Julie is dealing with the loss of her daughter as well as the dissolution of her marriage. What better way adapt to those changes than to do a hard reset of her life and relocate to an island where she will be teaching multiple grades in a one-room school house (literally). With her dog, Depot, as her companion, Julie takes a leap of faith, never imagining the circumstances she’ll encounter.

The Second Mother delves into a variety of issues, including alcohol addiction, parenting, bullying, and more. None of the issues are explored in any depth but they remain a part of the story’s plot. Some of the characters are distasteful to say the least, some are lost souls, and some are sympathetic. But, all of the characters are well-drawn and varied. While the story was sometimes unrealistic and some of the characters’ behaviors were head-shaking, The Second Mother can still be an entertaining read. NetGalley provided an advance copy.

The Second Mother was ok, not excellent but not bad. The book could have used a better editor, I think 50 pages or so could have been cut to have sped up the action of the story. Julie was an ok main character, I certainly felt terrible for her and was hopeful her job on the island would be good for her. Honestly the best character in the story was Depot. I liked the ending very much. I might read another book by Ms Milchman.

Thanks to the author and publisher for the e-arc I received via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

While the plotting and twists were just ok, the writing really elevated this book for me! It was very atmospheric and at times read like literary crime. Overall, I just really enjoyed the process of reading this one.

I felt some aspects of the book needed to be fleshed out further - for example, the MC’s relationship with her ex felt strange and stiff. I could never understand their dynamic and it made it difficult to understand some of the MC’s motivations.

I liked that the author included a dog who is a real character in this book, but sometimes that was leaned on too heavily and felt a touch cheesy.

This would be a great read for someone who enjoys quick suspense reads in the vein of Riley Sager’s novels.

Thank you to the publisher for a gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.

I was excited for this one but I just could not get into it. Maybe it was the right time for me to pick it up but I found myself bored and did not finish.

I've seen this book, The Second Mother, referred to as a thriller, but that's truly not how I would categorize it. There's definitely some *weird* things going on within the story, and there's mystery woven into the plot. But ultimately, this book is a slow burn with uncomfortable scenarios that are irregular. If these things were to happen in real life, would they be scary? Sure. But this story didn't feel like a thriller. It was a book about family and taking care of others. I enjoyed the writing, but found the setting uneasy and unrealistic. This book is incredibly sad, but is written in a way that leaves you feeling unwell.

Don't we all wish we could escape to an island with no technology or transportation after tragedy strikes?! With that premise and the awesome cover, I could not resist this one! Very intriguing story!

Not for me!

The writing wasn’t there for me and it needed polishing to get it up to another star.

I finished the book but I wasn’t impressed or blown away.

I absolutely loved the writing style of this book. It was smooth and artistic in a way many thrillers are not. The scene-setting was also fantastic and I found myself easily lost on the Maine island between the pages.

However, the pace was WAY too slow to be called a thriller, even a psychological thriller. It took me 2 years to finish this book (not exaggerating...) as I just found it way too easy to put down and not enough happening until the very end. I found Julie's concerns confusing with how freaked out she was at times, so it felt a bit off. And then the extreme action of the ending felt a bit jarring after how slow the pacing had been up until then.

I would definitely read another book by this author, but would be wary of one this length again as I suspect the pacing would again be too slow for my tastes. With a healthy editing down of maybe 100 pages, and a steadier build-up of suspense towards the climax, I think this would have been perfect!

Unfortunately, because of the pacing, I would not recommend this book to others unless they were looking for a very slow-paced, location heavy, story.

I found this to be an enjoyable read, keeping me on my toes throughout. The storyline was written well and flowed seamlessly. I look forward to reading more by this author!

Jenny Milchman has created a dark, atmospheric suspense set on a small Maine island with no cars and little cell service. Milchman did an excellent job creating tension through the setting and the colorful and sordid island characters. There were several red herrings and a surprising twist to make this an entertaining read.

