Believe Me Not

by Natalie Chandler

What if everyone you love is lying to you?

When Megan wakes up in a hospital bed, her first question is: where's my baby?

But her husband, her sister, and her doctor said he doesn't exist.

Megan's not in a maternity ward, she's in a psychiatric unit.

Convinced that they're lying to her, Megan is determined to find out the truth.

But how can you prove your baby exists when you can't trust your own memories?

An utterly chilling psychological thriller with a heart-stopping twist. You'll love this if you enjoyed THE PERFECT FATHER, THE RECOVERY OF ROSE GOLD, or PLAYING NICE.

Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Psychological Thriller, Fiction

384 pages, Paperback

First published June 9, 2022

Reviews

[Heather Adores Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐
Publication date ~ June 9, 2022
Page Count ~345
Audio length ~ 12 hours 4 minutes
Narrator ~ Sarah Lam
POV ~ dual 3rd
Featuring ~ dual timeline, suicide, mental illness, se*ual assault

This is a decent debut book. Right from the beginning I was drawn into the story wondering who to believe.

Megan wakes up in the hospital not knowing how she got there. She’s adamant that she has had a baby, Luka. Her husband, Stefan (Stef), sister, Sophia, and Dr Mac and nurse, Gemma, assure her she has never had a baby and, in fact, has had a hysterectomy. They, also, tell her that she’s in the psychiatric unit because she attempted to harm herself and Stef, of which she has no recollection of. I found the mental illness of psychosis was written well.

The story is mostly told in the present by Megan. We do get some ‘before’ insights from Stef’s perspective, which include tidbits about Megan, Sophia and his twin, Isaac. This kept the story flowing at a nice pace, but in turn the secrets came out at a slow pace.

I was fortunate enough to receive a kindle copy, paperback and the audiobook to review, so I was able to switch back and forth between the three. Ultimately my favorite was the paperback.
The narrator did a nice job giving emotion to Megan as she tried to figure out what was going on and who she could trust. I do wish there was also a male narrator though.

Overall, this was a fast paced psychological/domestic drama debut that will make you wait until the end for all the secrets to be revealed. I am excited to see what Natalie writes next.

*Thanks to Headline Publishing Group, Natalie Chandler and NetGalley for the copies. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*

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[Lit with Leigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you Headline and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. IYKYK, my reviews are always honest.

Tbh this is a 2.5, but I'm tossing it a 3, because despite its flaws, it's one of the best "popcorn" thriller ARCs I've received lately. It feels wrong to 2-star it in comparison to hot messes like Stay Awake, Unmissing, Watch Out for Her, and The Golden Clowns—whoops, I mean couple.

Writing: 2.5/5 | Plot: 2.5/5 | Ending: 2.5/5

TRIGGER WARNING: rape, suicide

THE PLOT

Megan wakes up in the hospital and immediately wonders where her baby's at. Only problem is, she's actually at a psych ward and everyone is telling her she's never had a baby, she's just been trippin. "Why you lyinnnn why tf you lyinnn???" asks Megan. Is it psychosis? Is it gaslighting? Megan is determined to find out.

MY OPINION

Not bad at all. Especially for a debut. BUT, this isn't a Honda Civic reliable 3 star rating, this is a 3 star because it could've been better for what it was. But compared to all the crapola commercial/popcorn thrillers I've endured lately, this one didn't make me wanna yeet my Kindle out the window. Small wins, people.

What worked for this book? I liked the mystery, and was surprised when a second mystery from the past appeared. I kinda caught onto what was happening pretty quickly but I was still interested in how the past mystery tied in with the present. I also thought the author did a good job of developing the characters and giving them interesting backstories involving family members with mental illness. I thought the mental illness(es) were handled well and delicately; nothing romanticized or blown out of proportion. But keep in mind, I'm not an expert on these topics, so if you've got a legit psychology background you may disagree. And lastly, I really enjoyed Sophia's character—girl was funny.

What didn't work? I didn't understand the whole ordeal with Dr. Mac. I think I was supposed to hate him like I disliked Avery from The Golden Couple, but I just didn't find him very "controversial." Other than that one method he suggested, seemed pretty standard? Idk. Maybe it just wasn't drummed up well enough for me to be like you raggedy ass hoe. The ending "shockers" were kinda like meh... I also didn't buy into the betrayal between characters or whatnot. I mean, was communication missing? Oui. But was it done maliciously? Non.

