Thank you Heidi Reimer and Penguin Random House Publishing for this eARC in exchange for honest review.

The Mother Act is a debut novel by Heidi Reimer and it comes packed with emotion, soul, and wonderful writing. Written in 6 Act play style (brilliant), it explores a complicated Mother daughter relationship with famous, boisterous Sadie Jones and quiet, reserved Jude, and their strained relationship through the years: Jude yearning for Sadie's approval and love, and Sadie dealing with her loss of identity when changing from Sadie Jones to Mom.

A beautiful tale through the years of both of their lives, their different perspectives on how it happened, woven together with heart, tales of feminism, and the struggle of motherhood and how society sees it (at least to Sadie). A poignant look through Sadie's eyes at the transition to becoming a mother when it's not really what you wanted for yourself.

Do yourself a favour and pick this up when it's out! 5 stars, highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to review this book. My opinions are my own.
As a former theatre actor, I was intrigued by this premise. The beginning took a bit to get going, but I am glad I stuck with it. It could have been a memoir. Mother/daughter relationships are tricky. (I’m a mom to two.) It was clear how much the author took care of the characters' development and the theatre world. Now, when is the movie coming out? Who is cast as Jude and Sadie?

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for access to this title. All opinions expressed are my own.


In the beginning, this debut novel was a little slow, and it wasn't until I reached almost the 30% mark that I began to feel invested in the mother-daughter-centric tale. The book presents the chaotic mess of Sadie and Jude's complicated relationship through different points in time. Both women are very talented actresses, which only adds to the complexity of their bond.

I did appreciate how author Heidi Reimer weaves the theatre into both women's personalities and how it helps us see their character growth. I found Damian's character interesting as we see him through Jude's eyes for the first half of the book, and then through Sadie's eyes. This helped me to see his strengths and his flaws.

I have a feeling that this novel would be a good book club selection( Reese Witherspoon, are you listening?).

Why the 3 stars? Well, I have mentioned the slow start. I guess it was the ending, too. Hard to know where all the characters go from here. Liked it but didn't love it.



Expected Publication Date 30/04/24
Goodreads Review 31/03/24