Vicky is a lost soul, convinced her mother has no time for her any more, too caught up in her ‘new’ family. So Vicky disappears and reinvents herself as a free-spirited individual, living it large in Greece. Gradually, she begins to believe in her reincarnation, convinced that cutting familial bonds is the way forward. Until she finds herself in a predicament that changes her life forever …
I absolutely loved this book. The characters leapt off the page, some eminently likeable, others less so. For example, the seemingly caring Barbara, a mother figure in Vicky’s life who plays a pivotal role in the unfurling of the plot. And so many fabulous lines, such as when Vicky questions the wisdom of a proposed schooling arrangement –
‘I was pretty certain it was ending up with a grandson who said tea instead of supper rather than any geographical consideration bothering Barbara.’
This is a book about families and the cracks that can appear, even with the best will in the world. How people take subtle sides, the cracks developing into gulfs that seem insurmountable. ‘I waited for him to say something more but the silence squatted on the line like a drawer we were afraid to open.’
When a new chapter opens in Vicky’s life, she finds solace in the company of Caro, Gilbert and their son, Fergus. But they have their own cross to bear, in the shape of the prickly, difficult and demanding India. Another family with divisions no one sought, yet destined to create fault lines along the way. There were many laugh-out-loud moments for me at the expense of India, a woman so caught up in creating the ‘perfect’ world for her children, her sense of humour beats a hasty retreat. Meanwhile, her long-suffering mother strives to build bridges, while dealing with her own meltdowns – ‘I’d blown a gasket. The sort of fury that loses sight of the actual issue and races through corridors dragging historic rages out of rooms and gathering a crowd of upset until there’s no room for reasoning.’ Just perfect.

Well this story was a long one, too long, too drawn out. This book could have been cut in half to get to the point and get on with it. Hate to say boring, but just that, took way to long to get through this one. Ugh

Another brilliant book by Kerry Fisher. This book was an emotional roller coaster and I couldn't put it down. A though provoking emotional story it had me hooked from the first chapter, loved the style of writing and the story was so well developed. I look forward to more books by this talented author.

The Mother I Could Have Been is a very sweet portrayal of a woman who feels abandoned by her own mother, and the impact that those feelings have on her adult life, with consequences to everyone around her. It was an interesting, fast-paced story, but I had a hard time developing any feelings for the characters. Even when characters are not likable, I need to find a way to feel sympathy and empathy towards them, and I'm sad that I didn't get that in this book.

Why may we have more compassion for others than we do our own selves? Why do relationships sometimes end up about who's right and who's wrong instead of about love and forgiveness? This was my first Kerry Fisher book and I loved it. The story was beautifully written - the complex characters with their complicated relationships. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say - if I were one to ever re-read books, this would be one I would re-read.

Thank you Kerry Fisher, Bookouture and NetGalley for the ARC in return for an honest review!

A heartbreaking, yet uplifting novel that gets all of the complexities and misunderstandings of family just right. I fell in love with these characters (minus India!) and love that they find there place in a world that often disappoints. A fast, compelling read. Recommended! Thank you NetGalley and publishers for providing a digital ARC.
Good Reads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/review/edit/47960945-the-mother-i-could-have-been

--I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are purely my own and not influenced in any way--

I think this is going to be one of those books that everyone else loves but I couldn't stand. Maybe it's because I'm young, not a mother and have zero desire to be a mother, or maybe it just didn't do it for me. Regardless, let's get to it:

I really liked the idea of this book and the cover is GORGEOUS. The idea of a mom vanishing and leaving her child while wondering why she would do that is exactly the sort of guilty pleasure read I like. Too bad I could not sympathize with Vicky AT ALL in this situation. Like, I get WHY she left, the book beats you over the head with it and attempts to make it seem justified, but for me, it wasn't a good enough reason. It seemed much more like a tantrum than anything a reasonable person would do, and maybe that plus her "woe is me" attitude ALL THROUGHOUT THE BOOK it's why I couldn't thoroughly enjoy it. Yeah, she kind of gets it in the end, but for me it was less a big character revelation and more a "and it took you this long to figure it out" thing. In addition, Barbara was a horrid person whose motivation was, again, supposed to be understandable: but having a hard time currently doesn't really excuse the actions of the past. I don't think she was really sorry, I think she was trying to clear her own conscious.

