I shall give this book a 4. To be completely honest, this book was extremely hard for me to read. Not because of the writing or the plot but because I've lived it. I lost my baby at 20w and the pain my family and I had to live through was unbearable. Anyways, let's review!

Mel was an elementary teacher when she found out she could do more. Do more for women. So she became a doula. To help women overcome the anxiety and nervousness that came with pregnancy. Alice, 38, was needing just that. Alice had reached out to Mel in hopes she would agree to becoming her doula and giving a free birth. Everything was going just as planned, until it wasn't.

As I was reading this, my mind kept going to the same people and figuring out, that's super suspicious. A Nosy Nancy as some might say. To me, that kind of gave it away.

Did I like the book? Yes. Will I recommend it? Yes. But with caution due to trauma.

This "whodunnit" psychological thriller did read and flow well. It kept me interested until the end even though it was kind of predictable. It was a decent read.

Thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for this ARC.

Mel and Alice become friends when Mel is Alice's doula. A tragedy strikes and everyone's lives are turned upside down. Alice is grieving and turns the world against Mel. Mel loses her business, friends, and her normal life. She and her husband move far away to escape it all, but they have been found. I really wanted to love this book. It wasn't bad, per se, but it was predictable. I rarely figure out the twists and this one was quite easy.

Accidentally reviewed wrong book and don’t know how to delete. Will update once I’ve read the book. Accidentally reviewed wrong book and don’t know how to delete. Will update once I’ve read the book.

This is a good thriller with enough about it to leave you wondering just who is messing with Mel almost a year after her life was upended when a birth she was supporting as a doula went tragically wrong. That said I struggled to engage with Mel which did impact my enjoyment of the book, I don’t know specifically why but I just didn’t care enough about the character. As Mel got closer to having her own baby her life got increasingly tense with a few incidents adding to her stress and her marriage was suffering which made for a good slow burn thriller then the end was suitably shocking and dramatic, definitely the highlight of the book as it concluded in dramatic fashion.

A clever storyline that weaves together as you keep eagerly reading. It's unputdownable and I had a hard time after I finished reading as I continued to think about it. It's compelling and addictive.

A quick and easy read that I couldn't put down and read in a few hours on a very long commute and although I started another one straight after this one I couldn't stop thinking about this one

I read this book in a day! It is impossible to put down & the plot is fast paced gripping & edge of your seat. Allan is an excellent writer, each word is carefully selected every chapter brilliantly written. This is one sure fire hit for 2025

WOW WOW WOW , I loved this read so much. This was my first by Claire and not my last. I loved her ability to weave together a clever storyline that kept me guessing. It was a fantastic read. Easily 5 stars!

Now this is my kind of thriller! The twists were jaw dropping had me flying through the pages this book is a must read!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars

Mel is doing her dream job. She is a doula. She is assisting Alice, and things go terribly wrong.
Now Alice has destroyed Mel's business and Mel and her family have fled across the country.

An absolutely enthralling book!
Sad, emotional and engrossing.
The story flows, and keeps the reader in suspense.

Thanks to Netgalley and Boldwood books for the ARC.

Claire Allan is a wonderful author and The Perfect Mother is another great read.
The characters were well written, Mel has been given such a hard time. Tilly is adorable but her husband and several other characters irritated me.
The ending was a surprise in parts.
My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my copy.

Mel is a doula dealing with some backlash after a client and friend's baby died last year. Mel is now pregnant and has had to move due to the harassment and threats toward her family. Mel decides she has had enough and reaches out to Alice to try to make peace about the past, While it seems like Alice is ready to move on, Mel's parents catch her in a lie. Meanwhile, Mel's new neighbor is a little too involved with her husband and daughter. This had a lot of good suspense and kept the reader guessing who was behind all the threats. Shocking ending. *It is a little tragic and may be hard for those that have lost babies.

I loved this book, but I will say, I had it figured out quite early who was behind everything. I figured out the plot, the connections between the characters, but did not figure out who would come through in the end. Mel is a doula dealing with a pregnancy, a move, and backlash from a client's baby dying. I do find it a little far-fetched that every single person believes Mel is at fault. You don't see a dr, have a home birth, and your baby is overdue by at least two weeks? You are asking for trouble. The suspense in this book is good, leading up to a great ending.