Whaaaat?! This is so twisted and good! I did not want to put it down. Some of the twists I saw coming, but that didn't change the way I feel about this book.

I enjoyed pretty much everything about this book. It was nice to have a female protagonist that didn't drive me nuts for being a moron. The storyline was very entertaining and kept moving. It didn't drag on and become too repetitive.

I can't wait to read her next book!

Thanks Netgalley and publisher for the digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

What the heck did I just read?! Wow, what a crazy thriller about motherhood. This book was chock full of sinister characters and questionable events. And the dolls… honestly I hope this book gets turned into a movie just for the creepy dolls alone. Overall I enjoyed the book especially as I couldn’t always tell where it was leading. My first critique is that I wish the plot would have been slimmed down just a bit. At times it seemed a bit all over the place with the different characters and their storylines. The second is that this book would have been unputdownable with more atmospheric writing. The mood of the book did not meet the eeriness of the plot. The ending though was on point!

🔊Song Pairing: Mom - Meghan Trainor

(Still laughing…dark sense of humour…party of 1)

💭What I thought would happen:

Honestly that cover freaked me out and it was a HARD pass but my curiosity got the best of me 😂

📖What actually happens:

Once upon a time, Maeve thought she lived a perfectly normal life in a home with many mothers, sisters and female cousins…far from. Fast forward to her 30th year and she has since escaped from the Mothers cult and lives a semblance of a normal life. However, she’s wondered about Andrea, her cousin whom she left behind with the Mothers.

Spit in a tube and submit to a genealogy lab finally Maeve has found her gorgeous cousin after many many moons. She promised never to leave her. Needless to say, their reuniting is a far cry from ordinary.

🗯Thoughts:

It’s been a couple days and this book is still all I talk about to poor Jameson (he calls it the book with the creepy doll cover), my mother and anyone who will listen.

I don’t think it’s possible to erase the goings on in this book from mind. I will forever be disturbed by the Mothers who think a woman’s only true purpose is to reproduce and men are useless (okay kind of agree with that…kidding!)

I cannot wait to hear peoples reactions to this book! I am here for every reader who wants to discuss this book, any hour of any day. I cannot even. I zipped through this audio quick quick partially because I just needed it to be over and partially because I just had to know what would happen.

You need to know I HATED DOLLS growing up. Barbies sure but nothing with eyes that fluttered. Fuck. No.

Thank you NetGalley and Anne Heltzel for the advanced audiobook.

This book pubs May 17! Just do it, get it over with, find out the mystery behind this sicko cover.

I like this audiobook. There was nothing over the top, or super memorable about it, but it was well narrated. My full review for the story can be found below:

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Twenty years ago, Maeve risked her life and fled the cult she was born and raised in. After that Maeve was swiftly adopted by a loving couple, but the transition to life on the outside was quite difficult. Maeve feared boys and men. She had never been to a public school, or played amongst her peers of the opposite sex.

Now an adult, Maeve has done her best to build a normal life for herself in NYC. She works in publishing and has a guy she's kind of sweet on.

One thing she is missing though is a family. She doesn't want any children of her own, but Maeve misses being a part of a larger family nonetheless. In particular, she misses her cousin and childhood best friend, Andrea, who she hasn't seen since the night she fled the cult.

In an unexpected turn of events, Maeve is finally reconnected with Andrea via a DNA service. Thank you, 23andMe. Andrea is wildly successful, an entrepreneur in the fertility industry. She's married, with a loving husband and big old house she just purchased upstate. A house she pretty much offers up to Maeve on a platter.

Maeve is excited for the opportunity to reconnect with her cousin and become a steady part of her life. She travels to the house upstate, along with Andrea, her husband Rob and Andrea's work partner, Emily. The more Andrea and Maeve interact, and Emily too, she can't be discounted in this assessment, the more uneasy the vibe becomes. There's clearly something off, but Maeve isn't really open to acknowledging that.

Maeve wants Andrea back in her life. She's willing to overlook any awkwardness. Even though Andrea and Emily both seem to disapprove of Maeve's lifestyle, she's not going to let that ruin everything. She dusts it off. As things in Maeve's normal life begin to veer wildly off course, however, she's pushed even further into Andrea's orbit. That's when things start really getting intense.

Just Like Mother is a sort of Rosemary's Baby for the modern age. It's definitely channeling those vibes and I'm not mad about it at all. While I will admit, for me, this started slow, it did leave me with one of my favorite things: an evil smile on my face!

Heltzel's writing was engaging and I did like how Maeve's character was built out using both past and present perspectives. Understanding her past in the cult was pivotal to understanding her life path and choices involving Andrea.

I liked Maeve. I definitely connected with her decision not to have children of her own and some of the other characters reactions to that choice actually infuriated me. I feel like my strong reaction to those topics is a clear sign that Heltzel delivered these ideas believably. This is super intense towards the end. After the initial build-up, once it starts spiraling, it really starts spiraling.