So, between a main character I couldn't really sympathize for and side character who was interesting but kind of psychopathic, what about the rest of it? I kind of liked Caro and her husband, Fergus was charming, and I'm thankful Theo didn't fall under that "precocious child" trope and was actually not that bad of a character to read about. The side plot with Caro and her daughter India was an interesting parallel to Vicky and her mother, however I felt the entire time like India's character suffered from informed wrongness and like we were supposed to see her as completely unreasonable and almost like a villain when in reality, we don't really know that much about her: maybe her complaints are valid, we don't know, but because she has strict rules for her kids and keeps trying to go no contact, she's the villain. Admittedly, she did deal in ultimatums and was relying a lot on blackmail, but maybe seeing everything from her perspective would paint an entirely different picture instead of the black and white one we got.

It was written fine, but the characters seemed kind of flat and like things just happened to them instead of them really doing anything to further the plot. This just didn't really do it for me, but that's not to say it won't for someone else. Clearly, I'm the odd one out, so you'll probably like it, but I just wasn't a big fan.

An engrossing tale of family dynamics, dysfunction, misinterpreted communication and missed opportunities. There was so much going on in this book, the interplay between families and family members, I didn’t have time to be sad about particular situations. I was completely caught up in the plot line and the mother-daughter relationship dynamics. The Archetype of Mother is well-explored here. Well-developed characters, some more likable than others, a fascinating exploration of how simple miscommunication and assumptions can impact one for a lifetime. Whether you are a mother or not, if you like stories of families gone awry, you will certainly enjoy this book. I sure did. Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I must admit this is the first book I''ve read from. Kerry Fisher and I have to say it was a joy to read.Vicky leaves for a holiday in Corfu.And that is when her life really begins as she meets Freddie
and then William who she returns home with.After having her son Theo things become to much for her to cope with especially her interfering mum in law Barbara and she walks of their lives forever.When she finally puts some roots down years later and meets the Cambell family all is ok for once but new and past problems bubble to the surface causing huge trouble for everyone,this book is a great well written story about family dynamics and how they affect everyone involved.There is some sad moments and laugh out loud moments all in all making for a great 4 star read.I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys this genre

Thank you Net Galley and Bookouture for an early copy of The Mother I Could Have Been. Wow!!!! This is definitely a story showing that God restores what the locusts have eaten. So sad how we view ourselves and situations when in reality it may mean something totally different to someone else. Definitely a tear jerker. Fabulous and Thought provoking. Thank you Kerry Fisher for writing a book that I will definitely tell others about.

Vicky always felt like an outsider, overlooked by her mum in favour of her two younger half siblings. Sitting alone at her graduation ceremony she vows to create her own family which will be full of life and love. When Vicky meets William in Greece and falls pregnant the two of them believe they can make it work. But when their son Theo is two, Vicky leaves him in the care of her mother-in-law, walks out and drives to a hotel where she takes a room for the night, but she never returns.

The story is told in chapters of Vicky and Caro. They are both very different but they are both suffering with estrangement from their children and are still trying to bring their families together. I liked the way their stories linked together and that they stood up for what they believed in and the conflict in their families wasn’t solved but they still soldiered on with their lives. I really enjoyed reading this story, thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for my ARC in exchange for my review.

I've loved all the Kerry Fisher books I've read, and in The Mother I Could Have Been, she seems to be going from strength to strength, in a story which takes a piercing look at the mother/child relationship and the all too easy ways in which apparently unbridgeable rifts can develop. The reality of how the same events within a family can perceived in devastatingly different ways - unintended hurts festering for years - is portrayed to great effect.

