I’m not sure what to think about this book. It was interesting all the way through. I liked the creepy vibes and love the cover.

But the writing wasn’t very good. It was awkward and the dialogue was awkward.

And it kept contradicting itself - saying one thing happened 2 months ago and then in the next paragraph said it’s only been a week. I was very confused. Maybe I read some parts wrong? Not sure.

It had lots of potential, but overall was meh for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Just Like Mother.

Any cover featuring a creepy doll is going to get my attention. The premise was intriguing too so I was pretty excited when my request was approved.

Generally, I'm not a fan of books revolving around a cult but the Mother Collective wanted me to read more.

Maeve and Andrea are cousins and survivors of the Mother Collective, and when the women reconnect after many years apart, they attempt to rekindle their previous sibling-like connection.

Maeve struggles with memories of the past, a past Andrea has no intention of discussing ever again.

But, as Maeve's life begins to fall apart, and she is drawn into Andrea's privileged life, she realizes that things are never what they seem. And the Mother Collective has never left her life.

The narrative is predictable, I called everything that was happening to Maeve, even before it happened.

Maeve is a decent character, though at times I couldn't believe she didn't sense something was off, or realize what was happening.

For someone who had survived a cult, she seemed wildly naive and innocent, perhaps because she always felt like she didn't belong in the outside world and was seeking her family, namely Andrea.

The pacing of the narrative was okay, for the most part, but I felt it dragged in the middle, as if the author was just extending the amount of time before Maeve would wake up and realize what was going on.

I would have liked to know more about the Mother Collective; who the Mothers in Maeve's childhood were, how the collective started, why did Andrea's fanatical beliefs continue to grow, what had she been doing before she started her company, just to start.

This was a good, predictable read and I look forward to reading the author's next book.

You know the line, "that's not how it works, that's not how any of this works!" That's sort of what was running through my mind through much of this book. Just Like Mother is sort of a radical feminist down with the patriarchy/motherhood is an disgusting thing/prolifers are radical women haters and the unborn are leaches premise that, had I known comprised the book, I'd never have agreed to read it (and it's complete with the most disturbing and uncomfortable sex scenes I've encountered in a book). And it's preachy too (yes, Maeve, I'm sure, with the murderous, rapey tendencies the Motherhood Collective has, the worst thing about it is that it excludes trans folks). Maeve's inner monologue ("I will not be commodified!") reminds me of an angry millenial's activist Twitter rant. Sorry!

That being said, I couldn't put the book down either. Heltzel's writing is atmospheric and you get drawn into Maeve's world completely, making you want to know the story's resolution. It's unsettling and disturbing, and I'm sure lots of people will love it.

Unfortunately, subjectively, the tone just isn't for me. And I was wishing for more resolution. As with any cult or whatnot in reality, people want to know the motivation--what makes one join/stay? How is it structured? What makes it so powerful? Lasting? What on earth is Andrea's draw with all these ladies that she's a billionaire? None of this is really fleshed out; so many questions remain about the Collective both past and present (not least of all--what's with the guys in cages??).

This would be a "not recommended" from me, and I don't think I'll be looking for more from this author.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for inviting me to read this title in exchange for a review.

This modern horror-ish book reminds me quite a lot of Rosemary's Baby and The Stepford Wives. It centers on a single, childless-by-choice woman who's a survivor of a very creepy matriarchal cult. She's pretty much alone in life and has always searched for the cousin who was like a sister to her in the cult. A DNA match finally reunites her, and the creepy story begins.

This is very much one of those stories where you want to yell at the protagonist the whole time to run, look behind her, figure things out, etc. It's very well written, even though you can figure out what's going on for the most part. I think you're supposed to figure it out as you go, as opposed to the MC who is slow to realize everything since really, who in real life would suspect any of this was really happening?

Parts of it were really weird and didn't make much sense. The cousin, Andrea, runs this super successful life coaching business where they make lifelike dolls to help women cope with infant loss or prepare for motherhood. These things act just like real babies and of course that's over the top creepy. But it doesn't really mesh at all with what's really going on, and that left me with so many questions. It felt sort of like they were just added for the creep factor, which of course they do give in spades. The ending also left me with one big unanswered question that felt like a plot hole, but I won't say what or it would be a spoiler.

