Only my second book by Miranda Smith and once again I wasn’t disappointed.

At first glance Hickory Hills seems the perfect place to raise a family; friendly residents who are almost more family than friends to each other, which gives the neighbourhood an extreme vibe of safety. However, under the façade, lies and secrets within each family run extremely deep. When the neighbourhood holds their usual annual Halloween party, one of the family’s 16 year old daughter, Shelby, goes missing and after an intense search, she is found to have died in the pond close to the neighbourhood in suspicious circumstances and therefore a murder investigation is launched. The residents are in shock as to how something so tragic can happen in, what they thought, was such a safe neighbourhood. Simultaneously they are determined not to let any of their truths come out into the open and are also resolute to protect their own families, certain that not one could commit such a heinous crime. Will the truth come out about what exactly happened to Shelby on the night of the Halloween party and who was behind such an awful crime and even if the culprit is found, will Hickory Hills ever be the same again?!!

Another great read from Miranda Smith which was definitely a page turner. I loved all the dynamics with the different couples/ families, and I really enjoyed getting snippets into each of the family’s’ lives. I really disliked one of the characters early on but after hearing more about their back story I changed my mind about them and didn’t think they were as bad as I initially thought. I did have a slight inkling who the baddie was pretty soon after the start of the story, but I never imagined the event that Mary described near the end of the story… that was one heck of a twist and also another shocking twist was Naomi’s which I never saw coming. Apologies if this is all a bit vague or mysterious but I do not want to spoil anything for anyone who decides to read this.

Ultimately another solid good read from Miranda Smith which I would recommend to anyone who enjoys the psychological thriller genre. I await to see what Miranda Smith writes next.

Thank you to NetGalley, Miranda Smith and Bookouture for my advanced reading copy. Out 3rd October 2024.

Engrossing is the one word I would use to describe Loving Mothers by Miranda Smith! The storyline was full of twists and turns and truly made me feel like I was watching a long-lost episode of Desperate Housewives. For Stella and Mary, wow, just wow! Add this one to your TBR pile! Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own. Rating: 5 stars, Publication Date: October 3, 2024

📚Book Review📚

Loving Mothers by Miranda Smith
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

When this book says it’s a psychological thriller it is NOT kidding. Holy wow. Every time I thought I had it figured out there was a twist. I was still guessing in the last chapter of the book! And that’s why I love these books. There is nothing predictable about them. I will absolutely read this author again! Be sure to snag your copy when it releases on October 2nd!

Please read the trigger warnings prior to starting this book!

QOTD: Do you enjoy psychological thrillers?

#lovingmothers #mirandasmith #psychologicalthriller #moodreader #bookstagram #toris_readingcorner

Thank you Bookouture and NetGalley for this ARC. When teenage Shelby goes missing after the neighbourhood Halloween party, her best friend since childhood doesn’t care until Shelby is found dead a few days later. What secrets are the people in this community hiding? Not everything is as it seems and accusations fly deflecting from each other and how mothers are trying to protect their kid’s and families reputations. Miranda Smith does a great job at keeping you guessing and throwing in some great twists!

What a billiant storyline which keeps you gessing right upto the end. When a teenager goes missing the night after the Halloween party on the street where they live it causes a ripple. Something like this just doesn;t happen in their community. Someone knows what happened and is hiding the truth.
A fast paced book with a few twists right at the end, Throughly ejnoyable as always from this author.

A great, fast read that keeps you guessing; so many possible scenarios. Who wouldn’t want to live in a neighbourhood where everyone knows everyone else’s business? Short, fast paced, chapters, multiple POVs and alternating timelines keep the story moving at a quick pace. I liked it!
Thank You to NetGalley, Bookouture, and Miranda Smith for the opportunity to read and enjoy this ARC.

Loving Mothers by Miranda Smith is a gripping domestic thriller with steadily building suspense that keeps you hooked from start to finish. The story follows the disappearance of a teenage girl, Shelby, and the unsettling behavior of her two closest friends, which raises suspicions among their mothers. As tension mounts, one mother blames the other’s son, launching a smear campaign that threatens to unravel the entire community.

The narrative alternates between multiple POVs, offering a rich portrayal of the neighborhood’s dynamics. While the women publicly support Shelby's mother, they gossip about her parenting behind her back, adding layers of tension and distrust. Meanwhile, Stella, the new arrival, struggles to protect her son from the growing suspicions, despite battling her own demons.

A shocking twist midway shifts the story into high gear, with revelations and suspicions that keep readers glued to the page. The dual-part resolution is both satisfying and fitting for the mystery. If you enjoy domestic thrillers with well-paced drama and suspense, Loving Mothers is definitely worth a read.

