Another 3 star read for me. It sounded like a great unique premise. I love a cult trope but this took a turn and some of the twists were just too unbelievable for me. It took me a couple tries to really get into the story and I almost DNF but glad I stuck it out in the end.

Just Like Mother is a great thriller/horror novel by Anne Heltzel. It’s the perfect fall / Halloween Read. What makes this book stand out for me is that it’s not incredibly scary by ANY stretch of the imagination but it’s so atmospheric, super eerie and crazy unsettling. I couldn’t listen to this one fast enough.

If you love a creepy and twisted tale this book is for YOU!!! Please note there are some triggers I think it’s worth mentioning as this book deals with infertility, child lose and rape. Just Like Mother is the author’s 3rd book but the very first book I’ve picked up by her. Such creative writing style that is simply haunting. A disturbingly DARK dive into both femininity and reproduction. You’ve been warned.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for a listening copy in exchange for my honest review. I HIGHLY recommend. Happy Reading / Listening!!

"Just Like Mother" is a heartwarming and uplifting novel that explores the bond between a mother and daughter. The author has skillfully woven a touching tale that brings to light the unconditional love and sacrifice of a mother. Through the eyes of the daughter, readers are transported to a world filled with tender moments and meaningful lessons. The writing is vivid, and the characters are relatable, making it easy for readers to connect with them on an emotional level. Overall, "Just Like Mother" is a touching and well-written book that will leave a lasting impression on readers and make them reflect on their own relationships with their mothers. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a heartwarming read.

I really liked this book! I found it to be a great thriller that kept me guessing the whole time. I never really thought I knew the ending, and I was definitely surprised! You won’t be disappointed!

3.5 stars!

I couldn’t wait to read JUST LIKE MOTHER after seeing so much hype for it. I love a good cult story and let’s be honest, the creepy doll on the cover was all I needed to know!

The story follows a woman named Maeve through a past and present timeline, from childhood memories living in a cult with the Mothers, to present day in NYC, with an apartment and career in the city.

After searching for her lost cousin Andrea, a search site reunites them once again, but it’s here that things seem too perfect, and the cult from Maeve’s past may be catching up.

I really enjoyed this story, but there were a few cringey parts, with all the trigger warnings!

I listened to the audiobook, and was happy to see it was narrated by one of my recent favorites, Elizabeth Evans. The ending was quite a bombshell, and I think this would make an incredible movie!

*many thanks to Tor/Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for the gifted audiobook copy

Very timely, and I enjoyed the book and kept me guessing the entire time. I loved every single one of the twists and turns and the social commentary was spot on. A great read for every person who loves a little bit of sci-Fi, thriller, and realistic horror. I will definitely be looking forward to everything this author writes!!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.

Twenty years ago, Maeve escaped and fled from the cult she was raised in. She left behind the one friendship she ever knew, her cousin Andrea. Maeve has been searching for her ever since, and has finally reconnected with her. As Maeve begins to spend more time with Andrea, her husband Rob and their rich friends, she starts to realize that their lives are very different from one another.

This was a really atmospheric and creepy book right from the beginning. I loved the flashbacks we got into life in the cult and how these girls grew up. The tension grew so quickly, and remained through out the story, leaving an uneasy feeling throughout. I think that a lot of the plot twists were easy to call, but that didn't hinder my enjoyment of the story whatsoever, because I was so wrapped up in how messed up this story was. I think the ending was well done - and I didn't see that part coming which was nice. The book definitely has a lot of trigger warnings, so be aware of them going in before picking up the book.

Slightly creepy plot about a girl who manages to escape a cult run by women. In her thirties she decides to connect with her cousin from the cult. After some strange accidents happen she ends up moving in with her cousin and her husband in upstate NY. But all is not what it seems and things start to go horribly wrong for her. Kept me hooked despite the creepiness.

This one was weird, interesting, unique, and just an all-around interesting story. I would definitely recomend it to other readers if you're looking for a creepy story based on female friendships with a culty twist.

