Big thanks for my copy to review on netgalley. I loved her debut !!

I raced through this.

Intoxicating and chilling.

Fantastic book that has you hooked from the start.

If you have kids you’re likely to have stood in a playground… say no more…

Thought provoking..how far would you go to ensure you fit in. And we would all do what we can for our children.

Published 4th August and do check out the other blogs taking part in the tour.

My thanks to NetGalley and HQ publishing for the opportunity to review this book.
A dark and twisted tale of manipulation. A page turner that will make you review the groups of parents at the school gates.
An unexpected ending.
I highly recommend this book.

Description 🔖

There is nothing Rose O’Connell wants more than to be a perfect mother. After enrolling her son at the most sought after primary school in the area, she’s unexpectedly recruited into “The Circle”; a group of women who run the school and have it all. Due to Rose’s desire to have it all too, she joins them and is willing to overlook some questionable things in order to climb up the social ladder.

Things like, where does all of their money come from and why did one of the mother’s take her own life and what made them pick Rose in particular? Rose is soon to find out that having it all comes at a cost.

General Thoughts 🤔

I had been looking forward to reading this book for a few reasons; I liked the cover, I enjoyed this author’s last book and the blurb sounded interesting. I will admit that this book wasn’t quite as good as Precious You in my opinion (review here), but it was enjoyable. I liked the concept of the book; a woman who hasn’t got much, surrounded my woman that have a lot and how far will she go to be like them. It turned out that Rose would go a lot further than I initially thought she would.

Characters 👫👭👬

The main character Rose was flawed in many ways, but I couldn’t help but feel bad for her. She spent a lot of time feeling less than, so I did kind of feel happy for her when she started to climb the social ladder. However I do think that she took it too far. She started to make bad priority decisions and it was at this point that my sympathy for her withered away.

I really liked Rose’s husband Pete. He was a sweet man who seemed to be content with his lot in life, albeit he was lacking some ambition and drive. There was some back story there that I would have liked to have read a little bit more about.

Writing Style ✍️

There were parts of this story that I did think were very relatable. Everyone judges each other at the school gate (whether they admit it or not). There were also parts of this story that I don’t think were relatable for the majority of society, however I did think they were believable. I liked the way that the author mixed the two of these together to create a story that I could see myself in, but with some drama sprinkled on top.

I think that the majority of the book was well paced, however there was a lot of unravelling in the last 3-5 chapters. I think that this could have happened a little earlier maybe or been extended out to create a bit more tension.

Conclusion & Scoring 🎖

Overall I thought that this was an enjoyable read. It didn’t grab and hold me as dramatically as I was anticipating it to, however it was a good steady burn of a story with some interesting characters and an intriguing plot. I would recommend this book for some relatively easy reading.

Wow what a great book from start to finish had me gripped and wanting to read more.
The story is about Rose Rose O’Connell, enrols her seven-year-old son, Charlie into the prestigious school, the Woolf Academy. It is run by a woman called Amala who runs The Circle who are an elite group of influential, wealthy mothers who believe they rule the school. When a member of The Circle dies, Rose is invited to join them...
What follows is a story be careful what you wish for and how secrets can come and bite you.
Highly recommend. look forward to reading more books from Helen Monks Takhar.
Thanks to NetGalley & HQ for a advanced copy.

Rose O’Conell is a 36-year-old mother of one, Charlie, who is 4 and about to start school. Rose is married to Pete, who is a self-employed plumber, but recently he hasn’t been getting any paid work, money is extremely tight, and it all falls on Rose’s shoulders. She works as a cashier in a local bank and tries to juggle work and motherhood.

As you may have guessed, she feels extremely guilty. She would like more money to ease the burden of family debt, but also to spend more quality time with her son and husband. Rose wants the best for Charlie and she reckons that by him going to the Woolf Academy, a prestigious but free school with an outstanding reputation, he will have the best start in life.

When Charlie is accepted, Rose is overjoyed, but not so much her husband and his sister, Jacqueline (she is also Rose’s best friend). They both think that The Woolf is a bad fit for Charlie, but Rose is adamant it’s the best place for her child.

