A book that you may not put down so ensure you read with time . While out shopping, Kim, who is heavily pregnant, loses sight of her daughter, Tonya. Every parent has a story of when they lost sight of their child for a few moments.
A book is well written, and each character so well defined that you know instantly who is "speaking".and told in chapters.

A first novel by this author and one that readers will enjoy if they like a thriller type book.

Wow what a debut novel. Mummy has everything a woman could want.... except a child of her own. So what does she do? take one. This book took me a few chapters to get into it but then wow I was hooked. Such a dark and delicious novel.

I have been reading Call Me Mummy for the last couple of days and taken the story to just past 30% but I am afraid this one isn't for me and I shall not be reading to the end or reviewing on my blog.

I know the book has had a lot of love and I have thoroughly enjoyed seeing Tina's social media posts as she shares and promotes the book, however, I haven't got into this story as I had hoped I would.

This book is a dark book which will really surprise you. Its told by two different characters. It explores tough subjects, but it keeps you glued to the pages. It has some suprising twists. It touches on so many emotions . I couldnt put this book down.

I had high hopes about this book. The blurb description was intriguing and certainly piqued my interest.
I felt the book didn't live up to what I expected. Several unlikeable characters which zi didn't find a problem. I did struggle with the amount of bad language

Wow, what a debut! 👌

This was fantastic. A fast paced, disturbingly dark thriller. I loved that this was a refreshing new take on other child abduction books I've read, because as well as being told by the abductor, we also got the mother & the child's stories. Abuse, infertility, mental health & addiction were covered in a realistic manner. If you're offended by bad language this won't be the book for you, but for me it made it more real & in keeping with the kind of characters Tina was portraying. Very well written, with well developed lead characters, this book will taker you on an emotional roller coaster of a journey & will stay with you long after reading.

'Glamorous, beautiful Mummy has everything a woman could want... except for a daughter of her very own. So when she sees Kim—heavily pregnant, glued to her phone and ignoring her eldest child in a busy shop—she does what anyone would do. She takes her. But little foul-mouthed Tonya is not the daughter that Mummy was hoping for'

Many thanks to Netgalley for my ARC in return for my honest review.

𝗜 𝗴𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗮 5 ⭐ 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴

Absolutely loved this book! The suspense was amazing. If you love thrillers you have to read this one. I was so invested in this story that I couldn’t put it down and had to keep reading on. Looking forward to reading more from this author

I thought this book started off really well. I enjoyed going between ‘mummy’ and Kim and seeing how their characters unfolded.
Unfortunately it then seemed to drag on a bit and quite a lot of unnecessary information were added that weren’t needed in the story.
I lost interest about 25% of the way through because of this and felt like a bit of a chore to keep reading on.
The plot I felt was really good, it was just a shame that this book wasn’t for me.

This is a dark psychological thriller that I found nigh on impossible to put down. It is the story of the abduction of a young child and the short chapters are narrated by the mother of the child, the abductor and the child. The mother has had a difficult life and is being publicly judged on her behaviour and appearance. The abductor also had a troubled early life and has significant physical and psychological problems. This debut novel was totally gripping and I look forward to Tina Baker’s next publication.

A gripping, compelling thriller that kept me turning the pages. Recommended! Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this ARC

This book was straight into the action which was great. I was plunged straight into the midst of the story where a little girl is out shopping with her mum when she is cruelly snatched by a stranger.

This story shines a light on stereotypes with the kidnapper looking down her nose at the girl’s mother because she doesn’t deem her to be doing a good enough job (not as good a job as she would do, so she believes).

The god-fearing kidnapper does not have her own children and decides that she would make a better mother for the child and she is looking forward to it, but it might not be quite as easy as she has anticipated.

Told from the different perspectives of the mother, the kidnapper and the little girl, this story is gritty and engaging right from the start and it is wholly unpredictable.

This debut novel is a thriller that stays with you long after you have read the last page.

Call Me Mummy is told through the perspectives of three main characters- Mummy, Kim and Tonya and their short and snappy chapters really make for a captivating and enthralling read.

