After escaping from a cult as children where they were raised by women they called “Mother,” Maeve and her cousin reunite suddenly decades later. At first Maeve is thrilled to see Andrea. Maeve has suffered from intense trauma and has a hard time making friends or having non-toxic relationships with men. But soon after reuniting with Andrea and spending time at Andrea’s Catskills estate, Maeve becomes disturbed as she learns more about Andrea’s fertility and motherhood business and the way Andrea’s friends are disgusted by her single lifestyle and desire not to have children.

For the first half of the book, I was so engrossed in Maeve’s story. We’d get flashback chapter of Maeve’s childhood and the first few years after she left the cult. I loved the flashbacks, but they always felt very surface-level. They often raised more questions and never provided the answers I wanted.

Maeve is also a character who has been deeply scarred by her past. She has severe mental health issues, especially in the first half of the book, and the book was much darker than I was expecting in that regard. She struggles with identity and self-respect and lacks confidence.
The book also tackles the themes of motherhood and the toxic idea that motherhood is the ideal for all women. I thought some of the dialogue and discussions in the book were thought-provoking, but after the first half the discussion started to lose nuance and became too on-the-nose for me.

The first half really felt more like a dark contemporary novel than horror. So that’s why the last half of this book really threw me. After Maeve undergoes a series of additional traumas in her life and spends almost all her time with Andrea, the book gets more and more bizarre. It became too over-the-top. The villainous characters lacked depth and nuance. By the end of the book when I was supposed to feel the most horrified, I was mostly just rolling my eyes. I can’t get scared if too many things logically don’t make sense, if the secondary characters feel like props instead of people and if the strange time skips and jumps make me feel like some essential part of the story is missing.

I’d recommend this story if you like books that make you keep turning the pages, dark psychological thrillers, and if you are willing to put up with unanswered questions and logical inconsistencies.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for the digital review copy.

Well, let’s start with the cover, shall we? You have to know going in that this is going to be a creepy read. And you would be right. The cover sets the tone for sure, and the book is all dark and disturbing vibes with a touch of horror for good measure.

Once I started this one, it was really hard to put down. Such a creative and unique take on the genre.

I always love a good cult-based thriller, and this one did not disappoint.

My thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for the opportunity to read and review this book.

In her book Just Like Mother, Anne Heltzel delivers an absolutely twisted and creepy tale. Growing up in a matriarchal cult, Maeve and Andrea, cousins who were as close as sisters until an incident occurs setting them free and separating them, setting them upon two very different paths. Now years later, thanks to a DNA testing service, the two find each other again and reunite. I don’t want to go too much further into the plot to avoid posting any serious spoilers, but I’ll say while the early part of the book where we first meet Maeve and Andrea and get a taste of cult life is creepy, it’s when we first meet the doll Andrea’s company is creating ( which totally reminded me of the doll from the early episodes from Apple TV’s show The Servant ) that the creep factor really jumps up a few notches! Excellent characters and the wonderfully twisted plot made this creepy thriller hard to put down. Thanks so much to Tor Nightfire and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an eARC of Just Like Mother.

I wanted so much to LOVE this book because psycho-horror intrigues me. The book held my rapt attention for about 1/3 of the way then it just got ridiculous. I breezed through the book and like author's style, but the book tries too hard to be The Handmaid's Tale and doesn't even come close. I would, though, probably give this author one more chance because the concept was good.
I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this book, in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Just to begin with, the creepy cover definitely sets the tone for the book - yes, it's a definitely creepy and frightening one!

Maeve is in her 30s, living a rather marginal life in NYC - job that barely pays the bills, a guy she's been sleeping with for a year or so, but who she refuses to have any real relationship with. After doing a genetic test, she reconnects with her cousin, Andrea. From the preface, we know that Maeve and Andrea lived together as children in a cult. When Maeve was about 8, something happened, the cult was raided, and Maeve was adopted - she hadn't seen Andrea again, although they had been close as children. Andrea, although saying that she had had a horrible experience in foster care, is now the extremely wealthy CEO and owner of a biotech/life coaching business.

As the book goes along, Maeve's life in NYC gradually falls apart, and she winds up living with Andrea and her husband Rob in a creepy mansion several hours out of the city. I hesitate to reveal many details about the plot, because the gradual reveal of both the back story and the current day events are important to maintain the horror. Basically, you can count on things going from bad to worse!

