This was my first book my the author and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was such a fast addictive read, perfect for my thriller lovers. It was perfectly surprising, a must for thrillers.

I can't wait to read more my her.

Mel was a doula for Alice . However a tragedy happens forcing Mel and her family to have to move away. Mel still finds she is being targeted but who is targeting her ? Mel is pregnant with a baby boy .

The book is emotional and hooked me in .

The book explores the painful topic of grief and the loss of a baby.

Firstly a big thank you for my early access to read and review .
I love Claire’s writing so was eager to get started on this one.
As I submitted my uni work this week I had some extra reading time .
This is an intriguing suspense tale that will have you feeling haunted and anxious !
Who can be trusted ?
Captivating and fascinating subject and definitely food for thought as to what would you do in that situation .
Incredibly fast paced and thrilling
A fantastic psychological thriller on the nightmare of parenting, grief ,friendships ,fresh start and new beginnings

This is a great psychological thriller that will have you hooked from start to finish. A story of guilt, grief and the complexities of motherhood, this book will have you dropping everything else, not a book that is easy to put down. If you have previously read any of Claire's books then you will know what to expect with this latest one, if not then what are you waiting for - this will not disappoint if you love psychological thrillers.

A book you won't want to put down once you pick it up. Reading this book in one sitting is absolutely possible. If I didn't have work and a family to take care of, I would have sat and finished this book in one sitting for sure. The plot twists had me picking my jaw up off of the floor. This might just be my new favorite psychological thriller.

This was an engaging psychological thriller with a strong emotional core. The tension between the two women kept me hooked, and the eerie, isolated setting added to the suspense. I liked how the story explored themes of grief, obsession, and motherhood, but some parts felt a bit repetitive, and I didn’t find all the twists as shocking as I hoped. Still, it was a fast-paced and entertaining read.

The book was so good it was a little predictable but in the end I didn't see either the twists coming would recommend

I've read and enjoyed several of Allan's previous books, so have become acquainted with her writing style and knew I was in for a wild ride!

I was immediately drawn into the story, the prologue alone had me sold. The pace is fast and frantic, and the twists didn't disappoint.

Allan's characters were three dimensional and entirely credible making the whole experience more engrossing.

The Perfect Mother is an enjoyable and engaging bingeworthy thriller

The Perfect Mother definitely started off as an intriguing premise, but ultimately, it just really wasn't what I had been expecting.
I had expected it to be more of a psychological thriller, but honestly, it turned out to be more of a drama. It wasn't nearly as sinister or as thrilling as I had wanted it to be.
The pacing wasn't the best. It started off as a very slow burn, and then that ending was so rushed.. it was over before I really processed what was happening. The ending was also very predictable.
I am normally a huge fan of this author, but unfortunately, this one was just not for me.

Thank you, Netgalley, for allowing me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

What is a Doula?. the definition is specific in that it is not a medically trained person. This book is a brilliant read. I devoured this book and could not put it down... a unique storyline with an ending I wasn't expecting,
I Highly Recommend this book with five stars

Mel is a doula who was hired by Alice to see her through her pregnancy and birth, Mel made sure that Alice was aware of Mel's expectations and also limitation, so when Alice tragically lost her baby boy all fingers pointed to Mel despite what happened not being anything that she had done. Alice and her husband Thomas didn't see it as being other than Mel's fault and went on a disparaging rampage to ruin Mel's business and reputation. As soon I started this book and read that Mel was a doula I really felt for her being caught up in Alice losing her baby, but also I have a wishy washy feeling of not really believing a doula is a good idea to begin with - but that is just my opinion. Mel didn't deserve the treatment she got from Alice but I get that she had to direct her hurt and grief at someone and Mel was supposed to be there to support Alice.

Mel's world was torn form her and discovering she was newly pregnant, she along with her husband Ed and daughter Tilly decide to move to the remote Derry countryside to get a fresh start, only it isn't long before anonymous threats begin to dredge her past back up.

I found this a to be a bit of slow paced book despite what was going on and I did struggle to connect to Mel in some way, that being said she did not deserve the hate and vitriol directed at her and to be honest I had guessed who was behind it all but still seeing it all play out made me keep reading.

I think my main issue with the book is the genre it was listed as. It was listed as mystery/thriller, but there wasn't a lot of mystery. This was an emoptional read showing the impact of traumatic childbirth on parents.

I think Mel was portrayed to harshly unfortunately as I think we were supposed to see heras a bad person, but all I could see was a grieving mother trying to find some answers and I felt sorry for her more than anything else.

