Title: Mother Knows Best

Author: Kira Peikoff

Length: 288 Pages

Publisher: Crooked Lane Books

Publish Date: 10 September 2019

Genre: Medical Fiction, Thriller, Drama

My Take: 5/5

Summary:

The story is about Claire, a person who is obsessed to become a Mother and to have a healthy baby since she lost her first kid due to genetical defect. The story is about Abby, the healthy girl child which claire has. Ethan, Claire’s husband and the one who wishes to run by set rules. Nash, a genius scientist. Jillian, a lady obsessed with making it big.

My Take:

I Thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing with me with an ARC of this wonderful and intriguing tale. I have always been a lover of fast paced books and this is just perfect. The pace of the book doesn’t let you breathe and you just wish to go on with the book.

The story is written from 3 perspectives i.e. Claire, Abby and Jillian, however, maintaining the distinguishing features of each character. The transition between the narrative of characters is seamless and flawless. In all, perfect characterisation with apt depth.

The plot is amazing and keeps you glued to the twists n turns coming next. I won’t say it’s unpredictable, coz I could predict around 50% of the story but the additional twists were perfect and makes the story very intriguing.

The thrill part is well maintained throughout the book. The story doesn’t falter at any place. I could find 2 editing errors but this can easily be ignored considering the brilliant writing. The medical terms are used in such a manner which didn’t feel alien to anyone.

The ending is apt and leaves you with a feeling of completeness. I would be able to sleep peacefully and not feel sorry for any character. What’s wonderful in the book is that I didn’t find any antagonists. All the characters behaved driven by their strong desires to achieve something.

A great read for all Thriller fans.

Only got about halfway through. The story and writing were not bad...but the plot line itself was just too far out there.

Thank you SO much for this ARC.

First off, this book is amazing. Finally an intriguing plot different than everything I have been reading lately. The science aspect of this book is so interesting and given today's advancements, probably possible.

The novel was fast paced and caught my attention immediately. I loved the suspense and moral dilemma.

Claire and Ethan lost their son to a devastating genetic disease which has no cure. Ethan wants to try again and is willing to accept that the next baby may be afflicted with the same disease, Claire however is not prepared for the heartache again.
She hears about a brilliant fertility specialist Robert, who has perfected an illegal gene editing procedure, guaranteed to conceive a healthy baby. The biggest problem is that it requires 3 biological parents, two of whom are technically the baby's mother and one of whom is Robert's brilliant student, Jillian.
This novel is a mixture of issues; medical ethics, mental health, desire for retribution, forgiveness and the love of a parent.I think I would have preferred a bit more focus on less issues, there were some issues that I felt were important to the characters but were not explored enough. Almost as if they were purely brought in to make sense of the plot. I did also feel ,that sometimes, the protagonists acted out of character for their own interests and intellect.
The story is told from varying POV's and in two different timelines, then and now.
Overall though it was an interesting read and a novel idea, which is rare indeed, the author made good use of her vast bioethics and journalism knowledge. The ethical dilemmas raised were definitely food for thought. I will look out for other novels by this author.
Thank you #Netgalley and #CrookedLaneBooks for the advanced copy of #MotherKnowsBest.

Very interesting premise! Claire, who has lost a child previously due to a rare, genetic disease decides to team up with Dr. Nash and his assistant, Julian, to use Julian and Claire’s egg and create a child with three parents.

Sounds weird, right? That’s what drew me in. The story is compelling and the chapters are short which I enjoy. Some aspects of this story were predictable but the others completely threw me off. I received this as an ARC from NetGalley but I look forward to purchasing a copy in September!

https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/54694945-kait-martin

Expected publication: September 10th 2019

4.5/5 stars

I had a feeling this was going to be a breathtaking experience and I was right. Coundn't be any more right about a book. What did I just read?

This book was really great. I love family dramas, and if there are crazy scientist stuff going on I'll certainly pick it up. Glad I did! It’s a completely captivating read and I couldn't put it down for a minute because every chapter kept me wondering wtf was going to happen next.

Kira Peikoff knows how to keep a reader curiosity on. If you like a good psychological thriller family drama about motherhood/parenthood, not talking about the ethical issues on gene mutations, you should definitly read this one. The book sticks with you.

So if you enjoy books like this I would highly recommend to keep an eye on "Mother Knows Best".

A thrilling ride…

To avoid passing on a mitochondrial genetic mutation to her second child that killed her first-born in the past, Claire Abram undergoes an illegal, experimental genetic procedure during her in-vitro fertilization. Before she could give birth to the baby, the information about the secret procedure becomes public knowledge. Trying to avoid the criminal charges and media frenzy around the unborn child, Claire escapes into hiding. Doctor Robert Nash, the fertility specialist involved in the illegal experiment, follows the suit while doctor Nash’s young assistant, doctor Jillian is left behind only to get charged and convicted. The things almost return to normal until Abigail, Claire’s 11-year-old daughter, starts suspecting her parents of hiding things. At the same time, Jillian who is back after serving her sentence, is determined to set the scores right. The pace of the book is brisk and it stays the same even as the story moves through different moments in time over the previous decade. While Abigail’s quirky obsession with finding her parents’ secrets facilitate the suspense-filled plot, it’s also …. full review at website.