Soon, she receives an invitation to join The Circle, an elite clique of Woolf mums, who are rich, beautiful and make motherhood (and life) seem easy. They are everything that Rose isn’t, but she will try her hardest to fit in.

However, on closer inspection, nothing is as it seems. What are the women hiding?

Soon, Amala, the leader of The Circle, begins to ask the impossible of Rose. Will she quiver under pressure?

You’ll have to read this book for yourselves to find out.

I really enjoyed this psychological thriller, it had me hooked from the beginning.

Rose was quite a complex character – her father was a conman, and she was the one that paid the price for his notoriety. She craved acceptance and to start with, she appeared quite meek. When Charlie got accepted in the Woolf, a change occurred – she became more confident and certain of what her family needed.

Amala was the antagonist of the story, bold and beautiful, with everything you could have wished for: nice house, handsome husband, and a great child. She would also do anything for her family and for The Woolf, but I felt she did take it too far. She was driven by money, power, and revenge.

My favourite character was Jacqueline. She was the most genuine of all the women in the story. She wasn’t scared of speaking her mind and she loved Charlie, Rose, and Pete.

Overall, if you enjoy a tense psychological thriller, then this book is for you.

I recommend it.

I really enjoyed this book from the start.
I thought I knew where this was going then 3 quarters of the way in the twist wow then another and another. At one point i was sitting with mouth open thinking wow. I just wanted to keep reading. Really good.

I was really excited about the premise of this book, elite school with a clique of uber mums where not everything is at it seems. But I was disappointed with the pace and the characterisation. I couldn't sympathise with the Rose as she was down trodden but not in a plucky underdog way but in a 'stop wallowing in pity' way, meaning that I actually didn't care about her storyline. I found peripheral characters flat and the storyline slow.

Rose O’Connell, enrols her seven-year-old son, Charlie into the prestigious school, the Woolf Academy across the road from the O’Connell home - a shabby, tiny flat. The Circle are an elite group of influential, wealthy mothers who believe they rule the school. When a member of The Circle dies, Rose is invited to join them...

Although this tale pushes the boundaries a bit for what I deem to be plausible, I still found it to be a highly compelling and engrossing read. A great family drama that's well worth a look.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from HQ via NetGalley and this review is my own unbiased opinion.

Rosie joins a circle of helpers at her son's exceptional school. The leader is Amala, and each Circle member follows her every instruction. As things improve for Rosie and her son, she discovers that there is more going on in the background, and Amala's requests become more demanding. What has she let herself in for, and can she leave the Circle?
A great book showing how easily we can be blinded by what seems to be the easy wealth and status of others. A great read!

I really enjoyed this novel i found it really well written and enjoyed the character development. The mystery aroiund teh cult was intriguing and engaging.

An intriguing psychological thriller about a struggling family who enter into an elite world of schooling…. All is not what it seems though. Far fetched but entertaining and gripping

I’m not 100% sure how I feel about this one!
I was hooked from the start and didn’t want to put it down, ambiguous throughout I found myself trying to guess the next twist and turn and failing.
However the last 10% wasn’t what I was expecting and I’m still trying to decide if I liked the way it ended…hmmm

Such A Good Mother by Helen Monks Takhar is a gripping psychological suspense that I just could not put down. I was totally consumed.
The novel is divided into several sections. Each section begins with a different voice to the main body. It is up to the reader to see if we know who is talking. We are left questioning – something has happened but to whom? When? And why? With these questions in my head, I read greedily on.
All the characters are well drawn but not all are likable (they are not meant to be). There is an air of menace as a character exerts control over all. A spider’s web is spun, entrapping all who come near.
We are all a product of our upbringing. Our childhood, especially any trauma, shapes the adults we become.
Obsession with money and power drive some characters. Others have secrets they want to stay hidden. And others are driven by the need to protect. The results are shocking.
Such A Good Mother was a read that set my heart racing and my pulse rising. As the novel sped towards the conclusion I clung on for dear life.
It was a complex, extremely well executed plotline, and once more I failed to predict the outcome!
Such A Good Mother was an incredibly compulsive read that thoroughly engrossed me.
I received a free copy from the publishers. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this title; it seemed a little different to what I usually read, but I’m pleased I chose it. An elitist group of mothers at an exclusive school all have their secrets. When a new member is introduced, it all goes pear shaped and lives change. It’s filled with exactly the type of people I would avoid where possible. They’re moneyed, aspirational, backstabbing and downright evil. Some will stop at nothing to get what they want.

