Wow! Very creepy and unsettling. This book had elements that reminded me of “Rosemary’s Baby” and “The School For Good Mothers.” I was engrossed in the twisty story, and finished it in just a few hours. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Just Like Mother tells the shocking story of Maeve and Andrea’s childhood and adulthood. They were raised in a cult until Maeve broke free, which brought the police to the cult’s door.

Many years later, cousins Maeve and Andrea finally reconnect. Everything seems to be going great, but then Maeve’s world falls apart. Broke and with nowhere else to go, she accepts Andrea’s invitation to move in. From that moment on, the things that happen to her are almost unbelievable. I say almost because as much as I’d like to think that no one would do what happened, I know that some people would.

There are tons of twists in this story. I guessed most of them, but that didn’t make them less enjoyable. I loved how twisted and gross the book could be at times. It made me uncomfortable, which is really difficult for a book to do. Additionally, I loved the themes of toxic motherhood and how ridiculous it is for society to blame or shun a woman who has chosen not to have a child.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC. This review contains my honest, unbiased opinion.

QUICK TAKE: in a year of a LOT of cult books, I ended up enjoying a lot about JUST LIKE MOTHER. I could have done without the baby doll subplot (between this book and School for Good Mothers, I'm cool on weird baby dolls), but this was dark and twisty and thought-provoking and I was a big fan of the ending. Definitely one to consider.

Huge thank you to NetGalley and Nightfire for this free ARC in exchange for my honest and thoughtful review.

I…whew, what?

This book takes every aspect of a good solid thriller/horror and uses them to create a masterful creepy tale. Cults, creepy dolls, secrets, twists on top of twists. This book genuinely gave me nightmares and for that I applaud it highly.

This is a masterful story about Mae, her escape from the matriarchal cult of her childhood, and her desperate search for connection and family. It’s beautifully done and EXPERTLY woven.

I still have chills and probably will for a whole. Four stars, triple yikes, two thumbs up.

(I will add: MASSIVE TWs for child loss, pregnancy, spiritual and physical abuse, etc. so proceed with caution)

Just like Mother by Anne Heltzel, a creepy, twisty read. I usually am pretty intuitive as to what's about to happen next, I remained surprised throughout this insane take on Motherhood and family. What a wild read up until the very end. I found myself rooting for Maeve, and extremely suspicious of Andrea, and completely freaked out by Mother. Thank you to Anne Heltzel and Netgalley for the complimentary ebook.

This book really wasn’t for me. It is evil. In my opinion, there is no scarier novel than one that showcases the horrors that humans are willing to do to each other. It was very creepy from the beginning. I wasn’t sure if I was going to like the ending, but I did. This book definitely does give you some in depth discussion topics. Please be warned that there are quite a things that could be triggers and are graphic and rather disturbing.

Thank you Net Galley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge, Tor Nightfire for this digital arc in exchange for my honest review which is not affiliated with any brand.

#NatGalley #JustLikeMother

Just Like Mother is a thriller/horror about two cousins who were separated in childhood when they escape the cult they were raised in. Now adults, the main character Maeve, and her cousin, Andrea, are reunited. Maeve is an editor, and leads a closed off life. Andrea runs a company that produces AI dolls that are nearly indistinguishable from human infants. Andrea invites Maeve to her mansion in the Catskills, and things begin to get creepy. This book was a hit for me! I was on the edge of my seat and loved the gore and eeriness! The cover drew me in!

I enjoyed this haunting novel. If you are squeamish, have triggers, or have any strict religious / relationship views this one isn't for you.

Personally, I felt this story was a bit lighter on the horror and cult aspects than I could handle, but there was enough substance to be worthy of the genre distinction and it effectively held my attention throughout. There are a few unexpected twists along the way that keep the pages turning. The creepy backstory had the potential for more exploration and depth. I was alert to the author's clues and able to predict the ending . . .  and yet it still gave me a good shiver.

I'd like to thank NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for an advanced copy of Just Like Mother for my unbiased evaluation. 3.5 stars

Whoa buddy what a read. Alright, so first of.. let’s get the TW’s out of the way.

⚠️rape, traumatic birth, miscarriage, child abuse, self harm,⚠️

This is a dark & nerve bending novel that is extremely well written & fast paced—you can easily finish it during one sitting. I loved the concept of the story & I thought the ending was ambiguous but perfectly executed.

