McMahon's best book yet! McMahon has perfected writing about a normal family and turning it into a horror novel. Great character development introduces you to a family at Christmas. You live right along with Allison as she struggles with her abusive childhood. Then her dying mother comes to live with them and, page by page, the tension and horror begins to build as Allison's mother is so completely different whenever someone else is in the room. She slowly reveals her own story as Allison learns the truth about her childhood. Just keep reading as Allison's life and sanity starts to unravel.

Not my favorite by this author, but an interesting read nonetheless. The characters never felt fully realized. Thank you for the ARC.

I love Jennifer McMahon books. This one does not disappoint. Really bad relationship between mother and daughter abusive. This is typical Jennifer McMahon spooky and creepy. My favorite genre. I did not guess the ending. It was a complete and total surprise. Never saw this one coming,Thank you for allowing me to review an advanced copy of this wonderful book

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books as well as Jennifer McMahon for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
#NetGalley #GalleryBooks #JenniferMcMahon #MyDarlingGirl
Once again, I find myself in awe of Ms. McMahon. Her books are, without exception, compulsively readable. This one was no exception. The element of this particular book that was different from her previous books was the central conflict. Normally, what I love about Ms. McMahon’s books are her ghostly characters and plots. This book went beyond that.
Alison O’Connor has had her share of trials in her life. Her childhood was full of good times and terrible times. Her mother, Mavis, was a complicated woman. GIven to violent mood swings that were exacerbated by alcoholism. One minute, her mother was taking Ali and her brother on fun trips and the next she was carving things into their backs with a knife or locking them in a closet. Ali has worked hard to build a loving and stable life for her two daughters and her husband. When her mother’s assistant calls to tell Alison that her mother has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and would like to spend her last days living with Alison and her family, she reluctantly agrees. Alison begins to experience increasingly sinister things both directly and indirectly related to her mother. Maybe there’s more to her mothers erratic behavior than Ali has always thought.
The characters in this book are beautifully written. When we’re introduced to Ali, we are immediately sympathetic to her plights and applaud her ability to distance herself from her past and not allow it to define her. We are charmed by her sweet six-year-old daughter, Olivia, and we smile and empathize with her teenage daughter, Isabelle. I found it painful to watch Ali’s attempt to protect her family while just getting herself further and further away. The ending was painful. The writing flowed well as with all of the books by this author. Her books are always filled with heart as well as fear.
All in all, this was an honor to read and my only complaint was the unfortunate fact that it had to end.

Review in progress and to come.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review

Thank you to NetGalley & Gallery Books for the honor of receiving an ARC copy of “My Darling Girl.” I have been a Jennifer McMahon fan since a friend recommended we read “The Invited” together. I loved that book, and the I have read just about all of Jennifer’s other books. “My Darling Girl” is the closest to “The Invited” of her books I’ve read. I loved the spookiness and the unreliability of the protagonist. I was jumping at every sound as I read. This was a quick, well-paced novel that keeps you on your toes all the way to the very last line. I really enjoyed the thrill of the read. However, there were some loose threads I felt needed a firmer conclusion. Some of the characters didn’t fill out as fully as I would have thought. I don’t want to give anything away, as this book has page after page of twists! I would have given this a 4 star had the conclusion been a little clearer. Overall, I highly recommend this read for any psych-thriller, paranormal fans out there! Thank you Jennifer for another fun read! I look forward to your next novel.

One of my favorite writers. JM's books always grab me early and draw me in. This one seemed very formula for most of the book but the tone and mood kept me reading., very creepy and eerie. Wasn't expecting the ending. Good characters and interactions.

This book is a typical Jennifer McMahon book so if you’ve enjoyed reading any of her other books, you will love this one! Alison agrees to have her mother Mavis come to live out the rest of her life with her family. Even though Alison has had a terrible childhood with Mavis as her mother she moves in a hospital bed into the guest room and hires nurses to visit daily. Alison and her husband hope their two daughters can get to know their grandmother before she dies.

Unfortunately, strange things begin happening and Mavis seems to be a different person at different times to Alison. This book is filled with twists and turns keeping the reader interested the entire time!

