A struggling new mom looks for answers when a local woman is found dead and someone close to her is accused of the murder.

Although this story is a murder mystery, I found a lot of the focus to be on the struggles of postpartum depression. I'm not downplaying the struggles of PPD. However, I felt like this aspect of the story was super repetitive and could have been condensed to focus more on the premise of the book.

The murder mystery plot was good with some unexpected surprises. If you like domestic thrillers, you'll enjoy this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this book.

Was a good story but nothing real shocking. Book deals with post partum depression on top of everything else going on.

thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. A well written mystery that kept me turning the pages. A trigger warning for new moms with depression may need to be given.

Such a Good Mom does have a murder, but the book centers around postpartum depression. The murder mystery and investigation take a backseat as we watch Brynn struggle with new motherhood. When her husband is arrested for murder, her depression deepens, but knowing he’s innocent, she’s determined to find out what really happened, even if things go in a direction she wasn’t expecting. As a dual read/ listen this book was contradictory and repetitive in spots, and all in all was just OK. Thank you to Minotaur Books, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an ARC and ALC of this book.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC for my review. Brynn and her loving husband have a new precious baby. Living in Martha’s Vineyard how could life be much better than this wonderful picture. But then someone ends up losing their life and her husband is being accused of the crime. This journey is very difficult for Brynn being a new Mom and going through depression and exhaustion as a new Mom and dealing with her husbands accusations. It was just an okay read for me.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books and NetGalley for providing me with an early copy to read and review.

3.5 Stars

This book was quickly captivating and a fast read. While there was some predictability about the plot as it went on, the writing about motherhood was so realistic and truthful (this coming from someone who is not a mother but is aware of the challenges as a medical professional, sister and friend).

The location was equally alluring and a trip to Martha’s Vineyard must be made!

My first Julia Spiro book but definitely not my last. This one packs an emotional punch. Colorful characters, tough subjects and real life situations had me hooked. Very good from beginning to end.
Thank you NetGalley, Julia Spiro and Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read and review this book

Thank you @minotaur_books for the gifted advance reader copy!

Brynn is a new mom who is struggling postpartum and feels disconnected from her husband. When he is arrested for the murder of a local young woman, can she trust that he is innocent?

This book is a compelling murder mystery but also an emotional account of the struggle with postpartum depression that so many new mothers can relate to. I feel like the mystery aspect took a backseat to Brynn’s story, making it read more like women’s fiction, but overall I enjoyed it!

Rating 4⭐️

Such a Good Mom by Julia Spiro is a captivating standalone mystery that is ideal for a relaxing day at the beach. Set on the picturesque Marthas Vineyard during the scorching summer months, the story follows a new mother who is shaken to her core by a shocking murder, prompting her to embark on a quest for the truth. From the very first page, I found myself completely engrossed in the gripping narrative and unable to set the book down.

New mom Brynn is exhausted. She can’t do anything right and the stress is getting to her. Her husband Ross isn’t helping either. Everyone tells her that it’s normal and she just needs to ask for help and take time for herself. But that makes her a terrible mom, right? Then she gets news that there’s been a tragic death on the island. And in Martha’s Vineyard, news travels fast. Before she knows it her husband is being arrested for the murder. He insists that he didn’t do and he has proof. Brynn has to help him by finding that proof and telling the truth. Can she uncover what really happened and prove her husband is innocent? Or will he go down for a crime he may not have committed?

I liked that this book touched on postpartum depression but did feel that it was a little drawn out. I did overall enjoy this book and the mystery was engaging enough but perhaps nothing groundbreaking.

Such a Good Mom had a really compelling premise—a murder mystery set against the backdrop of Martha’s Vineyard, told through the lens of a new mom dealing with postpartum struggles? I was immediately intrigued. Julia Spiro did a great job capturing the raw exhaustion and identity crisis that can come with early motherhood, and Brynn’s inner turmoil felt very real and relatable.

That said, the pacing was a bit uneven for me. The first half leaned more heavily into Brynn’s emotional journey and domestic life, while the mystery didn’t really take off until later in the book. I found myself wishing the suspense element had been more tightly woven throughout. When it did pick up, there were definitely some twists and turns—but I called the twist pretty early, which took a bit of the tension out for me.

The setting was beautifully described, and I appreciated the commentary on privilege and appearances in tight-knit island communities. And while I empathized with Brynn’s experience, I had a harder time connecting with some of the other characters, which made it tougher to feel fully invested.

Overall, a solid read with some poignant moments and strong emotional depth, especially around motherhood—but it didn’t quite hit the mark as a mystery for me. A good beach or weekend read if you're looking for a blend of domestic drama and light suspense.

I liked this! It's a little bit murder mystery, and a lot of commentary on the challenges of being a new mom. I really liked Brynn, and completely rooted for her as she was facing her own struggles but also desperately trying to find out if her husband was actually responsible for killing someone. The ending was really exciting (although a tad rushed), and there were some parts that were truly touching.
*
I do think there were some aspects that were a bit clunky -- some text was repeated (I suppose it's possible that was meant to demonstrate Brynn's sleep-deprived mind?) and the evidence that had so completely convinced everyone, including Brynn herself, just doesn't seem compelling to me at all. Honestly, that part made the twist later seem a bit obvious.
*
But it was a fun read, it moved quickly and was exciting.

Brynn Nelson is struggling to adapt to motherhood, and her husband Ross is growing more distant by the day. After a local young woman is found dead, Ross is quickly arrested as the primary suspect. He swears he’s innocent and although Brynn isn’t 100% sure she believes him, she’s determined to find out what really happened.

