Let me list some reasons why you should read this book:

if you love multiple timelines where the author makes you travel between the present and the past
if you love one of the characters to use every trick in the book in order to achieve their goals
if you love one of the characters to love money more than anything else
if you love a story that is addictive and gripping
if you love a story that pulls your heart strings in every possible direction
if you love a story where friendship is a bond that can never be broken
if you love a story where true love survives the test of time
if you love a book that is filled with twists 
if you love a fluently written book
if you love all ot the above

Reasons why you should not read this book:

none 

This is the kind of book where you will want to lock yourself in a room without your phone and with a 'do not disturb' notice on the door, because you are going to want to sit down and read it in one go. 5 stars

Thank you

Imagine if everything you know to be true, is actually a lie. Your whole world is turned upside down, and you don't know who to believe or trust anymore. Recommended.

I stayed up all night to finish this unputdownable read. Wow, wow, wow, this suspenseful story was so amazing. The author pulled me in at page one. Loved it.

The plot got me in the first sentence. I love stories about missing people. I couldnt put this book down and I highly recommend to anyone. I will definately be reading more of your books.

A brilliant fast paced read I definitely recommend. I will be adding this author to my ' one to watch for' in the future. Full of intrigue I was left guessing as to what happened in this baby kidnapping story. Years later Eileen's past is set to catch up with her. Is she innocent or guilty of the worst betrayal.

This was a great read! Easy, fast paced, and well written.
I was able to connect with the characters and enjoyed it for start to finish!

WoW What a book Not My Mother by Miranda Smith I was gripped by the very first few pages and I couldn't put it down. This new book was fast paced and extremely well written. throughout and It keeps me on the edge of my seat the whole time.

I highly recommend this book. 5 Big stars from me I loved it

Big Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for a copy of "Not My Mother" in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley, Bookotoure and Miranda Smith for this arc copy. ⁣

What would you do if your mother was not your mother? ⁣At a perfect birthday party, with few friends, everything's going well, when all of a sudden, police sirens are heard blaring outside. They barge in with an arrest warrant and handcuff your mother. You come to know that they believe your mother stole you years ago. What would you believe? ⁣That is Marion's story. A laid back, normal life before it was shattered in a day. The hunt for the truth begins. Many questions arise. Mom who she has known all her life isn't exactly her mom. But a killer who murdered her real father and knocked down her biological mother before running off with her.
Are what the cops saying the truth? Who is lying? This was full of suspense and it left me guessing throughout. I love the characters especially Marion, Eileen who is a strong lady that had to sacrifice a lot for her daughter. Their friends Carmen and Des were interesting characters as well.

This book was flustered with secrets! Like literally every character is hiding something. There were few characters so it made a really engaging read and understandable one. The chapters rotate between different characters and 2 timelines - the past and the present, giving us an insight on Eileen and Amelia's past because we see the past in their POVs. I highly recommend checking out this book. Just know one thing: You will be going on a rollercoaster ride of emotions and feelings.

As they say, NOTHING BEATS THE LOVE OF A MOTHER.

What a gripping thriller.

This was a very disturbing but good read.

Thoroughly enjoyed from start to finish and could not get enough of.

This is a must read for anyone who enjoys a good thriller!!
Absolutely loved the characters, the plot, the tension -  impossible to put it down.
Certainly recommended!
5 stars!!!!
Thanks netgalley 👏👏👏

Wow! This book has given me all the feels and chills! I have been completely unwilling to put this down! I have devoured this in just one sitting and have been completely pulled in and addicted to this one.

Smith has created a unique and fast paced plot which will definitely capture your attention and will have you guessing from start to end!

Imagine having a parent arrested at your child’s birthday party. This then raising questions about your whole life and identity! This book is the emotional rollercoaster and gripping plot that I have needed to allow me to escape the real world.

This has been filled with tension and twists and I could not predict the ending even if I’d wanted to. Smith has written a magnificent masterpiece which I have nothing negative I can say.

I have loved the mix of characters, the tension and suspense keep you guessing and engaged: most of all, I adore how Smith has pulled me in to the plot! It has been a rollercoaster read and one I’ve thought about long after finishing.

A definite five star read and one I absolutely recommend to everyone.

Not My Mother by Miranda Smith

9781800193093

304 Pages
Publisher: Bookouture
Release Date: March 30, 2021

Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Kidnapping

The book begins with the kidnapping of a baby and a murder. The story jumps to the present where Marion is having a first birthday party for her daughter Ava. The house is full of guests when the police arrive. They ask for Sarah Paxton, but Marion does not recognize the name. Then they ask for her mother, Eileen Sams. Next thing she knows, they are taking her mother away in handcuffs.

This story blew me away. It is fast paced, and the characters are well developed. It is told from the first-person point of view and jumps from person to person and the past to the present. I was captivated from the moment I started it until I finished it. I recommended it to a few of my friends and to anyone that enjoys books with twists.

