I really enjoyed this book for about the first 2/3. It was tense and creepy, and I just knew there were some epic twists coming.
Except. There are no twists.
I'm usually not very good at guessing the endings. In fact, I don't usually try to, because it ruins the surprise, and I want to be surprised. However, it's human nature to think about what comes next and when everything in a "thriller" novel happens exactly how you expect, the result is.. less than thrilling.
My assumption about what happened concerning the death of a character at the 40% mark turned out to be correct, and every subsequent guess I made was spot on. It was really disappointing that everything was SO incredibly obvious in the end, and I couldn't help find it kind of unbelievable that the main character (who does not appear to be stupid) can be so gullible. I understand if she realized what was going on immediately, the book would be like pointless. However, she is given COUNTLESS red flags, and she doesn't even begin to suspect, even a little.
I was all set to give this book 4 or 5 stars, but everything after about the 80% mark was just meh.

📚ADVANCED READER REVIEW📚⁠
⁠
Reviews are in for Just Like Mother by Anne Heltzel

a good nighttime read, Just Like Mother scratches that itch for gothic lit and cults with a splash of reproduction drama. If you like a little postmodern fem paired up with your horror, this book is for you. I truly enjoyed reading it.

I must confess, I felt (as a 30-Something Millennial) that it was a little heavy handed on the 30-Something Millennial identity vibe. At one point in the book, I was a bit like "okay, yes, we get it, you are a 30-Something Millennial). That said, I think I related to, but just didn't like the protagonist. That might say more about me than the poor protagonist though.

very smooth, very entertaining read. Pick it up, its worth it!


Thank you @tornightfire @macmillanusa for a copy of 𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗟𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 by @anneheltzel [Pub Date: May 17, 2022] #ARC #AdvancedReaderCopies ⁠
#book #bookstagram #reader #reading #booklover #instabook #booksofinstagram

A horror novel where the conversations were my real life nightmare!

Just Like Mother follows our main character Maeve who when she was a child grew up in a matriarchal cult. She was separated from her cousin when the cult was broken up and reunites with her after years of being apart. Things get weird.

Heltzel does a great job at building tension and will have you yelling ‘get out, get out, get out’ like any good horror novel will do. There are scenes of genuine creepiness but there are also several that fall flat. The flashbacks to the cult are actually pretty interesting and even her flashbacks to a childhood where her normal behaviors are mutated by being raised around it are rather interesting but in my opinion not explored enough to be completely effective. I think she wanted to focus more on the modern day creepiness but I think it would have added to character building to be more aware of what it was like.

I do not know why in my brain I thought there wouldn’t be creepy dolls in this book with a doll on the cover but I didn’t and please insert Jason Bateman Arrested Development gif of him opening that bag saying “Well, I don’t know what I was expecting.”

I think the book mostly suffered when it expanded its scope a little too wide. If you read this you can understand what I mean. It was most effective as a smaller entity of horror and more of a locked door scenario. The expansion caused more questions and disbelief then I think was really necessary for the story.

If you are a childless by choice person you will want to throw some people out the window and will probably have flashbacks to every single conversation you have ever had about having kids and the “you’ll change your mind!” attitude.

Overall though, it was an easy read (well when you are aiming for anxiety in horror!) with some genuine terror. I liked the concept even if it broke apart a little around the end. 3.5/5 rounded up.

Thank you to Netgalley for my ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

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Just Like Mother by Anne Heltzel
Just Like Mother
by Anne Heltzel (Goodreads Author)
Want to Read
Read in December 2021
Maeve, a thirtysomething book editor in New York City, had a traumatic childhood. She escaped a cult when she was very young, leaving everything she knew - including her best friend and beloved cousin, Andrea - behind. She now lives a relatively peaceful but lonely life, always holding everyone at a distance until she gets a match on a DNA testing site one day. Andrea has been found after searching on and off for years, and although Maeve is wary, she is excited to have her one true friend back.

As her old life begins to crumble, Maeve seeks refuge in Andrea's new home: a remote, partially refinished mansion in the Catskills. There, she becomes friends with Andrea's friends, who try to impart the importance of motherhood as every woman's privilege and right. And although Andrea doesn't want to speak of the past, Maeve's new life brings more and more memories to the surface, and her past may be catching up with her.

This novel was a pulpy thrill ride with some horrific imagery. The reveals are orchestrated relatively early in the story, but it still had some "aha!" moments. The first-person narrative makes you feel connected with Maeve, even if you sometimes want to shake her and tell her to pay attention (as you do with most horror protagonists). My overall main problem was the epilogue, which I felt diminished the story a bit and seemed tacked on—still, a solid psychological thriller with a good gothic setting. For some of the spookier moments, the use of technology was an effective contrast to the dusty old mansion. Overall, 3.5 creepy doll heads out of 5 bumped up because that cover is too good.

