thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

the story follows Bailey, who is hired as an assistant by the seemingly perfect Eliza Watts. but Bailey isn’t just looking for a job—she has her own reasons for getting close to Eliza’s flawless life. as she begins her job, Bailey starts to uncover the secrets hiding behind her boss’s perfect image.

this was an easy read, and some of the twists were interesting enough to keep me going. however, the execution didn’t fully work for me. a lot of scenes were weighed down with irrelevant details that slowed the pace, and some of the big twists didn’t really make sense when compared to earlier events in the book.

one of my biggest frustrations was with Bailey herself. she would uncover shady information about Eliza and immediately run and tell... Eliza. like girl, you find something incriminating about your sketchy boss and your first move is to personally deliver the news to her??? be serious.

overall, a good premise that just didn’t fully deliver on the suspense or thrills i was hoping for.

This book was an absolute page-turner! Centered around an influencer mom, it brilliantly explores the gap between the curated perfection of social media and the messier reality that often lies beneath. I loved seeing Bailey quickly realize that not everything is how it seems.

The twist at the end? Completely insane. Just when I thought I had it figured out, the story threw me for a loop in the best way. This was an unputdownable, addictive thriller that I’ll be recommending to everyone I know.

This book has great mystery and suspense throughout. Starts a little slow to build up the characters and plot. In the end, someone is seeking revenge but will they get it? No spoilers here! Enjoy the twists for yourself! Great story, almost believable with the lies influencers can tell behind a camera.

My first by this author and I loved it! Bailey is so happy to get the assistant job to influencer Eliza, who seems like the perfect mom on a perfect farm. There’s alot of rules for this position, some are odd, but Bailey doesn’t care. She just has to hope Eliza doesn’t find out who she really is……..
Awesome quick read thriller!

Release date May 1, 2025

This book was such a wild ride—dark, unsettling, and completely addictive. I went into it thinking I was getting a classic domestic suspense, but what I got was way more twisted and unhinged (in the best way). The tension builds with every chapter, and that creeping sense of “something isn’t right here” never lets up.

I loved the setup—a mysterious assistant, a too-perfect family, and a dream job that clearly isn’t what it seems. From the very start, I had a pit in my stomach and that stayed with me right through to the final page. Every time I thought I had figured things out, the story would pivot and hit me with a new reveal.

There’s something so satisfying about watching a plan slowly unravel, and this one delivered all the psychological mind games I crave in a thriller. If you enjoy books where the narrator keeps you guessing, the house is a character in itself, and everyone has something to hide—add this to your list immediately.

Dark, intense, and totally binge-worthy. I couldn't look away.

this book was perfectly relevant to what so many are coming to terms with in todays society. the worst thing is stories like this seems far fetched but they arent. and the realistic aspects of this book are becoming more and more occurrent in the culture of the influencer. i do not like this culture and i wish it would end. and i see so much of even this fiction book in so many of the influencers who are still up and running and being seeing as queens and heroes by those who "need" and follow them online.
here we have a telling of that culture. Bailey has her own issue for wanting to embed herself into Eliza Watts life. but being a personal assistant to a mega social media influencer is all anyone could wish for. right? because Eliza is the ideal mother with her three adoring children and her devoted husband. buuuuut this is of course all lies. like it is with these these people its built on greed and lies and manipulation.
as Bailey continues to watch and be part of this family the tensions and secrets build. this goes so much deeper and darker than Bailey thought possible. she is in way over her head. i was also eager to know what was going on with Bailey too and what originally bought her to the job or should i say to Eliza.
i hope this book has people thinking. i hope they dont just simply knock it off as the brilliant psychological thriller it is. because so much of this book is a stark mirror of what we are all seeing and reacting to online today.
but of course as a book, as a thriller this book is fantastic. could recommend it more. the twists and suspense kept layering on and on until you were sat there waiting on the edge of your seat for answers!

Really enjoyed this book, i felt it was very much so dealing with the current times with social media etc. Brilliant storyline, great style of writing with plenty of twists and turns.

Bailey embarks on a career as a personal assistant to Eliza Watts, a renowned social media influencer who epitomizes an enviable lifestyle. Eliza presents herself as an ideal mother of three charming children, alongside a devoted husband, residing in a picturesque home. As Bailey acclimates to her new position, she quickly uncovers that Eliza's seemingly flawless existence is predicated on duplicity. Tension escalates within the household as Bailey grapples with her own motivations for seeking to unveil the reality of Eliza's life.

As Bailey delves deeper into Eliza's existence, she unearths layers of concealed truths that lay bare the sinister aspects of influencer culture. The storyline is punctuated by astute plot twists, rendering it a brisk read that culminates in astonishing revelations. The commentary on the influence of social media on perceptions of reality resonates with contemporary societal issues, rendering it a relevant and thought-provoking psychological thriller. The plot twists were not forseeable, and therefore, kept me on the edge of my seat. Initially, I found the pace to be slow, but it picked up quickly following the introductory chapters (which admittedly were necessary for character development). The Fake Mother is an enthralling psychological thriller that scrutinizes the illusion of perfection that permeates the influencer domain. With Bailey’s obsession and Eliza’s secrets, the story presents a compelling examination of the intersection between social media and reality- and what can happen. Jenna Kernan intertwines a tale of obsession, deceit and unforeseen plot twists, making it an essential read for anyone interested in a great psychological thriller. I highly recommend.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for my review.

