More emotional, a little less mystery than I expected, but super relatable for anyone who knows the chaos of new motherhood. Between sleepless nights, unraveling relationships, and a murder investigation, Brynn’s entire life feels like it’s spinning out.

It almost felt like two different stories at times, but I still liked the raw, honest take on the struggles of being a mom, mixed with the tension of a murder mystery.

Brynn recently gave birth and feels distant from her husband, Ross. Other than that, life is practically perfect for them on Martha's Vineyard. Ross's rich family lives on the island, and they're all close. When a waitress they're all familiar with from the country club is murdered, Ross is arrested for her murder. Brynn can't believe this can be happening, he would never do something like that, but the evidence against him is strong. So she has to try to prove his innocence while dealing with family, friends, and post partum issues.

This was a slow burn for me, and even though the plot moved forward, it still felt like there wasn't a whole lot going on. Brynn is a relatively likeable character, and her rich in-laws are pretty entitled, just like you would expect rich people to be. There wasn't a lot of suspense in this mystery, but the story was still good.

All in all, this is a good twisty mystery. If you enjoy stories of rich people doing whatever they want, secrets, and guessing until the end, then this is for you.

Thank you to @Minotaur_Books and @NetGalley for a digital copy for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.

Pretty interesting read.
The characters are very likable and interesting. The storyline is pretty good and only somewhat predictable.
Brynn is really likable but you also feel sorry for her and all she is going through.

Overall a good read

Thank you NetGalley for the copy

Brynn is a new mother. She is struggling as an author to get back to writing. She is frustrated with the exhaustion of the physical ordeal of birth and her feelings for her son. She doesn't think she is a good Mom. Murder happens in her wealthy community. While struggling to come to terms with that, she finds her husband right in the middle of some of the goings on. This is a good book, well written with an interesting a surprising ending. ThIs is an ugly summer for the wealthy elite community of Martha's Vineyard. Will Brynn find her footing and get her life on track.? This is a great summer read. Thanks to #NetGalley#JuliaSpiro#SuchaGoodMom for the opportunity to read this book.

Brynn thinks she has all she can handle, dealing with an infant, postpartum depression, and a workaholic husband. When said husband is arrested for the murder of a server who works at their country club, she finds a lot more on her plate, including playing amateur detective.
The struggle of a young mom at her wit's end rang true enough, but the rest was pretty...meh. Closer to two and a half stars.
Thanks to #netgalley and #minotaurbooks for this #arc of #suchagoodmom in exchange for an honest review.

DNF @ 51%

I really felt for Brynn and the pain of struggling with postpartum depression. The commentary on the difficulties of being a new mother was my favorite part of the book. The sheer amount of invisible labor mothers do is endless and it was painfully relatable to see it going unnoticed in Brynn's case. Unfortunately the actual mystery wasn't intriguing me. By the 51% mark I'd hope for the stakes to feel higher but despite the murder that kicks off this story I was struggling to stay invested. If you're a fan of character-driven, slower burn mysteries this could be a great one to pick up.

Brynn is a new mom who is struggling with sleepless nights & doesn't feel like an adequate mother. On top of all this a woman's body washes ashore & the prime suspect is her husband. Not only is Brynn having a hard time with a newborn but now she has to come to terms withbpossibly losing her husband as well.
I'm currently 4 months pregnant with my 2nd & this book made me remember how hard the newborn phase was. I can't imagine having to solve a murder on top of it! I felt for Brynn. The ending was such a good twist!

I really wanted to love this book, but while it's good (okay), it was a chore to read. And in the end predictable and not exciting. My suggestion will be to move on and find another book.
Thanks, NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the ARC.

This book was not really what I was expecting. I expected more suspense and murder, but it really was more of an emotional look at the struggle of postpartum motherhood. This is an important topic, and I was able to sympathize with Brynn immediately, which drew me to her character. Added to her already full plate is a husband who is accused of murder and her need to investigate and clear his name. If you are a fan of domestic drama, I think this would be a good fit for you.

Trigger Warning: This book deals heavily with postpartum depression, and some scenes may be difficult for readers who’ve experienced similar struggles. The main character is a new mother who often feels disconnected from her baby—and at times, even regrets having him. It’s raw, emotional, and very real.

The story kicks off when someone close to her (no spoilers!) is accused of murder. Despite everything she’s going through, she doesn’t believe they’re guilty—and begins her own investigation while still battling her mental health.

While I appreciated the exploration of postpartum depression, I did feel those parts became a bit repetitive, and the pacing dragged in places. The plot had potential but didn’t quite deliver on the suspense—I wasn’t left shocked or surprised.

Overall, I’d say this is a solid read, especially for women who’ve experienced postpartum and are looking for a story that reflects that journey. It’s not groundbreaking, but it’s honest and impactful in its own way.

