3.5 ⭐

This one started out with a wife, Sarah, who just lost her husband to an illness. She is pregnant and her husband's business partner, Graham, wants her to sign over her rights to her baby when it is born. They claim it was her husband's wishes. Umm weird? This is on part of the story. The other side is her husband's mom, Candace, who is dead is alive and shows up at his funeral. In an attempt to get away from Graham she agrees to stay with Candace.

We learn A LOT when she is with Candace and the secrets just keep coming.

I liked the twists at the end of this one but there was a lot of me thinking, "why is she doing this!?" throughout most of the book.

This audiobook kept my interest, the story and also the narrator. I would recommend this book to anyone that loves a great suspense novel!

How would you like to be married to a husband who has told nothing but lies since the day you were married? This book has it all… Lies, secrets, twist, and turns that you don’t expect. I could not stop listening to this audio. I found that I was taking it with me everywhere. Vacuuming the house, riding my indoor bike, walking my 3 miles every day, just to find out how it ended, and I was not disappointed. The mother-in-law drove me crazy! Thanks to NetGalley and publisher for this early release in exchange for my honest review. Happy Publication Day February 6, 2024.

This spine-chilling thriller had me hooked! I loved the widowed, new mother story plot. I loved the secrets unfolding throughout the books. I loved the twists and turns! I see why this book is a hit. The narrator for this was also excellent!

This was my first book by Mina Hardy and it did NOT disappoint! Like A Mother is a 5 star pyschological thriller sure to hook readers from page one.

Imagine having the perfect life. Perfect husband, beautiful daughter, Ellie, a baby on the way, and financially stable. That’s what Sarah and Adam Granatt have built together. That is, until Adam dies, and somehow, even though Adam promised they’d always be taken care of, they are not.
Coincidentally, Sarah meets Candace, Adam’s mother, who, was thought to be deceased. Candance so desperately wants to be involved in her daughter-in-law’s life and to help her out.

Sarah must uncover the truth about her husbands past to protect herself and children before it’s too late!!

When I started this audiobook, it wasn't what I expected, but the more it progressed, the more it drew me in and had me needing to know what happened next.

I didn't expect this book to be as faith driven as it is. The battle between the FMC and her mother in law over Judaism and Christianity took me off guard, but the farther in you get, the more it all starts to make sense.

This one definitely had me on the edge of my seat, even though I picked up on the more obvious secrets before they were revealed to the FMC. I don't want to ruin anything for anyone, so all I'll say is that the end is very intense but does have a HEA of sorts.

I do suggest giving this one a chance, especially as an audiobook, because Gail Shalan did a phenomenal job bringing this book to life.

Mina Hardy's (Megan Hart) chilling new psychological thriller, LIKE A MOTHER, is a wild, twisty, and crazy ride with darkness lurking on every page—something I never expected. From gaslighting to a dark web of deceit, family secrets, and lies, this domestic suspense keeps you guessing until the explosive ending.

EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED.

AUDIOBOOK: OMG! The audiobook was so good! I listened to the audiobook without a digital reading copy. The audiobook was fantastic! I love the narrator, Gail Shalan, and have heard some of her other performances over the years, which is why I chose this one. (I just finished One Wrong Word by Hank Phillippi Ryan, which she narrated).

Gail makes the characters come alive! Each character's voice was so distinct—this has to be a significant undertaking! The voice of the mother-in-law was so creepy, just like her character. I highly recommend the audiobook!

Sarah and Adam Morgan had the perfect suburban, a beautiful house, an adorable daughter, and a baby on the way until he died from Leukemia. They met in college and had a great marriage. Adam owned a business with a partner. She assumed he had taken care of them in this will.

However, after Adam dies, Sarah discovers so many secrets, one by one. She had quit her job years earlier to be a homemaker and always wanted to open a B&B. She decided to stay home and raise a family which she loved. She finds out Adam changed his will, and she is not provided for. They had talked about it, and she was to get a monthly income from the business until the kids were grown and she could support herself.

