4 stars for the twist!!

This one started as just another mother/daughter's-miserable-life-takes-an-unexpected-turn-for-the-better mystery. It was ok.

When Mel and Kate start their new life as owners of the Moreton Inn hotel, we immediately get a glimpse of the secrets that place holds. There's a weird, suspicious aura about everything that goes on there. The fast pace kept me interested and it all seemed to go well, mystery wise.

I don't remember exactly when, but, closer to the end, the author suddenly started introducing a few predictable and silly elements like Mel being so good and selfless and gullible. At this point I thought all the answers to the mystery had been given, except one, which seemed pretty obvious and I was just trying to finish the book.

But then came the actual ending! That final twist caught me completely off guard. And I finished this book feeling fulfilled. So yes, I absolutely recommend it.

Thanks to NetGalley and publisher Bookouture for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Single Mother is a thrilling story about a woman named Melanie who is a single mum to her 12-year-old daughter Kate. After getting fired from her job, Mel doesn't know what she is going to do. Then her gay bff, Michael, finds a letter from an attorney in her garbage. Mel tells him she passed it on as spam mail. But Michael pushes her to research it a little more. Mel finds out that she has inherited a hotel with a restaurant and bar as well as a nice sum of money. Still skeptical, Melanie and Kate move into the hotel. A part of the arrangement with the original anonymous benefactor of the hotel is that there is a woman who lives in the hotel who must be able to stay there for free. Melanie has also agreed not to sell the property and to keep it running.

Single Mother is a page-turner with twists and turns around every corner. If you are a fan of suspense and intrigue, this is the book for you.

Thank you to Netgalley, Samantha Hayes, and Bookouture for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Let's start with the cover. The simplicity works.

this author is SO talented. Samantha Hayes has an amazing way with her words. It keeps you interested and turning the pages.
Their writing style is great.
The storyline flowed easily and was easy to follow.
The plot idea was fairly unique. I personally haven't read anything like it.
The characters were well-developed and easy to relate to or like.

I'll definitely be looking out for other work by this author.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishing house and the author for the opportunity to read a complimentary advance reader copy of this book in return for a review based upon my honest opinion.

There were so many twists and turns in this book; it kept me on the edge of my seat wondering what would happen next. Great, thrilling read!

When down-on-her luck single mother, Mel’s bad luck turns even worse as she loses her job; she doesn’t know what she is going to do. Then she is advised that she is the beneficiary of a hotel and a fortune; Mel doesn’t believe good things to her and as she has no family, there is no way it can be real. She has nowhere to turn and decides to check it out. Surprisingly, it is true but she doesn’t know who would give her anything but as she and her daughter, Kate, have no where else to go, she sets out for her new life. The hotel is a little run down and comes with a live-in guest who doesn’t speak. As things getting odder, she tries to do her best, but from the staff, the hotel and the threat of her ex who is out of prison and looking for her, she doesn’t know who to trust. Is this gift a trick, did she make a mistake accepting it or will her dreams come true. Loved this book, great ending.

I liked the characters of Mel and Kate but thought that Mel was very gullible. I didn't think the story was exactly a psychological thriller , but lots of twists made it a good read. This wasn't my favourite of Samantha's books but I would recommend it

Loved this book. Kept picking it up at every opportunity.
Samantha Hayes' books are always a great read and this was no exception. The story was intruiging and kept me guessing and wanting to know more.
Thoroughly recommend Single Mother if you enjoy a good page turning psychological thriller.

Firstly a big thank you to the publishers for my copy to review on netgalley. Another fantastic gripping psychological thriller from Bookouture!

This is a rollercoaster of a read . Packed with tension and gripping action.

What starts as everyones dream esp for someone in same boat as me... ends up being a nightmare!

Completely unpredictable and addictive this is a great book.

Published 5th January



A good twisty mystery. Mel who has had a tough upbringing and struggles financially as a single mum is mysteriously given a big inheritance. The gift also includes a hotel that she cannot sell and must let a long staying resident stay. Their new life starts well with lots of hard work renovating and sprucing the hotel up. Then strange things start happening. I loved this book. A good pace, great characters and some jaw dropping revelations. A really great read.

