Such a Good Mom was an interesting read, and I appreciated the exploration of the complexities of motherhood and family dynamics. Some parts felt a bit predictable to me, and I found myself wishing for more depth in certain character arcs. That said, it was still engaging at times, and I liked the humor and relatability sprinkled throughout. Overall, it was a solid read, but it didn’t fully captivate me.

When the body of a man washes shores in idyllic Martha’s Vineyard, new mom Brynn has to dine out why her husband has been arrested for the murder. A fast-paced thriller that I enjoyed.

Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read and review this book.

I didn't initially love this book. Probably due to my work, I don't love reading about postpartum depression and psychosis. The first 1/4 of the. book is all about that which dragggggged for me. But once the husband was arrested for murder, I was ALL IN. I don't think this thriller will blow you out of the park, but it is solid albeit predictable.

Thank you to Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio for the copies to review.

I enjoyed this one overall, and thought the narrator did a great job with this story. It is a slow-burn read, very heavy on the postpartum depression, which worked for this story but was a little much at times, and became almost a crutch for the character when I thought she was better than that. I liked how it all wrapped up, although I had it figured out fairly early on.

This landed at a 3.5 for me. While once I was in, I enjoyed reading this, it felt hard to pick up again…likely because there’s some really heavy stuff here. It’s almost like there’s a grey cloud hanging over the whole story, which definitely adds to the dread and drama of the plot. Not so much thriller, but there is a good mystery that you slowly unravel. Wonderful character development!

This was a slow one. But it had a very interesting and sometimes unsettling take on postpartum and motherhood.

First read by this author and it was pretty good. I would have liked it to be more of a thriller than it was,

This book was slow, and the subject matter much heavier than just a quick beach read. Brynns struggles adjusting to motherhood are very relatable, and the setting was good. The plot of the story also revolves around her husband's business dealings and a murder - again, not a fluffy beach read, but a decent plot

🎧 Such A Good Mom 🎧⁣
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⁣This book was marketed as a fun summer beach thriller, but I found it much heavier than expected! Such a Good Mom features Brynn- a new mother struggling to find herself in motherhood and longing for her old life. When a young waitress is found killed, Brynn’s life is turned upside down… ⁣
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⁣I found Brynn’s postpartum struggles so relatable! It’s been almost ten years since my oldest was born and I still found myself shaking my head at the memories of those early days. Brynn isn’t always likable, but she’s a very sympathetic main character. ⁣
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⁣As for the murder mystery aspect— it was a little meh! It was definitely light on the suspense and wasn’t very captivating. I needed more! Three stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⁣
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⁣Thank you to @netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of Such A Good Mom. It is out now.

Such a Good Mother is on par with other books in the "motherhood thriller" subgenre. I appreciated the way it touched on the way motherhood and maternal instinct doesn't always come easy to mothers, how much of a struggle it can be. I also appreciate this was not in the vein of "the mother demonizes the child/thinks them to be evil and everyone thinks she's crazy", as a lot of similar novels have slightly older children where this is one of the topics on hand. And that gets to be exhausting and frankly, depending the handling of it, uncomfortable.

When her husband Ross is arrested for the murder of Cecelia Buckley, Brynn's quick spiral into madness to find a way to prove that it wasn't him. I personally liked this a lot, in her handling as well as the rich people drama of it all.

Ultimately for me, this was an average yet enjoyable read. Quick and easy, recommendable.

This was basically a story about how parenting can feel like a competition and the need to be the perfect parent is looming on everyone's mind.

I feel like the first half, which was enticing and suspenseful did not match the second lackluster half of the book.

The pacing and unevenness is why I can't give higher than 3 stars.

Brynn has the perfect life....gorgeous newborn son, a wealthy husband, and a life on Martha's Vineyard. Brynn is struggling postpartum with juggling her new role and feeling inadequate as a mom. This touches on postpartum depression. Her husband is then accused of the murder of a local girl, everything is turned upside down. How will they survive this? Can she handle being a single mother? The truth of the situation will absolutely shock you.

Set against the sunny facade of Martha’s Vineyard, Such a Good Mom dives into the darker side of new motherhood and the secrets that unravel when a murder hits close to home. Brynn Nelson seems to have it all—a healthy baby, a successful husband, and a beautiful life—but inside, she’s falling apart. Sleep-deprived, anxious, and unsure if she even feels connected to her baby, Brynn’s world turns upside down when her husband is arrested for the murder of a family friend.

This mystery is layered with emotional depth. Julia Spiro captures the beauty and isolation of island life and the exhausting, all-consuming reality of postpartum anxiety. Brynn’s character is complex—sympathetic, but not always likable. At times, her repetitive thoughts and overly detailed baby routines felt draining, though perhaps that was the point. I found myself wanting to step into the story to help her!

While the pacing dipped a bit in the middle the final act delivered a solid twist I didn’t see coming. The ending felt satisfying and believable, and I appreciated how Spiro weaves emotional honesty into the suspense.

If you’re into character-driven mysteries with psychological layers and a summery setting, this one’s worth picking up.I listened to the audio and Abigail Reno’s narration was fabulous and added to the atmosphere !

This one had a lot of potential, but didn't quite hit the mark for me. it almost felt like two stories with the new mother struggles and postpartum depression and then the family mystery. There was a disconnect at times and I felt it dragged.

Thank you to @netgalley for providing me this book in exchange for my honest review

So I love MV. It's a wonderful place. As a result, I will read anything set there. But I really do not care one bit about being a mom. As a result, I enjoyed the setting but not the story itself.

Julia Spiro does a fantastic job writing this story. I was kept guessing through the entire book until right up until we actually learned who had done it. The writing was excellent, storytelling was excellent. This book was a really great read.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.

" In the heat of summer, a murder on Martha's Vineyard rocks one new mom to the core, leaving her to search for answers."

So, the mystery—Somebody killed a young woman on Martha’s Vinyard, and Brynn’s husband is arrested. Brynn may have to face unpleasant truths as she tries to clear her husband of the charges. Was he involved with the dead woman? Did he commit the murder? If not, how can the evidence against him be so damning?

This book was a balance of motherhood and what are the costs and do we really know those around us. It mixes mystery, so many feelings, adn drama to make up an amazing read!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and netgalley for this arc in exchange for my review!

I haven’t heard of this author before this book and I can’t wait to read more. This was a great book. Super interesting throughout and I really like the way it showed the struggles of being a mom and how hard it was for her when her husband wasn’t there.

Set on Martha’s Vineyard, this domestic thriller centers on Brynn—an exhausted new mom, recovering from a c-section, caring for a colicky baby, and falling behind on her third novel. Just as she’s trying to stay afloat, her husband is arrested for murder, and secrets start unraveling.

The mystery had its ups and downs—some parts felt a bit thin, and Brynn came off more naïve than I expected from a writer—but the depiction of new motherhood was incredibly raw and real. That emotional depth made the story worth it for me. A solid read if you're drawn to thrillers that dig into the mental load of being a new mom.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books and NetGalley for this ARC!

I found this book to have very strong themes of postpartum depression. I found this to be really focused on being a new mom and the struggles with postpartum. There was some mystery but I feel like as it was described as a gripping beach read that there should of been more. I feel that a lot of people who have been through postpartum would enjoy this book though.

3 stars