So, all in all, not a bad read. The formatting of the ARC was whack af though... random paragraph breaks, dialogue all smushed together, missing spaces... Idk. Usually I DNF a book with formatting problems b/c I'm a bougie princess, but I was invested in the story so I prevailed ;)

PROS AND CONS

Pros: cool premise, handled mental illness topics well, funny at times

Cons: missing that lil sumn sumn to make it extra good, also too much "ferry the x into the dishwasher" idc unless the dishwasher is spying on Megan and plotting her death

[Cara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow a great book

[Courtney · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just finished reading Believe Me Not by Natalie Chandler and these are my thoughts:

First, a lot of difficult family issues from the past brought forward to the present in this one. I don’t hate that, but it kind of got old. Mental illness is a tricky subject to tackle and I think the author did an okay job with it, but I feel like it could have been done better.

I really dig the character of Sophia, the sister. She’s blunt and pulls no punches, but she’s also suffered her own traumatic experiences to have such a tough exterior and take no sh*t attitude.

Really didn’t care for Megan’s husband in this story. I felt like he was a total pushover and just went with whatever their out of the box thinking doctor said to do. Didn’t care for Dr. Mac either. As he states many times, he “hasn’t done anything wrong,” but he didn’t exactly do much right on Megan’s behalf either.

I thought it was a good story and I would recommend reading it, aside from any pregnancy triggers a reader may have, it was a pretty solid mystery with a lot to unpack.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Headline, for an early copy of this book, soon to be released on June 7th!

[Courtney (caffeinereadrepeat) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweep Me Off My Feet John Cena! 😳😯🤯

Holy Moo Moo! Fluff sakes was this one crazy mind fluffer upper! I couldn't trust anyone and I doubted everyone. The constant questions, everyone being a suspect and having secrets definitely kept me on my toes. The only thing missing from this movie-like playing novel was a big bag of movie theatre popcorn!

Mყ 𝐒ყɴ𝐨ρѕιѕ: Megan wakes up in a hospital room with no recollection of the past weeks, due to a supposed psychotic break. But one thing she does remember and is frantic about is where her baby, Luka, is. Her husband, Stef; her sister, Sophia; and psychiatric Dr. Mac, all keep telling her there is no baby and never was one. As determined as she is to prove he's real and tries to unearth anything she can find, can she trust her memories any more than she can her family? And just what are Stef and Sophia keeping from her?

I absolutely loved this whole novel and plot and was sucked in from the beginning. The revelations in the last quarter of the book were unbelievable! It was shock after shock after shock! I did not expect or foresee any of what was revealed, yet I loved it just the same! Be ready to question everything and everyone and your own self & mind. Because it's all a perception of reality, right?

Thank you to NetGalley & Headline for this ARC!
Release Date: June 9, 2022

𝐌𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐭: 4 / 5 Beach Waves! 🌊

[Jamie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley and Headline Audio for this advance listener copy in exchange for my honest review.

I didn't like this book. Which was a shame because it had such a promising premise. However, I did not like Megan or her husband. Her sister was annoying and the whole thing fell apart with the doctor. I enjoy unreliable narrators. I enjoy books where people have memory problems. However, the "big reveal" at the end was just weird. It wasn't thrilling in any sense of the word. The only reason I finished this book is because it held my interest enough to want to know what happens, but it was so lackluster when it happened. The story in the past and how it linked to the current timeline was unrealistic and didn't make sense to me.

All in all, I just wasn't impressed with this book. The writing style is fine, but the plot and the way it played out didn't really do much for me. I'm sure people will like this book, but I just didn't connect. The audio was just okay. I wasn't super impressed, but it was listenable. Two stars because I did finish the book.

[Catherine Craig (Angelic Light) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this psychological thriller, with the main character of Megan. Megan has mental health problems, and she wakes up in a hospital looking for her baby boy that she knew she had given birth to. Her husband and family tell her that this baby boy doesn't exist. But Megan is determined to prove them wrong.

The book is full of twists and turns, and secrets galore, as we follow Megan around while she tries to get to the bottom of what is going on. Who can she trust? She misses her baby, but where is he? Why is everyone telling her lies?

