Mother’s Instinct is a tense, unsettling read that pulls you in fast and doesn’t let go. The story of two neighboring families shattered by tragedy is layered with guilt, resentment, and some truly questionable choices. The writing is sharp, the pacing brisk, and while I saw some twists coming, a few moments genuinely shocked me. It’s definitely one of those books that leaves you feeling a little drained—dark, gripping, and deeply sad. The ending left me unsettled, but in a way that felt fitting.

Mother's Instinct is a stunning domestic thriller and Barbara Abel's American Debut. When two couples meet as next door neighbors in a European suburb, they become fast friends and more like family. When a tragedy occurs and Maxime is killed in an accident, Sylvain and Typhaine are understandably grief stricken. Feeling an enormous amount of guilt, David and Laetitia don't know how to handle the aftermath. Soon, the couples barely speak and young Milo, still missing his dear friend and confused about the situation, begins experiencing accidents- or, are they not accidents? Laetitia becomes paranoid and convinced their former friends are harming their son. Is she just being paranoid? Or, is something more sinister at play?

I found myself flying through the pages, the American translated version works well and the ending (wow-that ending) is startling. I look forward to more novels from Barbara Abel.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

Book Review:
Title: Mothers's Instinct
Author: Barbara Abel
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️/3 stars

I read the book and then watched the movie 🙂. I was slightly disappointed because I was expecting a bit more suspense or twists? It was decently written in regards to being a thriller, but for me, it felt a tad predictable.

Let me try not to botch these names (FYI, the names of the main characters are different in the movie).

David and Laetitia Brunelle- parents of Milo
Sylvain and Tiphaine Geniot- parents of Maxime

When a tragic accident occurs to the Geniot family, these friendships start to fall apart due to grief, guilt, and eventually hatred. "Accidents" soon start happening to the Brunelle family, and Laetitia begins to suspect that it's at the hands of Tiphaine. Things become unhinged, and that's when the true suspense starts to take place. Who knows what will happen next!

Published: May 16th, 2023

Thank you, @netgalley, and @harperviabooks for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Insanity 🤯🤯😱😱

Holy smokes!!! It's been ages since I was so engrossed in a book. This was simply unputdownable - there's always a sense of dread, tension and foreboding even when there's no apparent conflict. You just know that something's gonna implode.

I love how the cast, writing and setting are all so minimal and frills-free, but yet the novel is nothing short of gripping, suspenseful and explosive. In fact, I don't think the exact location is ever mentioned but it's so vivid and atmospheric regardless.

And that ending!!!! Can't decide if I love it or hate it, but it certainly made my head spin and left me slack-jawed.

This book is absolutely unhinged - psychotic!! It reads more like a short story so I was able to rip through it in less than 24 hours. I am eager to see the film adaption with Anne Hathaway and Jessica Chastain. Have already recommended this book to friends. Perfect beach read!!!

I had trouble getting into this book and ended up skimming through it. What a bummer! The premise just didn’t do it for me.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 stars

In “Mother’s Instinct,” the idyllic lives of the Brunelle’s & Geniot’s take a dark turn after an unforeseen tragedy disrupts their close-knit friendship. A captivating storyline filled with numerous twists & turns had me eagerly turning the pages until the climactic “OMG moment!”

While the translation from French to English was generally good, there were moments of confusion. Fortunately, this didn’t overshadow the overall enjoyment of the story.

Barbara Abel crafts a well-written, captivating suspense thriller that, despite its somber undertones, proves difficult to set aside. I look forward to delving into more of Abel’s work and eagerly anticipate the movie adaptation of this gripping novel.

I highly recommend this one to fans of suspense thrillers, murder mysteries, & domestic dramas. I am sure you will find “Mother’s Instinct” a gripping read.

Many thanks to #NetGalley, #MothersInstinct, and the publisher for providing the ARC. My review is given voluntarily.

Shocking twist!

David and Laetitia Brunelle and Sylvain and Tiphaine Geniot are the best of neighbors. Over the years, they have become best friends.

When Laetitia and Tiphaine become pregnant in the same year, their kids, Milo and Maxime grow up like brothers.

Everything is going so well for these couples until after a terrible accident. Maxime dies.

