I was addicted to Cara Reinhard’s writing when I read The Wife in the Window earlier this year. Funny story…I was reading it on the plane on my way to New York for Thrillerfest and when I mentioned to my bestie how much I liked it she said, Oh Cars is here at the event! WHAT??? Sadly I never got to meet her but I was waiting patiently for The Clinic to come out so I could read more of Cara’s twisty tales.
Emily works as an embryologist at a clinic and loves helping woman make their dreams come true. She’s starting to wonder if maybe that’s her dream as well, but either way a busy work life and no potential mate it seems like it’s something for a later date. When her ex and his wife appear at the clinic in need of her help Emily can’t help but wonder what if. What if she’d never broken up with him in college, what if she could get pregnant right along with his wife, what if she could help them have a baby…… Emily goes against her better judgement and decides to help Ben and Ally conceive even though Ally is not a good candidate for IVF. Helping Ben is a way of righting wrongs from years before. If she and Ally can get pregnant at the same time she could stay in their lives, their children could be friends, and she could keep Ben close. Unfortunately Emily does something illegal and will have to right her wrongs but telling the truth will only cost her everything she’s worked her whole life for. The past and the present are mixing and Emily isn’t sure how long she can keep her secrets.

The Clinic is a psychological thriller that brings readers into the dark, morally complex world of fertility treatments, where personal history and professional boundaries collide. This novel, reminiscent of Freida McFadden’s style, will appeal to fans of dark, twisty thrillers with multi-layered, flawed characters and ethically fraught dilemmas.

The story centers around Emily, a dedicated embryologist with a traumatic medical past, who faces a whirlwind of unresolved emotions when her ex, Ben, and his wife, Ally, show up at her clinic seeking IVF help. Emily’s lingering attachment to Ben, combined with her increasing desperation for motherhood, leads her down a path of questionable decisions and manipulation.

Cara Reinard delivers this unraveling tale through a double POV, shifting between Emily and Ally’s perspectives, which adds depth and tension to the story. I’m a fan of dual POVs, and it’s a strong choice here, giving us insights into both women’s motives—even if neither character is especially likable. Despite their flaws, each has understandable, if misguided, beliefs and motivations that drive their actions.

While the pacing starts off a bit slow, it soon gains momentum, and the fast-paced writing style pulls readers in. There’s a significant amount of backstory for both Emily and Ally, which sometimes bogs down the narrative but ultimately adds layers to their characters. The plot twists, while mostly well-placed, felt a bit predictable, and some of the suspenseful reveals might not surprise seasoned thriller readers.

One aspect that might divide readers is the detailed focus on the fertility journey—while it’s crucial to the storyline, it sometimes felt excessive. Still, for readers interested in a thriller that’s both morally complex and grounded in very real personal stakes, The Clinic offers an intriguing, if not entirely unpredictable, ride.

Overall, The Clinic is worth the read for fans of psychological thrillers who enjoy a fast-paced, morally gray narrative with a touch of personal drama.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for sending me a digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

I love medical thrillers and this one fit the bill. There was a balanced amount of science with twists and turns. I liked the characters and especially how the main character grew into her own, beyond her old friends. I’m looking forward to reading more by this author!

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This book is a masterclass in psychological suspense—a truly riveting read that left me breathless from start to finish. The complex, emotionally charged story of love, betrayal, and obsession had me on the edge of my seat, unable to put it down. The protagonist’s turmoil and the shocking moral dilemmas she faces are so vividly written that I felt every moment of her anguish and determination.

The narrative twists and turns with secrets that unravel at just the right pace, leaving you desperate to uncover what happens next. The tension is palpable, and the stakes couldn’t be higher as one woman’s longing for motherhood collides with a dangerous secret that could destroy everyone involved. The character dynamics are brilliantly crafted, and the interplay of love, loss, and revenge is nothing short of electrifying.

Fans of Freida McFadden and Shari Lapena will devour this gripping thriller, which expertly weaves psychological depth with jaw-dropping surprises. The explosive climax left me reeling, and the haunting moral questions lingered long after the final page. If you’re looking for a shocking, emotionally charged thriller, this is it. An absolute must-read!

