This is a very well written psychological thriller with all the right elements! I really enjoyed it, and Roz, the main character is very well written. A really solid novel.

I have a real mixed bag of feelings about this book. I started out really enjoying it, it was a bit unbelievable from the start but most thrillers are so I was more than willing to keep going. I really enjoyed the story and it kept me really captivated for the first 50-60% and then suddenly it took a turn. It almost felt as if it wasn't supposed to be the real ending? It just didn't fit with the rest of the book, the writing, the pacing, all of it was a bit off. Regardless, I kept going, I always hold out a lot of hope for a great twist.

This twist/ending was the most disappointing part of the book for me, I had to put my iPad down and come back to it to make sure I read it all right. I felt like there wasn't enough explanation or fleshing out of important characters and major plot points of the book to properly wrap it up and the reactions to major plot points by different characters were so far from being appropriate or realistic. I'm not sure how else I can explain that while remaining spoiler-free. The ending of this book just felt so massively unbelievable it felt like a totally different book from the first 2/3 of the book that I enjoyed so much.

I do think I will give other Caroline Mitchell books a chance after this despite my feelings on the end because I really enjoyed the first 2/3 so much, I have a lot of hope for her other work!

This is a really good read. It had me on the edge of my seat the whole way through. It is predictable in places but that adds to the suspense. Sheridan is a great character. Totally unlikeable but powerful. This book is definitely worth reading.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

This book sounded right up my street, set in Ireland and New York, thrilling and mysterious.

Roz unexpectedly finds herself pregnant and decides to give the baby up for adoption to a loving couple through a website called Miracle Moms. She is hooked when a "diamond couple" show interest in her baby (ie a couple very wealthy and/or famous). Without too much interaction Roz packs her bags and lured by the money hotspots it to NYC to go stay with them for the duration of her pregnancy only when she arrives it's a radically different set up for her than she was led to believe.

I enjoyed the start of this book. However I soon found the naivety of Roz and her absolute gullibility very unbelievable, and the hints at who the baby's father was even more so as that hinted at friendships that were not that strong to begin with. I found the story quite slow paced, Sheridan just needed a good slap and the big twist towards the end made me put the book down and not finish. The book had a great premise but unfortunately I found it couldn't keep my attention. Thank you for the opportunity to read in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Perfect Mother by Caroline Mitchell piqued my interest from the very first page. By the second, I knew that I was going to be well and truly hooked. This is an emotionally engaging tale that will have you tearing through the pages with your heart firmly in your throat.

Roz is young, pregnant and alone, save for her best friend Dympna, in Dublin, when she is seduced by an online adoption agency that promises to find the best possible placement for her unborn child. When a celebrity power couple respond to Roz's profile, she believes that her prayers have been answered as she jets off to New York to meet her baby's future parents. But, as we all know, if something seems too good to be true, it most often is, and Roz has unknowingly entered into a situation that transpires in a way that no one could have ever imagined.

This is a twisty, diabolical read that I just devoured in a single afternoon. The tension is almost palpable as events unfold and, like Roz, we are never entirely certain where to place our trust.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for this ARC.

Wow. What an amazing book. Full of suspense and enough twists to not know who was good and who was bad. Roz finds herself pregnant after a night of drinking and despair. While she has told her best friend she is pregnant she cannot tell her who the father is, dreading their friendship would be over. The only path is a trip to leave Ireland and go to the US to give the Baby away. What follows is several terrifying months. The author has done a wonderful job of creating characters with flaws but who you love. She had me feeling claustrophobic as she wove the threads of this book together. I was kept guessing and proven wrong more than once. A book you don’t want to put down, full of suspense, murder, movie stars and true friendship. Roz is a beautifully strong character. Thank you NetGalley, Caroline Mitchell and Amazon Publishing for the chance to read this book.

Fantastic novel. Couldn’t put it down And read in one sitting. Great tension throughout. Another fabulous book from Caroline.

A superb book. Well written, psychologically thrilling and full of twists and turns . In this day and age when truth is actually stranger than fiction the premise of this book is totally believable
. Roz, a naive young Irish girl, is pregnant and travels to New York to “give” her unborn baby to a wealthy celebrity couple. What happens to her is both chilling and frightening..
Roz and Dympna inspired empathy and I liked the constancy of their friendship. The portrayal of Sheridan and Daniel was really well developed and at some points I found myself actually feeling sorry for Sheridan. I have not read any other Caroline Mitchell books but I will certainly look out for her in future.
Thank you Caroline, Amazon Publishing and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to give my unbiased opinion.

Such a good read! The premise caught my eye and once I got started I could not put the book down!! Would definitely recommend to everyone.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3 mixed stars

This book started as a 2 star book, then after the first third I loved it, Sheridan pushes it to a 4/5 star book.

Then came the ‘twist’ which seemed so out of sync, and hard to believe given we had limited insight into the real bad guy.

The the big finale was like - ok let’s tie all this together as quickly as possible.

Disappointing sorry.

