I requested “Such a Good Mom” hoping for an absorbing mystery. That’s what the blurb—with its interesting premise and Martha’s Vineyard location—seemed to promise.

Unfortunately, while the novel addresses the important issue of post-partum depression, it offers a story that is not well-told. The main character is problematic. The plot is overburdened with backstory and internal rumination. The writing is repetitive in the extreme. Halfway through, having completely lost interest in the mystery, I gave up.

Brynn is a new mother living with her husband, Ross, on Martha’s Vineyard, where she grew up a middle-class kid. Before having baby Lucas, she was a successful romance novelist. Currently, she’s deeply depressed. Motherhood is nothing like what she thought it would be. Not only does she find the work unrelenting and exhausting, she has not bonded with her son and doubts she loves him. She deeply resents Ross, his lack of help and understanding, and the distance that has grown between them. And she is bitter and mournful about losing the life she had before the baby. She hasn’t been able to write a word in months, even though the deadline for her third novel looms.

Cecilia, a young waitress at the country club Ross’s wealthy parents belong to, is found dead on the beach. Suddenly, Ross is arrested for her murder. Was he having an affair with her? Did he kill her? And if he didn’t, who did? Is Brynn’s life about to be blown apart or will she be able to rescue Ross and her family and somehow find her way back to a “perfect life?”

While Brynn may be the story’s main character, she’s not a likable one. She’s extremely self-absorbed and often seems emotionally unstable, even violent. She’s repeatedly described as furious. More than once, she imagines harming herself or others. She displays no charm, or sense of humor, or wisdom, or grace, much less any real concern for her child or its future. It’s difficult to root for, or even care about, such an unappealing character.

The story’s plotting and structure are frustrating. Plot points—the things that happen in the story—are often followed by long digressions into back-story or Brynn’s reactions, ruminations, and feelings (most, if not all of which are about … Brynn).

And speaking of “feelings,” a Kindle search for the words “felt” and “feel” revealed that they are used 456 times throughout the novel.

Unfortunately, that’s not the only instance of repetition. Throughout the first half of the novel, the same points regarding Brynn’s difficulties with new motherhood are made again and again and again. Some points are important, designed to give readers a very good understanding of what post-partum depression entails, how difficult and exhausting new motherhood can be, how new mothers may feel pressured to “suffer in silence,” how insensitive others can be to the challenges new mother face, and even ways friends and family can help new mothers meet those challenges.

But the repetition of those points, and others, was incessant enough to cause me many times to think: “Okay, enough! I get it already! Could we please move on?” Indeed, it was one of the major reasons I stopped reading halfway through.

The Martha’s Vineyard setting seemed a wasted opportunity. While I got a sense of the division and tensions between the rich and the not-so-rich, and year-round residents versus tourists and “summer people,” I learned nothing about the island’s history, flora, fauna, beaches, ocean, or anything else that has helped it earn its storied reputation. In other words, I never was made to feel like I was on the island, much less in the midst of the story.

All in all, for me “Such a Good Mom” was a 2-star disappointment.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher and author for providing me with a complimentary ARC. The foregoing is my independent opinion.

With a healthy newborn baby, a devoted husband, a successful career, and a busy life on Martha’s Vineyard, Brynn Nelson should be the happiest she’s ever been. But Brynn is struggling. Her husband, Ross, grows more distant by the day, and the challenges and exhaustion of postpartum make Brynn feel like she’s slowly losing pieces of herself to motherhood. Pieces that she might never get back! Good book! I feel like this book focuses on postpartum blues! It’s definitely a real thing! It also had light suspense, murder, mystery, a great who done it and a few crazy twists and turns! The story was very interesting! I would recommend reading this book as it was worth reading! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this story with me!

Brynn Nelson is a new mom struggling with postpartum depression. She is exhausted and filled with shame and guilt because she has not bonded with her baby. There is tension between Brynn and her husband because she needs and wants his help and support but is unable to express how she feels.. The author really delves into Brynn’s feelings and frustrations as a new mother and the difficulties of nursing, pumping milk and her sore breasts. With all of this as a background a girl’s body has been found. Did she drown or was it murder. The news spreads quickly thru the small beach community. Then Brynn’s husband is arrested and charged with the murder. Even with the support of her 3 close friends and supportive in-laws, her world seems to be spiraling out of control. New mothers might relate to her struggles with motherhood. An interesting read. Unexpected surprises along the way to solving the mystery.

Brynn has just given birth and is exhausted. Motherhood has not been easy, her book is unfinished, her husband is absolutely no help, and he’s acting strange as well. When a local girl is murdered and her husband is implicated, Brynn’s life is even more upside down. Did her husband do it or is he innocent?

