3.5 stars
I did enjoy this book, but I wouldn’t say it’s a standout for me. The mystery aspect just didn’t wow me, but I did relate to the motherhood struggles that the main character experienced.

My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: Apr. 29, 2025
With a newborn baby and a beautiful home on Martha’s Vineyard, Brynn Nelson should be the happiest she’s ever been. But she can’t seem to shake the darkness that has befallen her since the birth of her son and her husband, Ross, is being more secretive and distant than ever. When a young woman, Cecilia, is found dead on the island and Brynn’s husband is arrested for the crime, things quickly go from bad to worse. Brynn is convinced her husband didn’t do this, but evidence to the contrary is piling up. Brynn wants to prove to everyone that Ross is innocent but even she has doubts. Is the man she married capable of killing someone?
Julia Spiro’s new novel, “Such a Good Mom” fits into the recently developing genre of “murder among the uber wealthy”, where someone dies among the world of the uber wealthy, and everyone closes up ranks. I have read many novels with this premise as of late and there are piles of Netflix shows that carry this premise, too (such as “The Perfect Couple” and “The White Lotus”), but that doesn’t mean that the novels are pedestrian or unimaginative. In fact, Spiro’s novel is an obsessive read that I devoured.
Brynn is a new mom and is struggling with all that that entails. Her in-laws are Martha’s Vineyard elite, so you know right away they’re shady and suspicious. Brynn is a relatable protagonist, especially for anyone who has ever faced the challenges of motherhood, and it is easy to build a quick connection with her.
There are twists and turns aplenty and although I figured out the “who” pretty quickly, the complex “why” eluded me until the final pages. Spiro crafted a well-developed plot with multi-layered characters, making “Mom” an easy-to-read page turner.
“Mom” is Spiro’s third novel (although it was a first for me), and she shows no signs of slowing down. I was grateful to be a part of Spiro’s book journey and look forward to seeing what else she has in store.

The cover of this book is what really drew me in. I love the pretty beach and the woman walking on it. Then the title intrigued me! It is my first book by this author and I listened to the audio version, which was well done and kept me interested.

Brynn is a new mom and she is experiencing severe postpartum depression and anxiety that is untreated. Her husband and her have felt disconnected and he is busy working so much. A family friend is found dead and soon her husband is arrested for the murder. He tells her he is innocent and not to trust anyone. She spirals into a frenzy trying to clear his name al while dealing with being a mom and those emotions.

Overall I really enjoyed this book. The mystery in itself was such a good story. I wish the book focused more on that. I think Brynn’s excessive chatter about how difficult it is to be a mom was a little much. I appreciated and related to some of it, but there was so much and I was more interested in the mystery of if her husband was innocent or not! Other than that I loved Brynn’s character and she was such a good mom, even with her doubts!

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
"Such A Good Mom" by Julia Spiro was an interesting story, part family drama & part murder mystery.
There are alot of twists & the revelation of who the murderer was, was very unexpected.
I would definitely read another book by Ms. Spiro.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Such a Good Mom is a single POV mystery/thriller. Brynn is a new mother struggling to adjust to her changing life, when her husband is arrested for a crime she knows he couldn’t have committed. At least she thinks she knows, she’s not too sure about anything except that she’s just so exhausted and overwhelmed!

This was a great mystery that was also about the struggles of new motherhood. Or maybe it was a book about the struggles of new motherhood that happened to contain a mystery. Either way, I really enjoyed it and flew through it! I’ll definitely be looking for more from this author.

Read dates: 03/12/2025- 03/13/2025
Goodreads review: 03/13/2025
Instagram review: 03/14/2025
Blog review: 04/29/2025

Brynn is a mom struggling to get back the joy and excitement he had before her baby was born. She is exhausted and emotional in the aftermath of childbirth. I thought it was a well done book on postpartum depression even though the book is also about a murder. I think this book has a realistic portrayal of depression and how it impacts all areas of one's life. It was overall very well done.

Such a Good Mom is a book with a lot going on,

Bryn is suffering from post partum depression and is questioning her life.

She has a life that many would envy but as we know post partum depression can be and is devasting.

Then a murder takes place and Bryn decides that she will investigate because surely the police cant be right about who did it.

The two stories intervweave well though I found the book dragged at times but that could have just been me on that day.

