I might be biased when I give this review because this was my first audiobook. I might have liked it better if it were a physical book because I did not like the way the characters reacted at the start. A child is missing, that should've been big! I thought there were too many characters and it was difficult for me to keep up.
I saw some of the twists coming, and the end didn't surprise me as much as I would've liked.

This author is fairly quickly becoming one of my very favorite thriller writers! I was hooked from page one, like I usually am with her books and could barely put it down!

This was a good psychological thriller audiobook about 3 female characters who were all freinds until Florrie, Naomi's daughter, went missing on the day when Jane should have picked her up, the day she was running late and so begins the thriller. The freinds start to blame each other and their own families also share their own secrets. The story itself is good but sadly the narration let it down for me. Each woman had their own narrator but the narrator for Jane was very irritating and almost reading from the book rather than 'acting' like most good narrators do.
Thank you to Netgalley and Dreamscape for the ARC in return for an honest review.

Filled with secrets and suspense this is a must read novel! When four year old Florrie goes missing everything goes a bit crazy, with her mom stressed out and father out of the country. Slowly all of the secrets in their lives are exposed as they look for Florrie. Unfaithful spouses, jealous friends, and teenagers are all suspects. The twists keep you guessing and the author does a great job of unraveling it all in perfect timing. Even after they find the kidnapper, there are still more secrets to be shared. If you like a good twisty psychological thriller this is a perfect novel for you! Definitely recommend!

Fast-paced thrilled with a great start! Jane is supposed to pick up Florrie as a favor. When she gets there Florrie has already been picked up by someone else claiming to have been Jane.

A lot of twists and turns -- infidelity, deceit, miscommunication and revenge!

I was surprised with the length of time it took to contact the police and the lack of assisting the police to find Florrie. Also didn't like that Naomi didn't have a POV at the end of the book.

Three narrators in the audiobook helped maintain the pace.

Thanks to NetGalley, Dreamscape, and Miranda Rijks for this audiobook in exchange for my honest review!

This one started out on the weaker side for me. Some of the characters dialogue felt repetitive and tired. However, The Other Mother, was a story that grew on me and in the end I am really glad that I stuck with reading it. I didn't guess who the kidnapper was, which again for me is a huge win. I really enjoyed the different perspectives but found when listening to this book via audio, sometimes it was hard to catch at the beginning of a chapter that the perspective had shifted to another character.

I will also just say Lorenzo was the biggest jerk. I couldn't stand him at all, he was very well written cause I hated every time I heard his name. He was a great character to loathe.

4 stars

This was another fun, twisty, and unpredictable thriller. I had a few suspicions about how things would turn out, but I love when they turn out to be wrong. As it turns out, I’ve already read other books by this author before, and after this story, I’ll definitely continue to do so.

Thank you Dreamscape, Miranda Rijks, and Netgalley for this audio in exchange for an honest review. The narration was perfect. I liked them all. The story gripped me from the beginning. It took my two days to finish this book, it was that good. A solid 🌟🌟🌟🌟 and a definite must read!

our-year-old Florrie goes missing when her mothers best friend, Jane, is tasked with picking her up from school early for a dentist appointment. What ensues is a closer look into both families for what could be the clue that leads them to Florrie.

While the plot was engaging, this book left me wanting more from each of the characters that didn’t feel fully developed. I found it very interesting that one of our main characters, Jane, is a psychologist, and as her past starts revealing itself, it unfolds how it may relate to the current tragedy. There’s also a lot of buried secrets between friends, partners, and parent/children which add to the intrigue on this story. However, we find out who kidnapped Florrie about halfway through which to me took away a lot of the mystery. Don’t get me wrong, there was still much of a story to tell after this point but I feel it would have been more effective to reveal this twist much later in the story. I also didn’t feel as though this characters motive was fully developed which left the twist and ending a but unsatisfying.

This was a decent read but I'm not sure I'll be recommending it as it's been a week and I already forgot what it was about .

