When Eliza Watts hires me as her assistant, I can’t believe my luck. I steady my nerves as she glances approvingly at my glittering CV. I need this job more than anything. But she must never know why.

It’s funny she doesn’t recognize me, because we’ve met before. And ever since we crossed paths, I’ve wanted nothing but to be close to her and her flawless family.

But the job comes with rules. I can only leave on weekends. I must be back by sunset. And I can’t tell a soul about what I see in her home. Or else…

I accept instantly and she looks pleasantly surprised. It’s clear others have turned this job down. But I’ll do whatever it takes to get into her house.

Eliza shouldn’t have been so quick to trust me. Now that I’m here, I see that her entire life is built on lies. And when I talk to her children, it’s clear they’re afraid of her.

This was an awesome great read and it definitely didn’t go in the direction I thought it was going to go and it all made for one great wild, OMG thriller. I love Jenna Kernan‘s books but thought this one was very intelligently done and absolutely shows the author’s talent which is outstanding. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves thrillers especially those who like to think they know how it’s going to end because trust me it will not end the way you think. So so good!

The perfect life or the perfect lie. This was such a thrilling page turner and full of surprises! It was also fun to really see how realistic the other side of the fence can truely be. Everything is not what it seems vs social media and real life.

The Fake Mother was a really great read. It gripped me from the beginning, and it never let go. It is a complete page turner with very surprising twists and turns.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC.

This was a great domestic thriller, I really enjoyed it. It was fun from beginning to end. It's addictive and twisty from beginning to end.

The Fake Mother by Jenna Kernan centers around Eliza who has a perfect life: 3 kids, a loving husband, a dream home, but she also has a secret that could destroy it all. She hires Bailey as a oersonal assistant, but Bailey isn't actually looking for a job, she has her own reasons why she wants to be on Eliza's home.
I found this book kind of odd. Bailey wants to expose and uncover all of Eliza's secrets but when she uncovers one she tells Eliza?? even knowing that doing so would put herself in danger??? That part doesnt really make sense.
I do like that it highlights the fact that you cant believe everything you see on social media, and that social media is a mostly crafted experience, people show what they want you to see.
Thank you Jenna and Bookouture for partnering with NetGalley. I received an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion and review.

Thank you Jenna for partnering with NetGalley. I received an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion and review.

I really enjoyed this one; with its rather unique storyline and world building it definitely kept my interest. It was so believable that this could actually happen or be happening right now that it really made me question social media, our role with engagement and also my own culpability as at times I felt like a fan who couldn’t get enough…

The multiple POV kept a quick moving plot which ensured it retained my interest, the characters were an interesting bunch but I did feel I could connect to them. I kinda worked out where it was going and perhaps would have like a little more from the ending but overall I really loved this read.

With thanks to author #jennakernan and Jess at #bookouture for asking us to join in this book tour!

-EMILY

@the_book_girls_1

The Fake Mother is an intriguing psychological thriller that, while a little predictable, held my attention from start to finish. The premise is unsettling and the atmosphere that is build throughout the novel really drew me in. Recommended!

This was an interesting read. Bailey takes a job working for Eliza but both have their secrets. In this insta happy world, we all know that what lies beneath the surface rarely reflects the reality. A few twists and turns but Eliza showing her hand at times was frustrating. Thanks to the author & publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A stranger arrives, and nothing is ever the same again. What follows is a spiral of paranoia, betrayal, and blood that tightens with every breath. The ending doesn’t ask for forgiveness—it dares you to look away.

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.