The ending brings it all together and Such a Good Mom is well worth the read.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read and review Such a Good Mom.

This was an awesome book! Brynn’s turmoil over feeling disconnected from her baby just leaped off the pages. Anyone who has suffered from postpartum depression could relate and recognize the signs. Adding the mystery of who murdered her friend stirred up even more angst. This is such a thought provoking story. The writing is amazing. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced free copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Brynn Nelson is suffering from postpartum depression with no help from her husband.

She is totally exhausted and then finds out her husband is accused of murder.

He wouldn’t do something like that? How can that be?

Brynn doesn’t need anything else added to her stressful life, but she has to decide if she will look for the murderer or let her husband be accused since she found out some things he may have done.

We follow Brynn at the beginning of the book as it leads up to her husband’s arrest and all she went through with the baby.

Will she find out who the murderer is when she can’t keep track of her own day and never get her next book written?

She doesn't know who to trust, especially since her husband tells Brynn from his jail cell to not trust his father.

Lots of tension and a good read even though it got bogged down at times with information from the past.

The secondary plot about postpartum depression was very well done and made women aware of it.

Mystery fans will be turning the pages to find out what happens. Will you figure out who the murderer is? 4/5

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Such a Good Mom was the perfect beach read. Fast-paced, murder-mystery, and keeps you hooked from the first page. Julia Spiro writes from the perspective of someone who actually lives in the area she's writing about and that was evident here. Additionally, she nailed some of the nuances that come with new motherhood. Couldn't recommend this one enough.

Brynn Nelson leads an idyllic life on Martha’s Vineyard, where she and her loving, successful husband, Ross, have recently welcomed their new baby boy. However, as Brynn struggles with postpartum depression and exhaustion, the police arrest Ross for the murder of Cecelia Buckley, a young woman connected to the Nelson family. Brynn's world shatters as she endures sleepless nights trying to uncover the truth.

While I enjoyed the murder mystery aspect of this book, I found a considerable amount of redundancy. I initially expected the story to be more of a thriller, but it turned out to focus more on the main character’s mental state after giving birth and her emotional journey as she attempts to solve a murder while coping with postpartum depression and exhaustion.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book was a pleasant surprise.
I thoroughly enjoyed it, as it was a quick read and a good time.

This was my first time reading the work of Julia Spiro.
Such a Good Mom is hard to categorize. Is it women’s fiction? A domestic thriller? A murder mystery? Parts of all of these, I think. The POV character is Brynn, a new mother struggling with post-partum depression, who is trying to make sense of her feelings about her life and loved ones and at the same time uncover the truth about the death of a young woman close to the family.

Things I liked most about this story:
Insights into the unique and serious challenges facing moms with post-partum depression, including the exhaustion, ambivalence, guilt, self-blame and disappointment that can come with having your dreams of parenthood turn out to be very different than you had expected or hoped;
Glimpses into what it’s like to be a working-class local person living and trying to make ends meet year-round in a place most people know only as a luxurious part-time vacation spot for the wealthy;
The honest portrayals of family dynamics of support and conflict, love and resentment, comparison, competition and loyalty.

Things that didn’t work as well for me:
The writing style was more narration than deep POV. The author tells us everything rather than helping us feel it. As a result, whenever I came across contradictions, I couldn’t be sure whether they were the result of an unreliable and conflicted POV character or actual continuity errors.
The mystery itself was not completely believable to me , possibly because I never felt I knew the characters well enough to be able to see them doing the things they did.
The main character, Brynn, seems to have been sleepwalking through her life, misreading everything and everyone around her for decades in a way that made it difficult for me to really root for her.

All in all, it was an interesting concept I wish I could have been drawn into more deeply.
3.6 stars

I received an e-ARC and all opinions are my own. (Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for my advance copy!)

Thank you, Netgalley, the publisher and author, for an advanced copy. This review is entirely my own.

This book is a solid 3 stars from me and that might be generous. It was a little overkill in relations to some parts being repetitive or redundant. The mystery part was well done but the exhausted new mom bits weren't for me.

Such a Good Mom
Publication Date: April 29, 2025
Five Stars- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐


Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and author, Julia Spiro for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was the first book I have read by Julia Spiro, but it won’t be the last. This book resonated with me on so many levels. Having experienced postpartum depression myself, I didn't fully realize what I was going through until much later. As a new mother, losing your identity and career is incredibly difficult, and I think Spiro captured that experience beautifully. I also really loved the character of Brynn (and the name too!).

