The Baby Shower by S.E. Lynes
Genre: Domestic thriller, Psychological thriller, Psychological drama, Suspense
Read: 25th February 2022
Audio:
Published: 1st March 2022
★★★★★ 5 stars
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.
MY REVIEW:
I am excited to be taking part in the #BooksOnTour #BlogTour for S.E. Lynes' addictive new domestic thriller THE BABY SHOWER.
OMG...this book is like a tornado! A storm that unleashes a tsunami of emotions, wreaking havoc for the duration and leaving a trail of detritus in its wake. But no meterologist could predict the damage Hurricane Lexie would bring. I wasn't even ready for it and I was expecting it! The woman is a nightmare! And she is one thing I hate...toxic.
It all starts with a watch. But not just any watch. An expensive £3000 Breitling that Frankie buys with the proceeds of a win on the scratchies. Instead of adding it to "the jar" towards their dream of a world trip, the coveted Breitling puts Frankie in a league with his friends who sport Tag Hauers, making him feel invincible. But as the old adage goes...be careful what you wish for. For the Breitling is only the start of things to come.
Jane Preston is married to Frankie Reece and, feminist that she is, kept her name as a nod to the sisterhood of independent women the world over. She has built a lucrative coffee shop from the ground up and despite being a trained accountant, Frankie retrained as a heating engineer and has his own successful plumbing business. The couple are happy and yet their lives are tinged with a little sadness for what could never be. But still, they have each other. And their friends.
When her best friend Sophie tentatively announces she is pregnant, Jane goes through a gamut of emotions. She is happy for Sophie but devastated for herself. She shares nothing of her feelings with her other two friends Hils and Kathy, who are older and have "been there, done that, got the t-shirt" with regards to children. She doesn't even confide in Frankie at first, giving him only the bare minimum of details so as to spare his feelings. As far as things go, Jane is coping relatively well with the news...until Lexie Lane shows up.
Young, vibrant and totally new, Lexie is invited to their weekly running group Running Beans and subsequently their Friday night drinks at the pub after meeting Sophie at the gym. Obviously used to being the centre of attention, Lexie dominates the conversation as well as Sophie leaving Jane feeling a little left out. But Sophie is doing what Sophie does...taking the newbie under her wing and making her feel welcome just as did with her all those years ago. But then Sophie doesn't catch the momentary glare directed at Jane. She doesn't see the looks, the smirks or the veiled whispers meant only for Jane. Sophie only sees what Lexie wants her to see, leaving Jane in a quandary. Does she say something and risk further wrath? Or does she just lay low and avoid Lexie's love-bombing as much as she can?
And then the following week, Lexie has some news of her own. She too is expecting as Sophie squeals with delight that the two of them are pregnant together. Inevitably the two women bond and the closer Sophie and Lexie grow, the more certain Jane is that Lexie is trying to drive a wedge between her and her best friend. To say something now will only make her seem jealous.
Things come to a head when Lexie throws a joint baby shower for her and Sophie. But not just any baby shower...a £4000 a night plus extras at the Ritz! Only the best for Sophie who was robbed of the chance of a baby shower the first time round. Not wanting to put herself through more of "the Sophie and Lexie show", Jane forces herself to be there for her friend who seems to be slipping further and further away from her. But things go from bad to worse from the beginning, orchestrated by Lexie to throw Jane in a bad light. Forcing herself to endure the whole thing for Sophie's sake with the help of an entire bottle of Bach's Rescue Remedy and liquid courage, she then excuses herself to go to the bathroom for some time out and to regroup. But then she overhears a heated phone conversation Lexie is having with her apparently devoted boyfriend which sounds more demanding than loved-up. And then she sees something impossible and that's when she knows...Lexie isn't pregnant! Unable to stomach any more, Jane makes her escape rushing home in tears.
Meanwhile, Frankie has his own problems going on which all started with that wretched watch. Whilst busy fixing bathrooms and toilets, things go from bad to worse when he just seems to be sinking further and further into the proverbial s***! He works longer and longer hours and the once happy couple are more like ships passing in the night. Jane becomes concerned for her husband particularly when he doesn't appear to be himself.
Peppered throughout are the interspersed chapters of an unnamed woman in hospital having been involved in a hit and run. We know there were three people involved but as to who they are and how it all eventuated is not made clear until towards the end. There were some clues drip-fed throughout which I picked up on immediately.
Admittedly, I saw all the twists coming and guessed them long before they were revealed but that didn't spoil my enjoyment of this twisted tale of revenge. Yes, Lexie got under my skin but surprisingly, not as much as Sophie did. Sophie, who has known Jane and been her best friend for years; who took the word of the relatively unknown Lexie over her long established friendship with Jane; who believed Lexie rather than her best friend; who was basically willing to ditch that long standing friendship with her best friend in favour of someone new. Sophie's behaviour angered me that she could take the word of someone she's known five minutes over her best friend, and then to confront Jane citing her as the "bad guy". What is wrong with this woman? If that's how she treats her friends then Jane was better off without her. Sophie was welcome to Lexie, in my opinion, and vice versa.
But I loved Jane and Frankie. They were sweet and solid...and so not ready for Hurricane Lexie. I would have loved to see a little more banter with Hils and Kath, particularly where Lexie and Sophie were concerned, but I also understood Jane's reasoning behind why she wouldn't engage in such. But what there was, I enjoyed. I love dry wit and wry humour and this book was filled with it, despite it tapering off as the impact of what was happening began to take affect. And a shout out to the adoreable Des who is not as stupid as his humans think him to be...
A slow-build at first, THE BABY SHOWER is a fast paced thriller about toxic friendships and revenge. Addictive and unputdownable, this twisted tale kept me up long into the night and the wee hours until I finally finished it at 5am.
When I started this book, I didn't think I would enjoy it as much as I did...considering it featured toxic women, which I loathe and really gets under my skin. I don't care that it was predictable or that I guessed every twist coming. I was thoroughly entertained from start to finish and, for me, that's what it's all about. The ride; the thrill of the chase; the adrenaline. I loved it. One of my favourite Susie Lynes books to date, I should think.
A deliciously dark tale, THE BABY SHOWER is very hard to put down and is perfect for fans of domestic or psychological thrillers who love tense twisted tales highlighting the toxicity in female friendships.
I would like to thank #SELynes, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheBabyShower in exchange for an honest review.
MEET THE AUTHOR:
After graduating from Leeds University, Susie Lynes lived in London before moving to Aberdeen to be with her husband. In Aberdeen, she worked as a Radio Producer at the BBC before moving with her husband and two young children to Rome, where she lived for five years (that sounds amazing). There, she began to write while her children attended nursery. After the birth of her third child and upon her return to the UK, she gained an MA in Creative Writing from Kingston University. She combines writing with teaching at Richmond Adult Community College and bringing up her three children in Teddington, Middlesex. She is the author of critically acclaimed psychological thriller, VALENTINA, published by Blackbird books. MOTHER, her follow up, was published by Bookouture in November 2017 then THE PACT, THE PROPOSAL, THE WOMEN, THE LIES WE HIDE, CAN YOU SEE HER?, HER SISTER'S SECRET, THE HOUSEWARMING and THE BABY SHOWER out 1st March.
Formerly a BBC producer, she turned to novel writing after the birth of her third child.
After her MA in Creative Writing, she became a Creative Writing Tutor at Richmond Adult Community College and now combines writing, mentoring and lecturing. She has also published three children's books in Italy.
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