*Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review*

emoji rating scale: 😩🙁😐😀😍
Mother Knows Best rating: 😀

👏 WHAT 👏 A 👏 READ 👏

WOW. This is my first read by Kira Peikoff and que the standing ovation.

This story is about Claire — a broken-hearted and emotionally unstable mother — who lost her son to a rare genetic disorder when he was only eight years old. Since then, she’s wanted desperately to be a mother to a healthy baby, but she’s been terrified by the fear of passing along the disorder to another child.

As her husband, Ethan, continues to push for a second try at a family, she connects with Robert Nash — a BAD ASS fertility specialist — to look into IVF options. More importantly, she’s looking to connect with his postdoc student, Jillian, who’s reached out to mother’s like Claire about the possibility of having a healthy baby, using embryos from two women.

The twists and turns in this psychological thriller were so app-laudable. I felt like this was something I’ve never read before (I’m pretty sure it IS something I’ve never read before) and Peikoff did an outstanding job to throw you off the scent of the story.

Claire thinks that Jillian, Robert and their research is her chance to get what she’s always wanted (and to provide her husband with the happiness he’s looking for). But creating a baby from two mother’s and one father isn’t scientifically *or socially* acceptable. Suddenly, the first page reports and police — beware of frankenbaby — drive a very pregnant Claire into hiding, and her life changes forever.

SPOILER: Can we talk for a minute how I thought that Claire and Ethan were the couple that were raising Abby (their 11 year old daughter) until BAM. My whole world collapsed when Peikoff introduced the father’s name, and my mind is still spinning.

Claire plans to live in her secret new life — with her daughter Abigail — and everything is going well, until Abby starts to sniff around and uncover what her mom has tried so hard to hide. PSA: STRANGER DANGER.

This was a pretty quick read for me, and I definitely recommend it for anyone looking for a thriller that’s not too intense, but still hella intriguing. I praise Peikoff for her witty and tantalizing writing. Pick this book up, you won’t regret it!

Mother Knows Best was a totally unique read for me. It was fused together with bio genetics, the aching need to be a mother, and the will of that mother to protect her child no matter the cost.
The scientific aspect was easy enough to follow along with and is really very interesting. It definitely made me wonder "what if" this could really happen? The parent aspect tug on my heart strings and had me crying into my kindle. The characters were relatable and I couldn't help but feel everything they were feeling. The author did a wonderful job at creating "real people". I absolutely loved Claire, the main character.
The twists in this book were incredible as well and tied the whole book together. The ending made me cry. Again.

The cover is simple, yet beautiful and it definitely ties the book together like a package. It symbolizes SO much of this book and I love how the braid is symbolic of DNA. Brilliant.

Thank you #NetGalley, the author and the Publisher for my free ARC in exchange for my honest opinion,

Whoa. This was so inventive!! Loved! Couldn’t put it down! A genetically engineered baby?! Score! This would be great made into a movie or even TV show! I was immersed in this novel and finding out how it would end!
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Claire Abrams's dreams became a nightmare when she passed on a genetic mutation that killed her little boy. Now she wants a second chance to be a mother, and finds it in Robert Nash, a maverick fertility doctor who works under the radar with Jillian Hendricks, a cunning young scientist bent on making her mark--and seducing her boss.

Claire, Robert, and Jillian work together to create the world's first baby with three genetic parents--an unprecedented feat that could eliminate inherited disease. But when word of their illegal experiment leaks to the wrong person, Robert escapes into hiding with the now-pregnant Claire, leaving Jillian to serve out a prison sentence that destroys her future.

Ten years later, a spunky girl named Abigail begins to understand that all is not right with the reclusive man and woman she knows as her parents. But the family's problems are only beginning. Jillian, hardened by a decade of jealousy and loss, has returned--and nothing will stop her from reuniting with the man and daughter who should have been hers.

This was a crazy ride! I've never read anything like it, the storyline was unique and suspenseful. The cover art is so beautiful and I loved the title. This isn't one to be missed!

Thanks #Netgalley for the ARC of #MotherKnowsBest
Pub Date: 10 Sep 2019

Excellent book about the ethics and difficulty of raising a genetically altered daughter. The doctors involved genetically alter an egg even though it's against the law. A woman desperate to be a mother doesn't want to risk having a child with a metabolic disease that she carries the genes for. They combine the egg of the woman with the mitochondria of the female' research doctor. Chaos ensues when the father learns what they did. I got sick to my stomach at some parts while at the same time I was ecstatic at other times. A must read!