Single Mother is 3.5 ⭐️rounded up to 4⭐️
Mel has had a tough life, as a baby she was found abandoned and her early life is different foster homes until she meets Billy. The life she hoped for with Billy quickly vanishes and she suffers at his hands. When baby Kate is born Billy completely idolises her but due to other things and Mel giving evidence in court he is sentenced to prison. Mel and Kate have struggled through life, Kate is early teens now and dad is due out of prison, Mel worries he will snatch her and never been seen again. Things happen very quickly in this book and within pages Mel has lost her job at the care home, one that she desperately needs as they live hand to mouth and has inherited a hotel and thousands of pounds. Morton inn is in Lyme Regis and Mel and Kate travel from London to a new life but things don’t always turn out the way you think and there is still a rocky journey ahead.
This was a fairly fast paced book, it kept me reading but I found there were a lot of characters when they get to the hotel that weren’t described enough and left me wondering how they were like they were and why. Still a good read though.
I would like to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

Single Mother by Samantha Hayes deals with single mom Mel and her 12 year old daughter Kate. Mel has not had an easy life. She was married to an abusive man who ended up in prison. Mel was living in a shelter for abused women and saved every penny from her job at a care home until she could rent a place for her and Kate. When she receives an inheritance, she is sceptical. Mel was abandoned as a baby and grew up in foster homes, so knew she had no family. When she loses her job and finds out her ex is out of prison, she accepts the inheritance of a run down hotel at the seaside. Of course, there are some strings, one being that the weird woman who lives there must be allowed to stay and be given her meals.

I liked Mel as she was a hard worker and a mom who would do whatever it took to keep her daughter safe. Kate was another bright light. She was a good kid who also had been dealing with some hardships and it looked like life was looking up for her. One thing I didn't like was that Mel was such a pushover. Things happened at the hotel and she didn't do anything about them, in fact, didn't tell anyone what had happened. Things were not all rosy and when bones are found in the area where the addition Mel planned was being excavated, things ratchet up. There were some twists and a few surprises, but I am not sure if I would call this a psychological thriller. There was some suspense and a bit of a mystery, but it was more domestic suspense to me. This was a relatively quick read and I wanted to find out what was going to happen next, so I kept reading to get to the conclusion and there was that final twist! This is the first book I have read by Samantha Hayes, and I will definitely look for more of her books to enjoy.

Hooked from the first word and finished in a day. This one is so much more then the blurb. At lot of suspense and mystery, twist and turns. Loved Mel and Kate and how there characters developed throughout the story. The steady pace throughout is exactly the type of book I like that just made you keep turning the pages. There was no let up at all. The last 1/4 of the book really got going and it was time to really hold onto your seat. I really didn’t see the outcome and it was a great addition to the storyline. Loved this book and would definitely recommend. I’ve also found a new author, love it...

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review this ARC that was published on the 5th of Jan.

t’s no secret that I’m a huge Samantha Hayes fan and have been since her debut-and I can’t believe that this is her 17th book and she can STILL pull the wool over my eyes! I just love her attention to detail and stylish storytelling that packs in some brilliant twists and turns but never quite showing all her cards-there is always an ace hidden up her sleeve! Single Mother packed a hellva punch and I’m still reeling from its shocking revelations.

When Mel inherits a run down hotel, it couldn’t have come at a better time for her. Brought up in a children’s home after being abandoned as a baby, then left a single mum when her ex gets sent down for abusive behaviour, it’s losing her job that finally kicks her in the teeth. So a letter confirming that an anonymous benefactor has left her an expected inheritance seems like the answer to her prayers. A move away may also help her daughter Kate who could also use a fresh start but from the very first day in their new home she feels that they are being watched. And when a shocking discovery is made, Kates silence towards her mother may have terrifying consequences…

I was hooked immediately by this intriguing plot. Why had Mel been abandoned as a baby and who had left her the hotel and why? There were many MANY questions buzzing around my head and some of the answers weren’t those I had been expecting! There are some wonderfully unsavoury characters here to add to the menacing feel to the storyline and I can guarantee you won’t be able to put this down as it is definitely a “just one more chapter” book.

An addictive read from start to finish!

