This is not the traditional mystery/thriller. This is more of seeing both sides of to story. It was a slow reveal. Eileen's side to the story was left and as suspected I knew part of the ending. However, there was a surprise at the end. There was a minor event in the story that I had forgotten and yet it made a tremendous impact on the ending. I thought Jamie's character was underrated. There is so much there I wanted the author to fill in the blank, but that never happened. Overall, it was a good story.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for letting me read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

First, I want to thank NetGalley, Bookouture and Miranda Smith for this eARC!

Rating: 4.5/5

I first read the synopsis and thought, boy this sounds good! Another thought I generally have with thrillers is, will it be predictable? I thought this one could but but I was wrong! I loved how Smith started conflict right as the reader is getting interested in the story! Then, half way through a twist! Then near the end was several other small twists. I guessed one small twist but that was it! I loved how many unexpected twists were in the book and I kept having to adjust to these changes!

I loved the main character, Marion. She was so easy to relate to and feel her grief, anger, and all other emotions. I think I would have felt her same emotions if I was in her shoes. The other characters I really enjoyed and each had a purpose in the story. I went through emotions of hating certain characters to liking and vice versa when needed (no spoilers).

This was my first book by Smith and won’t be my last!

Marion is celebrating! Her only daughter is turning one year old, and they're partying with what seems like the entire community at her family-owned restaurant. When the party is interrupted by the police, there to arrest her mother, Marion's entire world turns upside down. It seems like she is the missing "Baby Caroline", stolen out of her crib during a terrible summer day 30 years prior. Has Marion been living a lie for decades and didn't know? Is her mother guilty of the awful crimes she has been arrested for?

This is a classic domestic thriller. While I found it to be a solid read, I wasn't particularly impressed or shocked by any of the twists or developments. Enjoyable read to pass away a couple hours, but don't expect to hold your breath or be particularly impacted.

I did enjoy and resonate with the theme of mothering in the book - what makes a mother? Does wealth and privilege make someone a better parent, or give a child the "best" life? Are some secrets permissible if the mother is hiding things in the child's best interest? Marion's relationship with her mother as an adult is much different than her relationship with her mother when she was a child; something I believe is relatable to many of us. I did enjoy learning the circumstances behind Marion becoming a mother, and I appreciated her journey to motherhood.

Recommended for a casual read when you need something simple.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for my ARC! All opinions are my own.

100% not how I expected the story to go!

Having read the author's notes at the end of the book, I can really appreciate how the narrative was formed around one traumatic scene, a woman arrested arrest at her granddaughter's first birthday party.

Being a single mother must be a pretty tough experience. With a solid support network and knowing that your mother managed single parenting just fine, it would seem a little less scary. Then finding out that you were taken from your parents and potentially everything that you knew about your life was a lie... it really hits the fan.

From the moment of the arrest, Smith keeps a foot on the accelerator, with Marion finding out more and more about her past as the pages pass and such layers of intensity start to build.

There's not a dull moment throughout, every character interaction is meaningful and well thought out, with such realism to keep you grounded and invested.

“There are real monsters out there, some closer than you would prefer to admit.”

How can you learn the truth when your whole life is a lie?

“Not My Mother,” by Miranda Smith, is absolutely the best psychological thriller I’ve read in a long time! Smith writes about ordinary people put in extraordinary situations and sprinkles it with domestic and psychological suspense.

Eileen Sams, her daughter, Marion and her granddaughter, Ava, are just blowing out the candles on Ava’s first birthday cake when someone knocks on the door. It’s the police and they’ve come to arrest Sarah Paxton. Thinking they have the wrong house, Marion explains that nobody by that name lives in their home nor is attending the party. Within minutes, Eileen is dragged off in handcuffs.

WHAT?!

How would you feel if the authorities told you that your mother was not really your mother? That she stole you, 30 years ago?

YEAH. THAT.

How would you feel if your whole life was a lie?

Smith will take you on the ride of your life as you race to find out who Sarah Paxton is and why she stole Marion. Just when you think you have it figured out, Smith will pull the carpet out from under you and leave you as dazed as Marion. This is my first read by this author, but I'm off to acquire more of her books as I love her writing style!

Thank you to Miranda Smith, Bookouture, and NetGalley for an opportunity to read a fantastic advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

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

Ms. Smith has written an absolutely engaging thriller that had some very surprising and unexpected twists and turns. While I wanted to keep reading to find out what was truly happening, I also didn't really want the book to end.