All in all, it's well written and takes you on a very creepy ride. It's also the kind of book you could have all kinds of deep discussions about like whether society already has Mothers doing this sort of thing on a lesser scale to childless/child-free women, and whether men would really fall in line with this. And also, what the point of it really is. It's not like the Mothers in the book even seem to like it. But maybe that's part of the societal message too?

TW: rape, traumatic birth, miscarriage, child abuse, self harm, gore

I read a digital ARC of this book via Net Galley.

I have had my eyes on Just Like Mother ever since I read the intriguing description.
When Tor Nightfire, approved my request I might have jumped up and down like a little school girl!

This is the first true horror|thriller I've read in awhile!
To say I really enjoyed this book would be an understatement.
This book is unlike anything I have read recently and I loved it.
𝘑𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘓𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘔𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 was very well written and a fast paced read! I loved the author’s writing.
It flowed well and I was hooked. I read slowly to savor this one of a kind story. 
The writing was action packed and gripping from the first few chapters.
This story was too clever, too thought-provoking, and too unsettling.
Incredible and kept me on the edge of the page the entire time I was reading. 

Tor Nightfire,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!
Can't thank you enough!
I will post my review closer to pub date.

Wow, this story was so full of twists I couldn't keep up! An intense story of a young girl who was raised in a cult , managed to escape and live somewhat of a normal life until she connected again with her "cousin". Scary, intense, thrilling! Kept me reading all day!

I read this all in one day and it was a very good read, to be honest!! the prologue and epilogue were my favorites out of it all. The first few chapters I found to be a bit slow (hence my 3.5 / 5 rating) but the rest unfolds nicely. I was able to guess what was happening next but the story did not feel predictable in a boring way at all. Rather, I found that both storylines ( the former one about the Mothers and the newer one about Maeve and Andrea's reunion) were woven seamlessly and in a manner that helped build anticipation and intrigue. Thanks to Netgalley & Anne Heltzel !!

Another cult story here, although this one is more about dealing with the aftermath and how two people can experience the same upbringing but be affected in completely different ways. It's told in alternating timelines of now and twenty-five years ago, when Maeve and her cousin, Andrea, were living with their young siblings and being raised by The Mothers. Yes, it's definitely as creepy as it sounds. She finally reconnects with Andrea after spending all of her free time for years searching for her. And just like that, it's as if they never separated. While Maeve has no close relationships, Andrea is happily married with a high-paying career at an incredibly successful company that she started with her now best friend, Emily. Maeve can't believe how different Andrea's life is from her own, and she's intrigued, if not also mildly jealous.

Andrea invites Maeve up to her estate in the Catskills where Andrea and Emily relax with their spouses most weekends. Their spouses also work for Andrea and Emily's lifestyle company. Their newest endeavor involves life-life robotic dolls to assist with expecting and grieving mothers alike. They are cared for just like an actual child, and there are tons of them around the estate. Although Maeve is unnerved by them most of the time, she's willing to interact and and engage with them for Andrea's sake. Maeve has never considered being a mother due to her childhood and she keeps most men at arm's length, not willing to entertain the idea of serious relationships. But when she meets a local bar owner named Tyler, she begins to reconsider. After all, Andrea has turned out wonderfully after being raised in the cult, so why shouldn't Maeve finally put the past behind her and start living the life she deserves?

The descriptions of their childhood with The Mothers are some of the best parts of the book. You can tell something seriously creepy is happening, almost from the start. And through the eyes of an eight year old Maeve, you can see how what's strange and odd to us is nothing unusual for her. It's also like that with Andrea and her friends/family at her estate. You know something's a bit off, but it's not easy to pinpoint exactly what. I did find myself slightly frustrated at how Maeve explains away so many things, and doesn't stand up for herself when necessary. It's why Andrea is able to take advantage of her so easily, and why Maeve doesn't see the truth until it's too late. You can see where the story is headed early on, but it's fun to watch as it all unfolds.

