3.5 🌟 for this thriller from a somehow new to me author.

While I really enjoyed Good Bad Mother, I was kept entertained throughout, the story felt a little too padded out. There was far too much time spent going over the fact that our protagonist was hiding something from her past, something that her husband could never find out, then when the secret was divulged to the reader the plot became a bit obvious , however neither of these points made me dislike the story.

I’m struggling to think of a likeable character throughout the story, and genuinely I find with a thriller that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Good enough story, great plot, great setting. Had it been condensed a bit I think I’d have rated it far higher. I’d definitely read other titles from the author.

The dual narrators done a really good job with the story.

My thanks to Bookouture Audio via NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ALC 🎧

Anya Mora’s Good Bad Mother is a masterfully twisted psychological thriller that keeps readers on edge with its unexpected turns and deeply buried secrets. The novel unravels a tangled web of deception, where every character holds a hidden truth, and just when you think you’ve figured things out, Mora delivers another shocking revelation.

The pacing is gripping, with tension building steadily until it reaches a breaking point, plunging the characters—and the reader—into utter chaos. Mora excels at creating complex, morally gray characters, making it difficult to determine who can truly be trusted. The emotional depth woven into the narrative adds an extra layer of intrigue, ensuring the story lingers in the mind long after the final page.

For those who love psychological thrillers filled with dark secrets, unexpected twists, and explosive climaxes, Good Bad Mother is a must-read. Anya Mora has proven herself as an author to watch, and I’ll definitely be following her future work.

The Good Bad Mother by Anya Mora was a solid 3.5-star read for me. A big thanks to NetGalley for the audio ARC!

This book had me interested enough to keep going, but wow, was it repetitive. The inner dialogue had me speeding up to 2x just to get through it. I just wanted the Amelia to tell SOMEONE what happened to her instead of keeping it all bottled up and forcing us to listen to her struggle and seem insane to all those around her.

By the time the big twist was revealed, it was pretty easy to see where things were heading from there. It was an okay twist and all but damn did it feel like it took awhile to get there.

Hated the sheer disrespect the FMC endured pretty much through the whole book from everyone except Tabitha and Jack. Her husband’s family can kick rocks. They were absolutely awful. And the fact that she never really got back at them? Frustrating. I wanted some justice!

That said, the story kept me engaged enough, and if you enjoy psychological suspense with slow reveals, this one might be for you. I may have liked it slightly more in non-audio format because the narrator also just did not do it for me. So overall… be prepared for some serious restraint from the main character and maybe yell at your audiobook a few times like I did.

Chapter 35, why would Sylvie refer to Meadow as Amelia when we know already she is Meadow, she knows she is Meadow…

The husband gave me similar vibes to the husband in the novel, Behind Closed Doors.

Not really sure how I feel about this book… I didn’t enjoy it, but wanted to finish it anyway. Glad that it did end on a happy note.

Good Bad Mother tells the story of Amelia Sterling, a new mom that seems to live a privileged life on the exclusive Cutters Island of Washington state. A swift romance and pregnancy have led Amelia to marry into the billionaire family of her husband Timothy. As Amelia adjusts to welcoming her daughter Clover she becomes suspicious of her in-laws and others on Cutters Island. Do they know about her past? What exactly is Amelia hiding?

Amelia begins receiving threatening anonymous letters after her family appears in a magazine spread. She struggles to navigate new motherhood and marriage as she is left feeling like she does not fit in with the ritzy Cutters Island folks. Her in-laws are uncomfortably close with the neighbors, whose daughter happens to be Timothy’s ex-girlfriend of 5 years. We slowly become privy to Amelia’s past, as a young Amelia narrates her early life experiences and how they have left desiring to live a quiet life. A true family drama, Anya Mora weaves together a suspenseful tale of lies, deceit, and revenge.

I found Amelia a bit hard to like as her suspicious nature seemed excessive. Amelia was not honest with others and came off as standoffish, so why was she expecting something different from everyone else? I found the book to be drawn out a bit more than I would have liked in relation to the first letter Amelia received from an anonymous source. I enjoyed that there were two narrators, distinguishing between present day Amelia and the past. Unfortunately both the narrators’ voices did not hit the mark for me. Lauryn Allman sounded older than what I would have imagined would be Amelia’s voice. She sounded like a much older woman to me. Penelope Rawlins tone was a bit grating, which although it fit the character she was playing, it became annoying and reminded me of a snot-nosed kid.

Overall, Good Bad Mother is an entertaining story. I always enjoy books that highlight the difficulties of motherhood so that was a plus. Unfortunately, I saw most of the twists and turns coming so it wasn’t quite as suspenseful as I would have hoped.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture Audio, the author Anya Mora, and narrators Lauryn Allman, and Penelope Rawlins for an ALC of Good Bad Mother in exchange for an honest review!

I spent the whole book holding my breath. I was so anxious for her. I can't believe her husband turned out to be so worthless. She deserved so much better than that. Absolutely in love with the book. Five stars, hands down.

This story had a slow start and a disappointing conclusion. My curiosity about the secret was the only reason I kept reading, but unfortunately, the ending was predictable and the actions of the characters made no sense.

This was an amazingly gripping fast paced keep you on the edge of you seat thriller I loved all of this and the audiobook really brought this all to life

Keep your eyes open for an upcoming book. Good Bad Mother by Anya Mora was entertaining and enjoyable.

3.5 stars.
I received this as an arc from Bookouture Audio via Netgalley, so thank you for approving me.

We follow the story of a young woman who seems to have it all. Nice house, handsome, wealthy husband that dotes on her and a beautiful little baby. But she is hiding a big secret, afraid that people will find out her real identity and with a fussy baby that always seems to cry for only her, her anxiety and stress ramps up a notch. On top of that, her husbands family is insisting she takes part in a family picture for the newspaper. Once the newspaper goes live, she becomes convinced her past has come to haunt her, and paranoia soon sets in.

I did enjoy this, although I found it quite predictable and a bit slow at times, especially through the middle. I found my attention would wander elsewhere as I was waiting for something to happen. When things did start happening, it felt a little rushed and came to conclusion fairly quickly.

I enjoyed the paranoia and tension throughout the book, though, and it kept me gripped enough to keep reading. Overall, it is a fun, psychological thriller that will keep you guessing until the end.

<i>Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.</i>

3.5 stars rounded down

This was a fun surprise! A very fast paced thriller that held my attention and kept me guessing most of the way through. Narration was solid too!

Biggest gripe would only be that I feel like similar stories have been told, there wasn’t anything super unique about the storyline/characters

Have you ever had to keep a secret? A secret so big that if said secret was revealed, it could ruin a life you built? A life of money and family and love. That is what Amelia had to do. In this story, we are following a young woman, Amelia. She found love and married into a wealthy family and has a beautiful baby. She wants to protect her comfortable life by hiding who she really is and a secret that cannot be revealed.
I listened to the audiobook of this book. I have been in my audiobook era for awhile now. I can pop in my airpods and do other things while still engaging in stories that I want to. The narrator took a bit to get used too, but ultimately was perfect for the story. The audiobook wasn't too long and this is a fast paced book, which I feel works great for audio.
I enjoyed this story. A few times I was convinced I had it all figured out and I did not. There is family drama, unresolved trauma, friendships and good character growth. By the end, I did figure out what was going to happen, but the story still kept me engaged and wanting to know how it was all going to end but the ending offered good resolution to the problems in the book.
This is the first time I have read/listened to this author and I will be reading more of her work.

3.5 stars. I loved the full cast audiobook! This was more of family drama than a thriller to me, but it was still very entertaining. The MC did get on my nerves a bit, with her constant worrying and lies. I would've confronted her husband wayyyyy before she did, and I didn't like how that storyline ended but the overall story ended ok. I would recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This audio book was amazing. Very predictable about Timothy and Celeste. Poor Amelia was very delusional. I loved the twist of Hazel. Overall very good and had me captivated.

I was instantly drawn into Amelia’s life, filled with wonder and intrigue about her secret. What had she left behind???? I especially loved the narrator—her delivery was so vivid that I felt like I was watching a movie with each chapter that I listened to.

While the first few chapters were somewhat repetitive, frequently reminding us of Amelia’s secret and her fear of it being revealed, the story gained momentum as new characters were introduced. Her relationships with each of them and the impact each character has on her journey, added depth and intrigue.

At its core, this novel explores the idea that no matter how hard you try to leave the past behind, true freedom only comes when you are honest about it, acknowledge it and confront it head-on.

Thank you to Bookouture Audio through NetGalley for this ARC.

I REALLY enjoyed this book!

Amelia Sterling is a new mother, loving wife and harboring a dark secret. She lives with the guilt of the death of 2 people but everything is not what it seems. After she and her family are featured in a local story, she begins to receive anonymous notes threatening to reveal her secrets.

This was a fast paced novel , It was very repetitive and the plot twist wasn’t so unexpected

First off, thank you for allowing me to listen to Good Bad Mother

This book had so much promise based on the synopsis and even though I still really enjoyed it, there was a lot of repetition that made me want to zone out

I will say that the plot twists had me absolutely hooked.

3.5/5. Messy. Interesting how people, places and things connected. The twist was underwhelming. Fast paced and a quick listen.

I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it to others who enjoy a good thriller. I honestly could not stop listening! Definitely gonna read more of Anya's books!

I really enjoyed this book.

Loved the different layers of the story as we listen from each perspective. I thought the ending was great and the build up full of suspense.
It was an emotional rollercoaster..
I will read more from this author