This book doesn’t shy away from exploring some really hard hitting issues like domestic abuse, childhood trauma, the role of women in society and how we still judge people by their appearance.

Learning about the backstories of Mummy and Kim really allowed me to empathise deeply with them both, even during the times in the book when perhaps I shouldn’t. In this book Tina writes such fantastically flawed and complex characters whose damaged childhoods have far reaching consequences into their adult lives.

Tonya was definitely my favourite character in the book and I can’t emphasise enough how impressed I was with Tina’s writing skills. Tonya due to her age and the situation she finds herself in should be the most vulnerable of them all but her amazing feisty spirit shined through making me love her even more. This fondness for Tonya made the sense of danger she increasingly found herself in even more of a dramatic read.

I found this book to be such a powerful read. The subject matters are deeply disturbing and dark but Tina writes with such authenticity and emotion that you never feel it’s just done for sensationalism.

If you like your thrillers with dark humour, hard hitting subject matters and real authentic characters then definitely give Call Me Mummy a read.

This started off really attention grabbing, especially with the different perspectives but as it went on I felt it was dragged too much and a lot of unnecessary information was added. Both of the main adult characters are broken as a result of a traumatic childhood full of abuse and there are a lot of similarities in the spiritual/religious area.

Unfortunately, I skim read the rest of the book once I had less than 2 hours left (kindle) because it dragged on too much, leaving me quite bored and disinterested. I gave it 3 stars because I thought the grief and depressed Kim goes through is quite raw and written well. The media and society's reaction is really good in making you reflect.

This story is told primarily from the perspectives of Kim, the mother of Tonya who is abducted and “Mummy” who has longed for a child, and is responsible for Tonya’s disappearance.

There’s so much I could say about this book, in terms of a synopsis, but I fear I’d fall very quickly in to spoiler territory. All I will say is this is a dark, unforgiving and brutal read in many ways, which works exceptionally well given the topics covered and general theme.

The characters are portrayed brilliantly, through their actions and words, little else is needed to feel as though you really “know” them. A masterclass in show don’t tell. However, for me, some of the writing style grated a little; I felt it was a little too confrontational and, for want of better words, attention seeking – like the 10 year old who has realised her parents hate her swearing, so does it incessantly to provoke a reaction.

On the whole, it worked, but in the end, I found it a little wearing. However, I hold my hands up and say that’s just me, and ultimately, it didn’t take much away from the book itself. A stunning debut, a very brave approach to a difficult topic, and I commend you Tina! Ruddy well done.

Possible triggers: alcoholism, sexual abuse, child abuse/neglect, drug taking, eating disorders.

This is a very troubling story written in a very sensitive manner. I liked the changes of points of view from Kim the real mother to Tonya the abducted child to Mummy the abductor. We get to know these characters often by what they don’t quite put into words. I never empathised with Mummy but could understand how she was driven to do the things she did, but I very much empathised with Kim who was like a marshmallow, all hard on the outside and soft on the inside. It is also a story about how we, Joe public, make assumptions about people at first glance. The chapters which show the trolling were particularly chilling but I assume, realistic. A very good, if at times uncomfortable read.

This is a great debut novel for Tina Baker.

It is a dark and disturbing read that grabbed me from the very first page and didn't let go until the very last page. In fact I was so engrossed in it I read late into the night because I just had to finish it.

It is a very well written and compelling read, with disturbingly flawed characters, and a disturbing plot. If child abuse, alcoholism, drug abuse, anorexia etc are your triggers then this book is not for you but I will definitely be reading more from this author.

5 Stars*****

For those of you who don't already know her - Tina is a TV personality in the UK. 🇬🇧 She has a real bubbly character so I was keen to see if this came across in her debut novel.

On the surface of it we have a kidnapping - 'Mummy' uses a chance opportunity while out shopping to take the child of a mother she doesn't feel is fit for the job. 😲 It's an interesting premise for a thriller but there much more to it than that - it's a social commentary on how quick the media are to judge and sometimes ridicule victims because of their social class. Case in point - the mother of the kidnapped child is referred to as Scummy Mummy.