The story takes place in North Bay, a small beach town on the Atlantic. The story is told through several perspectives. It begins with "Amelia - Then", she appears to have been attacked, her husband killed and her baby Caroline is missing. The story then moves between "Marion - Now", "Eileen - Then", and finally "Amelia - Then and Now".

Eileen Sams is arrested at the 1st birthday party of her grand-daughter Ava. Marion is shocked to hear the police calling her mother "Sarah Paxton" and implying that she is not even her mother. Marion's bestfriend Carmen Banks is a solicitor and promises to get to the bottom of things. Eileen is accused of custodial interference, kidnapping and murder.

The story of Baby Caroline has been in the news off and on ever since she was taken from a rich couple in New Hutton in 1987. A woman is said to have broken into their home attacked the mother, killed the father and kidnapped 3 month old Caroline. Amelia Parker met Sarah Paxton at the counselling centre where she worked. Sarah Paxton is the prime suspect, the police feel that she is now living as Eileen Sams and that Marion Sams is Baby Caroline.

Eileen's story is mainly told through stories of the past. Her friendships with Jamie and Cliff are very important to the story. She has never really told Marion anything about her life, her past, who Marion's father is. Eileen never wanted Marion out of her sight, never allowed to playgrounds, sleepovers, school trips, movies, etc.

Amelia Parker all of a sudden arrives at Marion's condo. Starts to insert herself in Marion's life, claiming to be her mother. She paints a sinister story of Eileen, whom she calls Sarah.

There are many twists and turns as the story is told through the eyes of Eileen in the past and Marion in the present. Truths are revealed. Lies from the past are revealed. Tangled stories are finally straightened out. Help comes to Marion from an unexpected source. She also has a friend from her own past come and give her much needed assistance. Marion also gets many much needed answers that will help her move forward.

An absolutely wonderful read. I will look out for more from this author in the future.

From the beginning to the very end this book kept me page turning, and feeling sorry and then anger at some of the characters.
This story is so real, and you can see yourself reading the papers and feeling the pain of this poor mother. Baby Caroline was stolen over thirty years ago, her father murdered and her mother attacked, and never found, until now!
I loved the twists, turns, and unfortunately betrayals, it is also fast pace, and I was quickly finished with this book, of course, I needed the answers!
I will be looking for more books by Miranda Smith.
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Bookoutour, and was not required to give a positive review.

A great book with a even better storyline. Every chapter was amazing and its a great thriller and i couldnt put it down

Thanks to Miranda Smith, NetGalley and Bookouture for the advance review copy of Not My Mother.

Marion is having a party at her home to celebrate her daughter's first birthday when the police knock at her door and place her mother under arrest. They claim her Mother Eileen isn't who she says she is - but is in fact a woman named Sarah Paxton - accused of murdering a man and kidnapping Baby Caroline over 30 years ago. Marion's world is turned upside down as she is faced with the prospect of her whole life being a lie - is she in fact Baby Caroline?? When Eileen is injured in prison and ends up in hospital, even more lies are revealed that show her Mum was also hiding more secrets beneath her calm exterior.

Whilst Marion's solicitor friend takes on her Eileen's case, Marion starts to do some digging herself, determined to find out the truth about both her Mums, and her own identity.

This is a fast paced book full of secrets, lies and big reveals and with lots of twists throughout. You will find yourself questioning everyone and trying to second guess throughout. Whilst I did feel a tad frustrated at how quickly Marion lost her faith in her Mum, I guess you never truly know how you will react in the face of such an extreme revelation.

Whilst I was able to predict some of the reveals, I still found myself taking a sharp intake of breath at a twist I did not see coming- the sign of a strong thriller!

A really enjoyable edge of your seat read!

This novel is a page turner of the best kind. The characters are so well drawn and believable .There are many shocking twists and turns but they never feel contrived or gimmicky. I thought the book was a really fascinating study of motherhood, on many levels. If you are looking for a completely absorbing read, then you won't be disappointed.

Everyone has heard of the Baby Caroline case. More than 30 years ago she was stolen from her nursery with her father murdered and her mother left for dead. Single parent Marion Sams is horrified when the police arrive at her daughter Ava’s first birthday party arrest her mother, Eileen. Soon she discovers they believe her to be baby Caroline. Has her whole life been a lie?

