DESCRIPTION:
She doesn’t know I’m there, watching her in the mirror. She slides her hand under her blouse. And then I see something impossible. She isn’t pregnant…
She bursts into my life like a storm, and nothing is the same again. She seems so perfect, with her lilting laugh and her beautiful face. One by one, I watch as my friends fall under her spell.
Only I seem to suspect something. Only I see that her smiles don’t reach her cold, furious eyes. And when I’m accused of things I didn’t do, when my home is vandalized, I know she’s behind it. But she only lets her mask slip when no one is looking, so if I say anything, I’ll look crazy.
So when the baby shower comes around I’m there, sitting on a velvet sofa in a posh hotel room, surrounded by balloons. We share gifts, we pour small glasses of champagne, and she beams, her bump just visible under her bright red shirt.
But that afternoon, I finally learn the unbelievable truth.
There is no baby…
A stunningly twisty story of toxic female friendships, guilt and lies from S.E. Lynes, author of the no.1 bestseller The Housewarming. If you like Lisa Jewell, Gillian Flynn and Paula Hawkins, you’ll be glued to The Baby Shower.
She bursts into my life like a storm, and nothing is the same again. She seems so perfect, with her lilting laugh and her beautiful face. One by one, I watch as my friends fall under her spell.
Only I seem to suspect something. Only I see that her smiles don’t reach her cold, furious eyes. And when I’m accused of things I didn’t do, when my home is vandalized, I know she’s behind it. But she only lets her mask slip when no one is looking, so if I say anything, I’ll look crazy.
So when the baby shower comes around I’m there, sitting on a velvet sofa in a posh hotel room, surrounded by balloons. We share gifts, we pour small glasses of champagne, and she beams, her bump just visible under her bright red shirt.
But that afternoon, I finally learn the unbelievable truth.
There is no baby…
A stunningly twisty story of toxic female friendships, guilt and lies from S.E. Lynes, author of the no.1 bestseller The Housewarming. If you like Lisa Jewell, Gillian Flynn and Paula Hawkins, you’ll be glued to The Baby Shower.
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MY THOUGHTS:
Author: S. E. Lynes
Publisher: Bookouture
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Format: Kindle ARC
No. of Pages: 339
Date of Publication: March 1, 2022
My Rating: 4 Stars
Jane and Sophie are best friends with a great relationship. However, Sophie soon meets Lexie and, before long, Sophie and Lexie seemingly have no room for Jane. In fact, things soon become toxic. Then there is the fact that both Sophie and Lexie are now pregnant, which is something that Jane desperately has wanted but it just has not happened, even with fertility treatments.
Reluctantly, Jane agrees to attend a lavish dual baby shower for Sophie and Lexie. This really hurts Jane but she does want to support Sophie. From the start, however, Lexie clearly does not like Jane and makes her feel uncomfortable at every turn. There is clearly a case of adult bullying with how Lexie treats Jane and this leads to eroding the relationship between Jane and Sophie. Jane can see right through Lexie - Sophie, not so much.
While at the exclusive baby shower, Jane discovers that Lexie is not pregnant. While trying to decide how to handle this shocking discovery, another plot is being sharply developed in this gripping story. This plot actually involves Jane’s husband Frank and how he actually crossed paths with Lexie. This brings on an extra layer to an already engaging read.
While there is an air of predictability in this story, it does not lessen the intensity this story so sharply delivers. Instead, the need to see how everything will work out was more than enough to make this book impossible to put down. While this book does touch on some sensitive, possibly triggering subjects, they are handled with serious consideration making this book utterly compelling read.
With surprising twists and turns, drama delivered in both past and present tense, The Baby Shower kept me riveted from beginning to end. Kudos to Ms. Lynes for delivering a multi-layered story that did not shy away from serious topics.
Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
After completing her MA, Lynes taught creative writing at Richmond Adult Community College for over ten years. She now combines writing, mentoring and lecturing.
Author Social Media Links:
Facebook: S E Lynes Author
Twitter: @SELynesAuthor
Instagram: @S E Lynes Author
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