Jenna Kernan's The Fake Mother is an utterly gripping psychological thriller that dives headfirst into a web of dark secrets and chilling deception. The narrator, desperate for a fresh start, can't believe her luck when she's hired as Eliza Watts's assistant. On the surface, Eliza has it all: "Three perfect children. A doting husband. A dream home." But the new assistant knows a secret that could shatter this idyllic façade, a secret rooted in a past encounter Eliza doesn't even remember.

The job comes with unsettling rules: the assistant can only leave on weekends, must return by sunset, and is forbidden from revealing anything she sees within the home. Despite these restrictive conditions, she accepts instantly, driven by a relentless determination to infiltrate Eliza's life.

Once inside, the assistant's initial perceptions of Eliza's perfect life begin to crack. She discovers that Eliza's entire existence is built on lies, and chillingly, her children seem to be afraid of her. The assistant realizes that the darkest secret she thought she knew about Eliza pales in comparison to what's truly hidden within the house. The tension escalates as the assistant's own true identity looms, threatening to expose her and force her to "run for her life." Kernan masterfully crafts a stay-up-all-night read, packed with heart-stopping twists that will keep fans of domestic thrillers gripped from beginning to end.

Bailey is hired as an assistant for the Instagram-famous blogger, Eliza. Bailey lives on the property, but has to follow some pretty strange rules. That's fine, because Bailey has her own agenda anyways.

This was a pretty crazy story! I enjoyed the twists and turns and the quick pacing. Jenna Kernan does a great job at keeping up the pace and adding in complex layers to the characters. I was intrigued throughout the entire novel and was not bored for a second! Excited to read more by Jenna Kernan - I really enjoy her writing style!

Thank you Bookouture and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Fake Mother
Well this one was right up my street!

We follow Bailey, who has engineered her way into a job working as an assistant for Eliza, a social media star. Bailey starts to uncover some dark secrets behind Eliza’s perfect public persona.

This really was a page turner. I couldn’t put it down. There are a number of twists throughout the story and I didn’t see any of them coming. Absolutely loved it.

On the surface Eliza has the perfect life but things are never as they seem. Secrets and twists galore. This is a book I would definitely recommend

You just landed a job as an assistant to a famous mommy blogger. Sounds like an interesting gig right? Bailey has no idea what she just signed up for as she quickly discovers what you see online is very different from the reality behind the scenes…

This book was so entertaining and I loved how things were revealed a little at a time. So many startling and odd revelations and I just couldn’t put it down! The secrets just keep coming to light and nothing is as it seems. There was an eerie vibe throughout that had my feeling so uneasy. As the pieces of the puzzle click together I was shocked and things get so unhinged and out of control. Such a fantastic thriller!

I was pleased to be approved to read this novel, but as I haven't read anything by this author previously, did not know what to expect- however, within a chapter I was hooked.

It is an uncomfortable but totally addictive read as we learn more about the disfunctional Eliza Watts' life as an influencer.

The author skilfully plays the reader with chapter after chapter ending on a knife edge that you have to carry on for 'just one more.'

Multiple viewpoints and twists make the truth hard to discern, the final twists threw me.

A very 'enjoyable' read.

Loved this book. I could not stop reading it, brilliant from start to finish. It was so addictive, and I highly recommend. I cared about the characters and what was going to happen to them.

The Fake Mother by Jenna Kernan was a gripping book from start to finish with a superb finish and I did not see that coming!!! WoW!!!! especially as it had me guessing right till the end! Superb! The characters were very interesting and I could relate to them, they made this book a excellent read.

I highly recommend this book. Great read for your day off or even your holiday.

Big Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC.

I was so excited to read this one because I've always been fascinated by social media influencers and what really goes on behind the camera. This is a slower burn psychological thriller, but it delivered plenty of twists and turns to keep me hooked from the first chapter. I’m not usually someone who stays up late reading, but I definitely did with this book. This book is out now, and on Kindle Unlimited!

The Fake Mother is the third book I've read from Kernan and is my favourite to date.

It's a pacey read that had me immediately hooked from the prologue. Such an intriguing start!

Chapters alternate between the POV of Eliza and her new assistant Bailey. I found both women unreliable narrators and was in a state of limbo waiting for those secrets to out. You knew when they hit, they were going to hit hard and the story was going to knock up a pace or two.

Some great twists are delivered and that biggie at the end had me shocked!

An enjoyable page turning popcorn thriller.

What a brilliant, edge of your seat, heart stopping thriller. From the prologue to the very end The Fake Mother had my attention. So much so that I read this book in a day. I honestly couldn’t put it down. And the twists 😅!!! Just Wow 🤯.

Mega social media Momfluencer, Eliza Watts appears to have it all. The picture perfect life. The husband, kids, career and house. But behind all that veneer, all is not what it seems. Eliza is hiding a dark secret from her past, that recently hired PA, Bailey is trying to uncover and expose. But once inside the home and the folds of Eliza Watts family, Bailey discovers even more shocking secrets and lies. Plot twist!!!!

Thanks so much @bookouture for my e-arc in exchange for my honest review. The Fake Mother is the second book written by Jenna Kernan that I have read (The Nurse was the first). I appreciate and enjoy her writing. She will definitely be an auto-buy author for me.

Pub Date: May 1, 2025
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I really enjoyed this book and couldn’t put it down. It had me guessing and making new theories the whole time and even until the end I was still shook !

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and was intrigued by the image of a fabulous, wholesome family that Eliza portrayed to make her millions. As the dark reality is unveiled, her whole existence could crumble. Bailey plays a great character with her own reasons for being on the farm. Great plot and fast paced throughout.

