It appears that Caroline Mitchell, author of the The Perfect Mother and other previous thrillers and works of psychological suspense, made a good decision when she switched from being CID to becoming a full-time author. Her latest release is a tense and twisty novel that offers some good character development and solid plotting to counteract a small bit of predictability and repetition. Roz is living in Dublin with her best friend when she discovers that she is pregnant after a secret one-night encounter. Roz feels unprepared to raise a child at this point in her young life, but is also unwilling to have an abortion due to her religious upbringing. Faced with this dilemma, she explores an option unique to our modern economy- a website offering to anonymously connect wealthy couples with surrogates or those looking for adoption in return for extensive compensation. Her roommate, Dympna, tries to dissuade her from following through with the arrangements, but Roz is dazzled by an offer that will have her pampered in NYC at the behest of a high-profile couple looking to pass off an unborn child as their own. She also believes that this is an incredible opportunity for her child to have the very best that life can offer. Roz is naïve but smarter than she first appears, and the reader may be initially frustrated by her actions but will come to respect her intuition and self-preservation skills. It is a little too late when Roz realizes that her circumstances are suspicious when she finds herself held captive by a celebrity couple who may have already performed some serious misdeeds in the past. Their money and influence have bought the silence of those who abet their scheme, and the woman in the couple seems to be completely unhinged and controlling to the point of abuse. Mitchell writes the character of Sheridan especially well. She manages to be an obvious villain, but still evokes pity and has some surprising attributes and a rationale that rescue her from becoming a caricature. Dympna is also a resourceful person in the story, providing the moral and rational voice that acts as the safety valve in the spiraling action. The novel is told primarily through Roz as the first-person narrator, with occasional guest chapters told from Sheridan and Dympna’s point of view. There are also cleverly placed excerpts from tabloid press “articles” that help flesh out the backstory of Sheridan and her superstar husband. The reveal of the paternity of the baby is not as surprising as it was intended to be, and some of the “Americanisms” are a bit off, but these are forgivable in light of the rest of the book’s overall quality. The Perfect Mother is not a perfect thriller, but it is an entertaining one- a solid choice that will delight those looking for an absorbing new read.

Thanks to the author, Thomas & Mercer (Amazon) and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

Caroline Mitchell returns with an outstanding psychological thriller novel "The Perfect Mother" and one of the best reads I have read so far this year!

Young, jobless and penniless Roz finds herself in a very peculiar situation. Her secret one-night stand left Roz with a "little bundle of joy" on the way. Unfortunately, the occasion was not at all joyful. Having grown up in a broken home with an unfit mother, Roz makes a decision to protect her daughter from childhood she has experienced. With this idea in mind, the expecting mother joins an elite adoption agency, and with the luck of the Irish, she is matched with a "diamond" couple. With hopefull wishes for her child's grand future, Roz boards the plane in her small town in Ireland and traves to a big and shiny NYC.

Upon her arrival in NY and meeting the "diamond" couple Sheridan and Daniel, Roz signs an adoption agreement. And just like in Cinderella's story, Roz's is whipped off her feet, settled into a luxury basement apartment, with a personal maid, gourmet cooked meals with all the best vitamins for her unborn child, exercises, medical staff, and equipment. But it doesn't take long for Roz to realize that she is kept captive like a bird in a golden cage. And as weeks go by, Roz learns more and more of the couple's gruesome secrets.

"The Perfect Mother" is great suspense that honestly pulled me in right from the start. The plot was great and I thought the story flowed well, it certainly had me guessing throughout trying to figure out how it would all end. Thank you, NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer publishers for a free and advanced copy of the book.

I received a free copy from NetGalley. If you grow up poor, it seems like a perfect thing for a rich family to want your unwanted baby so it can have everything you did not. But rich isn't the perfect world it is made out to be and this family is far from perfect. Interesting idea behind what we see in public and what is happening in real life. Good contrast between the haves and the have nots. Fairly predictable story-line.

I found this to be an enjoyable thriller. The characters were realistic and the story was well thought out. I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley and the publisher and this is my honest opinion.

We start off with Roz and Sheridan, two women with one thing in common. Roz is pregnant and want to give her baby up, and Sher who wants nothing more to be a mom to a babygirl. I got through the first two chapters with ease and had good feelings about this book. I’m not used to adult books, so I had to turn off my Young Adult mind and focus on the differences.


