Published: June 4, 2021

Emily Shiner

This title is available to read for free with a Kindle Unlimited subscription.

Emily Shriner lives in the mountains of North Carolina and loves hiking with her dogs–only when she’s not thinking up twisted tales, that is. She loves books that keep you up long after you should be in bed.

“I’m not going anywhere now.”

Ben and Abigail are new parents to a baby girl who seems to do nothing but scream. Ben is an hour, and coming defense attorney, with his career, mapped out in his mind, and Abigail is adjusting to being a stay-at-home mom after traveling the world as a famous photographer. Abigail thinks a nanny will help her balance motherhood and life, but Ben isn’t so sure. Haley might be the answer to their prayers- or their worst nightmare.

I’m torn on how I feel about this book. Part of me is annoyed at just how cliche it is, and another part wants to admire the play on the primary human emotion.

I wouldn’t say I liked a single character in this book. Abigail is so eager to please her complete monster of a husband, but yet also ready to dump her daughter on a stranger so she can be a photographer again. Ben is incredibly shallow and a complete narcissist. He thinks his wife should be able to care for their newborn, tend the house, provide him with home-cooked meals as soon as he gets home and keep herself dolled up for his leisure. He is absolute garbage. Haley is a nutter who infests their lives like a cockroach.

The storyline was pretty predictable, and I found myself angry at the things Ben said or thought about Abigail. She needed help, and he told her she wasn’t trying enough. Abigail tolerated her husband being a completely out-of-touch dad and allowed him to do nothing to help her.

I didn’t see the ending coming, which was, on the one hand, scary and, on the other disappointing. For a quick read, this wasn’t the worst. But overall I wasn’t blown away by the plot, characters, or the twist.