4/5 ⭐️
So this started off a bit slow for me but as I listened on, I enjoyed it more and more. I like how delveloped the characters became. Definitely worth the read for a thriller fan!

Thanks for allowing me the ARC audiobook.

This book was just not pulling me in like I like for a thriller. This is a new to me author and while the premise sounded intriguing I had to DNF around the 20% mark. Going in with no knowledge of the authors other books maybe her other books are similar and it is me not the book.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. You are on summer vacation with your family when you make friends with a single mom also on vacation and one night she invites you out for several drinks and dancing. The evening is going great and you both end up meeting some men and take in a little innocent fun and dancing. When you wake the next morning you are surprised to realise you don't remember anything about the night before and you are not sure how honest you were with your new friend but you get the feeling you revealed more secrets than you intended to. It doesn't really matter as you will never see each other again as you live in different cities. Until the one day you look outside and find her living just down the street from you and her daughter is in your daughter's class at school. I really liked this story but the twist was amazing.....well done. Enjoy!!!

I do love a little Jill Childs read!
Always a good tale, gripping and twisty and well narrated (which is huge).

This is a solid 4 star book with an ending that I should have seen coming, but actually replayed in a sort of 'did she really just say that, moment!!' ...and my God, she did!!

Loved it! Definitely looking forward to more by this writer.

I want to thank the author, NetGalley and Bookature Audio
for providing me the opportunity to listen to this new book for my honest review.

Kept listening despite there being some elements of the story that I didn’t like at all. I won’t give the plot away but have to say I didn’t think some of the more upsetting plot was even necessary.
The ending was quite rushed but I was glad because I had heard enough by then.

The narrator of this book was great and kept my attention throughout even when the story wasn’t moving along very quickly. I found it a bit confusing in places and struggled to keep up with which character certain chapters were about. I wasn’t sure how things were going to end with this story but everything was tied up at the end although the last few chapters could have been extended and expanded on as the ending felt a bit rushed. Overall I enjoyed listening to this book and will look into other books by this author.

When I first started listening to it I wasnt sure what was happening and how it was going to tie up, it was amazing how in the end it all tied up - I was thinking whilst listening how does this strand fit into the story and it fitted amazing - just like a little thread. This makes such a talented writer, so pleased that I found this author.

The narration really suited the story.

The ending oh wow.

I was given an advance copy of the audio book however the review is entirely my own.

3.5 ⭐️ rounded to 4

What I enjoyed:

-the narrator was easy to listen to, however I’m a person that listens to all audiobooks between 1.5 to 2x the speed because I can’t stand slow taking. (It’s the New England in me, I can’t help it.)
-the twist, when it finally got to it was bitter sweet and an oh crap type of moment. Pretty sure my favorite part was when Ros at the end was like let’s wait a moment. And I was thinking okay mama bear, I know what happened and I support you!
-the alliance that was friendly, turned to hate and then best friends at the end.

What I didn’t enjoy that much:
-slow build, the action didn’t start occurring until more than half way through.
-one of the main female leads was so revenge driven that it was hard to be empathetic towards her and even like her. She started off a bit strong, but once I learned the reason for her revenge, I felt.. meh. And she didn’t put her little one first. Which was the parallel between the two female leads.
-what happened to the little girl! (Im not going to add spoilers so that’s why I’m being so cryptic, but just know mama bear was ready!)


Overall, I liked the book, and would totally read another book by the author no questions asked and wouldn’t sway a reader from trying this book either! I finished it rather quickly so it definitely kept me interested enough, especially because I’m the type of person that just needs to know what happens as fast as possible.


Thank you to NetGalley and bookouture for the ALC!!

📖Review
3🌟🌟🌟
📖Book 65/100
📚The Mother at Number 5
💫Genre: Mystery/Thriller
✍️ Jill Childs
🏠🏠🏠🏠
📝Synopsis 📝
Ros and her family vacation to Majorca where she meets Lottie, and they become acquaintances. The vacation is soon over, and they go back to their lives. All of a sudden Lottie is moving into the neighborhood and all hell breaks lose.

💭My Thoughts 💭
Even though I didn’t care for any of the main characters, the plot twist/ending was good!!! It was a bit predictable yet enjoyable. I feel the rape allegation could have been eliminated since there was a lot going on already. The dual POV was also a sweet treat, and I really enjoyed the narrator’s voice.

⚠️Trigger Warnings⚠️
Murder
Violence
Child Molestation

✨Thank you @netgalley & @bookouture for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
📌Publication Date:
June 21, 2023
✨✨✨✨✨
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The Mother at Number 5 by Jill Childs is hard for me to rate. On one hand, I don't condone lying to set someone up or using vigilante justice to excuse your behavior. On the other, I enjoyed the story even though I saw all but one of the twists before they were explained. I am confused as to why a couple of them aren't disclosed earlier as I feel they would have added to the story.

