First-Time Mother Audiobook By AJ Campbell cover art

First-Time Mother

 Preview
LIMITED TIME OFFER

3 months free
Try for $0.00
Offer ends July 31, 2025 at 11:59PM PT.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 3 months. Cancel anytime.

First-Time Mother

By: AJ Campbell
Narrated by: Tamsin Kennard
Try for $0.00

$0.00/mo. after 3 months. Offer ends July 31, 2025 at 11:59PM PT. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $19.95

Buy for $19.95

Confirm purchase
Pay using card ending in
Switch payment method
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use, License, and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.
Cancel

My family say I’m unwell. They think I can’t care for my baby. But they’re lying. Who can I really trust?

My delicate newborn, Lola, is just perfect. She’s made our family complete. My wonderful husband Max has his own children. He doesn’t like to talk about his first wife – and I knew it would be hard, becoming a stepmother. But now I have a child of my own. I can forget about the past.

My stepchildren say they love their new little sister, and Max is so happy. But accidents keep happening around the house. My family look at me pityingly. I know what they’re thinking. She can’t cope. But why can’t I shake the feeling something else is going on?

Then one day I go to check on Lola and what I see changes everything…

Because my baby isn't there. And my first thought is…

Is this payback for what I’ve done?

An edge-of-your-seat psychological thriller perfect for fans of Frieda McFadden, Jeneva Rose and The Girl in Seat 2A. Prepare to stay up all night listening!

©2025 AJ Campbell (P)2025 Bookouture, an imprint of Storyfire Ltd. Domestic Thrillers Psychological Thriller & Suspense Exciting
All stars
Most relevant  
This book was so much better than the trolls make it out to be! I gave it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for the story, the details, the drama, and especially the performance.

Tamsin Kennard absolutely crushed the narration. Her ability to shift between emotions—anxious, joyful, manic, sarcastic—had me totally immersed. Her voice became the characters. That alone could’ve sold me. But I also read the Kindle version, and let me tell you—AJ Campbell’s writing is visual. So descriptive, but not overdone. The kind of detail that pulls you in but doesn’t drag you down.

Let’s talk Annie—the main character. She’s vulnerable, yes, but not because she’s weak. She’s being drugged and doesn’t even know it. So she’s having panic attacks, waking up from drug-induced naps thinking she’s “lost the plot”—when really, she’s the only one seeing clearly. Everyone else just gaslights her, including her husband. And yet… she still doubts herself. That part really hit.

Jasmine and Jacob (the stepkids) are bratty teens at first because their dad just moved Annie in with zero discussion. And I gotta say—I’m old school. I don’t believe we should ask our kids too much of anything when it comes to grown-up decisions. 😂 But they really came around by the end, and I appreciated their growth.

Sean is a smaller character but such a conundrum. Like… he has a smart, gorgeous wife, but still goes stirring the pot? What more do you need, man? He definitely lost the plot on that one. 🙄

Cameron threw me for a loop. He kept popping up in the most random places, and something always felt off… but I didn’t see that twist coming. And then Zoe, Cameron’s sister—ugh. Between her American accent and her sketchy visa talk, I should’ve known. 🚩

Now, Max. Oof. The husband who’ll have you whiplashing between “he’s sweet” and “nope, don’t trust that man.” He explains things halfway through and suddenly wants you to be on his side… but like, sir, you’ve been a jerk for most of this story. And poor Annie believes him—kinda. But she’s always got one eye open. As she should. Max is definitely one of those husbands… charming on the surface, but you’re not leaving your drink unattended around him, let’s put it that way. 😬

And the title? It fits. 100%. It’s not just about the baby. It’s about the experience of being a first-time mother—the fear, the pressure, the mental load of “am I doing this right?” That deep psychological stuff? The book nailed it.

A dramatic, intense, twisty ride from start to finish. And again—whether you read it or listen to it (I did both)—you’ll feel it. The devil’s in the details, and they were done just right.

Hopefully I didn’t give too much away… but seriously—read the book. Leave a real review. Don’t let the trolls drag this one down. It’s so worth your time.

Gripping, dramatic, and seriously underrated 🎭🧠

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
First-Time Mother is a gripping thriller that twists and turns in ways I did not expect! Just when I thought I had "cracked the code" I found myself sorely mistaken! Annie is a first-time mother (hence the title), and she and her daughter Lola share a home with Annie's husband, Max, and his two children - twins - from a previous marriage. As we get to know Annie, we find out that she is a bit overwhelmed in new motherhood and could use some support. Although Max tries to be helpful in hiring help and encouraging support, Annie is left feeling off. Is she drinking? Is something off with her hormones? Is someone poisoning her? While Max navigates selling his company, with whom Annie's sister is a part of, issues start to arise. Annie begins to suspect someone in her family is lying to her.

I do think the cover is a bit misleading with the baby carriage and the headline "My baby is missing. Everyone thinks it's my fault." This is not really the premise of the book and Lola really only plays a minor role in the plotline of the book. There is a greater focus on domestic issues within marriage versus new motherhood.

The narration by Tamsin Kennard was superb! She does a great job at differentiating voices and sounds believable as a new mom. This is a great listen if you're looking for a fun and fast paced thriller that will keep you surprised until the end!

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture Audio, the author AJ Campbell, and the narrator Tamsin Kennard for an ALC of First-Time Mother!

Unexpected Twist!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Did the publisher and editor read this book????

CHECK THE COVER:
This book is NOT about a missing baby.

Instead, this is a "Who murdered my sister?" book.

It's also a book about a crazed first-time mother allegedly suffering from post-partum depression and memory lapses.

The author's character development was flawed.
1) Characters spotlighted in the early portion of the book were not further developed in the latter portion. (Did the author forget about them?)
2) A random character was a pivotal character at the end of the book. (Huh?)

The book was also very, very long-winded.

This 8-hour audiobook easily could have been a 6-hour audiobook.

The narration by Tamsin Kennard was 10-star, as always.

Not this author's best book.....

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.