Cover Image: The Mother's Mistake

The Mother's Mistake

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

I read this book in one sitting. It was truly gripping, though I'd worked out a lot of the story, there were still plenty of surprises along the way to keep me interested.
I will be looking out for more from this author as I really enjoyed this book.

Was this review helpful?

It took me a while to get into this book but I am really glad I persevered as it became incredibly gripping, exciting and addictive. It is a real psychological thriller with lots of twists and turns that will leave you discombobulated whilst still desperate to read more. A fantastic, edge of your seat, psychological thriller!

Was this review helpful?

This book was amazing a terrific psychological thriller!!!!

This book has so many twists and turns, I couldn't predict at all how this book would end. Claire's life is absolutely perfect!! She has a great husband a beautifil baby...
Things begin to turn for them when they move onto Matt's parents property. Of course being close to family like that at times can not be a good thing. Claire feels more isolated, more alone then ever. Her mother-in-law doesn't like her to much, as she is home with the baby she starts to hear things.
She finally finds a friend, but then Matt's ex girlfriend starts to work with him, so her imagination runs wild. It drives her crazy, and we all know at some point in life we had our imagination take control of us, and make something into something it wasn't...

Was this review helpful?

This was such an intense story full of twists and turns. i really enjoyed the authors writing style as well and finished this book in 2 days. And i loved that I just couldn’t figure anything out! The author kept a very good secret! :)
The characters were created with such real personalities that this was a book that I got lost inside of. Lost meaning, they were created so real like that I literally got lost inside the story and could picture everything perfectly.
5 stars ⭐️
Thank you #NetGalley, @Bookouture and the author for my free ARC in exchange for my review.

Was this review helpful?

A Terrific Psychological Thriller!

Claire and Matt have moved to the country into a cottage on the property of Ruth who is Matt's mother. They have a new two month old daughter named Olivia and they are trying to save money for a home of their own. Claire seems to be suffering from postpartum depression since she is not bonding properly with her baby and she appears to exhausted and very stressed all the time, unfortunately, Matt and Ruth don't seem to notice and Claire's symptoms continue to worsen. To make matters worse, Ruth never cleaned out the cluttered cottage before they moved in and Matt seems intimidated by his mother and she really appears to dislike Claire. Now, is Claire being paranoid? What about the noises she hears in the dead of night? Why does Ruth come into the house without knocking? What about some odd disturbances that occur only when Claire is alone? These are only a few of obstacles that Claire is facing and they come with a shadowy feeling of foreboding to herself and the reader. This is a very cleverly written book that has suspense in every chapter that will continually build until a riveting climax!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book by Ruth Heald and love the way she incorporated so many twists and turns that I could not predict how this book would finally end. Fantastic way to keep the reader emerged and on the edge of their seat. There were some minor discrepancies within the story but it did not affect the storyline and also this was before the final editing. Do not hesitate to purchase this suspenseful novel or you will find yourself missing out on a really entertaining read!

I want to thank the publisher Bookouture and Netgalley for the opportunity of reading this ARC!

I highly recommend this exciting book and have given a rating of 4 Suspenseful 🌟🌟🌟🌟 Stars!!

Was this review helpful?

Matt and Claire, along with their 3-month-old baby, Olivia, are moving into a house that once belonged to Matt’s grandmother. His parents own a house very close to them. The house had been left as it was when Matt’s grandmother passed away, so they are hoping that his mother will soon clear it out for them.

Claire had miscarried a little girl some time ago and is having a difficult time bonding with Olivia. She is somewhat unstable and overwhelmed with her motherly duties.

Matt is a veterinarian and is opening a practice. His mother suggests an old friend of his, Sarah, help in his practice with the administrative duties. Claire soon learns that Sarah is an ex-girlfriend of Matt’s which makes her jealous. However, Claire has made a friend named Emma who is the single mother of a baby girl named Lizzie.

Soon, Claire hears odd noises in the house and is not sure whom she can trust. Having had alcohol problems in the past, she is now tempted to drink too much. As Claire becomes more and more paranoid, she wonders if there Is someone out to get her and if so, who and why?

The story switches back and forth from that of an abused young mother to Claire’s story. It’s not until the end of the book that all the puzzle pieces quickly come together to make for a stunning ending. I enjoyed the book, but found both Claire and the abused woman pathetically helpless. Weak women make me say “Grrr.” However, I’m sure readers will enjoy the book.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Was this review helpful?

I just loved this book and the way this author writes. It held my interest throughout and all the characters were interesting and I felt as though I knew them all personally. An addictive psychological thriller, full of twists and turns which kept me on the edge of my seat throughout with a satisfactory, exciting ending.
I hope to read more from this author in the future, well done Ruth.

Was this review helpful?

*Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.* Claire and Matt move to the countryside with their baby girl, Olivia. The return to the village in which Matt grew up is meant to help them save to buy a home of their own, whilst Matt establishes his veterinary practice. However, the downside is that they will be living right next door to Matt's controlling mother. With the MIL from hell right nearby, a husband working long hours and a baby that won't settle, Claire finds herself spiralling into depression and starts to doubt her own sanity. Who is watching her? Who is entering the house when she isn't there? Who can Claire trust? This book is a thriller, complete with many twists and turns. I am loathe to give away any more of the plot, for fear of spoiling the suspense. An enjoyable and intriguing read.

Was this review helpful?

A psychological thriller was a very surprising end!
"The Mother's Mistake" will be revealed at the end of the book, but the mother wonders who she should and can trust (including her loving husband) and who is lying and deceiving her.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC for my Kindle.

Was this review helpful?