The Perfect Mother by Caroline Mitchell. A bit of a slow start but quickly turns into a somewhat unconventional, unpredictable and suspenseful drama. From the self absorbed movie idol to the unwed expectant mother and all in between, the characters are totally spot on. Another twist at the end is a surprise. Very good read.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

And the unexpected twists just kept on coming!!

WOW!! I finished this rollercoaster ride of a story late last night after being engrossed for the past couple of days, so much so my housework and household chores went neglected which I’m usually strictly on top of because I couldn’t bare to part from this fantastic book!

Having read one of Caroline’s previous novels the silent Victim which was a fantastic read I knew I was in for a treat with the perfect mother and was thrilled when Netgalley kindly sent me a copy to read.

We are introduced to Roz who is a young woman full of life and personality, she is Irish and therefor has a bubbly and strong fighting spirit, she lives with her lifelong best friend dympna in a small rented flat and has a cleaning job, unfortunately Roz struggles to make ends meet and isn’t really secure financially, she unexpectedly finds herself pregnant which she has torn and mixed feelings over down to whom the babies father is which is a question that kept me curious throughout the story, I thought I had the father figured out and was extremely shocked when he was revealed at the end of the story, and also the fact she is financially unstable and estranged from her mother who was an alcoholic growing up, Roz therefore believes she would struggle to raise a baby in her current situation, she decides to put her baby up for adoption on a miracle mums site and is shocked and flabbergasted when a diamond couple shows an interested in adopting her baby for an extravagant fee which would change Roz’s life forever, after speaking to the mystery woman over the phone who wants to adopt her baby is she is flown to New York to meet them in person and is blown away to discover they are a very famous Hollywood couple Sheridan and Daniel who promise her many luxuries and an opportunity of a lifetime that will change her life forever.

Roz decides to go ahead with the adoption and the agreement is she will stay with Sheridan and Daniel until her baby is born and then return home, however upon moving In she soon discovers Sheridan isn’t all that she seems and is hiding many secrets some of which could be deadly, desperate to uncover what Sheridan is hiding Roz goes to great lengths to keep herself and her baby safe but will she make it out alive and escape? These were the questions that kept me reading late into the small hours. I really liked Roz’s personality, she is a very strong woman who is a force to be reckoned with, I also extremely empathised with her being a mother myself I really felt for her feeling that the only choice she has is to give her baby away.

The perfect mother was extremely entertaining, full of undesirable and quirky characters, there are many unexpected twists that left my jaw practically hanging on the floor and the story will stay with you well after you’ve finished the last page! I would highly recommend this book you too will be engrossed.

A big thank you to Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. What a page turner! Loved how it kept me engaged and wanting more. A very easy to read story with lots of tense moments. Read this in a short space of time as I couldn't put it down! The characters are authentic and engaging throughout.

This is my first Caroline Mitchell book and I will definitely be looking at her others! Highly recommended to all.

Thank you NetGalley.

I had never read this author before. It was a very interesting thriller type. The main character was so unsuspecting of what was in store for her and her infant. It kept my attention, turning the pages and I will read this author in the future.

I read this entire book with the sense of unease one gets while watching a good horror flick (I wanted to scream at Roz, “don’t go I’m the basement!” I was pleasantly shocked by the ending, but it all seemed poetically perfect. If you want a compelling, creepy story, pick this one up!

What an suspenseful read! So much to take in this book, I was captivated fro the first chapter and was on edge until the end. A thriller like none I have read. The story is intriguing and heartwrenching. The feelings of angst I felt for the main character were devastating. I enjoyed this book very much, and reccomend to all .
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of the book.
#netgalley #theperfectmother

Wow, The Perfect Mother, was an amazing thriller! I read a lot of psychological thrillers, but this one takes the cake. Caroline Mitchell does it again, 5 stars!

A young Irish woman named Roz finds herself pregnant and not in a place in her life that she is able to keep her baby. She decides to look into adoption and finds a wealthy celebrity couple in New York that are interested in her baby. What starts as a dream come true quickly turns into a nightmare. Lies, family, betrayal… how well do we really know someone?

I would recommend this book to anyone who loves thrillers. The Perfect Mother was written beautifully, and I found myself staying up at night wanting to read more and more.

Thank you, Net Galley, for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book is a real page turner
It’s a story which could actually happen to anyone
It shocks and keeps twisting to the very end
Another beauty of a book from an author who is first class
This book is highly recommended and I will keep you up till the early hours

This is an engaging well written psychological thriller with the right amount of suspense and mystery.

Roz is single, jobless and pregnant. She wants a far better life for her baby than the one she got. So she stumbles on a website where rich couples could "buy" babies. Roz heads to NY to meet the golden couple of Daniel and Sheridan. They are glamorous, super rich and look absolutely picture perfect, but is all this too good to be true?

Roz starts to get skeptic, as a string of strange and unsettling events start occurring and she feels scared about the safety of her baby. What will happen, and will Roz and her baby survive what is coming ahead? Read and treat yourself to an accomplished thriller.

Thanks Netgalley, Amazon Publishing UK, and Caroline Mitchell for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

This book sounded good but I found it to be quite disappointing. I skipped a lot of the pages . Sorry but this one isn't for me