Could Laetitia have done something more to prevent the death? Is Tiphaine to blame for the accident? Or was it David's reluctance to connect their properties the real culprit?

This is a dark, chilling, shocking novel. I suggest going in blind (like I did) to get the maximum enjoyment. There is no way I can forget this book. Is not an easy one to forget.

I hear this is becoming a movie with Anne Hathaway and Jessica Chastain. My dog-mom's instinct is telling me it's going to be a good one.

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by HarperVia via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Finding out that this book is soon to be a motion picture with Anne Hathaway and Jessica Chastain makes me want to go back and read this one again to see if I appreciate it a bit more, but I still enjoyed it for what it is. I read this one in late August, and it was fun. A couple of the twists were very unexpected, in a good way. I give this a solid 3.5 stars.

I really wanted to get to this one, as it seemed interesting. This was requested when I first found out about NetGalley and I had requested so many ARCs that I could not get to all of them before they were archived. If I can find this somewhere for a reasonable price, I will try to get it!

Love thrillers and this book did not disappoint. I love the fast moving pace of this book and how involved I was with the characters and the whole story. I can't wait to get everyone I know to read this book as well!

This was a miss for me. The plot was missing something for me and was a bit forgettable. The writing was also not great but that could have been due to the translation.

David and Laetitia Brunelle, along with Sylvain and Tiphaine Geniot, are inseparable friends who also happen to be next-door neighbours in a picturesque, serene suburb. Their sons, Milo and Maxime, both born in the same year, grow up as tight-knit as siblings. However, tragedy strikes when Maxime meets a fatal accident, shattering their once idyllic world. Sylvain and Tiphaine, Maxime's parents, grapple with overwhelming grief and simmering bitterness, while David and Laetitia are burdened by guilt for their part in the heartbreaking incident. Slowly but surely, the couples descend into an icy silence, though they manage to maintain a facade of politeness.

With succinct, short chapters, this domestic suspense novel strikes a perfect balance and held me captive well into the late hours of the night. While I had an inkling of where the story was headed, there were moments that took me completely by surprise, leaving me in stunned disbelief, mouth agape, pondering, "What just happened?" The tension builds relentlessly with each turned page, making it nearly impossible to set the book aside. Throughout, the characters' intentions remain an enigma, keeping you in suspense. The conclusion unravels suddenly and shockingly, leaving a lasting impression that lingers long after you've finished the last page. This is the kind of book that will occupy your thoughts for quite some time.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for sending a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'm not sure what to say about this book. I guess, for one, I never in a million years saw it coming. I struggled a bit through more than half the book, thinking this is not a thriller, but what is it? I was wrong. The end was amazing and I did not see it coming at all. I'm looking forward to the movie, to see how it comes across onscreen.
Thanks to netgalley, the publisher and author for the chance to read an advanced copy.

This book MESSED. ME. UP. I requested it so long ago that I basically went in blind. It started off as a story about two families who became good friends and when a terrible tragedy happened, their friendship took a toll. I was not prepared for the emotion this was going to bring out of me, especially being a mom. Even though I was torn into pieces before the middle of the book, I had to keep going to find out the end. I am NOT OK after reading this one.

Thank you to NetGalley, Barbara Abel and Harper Via for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Trigger Warning- Child loss

I feel like the synopsis gives a lot of the book away.

This is not an easy read. There’s a lot that happens that can be tough read. Overall, though I still wanted to know what would happen next.
I can’t wait to see this book come to the movies!

Great read! I was subtly drawn in and then I couldn't put it down. Twits that you don't see coming made for more than one WTF moment!

I liked this book a lot. I read a lot of thrillers so this one had a lot to live up to. It kept me engaged and invested throughout the entire story. I saw there's going to be a movie so I'll have to watch that now too.

I'm sorry to say but reading it didn't give the vibes the description gave, I mean it was so weird and not in a good way

4.5 stars. Whoa this story was bonkers! I’m really excited to see the movie adaptation starring Anne Hathaway and Jessica Chastain. This story really addresses the question “how far will a mother go to protect her child?” I literally could not put this book down once it got going. The only reason I’m not giving this 5 stars is that it started out a little slow and took a bit to grab my interest. But it was really good and that ending!