I never heard of this author before and randomly requested this audio arc and unfortunately I didn't love it , I found it a bit drawn out and under whelming, I'm sure this is probably just me but I was gripped or invested in the story while the end of the audio book got exciting it took too long to get going. I would rate this 2.5 but rounded it up to 3 as it's not terrible by any means. Thanks to netgalley for sending me this audio arc in exchange for my honest review.

Like a Mother by Mina Hardy. I read A LOT of thrillers so most story lines, I have read something similar. This book was so unique. Nothing like I have ever read. It kept me intrigued until the very last page! Really, really enjoyed this book. Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ARC!!

This book was a predictable, and just okay.


Plot -
The book opens with Sarah's husband, Adam passing away. She is left pregnant an raising a 3-year-old on her own. When Adam's business partner and wife essentially offer to buy Sarah's unborn baby, she needs to get out of there. Adam had told Sarah that his mother was dead. When Adam's mother, Candace shows up at Sarah's doorstep, clearly not dead, offering to help, Sarah packs up and moves in with Candace. Almost immediately, she realizes that things aren't quite right.

Narration -
I will say that despite not liking the book itself, I thought the narrator did a good job, especially with the 3-year-old and the development in her speech pattern. I hated the voice of Candace, but I appreciated the narrator for it because it brought her to life and made me feel how we are supposed to feel about her "nice granny" fakeness and pushy attitude.

Thoughts -
First off, I don't know why thriller authors keep naming the MC couples "Sarah and Adam," it lacks creativity at this point. You need to stretch your imagination real hard to find any of this book believable. Sarah ignores a world record number of red flags only to find herself in a predicament that the reader could predict from the moment she went to live with Candace. There are aspects of a religious cult, but nothing is fully explained. Apparently, Adam's father was some "messiah" and leader of a church on their property, but that was simultaneously in both the background and forefront of the story. There were never really full explanations for anything. Candace has a weirdo quasi-housekeeper, and the book tried and failed to explain why she stayed on but didn't fully make sense. The housekeeper also kept doing different things that felt out of character, so you could never fully get a grip on who the character actually was.

My last note is that there is this weird passage where the author describes Sarah aggressively urinating in excruciatingly descriptive adjectives. It would never have caught my attention but for her first book. I found it super odd that she did the same thing with a character in her first book, describing him urinating in a, "long hard stream." I don't know what that is all about, but I find it weird that a thriller author will now forever live in my mind as someone who always writes a scene about someone in the book urinating loudly.

Overall -
It was far too predictable and filled with far too many plot holes. I am not even sure I liked the idea of the story because it was kind of a B list story plot we have seen too many times, with a not so great execution.

I was not a fan of this book. I was constantly aggravated and angry at how everyone treated Sarah. This felt like a religious type of propaganda book. Had I known I would have not listened to it.

Like a Mother by Mina Hardy
(Narrated by Gail Shalan)

Great plot twist and unexpected ending!

Not long after Sarah’s husband passed away, a woman called Candace who claimed herself was her mother-in-law. But Sarah has never heard that from her late husband. Sarah then spent some time in her late husband’s childhood home, until she found some buried secrets…

I enjoyed the story, especially in audiobook. The narrator did an amazing work in various voice. Easy to follow and captivating.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Dreamscape Media and the author for my copy.

Pub date: Feb 6, 2024

Thank you Netgalley, Mina Hardy, and Dreamscape Media for the advanced audiobook. A great adaptation but narrator Gail Shalan. This thriller had my jaw dropped to the floor more times than once. What a wild and crazy ride and I highly recommend.

Thank you Netgalley & Dreamscape Media for an ALC of Like a Mother by Mina Hardy! I really enjoyed the narrator in this one - She nailed the different voices of characters and made it easy to binge the audiobook.

What's it about?
Sarah and Adam were a happy family, an adorable daughter and a baby on the way. Everything changed when Adam died (Cancer TW). When he does, his secrets begin to emerge. Adam told Sarah his mother was dead - Who is this woman who's now showing up and trying to be a part of their lives? There's also no money, which forces Sarah to bond with this Mother-In-Law she had no idea about.

Living in Adam's childhood home, Sarah uncovers some truths that may have been better left hidden.

While I enjoyed this one and binged it, I feel like some of the plot storylines ended up being useless when it came to the conclusion of the book. Maybe they were meant to be red herrings, but drew away from the ending for me, which led me to feeling like I didn't get full closure. That being said, I look forward to seeing what else this author comes up with!

I'm not sure if this one fell short for me because I listened to the audiobook instead of reading a physical or digital copy. I think it maybe would have been a little bit easier to follow along with had I been looking at the words as I went. Still, this kept me interested and had a few twists that I didn't see coming. It is definitely one I think I will pick up a physical copy of in the future to reread and see if I like it even more.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #DreamscapeMedia for the book #LikeAMother by #MinaHardy. This book tells about broken relationships, abuse and surviving. Great thriller with a plot twist.

