The Mother I Could Have Been is an emotionally psychological novel about relationships and communication...or the lack of it between mothers, daughters, grandmothers, as well as the men around them. It also is a study in how human beings often allow their self-worth to be defined by how they perceive others view them. Focusing on two mothers, Vicky and Caro, Ms. Fisher weaves a tale of innocence, jealousy, heartbreak, forgiveness and ultimately hope. The story is well written and the characters ring true. One just has to keep turning the pages to its conclusion. I voluntarily reviewed an advance copy of this book from NetGalley. Most highly recommend.

WOW!

Vicky graduates from college with no one from her family to celebrate with. Her mum had remarried and also has two children with her new husband. Also, mum's excuses for not being there for Vicky got a bit old...

So, Vicky's best friend, Liv, invites her to Corfu with her parents. After awhile, Vicky meets Freddie who owns a bar. Eventually Vicky moves in with Freddie and works there, as well. This, until posh William comes along and they house-sit in Corfu. Eventually William takes her to his parent's house to live. Vicky is now pregnant with William's baby.

The heat is turned up as the in-laws come into play. Also, we wonder why Vicky's mum has sent a PI to find her? After all, Vicky has barely been in contact with her mum. Her mum's "new" family has no place for her.

A solid story with great characters and a few twists I surely did not see coming!

An amazing read!!!
Many Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for a great read!!!

Why would you walk away from the one person you can’t live without?

As a child, Vicky Hall never had the sort of family she wanted. The least important person in her new step-family, ignored by her mother in favour of her two younger half-siblings, Vicky was always an afterthought. Sitting alone at her graduation ceremony at the age of twenty-one, she vows to create her own family and her own life, one which is full of the love and attention she has always craved.

When Vicky meets William and falls pregnant in Greece that summer, it isn’t planned. But the two of them believe they can make it work, showering their child with the love which they believe should be enough.

But when her son Theo is two, Vicky leaves him in the care of her mother-in-law, walks out of her front door and drives to a hotel where she takes a room for the night. She doesn’t return.

It’s unthinkable.

What kind of mother does that?

****

This is the first book I have read by Kerry Fisher, but I have now gone to download her others.

I really enjoyed this book. It was interesting, as there is still that taboo around mothers who leave there children, but I think both Vicky's and Caro's stories, were well written and I'm sure both experiences must resonate with a lot of mothers / families.

Definitely recommended.

'The Mother I Could Have Been' is a poignant, bittersweet portrayal of the frailty of life, the complexities of family dynamics, and the resiliency of the human spirit. In the wake of fractured relationships, both Vicky and Caro had to face the consequences of their actions in order to pick up the pieces and bring their families together. It was satisfying to see that, not unlike real life, some issues did not have a happy ending and some conflicts were not resolved, but life carried on.

Midway through this book, I had to switch to the Voiceviewer audible reader because I had work to do but I just could not bear to step away from the story. This would be a wonderful addition to a book club reading list.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture, and Kerry Fisher for an ARC of 'The Mother I Could Have Been' in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.

A very enjoyable story overall with the odd sad bit thrown in. About broken families and how it can be too late but hopefully all works out in the end. I have read several books by Kerry Fisher and this is up there as one of her beat