Given the title, I was hoping for some mean moms with a lot of humor thrown in, but this book was mostly just mean and kind of a downer. Of course, the characters are not meant to be relatable, though I expected to find at least one character I could root for, and that just didn't happen. It felt a little like Sex and the City if the character were all a little less sympathetic. I suppose this over-the-top drama fest will be enjoyable for some, but it just wasn't my cup of tea.

The narration was fairly well done, so there's that!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC in exchange for an honest review!

3.5⭐️

Wow, that was … a lot! This book is already out but I just received the audio ARC so I quickly wanted to get it finished.overall it wasn’t the best fit for me despite typically loving elite school drama as I think there was just too much going on so the execution fell flat.

However, the audiobook was great. It was skillfully narrated by January LaVoy which made me much more engaged than I would have been. She speaks at a great natural pace giving the characters their personality without going overboard.

I’ll mention that the book is written in the 3rd person which typically I don’t mind but in this case, while I understand why it was, it made me have a hard time connecting to the moms. Sadly while what they do may seem unhinged, it’s not far off from reality in certain sectors of society.

So if you like unhinged drama, this may be just what you’re looking for!

I am thankful to have gotten a complimentary audio ALC from MacMillan Audio through NetGalley to read which gave me the opportunity to voluntarily leave a review.

My general rating system is below. Since I primarily read ARC books I rate according to how I think like minded readers will receive the book. I will round up or down depending on many factors and try not to let my personal wants affect a books ratings.

⭐️ Hated It but pushed through as I don’t DNF ARCs I have received.
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, content issues, poorly edited.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, it was an ok read but it had something that stopped me from rounding up. Usually the book may have much more potential than what was given. I recommend it but with reservations.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I Really enjoyed it or think others will. These are solid reads that I definitely would recommend for a variety of reasons.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! These are books that remain rent free in my head for well after unfinished the book. It can be for a variety of reasons from being very well written or just the vibes that captured my mind. These books are also ones I would probably read again

Welcome to the world of elite Manhattan moms, Frost, Nell, and Morgan. Things are shaken up in the mom group when mysterious mom Sofia appears and somehow manages to enroll her kids in their elite private school. The three original moms try to befriend Sofia, but are they really just attempting to pry her secrets out of her?

After Sofia’s arrival, strange things start happening and people start growing suspicious. . . But who should they suspect? This book will keep you guessing all the way through.

Mean Moms is a super fun book narrated by the amazing January LaVoy. You will not want to hit pause with this one!

Thanks to #NetGalley and #MacMillan Audio for the advanced listening copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I wanted to like this book, the description was hopeful but the story felt laggy. It took a while of reading to get to the plot but it just fell flat. Now that’s not to say the book in itself was bad but there was just really a lot of extra information in regards to the women, the storyline was a bit overdone. Thank you NetGalley for this ARC

💵💋 Book Review! 💵💋

💵💋 Title: Mean Moms
💵💋 Author: Emma Rosenblum
💵💋 Genre: #suspense #mysterythriller #summer #newyork
💵💋 Goodreads rating: 3.81⭐️’s
💵💋# of Goodreads ratings: 480
💵💋 MY RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
💵💋 Publishing Date: July 29, 2025

Happy publishing day Emma Rosenblum!!! 🥳🍾

My Thoughts:
This is a fun one for those of you who enjoy the “rich people behaving badly” trope!! I know I do!! This one was entertaining, if not just a little silly with the “cool” moms vs the moms that wish they were. A little bit high school - esque, but … to a certain extent, somewhat realistic. Just buckle up and laugh along and see if you can solve the mystery!!

Blurb:
Nell, Frost & Morgan: the Mom clique that all the other Mom’s wish they were a part of!🤣 Their children go to Atherton Seminary - the very expensive, very prestigious school with a many years long waiting list. This clique holds all the best parties, have all the designer everything and class that money can buy. Enter left: Sofia - a gorgeous new mom from Florida that enters the school and the clique with no trouble at all. Enter right: JEALOUSY. ENVY.
Bad events keep happening to the moms which allows readers to beg the question - is it just coincidence or is there a sociopath in their midst??


Thank you to #Netgalley for an advanced audible copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

School drop-off just got dramatic.🚖

Let me just say, these moms are not here to bake cookies and carpool. This audiobook dives into a world of PTA power plays and group chat warfare.

Set at a prestigious Brooklyn private school, we meet Frost, Morgan, and Belle, three wealthy, glamorous moms whose lives get shaken up when newcomer Sophia Perez, fresh from Miami, enters the scene. And let’s just say… things get messy.

This one felt more like a juicy, slow-burning dramatic mystery than a full-blown thriller. Think Real Housewives meets elite prep school politics. There’s sabotage, one-upping, backstabbing, and social sabotage galore, but it never quite tipped into the unhinged territory I usually expect from thriller books about unhinged women. Don’t get me wrong these moms are definitely over the top, just not that kind of wild.

I never felt the urge to guess what would happen next, but it was still an entertaining listen. The story unravels bit by bit, with plenty of sex, scandal, and shady behavior. Not my favorite thriller, but it had its fun moments and a unique tone that made it stand out. Several reviews said this would be a fun beach read and I would echo that sentiment.