I was quickly immersed in the story and the cast if nasty people. I was waiting for just desserts and the story took me on a very unexpected journey. It’s pure entertainment but delivered everything I want. I was in another world watching and listening to events, didn’t see the twists and was keen to know how it would all pull together. It’s a great read and I enjoyed it.

My thanks to the publisher for a review copy via Netgalley.

Sorry, I just couldn't engage with the mothers in this book. I gave up about a third of the way through

I do love a novel with a twist! The main characters, especially Rose, were so engaging and they developed beautifully. The linked back stories worked so well in terms of the structure. I absolutely devoured this and didn’t work out exactly where it was going. Definitely recommend this book and thanks to @netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to read it. It was a treat!

Rose O'Connell is a seemingly struggling mother and wife. With the family down on their luck, Rose's main focus is doing what's best for her young son, Charlie. Top of that list is getting him into the best local school, 'The Woolfe'. Enviously watching the smart young mums and charismatic head, Amala, Rose will do anything to be a part of that world.
The Woolfe' isn't your run of the mill school though, and Amala is not your average head. Amala appears to see something in Rose and Charlie is accepted. Rose rapidly finds herself taken into the inner circle. But at what cost?
Full of dislikeable characters, this book unravels a story of con artists and women prepared to do unbelievable things for what they think will be a better life.
Worth a read.

Every mother wants the absolute best for her child. Of course she does; she’ll do anything to make sure they have the best they can give them. But just how far would you go to achieve that? Rosie sees the children going to the Woolf Academy opposite her little rented flat and knows that’s what she wants for her son. She grew up in the area and has seen it change and now she wants more for her little boy. Glamorous, successful, powerful Amala Kaur and her Inner Circle of elite mothers captivate Rosie. When Rosie is invited into the circle following the tragic death of one of the members, how can she refuse? And so starts a twisty, turny, cat and mouse thriller that will have you turning the pages and gasping as the story unravels. I thought the characters were very well drawn and superbly villainous. I was constantly asking myself questions of them throughout as to their motives. Yet once they were inside the circle, having got what they wished for, there was no escaping for those mothers. An addictive read! As others have said, definitely recommend reading the author’s notes afterwards for behind the scenes insight into the development of the story and characters.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for a review

Toxicity Abounds With Abandon…
That claustrophobic yet elitist group - The Circle. A group of influential, beautiful, wealthy and ultimately well connected mothers at an exclusive school. Everybody wants to join. Rose certainly does. When she gets an invitation to do just that, there is no holding her back. But, why have they singled out Rose and what secrets are being kept? Brimming over with twists and turns and a plot populated with wholly despicable characters, the toxicity here abounds with abandon. Wicked entertainment.

From the get go I knew this was going to be a slightly unrealistic storyline so I made my peace with it right from the start. Some books can get away with it of course and they're the one's I call bonkers brilliant.
Such a Good Mother was bonkers brilliant!👏

Main character Rose, a seemingly meek and mild sort damaged by her father but trying to get by with the help of supportive husband Pete and adorable little boy, Charlie.
Rose only wants what's best for Charlie, and top of that list is getting him into top school 'The Woolfe'

Only 'The Woolfe' isn't exactly your run of the mill school, and Amala is certainly not your average head.

Amala see's something in Rose, Charlie is accepted and Rose finds herself on the 'Inside'

But at what cost?

Like I said - Bonkers Brilliant 👏