An engrossing and captivating read which started out light and got very dark very quickly!

Scarlett is a new mum who, on the face of it, has it all; handsome husband, pretty baby, house in the Cheshire countryside, high-flying job in Manchester and - to top it all off - a successful blog. Life is golden until, that is, someone posts a video online from her past when Scarlett's life was a lot less than perfect. Everyone she interacts with has seen the shaming video except her mum friends. So who spilt the beans?

I eased into this thinking it would be on the lighter side but, boy, was I wrong! We all have things from our past (don't we?) that isn't common fodder but Scarlett's is a whopper. It's very easy to put yourself in her place and empathise. This is a good read which flows easily throughout, displaying a surfeit of emotions from a well-drawn character. I liked that the chapters were headed with who was currently narrating - that makes reading a lot less of a guessing game! With a cracking twist at the very end, The Baby Group is an enjoyable and unpredictable read and Caroline Corcoran is definitely an author I would read again. Recommended, and well worth 4*.

My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley; this is - as always - my honest, original and unbiased review.

The Baby Group is Corcoran’s latest domestic thriller with rather a spicy premise and therefore lots of promise from the get-go. Scarlett is a thirty-five-year-old wife and mother from small-town Cheshire in Middle England, where she resides with husband Ed and partakes in their seemingly picture-postcard lifestyle. She is readying herself to go back to work after being on maternity leave for the past year or so in order to bond as much as she could with new daughter, Poppy. Although a little sad to be exiting the world of baby and toddler groups and morphing from a lady who lunches back into a businesswoman, it is a necessary evil considering the state of their finances and her eagerness for adult company. Over the past 12 months her long term friends have taken a backseat and Cora, Emma and Asha, whom she met at antenatal classes, have become her close-knit group. They've been doing literally everything together and easing each other's burden regarding being the primary caregiver. But Scarlett hasn't always been so responsible.

She used to be a wild child - partying hard, taking her fair share of drugs and generally just getting herself into trouble. She once filmed a threesome with her boyfriend and a male friend which she has feared would come back to haunt her given it had never been destroyed. Now someone has sent a copy of it to what appears to be every single person she knows. Her employer, coworkers, father and in-laws are included but oddly not the 3 other mothers. The rest of the book follows the devastating fallout that comes as a result of the sex tape and Scarlett begins to piece together the puzzle as to the identity of the anonymous poster. But is it Cora, Emma or Asha who will stop at nothing to see her once bright future turn to ruin? This is a wildly entertaining, compulsive and addictive read which is truly gripping from beginning to end. I was shocked by much of what was revealed as Corcoran ratchets up the tension before leaving you gobsmacked at the explosive finale. Highly recommended. Many thanks to Avon for an ARC.

Some people have an easier life and time after having a child and some are struggling all the through.

When an old video of the heroine is shared among her family and friends, everything goes upside down and the mental health become a real issue for her in my opinion because there are so many what-ifs and why and who.

From all the friends’ group, the baby group, you can’t really think of who did it and why but again can you really know a person and her life before you met and befriend her? Can you really know what happens behind closed doors in anyone’s house?

This book was definitely interesting and kept me engaged throughout the story. I won’t lie and say that I loved everything that happened because I really did not and have my convictions and beliefs regarding certain moments and scenes that happened here but overall it’s a great domestic story that many will enjoy

𝐒𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞, 𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐥 𝐚 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐨 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐬, 𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩. 𝐇𝐞𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐮𝐧𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐥 & 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐫, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐲? 𝐒𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐫, 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬, 𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐭?

So I read this book in almost one sitting! It was super fast paced & so much was happening, I didn't want to put it down without finding out what was happening. I felt for Scarlett's character throughout, we all make mistakes & she definitely tried to turn her life around.

Without spoilers, some of it is quite predictable however I wouldn't have been able to guess what actually happened, just slight suspicious.. I literally was 🧐 looking for any clue to who it was 😂 I have to admit the only thing that spoilt the book, and this is very much my own feelings.. Is there was certain characters I really hated and I don't often really hate characters just dislike some things.. But wow I hated one 😳 and their part for me was SO irritating I did find it hard to read. Although their part also played so well into the story 👏

Thank you to @netgalley and @avonbooks for allowing me to read this ARC!