Thank you NetGalley for the advance copy for review.

Trigger warnings: child abuse and alcoholism

Jennifer McMahon is the queen of disturbing. Her books always pull me right in and I have a hard time putting them down. This story took me a little longer to get into. It was not the nail-biting plot twisting book that I expect from McMahon. I felt like I knew exactly where the story was going and there was no guessing.

Alison seems to have it all, a husband, two daughters, a best friend who gets her and a best selling children's book with another in the works. She has never been a huge fan of Christmas and it is right around the corner when she gets a phone call. Her estranged mother, Mavis, is dying and wants to live out her remaining days with Alison and her family.
Alison and her brother both had a very difficult relationship with their mother to say the least. Having suffered years of physical and psychological abuse, Ben, Alison's brother, chose to extricate her from his life living on the other side of the country. Alison, however, did speak with her mother from time to time. She agrees to have her mother move in. Things start out great, Mavis is befriending her granddaughters and everyone seems to adore her much to Alison's disbelief. But things go sideways quickly. Will anyone believe Alison when she tells them that Mavis is not really Mavis?

Noticing just 17 minutes left of the book on my Kindle, I knew the ending was going to be unexpected but quick, so I needed to pay attention. Eerie and suspenseful, this was almost as good as Children on the Hill, but still pretty great. I found myself remembering my own childhood as I read about Mavis, which wasn’t always a good thing, but it kept me reading. Truly a different and difficult read but worth it.

I requested this book because I've loved a lot of the author's previous books. This one was a creepy thriller! A very messed up mother/daughter relationship. It had me hooked from the beginning.

This book is super creepy with well-developed characters. I would characterize it as psychological horror, which I normally don't read, but My Darling Girl was very entertaining and pulled me in quickly.
Alison agrees to take in her mother who is dying from cancer even though Ali spent years suffering psychological and physical abuse from her mother. At first, all is good, but then the Mavis starts verbally abusing Ali, but no one believes her since Mavis is the epitome of a nice person in front of everyone else.
Things get super weird, and Ali is convinced there is something else going on.
I liked the creepy atmosphere and the juxtaposition of Christmas cheer with the evil going on in Ali's house.
There are things Ali does, though, that were really irritating. She lets her mother stay with her after Mavis' continuous abuse and the (almost) end how Ali stops the evil was too easy. Although she definitely pays the price at the very end of the novel.
Overall, this one will pull you in and you need to see how it ends!

Oh my gosh! I have loved Jennifer McMahon's work for a while now so I was eager to read this newest offering. I was not prepared for this one! This is far and away her best work and delivers the horror and suspense like never before. A perfect read for fans looking for the darker side of Christmas, this one has brilliant pacing, settings that provide a delightful backdrop to the creepy relationship between our main character and her mother. Just a stellar read.

This was way more creepier than I expected! I loved the contrast between the cheer of Christmas and the storyline of demons, mental illness, and a warped mother-daughter relationship. I will definitely seek out more of this author.

This was one of the most enjoyable books I have read in a long time. McMahon is one of my favorite horror/thriller novelists, and I deeply enjoyed this piece, set against a quaint town at Christmastime. Easily one of the best books I read this year!

Jennifer McMahon does not disappoint with this one! One of her best! It was creepy and scary and thrilling, keeps the reader guessing. Five plus stars.

The subject matter felt like a bit of a deviation from McMahon's other work, but definitely nothing too unexpected. It was a great read with hints of her other titles shining through.

4 stars

Another winner by McMahon. She has a way of writing that really sucks you in. It brings the creep and dread, while still being edge of your seat pulse pounding. She writes well developed characters with a tight plot.
I highly recommend.

Heart pounding thriller that left me on the edge of my seat. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one. Definitely one of the best books this year.

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest opinion.

Jennifer McMahon is my FAVE for spooky reads! Love reading these books on gray rainy days. This one did not disappoint - about a VERY messed up mother/daughter relationship with a horrifying twist and a devastating ending. Loved it! 4.5 stars.