This book really surprised me! Initially, I don't think the cover really matches the vibes of the book. This book was so messy and realistic. I loved following the different characters that are all connected by the same baby daddy. I loved seeing the growth each woman went through and how they worked together to make the best of a bad situation. I think this book is extremely underrated and I recommend!

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the ARC of this novel. I was not expecting this book to be what it was at all which is not a bad thing. Sandy and Stephanie feel so real in their interactions with family and their kids and each other. They felt like people I see in the real world which is not something I experience very often. I don't know if anyone should go into this for a linear plot because life is not linear. Things happen you could never expect and people come in and out and change your perspective. Not my usual book but it definitely made me think. 4 stars.

What a wonderful and honest examination of motherhood in all its forms. The characters sparkle and the relationships are deep and nuanced. I loved the way Ruta brings the mothers together with the device of the deadbeat dad who keeps charming women into bed yet has no real maturity to be a husband and a father. But the women in his life turn out to be perfect life partners for one another. What is even more interesting is the portrayal of the mothers who have no interest in helping other mothers. Who have hidden traumas and backstories of their own who put them in competition rather than ally-ship with other women. Overall great read!

All the Mothers by Domenica Ruta was my first read by this author, and it immediately drew me in with its raw honesty and unconventional take on motherhood. The novel centers on Sandy, a single mom navigating the chaos of early parenthood while grappling with heartbreak, grief, and the lingering effects of poor romantic choices. Her life takes a sharp turn when she discovers that her daughter Rosie has a half-sibling—born to another woman, Stephanie, who also had a child with Sandy’s ex, Justin. What begins as a confrontation morphs into an unexpected alliance, as Sandy and Stephanie forge a bond rooted in shared experience and mutual exhaustion.

The character conflict is rich and layered. Sandy is caught between resentment and longing for stability, for connection, for a version of motherhood that doesn’t feel like drowning. Her relationship with Justin is toxic and manipulative, complicated further by his unnervingly close bond with his mother, Tara. Stephanie, too, carries her own baggage, and the tension between the women initially adversarial evolves into a fragile but powerful friendship. Their decision to cohabitate and co-parent in a makeshift “mommune” challenges traditional notions of family and forces each woman to confront her own insecurities, boundaries, and hopes.

The twist comes when yet another woman, Kaya, enters the picture also pregnant by Justin. Rather than unravel, the trio expands their unconventional family, choosing solidarity over rivalry. But Justin’s reappearance threatens the fragile peace they’ve built, forcing them to defend their autonomy and redefine what motherhood means on their own terms. Ruta’s conclusion is both chaotic and cathartic, affirming that sometimes the most resilient families are the ones we choose, not the ones we inherit. It’s a messy, heartfelt, and surprisingly funny exploration of love, loss, and the radical act of showing up for one another.

I really love character driven stories! This one was fantastic. I was so rooting for
Sandy, Steph and Kaya! They are all tough and sassy women. How they came together makes a great story and feels genuine. There was such a connection that comes when women celebrate each other and boost one another. It was quite uplifting in spite of all the issues that they faced.

If you enjoy books that focus on women and friendships, this is a lovely story that I highly recommend.

I’m thankful to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this title.

A pretty cool woke novel about 3 women who become family after finding out they all share the same baby daddy. It was very well written, fun, and hopeful, but I don't think I will remember it a year from now. Also, I had no idea there was going to be so much talk about a child gender and choice to officially become binary. I am very much over this BS.
What I loved most about this novel? The writing, the sense of humor, the banter, the hope.

Such an unexpected and intriguing story using a “found family” trope. When Sandy gets pregnant, she is hopeful about her relationship with Justin until she finds out that this is not the first time that Justin has basically abandoned a previous girlfriend and her child. When Sandy and Steph meet each other, they soon bond over Justin’s incapacity and lack of willingness to share parenting duties. After the two women move in together to help each other with parenting, they discover that Justin has impregnated another woman named Kaya and they decide to include her in their struggling and unusual family. Justin continues to make their lives difficult but the women and children are a force to be reckoned with.
I love these types of untraditional and found family stories and this one is creatively written and heartwarming. It includes many challenges for the women such as LBGQT issues, custody battles, betrayal and dealing with a deadbeat dad but they face them head on and the book has a satisfying ending. The characters of the three mothers and the children are well developed and likable and the story is entertaining and engaging. I couldn’t help but cheer for the women! I was hoping for more from Justin’s mother, Tara but at least there were some hints about where she stood.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an Advanced Reader Copy of this delightful book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own.

I really adored this intriguing story of single mothers coming together to create their own tiny village. It’s just a beautiful and inspiring story that I am certain will stick with me for a long time. I’m looking forward to reading more from Domenica Ruta in the future!

It's refreshing to see a narrative where women, rather than competing or being pitted against each other, come together for a common goal. The idea of "it takes a village" really hits home when you think about how many different kinds of families and support systems exist, especially today.

I can imagine how relatable and empowering this story must be for mothers who might not fit into the traditional family mold.

What a great book on female friendship and family! I i didn’t know what to think going in, but I really loved where it went. I’m having a hard time categorizing it in my head — it’s not a rom com, it’s not exactly a family drama. I likely wouldn’t have picked it up on my own so I’m absolutely delighted to receive an arc.

The characters are so wonderful and deep too. Was rooting for all of them (except Justin!) from the start.

We likely could’ve shaved a couple dozen pages in editing - found myself skimming even though I enjoyed it so much.

I don't know if this actually was a debut novel, but it definitely read as one. It was an okay enough story, but had pacing problems. By the end I enjoyed it well enough, but was also glad it was over. 3 stars.