The story focuses on two characters - Vicky and Caro, and I loved both of them - at least once Vicky had grown into herself a bit. Some of her earlier decisions were hard to stomach, yet it was possible to understand how as a young person she'd taken actions which she would come to profoundly regret. I was rooting for both of them - and for young Theo perhaps most of all - in their fractured family situations, although it was clear there could be no easy answers. And there aren't, but nevertheless the story is satisfying and ultimately hopeful. And just a cracking good read too. Loved it.

LOVED this book so much. The character development is so spot on, you feel all the feelings with each one of them. Loved how the families intermingled and the challenges faced on all sides. Beautifully written and such a great read. Highly recommend

Thank you to netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Gripping, heartbreaking, emotional page turner! Wow!

I couldn't stop reading this book! I was hooked! This book has drama written all over it!

Vicky Hall, young college student who graduates and goes on a two-week holiday to Corfu and decides never to come back home. She is disappointed that her mother couldn't make it to graduation, and coming to a conclusion that her family is better off without her, she decides to make a life-altering decision to stay away. While away, Vicky is swept away by William, and both thinking they can live in sheer bliss forever, has to return to reality of real life after Vicky starts to have a complicated pregnancy. Once back in William's home, Barbara, William's mom pseudo-adopts Vicky as apart of the family, and helps her throughout the pregnancy and birth. However, once the baby arrives, all hell breaks loose.

Vicky, unable to cope with the rigors of family drama, motherhood, and expectations, she decides that her son is better off without her. She disappears when her son is 2 years old, and lives a nomadic-type lifestyle for 6 years. However, in a twisted turn of events, her son is back in her life for good and she now has to answer to the call of motherhood once again, uncertain, guilty, and ashamed for running off in the first place.

Vicky also struggles with her relationship, or lack of relationship with her mother, and is trying to figure out how to get back. Simultaneously, she lands a job where she meets Caro, another mother, who also has a strained relationship with her daughter. Here we see manipulation, bitterness, pure evil, unforgiving attitudes, and how perception can lead to estrangement.

Through Vicky, Barbara, Caro, and India, we find out how tough and stressful motherhood can be. We also see how the relationships with mothers go wrong, how preconceived notions determine the health of the relationships, and we see the sacrifices mothers make for their kids, whether for good or bad.

This book was definitely a page turner with sharp twists and unexpected surprises. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and seeing how Vicky managed her life and motherhood despite trying to run from responsibility for most of her adult life. The ending of this book was pretty open-ended, leaving the reader to imagine what happens next.

One thing I would mention is that I thought the book had some time gap issues, but overall, pretty solid novel! I would definitely read this again and recommend to others. This book is a 4.

Thank you to Net Galley, Kerry Fisher and Bookouture for providing me with my ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

THE MOHER I COULD HAVE BEEN
BY KERRY FISHER

This book was extremely heartbreaking in the beginning and although there is some resolution and humor family estrangement is so sad. Vicky is just twenty one and graduating from her university when her mother calls her from the hospital and tells her she can't make it to Vicky's graduation. Vicky is the oldest child of her mother's second marriage and has always felt second best to her younger half brother and sister. Vicky has always felt like the odd man out and decides to vacation in Corfu, Greece and ignore all of her mother's text messages. Having grown up like the third wheel it is no wonder that she makes a tragic decision that examines just what kind of mother she is There isn't a stronger love than a .other has for a child .
Eventually when the child reaches adulthood and individuals and gets married with his/her own children more long married spouses have grown into a deeper mature love. But I do think mother's always worry about their children.

