The author invited me to read this book, and I went in completely blind—no expectations, no idea what I was stepping into. And let me tell you, from the moment I started, I was hooked. The tension, the suspense, the way the story unfolded—it had me completely absorbed.

At first, I found myself paying close attention to certain characters, especially when reading aloud, but once I settled into the flow, it all became much easier to follow. The writing pulls you in, making every twist and revelation even more intense.

As a mother, I know stress is part of the package, but the protagonist’s experience was on a whole different level. After a sudden and shocking death close to her, everything begins to unravel. She doesn’t know who to trust, and that creeping sense of paranoia seeps through the pages, making me question everything right alongside her.

The secrets in this book? Absolutely masterful. Layered, well-paced, and so cleverly executed that every new discovery felt like a punch to the gut. I loved how the suspense built up, keeping me guessing until the very end. If you're looking for a gripping read that will consume you, this is it.

This blended family consists of Annie, Max, Max’s two children, and their new baby, Lola. Annie is a first time mother to Lola and stepmother to her husband Max’s 15 year old twins, Jasmine and Jacob. Annie is not one of those natural born moms and is finding motherhood difficult. Added to this, she is living in the house Max shared with his first wife and mother of his twins. His wife died five years ago. . To sat the least the household is a bit tense and uncomfortable. And now she is dealing with a fussy baby after a difficult delivery. Her relationship with the twins is also a big strain on her nerves. Max suggests she may be suffering from post natal depression and wants her to get help. Annie feels there is something more sinister going in the house after an unexplained kitchen fire, sudden death of her sister in the house and the half empty wine bottles she is sure she did not consume.

First Time Mother is fast paced thriller and is sure to keep readers on the edge of their seat trying to second guess who is behind the chilling happenings in the household. There are several possible suspects and but I coukd not figure out who was to blame. I never guessed the ending and was shocked by the revelation. This is a fabulous read you will race through to learn the fate of Annie and Lola.
Will anyone live happily ever after?

This book is jam packed with twists and turns. Just when you think you've figured it out the story goes in a different direction. As the intensity builds it's easy to forget chores and just keep reading. The chapters are short so it's easy to say one more chapter and find that it an hour or 2 later when you take a break. There are several OMG moments as well. It grabs you from beginning to the very end, A J Campbell's books get better with each new one. This is one with a twist you'll never see coming. I highly recommend this book.

Really interesting story full of thrilling mystery and questions you want to keep reading so you’ll have answers! The end was quite a surprise. I really enjoyed this one. I look forward to more books from this author. Thanks NetGalley for this treat!

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this Advanced Reader’s Copy of First-Time Mother by AJ Campbell due to be published April 15, 2025.

Annie, Max, Max’s two children, and their new baby, Lola are happy. But, are they? When Lola goes missing and Annie thinks she is going crazy, she knows she would never hurt her baby girl. What is happening to her? She does have secrets, but know she will never hurt her baby girl.
This was a fast read and kept me interested the entire time. It was interesting to see where Annie’s and Max’s relationship went – as well as her stepchildren. Throw in some mystery in Max’s company with her sister and best friend, and it definitely kept me engaged. Looking forward to more books from this author!
#NetGalley #AJCampbell #Boookouture #FirstTimeMother

Good story, solid plot, typical crisp writing we expect from this author. Once the bad guy is revealed,
everything else falls into place. Creepy little twist at the end.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7403443675

Oh my goodness. FINALLY. I've been in such a book slump not finding anything that captures me. But goodness this one surely did. I don't trust the husband still though. 👀 everyone was so mean to the mom. And how did his first wife die?!

Woooooow this book had me hooked! I couldn't put it down and I read it so quick so I could find out what happens. I had no clue how the ending was going to go and I did not see that ending coming!! I was guessing the whole way through. I felt really sorry for Annie the whole way through but I'm glad everything that happened int he book did and it was a great ending.

This entertaining book is told in the perspective of Annie who questions her own sanity. It’s filled with characters that are difficult to trust and plenty of secrets that unravel. Reading about all the secrets being revealed was entertaining. The author did a wonderful job at making it difficult to accurately guess who the true suspects were until they were revealed. The last 25% was my favorite part of this book.

Unfortunately I wasn’t a fan of any of the characters so that made the story less interesting for me.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for and honest review.

First Time Mother had me totally gripped from the start. Annie is a first time Mum to Lola and stepmother to her husband Max’s 15 year old twins, Jasmine and Jacob. It is clear that Annie is finding motherhood difficult and struggling to feel at ease in the house Max shared with his first wife who died five years ago. Her feeling of helplessness in dealing with a fretful baby after a difficult delivery is spilling over into her relationship with the twins. As those around her suggest she needs help and may be suffering from post natal depression Annie feels there is something more sinister going on and she is about to be proved right.
A J Campbell is the master of the psychological thriller. First Time Mother is fast paced and had me on the edge of my seat trying to second guess who is behind the chilling happenings in the Carpenter household. There are several possible suspects and it is difficult to know who is to blame. Is Annie being totally neurotic as she suspects even those closest to her? I never guessed the ending. What a fantastic read. I raced through it over a weekend.

I was completely drawn in by this book straight away and it kept me guessing all the way through, the twist was a complete surprise which made the book so enjoyable

I was sold within a few pages of this page turner! A very twisty psychological thriller, a great read. Lots of suspense and mystery- what more could you want?

