The Baby Caroline case was big news and Marion Sams has heard the stories. One afternoon, Marion is happy to be having her daughter's first birthday party. Imagine her shock when police officers show up. In fact, the police arrive and are asking about a woman named Sarah Paxton. Eileen is handcuffed, taken away and then jailed.

What is going on? The police hand Marion a warrant that explains something rather shocking to her. Eileen is not her mother. In fact, Marion was said to have been kidnapped as a baby and was then known as Caroline. Could this be true? Did Eileen kidnap Marion as a baby? If so, who is her mother?

Quite naturally, Marion is filled with questions. If Eileen is not her mother, then what is her mother's real name? Where is her mother? Why did it take the police this long to come and arrest Eileen?

I love how this story was told. It is written in first person in both Marion's and Eileen's POV. It is an intriguing story that Marion is determined to unravel. This book was an incredible journey and told an amazing story of Marion's past and her connection to Eileen. Another character came into play into this story, thus grabbing my attention all the more. This riveting story was sharp, emotional, compelling and utterly impossible to put down. This is par for the course when it comes to the crafty writing of Miranda Smith.

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

Marion Sams is hosting a first birthday party for her daughter, Ava. She is a single mother and happy with her life. She, along with her mother, Eileen, and business partner Des, own and run an eatery called The Shack. She has lived in this town all of her life and loves it. The restaurant is popular with both locals and tourists visiting the nearby beaches. Many friends are with them today, including her best friend, Carmen, who is an attorney. Just as they are ready to light the candles on Ava’s cake, police come to the door asking first for Sarah Paxton and then for Eileen Sams. They arrest Eileen for the 1980’s attack of a mother, murder of the father, and kidnapping 3-month old Baby Caroline.

Marion is shocked. Her beloved mother could not have done something like this. Her mother is a loving single mother and they have happily lived in this town. Carmen steps in to be the attorney defending Eileen. As more facts come out, it appears that Eileen had been the kidnapper of the infamous Baby Caroline and Marion is Caroline.

When Amelia, Caroline’s mother, approaches Marion, she appears to be a well-dressed and wealthy woman. She says she doesn’t want to rush Marion but wants to get to know her and Ava. Marion wonders how Eileen could have done something like this and soon learns that she is hiding yet another secret.

Marion doesn’t know what or who to believe, but things quickly escalate leaving the reader holding their breath.

A really good book that grabs the reader and tells a story of pain and love. Miranda Smith has written about the pure love of a mother for her child. Well done!

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Intense from page 1! A furious page turning thriller that will have you guessing who baby Caroline is and how Eileen was involved! A dark past and a storyline that slowly unravels! Loved it!!!

Big thank you to NetGalley and Miranda Smith for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Miranda Smith has written a captivating thriller with several unexpected and exciting twists and turns. North Bay, a small beach town on the Atlantic, is the setting for the plot. It happens to be told from a variety of viewpoints. It starts with "Amelia - Then," in which she is attacked, her husband is killed, and her baby Caroline is missing. After that, the plot switches between "Marion - Now," "Eileen - Then," and "Amelia - Then and Now."

The thriller starts off with Eileen getting arrested at Amelia’s daughter's birthday party. When the police arrest her, they call her “Sarah Paxton” and believed she was the one would kidnapped baby Caroline. In the news, Baby Caroline was blown up due to the baby being kidnapped from a rich couple. This woman is accused of breaking into their house, assaulting the mother, killing the father, and kidnapping Caroline, who was only three months old. Sarah Paxton happened to be introduced to Amelia Parker at a counseling center where she worked. The prime suspect is Sarah Paxton, who the police believe is now using the fake name Eileen Sams and Marion Sams is Baby Caroline.

Overall, this was an amazing read!

Marion has been looking forward to her daughter's 1st birthday.
But little does she know that the day will stay in her memory for a completely different reason. When the party is suddenly interrupted and her mother gets arrested, Marion can't believe the accusations.
Did her mother really kidnap a baby in the late '80s? Is Marion really baby Caroline?