This is an intriguing and gripping psychological thriller which tackles a complex and moral question about creating genetically "perfect children." When a mother losses her baby due to a genetic disorder she participates in questionable experiment with shattering consequences.

This premise poses serious questions about scientific possibilities and moral boundaries all warped in an engaging suspenseful plot about nature vs nurture and does a mother truly know best? Highly recommended.

Thanks #Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the "Read Now" option, I voluntarily reviewed this book.

I admit that at first this book was not holding my attention. But I decided to stick it out in the hopes it would get better!! So glad I did!! The very idea of the parentage option in this book is what kept me reading. Does “Mother Know Best?” You’ll have to read this psychological thriller and decide for yourself! 😉

Claire Abrams’s dreams became a nightmare when she passed on a genetic mutation that killed her little boy. Now she wants a second chance to be a mother, and finds it in Robert Nash, a maverick fertility doctor who works under the radar with Jillian Hendricks, a cunning young scientist bent on making her mark—and seducing her boss.



Thank you to net galley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book

I loved loved loved this book!

Honestly, this was one of the best books I have ever read. Superb story, writing, characters, everything. Riveting and suspenseful. This is a MUST read.. just beware, you won't be able to put it down!

The premise of this book intrigued me -- a woman has recently lost a son to a genetic disorder that she carries, and so she wishes to attempt to have a child with three biological parents, to have a child who can survive. It calls to question interesting topics, and I am intrigued by the ethics of genetically creating "ideal" children - and the risks and morals that it can call to question.

This book was compelling in some ways, but I did also find parts of it a bit difficult to follow at times. I did appreciate being able to read it, but I found some parts a bit too confusing. I do think that for some, though, this book could be ideal! :)

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the advanced e-book!

Knowing that your child is dead because of a genetic abnormality you passed on is heart breaking. Claire still feels guilty about the death of her child but she longs for another. Enter Dr. Robert Nash, a cutting edge fertility doctor who doesn’t always play by the rules of standard medical procedure. He practices “medicine’ out of the watchful eye of government regulator with the help of Jillian Hendricks a scientist who will do anything to make her mark on medical history, and on Nash. The goal of this unholy triumvirate is to produce a child with three biological parents. Of course that’s not a secret you can keep for long and when word gets out, Nash and pregnant Claire flee the scene, leaving Jillian to face the music.. and jail. But revenge is a dish best served cold and ten years later, Jillian will track down Claire and the child they created, the child that she believes belongs to her. This story pushes the boundaries of genetics, fertility and raises the question of what is ethical, all in the most thrillingly entertaining way possible

Thank you netgalley for an ARC of Mother Knows Best!
This is a really cool premise. It begins with Claire. She lost a son to a rare genetic disorder when he was eight years old. Several years later, she and her husband investigate options for another baby. Claire connects with Robert Nash, badass fertility specialist, and his postdoc student, Jillian. In order to avoid potentially having another child with the same genetic disorder, they create an embryo using both Claire and Jillian’s eggs.
There’s a lot to unpack here. I really enjoyed the author’s meticulous attention to scientific detail. Though there were quite a few science/ethical explanations, it’s written in such a way that’s easy to understand - and fascinating. The author uses the characters to examine the moral and emotional implications of a 3-parent baby. The chapters are short and switch perspectives and time periods between Claire, Jillian, and the child they create. Though some of the story is predictable, there were several twists that I didn’t see coming at all. I was also very satisfied with the ending. This was a very well executed story about a very relevant topic. I can tell the author worked hard on this, and it definitely shows.

There's only room for one mother in this family.

Claire Abrams’s dreams became a nightmare when she passed on a genetic mutation that killed her little boy. Now she wants a second chance to be a mother, and finds it in Robert Nash, a fertility doctor who works with Jillian Hendricks, a young scientist bent on making her mark—and seducing her boss.

Claire, Robert, and Jillian work together to create the world’s first baby with three genetic parents. But when word of their illegal experiment leaks to the wrong person, Robert escapes into hiding with the now-pregnant Claire, leaving Jillian to serve out a prison sentence that destroys her future.

Ten years later, a spunky girl named Abigail begins to understand that all is not right with the reclusive man and woman she knows as her parents. But the family’s problems are only beginning. Jillian, hardened by a decade of jealousy and loss, has returned—and nothing will stop her from reuniting with the man and daughter who should have been hers.

An engaging psychological thriller. Definitely a page turner, I loved the story line and couldn’t wait to figure it all out.

I’d like to thank NetGalley & Crooked Lane Books for an advance copy of this novel.