I loved the audiobook narrator, as she had a nice voice, which suited the story well.

This is a really great thriller, which will keep you engrossed, and wanting to read on to find out what happens next. Highly recommended!

Many thanks to the author, narrator, publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book.

[Eadle · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars, not rounding up. Three is average and BELIEVE ME NOT falls just below. It’s my observation that when Amazon tacks on a subtitle, like “an absolutely riveting, unputdownable, psychological thriller,” someone on board thinks the book needs a little help, a boost if you will. The psychological part is accurate and on the money. The rest, not so much. It’s such a cool concept, and it was so disappointing to see the whole enchilada quickly fizzle out.

The dialogue misses the mark, and without engaging conversation, characters tend to fall flat, thus making it difficult to invest in them. I will say it kept me curious enough to keep reading, and then when I reached the conclusion, I wish I hadn’t kept reading. The ending is interesting, and reveals the premise of the book’s core, but there’s no meat to it. It would have served better as support for a real plot. The ending is without the emotion such a situation would merit

There’s a critical element missing. Super-critical. There’s nothing sinister involved, nothing diabolical afoot. The husband isn’t evil. He’s a douche. The doctor isn't evil, either. He’s just a dick. And his “methods?” They’re lame! Not heinous, and how he could convince the protagonist’s loved ones to go along with it is another point to weaken the plot.

A mental institution? A missing baby? A swarm of secrets and an avalanche of lies? BELIEVE ME NOT didn’t deliver the goods. I have to remind myself to DNF a book is not a sin. Me and my curiosity. Knowing what I know now, I should have read the first and last chapters and saved myself some time.

[Sheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Waking up in hospital, Megan understandably wants to know where her baby is. But turns out she's in a psychiatric unit and everyone - her doctor, her husband, her sister - insist she's delusional and does not and never has had a baby. Megan's sure they're wrong, though - her memories of baby Luka can't really be false, can they?

The premise is intriguing and the story flows well, but though it's definitely psychological, I'm not sure I'd call it a thriller. There are a few mysteries to unravel, though - the truth about Megan's possible baby, and, in a dual timeline, about something terrible that happened in the past. I liked the family relationships - Megan's sister Sophia and niece Amelia are great characters, though I was a bit ambivalent about Megan's husband Stefan.

There's certainly a strong "who can you trust" theme going on, and psychiatrist "Dr Mac" is on highly dodgy legal and ethical ground with some of his attempts at treating Megan. Indeed, he seems mainly intent on confusing, disempowering, and over-medicating her. I'd be putting in a complaint, Megan.

I didn't necessarily guess at the truth and the author does a good job of keeping those secrets, even if it's all a bit far-fetched. I enjoyed the read but by the end felt just a little bit underwhelmed.

Thank you for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

[Bridget · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great tense start. Megan wakes in hospital with a sore, glued head and a scar on her abdomen. She believes she has had a C-section, but her doctor tells her she had a hysterectomy after attempting suicide and stabbing and trying to strangle her partner, Stefan. Megan has a married sister, Sophia, who works for a drama company, and Megan is convinced her baby, Luka, existed. A nurse, Gemma, and a doctor, Dr Barnard Macaulay are treating Megan in a psychiatric unit.

Told in a dual timeline, but mostly in the present by Megan, the story flowed at an agreeable pace. Well written by Natalie Chandler, especially the portrayal of Megan's emotions, I was sufficiently interested to keep reading. There are certainly a lot of secrets to unearth!

The audiobook was narrated by Sarah Lam and listening to it was a terrific decision. I thought it was narrated really well and she brought the perfect amount of verve to the proceedings, adding to the drama and intrigue. 😊🤞🎧

An all-around, fantastic début, very clever and highly recommended.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Headline Audio, Headline Accent via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

[Olivia Setzler · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars - this was definitely a thriller with many twists and turns. I really enjoyed the story being told from last and present. The only downside is I was able to figure out all the twists as the story unfolded. The characters were all enjoyable in this as well. The ending fell a little flat for me though. Overall a quick and twisty read!

[Jamie Galayda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC of Believe Me Not.