I loved the build up of the characters & how they were seemingly normal & supportive at first but still gave you an eerie vibe in the back of your mind telling you something isn’t right but you just can’t put your finger on it yet. Maeve, however, drove me completely nuts because she acknowledges red flags & STILL ignores every single one of them. Heltzel does a great job at building tension this way as the story progresses &, if you’re anything like me, you’ll find yourself yelling ‘get out, get out, get out’ constantly. 😅

I think this would make a great read for book club because it would prompt a lot of deep discussions & questions regarding the take of mothers in the society we live in now & whether or not the book made some sense in the role men play out in parenthood.

My biggest let down was that they didn’t dive more into the background of the original cult. I think the author was going for an obscure standpoint on that but I feel like it would have added to the creepiness factor had she dwelled more on it.

I really enjoyed this book & would definitely recommend. It was predictable, but not in a bad way, in a way that I just HAD to keep reading to confirm what I already knew was coming.

Cults, secrets, murder, betrayal...what more could you want?!
This horror novel was awesome. I loved the sense of something very ominous going on that the protagonist was totally unaware of; it was so suspenseful! I can't comment about the ending at all it because I don't want to give a thing away but...aahh, so good!! I will warn that there are a couple of sex scenes that are...intense. Like in a scary, not at all romantic, way.

This book started out very promising and I really did want to love it but the main character who kept contradicting herself kept me from being able to do just that. The whole book was a in itself cultish and creepy to a point. When people complain about a book being too outlandish I brush it off because it's a work of fiction and is meant to be outlandish. How often does any fiction book get it 100% correct? This book was beyond outlandish and drew away from what could have been a really great read. I would have loved more details on the cult itself, being that the cult was the main focus for the main character.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publish for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I've always been terrified of the concept of a 'Bloody Mary", until I discovered I am one, at least in Anne Heltzel's literary world!. "Just Like Mother" is horror in its purest form. Dealing with themes of cult practice, obsession, family, fertility and the desire to stay childless, this story mimics the horrors of real life for the reproductively viable, and thoroughly displays just how terrifying those horrors can be. As the book progresses, Anne uses wildly tragic situations to hide plot twists and any hint of what's to come. She digs into the minds of her readers to exploit their fears and leaves behind complete wreckage, forcing the readers to sort it all out, well beyond the book's ending. As grisly and disorienting as this book is, Anne beautifully writes about potentially triggering topics with unmatched sensitivity and eloquence aiming not to kill, but to relentlessly maim. "Just Like Mother" is a wound my nervous system will be trying to repair for the foreseeable future, and I'm infinitely thrilled to be damaged.

Just Like Mother is a refreshing and unique read that I read in one sitting! If you like a jaw dropper and a book that will give you the chills then this is the book for you! I look forward to reading more of the authors books in the future!

I did not NOT enjoy this book, it just wasn’t the genre for me. It definitely falls into the “creepy-horror” category which is fine, in theory, but keep that in mind if you’re planning to read it. I thought this would have more of a classic thriller vibe, but the plot lines surrounding cults, creepy dolls, etc. just wasn’t my cup of tea. On a positive note, I do think there’s solid character development (especially the main character of Maeve) throughout the story and the ending definitely packed a punch. A solid book overall, just not right for me. Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan for this ARC in return for my honest review.

Edge of your seat thriller dealing with cults, motherhood and the bonds of family.. This story begins with two cousins, Maeve and Andrea who are living with a group of women called the mothers in a remote location. We don't know exactly what's going on, but we know it is not normal. The book then switches to modern time and Maeve is working as an editor for a publishing company and is trying to find her cousin Andrea who she hasn't seen in twenty years. Maeve is lonely and mostly hides in her New York apartment when she isn't working and takes a DNA test in the hopes of finding her only family. We find out that something happened in her childhood which caused her to be adopted by a loving family that did not want her to dwell in the past. Suddenly she receives a message from Andrea, now a wealthy married woman who runs a women's empowerment company and has always been searching for Maeve.

