Things are not always as they seem 🤔

Told from both Ros and Lotte’s perspectives, meeting on holiday and then Lotte sets up home near Ros and family leaving her with many questions as to why? Since and on this holiday, things seem to be going from bad to worse for Ros’ family, and it all seems to tie into Lotte’s arrival.

An addictive read from beginning to end.. a twist near the end that I didn’t see coming. A definite should read

digital ARC was provided by Netgalley and Bookouture

a pop corn thriller with a twist

Synopsis
Ros met Lotte on a holiday and spent a wild mothers' night off together. After the holiday, she was surprised to find Lotte relocated into her hometown and she suspected that she had revealed something unsavory about herself or her family to Lotte and that Lotte might use it to ruin her family.

What I like
Idk if it was intended or not, but Childs succeeded in making me care more for the antagonist than the protagonist. Lotte's POV helped too, I guess, or else I'd be stuck with the hysterical Ros for what it felt like almost an eternity.
Short chapters, as always, easier to read. Skimmed a bit in the middle because it was too boring, but picked up the pace even before 80% mark.

What I don't like
This book is the case of 'almost'. What ruined Charles and Adam's brotherly relationship was something Ros almost found out. What happened to Lotte was almost terrifying (in a fictional thriller sense, irl, it was heartbreaking). I never felt the need for a revenge or anything quite like this with those cases. What brought me around was what happened towards the end.
It didn't do well with only Ros, so Lotte was a plus.

Final thoughts
Grab a copy if you like thriller, it was an OK one to spend the day. Just bear with Ros' character.

Once you find your perfect little town nestled between some gorgeous hills, you never want to leave. My husband and I both grew up here and we knew this there was nowhere better to raise our two sweet girls.... But when the moving van pulls up, and a mother and daughter jump out, my blood runs cold. I met the mother once on our summer holiday and I let slip a terrible secret, something no one here should ever know.,,, Fear rushes through me as I remember that night, but I'm sure I never told her where we live. As if she can read my mind she leans in close and says, "Don't worry, you'd had a few drinks. You're secrets safe with me." But I don't trust her - why has she moved to my street?

The first half of the book the pace was on the slow side, but the second half the pace picked up and the story got so much better. There were parts that were quite predictable. This is a story about revenge. It's also a warning about being careful who you share your deepest darkest secrets with. The story centres on Ros who met Lotte while she was on vacation. The next thing Ros knows, Lottie has moved into a house around the corner. The characters are well developed, there's a couple of really good twists and just enough drama to keep you interested.

I would like to thank #Netgalley #Bookouture and the author #JillChilds for my ARC of #TheMotherAtNo5 in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed The Mother at Number 5. Within the first few chapters I was hooked and I could not read it fast enough!

The book was told from the perspective of both main characters, Ros and Lotte. The author did a great job with developing the characters and it was easy to envision the story play out. I loved that I was not able to predict the ending!

I would recommend looking up trigger warnings prior to reading the book.

EXCERPT: Ros hesitated. She didn't want to talk about it, not really. But they were such a long way from home, and she'd never see Lotte again and she seemed so interested, so genuinely willing to listen.

ABOUT 'THE MOTHER AT NUMBER 5': I told her my darkest secret. Then she moved next door…

Once you find our perfect little town nestled between the gorgeous hills, you never want to leave. My husband and I both grew up here and we knew there was nowhere better to raise our two sweet girls… But when the moving van pulls up, and a mother and daughter jump out, my blood runs cold.

I met the mother once on our summer holiday and I let slip a terrible secret, something no one here must ever know… Fear rushes through me as I remember that night, but I’m sure I never told her where we live. As if she can read my mind she leans in close and says, ‘Don’t worry, you’d had a few drinks. Your secret’s safe with me.’ But I don’t trust her – why has she moved to my street?

I try to warn my kind, loving husband to stay away, but he laughs me off and invites her into our lives. When she lets my precious daughter get hurt, she’s gone too far. I know she’s here to destroy my perfect life.

But the mother at number 5 has made a mistake. She has underestimated me ever since the night we met. And she has no idea what I’ll do to protect those I love and keep my secret safe…

MY THOUGHTS: I honestly don't think this is up to Jill Childs normal standard. An enjoyable read, but not as focused as it could be, plot-wise. I was losing interest at 50%, but then the action started to kick off. To be honest, it was almost too late by then and although interested to find out what was behind Ros's 'paranoia', why eight year old Sophie was acting out, and exactly what Lotte was up to, I never became fully invested in the storyline.

I know that part of my problem was that the characters weren't fleshed out enough for me to relate to them. Ros's character comes across as quite weak and anxious throughout; I kept wanting her to grow a backbone. Which she suddenly does. Very suddenly. Not that I blame her. I just wish she'd done it sooner.

It's also a tad repetitive in places, the characters repeatedly having the same conversations.

Not Jill Childs best book, but a decent enough read.

