✨✨BOOK REVIEW✨✨
Imagine you have it all. A gorgeous, charismatic husband, an incredibly successful career, political office on the horizon, and provides unwavering love and support to his family. You are the mother to a set of twins, both smart and talented in their own way, with a close relationship. You have a beautiful house, a wardrobe one could only dream of, unlimited money at your disposal, and not a care in the world. There is nothing to want. But the perception of your fairytale life is a sham when the public is not around. The facade of what appears to be crumbles.

Meet Lia. The mom of twins, married to the love of her life. She is a dedicated wife, a mother of twins, and a valued community member. She gives so much of herself to her children’s school, her husband’s campaign, and her self-care. It appears she has it all. Her world is not as perfect as people believe.

Meet Jen, Lia’s best friend in high school until they had a falling out when Lia began to date Jay. Fast forward years ahead. They are now neighbors, with daughters of their own who are best friends. Their daughter’s, Willow and Alex, are always together, along with Willow’s brother Simon, who tags along.

Unlike the way Lia’s life appears, Jen’s is not so easy. She works long hours, keeping their family’s head floating above water to make ends meet. Jen has tremendous pressure on many levels. She feels like a rubber band being pulled to the point of breaking, until one day life just SNAPS. Jen’s family circle comes undone when the girls’ lifelong friendship spins completely out of control.

I loved A Good Mother! I could have devoured this in one sitting, if I had endless time to read. Dunne immersed me in the lives of the characters, feeling as though I was a silent character myself between the pages. Upon the completion of each chapter, I wanted to race to the next. Dunne crafted a fantastic story, one I hope you will read and experience the same need to page flip late into the night! If you have not read a book by Dunne, put this on your TBR!

Thank you to Net Galley and Storm Publishing for providing me with the opportunity to read this book. All opinions are my own.

How far will you go to protect your family?

Two mothers. Two daughters. One devastating truth.

Alex Blake was terrified of water since she nearly drowned at age five. So when police find her body in the river and rule it a suicide, her mother, Jen refuses to believe it.

The police dismiss her. Her husband thinks she's in denial. Even their neighbours, the Higgins family, urge her to accept the truth and move on. But something isn't right. Why was Alex messaging Lia Higgins, Jen's former best friend, the day she died?
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It’s been a while since I read a really good psychological thriller! It’s fast paced, suspenseful and will keep you hooked. Although some of the topics can be difficult, it’s worth the read.. especially how realistic the author was able to make it.
If you’re in a reading slum, I would definitely recommend picking A Good Mother.

Thank you NetGalley and Storm publishing for the ARC.

Released on 29th April 2025 (am late in writing the review - was away on holiday 🫣).

‼️content warning: coercive control, rape, suicide, bullying, domestic abuse, eating disorders, violence.

This is a fascinating look at an emotionally-charged situation that gets out of hand easily. Jen and Lia used to be best friends and now live across the street from each other even though Jen's ex-husband is now married to Lia. But when Jen's daughter, Alex is found dead in the water, Jen is ure something is suspicious as Alex was deathly afraid of water. And so begins a tale of jealousy, greed, backstabbing, and political motives. Loved this novel!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

This is an emotionally-charged thriller about what a good mother is and how far people will go for their loved ones. I love the neighborhood and family drama in this! I finished it in one afternoon - couldn't put it down. Highly recommend.

Thank you, Netgalley, for the ARC! All opinions are my own.

Will definitely review in my upcoming reading wrap-up and future recommendation videos!

This is the most heartbreaking book I’ve read in a while. Check triggers before starting. The storyline was good and kept my attention. Some parts got a little slow but it was to slowly build up emotion for the ending. The last 25% of the book I couldn’t put it down. I had to finally get answers. This story brings important issues to light and reminds parents to really get involved with their kids. It also reminds us that not everything you see is reality. People show you what they want you to see. Always look deeper.

This was different than other thrillers that I've read recently and I thoroughly enjoyed it. There was a twist that I did not see coming but thought was done very well, and not thrown in out of left field. The grieving mother had a lot of relatable thoughts to me as a mom of 2 and I found myself really drawn into her story.
Would recommend to many of my fellow readers!

Such a great thriller but with some heavy emotional topics! Two mothers with children who are great friends start seeing their children and their friendships breaking away. It seems all things are off limits when the mom’s get involved trying to help their daughters and figure out what’s going on with their friendship! This is one I definitely couldn’t put down until I finished it!! Thank you NetGalley for the arc!

