This book was a pleasant surprise.
I thoroughly enjoyed it, as it was a quick read and a good time.

I was expecting a psychological thriller but that isn't what this is... it is more emotional drama than thriller. One of the biggest drawbacks for me was the lack of likable characters. I didn't like or care enough about anyone to finish this. The story also moved too slowly.

I thought this was going to be a great book, the synopsis sounded GREAT! but it really was a miss for me.
I didnt connect with the characters. They weren't very likeable.

Overall its an easy read. I wouldnt say its quick paced but it's on the shorter side anyway.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

⭐ Rating: 4/5

📚 Overview
Claire Allan delivers a chilling and emotionally charged thriller in The Perfect Mother. The story revolves around Mel, a doula who finds herself at the center of public outrage after a tragic childbirth. Seeking a fresh start with her family, she moves to a new town, only to realize that the past isn’t so easy to leave behind. With an unknown figure watching her every move, her life spirals into paranoia, fear, and a desperate fight for survival.

🧐 What I Loved
✔ Deep Dive into Motherhood & Guilt — The novel brilliantly captures the emotional burden that comes with being a mother, especially when things go wrong. Mel’s struggle with guilt and societal judgment felt raw and real.
✔ Psychological Tension — The book kept me hooked with its eerie atmosphere. The feeling of being watched, the subtle manipulations, and the slow-burning tension were executed well.
✔ Complex Characters — Mel’s vulnerability made her an easy character to empathize with, while the antagonist’s motivations added depth to the story rather than making them a one-dimensional villain.

🤔 What Could Be Better
🔹 Pacing Issues — While the first half had a strong buildup, there were moments where the story dragged, making me wish for a quicker escalation of events.
🔹 Somewhat Predictable Twists — As a frequent thriller reader, I saw some revelations coming, but they were still satisfying in execution.

✨ Final Thoughts
The Perfect Mother is a gripping thriller that explores the dark side of motherhood, judgment, and the fear of losing control. Though not entirely unpredictable, it delivers an engaging and emotional read with strong character work. Perfect for fans of domestic thrillers like The Push or The Girl on the Train.

📌 Would I recommend it? Yes, especially if you enjoy psychological thrillers that focus on motherhood, social perceptions, and creeping paranoia.

The Perfect Mother tells the story of Mel, who had been working as a doula. After the death of a baby during birth, her life became a nightmare, with the parents blaiming her for everything that had happened. Now, pregnant with her own baby and trying to move on, she still seems to be facing anger and threats from Alice, the woman who lost her baby during child birth.
This is a tense book and I think for anyone who has ever been pregnant it will play into all of the fears they faced (and probably add a few more). I was desperate to know how things were going to turn out. I did guess most of what was going to happen and who was involved in it all. It didn't matter though as this was a gripping read and one that I wasn't keen to put down.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.

From the very first page, The Perfect Mother had me hooked. This psychological thriller is packed with suspense, and the tension only builds as the story unfolds.

All she wanted was to help women become mothers. But one woman turned that dream into a nightmare…

When Alice Monroe’s world shattered, she blamed the person who had been trying to help her. She wanted revenge, and she did not stop until she ruined her. Business destroyed, reputation in tatters—she lost everything. A fresh start in the countryside should have been the answer. But Alice was never going to let her move on.

This book is full of clever red herrings and unexpected twists. Just when I thought I had figured it out, Claire Allan threw in another surprise. The psychological tension, the sense of unease, and the emotional depth kept me completely gripped.

If you love a thriller that keeps you guessing, The Perfect Mother is a must-read. I could not put it down!

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

Mel was a doula and Alice is her client and they instantly connect. But the day that should have been Alice’s happiest, turned into a nightmare. And after Alice’s dreams were shattered, she blamed me. A great read

I really enjoyed this and was throughly kept on the edge of my seat all the way through. I felt it was well paced and had some amazing charecrer developments throughout

★★★☆☆

This was a good book overall, though fairly predictable for the most part—except for the twist at the end, which was a nice surprise. The main character was frustratingly naive, which made some parts a bit frustrating to read. Still, it was enjoyable enough to keep me engaged. A solid 3-star read!

Thanks to NetGalley & Boldwood books for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. First time reading anything by Clair Allan but it certainly won’t be my last. Keeps you guessing until the end. Loved it!

I enjoyed this book and it certainly does have a twist at the end. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

I really wanted to like this, but it just didn’t work for me. There were a few decent moments, but the pacing was off, and the characters didn’t feel fully developed. It had potential, but it missed the mark.

Thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I loved this book and read it in one sitting. I could not put it down, I had to know what would happen. I would definitely recommend this book.

I loved this story and right up to the end I was on the edge of my seat! This was my kind of book with characters that you love to hate and nonstop action. There was so much going on and I loved every second of it. If you like a twisty thriller, this one is for you.
Many thanks to the author, Boldwood Books and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

** spoiler alert ** When a situation doesn’t go the way it should have, Alice and her young family move away where she feels that life can be better. But Alice still gets threatening things happening and she is unsure of how and why it is happening when no one knew where she went.

Social media has a lot to answer for when Alice gets injured and is put under a lot of stress.

This story is a gripping thriller type story that keeps you on your toes on what will happen next.

Another twisted read that had me up until stupid o clock so I could finish it. This is about a young mother who worked as a birth doula and strikes up a friendship with her new client Alice. When Alice’s birth does not go as expected it sets off a chain of events that will destroy everyone involved. As Mel and her family have to flee their home and set up somewhere else it seems her past will not let her be and now she is heavily pregnant with her own baby and this is making the trolls even more dangerous. She is convinced it’s Alice who is to blame and doesn’t know what to do to keep her family safe. As she starts to not trust anyone near her will the stress cause her to not only loose her baby but maybe herself as well. Love this book!

A fantastic book by Claire Allan. It was a pleasure reading this thank you
The story and the plot was so well written that I couldn’t stop reading. It’s definitely a ‘one sitting read ‘ for sure.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Great book! Full of twists and turns. A real who done it. It kept me reading and interested late in to the night.

Definitely worth a read!

I was intrigued by the synopsis and looked forward to reading it. Unfortunately the book didn't like up to its promise. Not really a thriller as such, more of an emotional drama/soap opera style episode. None of the characters were particularly likeable. Mel certainly wasn't very bright and I could feel myself getting very annoyed with her. A lot of repetition and padding which would have been better thnned out pacing the book much faster. A predictable ending and all a bit "gushy gushy aren't babies wonderful" which was a bit hard to take.

The Perfect Mother is a gripping psychological thriller that kept me hooked from the very beginning. Mel is pregnant and essentially has to pick up her life and change everything from her career as a doula to moving to a new town to pulling her daughter out of preschool due to being scared for her life. All because of a woman named Alice and the hate she spread after a home birth went wrong and ended the worst way.

While I felt for Alice and what she went through, Mel didn’t deserve all of the hate she received nor the threats. I struggled to understand why Mel was so willing to forgive as easily as she contemplated. I really enjoyed her character and felt like I was immersed in the story with her feelings.

The twist at the end was not entirely unexpected in that I figured something similar would happen but I wasn’t expecting the entirety of it. I look forward to reading more from Claire Allan.