Really enjoyed this book, I live for drama in other peoples lives that doesn't involve me and this book was just that

What I liked: Another funny book about competitive PTA moms behaving badly. This time set around an expensive LA private elementary school with lots of lies, secrets, and bad choices leading to crazy antics.

What I disliked: At first it was difficult to keep track of all the characters, their personal issues, as well as the story lines about their issues dealing with each other.

Thank you #Netgalley for the copy.

This was a funny read following a group of moms at a prestigious elementary school. All of them working towards getting their children accepted into private middle schools while needing the assistance of teachers and principal to help make their goals come true. Each mother has their own secrets and personal agendas and they don't care who they take down along the way. Ultimately they find a way to align that protects them all....

Jordan Roter's Moms Like Us is a wickedly comedic cautionary tale set in the cutthroat, meticulously manicured world of Los Angeles private school parenting. This novel dives headfirst into the lengths mothers will go to protect their children—and their own explosive secrets.

The story culminates during the Palms School's annual glamping trip in Santa Barbara, an event that, in hindsight, seems almost designed for disaster. While a death in the wilderness among city dwellers might not be entirely surprising, the shocking revelation is how far these mothers will go to cover it up.

Meet the central cast: Milly, who craves recognition from her "mommunity" for her school devotion; Jillian, terrified her daughter won't secure a spot in a top private middle school; Dawn, recently returned to LA after her husband's public cancellation, desperate to reclaim her old life; and Heather, who secretly orchestrated Dawn's husband's downfall and is horrified by their return, especially their bid for membership at her private tennis club—a move she'll prevent "over her dead body."

In this ferocious, wealthy, and seemingly well-intentioned world, Roter masterfully explores how long secrets can truly stay buried and the extreme measures these women will take to safeguard their children, their reputations, and their darkest desires. Moms Like Us is a sharp, entertaining read that exposes the perilous underbelly of privileged parenting.

This book dragged a bit. There were so many characters that it was hard to keep track of them. I expected funny but it really wasn't until the end. It got much better toward the end and this made up for the rest of it--earning 3 stars instead of 2. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a complementary digital ARC. This review is my own opinion.

Absolutely loved this book! Didn't want it to be over. If you're a fan of Real Housewives, you'll love this. A mystery featuring rich, out of touch and generally unlikable women. Easy, quick read.

This dark comedy takes us behind the scenes of parenting in posh Los Angeles. The cast of troublesome characters are all connected by one thing: their children are students at an elite private school. It’s every parent for themself as they try anything to give their kids a leg up. There are multiple affairs going on, bribery, extortion, sketchy teachers, drug deals, harassment claims, exclusive tennis clubs, and plenty of wine. And eventually this all leads to murder. This is a funny and fast paced story that I absolutely loved.

📚: Moms Like Us by Jordan Roter
⭐️: 3/5

This started off for the majority of the book as a hilarious satirical take on the private school world. And then… it took a hard (and odd) left then in the final 20%, leaving plot lines tied up messily and an unnecessary murder mystery that felt sloppy.

Thanks to Little A via @netgalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. Moms Like Us is out now.

So my guilty pleasure is Real Housewives, so I expected that a little from this book. It did not disappoint. Fun, crazy, and a little mystery. Didn’t like the characters, but I think that was the point. Enjoyed the ride.

This is a fun and over the top look at the wildness of parenthood and still being fallible human beings, particularly in an exceptional city like LA. Bad rich people are a constant source of entertainment, and the situations these women find themselves in are ripe for story.

Thanks to NetGalley and Little A Books for the advanced reader copy.

Perhaps this is an issue with marketing, but MOMS LIKE US is billed as a murder mystery set within a satirical send up of wealthy private school mom culture. In reality the murder takes quite a while to happen. By the time I was a quarter through the novel (which isn't super long) the families still hadn't gone out to the woods, which left the beginning of the book feeling like a lot of throat clearing and I lost interest pretty quickly.

I loved this book -- it was a 4.5 for me but rounded down to 4 just because it wasn't QUITE a five. I thought the book was the perfect mixture of humor, mystery, and mama bear drama. I loved knowing a murder happened right away but not knowing who it was until the end so you're curious throughout, with each set of drama, who is going to be gone/who is going to do it. Then that ending. Awesome job to Jordan Roter.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I found that the wealthy Los Angeles PTA moms to be so entertaining. I was completely entranced in this book and enjoyed the authors writing style. This book was fast paced, crazy and definitely worth the read.

This book is WILD in the best way possible. It's perfect for fans of the real housewives and will be an amazing summer popcorn beach read. I loved how bonkers it was, all the characters were over the top, and it went down so fast. I think I will be recommending this as something fun that is super engaging but it's not something that will stay with me forever.

Moms Like Us follows a group of families at an elite private school in LA. It explores the cutthroat underbelly of high society and how far mothers will go to secure their child's futures and cover their own asses. I really enjoyed the range of moms represented in this book, from people faking it 'til they make it in the financial department to a lurid affair or two. I think the author did a great job of mapping the cast and their connections but this book simply isn't long enough to adequately explore these dynamics in an impactful way.

Out of the moms, I really like Milly's character the most. She is the woman I would picture from the description of this book and I loved how her desperation to meet expectations pushed her to be a little crazy sometimes; some moments were very car-crash-can't-look-away. The portrayal that made me laugh the most was probably the fresh uni grad gen z teacher, I could definitely picture him in real life and how these women would react.

Obviously this is a work of fiction, but my biggest issue was how unrealistic a lot of the plot was. So much of what happens in this book relies on the reader just not thinking too hard in order for it to be fully enjoyed. I understand this book is supposed to be scandalous and create caricatures of rich moms, but I found myself rolling my eyes a lot, particularly in the second half. Similarly, there were a couple good laughs in the early chapters, but the humour didn't evolve as the story went on and the jokes were pretty one-note throughout.

By the time I got to the conclusion, the plot was so outlandish I was more confused than anything else.

Toxic relationships between four Los Angeles parents who want together their kids into the most desirably middle school. This is a familiar plot these days but Roter has created four unique women and a tale that goes a bit off the rails toward the end. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. It's black humor to be sure but Roter is a good storyteller.

Ok I really wanted to like this one but it was just meh. I did finish it because the author had me dying to know how these chaotic women’s lives ended !

Overall, the characters kind of meshed together and there was cheating which I didn’t see mentioned or I overlooked it, so that was tough for me.

I did find some parts humorous but others , wildly odd. The bear scene at the end. Dear lawd. 😂

definitely has some cool elements but at points comes out seeming underbaked, especially when it's trying to be funny and not dramatic. 3.25 stars. tysmfor the arc.

”Moms Like Us” was a tale about secrets and motherhood. For mothers in a private school community all vying for coveted middle school spots for their kids while trying to keep their secrets out of the rumor mill. All the lies end in a “murder” at an annual camping event. Where the story fell flat for me was character development. It was hard at times to keep all the moms separate in my mind and they had few redeeming qualities. That said, this was a fun and quick read.

The perfect blend of Class mom author Laurie Gelman and Big little lies author Liane Moriarty that has an LA mom fighting to support her neurodivergent children and secure her place in the PTA hiearchy. This was funny and relatable and great on audio. Definitely recommended! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!