Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the ARC of The Fake Mother.

This was my first book from this author. It won’t be my last. I love how NetGalley introduces me to so many new authors!

There was always something going on in this novel. I found it fast paced and easy to read. I thought I had guessed the big twist, but I wasn’t correct! There are other, smaller twists throughout the book as well to keep you on your toes!

Overall, a brilliant story. I will be looking for others by Anna Kernan!

Eliza has created the perfect family and life as an influencer is great for her little homestead. But can you really believe everything you see online? Great thriller, full of suspense, highly intriguing with an ending you won't see coming.

Bailey takes a job as an assistant to Eliza Watts, who is a social media influencer who shares her perfect family to her followers.
We all know social media normally shows the good, and necessarily the good, bad and the ugly! We learn early on that Bailey has her motives and she is determined to find out Eliza’s secrets. Let me say this…..Eliza has tons of secrets, but so does Bailey.
Another twisted tale by Kernan, and this one had plenty of twist throughout the story.

The Fake Mother by Jenna Kernan. Eliza is a true narcissist and the life she produced on line was just smoke and mirrors and totally fake. Heartbreaking what her children had to endure. Did enjoyed the lighter moments with the donkey and Bones and their interactions with Bailey and the children. More than satisfied as to the ending of the story and Aubree's letter to Bailey. Not a easy book to read but the premise is relevant today with the obsession of social media and influencers,
Thank you to the author Jenna Kernan, Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

ARC REVIEW
Thank you Bookouture and NetGalley for this ARC! I literally read this in one sitting!

The fake mother
4⭐

The story follows Bailey, who gets a job as a personal assistant to famous influencer Eliza Watts. Eliza is known online for her perfect life. But, like we all know, social media doesn’t always show the truth, and while staying at their house, Bailey starts to see that things aren’t what they seem, the kids are scared of Eliza and the perfect life she's portraying on socials is all a facade. Bailey is not allowed to talk about what’s really going on behind the scenes, she has odd curfews and soon things start getting quite mysterious, and is not completely honest herself, having already met Eliza before... Can she survive if Eliza finds out who she really is?

I enjoyed the overall story. It was tense and full of twists and turns, and it kept me wanting to know what would happen next. It’s one of those books where you’re never sure who’s telling the truth, and the ending had some major WHAT moments. The fact that it's told from multiple point of view helps keeping the atmosphere tense... The characters were interesting and I liked that the story kept changing and pulling me in different directions, always leaving me guessing.

A totally bingeable read!

3 5⭐️

I really enjoyed this book. It makes you think, is everything you see on social media actually real?
A good read. Thank you to Netgalley and Bookoutre for ARC.

I have read several, if not all of Jenna Kernan’s books and she never fails to surprise me. You think you know where this book is headed, but you don’t. I loved it and can’t wait to read more by her.

This book was really interesting and exciting. I had so many questions and couldn't stop reading because I needed the answers! It was easy to side with Bailey, honestly, and I fear there's really stuff like this happening behind influencers out there. Really great book! Look forward to reading more by this author.

A harrowing insite into the life of social media influencers and an excellent reminder that what you see on social media doesn't reflect real life.

The Fake Mother had me gripped from the start. The relationships developed naturally and I loved some of the characters, although felt like I could trust nobody!

This book starts off full of action. It was mysterious and twisty. It had several twist laced throughout, some big and some small all of which added to me having to find out how it would all unfold. This book is full of revenge & deceit. It keeps you on the edge of your seat & is one of those books you cant put down. Thank you Bookouture & NetGalley for this advanced reader copy!

I think this was a fantastic book! It was addictive, it kept me hooked and I wanted to continue reading without stopping, to see what was going to happen. It was so thrilling, and it kept me on the edge of my seat! I love the way this book is able to captivate you as a reader

Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complimentary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

How much do you believe of what you see on social media? Eliza Watts is a popular ”momfluencer” who raises her perfect children with her perfect husband on their perfect farm, living organically and home educating the children. In our social media and celebrity obsessed world, fans gather at the gates of the farm, hoping for a glimpse of their idols,

Bailey takes a position as Eliza’s PA in hope of getting close to the family for reasons we don’t yet know, but even with a plan in her mind, Bailey isn’t prepared for exactly how much she will discover that isn’t right in Eliza’s family, and neither was I! There were some big, BIG secrets hiding amongst the numerous NDAs that were floating around and when I thought it was starting to wrap up, there were some huge twists that I absolutely didn’t see coming, brilliant!

An influencer has to portray the perfect life, no matter what…

4 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Jenna Kernan and Bookouture, for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Eliza has gorgeous three children, a handsome husband and an idyllic life with a business that is breaking the record books. As a blogger and influencer, she documents her family’s daily activities where she sells everything that is produced off the land. Bailey is hired as her new assistant and is desperate for work. From the moment she arrives Bailey has a strange feeling that all is not as it seems. She must live by a strict set of rules that leave her stuck on the farm all day every day except for Sunday and she is always at Eliza’s beck and call.

