The Baby Shower: A totally unputdownable psychological thriller with a jaw-dropping twist

Started off a bit slow, and I got admit I really didn’t like Jane to start with thought she was argumentative, and I couldn’t see her point of view, but as the book went on and the story developed I changed my mind, . I did skip a few paragraphs here and there as it went on and on a bit too much about her mother,The second half of the book it really picks up and I couldn’t put it down, I liked the ending and also the reaction Jane had to her best friend at the end and was glad the author wrote it that way,Worth a read give it a chance to warm up

This was such a compulsive read .are ther really women like Lexie out thereSeems hard to believe but there must be

Sucker punched, lost for words, blown away, a blabbering, gibbering emotional wreck! How can I even start to write a review for The Baby Shower from S.E. Lynes? Every single book she has written has ticked ALL of the boxes for me…and more! The Baby Shower was no exception! All of her books should come with a warning…”Don’t pick this up at bedtime if you want to get any sleep” because seriously, once you turn the first page you will not be able to stop!I think I literally inhale every word that SE Lynes writes, the words dance off the pages and into my heart, they prod me, they poke me, they break me and they drill into a depth of feeling I never even knew existed.What I absolutely love about SE Lynes’ writing is the way she observes the world and those who inhabit it, there is an inherent sense of ordinariness about the characters she creates and the issues they face; she even pokes fun at some of the ironies of modern day life lived through a lens and the pretentiousness that goes with it. All of which ensures that the story she tells resonates with me every single time. While reading I am always thinking, what if…Jane and her husband, Frankie, are happy, muddling along in their lives; they are not rich but they have each other, their friendship circle and their dreams. All that is missing from their life is a baby. And Jane has just about come to terms with it all, even when her best friend Sophie announces she is pregnant again, Jane swallows down her own sadness and is happy for her. And then Lexie Lane appears (what a belter of a character name!) And that’s where it all goes wrong.SE Lynes peels away the layers of each of her characters, exposing the weaknesses, the secrets and lies that lurk beneath the surface. She captures each emotion to perfection, trapping the reader firmly inside of their lives. This was a hard book to read, gut wrenchingly so. It brought back so many memories of the toxicity of female relationships. I’m sure I’m not the only woman to have fallen prey to emotional aggression at the hands of other women. That particularly malevolent type of bully who knows just how valuable other women find female friendships and manipulate this trait to their own ends. And we see this in bucket loads in The Baby Shower. That horrible feeling of being on the outside looking in, second guessing yourself all the time, wondering if you are imagining things as the bully manipulates, gaslights and exposes you as petty and childish. Not ashamed to admit, I had the hankies out a few times as I watched Lexie push Jane out onto the side-lines while everyone else appears to be oblivious.The Baby Shower also tackles another quite difficult subject and it was good to see this dealt with so sensitively and highlighting the issue. And that’s another thing about all of SE Lynes books, she really does dig deep into life, humanity and all the conflicts involved but does so in such a way that you never feel as though you are being preached at or lectured to, instead she just makes you look at things from different angles.The Baby Shower, 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 in toxicity and manipulation, you seriously DO NOT WANT TO MISS IT!

The best page turner I’ve read for a long time! So many twists and turns. Big twists and shocks right until the end! Would like to read more of this author.

Love the way S.E. Lynes throws in a few red herrings, gets your heart racing and puts into words what we as readers sometimes feel but cannot articulate. You feel all the emotions of Jane, feeling sorry for her, wanting to hug her but then your directions are turned… I read The Housewarming first and then bought The Baby Shower which I started at 8.30 this morning & have just finished. Couldn’t put it down except to run to the loo, grab some crisps & make a coffee. Next on my list is The Women but first to cook dinner….Loved this book:))

Well writtenFast pacedCouldn't put it downDeals well with difficult issuesWill definitely be reading more of these

Easy to read even got my husband to read it and he too enjoyed it

Brilliant fast paced thriller, has you gripped throughout and an unexpected ending, lots love twists and turns, a riveting read