⭐⭐⭐.1

#TheMotheratNumber5 #NetGalley

I: #authorjillchilds @bookouture

T: @author_jill @bookouture

#contemporaryfiction #domesticdrama #mystery

THE AUTHOR: Jill has always loved stories - real and imaginary. She's spent 30 years travelling the world as a journalist, living overseas and reporting wherever the news took her. She's now made her home in London with her husband and twin girls who love stories as much as she does.

Although she's covered everything from earthquakes and floods, riots and wars, she's found some of the most extraordinary stories right here at home - in the secrets and lies she imagines behind closed doors on ordinary streets, just like yours.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Bookouture via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Mother at Number 5 by Jill Childs for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

This thriller gripped me from the first page.
Ros meets Lotte while on holiday in Majorca with her husband and 2 young children. After a night partying with Lotte, Ros fears she may have revealed more about her life then she intended. However, she did not expect to see Lotte again so she tried to put her worries at the back of her mind. At the start of the new school term Ros was shocked to find that Lotte had moved to live nearby and her child was attending the local school.
I enjoyed the build-up of suspense throughout the book. The author's writing style is easy to read and her characters are well-developed.
A recommended read for fans of psychological thrillers.
Thanks to Net Galley and Bookouture for a copy of this eARC. All opinions are my own.

WOW! That was a wild ride! I didn't see part of the ending coming but did wonder about another part of it. This was my 1st book by Jill Childs but definitely won't be the last! I am totally here for a mother that does whatever she must to protect her children.

#TheMotheratNumber5
#NetGalley

I felt like this book was easy to read, but not really believable and the characters were not likable. I also felt like the author did not share enough info with the reader, and I felt bit cheated. The ending was rushed, and did not give all the answers I expected. It is an OK book to read, did not feel like a chore, but I would have wanted more character development and a sense of "this could actually happen".

I’d like to thank Bookouture and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Mother at Number 5’ written by Jill Childs in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Ros and Adam are holidaying in Majorca with their children Sophie and Bella when Ros meets Lotte who’s there with her daughter Caitlin. That evening the two women go partying in a nightclub and the next day Ros has a hangover and can’t remember much of what happened but soon realises that Lotte knows her guilty secret. On their return to Ilkley, Ros is shocked to see Lotte again who has not only enrolled Caitlin into the same school as her two daughters but has also moved into the road round the corner. How did Lotte find out where they live?

‘The Mother at Number 5’ is a psychological thriller that’s told through two points of view, those of Ros and Lotte. It tells of the consequences of Ros’ holiday friendship with Lotte who she doesn’t trust and how everything in her life begins to deteriorate due to hidden secrets and lies. From page one I was hooked by the story and couldn’t stop reading which was helped considerably by the short chapters urging me to carry on for just one more. All along I thought I knew where the plot was leading but I was so wrong and although the final twist came as a big surprise the conclusion was an even bigger one and totally unexpected. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this thriller and have no hesitation in recommending it.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for a copy of "The Mother at Number 5" in exchange for my honest review.

The story starts with an obvious murder scene but the reader has no idea who has died or who is narrating the scene.

In Majorca Ros, her husband Adam and their daughters Sophie (8) and Bella (4) are enjoying a summer break before school starts in the fall. Ros meets Lotte and her daughter Caitlyn (4) and they strike up a friendship. Lotte insists that they go out for a drink one night. What happens is not clear only that Ros has absolutely no memory of the evening and wonders just how much did she drink? Even more worrisome to her is what she may have told Lotte while she was drunk.

When Ros is dropping the girls off at school she is shocked to find her holiday friend has moved to across the country to Ilkley where Ros and her family live. Not only that but lives around the corner from them. Adam thinks that Ros is just being paranoid. Then things start to happen and life starts to fall apart. There is also a side story that tells of Lotte's childhood and brings the reader closer to understanding why she's doing some of the things that she is.

The book comes to a conclusion with some shocking twists and turns that the reader could not see coming. This book was incredibly hard to put down and I read it in one sitting.

This wasn’t a bad book just a bit predictable. Maybe Ive read too many psychological thrillers but I did guess what the ending was so no surprises. I think it probably would appeal to lots of people so I will recommend it . I have enjoyed previous books more from this author though .

Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC.
This is my first title by this author and will read more in the future.
Will recommend this to anyone looking for a thriller.
I requested this book as i was drawn in by the cover and thought it looked interesting
A really well written thriller of a book. With plenty of twists and turns that will keep you guessing throughout the story

Wow, this story is a stunner. It’s like one of those mirrors in a fun house, the images are all distorted.
I knew one of the characters was out for revenge, and rightfully so, or so I thought. The deeper I read, the more I became immersed..
One of the chapters was very disturbing and had a tragic consequence.
But the big zinger arrived at the end and shocked me. I completely missed all the signs for what was really going on.
Lessons to learn: keep your stuff private and be careful in the revenge game.

This book was just average for me. It was hard to keep reading it at times and focus on it but I pushed through.

★★★★★ 4.5 stars (rounded up)

You thought you’d escape...But then she moved to your street...

This is my first foray into Jill Childs and I thoroughly liked what I read. I'm a sucker for a good domestic suspense and THE MOTHER AT NUMBER 5 was all that and more. Filled with secrets, lies and cleverly woven deception, this thriller will have you turning the pages with the speed of light until the very end.