The group chat narration? Loved it. Those scenes were gold. January LaVoy nailed the voices and accents, especially for Sophia. Her voice was almost too enjoyable for a story full of women behaving badly, it worked, but very pleasant all the same.

Read if you like:
• Real Housewives drama with PTA energy
• Stories about rich people behaving badly
• Slow burns with snark, secrets, and sabotage
• Mean Girls… but grown up and richer

✨My rating | 3.25🌟

Thank you @macmillan.audio , @netgalley and Emma Rosenblum for the gifted copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

It’s a yes for me! 🖤

DeAnn @deannsreadingriot

Thank you to @netgalley and @macmillan.audio for a free audio copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

★★★★☆

Emma Rosenblum does not disappoint with Mean Moms! This audiobook is a deliciously sharp and suspenseful listen, elevated even further by the incredible narration of January LaVoy—one of my all-time favorites. She brings each character to life with nuance and flair, perfectly capturing the biting wit and simmering tension of Manhattan’s elite mom circles.

The story follows Frost, Morgan, and Nell—three powerful, polished women whose lives start to unravel with the arrival of the mysterious Sofia. What begins as social drama quickly spirals into a series of suspicious events, from spa robberies to scooter accidents, all wrapped in a juicy mystery that keeps you guessing.

Rosenblum’s writing is smart, stylish, and darkly funny, and LaVoy’s performance makes it all the more addictive. If you loved Bad Summer People, this is a must-listen. It’s the perfect blend of satire, suspense, and scandal.

#books #bookishlife #booklover #readingisfun #iowabookstagrammers #iowabookstagram #netgalley #macmillanaudio #meanmoms #emmarosenblum

Thank you MacMillan Audio and NetGalley for the ARC!

I LOVE a soapy read. I have been a teacher for 12 years and a mom for 3 and these two worlds colliding always makes a story I am ready to just eat up. This story had me in chokehold, and I absolutely devoured it. Very soapy, twisty and super engaging. The narrator did a great job switching between the multiple POVs. I was sat!

Thank you again for the ARC!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for gifting me an audio ARC of the latest book by Emma Rosenblum and fabulously narrated by January LaVoy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars!

Frost, Morgan and Nell are the queen bees of Manhattan society as well as at Atherton Seminary, the top private school where their children attend. But then a new mom, Sofia, shows up on the first day of school. Sofia is a mysterious beauty from Miami and quickly integrates herself into the clique. But then bad things start happening to the women. Just what is happening?

I'm a big fan of this trope - rich moms behaving badly. I guess it's just a peak into how the other half live that will quickly having you thank your lucky stars that you aren't among them. But it's fun to pull back the curtain at all the messiness and excess. Plus, it's an exploration of friendship, especially those tight cliques that form and always seem to leave someone on the outside just dying to get in. This is just fun escapism made even better by the narration of January LaVoy - truly made this cast come alive. The perfect book to read before those school bells ring!

Mean Moms by Emma Rosenblum is a fantastic, twisty thriller and women’s fiction. This story glimpses into the minds of multiple moms who all have kids attending an elite private school in NYC.

If you like unlikeable characters, and exploring how peoples’ minds work, this thriller is definitely for you.

I really enjoyed this story a lot. It was full of moral ambiguity, lies, deception, and women who deviously compete with their mom circle.

Also, I’m a huge fan of Emma Rosenblum’s stories. They are so twisty and well written, that any of her stories are must reads for me.

I listened to the audiobook version of this story which was incredibly well done by a single narrator. With the way this story was written, it makes sense to have the one narrator, who did a great job discerning the characters with unique attributes. Plus, the narrator is January La Voy, who is a fabulous narrator.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this advanced audiobook copy.

Mean Moms by Emma Rosenblum is a wildly entertaining, sharp-edged comedy that delivers laugh-out-loud moments with a dark and twisted flair. Set in a world where appearances matter and secrets run deep, this story takes suburban motherhood and cranks it up to a level that’s outrageous, hilarious, and surprisingly relatable.

Each chapter brings something unexpected—whether it’s a scandal, a shocking revelation, or a perfectly timed one-liner—and Rosenblum balances the absurdity with clever insight into the pressures and dynamics of modern mom culture. The moms at the center of it all are chaotic, flawed, and larger-than-life, making for a cast that’s as fun to follow as they are unpredictable.

With biting wit and a fearless approach to storytelling, Mean Moms is a twisted, laugh-out-loud rollercoaster that doesn’t hold back. Emma Rosenblum delivers a smart, sassy read perfect for fans of dark humor, domestic drama, and unforgettable characters.

I loved this!

This book was pure entertainment. I always find an almost guilty pleasure in reading about the super rich, especially about those living in NYC. Most of the characters are what you would expect to find: haughty, stuck-up, and well… 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯. When they seem to start getting their comeuppances, though, I actually did feel bad for some of them. (There is one character I did like, but won’t say for potential spoiler purposes. But I was rooting for her towards the end.)