I was a bit sceptical when I started reading this book as baby kidnapping plots have been explored so many times that I wasn't sure if this story would stand out amongst similar ones.
However, I'm happy to say that this book gripped me from the start and had me madly turning the pages. The plot turned out to be really intriguing, and I couldn't wait to find out if Eileen was or wasn't Marion's mother.
On the downside, I found the twists a bit predictable, and after they were revealed, the ending seemed to drag out for too long, but other than that it was a very gripping and fast-paced read, one that takes the title of my favourite Miranda Smith book.

Not My Mother

There is plenty going on in this novel. This mystery is told from the point of view of Marion, who was snatched from her crib when she was an infant.

Marion aka Caroline is kidnapped and taken away from her wealthy, smart adoptive parents, Amelia and Bruce Parker. When the story opens Marion is now the mother of her own one-year old girl, Ava. Friends are gathered to celebrate Ava’s birthday when police arrive and arrest Marion’s mother, “Eileen,” for kidnapping and murder.

The novel commences to untangle all that went on before and during this sudden, life-changing catastrophe. Marion loves Eileen, who she thought was her mother, but now questions her motives, identity and many facets of her upbringing.

Smith brings in a large cast of characters, the old boyfriend, best friends, Carmen and Des, supported by secondary characters who fill out the cast. Marion, as the sole narrator, is guilty of egotism and can be quite demanding of her friends and for me, the reader’s patience.

This would make a fine made-for-TV drama. There are enough twists in the story to create a fascinating movie.

My gratitude to NetGalley and Bookoutre for this pre-published book. All opinions expressed are my own.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and Miranda Smith for the eARC, in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

I thoroughly enjoyed Not My Mother.
The plot is intriguing, and had me hooked from the very beginning.

I found it hard to put down and definitely suffered from ‘just-one-more-chapter’ syndrome whilst reading it.

Plenty of suspense and many twists and turns, although some of the twists are a tad predictable.

Overall, an excellent thriller.
I would recommend.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book was something else. Amazing. Thrilling. Absorbing. Packed full of suspense. Twists at every turn. This is one great read. Just wonderful.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC, in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

The book is fast paced and characters are written well
The plot is intriguing at the beginning, and but also become predictable after a while.

The story is narrated in present and past which I thought is done well.
Marion runs a cafe in a small town with her mother and her mom's friend . She is having a brithday party for her daughter Ava when police knocks on her door and arrest her mother for stealing a baby in the 80's. Marion's best friend Carmen who is also a lawyer becomes her support system . She finds out that Eileen 's real name is Sarah Paxton.

Why did Sarah / Eileen steal a baby ? Is Marion really baby Caroline ? Is Eileen innocent ? Does Marion trust's her mother Eileen ?

These are some of the questions that are explored and form rest of the story.
I would give 3.5 stars for the book

Not My Mother is the latest psychological thriller by Miranda Smith and revolves around a mother who has been accused of stealing her daughter three decades earlier. Set in North Bay, a small beach town on the east coast with views out over the Atlantic ocean, the prologue begins in 1987 with Amelia Parker waking up by her family’s backyard pool to find her husband, Bruce, dead at her feet. Laying in a pool of blood, he was completely still and his eyes were closed. The affluent couple from New Hutton had just had a baby 3 months earlier, prompting Amelia to run into the house and straight up the stairs to the nursery to check on Baby Caroline. But it was much too late; she had gone. The infant abduction was all over the news at the time and had been featured on TV intermittently ever since. The narrative then fast forwards to present day where Marion Sams, a thirtysomething mum, is holding a birthday party for her one-year-old baby girl, Ava. The party is hosted at The Shack, a restaurant her mother, Eileen, co-owns with business partner, Des. Marion spots people hovering outside the front of the restaurant. It's the police who are looking for a Sarah Paxton. She informs them that this is a private party and no one by that name is present. But they then ask if Eileen Sams is in attendance and Eileen comes to the door. She is promptly asked to step outside and is both handcuffed and arrested before being placed into one of the squad cars. Marion is left feeling shocked, floored and confused. Why were they first calling her mother Sarah Paxton, and why did they infer she wasn't Marion’s biological mother? Luckily, Marion’s best friend, Carmen Banks, is a prominent defence lawyer.

