Jenn is a first time mother and feeling exhausted and overwhelmed. This compounded by the recent death of her mother is making her situation lonely and very difficult. When Jenn decides to join a new-mom’s group she starts to get the support she needs and things start improving, until disaster strikes! The leader of the group, Isabelle, goes missing!

I was really excited to read MOTHER OF ALL SECRETS. The description just sounded so good. I can say I was not disappointed, this was a great book. The story and writing from debut author Kathleen M. Willet was outstanding! I am very excited to see what she will come up with next.

Many thanks to Kathleen M. Willet for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Motherhood, Secrets, and Suspense

Mother of All Secrets follows the story of Jenn, a sleep-deprived and overwhelmed first-time mother who is struggling to adapt to her new role. Frustrated with her loving but preoccupied husband and still grieving the death of her own mother, Jenn feels isolated and depressed. Her situation takes a dramatic turn when she joins a support group for new mothers and one of the mothers, Isabel, suddenly goes missing.

Mother of All Secrets is a compelling and thought-provoking read that delves into the often-overlooked emotional and psychological aspects of motherhood. Willett's ability to weave a suspenseful narrative while exploring deep emotional themes makes this novel a standout in the psychological thriller genre. While the pacing may be slow initially, the book's second half more than makes up for it with thrilling twists and revelations. The well-developed characters and relatable themes make this a must-read for fans of psychological thrillers and those interested in stories about the complexities of motherhood.

Overall, Mother of All Secrets is a captivating debut from Kathleen M. Willett that promises to keep readers engaged from start to finish.

The book had an interesting point of view and I liked the main characters perspective and thoughts throughout.

I enjoy a neurotic new mom story (having been a neurotic new mom). The characters were interesting and the story kept you on your toes. I enjoyed all of the twists.

It is a slow start but does pick up.

I loved the story, it was definitely one I couldnt stop reading. This is one of those books that grabs your attention from the very beginning and doesn’t let go until it’s over. Highly enjoyed this one

Slow start with lots of telling about how new babies make new mums tired and struggling to manage day to day life. In the midst of this Jenn discovers that an obsession with finding out what happened to a missing woman she recently met is a great way to cope with the pressure.

It picks up pace once you put all the characters sans children in a luxury house in the Hamptons, and that's about the same time you really start to lose any sympathy for the lead,..

A psychological thriller that is one for the books. If Kathleen's other books are anything like this one, sign me up to read every single one. I enjoyed the thrilling suspense, and was truly ill at ease not knowing what was coming next.

From the beginning, I empathized with first-time new mum Jenn, who finds parenthood difficult. I had mixed feelings about the different characters in the new mothers' group Jenn joins for company and support. The story kept me hooked and I looked forward to returning to it to see what happened next. What an ending!

"Mother of All Secrets" by Kathleen M. Willett is a psychological thriller that explores the challenges of motherhood, friendship, and the unraveling of hidden secrets. The novel follows Jenn, a first-time mom struggling with the overwhelming demands of parenthood and grappling with personal grief. The story takes a dark turn when Isabel, the leader of a new-moms' group, disappears, leading Jenn down a path of obsession, paranoia, and the discovery of buried secrets.

The novel effectively captures the emotional turmoil and isolation experienced by new mothers, addressing themes of postpartum struggles, sleep deprivation, and the pressure to conform to societal expectations. Jenn's character is portrayed with depth, and her internal struggles make her a relatable and empathetic protagonist.

The disappearance of Isabel introduces an element of mystery and suspense, propelling the narrative forward. The exploration of the women in the support group and the hidden connections between them adds intrigue to the storyline. As secrets are unearthed, the tension builds, creating a sense of anticipation for the reader.

The writing style is engaging, and the pacing maintains a steady momentum throughout the novel. The author effectively captures the psychological nuances of the characters, delving into their fears, vulnerabilities, and the consequences of past choices. The theme of retribution and the slow-burning nature of the unfolding revelations add complexity to the plot.

However, the novel's strength lies more in its exploration of psychological elements than in the execution of the thriller aspect. Some readers may find the resolution predictable, and the pacing, while consistent, may lack the rapid twists and turns expected in the thriller genre. The novel relies heavily on the internal struggles of the characters, and the external plot developments might not deliver the expected intensity.