While I thoroughly enjoyed this read, I was not blown away. Yes, there were a few twists but none very surprising to me. This was however a well written book with alot of emotion. My interest was piqued throughout and I loved the main characters and their many flaws. While this is no edge of your seat mystery thriller, this is still well worth your time if your looking for a quick read that keeps you wondering.

[Natalie TBGWP · Rating 5 out of 5]

Link to review: https://thebookgeekwearspajamas.wordp...

[Ria Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book does have some twists and I liked how the 2 stories through out the book come together at the end. However, the ending just felt a bit anticlimatic AND overwhelming at the same time. Would be a great life time movie!

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

If there’s one thing that I like doing, it’s discovering new authors. Natalie Chandler is certainly a new author for me. I read the synopsis for ‘Believe Me Not’ and it certainly sounded like the sort of psychological thriller that I particularly enjoy. So without further ado, I grabbed a cup of tea, grabbed my copy of the book and settled down for an intriguing afternoon of reading. Overall I did enjoy reading ‘Believe Me Not’ but more about that in a bit.
I have to be honest and say that it took me a little while to get into ‘Believe Me Not’. I didn’t feel an instant connection with any of the characters and I found it hard to warm to them. As the story continued and I got to know the characters a bit better, I felt myself thawing towards them and as a result I started to enjoy the story more. I had my own suspicions as to who was telling the truth and who was keeping things hidden so I had to keep reading to see if I was on the right track or if I had wandered down the wrong path entirely. The more of the story I read, the more uncertain I was about who was lying and who was telling the truth, so in that sense this story certainly kept me guessing and kept me on my toes. All too quickly I got to the end of the story. I found ‘Believe Me Not’ to be a gripping read, which kept me on the edge of my seat.
‘Believe Me Not’ is well written. The author clearly knows how to grab the reader’s attention and draw them into what proves to be one hell of a compelling story. The mental health issues discussed in the story are not always easy to read about but Natalie treats the subject matter with great care and compassion. Natalie has a wealth of experience from working in the mental health field and she has incredible insight into how mental health problems can impact on the patient and their family. Natalie’s work history makes the story seem that bit more authentic. For me, this was more of a slow burn type of story. It starts off at a relatively gentle pace, but as the story continues the pace of the story gathers momentum which leads to a tense and dramatic conclusion. This is a tightly plotted story with more twists and turns to it than you would find on a ‘Snakes & Ladders’ board. I love the way in which Natalie makes the reader feel as though they are part of the story and at the heart of the action.
In short and overall I did enjoy reading ‘Believe Me Not’ and I would recommend it to other readers. I hope to read a lot more of Natalie’s work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 4* out of 5*.

[Jennifer *Nottoomanybooks* · Rating 4 out of 5]

➡️TW: suicide, mental illness (bi-polar/psychosis)

➡️THOUGHTS:
I am so thankful to be a part of this blog tour!
Thank you @HeadlinePublishing and @netgalley for sending me an ebook to devour for my opinion!

The author did a fabulous job making Megan feel crazy. Unreliable narrators are my fave! I enjoyed the dual timelines of past and present- everything tied up nicely and made sense thanks to that! Dr. Mac can go to hell. 😂Sophia, Stef and Megan all have secrets that prove they were shitty people at one point. I loved the twists towards the end.

Overall an engaging, quick read!

✨OUT NOW!✨

[Nicky Mottram · Rating 2 out of 5]

Audio version of this book 📚 I really struggled with this one 😬, I just couldn’t get into it all , it was so slow and nothing much was happening to keep me gripped. To be fair I don’t think the narrator helped, her American accent sometime turned into an Eastern European one and her voice was so soft she was hard to hear sometimes

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins audio for the audio version of this book in exchange for an honest review

[Sarah Waldron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to @headlinebooks and @nataliechandlerauthor for this advanced audio copy of Believe Me Not in return for an honest review.

Description 🔖

Megan wakes up in a hospital bed and the first thought in her mind and her first question is “where is my baby?”. But everyone she loves and the doctor looking after her are telling her that she doesn’t have a baby. Megan then realises she’s not on a maternity ward but in a psychiatric hospital.

Imagine your husband and your family all lying to you. That’s what Megan strongly believes and she is determined to find out the truth. But she is going to struggle to prove everyone wrong when she has difficulty trusting her own mind and her own memories.