Thank you to NetGalley for the free advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I admit, this one took me a little while to get into, but once I got through the beginning, I was hooked. This standalone mystery by Julia Spiro showcases Brynn Nelson, who appears to have the perfect life from the outside. But Brynn is struggling and when a body washes up nearby of a family friend and her husband is arrested, Brynn goes into full detective mode. Who killed Cecelia? Brynn is going to figure it out, even if the evidence points right at her husband. I really enjoyed how this novel portrayed real emotions and doesn't just gloss over the exhaustion of being a new mom. This is a fast paced novel set on Martha's Vineyard and I didn't want to put it down until I figured out who the killer was! 4.5/5 stars

This is a wonderful book for new mothers. I related to the protagonists struggles with the baby and her husband. I just feel like I am so far past the post partum period that I was finding a lot of things repetitive but that is just me. It was good.

Thank you @minotaur_books and @juliaspiro for my gifted ebook. Such a Good Mom is out now!

I absolutely loved this book! As a new mom, a lot of what Brynn is going through really resonated with me. Her son Lucas is only 3 months old and she’s still getting the hang of the daily routine. She lives on the wealthy island of Martha’s Vineyard and her husband is out a lot of nights, leaving her with all of the baby duties. She feels like she’s drowning and living in a place where everyone is happy and perfect is hard to compete with. She’s also exhausted and trying to do her best while still struggling to feel like herself. One day a local woman is found dead and her husband Ross is arrested for her murder. Brynn has no choice but to try to solve the murder and clear her husband’s name.

Brynn clearly has postpartum depression and very little support system. She needs help, especially from her husband and he just can’t give that help to her. This book is light on the thriller side and heavy on dirty diapers, but I personally really enjoyed that part.

I haven’t read anything by Julia before, but I will definitely be looking for her next novel!

This book was everything I needed. After a reading slump, I was ready to dive into a good mystery, and Such a Good Mom was worthy. With a lot of discussion around motherhood and expectations in this phase, this book has a different take on a murder mystery. Brynn is a mom of a healthy newborn and is finding it difficult to balance motherhood with her writing career. The plot begins when she find out that one of their family friend is dead and Brynn’s husband is the number one suspect.

The story only gets better after that. I loved the discussions around motherhood (although it is a big part of the book so, if you don`t like to read about this, you probably won`t like it). And the murder mystery kept me guessing until the very end. The only thing that I would like to see more is how the crime impacted the community. The book starts with a description of the island and I would like to see how the locals were feeling about everything.

Apart from that, I really recommend Such a Good Mom for fans of thrillers. I hadn’t read anything by Julio Spiro before it, and I was gratefully surprised by how she conducted the story, adding breaks with thoughtful discussions. I really recommend it for a summer reading.

A lot of this book talks about the hardships of being a new mom - the exhaustion, the questioning every little thing, the doubting yourself, the overthinking, the schedules, etc. Brynn (the main character) is definitely suffering some postpartum depression — this might be triggering for some readers.

The book also has no shortage of family drama, but I did feel as though it did get a bit repetitive on the problems — it was hard to keep my attention in a lot of parts and I found myself putting this one down and coming back days later, making myself finish it.

In the end, it was a good story with good twists and recommend if you are okay with the possible triggers related to motherhood.

Julia Spiro's Such a Good Mom plunges readers into the seemingly idyllic, yet secretly turbulent, life of Brynn Nelson. With a healthy newborn, a devoted husband, and a successful career on Martha's Vineyard, Brynn should be happy. Instead, she's grappling with the overwhelming exhaustion and isolation of postpartum life, feeling pieces of herself slip away as her husband, Ross, grows increasingly distant.

Summer on the Vineyard typically brings wealthy visitors and a sense of invulnerability to tragedy. But for locals like Brynn, the island holds darker secrets. When a family friend, Cecelia Buckley, is found dead, washed ashore, Brynn's already chaotic life spirals further. The unthinkable happens: Ross is arrested for the crime.

Reeling with more questions than answers, Brynn knows her only path forward is to uncover Cecelia's true killer, even if it implicates her own husband. Trust becomes a luxury she can't afford, especially as the relentless cycle of sleepless nights and newborn demands makes her question her own sanity. Spiro, known for her relatable characters, masterfully brings Martha's Vineyard to life through the eyes of a new mom fighting to clear her family's name and discover the truth, no matter how unsettling. This is a compelling and emotionally charged thriller about the lengths a mother will go to protect her family, even when she can't trust anyone—including herself.

This cover caught my eye and I was very intrigued. This is an author I hadn't read before and now am very curious what else is out there. THanks so much for the gifted copy

This was a great work of mom-noir! I think any mom who struggled post-party will enjoy this read. There are many validating and relatable anecdotes and passages that will help readers connect to the main character. The mystery is fine, but is a backdrop to the struggles of early motherhood and the newborn daze. I liked the way the mystery was untangled and how it all wove into the theme of motherhood. Overall, I think this is a thought-provoking read and many moms will enjoy it!

I, for whatever reason, believed this book would be more about a murder investigation than on post pardum depression. As a mother myself, it was nice to see the real issues new moms face after giving birth.

This was an entertaining slow burn—I loved the honest, raw takes on motherhood. The coastal setting made it perfect for a summer read. Looking forward to reading more from Spiro!