This book is an engrossing psychological thriller that kept me invested from start to finish. With two women claiming to be Lola’s mother, the story expertly weaves a web of suspense and uncertainty, making it impossible to know who to trust. Each twist is as surprising as the last, keeping the tension high and the pace fast, while the alternating perspectives of the two "mothers" deepen the intrigue.

The narrative is cleverly constructed, and once you reach the conclusion, it practically begs for a second read to spot the subtle clues hidden throughout. This is a thriller that pulls you in and doesn’t let go, perfect for fans of complex plots and unreliable narrators. A true page-turner that will keep you guessing right up to the final revelation.

Thank you NetGalley, Lauren North, and Bookouture for the ARC.

We both say she's our daughter...who do you believe...?

I must say, Lauren North has impressed me. This is my fourth read of hers, the first being her first thriller "The Perfect Betrayal" (also published as "The Perfect Son" , through another publisher) and I loved it. But then came "My Word Against His" (her first with Bookouture) - deviously brilliant, closely followed by "She Says She's My Daughter" - very clever. And then came along this one. And again, I was both entertained and thrilled in equal measure. Probably the most irritating thing about this book is the interfering mother-in-law and the husband's ridiculous name of Roly. I'm sorry, but I could only see a cross between a Sharpei dog and a rotund figure of a man.

The story itself is so full of twists that you think you have it all figured out (and granted, while you might have some, you won't even be close as to the rest of it!) that you will get whiplash with which the speed everything changes in the blink of an eye. Throughout the entire tale I was unsure who to really believe despite spying the obvious underlying truth. But hold tight, North isn't even close to being finished with this one, and everything you thought you knew you then begin to question. But are they the right questions? You'll have to read the book to find out!

Isobel and Roly are on their way home from Cornwall with their 3 year old daughter Lola when they stop at the motorway services for a bathroom break. And Lola, being at the precocious age of 3, insists on going by herself. That's fine, mum Isobel is only in the cubicle next door. The whole scenario takes something like, what, two minutes? But by the time Isobel comes out of her's, Lola has gone. She's not in the cubicle she'd locked herself in, she's not at the basins, she's not even outside the bathroom waiting for her mother. She has simply vanished.

Isobel is frantic. She races outside to find Roly scrolling through his phone and asks has he seen Lola. That would be a no. So he does what any frantic parent would do. Calls in a favour via a friend who is a DCI at Scotland Yard, knowing he'll track the culprit down and return Lola to them.

Let's backtrack a bit, back to the bathroom. While Isobel is scrolling through her phone in her cubicle, Lola had promptly finished her business and was busy washing her hands at the basin. Enter Emma...with a big bright yellow ducky that Lola had spied on her way to the bathroom with pleas to Isobel to add ducky to her collection of stuffed toys. Emma smiles. Lola smiles. Emma reaches out her hand. Lola hesitates, looks back at the cubicle before the lure of ducky is too much and she takes Emma's hand. In a matter of moments, before Isobel has buttoned up her skinny jeans that Roly loves her in, Emma and Lola have gone.

What ensues is a frantic chase north, south, east, west across the country in a bid to find Lola and return her safely into Isobel and Roly's arms and arrest the person who took her. But the deeper you delve into this story, the more you find that as soon as you peel back one layer, another lays beneath. And so on...and so on...and so on. Just when it seems they are closing in, Emma escapes their claws once again.

But just who is Emma and how does she fit into Isobel and Roly's world? Both women claim to be Lola's mother, but which one of them is telling the truth? Both women have secrets but can you guess what they are? Even Roly has secrets as does his horrible mother Margaret who thinks only of the Huntingdon name and the fact that Lola is "her grandchild" rather than Isobel's daughter.

You'll need to suspend reality a bit but that's OK; if the story's entertaining and thrilling enough, then how believable it is or isn't doesn't matter. For me, it's all about the entertainment factor and how much the author draws you into the world within those pages making it an easy read and without being convoluted. If they can do that, and keep me thrilled along the way, then you can pretty much guarantee 5 stars from me.

Overall, a thoroughly entertaining, intriguing thrill ride that is twisty and intense from the first page. Plenty of red herrings in this one to keep you guessing all the way through. I doubt you will see the outcome before its reveal. I think most psychological thrillers will like this one!

