This book was gripping. From the first page, the action started, and it kept up until the end. There was a predictable twist, but that did not take away from the story at all.

A gripping and thrilling novel that will have you guessing and second guessing. I was hooked from the beginning and cannot recommend this enough.

This one is wild! It had my attention from beginning to end. I loved the relationship between Carly and Jake. This is fast paced , with twists I didn’t see coming

This follows the story of Carly as she battles with her ex Nathan over his son Jake. After an accident Jakes mother is acting strange and Carly and Jake take it upon themselves to investigate what is happening.

I really enjoyed this book, I found it fast paced but easy to follow and it's one of those books you can easily pick up and put down if you have a busy lifestyle. I look forward to read more from Theo!

The writing is drawn out. Majority of the scenes are unnecessary to the story. The narration follows every little detail of Carly’s everyday life. Hence, we would get boring descriptions of the simplest things like—deciding to get pizza, calling pizza place, placing order, hanging up the phone… The whole book is written like this. If transitions are difficult, doing hard scene breaks would still be better than this type of overwriting. Interestingly enough, certain scenes that should’ve been described in great detail are just glossed over or summarized in 1-2 sentences.

This was such a gripping and engaging book! Its fast pace and dramatic plot made it an entertaining and suspenseful book!

We all love Baxter unique style of writing …. This time something between a bit of science fiction and awesome psychological thrilling writing ! Love it ! 😊

This was a very fast paced read. Drama and action start at the beginning and continues throughout the story.

Carly is mistress to Nelson Carter for many years. When he finally leaves his wife Carly thinks he is committing to her. She would be wrong. Finally fed up with Nelson's antics she is ready to leave him and move on. Of course fate has other plans for Carly. An accident to Nelson's wife has Carly caring for their child Jake.
While caring for him they discover the woman that left the hospital is not who she says she is. Together they work to uncover the truth.

Jake's parents will not win any parenting awards so the bond that forms between Carly and Jake is heartwarming.

Theo Baxter's books keep getting better and better!

Thanks to Netgalley and Inkubator books for the advanced copy of this book

Guess what? I have finally found my new favourite 5 star thriller read! I feel like this author & his books are quite under rated. The story was gripping from the very beginning. I would find all the characters of the book suspicious. But the twist that comes, will leave you wondering. Whatever assumptions you would make, would ultimately prove to be false. Moreover, I thought that it must be a nightmare of any of the characters & they would wake up to reality & laugh it off.
This was a very fulfilling read! I finished it in a couple of days only! Planning to read more by this author!

This book was very fast paced which is what I loved. The book was exactly what it set out to be and I think the author met the audience they intended it for - I think as a parent it can become quite far fetched but I didn’t see it like this and enjoyed the book for what it was.

Carly is the mistress, and Nelson promises he is going to leave his wife but that has yet to happen. Carly feels like she is more of a babysitter these days for Nelson’s son Jake than his lover. But she loves Jake like her own son and has been more of a parental figure than his real parents have.
When Carly is finally ready to split ties with Nelson his wife, Amanda, has a grave accident that leaves her with amnesia. Carly is yet again wrapped into their lives but now as Jake’s nanny. This new dynamic seems to be working, that is until Jake starts wondering if Amanda is truly his mom or an impostor. Is Amanda’s amnesia to blame for her inability to know she has a son or is there a sinister reason behind her new behaviors? Carly must find out her true identity and motivations before she or Jake ends up dead.
Overall rating 3 /4
This was a quick page turner and kept you wondering who Amanda truly was, or if Jake was just making it all up. I liked the character development throughout and how all of us are capable of making bad or good decisions in life. I did have difficulty with some of the conversations that Carly had with a 10-year-old. I also had a hard time believing that a woman who is the girlfriend of the boy's dad would be texting him as much as she does and even Snapchatting him. The blatant display of affection that Nelson shows Carly right in front of Amanda is also quite cringy. If you are into suspense with a happy ending, this book is for you.
*Thank you to Theo Baxter, Netgalley and Inkubator Books for the ARC copy. I am freely leaving my honest review.

Not My Mother by Theo Baxter

I like a good thriller, and whilst the plot wasn’t too complex or unexpected, I found it to be an enjoyable read.

