Maeve and Andrea are cousins who grew up together in the Mother Collective, a cult in the 1990s. Maeve escaped when she was 8 years old and the cult was shut down. Flash forward 20 years - Maeve & Andrea have had no contact or knowledge of each other since the cult was shut down until one day when they have a DNA match on an ancestry site.

Maeve and Andrea are able to reconnect. Andrea has been very successful in her business that focuses on motherhood, but is unable to carry her own child due to a genetic defect. She asks Maeve to consider being a surrogate, but Maeve is leary of motherhood due to her own background and traumatic cult upbringing.

This one is creepy! The doll head on the cover is just a small picture of what is come. The Motherhood Collective cult is interesting for sure. It places an extremely high value on womanhood and motherhood, linking a woman's value to her ability to conceive and bear children.

I really liked the ending, only figured it out 2 seconds before the author spelled it out.

Maeve and Andrea are cousins but they look so much alike they could pass for sisters. They live on a farm with the mothers. They spend their time working on the farm and the mothers homeschool them.
One day there is a big commotion and outsiders descend upon the farm corralling the mothers into one group and the children into another. Maeve and Andrea are separated from one another and end up in different homes. It is a very sad and terrifying time for Maeve as she slowly adapts to her new family who are very patient and loving. She misses Andrea terribly.
Now an adult, Maeve is a book editor and lives in New York City. On a whim, she tries one of those genetic tests, like 23 & Me, and she gets a hit. Her cousin is alive! Should she reconnect? Maeve thinks a lot about this. How much would her life change if Andrea was in it again? She admits she’s been lonely but she doesn’t know this Andrea. Despite her misgivings, Maeve contacts Andrea who is overjoyed to hear from her.
The two cousins begin spending time together, usually up at Andrea’s huge house in the Catskills. Although Maeve feels really happy, something is bothering her, something is off about Andrea but she can’t quite put her finger on what the problem is. Maeve continues to get acquainted again with her cousin, ignoring that odd feeling of wrongness. Later, she will think back and realize she should have listened to her instincts.

Read this book – it will blow you away! Anne Heltzel has written a winner! I fell in love with the cover first. It just creeped me out. The placid doll face looks innocent but I had a feeling all kinds of nastiness lay behind it. The pacing was quick – I tore through this book. The ending left me sitting there with my mouth hanging open. All I could think was WOW! Readers who enjoyed Erin Young and Stacy Willingham will devour this book.

Robyn Heil, Buyer for Brodart Co.

Just Like Mother is an atmospheric, twisted story that starts off innocuous enough, but gradually evolves into a horrific nightmare fuel.

After an explosive first chapter, the novel is slow paced as Heltzel sets the stage for what eventually becomes a twisted and disturbing story. At first, the book reads like a mild psychological thriller, but the author gradually weaves in the terror until a horrifying and quite satisfying conclusion. The pacing reflects this, in that it’s quite slow to start, but the events gain momentum as the story progresses, leading to a book that no one can question being a true horror novel.

Maeve is a survivor from a cult, which was disbanded when she was only eight years old, but the damage is long lasting. The book mostly focuses on present day events, when Maeve is thirty-three years old, but there are flashbacks throughout. They almost read as an additional timeline, but they jump back and forth. The majority of the flashbacks are to when Maeve has already left the cult and is adopted by a nice elderly couple. I was initially disappointed by this – why read a book about a cult without flashbacks to the horrors of the cult? But Heltzel’s writing is far more subtle than that. Sure, we’re following Maeve after the “good stuff” has happened, but we can infer a heck of a lot from observing her time being integrated into normal society afterward. We can glean the gist of what happened to her from her reactions and interpretations of the world around her. This allows the reader to use their imagination, with just enough handholding and flashbacks to her time at the commune to truly traumatize the reader.


Even the author’s writing and stylistic choices seemed to be designed to unsettle. For example, the present-day timeline is told in past tense, but in flashbacks, the author reverts to present tense. As a reader, this set me slightly off-kilter and added to my overall sense of unease.

This book has strong themes of motherhood and the patriarchy. This comes about in some obvious ways–not the least of which is the “Mother Collective”, which is the commune that Maeve was raised on, which clearly does not value the Y chromosome.

