I picked up Love Mom by Iliana Xander to tick off X for an author challenge. It was ok but not as great as I’d hoped. With such a high Goodreads rating, I expected more. The beginning dragged a bit and took a while to hook me, but the second half definitely moved faster and kept me turning the pages. There were some solid twists that I liked, but the way they were delivered didn’t always hit the mark. Overall, it wasn’t bad, just not a standout read for me.

"They say knowledge is power. They don’t tell you how powerful it is at destroying people".

Love, Mom follows the story of Mackenzie Casper. Her Mum has just passed away. A famous author under the pen name of E.V Renge. The police are suspecting an accident but when Mackenzie starts getting letters from #1 fan. Xoxo. Things start getting interesting. The letters have been taken from her Mum's diary. Mackenzie starts unravelling things from her Mum and Dad's past. The good, bad and the downright ugly.

Love, Mom is one wild ride. I got to 50% mark on my kindle and had the "woah" moment, mouth hanging open reaction and everything. I had to keep turning the pages and devoured it in one afternoon. The short chapters had me saying "just one chapter" all night long.

This was such a unique read told in two timelines now and then. The diary entry letters being left for Mackenzie was the perfect touch and you just did not know how this story would end. I even enjoyed the ending with everything being wrapped up nicely.

Thank you to Penguin Random House Australia and Netgalley for sending me a gifted copy for my honest book review.

I picked this book up as part of my author surname challenge and the moody cover had me curious about what kind of book blind date I was in store for.

It definitely delivered some drama! This was a fun, twist filled thriller that gave me strong Freida McFadden vibes, though that comparison can go either way depending on the day. The twists and storyline had huge potential but unfortunately the execution didn’t quite hit for me.

The pacing was a bit all over the place with a slow burn up front then suddenly sprinting to the finish with some wildly unbelievable turns. The short chapters kept things moving, but more than once I found myself shouting questions at the book that the characters themselves seemed to be completely oblivious to.

There was a lot to like in the plot and ideas in this book, but the writing style felt underdeveloped.. more YA than thriller and not quite deep enough to hold the weight of the story it was trying to tell. It had all the ingredients to be a big hit, but just needed a little more depth and polish to really shine.

Still, it was an entertaining read and I’m glad I gave it a go.

A thank you to Penguin and Net Galley for sharing a copy of this one with me.

THIS IS THE BEST THRILLER IVE EVER READ!! 💌

WOW WOW WOW!! 🤩🤯

This was a wild ride & I enjoyed every second!! This book is the kind of book that destroys your sleep schedule because you just can't put it down.

From chapter 1 I was hooked into the story, the premise was fabulous & immediately you want to dig deeper. The pace was great, I never got bored or frustrated & the pay offs are so so brilliant.

The ending of Part 1 into Part 2...SO GOOD!

The letter aspect was great & it gave a different perspective to the story. The scattering of different POVs throughout was also genius!

The multiple reveals at the end...bravo 👏🏼

ADD THIS TO YOU TBR...NOW 🫵🏼

A unique story with a unique twist, an interesting story but fell into mid range for me I didn’t dislike the book but I also wasn’t wowed by it.

This was such a great read! Such a unique twist/premise that had me guessing the whole book!

I really enjoyed the short chapters, most of them ended on a cliffhanger which pushed me to fly through and finish this book in a few days. I appreciated the pace, aswell. It was fast and coherent.

I honestly didn't guess one twist but boy, did the story have trying to guess. This would be a GREAT movie/short TV show.

I also really enjoyed the relationships between characters, I could feel the tension between them all. They were all very well written.

I want to thank Penguin Random House Australia & NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC

This book has received many high-level ratings, and I feel I fall somewhere in the middle of these. The novel focuses on Mackenzie Casper a highly intelligent student who has a promising career ahead of her. Her mother is a world-renowned author whose bestsellers have captivated many readers with her extremely dark story lines. Mackenxie then loses her mother in a tragic car accident and on the day of the memorial Mackenzie receives a mysterious envelope containing pages from her mother’s diary, and then overtime she receives more and more soon there are many shocks instore for Mackenzie.

This is not the strongest or most well written book I have read but I did find it entertaining enough to offer it three stars. Maybe it was because I did not take it all that seriously but more from the perspective of a popcorn triller.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy, all opinions expressed are my own.

This book was fantastic and everything that you could want from a thriller! I read this in under 24hrs as I couldn’t put it down! I lost count the amount of times I audibly gasped or yelled out “what?!” I was mind blown!!
It had me hooked from the very first letter from mum and even when I thought I had a theory and thought it was going in a certain direction it twisted and turned again. I enjoyed the different point of views from the characters especially as the story went along and more was revealed. I loved Mackenzie’s journey to uncover the truth and enjoyed seeing her relationship with her best friend blossom too.
If you are a mystery/thriller fan you will not be disappointed!

I looove a book that gives me a good plot twist and keeps me on my toes and this gave me both!

Mackenzie’s mum is a famous author and has just passed away. But after her death she starts receiving letters from her mums diary, and everything might not be how it seems.

AND IT IS NOT! If you want a book with twists and turns that’s not scary or going to keep you up at night in fear, this is it! Absolutely loved it.

This is a perfect thriller! There were so many twists and it kept you guessing until the very last page but everything was uncovered with no ambiguous ending that leaves the book feeling unfinished. It was so compelling and gripping that I could not put this book down. I read this in a day and a half because I had to know what happened next!

Multiple POVs with dual timelines and they were both so interesting and engaging. My jaw literally dropped at Part Two and my mind was blown for the rest of the book! I did NOT see any of the twists coming. And when I thought I had predicted the ending, I was completely wrong - and I loved it!

I highly recommend this to anyone who loves mystery and thrillers. It’s gripping, twisty, fast paced, impossible to put down and it all ties together at the end! I loved it and it is one of the BEST psychological thrillers I’ve ever read. My first five star thriller read all year! 5 ⭐️

This story follows 21-year-old Mackenzie, whose world is shaken after the sudden death of her mother, a bestselling thriller author. Not long after the funeral, Mackenzie begins receiving mysterious letters from someone claiming her mother had dark secrets, including being a murderer. Each letter comes with a page from her mother’s old diary, slowly revealing a past Mackenzie never knew existed. The mystery builds beautifully, and once the twists start rolling in, it becomes impossible to stop reading. The pacing picks up in the second half, and the epilogue was a perfect, emotional finish.

The characters were a real highlight for me. Mackenzie felt believable and relatable—smart, guarded, and not overly dramatic. I also really loved the friendship between her and her best friend. It added heart and emotional depth to the story and balanced out the darker moments well. While the book isn’t a romance, that strong friendship played a big role and made the story even more engaging.

Overall, this was such a gripping and enjoyable read. The diary entries and dual timelines kept things interesting without being confusing, and the suspense was strong all the way through. It touches on heavy topics like sexual assault, so definitely keep that in mind, but it’s handled carefully and not overly graphic. If you’re into thrillers with family secrets, solid characters, and a plot that keeps you turning the pages, this is one to add to your list.

A very twist filled physcological thriller that had me on the edge of my seat. The mystery is suspenseful and the relationship between the characters works and is believable. The plot twists just keep coming and the epilogue is the best that I have read in a long time.

Initially a fairly average drama/mystery, this gradually gained momentum and became more complex and suspenseful, especially towards the final chapters. The relationships between each of the characters worked really well and was very believable. The author set up the plot cleverly so that the reveals had the maximum effect. I especially enjoyed the epilogue.