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Baby Dear
Caro and Jeff Horne seem to have it all until they learn that Jeff is infertile. Caro married Jeff because her biggest wish was to be a mother, and he had the means to give their children a better life than she’d had. Jeff, who is besotted with Caro, is terrified he will lose her now they can’t have a baby.
Across town, Sharon is eight months pregnant and unsure if she really wants to be a mother. Soon her world will collide with Jeff’s. He wants to keep Caro happy and decides that getting a baby is the only way.
Then Caro is accidently drawn into an underworld of drugs…
Meanwhile, Jeff is increasingly desperate to find a baby – but what lengths is he prepared to go to?
Is Sharon in danger, and will Caro ever have the family she’s always dreamed of?
Across town, Sharon is eight months pregnant and unsure if she really wants to be a mother. Soon her world will collide with Jeff’s. He wants to keep Caro happy and decides that getting a baby is the only way.
Then Caro is accidently drawn into an underworld of drugs…
Meanwhile, Jeff is increasingly desperate to find a baby – but what lengths is he prepared to go to?
Is Sharon in danger, and will Caro ever have the family she’s always dreamed of?
286 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 16, 2017
977 people are currently reading
905 people want to read
About the author
Linda Huber
21 books141 followersLinda Huber grew up in Glasgow, Scotland, but went to work in Switzerland for a year aged twenty-two, and has lived there ever since. Her day jobs have included working as a physiotherapist in hospitals and schools for handicapped children, and teaching English in a medieval castle. Not to mention several years spent as a full-time mum to two boys, a rescue dog, and a large collection of goldfish and guinea pigs.
Linda now lives in Switzerland, in a little town on the banks of beautiful Lake Constance.
Her debut psychological suspense novel The Paradise Trees was published in 2013, and was followed by The Cold Cold Sea, The Attic Room, Chosen Child, Ward Zero, Baby Dear, and Death Wish. Linda has also had over 50 short stories and articles published, some of which can be read in The Saturday Secret, a charity collection of short (feel-good) stories.
Linda now lives in Switzerland, in a little town on the banks of beautiful Lake Constance.
Her debut psychological suspense novel The Paradise Trees was published in 2013, and was followed by The Cold Cold Sea, The Attic Room, Chosen Child, Ward Zero, Baby Dear, and Death Wish. Linda has also had over 50 short stories and articles published, some of which can be read in The Saturday Secret, a charity collection of short (feel-good) stories.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 156 reviews
May 22, 2017
Eh.... 2.5ish stars. It was engaging and then it just kind of lost me because there wasn't much substance to the story. Basically a man that went insane over not being able to have a child and wanting to get a baby for his wife.
I was expecting more from this and just was overall lacking a lot. I feel like a lot of these "psychological thrillers" are not even thrillers and this one basically the blip about the book on the cover was the entire storyline 🙄😳🤷♀️.
I'm not sure if anyone else has experienced this but if I see a REALLY good 5 star review for the same book... it persuades me to read it.
Deep down I'm hesitating because I have a feeling I won't like this.... and I'm always right.. Damn.. I saw a review from a fellow GR friend and was persuaded but it just turned out to be a major FAIL for me. But, I guess we can't all love the same reads.
I was expecting more from this and just was overall lacking a lot. I feel like a lot of these "psychological thrillers" are not even thrillers and this one basically the blip about the book on the cover was the entire storyline 🙄😳🤷♀️.
I'm not sure if anyone else has experienced this but if I see a REALLY good 5 star review for the same book... it persuades me to read it.
Deep down I'm hesitating because I have a feeling I won't like this.... and I'm always right.. Damn.. I saw a review from a fellow GR friend and was persuaded but it just turned out to be a major FAIL for me. But, I guess we can't all love the same reads.
July 10, 2017
Caro and Jeff have a good marriage, plenty of money. Caro only needs one thing to make her life complete ... a baby of her own. That was the reason she married Jeff ..security, not only for herself, but to be able to raise a child to have a much better than she'd had.
And then they find out that Jeff is infertile.
Sharon is almost full term, and unsure about her pregnancy. This was totally unplanned and her husband Craig doesn't seem to want the baby, either.
Two families ...two different outlooks ... and their worlds are about to hit head on.
Jeff goes a little crazy when he can't father Caro's baby. He's terrified she will leave him. After all .. any other man can give her the one thing he can't. And then Jeff meets Sharon, a woman who doesn't want her baby.
To what lengths is he willing to go to get a baby for Caro?
This is a well-written book about the effects that infertility have on some people. It must be awful to be denied the one thing in the world you cannot give the one you love the most. This is an incredible book with characters that stand out as real people. The ending encompasses all the frustration, anger, the feeling of helplessness, the emotional overload of this sensitive topic.
And then they find out that Jeff is infertile.
Sharon is almost full term, and unsure about her pregnancy. This was totally unplanned and her husband Craig doesn't seem to want the baby, either.
Two families ...two different outlooks ... and their worlds are about to hit head on.
Jeff goes a little crazy when he can't father Caro's baby. He's terrified she will leave him. After all .. any other man can give her the one thing he can't. And then Jeff meets Sharon, a woman who doesn't want her baby.
To what lengths is he willing to go to get a baby for Caro?
This is a well-written book about the effects that infertility have on some people. It must be awful to be denied the one thing in the world you cannot give the one you love the most. This is an incredible book with characters that stand out as real people. The ending encompasses all the frustration, anger, the feeling of helplessness, the emotional overload of this sensitive topic.
May 18, 2017
Baby Dear starts off with a gripping scene in present day. Then the author takes us back to the beginning and to the build up of events that lead us back to where the book started off.