While the first half of the book was very slow paced, as it was setting the stage for what was to come, it was also quite predictable. There are several twists in the plot that almost weren’t twists. I knew what was coming, but that almost made it a more difficult read. The dread I felt was almost palpable, knowing what was going on behind the scenes, and wondering how Maeve would react after the big reveal.

All in all, this is a horror novel that explores some tough issues of motherhood and feminism gone wrong. While not particularly horrifying in the beginning, stick around till the end and you’ll definitely have some quality nightmare fuel to keep you up late at night.

This was a captivating and unsettling read that was just a little too predictable.

The ratcheting intensity in this book builds slowly, but before you know it, you’re deep inside this horror show of events. I love books surrounding cults and I was so eager for this book. I wish they incorporated more of the past involving the cult that our protagonist gets away from as a child. I wanted more, but I also respect that focus being mostly on the current timeline.

This book is terrifying in the way of the unknown element of what could be going on around you while you’re unaware of it. And I am finding that horror based around motherhood and babies is something that I find incredibly scary. The scary that you can’t help but keep wanting to subject yourself to. This book made me so uncomfortable, but in a way that I almost enjoyed because horror that actually scares me is so hard to find. And this was that!

I think the ending of this book was perfect for THIS book even if it made me absolutely furious.

Whooo what did I just read… that ending!!! #mindblown

Maeve and Andrea are cousins who have grown up in a cult. Andrea disappeared one day, and for the past 20 years Maeve has tried to move on and become something different than what she was brought up in. But one day Andrea reappears, really wealthy and well off, the cousins become close again. The more Maeve is around Andrea and her friends, the more it triggers her past and the terror they went through.

Gimme all the creepy cult vibes! This one didn’t disappoint, it’s eerie and nerve wrecking. I mean there are times it pushed some boundaries into darkness and left me wondering if I could set it down.. by the way I didn’t, I binged it late into the night. It’s very character driven and I loved the dynamic of the cousins. It kind of reminded me of The Stepford Wives but with the feminine virtue behind it.

I applaud you Anne Heltzel and I can’t wait to read what other sinister books you weave.

I was a not a fan of this one. I think this would be a better read for another person. I would not recommend this title to those that I know.

Super strange story. Reminded me of handmaid tale sort of. Wasn't feel the cult thing but I pushed through and I did I fact enjoy the ending. Thank you NetGalley for this ARC

Nothing like a book with a doll head on the cover to make itself insist on being read!
I would describe Just Like Mother as a domestic thriller-horror, though I didn't realize the horror until it was right upon me.
Thank you to Netgalley and TorNightfire for the eARC for review!
Maeve and her cousin Andrea did not have a conventional upbringing. Raised among multiple Mothers and many children (notably few boys), they did not know much of the world beyond their house.
Separated in childhood and reunited as adults, Maeve and Andrea reclaim their bond as the only family each has ever known.
They retreat to Andrea's grand mansion in the Catskills to make up for lost time.
Sound heartwarming? It's not.
Chilling? You betcha.
The writing from Anne Heltzel is well-crafted, giving us just enough detail to be completely hooked but revealing nothing before it's time. And even then, do we know everything?
The foreboding and dread are real, and it pays off with one fantastic ending.
Lots of triggers regarding motherhood, children, reproductive issues, and violence, so be aware before going in.
Horror and dark thriller lovers - recommended!
For release on May 17.

This book totally freaked me out. First, the cover is just creepy. There are a lot of freaky dolls in the Ararat I’ve, which are just crazy. Maeve grew up in a cult and unbeknownst to her, when she reconnects with her cousin, it’s all downhill.
I figured out a major part of the plot early on, but even I couldn’t have detected the absolute insanity that would follow. At one point, I was about to dump the book, but kept on.
I’ve read many depraved books, but this one ranks up there.

This horrifying and creepy novel will hook you from the first unsettlingly spine-tingling page. One Goodreads reviewer called it “Rosemary’s Baby and The Stepford Wives,” and that couldn’t be more spot-on. At the beginning of “Just Like Mother,” you meet Maeve as she searches for her cousin Andrea. The pair were separated 20 years prior after escaping from a cult and haven’t been able to get in contact since. That’s all you need to know about this marvelous mix of some of the best disturbing/thriller genre elements — good luck.