The story is told from multiple perspectives (Mummy and Kim) and I loved how Baker drew similarities between these two characters with completely different backgrounds and explored the tragic pasts that made them how they are today. There is also a third perspective - my favourite - the kidnapped daughter. This little rascal is certainly not prepared to be a good girl and accept 'Mummy' as her new mother!

Oh and yes I did feel Baker's bubbly personality come across in the book 😊 I can just tell she had a great time writing the often brash dialogue for Kim!

Call Me Mummy is an impressive debut - it's dark, thrilling and full of twists! 😎 I look forward to seeing what Baker comes up with next.

Easy read and so addictive. So well written. First book I’ve read by this author but will be reading more highly recommend this.

Call Me Mummy had me gripped from page 1. It's one of those books that I could have easily binged in one sitting if life didn't get in the way. Tonya is 5 years old, she gets abducted whilst out Christmas shopping with her Mum Kim and her little brother. 'Mummy' is desperate to have a child of her own and becomes the unlikely kidnapper who quickly realises that she hasn't quite got what she had hoped for!
I loved the alternating perspectives of Kim, Mummy, and Tonya. It was really interesting to be able to get inside both women's heads, learn about their pasts, and see how that influences the decisions they make during Tonya's abduction. Readers aren't meant to like Kim or Mummy but as the book goes on we are gradually shown how the women became who they are and reasons to excuse some of their behaviours. This along with the fast pace kept me turning the pages. It was horrific yet enthralling seeing the two women gradually spiral out of control and their mental states deteriorate. The insertion of 'social media' posts about the kidnapping added more unique and interesting perspectives as the public brand Kim as a 'scummy mummy'.
This was such a twisted, dark thriller and I absolutely loved it. The writing is real and harsh, and the story is so wonderfully messed up that my inner sick bitch was delighted! Call Me Mummy is a brilliantly written debut book by Tina Baker and I cannot wait to read more from her.

I sat and read this in one afternoon. Weirdly, it was addictive, despite me disliking every single character except for Tonya (awful name). Kim is trying to do her Christmas shopping, weighed down by kids, nearly nine months pregnant and carrying all the cares of a low income life, always struggling to get by. For a moment she takes her eye off little girl Tonya. Tonya is a feisty and easily distracted little girl. Dawdling behind and looking at sparkly decorations. She’s noticed by a woman and disgusted by Kim’s lack of care she starts to chat to Tonya. Then very slowly she leads Tonya out of the shop and down the road. When Kim does turn and look for her, it’s clear Tonya is gone and every parent’s worst nightmare begins.

The story is told by two main narrators, Kim and Tonya’s new ‘Mummy’. Occasionally we have a short section from Tonya herself too. The writer cleverly pitches these sections carefully. ‘Mummy’ is judgemental about where Tonya has come from and Kim’s skills as a parent - some readers might even agree about some of her points, even if they don’t agree with her methods. She is older than Kim, and has very definite ideas about how a child should be brought up. She thinks diet is important and immediately starts reducing her sugar. Mummy believes in: discipline, Jesus, table manners and finishing meals, dressing properly, and the list goes on. The clever thing this author does is place Kim and Mummy on either side of the scales and with every judgement Kim drops lower in our estimation. With every rule or idea about ‘proper’ upbringings Mummy’s views might resonate with some readers, even if they would only think them in private. Yet as time goes on, for me the scales start to tip then go into free fall in the opposite direction.

Tonya - who mummy renames Izzy - is a resourceful little thing, with incredible loyalty to real mummy. She acquiesces when she needs to be, but her compliance usually covers a plan for escape or lulls mummy into a false sense of security. She’s very forceful about who she is, where she’s from and what her name is which I loved. She’s determined to keep her identity, never mind what’s thrown at her. The other part I loved was that we would imagine such different women having such different backgrounds. But do they? This is a fast, suspenseful, read; peopled with stereotypes that we love to hate. It challenges our own prejudices and misconceptions about people and I thought this was very clever.