Read and reviewed in exchange for a free copy from NetGalley. This an engaging read from the start. I was interested throughout (and Archie was adorable!) but Jess was frustrating at times in her denial of the red flags in front of her. The ending was unexpected, but unfortunately rushed - I would have liked to learn more and for it not to have been resolved so neatly and quickly.

Thank you @rararesoucrs and @NortonSheilaann for letting me be part of this tour and reviewing this book. A Good enough is a coming of age genre. This story is an emotional read and heart-wrenching. I was hooked, and could not put the book down. I need to found out if Mia the little girl who's 5 years old was telling the truth about Helen the neighbour who looks after her and brother when Mum at work. There were some great twists in the book that made me keep guessing through the book. I liked the characters' lot, especially the little girl Mia and her mum. I was not sure on Helen and her husband, there was something I could not just put my finger on. The story is written very well that will hook you to the end. A great read. Can't wait to read more by Shelia Norton in the future. 5 stars. Strongly recommend

A Good Enough Mother was the first book by Shiela Norton and I enjoyed it. It’s a story about single mum of two Jess. When new neighbours move into the flat below Jess is delighted when Helen and Robert become friends. Helen is obviously very taken with 4 year old Mia and 1 year old Archie. Offering to childmind for Jess so she can take on more hours at work.
Jess soon becomes aware that something isn’t quite right when Mia starts to tell her that Helen isn’t what she appears.
Jess already has doubts about her parenting when her ex Callum starts to reappear making comments about her and the kids.
Jess has no family support as her dad turned his back on her when her felt she had ruined her life having children so young.
A real page turner that kept me guessing throughout.
Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an ARC of this book.

A Good Enough Mother by Sheila Norton was a beautifully written book from start to finish. Especially as Sheila is a new author to me. Once I started to read this book I found it hard to put down.

I highly recommend "A Good Enough Mother" a great holiday read.

A beautifully written book. Looking forward reading more from this author in the future.

Big Thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for my ARC.

I really enjoyed this book by Sheila Norton. I found it emotional and at times tearful but could relate to the life of this single mother and the troubles she had cooing on her own.

This book was very well-written and emotional. Between having an abusive ex- and trying to be a successful single parent, this book was relatable to so many people. Sheila Norton does an outstanding job making the characters come to life. We cheer for some and come to despise others.

I highly recommend this book. But it is not a light heart beach read.

Thank you, Net Galley and Boldwood Books for the ARC. The opinions are my own.

Great character descriptions in a thoroughly enjoyable story. I think we can all recognise the antics of a four year old.
Lovely story and one I would recommend.
Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in return for an honest review

I have really enjoyed this book. Sheila has a way of making the characters she writes about feel real. I think those of us who are mothers have often had feelings of not being good enough. I also like the family dynamics side of things. The characters of the children were spot on. Happy, stroppy, dramatic moments of a 4 year old child were so realistic. I certainly remember my 4 year old behaving like that. Sheila I cannot wait for your next book.

In this book we meet young single mum Jess, who is raising 2 children alone after leaving her abusive partner. She has no family support as her mum died when she was younger and her dad disowned her when he fell pregnant at 17.

Jess is struggling as she juggles, childcare, work and mum life. She worries she’s not good enough amd wishes her mum was around to advise her.

One day she meets her new neighbours Helen and Robert, an older couple, who have 2 grown up children. They become friends very quickly and Jess begins to rely on them to help with childcare when her boss begins asking her to do more hours at work, worried she will lose her job and her home. She reluctantly agrees.
As time goes on, she begins to feel undermined by Helen and her doubts intensify.

I related to Jess as a younger mum myself, however I got frustrated with her at times.

As the story develops, are Helen and Robert who they say they are. Can they really be trusted to look after the children?


I did enjoy reading to this but I’ll be honest and say I found it a bit twee and predictable, at times it was boring and felt like it was going nowhere.

I really enjoyed A Good Enough Mother. It was such an emotional book which I could not put down, telling the struggles of a single mother.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for my ARC.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book.

This book was an engaging read and one that kept me wanting to know what happened. I didn't love the misdirection, though, and felt that it wrapped up far too quickly.

This is a compelling tale of one woman’s struggle with single parenthood told through her stream of consciousness as she constantly worries about whether she is a ‘good enough mother’.

It’s easy to feel sympathy for the main character Jess. Losing her mother at a young age and estranged from her father when she fell pregnant as a teenager, it’s no wonder she has doubts about her parenting skills.

It’s similarly no surprise that she clings to her neighbour Helen, who reminds her of her mum, and naively places her trust in her to support her with the care of the children while she is at work.

I found myself second guessing Helen and Robert’s motives all the way through and I’m certain this is a deliberate ploy by the author.

Jess’ worries about her children will resonate with parents ; her concerns are ones we all will have felt at one time or another.

I also enjoyed the inclusion of Mia’s ‘storytelling’ as a way of adding more intrigue to the plot.

With thanks to the author, Rachel at Random Resources and Boldwood Books for the opportunity to participate in the tour.

This is a really well portrayed story of a young mother juggling life as a single parent after leaving her violent partner. Jess is always worried that she is not doing the right things for her two young children as she lost her mother at a young age. When she meets her neighbours Helen and Robert she becomes close to them and is so relieved when they help her out by looking after the children so Jess can work more hours but over the course of time things start to become a little strained and Jess is worried that the couple have an ulterior motive. An easy to follow enjoyable read.