Maeve goes to meet Andrea at her gothic type mansion in the Catskills and finds out Maeve has built a company around women becoming mothers, and has designed some very creepy dolls that are used to get the women used to be mothers or to help with grieving issues. Due to her crazy childhood, Maeve does not want to have children and doesn't know what to think about Andrea and her group which seem to be obsessed with motherhood . The story gets creepier and creepier as Maeve begins finding strange things happening to her like a former boyfriend dying in a mysterious way and in her thoughts that Andrea is not who she says she is and wants Maeve for some sinister purpose. There are shades of Rosemary's Baby and other cult classics in this scary story where you don't know what will happen next. I could not put this one down! I didn't think it was quite five stars because I never understood why the cult valued motherhood so much yet
ignored and abused their children once born. And Andrea's group seemed like they wanted to be working mothers who had children raised by nannies so didn't see the draw of he cult there either. Still found this to be a exciting read. Very original take on a horror/thriller element. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

i'm not entirely sure how i feel about this one. i'm stuck between 2 + 3 stars. i loved the description & cover but nothing matched what i was expecting. it took awhile for me to get into, then i understood where it was going and just felt extremely uncomfortable. this story gave me the weirdest vibes & i usually don't get that way... my main genre choice is the weirdest & messed up books around.

i was hoping the story would revolve more around the cult aspect but it doesn't really, at all. then the ending really did me in.

not exactly recommending, but i'd definitely consider trying out another book written by this author.

thank you netgalley & tor nightfire for a copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Trigger Warning: This book references unsafe sexual situations and sexual abuse.

Reading this book felt like I was being trolled by the author. "They like cults, right? And creepy dolls? And really raunchy sex? And violence? And weird pseudo feminism? and Murder! Of course Murder!!" It's a buzz word soup of total nonsense. There is nothing thrilling about this thriller, the characters are flat and uninteresting, the "cousins" who escape the Mother Cult decide never to speak about it (and thus we never actually learn much about the cult itself, just vague references to how bad it was.) The Cult is about Mothers who have Girls because Boys are bad, and only used for procreating. So womanhood is powerful, but defined by having babies, and if you're not having babies in this cult, you're gonna get murdered or impregnated. And somewhere in here there are creepy dolls used for therapy. I hated all of it, and I read it to the very end so that you wouldn't have to. It doesn't get better, and yes, the sex scenes are gratuitous, problematic, and verging on incredibly bad literotica. What did this novel want to be? And how did it get here?

I thought this book was just ok pretty much throughout the whole thing until the end. I really enjoyed the ending and the slight twist that it had.

Maeve and her cousin Andrea were part of a cult. They escaped when they were little and haven’t seen each other since. Years later, Maeve is living in New York City. She has a great job and really worked hard to rebuild her life.

Maeve reconnects with Andrea and is overjoyed to be with her again. She soon starts spending time at Andrea’s mansion in the Catskills. Andrea has made tons of money with her fertility company. She and her friends disagree with Maeve’s single, childless life.

The more time Maeve spends with her cousin, the more she feels so something isn’t right. Is history about to repeat itself?

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Full review closer to publication date!

I'd like to thank the publisher,Macmillan-Tor/Forge and Netgalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Maeve was eight years old when she last saw her eleven-year-old cousin Andrea. They were raised in a cult, and I am not sure if I have ever heard of a nice cult, but this was not it. If you are looking for an opening chapter that will have your eyes glued to the pages, while you try and see what might be behind you, this is that book.
Maeve was adopted by a wonderful couple, but her bizarre early years make it difficult if not impossible for her to ever feel like she belongs. She is an editor now, but when she isn't at work, she spends most of her time alone. The one thing she has never stopped doing is trying to find Andrea.
When Andrea reaches out to her, she can hardly believe it. Finally, she won't be all alone and will have someone she not only loves but someone who understands their shared childhood. But the road to this reunion is rampant with potholes. While Maeve has struggled to trust people, Andrea is living a charmed life. A successful company, a doting husband, a beautiful country mansion, and now she is so happy to have Maeve back in her life.
Andrea and her husband Rob welcome Maeve into their home and life with open arms. The only downside for Maeve is that she soon loses the few things that tie her to her life in the city, and she starts spending all of her time at Andrea's remote Catskill mansion. Which BTW is beautiful on one hand and rather creepy on the other. And can we talk about that doll on the cover? It is Andrea's pride and joy, Olivia, designed to help women become better mothers. If the picture filled you with dread, just wait until the corporate mission becomes clear.
Maeve has no idea what she has gotten herself into and it becomes apparent she might not be able to Get Out! Did I have my suspicions about what was going on? Why yes, I did. And were they accurate? Why yes, they were. But there was still so much more lurking in the dark corners that I most certainly did not see coming. I realize I haven't touched on the plot, but that way lies spoilers and I think it’s best to go into this book with as little knowledge as possible. I will say that my mouth was hanging wide open after the final reveal.