Horrifying. Creepy. Puts you on high alert. On edge. And so well done.
The premise of this story is a personal nightmare of mine now that it's been put in my mind.
It's no easy feat in my opinion to write a book based on a cult and to get both the present story and the history of the cult the attention they deserve.
Maeve, 33 and working in the publishing industry, hasn't heard from her beloved lost cousin she grew up with since she was 7. But now, Andrea is back and they are dead set on putting the past behind them. After a few rough starts, it seems as though they have finally found their footing.
But then Maeve starts to notice how uncomfortable she is with the weird, (and honestly creepy and overstepping) things going on around her and happening to her.
The wind up is masterfully done and the end of this was perfect for this type of story though I imagine my nightmares won't be ending any time soon.

Wow! What a creepy great read! This one is dark and disturbing. The females were a force to be reckoned with. Story about an all female cult kept me turning pages for more. Highly recommend
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book

I have never read a book so fast in my adult life, lol...wow, what a page-turner! This is a total "stay up late, finish over your morning coffee" novel and I highly recommend to readers who enjoy stories about cults, feminism, motherhood, women who are multi-dimensional and of course, thrillers.

Maeve and Andrea are cousins whose childhoods were spent in a cult that idolized motherhood. Both women's future lives were shaped in very different ways - just how different is what this book is all about.

I *loved* this book, loved how the author illuminates the extremes of motherhood, of women's better natures. I especially loved how she showed women at their best and worst, with their flaws and virtues. We fantasize sometimes about women running everything but who is to say which women should be doing it? lol...I would not want the Mothers running the world.

Thanks to Netgalley for the arc to review.

I was drawn in from the first pages.Eerie chilling so well written I read late into the night.Will be recommending. Woo be giving it raves.#netgalley #macmillantor.

This was my first book by this author, I absolutely loved it! Once I picked it up, I could not stop. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley

The deal: Maeve hasn’t seen her cousin since the night she escaped the motherhood-centric cult they were raised in. But BAM, suddenly cousin’s back in the picture, and SURPRISE, she’s also a fertility tech girl boss with a spooky mansion and an invite for Maeve. Of course, chaos ensues. (PS - I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for this review.)

Is it worth it?: If you’re already into thrillers, you could definitely do worse. The twists aren’t exactly unpredictable, but the writing is just, fine. Definitely grab the e-book (from the library) though — the cover art is terrifying.

Pairs well with: “Mommie Dearest,” “Rosemary’s Baby,” “Martha Marcy May Marlene”

C+

Wow, what a wild story. Serious Rosemary’s Baby vibes without the occult, and much better in my opinion. Just Like Mother is about two cousins, who grew up in a cult. Separated when they were young, they are reunited later in life. But does anyone really ever leave a cult? Not giving anything else away, just a really great story!

Who doesn't love a good cult book!? I was mesmerized start to finish and found the ending to be absolutely perfect! 4.5 stars for me!

"As an adult, I have realized that the biggest mistakes usually aren’t intentional so much as idiotic and tragically avoidable. One little error. A misguided tweet, a rogue email, a forgetful, harried disposition and your reputation is ruined, you’ve lost your job, you’ve left your child in the back of the car on a hot day."


Cousins Maeve and Andrea were inseparable as children. They lived together and played together almost like sisters. They made promises that nothing would ever separate them. Except something did, something that was out of their control. Maeve looked for her best friend for years afterward, never finding her.
One day, Maeve gets a message from a DNA site that says they have found someone related to her. So Maeve and Andrea reconnect, and Maeve can’t believe how successful Andrea has become in the time they’ve been apart. She’s a famous (and expensive) life coach, has a handsome husband, and is well on her way to creating an empire out of her brand. But something is not quite right with Andrea and her friends, and the more Maeve learns, the less time she has.

Just Like Mother is the wildest ride, both because the plot is absolutely bonkers and because of the way Heltzel reveals information to the reader. Information, I might add, that the protagonist doesn’t have even though we’re looking over her shoulder the whole time. It can be a frustrating experience, but my impression is that Heltzel designed it this way. Maeve is someone I should, by all rights, identify with (or at least be friends with)—childless by choice, focused on the career she enjoys, and not making much of a fuss about any of it, but her decisions at nearly every turn are naïve and strange and just…bad. Some of my notes include: “Girl, what are you thinking?”, “Bestie, no.”, “Whyyyyyyyyy thoooooooo.” My experience reading this book was not unlike being in a midnight movie where everyone is half in the bag and shouting at the girl-before-the-final-girl to look behind her because she should know there’s never been a coatrack in that corner. If this sounds negative, it’s not, but with this caveat—only if this was the author’s intention.