I enjoy Miranda Rijks writing and she has a knack for always surprising me with her twists. I loved how she revealed who was behind the kidnapping before the characters found out because it added a level of tension. I didn't think the characters were very well developed so I did have a hard time connecting with them and honestly feeling bad for them. The plot itself is definitely not unique but I enjoyed the execution a lot. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

R E V I E W 🫶🏼

📚 The Other Mother
📝 Miranda Rijks
📌 Book 54/50 for 2023

🔔 Published 8.10.23 🔔

✨ This was an audio ARC gifted to me by Dreamscape Media via @netgalley. The following review is my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions. ✨

𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (3.5)
𝗚𝗘𝗡𝗥𝗘: Suspense
𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗔𝗠 𝗟𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗟: 🚫

𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪 📖
Featuring the disappearance of a young girl after someone unknown picks her up from school, this read by Miranda Rijks was a solid, fast-paced suspense read that will keep you invested throughout. This is my first read by Rijks and I’m confident it won’t be my last, as I really enjoyed her writing style and unique way of keeping the reader in the dark even with multiple POVs. The plot was interesting and the pacing was great, but I felt as if the gravity of the kidnapping itself was lacking. The characters seemed more interested in their own relationships and infidelities within them than they were with the case of a missing child. There was also an absence of police urgency or information, making it seem overly lax. Other than this qualm, I did really enjoy this book and i found myself reaching for it often. (P.S. I love the cover, kudos to the graphics team!)

𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗 𝗜𝗙 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗟𝗜𝗞𝗘 ⤵️
kidnapping suspense 👧🏽, crime HEAs 👍🏻, champagne bottles 🍾, psychological thrills 🧠, unexpected offender 👀

3.5⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Thankyou #netgalley for the opportunity for a honest review.
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Uhm. I don’t know what but something is lacking?. I think the thrill? The plot story was different I admit a lot of twisted story but when the chapter goes to carmen it’s actually pretty obvious then.
The thrill aswell on getting flori out is not mixed well .
So I gave this a pass.


❤️shaye.reads

I do love a book by this author and she is a standard go to and the plot summary ticked all the boxes. I just found the start a bit slow and unbelievable and struggled to get into it but once I got past that it really worked and I got involved which was what I was hoping . It then meant that I had to keep listening to find out what happened in the end.

The narration really worked

I was given an advance copy by the publishers and netgalley but the review is entirely my own.

Jane is late to pick up her friend's daughter, Florrie, from school. By the time she arrives, someone else has already left with the little girl. Days pass with no sign of Florrie and the stress and grief takes its toll on all relationships. It's quickly evident that Jane didn't really know her friends...or her family for that matter. I enjoyed the book and would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

🌟🌟🌟💫
A missing child…

When a friend asks Jane for a favor, she’s quick to say yes! She just needs to pick up her friends daughter Florrie from school and take her to the dentist. But after arriving a few minutes late she’s told another woman claiming to be Jane already picked the child up!

Now Florrie is missing!

I had a couple issues listening to this audio.
First...Florrie’s family, friends or even the police for that matter didn’t act overly concerned that the child is missing. Most just went on with their daily lives. I’d think there would be more of a frenzy around the child's disappearance.🤷🏻‍♀️

Also...I believe this would have worked a better as a digital/book read rather than audio. The narrators just didn’t feel like a good match for the characters (IMO).

I am a huge fan of Miranda Rijks but this one just fell a bit short for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media🎧

In "The Other Mother," a captivating tale of secrets and revelations, every character harbors hidden truths. The author makes a bold narrative choice by unveiling a significant twist midway through the book, which initially caught me off guard. While I was initially concerned that this twist might detract from the overall experience, it turned out to be a clever decision that held my attention. As the intricate storyline unfolded, I discovered that there was still a wealth of captivating story left to explore. However, I must admit that my level of engagement waned slightly after the twist was unveiled. I would like to express my gratitude to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for providing me with the opportunity to listen to and review this thought-provoking book.

The Other Mother by Miranda Rijks is a fantastic read. I’t kept me captivated from beginning to end.

Who do you think took Baby Flora? I bet you won’t guess who it was.

I received a free copy of the audiobook from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

A child abduction, secrets, and lies are all prominent themes throughout this story. You think you know your friends but realize you do not know them at all. Story was tired and not well developed.

This novel had me hooked from the beginning. I couldn’t imagine going to pick up a friends child from school and finding out the child had already been picked up by someone claiming to be me. Why wasn’t her ID checked? Did the little girl go willing? And what’s up with Lozenzo (the missing girls dad) disappearing?

When Florrie’s sock shows up in Janes house, Jane is more determined to figure out what is going on and where could the little girl be. She can’t even trust her family.
This novel was gripping. I couldn’t put it down. I couldn’t wait to hear what was going to happen next. And one character in particular, I just have to say WOW!

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for an ARC audiobook. The narrators did a fantastic job telling this story.