A decent suspense book but mediocre like so many others these days. Nothing original

Brynn Nelson married Ross, son of the founder of the major development and construction firm on Martha’s Vineyard and heir to the business. They were happy until the birth of their son Lucas, three months earlier. Now Brynn is mired in feedings, sleep deprivation and postpartum depression and Ross seems to be spending more and more time on business.When the body of a young server at their club is found, Brynn wonders briefly if he was having an affair. Then Ross is arrested for her murder, whispers a cryptic clue to Brynn and tells her to believe no one. Brynn is determined to prove her husband’s innocence. Her investigation will put her in danger and will threaten the entire family.

Such a Good Mom is a captivating mystery but it is also a sadly accurate picture of the early days of new motherhood, the long nights, the loneliness and the self-doubts. The one sure thing she knows is that her husband is not a killer and that she loves him and wants her family back together. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Julia Spiro for this ARC.

“Such a Good Mom” by Julia Spiro is a poignant exploration of motherhood, societal expectations, and the complexities of personal identity. The narrative delves into the struggles of balancing parenting with self-fulfillment, weaving in themes of friendship, judgment, and the often unseen challenges of raising children. Spiro’s writing is both relatable and thought-provoking, capturing the nuances of modern motherhood with warmth and humor. Readers will appreciate the depth of her characters and the emotional resonance of their journeys, making it a compelling read for anyone interested in the realities of family life.

Three and one-half stars

Review of Uncorrected Digital Galley

Brynn Nelson is a new mother; exhausted and doubting her ability to mother her son, Lucas, she has trouble bonding with the infant. If only her husband were home more, able to help more . . . .

As she sits in the park with the other young Edgartown mothers on Martha’s Vineyard, Brynn is stunned to learn that a young woman, Cecelia Buckley, has been found dead. And Brynn knew her.

Her husband, Ross, gives Brynn a cryptic message . . . just before he is arrested and charged with Cecelia’s murder.

Can Brynn untangle Ross’s strange message? Can she discover the truth about Cecelia’s murder? [And will Brynn find a way to complete that third book she owes her publisher?]

=========

“Such a Good Mom” is basically a murder mystery couched in a new mother’s struggles in dealing with postpartum depression. In the midst of her struggles, Brynn searches for the answers to the mystery surrounding Cecelia’s death and to determine if her husband is innocent or guilty.

The unfolding narrative spends a great deal of time dissecting Brynn’s issues with new motherhood, her postpartum depression, and her frustration over her inability to bond with her son. For readers who are not mothers, this may make it particularly difficult to relate to Brynn. [Of course, mothers may find it a bit much as well, but at least they can relate in some manner even if they haven’t suffered as Brynn does in the story.] In addition, there’s a bit of political posturing in the telling of the tale, particularly with regard to abortions, that some readers are likely to find off-putting or offensive.

Populated with mostly unlikeable characters, the unfolding story spills a few unexpected secrets as it wends its way to a denouement that readers should find satisfactory. Those who enjoy family drama are likely to find “Such a Good Mom” difficult to set aside before unravelling the secrets and mysteries woven into the telling of the tale.

Recommended.

I received a free copy of this eBook from St. Martin’s Press / Minotaur Books and NetGalley
#SuchaGoodMom #NetGalley

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for a digital ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Brynn grew up on Martha's Vineyard (I think...I confuse all the little towns, areas,) but with a middle-class life as many do. She fell in love, and she married Ross, who has a wealthy family on Martha's Vineyard.

She's just had a son, and she is struggling with every aspect of motherhood. She had expectations for herself, but she wasn't sharing her struggles with those around her. Just when she is going to let her husband know it's time for him to step up, he's arrested for the murder of a young woman.

I didn't guess the overall mystery, and the plot was well done. I am also a sucker for a Cape book, so I loved that. But it was so unique that the author blended Brynn's post-partum struggles in with the overall plot. You don't have to have a child to understand this. Many who struggle with mental health can sink into this darkness as well.

I kept reading until my eyes were closing and I dropped my Kindle.

#NetGalley #StMartinsPress #JuliaSpiro #SuchAGoodMom #mystery #MarthasVineyard #postpartum

I was honored to get to read an early copy of Julia Spiro's upcoming book titled, "Such a Good Mom". I'm a mother to two little ones, so I found myself relating to a lot of Brynn's struggles. I felt the author accurately wrote about the challenges new mothers face postpartum. Anyone who enjoys a murder mystery book will love this one! There were twists and turns in the book that kept me engaged. The ending shocked me!

BOOK REPORT
Received a complimentary copy of Such a Good Mom, by Julia Spiro, from St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books/NetGalley, for which I am appreciative, in exchange for a fair and honest review. Scroll past the BOOK REPORT section for a cut-and-paste of the DESCRIPTION of it from them if you want to read my thoughts on the book in the context of that summary.