Thus is the first book I have read by this author, and after reading it I would class it as a domestic thriller.
It is a story about secrets and lies with some twists and turns along the way.
I found the main character annoying sometimes.
I did work out who the gillian was but not the reason why and there was a good final twist that I didn't predict.
Overall I foubdcthis to be a good read with some interesting twists.

This book's premise was so interesting to me, so I had to pick it up.

Her life was perfect. Until the video. Scarlett's golden life suddenly unravels when someone sends a shocking video of her to everyone she knows. The only people who claim they haven't seen it are the friends in her new mothers' group: Cora, Emma and Asha. Scarlett is forced to delve into her past to discover who is out to get her. But as her circle of trust gathers around her, she has to ask - are her friends as innocent as they seem?

This story is told in 2 points of view: Scarlett and the anonymous POV of the person who leaked the sex tape. And overall this led to the interest of the plot being pushed forward. But for me the person who "did it" was fairly obvious. Plus I wasn't totally clear on the why either. But other than that, it was very entertaining!

This was a true Psychological Thriller where the main protagonist has her mind completely played with, and her life is falling apart at the seams.
Scarlett has the ideal life, or so it seems from the outside. She has a big house in the country, the perfect job, husband and child. She has a great group of friends, and everything is going well for her. That is until someone decides to take her down a peg or two.
I didn’t have a clue who was out to destroy Scarlett. I kept going around in circles, trying to decide. We get an insight into the tormentor’s mind as ‘anon’, but it could be any of three people. The why they are doing it is even more of a mystery. I was shocked by the ending as I didn’t see that outcome coming and I would never have guessed it in a million years. The author really does keep you on your toes, guessing right to the end.
The author has proved that she isn’t a one-hit-wonder, this is her second novel, and it was just as gripping as her first. Sometimes the second novel can be a let down after the heights you were taken to with the first; however, this was not the case here.
Even though the story is gripping, I did find Scarlett as a character a little annoying. Large chunks of time would pass by with things getting worse, and she was doing nothing other than drinking. Her inability to confront her husband was frustrating; I wanted to just charge in there and take over. Get some answers. I think she was like this, though, because of the drink. It was supposed to baffle her and us.
Overall, a great read and I look forward to what this author has to offer in the future.

I was given the opportunity to read this book through netgalley. When reading the blurb I thought this is definitely a book I would like to read and in lots of ways it didn't disappoint.
I found it fast paced and full of information but unfortunately for me, there was lots of unnecessary information and extra bits that just felt like gap fillers.
The book was good but the main character was quite annoying although for the story purposes she was portrayed that way although sometimes it got a bit much.
All in all I enjoyed the book and gave it 4 stars
Thank you to the author and the publishers and netgalley for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review

Her life was perfect. Until the video.

Scarlett’s golden life suddenly unravels when someone sends a shocking video of her to everyone she knows. The only people who claim they haven’t seen it are the friends in her new mothers’ group: Fiona, Emma and Asha.

Scarlett is forced to delve into her past to discover who is out to get her. But as her circle of trust gathers around her, she has to ask – are her friends as innocent as they seem?

This book was so good I could not put it down.
I loved how it kept you guessing. As the story progressed the author would give little clues as to who the perpetrator was but I was constantly changing my mind on who released the video. By the end of the book I was convinced I knew who it was but I was so wrong.

The only thing I did not like was the main characters ability to bury her head in the sand when it came to her husband and confronting him about an alleged affair.

I definitely will be reading this author again.

A definite page turner that had me hooked, The Baby Group had me guessing and guessing again on where the story would take us next. This book has a great cast of characters who were all interesting and fun to read about. If you’re looking for an unpredictable read then this is for you.

