A must read! Lots of drama and mystery. Maeve and her cousin Are raised by a group of Mothers in a cult like setting. At age 8 Maeve escapes the cult trying to save a baby ‘boy’. She is adopted but misses her cousin. And when they meet up again, Maeve’s life is a horror story…..time to reread more!

A frightening novel book you will not want to put down, without giving anything away it’s Rosemary’s Baby meets the cult world. The writing style and editing of the story were spot on, and a page turner. I had to finish this book this morning before I accomplished anything (lol). Warning - don’t start the book till you can dedicate time to finish it because you just have to know what is happening….it’s that kind of nail biting novel. Thank you NetGalley for he early release. Buy this book! Looking forward to the author’s next story. She is a gifted storyteller. (Great cover too!)

MOTHER…

Anne Heltzel has given a frightening meaning to this term associated with female empowerment and caretaking.

Maeve is born into a cult called The Mother Collective, a Vermont based commune with a fanatical perspective on motherhood. She and her older cousin Andrea are tightly bonded and make a pact never to be apart from each other.

When Maeve hears strange noises coming from a locked room in their house, her curiosity gets the best of her. After she discovers what the MOTHERS have locked in the room, she escapes the commune with BOY, the only male child.

Years later, Maeve and Andrea reconnect after matching on a DNA website. Surprisingly, both women have been living in New York. However, while Maeve has been struggling to make ends meet as a book editor, Andrea has made a fortune in the tech and fertility industry. By the time Maeve learns more about Andrea’s business and true interests, it may be too late to escape!

This book can best be described as The Handmaid’s Tale meets The Stepford Wives.
The plot has a dark dystopian quality that will leave you very unsettled. I was intrigued by the misandry aspect of the plot, but do wish that more time was spent in the past timeline learning about the cult. The creepy grief dolls that Andrea invents are terrifying. Just look at that amazing book cover!

The plot kept my interest, despite the very predictable twists. I also have a few issues with believability, but this book still intrigued me with every flip of the page.

Please note the trigger warnings, as this book may not appeal to everyone.

Trigger warning: Cults, rape

Expected publication date: 5/17/22

3.5/5 stars rounded down

Thank you to NetGalley and Jordan Hanley from Macmillan-Tor/Forge Publishing for the widget of Just Like Mother in exchange for an honest review.

This was a well-paced thriller, but I definitely wouldn't consider it horror. That word being in the marketing made me think I was getting something I didn't. It's just fine for a beach read or a lazy afternoon, but it's ultimately pretty shallow and unsurprising.

Just Like Mother was another book which initially drew me in because of the cover. Dolls are just creepy AF so I needed this.

I had no idea what to expect as I went in totally blind and now I don’t want to say too much and give anything away. This is a great book to go into without any expectations and just enjoy the ride.
.
What I loved: I was a fan of the writing, the book was weird and unique and perfectly put together. A spine tingling story with elements of horror and some gut wrenching moments with gothic vibes. I literally had a hard time putting this one down! Binge worthy for sure.

What I didn’t love: Nothing. This one had just about everything I love in a thriller/horror. Would totally recommend this!!! 4.5⭐️

I really wanted to love this book. The whole premise is super intriguing. I love the thriller parts and the twists and turns. I just wish some of the adult parts weren't quite so graphic, I think it took away from the book. I almost stopped reading mid way, but I just had to know what was going to happen. So, that says a lot. Great twists and good use of creepiness.

Not what I was looking for when I went into it but still enjoyed it so much I gave it 5 stars! I thought it would have been more of a horror or scary type story but the only part that creeped me out was with those dolls. OMG them dolls were freaking something else. I wouldn't have one of them things in my house no way. Reminds me of the "Chuckie Dolls" to much. The actual cult itself "The Mother Collective" was also another disturbing thing as we find out their purpose and all.

I really despised Andrea the "cousin" but I had to keep reminding myself it was how she was raised and what beliefs were pounded into her that made her how she was and I would get easily irritated with our main character Maeve who was far more trusting and gullible than she should have been. I would be literally clenching my fists and hollering silently in my mind for her to wake up and smell the coffee or just smack her to see what was right in front of her!