The author does an outstanding job of describing the challenges of being a new mother and the darkness that accompanies post-partum depression and anxiety. Anyone who’s been there will immediately identify with Brynn, with her days devoured by nursing, pumping, diapering, shushing; a husband with learned helplessness (“tell me how I can help” then leaves it all for her to do); and her crushing feelings of isolation. As someone who has suffered through it twice, this type of representation resonates with me, but I fully acknowledge this type of character might miss the mark for readers who haven’t experienced this.

This is a solid read, albeit darker and more serious than the mysterious beach read implied by the synopsis. There is a bit of an imbalance between Brynn’s PPD and the mystery; the heavy focus on Brynn leads to the mystery being a bit underdeveloped and lackluster. The pool of viable suspects is small, and I was able to guess the culprit well before the big reveal, although I did enjoy how it all came together. I also really enjoyed Abigail Reno’s audiobook narration. She does an excellent job of infusing Brynn with authentic raw emotion.

Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Macmillan for providing me advance copies of this book.

Received an ARC via NetGalley.

Tip: don’t read if you’re pregnant (especially with your first) or a new mom. Or maybe you should? I dunno. Whereas I think it paints a scary picture of the early days of motherhood, and could strike fear in the expectant or hit too close to home, I also think it’s important to know whatever you’re feeling isn’t wrong or bad and you aren’t alone and you also might have PPD.

There’s a mystery going on in this story but that fits in well, but it’s the bulk of this really focused on motherhood. I didn’t struggle with all of the same feelings as the narrator but my god, do I remember some of it so well. I’ve read other stories like this and it always strikes me that we don’t do enough to educate people around new moms about the warning signs or even if we do, we don’t give them resources to know how to help a struggling mom.

The mystery itself is good too. It’s compelling but it def seems like a side plot (which is fine!). It played out how I suspected it. And I appreciate a narrator, who despite being completely exhausted, doesn’t make a bunch of dumb and predictable bad choices. I liked Brynn and I felt for her.

One small gripe: at no point do the police search their home? It wasn’t relevant to the story but like, c’mon!

This was my first book by this author and even though it is a heartbreaking story, I really enjoyed it.
The writing on spot, and the building up really well done. Emotional, a little mystery, the difficulties of motherhood every woman experienced, how to deal with it and knowing who to trust.
TW: PPD

Thank you Netgalley, St. Martin's Press for the ARC, in exchange for an honest review.

A heartbreaking look into the life of an author/new mom who’s suffering from severe postpartum depression and gets little to no help with the baby from her husband. Same husband just happens to be arrested and accused of murder. As Brynn is trying to be a good mom and try to prove her husband is innocent, she finds out that her in-law’s and their family business have some decade old secrets of their own.

My heart broke for Brynn and all she was going through with little to no help from family, including her husband. I appreciated the mental health representation and the realistic look into postpartum depression. I think even though it may have been tough to read, it is important for people to understand that it is a very real thing. I think Spiro did a good job being realistic and sharing the raw emotions of a first time mom. This poor woman just wants to be a good mom but she can’t seem to catch a break, which is so relatable and definitely depicts motherhood. I loved her group of friends who stepped up to help her. Sometimes it’s better to not ask if someone needs help, and instead just jump in and do it. Being a mom is hard and it definitely takes a village of people you can trust to help. I enjoyed the mystery and suspense of who murdered the girl who washed up on to the shore in Martha’s Vineyard…so many sketchy possibilities. I wish that the story would have focused a little more on this plotline and not so heavily on the motherhood struggles, but I also understand why it was important.

Reno did a great job narrating and bringing the characters and story to life. She delivered a flawless and entertaining performance from start to finish.

Thank you @macmillan.audio, @stmartinspress, @minotaur_books, and @NetGalley for the #gifted ARC & ALC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I read the excerpt from the Minotaur sampler and was looking forward to this book because it starts off with a bang. Unfortunately, it focused entirely on the protagonist and the mystery was insignificant. Yes there is a murder but the story is told from Brynn’s POV, she is completely focused on herself. I understand that she’s experiencing postpartum depression which is an important topic but she’s also extremely self-centered and exhausting. I have never disliked a character so much.
Personally, I feel that if this novel was listed as women’s fiction and/or the synopsis was written differently, the target audience would not be the same. This is not a mystery thriller in my opinion; Poor Cecelia is completely lost in this story until the few chapters.
I do believe the plot had potential as a mystery and it was well-written.
Thank you to the publisher/author for the opportunity to listen to this complimentary advanced copy. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This book is almost a complete analysis of postpartum depression, in excruciating detail. Brynn is trying to be a good mom, but most days just wants to go back to her old life without the baby. Thinking that her life then was perfect and would be again, without the strains and pressures of motherhood. She's soon to have a big distraction though when her husband gets arrested for the murder of a young girl. Could it be true? Was he fooling around while she was in a postpartum mommy funk?

Now she's not only filled with hormonal rage, but rage at her husband as she tries to uncover what happened and who is the murderer. It's like the book switched gears from a dissection of motherhood and depression, to a full on murder mystery thriller, so I found that a stretch. And the detective is a sleep deprived, brain fogged mom. It was also very slow in parts so I feel that it would have benefitted from some judicious editing. The murder mystery plot itself was interesting, but nothing that hasn't been done before, and a bit predictable. There was some good domestic drama and suspense, but I've just read better.

Thank you St. martins Press, Netgalley, and to the author for this ARC.

This was my first Spiro novel, and it will not be my last. She created such a strong voice for mothers and those facing PPD. This novel focuses on motherhood, the changes that come within and on the outside during that time, and also set up a great thrill. This was set in beautiful Martha Vineyard where I could just imagine the landscape. I really enjoyed this novel and know many others will to. This would be a good beach read for those who don’t typically take the light romances.