I have to say I really enjoyed this one. Once I started I didn't want to put it down. The premise of the book was fascinating to me and I loved the scientific stuff that really drove the emotional and the moral compass part of this story. Armed with just basic scientific knowledge of DNA and chromosomes I felt the author did a great job of keeping things real and factual in that aspect. It made this story all that more real and a true possibility in the world we live in.

I loved that we got multiple points of view and a view of the past and present. There were times however those lines were a bit confusing and I had to go back a couple of pages to remember what I was reading but for the most part these different views really helped keep the story moving.

Kira Peikoff also did a great job in showing just how far a mother will go for her children, even if that leads them down a very dark path. This book truly had everything I think I look for in a thriller. I just recently dove into this genre and I have to say this book is exactly what I would expect to read.

This was a super exciting domestic thriller, in the vein of Liane Moriarty. I felt the characters were very well drawn and my interest held stead y throughout the book. Will definitely read more books by this author.

Title: Mother Knows Best

Author: Kira Peikoff

Length: 288 Pages

Publisher: Crooked Lane Books

Publish Date: 10 September 2019

Genre: Medical Fiction, Thriller, Drama

My Take: 5/5

Summary:

The story is about Claire, a person who is obsessed to become a Mother and to have a healthy baby since she lost her first kid due to genetical defect. The story is about Abby, the healthy girl child which claire has. Ethan, Claire’s husband and the one who wishes to run by set rules. Nash, a genius scientist. Jillian, a lady obsessed with making it big.

My Take:

I Thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing with me with an ARC of this wonderful and intriguing tale. I have always been a lover of fast paced books and this is just perfect. The pace of the book doesn’t let you breathe and you just wish to go on with the book.

The story is written from 3 perspectives i.e. Claire, Abby and Jillian, however, maintaining the distinguishing features of each character. The transition between the narrative of characters is seamless and flawless. In all, perfect characterisation with apt depth.

The plot is amazing and keeps you glued to the twists n turns coming next. I won’t say it’s unpredictable, coz I could predict around 50% of the story but the additional twists were perfect and makes the story very intriguing.

The thrill part is well maintained throughout the book. The story doesn’t falter at any place. I could find 2 editing errors but this can easily be ignored considering the brilliant writing. The medical terms are used in such a manner which didn’t feel alien to anyone.

The ending is apt and leaves you with a feeling of completeness. I would be able to sleep peacefully and not feel sorry for any character. What’s wonderful in the book is that I didn’t find any antagonists. All the characters behaved driven by their strong desires to achieve something.

A great read for all Thriller fans.

Only got about halfway through. The story and writing were not bad...but the plot line itself was just too far out there.

Thank you SO much for this ARC.

First off, this book is amazing. Finally an intriguing plot different than everything I have been reading lately. The science aspect of this book is so interesting and given today's advancements, probably possible.

The novel was fast paced and caught my attention immediately. I loved the suspense and moral dilemma.

Very interesting premise! Claire, who has lost a child previously due to a rare, genetic disease decides to team up with Dr. Nash and his assistant, Julian, to use Julian and Claire’s egg and create a child with three parents.

Sounds weird, right? That’s what drew me in. The story is compelling and the chapters are short which I enjoy. Some aspects of this story were predictable but the others completely threw me off. I received this as an ARC from NetGalley but I look forward to purchasing a copy in September!

https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/54694945-kait-martin

Expected publication: September 10th 2019

4.5/5 stars

I had a feeling this was going to be a breathtaking experience and I was right. Coundn't be any more right about a book. What did I just read?

This book was really great. I love family dramas, and if there are crazy scientist stuff going on I'll certainly pick it up. Glad I did! It’s a completely captivating read and I couldn't put it down for a minute because every chapter kept me wondering wtf was going to happen next.

Kira Peikoff knows how to keep a reader curiosity on. If you like a good psychological thriller family drama about motherhood/parenthood, not talking about the ethical issues on gene mutations, you should definitly read this one. The book sticks with you.

So if you enjoy books like this I would highly recommend to keep an eye on "Mother Knows Best".