She vows to look into the charges of custodial interference, kidnapping and murder cited on papers handed over by the police as the reason for the arrest. But the truth is going to be hard to swallow. Eileen/Sarah stands accused of attacking Amelia Parker, brutally slaying her husband and abducting Caroline in the late 1980s. Amelia named Sarah as the perpetrator at the time as she had known her from her employment at a counselling centre where Sarah went due to trauma from domestic abuse during her childhood. As time goes on and Eileen refuses to answer her questions, Marion concedes that this may the reason there were never grandparents around or a father figure and they remained a mystery to her to this day, but maybe things were about to become clearer. Then, now that Sarah/Eileen is out of the way, Amelia decides to pay a visit to Marion and of course, tells her she is her mother and that her real given name was Caroline. She paints a dark and disturbing portrait of Sarah, shocking Marion even more as she had only ever known her ”mother” to be loving and generous. What is the truth? Not Your Mother is a deeply twisted and compelling cross between a domestic and psychological thriller with the bulk of the story surrounding Marion/Caroline’s attempts to come to terms with the idea that her childhood was nothing but a lie and who she thought to be a protective and compassionate mother was a kidnapper on the run from the law. The fight to get the answers that she really deserves is lengthy as Eileen doesn't want to disclose anything likely to hurt her future case/trial. A deftly plotted, emotional and fast-paced page-turner.

“The joy and the pain. It takes both to make a life. It takes both to live one.”

The author's writing style is to live for. Suspenseful but not unnecessarily so. Concocted just the right way. The way it was written draws out emotion and encourages empathy for the characters. Whether the reader be a teenager struggling to put their life together, a mom grappling with the challenges of parenthood, a thoughtful friend, a father, a beloved, a child.

The book also brought up vivid visualizations in me...I seriously thought that I'd watched a movie one time I was reading this late at night until I noticed the words and letters on the screen. No kidding.

The characters are very well-crafted. They have depth, solid feelings and dynamics.

The plot...oh God the plot is awesome! This story must only have come from a very smart individual...smart and sick. Jk. But the huge revelations kept on coming! The author bombarded us with so much conflicts I might need therapy after this! From the arrest to attacks to other yet more lethal stuff...

Not My Mother is a page-turning, thought-provoking, fast paced story, which presents readers with hook-and-bait at every twist and turn. Fans of Kimberly McCreight, Angela Marsons and The Silent Patient will love this book.

Nope, nope, nope! I really didn’t like this book. It was such a disappointment from such an exciting premise.

At just 20% in I knew this book wasn’t for me but I kept going - just incase I was wrong! The story felt very one dimensional and lack lustre, hugely repetitive too which I detest.

This is a book that would’ve been better as a short story as it is apparently clear that a simple dna test would’ve answered half of the characters worries and inner monologue. Sadly, plot wise this took a month to come to fruition. By which point it wasn’t really a shock.

Twists and turns are all neatly laid out and picked apart over acres of sub text. By which point you already know them and it’s just a case of finding out what the sentencing will be.

It’s an easy page turner and quite possibly for those who just want to read for the sake of reading. But for me it was a no.

Thank you to NetGalley for my advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

If you are looking for a book that will make you want to keep reading because you just keep wanting to know what happens next, even though you are so tired you are almost going cross-eyed, then you should check out this book. Seriously.

Honestly, I wasn't entirely sure what I was expecting out of this but I was amazed at how quickly I was pulled into the story. This book was legitimately difficult to put down. I found myself constantly thinking, "one more chapter, one more chapter..." until it was so late that if I didn't go to sleep then, I would be a very grumpy teacher the next day.

The story propelled forward and each chapter seemed to be packed with just enough action and revelation that it keeps you on your toes. You're always learning something about the story or the characters and there is always something to keep pulling you into the book. Honestly, there were very few times that I felt my mind wander.

The story was riveting and I loved the plot twists. I was trying to predict all of the truths as I read but was so excited to see that there weren't just plot twists, there were twists on twists. A story written like this shows you that the author has really thought about what they are doing and has created such a phenomenal read that I was left in awe.

