Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc/alc.

This book was a delightful women's fiction/thriller novel. I think it will be a good book for fans of Elin Hilderbrand (like myself!), as she has made the decision to no longer write books set on Nantucket Island. While in no way is this the same as an Elin Hilderbrand book, I think it is a pretty good substitution. I also liked the story about all that mothers have to go through when raising their children. While I haven't had the pleasure of being a mother yet, this story really resonated with me as a woman in her twenties. I also enjoyed the audiobook narrator, Abigail Reno. I don't remember if I have ever listened to her narrate any audiobooks before, but I would definitely consider listening to more in the future. Furthermore, I definitely want to see what Julia Spiro writes next!

3.5 ⭐️

SUCH A GOOD MOM by Julia Spiro

Brynn is a new mom and is very overwhelmed by her baby Lucas. She’s deeply struggling with postpartum depression, and I felt Spiro gave a very accurate portrayal of a new mom who can’t focus, can’t sleep, is worrying about everything, and feels like she is doing so much worse than every other mother that she knows. To top it all off, her husband Ross is being accused of murder.

➕ I don’t think I’ve ever seen such an accurate portrayal of postpartum depression. The author did a really good job, but I can see it being *too much* for a lot of readers.
➕ I appreciated following Brynn’s evolution throughout the novel.

➖ The mystery element didn’t carry the book. There was a murder, but solving it felt extraneous to Brynn’s internal machinations.
➖ Ross, Brynn’s husband, was a bit too milquetoast to care much about.

While I thought the mystery element was rather weak in this novel, I did enjoy the writing and thought Spiro did an excellent job capturing the lived experience of postpartum depression.

I thought the audiobook narrator Abigail Reno did a great job conveying the turmoil that Brynn was going through.

Thank you to NetGalley, Minotaur Books, and MacMillan Audio for an Advance Reader Copy and Advance Listener Copy in exchange for an unbiased review.

It publishes April 29, 2025.

ARC review- 04/29/2025 pub date

I really wanted to enjoy this book. The description made me assume this was a thriller, and while there was a murder mystery- it took a back seat. The heavy focus was on the main character's PPD and general hatred of motherhood. It was extremely repetitive and honestly made it hard for me to finish the book. I'm a mom and understand the struggle, but I don't need an entire book describing how much the character loathes being a mother.

2.5🌟 rounded up.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this advanced copy to review!

I want sure what to expect going into this book. I enjoyed the suspense and mystery around the main family and how digging was dangerous to whoever tried. There was alot of postpartum awareness that I think burbank gets over looked. This was a good read.

Mothers who are overburdened these days with grocery shopping, cooking, doing laundry and taking care of the kids will totally understand Brynn’s weariness. It’s not easy.

This book swallows you into the world of motherhood. Brynn is finding out that life with a baby can be a bit of a challenge with time constraints. She tries to fit in with the joy of other mothers but she feels like a frustrated outsider. Some readers may relate to Brynn shuffling several jobs simultaneously with an artificial smile.

However, the plot must keep our attention so the author created apprehension with a dead body that washed up on the shores of Martha’s Vineyard. Brynn was right in the middle of trying to put the puzzle pieces together.

I could feel the frustration of Brynn although in my own mind, I found her to be over the edge. She was living on one of the most sought out places in the country and yet, she seemed miserable. Her beautiful baby was crying and where was her husband when she needed him? That’s part of the mystery. It’s a quick read but one that may appeal more for young mothers.

My thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book with an expected release date of April 25, 2025.

Such a Good Mom by Julia Spiro is a reasonably satisfying mystery with a message I found particularly poignant.

So, the mystery—Somebody killed a young woman on Martha’s Vinyard, and Brynn’s husband is arrested. Brynn may have to face unpleasant truths as she tries to clear her husband of the charges. Was he involved with the dead woman? Did he commit the murder? If not, how can the evidence against him be so damning?

The poignant part is the honest and sometimes devastating descriptions of the wonderful and horrible adventure of motherhood. Brynn exhibits all the signs of someone dealing with postpartum depression—and some of those descriptions are hard to read. I remember too well how hopeless you can feel—the weight of the world and literally the life of another human are in your hands, and you wonder how you’ll ever get through this. You mourn the old you and your old life—both gone forever. You doubt you can rise to the tasks, and you despair, certain that you are somehow ruining this kid.

None of that is true, of course, but it certainly feels true at the time.

For me, the book leaned a bit too heavily in the direction of Brynn’s mental state and a little too lightly on the mystery at hand. The author did illustrate clearly how all-consuming these feelings are—not to mention the stress generated by Brynn’s doubts concerning her husband's innocence and her struggles to stay sane as she balances caring for an infant and investigating.

That part really did feel real to me.