Being lucky enough to have children myself, I could only ever imagine what it must be like to be told that you are unable to have children. For Jeff, I think because the issue is on his part, he feels a failure and is desperate to not lose Caro. You really feel for the pair as it’s what they both want and the fact they can’t have a child starts to take it’s toll on their relationship.
Where as Caro and Jeff are desperate for a child, Sharon is struggling still to come to terms with having a baby. It wasn’t quite in her plan to have one so soon and in a way I think she resents the unborn child somewhat. Obviously that all changes when she has the baby. Sharon I did find quite selfish to start with. To be fair she is struggling with the whole thing and finds herself somewhat isolated.
This is very much a story of how far you would go to get something that you desperately want. It does make you think about what you would do in the same situation. I hope though not many will resort to what Jeff does.
Baby Dear is a heart racing and gripping read. The reader knows what is coming due to the story flicking between the characters. Jeff I just wanted to grab and give a good shake whilst Sharon I wanted to warn her of what was coming. It certainly makes for a tense read. Yet another great read from the queen of psychological thrillers/suspense.
Being lucky enough to have children myself, I could only ever imagine what it must be like to be told that you are unable to have children. For Jeff, I think because the issue is on his part, he feels a failure and is desperate to not lose Caro. You really feel for the pair as it’s what they both want and the fact they can’t have a child starts to take it’s toll on their relationship.
Where as Caro and Jeff are desperate for a child, Sharon is struggling still to come to terms with having a baby. It wasn’t quite in her plan to have one so soon and in a way I think she resents the unborn child somewhat. Obviously that all changes when she has the baby. Sharon I did find quite selfish to start with. To be fair she is struggling with the whole thing and finds herself somewhat isolated.
This is very much a story of how far you would go to get something that you desperately want. It does make you think about what you would do in the same situation. I hope though not many will resort to what Jeff does.
Baby Dear is a heart racing and gripping read. The reader knows what is coming due to the story flicking between the characters. Jeff I just wanted to grab and give a good shake whilst Sharon I wanted to warn her of what was coming. It certainly makes for a tense read. Yet another great read from the queen of psychological thrillers/suspense.
May 16, 2017
I took just two days to read this. Picking it up with every free available chance I got.
It's compulsive reading at its best. A topic that is clear and defined here when a couple tests come back who are trying for a baby and it's not happening.
Caro and Jeff.
Caro is aching for a baby of her own to love.
Jeff finds out his sperm count is almost non existent.
We oftentimes think of the women's Point of view, emotions and longings but hardly ever think of the mans.
This made me think.
It was a very unusual take on a man taking a child because of his shock into not being able to fulfil his 'duty' for his wife to become pregnant.
My take was how he become quite mentally unstable with his emotional justified thoughts only to himself.
Amazing
Of course parenting and producing babies do not just lay with the woman and this portrays how a man could actually feel as unbalanced as any female finding she could not become a mother naturally
Max
How I loved max
And Julie was the sweetest person while Caro.,,, well.., love or money vs life style. Caro was her own worst enemy.
I loved this book SO much
And have been your constant stalker since reading The cold cold sea.
I'm looking forward to my part in the blog tour
My thanks to Bloodhound Books for my copy and to Linda Huber giving me such an outstanding read again.
It's compulsive reading at its best. A topic that is clear and defined here when a couple tests come back who are trying for a baby and it's not happening.
Caro and Jeff.
Caro is aching for a baby of her own to love.
Jeff finds out his sperm count is almost non existent.
We oftentimes think of the women's Point of view, emotions and longings but hardly ever think of the mans.
This made me think.
It was a very unusual take on a man taking a child because of his shock into not being able to fulfil his 'duty' for his wife to become pregnant.
My take was how he become quite mentally unstable with his emotional justified thoughts only to himself.
Amazing
Of course parenting and producing babies do not just lay with the woman and this portrays how a man could actually feel as unbalanced as any female finding she could not become a mother naturally
Max
How I loved max
And Julie was the sweetest person while Caro.,,, well.., love or money vs life style. Caro was her own worst enemy.
I loved this book SO much
And have been your constant stalker since reading The cold cold sea.
I'm looking forward to my part in the blog tour
My thanks to Bloodhound Books for my copy and to Linda Huber giving me such an outstanding read again.
May 24, 2017
A great book yet again from Linda Huber - full review to come.
August 3, 2017
Before I review this book, let me first say that this book started of promising. Two couples: One is not satisfied with not having a baby, the other is content with no baby at all, until they get an unexpected surprise. Honestly that is the only positive thing about this book,the characters were fresh and redemptive, but yet this book fell flat with inconsistency.
I also got really annoyed with how the story kept shifting perspectives without dividing the chapters. I was sort of confused with who was talking, despite the name at the top of the passage. It was good while in the beginning, but then it went downhill as it progressed.
Also this was not a 'thriller' it started off slow, and it was not full of twists and turns.
Oh well, it could have been better if it kept the spark in the beginning.
I also got really annoyed with how the story kept shifting perspectives without dividing the chapters. I was sort of confused with who was talking, despite the name at the top of the passage. It was good while in the beginning, but then it went downhill as it progressed.
Also this was not a 'thriller' it started off slow, and it was not full of twists and turns.
Oh well, it could have been better if it kept the spark in the beginning.
May 21, 2017
My Review: 4/5
A problem that is all too common for couples is not able to have children. There are a number of reasons why this is, but mostly it is due to some sort of underlying medical problem. In Baby Dear, Caro and Jeff are devastated to learn they will not ever be able to conceive a child. This is due to Jeff. After learning of the issue, Caro begins to doubt everything…her choice of a husband, her love for her husband, and her marriage. Jeff picks up on her doubts and vows to do everything he can to keep her, including plotting to kidnap a baby!
