The Perfect Mother by Claire Allen is a chilling psychological thriller that explores the darker side of motherhood and the lengths one woman will go to destroy another’s happiness. The story follows the protagonist, a woman who once had a thriving business helping women become mothers, but after meeting Alice Monroe, her life unravels. Alice, a woman desperate to become a mother, suffers a devastating blow that leads her to blame the protagonist, ruining her career and her reputation.

In an attempt to escape the turmoil, the protagonist moves to the remote countryside, pregnant with a new hope for a fresh start. However, Alice is never far behind, and as unsettling messages from Alice begin to surface, it becomes clear that the threat to her family is far from over. Alice’s obsession with having the perfect family takes a disturbing turn, and the tension in the story rises as the protagonist realizes her life and her baby's safety are in imminent danger.

With its gripping plot and expertly built tension, The Perfect Mother is an unsettling tale about obsession, guilt, and revenge. The author delves deep into the psychological complexities of motherhood, with a plot twist that will keep readers on edge until the very last page. A must-read for fans of thrillers that combine emotional depth with edge-of-your-seat suspense.

I enjoyed this book. I like the concept and the premise of the novel and enjoyed trying to figure out who was the biggest liar amongst them all. Who can be trusted?

Now if you are looking for a thriller or a mystery this is not the book for you. It's more of an emotional domestic drama sort of book.

The pace is good in the beginning but really slows down towards the end. The finale is okay but it seems to end abruptly with a real lack of resolution in quite a few areas.

The one big issue I have with this book is the characters. Mel is screaming out in need and yet Ed is just oblivious to her needs. It seems so absurd to think that a man could be that blind but I know of many men like that and they always make me want to take a stick and whack them one. Needless to say I did not like Ed.

It's a good book and a very quick and easy read. Enjoyable enough to give it 3.5 stars.

I really liked this book. Thought I had it figured out at one point, but I was completely wrong. Kept me on the edge and was a thrilling page turner.

I received a copy of The Perfect Mother in exchange for an unbiased review. This novel started off well, but around the halfway point, it began to drag. The pacing was slow and repetitive, with not much happening. There were some great dramatic scenes, but the final twist at the end was predictable. I wanted more from the story and wished I could rate it higher. 3 stars.

This book initially sucked me in, however then became super repetitive and predictable. 3 stars at most.

I just finished The Perfect Mother and honestly, it was just okay for me. The pacing felt a little slower than I like for a thriller, and then the ending seemed kind of rushed. It built up a lot of tension, but when it came time to wrap things up, it felt like everything happened way too quickly. The twist was unexpected, though, which was a nice surprise! But overall, it didn’t quite hit the mark for me. I’d give it a solid 3 stars—entertaining, but not something I’d rave about or want to read again.

Mel changed careers to become a doula. She wants to help expectant mothers. Alice hires Mel and they also become friends. A tragedy happens during childbirth and Alice blames Mel and posts terrible things about her online. She no longer has any clients and with dangerous threats being made, she and her family relocate to another part of the country. But the threats follow her. This is an intense story filled with twists and turns. I received an advanced reader copy of this book from NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

I did enjoy this psychological thriller but found some parts dragged on too long and other parts, like the ending, felt rushed. Why didn’t Mel think about Thomas being involved, even I had wondered about him.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The story kept me intrigued pretty quick, it was definitely hard to put down. I often thought I knew what was going to happen but I was wrong for the most part. I felt like the ending was a little abrupt but it didn't ruin the book.

#ThePerfectMother wasn't quite the thriller I was expecting. Sadly I found the majority of the book very slow going until a very rushed and abrupt finish.
It was heartbreaking how well the author described the loss of having a stillborn baby and Im certain it should come with a trigger warning, I have been extremely lucky with my births but so many suffer so this would be a very hard read.
The 1 twist at the end, I had predicted but maybe a good shock for others.
Not for me though unfortunately but thank you #NetGalley for the advanced copy a 2.5 star rounded up to 3

This was my first time reading this author. This book was a quick read and could finish it in one day. The plot twist will get you and draw you in.

Thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

This is a dual timeline story.

When Alice was pregnant she employed Mel to help her with what was meant to be the happiest day of her life, when her baby came into the world. But, it didn’t happen as she expected. The person she blamed for this was Mel.

Now, after a year Mel has moved away and is herself pregnant. Alice informs her that she knows where Mel is living. As Alice wasn’t able to be a perfect mother, will she do the same for Mel or let her be a perfect mother.

The book was a page turner. There is a twist which I managed to guess,

I recommend this book.

Mel works as a doula, guiding women during childbirth but when Alice ends up losing her baby during the birth, her and her husband hold the blame against Mel. Mel and her family move far away to escape it all but realise that they are not safe where ever they go.

I found the premise around the doula intriguing, as this is not something I’ve read a lot about and I enjoyed the intense atmosphere that the author creates. I’ll have to admit that this is not what I was expecting when I first picked it up, I expected more of a psychological thriller, however I would put it more general fiction, as there isn’t much suspense and the pacing is quite slow, however it does hold a lot of emotional value.

Unfortunately, due to the pacing I struggled to connect to the story and to carry on reading, therefore although certainly not a bad story, it wasn’t for me at the time of reading. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy in return for an honest review.

The perfect mother is absolutely addictive! I literally couldn't put it down.
What should have been a happy birthing experience ends in tragedy and starts off a gripping chain of events.. absolutely brilliant.