I enjoyed the plot and the pacing always kept everything moving, so I never got tired. I really liked all the different points of view, too. And while there are a decent amount of characters introduced, I was able to keep track of them for the most part. (A couple very small side characters I got mixed up, but it didn’t confuse the storyline for me.) Overall, a super fun book by an author from which I’m looking forward to reading more!

𝑾𝒉𝒐 𝑰'𝒅 𝑹𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒐:
I think fans of reality shows like The Real Housewives would love this, or non-reality shows like Workin’ Moms. Basically anyone that thinks reading about wealthy moms sounds interesting 😅

𝑨 𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒆 𝒐𝒏 𝒏𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏:
January LaVoy has become one of my new favorite narrators! She was amazing. Her range of voices for different characters is incredible- I honestly can’t believe all the voices are actually her sometimes. This was an excellent book to read with your ears 😄

THE DRAMA!! You’ll hate everyone but won’t be able to stop listening because it’s so entertaining and unhinged lol

What to expect:
✨ mean rich moms
✨ lying
✨ cheating
✨ group chat messages
✨ multiple POVs

January LaVoy’s narration was a joy to listen to! 10/10 recommend audio for this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC. All opinions are my own 🫶🏼

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for my advance audio copy of Mean Moms by Emma Rosenblum in exchange for my honest review!
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Unfortunately this is not a book I recommend you listen to. There's 4 main women and the only one I could really distinguish was Sophia. The other 3 blended together and it was difficult to keep them all straight...especially when they're all trainwrecks behind the scenes with lying, infeldity, and pettiness.
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The story itself is good. Things start happening to this group of moms that makes you start to question is someone is after them...it's more than a coincidence, even if the private detective that was hired says you're all paranoid. I just think reading these with my eyes would have helped me keep the story straight from the beginning instead of just listening on a wing and a prayer 😂.
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3 stars because I felt the narration could have been better. I still don't know the difference between 2 of the characters, but I suppose 50% isn't TOO bad

I love drama, I love rich people drama even more. Should’ve been called messy moms because these women are MESSY and chaotic in the best way.

The writing was compelling and had me hooked. The audiobook narration was an amazing way to bring the story to life.

Thank you to Net Galley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced listener copy of the book.

The moms of Atherton Seminary - the most sought out primary school in Manhattan - seem to have it all together. That is until a new mom from Miami shows up unexpectedly on the first day school, and things begin to go awry. The women befriend her, and try their best to keep up appearances while mysterious events continue to plague the group. Mean Moms is a backstage view into an elitist society where everything is not as it seems.

As a fan of Emma Rosenblum's writing, Mean Moms did not disappoint! I was immediately enthralled with the story and entirely invested in these women while simultaneously trying to figure out who was the culprit for all the dire circumstances these women found themselves in. It was fun to be a fly on the wall and see into a world so different from my own.

The audio production was superb! sometimes a novel with multiple characters in the cast can be difficult to follow, but the narration was done so well and I was hooked instantly. January LaVoy does a spectacular job!

Mean Moms is the perfect who-dun-it for those of us in the throes of marriage and school drop off - a must read!

Huge thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the early copy in exchange for my honest review! I really enjoyed it!

Before I jump into my review, do y’all love this cover as much as I do? I think it is the cutest graphic cover and love the design!

This book is a mix of Gossip Girl and Mean Girls and Class Mom and Sex and the City. It’s New York society and elite private schools and the ultra-wealthy.

It’s snarky and smart and witty and so much fun!

This one was a great audio selection, as the narration really brought the exchanges between the women to life; the narrator did a great job with the tone of the whole story and made it such a good time.

Of the main characters, Belle probably made me laugh the most, and I thought Dray Finlay had the coolest name (although there were some great ones!).

The women were definitely the center of this book, which really seems to be a trend in contemporary literature. What’s a favorite female-driven book of yours?

High society NYC moms are losing control of their lives in this novel by Emma Rosenblum. Readers follow along with four private school moms who are dealing with strange happenings in their lives. From scooter accidents to leaked emails to infidelities being uncovered, each of the women tries to figure out who is messing with their lives and their happiness. However, what they didn't expect is that all of it might be an inside job from another mom at the school.

I love Emma Rosenblum's prose in both this novel and her previous ones. Even when the characters' personal lives are not something I can relate to, the writing draws me in and makes me feel like I'm part of the story.

The narration of the novel added to the emotionality as well!

This is, by far, my favorite Emma Rosenblum novel. And as always, anything January LaVoy reads is pure gold. I can see this being a sitcom. Wealthy New York socialite moms, jockeying for positions of power and popularity, all revolving around their children's school. Gossip Girl but with moms!

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this digital e-arc.*

What happens when you have highly competitive adults with too much time and money on their hands? Mean Moms. This was a fun romp into the world of what it would be like to have a child in one of the most prestigious schools in NYC. It was an easy listen on audiobook, and I felt like the narrator was the right choice. This story serves as brain candy for a good summer read without too much substance. It was a fun ride along the way, and it wrapped up nicely at the end. I think the niche for this book is for a poolside easy read that lends itself to missing a page or two and being able to jump right back in.