Book: Just Like Mother
Author: Anne Heltzel

Summary:
The last time Maeve saw her cousin was the night she escaped the cult they were raised in. For the past two decades, Maeve has worked hard to build a normal life in New York City, where she keeps everything—and everyone—at a safe distance.

When Andrea suddenly reappears, Maeve regains the only true friend she’s ever had. Soon she’s spending more time at Andrea’s remote Catskills estate than in her own cramped apartment. Maeve doesn’t even mind that her cousin’s wealthy work friends clearly disapprove of her single lifestyle. After all, Andrea has made her fortune in the fertility industry—baby fever comes with the territory.

The more Maeve immerses herself in Andrea’s world, the more disconnected she feels from her life back in the city; and the cousins’ increasing attachment triggers memories Maeve has fought hard to bury. But confronting the terrors of her childhood may be the only way for Maeve to transcend the nightmare still to come…

Review:
The book cover is what initially drew me to this book, but then when I read it involved a cult, I was sold. Without giving anything away, this book was creepy, in so many ways, and I loved it. This is definitely a book where trigger/content warning should be checked prior to reading.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review

What a great read! As soon as I started this one, I couldn’t put it down. Maeve is a 30-something woman trying to make it in the world. She has no support system since her family of origin was actually a cult that was raided by the FBI.

The pacing of this one was excellent. I never felt like the story rushed or dragged. And just when I thought it was wrapping up, along came a bunch of twists and turns, including the culmination which I’ll be haunted by for quite some time.

Thank you tor night fire. Macmillan , and Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A horrifyingly horrifying read. This book has more trigger warnings than I can possibly list. This book will keep you up nights while reading it. I mean, really, a Matriarchal cult? Isn't that enough to give you the creepy crawlies? Overly realistic baby dolls to help you learn about being a mother (okay, I can almost see that)or help you grieve your lost child? The grieving issue with a doll with your dead child's face is just a tad too freaky for me.*I'm shivering in my pj's! with this!*

Great book through about the first three quarters, but it lost something in the last quarter. It gets a tad repetitious and a bit predictable. That's why only 4 stars.

*ARC supplied by the publisher Macmillan-Tor/Forge, Tor Nightfire, the author, and NetGalley.

I was drawn to Just Like Mother by Anne Heltzel because of the cover, but I decided to dive in because of the synopsis. This is the type of suspense book that I really don’t want to say too much about because I want you to be just as creeped out and disturbed by the twists throughout the book… and that ending, as I was!

If you are strangely interested in the Handmaid’s Tale, and yet disturbed at the same time, Just Like Mother is one you should check out. And if cults, stepford wives, or women's bodies being regulated and used for breeding are things that you find you can’t look away from no matter how many horror stories you hear about them, then, yes, Just Like Mother is one that you should add to your TBR.

Creepy, creepy, creepy--from the cover art to the very last sentence! An adult horror story, deftly told.

Two cousins, Maeve and Andrea, were growing up together in the Mother Collective, a Vermont-based commune referred to as the 'cult of motherhood,' until the night eight-year-old Maeve escaped and blew the whistle on the cult. After the raid, Maeve was fortunate enough to be adopted by a loving older couple while eleven-year-old Andrea went into the dismal foster care system.

Now twenty-five years later, the two cousins miraculously find each other again as adults through the wonders of ancestry DNA testing. Maeve is single and struggling to earn a living wage as an editor for a NYC publishing house. Andrea is the CEO of a lifestyle startup called NewLife, which utilizes AI technology. She and her husband Rob Rothko have become quite wealthy and own a multi-room mansion in the Catskill Mountains. They invite Maeve to come for a visit...(start the tense and creepy background music here.)

The story is told through Maeve's perspective with a few flashbacks to what went on back in the days of the cult. Andrea and Rob seem charming and welcoming but what is their real endgame? Wake up, Maeve, before it's too late!! This is a real page-turner of a horror novel.

I received an arc of this new novel from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks for the opportunity.

