Book Review: I Took Her First by Samantha Hayes

Genre ~ psychological fiction
Setting ~ not sure, UK probably
Publication date ~ November 3, 2025
Publisher ~ Bookouture
Est Page Count ~ 360 (p+ 62 chapters +e)
Audio length ~ 10 hours 23 minutes
Narrators ~ Sarah Durham, Harrie Dobby
POV ~ dual 1st, present tense & before chapters in the 3rd
Featuring ~ missing child, references to infertility and miscarriage, flashbacks, unreliable narrator

My review:

Hannah doesn’t always make the best choices, with the first being her taking a child home from school when she wasn’t picked up on time. But then that child goes missing from her house and she’s off to the cops to report it, and essentially herself. The cops already know who Hannah is since she recently reported her husband, Rory, missing. Will the cops believe this is all a misunderstanding and she had the best intentions? She definitely gives off unreliable vibes.

Jodie (15) is Hannah’s daughter and has got herself into a couple of scary situations. Ugh with these teens thinking they know what’s what, but I was happy how she handled herself when she needed to.

There are so many mysteries going on and I was intrigued by all of them. Some were obvious and some surprising. How they all intertwined worked well. Twists up the yang. Steadily paced with a few intense moments. I was very pleased with the ending.

Narration notes:
Thrilled there are 2, since it’s a mother and daughter POV. Sarah did fine on her own, but man oh man, the tone for the men was not great. I don’t know what she was trying to do. If it was to make them sound uninterested in what she was saying then kudos for that. Harrie sounded age appropriate for a teenager.

Purchase link: https://amzn.to/47mUEbc

Add to your never ending TBR  ~ goodreads

I’d love to hear your thoughts if you’ve read it.

Book blurb:

A child is missing. But I stole her first…

I sit little Mila down at my kitchen table with a glass of milk and a plate of cookies. She smiles shyly at me and I reach out to ruffle her hair.

Leaving her alone for a moment, I dash upstairs, closing my eyes as I take a deep breath. What have I done?

Mila isn’t my child. I should never have taken her home. But what choice did I have?

Painting a smile on my face, I head back down to the kitchen.

But when I reach the table, my blood turns to ice. The back door is open, and Mila is gone.

I need to find her. I need help. But who’s going to believe anything I say when I’m the one who took her first…?

A seriously twisty, addictive psychological thriller that will keep you awake flipping pages all night long. Perfect for anyone who devoured The Housemaid, The Wife Between Us and The Girl on the Train.

Thanks for stopping by!  
Other ways to connect with me ⬇