I was looking forward to a good Legal Thriller with some suspenseful courtroom scenes, but I was a bit disappointed with this one. The story starts off well, with a young mother calling 911 to report that she has stabbed her husband. The killing is on a US Army base in Germany, so first, I was surprised to see this case tried in an American courtroom, with a regular jury. Overlooking that, the public defender interested me very much. Abby is a new mother, who is a workaholic. She is supposed to be on maternity leave, but convinces her boss and partner that she should be back at work on this case. Her boss agrees only if she works with another lawyer. Is this a case of self-defence? Was she just protecting her daughter?

This story was full of stereotypes that I really didn't like. The hot, young, latino woman who uses her body to get what she wants. The lawyer who falls for his client. A woman so beautiful that every man she meets wants her. The superwoman who works crazy hours and still comes home to nurse her baby and take care of the family. The service man who is an alcoholic and abusive to his family. You see where I am going with this. If you can overlook all that and just go with the story, it is quite a ride. I was not sure if Luz was a reliable narrator or not, as I read this story, but there was a lot that made me say yes. I wanted to know what really happened that night, so I kept reading. I am not going to share anymore of this plot, you need to pick this one up and decide for yourself.

Nicola might seem to be in an ideal marriage. Married to a successful dentist, Ian. A mother of a young son named Finn. But, before I go on, I must say that this book might trigger some readers. In all honesty, it triggered me. Ian was a controlling husband. I cringed at his level of control. Page after page kept me with a lump in my throat, and I considered putting this book down.

But, no, I kept on reading. I looked more at Nicci. I needed to see if she could fight back. For herself. For Finn. What ensued was a dramatic story of how she became married to Ian and some backstory about her less than ideal life, one spent in care after her mother's suicide. As a young mother she met Ian. However, before that, in the years in foster care, she befriended another girl named Donna.

Donna is in Nicci's past. Or had been. What brings her into the story as it unfolded? Well, as I mentioned, drama. Not only do we see the disturbing relationship between Nicci and Ian, we see Donna come back into the picture. When Donna returns what she presents to Nicci is something very ugly. The twists in this book come fast and hard and most certainly kept me riveted to the story, although some of the twists were rather shocking.

Not only is Nicci consistently gaslighted by Ian, other strange things begin happening to her, proof that someone is watching her, that she might indeed be threatened. All of this, what is happening between her and Ian, as well as what is happening now is due to the fact that Nicci has been hiding a secret for years. Secrets, however, have a way of being exposed. How that happens in this story is up to the reader. Get past the domestic abuse and what Sam Hepburn has delivered to readers is definitely a page-turner, one that led me to just having to know the outcome.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

This is a fast paced legal thriller from a debut author. Thank you Hanover Square Press for my free review copy. A US army officer is stabbed to death by his wife while he is stationed in Germany.. The trial and main part of the story take place in the US. The officer’s wife Luz is on trial for his murder. There are some sub plots that weave into the story that are interesting. I found all the characters unlikeable but I was still invested in the book. I also thought some of the trial was over the top but this book is written by a legal professor who obviously knows more about this than me. The book moves at a good pace and is a good debut novel.

A solid addition the to mommy-noir genre. A recommended purchase for collections where thrillers are popular.

A Good Mother is the debut novel of Lara Bazelon, and it is a legal thriller full of twists and turns.

Abby is an ambitious public defender and a new mother, so she jumps at the chance to cover her most recent case. A soldier has been murdered on base, and it appears that it is his wife who is to blame.

Yet this is not the open and shut case that Abby hoped for, as there is more to Luz's story than meets the eye. No, this case is about to get more twisted and complex than she signed up for, and it's going to come down to the jury to decide how it will pan out.

"There is nothing like the judgment we visit on mothers."

IA Good Mother is a legal thriller full of twisted emotions and guilt. It has admittedly been a hot minute since I sat down to read a legal thriller, so I found that to be very refreshing in itself.

I'll confess that while I didn't really like most of the characters in this novel (no offense, Abby and Luz), though I did find the core premise to be pretty fascinating. The whole argument for Luz's case, for example.

That being said, I did have a few issues with this read, I'm sorry to say. The whole courtroom drama felt exactly that – a drama. It didn't read like a thriller, and there were parts that didn't feel realistic, which succeeded in breaking the immersion for me.