In conclusion, "Mother of All Secrets" offers a thoughtful exploration of motherhood and the impact of hidden secrets on relationships. The depiction of the challenges faced by new mothers is a highlight, and the psychological depth of the characters adds substance to the narrative. While the thriller elements might not be as intense as some readers may anticipate, the novel provides a solid three-star reading experience, blending psychological exploration with elements of mystery and suspense.

Quite unrealistic, but empowering nonetheless. I love the relationship that the mothers all create, and each of their character development. I do think a few extra chapters on making Jenn's friendships with each of other mothers a little more substantial would have improved the book, because it did all seem a little surface level and quite forced. But a nice little book to reading when it's raining outside.

There's a good story here. The writing style was just so off putting. It read like folks have internal dialog. As one use to a particular narrative style it was so hard to get into. I started this book at least twice until I was able to find my groove. So many times I wanted to DNF, but I was appreciative that I was able to be provided an ARC for review. While There's an audience for this book, I'm not in that category.

First time mom Jenn is struggling. She feels isolated and a bit depressed with very few resources to help her. She joins a local new mom's group and all seems great until the group's leader disappears.

Jenn begins to be consumed with paranoia and is obsessed. What is the is this mom's group really about? How much of this is sleep deprivation?

Sleep deprived, grieving and trying to adapt to her new life when one of the Mummy group members goes missing, Jenn is obsessed with finding out what happened to her - no matter what the cost. With an unsupportive husband, she has no support but she is determined to do the right thing....if she can actually get to the bottom of things. And does she want the answers? its interesting and kinda sad too. new Mammies are so invisible at times and also, unsupported alot of the time. Really resonated with me as the owner of a parenting website. a good read, especially for Mums

There was a lot to love about this debut from Kathleen M. Willett and I look forward to seeing what else she comes up with. The premise of the book really intrigued me because I love suburban mom drama and seeing that it surrounded a new mom's group got me really excited because theres always something fishy happening in those groups (when it comes to thrillers, that is). I thought the pacing was a bit slow to begin with but really picked up towards the end. I would have liked it to be a bit more consistent with the pacing because it felt very rushed at the end. I spent much of the book wondering who the narrator was for the mommy journal and wondering how that would come into play. I really liked that added element. However, I did not like the final twist as much as I was hoping to. It seemed a bit TOO dramatic if possible and just felt a little unnecessary. I would have liked to just see the women rally together personally. The ending did take away from this a bit for me. I still really enjoyed it up until then though. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Snagged this from the ‘read now’ on NetGalley when I first got started and I was not disappointed! I’ve been following Kathleen on Instagram now for some time and I can’t wait to read more after this fantastic debut (which is soon! Nov 2023). Thank you to Lake Union, Kathleen, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this title!

This is one of several recently published books focusing on new mothers looking for a support system. Jenn joins a group for new moms and enjoys some feelings of normalcy. When the group's leader disappears, Jenn is set on figuring out what happened, uncovering secrets of those around her. The pacing of the story fluctuated from fast and intense to a bit dragging in order to build tension for the reader. The plot twists were mainly unexpected but weren't enough to keep me excited about the story or the characters. There was promise with the plot, but everything felt unfinished to me.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Fast paced, intriguing story about a group of mothers that all have 1 thing in common, but only one of them knows about it.
Isabelle us a quiet mom, but something seems off. They all discover that her husband Conner is not the husband he claims to be.
The group will go to any extreme to not only protect another mother, but also their past.

Interesting read. Took
turn I didn't see coming. Good character development. Would read another book by this author in the future.

I was so disappointed with this one.
It starts out on the slower side and did somewhat pick up.
I didn’t like Jen. She was just too much. She was sleep deprived and over obsessive about everything.
Her husband in my opinion was a jerk. In lots of ways.

I just didn’t like the characters and the plot was a bit too much for me.

Thank you Net Galley for this ARC.

I enjoyed this one. It kept me guessing the way through. I love a good moms support group story.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the advanced reader copy. This is my honest review.