"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.

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, Macmillan-Tor/Forge and by #NetGalley. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Creepy, thrilling, suspenseful. What a fast-paced ride for fans of the genre.

After just walking away from reading Just Like Mother, I am immediately giving it 4 stars. This twisted, unsettling novel with the creepy cover (which immediately drew me in) was quite an interesting and different read, and it was just what I needed to get me out of a reading funk.

"A sailor went to sea, sea, sea,
To see what he could see, see, see.
But all that he could see, see, see
Was the bottom of the deep blue sea, sea, sea."

Our story starts with Maeve and Andrea, two look alike girls, who live with several "mothers". The setting from the get-go was cult like, eerie, and made your skin crawl. You get a backwoods, farmhouse, culty feel immediately. The book was impossible to put down even after the first two chapters. Maeve and Andrea are close, so close that they vow to never separate, as that would be the ultimate betrayal. The story alternates between their two timelines, their childhood and present tense, 30 years after the girls initially lived together. Also, throw in a huge pile of life-like baby doll, a woman who is driven to madness to do anything to be a mother, a few romances with some steam thrown in and a creepy isolated gothic mansion....you've got one twisted story.

I did feel it got somewhat repetitive about the 50-60% mark, that is my only complaint, and also, that the story is pretty predictable around that same point, and I figured out the ending.

Trigger warnings: This books gives many perspectives on motherhood, some positive, some negative as well as murder, rape, abortion, abandonment and loss of a baby.

Overall, I enjoyed this a lot, and thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for my advanced copy. I look forward to more by the author in the future.

Creepy, unsettling, and oh-so dark, Just Like Mother is a perfect example of an excellent horror novel. This story will hook every horror reader.

4.5 stars
This was such a phenomenal reading experience. I was hooked from the beginning!
Cults, family drama, and horror What else can you ask for! It was fast paced I couldn't put this book down and the ending mind- blowing!!!
Thanks to #netgalley for letting me read this book in return of an honest review #justlikemother

This book checked so many boxes for me in regards to qualities that make up an outstanding thriller.

☑️Unsettling and off-putting characters
☑️Multiple timelines
☑️ Creepy cults
☑️ Overly lifelike dolls

Need I say more?

I devoured this story in one day and think it was a phenomenally twisted read. Filled with family drama, expressions of childhood trauma, and really horrific views of women/ motherhood- this book genuinely messed with my head in the best of ways.

‼️ Definitely check out the trigger warnings on this one before reading! A few I can think of offhand are infertility/ child loss, child abuse, and rape.

Thank you to the author and to Netgalley for my e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

Heltzel delivers a stunning and twisted tale of motherhood, sisterhood, and feminism. Maeve and her cousin were raised in a cult, but when that nightmare comes to an end, a different type of horror begins. Fast-forward to present day where Maeve is searching for her cousin, who she hasn't seen since the cult was broken up by the cops. When the two reunite, Maeve finally feels as if she can truly start to heal from her childhood drama, but her cousin has different plans. Now, Maeve finds herself in the middle of a tangled secret steeped in the terrors of her past.

Maeve is a dynamic character who garners sympathy from readers. She's not interested in becoming a mother, keeps herself at arm's length from romantic connections, and wants nothing more than to reconnect with her cousin. Her cousin desires motherhood and is willing to do anything to achieve her goal. The two characters are written to represent opposing view points in society's never-ending imposing pressures on women's reproductive choices. While the heart of the story is this ongoing debate, Heltzel keeps the narrative rooted in horror, not politics. There's no preaching, just two cousins trying to survive the horrors of their past.

The twists and turns unravel at an expertly devised pace, keeping readers glued to the page and devouring each word. The supporting characters add important elements of tension and plot development without over shinning Maeve, and there is plenty of devious actions to readers engaged through the final stunning moments. For those interested in a quick-paced horror rooted in female angst, this is the read for you!

I'll be brief since what I want to say has already been said. This is the perfect thriller for a winter day - could not put it down. Absolutely eerie.

A creepy cult fiction book, it serves as a reminder for how we can lose ourselves to forces beyond our control, until we no longer recognize who we are.

Enjoyable but predictable. I'm a fan of a cult-y book so I still had fun with this. Everything is pretty laid out for you and you'll definitely be thinking the main character should be well aware of what's happening (and frustrated when she doesn't) It was a good read but I wouldn't be expecting to many surprises.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. I enjoyed it!

I really only have one word for this review: WOW! This is a perfect thriller - it's incredibly unsettling and creepy, horrifically engaging, and exactly what I've been wanting from a modern thriller for ages. Cannot recommend it enough.

A thrilling, fast paced, edge of your seat horror and truly unsettling novel! I was surprised at how fast I read this, the writing just flows so well and it is so compelling - you just will not be able to put it down,

I love a story that allows the reader to get a sense of what is happening before the main character does. Its like watching a horror movie that has you yelling at the screen, trying to warn the poor unsuspecting future victims that the killer is nearby. Then, when they somehow just don't heed your warning calls, having to watch someone walk directly into a potentially deadly trap is just a frustratingly dreadful feeling! This is what horror is all about!

I did find the ending to be a little predictable, but it didn't take away from the overall reading experience.


Many thanks to Macmillan-Tor/Forge, Netgalley and the Author for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my review.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars

Congrats to winning the creepiest book cover award.

Maeve escaped from a cult when she was 8 and is now a book editor in NYC. After 15 years she is reunited with her cousin who was in the cult with her. While Maeve has struggled making friends and is barely making it, Andrea is wealthy and running a successful company. As Maeve enters Andreas world, odd things start to happen.

I read Just Like Mother is a day. It was great, just the right amount of creepy, with a solid ending. I highly recommend reading.

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for my honest feedback.

A very intriguing book full of twists and turns. Cult-y, horrifying fun.

Yes! This is what a horror/ thriller should be..makes you read in one sitting. A great book with a horrifying premise. Highly recommend.

Tick tock, it's cult o'clock. I don't generally think of myself as a cult book person, but I'm reading another one right after this, so I will let 2022 be about accepting things. Anyway, this is creepy and compelling with the courage to let things end messy.

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.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing a digital ARC to review!