Easy and quick read. Subject very interesting – genetic engineering in humans. Mother will do anything to protect her child and then the child grows up and wants some answers. I enjoyed this fast-past psychological thriller. It is not a typical genre I read, but the science in it is more realistic than fiction.

I thought I'd be into this novel as I love thrillers and mysteries but I simply couldn't get into it. Probably because I didn't care much about the two MC's.

This was such a unique story, one that makes the reader question the ethics of genetic engineering, and I was immediately drawn in from the very first page.

What would you do if you passed on a genetic mutation that killed your child? Would you risk everything for another shot at motherhood? Claire Abram’s, heartbroken by the loss of her son, wants a second chance and she finds it through Robert Nash and Jillian Hendricks. The experiment seems straight forward and Claire could finally have the healthy baby she’s always dreamed of, but nothing is ever as simple as it appears. With three genetic parents, suddenly the ethics of the experiment are brought into question and criminal charges are imminent. Robert and now-pregnant Claire go into hiding while Jillian serves out a prison sentence that destroys her future and leaves her jealous and bitter.

Ten years later, Abigail begins to research her extended family through a DNA website, but it appears she has bitten off more than she can chew and suddenly she is questioning everything she’s ever been told by her parents.

This was a fantastic psychological thriller! With IVF being such a common practice now, you don’t often question the ethics behind how those children come to be. People tend to focus more on the miracle of life itself. But when scientific and medical advancements first come to light, it’s natural to question whether they are acceptable or if we are trying too hard to play God. This book definitely brought that into question, and I think it’s an interesting topic, not just fictionally.

Highly recommend!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2789714414

I honestly couldn't finish this one. I really tried but I just couldn't. The story felt not fully formed and I felt the MCs were unlikable for the most part. I'd give this author another chance but this one didn't do it for me.

A wonderful story about scientific and genetics. After Claire loses her child to a genetic mutation she seeks out scientific help.
This was well written told in opposite POV. These are always my favorite. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

An interesting concept that explores the ethics and practical consequences of science taken to its limits, Mother Knows Best tells the story of a genetic love triangle. If medicine can eliminate disease by genetic manipulation, should it? The characters are subjected to extreme situations and they react in different ways. Claire only wants what’s best for her baby so she lives in hiding and raises her as a well-adjusted child. Doctor Nash wants to do the right thing, even if he’s not sure that he knows what that is. But his assistant Jillian is not a nice person to begin with, so the events don’t make her any saner. The premise is fascinating, the adult characters very well written and the plot is addictive. I wasn’t so crazy about Abigail, though, the girl who sets everything in motion when she thinks she knows better than her secretive parents. I know that children are not the wisest but her chapters frustrated me to no end. The rest of the chapters, narrated by Claire and Jillian, were much more interesting and the twists were entertaining.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/Crooked Lane Books!

I could not put this book down! I had not ever considered this take on biology.

What happens when a part of you becomes a scientific breakthrough? What if that breakthrough is illegal? What happens when everything you believe is tested and turned upside down?

You’ll read this book with your mouth open because you’ll be saying “what” quite a bit!

Grab it and enjoy. In this story Mother really does know best!

Wow! I really liked the quick pace, and that it’s more dialogue driven! While switching POV multiple, as well as from past to present, it was pretty easy to keep up with what’s going on. The overall play was easily predictable but the author threw some fun curveballs I didn’t see coming, which made the story much more enjoyable!

This eARC was provided to me by NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for review. All opinions and views shared in this review are my own.

I want to start by saying that this was a really unique thriller book and I haven't read anything quite as similar. That said, I didn't necessarily find it exciting or gripping. It felt a bit too far-fetched for me to fully get behind and the ending honestly just became a bit absurd for me. I think this book had a good view on the morality and ethics and that was really interesting to me, but the rest of the book just sort of got away from me a bit.