The premise of The Baby Group is pretty topical for the modern age - what would you do if a sex tape of you is emailed to everyone you know? That's what Scarlett needs to deal with, but the story goes so much deeper. It's about friendships, motherhood, relationships and being true to yourself. These sub-plots are what make this book so appealing. It becomes less about who was responsible and much more about how the characters deal with the circumstances they are faced with. You'll definitely find yourself shouting at more than one of them!

As a mum and a blogger this novel was scarily close to home at some points but thoroughly enjoyable!

Keep your friends close and your enemies even closer. That’s essentially the moral of this deliciously scandalous tale involving a group of NCT mothers.
Set in the small Cheshire village of Sowerton,meet Scarlett Salloway and her three friends Cora, Emma and Asha, all first time mums. Scarlett is a woman who seems to have it all, together with husband Ed and baby Poppy she is living the idyllic country life, the stuff dreams are made of. Home is a beautiful eighteenth century dwelling, and whilst on maternity leave from her managerial role at digital marketing company New Social has amassed a substantial following with her online Cheshire Mama blog. All is perfect in the world of Scarlett Salloway or is it??

Her first day back from maternity leave is one Scarlett will never forget. Her past as a fun loving carefree party girl living in Manchester is about to rear its ugly head and blow apart her carefully constructed new identity as a yummy mummy, trading the high heels for a pair of wellies, club nights for cozy nights in around the log fire. A sex tape of Scarlett enjoying a threesome has been circulated to all her work colleagues, family and friends, excepting those in her NCT group, and sets off a chain of events that sees Scarlett’s idyllic life spiralling helplessly out of control. Who is responsible for posting this video and why have they chosen to do so now?

I love this kind of storyline that seeks to expose secrets and threatens to destroy a perfect life because as a reader you want to know who is behind this campaign of hate, hoping there’s a very good reason for it and wondering why Scarlett is their target. It raises so many thoughts about what it is to be a first time mum, the kind of relationships we quickly form with others who are in the same boat, friendships that would possibly never otherwise exist. The author has a brilliant eye for depicting a certain group of women, who are all thrown together and clinging to the same life raft as they acclimatise themselves to this new way of living. The observation that these friendships are intense and emotional and therefore built on rocky foundations is very apt. Sleep deprivation, snatching a cold cup of coffee in between nappy changes and feeding unite Scarlett, Cora, Emma and Asha but apart from struggling with the early days of motherhood, what exactly do these four women have in common? Their days may be filled with sipping turmeric lattes, swapping gossip and participating in one of a multitude of baby classes but who are the real women hiding behind these facades?

In an age where anything posted on the internet lives forever I felt for Scarlett, finding herself on the receiving end of such hate, such manipulative behaviour. To know someone is determined to ensure all should see her for the sexual deviant she was or is rather than the perfect Cheshire Mama she is at pains to portray must be soul destroying and her slow unravelling is inevitable. Who doesn’t have skeletons in the closet, things they may be ashamed of doing when young, naive and living in different circumstances but how many of us have those occasions captured on film for all eternity? Delve further into the storyline and you will discover that all is not as black and white as the scenario in this tape would have you believe so it’s best to reserve judgment as to whether Scarlett deserves to be hung drawn and quartered.

This is a storyline that has an emphasis on parochial village life versus city life, a place where everyone knows your business and indulges in idle gossip, a place where it is impossible for indiscretions to remain secret versus a life in a city that never sleeps, that’s buzzing, full of life,endless opportunities and a place where you’re just another face in the crowd. Scarlett, in settling into married life in Sowerton is like a square peg in a round hole, trying to mould herself into this whiter than white character, a role she’s destined never to feel comfortable in. She upholds this air of superiority that doesn’t endear her to the other women in the group although I would say it’s Cora who acts more like an alpha female, rather than Scarlett. With her cupcake business, her pristine white furniture and designer clothes and handbags she is the epitome of a Cheshire WAG, overweight Emma and clean freak Asha her willing acolytes. How exactly does Scarlett fit in? They are all portrayed as quite bitchy individuals,Scarlett included, not immune to passing a snide remark behind each others backs, rendering their friendships uneasy and false. However, with the loss of her job and friends from her working life, these women are the only constant in a life that is fast dissolving and so it is in Cora, Emma and Asha that Scarlett seeks solace. Whoever that someone is in Scarlett’s past or present clearly thinks she is an alpha female in need of taking down a peg or two and the question that keeps the reader turning the pages is who is this person and why have the NCT group been excluded from learning about her past mistakes?