The only reason why I am knocking off half of a star (though I am rating it with 5 stars) is because there were times that I wish there was a bit more internal conflict. I felt a little like the characters lacked some authenticity and like their voices were glazed over instead of being immersed in them. Instead of being right there with the characters and in the middle of all the action, I felt like I was just watching them behind glass.

Overall, this is a phenomenal read that I am very happy I had to pleasure and privilege to read. I would absolutely recommend this book and I will be looking to read more books by this author in the near future.

Thank you to NetGalley for this complimentary ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Imagine you are celebrating your daughter's first birthday and all of a sudden the police come in and take your mother away. In Not My Mother, a new thriller by Miranda Smith, that is exactly what happens to Marion. This thriller of twist and turns and leaves the reader wondering, what exactly is going on here.

Thank you, NetGalley, and the publisher for this ARC for an honest review.

# Not My Mother#Netgalley

Wow wow wow what a fantastic read, I was so gripped by the book from the first chapter, when the police came and took Eileen away saying she was someone else., in front of her daughter Marion. It’s then when Marion a lawyer Marions best friend told her they were saying Eileen wasn’t her mother. Marion was desperate to speak to her mum but wasn’t allowed to see her at that point. A rollercoaster of a ride with so many twists and turns. Just when you start to think you know the truth it changes and it keeps you guessing almost until the last page. I thought I had worked it out. But then another twist, comes and throws you off again. Literally it kept me guessing. I had to read this book until I had finished once I started. So be prepared not to be doing much once you start this book you will definitely struggle to put it down...... it my first book I have read by this author but it definitely will not be the last

★★★★★ 4.5 stars (rounded up)

I am excited to be taking part in the #BooksOnTour #BlogTour for Miranda Smith's intriguing domestic drama NOT MY MOTHER.

After the last book by this author, which I found extremely disappointing, I wasn't sure what to expect. However, I was pleasantly surprised. NOT MY MOTHER is an intriguing thriller of sorts that keeps you engaged from beginning to end with a few surprising twists along the way.

The story takes place in North Bay, a small beach town on the east coast bordering the Atlantic Ocean. Thirtysomething Marion Sams is holding a first birthday party for her baby girl Ava in the restaurant she co-runs with business partner and friend Des. Her mother Eileen lives in the two bedroom apartment above the restaurant where Marion grew up when she and her mother first came to town three decades ago. The three women have become a family of sorts and now there is baby Ava, whom everyone dotes on.

When there is an unexpected commotion at the front of the restaurant, Marion goes to investigate only to be greeted by police asking for someone named Sarah Paxton. Marion tells them that there is no one here by that name and that they were in the middle of hosting a private party. When Eileen comes looking for her daughter, the police swoop down on her asking if she was Eileen Sams and nodding her ascent, they handcuff and arrest her, placing her in the back of the police car. Marion is shocked. What the hell is going on? Marion's best friend, Carmen Banks, is a defence lawyer and promises to find out just exactly what is happening. But nothing will prepare Marion for the truth. Eileen is suspected of custodial interference, kidnapping and murder.

Over thirty years ago back in the late 80s, baby Caroline was stolen from her parents in New Hutton. A woman broke into the rich couple's home, attacked the mother and killed the father before making off with 3 month old baby Caroline. Amelia Parker, the mother, named Sarah Paxton as the woman who took her child and killed her husband. And now police believe that Eileen is Sarah Paxton and that Marion is the missing baby Caroline.

In a matter of hours, Marion's world is turned upside down as her loving mother who raised her single-handedly sits in a jail cell accused of these unbelievable crimes. Marion cannot correlate those crimes with the mother she knows and loves. But as days pass and Eileen refuses to answer her questions when she visits, Marion begins to question everything she knows. Suddenly the past that was always just that little bit out of reach, the questions never answered, the excursions never allowed, the mysteries never explained...all seemed to make sense. Why she was never allowed to go to New York with school. Why her mother never told her anything about her father or grandparents. Why their lives never really begun until they came to North Bay. And Marion finds herself wondering...could she really be baby Caroline? If so, then her mother is not who she thinks she is.

