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4.0 

The Baby Shower

By S.E. Lynes
The Baby Shower by S.E. Lynes digital book - Fable

Publisher 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. There is no baby…

 

She bursts into my life like a storm, and nothing is the same again. Perfect Lexie, 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 anything. 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 with me, and if I say something, I’ll look crazy.

 

So when her baby shower comes around I’m there too, sitting on a velvet sofa in a posh hotel room, surrounded by balloons. We share gifts, we pour small glasses of champagne, and Lexie beams, her bump just visible under her bright red shirt.

 

But that afternoon, I finally learn the unbelievable truth.

 

Lexie isn’t pregnant.

 

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.

 

Everyone’s loving The Baby Shower:

 

Sucker punched, lost for words, blown away, a blabbering, gibbering emotional wreck!… I didn’t want to put it down but I didn’t want it to end either. It kept me glued to the pages and it shattered my heart into tiny pieces… A masterpiece… you seriously DO NOT WANT TO MISS IT!Chapter in My Life, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

OMG!!! JUST WOW!!!… I was completely gripped throughout this page-turning thriller… I absolutely loved the explosive ending which I was not at all expecting!!!… AN ABSOLUTELY ADDICTIVE MUST-READ.’ Bookworm86, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

Omg!! This book is just everything!!!… had me hooked from the off and I was about to quit my job just so I could keep reading… omg, boy does this story have TWISTS!!!!… You will be hooked, you will love every second of it. I raced through it in a day. Amazing.’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

‘This book. THIS BOOK!… It hooks you in with the twists and keeps you reading. I couldn't put it down, obligations be damned.’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

