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!

Just Like Mother by Anne Heltzel
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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This is a jaw-dropping, wtf kind of book. Super disturbing with hundreds of trigger warnings, yet it was really good. Read with caution!
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It's hard to describe a synopsis for this book. But fans of creepy cult thrillers will love it. It's a mix of obsession with motherhood combined with AI babies. Totally creepy.
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Thanks @netgalley for the advanced reader copy!

Holy cow, this is an amazing book! I could not put it down! Creepy, and unsettling. I have no other words, just thank you NetGalley and Anne Heltzel for this!

Wow- this was a phenomenal read that had me hooked throughout. I could barely put it down. Extra points for really capturing the horror of every mommy and me group I’ve ever met.

This book’s ultra eerie cover whispered to my ear “please read me and just in case wear your adult diapers to prevent any inappropriateness! )
Well, what can I say? I always keen on freaky-scary- spine tingling themes!

I was truly right to judge the book from its scary cover: especially the shocking opening: two little girls who are also cousins escape into the woods for playing a game and one of them go berserk, acting like she’s Bloody Mary.

Maeve leaves her cousin Andrea behind, being punished by one of her cult mothers, finding herself trapped in a closet. She hears screaming of a wounded animal inside the house. But unfortunately this is not a real animal. Her cousin Andrea returns back from the woods to soothe her at the other side of the door as the screams get louder. This one of the bizarrest book openings made me drop my ereader and gulp my whole drink to gather my senses!

We move forward to meet with adult versions of the girls. We understand that they fell apart. Maeve in her early thirties, building a life in Big Apple, having limited social life, no close friendships, no longtime relationship instead of no strings attached pattern she has with a bartender, working as publishing editor.

She keeps looking for her estranged cousin Andrea she’s lost when they were children. As a final result she applies to a DNA search site. Miraculously someone answers her email: yes, that’s her cousin: Wow! She became a very wealthy and successful business woman. CEO of a startup with groundbreaking contributions to lifestyle market named NewLife.

They contact and try catching from where they left things. Andrea is married with her beloved husband Rob. She still grieves from the loss of her child. After their meeting, Andrea invites Maeve to their Catskills mansion ( yes you may only call this place a secluded, huge mansion) Maeve accepts to this invitation without thinking any further. It’s better to celebrate her birthday weekend alone in her cramped apartment.

And she gets introduced to Andrea’s company latest production: Olivia doll: which helps both expecting and grieving families to connect with a baby. Andrea tells her this product matches well with their life coaching business. Maeve finds it bizarre but she keeps to herself.

As long as she starts spending time with her cousin and her inner circle, she slowly drifts apart from her normal life style. But being nearby her triggers the memories about her dark past in the cult and she realizes she’s a pawn of a very dangerous game. She’d better run to save herself but could she manage to do that?

Well: this book is breathtaking, one sit read! The pacing and execution of the story is marvelous and ending is jaw dropping!

It’s dark, it’s nerve bending, if you like to get scared and push your vocal cords for more screaming, this is a great choice for you!

I love dark stories and I truly enjoy this book!
Special thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan- Tor/ Forge for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.