But the mystery itself is slow to develop and feels rushed and secondary to Brynn’s feelings. Other reviewers have mentioned that the book seems out of balance, and I agree with that. I just wish the plot had a few more twists and a bit more development. At times, the discussion of Brynn’s problems seems preachy and never-ending.

I can still recommend Such a Good Mom, especially if you or someone you love is dealing with or has ever dealt with postpartum depression alone. The plot is adequate, but be ready to go down the rabbit hole of Brynn’s mental health along the way. The ending was not a huge surprise and was a bit dark, but—you know me—the darker, the better.
All in all, a good read that reminded me to reach out to a couple of peeps I know who are new to motherhood.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the ARC of this book!

Julia Spiro’s Such a Good Mom had a lot going on—perhaps a bit too much. The premise intrigued me: a new mom, struggling with postpartum life, is suddenly thrown into the middle of a murder investigation when her husband is arrested for the crime. Set against the backdrop of Martha’s Vineyard, the novel weaves together mystery, motherhood, and marital tension, creating a story packed with emotion and suspense.

While I appreciated the author’s exploration of Brynn’s internal struggles—her exhaustion, self-doubt, and the overwhelming pressures of new motherhood—I found the pacing uneven. The book juggles so many elements that it sometimes felt scattered. There were moments when the mystery took a backseat to Brynn’s personal turmoil, and while that added depth to her character, it also slowed the tension I was hoping for.

Additionally, some plot points felt a bit predictable, and the secondary characters could have been more fleshed out. I didn’t always feel fully invested in the mystery itself because the story leaned so heavily on Brynn’s emotional journey. That being said, Spiro’s writing is engaging, and I did enjoy the atmospheric setting and the themes of trust, resilience, and identity.

Overall, Such a Good Mom was an okay read for me—not bad, but not quite as gripping as I had hoped. If you enjoy domestic thrillers with a strong emotional core, this might be worth picking up, but if you’re looking for a fast-paced, twisty mystery, you may find it lacking.

A new mother finds herself in a dilemma when her husband is accused of and arrested for murder and she thinks she is certain that he did not do it and he tells her he did not do it and is being set up but she is just not certain what she can believe. He tells her what she needs to find but she is torn and confused. She does finally find what she was looking for and figures it out before it’s too late. Good read. Don’t want to give away too much so I’ll just stop with this.

I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I was initially intrigued by the premise of this book—an overwhelmed mom caught up in a murder mystery on Martha’s Vineyard, but it ultimately fell so flat it became a DNF.

Such a Good Mom reads like so many other current books: new mom is ridiculously tired, baby won’t stop crying, no one understands, societal expectations etc etc. And I’m sure there’s probably a postpartum depression message in there at some point and it’s a very real thing, but as a reader you just want the plot to get on with itself. Childless women can’t relate and moms who’ve been there, well, it’s the same motherhood we’ve all been doing for ages. After awhile I just lost interest and started skimming.

Thank you to the publisher for making this available to read and review through NetGalley.

As a currently expecting first time mother, this book was a bit difficult to read at times. It openly & honestly covered the challenges women face both during labor/delivery, as well as postpartum (unfortunately much too common). Though it made me feel more nervous & anxious at times, it was also eye opening and normalized the struggles. Motherhood aside, it was a good story line and a nice mystery without all the gore/grim details. However, I did quickly catch on/solve who was responsible.

Thank you Net Gallery!

I had a difficult time with SUCH A GOOD MOTHER. I feel like it had too much of Brynn’s internal reflections about the struggles of new motherhood and not enough thriller. Overall, the book was a downer, although I do appreciate Julia Spiro’s exploration of the difficult topic of postpartum depression (I’m not denying that this is a fascinating topic, it’s just really heavy).

I would not call SUCH A GOOD MOTHER a “perfect beach read,” as is advertised in its blurb. There is a twist midway through but it was not totally shocking. This book was a fine read, but I didn’t love it.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read an early digital copy of SUCH A GOOD MOTHER in exchange for my honest feedback.

Such a Good Mom seems to be a love (hate?) letter to postpartum depression. Yep, that’s about it. Theoretically, it’s supposed to be a mystery about a young woman that was killed, and Brynn trying to figure out who actually killed her after Brynn’s husband is arrested for the murder. But it’s really more just Brynn questioning her fitness as a mother and reliving a horrible delivery experience over and over and over again. I don’t want to belittle postpartum depression, because it’s a very real thing that isn’t taken seriously enough most of the time, and maybe Spiro is trying to convey how all consuming it is. But it consumes the book, and for anyone that isn’t looking to be validated, having gone through it themselves, it makes it feel like there really isn’t a plot line to the book. The killer is eventually revealed, and while it is not particularly surprising, it feels like it just falls into Brynn’s lap and it magically makes her see that she needs help with her situation. I read a book a year or so ago, one I unfortunately can’t remember the name of, that is also a new mother with postpartum depression trying to solve a murder and that book struck a much better balance of conveying the sense of isolation and questioning one’s memory and judgment to make the protagonist an unreliable narrator and a woman dealing with a very real mental illness that she needed help with. Good idea here, but the execution was lacking for me. A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of Such a Good Mom by Julia Sprio. This book offers an engaging and refreshingly honest look at the challenges of motherhood. Sprio’s writing feels conversational, making the characters and their struggles come off as real and relatable. I enjoyed how the story explores the tension between the perfect mom image we expect and the messy, hidden realities behind closed doors. Although the plot could be a bit tighter at times, the blend of suspense and genuine, heartfelt moments kept me hooked. Overall, Such a Good Mom is a captivating read that shines a light on the complexities of modern parenting.

