it truly allows you to dive into the deepest parts of yourselves and allows you to put onto page manifestations of your darkest thoughts or moments. It's a genre that I think, more so than any other, really allows authors to be raw with themselves and the reader in a visceral way.

This book to me felt like one big metaphor about how scary early motherhood can be, how you don't feel that you can do anything right, how some things don't come naturally the way people tell you it will, and how much you change as a person after going through the 9-month ordeal of pregnancy and labour.

This book was able to put the fears of motherhood out there right from the first page and you watch as the main character slips more and more away from herself. The writing so easily plots the downward spiral of Flora and you are genuinely scared to turn the page as you have no idea what to expect next.

I felt this was a really good look into post-partum depression and post-partum psychosis and I felt the supernatural horror elements of this novel served as more of a metaphor for complex post-partum experiences and through this novel were we able to address the experiences of mothers going through those kind of things.

It's not THE representation of post-partum experiences but I do think through this book you can see the connections the author is trying to make. It was that part of the book that I found the most engaging. It is a raw study into early motherhood as well as a horror novel as well.

It also serves as a novel to unpack complex mother-daughter relationships. The relationship between Flora and her mother Jodi is a relationship that I feel many people will connect with, the toxicity, the passive aggressiveness, and the lack of agency as your own being. Merging this complex dynamic in a book with strong PTSD themes makes for one emotional and slightly volatile novel that had me engaged from the first page.

I can't believe this was a debut - the feelings this story evoked from me! It's one I will be thinking about for a long time.

I could feel the claustrophobia and fatigue rolling off Flora in waves at the start - trying to figure out if what was happening was real or hallucinations. I'm sure a lot of women have felt similarly after giving birth - the overwhelming love and protection for a child at the same time as resentment and loneliness.

I'd say it's definitely split into two main parts - Flora feeling alone and Flora feeling caged in. I was torn between not trusting her mum or wondering if Flora's warped mind couldn't see it was for her own good. Also, I got so mad at her husband, literally furious.

The twists and turns in this story are so good, some I guessed, others I didn’t, and some completely blindsided me. My only niggle is I wanted a tad more between the end and the epilogue.

Overall, I'm stunned at how real and raw the emotions felt in this. You need to read this - but maybe not whilst expecting...

Yes, I read a horror book, a dark supernatural story which gives you a real shiver down the spine! Flora is mother to newly born Iris and living on her own in Vermont whilst her husband Connor is on service abroad. She is not coping at all well and is suffering from PND or something similar. Her only friend is Zephie! A well written and well constructed story with some very interesting characters.

Briefly, Flora is desperate and asking for help she contacts her estranged mother Jodi who she hasn’t seen for years. Suddenly Jodi is on the doorstep and matters go seriously downhill from there, insects infestation and strange voices on the baby monitor just for starters!

I’m not and have never been a parent so my emotions may have been different to anyone who has a child, however, I can confirm that this is not a book I would recommend reading late at night. If you like your books, dark and scary, I think you’ll like this. A very good debut horror novel, creepy, full of suspense and palpable tension - one to give you a good adrenaline rush. Entertaining read and whilst not my normal sort of read it was compelling.

Proper creepy cover! I would say I enjoyed the first 75% or so of the book but the ending wasn’t really for me. Have read a few books with motherhood as the main theme in the horror genre and I really enjoy it but for me this one was a little too much on the supernatural side of things.

Thank you to netgalley for providing an ecopy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I haven’t had the greatest time with ARC’s recently, if they’ve been three stars then I’ve been doing well. So when I picked up Dearest, I wasn’t entirely sure where it would sit for me. But, it was amazing – five stars all day. I love a story about bad mothers, about difficult parenting journeys about the pain of being estranged from those that should vow to protect you no matter what. Dearest is a story done incredibly well in that vein.

Flora is a new mom who is struggling-her husband, Connor is deployed and she is doing it all on her own. Her dad and his wife pops in from time to time, but her village is just Flora. We’ve all been there right? These days it seems like young parents are doing it all on their own, a lot of the older generation seem to see their time parenting done as soon as the children leave the coop. Sad really.

So when mastitis and sleep deprivation get to her, she ponders about reaching out to her own mother. They’ve been estranged for years, it all coming to a head at Flora’s wedding. But, she needs someone. The dirty dishes are piling up, laundry lies discarded, unwashed and she can’t find the time to just shower. She needs the help, and so she sends an email to her mother asking why it is all so HARD.

Her mother turns up and boy does the shit hit the fan. They seem to have an infestation of beetles, she hears voices stalking the baby monitor and Flora feels out of her own body.

If you aren’t prepared to cry with this one, then I’d advise not picking it up. The tears flowed freely by the end.

Thank you Bonnier Books, Netgalley, and Jacquie Walters for giving me an early copy for an honest review.
Where do I start with this one?! First of all I was told "don't read too close to bedtime", and I was like "you can't tell me what to do!" Well guess who stayed up until they could see the light of day from their curtains? Me!!
The writing is brilliant, as it's immersive in the creepiest way. As much as you want to refrain from playing the images of what is going on in your head, the writing makes it inevitable for a whole horror movie sequence playing on your mind.
The frustration, fear, and anxiety our main character Flora feels is synced with our own emotions, meaning we feel exactly as much anxiety, fear, and frustration like our main character. I may not be a parent but the maternal instincts instantly kicked in the moment I picked up this book. After finishing the book I sat staring at the wall wondering "Jacquie...are you alright?" Because there were so many moments where my jaw hit the floor, leaving me utterly speechless.
This was an incredible debut and a must-read for all horror seekers.

And take it from me...do not read this close to bed time.