Jake's life is quite unsettled, he spends time with his mum, dad and his dad's mistress. Then his mum goes into hospital and comes out a different person. Is it really her or not?
I enjoyed this book, it moves at a good pace and kept me interested. Dad is not a very likeable character.
The only negative I would say is that the portrayal of the police is a bit far fetched in a negative way.
I would rate this 3.5 stars
Thank you to #netgalley for the ARC copy and to the publishers for allowing me to read it early.

I really enjoyed reading this book. Was easy to get immersed into the storyline. I did find the ending a bit different and softer from his usual endings but still highly recommend.

Jake' s mother comes home from hospital after an accident but he tells his dad and Carly that the woman in the house isn't his mother Amanda. Carly has been Nelson's mistress for a while, looking after Jake when he is out having a string of one night stands with other women and now she's had enough. She tells him that she will not be looking after Jake no more. But she notices that Amanda is not the same person that she was before her accident, the Amanda she knew was a healthy eater, didn't drink or some, the new Amanda eats junk food, never exercises and smokes like a train. She is mean to Jake and has thrown Nelson out. Will Carly be able to uncover what is happening before something bad happens.
Total rating 3 1/2 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and Inkubator Books for this Advanced Reader’s Copy of Not My Mother by Theo Baxter for an honest review due to be published April 28, 2024.
Carly has been Nelson’s mistress for five years and just broke it off but still loves his son, Jake. When Nelson’s wife, Amanda, goes to the hospital and is released, Jake is convinced it is not his mother. Carly is determined to save Jake and find out what is really going on with Amanda. Is she faking, or will it cost Carly her life?
Not My Mother was an engaging quick read and kept me interested the whole time. The only thing that bothered me was the apathy of the police – it was a little hard to believe. However, I loved the quick pace of the book and the ending was extremely satisfying.
This was my first book by Theo Baxter (brother of Cole Baxter whose books I have read and enjoyed), and it will not be my last!
#NetGalley #TheoBaxter #InkubatorBooks #NotMyMother

A good read, with engaging characters and an interesting plot. I read it fairly quickly and the ending was satisfying. I would recommend this.

Theo BAXTER doesn't disappoint! Great read, kept me guessing in the beginning, and yelling in the end!

Another engaging, quick read. It has all the elements you'd want in a domestic noir. Granted I was very confused about why the police kept dismissing everything but it was an entertaining plot and its a fiction so doesn't have to be realistic!

Carly is stuck in a dead end relationship with a married man who promises for years to leave his wife. Nelson has a darling son Jake who Carly clearly cares about and spends a lot of time with as his parents are too self absorbed to take care of him. Lots of suspense when Jake's mom develops amnesia after an accident but Carly and Jake believe she is an imposter. Fast paced and interesting with a very good ending.

I can't give to great of a review on this book. I got 38 percent of the way through and just couldn't get into the book. I'm sure some people may like it, it just wasn't my style of book. It does give great detail about there lives and who means what to who.

3 stars

I received this book for free in return for an honest review.

This book was okay, the premise stood out to me as very interesting and the plot did draw me in quite quickly. The book itself is very fast paced, although the writing is a little stilted at times. There are a few words used that don’t quite make sense in the context they were used in, but it didn’t take away too much from the enjoyment.

I thought the revelation was a little lazy and does break one of the main rules of mystery novels in who the villain of the story is. That being said, this is more of a thriller than a mystery so I don’t hold it against the book too much. I do believe more mystery and build up could have been used. There was a lack of players in the story, so it did feel a little obvious.

All that being said, I didn’t struggle to finish it and it was semi enjoyable.

Giving it a solid 2.4 stars because rounding up to 3 feels too generous.

The narrative is fast-paced and engaging, revolving around Carly, who shares a special bond with Jake, the son of her ex-boyfriend. Despite ending their relationship due to dissatisfaction with her role as his mistress, Carly remains a key figure in Jake's life as the only responsible adult. Their lives take a tumultuous turn when Jake's mother suffers an accident, resulting in amnesia.

As the title and blurb suggest, Jake refuses to believe that the woman claiming to be his mother is genuine. Carly is compelled to investigate after a series of peculiar and perilous events.

However, I encountered some issues with the story. The portrayal of the police as lazy and indifferent to compelling evidence felt exaggerated and unrealistic. Similarly, the trivial concern about finding a parking space during a crisis undermined the urgency of the situation. Venturing alone into dangerous situations without adequate protection seemed imprudent and implausible. How will you protect somebody else when you are yourself unprotected and unarmed?

Additionally, the trope of evil monologues serving as distractions felt unnecessary and clichéd. The unresolved storyline regarding Carly's dissatisfaction with her agent added further disappointment. Why drop bread crumbs for a particular subplot and then drop it midway?

There is romance in this book and some supporting characters. But they were all pretty one-dimensional. Her relationship with her new love interest felt hasty and didn't leave any impressions about Hans, the boyfriend. I understand that he is not the focal point, but a few more details would have been appreciated. His character feels blank currently.

While I devoured the book in one sitting, I couldn't shake the feeling of it falling victim to clichés, resulting in a forgettable reading experience. Despite its entertainment value as a one-time read, the lack of originality left me underwhelmed.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Inkubator Books for providing me with an advanced digital copy of this book.

This book wasn't what I expected after I read the description. But I liked the way the author was able to weave the story that has several moving parts.

Not My Mother by T. Baxter, published by Incubator Books, is a full length, stand alone romance with thriller elements.
Carly is an artist, mistress and glorified nanny for Jake, an 10 year old she loves very much. His parents, Nelson and Amanda are busy with themselves so childcare falls to Carly. When Amanda is in an accident something changes and Jake and Carly are investigating.
An entertaining read, yes, there are some lengths and some things make not much sense aka show me the small woman who can carry a sleeping 10 year old to bedor no 10 year old has to testify in court facing the accused party, not a single one. But all in all, a great read, 4,5 stars.

Carly is an artist. She is having an affair with Nelson Carter, a fairly famous artist for a number of years.
She takes care of Jake, Nelson's young son, and loves him as a mother should, his own mother doesn't have time for Jake.
Amanda is attacked and the woman that comes back from the hospital is a stranger. Jake insists this woman is not his mother.


This is the second book that I have read by Theo Baxter. I was gripped, but some parts were a bit far fetched. I can't understand why the police fobbed Carly's concerns off the way they did, even with video evidence.
There was a good twist concerning Jake's mother, one I didn't predict.


Thanks to Netgalley and Inkubator Books for the opportunity to read this book.

This book was excellant from the word go. Not once did I get bored and what a twist. I read it in a few hours as could not put it down.
Really looking foward to see more books from this Author.

I swear I will read anything from this author! And this book did not disappoint!! What a read!
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!! This book had suspense, intrigue, action, murder, double crossing, mystery, a fantastic who done it and some crazy twists and turns! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one! I highly recommend reading this book as it was well worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!