I did enjoy that we got to explore all the characters different perspectives and this added a layer to the story as it allowed us to understand their motivations more. It definitely started off slowly and dragged a little in the middle for me, and I found that towards the end it just became a bit too much. I think the reader was just meant to go along with things without really questioning them; Abbie remains a healthy child throughout her life and never gets checked at a hospital, Rob is quite happy going from a big name in science to a woodworker, and Ethan never looks into what happened to his child? I was also quite baffled throughout how old Abbie was as I was convinced she was a teenager but at some point it appeared she was about 11?

I also think the overall end with Ethan convincing the FBI to back off Claire and Robert just completely unrealistic.

I don't think this should be marked as a suspense or a thriller because it didn't really feel like either to me. It does raise some interesting moral questions and I think I might have enjoyed it more if it focused on the science and ethics of this story. I initially rated this a three star but i'm dropping it down to a two star whilst reviewing.

This story held me hostage from the very beginning to the very end. Claire and her husband Ethan, had a son, Colton, who died of a mitochondrial abnormality when he was 8 years old. Claire had a mental breakdown and never seemed to get over his death. Ethan wants to have another baby using IVF and Claire seeks out an infertility specialist who is known to have worked with altering DNA on lab mice. One thing leads to another which provides for lots of twist, turns and surprises. The book is told in several POVs and in a then and now fashion. I was really surprised that I fell in love with this story so early on and then did not want to put it down. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this fantastic book in exchange for an honest review.

If you think the concept of GMOs is crazy, this book takes it to a whole new level with a Genetically Modified Human (GMH). This living, breathing GMH called Abigail has three genetic parents! MIND BLOWN.

The story brings up thought-provoking questions and the ethics of genetically modifying your child and the impacts of this decision. The story is told in multiple 1st person POVs alternating between Then and Now. This is a fascinating psychological thriller that tackles the moral question about creating genetically "perfect" children.

I loved this book. It's a unique thriller with unreliable characters, great twists, unexpected surprises, and good character development. Abigail's parts are a little less believable because she's 11 (and I'm not sure that an 11 year old can pull off some of the things that she did), but you just have to go with it.

This book is about loss, motherhood, relationships, biology, love, parenting, marriage, moral ethics, and mental illness. It's fast paced, riveting, and binge worthy. The writing is excellent, and the plot stands out in the sea of psychological thrillers. I highly recommend it.

4.5 stars

This book starts out strong and doesn’t let up, making it a quick read due to the fast pace. Mother Knows Best is a twisty, dark, suspenseful tale that may leave the reader questioning how far they would consider pushing ethical and medical boundaries.

Claire and Ethan lost a son to a rare genetic condition. Ethan wants another child. Claire fears passing along the genetic condition, so she seeks out a doctor who’s working on a cutting-edge procedure that could ensure the baby’s health. Claire will discover that all actions have consequences, including some she never predicted.

The story is told in multiple POV’s, so the reader gets a well-rounded view of everything as it unfolds, past and present. The premise is unique, as it addresses questions about genetically modifying a child before conception and the morality and consequences of doing so.

Peikoff’s writing pulled me in, and I’m definitely interested in reading more of her books! If you enjoy psychological thrillers, this is definitely one to add to your list.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy, but I wasn’t required to leave a positive review.

"Mother Knows Best" is a story of a mother who did everything to have healthy children and did her best to protect them, no matter how they were created. An exciting, original psychological thriller. This is not really a mystery. Told in multiple POV, 1st person. It’s a standalone novel; well-written, fast-paced, a page-turner with a satisfying ending, contains short chapters and alternates between Before and Now. Overall, it was an enjoyable read and hope you like it as well!

This frightening story, Mother Knows Best by Kira Peikoff, is a hold your breath kind of book. Claire is desperate for a child after losing her son to an unknown genetic disorder. As she tries to move on with her life, which has become a nightmare, she will do or say anything to have her dream. The story moves by persons, by chapters; then and now. I loved this hard to put down book. It certainly brings out the mother bear in those of us who are. It's told with compassion and angst. The ending is awesome in that is spirals and lands into an aha moment. I totally recommend. Thanks to #NetGalley #Goodreads #MotherKnowsBest #CrookedLane

I received a copy of this book from netgalley in return for my honest review. This book was so good. It kept my attention and really kept me guessing!!!! I never knew what was going to happen next!!!! I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good mystery!!