It’s fair to say there’s not a huge cast of characters to chose from when deliberating who is instrumental in Scarlett’s fall from grace and that would be my one criticism of this piece of fiction. Ed who doesn’t provide Scarlett with a comforting shoulder to cry on, turning from loving husband to one that is full of disgust and distaste and distrust in a blink of an eye is an easy character to loathe. Even from the very beginning, leaving his wife to juggle childcare and household duties whilst feeling anxious about returning to the workplace makes him a bit of a dinosaur and one to watch. As he gradually absents himself from family life, spending long hours at the gym is it any wonder Scarlett questions his fidelity? Are the obvious suspects, ex boyfriend Ollie and friend Mitch who formed the threesome with Scarlett to blame for this deliberate leak? Or could it be someone closer to home?

Interspersed with the voice of the unknown individual hell bent on ruining Scarlett’s life I lapped up every word, relishing in this very contemporary tale of the past colliding with the present. Forging new friendships whilst your babies are still shaping their own personalities can be quite a hostile environment to inhabit and is a scenario which I think the author has brought to life so eloquently. The pace is just about right with the reveal coming just as I was about to question how much longer I’d have to wait. I didn’t want to reach the end I was so engaged with the storyline even though it’s not difficult to hazard a guess as to the culprit’s identity. What is harder to imagine are the reasons for such action and I admit to be taken by surprise by a most satisfying ending. The epilogue capitalises on this ending, details revealed that I most definitely didn’t expect!
The Baby Group is one of those storylines which is effortlessly easy to lose yourself in, only coming up for air with the turn of the final page. I can’t wait to see what this author has in store for her readers next. My thanks as always to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read in exchange for an honest review.

Compulsive reading. Absolutely hard to put down. Gripping and explosive. Don't pass this one up. You won't believe the ending. Happy reading!

Scarlett appears to be loving life. At the outset of this story we meet her and her gorgeous husband and beautiful baby Poppy. Scarlett is just about to return to work in the city and leave her new ante natal friends and their reaper babies in the Cheshire countryside.
Friends Cora, Emma and Asha are really her best friends now. They have bonded fast over their shared experiences and meet regurgitate coffee, wine and to seek help
From their problems from the others. Scarlett is a newcomer to the area and appears to be very successful even outside of work, having set up a mummy blog while on maternity leave that has thousands of followers.
On Scarlett’s first day back at work she is greeted by her boss and lots of odd looks and smirks from colleagues and friends. Someone has sent them, al her family and her clients a sex tape of her from many years ago, shot with her then partner and another male friend.
The twisty turns of the story then look at who could have sent it and why. The story escalated and you are quickly hooked into carrying on reading to get the answers.
Well written with interesting characters and a focus on mental health, social media and the dangers of making a pornographic film and how it can be used as revenge.
I didn’t guess the end and was surprised and delighted that the twists kept coming.
Highly recommend this novel and I will certainly be reading more by this author.
Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

What It’s About: Scarlett, the popular blogger of Cheshire Mama, is living the perfect life with a perfect family, in a beautiful house and surrounded by a group of supportive friends from her new mothers’ group.

But this perfect world which she slowly curated over the years, is beginning to collapse when a shocking & controversial video of hers from twelve years ago is sent to her family, friends, and colleagues. Almost everyone she knows have seen the video, except for her friends from this moms’ group. Could it be someone from this group is out to ruin her life and watch her suffers as her world begins to crumble away?