I would like to thank #LaurenNorth, #Netgalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #ImHerMother in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.

I did not enjoy this book. I would not recommend to a friend. However, I am interested in books by this author in the future.

Fast paced & very enjoyable read. Liked the perspective of the two mothers. Well written and I look on forward to reading more by this author

This was a fab book. I really enjoyed it and hope there is another instalment where we can find out what happens to Emma And Isobel.

Isobel and Roly both dote on their daughter Lola. On the way back from a family holiday in Cornwall Lola goes missing. Isobel was the last person to see Lola and is distraught. Roly informs the police and they go home to wait for news.

Emma used to be Lola's nanny but was asked to leave as she was adamant that she was Lola's mother.

The book is split into chapters by Emma and by Isobel. I couldn't work out what was going to happen and the book definitely contained lots of surprises.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an advance copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Very interesting plot and kept me wanting to read more. Relatively fast paced which is always a win!

This was my first book by Lauren North, and I can promise that it won’t be my last!

Isobel’s young daughter, Lola, is snatched from a bathroom at a rest stop. The woman who takes her daughter is on the run and claims that Lola is her daughter. Which woman is telling the truth?

WHOA! There were so many secrets in this intense thriller! The author wove such palpable foreboding into this story. I was on the edge of my seat the entire ride. There is so much deceit and manipulation going on. I found myself gasping out loud at certain points. I had no clue which mother to believe. Even when I thought I had it figured out, the author threw another twist at me. The ending was just perfect! What a gripping and engrossing book! I will definitely be reading more by Lauren North soon.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this! I had a few guesses as to how the story would continue, but the ending still surprised me. I will definitely read more books by this author in the future. For me, it was a solid four-star read.

An interesting story told from the perspectives of two potential mothers of Lola.Unexpected twists made it a good read.
Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in return for an honest review

I struggled with this book and despite the blurb sounding good, I found the plot bizarre with too much petition that it just became boring. Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for providing me with access to this ARC in exchange for my honest review

Loved this book. I really liked the fact it was told by 2 perspectives both fighting for this child. I cant wait to read more of this author. Thank you for putting her on my radar.

The beginning started off with a bang and I was all in! Loved it. It’s a super easy read I was flying through the pages and kept me guessing from start to finish.

Isabel’s mother in law Margaret wins the award for nastiest MIL ever!🏆 Not sure I’d have the strength or patience to keep myself in check like Isobel did.

And Breath!!!!!

Wow................I'm Her Mother by Lauren North was a book that just took my breath away and beautifully written by Lauren, especially as it was written from her heart. This was a book that once I started I could not put it down. I loved it.......

A great holiday read. I highly recommend.

Big Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC.

Two mothers one child. Each mother acting with conviction that the child is hers. A child abduction with each of the mothers doing whatever it takes to protect the child. One mother educated, isolated , intimidated and terrorised to the point of destroying any self esteem. The other mother, refusing to acknowledge any misgivings or guilt maintaining blind ignorance of facts related to the birth of her much loved daughter. A sequence of events manifest itself leaving the potential perpetrators seeking revenge , reprisals and retribution. An electrifying conclusion tying up numerous loose ends . Many thanks to author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

Just brilliant! Loved, loved loved this amazing book. Could not put it down. Highly recommend it to all.

What did I just read? To say I would have never guessed the ending is an understatement. Definitely enjoyed the book and it kept me guessing until the end. So many twists and turns. It was hard to know who to believe. The story completely turned into something I wasn't expecting. Not sure I would have ever married Roly after meeting Margaret. I would have changed the locks on the house and never gave her a key. Isobel would always be second to Margaret. Having your child kidnapped is one of the scariest things imaginable, something I would never want to experience. Does it seem like Isobel and Roly are doing everything they can to get Lola back? No!!!! With all their money and influence you would think more would be happening. Why isn't Lola's face plastered everywhere as a missing child? Then there's Emma. I immediately thought of her as an unhinged child stealer. She's so delusional she actually thinks Lola is her child, even after the DNA tests came back. The time she spent in the mental institution didn't help her at all. The real victim throughput all this is Lola. The ending was the best part. So unexpected. None of these people are who I thought they were. So many lies and secrets.