I liked this character driven story! While at times I struggled with the pacing of the book, the writing was interesting enough to keep reading. I felt the like the characters were well developed. I enjoyed the found family theme despite of the circumstances.

I wanted to love this book but didn't! I think it was more of a personal thing for me, because it seems like everyone else has loved it!

Three young, single mothers, who seemingly have nothing in common but getting pregnant by the same virile piece of crap, decide to form their own unconventional, but devoted family.
This was a little predictable, but sweet and entertaining.
Thanks to #netgalley and #randomhouse for this #arc of #allthemothers in exchange for an honest review.

3.75 stars

"From New York Times bestselling author Domenica Ruta comes a heartfelt, hilarious novel about a single mom reimagining what the perfect family looks like—welcome to “the mommune.”

“Have you ever gotten screwed over by a man you never cared all that much for to begin with? Join the club. . . . A joyful journey about the trials of motherhood and found family.”—Harper’s Bazaar*

Sandy, Stephanie, and Kaya are all single moms with one thing in common - a deadbeat dad. When Sandy's life blows up after the birth of her daughter Rosie, she secretly meets Steph, Justin's old girlfriend who has a tween daughter. The two become friends and decide to pool their resources to help each other make ends meet and so their daughters can grow up with a sister.

This heartfelt and hilarious novel captured me and the exploration of found family, motherhood, friendship, and making the most out of the life you are given. It is a tribute to all the single moms out there. I highly recommend this for fans of Rufi Thorpe and contemporary fiction with strong female characters.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group, and Domenica Ruta for an advance reader's copy in exchange for my honest review.

#AllTheMothers #DomenicaRuta #RandomHouse #NetGalley #ARCreview #contemporaryfiction #mommune #singlemotherhood #bookreview #bookrecommendations #Bookstagram #2025TBR #booklover #booksofinstagram #readersofinstagram #bookclub #StrongFemaleCharacters #NetGalleyReviewer

Domenica Ruta’s latest novel is a vibrant, emotionally intelligent exploration of single motherhood, female friendship, and the unconventional ways families come together. With biting humor and tender insight, All the Mothers reimagines what it means to build a home and who gets to be part of it.

Here's a bit of the synopsis: Sandy Walsh is a thirty-something New Yorker navigating grief, motherhood, and the fallout of a failed relationship with Justin, a wannabe rock star and deeply unreliable co-parent. After discovering via social media that her daughter Rosie has a half-sibling she never knew about, Sandy tracks down Stephanie, Justin’s ex and the mother of his other child.

What begins as a confrontation turns into an unexpected alliance. Sandy and Stephanie, both burned by the same man, decide to join forces and raise their children together. Their “mommune” soon expands to include Kaya, another woman pregnant with Justin’s child. Together, these women form a patchwork family that defies convention but pulses with authenticity.

The writing here is sharp, witty, and emotional. She balances laugh-out-loud moments with gut-punch insights, crafting a narrative that feels both literary and accessible. Her characters speak with authenticity, and her depiction of New York motherhood is textured and true. All the Mothers is a bold, funny, and deeply moving portrait of modern motherhood. Ruta challenges traditional family structures and builds something more honest in their place. It’s a novel that celebrates resilience, reinvention, and the radical act of choosing your people.

All the Mothers is a fresh, funny take on a family drama. The main character decides to go through with an unplanned pregnancy with her boyfriend, and then finds out that he already has another child with another woman. These women strike up a connection, and it truly is a great example of the idea of chosen family. I loved every minute of this book.

This book ended up being different than I expected. It was less about the scumbag guy and more about female community. Which was great!

Sandy is a single mom who recently had a baby with her now ex, Justin. Things are fine with coparenting, relatively speaking, until she discovers that Justin also has a kid with another woman, Steph. Sandy’s curiosity needs to be sated, obviously, so she meets Steph, and Steph’s kid. And they’re great. So great, that they end up becoming fast friends and deciding to move in together to save rent as two single moms with kids, and to give those kids a shot at family.

This was a really interesting take on contemporary ideas of what it means to be a family. It is character centric with hardly any plot - if that’s your cup of tea, you’ll love this book, but if not, the pacing might frustrate you. I appreciated that the author showed us a different perspective of the “women scorned” situation that wasn’t pitting them against each other. I think it’s important for readers to see that that can exist, and also flourish.

Things take a turn in the final third of the book that I was not expecting at all. It took me a minute to adjust, and I’m not sure how I felt about it. As a concept, I was all for it, but I wasn’t convinced that the characters made that big choice as opposed to the author choosing it for the characters.

Overall, a good book! I’m glad I read it. An important warning is that this book does contain some scenes that could be triggering for nonbinary folks regarding lack of family support. If that is something that would be difficult to see on the page, I might skip this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a character-driven novel about found family and the power of female friendships. I loved it. It was both well-written and interesting. I was hooked from the beginning and couldn’t wait to see what would happen to the three main characters and their daughters.
It’s not a book where things happen, per se. There’s not a lot of action but we get to see the characters grow and it’s definitely ends with an overwhelming sense of hope.
Definitely recommend!

When I read the synopsis of this book I was so excited because I love books that focus on mommy camaraderie. I really loved the first third of this but after that it started sliding downhill, until the last quarter where it tumbled down so fast it was essentially a blur.
Based on reading this my take away is the Domenica Rua has a gigantic chip on her shoulder. What started out as a sweet story about women who had children with the same man coming together to raise their children ended up being a book about how horrible men and Conservative people are. The characters that I loved in the beginning became annoying by the end. Speak of the end, it ended so abruptly there’s no closure for some of the characters. I would have loved an epilogue taking place a few years later just to tie up all of the loose ends.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for an advanced copy of this. I’m sorry it took me so long to get to it. All the Mothers hit the shelves May 6th.