I have mixed feelings about this one. I did enjoy it but, found it difficult as it dealt with loss and childbirth. I'm a softie when it comes to babies and children and losing a child is so hard to read about. The story was good but, hard to read. It really tugged at my heartstrings. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

I have read and thoroughly enjoyed a couple of Claire Allan's previous books so didn't want to give up a chance to read her next outing and I wasn't disappointed.

Whilst this was a difficult book to read due to the subject matter of death in childbirth/stillbirth, it was still a riveting read that I was totally invested in. The characters are great and whilst the pace dropped off in the middle and became a little repetitive, it kept me reading so I finished it in double-quick time. I enjoyed the twists which I didn't see coming but the ending was a little disappointing and left some questions unanswered.

Overall though, a good quick read that is perfect to dive into on these dark, winter nights when there is little on the tv! Many thanks to the author, Boldwood Books and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of this difficult to read but riveting book.

Mel, a doula, befriends her new client Alice who is expecting her first baby. The day that should have Alice’s happiest goes horribly wrong and Alice lays the blame on Mel. She torments her online causing Mel to lose her business, develop anxiety and ultimately move away from the area.

A year on Mel is heavily pregnant on her second child and living on her nerves. The pressure is causing issues in her marriage and issues with her pregnancy.

Overall an ok read. It was very slow and page after page of Mel’s anxieties gets boring fast. It did pick up towards the end which it badly needed.

This was a really good book that took me hours to read. Unfortunately, Mel and Alice's friendship will be harshly tested. They will learn that things don't always go as planned.

The Perfect Mother by Claire Allan is a well thought out psychological thriller with suspense, drama and twists. This book does deal with the sensitive topic of stillbirth so keep that in mind. Mel has found that being a doula and helping give women support and advice for natural childbirth is her perfect job. Her first pregnancy was stressful and she felt completely out of control. When first time mom Alice and her husband enlist Mel's help with a completely natural home birth, Mel finds Alice becoming much more than a client but also a friend. But tragedy strikes as Alice goes well overdue for her due date. Wanting no medical care and with Mel not trained as a medical professional Alice's baby boy Jacob sadly does not survive. Wracked with grief Alice lashes out at Mel and begins a smear campaign online leading to Mel quitting her job. After a year of nasty rumors, dirty looks and phone calls Mel and her husband and their 4-year-old daughter move away to a new house. Now in the middle of nowhere, pregnant again and doing renovations on the house, Mel is stretched thin. But no matter how far they go, Mel and her family are not safe. How far would you go in your grief?
This book was a page-turner for sure. Fraught with tension and unease the plot had me hooked. I was feeling stressed right along with Mel. This was an easy read but it was also complex with the themes of grief and the broken friendship between Mel and Alice. And the ending.. sheesh. What a good read!
Thank you to NetGalley, Claire Allan, and Boldwood Books for this ARC. Expected release date is February 5th 2025.

The first thing I noticed in the opening pages of this book is that it is partially set in Carrickfergus, a town just out of Belfast I had not heard of before befriending a lovely Irish couple who emigrated here over 40 years ago (to Sydney not Melbourne as in the book) from which they also hail. It's not a place that is often mentioned but I did catch it referred to in the very first episode of "Grantchester" some years ago. I was quite chuffed to see it mentioned and find it peppered throughout the book that I can't wait to tell my friends when I see them next.

So...a year ago, Mel Davison had a thriving business as a doula who practiced hypnobirthing (I'm with Mel's mum on this one) which all came crashing down after the tragic loss of a child for which she was blamed. Mel had left her job as a teacher to follow her dream of becoming a doula and hypnobirthing after the traumatic birth of her daughter Tilly. She wanted to relieve other women of the trauma she'd endured.

Alice Munroe approached Mel and hired her to be her doula as the two women formed a close friendship which was then threatened after Alice's labour went wrong and Mel was left without her friend and ultimately her business. What ensued was a hate campaign directed at Mel both in person and online. She became a shadow of her former self, jumping at shadows and scared to let Tilly out of her sight. When her daughter's safety is threatened once again, she and her husband Ed move a hundred miles to Derry where they undertake the mammoth task of renovating a period farmhouse whilst living in an onsite caravan in the interim.

But Mel is heavily pregnant again and she hopes much of the renovating will be complete for them to move into the farmhouse before the baby arrives. And then strange things start to happen again. A funeral wreath designed for the loss of a baby is delivered to her parent's door and a memorial is erected on their own gatepost, all designed to unsettle Mel. And it's working. Is Alice behind this new hate campaign? Or is it one of her many followers?

This book showed real promise and started off steady but then slowed down to a mud crawl. It picks up again but it's like being stuck behind a slow driver - pace picks up then slows then picks up then slows. And there is quite a bit of repetition. To be honest, I skimmed a lot of the repetition and wordiness, finding more answers in dialogue. I didn't warm to Mel at all and found it difficult to sympathise with her. She constantly complained about what was happening and yet continued to make things worse for herself. I did suspect who was behind it from early on but didn't work out the entire endgame until just before it happened.

At 291 pages, this is a relatively quick read, though slow in parts, making it a slow quick read...or a quick slow read? The premise was promising but I'm not sure it completely delivered though the ending was satisfactory. Not one of Allan's best but still OK.

I would like to thank #ClaireAllan, #Netgalley, #BoldwoodBooks and #RachelsRandomResources for an ARC of #ThePerfectMother in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.