I didn’t love this but did think it was a page-turner. Natasha prides herself in being the best mom in the world but has a very twisted view of what being a good parent actually means. The story is dark, bordering on ridiculous, and it’s hard to root for any character.

The storyline was unique and there were a few surprises but I struggled a bit with how Natasha’s son Jack had gotten to be almost 18 with no one suspecting that there was something weird going on. As mentioned above, the lengths that Natasha went to bordered on being just plain silly, but the story did hold my interest.

Overall, a memorable read but the lack of relatable characters and the need to suspend my disbelief made this one not a favorite for me. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was quite the disturbing read that goes way beyond a mother protecting her child by any means necessary. About halfway through, I found myself no longer rooting for anyone and really started highly disliking the mom especially . She had excuses for everything and the amount of times she told herself she was a good mother was astronomical. That's not to say this wasn't good, I just find myself in between with this one. This is yet another one that I can't fully explain my feelings without spoiling it. I will say this, POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT: I can forgive this type of book usually when it's a case of an unreliable narrator but this wasn't an unreliable narrator. This was reading about a mother who's son does atrocious things and she's making revelations about him and their life as your reading. However, as you near the end, everything you're finding out along with her was just a load of bull so you basically read lies the entire book. Again, I both liked and disliked this one. Three Stars.

Thank you Netgalley and Joffe Books for this ARC.

Such a good book with tons of twists I never saw coming. I love an unreliable narrator and definitely got one in this book.

Natasha thought she was a good mother by protecting her son, Jack. But, really, who was worse - Jack or his mother.

This book was a twisted ride of mother loves/hates son relationship. It was full of twists and turns - I didn't know how it would turn out until the end - what a wild ride.

Some gore in it, but not too bad - it was very suspenseful!

This book wasn’t quite what I expected but ended up a real page turner … Natalie cares deeply for her son Jack so much so she will do anything for him. Discovering he had violent serial killer tendencies she builds him a basement where he can live out his fantasies with Mum snaring his victims . A little strange but equally a good read

This book was much different than that I typically read. It was heavy on the gore. I was able to predict much of the book and unfortunately, struggled getting through it because I think it was simply not my cup of tea. Anyone who likes books related to torture and killing may enjoy.

A gripping thriller which kept me engrossed the whole way through.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my copy.
A great read with well developed characters.

Oh wow! I have no words after reading this, and any i do have quite simply won’t do it justice! I was gripped from the start, and completely blown away by that massive twist at the end! The 3 main characters are as dark and twisted as each other, that’s what made this thriller all the more delicious.

Synopsis:
Natasha is a single mother to a normal teenage boy…or so she says. She’ll do anything for her child but this love and devotion is put to the test when she brings her boyfriend home to meet her son Jack and history repeats itself. This story follows a self-proclaimed “good” mother as she decides what is best for her only child.

Review:
I feel as though Natasha is the epitome of an unhinged woman and I loved it. I went from feeling bad for her and her situation to being blindsided by her true character. You’re slowly given pieces of her past before and after having Jack and yet the twists that occur were still a surprise to me. I did not really enjoy one of the final scenes when Natasha and Jack are in the basement. What Natasha was saying didn’t feel completely in character for her and I felt the writing itself could have been stronger. That whole scene could have been more powerful by upping the stakes. My only other gripe include certain, albeit small, Natasha moments that felt too over the top and I found her to be annoying. Overall, I greatly enjoyed this book and will be happy to read more from Lizzie Fry.

This started off going in what I was sure was one direction and then flipped completely, becoming something different, dark and compelling. This is not what you might expect and the difference makes it a really good book. I loved the unusual perspective and the insights into the motivations of all the characters.

Omg this book is definitely a 5 star must read. It was amazing. It pulled me in right from the beginning. I read this book in a day.

Thank you NetGalley and Joffe Books for the eARC.
At the start I liked the book, but as I got into it the creep factor was ramped up and by the end I found it quite horrific and DNF. Sorry!

THE GOOD MOTHER by Lizzie Fry.
I’ve always known Jack was different. Ever since he was eight years old and he killed his father. He was protecting me, just like I’ve always protected him. 
Really good read. Twisty and tense and dark. 5*.

Interesting concept, but the writing itself didn't grab me. Still, this could be something that will amuse those who read thrillers regularly. After all, families are always a good theme to explore.