The Clinic is an utterly wild rollercoaster of a thriller that does not ever, for a second, let up on the drama.

@carareinard has created the most perfect popcorn thriller with this book. This is a plot that is serving the most fantastically insane level of drama that is completely addictive to read. I was genuinely, full on shocked more than once by some of the twists in this book and I really, really love when that happens.

Take a lead character with Emily, who is an embryologist whose career has been her life, and who hadn’t thought about having children, until her ex Ben steps into her office for IVF treatment with his new wife Ally. Cue. The. Soap. Opera. Drama.

No spoilers (this book deserves starting it totally blind to expectations, I promise it’s more fun that way), but this book is chaotic and nuts and absolutely fabulous fun to read. A perfect escapism pick for when you need to shut off the world and dive into something that will keep you hooked through the very last pages.

Many thanks to @bookouture for inviting me on the tour! And @carareinard - I cannot wait to see that you cook up next.

Having toured with The Wife at the Window I had a good idea of what to expect from Reinard and her writing. She didn't disappoint.

It's a fast paced thriller set in the world of the fertility clinic where couples come for IVF and the dreams of making their family complete. However, as you'd expect with this being a thriller, not everything is as plain sailing as it looks.

The characters are morally grey and I found I couldn't take to any of them. But, this didn't distract whatsoever from my enjoyment of the book.

If you can suspend disbelief and just go with the flow, The Clinic is a dark and enjoyable thriller and I wouldn't hesitate in recommending both book and author.

This novel is very dark, tence and twisted. I never knew what was coming next and the ending was interesting. 🤔 I really enjoyed reading this book. However, I felt like some parts of the story dragged a little to much. At the end I wanted more of the story.
Overall, I give this book 3.5 rounded up to a 4
Big thanks to Netgalley, Cara Reinard and Bookouture for my advanced reading copy for review.

This book held my attention well. It was an interesting tale of working in a clinic for IVF treatments. Emily is living a decent life, knowing that someday she will create her own baby using the frozen embryo's that she had removed before she underwent cancer several years ago. All was well that is until her ex boyfriend and his wife show up in her folder box in the clinic. That sends Emily into a tail spin, and the things that she does in the following months is crazy. The ending was a little shocking to me, but the book was great.

If you have any work to do please do not start this book. It had me riveted to my seat the whole time. Looking forward to the next book by Cara Reinard.

First, I want to thank Cara Reinard, Bookouture, and NetGalley for providing me with this book so I can bring you this review.

WOW!! The Clinic was an incredibly fascinating read as Cara Reinard took us behind the scenes of a couple going through an IVF Journey. She did an amazing job educating us by detailing everything that was happening. Not to mention pulling out the emotions of the characters as well. This was a good read and needs to be put on your TBR List.

I loved how this book was set in Pittsburgh as I am a huge fan of the area as my Sister and her family live there. I had to smile every time she mentioned the Steelers or Cranberry.

Cara mentions the Lifetime Movie Switched at Birth in the book and I remembered that movie fondly as that was one of my fave’s.

Oh I wouldn’t have wanted to be Emily when I found out my next IVF couple was my ex and his new wife!! How awkward that would.

The Clinic is fast paced, addictive, has a lot of twists and turns, etc.

I haven’t disliked a main character like Emily for a long time.
Emily has a savior complex and that’s just one of her flaws. She also needs serious help!
I knew what she was going to do long before she did it.
It was very unethical to treat her ex’s wife but that’s just the beginning.
The ending left me hanging because I wanted to know what harkened with Ally and Ben!!!

Emily works as an embryologist working in a fertility clinic. Emily herself has suffered cancer in the past, and at that time had had her eggs frozen. She is single, but had hoped one day in the future to use her eggs, and have a child.
She is at work the day that her ex boyfriend, Ben, comes in with his wife, Ally, to discuss IVF treatment for them. The thought that Ben and Ally may have a child before Emily herself does, causes her biological clock to speed up, and she decides she wants to start treatment herself.
I found the story to be a little far fetched in places, but as a psychological thriller, it did bring out the desires and emotions of Emily, Ben, and Ally, and I thought it was an enjoyable read. I haven't read any other books by this author before, but will look for them in the future.