Definitely recommend the book. It was a good mystery/thriller and kept me guessing until the end. Enjoyed the story, writing style and characters. Look forward to reading more books by the author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bookouture through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

BLOG TOUR REVIEW


Review for 'I'm Her Mother' by Lauren North.

Yet another thrilling and twist packed psychological thriller from the absolutely fantastic author Lauren North! This storyline was absolutely ram packed with hair raising action which kept me turning the pages while on the edge of my seat waiting to find out what happened next. The book was filled secrets, shock, family, lies, heartache, suspense, drama, tension and twists to keep you on your toes. I love the fact that there were multiple protagonists telling us their stories which gives the reader a massive insight into everything that was going on but without giving away too much. The storyline includes a mother's worse nightmare with their child being taken and I wanted to make future readers aware of this as it may be unsuitable and/or upsetting for some readers. This book takes the reader straight into the action leaving them constantly wanting to know what happens next from the very first page until the last!! This book started straight into the action and continues on a rollercoaster ride of twists, turns, shocks and surprises all the way until the cliff hanger ending which I absolutely loved and would have never seen coming. The other thing I would never have seen coming is all the twists and turns!! Just when I thought the storyline could not get any more shocking there was another twist and then another until I was reading this with my jaw dropped open in disbelieve!! I have read thousands of psychological and crime books so it is getting harder and harder to surprise me but Lauren managed it hook, line and sinker over and over so a MASSIVE CONGRATULATIONS to Lauren!!!
There isn't much worse in a book than than guessing who did what when your not even half way through a book but there's no worry of that here. Lauren's absolutely fantastic emotive and evocative descriptions will have your heart racing and filled with suspense and tension along with Emma and Isobel in each and every chapter!! I could not put this book down as every single time I even thought about it something else would happen until I just had to read one more until this happened so much I had devoured it in one sitting of a few hours so make sure you clear your schedules before starting!! An absolutely unputdownable addictive page turner!!. Needless to say this would make an absolutely epic movie!!!

Clear your schedules before you even turn a single page on this epic psychological thriller as you will not be able to put it down!!

This is one of those books where it is extremely difficult to say much about the characters without giving any of the storyline. Our main protagonists consist of Isobel whose daughter Lola is taken from her when she is in the toilets of a service station and she will do anything to get her back. Emma has Lola and is determined that she is her daughter and that she needs to keep her safe and away from Isobel as well as several other characters we meet in this book. Lauren has done an absolutely fantastic job of weaving each of the protagonist's chapters together in a way where she drips feeds us exactly the right amount of information at the perfect timings. My opinion changed on the characters throughout the books so it is hard to say how I felt about them now knowing the truth but there was definitely a mix of feelings and I went from feeling sorry for one character to absolutely hating them, the complete opposite for another character, my heart went out to another character but to which ones? Well, grab your copy of this page turner and discover for yourself today!! What I will say is that this is a book filled with some very unlikeable characters that you have no idea who is telling the truth, who is hiding what and why they are doing certain things. Lauren's fantastic evocative writing skills ensures each one of them come to life in front of your eyes and that you can see, feel and hear everything that they are while turning the pages. Lauren has done an absolutely fantastic job of creating several complex characters each with their own unique personalities and mixing them into a storyline that has an ending you will never see coming!! However, regardless of how you feel about any of the characters they each play their part perfectly bringing out each and every one of your emotions throughout this action packed, addictive page turner!!

Well done Lauren on yet another fantastic, gritty and unputdownable success!! This is the reason you are one of my favourite authors and here's to your next success!!

Overall a heart racing, action packed, page turning must read with twists you will never see coming!!

#ImHerMother #LaurenNorth #Bookouture #BookoutureAnonymous

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This addictive psychological thriller literally had my mind wondering who Lola’s mom was. As the story unfolded, both women seemed reliable. There’s also much more going on, which is obvious from the supporting cast. No one is who they seem, leaving you wondering who to trust right until the end! I read this in a day and really enjoyed it!

Thank you, Lauren North, Bookouture, & netgalley for my copy! All opinions are my own.