The book is certainly creepy and frightening. My main issue with it is that, although of course, I had my "willing suspension of disbelief" attitude in action, some of the events pushed me a little too far on this. I think perhaps a little more detail, about the cult, about Andrea's current business, about how Andrea seemed to make anything happen that she desired, would have helped. So, it's a good fast wild ride, but it left me with quite a number of "but, wait, how did THAT happen" thoughts.

Still, if you want a fast paced, creepy horror story, jump in - just don't try to think too much about it!

This is a dual timeline story, which I enjoy. The story has its creepy moments, but it's not a horror, as I was led to believe by the description and classification. The beginning and ending of the story are, by far, the strongest parts. The middle was a bit "meh" at times. The cult angle was interesting, but I was expecting a bit more with the dynamics of the cult overall. The main character seemed a bit naive, and there was a bit of predictability (including the ending), and some parts were far more graphic than anticipated. The first half of the book was more interesting than the ending, sadly.

Trigger warning: cults, rape

This book pulls you right in from the start and doesn't let go, I couldn't put it down once I started. Looking forward to more from the author.

This book was a wild ride! From the prologue that creeps you out and pulls you in, to the intense climax and ending. This book was so frustrating and anxiety inducing.

𝑶𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏 𝑰 𝒉𝒂𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒇 𝒃𝒆𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒏𝒐𝒏-𝒆𝒙𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒕, 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒂𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅 𝒎𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒎𝒂𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒓𝒚.

Maeve and Andrea grew up in a cult of mothers, but it is their bond that has provided the only love and nurturing in their lives. Maeve’s whole life has revolved around Andrea, even more so in the aftermath of a dark night, when the two are ripped apart. Maeve’s act of bravery, or betrayal to the cult, is the catalyst for the ruin of their life together. Maeve is adopted by a kind, older couple and eventually overcomes her own trauma, wondering forever what happened to Andrea. Now both adults, they find each other through a DNA website, but Andrea doesn’t want to dwell on the terror of the past. Maeve is an editor, mostly in fiction, always loving escapism. It is other people’s stories that have always interested her and she longs to know all about Andrea’s life since they’ve been separated. Andrea has risen above being unwanted as a child, in and out of foster homes, used her business degree to create her own company, starting out as a life coach. She is the CEO of “NewLife”, dazzling with it’s cutting edge technology. Hot with the Silicon Valley crowd, and married to Rob, a ‘Groundbreaking Vigeneros Tech’, her life seems far more adult than Maeve’s. She and Rob have suffered a deep loss together, but have made peace with it. There is nothing Andrea has wanted more than a family and finding Maeve ‘feels like a gift from the universe.’ Both their lives are about to change, this time through unification.

Maeve is still living her single days, not interested in having children, the opposite of Andrea’s entire purpose. She is surprised Andrea, who has been living a life filled with travel, great success and excitement, could ever miss her. She promises Maeve, you never lose who you were as a child, and she has always loved her, they are family and that’s a strong bond. It’s time she lets someone in, and no one is closer to her heart than Andrea. She is on her way to their home in the Catskill Mountains, where she will soon be immersed in their lives, being around her business partner Emily (who is worshipped even more than Andrea by Silicon Valley), joined by her husband and young son. She is out of her comfort zone, and the product Andrea is testing (more of a cause) leaves her unsettled. Is technology used to heal grief a good idea? She can’t deny her cousin, she owes her for upending their lives all those years ago. She swears to do whatever Andrea needs. Rob and Andrea’s friends can’t understand why Maeve doesn’t want children, it’s ‘unnatural’ to their way of thinking. Then Andrea makes a request, it is too much to ask, despite wanting to please her cousin. The ties of family are knots that aren’t so easily undone.

The story gets much more complicated and darker from there. As present and past collide, the reader learns the terror and cruelty of their early childhood and just how it has left its mark on them both. The mothers weren’t so nurturing, it was a sick, twisted cult. It’s creepy, it’s about trauma, grief, loneliness, and how misguided and brutal ideas can be. What a strange novel, I keep thinking ‘someone will make or movie out of this.’

Publication Date: May 17, 2022

Macmillan-Tor/Forge, Tor Nightfire

Just Like Mother delivers on all the creepy vibes oozing from its cover.

Since she escaped from the cult she grew up in, Maeve has built a fortress of walls around her. One of the only people she lets marginally close is her casual boyfriend.