I really thought that Vicky's mother in law, Barbara is the worst mother in law that I have ever heard about or read about or read about. What she does to Vicky is unforgivable even though Vicky and William never got married. For simplicity sake I am calling Barbara Vicky's mother in law. What she does out of a love for her son William in the name of a mother's love is sick and twisted. What Barbara did to Vicky was so wrong on so many levels. I did understand why she turned Vicky's child away and I did understand her motives for reconnecting Vicky with her son.

I really admired Caro who had a very loving and mature son named Feegus. Caro did sacrifices herself for the love of her daughter India who she could never seem to please. This book was very realistic in its painting the portrait that families are sometimes messy no matter how hard we try. Sometimes certain family members stay mad and hold a grudge or impossible to please. That was very real and I loved how this talented author pointed this out in this novel. I really think this book is the first book that I have come across that perfectly captures that exact sentiment. I really enjoyed Caro, Fergus, Caro's husband and I liked watching Vicky grow up and mature. Caro was a very loving mother and also sensible. I admired Caro taking responsibility for something she never even did all in the name of love for her daughter and by extension saving her daughters marriage. I also loved that in the end Caro, her husband and Fergus didn't give in to India's immaturity and jealousy and emotional blackmail.

This was a very well and interesting developed story with complex characters about the disappointments we have to live with or not with certain members of family. It only takes one dysfunctional family member for the entire family to suffer the consequences. In this story you can stand strong for what you think is right and hope for the best. Or you can run away. This story offers both options and again, is very realistic and fresh. This is the first time that I have read this author and I am going to read some of her other work. Highly recommended to those you like reading about contemporary fiction with realism. Which to me equates to talent.

Thank you to Net Galley and Kerry Fisher and Bookouture for providing me with my ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

An incredible read. So well written and heartfelt. I have loved all of this author’s work and ghost is another brilliant book. Well done!

Mothers and their children. i wish I could have read this book in one sitting...I literally couldn't put it down. So beautifully written, it was heartbreaking to view the disintegration of relationships within families. Alternately narrated by two mothers, one a young woman estranged from her young son and another a middle-aged woman and her relationship with a difficult, manipulative daughter, it clearly illustrated the misunderstands that create chasms in families.

Another great Kerry fisher read, exploring the complexities of family dynamics and particularly the intensity of a mother’s love for her child,poignant and sad but believable and realistic.
Two mums Kerry and caro both very different but both suffering from disjointed fractured relationships with a child, told from both mothers points of views with a raft of other likeable characters who help link the story together. Consequences of their actions, beliefs and ideals are long lasting with far reaching effects proving that sometimes these things can be left too long with devastating effects, this book makes you want to hug your loved ones and tell them you love them as you never know what’s around the corner!
Thank you net galley for this early read.

A really good read from Kerry Fisher When Vicky graduates from university and her mother doesn't attend she really feels let down and decides to go away and not have any contact with her She goes to Corfu with a friend and her family and event's that happen there change her life forever When she eventually comes home with her new boyfriend and goes to live with his family after finding herself pregnant life doesn't turn out as she expected and motherhood is hard for her and eventually she ups a nd leaves, leaving behind her two year old son As she starts a new life for herself its years till she sees her young son again but can she eventually find happiness and finally be a good mother Vicky will have to face up to her troubled past before she can have the future happiness she so deserves

Kerry Fisher goes from strength to strength and The Mother I Could Have Been being her best book yet. A moving and emotional story of family and the mistakes they make is also a fast-paced read.

When Vicky graduates form college her mother makes an excuse not to be there. Consequently, Vicky believes her mother is putting her younger half-siblings before her and leaves home with no forwarding address.

She decamps to Corfu and moves in with Freddie, who owns a bar, but shortly afterwards falls for William and becomes pregnant. After the baby is born she and William live with his parents and life changes with William becoming distant and resentful and her mother in law interfering. Vicky then makes a drastic decision which affects them all.

The characters are all well-drawn and I did smile at some of the comments made by the so-called well-meaning mother in law.

I highly recommend The Mother I Could Have Been and many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review it.