What a book!! The suspense was gentle to soar, all the same, it was hard hitting. The twists took me by surprise, completely unexpected. I thought I could fore-guess author Miranda Smith, but she delivered the right punch at the right time.

Baby Caroline. The child who was kidnapped years ago. And Marion who was found today. Was her mother not her mother but a kidnapper? Read the book to know the truth. Some of them would knock off your socks.

Told in dual perspectives with Marion in the present times, trying to make sense of the facts that were thrown at her and Eileen and her decisions years ago, the story hit the right pitch in the way the author played me.

The story that initially appeared familiar went on a different roll. Marion was carefully etched; I could feel her pain and frustration during the entire journey and also her need to take charge.

Many secrets, careful reveals at strategic moments, and the final twist made this a perfect breakfast read. At last, got the one book that was the perfect accompaniment to toast and tea.

This was such a nail biter of a page turner. A great read. I loved the book. The plot was very well written and I cannot wait for another book.

Great thriller that really kept me guessing and on my toes with unexpected plot twists. Loved that language was not too explicit, sometimes a concern in thrillers. Great storyline about Marion and very engaging.

I just was hooked with this book from day dot. U wanted to find out why Eileen had kidnapped Marion and what the heck is going on .
All my questions were answered and more

Another great book by Miranda! I'm a big fan and this one didn't disappoint me. I was definitely surprised by the turn of events in this storyline.

Miranda Smith’s Not My Mother is a shocking psychological crime thriller about a woman who has the rug well and truly pulled out from under her feet when she makes an earth-shattering discovery: the one person she trusts most in the world has been lying to her all her life.

Marion is on cloud nine. She is celebrating her beautiful daughter’s first birthday and is hosting a party for her. Marion had thought that the only thing she would have to worry about on her daughter’s special day was whether she had enough birthday cake for her guests. However, it soon turns out that Marion is going to remember this day for the rest of her life – but for all the wrong reasons when the police barge in and drop a bombshell that rocks the foundation of her entire world: she is not who she always thought she was and her mother had stolen her from her real family thirty years ago.

As the police arrest her mother, Marion finds herself having to deal with this unexpected revelation. However, the shocks just keep on coming for her when she discovers that she is Baby Caroline, the infant who had been snatched from her parents’ arms. Marion never had an inkling that she was the baby whose story had captured the attention of the entire nation. Marion wants answers and she will not stop until she can finally uncover the truth about her life, but is she prepared for the shocking discoveries which she is about to make?

The more she pieces together the missing pieces of her life, the more terrified Marion becomes. As she edges closer to discovering the truth, Marion realizes that she has inadvertently placed herself and her daughter in the line of fire. Will Marion manage to protect herself and her daughter? Or is she about to pay the ultimate prize for digging into her past?

Miranda Smith’s Not My Mother is a brilliantly layered and deftly crafted thriller readers will struggle to put down. Miranda Smith imbues her story with twists and turns, shocking revelations and heart-pounding suspense leaving readers on the edge of their seats chewing their nails to the elbow.

A juicy, pulse-pounding and completely absorbing thriller that will chill readers to the bone, fans of Big Little Lies and The Girl on The Train will not want to miss Miranda Smith’s Not My Mother.

Not My Mother was such a great read! I was hooked page 1 and read the entire book in 24 hours. I love the way the author tells the story from 2 perspectives during 2 different times. The ending was surprising and The characters were so well liked. I can’t wait to read more by Miranda Smith!

This was a solid suspenseful book about a woman who was apparently kidnapped as a baby. When her mother is arrested for the kidnapping, her world is turned upside down as she learns the truth about what really happened. Definitely not predictable, with plenty of twists & turns to keep you reading! It was fast paced, and even though it had some violent scenes it was not written in a gruesome way, which I appreciate.

I absolutely loved this book. It's almost everyone's worse nightmare coming true. Your mum gets arrested at tour child's first birthday party and you find out the reason she was arrested is because she kidnapped you when you were a baby, Marion discovers that she's tbe famous baby Caroline who was kidnapped from her crib.

I just was hooked with this book from day dot. U wanted to find out why Eileen had kidnapped Marion and what the heck is going on .
All my questions were answered and more.

Written in the first person and flipping between time lines it really helped keep me engrossed. I had a theory and had to check if I was right and I was but I missed s few crucial points that made me gasp and sigh in excitement and anticipation. The writing is done so well I even felt for the (mother) it was just gr8!!!

The character development throughout the story was fantastic. The twists and turns as well kept me completely hooked. I even cried a few times.


Totally recommend if you fancy a slow paced psychological thriller which leaves you thinking even after. 5 stars given as I found it easy to connect with each character.

Thank tour to netgalley, the author and bookature for the digital advanced copy.