I feel like this would make a great selection for a book club, or a buddy read. There's a lot of solid discussion topics held within these pages. If someone is looking to deep dive, there's plenty to keep them occupied. I will remember this one for a long time to come.

Thank you so much to the publishers, Tor Nightfire and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with a copies to read and review. This one definitely kept my attention and I look forward to picking up future works from Heltzel!

Ok I thought I had this book figured and felt that pride being totally crushed when the next chapter! What a ride! I loved the twists and turns. The pace was perfect and the author did an excellent job with building the plot. Did anyone get handmaid’s tale vibes from this novel?! Can’t wait to read more from this author. Thank you for allowing me to listen to this audiobook in advance.

I loved reading this book, and enjoyed the audiobook even more. Deeply frightening with tension that will send chills down your spine long after you're finished.

Maeve and Andrea are cousins who were raised in a cult obsessed with motherhood when they were younger. They haven't seen one another since the night Maeve escaped. Years later they reconnect after being matched on a DNA website. A lot of unfortunate things happen to Maeve in quick succession and she finds comfort with her cousin but things may not be what they seem.

First off, let's state the obvious, this cover is creepy AF. and I almost didn't pick this book up because of it. (I am sure there are plenty of people who feel the complete opposite, they'd pick it up just for the cover alone!) There's plenty of gothic and creepy vibes to the story and I felt a bit uneasy while reading it. I wish there had been more information about the motherhood cult itself. I liked the social commentary aspects in the story. The pacing was okay, it took a while to come together and then it went off the rails in the last quarter of the book.

I thought Elizabeth Evans did a good job narrating the book and would recommend the audiobook version if you are looking to pick this one up soon.
True Rating: 3.5 stars

I received a complimentary advanced listeners copy of Just Like Mother from Macmillan Audio via NetGalley for review purposes. All opinions are my own.

Exceptionally disturbing!!

Maeve and Andrea are cousins who grew up in The Mother Collective, escaping and being split apart, they haven't seen each in over 20 years. When they reconnect, is it like they were never apart or are they now too different to get back what they lost?

Some parts of this roused such anger in me I literally had to pause and walk away. Despite the deeply powerful feelings this pulled out of me, I absolutely enjoyed the journey of this WICKEDLY MESSED UP RIDE! These characters are unforgettable and so sideways you can't help but be drawn to watching what they do next.

Also, just look at that cover! It's so creeptastic! I also listened to parts of this and the narrator did such an awesome job!!

Please read TW for this one before going in blind; infertility, child loss, abuse, rape, and murder.

Thank you so much to @tornightfire, @macmillanaudio, and Anne Heltzel for the gifted copies to review!

First off, that cover! Creepy. And the book itself followed suit.

Maeve and Andrea. Cousins who were extremely close and grew up with The Mothers. Things go down with The Mothers and they end up separated, Maeve adopted and Andrea in foster home after foster home.

They reconnect as adults and things seem nice and normal. Until they are not. This book was wild and definitely parts were super creepy.

I felt the author did a good job showing the expectactions of women to become mothers. While this book too it to extemes, that seemed to be the underlying message.

There were parts of this book that are really violent and so be warned if that isn't your thing.

And that ending! I didn't see it coming and it gave me chills!

Definitely will look for more from this author.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an advance audio copy in exchange for my honest review.

Intriguing story centering around Maeve and her cousin Andrea that were separated as children after living in a cult. Years later they reconnect and as they do Maeve is force to relive the trauma she has been trying to forget. Andrea seemingly has it all and has chosen not to talk of their past and the dreadful night that separated them. As Maeve spends more time in Andrea’s world she finds herself facing the past and experiencing more terror than she thought was possible.

Definitely a similar vibe to The Handmaids Tale, it is disturbing on so many levels. It is predictable in places but I couldn’t put it down. Starts off slowly but builds to a heart stopping finale. Trigger warnings of rape and cults.

The audiobook was narrated very well and added to the story
3.5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
#NetGalley #JustLikeMother #AnneHeltzel

Scary as hell even when I knew what was gonna happen. The twists didn't surprise me but damn did they still somehow shock me anyway when they happened. I still had a constant knot of dread and terror in my stomach while this slow build horror was put into place and then unfolded.

This was a an original and very quick and interesting audiobook about a woman who grew up in and escaped a cult as a child, to be raised by adoptive parents. She takes a dna test and is reunited with her cousin, who was also a child in the cult. When she moves in with her, cousin and becomes involved in her life, strange things begin to happen and she begins to have harrowing flashbacks of the times when she was in the cult.

The audiobook had a nice flow, moved along at a quick pace with a good narrator who spoke well. I thought the plot was unique and I liked the main character a lot. I felt like the plot was too over-the-top at times. It was a little far-fetched. Some of the characters were very black and white and not entirely authentic. Still, this was entertaining with a lot of action and suspense.