Then a knock on the door brings Amelia Parker into Marion's life. Claiming to be her mother, she paints a sad - almost sinister - picture of Eileen, whom she calls Sarah. The two women go for coffee, somewhere out of the way where the press can't find them. Or so they think. The next thing Marion knows, she's plastered all over the paper as "Baby Caroline has a baby of her own" and photos of her meeting up with Amelia. Carmen is livid, saying this will not help Eileen's case at all. But Marion is conflicted. She loves Eileen...but if she stole her then she couldn't condone that, surely? And what of Amelia's pain? Three decades of searching for her missing child? And what about her? She's the innocent victim in all of this. As is Ava, who she must protect at all costs.

Starting off with a bang depicting the scene of the initial crime committed in the past, the story immediately reels you in. Told in alternating narratives - Marion's in the present and Eileen's in the past, with the odd narrative by Amelia - NOT MY MOTHER is a domestic drama in which the suspense builds and the tension is palpable as Marion's narrative reveals her inner turmoil and search for the truth. While she loves the woman who raised her and is angered by her secrets, lies and betrayal, she also feels a compassion and empathy for the mother she was torn away from and who had never stopped searching for her.

What we discover through Eileen's narrative is the backstory leading up to the crime, told through a series of letters penned by Eileen in the hope that Marion never has to read them. But written for her in case she must. Through these letters we hear Eileen's voice tell her story as a young, confused and disillusioned girl and the circumstances of her childhood. And then her life changes when she meets to co-workers at the cafe she worked at - Cliff and Jamie. They would become her best friends and from there on in, Eileen's life changed. It's not difficult to feel sympathy for Eileen as her story unfolds. She's not had it easy. But does it extenuate the crime for which she is now being accused?

I love a good kidnapping story and this one is just so different from others I have read in the fact it is an historic case. How a grown woman must then come to terms with that fact and the mother she has always known may not be her biological mother. It's an intriguing tale that pulls you in from the beginning. But...just when you think you have it all figured out, nothing is as it seems and everything turns on its head once more.

NOT MY MOTHER is riddled with secrets, lies, deception and betrayals. There are twists to be had, truths to reveal, lies to uncover and tangled stories to unravel. Can Marion trust anyone in her life again? And then help comes from the past giving her much needed assistance and helping her to move forward.

A thoroughly enjoyable quick read, NOT MY MOTHER is an engaging domestic drama that borders on the thriller genre and is perfect for fans of both genres as well as Lisa Jewell, Ali Mercer, Kim Slater and Shalini Boland.

I would like to thank #MirandaSmith, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #NotMyMother in exchange for an honest review.

Years ago a baby was kidnapped from her crib. Baby Caroline was a news sensation. No one knew what happened to her.
Now a young mother watches as her mother is handcuffed and taken to jail. Her charge, kidnapping and murder.
An amazing thriller that keeps you in suspense till the very end. A book you can't put down!
I was given this book to read and review by the publisher through Netgalley.
I loved it!

I read this book in a day. It held my interest and sparked my curiosity . Who is Marion's mother? What really happened? Could what the police say be true? There are plenty of twists and turns in this story, some I definitely saw coming, others not at all!

If you love suspense thrillers, I recommend this book!!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC, in exchange for an honest review.

Wow Not My Mother is a fantastic, gripping read. As soon as I started reading it I knew I was going to love it, it grabbed me straight away and I couldn't put it down. I finished it in 2 sittings, staying up very late and then getting up very early as I just wanted to know how it was all going to finish. It had so many twists, turns and shocks throughout.
I highly recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC.

This is one hell of a read. Grabs you from the first page and doesn't release it's tender clutches until you have finished the whole book. I read it in one day because I was so engrossed in the characters and the story, I just couldn't stop reading until I found out what the mystery was surrounding baby Caroline. It has so many twists and turns you don't know which way is up. It's totally addictive and I bloody loved every page. Miranda Smith is a very clever writer and she knows how to bring out your goose bumps and give you whole body chills.