This was a fantastic read! It was fast and twisted in the best way. It had the perfect amount of mystery and kept me turning pages as fast as I could.

Like a Mother is a solid and entertaining psychological thriller. The novel follows Sarah, a pregnant widow who moves in with her mother-in-law Candace, whom she never met. Sarah soon realizes that Candace is hiding a dark and dangerous secret that involves her late husband Adam, and their unborn child. The novel is full of suspense and surprises. Like a mother also explores the themes of family, identity, deception, and how far people will go to protect their loved ones.

👶🤰Book Review:
Title: Like A Mother
Author: Mina Hardy
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/4 stars

If you're looking to start off the new year with a thriller that has lots of twists, then grab this one releasing in February! I don't believe I've ever read any of these authors' other books, so I'm adding them to my #tbrstack!

Sarah Morgan has just lost her husband and father of her children, Adam. In the aftermath of his passing, she soon learns that Adam kept many secrets from her, but not necessarily for deceitful reasons. He was keeping things from her to protect her and their children. After the funeral, Candace shows up who claims she is Adam's mother. Adam had told Sarah that his mother had passed.

Adam's best friend/business partner, Graham and his wife, Ava, are revealing themselves to not have Sarah's best interests in mind. Somehow, Graham has wound up with all of Adam's money that should have gone to Sarah naturally. Candace jumps in to save the day by offering Sarah, her daughter Ellie, and her unborn baby a place to stay until they can get back on their feet. Worst decision ever! Secrets are revealed, and there are some major twists that made my mouth drop! I enjoyed this thriller! Very suspenseful!

Published: February 6th, 2024

Thank you, @netgalley and @crookedlanebooks , for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Dark, twisty religious novel full of betrayal and secrets.
This was my first novel from Mina Hardy, and I can't wait to see what else she has out there.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

This book was certainly a wild ride. Every single character was crazy and had an evil agenda. Sarah got herself mixed up with so many terrible people starting with her husband. The craziest part of the book to me was in the beginning when Sarah’s husband’s business partner and his wife try to demand her unborn child. Sarah is mourning her dead husband and people who were supposedly close to her just demand her children!? That was so unbelievable and psychotic to me I couldn’t get past it the whole book. I feel like that was never even properly explained either. The twists at the end were shocking which I like but the ones involving the brother didn’t make much sense to me. The other part that bothered me was Sarah fleeing to a relative her husband insisted was dead for help. Wouldn’t she be more wary of that person since her husband kept her from them? Overall the main storyline was good but too many of the side storylines bothered me. Thank you to NetGalley for my advanced copy!

Sarah’s life takes a tumultuous turn in ‘Unveiled Secrets’ as she grapples with the aftermath of her husband’s death and the shocking revelation of his hidden past. The plot explores family secrets and unexpected connections, but the execution falls into clichés and predictable twists. While the premise is promising, the characters lack depth, and the narrative struggles to sustain a genuine sense of suspense. An average read that touches on themes of betrayal and discovery but fails to leave a lasting impression.”

Like a Mother is take it or leave it for me. It was a decent read, but it wasn't earth shattering. It was a quick read and there is some suspense to it, but the reveal wasn't very overwhelming to me. I also felt there was a lot of "fluff". If you like a lighter psychological thriller that you can read fast this is the book for you.


Thanks to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Sarah and Adam have the perfect life until he dies. Sarah thought he had their future set up, especially for their unborn child, but there’s no money. A stranger comes and introduces herself as Adam’s mother, who Sarah was told was dead.

This was a fast read that I couldn’t put down. I finished it in one day. It’s very entertaining and fast paced. It’s one of those stories that you are so frustrated for the character and the nonsense she is putting up with. There’s a lot of religious controversy; in-laws and small town community not understanding one who is not Christian, which I’ve experienced first hand… so frustrating but real.

“No matter how much you love someone, you can never really know what they keep in their hearts.”

Like a Mother comes out 2/6.

I'm embarrassed to say that I've been sleeping on Mina Hardy, and this was my first book of hers. That being said, it certainly won't be my last (and I need to backtrack to her older books). Overall, I loved the premise of Like a Mother. Mina did an excellent job of fully developing the characters, and I could not put this book down!

This was gifted to me by Netgalley & the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

This book was just okay, lately I have been super interested in books around moms/motherhood as a whole and while this one sounded promising, it was just okay. It did not have anything new or original to say and I think that there are better books out there that I would recommend to someone wanting to read within this genre.

Netgalley review: Like A Mother by Mina Hardy.
At first I wasn’t sold on this book, there is no build up of tension, it starts tense and stays tense. I questioned how it seemed like the author was trying to write an unreliable narrator but then the side characters were acting so crazy that it was impossible to not side with Sarah, the protagonist. For example at the very beginning of the book Sarah is accosted at her husbands funeral by his business partners wife about adopting her unborn child since her husbands dead now.

I started to notice how much I wanted to pick this book back up everytime I put it down. I felt the tension the whole time but I had to know what was going to happen. I really fell into this book. Sarah is a badass, so subtly (and overtly) strong. Always saying things that should be said, always trying to do the best for her children.

I’ve read critiques about how she doesn’t ask enough questions and I can see it but honestly I can’t imagine myself making any other choices. This was a solid thriller and I recommend it!

