Such a Good Mother is a slow-burning thriller perfect for fans of Stepford Wives. Rose O'Connell is struggling to survive with her rocky marriage and son struggling to fit in at his prestigious new school. There is a close-knit group known as the Circle that pretty much rule the school. When a member mysteriously dies, Rose hopes to fill the vacancy in the group but quickly learns that everything isn't what it seems and there's a price to pay to be in the group. The writing is fantastic and taut. There are plenty of twists throughout. Highly recommended!!

This one was almost very Stepford wives plus a small town person who wants to be part of an It type group. Perfect for the suburban mother.

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**Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.**

On paper, this book has all the elements of a thriller I would love: a ridiculous elite school! Unstable rich women! Secrets from the past! But the execution fell flat. I found the plot over-the-top and unbelievable, and I'm pretty generous with my thriller standards. The "villain" characters felt like caricatures of themselves, and the subplot about the main character's father was distracting. I found myself skimming towards the end just to be able to finish it.

this book was just ok for me, it took me a long time to get involved with it and even with the twists it was a slow more detached read. Rose aspires to better things for her family. She is thrilled to get invited into the circle but be careful what you wish for, all is not what it seems

I loved this. Very well written. You think you know what's going on, and well, then maybe not. It did make me wonder exactly when the con started, which, in turn, made me like it even more. It's been over a week since I finished this book and I'm still thinking about it!

Wow. Such a great read! Loved this fresh new look at societal pressures packed with twists and turns. The action just never stops. Great cast of characters that kept me totally invested in the story.
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book

Such A Good Mother started out sooo promising. A woman who believes that she deserves more out of life, she’s just waiting for the opportunity. That moment comes when she gets an exclusive invite to one of the most prestigious schools around, The Woolfe. She enrolls her son, and even though he is having problems adjusting, it’s not enough for her to back out. While she takes on more responsibility, she gets more and more tangled in the web of Amala, the head of school who only does things for her own gain.
So, first half of the book was good. I don’t mind when characters make dumb decisions(hello, that’s part of the drama!) but; Cass was so ridiculously selfish that it almost made me sick. Her poor son was just a pawn in all of this and he deserved better. The last 1/3 of this book was just bonkers. The twists were just meh and the ending left me just like… ok? I wanted to cheer for someone, but there was nobody to cheer for. 2.5⭐️ Rounded to 3.

Such a Good Mother is a twist on the 'mean girls' trope. Rose wants to better her son's life by getting him into the prestigious Woolf school. The problem is that she needs the approval of Amala, alpha-female of the school's inner circle. Such a Good Mother is a real page turner. I found myself intrigued by how far Rose would go in order to be a member of the inner circle. As the daughter of a grifter, Rose has had a lifelong education in how to set up, and capture, a mark.
As much as I loved the book, I did have reservations about the main character. At one point, she does something so terrible that I could no longer root for her. I had been hoping that she would use her background and smarts to get the better of Amala. Instead, something else happens. I won't give the ending away, but I wish the author had gone in a different direction.
Overall, though, I really did enjoy this book.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

I’m definitely in the minority with my 2 star rating but this story fell flat for me and I could not connect with any of the characters. DNF at 50%. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release in exchange for my review.

This was such a good book. I couldn't hardly put it down. It was heart pounding. Although some things were a little predictable but none the less I loved the story and characters.

Rose O’Connell is trying to be the best mother she can be. When her son is offered a spot at the most prestigious school, she feels she will do anything to make sure he is taken care of. In this school, there is a select group of moms, The Circle, who everyone wants to be a part of. When one of the members are found dead, Rose finds herself amongst these women. How far is she willing to go to provide for her son and have the life she’s dreamed of?

It took me a while to get into this book. I found myself super annoyed with the main character (which is probably the point). Actually, the only character I didn’t mind was Charlie, the son. Books about mothers providing for their families no matter what are always hit or miss for me. As a mom, I want to do what’s best for my daughter, but responsibly and not irrationally.

I think the writing style was good and I didn’t think there was anything necessarily wrong with the book, just not for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Random House for my advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

For much of the book, the story is average. The main character, Rose, is the daughter of a con man, whose cons were not always successful, which made her childhood difficult. Rose blames her father for her life not being more successful. She is also upset at the gentrification of the neighborhood where she grew up, where the homes are out of her price range, and the school she attended is now an elite private school (The Woolf Academy). However, Rose sees the Woolf Academy as an opportunity to obtain a better future for her son, Charlie, and in the process, a better life for her and her family. Rose comes across as a somewhat pathetic character, but also a relatable character, as any parent can understand the desire to help ensure their child has a brighter future.

