#ThePerfectMother #NetGalley
A fun read.
The Perfect Mother is a psychological thriller that delves deep into the themes of motherhood, guilt, and obsession. With its atmospheric setting and unsettling suspense, it keeps the reader on edge from the first page to the last. The novel explores how a seemingly innocent desire to help others can lead to devastating consequences when things go wrong.
The story follows the life of the protagonist, who was once dedicated to helping women become mothers. She formed a close bond with Alice Monroe, a woman equally passionate about motherhood. The two connected instantly, and the protagonist believed she was helping Alice achieve her dream of motherhood. However, when the day that should have been Alice’s happiest turns into a nightmare, the protagonist is blamed for the failure, and her world begins to unravel. Alice holds her responsible and sets out to ruin her, ultimately causing the protagonist to lose her business and her reputation.
As the protagonist retreats to the remote Derry countryside, hoping for a fresh start with her own pregnancy, she is haunted by the specter of Alice. Alice sends her a threatening message, revealing that no matter how far she runs, the protagonist is never truly safe. The novel intensifies as the protagonist realizes that Alice's obsession will stop at nothing to destroy the family she is trying to build.
The Perfect Mother is a chilling psychological thriller that will appeal to fans of domestic suspense. The compelling exploration of motherhood, obsession, and guilt makes it a thought-provoking read, while the twists and turns ensure that the story remains gripping until the very end. Clare Allan’s writing keeps you on the edge of your seat, and the unsettling nature of the novel lingers long after you’ve finished reading.
A tense and psychologically complex thriller that will keep readers hooked with its twists, suspense, and emotional depth. Highly recommended for those who enjoy dark, twisty tales about obsession and motherhood.
Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for giving me an advance copy.

Does Claire Allen write movies for the Lifetime Movie Network?
I swear I have seen this book on Lifetime before. I love a good Lifetime Movie, and this book did not disappoint. Mel was a doula; Alice was her client. Things didn't happen the way they should and now Mel has lost everything. Moved across the country and started over hoping things would just go away. But they don't.
Mel, I think you should have punched Shiela and kicked her out of your house girl.
What kind of secrets will come to fruition. I loved every part of this book until the ending.
It was great until it wasn't. Still a solid 4 star read from me.

Thank you Boldwood Books for providing me an ARC for this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved that this book was set in Northern Ireland.
Mel was a successful doula until her friend and client Alice had a difficult delivery. The subsequent fall out left Mel jobless, needing to move away from her home town and parents, and subject to relentless harassment.
But even the move is not enough to end the nightmare she has found herself in.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.

All I wanted was to help women become mothers. When I met Alice Monroe, we instantly connected. She was as passionate about motherhood as I was, and I couldn't wait to support her through this life-changing experience! Good book! This book had suspense, intriguing, murder, mystery, a sort of who done it and a few crazy twists and turns! The story was interesting, it wasn't one of my top favorite but still worth reading! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

I have been lucky enough to read some great psychological thriller books lately. The Perfect Mother was the latest I’ve read. Don’t miss this one!

"The Perfect Mother" is a story about a doula who supports a couple during child birth, only for it to go terribly wrong. No one is at fault but the couple blame the doula and give her a bad name making her move house and quit her dream job, only to discover that it does not solve the issue for her at all...
The book it well written and a good steady read that doesnt give much away up until the very end when it all slots together! I did only give it 4 stars as I felt the story didn't grip me entirely and it did seem to drag on a little bit.

I shall give this book a 4. To be completely honest, this book was extremely hard for me to read. Not because of the writing or the plot but because I've lived it. I lost my baby at 20w and the pain my family and I had to live through was unbearable. Anyways, let's review!

Mel was an elementary teacher when she found out she could do more. Do more for women. So she became a doula. To help women overcome the anxiety and nervousness that came with pregnancy. Alice, 38, was needing just that. Alice had reached out to Mel in hopes she would agree to becoming her doula and giving a free birth. Everything was going just as planned, until it wasn't.

As I was reading this, my mind kept going to the same people and figuring out, that's super suspicious. A Nosy Nancy as some might say. To me, that kind of gave it away.

Did I like the book? Yes. Will I recommend it? Yes. But with caution due to trauma.

This "whodunnit" psychological thriller did read and flow well. It kept me interested until the end even though it was kind of predictable. It was a decent read.

Thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for this ARC.

Mel and Alice become friends when Mel is Alice's doula. A tragedy strikes and everyone's lives are turned upside down. Alice is grieving and turns the world against Mel. Mel loses her business, friends, and her normal life. She and her husband move far away to escape it all, but they have been found. I really wanted to love this book. It wasn't bad, per se, but it was predictable. I rarely figure out the twists and this one was quite easy.

Accidentally reviewed wrong book and don’t know how to delete. Will update once I’ve read the book. Accidentally reviewed wrong book and don’t know how to delete. Will update once I’ve read the book.

This is a good thriller with enough about it to leave you wondering just who is messing with Mel almost a year after her life was upended when a birth she was supporting as a doula went tragically wrong. That said I struggled to engage with Mel which did impact my enjoyment of the book, I don’t know specifically why but I just didn’t care enough about the character. As Mel got closer to having her own baby her life got increasingly tense with a few incidents adding to her stress and her marriage was suffering which made for a good slow burn thriller then the end was suitably shocking and dramatic, definitely the highlight of the book as it concluded in dramatic fashion.

A clever storyline that weaves together as you keep eagerly reading. It's unputdownable and I had a hard time after I finished reading as I continued to think about it. It's compelling and addictive.

A quick and easy read that I couldn't put down and read in a few hours on a very long commute and although I started another one straight after this one I couldn't stop thinking about this one

I read this book in a day! It is impossible to put down & the plot is fast paced gripping & edge of your seat. Allan is an excellent writer, each word is carefully selected every chapter brilliantly written. This is one sure fire hit for 2025

WOW WOW WOW , I loved this read so much. This was my first by Claire and not my last. I loved her ability to weave together a clever storyline that kept me guessing. It was a fantastic read. Easily 5 stars!

Now this is my kind of thriller! The twists were jaw dropping had me flying through the pages this book is a must read!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars

Mel is doing her dream job. She is a doula. She is assisting Alice, and things go terribly wrong.
Now Alice has destroyed Mel's business and Mel and her family have fled across the country.

An absolutely enthralling book!
Sad, emotional and engrossing.
The story flows, and keeps the reader in suspense.

Thanks to Netgalley and Boldwood books for the ARC.

Claire Allan is a wonderful author and The Perfect Mother is another great read.
The characters were well written, Mel has been given such a hard time. Tilly is adorable but her husband and several other characters irritated me.
The ending was a surprise in parts.
My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my copy.

Mel is a doula dealing with some backlash after a client and friend's baby died last year. Mel is now pregnant and has had to move due to the harassment and threats toward her family. Mel decides she has had enough and reaches out to Alice to try to make peace about the past, While it seems like Alice is ready to move on, Mel's parents catch her in a lie. Meanwhile, Mel's new neighbor is a little too involved with her husband and daughter. This had a lot of good suspense and kept the reader guessing who was behind all the threats. Shocking ending. *It is a little tragic and may be hard for those that have lost babies.

I loved this book, but I will say, I had it figured out quite early who was behind everything. I figured out the plot, the connections between the characters, but did not figure out who would come through in the end. Mel is a doula dealing with a pregnancy, a move, and backlash from a client's baby dying. I do find it a little far-fetched that every single person believes Mel is at fault. You don't see a dr, have a home birth, and your baby is overdue by at least two weeks? You are asking for trouble. The suspense in this book is good, leading up to a great ending.