Made it almost halfway through this one and just couldn’t go on it was just too slow for me and I never connected to the plot or characters

This book is a steady 3.5 stars for me. I don't have large feelings towards the story, either way.

I think I was expecting something much more sinister and creepy. I wasn't into the story at first. I didn't like Julie and her husband and how they drowned themselves in alcohol after the loss of their daughter. I began to like Julie when she decides to choose life and to fight back. Also, any story with a four legged side kick is a winner in my book.

Looking forward to checking out more of Jenny Milchman.

A special thank you to NetGalley, SOURCEBOOKS Landmark, and Jenny Milchman for providing me with a reader copy.

DNF - did not finish. I checked this one out and did not connect with the writing style/plot. Thank you, NetGalley and publisher for the early copy.

This was a well paced, steadily good it wasn't drawn out or over dramatic. Just a pick it up, read, and enjoy type of book. Loved the characters, enjoyed the plot. It definitely makes for a good, thrilling beach type of read!

Jenny Milchmanns writing makes a small town feel immense and threatening. I could not put this book down!

I would rate this 3.5 out of 5 stars.

A truly atmospheric thriller!

There is nothing I like more than a thriller set on an island and the author absolutely infused this story with great atmosphere throughout. The author created great tension and suspense, however, the story did start to drag, the ending felt predictable and unfortunately it didn't really go anywhere.

Jenny did a phenomenal job making the atmosphere intriguing, the character development was exquisitely written and amply plotted. The Second Mother shows not only survival but also redemption on this isolated coastal Maine town.

I was excited to read this one since I am a teacher and knew I would relate to the main character !
A teacher accepts a job on a remote island and is given free room and board ( a house set deep into the woods )!! Not sure I would have accepted this position since I might have felt too isolated !! However - it was fun for me to see her struggle and try to make connections with her students ! That - I could relate to !
Some of the events were a bit too far fetched for my liking and I found that if those same events would have happened to me there’s no way in hell I would have stayed !!!
None the less it was a fun read and I would read another by this author ;)

This book is really more like 3.5 stars - it isn’t a traditional mystery/thriller, but it is an atmospheric/gothic-y suspense novel, where there really isn’t a central mystery per say, it’s more that there’s an overarching feeling that something isn’t right.

That sinking feeling comes on Mercy Island, a small, isolated lobstering island off the coast of Maine, where Julie Weathers has gone to escape her tortured past. She accepts the position as the island’s schoolteacher and immediately takes to the island - but begins to notice some strange behaviors among its residents. Can she figure out what’s going on behind the scenes before it’s too late.

This book definitely has a distinct creep factor - there’s a lot of backhanded things that you can feel going on behind Julie’s back and that makes for an atmosphere that makes you want to check the locks and mistrust the people around you. It’s unnerving. The author does a great job of creating that charged ambience.

The actual “solution” to what’s happening on the island was also pretty good and it really introduces you to a new world - I am not familiar with the lobstering community so it was interesting to get a glimpse into the community and the attitudes and social norms. The bad guys are really bad and I did not see that ending coming.

But the 3.5 stars comes because the book really just ... ends. The climax happens, things are revealed, and then these characters and island we’ve come to know are just, gone. We don’t know anything about how it concludes. I wish we got a bit of an epilogue.

Overall, I did enjoy this book and it kept me turning pages. But be prepared to be dissatisfied with an abrupt ending. It’s a let down for sure.

The Second Mother
By Jenny Milchman

Julie Weathers answers the call for a one room schoolhouse on a remote island. Sounds perfect if you are trying to run away from something and have a fresh start. As the story reveals itself, you find more compelling reasons about the characters in the story who for their own reasons are trying to escape their lives too.

This is a wonderful claustrophobic mystery story about an island off the coast of Maine where a teacher trying to escape her past and longs for a new start, finds more than what she bargains for in this small town intriguing story. This is a story that covers dealing with loss and suffering, and the difficulty navigating and moving forward from pain and hurt.

I enjoyed this read a lot for the characters and how the story focuses on a mother's grief and loss.