The CEO of the school trust, Amala Kaur, is very influential, and the women/mothers upon whom she chooses to bestow her favor, known as "the Circle", benefit greatly as a result. Charlie is offered a place at the Woolf Academy, but his start is rather rocky. However, a vacancy arises in the Circle, and Rose is offered the spot (much to the annoyance of the other members, and the surprise and confusion of women who had coveted that spot). Things start to improve for Charlie and for Rose and her husband, Pete. However, membership in the Circle comes at a cost, one that may not be worth it. As things start to fall apart for Rose, and the reader wonders how she is going to get out of the mess she has created for herself, the author throws in two major twists that result in the book ending on a high note.

I received a copy of the e-book via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

Such a Good Mother by Helen Monks Takhar is a juicy, delicious thriller set among the parents of an exclusive private school in the suburbs. Perfect for anyone who wants a mom version Gossip Girls. Highly recommend!

Rose wants more for her son and she believes that the prestigious and competitive Woolf Academy will provide it. She is desperate for him to gain entry and although she cannot afford the extras nor even an outfit for the recruitment meetings, she attends and attempts to gain his entry.

Early on she recognizes that there is a powerful mother's group identified by their circle pins that are behind all of the workings of the school. By luck, she befriends the leader of the group and just like that, her shy son gains entry! But what exactly has he gained entry too and has Rose signed on for an agreement that she can't possibly follow through on. If you ever felt that you needed to keep up with the neighbors,the metaphors in this novel will surely strike a cord. If you like dark school stories, domestic thrillers and underdog heroines, then Such A Good Mother is for you! #RandomHouse #Netgalley #Netgalleyreads

I received a complimentary copy of Such a Good Mother from NetGalley.  Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

This novel was pretty frightening. These are the kinds of people I avoid at all costs! I was so emotionally engaged that I actually became physically ill from a particular situation at one point and I almost did not finish this book. (Obviously I did pick it back up and finish it, but I was still emotionally broken clear through the resolution!) You wouldn’t catch me dead near any of those witches—especially not Amala, the ring leader. This novel was so well written and I was so involved, that it truly stressed me out!

Another good author who is new to me! Loved this book and highly recommend it to anyone! Must read! For sure a good summer book!

A decent enough thriller but with zero likeable characters. Really I had a hard time connecting with Rose, even with the full reveal at the end. Some things just didn't make sense overall. I think it needed to be a smidge shorter. 2.5 stars.

Rose is very insecure and naive, and while there was an explanation for it, it was still annoying. The pace was a bit too slow for the genre. There were a couple unexpected twists, but it didn't turn things around for me.

"This thrilling novel cuts straight to the dark heart of modern motherhood, privilege, and the lengths we’ll go to get ahead." Well, that sounded intriguing ... and I'd loved "The Gifted School," with a similar premise: namely, moms behaving badly when it came to their kids. I dove into "Such a Good Mother."

Rose is a British mom (maybe I should say mum) who is struggling. She and her husband have a young son, a low income, and few prospects for improvement. Rose decides she would like for their son to attend the prestigious Woolf Academy -- a pretentious school with a "sensory roof garden," so he can gain the "Woolf polish" ... "the boys and girls who go here emerge with the combination of manners and confidence, not to mention grades, they'd normally achieve only from attending some ancient public school" (remember that among English schools, 'public" is what we in the US call 'private').

This sounds like the set-up for drama, and it is. But most of the drama isn't among the kids, it involves the moms. Rose quickly learns that school director Amala (a villain if ever there was one) has a "Circle" of specially-chosen moms who have access to her and to various perks of the school denied to others. I think most of us have experienced something like this, where we observe other moms or kids getting preferential treatment. But Woolf Academy takes things to a whole other level. There are financial kickbacks and payoffs, kids thrown into "counseling" for questionable reasons, and even several deaths.

Rose makes it into the Circle, where she finds out that all is not as it seems ("I've been wondering, Rose, whether you're prepared to give that little bit more to The Woolf," Amala says).

"Such a Good Mother" is a clever title, although I didn't think it totally fit the book, since the plot ends up being much more about the drama and pettiness between the women than about any aspect of parenting. There are other things that felt a bit off in the book; the beginning was rather abrupt and I never developed a very deep feeling for Rose, which I felt was necessary for the book to really work. And some of the twists and unexpected things that happened in the book felt so over-the-top that they veered into the ridiculous, in my opinion.

I much preferred the somewhat-similar "The Gifted School" in this genre. "Such a Good Mother" was an okay read.