"Not My Mother" by Theo Baxter follows Carly, who finds herself entangled in a web of deceit and danger when Jake, a young boy, confides in her that the woman who returned from the hospital claiming to be his mother is an imposter. As Carly digs deeper, she uncovers dark secrets that threaten to unravel everything she thought she knew. With tension mounting and danger lurking at every turn, Carly must navigate her own complicated personal life while racing against time to uncover the truth before it's too late.

I’ve got to say that the way Carly was introduced into Jake’s life was trifling to say the least and it did make me side-eye Carly for her naivety a little, no matter how good her intentions may have been. I also felt Hans was also a little too understanding for me when it came to accepting Carly’s past. I definitely thought that there might have been more to his character than meets the eye.

While some of the main characters were insufferable, the believable villain arc added depth to the storyline and kept me engaged throughout.

Overall, "Not My Mother" turned out to be a surprisingly enjoyable read once the storyline picked up the pace. I'd recommend it to those seeking a thriller-lite experience.


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Jake’s mom went to hospital. Someone else came back.Carly has a complicated personal life. She’s been the mistress of famous artist Nelson Carter for the past five years. Now Nelson has finally left his wife Amanda, but instead of committing to Carly, he’s indulging in a series of one-night stands.She has had enough and is about to leave him when a vicious attack on Amanda means Carly has to put her plans on hold to care for Nelson’s traumatized ten-year-old son, Jake.Only when Amanda is released from hospital can Carly finally move on with her life.But then a frightened Jake confides a disturbing secret - ‘That’s not my mom’. He is convinced the woman who came home from hospital is an imposter.Carly tries to brush this off, but she can see that Amanda’s behavior does seem strange. And when someone targets Jake, Carly realizes she has to get to the truth of what’s happening.A decision that leads her step by terrifying step towards a dark secret that will change her life forever.

Loved it from start to finish. Theo Baxter knows how to spin an amazing story.

Firstly thank you to the publishers for my chance to review.
This is a new author for me.

I raced through this intrigued to discover the truth!
It was fast paced and unpredictable.
The plot made it difficult to know who to trust so that added to the suspense.

However some parts did seem rushed and even far fetched especially reading as a parent. But still a great way to escape 😊

This one seemed a little all over the place and thrown together quickly - the slower pace at the beginning did not match the end nor did the characters match motives. The son in the beginning was a nuisance and within two chapters because the most important thing in the book. Overall not a fave from me but could be for someone else

This book was incredible. I honestly could not put it down and I didn't want it to end! I wish (hope) there is a sequel because I want to know how their lives will be!

2.5 Stars

Carly Michaelson unwittingly entangled herself in the lives of Nelson Carter’s family. As the threads tightened, dark secrets started to emerge. But it might be too late to save his innocent son, Jake, and herself.

The prologue intrigued me, but unfortunately, it went downhill from that point forward. The writing was dull and lacked the intensity needed for the genre. The characters were one-dimensional, and everyone seemed asinine and incompetent. The only thing I liked about the book was Jake.

Not My Mother had a promising premise but regrettably lacked in the execution.

2.5★

Carly Michaelson has been in a dead-end relationship for years, but her bond with ten-year old Jake strengthens as his family seems to be deteriorating. With suspicions and odd occurrences, Carly is determined to uncover the truth and protect Jake.

“You don’t have to be scared of monsters; they aren’t real.” “Some are. The ones who look like people but are really awful,” he said, keeping his voice low, barely even a whisper.”

Going into this book, I was expecting a thriller but this story lacked tension, plausibility and character dimension. Though there were a few plot points that had some grit, there wasn’t enough to feel the suspense.

"Not My Mother" by Theo Baxter is a thrilling ride from start to finish. What makes it so enjoyable is its ability to keep you guessing. The story is full of surprises, with twists and turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat. If you like books that keep you guessing and have plenty of suspense, "Not My Mother" is definitely worth a read.

First and foremost, thank you Netgalley for providing me with this ARC!

I really wanted to enjoy this read but it was pretty dull. It was very fast pace, which I felt made the characters seemed rushed. The little romance aspect of this felt too forced. 'Love at first sight' I guess some will call it, but it lacked chemistry. For me, I didn't feel any connections with any of the characters. I was hoping it could be at least a little more realistic but everything that happened made me think WTHeck? Especially when FMC anonymously asked a doctor online about the mothers symptoms and he suggests something so outlandish crazy. I've never known a doctor that would suggest such an extreme without even have met the patient.