Bailey has had a fascination with Eliza for a long time and has followed her life as with many others on her streaming services of which there are many subscribers. She is desperate to get into Eliza’s home and see firsthand how this beautiful family are living. The cameras are always rolling and as time moves forward Bailey realises that this may not be quite the happy family that Eliza promotes. However, Bailey has her own reasons for wanting to move into Eliza’s world and this is the heart of the book.

As the book progresses the tension mounts and soon answers to our questions start to unfold. An enjoyable read that kept me interested throughout. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the book, all opinions expressed are my own.

THE FAKE MOTHER BY JENNA KERNAN.
Release date set for the 1st of May 2025.
Very slow start getting into this book if i'm honest.
Reminds me of the whole story of that horrible woman in the news and the show on Netflix about the mother Influencer Ruby Frankie.
This is my first book by this author.
3.5 stars but ill round it off to a 4

The Fake Mother is a tense, twisted thriller that kept me on edge from start to finish. The story’s dark secrets and the narrator’s obsession with Eliza make for an unsettling, yet compelling read. The tension builds as the protagonist uncovers more about Eliza’s perfect, but deeply flawed life. The rules surrounding the job add an extra layer of suspense, and the reveal of Eliza’s true secrets was even more shocking than I expected. While some of the twists felt predictable, the ending truly impressed me — it was satisfying and provided a strong conclusion to the story. Overall, it’s a gripping psychological drama with a well-crafted finale.

Release: May 1, 2025
Author: Jenna Kernan
Publisher: Bookouture

Rating: 4.25 ★ 

When Eliza Watts offers Bailey a job as her assistant, it feels like a dream opportunity. Eliza’s life seems perfect — a beautiful family, a stunning home, and the kind of success most people only imagine. But Eliza has no idea that she and Bailey have crossed paths before. And Bailey has been waiting for the right moment to get close to her.

The position comes with strict rules: Bailey can only leave on weekends, must return by sunset, and isn’t allowed to speak about anything she sees inside the house. Others have clearly turned the job down, but Bailey is determined to stay — because she knows Eliza is hiding something.

At first, Bailey believes she already knows Eliza’s darkest secret. But once inside, it quickly becomes clear that the perfect image Eliza projects is built on lies. Her children seem terrified of her, and the reality of what’s happening behind closed doors is far worse than Bailey ever expected.

As Bailey uncovers the truth, she realizes she’s in far deeper than she ever intended — and if Eliza finds out who Bailey really is, escaping might be impossible.

This was such a compelling read! It pulled me in right from the start with a really intriguing look behind the scenes of a “perfect” influencer life. While the story starts off a little slow, it doesn’t take long for the pace to pick up, and once it does, I was completely hooked. The characters felt believable and relatable, and I loved the modern, social media-driven setting. It made the story feel timely and unsettling in all the right ways.

The plot was full of secrets and twists I didn’t see coming, which kept the suspense high all the way through. I especially enjoyed how it showed the darker side of influencer culture—how far people will go to maintain a certain image online.

Told through multiple POVs, the story unravels slowly but cleverly, and I liked getting to see things from different angles. Even though the ending wasn’t the happily-ever-after I usually root for, it still felt fitting and left me thinking about it long after I finished.

Overall, this was an original, addictive thriller with strong characters and a sharp commentary on the illusion of online perfection. I’m definitely excited to read more from this author!

Favorite Quote:
"a lie can be the beginning of a beautiful story, but it's always the ending that matters."

Read and reviewed in exchange for a free copy from Netgalley. This was a compelling read. I was invested throughout, the story was well - paced, the characters engaging, and the book was very unpredictable. An intriguing glimpse behind the camera of a fictional influencer and a timely reminder not to take social media content at face value. I really enjoyed this and am keen to read more by the author.

Eliza has created the perfect family and life as an influencer is great for her little homestead. But can you really believe everything you see online? Great thriller, full of suspense, highly intriguing with an ending you won't see coming.

A reasonably good read, a bit of a slow starter but it did pick up and I got involved in the storyline.

The characters were easy to get on with overall and I did enjoy it although I didn't love it.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for this ARC which I would recommend but I wouldn't buy it.

Omg this had me hooked! I love stories that have a modern setting and take place in modern society so the influencer/ secret life vibe is very now and very relatable. The plot was original and the characters well brought to life. I loved all the secrets unravelling and some really good twists that I didn't see coming. Also the fact of how far some people go to for an influencer lifestyle is just too believable. I absolutely loved it