I stayed up way too late to read this book but it was worth it haha.
I really like the plot of this book, the multiple POV.
I thought that I had a good idea about what was happening in this book then when main character Faye revealed her secret I was shocked!
I actually felt sorry for Faye’s character and it made me sad as what she was going through is a very relatable topic.
The plot twists in this book did shock me and I found myself sitting there thinking “ what the heck” numerous times.
I really enjoyed this book and this is my first title by this author. Will read more from her.
Thankyou to the author and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book was slower in the beginning, in my opinion, but about halfway through, it got to be where I didn't want to put it down. I loved that both POVs given were unreliable narrators and that both held a lot of secrets that were kept until the end of the book. I felt like the character of Faye was kind of one sided. It seemed that no matter the situation, she always showed the same traits throughout. But overall, the book was pretty good and the twists and turns towards the end make it worth sticking with the story.

Throughout the whole book, I just kept saying, WHAT? I was really kept guessing in The Wrong Mother by Charlotte Duckworth. Take not one but two unreliable women with secrets, throw in a newborn baby and a small house with an overgrown backyard and mix it up, then you get this book. I stayed up way past my bedtime to learn what on earth was going on and how things were going to get wrapped up nicely.

Charlotte is really on her A-game with this story. You have to read it if you are drawn to characters you absolutely cannot trust. I enjoyed the dual timeline of what Faye is going through now and what in her past, brought her here.

Faye is 39 and single. She’s terrified that she may never have the one thing she always wanted: a child of her own.

Then she hears about an online co-parenting app. For men and women who want to have a baby, but don’t want to do it alone. When the app matches her with smooth-talking, wealthy Louis, it feels as though the fates have aligned.

But just one year later, Faye’s dream has turned into a nightmare. She’s on the run from Louis, with baby Jake in tow.

In desperate need of a new place to live, she responds to an advert from an older lady, Rachel, who’s renting out a room in her cottage in a remote Norfolk village. It’s all Faye can afford – and surely she’ll be safe from Louis there?

But is Rachel the benevolent landlady she pretends to be? Or does she have a secret of her own?

This is out now if you are in the UK, and coming in March if you are in the US.

The Wrong Mother
the gripping and addictive new thriller from the author of The Perfect Father
by Charlotte Duckworth

Fay and Rachel kept me reading. I felt this was a big mistake for Fay, but also one for Rachel. WOW, this one had me reading until the wee hours. The ending had me floored. Very good read!!

I had so many thoughts and predictions whilst reading this, and i couldn’t have been further from it! At first, the dual timeline did confuse me a little as i was struggling to remember all of the information but it all definitely made sense in the end. It was written in such a smart way that as a reader, i felt all of the emotions that the two MC’s were feeling and some! It was definitely unexpected and the ending tied the story up quite well. I did feel as though certain things were left blank, which can only add to the readers imagination, but all in all it was a good read that had me at the edge of my seat!

This took me a lot longer to get through than expected. The writing style seemed all over the place but it also worked for this book too.
Faye is a 39 year old who is essentially running out of time to have a baby, so she looks into it in a not so common way. After this situation doesn't unfold like she would like, she takes matters into her own hands to have the child she has always wanted.

I didn't see the twists coming at all expect for the housekeeper so although it did take me awhile to get through, i enjoyed how much of a rollercoaster this was.
I didn't care much for Rachel or the twists that came from her perspective. There was so much to the beginning and middle of the story but the end felt rushed to me. Overall, I did enjoy the book.

Thank you to #Netgalley, #Quercusbooks and #CharlotteDuckworth for the ARC copy!

A thriller with an end I did not see coming!! Great book! I will be looking for more books from this author for sure.

I love Charlotte Duckworth and have read every book the author has written. I had very high expectations with The Wrong Mother, and was somehow blown away! I love the way the book is told from 2 very different women, although both struggling. The plot was original and I loved that I had no idea how it would end. This was such an enjoyable (although stressful at times- in a good way!) read! I will be telling everyone about this book!!

Thank you NetGalley and Quercus Books for an EXCELLENT BOOK!!! The Wrong Mother is a Wild ride, definitely hold on reading this one with all the twists!!! Charlotte Duckworth is a go to author and she did NOT disappoint with this novel. Wacky people all around, Great plot, Loved it!!

NetGalley ARC Read

There are 2 female MCs Faye, who is on the run from her ex with her newborn baby, and Rachel, who is renting out a room in her family house that has plenty of secrets.

Both characters have a lot to hide and we really aren’t sure who is the person with the most to hide. Book was well written, and the plot was pretty good. Maybe a little bit predictable. I love a good crazy main character..

Thank you Netgalley for letting me have an advance copy of this book. Really enjoyed reading this book. I was gripped right from the start, the whole story had me wondering from the start. I could actually picture the scenes in my head, and it is rare that a book will let me picture scenes.

This was my first Charlotte Duckworth book. I can’t believe I’ve not read any others. She’s marvellous. I’ll definitely be looking out for her others.

This had me hooked from the very start. I can’t fully explain it. The writing was so deliciously smooth that you’re completely lost within the pages.

You’re never sure whose side you should be on, who you should trust and who you should believe, and those you should be wary of. It’s very cleverly done. It just hints at enough to make you feel a bit uncomfortable, it just gives you enough for you to try and solve.

