Mel has given up her career in teaching to offer a doula and hypnobirthing service to expectant mums and everything was going well for the business when she meets new client Alice Monroe who is determined to give birth as naturally as possible without any intervention from the experts, but things go tragically wrong for Alice and husband Thomas when her baby is stillborn and they blame Mel for everything that’s happened. Subsequently, Mel ends up losing her business, her reputation and the vitriol she receives, both online and in public, forces her and her family to move house, to a part of Ireland where nobody knows her history, or do they? When Mel receives a welcome to your new home card, she knows exactly who it’s from, it would appear that Alice is still hell bent on revenge for the loss of her child.

The Perfect Mother is the latest thriller by this author which highlights the risks of alternative therapies used during childbirth, with no back up from medical staff. It’s a fast paced read with some unreliable characters who I didn’t trust from the start. Allan throws in a few twists along the way which heighten the suspense of the story and kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. I did guess who was behind all the threats and maliciousness, but this didn’t spoil my enjoyment of the story in any way. Although I did think the ending was quite rushed, I would still recommend it.

I’d like to thank Boldwood Books and Netgalley for the approval, I will post my review on Amazon and Goodreads

This started out good but then everything was overexplained and repeated too many times. It's also very predictable. Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for giving me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was so good! I am a mood reader and wanted a triller to keep me on the edge of my seat and this was it. It kept me engaged and interested the entire time. Thank you for allowing me to read an ARC.

the book was very suspenseful and i never wanted to put it down! there were lots of twists and turns and lots of people who could have been involved which helped to keep guessing. i had suspected who was behind the recent events but the plot twist ended up being even bigger than i had imagined. i liked how, even though the book was in third person, it still felt very personal and like i knew exactly how mel was feeling and what she thought about different situations. overall, i enjoyed the book and would 100% recommend it. this is the first book i have read from this author and i look forward to reading more.

This was such a gripping thriller, it felt very intense and captivating immediately. As the tension and threat of danger increased I found myself unable to put it down.

"𝑳𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔𝒏'𝒕 𝒂𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒏 𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝒘𝒆'𝒅 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆, 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔 𝒊𝒕?"

Alice Munroe hires Mel to be her doula to assist her during her pregnancy and during this time they develop a friendship. Sadly things turn tragic and Mel's reputation and career is impacted. Mel and her family decide to move to another area for a fresh start while they await the birth of their next child. But someone is determined to ensure she never forgets the tragedy.

The Perfect Mother is my first book by Claire Allan and though it started out slow, the more I got into the book, the better it got. I was hooked throughout wanting to know what would happen next. As a mother I could totally relate to Mel who constantly worried about the safety of her children and I could empathize with her.

I had an idea of the big twist towards the end but hadn't entirely figured it out. I recommend this to fans of thrillers that explore themes of motherhood and obsession.

Thank you @boldwoodbookclub @claireallan @netaglley for and opportunity to read and review the digital ARC. The book is out today.

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.