Okay, I read this on my Kindle so it took me a while because I read a chapter before bed. I found the story to be okay, overall. I felt that the plot was slower than it should have been, things seemed to be happening slowly and it did make the story drag. I felt sorry for Claire because he mother-in-law was quite an unpleasant woman. I can't imagine having to deal with someone like her, and she was my least favourite person in the book. That's including the 'baddie' in this story.

I can appreciate the author's intension in making the events that happened to Claire a slow build up to making her feel 'crazy' but they felt a little too slow for me. Although, it was well written, I just found that I couldn't really sympathise with Claire, because at times I found her to be aggravating and a touch annoying.

Was this review helpful?

It is a new beginning for Claire, Matt & baby Olivia. They are moving from London to the country for Matt to set up his new vet practice & to live in his Grandmother's old house so that they can save up for a place of their own.

The dream doesn't last long. Matt works all hours & makes no effort to help with the baby. Claire is battling to bond with her daughter, she wants to love & protect her, to give her the best life but can't seem to care. The house is exactly as Matt's grandmother left it when she died. Matt's mother Ruth, says her grief is too raw to clear it-I'm not sure how long Grandma has been gone but it seems like quite a while. Ruth really is a nightmare!

Claire makes friends with a local girl, Emma, who also has a young baby. When she gets a note that stirs up all she has been trying to forget & Matt seems to spend more tie with his receptionist (who is alo an old flame), life becomes ever more difficult.

I found this book a bit slow going at first & I wanted to give Matt a good shaking & force him to deal with his mother! I wanted to know what happened but for me it was just an OK read. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

Was this review helpful?

Read this book in two sittings on the beach. It’s very readable and I liked the characters. A good beach read.

Was this review helpful?

This is a gripping story with well described characters. The reader is drawn in from the start with lots of twists building up to a scary climax. Highly recommended

Was this review helpful?

An easy five stars. This is a psychological thriller that lives up to its name. I loved the setup and enjoyed watching it all unfold as Ruth becomes increasingly isolated and unsure of her own sanity. Trust, deceit and betrayal are at the heart of the story. The identity of the person in the italics sections kept me guessing. Brilliant characters and lots of twists. I think it will appeal to readers who enjoyed The Little House by Philippa Gregory or stories by Barbara Vine.

Was this review helpful?

Claire and Matt and their baby daughter, Olivia, have moved to Matt’s home village to start his new vet’s Practice but the house is creeping Claire out. Claire is suffering from post natal depression and soon finds everything too much. Someone is out to hurt her and who is it?

Wow I could not put this down! So intense and gripping. Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Wow what a suspenseful page-turner . Each chapter was short and kind of slow paced. Had a couple sleepless nights while enjoying the ride this story took me on. The way the characters come to life in each chapter kept me engrossed and waiting for the next plot twists,
There was alot of plot twists that left you saying omg i didn't see that coming.I was hooked on the story from the beginning and it kept my attention until the very last page. I found the characters to be interesting and well drawn.Suspense was built up nicely and the end was a surprise. I had to go back and read the last couple of chapters a second time just to wrap my head around what I had just read lol .I Really enjoyed this book . This was my first read by this author, but will not be the last. You can also read this review and all my other reviews on my fb page at Joyce Stewart Book Reviews , my fb Group Stewart Book Reviews Book Club , Good Reads at Joyce Stewart Reviews and instagram at Stewarts_bookreviews.

Was this review helpful?

The Mother's Mistake by Ruth Heald........What a brilliant book. I was hooked from the first few pages and I just wanted to read to the end to find out what happens next. I was not disappointed! I loved it!

At the beginning you meet Claire, who is married to Matt, they have a young baby called Olivia. They are all relocating from London to Matt's home village located in the peaceful country side and very close to Matts parents. Claire and Matt are going to move in Matt's grandma's house who sadly passed away. They are all going to live there rent free until they save up to purchase a house of their own. Matt is very busy opening his new Vet Practise. Claire is going to be a stay at home mum to Olivia.
They are excited about the future together. However, Claire has a secret from her past but it comes back to haunt her. She's also finding it hard to bond with Olivia plus Matt's mother who seems to be a perfect role model for the community and mother in law, keeps interfering in their lives.

WoW...................This is a book once you start to read it, it's very hard to put down.

Highly Recommend The Mothers Mistake. If I could give this book 10 Stars I would.


Big Thank you to Netgalley and to Bookouture for my copy of this book in exchange for a review.

Was this review helpful?

Why do people feel the need to be perfect especially if you are a mother? Mistakes happen in life we are human but others that know about the mistakes we make tend to exploit them for their own benefit. There is no such thing as perfect lives as this story shows us even if it looks like it from the outside. Well written characters along with the many twists and turns this story take had me on the edge of my seat as I read.

Was this review helpful?

# A Mother’s Mistake # Netgalley
A awesome book, it’s fast paced with a actually brilliant storyline, emotional in parts, well a emotional book full stop, very cleverly written with lots of twists and turns, I devoured this book. It’s ond you feel you are a bit player in and your desperate to change circumstances, that you are on the edge of your seat, it’s definitely a jaw dropping storyline. Highly recommended

Was this review helpful?

The Mother’s Mistake by Ruth Heald is a really good read!

Claire's life seems perfect, too perfect... but it's not... and someone knows it... She wanted a fresh start but the truth, the secrets, might just come out...

Interesting storyline with twists and turns. Not the type you can guess what's happening next or how it's going to end.

The descriptions and details are there. Even though I didn't know much about postnatal depression I could feel the emotions.

Well written and captivating from the start. Good pace. You get into the story right away and don't want it to end.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC of this book. This is my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Was this review helpful?