This is my first book by this author and it won't be the last. I read this book just after I had the watched The Disney + documentary on the Franke family and it was impossible not to draw a comparision. This made it such a thought provoking and gripping read. I couldn't put it diwn and I was kept guessing all the way through

I hadn't read anything by Jenna Kernan before this, but I will definitely look out for her books in future. The Fake Mother is a very topical story of how the perfect Instagram life is nothing like the reality. See also the Ruby Franke stories in the news. I won't recount the whole plot for you, but in short, Bailey, the main character, is thrilled to get a job as the personal assistant to the famous vlogger and influencer Eliza Watts who lives on a perfect farm with her perfect children. Nothing is quite as perfect as the public image, and Bailey unravels a series of intriguing secrets that put her in danger..

It's well written, and the pace picks up after the first third of the book. Clever twists are scattered within the plot and the story kept me guessing until the very end. I was speed reading towards the end as the reveals got even juicier. A gripping read, that I would thoroughly recommend.

Bailey gets hired and behind the curtain at Eliza's home, a home she has used to built her influencer brand. Not all is perfect, not at all. These two women are on a collision course but there are some good surprises along the way. It's got a bit of humor and a lot of bite. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

I am a huge fan of the influencer/social media trope, so I had to read this book. This book was a bit slower at first, so you have to stick with it. It does pick up and the ending I never would have guessed. It was a great reminder that not everything is as it seems. I have never read anything from this author before, but I’ll surely be checking out more from her.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the ARC of The Fake Mother.

This was my first book from this author. It won’t be my last. I love how NetGalley introduces me to so many new authors!

There was always something going on in this novel. I found it fast paced and easy to read. I thought I had guessed the big twist, but I wasn’t correct! There are other, smaller twists throughout the book as well to keep you on your toes!

Overall, a brilliant story. I will be looking for others by Anna Kernan!

Eliza has created the perfect family and life as an influencer is great for her little homestead. But can you really believe everything you see online? Great thriller, full of suspense, highly intriguing with an ending you won't see coming.

Bailey takes a job as an assistant to Eliza Watts, who is a social media influencer who shares her perfect family to her followers.
We all know social media normally shows the good, and necessarily the good, bad and the ugly! We learn early on that Bailey has her motives and she is determined to find out Eliza’s secrets. Let me say this…..Eliza has tons of secrets, but so does Bailey.
Another twisted tale by Kernan, and this one had plenty of twist throughout the story.

The Fake Mother by Jenna Kernan. Eliza is a true narcissist and the life she produced on line was just smoke and mirrors and totally fake. Heartbreaking what her children had to endure. Did enjoyed the lighter moments with the donkey and Bones and their interactions with Bailey and the children. More than satisfied as to the ending of the story and Aubree's letter to Bailey. Not a easy book to read but the premise is relevant today with the obsession of social media and influencers,
Thank you to the author Jenna Kernan, Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

ARC REVIEW
Thank you Bookouture and NetGalley for this ARC! I literally read this in one sitting!

The fake mother
4⭐

The story follows Bailey, who gets a job as a personal assistant to famous influencer Eliza Watts. Eliza is known online for her perfect life. But, like we all know, social media doesn’t always show the truth, and while staying at their house, Bailey starts to see that things aren’t what they seem, the kids are scared of Eliza and the perfect life she's portraying on socials is all a facade. Bailey is not allowed to talk about what’s really going on behind the scenes, she has odd curfews and soon things start getting quite mysterious, and is not completely honest herself, having already met Eliza before... Can she survive if Eliza finds out who she really is?

I enjoyed the overall story. It was tense and full of twists and turns, and it kept me wanting to know what would happen next. It’s one of those books where you’re never sure who’s telling the truth, and the ending had some major WHAT moments. The fact that it's told from multiple point of view helps keeping the atmosphere tense... The characters were interesting and I liked that the story kept changing and pulling me in different directions, always leaving me guessing.

A totally bingeable read!

3 5⭐️

I really enjoyed this book. It makes you think, is everything you see on social media actually real?
A good read. Thank you to Netgalley and Bookoutre for ARC.

I have read several, if not all of Jenna Kernan’s books and she never fails to surprise me. You think you know where this book is headed, but you don’t. I loved it and can’t wait to read more by her.

This book was really interesting and exciting. I had so many questions and couldn't stop reading because I needed the answers! It was easy to side with Bailey, honestly, and I fear there's really stuff like this happening behind influencers out there. Really great book! Look forward to reading more by this author.