There’s a long and fairly horrible backstory as to how I once took a trip to Martha’s Vineyard. I’ll skip the really pathetic parts and share instead that my sweet little ol’ Southern self had made absolutely sure when I made a room reservation to ask whether the hotel had a swimming pool, because I had lost a lot of weight and had a brand-new bikini.

What I failed to ask was would said pool be open. Because I was going to be there in June, I just assumed…..quite wrongly it turns out…..that it would be. Nope. No pools opened until the Fourth of July.

I. Was. Gobsmacked.

And then I found out I could not order a drink after 10 p.m. because of local liquor laws. My paper mill might’ve made just a _little_ appearance at that point, as I started carrying on about “fucking Puritans.”

Ah, youth.

Well, I say all that to say that I have always been a sucker for New England beaches, and that some memories stick with you even 34 years later.

Oh, the book. Right, the book.

Had to read it because of having been to Edgartown and visited the cemetery where John Belushi is buried, things like that. The description says it’s a “perfect beach read,” but I won’t go that far. It’s a good one, but could have been made better by some strong editing that took out unnecessary repetitions. Also, I didn’t really like-like any of the characters, and figured out most of the mysteries long before the reveals. (Oh my gosh I just had a memory about The Love Boat.**) All that said, it was an easy read and some good escapism as the 2024 U.S. presidential campaign turns ever darker and weirder…..

**THE LOVE BOAT**
I just remembered that when my younger brother and sister and I would watch The Love Boat on Saturday nights a million years ago, I would continually amaze them by being able to predict what was going to happen with each storyline. Now, in all fairness to them, I am almost six years older than my sister, and almost four years older than my brother. So I would’ve been 13 or 14 and had read a fair amount of books and watched a lot more movies and TV than them by then. But, still, I’ve long had a feel for story arcs, I guess is my point. Also, I sure do wish I still could drink several glasses of Dr Pepper and eat most of a bag of barbecue potato chips and half a box of Danish wedding cookies at 8 o’clock at night. If I tried that now? Barf-o-rama, y’all. (And yes, of course we watched Fantasy Island after that. Silly question.)

AND P.S.
I also remember having some fantastic clam chowder and taking a wonderful ferry ride on that long-ago trip. And who knows? Maybe the pool opening dates and liquor laws have changed since then.


DESCRIPTION
Bestselling author Julia Spiro's Such a Good Mom is a brilliant standalone mystery that's the perfect beach read. In the heat of summer, a murder on Martha's Vineyard rocks one new mom to the core, leaving her to search for answers.

With a healthy newborn baby, a devoted husband, a successful career, and a busy life on Martha’s Vineyard, Brynn Nelson should be the happiest she’s ever been. But Brynn is struggling. Her husband, Ross, grows more distant by the day, and the challenges and exhaustion of postpartum make Brynn feel like she’s slowly losing pieces of herself to motherhood. Pieces that she might never get back.

But it’s summer on the Vineyard, a beacon for wealthy visitors, and a place so beautiful that it seems immune to tragedy and crime. Except for locals, like Brynn, who know all too well that tragedy can strike at any point. And this time, it hits close to home when a friend of the family is found washed ashore. Dead. And Brynn’s already hectic life is turned upside down when Ross is arrested for the crime.

Left reeling with more questions than answers, Brynn’s only path forward is to find out who really killed Cecelia Buckley, even if it means it was her husband. She’s not sure who she’s able to trust anymore. And with the dizzying, endless cycle of sleepless nights, diapers, and bottles, Brynn’s not even sure she can trust herself. She’s not sure of anything anymore, but she won’t stop until she finds the truth.

Bestselling author Julia Spiro is known for writing characters readers instantly connect to. With Such a Good Mom, Spiro brings the real and layered Martha’s Vineyard to life through the eyes of a new mom trying to get her family out of the eye of the storm that is a murder investigation.

*Such a Good Mom* by Julia Spiro is an engaging mix of family drama and suspense that keeps you hooked from start to finish. Brynn Nelson’s journey as a new mom struggling with postpartum life is portrayed with real depth, making her an incredibly relatable character. Set against the beautiful backdrop of Martha’s Vineyard, the story takes a gripping turn when Brynn’s husband is arrested for murder, pulling her into a tense mystery.

Spiro does a great job balancing the emotional challenges of motherhood with the suspense of a murder investigation. The twists keep you guessing, and the steady pace makes it an easy page-turner. Overall, *Such a Good Mom* is a satisfying blend of heart and suspense, perfect for fans of domestic thrillers!

Brynn lives a great life on Martha's Vineyard. Unfortunately she is struggling when it should be the happiest she’s ever been. Her husband, Ross, is clearly not pitching in or supporting her. Things will come to a head soon, but before that happens, Ross is arrested for a murder.

Julia Spiro is an excellent writer and the backdrop of the island and the mystery carry a story that is much more about the treatment of women following childbirth. Even as a childless person, the story really resonated with me and changed my mind and perceptions. It was that strong!