Sharon and Craig are on the opposite end of the spectrum. They are not prepared to have a child; they are busy with their careers. Sharon befriends a young librarian mother, Julie, who helps her overcome her fears of becoming a mother herself.
This book is different from most I’ve heard of considering the man (Jeff) is the one who is dealing with the feelings of shame, insecurity, and inadequacy. It was so frightening to go inside Jeff’s mind and hear him actually justify the kidnapping of a baby. He is so frightening and it made me question his sanity.
The best part of this book, in my opinion, Julie. She is a supporting character who is there for Sharon during all of her trials. She becomes her rock. As a single mother, her children are her number one priority. I also loved her blooming relationship with Max, the police officer who enters her life.
There was also a sub-storyline involving drugs, that Caro gets involved in. While I understand it’s purpose, it threw me off. It didn’t quite work for me.
The last part of this book is very action packed. It was little slow for me in the beginning and actually took a little time for me to get into it. I do recommend it, mainly because of the different aspect of the husband.
A problem that is all too common for couples is not able to have children. There are a number of reasons why this is, but mostly it is due to some sort of underlying medical problem. In Baby Dear, Caro and Jeff are devastated to learn they will not ever be able to conceive a child. This is due to Jeff. After learning of the issue, Caro begins to doubt everything…her choice of a husband, her love for her husband, and her marriage. Jeff picks up on her doubts and vows to do everything he can to keep her, including plotting to kidnap a baby!
Sharon and Craig are on the opposite end of the spectrum. They are not prepared to have a child; they are busy with their careers. Sharon befriends a young librarian mother, Julie, who helps her overcome her fears of becoming a mother herself.
This book is different from most I’ve heard of considering the man (Jeff) is the one who is dealing with the feelings of shame, insecurity, and inadequacy. It was so frightening to go inside Jeff’s mind and hear him actually justify the kidnapping of a baby. He is so frightening and it made me question his sanity.
The best part of this book, in my opinion, Julie. She is a supporting character who is there for Sharon during all of her trials. She becomes her rock. As a single mother, her children are her number one priority. I also loved her blooming relationship with Max, the police officer who enters her life.
There was also a sub-storyline involving drugs, that Caro gets involved in. While I understand it’s purpose, it threw me off. It didn’t quite work for me.
The last part of this book is very action packed. It was little slow for me in the beginning and actually took a little time for me to get into it. I do recommend it, mainly because of the different aspect of the husband.
May 20, 2017
Have you ever opened a door and just stopped and starred at what you see? Something that makes your feet not move, like a command from the brain that cements you to the spot before you have to know what the hell has happened, because you are in shock. That is the opening scene in this book.
What can you give a woman that has everything? Well Jeff had done a pretty fine job so far. Jeff was besotted with his younger wife, anything she wanted was hers Caro was the love of his life. Was, that is such a small word that means things have changed. Jeff was a man that worked hard, Jeff was successful, all things he had made, things in his control. Until the day they both sat in front of a specialist to be told they would never have a baby together, Jeff had a sperm count that could be added up on fingers and toes. Never did either him or Caro think it was going to be him. Jeff would fix this, what ever his wife needed, he would give her what she wanted.
This isn't a story about a bad man, this is a story about a man mentally destroyed. Linda Huber's book makes for a pretty terrifying journey into the mind of a very disturbed and desperate man. I really felt so very sad for Jeff. No matter where you look you will always see pregnant women and babies in buggies, a constant torment for both Jeff and Caro, especially when so many made it known they hadn't wanted to be parents. A brilliant story with the man being the prime character. I read in one sitting forgetting lunch and tea. My first but not last book by Linda Huber!
What can you give a woman that has everything? Well Jeff had done a pretty fine job so far. Jeff was besotted with his younger wife, anything she wanted was hers Caro was the love of his life. Was, that is such a small word that means things have changed. Jeff was a man that worked hard, Jeff was successful, all things he had made, things in his control. Until the day they both sat in front of a specialist to be told they would never have a baby together, Jeff had a sperm count that could be added up on fingers and toes. Never did either him or Caro think it was going to be him. Jeff would fix this, what ever his wife needed, he would give her what she wanted.
This isn't a story about a bad man, this is a story about a man mentally destroyed. Linda Huber's book makes for a pretty terrifying journey into the mind of a very disturbed and desperate man. I really felt so very sad for Jeff. No matter where you look you will always see pregnant women and babies in buggies, a constant torment for both Jeff and Caro, especially when so many made it known they hadn't wanted to be parents. A brilliant story with the man being the prime character. I read in one sitting forgetting lunch and tea. My first but not last book by Linda Huber!
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May 19, 2017
In this thriller, we see three women going through various stages of their lives. Caro, married to Jeff, wants a baby more than anything but has a husband who can't give her one. Sharon, married to Craig, has a surprise pregnancy which threatens to tear her marriage apart. Then there's Julie, who befriends Sharon, and is a single mother of two kids who wonders how she'll ever date again. I think the only thing the author didn't hit on is a woman who never wanted kids and didn't. Otherwise, just about any woman can relate to at least one of these characters.
What I found most fascinating about this book is how it portrays how easily the mind can break when triggered by an event or events. A person can live their lives in a relatively normal manner and then out of nowhere, bends and spirals into a path where obsession and psychosis take control. How do you stop a person who breaks? Can you?
The author weaves these three women's lives where they all end up impacting each other. The build up of their lives from the beginning until the end really made the last part of the book my favorite. That's when shit blows up!
