All I can say is what an ending !!! I didn’t see it coming. This book was a slow burn for me , but as I got more invested in the story and characters the pace definitely speed up.

Every mother knows how special a new arrival is but when things don’t go well the pain and grief is unimaginable. This book explores this difficult topic, the grief, guilt and emotions which extends to not only the mother but all close her was written emphatically.

Another first class psychological thriller from Claire Allen which had me gripped. She has a great talent for weaving an intricate storyline filled with characters and subjects that touch all your emotions.

Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this Advanced Reader’s Copy of The Perfect Mother by Claire Allen due to be published February 5, 2025.
All Mel wanted to do was be a doula and help woman become mothers. When she meets Alice, she can’t wait to support her. When something awful happens, Mel is blamed, and her world is turned upside down. Will moving far away keep her safe from Alice?
This one had me hooked from the beginning with lots of twists in it to keep me interested. When Alice wanted to be friends again, I was not sure whether to believe it was true or not. The ending was magnificent and not expected.
I also recommend Forget Me Not by the same author, and I will definitely check out more of her books!
#NetGalley #ClaireAllen #BoldwoodBooks #ThePerfectMother

Oooh the more I got into this book the better it got.
Twist I never saw coming, well not all of it. Was such a fantastic drama filled read
Loved it.

Thanks to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an early release of this book.

Thank you to @netgalley for the #gifted e-copy of this upcoming thriller due to release on February 5th.

This one started off a bit slow for me, but soon picked up at about 25% in. There were so many parts of this book that had me on the edge of my seat and wondering what would happen next.

I felt so bad that Mel’s entire reputation as a doula was tarnished due to something that wasn’t even her fault. Without giving too much away, there was one character in this book that I didn’t trust from the very second they were introduced to us. I often find myself trying to guess who the “bad guy” is, but the twist at the end of this one surprised me a bit.

If you are a fan of psychological thrillers, I definitely recommend this one.

Intense, gripping thriller. Devoured this last night during Storm Eowyn. I'm a huge fan of Claire's.

The perfect mother - The story is very gripping and wow the ending is a big surprise. I thoroughly recommend this book, another thrilling read by this talented author

Loved this from the first page. I felt every twist amd turn - so well written, I just was sucked in more and more with each page. And the ending no way !!! I didn't see that coming. Brilliant , buy it and enjoy it.

This book was a tightly woven narrative that kept me on the edge of their seats, filled with unexpected twists and turns. The character development is particularly strong, making the protagonist relatable and her struggles intensely palpable. This dives into the complexities of motherhood and the extremes a mother will go to in protecting her child.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of The Perfect Mother by Claire Allan.

I liked this one. Every time I thought I had it all figured out, she hit me with another twist.

this book was sooooo good!!! perfect drama read. doula mel and her client/ good friend alice experience a tragic event. drama ensues.

Mel used to be a teacher now she dedicates her time being a doula. To help women getting through childbirth. But one of her clients Alice had complications, and her baby Jacob dies. After that Alice and her husband blame Mel and seek revenge. Alice contacts the Police and even sets out a hate campaign on social media to advertise what Mel has done. The stress is unbearable that Mel and her husband and their daughter must move away. As she is not only scared for her own life but her daughter too and the unborn child that she is carrying.
I have read most of the authors work and enjoyed them. I found this quite different to her others. This has an intense storyline which hooked me from the start. But at times I did feel a bit frustrated in the storyline, firstly because of the protagonist as she was quite naïve thinking that a little chat with Alice after all she went through will make it all better. I was also annoyed with her husband that he was so uncaring and thinking that all the emotions was in her head and due to her hormones and not what she was going through. I felt like shouting out. But the ending did compensate for the story, 4 stars from me,

Nearly a year after a tragedy involving one of her clients as a doula, Mel moves her young daughter and husband after her business is ruined by online gossip. Now heavily pregnant herself, Mel is keen to start a new chapter and forget the past, to do this she has to meet with Alice- the mother at the centre of the tragedy. Is connecting with Alice the right thing to do or is she putting herself, her family and her unborn baby at risk.

A suspenseful psychological thriller that deals with grief and guilt, there was a few twists along the way as well which made me keep reading to find out the ending. The chapters are titled to tell you how far along Mel is in the pregnancy but it also feels like it also is counting down to the finale.

Mel as a main character was believable and I really felt her guilt over the past and I was rooting for her to find out who was behind the online abuse and messages and deliver her new baby safely.

A well written, well plotted psych thriller that will keep you turning the pages.

This was an intense psychological thriller that leaves you sitting at the edge of the seat. Mel is a doula, when she working for Alice, sadly her baby dies during childbirth. Revenge sets in, it’s chilling. This was a great read, it’s thought provoking with some amazing characters. The author wrote this story really well and was a one sit read. Highly recommend it. 5 star read.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a copy.

THE PERFECT MOTHER BY CLAIRE ALLEN.
Release date set for the 5th of February 2025.
This is my first book by this author and i'm glad i found this author.
I loved the whole premise around this book.
I thought it was well paced.
This story has the whole feels from emotional, paranoia, deceit, thrilling.
It's deffo a page turner and very hard to put down.
I loved the ending aswel.

This story started out strong but my interest starters
to wane within a a few chapters, I would have loved more insight into the life and moral struggles of a doula. I felt the story was too drawn out only to have a very swift ending. Some readers may find the subject matter difficult but it didn’t bother me in a negative way. Decent read, but not a five star.

I found The Perfect Mother to be interesting and the major twist at the end was surprising. Mel's poor decisions were frustrating but ultimately saved her. The book was hard to put down and I finished it in one day. I highly recommend this book!

Another corker of a book from Claire Allen - who is one of the best pshycological thriller writers out there. A perfect mother is a tale of regret and tragedy and will have you gripped on every page. My only negative would be the rushed ending. Highly recommend

This was a strong psychological thriller novel, it had that element that I was looking for and thought had that tension that I was looking for. It was everything that I was hoping for and thought it was a scary concept. I thought Claire Allan wrote this perfectly and left me wanting more.

This story is told from the perspective of Mel, a doula who has dedicated her life to helping women through childbirth. Until something terrible happens to Alice, one of her clients. Alice blames Mel, and is adamant to seek revenge.

I found this book to be very suspenseful, and also very atmospheric. The northern Irish countryside setting definitely worked well for this physiological masterpiece!

The storyline opened exceptionally well and gripped me immediately. If you’ve read my reviews before you know I love this! And of course, there was a twist which absolutely floored me.

I will say though, proceed with caution. This book deals with the subject of baby and pregnancy loss which may be too heavy for some. Having experienced loss in this way, I admit I found the story very difficult at times. The main character is pregnant and due to her mistrust of those around her she became more and more isolated at this time, which I found particularly difficult to read.
But I have to say that the author dealt with the subject matter very delicately.

Having read some of Claire’s books before I was so happy to have been approved for this ARC and it was just as good as I knew it would be.

I ended up DNFing. I really tried to get through the first bit, but I didn’t have high hopes that it would keep me engaged. I got bored quickly. I will say that I do love the cover of this book. It drew me in quickly and could tell it was a thriller that I might enjoy