Entertaining to the end as the pace kept up and always had something to tug you along to want to see what happened next. There probably should be a few trigger warnings though as there were a few scenes involving sexual assaults/rape.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Publishing for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

That was completely creeptastic!!! I have an aversion to dolls as it is, and this certainly didn't do anything to help that phobia. I was on edge through this whole book. Cults, creepy life-like dolls, bat crap crazy characters. Nothing about this not to love!!

I devoured this book in a single day (much faster than I've read anything in ages). It was fast and compelling, and I was hooked the entire time. It's a thriller with a nice dash of horror. It's a lot of things at once, all of them right up my alley.
Full review to come on YouTube.

A modern day gothic. The creepy atmosphere will keep you questioning what is real. The author created a fantastic main character who’s persona insecurities lead the reader to question everything.

This was a genuinely scary book that I finished in one night. The cult was super creepy and I could see references to current politics and attitudes about womanhood that was twisted into an anti feminist but also anti male view of women. Nice little twists that reminded me of Rosemary’s Baby or Invasion of the Body Snatchers-don’t trust anyone!

Just Like Mother is a chilling Rosemary's Baby-esque thriller. I was drawn to reading it as soon as I saw the creepy cover. The story flashes from past to present following Maeve and her escape as a child from a motherhood cult. Her entire adult life Maeve has been searching for her cousin, Andrea, who also escaped the cult. They reconnect but will their past allow them to move on?

This book was definitely a fast paced thriller! I read it in one sitting and stayed up way too late to finish. Although, I figured out the twist towards the end I still found the ending to be very gratifying. I thought this was a well written and unique book that keeps a reader on the edge of their seat. I look forward to reading Heltzel's future novels.

Thank you to NetGalley, Anne Heltzel, and Macmillan-Tor/Forge, Tor Nightfire for this eARC. All opinions expressed are my own.
#netgalley #justlikemother #anneheltzel

Thank you to NetGalley, Tor Nightfire, and Anne Heltzel for a digital advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

Motherhood, bodily autonomy, and the power of the female collective are at the center of this chilling tale. Maeve is a survivor of a motherhood cult and years after being on her own, rekindles a relationship with her biological cousin whom she grew up with. What starts out as a troubling series of events quickly unfolds into a veritable nightmare scenario. This is one novel that will raise the hair on your arms and keep you up at night.

In a world with ever increasing couples choosing not to have a family, Just Like Mother hits a little too close to home with the idealogical fanatacism of its Motherhood Collective and the power and control over women and their only worth in life being the ability to bring forth life.

I felt the ending left enough open for a prequel or a sequel. I would have loved to learn more about the origins of the Collective, as details were just vague enough to keep the reader intrigued and desperate for more answers.

For fans of The Handmaid’s Tale and cult survivor stories.

I don’t know about you, but I find it hard to resist a book with a disembodied creepy doll’s head on the cover.

Just Like Mother is a twisty thriller. Maeve managed to escape from a strange, misandrist cult when she was a child, but left her cousin Andrea behind. As adults, Maeve and Andrea track each other down online; Andrea is now at the head of a huge global corporation, and Maeve a struggling publisher. When Andrea welcomes Maeve back into her life, Maeve experiences a run of uncommonly bad luck, forcing her to unwillingly stay at Andrea’s estate for a while. There, she discovers the cult she fled as a child may not be as dormant as she once thought.

The most gripping thing in this novel is the uneasy relationship between Maeve and Andrea. What was this grave betrayal that Maeve committed, that leaves her so emotionally indebted to Andrea. I really enjoyed all the twists and turns; no matter how many times I thought I had it all figured out, something else happened that threw my theories right out of the water.

Along with the entrancing story, there are also many points to consider in this book. The value of motherhood, but also the validity of the choice to remain childless. And the cult’s treatment of men may be considered ghastly, but not too far removed from the levels of sexism women have faced for hundreds of years.

I would have loved for the author to expand further on the creepy dolls that serve as a replacement for real children; always a great avenue for potential terror.

Just Like Mother is an incredibly entertaining read, a real page-turner. And, if weird cult-ish childhood trauma is your thing, I also highly recommend Catriona Ward’s latest novel, Sundial, also from Nightfire.