Oh my goodness. This book was incredible. I loved the way the story was told from the perspective of the three main female characters, and I thoroughly enjoyed that some of the narrative was from different points in time, so that we learnt about the characters both in the past and present.

There were many a twist and turn that I did not see coming and it was such a wonderfully engrossing read. As the book doesn't fall wholly into either romance or crime it's just outside of my normal comfort zone, but I am SO GLAD that I took a chance on this book. I am also so thankful to netgalley for making this possible.

I will be recommending this book to everyone as it's genuinely so good; whilst reading I went through my whole range of emotions and I would happily read more books by this author. It was such a gripping storyline and such a fun book to read, definitely worthy of five stars.

Mother Knows Best looks at the emotional side of huge ethical questions involving embryotic changes.
Claire has a rare mitochondrial disease that manifests in different way. She herself can live a normal like but her son Colton died at age 8. Devastated, Claire and her husband want to have another child, but Claire can't stand the idea that they may be like her first child. Claire gets her husband to agree to IVF, but what he doesn't know is that Claire has deeper plan. They will be seeing a doctor who ha interest in embryonic DNC changes which is strictly against the law. But Claire is willing to try anything especially when she hears he can take away the mitochondrial issue.
Mother Knows Best is thrilling putting family drama front and center while blending in cutting edge science. The book never leans too heavily on the science and the author describes everything in a way that the average reader can understand. The family story is always front and that drives the plot, not the science.
The writing is top notch. Though I figured out all eth twists but one, they were written in a way that it wasn't a cop out and was a perfect fit for the story. I was engaged in the characters and what would become of the family they had created. Even though I don't know where I stand ethically on the idea, I was emotionally on Claire's side.
I never once wanted Claire's family to fail. Kira Peikoff weaves characters to care about; with the exception of just one character, you agree with the choices they make even if they aren't the choices you would make them your self.
Mother Knows Best is thrilling and though provoking. What would you do for a healthy child?

Mother Knows Best: A Novel of Suspense by [Peikoff, Kira]

At first, this was very engaging, if a bit weak in dialogue and with a few really bizarre moves. But by the end, it has become utterly ridiculous.



Review copy provided by publisher.

Mother Knows Best was a very unique story with a small smattering of action and a lot of interesting information. The book was a little slow to read but definitely held my attention for the majority. The concept was very original and I found myself enjoying the scientific bits as well. I would have loved to dive a little deeper into that, but what was there was done in a way that was very understandable. In fact, it made me want to look more into the fertility side of things just out of curiosity.

The main characters had clear motives and were well written for the most part. There was a lot of skipping back and forth and I would have loved more character development. However, each character was easy to tell apart from the others. I will admit though, I thought that the daughter was older than she was for most of the book. She was insanely mature for a nine-year-old.

Lastly, the story line was good. I think that it could have used a little bit more action... or at least drawn out action? If that makes sense. I felt like the action was really quickly done and over with. There were quite a few plot twists that really added to the story as well! Over all, I thought it was decently done.

Claire is a mother who suffered through the unimaginable - the loss of her son. Even worse, it was because of a fatal gene she passed on to him.

When she and her husband are ready to try again, Claire seeks the help of a doctor willing to put the odds in her favor. What if they could take her good genes and mix them with another woman, giving the child one father but two mothers, but ensuring a healthy baby?

Desperate to be a mother, Claire has her baby, Abby, and while overprotective, raises her with the help of her husband, and Abby is now a thriving pre-teen. But what about that second mother?

Jillian certainly had the short straw in this scenario, and she will stop at almost nothing to ensure she gets what she wants.