This book had great pacing and kept the pages turning. It definitely had a creepy, gothic vibe. However, I found it to be more of a domestic thriller than a solid "cult book" and that wasn't really what I was expecting. Overall it wasn't bad and I will definitely recommend to those I know who like a domestic thriller with a twist.

It is very rare that I finish a book feeling baffled and shocked, but Just Like Mother stunned me with its context and sadistic plot. With creepy relatives, an unreliable narrator, and a FBI cult bust, what isn’t there to be intrigued about?

This book follows Mother Collective, a Vermont based cult of motherhood, and the young girls impacted by the cult’s exposure in 2001. As children, Mauve and Andrea’s relationship is built on trust, but Mauve’s instinct to run ultimately leads to the discovery of the commune, and thus their separation. Many years later, Mauve and Andrea are reunited and although the cousins try to pick up where they left off, Mauve cannot help but feel like there is something off with Andrea and her husband. When Mauve’s life begins to fall apart, she is blinded by her loneliness and desire to be with family, and despite the red flags, moves in with Andrea. As Mauve begins to spiral, it is impossible to discern reality from her nightmares.

I really enjoyed how this book jumped back and forth between the past and present to slowly build the reader’s awareness of what events unfolded to cause Mauve’s prevalent trauma. I recently finished a book called Cultish, which explores how language is utilized to amass a strong following for radical ideas, and based on glimpses into Mauve’s past, I would have enjoyed understanding more about the cult history behind Mother Collective. However, it is overwhelming clear that motherhood may be cultish all on its own.

Just Like Mother explores just how far women are willing to go for a chance at motherhood, even if it means committing murder. This book was twisted and binge worthy, and although I predicted what was coming, it was like watching a car crash. I needed to keep reading until I knew the ending, and the twist did not disappoint.

Book review 📖
Just like mother by Anne heltzel

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…

A well written novel with a ton of potential but poorly executed.
The synopsis and start of the story was completely amazing but fell very flat through the middle.
I was unable to finish this book because I felt it dragged on too much in the middle, I got 45% through before ultimately DNF’ing.

Overall rating is ⭐️⭐️.5 stars I’m really disappointed I wasn’t able to finish.

I’d like to thank netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. I had been wanting to read this book since I first saw the cover, it is so striking, but what in the what did I just read?! The story is told in Maeve’s perspective, both know and when she was a child, unknowingly in a cult with all women called Mother. Years later she reconnects with her cousin who seemingly has it all together, but the more time they spend together, the more Maeve is suspicious of her cousin and what her ulterior motives are. While at times I found it too far fetched, I just couldn’t put it down and finished it in one day.

This book's cover really caught my attention, and I'm glad, because it really is a creepy, well plotted thriller! The story moves quickly and there are plenty of twists and turns I didn't see coming. Looking forward to seeing what this author comes up with next!

30-something Maeve, who spent part of her childhood in an all-woman cult, is reunited with her older cousin Andrea after 25 years apart. While she's initially thrilled to reconnect with her best friend and family member, there's clear signs that something is deeply wrong with Andrea despite being ultra wealthy & successful. Despite some lost plot threads and a somewhat predictable twist, Just Like Mother is most definitely creepy, dreadful, and chilling. Give this to readers who enjoy The Stepford Wives & The Husbands by Chandler Baker, but make sure they don't mind a fair amount of violence, body horror, and depictions of rough sex scenes.

Wow, this book amazed me. It follows the main character who was rescued from a cult when she was a kid and as an adult reunited with her cousin who was also raised in the cult.

This book is so creepy and dark, I could not stop reading. It was predictable, but not in a bad way, in a way that I just HAD to keep reading to confirm my suspicions.

I loved that the characters were so normal at first, and the back of your mind is telling you something isn’t right but you don’t know what. The main character was frustrating at times, but realistic, as anyone would want to trust their only family. I truly loved reading this and going deeper into the plot. Nothing about this book disappointed me.

Just Like Mother by Anne Heltzel is a horrifying tale of a women's cult and its effect on the lives of the girls held under the Mothers' control. Almost identical eleven and eight year old sisters survive until they escape and are separated and adopted or in foster care. Twenty-five years later they miraculously reunite and the twisted excruciating story unfolds. I could not stop reading until the excitement ends. An amazing unbelievable story.