As the title suggests, there is a lot of talk in this book about motherhood and the acts/processes of birthing and mothering. There are also a lot of opinions about motherhood that run from gender essentialism to elective sterility, and those can be tough to work through even when expressed by the antagonists. The gender essentialism isn’t addressed until relatively late in the game, and it feels a little too much like the book was throwing me a bone, like, Oh, we forgot about trans and non-binary people, better throw this short line in! Not great, but at least Heltzel addressed it. Your mileage may vary here, and I don’t want to speak for anyone else’s experience reading this book.

The basic plot and even some of the zigs and zags of Just Like Mother were pretty predictable, but somehow that made it even more fun to read. WE know what’s probably going to happen, so we can watch it all go down from a closer perspective. Kind of like when you’re showing a movie to a friend for the first time, and you watch their face for their reactions to your favorite parts. Yeah, like that. Except you also get mad a little because they laugh at the wrong things and don’t laugh at the right things, and why can’t they remember there’s never been a coatrack in that corner!

I've rarely been uncomfortable when reading a book. Just Like Mother is the first time in a long time that I've felt like that. This book plays mind games both with the main character, and the reader. At moments, I did feel like I had an idea of what was going on, but then the twist came and it was far worse that I had originally thought.

Giving this one a solid "I liked it!" and would give it a Goodreads 3.5.

Very creepy thriller that kept me turning pages (read it all in one sitting), though admittedly about 80% of the way through I found my interest waning a bit. Emily, the one who loses her sht, was the most interesting character of the bunch and I wish the book has a whole had that darker grit to it. That said, I enjoyed it. Accessible enough for thriller readers who typically shy away from horror.

3.5 stars

Does the past ever truly leave us? Over 20 years after her escape from the Mother Collective, a cult that glorifies birthing and motherhood, Maeve is a 30-something living in New York working as an editor for a publishing company. The pay isn’t great, but she gets by. Though she doesn’t keep a steady group of friends, Maeve enjoys the company of her casual hook-up partner, Ryan, even though she isn’t ready to commit to anything more meaningful. All in all, things aren’t so bad.

Still, she feels a hole left in her life following the separation from her best friend and cousin, Andrea, ever since Maeve ran away all those years ago. So when, one day, she receives a message from a DNA website she signed up for notifying her of the match, Maeve, newly reunited with her cousin, gets swept up in all the possibilities they can make up for the years lost. And there’s no doubt her cousin feels the same way. Now the successful head of a multibillion-dollar company, it’s clear to Maeve that her cousin has left the trauma of her childhood behind, even though she refuses to talk about it. When Maeve’s life takes an unexpected downturn, it’s a relief that she is welcomed with open arms by her cousin, who offers her a place to stay at her historic estate in the Catskills. With Andrea, Maeve has a new beau, new friends and family, and a fresh mindset that can’t be second guessed. But as much as she tries to bury the red flags, Maeve knows there’s something wrong, and slowly begins to wonder if this fated reunion will lead to the life she always wanted, or something deeply more sinister.

Just Like Mother was a rollercoaster of a read, bringing you through the highs and lows of Andrea and Maeve’s newly rekindled relationship. I loved the story behind their upbringing – a women’s cult that put mothering above any other accomplishments, with men treated as a lower class, only valued in breeding – and how these characters developed in light of their traumatic past. Maeve and Andrea are two side of the same coin; Maeve, bubbling with guilt and uncertainty trying to navigate the challenges of being an adult, while Andrea is bursting with ambition and conviction in her role in the world.

While the twists and turns weren’t all that surprising – it felt like the reader was given ample hints as to where the story was going and what characters’ true intentions were – Heltzel’s story manages to keep you entertained and eager to see things out to the end. Just Like Mother’s creepy, sadistic premise will have you at the edge of your seat!

Thanks to Macmillan-Tor/Forge and NetGalley for this engrossing read.