God, it was a good Theakstons Crime Festival in Harrogate this year. The panel discussions ranged from insightful to hilarious, the crime writers' confessions were hysterical, the Saturday night quiz hosted by Mark Billingham and Steph McGovern (in the absence of the much beloved Val McDermid - wishing you all the best for your forthcoming operation, Val, and hope to see you again next year) and the sun didn't so much shine as turn the grounds of the Old Swan Hotel into a subtropical paradise. Perhaps that's at least part of the reason for me - I think - being personally responsible for drinking the bar dry of Theakstons pale ale before the last evening.

Best of all though is the chance to mingle with readers and authors, ranging from the debutante to the best-selling, all of whom are there because they also WANT to meet other readers and authors. Meeting Madeleine Black and the award-winning Jo Callaghan for the first time was wonderful, as was having dinner with John Sutherland - a former police negotiator, and a fascinating man. But it was equally wonderful to catch up with, amongst others, Jamie-Lee Brooke, Abigail Osborne, Carla Kovach and Donna Morfett, all of whom are not only authors but now also friends, and to meet other readers whom I haven't seen, or spoken to since last year's festival and immediately feel as though we hadn't been apart. And I just hope I didn't put the fear of God into Jenny Morris by running after her like some crazed stalker to get her to sign an advance copy of her debut novel that's due to be published in January.

One author that I sadly didn't get to meet, however - and despite trying to look out for her - was Lauren North. This was a shame for three reasons. First because it's the second year in a row that we've managed to miss each other. Second because I'd have liked to apologise in person for promising to review her latest book, I'm Her Mother, on Saturday 20th July. I fear only I could have failed to notice that the dates clashed. And thirdly, and most importantly, I'd have loved to have chatted to her about said book.

Because, oh, holy cow, it's a page-turner. It takes the epitome of a tense storyline - that of a child abduction - and steers it in a whole new direction. Not only are we given the initial horror, turning to panic, turning into unbearable tension as Isobel realises that her three-year-old daughter, Lola, is missing despite having been out of her sight only for a matter of seconds - and whoever criticised this part of the book for being slow, it isn't, it's authentic. If that were ever, God forbid, to happen to you, I'll bet that every minute would feel like an hour - but we are also given something else to fear.

Because we know precisely where Lola is, and who she's with. Another woman called Emma, who also claims Lola is her daughter. But what we don't know is who to believe, or how such a situation is possible. Both 'mums' tell such convincing stories that I had no idea who, if either, was telling the truth. I didn't know whether to feel devastated for Isobel or whether to despise her. I didn't know whether to cheer Emma for her resourcefulness and determination, or fear for Lola's life.

I almost don't want to say any more, because I think you really need to read the book knowing as little as I did in order that you too are puzzling throughout. I must just mention though, what an ending. And even more what an epilogue. Like everything that led up to them, only even more so, they manage to be uplifting and chilling almost at the same time. They're fantastic.

My only criticisms are over small details that probably only I would be annoyed by. Some of the twists have clues that I didn't see the significance of, and that's great. But there's at least one development that we really aren't given any clues for. One or two of the situations that Emma finds herself in and then manages to escape from, whilst not totally unbelievable, seemed improbable enough for the plot to feel just a little bit forced. I liked that part of the story takes place in the beautiful town of Bridgnorth, which I know quite well, but was irritated to see it mis-spelt - it's not 'Bridgenorth'. And a police caution is used that's at least 30 years out of date. Given that Bookouture also publish the hugely successful police series by Angela Marsons and Carla Kovach, someone really should have thought to take all of 30 seconds to check this in an internet search engine.

Let's be honest, though. You'd be mad to care about this. Because overall - provided you're not in Harrogate over one particular weekend in July, obviously - this book really is the addictive, nail-biting thriller that its blurb claims it to be.

Thank you to Bookouture for my inclusion on the blog tour, and to Netgalley for the digital ARC. I will post my review on Goodreads, Amazon, my personal blog and associated social media pages.

This was the first book I have read by, Lauren North, but will not be the last. I rate this 4 1/2 stars, which is quite high for me. Lots of twists and turns throughout the book. Took a while to reveal who the mother was and what happened. Just when I thought I had it all figured out, there was another scenario that had me questioning myself. If you like to play detective while reading psychological suspense books, this one is for you. Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.