The lies, deceit, family drama, and, of course, the murder make this a true page-turner and had me hooked from the beginning! I had an inkling of where the story was headed halfway through, but I was still pleasantly surprised by the ending.

Brynn is a new mother living on Martha’s Vineyard with her husband Ross, whose family has deep (and expensive) roots in Vineyard influence. Everything changes when semi-local Cecilia is found washed up dead on the beach and Ross is taken into custody for her murder. Brynn, though, isn’t sure if that’s the truth, but she’s not sure about much because she’s a new mother.

I really liked this book, but I most liked it when it was talking about Brynn struggling with motherhood. One instance that stuck out to me was when Ross classified Brynn and their newborn son, Lucas, as “hanging out,” completing belittling all the work Brynn does. Brynn noted that Ross seems like he’s “doing his half” with watching the baby while Brynn takes a shower, with Ross saying he “has it under control.” Brynn’s inner monologue stated Ross can “have it under control” because she’d set it up for him as such, like after changing the baby or having bottles ready. Another memorable like was Ross saying he unloaded the dishwasher for Brynn. Brynn rightfully bit back angrily, “oh, you did it for me,” which speaks to the Ross (and men largely) viewing housework as a woman’s job and “doing the women a favor” by unloading a chore deemed feminine. Outside of a murder mystery, I think this novel could stand on its own about Brynn navigating motherhood.

In accordance with FTC guidelines, please note that this ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The best part of this book is the candid and accurate portrayal of postpartum depression and especially the stigma attached to it. The main character, Brynn is overwhelmed with her newborn son yet pretends to be managing, compares herself to other parents and is afraid to be honest with her closest friends. And then her husband is arrested for murder and in a brief interaction with Brynn, he asks her to look for clues to discover who the real killer is and so the murder mystery begins. As Brynn slowly unravels clues, she gradually begins to open up to her friends as she figures out who she can trust and eventually determines how and why a young woman was killed.
I enjoyed the depiction of the difficulties faced by first time parents and the importance of supportive family and friendships. The murder mystery part of the story was only so-so with really no major twists or surprises. I thought that the portrayal of wealthy privilege of. the residents of Martha’s Vineyard was overdone and mostly ridiculous and unrealistic. For this reason, it was hard for me to become engaged in the solving of the murder. And while unnecessary to the story, it was nice that Brynn recognized at the end that even though she consciously chose her in-laws over her parents, she discovered that her own mother was the person that she could rely on the most.
I would rate this book 3.5 stars overall rounded up.

Brynn Nelson has a beautiful life on Martha’s Vineyard—a newborn baby, a loving husband, and a successful career. But postpartum exhaustion and Ross’s growing distance leave her feeling lost.

When a family friend, Cecelia Buckley, is found dead on the shore and Ross is arrested, Brynn’s world shatters. With more questions than answers, she’s determined to uncover the truth—even if it means her husband is guilty. As sleepless nights blur reality, Brynn doesn’t know who to trust, including herself. But she won’t stop searching for answers.

Told through the eyes of a new mother struggling to protect her family while caught in the storm of a murder investigation, this novel offers a compelling look at the emotional toll of uncertainty and betrayal. While it delivers an engaging story, it leans more toward women’s fiction than a true thriller, with a mystery that—while intriguing—feels strongly hinted at along the way. The big reveal may not come as a shock to seasoned readers, but the journey is still one worth taking.

I appreciate the opportunity to read an advanced copy and enjoyed experiencing Brynn’s journey. Many thanks for the chance to dive into this story early!

I really enjoyed this book! I wanted to know who was the actual murderer. It was a great story. I would have given it 5 stars but the premise of the book, "the good mom" was kind of boring. I'm a mom, I get, it's hard. It was just details about feeding and being tired and getting through the newborn stage it didn't really add anything to the story. Thanks again to @netgalley for this ARC opportunity!

Such a Good Mom is a fine book. I liked how the author described being postpartum and Brynn’s mental state. I also love how the author described Martha’s Vineyard.

There were some dull moments but it ended well. In the grand scheme of things, this book is forgettable but I appreciate the ability to read an advance review copy.