Like a Mother by Mina Hardy was a gripping and suspenseful piece that hooked me almost immediately. This was such a good book! A page turner for sure.
I thought this was a gripping and well-crafted psychological suspense.
The writing was great and the characters pulled me deep into their story.
With compelling characters and a unique narrative structure, it offers a gripping and intense reading experience.

Thank You NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Like A Mother - Mina Hardy (3.5 stars)
“Sadness fades, but grief goes on and on.”

Sarah, a pregnant and newly widowed mom of Ellie, is trying to pick the pieces up after her husband, Adam’s death. She is quickly figuring out who she can and cannot trust in some of her darkest moments - including, her mother-in-law, Candace? Who her husband said was dead? Who says Adam told her Sarah didn’t want her around (because of Sarah’s relationship with her own mom)? Lots of questions, with no answers, because Adam’s gone.

When Sarah is forced to make a swift decision for her family’s safety, she takes Candace up on her offer to help her until the baby is born and she can get back on her feet. But, of course nothing is as it seems, and Sarah is left feeling more unsettled, with more questions, and more fear.

WOW. I love a good thriller, especially after reading a few light hearted books. Even though it took a turn from the direction I thought it was going in (and tbh would’ve enjoyed a little more), I couldn’t stop reading this one. The twists were on the lighter side, but it still had just enough creepy moments to keep you guessing. Thanks Netgalley and Crooked Lane!

Life is so hard for Sarah having just lost her husband and discovering that he's lied about quite a few things. What a ride while she's trying to protect her daughter and the baby in her belly. I really didn't see the twists coming in this book.

Thanks to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for access to this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for an early copy of Like a Mother. Weird but kept my attention. By the first three chapters, Sarah stubbed her toe three times. Ava was a ridiculous character, doing what she did at the shiva. The twists were real good, that’s what saved this book. It is a fast read, be prepared to shake your head many times and say oh my gosh with the twists.

I was hooked immediately due to Ava's weird ass assuming she could have Sarah's very wanted and planned baby. Sarah just lost her husband and she is 20 weeks pregnant with a baby she hasn't told anyone about. She is still dealing with morning sickness at the funeral. Ava is the wife of Adam's (dead husband) best friend.
She comes out with "well I plan to adopt your baby" out of freaking nowhere and I was like "the audacity!". So I wasn't about to set this one down.
She puts Sarah in a weird awkward position which has her in a place to accept her husband's mom, who she thought was dead.
I just hated Adam so much and I love hating husbands in books.
I also loved learning more about the Jewish faith. It was nice.
The story is my worst nightmare though. My kids being "adopted" like what Ava was planning is so terrifying.

I really enjoyed this one! I spent the entire thing frustrated but in a really good way. I enjoyed the various characters and the plot had me so intrigued! I do wish the ending had been slightly more fleshed out.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Like A Mother by Mina Hardy will be released on February 6th, 2024.

You have the perfect life, everything you have dreamed of, and then your husband dies. This is the reality that Sarah Morgan is dealing with. That in itself is hard enough, but throw in a baby and the sudden appearance of a mother-in-law you were told was dead showing up at your door? It's more than only one person can take.

I was really hoping to like this book but it. just wasn't what I was expecting. I had trouble connecting with the characters and some of the plot points were just...confusing. This book may be better consumed as an audiobook, at least for me. I found so much of the book to be unbelievable and, don't get me wrong, I will always be willing to suspend belief for the sake of a good story, but this just wasn't it.

I think fans of suspense will enjoy this one. While it's not the most clever novel I've read, it is definitely entertaining. I also appreciate how it's not too long. Sometimes thrillers can feel bloated, like the author was striving to reach a certain word count. This one did not have that issue.

Sarah's husband Adam dies, leaving her with a young child and a baby on the way. When Candace shows up and says she is Adam’s mom, Sarah is confused; he had said his mom had died. At times I became impatient with Sarah. Why wasn't she asking more questions? However, the story kept me turning the pages and the twists felt realistic and not over the top crazy. The ending does not wrap everything up with a bow, but it does provide a satisfying conclusion.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a e-galley; all opinions in this review are my own.

𝑺𝒂𝒅𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒈𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒇 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒂𝒎𝒆. 𝑪𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒈𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒇, 𝒔𝒂𝒅𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒊𝒔 𝒂𝒔 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒘 𝒂𝒔 𝒂 𝒑𝒖𝒅𝒅𝒍𝒆. 𝑮𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒇 𝒊𝒔 𝒂𝒏 𝒐𝒄𝒆𝒂𝒏, 𝒇𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒎𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒔. 𝑮𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒇 𝒊𝒔 𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒎𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆. 𝑺𝒂𝒅𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒇𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒔, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒈𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒇 𝒈𝒐𝒆𝒔 𝒐𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒏.

Sarah and Adam Morgan had the perfect suburban life with beautiful house, an adorable daughter, a baby on the way, and a love only written about in romance books. They were the couple everyone envied–until Adam died.

Sarah is deeply struggling with her grief when to her astonishment, the mother that Adam said was dead turns up at Sarah's home to offer her condolences. Sarah is stunned and in disbelief, and while I get that she's overwhelmed with grief, I was screaming at her when she inexplicably moves into this woman's home. This is where the plot started to unravel for me.

While this was a decent read, the actions of the main character were just too unbelievable to salvage the plot. Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this early read. This title publishes February 6, 2024.