A great mystery, but an even better spotlight on women and childbirth.
#stmartinspress #suchagoodmom #juliaspiro

I really enjoyed this book. The struggle of new motherhood and having to deal with in-laws make for a great read. And in the end you have your friends.

When Jamie Day recommends a book, you know its going to be gosh darn good. But this, was even better! Julia Spiro, it has been days since I finished this book and I can not stop thinking about this wild ride of a book! I was so thrown off for what I thought would happen. It was so good! Add this to your TBR list book reading friends. You will not be disappointed. It would be a fantastic book club pick with a lot of fun conversations to follow.

I had the opportunity to read Such A Good Mom through NetGalley, and while the story started off strong, it ultimately left me feeling conflicted. The premise seemed promising, but as I dove deeper, I found myself overwhelmed by the heavy-handed liberal viewpoints that permeated the narrative.

From the get-go, the author tackles complex themes around motherhood and societal expectations, but some of the points felt almost nauseatingly one-sided. For instance, there were several instances where characters expressed gratitude for their abortions, which I personally found troubling. The portrayal of men in the story was equally frustrating; they were often depicted as useless, with a recurring sentiment that they could never truly understand the sacrifices women make. This felt not only extreme but also reductive.

The setting in a posh, upper-class society (Martha's Vineyard) added another layer of disconnect for me. It seemed to serve as an exaggerated backdrop for the issues at hand, making the characters’ struggles feel somewhat contrived. After researching the author, It appears that they actually reside on Martha's Vineyard, what a coincidence...

Additionally, the confession towards the end dragged on unnecessarily, adding length without substance. By that point, I was left wondering if I was even the right audience for this book.

In summary, Such A Good Mom had a compelling start but ultimately fell into clichés and overt political commentary that detracted from the narrative. While some readers might appreciate its boldness, I found it hard to connect with the story at hand. Two stars given for character development and PPD representation.

This was a really good book! A newly married woman, a new mother, new author, all these NEW things coming into this womans life at once, and she now has her husband being accused of murder. This lady is going through a lot all at once, and it was so interesting and fun to read through!!!

Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complementary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

Thank you to NetGally for letting me get a sneak peak into this book.

Becoming a new mom is always hard. Adjusting to life with a little one. Newly married, new mom, newer publishing author. Juggling all these things can be so hard.

Now with a murder in the small town, her husband being accused of killing a local young lady. Will their relationship make it. The perfect marriage but it seems she does not know her husband as well as she thought she did.

Juggling life as a single mother all her husband is in jail. Her family and friends try to help.

As a mom myself I cannot imagine having to go through all the struggles Brynn does such a good job juggling with everything. Also I can relate with needed the help as a new mom but struggling to accept the help or even ask for help.

Thank you @minotaur_books & @netgalley for my complimentary digital copy. My thoughts are my own.

This is a solid mystery with well-developed and relatable characters.

New mom, Brynn Nelson, is struggling with being a mother. Exhausted and running on fumes, Brynn knows she should feel more attached to her baby and she is not sure what to do about it.

Meanwhile Brynn’s husband seems to be growing more distant from her. One morning, Brynn’s neighbors give her some startling news: there has been a murder! But while Brynn is reeling from the news of the murder, her husband is arrested! Should Brynn support him and help find the killer? Or should she turn her back on him?

Overall, I enjoyed this intricate and well thought out story. I went back and forth with my feelings about Brynn, and finally decided I didn’t particularly like her. However, the author seamlessly weaves in Brynn’s struggles as a new mother with her reactions to everything that is going on around her; and while I did enjoy the story, I didn’t need the detailed (seemingly endless) chapter detailing the birth of Brynn’s son. This book gives an interesting take on Brynn as a new mother dealing with her suspicions about her husband. I was a bit surprised at the identity of the murderer, but overall I liked the ending.

I recommend that you go into this one blind, just to give you the shock value provided by the twists

4.5 stars!
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Mysteries are not my usual genre, because there's often a lot of blood and gore. But, this one changed my mind! I loved the combination of women's fiction, as a new mom deals with postpartum depression and the changes in her life, while dealing with the mystery of the death of a family acquaintance. It kept me guessing all the way through! This was my first book by Julia Spiro, but it will not be my last!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for the digital ARC in return for an honest review!

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of Such a Good Mom by Julia Spiro.

I was drawn to this book because it's a mystery that portrays a mother with postpartum depression. As a prior sufferer of postpartum depression, I always like to read books with characters that are suffering from it to validate the insanity that I went through, and to also see how it's written. This author portrayed it very realistically and I could identify with the mother. Overall I enjoyed this book - I thought it was a great story, but in desperate need of some editing - there were inconsistencies from one paragraph to another as far as what a character would say. The story was good and the foundation is there, just needs a little more work.