This book is good and I liked the main character.
There were some good twists and turns.
This was a slow burn that was multi layered.

A really good well paced book that I enjoyed. Nicola is moving on with her life and is starting afresh with Ian a dentist and her young son. She fears her past and secrets she hides is coming back to haunt her though, in the worst possible way. I don’t want to spoil the book but this one kept me in a grip and definitely recommend reading.

Special thanks to Netgalley and the author for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This book was hard to put down!
There’s a special place in my heart for stories about mothers and children, bring a mom, myself, and this book was no different.
Mic I has put her past behind her and lives with her new husband and son but can she escape the past?
The story was slow at the beginning, but it did pick up steam. I did not like Ian at all! He is very obviously a bad dude from our first introduction 🤔
Most definitely a good read and I enjoyed it!

Loved the plot on this one. This was such a ride. I thought I had it all worked out, but I hadnt. So many twists and turns, and what an ending. Highly recommend.

A Good Mother was a quick and easy read while snuggled inside on a cold winter night. What ultimately made it quick was that the beginning of the book followed many of the same patterns as some similar books I’ve read. That meant that the characters didn’t quite stand out and I didn’t really form a bond with any. However, the character development was good and the story was well written, meaning I could still very much enjoy the book.

Although I had A Good Mother down as somewhat predictable, it wasn’t the case. Somewhere around the halfway mark things changed in an unpredictable way. Then it became a quick read because I was eager to unravel the ending. Everything was wound up really well and characters I had thought were unimportant ended up playing a vital role in the overall plot.P

Nicola spent her life growing up in foster care. As a single mum to Finn, she has struggled to make a life for them. Then she meets Ian, a dentist, who gives her a job in his office and spoils both her and Finn with whatever they desire. The only thing is, Nicola's past hides some dark secrets. Secrets that she hopes will never be uncovered. This story is written so well from start to finish that I did not want to put it down. The reader gets clues into bits and pieces of Nicola's past, however, it was impossible to guess just how dark the people from her past would go to ruin her life. I felt like Nicola had no one to trust at times. Ian was very controlling and very odd. And when strange things start happening all the reader could hope for was that Nicola would make smart decisions. There is excellent suspense and action throughout this book.
Thank you to Netgalley, Sam Hepburn, and Bookouture for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I had to read this book in point sitting. If I put it down, I kept getting about it and had to pick it up again.
I hadn't read anything by Sam Hepburn before but will do again if they're all this good.
This jetport me thinking the whole way through, and I can honestly say it had the most satisfactory ending. Wonderful story telling.
Overall, this is a great book which I am happy to recommend to all thriller readers. I gave A Good Mother, by Sam Hepburn five stars.

Thanks to @NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rating - liked!
I purchased this one for my shelf and for one of my friends trying to get into thrillers. I think the slow burn, gradual plot build up is effective for the story. I also am a sucker for a familial bond and the limit-testing of a mother's love. Well done!

Nicola grew up in foster care where her childhood and teenage years were full of unbelievable trauma and hardships. Nicola seems to have the perfect life, perfect marriage and perfect family.
She’s trying to move on from all of the darkness in her life and live happily with her husband and son. Strange things start happening around her and she feels like her past is coming back to haunt her and she wonders will her past secrets come out and how will she protect her son? Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the advance ecopy.

I enjoyed Sam Hepburn's Her Perfect Life, so I was excited to read A Good Mother, and it was great too! All the characters were incredibly well-written, and the author did a really good job of making me hate Ian (and making me glad that I'm single). I liked that the story went back and forth between past and present, and I loved the ending. Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to read and review another amazing novel from Sam Hepburn. : )

Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book. It was a really good read. The book grabs your attention straight away, and the Nicola and Ian are well written and credible characters. The plot is thrilling and this is one book that is not to be missed.

This book was a page turner from beginning to end. Very captivating with amazing character development. A harsh past that has brought this mother into a fortunate present. She has worked so hard for this. But what if it isn’t everything it is meant to be. This isn’t just new for her but also for her family. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Nicola has had a terrible childhood and teenage years
But now she is married and has a son
But the past will catch up with her
A good read
Thanks NetGalley

Disclaimer: I received a free digital ARC (Advanced Reading Copy) of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

A domestic thriller featuring a mother willing to do anything for her small son.

Description

Nicci finally has the life she always for herself and her son. She met the perfect man, Ian, who loves her and accepted her along with her son Finn no questions asked. Not only Ian has adopted Finn and treats him like his own son, but he bought the perfect little house for their family. Nicci is finally happy and the memories of her old life before she became a single mom are in the past. But now, someone from that past she tried so hard to leave behind has shown up. Nicci knows her new life and, more importantly, her son is in jeopardy if Ian finds out the truth.

Review

This was a slow burn for me but in the end, I enjoyed it.

The book tells us the story of Nicci, a young single mother of a young boy Finn. She has finally met the perfect man whom she marries a few months before the story starts, and they are now building the life she always dreamed to have.

The book is told from Nicci's point of view but in two different stages in her life. First, we learn about Nicci's current life including the struggles she experienced before meeting Ian and how she ends up marrying him. About ten chapters in, we get Nicci's story from her teen years and before she had Finn. Once we get introduced to Nicci from the past, we get alternate chapters of each stage. The book flows nicely even when switching from contemporary to past.

I felt that the story was dragging at first. The plot was moving slow and I was getting bored with so many details about Nicci's life. I feel that some of the things we learned at the beginning could've been condensed into one chapter. However, once we get to the alternate chapters, the pace picks up nicely and the story gets engaging. As the story moves, we learn the many secrets that Nicci has been hiding from Ian, and we get a better understanding of her struggles before she married him. The main plot is focused on the many things that Nicci has done and would do to keep Finn safe, and some of the subplots are focused on her relationships with people from her past and her current life.

