Woah! This was a crazy read. I enjoyed it, but it was just an ok read as a whole. Would recommend to someone who loves a good domestic drama/thriller.

*Thank you @grandcentralpub for the copy in exchange for an honest review. Review not posted to Amazon because less than 4 stars.*

I really enjoyed this one! It was totally insane. It started with a bang and the craziness didn’t let up at all. This family is so dysfunctional and messed up, but I liked every minute of it.

The book moves at a good pace and keeps you interested. The author does a great job at describing everything that happens throughout the novel. Would recommend.

Beth and her daughter Dana are enjoying life. Beth has a great job and a nice place for them to live. Beth has done everything she can to keep her troubled upbringing, in the past. She has managed to live a safe life for the last 15 years, until her past comes knocking on her door. Beth tries to navigate her way out of things, but the lies are starting to pile up. She try’s to stay out of it, until her and her daughters life become at risk. Will she be able to settle everything, and keep her daughter from finding out about her past?

Oh my goodness, why did I wait so long to read this one. This book was so crazy! The fast paced suspense kept me turning the pages, and make me unable to put this book down. As the book went on, I wasn’t sure which characters I could actually trust. This book was a wild ride full of lies, adventure, betrayal, love and lost of twists and turns. If you’re looking for a quick paced thriller, I would highly recommend this one!

Dana is a freshman at a prep school. Beth is her rich, overprotective mom. Every day before they leave the house, Dana has to show Beth the money in her uniform blazer’s secret pocket, her phone, and the daily text time: 4:30. Then she gets in her privately driven car and goes to her fancy school.

Dana doesn’t really seem to know that that is a little strange. She doesn’t know about Beth’s past. And all we really know is that Beth seems very anxious about her past.

I really didn’t see the ending coming! I thought the plot was awesome and novel. However, I didn’t really enjoy the writing style. It’s not really a first person tale, it’s sort of third person, focusing on different characters at different times without switching views chapter by chapter, but rather paragraph by paragraph. We don’t really know what’s actually going on in someone’s head, just their actions. I really prefer a different writing style, so it took away some of the excitement for me.

I received this widget as part of a giveaway until the physical copy arrived, not intended for review except on my personal blog.

For some reason I just wasn't a fan of this book. The plot sounded intriguing but as I was reading it I found I was easily distracted, which tells me the book just isn't for me.

What an amazing page-turner of a read - a wild ride for sure full of craziness, twists and more twists that will have you binging this 400 page book in a day for its very well written compulsive family drama you need to read. I love a great book with amazing characters no matter how crazy they are. The story is told in two point of views between Beth, the mother and her daughter Dana. The story is definitely a wild ride perfect for thriller fans in this suspenseful novel that will keep you guessing until the very end.

Sarah Zettel is an author to watch for - really loved her writing style and she is someone who can really captivate your interest and will have your poor fingers working overtime turning those pages.

I stayed up way too late finishing this book...domestic suspense with a happy-ish ending (mother and daughter will both need lots of therapy after this)...a few too many f-bombs and way too much blood for my taste, but if you like that kind of thing you will love this.

*Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first book I've read by Sarah Zettel and holy cow, this book started with a bang and never let up. A Mother's Lie is a mystery within a mystery and this intensely suspenseful novel delivered exactly what I’ve come to love from books labeled as thrilling. To call this novel entertaining would be missing the point. It is interesting, absorbing, engaging and compelling. It is a great read with lessons to be learned and provides a meaningful message.

Ms. Zettel excels at characterization, capturing the essence of personality and portraying characters that are unique but also recognizable. The characters are never stagnant. We watch them evolve as the story moves on, and we also learn the hidden motivations driving their choices. One of my favorite aspects was how Zettel expertly captures the magnetic personality of a sociopath, who so easily draws others into the swirling vortex.

The plot is complex and masterful, beginning with a slow burn and gradually building intensity. Don't get too comfortable, because Zettel gives us a couple twists. Was this book over the top? YES! But in the most amazing way. I usually hate that in a book but Ms. Zettel did it campy perfectly. All. The. Stars.

Review featured at www.books-n-kisses.com

This book was hard to decide on a rating so I went right down the middle. The story was interesting and I liked that the memories of Beth’s life wasn’t told in a matter of a few pages and those few pages affected her whole life. There is a slow unwind of Beth’s past which helps the reader understand why Beth is the way she is.

Now there is Dana who has no idea why her mother is the way she is and honestly I felt for Dana. Her mom is nuts in her opinion and would have long ago sent me out into my own world without my mother in it.

The story had me interested in the past but the end left me a bit bereft. It seemed so rushed.

A hard book to like but I didn’t dislike it. Does that make sense?

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

OMG talk about a dysfunctional family. Beth and her daughter Dana seem to have a great life. Beth has a good job and a nice place. Then her ex shows up acting out of character. Then her parents. One thing leads to another and lies all become exposed. This will have you shouting and shaking your head. Con artists that are so horrible he hope something will happen to them.
I received this from NetGalley for review.