📖Book Review 📖
“Just Like Mother” by Anne Heltzel
💜Release set for May 17, 2022
ARC thanks to @netgalley @tornightfire @macmillianpublishing @anneheltzel

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Fast paced, well written with a jaw dropping ending- “Just Like Mother” was exactly how a thriller should be! Main character, Maeve spent the first 8 years of her life in a women lead cult, and was the reason the police raided the property. She has guilt that she left her best friend and cousin Andrea behind when she was adopted by a couple. Maeve is in her early 30s now, living in NYC with some major issues-PTSD, lots of anxiety, keeps people at a distance, on a lot of prescription meds, no support network, unexplained memories/dreams, etc. She finds her cousin Andrea due to a DNA website and thinks she has finally found a family where she can share her past, not keep secrets, have a social life, etc. Andrea is captivating, beautiful, intelligent, has a great marriage, good friends, lots of money and runs a super successful life coaching business for women- from birth to grief over a death. Andrea quickly inserts herself into Maeve’s life which is perfect as Maeve has no life and really craves that bond. As Maeve’s life falls apart, Andrea swoops in to save her…place to get away, new guy to meet, fun girls night out, etc. All seems too perfect and deep down Maeve knows that- dark memories from her childhood keep popping up, blackouts/total loss of days, and other things that make no sense keep happening. This is definitely a page-turner that will keep you up until 3am because you just can’t put it down! Thanks for the the ARC, my first one. #netgalley #tornightfire #arc #kindle #macmillianpublishing #bookstagram

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I feel like this is the book I've been waiting the last decade for.
This cryptic story about a girl reuniting with lost family years after a cult raid had me hooked from the start and I couldn't put it down. this book reads like a good thriller movie, and I loved the ending!

So, yeah, the doll on the cover of Just Like Mother is creepy, but want to know what's really creepy? Those baby dolls that look exactly like real babies. This book is crawling with them. Poor Maeve had a crummy childhood because of a cult and a blah young adulthood because of her fear of getting close to anyone. Just when things start looking up, everyone around her dies or disappears and Maeve can't find a toilet that works. That's the way it goes. Silicon babies piling up, a stink coming from hidden hallways, and the damn toilets won't flush.

The only things that stand in the way of world domination by a cult are Maeve's eggs, and I don't mean over easy. Never has a woman's ovaries been so in demand.

There are men happily serving little meatballs on toothpicks instead of gorging on them themselves, so you can shelve this book as unrealistic. Plenty of blood if you like that stuff (I think the meatballs are legit) but there is child abuse so be warned if you are triggered.

Good twists, some I saw coming, but the end was super unexpected.

Thanks to Netgalley, Tor and Nightfire for allowing me to read and review an eARC of Just Like Mother.

Anne Heltzel’s adult debut is a fast-paced mix of horror and thriller that shines a spotlight on motherhood, trauma, and misguided feminism. Readers looking for a creepy, adrenaline-pumping read will find themselves hooked to this unpredictable page turner until the very end.

Maeve had difficult childhood being raised in a cult environment. She and her cousin Andrea finally escaped that situation and went on to lead successful lives. Fast forward 20 years and Maeve is living in New York City with her past in the rear view mirror and suddenly Andrea appears, they had not seen each other in decades. The two rekindle their relationship and they will forever have the bond of their childhood experience. Maeve finds herself spending more and more time with Andrea which draws her away from the life in NYC. Will Maeve be able to retain her life that she worked hard to build?

I have read several cult based thrillers in the past year, this one really put a different spin on the genre! I would not say it was particularly scary or spooky but it was very engrossing all the same and I really enjoyed it. The pacing was good and the reveals were awesome. I was hooked from the beginning to end!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This review will be posted to my Instagram Blog (@coffee.break.book.reviews) in the near future.

Ooo y'all this one was creepy!! Totally crazy but also you could not put it down because the suspense was overwhelming. Excellent writing as well! The characters were outstanding and I am going to recommend this one to everyone!

This horror was made for me, lol—horror surrounding motherhood and pregnancy and toxic cis womanhood. genuinely terrifying, broke me out of my reading slump. Tor Nightfire keeps hitting!

What did I just read? Wow! This book was oppressive, creepy, and downright satisfying!

Can we start with the disturbing cover? A broken doll's head. No. Nope! I don't like dolls. And YOU won't like the dolls in this book. Read this one if you're a fan of creepy cults, family drama, and thrills!

The story starts with a glimpse into the cult Motherhood Collective, which raised the main character Maeve for the first decade of her life. Maeve escapes but leaves behind her cousin Andrea. Twenty years later, Maeve reconnects with Andrea after finding a DNA match online. The story spirals from there...

Heltzel handles the pacing well. She teases us with some backstory with Maeve at the cult. To be honest, I would have liked more of that. The men in this story were quite literally a bunch of sniveling cowards. These guys left me shaking my head.

This one is binge-worthy! I couldn't put it down. My only criticism is the character development of Andrea. Something felt amiss with her actions. There are no spoilers here, but I would have liked more depth when it came to her character.

And that ending? OMG.