Creepy!!! This was a chilling journey into cults and their lasting impact on people. The last time Maeve saw her cousin Andrea was when she was ten years old and narrowly escaped from The Mothers - a cult she was born in to. Present day - Maeve is living an independent life as an editor, trying to keep her past behind her when she gets a call from Andrea. Andrea is reaching out, wanting to reconnect. After all they were best friends when they were children and Maeve has always felt guilty for leaving her cousin behind. As Maeve lets down her guard and gets reacquainted with Andrea, she becomes more entwined in her cousin’s upscale life. Is it as idyllic as it seems or is there something else going on?

I would describe this book as psychological horror. It was well paced with suspension and tension building as the plot progressed. Sometimes I found myself cringing in horror and disgust. Sometimes I found myself digging my nails into the palms of my hands it was so tense. I was completely captured by the story. It kept me up to the wee hours listening. And that ending….wow!

The audiobook was superbly narrated. Great fit between narrator and story.

A huge thank you to MacMillan Audio and Netgalley for an advanced audio version in exchange for an honest review.

Loved this cult read! It was interesting and I loved the bounce back from past to present. There was one moment that made it clear that the author has no idea what the limitations of an ultrasound are but other than that I enjoyed the book

This is one of those books that gets in there and stays with you. I thought about this book a lot. It has all the elements of a good thriller, keeping with some especially creepy plotlines which I still think about now even a month after reading it. Some of the twists I could see coming, but I wasn't put off by that. I enjoyed the twisted tale being weaved, even if I had a vague sense I knew what was going on before it happened. If you like the creepy, twisted, and shocking situations, I'd say give this a chance.

First of all, please let the record show that I don’t “enjoy” reading horror books. So let this be a lesson - don’t let labels dissuade you from picking up a book! It was a great one! Did it make me anxious? Did I lose sleep from reading too many pages? Why, yes! And in fact, even though this one has a horror fiction tag I might would call it a suspenseful thriller.

I started reading this book and just couldn’t put it down. This book grabs you from the first pages, and you don’t want to stop reading! You can tell that something isn’t quite right…but you can’t put your finger on it! So many reviews detail the intricacies of the plot, but I read it at face value and really enjoyed it. The audiobook was also great and I LOVE AUDIOBOOKS! I will definitely read more books by this author!

This is twisted in all the ways you want from a book.

I would've loved more stories from the cult. It was a good background story and woven into the present day story very well.

I didn't really connect with this book at all. I think that at times I was bored and other times I was rolling my eyes thinking what did I just read? I would have liked more of the backstory from the cousins perspective of the cult.

Special thanks to Macmillan and NetGalley for the audio version of this book.

I think I got this book in regular and audio format. I listened to it in audio. I am not sure, its tricky, sometimes you don't like the book in audio because of the speaker. This one grated on my nerves and a bit (sorry) but I still didn't like the book. The cover tricks you as well into looking like it might be a horror, which it is not.

Anyway, I don't believe it was in the blurb as a horror, rather a thriller. Also I just would've have put it as a women's fiction.

I was not a big fan of this one. It was about 2 cousins Maeve and Andrea who get ripped apart when they were small because of something Made did and they were separated because they were in some sort of cult where there were all women and Maybe went out past the forest or line she was not supposed to cross. Anyway, she broke up this cult type family and missed Andrea and decades later, because I think she was 8 when it happened, she put her. DNA into a database and her cousin Andrea was in there! Why didn't she think of this before?

So she finds Andrea who is delighted and married and a super rich entrepreneur with friends or rather girls she rescues (part of the business she runs) and hooks them up with men and they all adore Andrea, which seems very weird. Also, Andrea has lost a child and has these realistic dolls that are kind of weird. Its all supposed to be thriller but I just thought it was boring. and found it very easy to figure out.

3 stars

Enjoyment: 5
Total rating: 4.71

Maeve and Andrea were both part of the same cult as children. For the past 20 years, Maeve escaped and built a life distant from the cult and everyone else.