What didn't work for me in this book is the "drug underworld" part. I didn't feel it really made sense or fit in with the rest of the story. I understood it was used to bring in another character that ended up playing a key role, but otherwise I think it could have been handled slightly differently - or maybe not portrayed as something more than I, personally, felt that it was. I felt that sometimes things did get repetitive and I will be happy to never see the word "baby" or "no-baby" ever again. However, it certainly did bring home what Caro was feeling and how the loss of "no-baby" can be just as traumatizing as the loss of a real one.
Overall, a winner of a psychological ride. If you like linear psychological thrillers where you're not waiting for some big twist, then this definitely fits that bill.
What I found most fascinating about this book is how it portrays how easily the mind can break when triggered by an event or events. A person can live their lives in a relatively normal manner and then out of nowhere, bends and spirals into a path where obsession and psychosis take control. How do you stop a person who breaks? Can you?
The author weaves these three women's lives where they all end up impacting each other. The build up of their lives from the beginning until the end really made the last part of the book my favorite. That's when shit blows up!
What didn't work for me in this book is the "drug underworld" part. I didn't feel it really made sense or fit in with the rest of the story. I understood it was used to bring in another character that ended up playing a key role, but otherwise I think it could have been handled slightly differently - or maybe not portrayed as something more than I, personally, felt that it was. I felt that sometimes things did get repetitive and I will be happy to never see the word "baby" or "no-baby" ever again. However, it certainly did bring home what Caro was feeling and how the loss of "no-baby" can be just as traumatizing as the loss of a real one.
Overall, a winner of a psychological ride. If you like linear psychological thrillers where you're not waiting for some big twist, then this definitely fits that bill.
May 5, 2019
Everything about having, or not having, babies can be so complicated and often emotionally all-consuming and this is reflected in this story. Caro and Jeff are devastated when they are told Jeff is infertile. While Sharon, a career woman, is equally devastated to be pregnant but has a husband, Craig, who shows zero interest in becoming a father.
There is a lot of introspection in this book, as expected really given the subject matter as well as plenty of self-absorption with several characters obsessing about their own needs rather than supporting their partners, which so easily happens in real life too. Misunderstandings and confusion being caused along the way.
I found Caro difficult to like, until much later on in the book when a moment of self-realisation makes her into a better person, although it was a shame she didn’t share her thoughts with Jeff. Sharon had, I thought, a character arc that probably many women would recognise, of being in a place she didn’t want to be but finding herself eventually welcoming the drastic changes in her life.
The person I liked the most though was Julie. She was at a different stage in her life, single and struggling in ways the other two weren’t. However she remained upbeat and supportive to all those around her and I loved the fact she found someone to call ‘family’ as well as a possible future with someone else – no spoilers here!
There is a lot of introspection in this book, as expected really given the subject matter as well as plenty of self-absorption with several characters obsessing about their own needs rather than supporting their partners, which so easily happens in real life too. Misunderstandings and confusion being caused along the way.
I found Caro difficult to like, until much later on in the book when a moment of self-realisation makes her into a better person, although it was a shame she didn’t share her thoughts with Jeff. Sharon had, I thought, a character arc that probably many women would recognise, of being in a place she didn’t want to be but finding herself eventually welcoming the drastic changes in her life.
The person I liked the most though was Julie. She was at a different stage in her life, single and struggling in ways the other two weren’t. However she remained upbeat and supportive to all those around her and I loved the fact she found someone to call ‘family’ as well as a possible future with someone else – no spoilers here!
March 2, 2018
This was a thoroughly likable book, was entertained from start to finish. Story was well thought out and cleverly written.
It had me guessing throughout, wondering what would happen and how it would all end.
It had me guessing throughout, wondering what would happen and how it would all end.
May 18, 2017
Baby Dear by Linda Huber.
Caro and Jeff seem to have it all until they learn that Jeff is infertile. Caro married Jeff because her biggest wish was to be a mother, and he had the means to give their children a better life than she had.
This was a good read. It was sad about Caro and Jeff. 4*. Bloodhound books.
Caro and Jeff seem to have it all until they learn that Jeff is infertile. Caro married Jeff because her biggest wish was to be a mother, and he had the means to give their children a better life than she had.
This was a good read. It was sad about Caro and Jeff. 4*. Bloodhound books.
July 24, 2017
This is the second book I’ve read by Linda Huber and I’m looking forward to reading more of her work. Her sensitive style is easy to digest, which is half the battle and she cleverly entraps the reader from page one. The reader must discover what will happen to Caro and Jeff, the couple who want a baby but can’t have one, and Sharon and Craig, who are expecting a child but don’t want one. The author deftly shows how an infertile man can be driven to extremes to keep hold of his woman. His disintegrating grip on reality is beautifully portrayed. Julie, a single mother, becomes involved in the drama and becomes a main strand to the story. As with all good thrillers, the tension mounts and the unpredictable outcome keeps the reader gripped to the end. Baby Dear is well worth your time.
December 12, 2017
A psychological thriller using gender to give it an interesting and different angle
The prologue gives no indication of what eventually does happen as the story unfolds. I found this good because I was surprised by the person who is pathologically responsible for what happens in this book. It would have been 5 stars but it took a while to realise that there is a plot because the build-up to it is long. However, Linda Huber does create a solid understanding of the characters as she intensifies the psychological aspect of one of the characters with a dysfunctional personality disorder.