Amazinganother 5 star read!… an impossible book to put down… just perfect

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90 Reviews

4.0
“Jane is struggling to get pregnant and when her best friend, Sophie announces another pregnancy, she does her best to be happy for her friend. Until Lexie comes on the scene and slowly starts to poison everyone against Jane. There are few things as frustrating as trying to convince everybody of something, when no one else can see it yourself. This frustration is written deliciously by S. E. Lynes and I found my blood boiling at times. The gaslighting, the subtle bullying, the sly digs - they were so uncomfortable to read. There were some fantastic twists and turns in this book that I didn't see coming and left me reading into the night when I should have been sleeping - the sign of a fantastic book! There were a few moments that felt a little convenient and not as believable as the rest of the story, however, books are about escapism so I could let those slide. I'll be seeking out more books from this author! Thanks Netgalley for the ARC. Merged review: Jane is struggling to get pregnant and when her best friend, Sophie announces another pregnancy, she does her best to be happy for her friend. Until Lexie comes on the scene and slowly starts to poison everyone against Jane. There are few things as frustrating as trying to convince everybody of something, when no one else can see it yourself. This frustration is written deliciously by S. E. Lynes and I found my blood boiling at times. The gaslighting, the subtle bullying, the sly digs - they were so uncomfortable to read. There were some fantastic twists and turns in this book that I didn't see coming and left me reading into the night when I should have been sleeping - the sign of a fantastic book! There were a few moments that felt a little convenient and not as believable as the rest of the story, however, books are about escapism so I could let those slide. I'll be seeking out more books from this author! Thanks Netgalley for the ARC.”
“The Baby shower is a Thriller/Mystery book by author S. E. Lynes. It follows the protagonists' Jane and Frankie. What made me interested in this book was the synopsis. It is very ominous and builds the right atmosphere for this book. The premise of the book starts when Jane's husband Frankie buys an expensive watch that makes him feel invincible. Frankie has a plumbing business and Jane works at the successful café she owns in Wimbham. Jane has a small but good circle of friends, that is until Sophie introduces Lexie to the group. The watch, the baby shower for Sophie, and other unsettling events lead to everything catastrophically spiralling down and down into depths Jane never thought she and Frankie would sink into. It is a movie-esque plot that is filled with toxic relationships. Overall, the book was quite entertaining and an enjoyable read! 3.5 / 5 ⭐ Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the book!. Merged review: The Baby shower is a Thriller/Mystery book by author S. E. Lynes. It follows the protagonists' Jane and Frankie. What made me interested in this book was the synopsis. It is very ominous and builds the right atmosphere for this book. The premise of the book starts when Jane's husband Frankie buys an expensive watch that makes him feel invincible. Frankie has a plumbing business and Jane works at the successful café she owns in Wimbham. Jane has a small but good circle of friends, that is until Sophie introduces Lexie to the group. The watch, the baby shower for Sophie, and other unsettling events lead to everything catastrophically spiralling down and down into depths Jane never thought she and Frankie would sink into. It is a movie-esque plot that is filled with toxic relationships. Overall, the book was quite entertaining and an enjoyable read! 3.5 / 5 ⭐ Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the book!.”
“Another fantastic book by S. E. lynes, with a shocking twist, I literally could not put this book down, it's a definitely highly recommend read. Merged review: Another fantastic book by S. E. lynes, with a shocking twist, I literally could not put this book down, it's a definitely highly recommend read. Merged review: An addictive read with an amazing twist.”
“Bestie bust-ups - we’ve all been there. They hurt, don’t they? Because they aren’t romantic in nature, they are considered pain free causing society to put pressure on us women to move on and get over it already! Lynes writes to show us why they cause so much emotional strife and pain. S. E. Lynes drew her inspiration from alt-pop music artist James Blake’s newest album, ‘Friends That Break Your Heart,’ that explores the grief accompanying waning friendships. The author explored why petty aggression from a friend is so difficult to handle and what it takes to get a friendship to the breaking point. In doing so, she examines her protagonist’s formative years to show readers the perfect environment that leads to Jane’s victimhood. She also highlights how learning to stand up to adult bullying, stand up for herself and accept her circumstances is important for Jane’s personal growth. The audience sees more than Sophie does and it enrages them, thereby propelling the plot. We all want vindication and we want to see justice served. Lynes also examines the effects of materialism on relationships and questions whether a true friend could be able to like or love someone without judgment or demands. You’ll read about the true cost of an extravagant self-purchase and conclude, beyond a doubt, that it wasn’t worth the heartache it caused. This psychological thriller highlights female rivalry and deception caused when one or more of the group feels it can’t compete with the status quo…in this case, pregnancy. The fearsome foursome’s claws come out when motherhood isn’t achievable for all. I appreciate the twists and turns in Lynes plots and always look forward to a nail-biting read. Although this one was a little close for comfort, it still gripped me and I needed to frantically turn pages to find out what would happen next. I am always confident that Lynes will entertain me, pose thought-provoking scenarios, write relatable characters facing relatable issues and leave me hungry for her next read. I was gifted this advance copy by S. E. Lynes, Bookouture and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review. Merged review: Bestie bust-ups - we’ve all been there. They hurt, don’t they? Because they aren’t romantic in nature, they are considered pain free causing society to put pressure on us women to move on and get over it already! Lynes writes to show us why they cause so much emotional strife and pain. S. E. Lynes drew her inspiration from alt-pop music artist James Blake’s newest album, ‘Friends That Break Your Heart,’ that explores the grief accompanying waning friendships. The author explored why petty aggression from a friend is so difficult to handle and what it takes to get a friendship to the breaking point. In doing so, she examines her protagonist’s formative years to show readers the perfect environment that leads to Jane’s victimhood. She also highlights how learning to stand up to adult bullying, stand up for herself and accept her circumstances is important for Jane’s personal growth. The audience sees more than Sophie does and it enrages them, thereby propelling the plot. We all want vindication and we want to see justice served. Lynes also examines the effects of materialism on relationships and questions whether a true friend could be able to like or love someone without judgment or demands. You’ll read about the true cost of an extravagant self-purchase and conclude, beyond a doubt, that it wasn’t worth the heartache it caused. This psychological thriller highlights female rivalry and deception caused when one or more of the group feels it can’t compete with the status quo…in this case, pregnancy. The fearsome foursome’s claws come out when motherhood isn’t achievable for all. I appreciate the twists and turns in Lynes plots and always look forward to a nail-biting read. Although this one was a little close for comfort, it still gripped me and I needed to frantically turn pages to find out what would happen next. I am always confident that Lynes will entertain me, pose thought-provoking scenarios, write relatable characters facing relatable issues and leave me hungry for her next read. I was gifted this advance copy by S. E. Lynes, Bookouture and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.”
“This book was brilliant! Even though I figured out the plot twist pretty early on, it didn’t make reading it any less amazing. The ending was so satisfying in more than 1 way! The only complaint I have is I’m American so I didn’t understand all of the slang but that’s my problem, not the books. Great read, definitely a new fan of S.E. Lynes! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this pre-release in exchange for my honest review! Merged review: This book was brilliant! Even though I figured out the plot twist pretty early on, it didn’t make reading it any less amazing. The ending was so satisfying in more than 1 way! The only complaint I have is I’m American so I didn’t understand all of the slang but that’s my problem, not the books. Great read, definitely a new fan of S.E. Lynes! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this pre-release in exchange for my honest review!”

About S.E. Lynes

Formerly a BBC producer, S.E. Lynes turned to writing following the birth of her third child. After completing an MA in Creative Writing, she became a tutor at Richmond Adult Community College, where she taught creative writing for over ten years. She now combines writing, mentoring and lecturing. Her debut, Valentina, was published by Blackbird Digital Books in 2016. Her follow up, the dark and twisting bestseller Mother, was published by Bookouture in November 2017 and Susie has gone on to publish gripping psychological thrillers with them ever since.

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