Maeve’s quiet life gets disrupted when her long lost cousin Andrea, who grew up in the same cult, contacts her. Maeve learns that Andrea has made a successful career for herself in the lifestyle and tech industry. Soon, Maeve spends most of her time at Andrea and her husband’s historic estate, despite the general disapproval of Maeve’s single life from Andrea’s inner circle.

I can’t say much more than that, except things start getting super creepy and snowballing out of control for Maeve.

Suspension of disbelief is a must when reading this book. The plot gets pretty wild and makes one wonder how someone can be so oblivious. I don’t mind books that lean toward the dramatic side, so it didn’t take away from enjoyment of this novel.

The writing style is very engaging, making this a quick read. Maeve’s voice instantly captured my attention.

A heads-up that this book has a lot of spice and open-door scenes.

Overall, I had fun with this one and will definitely read future books by the author.

CW: for everything associated with cults.

As a total aside: this book reminds me of Cher’s iconic 90s interview.

Jane Pauley: “You said, ‘a man is not a necessity. A man is a luxury.’”
Cher: “Like dessert, yeah. A man is absolutely not a necessity.”
Jane Pauley: “Did you mean that to sound mean and bitter?”
Cher: “Not at all! I adore dessert, I love men. I think men are the coolest. But you don’t really need them to live. My mom said to me, ‘you know sweetheart, one day you should settle down and marry a rich man.’ And I said, ‘Mom – I am a rich man.’”

Thank you to Tor Nightfire for providing an arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

https://booksandwheels.com

In Mothers house there’s a locked door, and when it gets dark at night and the lights are out you hear the sounds: Scratching and moaning. Terrifying things.

Are you brave enough to find the key and look inside?

You were born under a bad sign. All the Mothers know it. It’s what lead you to run away with Boy in the middle of the night and not look back. What tore your family apart.

For two decades you’ve looked for a connection to the cult you were born into. For your cousin, your best friend.

When a match shows up on a genealogy website, and you’re reunited it’s like no time has past. You’ve both put that time behind you and she’s so well adjusted and successful and wonderful.

As you forge a new relationship, as you meet her friends and coworkers, you begin to sense something is off with your cousin. That you have something inside you that your cousin desperately needs, and nothing will stop her from taking it from you.

As a childfree-by-choice person this book made me super uncomfortable. I don’t know if I’ve read something that so accurately describes the feeling of being shunned for your decision to not procreate so adeptly.

While the story felt relatively on the tracks, I enjoyed how dark it got, and the realistic animatronic baby dolls were just a truly creepy element. I really connected with Anne Heltzel’s writing voice and couldn’t put this one down. You need to grab this one if you enjoy stories of characters post-cult. My only complaint for this one is that I wanted more of the origins of the cult.

Thank you to TorNightfire and NetGalley for a galley of this title.

I’ve never read anything by this author before and immediately liked her writing style. This book is fast paced and was a page turner. Unfortunately in the end it didn’t work for me though. The overall premise is an interesting one and I usually Enjoy a good cult thriller. There are characters that held no value in the end and some plot holes. And where we did end up getting The Who and what’s answered by the end, the how’s we’re left unfulfilled and I really Enjoy knowing HOW something was done especially in a thriller with reveals meant to be twists. Overall I think the author has potential if some of the fluff was removed and there was more focus on explaining some of the details.

I found this story to be disturbing. Cults are always creepy, but the insane obsession with motherhood was hard to believe. I’ve read and enjoyed other creepy books such as Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage. That one was believable. Just Like Mother left me shaking my head and dismissing the plot as too far fetched.

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…




My Thoughts:


Just Like Mother seemingly portrays the renewed life of Andrea, a former cult child, after her escape years before. She presents as a life coach, but the shrine of motherhood does send up red flags for Maeve, who grew up with her cousin in that same cult and is doing everything in her power to put those values behind her. So when Andrea invites her cousin to stay with her after she loses her job, helping out financially, it seems like generosity. And caring.

But soon Maeve begins to wonder about things she is seeing and hearing at the huge estate. Then Andrea’s strange request definitely arouses Maeve’s worries. Suddenly very odd events begin happening, and just when Andrea decides to move back to the city, she finds herself helpless to leave. Intense and very frightening moments are terse reminders of the nightmares of their past. By the end, we are not sure who will walk away and who will remain. 5 stars.

***My e-ARC came to me from the publisher via NetGalley

Thank you NetGalley, Anne Heltzel, and MacMillan/Tor Forge for the eARC of this book.