The characters are Sharon and Craig who are having a baby - reluctantly. The other couples are Caro and Jeff trying to have a baby with difficulty. Julie is a single mother with two children who feel the strain of parenting alone and Dee is her boss and friend. Other characters enter the story at a later stage and add flavour to the mix. As she builds up the characters, the one with a dysfunctional psychological pathology emerges and that is when the story gets an edge of tension and urgency. This is when I really started enjoying the book because by now all the characters were familiar, likeable people from a small community.
This is a psychological thriller with a clever gender twist and this is the reason why this book is not to be missed. Well worth the read.
BonnieK
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.
The prologue gives no indication of what eventually does happen as the story unfolds. I found this good because I was surprised by the person who is pathologically responsible for what happens in this book. It would have been 5 stars but it took a while to realise that there is a plot because the build-up to it is long. However, Linda Huber does create a solid understanding of the characters as she intensifies the psychological aspect of one of the characters with a dysfunctional personality disorder.
The characters are Sharon and Craig who are having a baby - reluctantly. The other couples are Caro and Jeff trying to have a baby with difficulty. Julie is a single mother with two children who feel the strain of parenting alone and Dee is her boss and friend. Other characters enter the story at a later stage and add flavour to the mix. As she builds up the characters, the one with a dysfunctional psychological pathology emerges and that is when the story gets an edge of tension and urgency. This is when I really started enjoying the book because by now all the characters were familiar, likeable people from a small community.
This is a psychological thriller with a clever gender twist and this is the reason why this book is not to be missed. Well worth the read.
BonnieK
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.
July 26, 2017
So mind numbingly amateurish I had to abort this one...but at least I labored on until 50%...
Maybe Linda should read Michael Robotham's "The Secrets She Keeps"...now THAT is how you attempt to abduct a baby!
Maybe Linda should read Michael Robotham's "The Secrets She Keeps"...now THAT is how you attempt to abduct a baby!
May 21, 2017
Caroline and Jeff Horne desperately want a baby. After a round of fertility tests it transpires Jeff is infertile and their only other choice would be IVF. Jeff immediately dismisses that option and Caroline’s world is shattered. All she wanted was a baby – and it seems Jeff may now be surplus to requirements.
Sharon and Craig Morrison planned to have a family sometime in the future but after a mishap with her contraceptive pill Sharon finds herself pregnant, disgruntled and frightened. After her initial struggles to accept the situation Sharon is getting more used to the idea, anticipating holding her baby. She’s still anxious about the future, more so because it’s obvious Craig is not looking forward to the changes a baby will undoubtedly bring to their lives.
Julie Mayhew is a librarian and a single mother of two. Her circumstances aren’t ideal but her children are everything to her. By chance, she and Sharon strike up a friendship one day which becomes a lifeline for Sharon in the wake of her husband’s inability to accept impending parenthood.
Three women, initially strangers, all connected by one man’s dangerous infatuation and obsession.
Linda Huber weaves a tangled tale of emotions and drama. The prologue is an immediate and horrific hook. Told in the third person from the perspectives of the individuals, the narrative lets the reader into the minds of each one. A small but diverse set of characters, most of them unlikable. Caro, too self-absorbed and not interested in how Jeff feels, she’s stuck in her ‘poor me’ syndrome despite everything else Jeff has provided for her. Jeff is tormented by Caro’s indifference towards him and refusal to talk about their problem. It was fascinating and alarming to witness the distortion of reality as delusions and mental instability spiral out of control and impact on everyone’s lives, ending in tragedy.
Julie is the steadying presence, the best of them all and the person I felt the most sympathy with. I was rooting for her to find her happy ever after.
Infertility is an emotive subject and I can image how devastating it would be for a couple who desperately want children to learn they were unable to conceive. But what extremes would someone go to, to have the family they so badly want.
I chose to read and review Baby Dear based on an advance reader copy supplied by the author/publisher.
Sharon and Craig Morrison planned to have a family sometime in the future but after a mishap with her contraceptive pill Sharon finds herself pregnant, disgruntled and frightened. After her initial struggles to accept the situation Sharon is getting more used to the idea, anticipating holding her baby. She’s still anxious about the future, more so because it’s obvious Craig is not looking forward to the changes a baby will undoubtedly bring to their lives.
Julie Mayhew is a librarian and a single mother of two. Her circumstances aren’t ideal but her children are everything to her. By chance, she and Sharon strike up a friendship one day which becomes a lifeline for Sharon in the wake of her husband’s inability to accept impending parenthood.
Three women, initially strangers, all connected by one man’s dangerous infatuation and obsession.
Linda Huber weaves a tangled tale of emotions and drama. The prologue is an immediate and horrific hook. Told in the third person from the perspectives of the individuals, the narrative lets the reader into the minds of each one. A small but diverse set of characters, most of them unlikable. Caro, too self-absorbed and not interested in how Jeff feels, she’s stuck in her ‘poor me’ syndrome despite everything else Jeff has provided for her. Jeff is tormented by Caro’s indifference towards him and refusal to talk about their problem. It was fascinating and alarming to witness the distortion of reality as delusions and mental instability spiral out of control and impact on everyone’s lives, ending in tragedy.
Julie is the steadying presence, the best of them all and the person I felt the most sympathy with. I was rooting for her to find her happy ever after.
Infertility is an emotive subject and I can image how devastating it would be for a couple who desperately want children to learn they were unable to conceive. But what extremes would someone go to, to have the family they so badly want.
I chose to read and review Baby Dear based on an advance reader copy supplied by the author/publisher.
May 19, 2017
I started Baby Dear thinking it would be a story about infertility, and the heartbreak involved with failed attempts at conceiving a child so I was pleasantly surprised to find it was so much more than that. The book terrifyingly depicts a mans descent into madness as he becomes more and more desperate to fulfil his marital duties and provide his wife with a child.