Whoa! This book was wild in some parts! There were a couple parts of the mystery I figured out before it was revealed, but others that were a total surprise. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who likes mysteries and a bit of horror as well. I did appreciate the wrap up at the conclusion, but it still left me with some more questions. Almost like the author was making room for a sequel?

well, that was fun. it wasnt very twisty, but the suspense was great and it kept me wondering. if you have church/cult trauma or MIL trauma, i'd proceed with caution. I will read more my Hardy though.

I enjoyed listening to LIKE A MOTHER. Sarah went through quite a nightmare when her husband Adam died. Candice was a horrible person and I knew she would be from the start. This is a clever story filled with so many secrets. I really commend the author, she really created and interesting story, it's very creative and not something that I would have ever thought of.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for the gifted ALC

This review will be shared to my Instagram (@coffee.break.book.reviews) closer to pub date.

WILDDDDDD. I was expecting a typical thriller, but this ended up being so much more. Religious cults always intrigue me and I love reading about them.
I really enjoyed the slow uncovering of everything. It was perfectly paced.
The characters were so well written. Candice gave me the heebie-jeebies from the start. Also, when are characters going to stop gaslighting children! Trust their little brains once in a while.

This book started with a bang with Sarah revealing that her husband Adam had died. When Adam's mother Candace appears, Sarah is stunned as Adam had told her that his mother had passed away. Needing money and assistance, Sarah takes up Candace's offer to move in with her so they can get to know each other.

Yikes! Poor Sarah. How was she to know that Candace would turn out to be the mother in law we all don't want?! I could handle the first one or two out there scenarios but after that, I felt like it was too much. This book was quite unbelievable in a lot of ways and Sarah stuck out the situation more than any normal person would. Sadly this book was just okay for me. I did enjoy the narration of the audiobook however.

Thank you NetGalley!
Like a Mother... WOW!
Everybody has secrets..
Multiple times this book was full of surprises! All kinds of twists and turns!
You never know who you can trust.. or another persons story. This book left me wanting more!
Loved the narrator as well, overall this was a great book!

A very fast read that has multiple conflicts that keep you listening/reading. Ava/Eva and Graham were characters I thought would have a larger role, given their interest in adopting Sarah's child, but I'm glad the story pivoted more to Adam and Candace. Fantastic audiobook narrator who is able to give each character a different voice without the performance feeling too theatrical.

From the very beginning, the audiobook gripped me with the revelation of the woman's husband's death. The narrative skillfully unfolded, immersing me in the emotional core of the story, and from that point on, I was captivated by the characters' journey.

The exploration of how religion can influence relationships remained a compelling aspect throughout. The narrative delved into this theme, resonating with my belief in the significance of individual autonomy within a partnership, and it provided a thought-provoking perspective.

Despite its concise length, the audiobook maintained an excellent pace. The quick progression of events ensured a dynamic and immersive listening experience, proving that a compelling story doesn't require unnecessary length.

In essence, the audiobook offered a gripping and emotionally charged journey from the outset, with unexpected twists and insightful reflections on relationships and religion. Highly recommended for those seeking a captivating and resonant audio experience.

3.75 rounded up

This was an overall intriguing book. I think it has some strong elements, one of which was the fact that the plot twists were plausible. That said, of the “realistic thrillers” I’ve read, it’s the most veering toward unbelievable, only due to the cultish aspects of the novel (given that the cult seems to have been mostly disbanded and no longer in practice - at least in regards to the main characters).
I think the main force of conflict can really be boiled down to miscommunication or lack of communication, which isn’t necessarily my favorite, but adds to the plausibility factor.

One thing I enjoyed that did really surprise me though, was the dichotomy between Judaism and Christianity. I wasn’t expected that but did enjoy it, but if you’re not in the mood for religious topics or antisemitism, maybe put this one aside. I did think it made the story interesting and provided a unique element to this thriller.

I loved this as an Ebook. And I mean I loved it! It was one of the best books I read all year. I love this exploration of faith, relationships, and grief. Adam is so complex! Sara is too!
The audiobook is even better! The performance is perfection!
Listen to this. Trust me. Sara is a Jewish woman who just lost her Jewish (convert) husband. Immediately she is finding out all sorts of secrets about her husband and his past. She is also cut off financially and has to leave her community to avoid people trying to force her to place her yet born baby up for adoption. Her planned baby! She has no one to trust.
Anyway, it gets so good and the ending is even better.

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.

Great writing, great narration, over all just very engrossing. Highly recommended!