Wow what a book! Really dark and intense! Thank you Net galley for the early read! Defo Recommend and looming for more

this book is about emily, an embryologist working at an IVF clinic, and the absolute shit show that happens when ben (her ex), and ally (his wife) move back into town and show up at the clinic SHE works at, to go through with IVF treatment. i already had a feeling that things were going to get crazy, and they DEFINITELY did. nobody in this book is a saint, i feel like everyone was unhinged in their own way and it got chaotic very quickly. there’s not much that i can say without spoiling, but i will say it was enjoyable and fun for the most part. by the end, i still had questions about ben and ally that i feel didn’t get answered (i tried to check if i missed something along the way, and didn’t find anything, but i might just be bad at reading between the lines lol).
regardless of that, i do still recommend this as i did really like the writing style and the plot kept me wanting to read more.

The story flowed well and the characters were well developed. I recommend this book and look forward to more from this author.


****Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review****

Wow this is a dark book about a woman who gave up the man she loved for the career she dreamed of who then turns up at the IVF clinic she works at asking her to perform a miracle for him and his wife and provide them with a baby. As she struggles with his return into her life and finally decides to complete her own baby journey things take a very dark turn. I can’t say any more without spoiling this one but it’s a great read!

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

The Clinic by Cara Reinard offers a tense and morally complex thriller set against the backdrop of a fertility clinic. Emily, a driven embryologist, faces an emotional upheaval when her ex-boyfriend, Ben, and his wife, Allyson, come to the clinic for IVF treatment. As unresolved feelings resurface, Emily finds herself making increasingly questionable decisions, leading to a story full of dark twists and turns.

The novel’s greatest strength lies in its characters. Emily is a compelling protagonist, struggling with the aftermath of cancer and the frozen eggs she hopes to one day use. Her past relationship with Ben complicates her role at the clinic, and her interactions with Allyson, who also has hidden layers, create palpable tension. The alternating perspectives between Emily and Ally allow readers to see the emotional and psychological depths of both women, making the narrative feel more immersive.

While the premise of The Clinic is intriguing, the execution has its ups and downs. There are moments of genuine suspense, but some of the twists lack the punch expected in a thriller. The story stretches the limits of plausibility, requiring readers to suspend their disbelief, especially as Emily’s choices become increasingly extreme. This is the kind of thriller where the stakes are high and the drama keeps escalating, but at times, it can feel a bit over-the-top.

The novel also touches on the ethical complexities of IVF, offering a glimpse into the clinical side of fertility treatment. For those interested in medical thrillers or stories that explore the moral dilemmas surrounding this subject, this adds an intriguing dimension. However, the plot sometimes drifts into more predictable territory, and the shocking moments don’t always land with the desired impact.

Overall, The Clinic is an engaging read with a lot of potential, but it doesn’t fully capitalize on its premise. It’s a solid thriller with compelling character dynamics and ethical questions, but the writing doesn’t always deliver the jaw-dropping twists you might expect. If you’re looking for a dark, psychological story and are willing to suspend some disbelief, it’s still worth picking up.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars, rounded up to 4
Publication date November 8, 2024


Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for sending this eARC for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Emily is a leading embryologist at an IVF clinic in Pittsburgh. As she is longing for a child of her own, her ex-boyrlfriend, "the one who got away", comes back to town. He is now married, and he and is wife are seeking help from Emily to conceive.....

This was a thoroughly enjoyable, fast paced thriller. Every characters life is a trainwreck that you cannot get enough of.

At first I struggled to get into the book due to the main protagonist of Emily being easily problematic and unlikeable. Even though her being problematic and her moral issues do not change throughout she does become far more enjoyable to read about when paired with Ally’s perspectives. Both are problematic and make some morally questionable (at best) decisions throughout the book seeing the journey of the different relationships between the two women along with their roles in their own stories makes for an entertaining and interesting read. It does feel like the ending feels a little rushed especially as Emily’s perspective is heavily focused on due to the necessary absence of Ally for the plot, making the wrap up to the latter’s story seem a bit fast paced but no less satisfying; whilst Emily’s emotional state regarding the other woman’s pregnancy seems to change and alternate very fast beyond that of what seems realistic. Nevertheless the story is compelling and interesting intwining the different yet similar struggles surrounding the women’s pregnancies and struggles emotionally around the fact.

Whoa! This book was amazing just like her last one. Emily works in a fertility clinic helping people get pregnant. Emily had her eggs frozen when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She decided she was ready for IVF at the same time her ex and his wife arrive at her clinic. What will happen next? Will they all get along? Will Emily set out to make sure her ex doesn’t get a baby? Lots of twists in this book I did not see coming. Very good!

When I read the synopsis to this book, I was completely hooked and couldn’t wait to read it. It’s billed as a gripping psychological thriller and I found I was soon drawn into the plot, racing through the pages. It’s dark and tense and full of characters with their own issues and some great twists along the way. I did find the pace dropped off slightly in the middle so would rate this 3.5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for the chance to review.

First of all, thank you NetGalley and Cara Reinard for the opportunity to review this book.

I really liked the premise of it and this book had a different storyline than the many thrillers I read before. The writing was good, fast-paced and I love short chapters. Sadly the story was kinda predictable and I couldn’t sympathise with both FMCs. I still enjoyed the dual POV a lot. However, I was hoping for more closure at the ending. Will Ally ever find out what Emily did? 🫣 All in all, a nice popcorn thriller!