Andrea, now a renowned fertility doctor, seeks Maeve out and soon, they become as close as they were as children. But being immersed in Andrea's high society world comes at a price to Maeve, who starts to feel a disconnect from her own life as the bury memories from her past start to submerge. But facing these terrors may be what she needs to transcend the nightmare still to come.

I consumed Just Like Mother as if I was running out of time. It is as entertaining as it is unsettling - flashbacks to the past, when Andrea and Maeve were in the cult, brought me to tears. I really loved the contrast between both characters. Maeve's life is a mess, her autodestructive personality is unnerving, and she has the hallmarks of a character you'd hate, yet there is something so vulnerable and endearing about her; I felt very protective of and rooted for her without hesitation. You feel her pain when she mentions her past, and Heltzel's choice of monikers for the cult members was nothing short of impactful.

On the other hand, Andrea is beautiful, rich, charming and giving. The epitome of a character everyone would love. But something is menacing behind her demeanour, a slight edge that just made me feel unsettled and unable to connect to her.

Even with these contrasting characters that confuse the reader's feelings, Cassidy evoked a sense of paranoia that keeps us questioning our assumptions until the end. Just Like Mother reminded me of Rosemary's Baby in the atmosphere, but with a modern Law & Order SVU twist.

I read and listened to this book. Elizabeth Evans' narration was terrific. She emoted the atmosphere perfectly - taking the reader on the journey of mixed feelings. Her pace was intense, slow, or fast-paced when it needed to be, and her choices brought all characters to life. She made it easy to follow the story and keep track of the characters.

Even though I read it as an ARC, I bought a copy. Just Like Mother is a bookshelf-worthy debut.


Disclaimer: In exchange for an honest review, I am thankful to the publishers and NetGalley for providing a copy of Just Like Mother.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this audiobook in exchange for my honest review

What really drew me in to requesting this audiobook was the cover (LOVE) and the opening description "Rosemary's Baby meets The Return." I've never listened to a horror book on audio before, and was highly intrigued to get to do so.

This audiobook was narrated by Elizabeth Evans and she definitely brought out the creepiness of this book! I really enjoyed listening to her voice. The beginning of this audiobook had me hooked: creepy dark woods, Maeve and Andrea as little girls playing Bloody Mary, and frightening cult mothers. The audiobook goes from the past to the present and I was drawn into Maeve's story. It was dark and captivating. Maeve has a traumatic past and some mental health issues. However, she's on a mission to find her cousin Andrea and when she gets invited to her home, things start to get bizarre.

The plot was dark and disturbing. The pacing was excellent. I couldn't stop listening! Highly recommend this spine-chilling audiobook!

I'm definitely buying the hardcover of this book because I have to add it to my bookshelf--so in LOVE with the cover!!

Immediately loved the creepy cover and culty premise, but had trouble believing and enjoying some of the elements of the plot throughout. It was both a little obvious and unbelievable. No spoilers, but ?!?!?!?!? I did like how this went where most thrillers don't go, and I thought the end was pretty fun. Often the end breaks the whole book for me. Maybe I would have liked it more if it were shorter or didn't seem like it was TRYING to trick me when the reality was pretty obvious throughout. I love an unlikeable protagonist but I found this one to be a little grating and her motivation was confusing to me. Like, the beginning make perfect sense, but it fell apart in the middle when she was so emotional about things we had been convinced she didn't really care about. Anyway! I did dig the author and I'm looking forward to checking out what she does next.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Review of Just Like Mother by Anne Heltzel

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This one was super fun and unique. I loved the creepiness and the cult vibes but it also had elements of a regular thriller as well. I listened to the audio and quite enjoyed that. It started off slow for me but then picked right up and kept going. I loved the main character.

Quick synopsis: Maeve is living a mostly anonymous life in the city when she suddenly hears from her cousin Andrea. She hasn’t seen her since they escaped the cult they grew up in and she’s thrilled. Before she knows it she’s lost her job and moves to the Catskills with Andrea and her husband. But things don’t stay calm for long and she soon realizes she may not have escaped her past.