The Perfect Mother is one of those reads that hooked me from the very beginning.
A few years back Mel gave up her career as a teacher to become a Doula supporting women when they are giving birth. However when something goes tragically wrong Mel’s business and her reputation are ruined. Her and her husband Ed and four year old daughter Tilly move house over 100 miles from where they lived.
Thinking being away from the area will help them move on things don’t always work out like that and the nightmare for Mel is only going to get worse. Psychological thrillers are one of my absolute favourite genres and this book in my opinion is up there with the best of them. The characters were all excellently described and I loved Tilly. This was a tense and gripping read with plenty of twists and turns that had me gasping out loud at times. The final few chapters I couldn’t read quickly enough and my heart was literally in my mouth at times.

This book had me hooked. I could not put it down. I love how the plot twist takes place until the every end, which had you clueless and guessing through out. My emotions were all over the place just like Mel, I really felt what she was feeling. Stressed and all. It shows that you have to trust your gut instincts and never take anything for granted. I wish there were a few more chapters at the end but all in all highly recommended book.

Thank you NetGalley, the author and the publisher, for the advance copy for an honest review.

Grief can do strange things to a person especially when the loss is tragic.
I thought the torpedo campaign against Mel was horrible and very realistic. However, I thought she was crazy for reaching out to Alice and trying to mend fences.
Sheila was way too obtrusive and snoopy.
I didn’t figure out who was behind the creepy stuff but I knew there had to be a connection.
I thought the idea of emigrating sounded good.
I did want to know what happened to the culprits.

Mel is a doula, hired for one thing, support. When a baby dies due to birthing complications Mel is blamed despite doing nothing wrong. Not only is she being blames by the parents, but she's been kicked out of the birthing community entirely and loses her business.

The Perfect Mother is a well told psychological thriller. It starts off a little slow but picks up at around 40% and speeds forwards until the big reveals. It's a well-crafted story where you really can't trust anyone. You will be questioning and suspecting everyone.

Overall, I really enjoyed this one and definitely recommend it. If you have trigger warnings surrounding pregnancy and/or infant death then skip this one, otherwise check it out.

Thank you to the author, Claire Allan, and Rachel's Random Resources for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

The Perfect Mother by Claire Allan is a tense and chilling psychological thriller that explores obsession, revenge, and the lengths one woman will go to destroy another’s life. When the protagonist, a passionate supporter of motherhood, becomes entangled with Alice Monroe, their bond soon turns dark after Alice’s dreams are shattered. As the protagonist’s life unravels, she seeks a fresh start in a remote countryside, only to find herself haunted by Alice’s relentless desire for revenge. Filled with suspense and a sense of impending danger, this gripping novel will keep readers hooked until the final page.

I’ve enjoyed many of the author’s thrillers so was looking forward to reading The Perfect Mother. Mel was a doula but after a tragedy involving one of her clients, Alice, she loses her business and reputation and relocates to the Derry countryside with her husband and three year old daughter.
The novel quickly drew me in and I was intrigued by both the characters of Mel and Alice. However I did find the plot moved slowly and much of it was focused on Mel’s emotional world which became quite intense and repetitive. The pace did pick up towards the ending which then became a little rushed. A mixed read.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

Mel has been hounded out of town. Her business is in tatters, she’s lost everything except her family so they’ve moved with no forwarding address. But the woman who destroyed has found her and Mel feels threatened understandably. Can she cope with another onslaught given she’s 8 months pregnant?

I really felt for Mel. All she wants to do is offer a different kind of support when someone is bringing a new life into the word. Not medical support, more alternative, hypnobirthing. I’m in awe anyone who can give birth without pain relief but my two weren’t small!

I really didn’t trust Alice – maybe I’ve read too many thrillers to not trust the person I expected not to trust. I could be wrong but there were little things that made me uneasy. Maybe it was the way she destroyed the one person who was trying to help her.

Allan has written a tense domestic based thriller with twists and turns aplenty. The emotions she packed in to the story for both Mel’s current predicament and Alice’s grief and hatred. Based on this, Allan’s back catalogue is going on my purchase list asap!

First, I want to thank Claire Allan, Boldwood Books, Rachel’s Random Resources and NetGalley for providing me with this book so I can bring you this review.

If you are looking for a book that is a combination of psychological thriller and emotional read then you must check out The Perfect Mother by Claire Allan. Oh I knew this was going to be an emotional read just from the cover and the description of the book. However, what I was not expecting was how twisted it was going to be!

Claire automatically tugs on my heartstrings within the first few lines of the prologue. It kept getting better from there.

The Perfect Mother educated me on hyopobirthing and freebirthing as I had never heard never heard these terms or situations before. That aspect of the story was an interesting one.

Tilly pulled on my heart strings as she was an adorable child throughout the book.