"Her secrets were more than burdens. They were vicious, living things with claws and fangs."

This year marks the eighth year for A Book A Week. Over those years, I've counted many of my fellow bloggers as mentors and friends. Luanne at A Bookworm's World has been one of those from the very start. She posts insightful reviews of a variety of genres, hosts unique features, and has some of the best giveaways. In fact, that is how I came to acquire my latest read, A Mother's Lie by Sarah Zettel. At first, the publisher cautioned that it might take a while for me to receive my copy due to the ongoing restrictions from COVID-19. They even forwarded an ebook copy to hold me over while I waited! Out of the blue, my physical copy arrived last week, way earlier than I expected. Book mail is always a sweet surprise, but it is even better to receive it during a quarantine!

Beth Fraser has worked extremely hard to shield her teenage daughter Dana from the harsh realities of the world. No, she's not one of those crazy mothers who deprive their daughters of the milestones that come with growing up. By all accounts, Dana is well adjusted. She has close friends, a love for cooking, and even has a promising summer internship on the horizon. Dana's father calls to cancel plans with her, attempting to avoid the difficult conversation with her by having Beth relay the message. This isn't really a surprise. He never really wanted anything to do with the girl, and Beth actually prefers it this way. Better for Dana to learn of the disappointments of the world now while her mother is still there to protect her.

The steel facade of Beth's life his built upon the wealth she's acquired with Lumination, a hedge fund company. She helped build the company and her reputation by sniffing out the sour apples, advising against poor investments, or suspicious individuals. Beth has a knack for reading people. Because of this, a situation with Dana's father shocks her. As she begins to deal with the ramifications of him reaching out, a Pandora's box to her past begins to open. Suddenly she is being forced to face her history, the lies, secrets, and yes, even her manipulative parents. With her carefully safeguarded life beginning to crumble, Beth faces the difficult task of attempting to keep everything together while dealing with the blowback of a past life being revealed to her daughter.

Coming off of a rather challenging read, A Mother's Lie by Sarah Zettel was the perfect novel to binge through. Zettel writes a compelling thriller that mixes in a family drama that is as riveting as the action. Chapters alternate between the perspectives of Beth and Dana, allowing the reader to see both sides of the drama as it unfolds. As each character is developed, more secrets are revealed. In the thick of the novel, I really couldn't decide who to believe. This only adds to the suspense and paranoia. There's nothing flashy here, no giant twists or big set pieces. Still, A Mother's Lie page-turner propelled by the intriguing family dynamic and shifting POV's. This is the kind of compulsive read that had me blowing through the pages and staying up way too late. In short, everything I want from a thriller.

This book was bat shit crazy. There’s literally no other way to describe it. By the end, I just wanted the craziness to be over and down with.

The book starts off a bit confusing since you're not sure if the situation is an attempted kidnapping or a helicopter mom that is overreacting since the mom starts kicking the living daylights out of the perp. Don't worry though, this is addressed later.

I'll be honest, there aren't really any likable characters in this one. Each of them ended up getting on my nerves by the end because the whole scenario is just so over the top and farfetched. Honestly, there's no point in me giving away anything because this shitshow is something that you need to experience on your own. Good luck.

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for this ARC copy of A Mother's Lie in exchange for my honest review. This book is gut wrenching. Whew, as a mother reading this story there were times the reality became so uncomfortable I actually cringed while reading. What a sign of great storytelling. I loved how this story was told from the mother, daughter POV's. I am so glad it did not fall into the cliche pitfall that so many do, where the daughter hates the mother. I had some big feels on this one as I mentioned before, great book!

It took me a few minutes to gather my thoughts on this book. There was a lot going on and I’m still not sure what actually happened and what was made up. The story was thrilling but I thought it ended a bit abruptly. I’d like to see a sequel to this story that goes into the actual trial preceding and I could learn what exactly happened.

Interesting read that I throughly enjoyed for the most part; unfortunately it did ultimately leave me unsatisfied as it seemed chaotic and not well plotted.

This was a thrill to read, as the author kept me guessing until the very last page! It is hard to find thrillers that I can’t guess the endings to, but this one succeeded! The characters and plot were also well-written! Highly recommend!

A well written and quickly paced thriller that is worth a read. This is my first book by this author, thanks to Netgalley for an ARC. I will be checking more of her books out for some beach reads this summer. This had such a tense movement throughout the book and while the ending was ok, I did feel that it was a bit not as dramatic as I thought it would be, based upon how the lead up to it was. Either way, it was still pretty nicely done.

Beth has a past that she has been running from and that she has been protecting her daughter Dana from for years. A lot of that has to do with her parents who are con artists. When they involve themselves again in her life, she now has her daughter to protect and will go to extreme lengths to make sure she does just that.

I had a hard time getting into this book. I didn't really care about the main characters, and it was unpleasant to read. It was one of those books that I pressed on with in order to review it, but didn't want to keep reading. Sorry, this one was pretty much a miss for me.