Charlie Norfolk was not my favorite narrator. She speaks too slowly and without much range for the different characters.

Overall, I'm stuck so I'll meet in the middle and rate The Mother at Number 5 3 stars.

Thank you to Bookouture Audio for providing me with an ALC.

Ros meets Lottie on a family vacation. They are both mothers and Ros agrees to night away while on vacation to drink with Lottie, which turns out putting her in a vulnerable position. Lucky, Ros thinks, she can return home and forget it all. However, then Lottie shows up, moving in nearby. Coincidence? Unlikely.

This was suspenseful however at times predictable (I was able to figure out some of twists), while other parts just seemed implausible. Despite this, it still made for a fast paced thriller and I enjoyed the dual POV between both Ros and Lottie. It kept my attention and kept me entertained, which is mostly what I expect from reading.

*Audiobook*

While on vacation with her family, Ros meets a woman named Lottie. They have a drunken night out, and Ros wakes up embarrassed because she is unsure of what she said or did. She brushes it off because she doesn’t expect to see Lottie ever again, but to Ros’ dismay, Lottie turns up in her neighborhood and enrolls her daughter in the same class as Ros’ daughter. Ros digs deeper into Lottie’s life to uncover who Lottie really is and why she’s here.

The pacing is slow for a thriller. We’re introduced to Lottie right away and the suspense is built from the beginning because Ros can’t remember what happened the night she drank with Lottie, but after that it takes awhile (close to half the book) for the story to get going.
I like how the book switched perspectives between Ros and Lottie. It was clear who was narrating each chapter, which isn’t always the case with audiobooks. This book does the typical twist and twist again so the reader can’t fully predict what will happen, but it wasn’t anything super shocking or revolutionary. I’d rate this closer to 3.5 stars. There wasn’t anything I particularly disliked about the plot, but I wish it moved quicker. Thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture Audio, and Jill Childs for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you Netgally and Jill Child's for allowing me the opportunity to review this advanced copy read of The Mother At Number 5.

This book was middle of the road at best for me. It was a very standard thriller filled with some typical troupes; Drunk mom, revenge, stupid decisions/lies to cover up for a more minor incident. The story held my interest even though I knew where the book was going. There was quite a bit of build up to a very abrupt ending. It wrapped up so quickly I could have used a bit more detail to make the story come full circle. There was no "aftermath" , it would have been nice to see Childs carry out the ending more.
I was caught off guard by part of the twist at the end that gave me enough of a shock. I would for sure read more by this author. She is pretty clever. But for this book I am not going to scream it from the roof top to read, but if you come across it, its good enough.

Well I really enjoyed this book a lot more then I thought I would, it has a different spin on the thriller twists, I liked the twists at the end and dual timeline that gives you snippets of information but always wanting more.

The Mother at Number 5 was a fast-paced psychological thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat. I listened to it as an audiobook (I exclusively listen to audiobooks when cooking or walking) and found myself going for longer walks because I was so eager to find out what was going on!

The book started off in a holiday in Portugal and I really never saw where it was going! The twists were unexpected and quite shocking.

I enjoyed this book and really recommend it to anybody on the hunt for a good psychological thriller that will such you in. I look forward to reading more books from this author!

I’ve never read anything by this author before and I’m not disappointed. It was a quick, easy read and kept me intrigued. Slightly predictable. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

* ARC from Netgalley *

Thank you to Netgalley and publisher for this ALC. I loved the narrator and the story is full of suspense!! Definitely has single white female vibes!!

I really enjoyed The Mother at Number 5! The narration was excellent, and the twists were great. The ending was satisfying, and the length was just right. Would recommend.

ARC audiobook provided in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed Charlie Norfolk’s narration of this book! It was clear and precise and easy to listen to for hours at a time! The story follows a woman who makes a friends on vacation only to realize that she may have given away secrets on a fun filled night spent together. The drama and chaos that ensues had me on the edge of my seat and I never saw what was coming until the very end! I really liked all of the characters and the snipers we got of Lotties backstory that helped put all the pieces together. If you like domestic/psychological thrillers you should check this book out!

The Mother at Number 5 is a psychological thriller whose plot revolves around more than one cruel, tragic mystery that will keep you doubting until the end: who's evil and who's lying? The pace of the narration is pleasant and so is the double POV that slowly reveals how things really are. The only detail that disturbed me was that some remarks, made by the characters or woven into the narration, felt somewhat sexist.

The narrator has a lovely voice that has the listener totally drawn into the story.