This is a good story that maybe got too caught up in the details (except the meaning of the title comes much later). Really felt the explicit sex scenes didn't add to the story but the story itself was a good one. It's a good story about relationships and the complicatedness that can be involved in them. Worth the read.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for advanced copy, and I give my review freely

A story all too familiar to those women who only knew their mothers as a mother, not as a person. And those daughters who never felt their mothers could see past them as children. As she is inspired by a mother gorilla and her baby to seek out closeness with her own mother, this daughter must learn to turn loose of the past. I loved the story line but the execution left something to be desired. The focus moved off the relationships too often to maintain the interest of the reader.

I found this book a slow read. It’s a story about Abby and her mother Rachel dysfunctional relationship. The book is extremely graphic, which was too much for me. It a raw and complex story.
Thank you #NetGalley, #TreatyOaksPublishers, #TaraDelany and #TheRedBike for the book for my honest review.

It is extremely rare for me to give a book only 2 stars. I did not feel connected to the characters. There were very dark and difficult topics discussed, including rape, mental illness, and cancer. There were way too many graphic sex scenes that left me feeling slimy. Not my cup of tea!

Thank you to NetGalley and Treaty Oak Publishers for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

For more reviews, please visit my blog at: https://www.msladybugsbookreviews.com/. Over 1000 reviews posted!

I have many mixed feelings about this book.

Overall a good book.

A mother and daughter with a strained relationship. Abbey always felt in her mothers shadow. Their relationship seems to be based on misunderstandings and untold truths.

Some parts were quite touching and some parts were, well, ridiculous.! What was up with the breast obsession??

After seeing a beautiful bond with a gorilla and her newborn, Abbey is determined to try to repair her relationship with mother. Will the secrets of the past help or hinder this effort.?

Very hard to rate this one. I would say 3 stars overall. Some parts were better than that and some were worse.

Thanks to netgalley and Treaty Oaks Publishers for the digital copy.

One of the best books I’ve read this year. The family, Frank, Rachel, Abbie and Ethan were all full characters. Throw in Rayan and Joel and you have a full cast of characters. I did not want to like Rachel since in the beginning she threw a surprise party for her daughter knowing that she hated surprises and then made the party to seem like knew what Abbie wanted. Poor Frank he was a sad man but in the end he did the right thing for the rest of the family. Ethan was a delight and I wondered in the end if he knew the whole story. I guess that’s for each reader to decide.

Honestly, the cover art originally turned me off. The outline of a red bicycle over a beautiful photo of a mother and child gorilla? Just over 50% in the title makes sense. I struggled to get started in this book, but then I stayed up all night to finish it. I ugly cried my way through several points in this book and I can't say enough good things about it. I'll absolutely be looking for more of Tara's work in the future.

This is a story of a complicated and strained mother/daughter relationship which affects all the other relationships in the book. The man character Abbey is bitter and angry and not very likable until the layers to her are peeled away and you begin to realize why she is that way. Then you begin rooting for this stubborn and wounded character to choose love and living instead of being stuck because of fear.

Tough, tender, and achingly real.
Many thanks to Treaty Oaks Publishers and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

An compelling beautifully written story about relationships, mother daughter, family, intimate interpersonal relationships, life, careers, following ones passion and heart, how we treat ourselves and others, misunderstandings, lies and so much more. It took me a bit to get into this story as I found Abigail to be an unkind, judgmental and not terribly likable person, but I was so glad I did. It was a truly wonderful read that got better and better with every turn of the page.

Wow this was an amazingly powerful story! The characters were amazing, as was the mother daughter relationship. Must read!

Thank you to the publisher for my review copy. All opinions are my own.

No, nope. No way. This title was not a good fit for me at all. I was unable to finish it as I tried multiple times.

This is an emotional tale. Mothers and daughters, complicated relationships, growth, forgiveness all are themes throughout. It wasn't what I was expecting but it's compelling all the same. I never really warmed up to Abbey but I really liked the ending.

I really loved The Red Bike by Tara Delaney! What am interesting story centering on a mother and daughter relationship that is based on misunderstanding. Once Abigail Gallagher understands her mother better, she can finally let go of all the anger and animosity towards her, can she finally live her best life. Abigail has “the eye” and is becoming a renowned wildlife photographer. She constantly is running from her life: a committed relationship with Ryan, her longtime friend and boyfriend, and a nurturing relationship with her mother. As Abby comes to understand the truth about her and her mother’s past, she comes to a deeper understanding about a mother’s love and protection of her child.

Thanks NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book for an honest review.

A well written & gripping story. A story of a difficult mother daughter relationship. Being the mom to a daughter, these books always draw my interest. Thank you netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchagne for a review.

I was so intrigued by this book initially and I must admit I am a bit disappointed. The writing lacks depth and complexity.

📷Mother vs. daughter: can they both win? 💔
4.5🌟 stars
This was a hard book to read because Abigail, the lead character, is so brittle and closed off from any tender emotions and constantly resentful of her mother. She set her mind against mom Rachel and the idea of romantic, forever love at the tender age of sixteen and keeps rejecting and hurting the people who love her best. I did not like her but after a slow start, I just could not put her or the book aside. This mother-daughter story is moving, heartbreaking and real.

I had expected more about Abigail's photographic work but her assignment to document primates mostly served as a running theme about motherly love and protectiveness. Abigail feels her mother betrayed her and never had her back. Yet, as Abigail turns 31 and the family goes through her mother's rapid physical deterioration, Abigail painfully wends her way to some home truths about herself, their fragile relationship and her mother's secrets. It plays out through some strategic flashbacks to Abigail's earlier years and the discovery of a box of mementos that reveal Rachel's life and motivations are not so clear-cut and selfish as her daughter presumed.

There are several love stories here, one particularly tragic, yet the most important is the one that mother and daughter share despite some major setbacks. I could have done without the steamy scenes and was doubtful I could like and praise this book in the beginning but its tough aspects finally won me over and the bittersweet ending was a perfect way to finish Abigail's odyssey to acceptance and love.

Thanks to Treaty Oaks Publishers and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

This book almost felt like a memoir the way it was written, even though it's a fictional novel. It was not at all what I thought it would be. I definitely felt a lot of emotions reading this one, but I felt like there was a missed opportunity to see more of Abbey on assignment than the small little glimpse we got at the beginning. It is such a big part of her personality, it seems a waste to not get to know her more through her work. I did enjoy the book, but I will say it's definitely not for the faint of heart. There were a lot of really deep, emotional subjects presented throughout.

Abbey is an up and coming photographer who would rather travel the world taking pictures of exotic animals than deal with her beautiful model mother.
It is only after returning home from one of these trips that she is finally starting to see her mother in a different light.
Abbey has a wonderful doting father and a very supportive brother all trying to repair her relationship with her mother. She also has a boyfriend who supports her passion for adventure and is loves her unconditionally and is willing to wait for her. So why can’t she have the relationship she wants with them?
It is only after a devastating illness and a secret box of photographs that she is able to put some of the pieces together and start to heal her heart but is it too late?

I appreciated this book for what it was, but it really wasn't for me. The story is a commentary on mother-daughter relationships and the nuances involved - the secrets, the misunderstandings, the things given up. It is very dark and difficult to read at times. I didn't find myself really connecting to the characters or even liking them most of the time. Trigger warnings for rape, infidelity, mental illness, cancer. The ending was definitely not at all what I expected and it tied up a little too neatly.