General Thoughts 🤔

When I read the blurb for this book I knew it was going to be right up my street and I was not at all disappointed. So many books are described as chilling but this one really did send shivers up and down my spine at points. There were some events in this story that I honestly don’t think I would be able to recover from if I were put in that same situation.

Believe Me Not was painful to read at times but it was unputdownable. Kind of like when you have a bite that you know you shouldn’t scratch but you can’t stop. Yes, you do end up finding out the truth but believe me, it ended up being so much more than I thought it was going to be.

Characters 👫👭👬

Megan is the obvious character to start off with because pretty much the whole story emanates from her. She was so vulnerable but remained focused on her personal mission to find out the truth. I’m not sure I could keep the same determination and I would likely have ended up giving in. Everyone around Megan did such a good job of wrapping her in cotton wool that I did have some moments where I doubted her mind too so I can’t even imagine what it would have been like to walk in her shoes.

I disliked the Dr. A lot. He was probably one of the few things I didn’t like about the book actually. His methods were not ethical and although this was raised in the story a few times, the whole thing didn’t feel believable to me. I’m sure he would have been reported by either a member of staff in the hospital or other patients. I didn’t like his character at all and though I recognise he wasn’t supposed to be liked, I’m not sure I like the way he was written.

Writing Style ✍️

I didn’t realise that this was a debut until I started looking into the author after having finished the book. I thought this was a fantastic debut thriller and I would definitely read more from this author. I felt that the whole book was steadily paced and perfectly suited the subject matter. There were certainly many twists and turns throughout the book and every string in the story was weaved together very cleverly.

Conclusion & Scoring 🎖

I really enjoyed this book and by the end of it, I felt a little bit exhausted as though I had been through it all right there beside the characters. Yes there were a couple of character flaws, but these weren’t big enough to impact how much I enjoyed the story. I can’t wait to see what this author does next and will definitely be keeping my eyes out for more thrilling reads.

[Lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you, Headline Audio, for a gifted copy of this book in exchange for an honest and voluntary review. All opinions are my own.

Believe Me Not is an outstanding, compelling and addictive psychological thriller that keeps the reader/listener on the edge of their seats. The twists and turns within the storyline demonstrate that the author can keep readers/listeners engaged and draws them in from the beginning of chapter one.

This storyline pace started well but did drag a little in the middle for my preference. However, it picked up speed and intensity towards the conclusion, so it is worth continuing.

The mental health concept throughout this book is powerful and handled well. The author's sensitivity shows throughout Megan's character, making her a character I liked. I felt empathy towards her emotional pain. Although I have not experienced the same as her, I found her relatable. I have to be honest; I misjudged Megan's family initially. Still, as the story unfolds, it becomes apparent why they took specific actions and the consequences of such.

The narration is performed well, which aids in allowing the listener to become emotionally invested in these characters. I did not like the unethical psychotherapist and felt that the plot didn't require his presence. I can see why the author went down this line, but it felt a little far fetched for me, hence why this is a four-star read and not a five.

Overall, this is very entertaining, and I recommend it to anyone, fans of this author or genre. This audiobook is available from 9th June and is worth pre-ordering today!

[Leighton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Headline and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Believe Me Not by Natalie Chandler is a twisty thriller that will have you guessing the whole time. The story revolves around Megan, who wakes up one day in a hospital bed. She wants to see her baby immediately, but everyone around her tells her that there is no baby. How can this be? Megan remembers giving birth. So why is everyone saying that her baby doesn't exist? Is she crazy or is everyone lying to her?

Here is a chilling excerpt from Chapter 1:

"Even before it became clear she was being held prisoner in a cell masquerading as a hospital room, she knew something was missing. Something physical. Something vital.
What, exactly, she had no idea.
The fluorescent lighting burned into her eyes, their weighted lids begging to close again, but she fought the tempting return to darkness. Her surroundings were blurred, a fluid film mottling her vision, but rapid blinking only cost precious energy and she failed to raise her heavy head from a pillow that smelled of sweat and fear."

Overall, Believe Me Not is an unputdownable thriller with nonstop twists and turns. One highlight of this book is the wonderful story. I loved reading to see if the main character was crazy or not. Did she have a baby or not? Another highlight of this book was the shocking twist. Not only was it shocking, it was also satisfying, which is so important with thrillers. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of thrillers in general, I highly recommend that you check out this book when it comes out in June!