Ros is on holiday in Majorca with her husband Adam and their two daughters Sophie (8) and Bella (4). She is lounging by the pool one day when she strikes up a friendship with Lotte, single mum to Caitlyn who is also 4. Before leaving the Spanish island, Lotte invites Ros out for one last night in which they both let their hair down. So much so, Ros has no recollection of the night beyond the onslaught of cocktails and the hunky blonde she danced with. Still, after that holiday she won't ever see Lotte again so who cares what went on the night before? After all, what went on in Majorca stays in Majorca...right?

Back on terra firma and reality, Ros welcomes the familiarity of the school mums at the gates when dropping the girls off after their holiday. Feeling a little teary as it was four year old Bella's first foray through the doors and she hoped her big sister would look out for her, despite her sudden spiteful moodiness. She falls into step with the mums and her friends as they take their meeting to the nearby cafe to welcome new mums to the fold. It's as she's collecting her order that she hears the familiar voice she never thought she'd hear again. Lotte. >b>But they're no longer in Majorca. So what is she doing here?

It turns out that Lotte has not only enrolled her daughter in the same school as Ros' children, but she also lives in the street just around the corner. And Ros just knows Lotte is up to something. But what, she has no idea. She just has this uncomfortable sense that something wasn't right and that she didn't trust the woman. She tried voicing her concerns to Adam and to her friend Diana, both of whom thought she was imagining things and Lotte was just trying to fit in. After all, starting afresh in a new place as a single mum can't be easy. So why did she feel uneasy? And why did Lotte gloss over her past as if it was of no consequence? And when she asked for Ros' assistance to find a job, Ros discovers a few more untruths. So what is it that Lotte is hiding? And why?

As time passes, Ros can't help but feel something happened in Majorca that she can't recall. What exactly did she say to Lotte? I mean, the woman was pushing for the bare tell-all facts, wasn't she? What if Ros told her too much? No, she already knows she told her too much when she confided about Sophie's problems. But what if she told her the one secret Ros has never told anyone else? Surely she couldn't have been that stupid...or drunk...or was she?

What unfolds is an emotional tale of secrets and lies and a long buried past for one of them. Secrets unravel and as they do, lies are slowly uncovered and Ros finally learns the shocking truth...

There is twist after twist that is bound to shock you but I'd reached the halfway mark when I knew what was happening. Not all of it, I figured that out closer to the end, but that final twist I saw coming and wondered what Childs was going to do with it and how she was going to throw that into the story. But the most shocking secret will come with a trigger for some (but I can't say what as it is a spoiler). Just be aware that it is there. But wow! The final 10% of the book was a thrill ride to say the least. Everything is turned about and the reader is left wondering why. Until the penny drops as it did for me, or you reach the explanation.

I love a good domestic suspense and THE MOTHER AT NUMBER 5 did not disappoint and I will certainly be checking out more of Jill Childs in the future.

I would like to thank #JillChilds, #Netgalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheMotherAtNumber5 in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.

I was really looking forward to this one, but it fell short. It was extremely slow at the beginning, and I hope once we got more into the action, things would pick up, but they never really did. This wasn't a psychological thriller- more a domestic thriller, and more domestic than thriller! Being a mother myself, the way Ros spoke to her girls turned me off completely. I did love how everything connected at the end, but this one just wasn’t for me!

What a great book to get immersed into. The story is of a family that go on holiday and whilst there she befriends another woman called Lottie who soon leads her astray by getting her drunk and tells her things she shouldn't have.
Things soon take a turn for the worst when Lottie moves into a house just around the corner from where Ros, her daughter and husband live and she soon starts to feel worried and she has reason to be.
Lottie has revenge on her mind for something that happened in her past and no one is safe.
A great book from start to finish.

I absolutely loved this book. A holiday friendship struck up in Majorca turns into a nightmare. Who could predict that a woman they met there would later turn up in Yorkshire where they live, moving into a nearby street and then invade their lives in sinister ways. There were so many twists and shocks in this book where things were not all they appeared to be. I was totally hooked throughout and the shocking ending was edge of the seat stuff. Brilliant and highly recommended. I am a little confused though why a book written by a British author, set in Yorkshire featuring everyday Yorkshire folk should use so many American words. My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC which I voluntarily review here.

An enjoyable psychological thriller by an author new to me. An enjoyable psychological thriller by an author new to me. An enjoyable psychological thriller by an author new to me.

When Ros meets Lotte on holiday, they quickly strike up a bond and spend the night partying together. Waking up the next day, she can't remember how the night ended. Could she possibly have told Lotte her deepest darkest secret? As she returns to normal life with her husband and two daughters, she hopes to put the events of the holiday behind her, but then Lotte and her daughter come to live around the corner and she fears that her secret will come to light... As strange things start happening and everything in Ros' life goes wrong, she wonders why Lotte seems to be trying to ruin her life...

A brilliant thriller that keeps you turning the pages until the very shocking ending. Great characters and fantastic twists and turns. Loved it!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy in return for my honest feedback.