Not very many books make me feel like I can't put them down and wait to finish the next day. This one? One of the few!
Really loved all the twists and turns that came along with following the various stories of the 'mothers' in this book. As a mom myself, I could relate a bit to each moms story and was left thinking "wow" at the final twist at the end of the book. Never expected that!
This was my first book from Miranda Smith, and I look forward to reading more of her books in the future.

This book is like the adult version of A Good Girls Guide to Murder and I couldn’t stop reading.

Stella and her son Hudson moved to Hickory Hills, a ‘picture perfect’ gated community after leaving her abusive husband. The story starts out on Halloween night with a large neighborhood party where all the neighbors are out celebrating. As most neighborhoods, they try to maintain the picture perfect image, with the alcohol flowing the drama starts to unfold. And then a neighborhood teenage girl goes missing.

Mary is married to the high school principal and together they have a teenage daughter, Grace. Their neighbor Donna calls the day after the party stating her daughter Shelby didn’t come home after the party and wants to know if Grace has seen her. Turns out, Grace and Shelby had a falling out and aren’t friends anymore, something neither mother seemed to know. That’s just the beginning of the secrets that are being kept and trying to stay buried.

The more the parents start getting involved and asking their kids what is going on in their lives, the more shocking the answers are. Turns out not everything was as perfect in the neighborhood as they tried to pretend it to be. But the parents are each willing to do whatever to protect their own child.

There were plenty of twists and turns in this story and was definitely a page turner I couldn’t put down.

Thank you Net Galley and publishers for this ARC.

5 ⭐️
I absolutely DEVOURED this book. This was one of the best psychological thrillers i've read in a while. This book was Frieda Mcfadden meets a good girls guide to murder and i absolutely ate it up. when shelby- one of the neighborhood girls goes missing after a halloween party, everyone has their theories on what happened. Everyone starts pointing the finger at each other and everyone has a skeleton in their closet they are trying to hide.

Hickory Hills, the perfect place to raise a family, safe, friendly. But then when a young girl goes missing after a Halloween party, maybe things aren’t all as they seem?

This book had me guessing throughout, page turner for sure that had me hooked from the first page to the very last page. Brilliant read and I can’t wait to read more from Miranda

The Suspense!!!

I needed a break from horror and wanted to dive in into some psychological thriller and I’m so glad I picked this one because it delivered!
It was twisty, fast-paced, chaotic and seriously, who doesn’t like some rich neighborhood drama? With different POVs and unreliable characters, a true whodunnit mystery that kept me at the edge of my seat!

🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀/5

This book was so good, it kept me on the edge of my seat the whole way through, I couldn't put it down at all!!

It’s Halloween night as the guest get somewhat perfect night
It was about a girl called Shelby Bledsoe who was not a nice girl
Grace was her best friend
But then Shelby gets her self pregnant
And she has to say who it was
I had an ARC

What will a mother do to protect her child? A compelling read that goes beyond the typical story line with nuanced characters and amazing twists! Loved it!

*standing ovation*

I thought this book was extremely well done. Multiple POV's with a hook that engaged me right at the beginning and constant twists and turns that made me keep reading and at the edge of my seat. If you think you've guessed the ending - guess again ;). There are several jaw-dropping moments and the ending I felt was unique for this type of storyline.

I'm a big fan of Miranda Smith, so if this is your first book by her, I think you will be hooked! Similar authors for reference: Minka Kent, Freida McFadden, John Marrs, Alice Feeney (warning: this is my personal opinion and you may not draw the same parallels!).

What is better than reading about rich womans drama? Such an intriguing and fast paced story; I loved it! Characters with their own personalities, plot twist after plot twist and a story not even that far from reality! A great ending where the bad got their sentence and the innocent their happy endings. Definitely one of my favorite books this year!

Wow! What a rollercoaster of a ride and a unique plot and storyline for this psychological thriller! It was an unputdownable adventure from beginning to end, one in which I read in only one day. This book had me absolutely submerged in its twists and turns, guessing and thinking that I had the outcome figured out all along, but just when I’d think I did, BAM! Another twist! If you’re looking for a unique work to get you out of the mundane slump that many modern psychological thrillers have these days, then look no further because you’ve found it! I can’t wait to delve further into her works and read others published by her!

Wow, I was completely hooked by this book! The author's writing was incredibly compelling, and the suspense was expertly crafted. I was kept on the edge of my seat the entire time, trying to figure out who the culprit was.

While I was a little disappointed with the final reveal, I can see why the author chose that direction. It would have been too predictable if the husband were the killer. However, I do wish we had seen more of Naomi's backstory and personality. I felt like there were a lot of unanswered questions about her.

Overall, I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a thrilling mystery

What would you do if you thought your child was in trouble?

When a teenager from a close-knit neighborhood goes missing, all of the moms start working together to find her. In the process, secrets start to unfold, and we realize that everyone seems to have something to hide.

The book started a little slow for my liking, finally picking up pace approximately halfway through. Admittedly, there were twists that I never saw coming.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion/review.