[Angela Mellor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Believe Me Not is a decent debut for Natalie Chandler and deals with some sensitive issues well.
Megan is the main character in this book, she has awoken when we meet her in a hospital room after suffering a psychotic break. She starts to remember things but no one will agree with her, her husband denies any knowledge to what Megan remembers, nurses don’t agree with her, her doctor, Dr Mac says it’s what her illness wants her to think and her sister just deviates away from the question. The question Megan wants answering is where is her baby as she definitely had a baby called Luka but she is sure they are keeping him from her.
This was a different kind of read for me and I did enjoy this. The pace was good all the way through and the characters were well developed although if I had to be picky I would have wanted more from the husband as I just thought he was a bit too steady and agreeable for him to make a mark in this book especially when the women were very strong characters. I liked how I read through the book I was still questioning myself close to the end of whether Megan was sane or not, did she have a child or not?
I would like to thank Netgalley and Headline for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

[Ashley Summerfeldt · Rating 5 out of 5]

She can't trust her own memories, or the people she loves most...

Megan wakes up in a hospital disoriented and confused. She knows something is missing, but she can't put her finger on it. Then, the realization slams into her- she's missing her baby. When she asks where her baby is, her husband, sister, and doctor all gently tell her she doesn't have a baby. She's in a psychiatric ward, and they tell her she is suffering from psychosis. If that's true, why does she remember her baby so clearly? And why does it seem like everyone is hiding something from her?
This novel was absolutely amazing! I was filled with so many questions from the start. Once I thought I had everything all figured out, I found out I could not have been more wrong! I was not expecting things to play out the way they did. The story is told from alternating perspectives of Megan and her husband Luca, with some snippets from the past. I read the eARC and listened to the audiobook version of this story. The narrator perfectly nailed Megan's escalating emotions as she desperately tried to find the truth about her situation. I would recommend this novel to anyone who is looking for a compelling thriller to read.

Please note that this novel can be triggering to anyone who has experienced a mental health crisis.

[Kristin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and Headline for the ARC of this book!

What would you do if you woke up in a psychiatric unit and were told that the baby you think you had with your husband didn’t exist? That’s what happened to Megan. She believes that she’s been pregnant and had a baby, Luka. Now she is determined to find out the truth, but she can’t trust anyone, including herself.

This was just an okay book for me. It was a good, interesting read, but it wasn’t gripping, it wasn’t suspenseful, and definitely not chilling. I’m not sure if it’s the book or it’s me, though. I’ve read a lot of really great books recently, and when this one didn’t have me on the edge of my seat, I thought it was just okay. The author really does have a good number of twists in the book, one I suspected and a few that I didn’t see coming. One of the things I did love about this book is the support Megan’s family had for her as she was getting help for her mental illness, no matter what. It brought tears to my eyes.

[Krystal Stullken · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let me start off by saying I really like this book!  The story starts strong and builds up to a strong ending. There were a few parts in the book where I was impatient and really just needed the plot to move faster because I needed to know if Luka was real or not. I am also an impatient person all the time so don't hold it against the book 🤷🏻‍♀️ I think it's a good thing that the story caught and held my interest that I needed to keep reading.

I liked Megan's relationship with her sister and her husband. I didn't like Dr. Mac but I don't think he's supposed to be overly likeable anyway.

Ⓡ︎Ⓔ︎Ⓐ︎Ⓓ︎/Ⓛ︎Ⓘ︎Ⓢ︎Ⓣ︎Ⓔ︎Ⓝ︎ Ⓣ︎Ⓞ︎ Ⓣ︎Ⓗ︎Ⓘ︎Ⓢ︎ Ⓑ︎Ⓞ︎Ⓞ︎Ⓚ︎ Ⓘ︎Ⓕ︎

👶🏻 you like a book when a character isn't sure what is real and what is not.
👶🏻 you like interesting family and kinda messed up dynamics
👶🏻 you read thrillers with a lot of twists and turns. 

I'd recommend this book and mark it is as a BUY on the scale of Buy, Bargain, Borrow, Bud (audio) or Bust.  (And yes I came up with the scale. I'm oddly proud of it!)

[V Chamberlain · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and found it difficult to put down.

