Member Reviews
👶 Audiobook Review 🍼
Title : The Perfect Baby
Author : Sam Vickery
Genre : Thriller
Rate : 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Thanks to @netgalley for an ARC copy of this audiobook. This was published on the 27th September 2024.
We follow the stories of Elise & Maya.
Elise’s relationship went sour but she wanted to have a baby. Unfortunately she isn’t able to have one herself. Her distant sister Julia reluctantly agrees to be her surrogate but she soon starts leaving Elise out of appointments and ignoring her calls. Elise gets paranoid and thinks, does she want to keep the baby for herself?
Maya is a surrogate for a couple Nina & Will.
The 2 cross paths at a surrogacy group and become friends. Maya also had a relationship end badly, and along with surrogacy they have plenty to talk about.
As the pregnancies get closer to their due dates, things start getting tense with everyone.
Then everything changes and boy did I not see any of it coming. I liked the surrogacy side to it, made the story so interesting. I did not know what to believe or what connections with between the different characters and what wasn’t.
I really enjoyed Sam’s style of writing and I will definitely be reading more books by them.
If you’re looking for a page turner of a thriller that keeps pulling you back: then this is a book for you.
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Audiobook Review: Katy Sobey and Sofia Zervudachi portray this harrowing tale with a carefully considered and truly deep meaningful narration that will keep you hooked. The story itself leads you through a horrific and disturbing tale of abduction, and the twisted reasoning, which Katy and Sofia bring to life brilliantly.
Such a twisty book and I flew through reading this!! Absolutely loved it and loved the characters too!
Really enjoyed this audio book. It had me gripped from the start. Nice twist and well thought out cha ta characters. I’d highly recommend this book .
An interesting insight to surrogacy from the point of view of being the surrogate and being the person receiving the baby. Turned into a thriller with many twist and turns although the characters I felt a little one dimensional I was invested enough to stick with it till the end and found I actually really enjoyed the story And the fact it was different to most domestic thrillers. I have read and listen to late.
I enjoyed the fact that there were difference POV but not so many POV that you cannot keep track of the story. It most definitely kept me entertained enough and the twists that it held onto until the end I did not see coming. I can usually figure out most twists in books but this one I did not see coming at all. I will for sure be recommending this book to my friends that are avid readers. Well written with a great story and great twists!!!!
Wow - there were so many twists and turns during this listen! Some of them I expect and some I didn't. Definitely read the trigger warnings first, as there are several. The narrator was just okay.
Thank you to Netgalley, Sam Vickery and Bookouture Audio for this ALC in exchange for my honest review.
“All I’ve ever wanted is to be a mother. And as I look into the beautiful, bright blue eyes of this baby tucked up in her blanket, I can’t wait to bring her home with me. I know this little baby is safe in my arms. That I deserve her. That I should do everything in my power to keep her. Even if she wasn’t mine to take...”
My gosh, I thought I knew where the story was going with this one. And even though I guessed some of the twists right, I didn’t expect the deeper emotional turmoil that came with it. This could’ve been just a fast-paced popcorn thriller, but the writing made me care deeply about the characters and what had brought them to the point in the book.
This was an example of a ‘simple’ plot executed right, with an expertly done storytelling layered on it. I’d recommend jumping in blind and checking out the audiobook. The narration definitely enhanced my reading experience.
Thank you so much Bookouture Audio for this ALC! I was not a huge fan of the narrator but the story was intriguing and had me hooked. As a psychological thriller I was on my toes trying to figure what would happen next. Any book were children are harmed cause be very triggering so please check trigger warnings before reading.
This was soooooo good. It got me through the Christmas deep clean and I was hooked from the first chapter. A psychological thriller told from the point of view of the 2 main characters Maya & Elise. It is a really well developed and cleverly written storyline with some great twists, red herrings and drip fed clues along the way. The story unfolded just as was needed and really built the suspense. The characters are unique that’s for sure. It’s one of those listens that you just can’t predict which I really loved and just had to keep listening. I’m hoping there is going to be a sequel as I feel there is more to come in those storyline. Definitely interested to read more by this author.
Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture Audio for the opportunity to listen and review #ThePerfectBaby
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
Wow! This book was full of twists! I was dumbfounded during the reveals! I never saw that ending coming and am shocked. This was a quick and gripping read and the topic of surrogacy was very interesting. I really enjoyed this reading experience.
This book was certainly dark and twisted, and I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone who’s pregnant. Every mother worries about someone taking their child, and this book ignites all those fears. I wish the ending had been more satisfying; I felt like I was left hanging on a cliff.
It was gripping and indeed a interesting read!
The three protagonist indeed had an interwined story. The topic of surrogacy and the care which needs to be given to the mother's along with making them feel important was highlighted beautifully. The protagonist was just yet extremely crooked. And it's definitely a jaw dropper.
The Perfect Baby by Sam Vickery and narrated by Sofia Zervudachi, and Katy Sobey was an excellent audiobook. It was a dark and gripping page-turner which was full of jaw-dropping secrets that will have you hooked. I ended up listening to it whilst doing my weekly shopping, then doing things round my house, it was a hard audiobook to turn off once I started to listen to it. I loved it and the narrators Sofia Zervudachi, and Katy Sobey were superb!