The Clinic is a truly masterful psychological read. The story centers around two main characters, Emily and Ally who are wrestling with some pretty big emotional issues.

Emily, who is single, is an IVF specialist who put career ahead of romance. Ally is married to Emily's former boyfriend Ben who she ditched for her career. When Ally and Ben walk into the clinic for an IVF procedure, Emily is immediately thrown into a tailspin. Having had her eggs frozen due to a cancer diagnosis and chemotherapy, she suddenly decides she's ready to be a mother. This brings out a competitive side of her. She is not about to be second to Ally and Ben. What she does to achieve this is highly questionable.

The writing is superb in this story. Reinard does a great job giving readers the innermost thoughts and turmoils going on in the main characters. It is alternated by Emily and Ally's POV giving readers the full scope of their thoughts. The premise of this story delights the scientific side of the reader and also those who are intrigued by the behind the scenes workings of a clinical lab.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the advanced copy

Thank you to NetGalley, author Cara Reinard and Bookouture publishing for the ARC and opportunity to review this book.

I feel it was very predictable and not my favorite thriller of the year

This book was very good! It was a quick read with a fast plot and was a mix of character & plot driven. The characters were fleshed out and realistic. The ending was good but was a bit more sudden than I would have liked. I read this book in a day.

The clinic was a joy to review. This has an interesting cast of characters that carry the story along a nice pace and create depth to the story. Great plot and I found myself filling an afternoon reading this in one sitting as I found it so enjoyable. Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest , unbiased review. 4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

3.5 rounded up

Thank you to NetGalley, author Cara Reinard and Bookouture publishing for the ARC and opportunity to review this book.

I’m on the fence with how I felt about it. It was good, but very predictable. I knew what was going to happen less than 20% into the book.

I feel the ending was disappointing. Again, knew what was going to happen. I think it had great potential but sort of fell short.

It was a fast paced read, done in a few hours but it was just lacking something to keep readers wanting to turn the page.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

"The Clinic" is a suspenseful and twisted story about a woman, her ex and his new wife. Emily works as an embryologist and after many years her ex and his new wife come into her clinic and ask for her help to conceive. But all is not as it seems as they all have secrets of their own and do things they are not proud of.
This book is written in great detail about IVF and all it entails. It also portrays the emotions and consequences in relation to IVF. On a whole other level though this book is gripping and twisted and has one hell of an ending!

I felt like the premise of the story was really good idea but in practice, it fell very short for me.
The science was super interesting and I loved the genetic references
For me, there were too many loose ends on the characters side like Ben, Dr. Batey, Laurel.. I felt like they all could have went deeper into their own sketchiness. The ending seemed rushed and Ally going missing was the dumbest storyline, why didn't she just leave a note and why didn't Ben notice her carryon was gone?
I felt like the ending seemed quite rushed.

This book was... a lot. The premise was interesting and the writing itself was good, but I really didn't like any of the main characters, especially Emily. I liked her for a split second when she seemed genuine about helping Ally, but then she did the unthinkable and became irredeemable in my eyes. Ally wasn't much better, but at least she didn't go to the lengths that Emily did to get what she wanted. Despite my dislike of the characters, I did enjoy reading the book.

Many thanks to Cara Reinard, Bookouture, & Netgalley for providing me with an ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing this book, with my honest review below.

I was surprised I hadn’t run into a thriller with a similar premise as The Clinic and eager to see if this would go to a dark or heartwarming place. I can tell you it went to a very dark one, and I loved some of the unexpected plot turns that I hadn’t expected from a book premised on IVF.

This may be a book those struggling with infertility want to stay away from if your experience has you incredibly vulnerable, since it is focused on this subject matter. For those wanting an escape from your journey perhaps it will work, but be aware that this focuses on infertility and IVF fairly exclusively as a core component.

The main character, Emily, has a bit of a hidden god complex and when her ex BF who previously got caught up in her desire to bring relief to those suffering comes back into town - with his wife - Emily has already been obsessed with him for a long while. When he and his wife attend the clinic she works at as an embryologist in an attempt to get pregnant, it helps Emily realize that she is ready to be a mother. Emily will need to use her own clinic (and her not great boss) to do this because she is a breast cancer survivor who froze her eggs anticipating infertility as a result of her cancer treatments. So, to recap - Ben’s wife is about to undergo IVF just as Emily is, and Emily is her embryologist. Given the two women have some jealousy and secrets, this is not a recipe for anything good happening.

This read got incredibly dark and tense, helped by some supporting characters who had their own issues. It definitely made me glad I don’t have people like these in my own life (fingers crossed, but certainly not so many can be so twisted if they’re hidden away).

The Clinic
by Cara Reinard
Pub Date: Nov 08 2024

The Clinic is about the world of IVF and two women's journey to have children. It's a great this thriller, a quick read and I enjoyed it the whole way through! You are reading through the POV of the two woman. I never saw the twist at the end!

Synopsis: I used to have it all. My ex-boyfriend and I were madly in love and dreamed of starting a family. When I found out I couldn’t have children, it broke me. Now, at my job at the fertility clinic, I give other couples what I could never have. The day my ex and his new wife walk into my clinic, my heart shatters all over again. He’s back.

Many thanks to #TheClinic #NetGalley and #Bookouture for providing me with an E-ARC of this book.