Then, a shocker. Sarah is blindsided. His business partner Graham and his wife want guardianship of the baby. They want her to sign it over to give her monthly income. They said this was Adam's wish. Sarah is appalled! No way. Sarah's mother had mental problems, and she had anxiety. But she is a strong-willed woman and a capable mother. He would never do this. They are trying to blackmail her. No one will take her baby.

The second shocker (there are many more)—a woman shows up named Candace claiming Adam is her son. Adam said his parents were both dead when they met back in college! The woman calls him Henry. What is going on?

Candace seems like a nice woman, and eventually, Sarah is worn down, and Candance offers to let them move in with her. She has a big house and plenty of room until Sarah gets back on her feet. Sarah thinks it will be nice to be taken care of UNTIL...

However, is she making a deal with the devil? She seems like a loving grandmother to her daughter, but then she seems obsessed with her baby. Why is everyone obsessed with her baby?

Sarah also feels like she is in prison as the house is remote, and they have no internet or cell phones with signals. She feels cut off and wants to get a job working remotely to be independent and not rely on this woman.

Then, more strange things occur, which is spine-chilling. Candace pushes her Christianity on Sarah and her daughter when Sarah and Adam are Jewish. Then, she finds out Adam's dad was a priest. So, what in the world is going on? Candace said they had a falling out. Was it so bad that he claimed they were dead to have them out of his life?

A young lady named Honor is also living there as Candace's housekeeper. She seems afraid of Candace and hides things. Also, there are locks on things in the kitchen, and Sarah feels like an outsider. She thinks Honor may be the only one to provide her answers to the past and present and what is going on in this house if she will confide in her.

Sarah never expected this shocker. Did she know Adam? Had their life been a lie, or was he trying to protect her? Sarah feels trapped in this house under Candace's control. Then, more sinister and scary things occur, and somehow, Honor is connected. How many secrets had Adam been hiding?

The closer Sarah gets to the truth, the more she learns she may be in danger. She must escape this house and this woman. Is she trying to take her baby, and what about Peter, the husband who was a minister? There are dark, hidden family secrets, and Honor is her only hope, but can she trust her?

Wow! This is one nail-biting, heart-pounding thriller. You will never guess where the book is heading, but you are on board for the ride. I was glued to my AirPods because you do not want to miss a thing.

There is so much to this book/audio and many layers. No spoilers here, but trust me, there are so many parts and twists, and some do not come to light until the latter part. However, trust me, there is action, tension, and drama from beginning to end in this well-written domestic suspense.

LIKE A MOTHER is creepy and twisty, and the suspense is riveting. I would love to learn the inspiration behind the book, which may/or may not have been included in the author's note, not included in the audiobook.

Even though I liked the ending, there were some loose ends left undone; however, giving this one 5 Stars due to the audiobook performance, which was stellar!

This is for you if you enjoy the unexpected, with a locked room-type, unsettling atmosphere with a dark sense of foreboding. The mother-in-law was so creepy because you do not know her motives. She will give you the chills. I felt for Sarah; you will root for her to the end!

I am delighted to discover this newfound author and look forward to reading more!

Thanks to Dreamscape Media NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an advanced listing copy.

Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 Stars (Audio)
Pub Date: Feb 6, 2024
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Sarah Granatt isn't surprised when her husband dies; he's been terminal for a long time..... but she is surprised to learn that she's been cut out of his will and even more surprised when his mother, whom she believed was long dead, shows up to help her pick up the pieces of her life. Having no choice but to accept her mother-in-law's generosity, Sarah takes her daughter and goes to live on the property her husband grew up on. While the living arrangement solves a lot of Sarah's immediate problems, she soon learns it will cause many more.

I really enjoyed this book! Sarah is a likeable, sympathetic character from the start and readers will feel for her as she tries to make the best choices she can for her daughter and unborn baby while still reeling from unfathomable loss. The mother-in-law starts out quirky but sweet and pretty quickly becomes overbearing and borderline creepy. The whole thing just built a seemingly harmless small town with an odd underbelly well. The situation was off putting enough to raise the hair on your neck, but not so much that you're frustrated by the fact that Sarah doesn't immediately leave.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Dreamscape Media and Crooked Lane Books for gifting me an audio ARC of the new book by Mina Hardy, and perfectly narrated by Gail Shalan - 4 stars!

