The Secret Mother was an absolute brilliant story, I was so hooked, loved every minute of it, I couldn't put my kindle down as I needed to know the ending, and what a Brilliant ending it was!!!

Struggled to put this book down. The storyline drew me in immediately. Such a page-turner!
I felt so much empathy for the main character - she lost both her children, seperated from her husband - who now has a young pregnant girlfriend, and she doesn't really have anyone in her life other then her boss. Couldn't even imagine going through all that she has.
Even though I guessed the ending about halfway through the book, it was still a very enjoyable fast-paced read for me. Highly recommend!

Tessa Markham comes home one evening to find a strange 5-year-old boy in her north London terraced house. Harry is sitting at the table drawing a picture of a woman and a little boy standing next to a train. "It's you and me," he says. "I drew it for you because you're my mummy."

Tessa has no children any longer -- her little boy and girl lie in the cemetery. When she calls the police, it sets off a flurry of publicity and suspicions that she has abducted the child -- become unhinged. The police return Harry to his father in Dorset, but questions remain. How had the boy come to be in Tessa's house? Tessa doubts herself -- could she have kidnapped him? Has her grief intensified since her husband, Scott, moved out and on with a new girlfriend? The press is hounding her but she finds refuge in her job at the garden centre and in her boss, Ben Moretti. No one seems to believe that Tessa is innocent and even her next door neighbor, the nosy Carly, wants a story. Tessa is determined to get her questions answered and begins to seek theh truth.

Although I knew where this was going a few chapters in, the story was fast-paced and kept my interest. Not a lot of suspense, I'd say more of a drama than a thriller. Not a fan of the love interest angle as romance isn't too high on my list of important components of any book. I did enjoy it and I'd read another by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the e-book ARC to read and review.

eat Thriller! Right away I was invested in Tessa’s story wanting to know more about what she had been doing prior to finding a boy in her kitchen and then there is that. A random boy in her kitchen calling her mom – how does that happen and was she involved. As she is prosecuted in the press and judged by her estranged husband it is hard not to build sympathy and want to know what really happened. The twist is a good one and makes for a satisfying conclusion.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC of The Secret Mother by Shalini Boland

I have just finished "The Secret Mother by Shalini Boland . This book was a very fast read for me. I enjoyed the plot and I liked the way everything kept coming together in the end with a unique ending. I thought the writing had a lot of repetition going over the same points again and again. Even though the book was interesting and intriguing, I had the end figured out by the half way through. I would like to thank Net Galley for the advanced copy.

Very suspenseful! Tessa returns home from the cemetery after visiting her deceased children. In her kitchen, there is a strange boy of about 5 years old. Tessa calls her soon to be ex-husband and when he comes over he calls the police. From there on, the book is full of suspense, many twists and turns and a surprise ending. What a great book. I highly recommend this book to anyone to love a good suspenseful read.

Fast paced and twisty! I loved Boland's previous novels and this one did not disappoint!

The Secret Mother is a suspenseful novel about Tessa, a woman whose perfect life has shattered - her twin children are dead, she and her husband have separated, and when she comes home from work to find a 5-year-old boy in her kitchen, the news media immediately accuse her of abducting the child. As the media pressure becomes more and more unbearable, Tessa tries to figure out who left this child in her house, or if it really was her.
Another success by author Shalini Boland, I couldn't put the book down. Her stories have interesting plot twists, and I'm always trying to figure out what the next one will be, usually unsuccessfully. I did figure out the ending of this novel about two thirds of the way through, but not every relative plot twist. The images of the English towns she describes are beautiful and peaceful, exactly what this New York girl assumes an English town would be like. I hope she writes a sequel to find out what happens to Tessa, Ben, Scott, and Harry next.

Thanks so much to Bookouture and Netgalley for the opportunity to preview this book and review.

I really enjoyed this psychological drama about a grieving mother who returns home one day to find a little boy in her home, who calls her mummy. The characters are well written, there’s some good twists and overall I would recommend.

Excellent book. Main character is fabulous and you feel for her. Couldn't put it down. Needed to know how the mystery ended. Thank you NetGalley, Bookoutre and the Author for the privilege to read and review this book.

Thank you very much to NetGalley and Bookouture for the advance copy of The Secret Mother by Shalini Boland. As soon as I read the synopsis of this book I just couldn't wait to read it and I was absolutely delighted when my request to netgalley was approved and I left a half finished book aside and started reading The Secret Mother at and I literally read it in one sitting from 9 pm last night until 2:15 am I literally could not put it down!!!! The story line and the twists and the way it's written it just draws you in completely and you have to know where it's going I literally couldn't read fast enough and I couldn't put it down absolutely addictive and brilliant and an end I didn't see coming this is one book you have to read and it gets 5 huge stars from me!!!!

A parent’s worst nightmare is that their child will be taken. What happens if someone else’s child suddenly appears in your home? Tessa Markham has found a total stranger, a child in her home, asking if she is his mother. Tessa immediately contacts the police, but instead of believing her story, they believe Tessa kidnapped the child herself. No one believes Tessa. not the authorities, her friends or family. How can she prove her innocence? The ending of this book blew me out of the water, you won’t be able to put this down