It’s a slow burning thriller, which was nice. It drip feeds you things, offers red herrings and twists, and then by that point, you’re too invested and you start questioning everything and that’s where the thrill comes in. If you’re like me, you’re not sure what’s going to come next, and that’s exciting,

It’s so well crafted. The twists and the turns, the dual timeline, the dual narrative, it keeps you so hooked and you wont want to put it down.

I am usually one who prefers character development over plot, and whilst there is very good character development, the plot is definitely the star here. It just leaps of the page.

It’s a quick read, I read it in just two sittings. I don’t mean it in a negative sense. Everything is so smooth that you really get lost in it. It’s not complicated. Every word is needed, there’s no fussiness or frill, it’s straight to the point, which means you’re not distracted by anything surplus to the plot. It makes it such a pleasant book to read.

It’s a book of two characters for me. Yes there are others, such as Louis and Jake and Brian, but I wasn’t so fussed about them. For me, it’s all about the interactions between Faye and Rachel. There’s clearly more than meets the eye between them. Rachel in particular is a fascinating character. An older lady, volunteers for the girl guides, helps with the village’s bonfire night arrangements, unassuming, likes taking care of people. But there’s a darkness within that’s fascinating to uncover. Faye is instantly likeable. You feel for her, you want to step in and help her, protect her, even if her actions aren’t completely moral.

I won’t spoilt it, obviously, but the ending! I did not expect it, and yet it was the perfect ending. You have your own thoughts as to what will happen, and yet once you’ve finished it, you think there wasn’t actually any other way it could have finished. It’s satisfying on every level.

I’d say it’s an ideal read for passionate thriller lovers and those new to the genre. It will satisfy thriller obsessive as it has a unique concept and brilliant tension, but it’s not a rushing, busy complicated thriller (and I mean that in the best of ways). It’s a great introduction to the genre that will leave everyone happy.

Faye desperately wants a baby, so she gets on an app for people who also want to be parents and co-parent. She meets Louis. They have baby Jake together. Fast forward a year and Faye is on the run with Jake to get away from Louis.

This was my first book by Duckworth but it will not be my last. So much suspense and great twists. I was glued from page one. Excellent writing and characters. I devoured this.

This is one of those ones where you really dislike everyone in this book but you still keep reading it wanting to know how it ends. That's how it was for me and regardless, I still enjoyed it. Don't be dissuaded though because she is not exactly meant to be likeable. The writing sucks you right in from the beginning and keeps going until the end. I liked the different ending and the little surprise thrown in around halfway. This was definitely worth the read, I'll give it threw and a half stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and Quercus Books for this ARC.

This book was a bit different, it had light suspense, intrigue, action, murder, and so many crazy twists and turns! The storyline was interesting and flowed nicely! There were a few creepy characters, at times I couldn't imagine where the story was going lol it was a decent read I would recommend reading, its worth the read! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

I've always loved getting lost in a Charlotte duckworth book and this one didn't disappoint. I loved that it was such a unique premise, as a 39yr old woman who has had a browse at co parenting apps, I was really fascinated to see where the story would go and it was everything I'd want in a thriller. It's very character driven, there isn't that much that actually happens but there is a lot to figure out and having 2 unreliable narrators doesn't help any! I loved that there wasn't actually anything too out there or bizarre, it's all quite possible events which made it all the easier to just get lost in the story. I can't say I liked either woman but I did love the story and everything I thought I knew turned out to be completely wrong which was also just so well done! A really enjoyable read

I love Charlotte duckworths books. They are so well written. Her writing style just flows so nicely. There's always a great story. Where you have to piece bits and bobs together to discover what is going on and there are always some red herrings along the way too. This book is no exception.

In this book we meet Faye who is 39 who is desperate to have a baby. However she is single and doesn't just want to have a one night stand. So instead she decides to go onto a website that matches like minded people together to have a baby. It is here that she meets Louis and simply cannot believe her luck.

One year later with baby Jake in tow. Faye is on the run.

Faye and Jake are desperate to find a place to live. Having some memories of the place where her aunt used to live. They set off there. Not believing her luck when she sees a ad from a lady called Rachel who is renting out one of her rooms.

But will Faye and Jake be found? And what secrets is Rachel hiding?

A really well written, well paced and gripping thriller.

Thanks to the publisher for allowing me to read this eARC!

Oooh this was a good one. I liked how both narrators (Faye and Rachel) were unreliable and both felt secretive, it definitely added to the mystery. Normally, I don't like books with more than one narrator but this was really good. I also liked the twists that were included, I think the story definitely benefited from them.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley.

In many ways this was cleverly written: both Faye and Rachel were unreliable narrators of their own stories, at least to each other; and the way the narrative moved between present day and one year ago, gradually revealing more of Faye's past, was effective. I found Rachel's backstory more compelling than that of Faye, but I didn't warm to either character, which made for a less enjoyable read. It felt quite repetitive too - Faye rehashed the same feelings and emotions over and over again, and was so wilfully naive and deluded that I struggled to sympathize with her. There were quite a lot of 'shocking revelations', and you had to take a few things (that such an app would exist, that this was Louis' best solution to his childlessness etc) as givens.

The conclusion was good, although the final detail about Louis' business dealings came out of nowhere and didn't add anything. I was glad to get to the end.

3.5/5 stars! If you are ok with suspending belief in your mystery novels, then you'll likely enjoy this book. There were several big twists that paid off fairly well. This story is also told through dual POVs, both Faye and Rachel. This was my first read by this author so I don't have a reference to compare it to, but I felt the pacing was pretty good and I liked the premise. I wish it had been a little more thought-through at times, but overall, an enjoyable read.

I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily