I was lucky to be able to have a chance to read this book and listen to the audiobook as well.
Wow. What a roller coaster ride. Two timelines and trying to figure out who is who and how it all connects. Domestic suspense at its best! And gaslighting.
Loved both the written version and the audiobook as well.
This was a good one!

I’ve always loved a good rags-to-riches story, especially when the protagonist carries a dark secret, and this psychological thriller did not disappoint. The fast-paced narrative, combined with an unpredictable plot twist, kept me eagerly flipping the pages. The suspenseful writing style effectively created a dark, foreboding atmosphere, while the shifting POVs between past and present added depth to the storytelling. The author also did a fantastic job of bringing a diverse cast of characters to life—some easy to hate, others unexpectedly sympathetic—which made the emotional stakes even higher.

However, while the twist was unexpected, its execution felt a bit underwhelming, lacking the impact it could have had. Additionally, the premise teased a gripping, desperate struggle with the line "And they shouldn’t underestimate how far I’ll go to get my baby back…"—yet this element was noticeably absent from the story. Despite these minor letdowns, the book remains an engaging and atmospheric thriller.

A. Twists and Suspense
⭐⭐⭐⭐: Consistently suspenseful, with clever and satisfying twists.

B. Atmosphere and Writing Style
⭐⭐⭐⭐: Immersive atmosphere, writing was polished and added tension.

C. Character Develop
⭐⭐⭐⭐: Characters were well-rounded, with compelling arcs and interactions.

D. Pacing and Engagement
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐: Unputdownable; pacing was perfect, and every chapter was thrilling.

E. Mystery Resolution
⭐⭐: The resolution felt rushed or unsatisfying.

I’d recommend it to those who enjoy psychological suspense with strong character development, even if some promises in the synopsis don’t entirely pay off.

Big thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC of Good Bad Mother by Anya Mora; all thoughts are my own. This thriller was perfect for a cozy couch session! I really liked the story and the tension it built. It starts with a fire and dives IMMEDIATELY into the main character's story. Amelia keeps her past a well-guarded secret, hiding major secrets from her new husband, but someone is onto her and wants revenge. The pace was consistently engaging, and the twist caught me off guard, even though I thought I had it figured out. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys a quick, fast, fun read!

“Good Bad Mother” by Anya Mora is a psychological thriller set on an isolated island.

Thank you Bookouture, Bookouture Audio and Netgalley for the ARC and ALC. Opinions from this review are completely my own.

Amelia is a new mother to a 2 month old baby girl and tries to fit in the role of a ideal wife while living in an exclusive island. But she is hiding things from her past and also has to deal with her mother-in-law that doesn’t like her.
During the book we also get another POV from the past and we slowly find out what happened and why Amelia is trying to hide it.

The audiobook is narrated by Lauryn Allman and Penelope Rawlins. By listening to the book I felt more intense the anxiety that Amelia was going through and having two narrators helped with the timeline changes. It was easy to follow the plot and both narrators did a good job with the characters and bringing the story to life.

The author managed to create a tense and suspenseful atmosphere through the writing style, especially using the alternative timelines. But the plot was a bit predictable and there was not as much mystery as expected.

Amelia is a new wife and mother, living the perfect life with her husband Timothy and daughter Clover in their fantastic new home on Cutters Island, surrounded by her wealthy in-laws. When her in-laws insist she participates in their family photoshoot and interview, she is reluctant to agree in case her dark past finally catches up with her. A dark past that, if revealed, would bring her whole world crashing down.

I don’t want to say more than that, but this book had me hooked from the very first page. It’s clear from the onset that Amelia doesn’t want her past revealed and Anya did a brilliant job in keeping me guessing, right until the end. I really felt for Amelia, struggling with new motherhood, interfering in-laws, and traumatic past experiences, I was rooting for a good outcome for her throughout. The quick chapters told across dual timelines make for a fast-paced thrilling read, not letting up on the perpetual twists and turns.

This is my first book by Anya Mora and it certainly won’t be my last. Her writing style is flawlessly engaging and really made me feel every emotion. Good Bad Mother explores complex family dynamics, betrayal, and generational trauma, making this an anxiously addictive read. If you’re new to the “psychological thriller” genre, then this may be a good place to start.

The Good Bad Mother is a psychological thriller, but I really did not feel it belongs in this category. This was a fun read. It is very fast paced. Filled with family drama and secrets

Amelia is in the throes of new motherhood and it took me back to when my son was just born. The isolation, the exhaustion, the overwhelming love, the overwhelming sense of inexperience and ineptitude. My heart broke to see how alone she was, even with family surrounding her and to feel her ache as her secrets and past life threatened to upend what she had worked so hard to achieve.

This book was hard to put down. Secrets were festering under the surface and Mora released them bit by bit, keeping my curiosity piqued and the questions flowing. I liked that we had flashbacks to the past and that there were so many red herrings and curveballs with the present.

The Sterling family was downright atrocious and reading about Timothy and Celeste and they dynamics there made my blood boil. Amelia was much calmer than I would have been had an ex-girlfriend insinuated herself into my family! I also felt frustration with Amelia that regardless of being part of an incredibly wealthy family, she wasn't able to accept any outside support or care.

Good Bad Mother is a quick read. If you love a story that will keep you guessing and have you on the edge of your seat flipping pages at warp speed, this one is for you!

Thank you to Bookouture for the copy. Good Bad Mother releases February 17th!

Amelia's got a secret. And now it's come back to haunt her. This moves back to tell the story of how Amelia came to be a married mom living what seems to be an idyllic life on the island. Hah. This has a punchy plot and the short chapters will keep you turning the pages. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. You might not like Amelia at first but I'll be you'll find yourself rooting for her.

amelia wakes up to a nightmare. Then the story goes back in time. Before the nightmare. Which then brings you to the point of the nightmare. Amelia feels every one is out to get her. But as the nightmare unfolds. You find there is alot of twists. And some points I felt like wanted to climb into book and give her a good shaking.

From the first few pages it’s giving Madwoman vibes…and I couldn’t put it down! INHALED this one in a day. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this ARC! Thriller fans, add to TBR!

This book definitely had me wondering what was going on right from the start. Watching the unraveling of what you thought was a perfect relationship had me clinging to hope...until the end. The premise is nice and there were some good twists as well.

I liked this book.

This book kept me engaged and wanting more.

I read this book in less than 24 hours and could not put it down.

Good twist throughout

This is a truly engaging read that had me hooked from the first page. In fact, I didn't want to put it down. The short chapters and dual timelines quickly pull readers in, and the numerous turns keep readers on the edge of their seats. I have never read anything by this author in the past, but based on this psychological thriller, I will certainly be looking into future books.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this Advanced Reader’s Copy of Good Bad Mother by Anya Mora due to be published February 17, 2025.

When Amelia moves to the exclusive Cutters Island, her life changes overnight. The perfect wife with the perfect husband in the perfect town. When her baby disappears and her house catches on fire, she knows her past is going to catch up with her.
I finished this one in a few hours – didn’t guess the ending until it happened! Really kept my attention and was super easy to read – loved it!
Also recommended by Anya Mora: My Husband’s Wife, Not My Baby, The Perfect Family, and The Mother. One of my favorite authors!

#NetGalley #AnyaMora #Bookouture #GoodBadMother

special thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the arc!

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3.5 out of 5 stars

+ Hiding-in-the-shadows jump-out-any-minute keep-you-on-your-toes kind of thriller

+ Crazy plot twist ending

+ No language, no spice

- Slow start, the story isn’t that interesting until halfway through

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Amelia Sterling is the sudden wife of the sun of one of the richest families in America, the unexpected mother to her baby girl, Clover. Despite the love she has for her husband Timothy, she wants nothing to do with the rest of his judging family that seems intent on waiting for her to make one false move. Amelia would rather leave her mysterious murky past where it belongs, but when strange notes in the mailbox begin arriving almost daily, her fear starts to get out of control. No one should know what she’s hiding, not even Timothy, but someone has to be leaving those notes. Someone knows the truth, and they won’t stop at anything, even destroying Amelia’s perfect, fabricated life to get what they want from her...



I have to say, the premise of this book was extremely attractive. A thriller about a rags-to-riches kind of mother with secrets to hide sounded promising, and it delivered in almost every way. Amelia can’t go out anywhere without feeling like she’s being followed, and her fear is borderlining on paranoia because she doesn’t want to lose the one thing she can’t live without: Clover. Timothy seems nice enough, he’s genuine in his love for his wife but has some dark moments when he acts like a completely different person and somewhat bosses his wife around to comply with his family and try to get things out of her. The rest of the Sterling family is equally unimpressive and yet terrifying, and Amelia hates it, although she always sees the best in people and knows that it’s because she doesn’t belong in a rich place like Cutter’s Island. Most of the rest of the characters (with the exclusion of Tabitha - Amelia’s best friend - and a certain reporter) are a real piece of work.



The first half or so of the story was a lot of reoccurring scenes; Amelia feeds, changes and puts Clover down, Amelia goes on a walk with Tabitha or Tabitha comes to her, Amelia opens the mailbox and reads the newest note, Timothy comes home and sometimes they get along and sometimes he just makes her agree to what his family wants. The last hundred or so pages are when it starts to get interesting, the plot develops, Timothy shows his true colors, and Amelia’s past doesn’t become so much of a big secret. Other than the slow-then-fast pacing, there’s not much to be concerned about or censor; the spice is almost nonexistent and there’s no language to be found at all anywhere (score!).



Definite rec for thriller readers - expected publication 17 Feb 2025

Amelia is a new mom & new wife in an upper class family she doesn’t quite fit into, when her secret filled past comes back to haunt her. Notes show up in her mailbox: “How can you live with yourself”, “You can’t hide forever, I know what you did”.

This was my first read by Anya Mora. A slow burn light thriller. Multiple POV. More than one twist that I didn’t see coming.

ARC Review, Thanks to Netgalley & Bookouture.

Before I start off with my review I'd like to thank netgalley and the publishers for providing me with the ARC for Good Bad Mother by Anya Mora.

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It was a book that promised high-stakes tension, dark secrets, and a desperate mother willing to go to any lengths to get her baby back.

Sounds like a heart-pounding thriller, right?

Well, almost. Anya Mora delivers a story set against the moody, isolated backdrop of Cutters Island, weaving together family politics, psychological suspense, and a protagonist who is constantly on edge.

But while the atmosphere is on point, and the build-up keeps the pages turning, the payoff? Let’s just say it left me wanting more.

*Summary of Content*

Our protagonist has the picture-perfect life—or so it seems. She’s living in an exclusive neighborhood, playing the role of the ideal wife, and pushing her baby in a stroller under the ever-watchful security cameras. But beneath this carefully crafted facade, things are anything but perfect.

One night, she wakes up to find her baby missing, her husband absent, and flames creeping through the house.

The mystery unfolds across multiple timelines, hinting at dark secrets from the past and the terrifying present she’s trapped in. It’s all set up to be an emotional rollercoaster—except, somewhere along the way, the thrill fizzles out.

- The Heroine (Amelia): The protagonist’s internal struggles feel real, but her lack of agency makes it frustrating to root for her. She had the potential to be a gripping, complex lead, but her passivity was maddening. She lives in constant fear of her husband finding out truth, but never questions his obvious red flags, and lets things happen to her rather than taking action.

The blurb promised a mother who would stop at nothing to get her baby back—what we got was someone who barely stepped up to resolve the situation.

- The Husband (aka Walking Red Flag #1): If there was an award for Most Loathsome Male Character, this man would take the trophy without contest. Hypocritical, manipulative, and downright insufferable, he skates through the story without ever truly facing the consequences of his actions. And that is a crime in itself.

- Tabitha (the saving grace): If not for Tabitha, our protagonist might have been entirely lost. As a friend, she brought much-needed warmth to the story, and her presence added some depth to an otherwise frustrating narrative.

- The Sterling Family & Their Politics: The power plays and the manipulations— I'd give them the award for the worst family and they are the reason why their son turned out the way he turned out.

*Writing Style & Structure*
The writing was atmospheric, successfully creating a tense, claustrophobic feeling throughout. The choice to tell the story in alternating timelines worked well, slowly unraveling the protagonist’s past and present. The pacing was solid—there were no dragging moments, and the book kept me engaged. But then came the ending.

*Originality*
While the setting and concept had potential, the execution leaned into predictable tropes. The mystery wasn’t all that mysterious—I saw the big revelation coming from a mile away. And for a book that teased high-stakes action, the climax was incredibly underwhelming.

*Strengths:*
✔ The isolated island setting was perfect for the story’s eerie vibe.
✔ The Sterling family and their dynamics added an intriguing layer.
✔ The pacing and timeline shifts were well-executed.
✔ Tabitha—because we all need a friend like her.

*Weaknesses:*
✘ The protagonist lacked agency—she was reactive instead of proactive.
✘ The husband was a villain, but an infuriatingly untouchable one.
✘ The climax was weak—where was the fight? The desperation? The edge-of-your-seat moment?
✘ The ending was rushed, and the resolution felt too convenient.

Final Verdict
Good Bad Mother had all the right ingredients for a gripping thriller but ultimately served a lukewarm dish. The tension was there, the build-up was strong, but the climax and character depth fell short. If you’re new to psychological thrillers, this could be an entertaining entry point.

But for me, it might felt predictable and frustratingly lacked in punch.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3/5) – A decent read with a great setting and good buildup, but an underwhelming finish.

I don't know about this book. It felt like the anxiety was just drawn out for the first 3/4 of the book, and then suddenly, everything finally moved forward. It just stayed stuck for a long time, and I found it a little annoying at times. However, the ending was much better.

Thank you to Net Galley and Bookouture for gifting me this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Amelia is a new wife and mother, living a happy picture perfect life with her husband. When her in-laws insists she participates in a photo shoot and interview, her hidden past comes to light. Amelia appears to be not so flawless.

I enjoyed the alternating POVs and suspenseful plot. This book was unpredictable with good twists. I enjoyed it!

Thanks to NetGalley & Bookouture for the chance to read this book

Wow who needs enemies when you have "family" right!? This was very easy to get into, pretty fast paced, easy read. Keeps you hooked from the beginning. Somewhat predictable but it's not like it's a huge mystery, eveythings pretty laid out from the get go.. All i gotta say is i have no problem with the Rich people staying on their own island, away from the rest of us.