The story begins with the hook of a prologue, the image of a baby splattered with blood, instantly we know that something very bad is going to happen. Married couple Caro and Jeff are told by doctors that Jeff’s sperm count is non-existent. They had been trying to conceive for a while and the news that having a child together biologically was near impossible hits both of them hard. As Caro begins to drift further and further away from Jeff, he begins to become more and more desperate to provide the child that Caro covets so dearly in an attempt to save his marriage. Another part of town sees Sharon and Craig getting ready to greet their little bundle of joy, only problem being, neither of them are particularly happy about said bundle of joy’s imminent arrival. Unplanned and a little unwanted, Sharon’s unborn child soon becomes the target of Jeff’s hair brained scheme. Luckily for Sharon she is befriended by lone parent Julie, a woman who shows Sharon that motherhood is the greatest gift on earth, and is a loyal friend when disaster strikes.
Brilliantly written, Baby Dear has a host of strong characters which makes this book such a powerful and enjoyable read. I found nearly all the characters completely unlikeable (which I think was the author’s intention), the only characters I did feel connection to were Julie, and Max the detective *swoons*. Rather than a fast paced thriller the author has created a slow burning evocative tale where in parts my heart was aching yet in others my blood was boiling. Narrated in alternating viewpoints, Baby Dear gives the reader full insight into each character and the logic ( albeit skewed) behind their behaviours. This really is one of those “down the rabbit hole” type of stories.
Baby Dear is a compelling and stirring psychological thriller and once started is unputdownable. Thanks to Linda Huber, Bloodhound Books and Sarah Hardy for the advanced reader copy.
The story begins with the hook of a prologue, the image of a baby splattered with blood, instantly we know that something very bad is going to happen. Married couple Caro and Jeff are told by doctors that Jeff’s sperm count is non-existent. They had been trying to conceive for a while and the news that having a child together biologically was near impossible hits both of them hard. As Caro begins to drift further and further away from Jeff, he begins to become more and more desperate to provide the child that Caro covets so dearly in an attempt to save his marriage. Another part of town sees Sharon and Craig getting ready to greet their little bundle of joy, only problem being, neither of them are particularly happy about said bundle of joy’s imminent arrival. Unplanned and a little unwanted, Sharon’s unborn child soon becomes the target of Jeff’s hair brained scheme. Luckily for Sharon she is befriended by lone parent Julie, a woman who shows Sharon that motherhood is the greatest gift on earth, and is a loyal friend when disaster strikes.
Brilliantly written, Baby Dear has a host of strong characters which makes this book such a powerful and enjoyable read. I found nearly all the characters completely unlikeable (which I think was the author’s intention), the only characters I did feel connection to were Julie, and Max the detective *swoons*. Rather than a fast paced thriller the author has created a slow burning evocative tale where in parts my heart was aching yet in others my blood was boiling. Narrated in alternating viewpoints, Baby Dear gives the reader full insight into each character and the logic ( albeit skewed) behind their behaviours. This really is one of those “down the rabbit hole” type of stories.
Baby Dear is a compelling and stirring psychological thriller and once started is unputdownable. Thanks to Linda Huber, Bloodhound Books and Sarah Hardy for the advanced reader copy.
February 20, 2018
Great suspense
A young single mother, a pregnant lady, and a young wife who finds out she can't have babies - these three collide and entwined to make a nail-biting thriller. Add to the mix a young husband who's not sure he wants to be a father, a psycho husband, and a policeman's attraction to one of the three women, and this book will keep you turning pages to find out what happens next. The little boy, Liam, turns out to be a hero of sorts.
A young single mother, a pregnant lady, and a young wife who finds out she can't have babies - these three collide and entwined to make a nail-biting thriller. Add to the mix a young husband who's not sure he wants to be a father, a psycho husband, and a policeman's attraction to one of the three women, and this book will keep you turning pages to find out what happens next. The little boy, Liam, turns out to be a hero of sorts.
February 21, 2018
Goes through the disappointment of not being able to bear children.
You also understand the cost of adoption. Different people with different situations make this book interesting. I thought he became a little to unbalanced but the ending was good.
You also understand the cost of adoption. Different people with different situations make this book interesting. I thought he became a little to unbalanced but the ending was good.
May 16, 2017
Caro and Jeff have a good life, they are settled and happily looking forward to starting a family, until they get the devestating news of Jeff being infertile.
Sharon who is looking forward to starting a family, but not yet...and what does this mean for her as she is 8 months pregnant and struggling with the emotions of having a child that doesn't quite fit into her plans.
What a tangled and woven tale that awaits, with Jeff's increasing need to fulfil Caro's dreams of becoming a mum .
The setting and pace of the story is a real page turner, and makes for a fearful read full of dread and suspense. The characters are varied and not always likeable, which makes for a great remit to discuss this book from various angles.
This is a rollercoaster of a read and awaiting the outcome desired is fuelled with tension, but for whom?
Sharon who is looking forward to starting a family, but not yet...and what does this mean for her as she is 8 months pregnant and struggling with the emotions of having a child that doesn't quite fit into her plans.
What a tangled and woven tale that awaits, with Jeff's increasing need to fulfil Caro's dreams of becoming a mum .
The setting and pace of the story is a real page turner, and makes for a fearful read full of dread and suspense. The characters are varied and not always likeable, which makes for a great remit to discuss this book from various angles.
This is a rollercoaster of a read and awaiting the outcome desired is fuelled with tension, but for whom?
September 27, 2021
I thoroughly enjoyed this, made my pulse rate and get really involved with the characters.
I didn't want to get to the end.