Just Like Mother by Anne Heltzel was billed as a horror and had the cover of a horror novel. Reading it, it seemed to fit the bill as the situation was truly horrifying. I know there are a lot of people who will love this novel and its originality. There were parts of it I really enjoyed, too. In fact, there were some ideas postulated in the novel that had me really thinking about the nature of being a woman and even about the idea of being able to carry a child being seen as "powerful". I have often seen the idea as a sign of strength or privilege, but I don't think I have seen it presented as a "power" in a novel.

The story of Maeve and Andrea HINGED on them being children together in a cult-like situation they were eventually rescued from. I was disappointed at how much of the novel was RELATED to that shared experience, but what that cult was about was mostly just hinted at and pieces of information were dropped here and there throughout. To me, the novel would have been stronger if we had known more about it. Its not always a bad thing to be kept in the dark, but to me, after finishing the novel, I feel disappointed about that.

The book is being marketed as a Feminist Horror and it really is a horror in the vein of something like Misery by Stephen King. I would have enjoyed it if I weren't so reactive to the idea of gender-hate or gender-subjugation or even the idea that one gender is more important than the other. I see that too much these days when people try to correct past prejudices by just reversing them and creating new ones. As a Enneagram 9 Peacemaker, books about -isms are painful for me to read. So I was extremely entertained, but also didn't enjoy feeling as disturbed as I did throughout.

Also, I have seen reviews where people thought the ending rocked and was one of the best of all time and other reviews where the ending was HATED. For me, I was fine with the ending, though did not experience either extreme opinion.

Thank you Netgalley and Tor Nightfire Publishing for this advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

WOW! Thoroughly enjoyed this book. I did toggle back and forth between the print edition and the audiobook. This story was intense from start to finish and had me cringing numerous times. The story was creepy and shocking and although I did see a few twists coming, it was still shocking when they were finally revealed. This was "feminism" to the extreme.

Maeve escaped from a cult as a young child and has desperately tried to make a normal life for herself. One day, Maeve's cousin Andrea, who also grew up in the cult, resurfaces and Maeve and her rekindle their relationship. Shortly after Andrea reappears, Maeve's life begins to unravel. Just in time for Andrea to help pick up the pieces.

This was such an intense, nightmare of a book that I devoured it in a just over a day. I couldn't find out what happened. I did have one complaint about the book, which drops it from a five star to a four and a half star rating and that is the excessive sex. While the acts were essential to the story, I found the graphic depictions to be a bit much. However, it wasn't enough to take away from the quality of the story or writing too much.

4.5 stars! This was a great book!

As a pro-choice woman and all the chaos of forced childbirth going on in the real world right now, some of the aspects of this were downright terrifying. I got major Handmaids Tale vibes from some parts of it. Maeve doesn't want children. If you don't want to have kids, I'm sure you have had at least one person questioning that decision and explaining how amazing parenthood is. You will certainly feel for Maeve's character. The lengths they go in this book to prove that point is astonishing.

The beginning and ending of this one were great, while the middle was a little bogged down for me. For a person that has escaped a cult already, Maeve was so naive. It was mostly predictable, but I did not see that final twist coming!

Just Like Mother is Anne Heltzel's adult debut and I'll be looking for her next one when it comes out for sure.

Thank you to @netgalley @tornightfire and @macmillan.audio for the advanced copies of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Just Like Mother could very well be one of the most disturbing books I've ever read. The whole premise of a cult of women, who only want to raise daughters, and will go to any lengths to make it happen is unsettling, but also not a far-fetched idea.

The ending left me shook. I really had to take time to process it before moving on to my next read. Be prepared before reading this one - the cover definitely matches the vibe of the story.

I don't want to say much more because it would be easy to give a lot of the plot away. There are some trigger warnings too: rape, drug and alcohol abuse, self-harm, and violence.

4/5 creepy stars
Thank you Tor/Forge and NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a creepy book - party mystery, part horror. It wasn't anything like I had expected. Even though I liked some of the suspense, it was more graphic than I thought it would be and ulimately wasn't the book for me.

I received this ebook from NetGalley through the courtesy of Macmillan-Tor/Forge. An advance copy was provided to me at no cost, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.