Such a Good Mom is a mystery, thriller about Brynn, a mother whose husband is arrested for the murder of a young woman on Martha's Vineyard. She is not sure who she can trust and begins to spiral as she tries to unravel what really happened. This book was as much about murder and mystery as it was about motherhood. I though the strongest point of this book was its unrelenting honesty about what being a mother actually looks and feels like for many women. I definitely was able to discern the plot twist about halfway through the book which was not necessarily a bad thing, but if you are into super shocking plot twists this book failed to provide that for me. Although it has a relatively dark premise, I would recommend this book if you are looking for a mystery that also delves into the expectations and realities of new mothers.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publishers for this eARC!!

Julia Spiro has effectively portrayed the alarming aspects of postpartum depression in her work. The book presents a compelling narrative, evoking empathy for the main character Brynn as she grapples with feeling overwhelmed and isolated following her husband's incarceration. The story was engaging, and it delved into the intriguing mystery surrounding Cecelia's death. Overall, the book proved to be an interesting read, leaving me intrigued to explore more of Julia Spiro's writings.

I loved this book! I started it late at night and read until my eyes couldn't stay open. I picked it up the next morning thanks to a snow day and finished it. There is nothing I love more than getting immersed into a book and downing it in one or two sittings. I was sucked in immediately and had guesses of whodunnit, but still got surprised!

Brynn is a new mom with postpartum depression (trigger warning). I found her relatable as a character, as I was overwhelmed years ago as a new mom. It was so hard for me to ask for help and I felt easily dismissed or judged by others. While parts of this were repetitive, it's kinda spot on for how mental health challenges present. This plot aided the mystery of who killed Cecilia as one thought was "is Brynn an unreliable narrator?" I have read enough of these types of books that I start to think about possible suspects other than the obvious. Regardless, if I'm right or wrong, I love the reveal as it often includes the motivation (sorry, no spoilers here!).

I've read a few books in recent months where the FMC is an author struggling to get her next work out and this was one of them. I wished there was a little more about this versus what felt like passing comments, but bonus points because I was glued to the pages wondering what would happen next. I'm glad I chose to read a novel that was hard to put down.

Thank you to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this story and the twisty turns it led the reader. I really liked the non clues/clues Spiro left in and didn’t figure out the whole of it until the big reveal.

Thank you NetGalley for this read!!! I normally can figure out early in a book who done it but this time I was all the way to the end and still trying to come up with the culprit!!! what a book!!!! I started and finished this book in one sitting I was determined to read it in one day, I had to know the ending!!!! For sure this will be one I will recommend to others!!!!

Such a Good Mom by Julia Spiro

I knew this story dealt with a mother suffering from the exhaustion and everything else that comes after childbirth. Brynn was so looking forward to being a mother but somewhere during her very long and difficult labor Brynn's thoughts and feelings about this motherhood thing changed and she never got back the excitement she had felt before labor started. This could have been a complete story just by focusing on Brynn, her postpartum depression, and how she saw and felt about the people and world around her. But I was there more for the murder part of the story than the motherhood part of the story. My mistake, the story is called Such a Good "Mom" after all, not Such a Good "Murder".

I've never been a mother and I was massively overwhelmed by all the breastfeeding, temperature taking, miseries of motherhood focus of the story. Brynn watches all her friends with babies/toddlers (more than one even!) handling life so much better than she is handling life. They seem to be able to function, they seem to like their babies and be glad they had them, they seem to be living the life she thought she'd be living once her baby arrived. Instead Brynn wishes she had her old life back, the one before a husband and a baby. Or at least the one before the baby. Oh, and then there is the fact that her husband has been arrested for murder but her anger at him seems to be anger that was already there before the arrest, the entire murder thing spends a lot of time on the back shelf because of the depression thing. That's what depression can do, overwhelm all of life. I do think this story portrays depression realistically but I would have liked more emphasis on the murder part of the story.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books and NetGalley for this ARC.

A fine showing of postpartum depression, However, the majority of the plot is boring. The big twist was easily guessed.