I have been a fan of Sheila and her work for a while. I have read and thoroughly enjoyed each and every book that she has released to date. When I heard that Sheila was due to release another book, I knew that I had to read it at the earliest opportunity. The synopsis of 'A Good Enough Mother' and it certainly sounded like just my kind of read. I couldn't wait to start reading so after grabbing a cup of tea and grabbing my Kindle, I settled down for an interesting afternoon of reading. Overall I did enjoy reading 'A Good Enough Mother' but more about that in a bit.

I have to say that it took me a little while to get into 'A Good Enough Mother'. In their own ways, the characters of Jess, Helen and Robert irritated me to start with. In Jess's case it was the fact that having escaped an abusive relationship, she lets the neighbours, who are essentially strangers, look after her children without a second thought. In Helen and Robert's cases, it was the fact that they thought it a good idea to look after somebody else's children when they know nothing about her or the children or the circumstances. There was something about each of the three main characters that set off little alarm bells for me. My suspicious nature could be to do with my former work life as I worked in Childrens' Social Services and then in safeguarding for what is now known as the 'Disclosure & Barring Service' so I am rather sensitive where child and adult protection are concerned. Once I got over my issues with the main characters, I found it easier to get into and enjoy the story. I had developed my own suspicions as to what was going to happen so I had to keep reading to see if I was on the right track or if I had wandered off in the opposite direction. I was so wrapped up in the story and in the lives of the characters that I didn't notice how quickly the time was passing or how quickly I was getting through the book. All too quickly, I reached the end of 'A Good Enough Mother'. I found 'A Good Enough Mother' to be an interesting and gripping story which certainly kept me guessing.

'A Good Enough Mother' is well written. Sheila certainly knows how to grab the reader's attention and draw them into what proves to be one heck of a story. For me, this was a slow burn type of read, which suited the story that Sheila wanted to tell. Sheila clearly cares about her characters and this shines through in the very vivid and realistic way in which she describes them. She makes her characters seem just as real as you and I. I love the way in which Sheila makes the reader feel as though they are part of the story and at the heart of the action . That's how I felt anyway. This was one of those stories which did tug on the heartstrings at times and there were several twists and turns along the way.

In short and overall I did enjoy reading 'A Good Enough Mother'. I hope to read much more of Sheila's work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 4* out of 5*.

Jess is a single mum with two young children, juggling various aspects of her life. Sometimes things work out well, and sometimes they don’t. Jess is likeable and relatable as a main character, and I connected with her relatively well. There are some unlikable secondary characters in this storyline, but there are no spoilers here!

The plot twists were well presented, and the fast-paced writing made this an entertaining read. Although it was a little predictable in places, I still enjoyed it.

If you like a storyline that plays with your mind and keeps you intrigued until the conclusion, this is the book for you. It is highly recommended!

A Good Enough Mother by Sheila Norton marks my introduction to this author, and I must say it is a well written novel with compelling characters.

In the story, Jess, a single mother of two young children, faces the challenges of managing her family while working part-time in town. Balancing her responsibilities becomes even tougher when she is offered additional work hours but struggles with childcare. Her new neighbours prove to be kind and trustworthy, leading her to make a crucial decision regarding her children.

Initially, I found the beginning of the book to be a slow build-up, but as the story progressed, I realised it was laying the foundation for what was to come. The plot kept me guessing, and not all my imagined scenarios turned out as expected. The characters felt authentic, resonating with my past experiences and those of my daughter as a young adult. I recommend reading this book, and I eagerly anticipate Sheila's future releases.

The premise of the book was good but I found it fairly repetitive for the first half of the book. I was moved by the plight of the single mother and the choices she had to where her children were concerned. But it made me consider at which point you believe your 4 year old’s “stories”.
I found it slightly unbelievable that Jess would leave the children so often with her neighbours especially over night when needed.
Overall for me this book lacked pace and did not feel very realistic. Underwhelmed.

I haven't read @sheilaann.norton books before but I will definitely read more after reading this beautifully written emotional story. I found Jess so relatable and genuine and I desperate for her to see what a wonderful mother she was. I think this book had such a heartfelt narrative, along with a perfectly pitched element of suspense that kept me turning the pages hoping for a positive conclusion to the story. If you like a family drama with a meaningful message and a strong female lead then this is perfect. #agoodenoughmother @theboldbookclub #netgalley #motherhood #singlemother #sheilanorton

Jess has a lot on her plate. The single mother of two young children she is often harried and overwhelmed. A godsend seems to have been delivered when her downstairs neighbors take an active interest in her and her children providing childcare and support.
Much of the novel is Jess second guessing herself and wondering if Mia’ stories are just tall tales. I thought it was admirable and correct of Jess to follow up on some of the stories but she also seemed very neurotic.
I liked how Jess grew in confidence and wasn’t surprised at the root of the all I’d the stories.
Jess has a much more forgiving heart than I do but I also think much of her magnanimous attitude rested in the fact she relied on Helen and Robert a great deal. However once trust is broken it is hard to restore.
I think Norton effectively captured the hardships of being on your own and the need for back up especially when rearing kids.

When this young woman asks herself is she "good enough" to take care of her children, it will break your heart. The story line eventually proves to her that she is indeed good enough, but it's a tough lesson that takes readers on an emotional journey through her troubled life.