Secrets, lies, etc. It's difficult to know who to trust in this story. Just when I thought I had things figured out, another twist.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for access to this eARC.

Well I didn't see that coming! A twisty psychological thriller that led me to believe I had it all worked out, and I did - very slightly - but there was so much more to this brilliant plot that I could never have guessed. Insanely good!

Annie, new Mum to four month old Lola, is struggling. She's tired, forgetful and is convinced that her partner's twins from his previous relationship have it in for her.

The things that were happening to, and around Annie just kept getting darker and darker, with so many twists, it's no wonder Annie didn't know who she could trust! AJ Campbell's writing style and her well thought out and fast paced plot had me gripped!

Annie, Max and the twins were believable and relatable characters, which definitely helped me become completely absorbed in their world, wondering along with them, what the hell was happening to Annie and whether they would all make it out the other side unscathed and alive!

5 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, AJ Campbell and Bookouture, for an ARC in return for an honest review.

As soon as I discovered that AJ Campbell's newest book, ‘First Time Mother’ was available on NetGalley, I raced to get it! AJ Campbell, as always, delivered a cracking read full of suspense from the very first page.

The narrative centers on Annie, a new mother struggling to cope. Just 4 months after giving birth to baby Lola, she feels like she's losing her grip on reality. Plagued by sleep deprivation and constant brain fog, Annie's husband, Max, hires Zoe to help her. However, as strange and unsettling events unfold, Annie becomes convinced that someone is deliberately manipulating her, setting her up for something sinister.

This book is absolutely brilliant, with a suspenseful plot that kept me utterly gripped from beginning to end. I loved the short chapters with each one ending leaving me desperate for more.

The twists and turns were truly insane and kept me guessing throughout, finding it very difficult to put down.

AJ Campbell has crafted a truly compelling and suspenseful story and anyone who enjoys a psychological thriller, ‘First Time Mother’ is a must-read for fans of this genre.

Thank you to AJ, Bookouture and NetGalley for allowing me early access to this fantastic book.

First-Time Mother by AJ Campbell was my first read from this new to me author, but it will certainly not be my last.

Annie is struggling as a new mother to baby Lola. Chronically exhausted and often losing hours of the day to sleep, Annie's husband and stepchildren are concerned for her wellbeing, and that of tiny Lola. But her daughter is Annie's entire world and she would do anything to protect her, so what is really going on? This must be more than a case of post-partum depression, surely?

I loved the short, succinct chapters that move the plot along at a thrilling pace as tensions build and suspicions are cast. I look forward to reading much more from this author. 4.5 stars

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for an ARC.

First time mother was fabulous! From the very first page of this book, I was stunned, mesmerised. Written with a ferocious passion that'll knock the wind out of you!

Annie and Max have a baby and Annie is exhausted all the time. She has brain fog and blackouts, and is not getting on with her teenage stepchildren.
Then her sister gets murdered in her house while she is asleep.
Her sister had a secret, but Annie has a secret of her own.

There is a lot going on in this book. Lots of secrets, lies and animosity.
Everyone is a suspect, and there are a couple of suspects who are responsible for Annie's condition.
I did not guess correctly!

Gripping and twisty, I recommend this book.

𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐧'𝐭 𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐦𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐦𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐤 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐦 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐛𝐚𝐛𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐡𝐞𝐫.

Annie thinks she's losing her mind. Ever since she gave birth to Lola four months ago, life as she once knew it has changed. She's so sleep deprived, Lola is colicky, and her step-children seem to resent her more than ever. Add in a home renovation, and you've got a recipe for disaster. But what's going on with Annie is more than just the hormone imbalances that come with being a new mother. She's forgetting crucial things, and the last straw comes when she's cooking dinner and closes her eyes just for a bit, only to wake up to her hysterical husband telling her she's started a fire.

But then Annie loses someone very close to her, and she begins to spiral as she struggles to put the pieces together. Is there someone in her inner circle who wants to hurt her? Is she being made to pay for a past mistake that she alludes to?

There is much more to this book than the synopsis suggests. The plot twists, red herrings, and supporting cast of characters were all brilliantly done. Another winner from this talented author. Thank you so much to Bookouture for the early copy. This title will publish April 14, 2025.

First-Time Mother by AJ Campbell
PLOT. TWIST. The number of times my jaw hit the floor while reading this book- the twists, turns, and secrets. Wowza!

I adore how AJ tells a story. The detail and passion she puts into her characters are unparalleled. Annie was dynamic. I wanted to hug her! But she was also a baddie who was not going to be taken advantage of.

I love it when an author creates a smart female character; that is what we get with this book. All of the women are beautifully represented, even if they make poor decisions, and I respect that.

I could not devour this novel any quicker- it’s an absolute whirlwind. I didn’t even try to guess the plot twist because I just knew I would be wrong. And, was I ever wrong!

The build-up is brilliantly done, and in the way only AJ Campbell can, the downfall is deliciously and deviously curated. The freefall toward resolution is intense, but every detail was so carefully crafted that you are not left with any questions.

If you want a fast-paced, twisted thriller that you can read on a weekend, look no further.

Publication date: April 14, 2025
Publisher: Bookouture
Pre-Order Available: https://a.co/d/bo71pt2
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