Will be reading more books by Linda x
I didn't want to get to the end.
Will be reading more books by Linda x
April 19, 2018
This book is definitely full on suspense. It did kind of start out slow but within the fourth chapter things pick up and the story got more intriguing.
June 19, 2017
WOW! I am impressed. What an amazing story. This is the first story I have read by Linda and it will not be my last, I really enjoyed reading this one. Very different! This story focuses on the NEED for a baby, which does still happen in the 21st century. A well planned and researched story which will have you hooked from the first page. Brilliant. A well deserved five stars. Baby dear is easy to read, fast paced and will hold your attention till the very last page… It also has a very beautiful cover which goes well the story. I would highly recommend this book to you all!
May 12, 2017
Caro and Jeff want a baby but there is a problem- a large one. Julie is on her own with 2 small children. Sharon is heavily pregnant but the baby wasn’t planned for another 5 years. I am not a baby person but this story grabbed me as there is so much intrigue. You think you know what is going to happen and then…. I won’t spoil it. Brilliantly written with strong characters that you can see in your mind’s eye. I particularly liked Julie as she comes across as a determined woman who you would quite happily have as a friend. A different read, an enjoyable one. Be warned- you may get hooked! A wonderful compelling read.
I voluntarily chose to read this ARC and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased.
I voluntarily chose to read this ARC and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased.
July 12, 2017
Baby Dear is a psychological thriller with all the elements of drama, mystery, and, action. The story follows the lives and dreams of Caro, Julie, and Sharon, strangers to each other. But as the plot builds the three find their lives seemingly intertwined with one chord binding them together- a baby.
A man, a woman, and a child- another common theme commonly presented in so many books to represent happy families but ‘Baby Dear’ uses the same relationship to explore the depths of human desire, yearning, insecurities and, the strength of friendship from unexpected quarters.
This story is gripping with a decent build up leading to a climax, needing all the characters to confront the truth of their lives and their deepest fears. Are they monsters, angels or plain humans. One baby will bring their true selves out...
A man, a woman, and a child- another common theme commonly presented in so many books to represent happy families but ‘Baby Dear’ uses the same relationship to explore the depths of human desire, yearning, insecurities and, the strength of friendship from unexpected quarters.
This story is gripping with a decent build up leading to a climax, needing all the characters to confront the truth of their lives and their deepest fears. Are they monsters, angels or plain humans. One baby will bring their true selves out...
May 31, 2017
Dull
This is the first book of Linda Tibet's that I have read. Too many characters and too many boring details for a psychological thriller! A very slow read. I would definitely not recommend this book however the ending was good. I found getting thru the book until the end very slow and boring due to way too many unnecessary descriptive details and not enough excitement. Very disappointing!!
This is the first book of Linda Tibet's that I have read. Too many characters and too many boring details for a psychological thriller! A very slow read. I would definitely not recommend this book however the ending was good. I found getting thru the book until the end very slow and boring due to way too many unnecessary descriptive details and not enough excitement. Very disappointing!!
June 19, 2017
I was an English Lit major, so my (required) science courses tended to be known by names like Rocks-for-Jocks and Magic 101. In one of his first lectures, our tutor was embarrassingly excited about the scientific method—we didn’t know where to look—as he gushed about experimental and control groups. But I found myself thinking back to his lecture as I read the psychological thriller, Baby Dear.
In almost all of her books, author Linda Huber explores relationships and how they affect her characters. For most part, there is a focus on the bond between parent and child, and especially on what can happen when that bond is threatened or damaged. But in Baby Dear, she invites us to follow as she experiments on that bond, deliberately pushing it up to—and even past—its limits.
In this experiment, her characters fall roughly into the control groups described by my old tutor, with the ‘experiment’ testing that most primal of bonds—motherhood.
* Experimental Group: Caro Horne needs to be a mother. Every decision she’s made in the past years, including her choice of husband, has been aimed at that goal. The news that her husband is infertile is simply the end of everything that matters to her. “The child that didn’t exist, that never would, had changed her whole life.”
* Positive Control Group (exposed to some other treatment known to produce the expected effect): Sharon Morrison doesn’t need to be a mother. She and her husband Craig resent the imminent birth of their child. “Oh, they’d talked about a baby one day—in five or six years, maybe. But not yet. The baby had stolen five years of her life. Why had she kept it? Her good Catholic upbringing could take the blame for that.”
* Negative Control Group (group not exposed to any treatment): Julie Mayhew is first and foremost a mother. Left penniless with two small children after her philandering husband abandoned her, she can’t imagine being without her son and baby daughter. “Even during the worst time, just after Matt left, she had never stopped wanting her children. In fact, being Sam’s mum and looking forward to Amy’s birth were the two things that had kept her going.”
Even as Julie the good mother, Sharon the reluctant mother-to-be, and Caro the non-mother reflect their three differing states of motherhood, each is about to be profoundly altered by the introduction of a variable in the form of Caro’s husband Jeff. Outwardly, he appears to be a successful business owner with a lovely wife and a nice home. Internally, however, his need for Caro is a desperate imperative, and if that means a baby, he’s willing to need that too. When fertility testing determines that he can’t father a child, his world shrinks to one essential realization: he can’t lose his wife, so he must get a baby.
Author Linda Huber takes her time, introducing each character from their own point of view. This could have gotten confusing, but she is careful to set each head hop into its own section, identified by name and time. Not only does this allow us to see characters through each other’s eyes, but we also experience Jeff’s panic-driven deterioration.