At first I liked Sheridan, but the more the story went on the more I realized she’s just a normal rich person. Someone who can think she can walk around on people, and do whatever she can to make people uncomfortable. The more money you have I guess the more it’s okay to be rude to people who are just doing their job.

I had all high hopes for Roz, and honestly loved her chapters the most. Getting pregnant over a one night stand is not an easy thing to do and she took it like a champ. Both women had their ups and downs, and both were doing their best. Overall I just wanted to keep going with their story.

Unique and creative premise. I enjoyed this one and will need to look for more books by this author. Thank you publisher and netgalley for this arc in exchange of an honest review.

I got an ARC from Net Galley!

Penniless, pregnant, Irish, so what could go wrong?

The story was okay but the end either started dragging or I got sleepy.

Caroline Mitchell is a master of suspense. This gripping thriller won't let you go. The characters are complex. The plot is so plausible and frightening that it ups the tension. I found myself holding my breath several times. This one is full of twists and shocking revelations! I cannot stress enough what a must read this is for fans of psychological thrillers.

Thank you NetGalley!

Roz wants to do better by her baby and wants her to have a better upbringing then she did. In order to do that, Roz knows her only option is to put her baby up for adoption when its born. Soon she is headed to the Big Apple to meet a power couple who is desperate for a baby! The couple seems to good to be true and they even have her move in with her. Seriously it all seemed a little to perfect if you ask me. I was waiting for the shoe to drop and boy did it ever!
I really can't give anything else of the plot away, other than to say BUCKLE UP BABY! There are twists all over the place and more than half of them blew me away!

Great and quick read with lots of suspense!

Caroline Mitchell's The Perfect Mother is a twisted roller coaster ride that will have readers guessing until the end.

Roz is a young woman who is pregnant after a sordid one night stand. She is Irish and decides that she should give her baby up for adoption. The chances are good that she will find a lovely family who wants more than anything to give her child a solid two-parent home. Roz is over the moon when a "diamond" couple is interested in supporting her while she carries her child for them to adopt.

American celebrities Daniel Watson and Sheridan Sinclair seem to be the perfect Hollywood couple. Glamorous, beautiful and rich, they have a four-year-old son who would love to have a little sister. Sheridan wants Roz's baby more than anything and she sets out to make it happy. Whether Roz is completely willing or not.

What a twisted book. Roz is a relatable, sympathetic character while Daniel and Sheridan seem to be a fictional version of Brad and Angelina, Ben and Jen, and more couples we read about in the gossip mags. Daniel and Sheridan's fake outer shells don't prepare us for the scary truth of what is hidden behind that beauty.

Highly recommended for readers who enjoy a good thriller. Great twists at the end to keep you guessing.

Wow! I was amazed by this book which relates the tale of Roz, an Irish girl that finds herself in a pickle when she gets pregnant but does not want to tell her flatmate who the father is – nor indeed the father himself. So she did what millions of Irish people have done before her and goes to America. Not quite as glib as that – what she does is signs up to give her baby up for adoption to a ‘diamond’ couple who are celebrities and they will sort everything out for her, visa, accommodation, medical expenses and a lump sum and a limo to pick her up from the airport after her first class ticket to New York – single.

Well, remember ‘all that glitters is not gold’ – things are not quite what they seem. What is really worrying that this does not seem too far-fetched. What it is is a brilliant, thrilling, psychological thriller (I know too many thrillers – but this deserves it). I cannot recommend it enough. Oh, of course, it has the obligatory twist as well. Didn’t see that one coming.

Thanks Ms Mitchell. Keep them coming because I can’t wait.

Thank you to the author, publishers and NetGalley for providing an ARC via my Kindle in return for an honest review.

Scary, engrossing, and entirely plausible. This story seems like something that could happen or has already happened. Makes you wonder... Thank you for the entertaining read!

I absolutely loved this book. A young pregnant girl flies to NYC in hopes to put her baby up for adoption, which she doesn't know will the treatment she will receive once she arrives in NYC.

Many twists and turns. Highly recommend.

If you are looking for a twisty creepy psychological thriller this book fits the bill. Roz finds out she is pregnant and has no idea where to turn. She falls victim to a famous celebrity couple on an adoption web site looking for a baby. What she doesn’t know is this is not the first time they have went this route. What follows is a plot so shocking and twisted that it is beyond imagination. Caroline Mitchell draws the reader in with this book immediately. I could feel Roz’s confusion and anxiety throughout the whole book. This is definitely a 5 star read.