Overall this was an okay read, with some strong ideas. I will be looking forward to seeing what Lara Bazelon comes up with for her next novel.

Ever since my first John Grisham book -- I have loved legal thrillers. This one had me hooked right from the first chapter. I loved the main character Abby and actually fell in love with her right away. And I loved the theme -- what does it mean to be a good mother -- it resonates throughout this whole book. I also love that Lara is a law professor and worked in the public defender's office because then we don't have to worry about whether or not the legal facts are correct. Nothing ruins a book more than the author not getting facts straight and Lara does an excellent job hooking you to the courtroom drama and Abby and Luz.

This was a difficult one for me. I personally really liked the premise and I was super excited to give it a try. That excerpt perfectly sets the tone for the book that I would have really enjoyed. Sadly this was not that book. This read almost like a soap opera, where pretty much every decision made by any major character was met with a solid “oh, that’s a bad idea that any normal person would not make”. It was over-the-top and I didn’t like any of the characters. The courtroom sections are relatively strong and I would recommend checking this out for those portions if you really enjoy the back-and-forth banter that is done pretty well.

This is also a debut, with all of the subtle flaws that come with it. The writing is not as smooth as I would have liked, but I was finding myself invested in the story. The plot isn’t really about the murder that is described in the excerpt, but the theme of motherhood and specifically being a “bad” mother was the main thrust of the plot. I really liked seeing this being talked about, but I didn’t like how it was done as the story progressed. There is one specific scene that is meant to be read as empowering, but I was honestly very uncomfortable and found the whole thing a little bit reductive. I’ve read some other reviews and many seem to have just given up after this portion, which happens early on.

Overall this was a disappointment for me, but I can see why some reviewers have overlooked the character decisions because the courtroom moments were quite interesting. Lara Bazelon is an author that I will be looking into in the future, especially for her upcoming non-fiction books Ambitious Like a Woman, which I will definitely be giving a try.

What’s your favourite courtroom drama? Chat with me in the comments below! Happy Reading!

3 stars

Boring, unlikable main character, just did not enjoy at all. Good mother was a bad read.
Thanks Netgalley for a copy.

This book has an interesting premise but unfortunately it was a little too heavy handed with the “bad mother” message/trope and it left me with a bad taste in my mouth. This book could have been a lot stronger if it had focused more on the courtroom and less on the personal lives of the characters. The characters in this book have very outdated ways of looking at women (mothers in particular) and make very questionable choices and infuriatingly, there was no real consequences for them. However, I really enjoyed the courtroom scenes and Bazelon did an incredible job of making the trial come to life. I loved the back and forth nature of the lawyers and how the witnesses helped to form our opinion of what really happened between Luz and her husband. If you are a fan of legal mysteries then this might be one that you will be interested in if you can get past all the other stuff happening outside the courtroom.

A gripping thriller with a lot of twists. I imagine this will be a popular pick at the library as many of our patrons are drawn to courtroom dramas.

This is a hard book fir me to describe. I really did not like any of the characters. It was hard to know if Abby or Luz were really good mothers or if they were both just manipulating those around them. Will needs to reevaluate what he did also. This trial seems to bring out bad things in each of the characters. I did have a hard time putting the book down. I needed to know if Luz would be found guilty or not guilty. I feel this book will bring out different kinds of emotions in every person who reads it. I received a copy of this book from Harlequin for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

What does it mean to be a good mother? Do other people have the right to determine whether or not you’re a good one?

I’m not going to lie. This one left me conflicted. I THINK I liked it. I think. The story was great, and it really did force me to confront some of my own biases. But it was less about what I thought about motherhood and career (I was super pleased that the protagonist was a mother and a badass career woman), and more about what I thought made a person likeable.

Because honestly, I did NOT like ANY of the characters. But it wasn’t clear-cut. There was not one main character who did not behave badly at one point or another in the book. I found myself really disliking every single one of them, but couldn’t quite put my finger on why. And that made me think. Did I dislike her because she was assertive? Did I think he was weak for giving in to his most basic urges? Did I judge her for using her sexuality to get what she wanted?