As I’ve noted in my reviews of her earlier books, Linda Huber isn’t interested in the criminal villain—the godfathers, the outlaws, the career lawbreakers—who routinely employ evil as a tool of their trade, but who ultimately still have the potential for change, like the “It’s just my job” hitmen in Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction. Instead, for her psychological thrillers, she gives us a villain whose character and psyche are broken in some fundamental way.
“The baby was still crying on the sofa, blood smeared down the front of her pink cardigan.” As the first line of the prologue signals, Baby Dear isn’t a mystery but an exploration into the bonds of motherhood that takes us down a dark path when obsession becomes madness. This is a character-driven tale where the measured introduction to the large cast steadily builds to a breathless speed. Each of the three mother-figures moves from trying to cope with everyday problems—Julie’s poverty, Sharon’s fear of childbirth, Caro’s despair at her husband’s infertility—to sudden confrontation with her worst nightmare. The blend of character-driven pace with flawed and unreliable narrators leaves the reader to second guess everything happening. Even with the prologue—which sets the stage for that dark moment at the climax of Baby Dear—casting an ominous shadow over the rest of the book, I was still absolutely riveted as Jeff’s unravelling connection with reality threatens each of the three women and their children.
There were a few subplots that didn’t come together for me. The secondary storyline involving the drug death of one boy plus Caro’s involvement with a little boy who turns out to be her nephew didn’t really seem to tie convincingly into the main plot or even to be resolved. And (without inserting spoilers), there is a complete turnaround in attitude which seems almost impossible to believe.
But if you like a character-driven psychological thriller that takes the time to set up the characters and the scene before building to a ‘can’t put down this book for anything short of smoke and/or lots of water’ climax, then Baby Dear is the book for you. It’s a riveting thriller by an author who has clearly established herself as a master of the genre.
In almost all of her books, author Linda Huber explores relationships and how they affect her characters. For most part, there is a focus on the bond between parent and child, and especially on what can happen when that bond is threatened or damaged. But in Baby Dear, she invites us to follow as she experiments on that bond, deliberately pushing it up to—and even past—its limits.
In this experiment, her characters fall roughly into the control groups described by my old tutor, with the ‘experiment’ testing that most primal of bonds—motherhood.
* Experimental Group: Caro Horne needs to be a mother. Every decision she’s made in the past years, including her choice of husband, has been aimed at that goal. The news that her husband is infertile is simply the end of everything that matters to her. “The child that didn’t exist, that never would, had changed her whole life.”
* Positive Control Group (exposed to some other treatment known to produce the expected effect): Sharon Morrison doesn’t need to be a mother. She and her husband Craig resent the imminent birth of their child. “Oh, they’d talked about a baby one day—in five or six years, maybe. But not yet. The baby had stolen five years of her life. Why had she kept it? Her good Catholic upbringing could take the blame for that.”
* Negative Control Group (group not exposed to any treatment): Julie Mayhew is first and foremost a mother. Left penniless with two small children after her philandering husband abandoned her, she can’t imagine being without her son and baby daughter. “Even during the worst time, just after Matt left, she had never stopped wanting her children. In fact, being Sam’s mum and looking forward to Amy’s birth were the two things that had kept her going.”
Even as Julie the good mother, Sharon the reluctant mother-to-be, and Caro the non-mother reflect their three differing states of motherhood, each is about to be profoundly altered by the introduction of a variable in the form of Caro’s husband Jeff. Outwardly, he appears to be a successful business owner with a lovely wife and a nice home. Internally, however, his need for Caro is a desperate imperative, and if that means a baby, he’s willing to need that too. When fertility testing determines that he can’t father a child, his world shrinks to one essential realization: he can’t lose his wife, so he must get a baby.
Author Linda Huber takes her time, introducing each character from their own point of view. This could have gotten confusing, but she is careful to set each head hop into its own section, identified by name and time. Not only does this allow us to see characters through each other’s eyes, but we also experience Jeff’s panic-driven deterioration.
As I’ve noted in my reviews of her earlier books, Linda Huber isn’t interested in the criminal villain—the godfathers, the outlaws, the career lawbreakers—who routinely employ evil as a tool of their trade, but who ultimately still have the potential for change, like the “It’s just my job” hitmen in Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction. Instead, for her psychological thrillers, she gives us a villain whose character and psyche are broken in some fundamental way.
“The baby was still crying on the sofa, blood smeared down the front of her pink cardigan.” As the first line of the prologue signals, Baby Dear isn’t a mystery but an exploration into the bonds of motherhood that takes us down a dark path when obsession becomes madness. This is a character-driven tale where the measured introduction to the large cast steadily builds to a breathless speed. Each of the three mother-figures moves from trying to cope with everyday problems—Julie’s poverty, Sharon’s fear of childbirth, Caro’s despair at her husband’s infertility—to sudden confrontation with her worst nightmare. The blend of character-driven pace with flawed and unreliable narrators leaves the reader to second guess everything happening. Even with the prologue—which sets the stage for that dark moment at the climax of Baby Dear—casting an ominous shadow over the rest of the book, I was still absolutely riveted as Jeff’s unravelling connection with reality threatens each of the three women and their children.
There were a few subplots that didn’t come together for me. The secondary storyline involving the drug death of one boy plus Caro’s involvement with a little boy who turns out to be her nephew didn’t really seem to tie convincingly into the main plot or even to be resolved. And (without inserting spoilers), there is a complete turnaround in attitude which seems almost impossible to believe.
But if you like a character-driven psychological thriller that takes the time to set up the characters and the scene before building to a ‘can’t put down this book for anything short of smoke and/or lots of water’ climax, then Baby Dear is the book for you. It’s a riveting thriller by an author who has clearly established herself as a master of the genre.
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