My thoughts: This slow burn thriller is quite the page turner! The twists and turns in this story kept me turning the pages and had me guessing whodunit. I was rather shocked when it was revealed but somehow the reason behind it wasn’t as impactful as I wished it to be. Maybe it is just me?

I think what stands out the most in this story is the characters. Oh man, they are unlikable and flawed, and I loved it! You really cannot trust anyone in this story and that’s what makes it suspenseful and frustrating! The author captures the emotions of Scarlett really well. I could definitely feel her fear, anger and anxiety throughout the story.

Overall, this is an enjoyable thriller and if you’re looking for something similar to The Perfect Mother, this may be the book for you. I am looking forward to reading more of this author’s work!

Pub. Date: Sep 17, 2020

*** Thank you Avon Books UK, author Caroline Corcoran and NetGalley for this gifted review copy in exchange for an honest review. ***

Thank You Netgalley and the publisher for providing me a copy of this book! This book is based on my complete honest opinion.

Scarlett's life seems to be perfect in every way with a one year old daughter Poppy. But when she returns back to work, after the maternal leave, a video of hers was leaked out and was emailed to nearly all of her colleagues and nearly every one of her family members. But the three women, who are in Scarlett's baby group, Emma, Cora and Asha had not received the video. Who had sent the video and who do you actually trust?

The plot line to me sounds so intriguing to me--Scarlett is living a good life but a video of her past threatens to destroy her new life. Indirectly, we know that one of the mothers is involved in this incident, nearly out to destroy the life of Scarlett. The book is realistic in some ways as sometimes, friends can end up being the enemies and truth to be told, there is no one in the world that you can actually trust. That is what Scarlett's life was like--she considered the three mothers, Emma and Cora and Asha as her friends but one of them betrayed her. Scarlett's own married life seems to be in tatters as her husband, Ed seems to have become distant from her. The writing was good and it actually draws the reader into the story. The ending was a bit unexpected and I like some of the twists and turns that are found later in the book.

Overall, this book talks about betrayal in friendship and marriage--a good thriller and also a bit emotional. Worth three stars!

This book is a huge page turner! I was gripped from the start. At one point, quite late on, I felt it was suddenly going to let itself down, but then there was another twist and it was back on track!

The story follows the life of Scarlett who thinks she has turned her life around, after a traumatic time, she and her husband have settled in the a village with their daughter. Scarlett has made some mum friends and is excited to get back to work....until a sex tale of her is shared with everyone she cares about!

The book follows the fall out and eventually uncovers who was trying to destroy Scarlett and why...there are a lot of suspects!

I feel like I’ve been having the worst luck with ARC’s lately. Also I’m pretty sure this is the only overly negative review you’ll see of this book (it’s current Goodreads rating is 3.99), but really nothing about this book worked for me. It was very repetitive at times, the writing was choppy and didn’t flow, and scene changes were jumpy. The story didn’t go anywhere for a very long time and I found myself bored for a majority of it. The main character, Scarlett, drove me absolutely insane. She constantly complains about how her life is ruined but does nothing to make it better; in fact, she continues to do things and puts herself in situations that make it worse. Finally, the motive was extremely weak and made for a big let down at the end. Fingers crossed my next ARC is better. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

A good read with a few shocks thrown in. Overall this is a good read. I didn’t like most of the characters which made it hard to keep reading at times. They seemed self absorbed and shallow but the storyline was good and that kept me reading.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

I really enjoyed this book. There is a small suspect pool and I loved how I kept changing my mind about who the culprit was. This story is so readable as it sucks you right in. Scarlett had a rough time of it when she was younger and I really felt for her. I have never made a sex tape but who of us hasn't done something stupid in our youth?

This was a great psychological thriller as it really does play mind-games with the main character. The author painted a great picture of the characters and I enjoyed her style of writing, it was descriptive and managed to convey the right atmosphere. I was taken through a range of emotions frustration, disbelief and disgust to name a few and there were some great twists in there too. If you like a thriller revolving around home and family i think I you will enjoy this.