Another great book by Mitchell. I have read all of her books, and she never disappoints. Roz is a young girl in Ireland that finds herself pregnant after a one night stand. Realizing that she is not capable of taking care of a child at this point in her life, and wanting her child to have a better life she decides to give her baby up for adoption. She goes to New York in hopes of the couple, a famous couple, will be the family her baby needs. However, upon arriving she begins to regret her decision. This book was great. I stayed up too late reading it. #Netgalley #ThePerfectMother

Money can not buy happiness. Roz is young girl from Ireland that finds out she is pregnant from a one night stand. Roz is estranged from her family and can not financially support a child. Roz joins a very exclusive adoption service and soon finds the perfect couple that want to adopt her child. She is wished away to New York to meet Sheridan & Daniel a wealthy glamorous Hollywood power couple. In the terms of the contract they will provide a place to live, meals, clothes and medical care with the condition that Roz does not talk about the arrangement. Sheridan & Daniel would like to raise the baby as there own. Roz moves into a plush basement apartment that you can only access via an elevator. However her new roomies will not give her a security pass so she is confined to the basement relaying on them for everything. Roz starts finding mysterious articles about another girl who went missing and is starting to believe the the missing girl lived in the plush basement apartment she is currently staying in.

This is a really entertaining read and kept me up many nights. The writing is great and the storyline really flows. The twist at the end really got me! Highly recommend. This is my first book by Caroline Mitchell and I can’t wait to read another.

Thank you Netgalley, Caroline Mitchell & Thomas & Mercer

Who is the perfect mother? When Roz, a young girl from Ireland wants what is best for her unborn child, she searches on a website to find the perfect mother for her baby. When she matched up with a "diamond couple", she thought she hit the jackpot.
The author takes you on a wild roller coaster ride in this novel. Who is telling the truth? Who can be trusted? Poor Roz is in trouble, living with this "diamond" couple but has no one to confide in, no one to help her since she is locked into a basement apartment.
I liked how the author named each chapter for the person that was speaking. It kept you informed and helped you know whose perspective it was from. The author had you in suspense the entire book, not knowing who was to be trusted and telling the truth. Just when you thought you may have it figured out, there was another twist in the story. As each chapter ended, you wanted to read more to discover what was going to be happening next. This easy to read book will keep you wanting more.

Woah. If you haven't already gotten your hands on 'The Perfect Mother', get thee to your nearest bookstore ASAP! Started reading yesterday and Could.Not.Put.It.Down. In the first chapter or two I expected I knew what the outcome might be...but I was in for a shocker! This thriller is full of twists and turns that you will not see coming. Highly recommended!

Roz is penniless and pregnant from a one night stand. She joins an elite adoption agency and is quickly matched with one of their “diamond” clients. Roz travels from Ireland to New York to meet with the adoptive parents. But all is not what she expects. They have secrets – dark secrets. Roz is soon trying to figure out how to renege on her promise to give them her child. Meanwhile her friend is desperately trying to find Roz. The story jumps between Roz and Sheridan, the adoptive mother. The story is intriguing and keeps you on the edge of your seat. The ending has its own twist. It is a great read. One not to be missed.

A man and a young woman have a nice night out. Much alcohol is consumed, bingo! I’m pregnant? How can that be? Oh yeah...

This is Roz current situation and it’s not good because she Is broke. Roz wants wants to do what is best for the little bean growing inside her. After all her upbringing was/is pretty chaotic and she wants a better life for her little one even if she is not the one to raise it.

Enter Google and a website named Miracle Moms which is an elite adoption site. After diligently searching, Roz finds a couple she thinks will be a perfect match for her baby.

Within days she is flying first class, all expenses paid, to New York City where she is to meet a celebrity power couple desperate for a child of their own. Here she meets the very famous TV stars Sheridan and Daniel. They are incredibly wealthy and glamorous. Roz is totally out of her league. BUT, Her baby will never go hungry and will have every opportunity for the perfect life. Sheridan, taking the lead moves Roz into their plush basement suite. By and by, Roz starts to suspect that something darker lurking around this “perfect couple”.

Then Roz discovers she isn’t the first person to move in with the couple, alarm bells start ringing. As the clock ticks down to her due date, Roz realizes her unborn baby may be the only thing keeping her alive. She in the midst of the perfect nightmare and she cannot wake from it.

This is one heck of a page turner! When the story began to climax I could not read fast enough to find out the fate of Roz, Sheridan, Daniel, baby, Mike, Monica and all the other characters I got to know.