The main characters in the book are Nicci, her son Finn, Ian, and Donna. There are other secondary characters such as Leon and Susy, who become important at some points in the story but don't have prominent roles. I loved how the characters were developed. Even though everything we know about them is from Nicci's POV, all of them are given well-round arches with personality traits that are portrayed nicely as the story is told. Nicci and Finn are lovable characters although I must admit I was questioning Nicci's decisions for more than half of the book. Donna and Ian are awful people, and I kept rooting for their demise.

Nicci had a rough life growing up in foster care, so she spends a lot of time trying to preserve her current one. Her goal is to protect Finn from having to experience the things she did. We get the sense that, not only is she a loving and dedicated mother, but she would do anything to protect her child. All of her decisions are driven by the love she has for her little son, and even when her life starts to unravel, we know she will do anything to keep him safe, even if it means lying to her husband. We get the sense that while Nicci loves Ian, she doesn't like the small ways he tries to control her whereabouts. She seems to point out Ian's red flags in subtle ways, so I was left wondering if she truly saw them and chooses to ignore them or simply believes it's the way Ian shows love. Nicci is self-conscious and has low self-esteem, which is mostly seen when she interacts with the people she had met through Ian. However, as a mother, she is fearless and courageous, and the times we see her stand up against Ian is when she is defending her son. She is a mother first and a wife and friend second.

I didn't like Ian's character. While Nicci tries to paint him as a loving husband, I was extremely bothered by him from the beginning. He is a respectable dentist who used to be Nicci's boss, and the first red flag I saw was when Nicci described his marriage proposal. While she also points out the many ways he has taken care of Finn, I was ticked off by his attitude towards Finn's sensitive side. Ian wanted to mold this sweet and sensitive boy into a bully and a rowdier version of himself. I also disliked the way he would take a dig at Nicci and gaslight her when she reacted. He was an awful husband, so I wasn't sorry when Nicci lies to him.

Next, Donna's character also left me furious. All she cared about was money and didn't care to hurt a child to get it. I was so bothered by her character from the moment she was introduced, and as I kept reading, I disliked her even more. I couldn't understand why Nicci was so determined to be her friend when they were young. Donna did not have any redeemable quality, and she only gets worse as the book goes on.

The plot starts slow but starts picking up when Donna's character is introduced. The first big turn comes during the first third of the book, but there are two huge revelations toward the end which kept the book interesting for the final chapters. Overall, a good story even if a slow burn.

If your a fan of lisa jewell or gillian Flynn your going to love this author. It is so well wrote with amazing twists to the tale is so unpredictable. Its on the edge of your seat reading. I have to admit I binge read it. I couldn't put it down and it actually had an ending that made it feel complete. I can not recommend this book enough thank you Sam Hepburn for bring this amazing story for us all to enjoy. Truly brilliant!

I loved this story. Nicci is a great character, married to dentist Ian who isnt all he appears to be. The story goes back into Nicci's past proving she isnt the person she makes out to be. An intriguing read which I would recommend

An unputdownable, dark and disturbing domestic noir. I love stories where the main character is confronted by someone from their past who knows their secret. Nicci’s constructed an apparently perfect life for herself and her little boy after her troubled foster-care upbringing, although she’s oblivious to her husband’s controlling behaviour. Donna’s reappearance in that life threatens to snatch everything away and expose her involvement in a shocking crime. Brilliantly told and perfectly plotted - I loved all the layers and twists and the way Nicci’s character develops. One of my top reads this year.

Nicola Dexter has a secure job, loving husband and a gorgeous 6 year old son. But she is haunted by her past, growing up in foster care and getting involved in drug trafficking and sexual exploitation. Now she tries to help other at risk teens but this is putting a strain on her marriage as Ian's love turns into controlling behaviour. The past also catches up with her and she'll do anything to protect her son...
A Good Mother is an enthralling thriller which ramps up the psychological tension as we discover more about the characters. The book is written mostly in the present day but there are also chapters from her teenage years leading up to Finn's birth.
Nicola is a very likeable character, having overcome the trouble of the past. She has been through a series of awful experiences but continues to put others first and has a genuine desire to save others from her own path. I felt so angry at her husband as he erodes her self confidence and tries to control all aspects of her life. He even belittles her son and I was desperate for Nicola to stand up to him.
The book is written from the first person narrative of Nicola so that we better understand the personal dilemmas that she faces. The revealing of her past through the chapters showing her teenage years add an emotional level. Her dedication to creating a happy life for herself and her son (as well as volunteering to help strangers) is so much more poignant when you understand what she went through.
There were plenty of hints and clues about potential twists, and I found myself caught up in the desperation as Nicola's peace of mind is attacked from different directions. The pace of the book varies according to the events taking place, for example Ian's insidious undermining is gradual but Nicola has to react frantically to some plot twists.
A Good Mother has plenty of drama, a likeable lead character and a tense narrative as events unfold.

Single mum Nicci has worked hard to carve out a perfect life for herself and her young son, Finn. Marrying handsome dentist, Ian seems to be a dream come true giving her stability and a lifestyle that her younger years did not. Sadly nicci has dark secrets from her past which she’d prefer not to come to light. Are we ever free from secrets from our past?

This is an gripping read that highlights the sad vulnerability of children from the care system.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Tension and suspense is the name of the game in this book.

Nicci, a woman who spent her childhood in the foster care system is now married to Ian and is his receptionist, they have one son Finn and it seems like a cozy and happy enough life until Ian shows himself to be not quite the man she thought he was, but she isn't exactly who he thinks either.

A psychological thriller about a mother's love and the willingness to keep your child safe.