Sarah and Adam were the perfect couple, with a young daughter and baby on the way. Then Adam died from a rare form of leukemia. Besides being grief-stricken, things suddenly take a dark turn. Adam's best friend and business partner, Graham, and his wife, suddenly become too interested in Sarah's children. And the financial cushion they planned for was suddenly gone. Then enter Candice, who claims to be Adam's mother, although Adam said she was dead. Desperate and scared, Sarah accepts Candice's offer to live with her until she can have her baby and get settled.

I really enjoyed this fast-paced thriller. It almost had gothic, creepy vibes with religious fanaticism in the mix as well. There were so many secrets that Adam was keeping that Sarah can't begin to wrap her head around them. Plus, she mistrusts everyone and their intentions. The audio was fantastic - this is the second book I've listened to this week narrated by Gail Shalan and she does a wonderful job with all the voices.

Wow, this book was insane. From the very start, I had no idea why things were going the way they were. I had a feeling about one of the characters, and I was right. However, it did not spoil the book for me. This, the book kept me anticipating what would happen next. I truly enjoyed every second of this book.

If you’re looking for an unhinged and somewhat unbelievable yet incredibly fun read, this is it!

I knew I was in for a wild ride when within the first few minutes the main character has a conversation with a friend where said friend asks (demands) the other give up her unborn baby, and maybe toddler, because she doesn’t believe she can handle it after the death of her husband. Mind you, this happens while sitting shiva for said dead husband. Not even a week in the dirt and this woman is demanding her widowed friend give away her baby!

Anyways, long story short our main character meets her husband’s estranged mother and decides to move in with her while getting back on her feet. Why were they estranged? That’s the fun part. Lots of suspension of disbelief in terms of actual events that happened but I do think it offered an accurate insight on how pregnant women/mothers are treated by society. NOTHING matters except the baby and all that. There was also an exploration of the discrimination and prejudice Jewish people face for their faith and some of the more instance facets of evangelical Christianity (this version definitely was more akin to a cult like following).

All that to say - nothing ground breaking but certainly a ton of fun. A bit of a slow burn with an express ticket to crazy town.

Narration was also good - though the voice for the little girl gave me the creeps.

Thanks so much for the audio arc of this book!

This book had several reveals that surprised me, a rare treat! It definitely kept me guessing, too.

Having a Jewish MC who kept kosher was also a delight for me, especially as she had to deal with her in-laws not respecting her religion/practices

There is one part of the story I found a bit unbelievable and “this would never happen in real life but only a book or soap opera” but so much else in the story kept me interested I could roll with it. The cover and title don’t make a lot of sense to me here but that seems to be the trend.

Thanks netgalley for my ALC!

A great, suspenseful, thoughtful thriller that starts as a slow burn but culminates in Crazytown! Sarah and Adam had a great marriage until Adam got sick. After he passed away, Sarah learned he had some secrets... the biggest one being that his mother, who he said was dead, showed up at the funeral. Yearning for connection with her deceased husband, Sarah decides to move in with his mom while she awaits their newborn baby. (Big mistake. Huge!)

I liked the themes of the book, especially Sarah's struggle to keep her Jewish identity when faced with a mother in law who is, quite possibly, in a fringe Christian cult. The story had a great sense of creeping dread. The end of the book got ALMOST a little too outrageously unbelievable, but it was great fun so it was worth it. I will definitely read more Mina Hardy books in the future. Also, the audiobook narrator did a great job.

Wow did this book shock me to my core! I received the audio version of "Like a Mother" from NetGalley & it was quite easy to follow. Bravo to the narrator for adding a little something extra to the story with voices tailored to the characters, which I find really helps in audio books, especially thrillers.