TW: child abuse (mental, physical), cults and manipulation, sexual assault

I had pretty high hopes for this book when I first read its summary. The fact that I requested it at all says as much because I'm not generally interested in the psychological thriller sort of drama. So how did this book meet my expectations?

It didn't.

I didn't like it. Normally I try to find the silver lining in books I dislike and focus on that, but this book? 90% boring with 10% shock factor. The opening of the book was pretty interesting, but as soon as we flashed forward to adulthood, it just became boring and repetitive. If this book had any bigger point it was trying to make, I clearly missed it. Rather than watching Maeve develop as a character, I felt like I was watching a dog chase its tail. Round and round and round. You get the point.

I wouldn't call the book awful. The writing style itself was fine. I just wish I felt like the book actually had a point. Not every book needs to change your view on life, but it should at least leave you with some sort of message. The only message I got from this was "don't try to connect with relatives you met through a DNA test website." Probably solid advice, but not particularlly speaking to my more emotional expectations.

I loved this book!! This a creepy and unsettling novel that has you questioning everything. I fully recommend this novel for horror, thriller and mystery fans! Go ahead and put this book in your wishlist or cart.

𝐀 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐨𝐫 𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐚 𝐬𝐞𝐚 𝐬𝐞𝐚
𝐓𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐞
𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐞
𝐖𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐨𝐦 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐛𝐥𝐮𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐚 𝐬𝐞𝐚 𝐬𝐞𝐚

This was one creepy read. As a young teen, Maeve escaped the compound run by The Mothers so she could seek help for Boy. Much like the Amazons from Greek mythology, the Mothers had no use for boys. But helping Boy meant leaving behind Andrea, her cousin.

Maeve has tried hard to have a normal life. She doesn't speak of the compound and keeps all of those memories safely stored away. After years of not knowing what happened to Andrea, she suddenly reappears in Maeve's life just as tragedy strikes. With the loss of her job, home, and companion, she is grateful for Andrea's insistence that she spend time with her and her husband at their remote estate in the Catskills.

Maeve is disconcerted to learn that Andrea has made a fortune in the fertility business with the production of life-like dolls. I'm not dropping spoilers on what the dolls are for, but know that it's creepy as hell.

This book had all the elements that freak me out...a cult, creepy dolls, A NEST OF SPIDERS, and a creepy house, Be aware of a sexual assault scene that was pretty graphic. Many thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for this early read.

This was a solid 4 star read for me, I thoroughly enjoyed it. A suspenseful plot, fast paced, and I read it in a few days. The main character was a little annoying and unlikeable to me which is what kept it from being 5 stars. But overall I would recommend it! It was very predictable, but in a good way- I was on the edge of my seat wondering when the main character was FINALLY going to figure out what was going on. Even the ending was predictable, but in a good way. I think I would have been disappointed if it hadn't ended the way that it did. Overall a solid read and gave me a nice break from all the one star books I have read lately! I would be interested in reading other books by this author!

Just Like Mother is such an interesting book. I loved the writing, the chapters set in the past were written in a stilted way that was very jarring and definitely made you feel uncomfortable with what was going on. While I did find a lot of this book predictable, I think it was done in a way where it didn't matter to me. Throughout the novel I felt unsettled but in the best way. I would really recommend this book to thriller lovers who want aspects of horror throughout!

Is it me or have horror novels been given a resurgence in mainstream publishing? I have definitely noticed my interest growing in this genre. This book is so hard to rate because the ending is literally one of the BEST ENDINGS OF ALL TIME. Just Like Mother kind of reads like a season of American Horror Story, but much more in depth. It's hard to explain this book without giving away any spoilers, but just know that this cult-driven dialogue is at the core of the story.⁣
⁣
Our protagonist Maeve and her cousin Andrea are two women battling the pain and torture of a cult that has affected their adult lives. As the two forge relationships after being estranged since their escape, we see how two women have taken this trauma and shape their experiences in their everyday life. However, when Maeve begins spending more time with Andrea and her wealthy friends, Maeve starts losing the progress she's mad since those dark days. As memories of her childhood begin to come to the surface, Maeve soon realizes that things aren't always what they seem.⁣
⁣
I literally can't say anything else than that synopsis brief. It's so hard to really go into detail without spoiling, so go into this book with zero expectations. Go into this book knowing that it's a character-driven story more than anything. Anne Heltzel, as mentioned previously, I award you with best ending of a novel of the year, if not ever. I am excited to see what sinister things you have up your sleeves.