Brynn lives a great life on Martha's Vineyard. Unfortunately she is struggling when it should be the happiest she’s ever been. Her husband, Ross, is clearly not pitching in or supporting her. Things will come to a head soon, but before that happens, Ross is arrested for a murder.

Julia Spiro is an excellent writer and the backdrop of the island and the mystery carry a story that is much more about the treatment of women following childbirth. Even as a childless person, the story really resonated with me and changed my mind and perceptions. It was that strong!

A great mystery, but an even better spotlight on women and childbirth.
#stmartinspress #suchagoodmom #juliaspiro

I really enjoyed this book. The struggle of new motherhood and having to deal with in-laws make for a great read. And in the end you have your friends.

When Jamie Day recommends a book, you know its going to be gosh darn good. But this, was even better! Julia Spiro, it has been days since I finished this book and I can not stop thinking about this wild ride of a book! I was so thrown off for what I thought would happen. It was so good! Add this to your TBR list book reading friends. You will not be disappointed. It would be a fantastic book club pick with a lot of fun conversations to follow.

I had the opportunity to read Such A Good Mom through NetGalley, and while the story started off strong, it ultimately left me feeling conflicted. The premise seemed promising, but as I dove deeper, I found myself overwhelmed by the heavy-handed liberal viewpoints that permeated the narrative.

From the get-go, the author tackles complex themes around motherhood and societal expectations, but some of the points felt almost nauseatingly one-sided. For instance, there were several instances where characters expressed gratitude for their abortions, which I personally found troubling. The portrayal of men in the story was equally frustrating; they were often depicted as useless, with a recurring sentiment that they could never truly understand the sacrifices women make. This felt not only extreme but also reductive.

The setting in a posh, upper-class society (Martha's Vineyard) added another layer of disconnect for me. It seemed to serve as an exaggerated backdrop for the issues at hand, making the characters’ struggles feel somewhat contrived. After researching the author, It appears that they actually reside on Martha's Vineyard, what a coincidence...

Additionally, the confession towards the end dragged on unnecessarily, adding length without substance. By that point, I was left wondering if I was even the right audience for this book.

In summary, Such A Good Mom had a compelling start but ultimately fell into clichés and overt political commentary that detracted from the narrative. While some readers might appreciate its boldness, I found it hard to connect with the story at hand. Two stars given for character development and PPD representation.

This was a really good book! A newly married woman, a new mother, new author, all these NEW things coming into this womans life at once, and she now has her husband being accused of murder. This lady is going through a lot all at once, and it was so interesting and fun to read through!!!

Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complementary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

Thank you to NetGally for letting me get a sneak peak into this book.

Becoming a new mom is always hard. Adjusting to life with a little one. Newly married, new mom, newer publishing author. Juggling all these things can be so hard.

Now with a murder in the small town, her husband being accused of killing a local young lady. Will their relationship make it. The perfect marriage but it seems she does not know her husband as well as she thought she did.

Juggling life as a single mother all her husband is in jail. Her family and friends try to help.

As a mom myself I cannot imagine having to go through all the struggles Brynn does such a good job juggling with everything. Also I can relate with needed the help as a new mom but struggling to accept the help or even ask for help.

Thank you @minotaur_books & @netgalley for my complimentary digital copy. My thoughts are my own.

This is a solid mystery with well-developed and relatable characters.

New mom, Brynn Nelson, is struggling with being a mother. Exhausted and running on fumes, Brynn knows she should feel more attached to her baby and she is not sure what to do about it.

Meanwhile Brynn’s husband seems to be growing more distant from her. One morning, Brynn’s neighbors give her some startling news: there has been a murder! But while Brynn is reeling from the news of the murder, her husband is arrested! Should Brynn support him and help find the killer? Or should she turn her back on him?

Overall, I enjoyed this intricate and well thought out story. I went back and forth with my feelings about Brynn, and finally decided I didn’t particularly like her. However, the author seamlessly weaves in Brynn’s struggles as a new mother with her reactions to everything that is going on around her; and while I did enjoy the story, I didn’t need the detailed (seemingly endless) chapter detailing the birth of Brynn’s son. This book gives an interesting take on Brynn as a new mother dealing with her suspicions about her husband. I was a bit surprised at the identity of the murderer, but overall I liked the ending.

I recommend that you go into this one blind, just to give you the shock value provided by the twists

4.5 stars!
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Mysteries are not my usual genre, because there's often a lot of blood and gore. But, this one changed my mind! I loved the combination of women's fiction, as a new mom deals with postpartum depression and the changes in her life, while dealing with the mystery of the death of a family acquaintance. It kept me guessing all the way through! This was my first book by Julia Spiro, but it will not be my last!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for the digital ARC in return for an honest review!

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of Such a Good Mom by Julia Spiro.

I was drawn to this book because it's a mystery that portrays a mother with postpartum depression. As a prior sufferer of postpartum depression, I always like to read books with characters that are suffering from it to validate the insanity that I went through, and to also see how it's written. This author portrayed it very realistically and I could identify with the mother. Overall I enjoyed this book - I thought it was a great story, but in desperate need of some editing - there were inconsistencies from one paragraph to another as far as what a character would say. The story was good and the foundation is there, just needs a little more work.

Thank you so much for this ARC!

I LOVED this book. This is way more than a "beach read". It was an intense look into life as a new mom, a glimpse into the world of money and influence and exploration of friendship.

As a fairly recent new mom, I found the writing to be so beautiful and really touched on emotions/feelings/guilt after giving birth and making sense of your new life. In addition, a really great mystery that was realistic and had me at the edge of my seat. Great twist for sure.

I read this book quickly and found myself sad once it was over! Really enjoyed it.

Spiro’s ability to weave a compelling mystery with a deeply relatable protagonist makes this a standout read that resonates with both its emotional depth and suspenseful narrative.

I loved this book, the story line was relatable for so many reasons. Having a baby is a complete life change and identity change. While some handle the changes well, some struggle. I loved the candid raw honest storytelling that was woven together by the Author. This was a book that packed a great punch and had lots of twists and turns. Well done Julia.