The story is about Megan who wakes up one day in a hospital room, believing she's just given birth. However she's shocked to discover she's actually in a psychiatric unit instead. Everyone denies the existence of her baby son, Luka and she begins to feel she can't trust anyone, not even Stef her husband. Why does everyone appear to be lying to her? Or is it Megan herself that is wrong? The deeper she digs, the more lies that become uncovered...

I found the book very well written and the characters engaging, especially Megan, whom I was rooting for all the way. The mental health issues were realistic and sympathetically portrayed. I found Stef fairly unlikable, but possibly this was the point.

The twist was completely unexpected, which was great!

I would definitely recommend this book if you enjoy psychological thrillers, especially ones with unreliable narrators.

Thanks to the author, Natalie Chandler, publishers Headline and Net Galley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Charlotte | Teacup Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Megan wakes up in a hospital bed, she realizes she's missing something. Her baby. The baby that everyone around her tells her never existed. As she's treated for psychosis, Megan can't escape the feeling that her husband, sister, and her psychiatrist Dr. Mac, are all keeping something from her.

Believe Me Not was a ton of fun to read. Fast paced and filled with endless twists and turns, I read this nearly in one sitting and truly enjoyed it.

I wish there had been a bit more punch to the ending, as the whole thing felt like it was building to the biggest betrayal/reveal of all. However, compared to some of the other twists and reveals throughout, it was a tad lackluster.

The whole thing felt a lot like a Lifetime movie in the best way with how over the top it got at parts, it was truly a fun thriller!

*I received an ARC from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions and views in this review are my own.

[Betsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is really a book about mental illness, its affects on the individuals and their families and the effectiveness or lack of effectiveness of its treatments. In general I found it to be well written and interesting. Perhaps the plot got rather complicated toward the end but it did remain believable. One negative comment I would make concerned some misrepresentation of one of the characters. My comment may be viewed as a spoiler so scroll down to see it.



Potential spoiler below









The behaviors of one of the characters seem to indicate autism. However, this character is shown later in the book to be very violent toward other people. This is in no way typical of autism. People with this syndrome are much more likely to be victims of violence than to be the cause of it. Some of the actions later attributed to this character were more consistent with sociopaths. By reinforcing a false perception this book does a disservice to people "on the spectrum"

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

Believe Me Not tells the story of Megan, who wakes up in a hospital ward wondering where her baby is. Megan is told by everyone that she doesn't have a baby; did she just imagine giving birth or is everyone lying to her?

This book grabbed my attention right from the start, I immediately empathised with Megan and couldn't wait to find out what had happened to her. However, as the book went on, the story dwindled a bit and I felt that most of the focus went into character development rather than the storyline.

I listened to the audiobook version of this and, whilst the narration was good, a few of the characters' voices were incredibly irritating.

Overall, this isn't a bad book but I feel that it had potential to be better.

My thanks to NetGalley and the Publishers for sending me this ARC in return for an honest review.

[Vanessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Believe Me Not by Natalie Chandler Narrated by Sarah Lam was a was a fast paced addictive thriller and a great page turner from the beginning till the end. The narrator Sarah Lam was excellent in every way and the way she read it, she had me sitting on on the edge of my seat.

When Megan wakes up in hospital she has no recollection of the recent events that led her to be in hospital, She was sure she just had a baby but where was her baby?

Her husband, sister and now the doctor refuses to answer all her questions about what happened and keeps denying the existence of the baby.

Megan has to find the truth on what happened and where is her baby before it's too late.

WoW this audiobook was so good and I highly recommend it

Thank you to NetGalley and Headline Audio for letting me review this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

[Brittney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a huge fan of thrillers, especially psychological thrillers. This book did NOT disappoint!

The book is told mostly from the perspective of the main character, Megan, in the present. However, there are chapters from “Before” which are told from Megan’s husband’s perspective, Stef. The writing is strong and allows the reader to feel Megan’s pain and concern. The dual time frames come together in the end to explain things in the current day.

At around 75%, I began putting the story together myself but the twists along the way were well-placed and well thought out leading up to the end.

Overall, I loved this book. I enjoyed the writing style, plot, and characters. I can’t wait to see more from this author!

Thank you to NetGalley and Headline for the digital review copy!