An interesting read, that raises a number of questions about what's right or wrong, and whether the end justifies the means. There's lots of questions - not just about if the characters were right to do what they did, and if a mother's love is more important than anything else. But what if you don't want to take a risk of having a child that might not be healthy - why not look into adoption, there are so many children out there that need homes. In the end, is the parent just trying to recreate the child that was lost? So yes, very thought provoking, but with no real answers, just more question really.

This book was a bit scary and hopeful at the same time. The things that can be done when genetically modifying DNA and the illnesses that can be eradicated can make us a world without genetic imperfections. The other side of the coin is also true that with genetic modifications when can make super humans which according to me will be wrong. This book explores genetic modifications to eliminate a specific disease and what can happen if 2 women's DNA are used to create one complete set of DNA with no abnormalities. I enjoyed reading this book and the roller coaster ride that it took me on. The only complaint about the book that I have is that whilst reading the book Abby sounded a lot older than the 10 years that she is in the book.
I would definitely recommend this book to readers of Psychological Thrillers.

Fast paced genetics thriller with a twist. Pitting grief, ambition, and ethics against one woman's desire to have a baby, Kira Peikoff spins a tale from the perspective of two loving parents, their daughter, and a woman whom mom and dad fear is hellbent on destroying their idyllic life. Claire and Ethan want a second child after having lost their son, Colton, due to a mitochondrial genetic defect. Robert and Jillian are the brilliant research partners striving to introduce the world to a concept designed to avoid that type of loss despite the ethical and legal obstacles facing them. Deception by several parties leads to the birth of a child who could make or break their careers while giving hope to parents such as Claire and Ethan.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Claire Abram’s dream turned into a nightmare when her beloved son, Colton, died at a young age due to a genetic DNA abnormality. Although her husband, Ethan, is desperate to try again for another child, Claire is reluctant to pass on the defective gene to another child. When Claire is introduced to cutting edge fertility Dr. Robert Nash and his protégé Jillian Hendricks, she finally sees a glimmer of hope. The pair have promised to help her and her husband have a child, without the genetic mutation that resulted in the death of her first son. Although the method is technically illegal, Claire is so desperate she goes against her husband’s coaxing and goes through with the procedure. When her beautiful daughter Abby is born, Claire all too quickly realizes that there was more involved in the fertility procedure than even she was told and now her life, and the life of her daughter, are at risk.
A scientific drama, “Mother Knows Best” by Kira Peikoff, takes the world genetic medication and turns it on its heels. A desperate mother, a savvy doctor, and his manipulative yet brilliant research student, is all it takes to make this novel a suspenseful tale of secrets and lies.
Claire is an easy character to like, as we see her struggles after the loss of her son, her mental breakdown and finally her fight to regain her sanity and protect her family. The story is told in alternate viewpoints from all of the female protagonists; Claire, Jillian and Abby, and is told in chronological order (which only deserves a mention because it is a process I have not seen in a while and I was starting to miss it!) .
Although thick with scientific language in parts, this story is addicting and entertaining. Each chapter flows seamlessly into the next, and not once does the plot slow down. The ending is expected and predictable, but not at all disappointing.
“Mother Knows Best” is a cutting-edge story, one that is almost futuristic in its scientific advancements (yet equally plausible) and as a result, terrifying.
A creative novel with a captivating plot and dark, damaged characters, “Mother Knows Best” is a powerful story that will draw you in right from page one, and will keep you guessing throughout.

Wow...
Thank you net galley & Kira Peikoff for the ARC.

The author kept me enthralled in this suspenseful tale of a mother attempting to protect her child and escaping the lies of her past. The story is told in excerpts/sequences of past, present and by each character, but seems to unfold much with Clair and Abby.
While there were moments that I felt could were lacking overall it was a great read.
⭐⭐⭐⭐

I enjoyed this one as it is a medical thriller that envisions a world where one can change the DNA in an embryo to eliminate birth defects. Clair is devastated that her son died because of an abnormality, so she and her husband seek out a doctor and his assistant who can guarantee them this won't happen. But what does it mean when a child has three parents (2 eggs combined and the sperm from the father)? Daughter Abigail has no idea what her history is or why her mother is acting so strangely. Of course things unravel as the plot thickens, but it's a believable story that we may have to address in the future as we question the ethics of playing God with genetics.

This book was really well written. At first it seemed like it was going to be pretty predictable, but it totally wasn't. I really enjoyed it!

Claire wants a child so badly she is willing to put everything on the line. Her son Colton, died at the age of eight of mitochondrial disease. He inherited it from her DNA.
Then she hears of a new study where a hybrid egg, having two genetic mothers and one father could take care of any diseases.
The only thing is it is highly illegal. The ramifications would be a huge fine and imprisonment. Then any child would be under the stigma of being called all manners of derogatory names.
The decision is difficult. Will it be worth it?
Very interesting. I learned a lot about mitochondrial disease. The subject matter was researched and made the storyline excellent!
Recommended!

Mother Knows Best starts off kinda slow, but quickly speeds up until you're caught in the middle of the drama of running from the law and hiding yourself and your child.

"We do what we can to survive [and] we're stronger for it."

That pretty much sums up this psychological thriller that mixes science with a mysterious stalker and family drama.
After suffering the loss of her son due to a mitochondrial disease that she carries in her DNA, Claire will do anything to have another child--as long as it's healthy! As a mother who has lost a child, I understood Claire's pain and her grief and longing were so real to me. I might have done the same thing if I was in her position.
Anyway, she ends up having the world's first baby with DNA from 3 people and then she tells her husband and he's all "omg you broke laws and manipulated DNA and you're having a Frankenbaby" and he turns them all in and thus begins her run from the law.