This is an intriguing and gripping psychological thriller which tackles a complex and moral question about creating genetically "perfect children." When a mother losses her baby due to a genetic disorder she participates in questionable experiment with shattering consequences.

This premise poses serious questions about scientific possibilities and moral boundaries all warped in an engaging suspenseful plot about nature vs nurture and does a mother truly know best? Highly recommended.

Thanks #Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the "Read Now" option, I voluntarily reviewed this book.

Claire Abrams’s dreams became a nightmare when she passed on a genetic mutation that killed her little boy. Now she wants a second chance to be a mother, and finds it in Robert Nash, a maverick fertility doctor who works under the radar with Jillian Hendricks, a cunning young scientist bent on making her mark—and seducing her boss.



Thank you to net galley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book

I loved loved loved this book!

Honestly, this was one of the best books I have ever read. Superb story, writing, characters, everything. Riveting and suspenseful. This is a MUST read.. just beware, you won't be able to put it down!

The premise of this book intrigued me -- a woman has recently lost a son to a genetic disorder that she carries, and so she wishes to attempt to have a child with three biological parents, to have a child who can survive. It calls to question interesting topics, and I am intrigued by the ethics of genetically creating "ideal" children - and the risks and morals that it can call to question.

This book was compelling in some ways, but I did also find parts of it a bit difficult to follow at times. I did appreciate being able to read it, but I found some parts a bit too confusing. I do think that for some, though, this book could be ideal! :)

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the advanced e-book!

Knowing that your child is dead because of a genetic abnormality you passed on is heart breaking. Claire still feels guilty about the death of her child but she longs for another. Enter Dr. Robert Nash, a cutting edge fertility doctor who doesn’t always play by the rules of standard medical procedure. He practices “medicine’ out of the watchful eye of government regulator with the help of Jillian Hendricks a scientist who will do anything to make her mark on medical history, and on Nash. The goal of this unholy triumvirate is to produce a child with three biological parents. Of course that’s not a secret you can keep for long and when word gets out, Nash and pregnant Claire flee the scene, leaving Jillian to face the music.. and jail. But revenge is a dish best served cold and ten years later, Jillian will track down Claire and the child they created, the child that she believes belongs to her. This story pushes the boundaries of genetics, fertility and raises the question of what is ethical, all in the most thrillingly entertaining way possible

Thank you netgalley for an ARC of Mother Knows Best!
This is a really cool premise. It begins with Claire. She lost a son to a rare genetic disorder when he was eight years old. Several years later, she and her husband investigate options for another baby. Claire connects with Robert Nash, badass fertility specialist, and his postdoc student, Jillian. In order to avoid potentially having another child with the same genetic disorder, they create an embryo using both Claire and Jillian’s eggs.
There’s a lot to unpack here. I really enjoyed the author’s meticulous attention to scientific detail. Though there were quite a few science/ethical explanations, it’s written in such a way that’s easy to understand - and fascinating. The author uses the characters to examine the moral and emotional implications of a 3-parent baby. The chapters are short and switch perspectives and time periods between Claire, Jillian, and the child they create. Though some of the story is predictable, there were several twists that I didn’t see coming at all. I was also very satisfied with the ending. This was a very well executed story about a very relevant topic. I can tell the author worked hard on this, and it definitely shows.

There's only room for one mother in this family.

Claire Abrams’s dreams became a nightmare when she passed on a genetic mutation that killed her little boy. Now she wants a second chance to be a mother, and finds it in Robert Nash, a fertility doctor who works with Jillian Hendricks, a young scientist bent on making her mark—and seducing her boss.

Claire, Robert, and Jillian work together to create the world’s first baby with three genetic parents. But when word of their illegal experiment leaks to the wrong person, Robert escapes into hiding with the now-pregnant Claire, leaving Jillian to serve out a prison sentence that destroys her future.

Ten years later, a spunky girl named Abigail begins to understand that all is not right with the reclusive man and woman she knows as her parents. But the family’s problems are only beginning. Jillian, hardened by a decade of jealousy and loss, has returned—and nothing will stop her from reuniting with the man and daughter who should have been hers.

An engaging psychological thriller. Definitely a page turner, I loved the story line and couldn’t wait to figure it all out.

I’d like to thank NetGalley & Crooked Lane Books for an advance copy of this novel.