I was lucky to get an ARC of this upcoming release in exchange for my honest review so many thanks to NetGalley!

Now let's get started.
The cover of this book is chef's kiss! It is so freaking creepy I could barely contain myself!

This book follows two cousins who are separated when they are younger and through a DNA test website are brought back into each other’s lives after over 20 years. What follows is some pretty messed up stuff.

This book gives you small glimpses into the cousin's past to show you basically why they are the way they are in the present. I felt the main character Maeve was so strong! I loved when she talked about why she didn't want to have children and embraced the fact that all women do not have to give birth to be valuable, or an asset to society (yas! couldn't have loved that part of the storyline more). Maeve was only a child when she stood up to the "Mothers" who were basically in a cult-like entity where birthing more girls was their mission in life. So yea even with all her "issues" she kept that stuff together and knew what she wanted out of life. She is my favorite kind of protagonist. The way the story ended was nice and not what I was expecting. I really felt it was wrapped up with a creepy little bow at the end.

Loved the concept! I really enjoyed the way the author told the story, and I could not put it down! However, some of the things that icked me out were triggering for me and could be triggering for others (just so you are aware). There is much talk about SA, Post Partum Depression, Attempted Self-Abortion, and Child Abuse. With all that said I gave it 4/5 stars I will recommend.

Unfortunately this will be a DNF for me, as there were lots of disturbing triggers that arose surrounding rape and child abuse. Another deciding factor for not finishing the book was that the characters were not likeable. This book didn’t feel like a horror novel, it felt as though they incorporated dolls and cults into the story just for the creep factor. On a positive note, I did enjoy Heltzel’s style of writing. Her words flowed nicely and she’s wonderful with descriptive scenes. Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillian-Tor/Forge Publishing for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a pretty twisted story. I didn't particularly like the characters, but the plot kept me reading.

Andrea and Maeve are subjected to a strange upbringing in a motherhood cult until Maeve escapes and they go their separate ways. Later as adults they are reunited and Andrea pushes hard for Maeve to give up her eggs allowing Andrea and her husband to have the child they are desperate for but unable to conceive. Maeve is going through a hard time and Andrea is more than happy to help for a price. Strange events and flashbacks of when they were young take the story on a course similar to HANDMAIDS TALE or ROSEMARY'S BABY. Horror, creepy motherhood cults and paranoia for all - this is a scary book that reminds us that mother is always watching. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.

Y'all, I have to say that horror is definitely not a genre I read ever. That said, this was a wild ride that kept me reading! The story focuses on Maeve and Andrea. Maeve and Andrea were both children in a cult. Maeve escaped, and she's always wondered what happened to Andrea. Then, they find one another again in New York. Andrea has taken on some new ventures in the fertility industry, and Maeve is invited to be part of these. Maeve has some hesitations, and then as she is drawn more into Andrea's world, more things start happening. As a reader, there were lots of moments where I could totally see what was happening, but the characters couldn't which was part of the solid horror experience. This was quite intense, and I'm glad I jumped out of my normal genres for some emotional thrills!

I would offer the content warning that this might not be a good read for anyone who is trying to conceive, struggling to conceive and/or pregnant. I'm a new mom and did okay with the content, but thinking about other stages of my motherhood journey, this would've landed differently with me.

Cue the discomfort people, you are going to have shivers up your spine with this one.

I am a total cover snob, lets be serious for a moment, just look at this cover. It is not only frightening but its absolutely captivating. It screams "read me" because come on, anything that has a premise with a creepy child like doll head on the cover is going to instantly grab my attention.

This book is beyond a thriller, I would more or less classify it as a thrilling, psychological horror novel.

I am completely and utterly obsessed with this book and have become an instant fan of Anne Heltzel. This book screams book of the year. I will put my bet out now that this book will break the internet on release day.

I am still in shock..

The character development is perfection, the plot is executed well, there is not one thing I could critique with this book. I read it in one sitting, I will most likely even read it again, I just could not get enough.

I would absolutely love to see this book made into a movie or mini series. It was such a honor to read and review this book prior to the big release!