As a small farm owner, this book took all my social media feeds and aspirations and brought them into a harsh reality! We all know social media can be misleading, but how far would you go to build the perfect image online? In The Fake Mother, Bailey shows us how imperfect Eliza’s life really is, and how small lies can pile up and ruin lives in so many ways. It is an incredibly written take on how social media can show us so many good things, without revealing the ugly underbelly of life

The only thing real about Eliza is her online presence and her need to curate the perfect persona for legions of followers.
I kept wondering when it would all be exposed and was astonished at the depth of phoniness and fakery she stooped.
I also wondered what Bailey’s game was especially after snippet of her past was revealed.
I felt the sorriest for the kids because they were mere pawns and being deprived.
It’s an important lesson for living a real life and a good read.

How much do you believe of what you see on social media? Eliza Watts is a popular ”momfluencer” who raises her perfect children with her perfect husband on their perfect farm, living organically and home educating the children. In our social media and celebrity obsessed world, fans gather at the gates of the farm, hoping for a glimpse of their idols,

Bailey takes a position as Eliza’s PA in hope of getting close to the family for reasons we don’t yet know, but even with a plan in her mind, Bailey isn’t prepared for exactly how much she will discover that isn’t right in Eliza’s family, and neither was I! There were some big, BIG secrets hiding amongst the numerous NDAs that were floating around and when I thought it was starting to wrap up, there were some huge twists that I absolutely didn’t see coming, brilliant!

An influencer has to portray the perfect life, no matter what… Makes you think!

4 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Jenna Kernan and Bookouture, for an ARC in return for an honest review.

It’s a good read. The main characters are believable. Eliza has it all the perfect kids, the perfect Husband. Perfect home, millions of followers, brand deals. But just like most people who exploit their kids for views and money- Eliza is not who she wants you to believe she is. She reminded me of the Ruby’s of the world.

Bailey wants the personal assistant job because she has an ulterior motive.

The tea is hot, you will be blind sided, you will be disgusted, you will trust the Ruby’s even less.

TW: it’s a psychological thriller, it talks about subject matter that may not be suitable for everyone. For me, this was a lighter read. (I didn’t find it graphic)

"Her perfect life is built on the darkest lie."

The Fake Mother by Jenna Kernan is a gripping psychological thriller that will have you completely absorbed from the first page!

When Bailey gets hired to be an assistant to well known social media influencer Eliza Watts, she can not wait to step into Eliza's picture perfect life. With three amazing children, a handsome and attentive husband, and all the money and luxuries she could ever want, Eliza seems to have it all. But soon Bailey realizes that Eliza's life on her feeds is not at all what it seems to be. As Bailey learns more and more about Eliza's secrets, she wants to expose her for who she really is. But Bailey has some dark secrets of her own and the reason she wanted to get close to Eliza is shocking.

This is definitely a case of Instagram vs Reality!! Things are perfect, picturesque, and curated online but behind the scenes things are dark, twisted, and messy. A little slow to get started but then it quickly picks up the pace and doesn't let up. Every time I thought I knew what was happening, I was thrown off!! I would definitely recommend The Fake Mother to fans of K.L Slater and Sue Watson!!

Thank you to NetGalley, Jenna Kernan, and Bookouture for this ARC!! Publication date is May 1st 2025.

"The Fake Mother" kind of brought back memories of a friend I used to have. There was this whole other part of them that I just couldn't deal with. And eventually it got to be TOO MUCH for me. You know that feeling when you just know something's being kept secret... and it could mess everything up? That's the vibe this book gives off BIG TIME!

SOME INFO ABOUT THIS BOOK:

- When Bailey goes to work for Eliza (who looks like she has it all), you can just FEEL that something's not quite right. Eliza (this fancy influencer), has all these strict rules for Bailey. Well, Bailey herself has some mysterious reasons for wanting this job so badly. You can't help but be curious about what those are.

The author does a fantastic job of slowly peeling back the layers of Eliza's life. You see the pretty house, adorable kids and a husband who seems so in love!

BUT. The way Bailey sees things? MAAM, you start to realize that everything isn't as perfect as it looks. The kids gave me a weird feeling. They seemed a little scared and it made me wonder if Eliza's perfect life was actually a lie.

WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THIS BOOK:

- The author is really smart about giving you little hints along the way. Bailey knows a secret about Eliza from the start! But as you keep reading, you realize there's so much more hidden beneath the surface. Every interaction between Bailey and Eliza feels loaded with unspoken tension. I mean, you can tell THERE'S A LOT going on that they're not saying.

When you think you have a handle on things, Jenna Kernan throws in a curveball that completely changes the game! The ending totally blew me away! I was still thinking about it for ages after I finished the book. If you're looking for a psychological thriller that will keep you guessing and on the edge of your seat, definitely pick up "The Fake Mother." You won't regret it!

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NOTE: This is my personal opinion about the book. My goal is to share my experience, not to change anyone's perspective. Big thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this early.

Bailey is hired by influencer Eliza who seems to have it all, only Eliza has a strict set of rules. Bailey however jumps at the job as she has her own reasons for wanting to work close to Eliza. Will secrets end up coming to light?

This sounded like it would be a fun read so I was looking forward to getting started. This started quite interesting and I was keen to see where it would go. I enjoyed discovering the characters and think they were developed well. I did find the story a bit slow at times and for some reason I found that I wasn’t fully invested, however there’s lots of twists and turns to keep you reading. A decent, easy read overall. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy in return for an honest review.