I have read and enjoyed a few of Samantha Hayes books and was looking forward to reading this latest offering.

This book grabbed my attention at the start but it was a slow burner that never really caught fire.
The main character of Mel was portrayed as a survivor but she was too gullible and believed things too easily for my liking. Some events were far fetched and it was more of a family drama than a psychological thriller.

There was a good twist at the end and everything was tied up nicely, so although I didn't love the book I didn't hate it either.

I give this book 3 stars.

I really enjoyed this authors other works, but this one wasn’t my favorite. While I really liked reading it, it felt quite far fetched and rather boring at the same time.

Samantha Hayes has published several previous works that can be termed as ‘escapist contemporary fiction’, so I was looking forward to reading her latest offering. The protagonist at the core of this novel is Melanie, a single mother who would do anything to protect her daughter. She appears strong and in control of her life, but on the day that she receives a letter confirming a substantial inheritance, the life she has fought so hard for starts to disintegrate and Melanie finds out to huge personal cost that even long-standing friends cannot be relied on…
Although I enjoyed reading this book overall, I found some of its characters rather clichéd and the dialogue stilted at times, with the plot veering off to unbelievable extents. All the ingredients of a good thriller are here – a protagonist plunged into crisis, some characters that turn on her, plenty of ‘red herrings’ and misleading leads….but somehow the sum total did not add up to it as it should have done for a book with such a great start. I look forward to hearing what other reviewers thought of this novel and would like to thank the publishers, as well as NetGalley, for the ARC provided in exchange for this honest and unbiased review.

A great thriller and one that I couldn't put down. We follow Melanie, a single mum to a 12 year old girl, who, by a twist of fate, leaves her cramped flat and takes on a hotel in Dorset. But is she safe? Where do her threats come from? Things happen from all angles; how much can she take?

I found this book so slow. Literally until 50% of the book nothing happens. And at this 50% mark you think something good will come out of it, but it is still slow and tedious.

Then there is a big finale, and then another 3-5 chapters adding more to the story and tying up other loose ends. It was just so strange to have the story work like that. I also found myself not at all likeing Mel, which made it hard to care for her story.

This was a bit of a mixed bag for me! I liked the start as I built up a picture of Mel and her daughter - needing a break - being so hard up they can’t afford fish and chips. Then I started to find it a bit slow and a bit like a famous five mystery book. I persevered though and boy am I glad I did! The ending was really good, tying everything up with a big bow! I Recommend!!
3.5 ⭐️

I really enjoyed this book, it held my attention right from the start. Mel and Kate are great central characters, very likeable and very real. I felt for both of them, Mel has been dealt a rough hand and is determined to make the best of it but still gets treated badly by others. Kate is wise beyond her years, being bullied at school and getting by with next to nothing but not complaining.
Single Mother is filled with twists and turns, I had a twitter thread going throughout my reading of this book which was filled with "I never expected that", "I knew it!", "oh, I was wrong". You think you know where something is going to go and then it goes off in another direction. The action is continuous, I don't think there was a section at all where the story just plodded along.
At the start of the novel I had a couple of issues, where I didn't think things were plausible. But, these were explained towards the end and then made perfect sense.
My only reason for 4 stars was for the final twist. For me it wasn't believable

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this copy of Single Mother by Samantha Hayes.

Do you know that feeling when life is just too much and you wish that something or someone would show up and miraculously turn things around for you? Mel, the main character in Single Mother, knows that feeling well. Mel's barely making ends meet and hiding from her abusive ex when she discovers that she has inherited Moreton Inn from a relative. Trouble is, Mel was abandoned as a newborn and didn't know that she had any relatives. let alone any that could bequeath her an inn. Who this mysterious relative is is just one of the mysteries that need to be solved in order for Mel and her daughter, Kate, to get to live the happily every after life that they are searching for.

Single Mother was a solid read with several plot twists that I didn't see coming. Some of the plot twists were very obvious to me. I"m left wondering if those specific plot twists were supposed to be obvious to the reader but not the main character or if that part was just not written as well as the majority of the book. The characters were easy to identify with and the descriptions of Moreton Inn and it's surroundings were sufficient enough that you can picture it in your head while reading, always a good sign for me. Another winner from Bookouture!