Big Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC
What would you do to have the baby you always wanted? If all else fails, there is always surrogacy. In Vickery's novel, we get all the arguments for, against, and in between for being a surrogate or being the contracting (expecting) parents. Elise's sister Julia has agreed to be her surrogate, but Julia is aloof and as the delivery date grows closer, Julia shares less and less about the pregnancy with Elise. Then, Elise meets Maya at a surrogacy support group. Maya is carrying a baby she has promised to the expectant couple Nina and Will. Maya's problem is that she agreed that Nina and Will could control most of her actions and behavior while she is carrying their baby.
Maya does everything she can to get close to Elise when Elise joins the surrogacy support group. The thing is that Maya is privy to information about Elise's past, which makes her eager to learn all she can about Elise's present situation. You will be shocked when you finally learn how Elise and Maya's lives intertwine. The end is shocking, though it did leave me with a few questions. Nonetheless, this book is worth the read (or listen).
Elise meets Maya in a surrogacy group - while Maya is a surrogate for a couple named Nina and Will, she learns that Elise's sister Julia is acting as her surrogate but Julia is not comfortable to meet any group is what Elise says.
Maya really starts to like Elise and wants to be her friend, she wants to learn a lot more about Maya - because there is something connecting both of them from their past but Elise is unaware of this!
As Elise learns to deal with her personal issues such as her sister abruptly leaving her out of the medical appointments and not sharing the status of her health as well as the baby's health she really doesnt know how to tackle this issue as Julia gives her an ultimatum that if Elise gets too involved then Julia will just kick her out of her life! But Elise is not ok with it, she really wants Julia to give her the son she is carrying!
Maya is in the meantime learning to deal with the clingy parents Nina and Will - when Nina starts threatening Maya she realizes that they are trying to take advantage of her by claiming that Maya has signed a contract and there's no way she can do what she wants!
The ending of this book changes everything and left me with a shocking reaction when some of the characters past is brought to light!
Thanks to Netgalley, Bookouture Audio & Sam Vickery for approving the audiobook ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.
This was an incredible psychological thriller than I will HIGHLY recommend. I found myself reading through this incredibly quickly, very fast paced, and keeps you guessing until the very end. I have not read anything by Sam Vickery before, but absolutely will make sure she is on my list in the future. I found these characters to be relatable and enjoyed the multiple person point of view. The twist at the end really got me, and felt this was impossible to predict earlier in the story. I can't wait to read more by Sam!! I highly recommend this story to any fans of fast paced psychological thrillers!
Huge thank you to Sam Vickery, NetGalley, and Bookouture Audio for this advanced copy.
Thank you Bookoutue Audio, Netgalley and Sam Vickery for the audio Arc of The Perfect Baby.
Narrated by Sofia Zervudachi, Katy Sobey
This is the first book Ive listened to by Sam Vickery and it won't be my last. I really enjoyed the pacing and the psychological aspects of this narrative as we follow two women through surrogacy. We have Maya , who is a surrogate Mum to a demanding, somewhat controlling parents to be. We also have Elise who is using her sister as the surrogate. Both these women meet up at a surrogate /adoptive parents support group and establish a friendship. The narrative itself gives the reader different perspectives on being in a surrogate which I felt was well balanced. I felt that I bounded and understood the different sides of what being in the situation would be like and how heartbreaking it would be if something was to go wrong.
The pacing of the book is medium, you get a good build up of the characters and their lives and then becomes faster paced once the twists start, the reveal and pay off I wasn't expecting so the build up kept me engaged and on the edge of my seat!
Sofia Zervudachi, Katy Sobey did a fantastic job in keeping both Elise and Maya separate in the narrative. Both ladies are a pleasure to listen to.
4.25 stars for Storygraph. 4 stars for Amazon, Netgalley and Goodreads.
Fist let me say a huge Thank You to Netgalley and Bookoture Audio for the ALC of The Perfect Baby. WOW Sam Vickery you had me from the very first chapter! This was my first psychological surrogacy thriller and it did not disappoint. The Narrator did a great job keeping me engaged, even having to go back to confirm what I just heard...lol The basic premise revolves around 2 characters that meet in a surrogacy group and well the plot twist was not easily predicted like some other books I've read. Great job to all involved.
The Perfect Baby by Sam Vickery was a thrilling ride I did not expect. I was given the audiobook and couldn’t stop listening. This is my first book by Vickery and I cannot wait to read more, especially the preview I got at the end for The Child at My Door.
Vickery did such an amazing job with the storyline and plot for this book, I thought I had the ending figured out but I was wrong. This story was told in two POV’s Maya and Elise. Maya went through a breakup and became a surrogate for a couple to help her financially. Elise has a baby on the way that is being carried by her sister Julia. This story had so many twists and turns, and that ending I did not expect at all. I want to say more but don’t want to give it away. Just listen to the audiobook. Sofia Zervudachi and Katy Sobey did the voices of Maya and Elise and they did a fantastic job. Thank you to Bookoutre and NetGalley for letting me listen to this audiobook in exchange for my honest thoughts and opinions.