What a twisted plot! This was a quick read, and hard to put down. I was thoroughly engaged waiting to see what would happen next, was the truth going to come out? Emily’s choices sometimes frustrated me, I wasn’t sure where the story was going to end up, and I have to say I was surprised by the ending! Really well written, I look forward to reading more from this author.

The Clinic by Cara Reinard is another fast-paced, and well plotted story with some shocking twists. It was hard to put down and easy to devour.
The characters are well drawn, and the story is well structured.
The author has done a good job in creating the mystery and thrilling aspects of the story.

Interesting twist on a story with a fascinating thread. Emily is an embryologist who cannot have children and her ex-husband and his new wife show up to her clinic for services. What could go wrong? As it turns out, plenty!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC!

Emily works at a fertility clinic and it is there that her ex and his new wife turn up, as they want to go through IVF. The only problem is Emily wants her own baby, so will she be able to go through with helping them?

I won’t say too much about this one so that it doesn’t spoil the story. I was really drawn into the premise of this and thought it sounded like it would be a compelling read. While the story started as a generic thriller, it went in some dark and crazy directions and there were some serious topics explored.

The characters were written well, however I didn’t feel an immediate connection with them. I also found the ending to be very sudden. Although I felt there was something missing, this was an entertaining story overall. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy in return for an honest review.

3.5/5 stars

This was definitely a quick read and was hard to put down. I was thoroughly engaged waiting to see what would happen next in this psychological thriller. Emily was definitely aggravating with some of her choices and I have to say I was surprised by the ending. I should have guessed but somehow I didn't.

Thank you to Netgalley and publisher Bookouture for this advance copy!

In this compelling novel, Emily, a skilled yet emotionally conflicted embryologist, is unexpectedly forced to confront her own lingering feelings when her former lover, Ben, walks into her clinic with his wife, Allyson, to start IVF. Emily’s complex feelings blur the line between her professional obligations and personal desires, leading her to take steps that challenge both her ethical boundaries and her own understanding of motherhood. But what begins as an emotionally tense reunion quickly spirals as the fragile dynamics within Ben and Allyson’s marriage come to light, revealing secrets, insecurities, and unexpected betrayals.

What makes this story so absorbing is the author’s choice to alternate between Emily and Allyson’s perspectives, highlighting the stark contrast between the lives they project to the world and the internal battles they wage in private. Both characters are deeply flawed, each wrestling with personal insecurities and misconceptions about motherhood, family, and fulfillment. This layered narrative adds an intriguing depth, drawing readers into a rare exploration of ambition, desire, and the often-unseen emotional complexities of fertility treatments.

A refreshingly unique topic for this genre, this novel will leave readers questioning their own notions of love, loyalty, and the lengths people go to fulfill their dreams.

Emily has been told she can't have children after undergoing treatment for breast cancer. The irony of the matter is that she is a leading embryologist where her job day in day out is helping other families conceive.

Emily is kicking herself for not having children with her ex Ben over a decade previously before she got sick. Ben then got married and dropped off the radar. Emily is out for dinner with her best friend when she drops a bomb by confirming that Ben has returned to town with his wife and taken up a new job.

We also follows Ally's story. Ally is Ben's wife and they've moved across the country at Ben's request and started IVF even though Ally has strong opinions against using IVF due to her religious beliefs. Their relationship appears quite fractured and I couldn't help but wonder that perhaps this couple weren't in the best place to be starting a family.

What was difficult for me with this book is that the two main protagonists, Emily and Ally, are both not particularly likeable. They are not characters I felt I could relate to in any way and they are very flawed. I did feel for their desperation though and found myself rooting for them to try and get some kind of a happy resolution towards the end.

The story seems quite far fetched, but it is very entertaining. It is definitely a bit of a twisted story, and I found myself multiple times saying to myself 'no surely not, that surely can't happen'. I didn't really know where the story was heading and it ended a bit abruptly. I feel like there are quite a few unanswered questions so perhaps a sequel is on the cards? Overall though an entertaining read with an interesting plot and some characters to dislike along the way!

This was an intense and compelling story full of twists and turns. My only complaint was I really didn’t like the main protagonist, Emily, but the author did do a good job at portraying her desperation. Not my favourite, but still a decent enough read.