I've always wanted a book that delved eep into a cult as it was happening, not just the aftermath. That's exactly what Just Like Mother gave me. And honestly? I'm still reeling.

The plotting and depth of each character were two of my favorite aspects of the novel. Maeve's feelings and inner thoughts were so well laid out that all of her decisions along the way made sense. Even when I wanted to shake her and tell her to turn her back to save herself. But if that had happened it wouldn't have been true to her character.

There were endless WTF moments throughout this and it started early on. One of the many terrifying aspects is realizing how something like the Mother Collective could build in real life. All the subtly and prime public messaging was, for lack of a better word, nefarious.

With that being said, I think it's important to know that there are very hard sections to read or listen to, depending on how you choose to read this one. From the loss of bodily autonomy, complications of having a child and a few more aspects, it's a tough read. So, just be sure to go in with the right mindset.

I would still highly recommend picking this up if you're a fan of dark thrillers, a cult focus, and plot twists that will leave you with whiplash.

Wow!! You know how they say never to judge a book by it’s cover? Well in this case, you absolutely can! I could not put down this creepy, hair standing up my on neck, horror story!

Since escaping a matriarchal cult as a child, Maeve has been searching for her cousin to no avail. She’s created a safe, distant life while trying to escape her traumatic past and pass for “normal.” Everything in Maeva’s life changes when her cousin Andrea suddenly reappears and invited Maeve into her sleek, successful life.
Soon after reconnecting, Maeve’s life begins to unravel as tragedy strikes, and things aren’t quiet what they seem as Andrea and her friends help her pick up the pieces. As Maeve begins to depend more and more on her cousin, she becomes isolated from her life and the cracks of Andreas perfect life begin to show,revealing a nightmare rather than the fantasy she has created.

While there are several trigger warring to be aware of (rape, cult, abuse, gaslighting, etc), I could not put this book down! From flashbacks to her time in the commune as a child, to moaning in a locked room, to dark, secret passageways, all the way to the final scene, this story will keep you on the edge of your seat! I truly enjoyed this book and will absolutely be returning to this author!

There's really only a few ways to say how much I loved Just Like Mother. It's everything that a thriller should be. There's a creepy factor, non-stop suspense, and an epic twist. How much more could you really want? Elizabeth Evans narration is flawless, and her voice only adds to what is already perfection. I will be sitting here anxiously waiting for whatever Anne Hetzel is working on next!

Thank you for the opportunity to review!
Link to 5/1/2022 Instagram post:
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cdi0-XNrC_6/

I did not enjoy this book. Most of the plot was predictable and moved at a really slow pace. A little too twisted for me personally.

First, this book has nearly every trigger you could possibly have, so be forewarned. The story itself is so intriguing, but there were moments that felt a tad over the top (typical in the genre). For a character as guarded and calluses as Maeve seems, she sure is naive and gullible for any sort of love and affection. So much so, that she regularly puts herself in danger and blindly accepts whatever her cousin tells her as truth from the moment they reunite.

If cults, torture, and twisted stories are your thing, this book will be right up your alley.

This book was really intense but in the best way possible. I wasn't sure what to expect in some places but I was really enjoyed it. I definitely had a feeling of dread throughout the whole book.
I will say things were really predictable. I didn't find any twist to be all that surprising. Even the final twist didn't come as a surprise. That being said getting to those twist was still great and overall the story was gripping. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys thrillers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for my advanced audio copy of Just Like Mother.

THIS BOOK IS BANANAS—in the best way, of course.

Maeve grew up in a cult where motherhood is the only path and boys and men are powerless. It’s dark, twisted, and down-right murderous but the kids—I mean, little girls because there is only 1 boy and he is NOT okay—raised in the cult are sheltered from (most) of the abuse when they’re young. While I think women could run the world, I do NOT mean like this, y’all!!

Maeve escaped the cult and grew up to live a seemingly normal life. That is, until she reconnects with the cousin she grew up with using one of those at-home DNA test kits. Cousin Andrea seems…perfect. She’s rich, she’s happy, she’s successful, and most of all, she’s kind and caring and really loved Maeve…or does she?

The twists and turns in this thriller are unexpected and enthralling! Even when you suspect you know what’s going to happen—and hell, you might have guessed correctly— something pops up that has you thinking “WTF?!”

I loved this book. I loved it on audio. The narration was PERFECT.

Ok first off, this cover - I’m obsessed with how creepy it is! I saw this one described as the Handmaids Tale meets the Stepford wives and knew I needed it!

This modern gothic sucked me right in and I was furiously turning the pages as I needed to know more about this disturbing and unusual cult with an obsession with motherhood.

Now this may not appeal to everyone as there are certainly some trigger warnings and some spiciness but it totally worked for me! What a solid debut by Heltzel, I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next!