I can’t say I have answers to these questions, yet. And I can’t say that I HUGELY enjoyed A Good Mother. But, I CAN appreciate that it made me reconsider why I form the opinions I do. Why I think the way I think. Why and how I make a judgement about another person. And any book that makes you look at and reevaluate yourself and your decisions is a good one, as far as I’m concerned.

Thanks so much to Harlequin Trade Publishing and Netgalley for a free copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review!

Abby is a defense attorney and is also ready to go on maternity leave when she gets a new case that may save her career. A young mother is accused of killing her husband, and when Abby wants to cut her maternity leave short and return to court, her marriage is put on the line. What will she sacrifice to keep the young mother and child together?

Luz is a young mother charged with killing her husband and she swears it was self defense. Her military husband was not a good man behind closed doors, and one must wonder if she was looking for a way out or was it truly self defense.

This novel by Lara Bazelon not only takes us through a thrilling courtroom drama, but also into the lives of two mothers and what they will sacrifice to protect a child. The premise of the story was good and the characters along with the supporting characters were well written. I did find the story lacking in certain aspects when it came to the courtroom drama, but I still enjoyed the book. Many thanks to Harlequin Publishing, Lara Bazelon and Netgalley for an advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Review

A gripping legal thriller, the author has used her expertise in the field of legal aid to really dive into the laborious work that goes into being a lawyer at trial. The balance found of legal work and suspense as the evidence and discoveries made in the case keep the reader guessing made this such an entertaining read.

The character development was fantastic to see here. From protagonist, Abby, and her challenging battles both at home and in the case kept the reader invested in the narrative, while the back and forth on Luz as a suspect in the case and whether or not she could be trusted made for some interesting and gripping storytelling. Then pacing is what really sets the tone for the novel, as the story begins wildly with the 911 call on the night of the crime, and then steps back and begins to set up the trial itself as the mystery begins to slowly be peeled layer by layer.

The Verdict

A mesmerizing, heart-pounding, and evenly-paced read, author Lara Bazelon’s “A Good Mother” is a fantastic thriller and a must-read novel. Great character growth and a pulse-racing mystery that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat make this story shine brightly and make for the perfect summer read for fans of the genre. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!

What it’s about: A debut legal thriller about a young mother arrested for killing her military husband.

👩‍⚖️ Final Thoughts: I had a hard time getting into this one. There were multiple parts of the story that was over the top in dramatization, and sometimes it felt like I was reading a soap-opera. I just couldn’t connect with any of the characters.

⚠️ trigger warning: violence/endangerment is heavily present.

Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️/ 5 stars

This one kept me turning the pages until late at night. But ultimately it ended up being disappointing. I wish Will had been dropped from this book. He added nothing but annoyance and I was more interested in Abby's story.

A GOOD MOTHER by Lara Bazelon is a legal thriller with a blurb and plot premise that pulled me in by a new author.

I had a difficult time deciding where I would land on the star scale for this book. I kept turning the pages and was surprised by many of the twists in the story and I was compelled to read it until the end, but only to see how the author would end the story and it was disappointing.

Not one of the main characters in this story are likable or truly believable. The characters behaved as if they were in an over-the-top soap opera. I would accept the defendant’s unreliable narrative, but the lawyers and even the judge were all beyond anything I could accept.

I would have loved to read a book with this plot premise written as a true legal thriller. This book is not it.

If you are a fan of the courtroom drama and a host of unlikable characters this book will be right up your alley. Not being able to relate to anyone and having no one to root for made this book a bit of a difficult read, although I did enjoy the court room scenes. It looks like Bazelon might be thinking about a series going forward. I’m hoping that happens so Abby has a chance to redeem herself in future books!

When Luz, a 19 year old wife and mother calls 911 after stabbing her husband, it’s unclear whether it was premeditated murder or self defense to protect herself and her baby. So Abby ends her maternity leave early to defend Luz’s case, thinking since she’s a new mother she can relate and help this girl better than anyone else.

The legal courtroom aspect was rather boring and drawn-out and none of the characters were really likeable.

Unfortunately I didn’t really enjoy this book but I do appreciate and thank the author, Hanover Square Press, and Netgalley for my copy.

A Good Mother is a gripping debut legal thriller about two young mothers, one shocking murder and a court case that puts them both on trial.

I had a hard time getting into this one. While unlikeable characters do not detract from my enjoyment of a book, I found both Luz and Abby hard to connect with.