The Baby Shower By S.E. Lynes Book Review

Welcome to my review of The Baby Shower by S.E. Lynes. I absolutely loved this great new book from S.E. Lynes.. Having only read one before, this one will definitely be one of my favourites this year as its so brilliant. If you have never tried one of her books this one is a great start.

Click me to go to my Review

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…

S.E. Lynes is the Amazon #1 best selling author of THE HOUSEWARMING, VALENTINA, MOTHER, THE PACT, THE PROPOSAL, THE WOMEN, THE LIES WE HIDE, CAN YOU SEE HER? HER SISTER’s SECRET and her latest, THE BABY SHOWER, out on preorder NOW for publication March 1st.

A former BBC Producer, she has lived in France, Spain, Scotland and Italy and is now settled in Greater London. After completing her MA, S E Lynes taught creative writing at Richmond Adult Community College for ten years. She now combines writing, mentoring and lecturing in Richmond Borough.

Lynes has also published three children’s books in Italy: IL LEOPARDO LAMPO, LA COCCODRILLA INGAMBA, and the bilingual LA SCIMMIA SPIRITOSA/THE FUNNY MONKEY, all available at Amazon.it

Find her on:

Facebook S E Lynes Author

Twitter @SELynesAuthor

Instagram @S E Lynes Author

I have read one Lynes book before, and I loved it, so this was an easy pick. What a fantastic read, so much so I instantly messaged Lynes when I finished to thank her!

The Baby Shower made me super tired and lazy for a whole day while I sat and read it from start to finish. I just couldn’t put it down. I held my breath for too long (not good when you have a poorly heart anyway!), I cried, and I really couldn’t have loved it more!

The plot centres around a group of female friends but primarily focuses on Jane. She runs a coffee shop and is married to Frankie. Alongside this plot, we have Frankie, who has bought himself a secret but expensive new watch that changes his life in ways he could have never imagined. We begin at the end with people in the hospital after a seemingly hit and run accident. These stories intertwine throughout The Baby Shower and come to a dramatic and terrific ending.

I enjoyed the plot immensely and didn’t guess the ending reasons. However, I had imagined how the plotlines would link together, though not the very dark nature. This is very shady, dealing (very sensitively) with issues that are never usually discussed and often denied totally. Alongside this, there is also the fact that Jane and Frankie tried for a very much wanted baby for years, including IVF, but ultimately can still not have children of their own. The Baby Shower covers so much more than just a baby shower!

This chilling read looks at so many different issues and covers so much in so few pages. The problems are dealt with succinctly and with great sensitivity, but trigger warnings are coming out of its ears!

I felt that I knew the characters well, even those who made a very brief appearance. However, I didn’t think I liked Jane very much; I knew she was feeling that she was going mental. Still, she should have shared more with the husband she claims to love so much and is so wrapped up in her own life she doesn’t even realise his obvious distress.
Sophie is a people collector rather than a true friend, and I found this evident and annoying. Lexie is exceptionally well developed and multi-faceted; despite her actions, she is obviously a wasted talent.

I loved the ending more than any other book for quite some time. This is an excellent five-star book for me and is my favourite read so far this year, and I suspect it will be among my favourites of the year!

Title	The Baby Shower
Author	S.E. Lynes
Series	N/A
Format	eARC
Page Count	360 Pages
Genre	Psychological Thriller
Publisher	Bookouture
Release Date	1st March 2022