There is a religious aspect to this story which lost my interest a bit mid-way through, but once I finished, it was clear why it was such an essential part of the plot. So if you start to lose interest too, hang on, it will all be worth it during the last pages.

The final chapters had me rounding up my review from a four to a five star, because I was riveted by Hardy's writing. If I had been reading a physical copy, it would have been very hard for me to put down. Great build-up. Relatable characters. Unique plot & twists.

After her husband's death, Sarah is pregnant, alone and struggling. Her husband's business partner and wife want to take the unborn baby to "help" Sarah. And Candace, Sarah's deceased husband's mother who Sarah didn't know existed, shows up. Candace offers Sarah a place to stay at her house - away from the threat of Graham and his wife's harassment. While not ideal, Sarah moves in with Candace and as time goes on secrets get uncovered and motives revealed.

This was my first Mina Hardy read but definitely not my last. I "binge" listened to this audiobook because I just couldn't stop. I needed to know what was going to happen. The narration was great and it was a quick listen packed with suspense.

This one earns a solid 4.5 stars from me! I definitely recommend checking this one out!

Like a Mother was such a interesting story. I really enjoyed the suspense and mystery in this story, because I never saw the twists coming. There were so many twists and it kept my attention for the whole time. Sarah was such a strong and empowering character that was relatable even through the trials she was going through, and all the other characters were super interesting as well.

Wow! This book was amazing! I couldn’t put it down! I kept wanting to know what was going to happen.. I couldn’t imagine having a mother-in-law like this! This was a great read!

Sarah and Adam had the perfect marriage. But when Adam passes away a lot comes to light and Sarah finds herself needing somewhere to live and looking for a support system. Just when she thinks nothing else can surprise her the mother of her late husband who she thought was dead appears and offers solutions to some of her most pressing problems.

I wanted to like this book. It has so much that I liked but there were so many red flags from the beginning it was hard to imagine a mother overlooking them before moving herself and her child. I understand the circumstance that she was in but it was insane. That being said there were twist and turns that I did not guess which was great. I felt like there was so much to unpack that I appreciated that it wasn't all clear cut. I think there is a lot to the story that I did enjoy and it was fast paced but the main character was just a little too oblivious for me.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a family dynamic thriller. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this story!

I listened to the audiobook for this one (well for most if it, I got to having about an hour left and my car ride was over so I switched to kindle because patience is not my best quality). I thought the beginning was a little slow for me and the end was a bit of a rush, but overall it was a good thriller with some really good twists (although also with some unanswered questions). I have read this author’s earlier works and really enjoyed the first so I requested this without reading the description, I may not have gone for it because of the role grief plays, but overall I found it to be an enjoyable book even if the descriptions of the main characters grief were spot on and hard for me to listen to. Sarah’s husband Adam has died and she is left with their 3 year old daughter and her unborn baby. Struggling with grief she is thrown even further when her husband’s business partner makes it clear that he won’t honor the agreements her husband told her he would unless she signs guardianship paperwork in case something happens to her so he and his wife can have custody of her 3 year old and with better sense than most thriller give their female narrators she knew she was being pressured to essentially sell her daughter. Some big financial barriers hit and she is left pretty desperate, desperate enough that the offer to stay with her mother in law that she had never met and in fact been told was dead sounds reasonable, Sometimes someone leaves their past behind to start over for very good reason though. I highly recommend the audiobook version of this one if you debating between versions.

If you’re looking for a book that’s twisty, mysterious, and will keep your attention the entire way through, this one is for you. Sarah is recently widowed, pregnant, has no family to speak of, and now her closest friends are trying to convince her to give them her unborn child. When her mother-in-law shows up unannounced willing to take care of her and her daughter, she moves in with her until she can get back on her feet. But something is off, and she realizes that she might have made a grave mistake.

I was so excited about this book and I was not disappointed. The character development was on point, even down to Sarah’s toddler. I felt like I was watching a movie as I read. There were plenty of twists and turns, none of them predictable. I really enjoyed it, and will definitely be reading more from this author.