Years later she's seen as an agoraphobic weirdo by her daughter Abbie who doesn't understand why her mom won't leave the house and go to her soccer games and why she's acting so weird about a DNA test her middle school class did. DUN DUN DUN!

You can guess a bit about what happens from here.

Mother Knows Best was an interesting read. I liked it, but I didn't find it fully believable. The science seemed believable enough because the author has a science degree and I know just the basics on DNA stuff anyways. I kept hearing Kendrick Lamar's DNA in my head the whole time I read this and that helped with my enjoyment of the book.

However, I couldn't help but think things worked a little too perfectly for the family. Like Abbie never needs to go to hospital or doctor or anything for the first 11 years of life? Or she does and they just never take her blood or anything? And Rob/Michael isn't angsty about not being one of the top doctor's in the world and is just fine being a woodworker?! Also, there was a random sex scene in the beginning that confused me because it didn't seem necessary, but whatever. The chapters alternate character's viewpoints which was fun, but a little hard to keep up with because they also bounce around in before and after timelines.

All in all, an intriguing science-y read that I'd rate 3.5 stars and recommend to people who need a little break from murder thrillers, but still, want that action.

A suspenseful, medical page turner that gets you hooked right in the first chapter. A definite recommendation! I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley and the publisher.

Book starts off a little slow but quickly becomes a page turner. I was intrigued by every single page how this book would turn out. I was very pleased with the ending and highly recommend this book. I am glad that I received this from netgalley

This was a quick, enjoyable book that I really enjoyed. A bit of suspense, a tiny twist and all around a clever story.

I loved this book! I could not put it down. I would definitely recommend! I plan on purchasing for my collection once it is published’

I wasn't planning to read this at all. But after I got copy from netgalley, I gave cursory glance at opening chapter and I was hooked. 5 hours later, I finished the entire book in single sitting.

Abby is unique child who shares not 2 but 3 parents' DNA. 2 Eggs taken and fused to perfection (from 2 donors - 2 mothers) and 1 sperm (1 father) created perfect embryo, past 8 months that frankenbaby is Abby.
Going back and forth, the book is divided into perfect balance including multiple POVs.

There was historical moment where few scientists created baby in a petri dish and even though at the time, it was an immoral experiment, nowadays IVF is one of the preferable methods for people who failed to conceive naturally. One might think this experiment and success of IVF should be expanded and we choose all favorable genes for future generation creating perfect children for tomorrow - where does this genetic modification end? Is there any moral compass to measure the happiness a child brings to people who might have lost all the hopes?

It's not like this book actually delves into morality issue as the story is pretty fast pace without giving readers chance to think about it. But you end up thinking the same after reading this book.

This was an interesting read. Having her first child die due to a genetic disorder that was passed from the her, Claire decides that she is going to have a second child. To ensure that child does not get the same disorder, she goes to a cutting edge fertility doctor who uses the eggs from two women, Claire and the doctor’s post graduate assistant, and modifies the eggs to ensure the disorder will not be passed to the child. The novel is told in two time periods, the present when the now 12-year-old child is questioning her DNA results from a school project and the past when Claire and her husband make the decision to have the child, Claire’s choice of doctor and the resultant manipulation of the egg. The premise works well; the novel is a fairly quick read. Motherhood is a strong theme throughout the novel. I would read another by this author.

Thanks to Crooked Lane Books and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this superb book. I do not reveal the contents of this book as they can be read in the blurb. This was a compelling read, different to the norm and written with sensitivity and passion on a very debatable subject. Thoroughly recommended.

Received an Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book from #Netgalley, thank you to NetGalley!

The premise of this book sounded very interesting to me since I love medical and psychological thrillers. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to read this novel. It was well paced with a lot of twists and surprises along the way. There’s a lot of changing of perspectives, but it’s done well and isn’t confusing. I do recommend this book to those who love psychological thrillers, there’s not as much medical lingo and medical thriller aspect as I anticipated, but it wasn’t disappointing. I am going to add this author to my to-read list.

Book Court - Where I'm the Judge and Jury

CHARGE (What is the author trying to say?): To explore the limits of genetic manipulation.

FACTS: Combine genetic manipulation and IVF. What could go wrong? Abby has two mothers – she was conceived from an egg composed of the nucleus of one mother’s egg and the mitochondria of another. She was conceived in secret until one man cracks and reports it to the authorities. Is Abby really a Frankenbaby? Does she know the story of her origin? This is a fascinating story of biology and relationships. How far can ethics be pushed? Do the means justify the end? This story is thoroughly believable and probably a situation that is not too far in the future.

VERDICT (Was the author successful?): Guilty, as charged. This is a book I could not put down.

#MotherKnowsBest #NetGalley

Mother Knows Best is a fantastic medical thriller whose twists will leave you dizzy. A definite must read for the year.

In a world where so many things can be edited, changed, or enhanced; it was only a matter of time before the human gene was in the lineup.
Two scientists have discovered a way to edit embryos, before they are implanted. This is a phenomenal break thru, especially for those women who have mitochondrial diseases in their DNA. A patient provides eggs, and a second female donor does as well. Mitochondrial DNA is sequenced from the 2nd donor, and replaces the damaged mitochondrial DNA of the mother.
The federal government essentially puts a halt to this type of science, stating that it is immoral to create 'designer' babies.
Luckily for Claire, she knows a doctor who is willing to put everything on the line to give her a healthy baby. After the death of her first child, due to a genetic illness, she didn't think she would ever have a healthy child. Thanks to Doctor Nash, her dream can become a reality.
Without spoiling, things don't always work out the way you'd want, and this medical thriller takes you on a roller coaster ride of what could be, and what would you do in order to keep your family safe?
Excellent story, writing, and character development.