I enjoyed this book! There were a few procedural issues I felt were unrealistic (there is no way the DNA test wouldn’t have been done immediately!) but this didn’t dampen my enthusiasm. It has plenty of twists and turns and while I had some idea of where we were going, there were plenty of surprises too.

I liked the way that different characters narrated each chapter. It was interesting to read the story in the voices of Marion, Eileen and Amelia and I liked that we got lots of back story as well as the current mystery. It’s a well written, well paced psychological thriller with a cracking story and interesting characters. I loved it. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my copy of this book.

Manipulative Psychological Mystery 👀

Not My Mother is told mainly from Eileen and Marions perspective, mother and daughter, or so Marion thought, her recent arrest leaving her questioning this. Eileen is arrested at Ava's first birthday party, leaving Marion questioning so many things, why her Mums been arrested? why now? They're saying she's not my real Mother; Questioning if she my real mother, is she guilty, making her look back to past memories. So many questions, so many secrets yet to hopefully be shared.

It's quite a short read, gets pretty much straight to the arrest, then goes from now and then over various times for both. Overall a good read, for me I found it a slow burner, got my interest more nearer the end, where the manipulative actions start to unravel. Definitely worth reading.

An intriguing thriller with brilliant twists that keeps you riveted till the very end. 
Single mom Marion Sams' idyllic life is shattered when her mother Eileen is arrested for a murder and kidnapping case that took place over thirty years ago. Marion realises that her whole life, even her own name, has been a lie, concocted by the woman she calls Mom. As she comes to terms with her new reality, more secrets and betrayals are revealed, making her second guess where her loyalties should lie. At the end, she must trust her instincts to protect her own daughter Ava, from the clutches of a deranged woman, desperate to have her own family.

The book starts off with a bang, depicting the scene of the horrific crime committed in the past. This alone was enough to reel me in. The story is revealed in alternating POVs - Marion's in the present and Eileen's in the past. While Eileen's POV builds up the suspense with every page, Marion's POV reveals her inner turmoil - love for the woman who raised her, anger at her betrayal, and compassion and empathy for the mother she was torn away from but never stopped looking for her. While the author maintained a tense narrative from the start, the climax was comparatively tame. I love stories that have women supporting and building up other women and in that respect, this book is a win.

Overall, an engaging read. Thank you Bookouture and Netgalley for providing a free digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A new author for me which I enjoyed with a good story line and plenty going on which did keep me involved.

For me personally it wasn't an edge of seat thriller just a good, well written read which I can recommend.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

I am a huge fan of Miranda Smith and her latest book does not disappoint. This time we follow a young woman who’s life is thrown upside down when her mother is arrested at her Grandchild's 1st birthday and charged with murder and kidnapping. When Marion comes to the realisation that the kidnap victim is herself life as she knows it is thrown into disarray as she tries to find out the truth about who she is and the one person who she is meant to be able to trust more than anyone in the world is not talking. As secrets and lies start to unravel this book just does not let go and I could not put it down. Even my dog is in a sulk as I haven’t walked her yet because I had to finish this story first.

You cannot put this book down!! It’s addicting. I loved it from the start to the very last page. I flew through the pages all afternoon. This is the first book I’ve read by Miranda smith and I really like her twisty writing style.

Very clever twist on a missing baby case. There is a lot going on here and your allegiances will shift more than once. Miranda Smith keeps you entertained all the way through with her latest, Not My Mother. A twisty telling of a domestic suspenser, not to be missed!

I did not want to put this book down!! It grabbed me from the first page and I had to force myself to stop reading and go about my daily life—but quickly so I could get back to the book! It is a thriller and is full of the twists and turns especially the ending. I hadn’t read anything by this author before, but if her other books are anything like this one, she has a new fan!

#NotMyMother #NetGalley
Gripping.
Baby Caroline case, of course. When a baby is snatched from her mother’s arms, the whole country knows about it. I knew about the parents left lying by the swimming pool, the open window in the nursery. But I never dreamed it had anything to do with me.
Today, my beautiful daughter turned one. We were unwrapping gifts and blowing out candles when the knock came at the door, and they took my mother away.
The police say she’s not really my mother. That she stole me, thirty years ago.
When I visit her, desperate for answers, she looks me in the eye, and says nothing. I can barely breathe. Is my whole life a lie?
Good characters and flawless narration.
I'm doing more promotion on its release date among my fellow Authors Bloggers Family Friends and followers.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for giving me an advanced copy of this psychological thriller.