A Good Mother by Michelle Dunne was a very complex story between Two mothers. Two daughters. and One devastating truth that will shock you. This was a book was a very emotionally and you will need tissues or your sleeve as I did at the beginning! It was a very powerful read, I found hard to put it down especially as I wanted to find out what happened next.

Alex Blake was so terrified of water, and had been since she nearly drowned at the young age of five. So when police found her body in the river and rule it a suicide. Her mother Jen knows they’re wrong., she would never go near water! But no one will listen to a grieving mother.

The police dismiss her. Now, her husband thinks she’s in denial. Even their neighbours, the Higgins family, urge her to accept the truth and move on. But deep down she knows something isn’t right. . . . . . .

Why was Alex messaging Lia Higgins, Jen’s former best friend, the day she died?

Why is Lia now so desperate to shut down Jen’s questions?

Something is not sitting right!!!!!

Now, the more Jen digs into her perfect family next door, the more she realises Alex was keeping secrets, Big secrets! and these are Dangerous ones.
Someone knows what really happened to her daughter, the day she drowned! . They’re determined to keep Jen from uncovering the truth, and they will do anything to hide the truth of that day!

WoW this was so Good!

I highly recommend A Good Mother a great holiday read, make sure you are in the shade where no one can see you and you have waterproof mascara on!

Big Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for my ARC.

A Good Mother by Michelle Dunne grabbed me from the very beginning and didn’t let go until the end.
I loved the tension of this book, and the author captured the creepy feel.
I was hooked from the very beginning and COULD NOT put it down. There was so much to learn as you kept reading to learn more, so many characters had secrets and you don't know who to trust.
The twists, they didn't stop...it was bombshell after bombshell followed by plenty of jaw dropping moments that I wasn't expecting!

As a mom, oh boy did this pull at my heart strings. The characters also made me SO MAD and frustrated. I felt all the feelings while reading this. 10000% recommend!

wow!!!! this was an amazing thriller and completely had me on the edge of my seat!!!! absolutely loved it!!!!

A great, twisty thriller! I had never read s book by this author before but I cannot wait to read more! It was fast paced and really enjoyable!

Just finished A Good Mother by Michelle Dunne and I’m still sitting with it—gripping, raw, and haunting in all the right ways. This isn’t just a thriller; it’s a gut-punch of a story about justice, loyalty, and the fierce, complicated love that drives us. Every page simmers with tension, and the lead? A force of nature. If you’re into thrillers with heart and grit, this one’s not to be missed.

An astonishingly good read!

Every parent’s worst nightmare unfolds in this emotionally charged and heart wrenching tale. Right from the offset you are at the edge of the waterfront whilst Alex’s body is being recovered from the river. From there you’re flung back in time to 3 months before where we follow Alex throughout her life in the days building up to her untimely death. I loved how the author chose to tell this story from multiple perspectives. It added an extra dimension to the tragedy and redirected the focus not just on Alex but the rift between the families and each characters own turmoil.

I’ve not read this author before but wow am I glad I did! I was searching for a good book and saw that this had been highly rated and I can confirm that it deserves all the stars!

Thanks to NetGalley for my advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

This book was okay. Not amazing but not bad either. I was shocked at the twist at the end and was not expecting that. The author definitely kept me intrigued. I think I didn’t really connect with the characters.

Every parents nightmare!!!!
Firstly, I thoroughly enjoyed this book by Michelle, the plot was great and the twists and turns were fab.

This book goes into the world of teenagers, parents and bullying at school.. It’s a book that makes you think: What would you do in that situation, and at what length would you go to protect your child.
The book flowed brilliantly, the characters were easy to understand and the author wrapped the entire book up perfectly.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers and Michelle Dunn for the early access to read A Good Mother for my honest review.

Amazing thrillers that got me hooked from the start. Compelling from the start, Michelle doesn't disappointed. It was so fast-paced to read.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

I loved this thriller! It is fast paced, multiple points of views and a great ending!

The story follows 2 families who live in a cul-de-sac, with children of similar ages. The first chapter of the book is one of the families losing their daughter in a drowning, and then the story reminds to before the drowning and what led up to it.

I loved this book and will be recommending it to multiple people!

This was my first read by Michelle Dunne. I really enjoyed this thriller. I felt it was fast-paced, emotional and gripping. If you want a book that will keep you guessing, give this one a try!

This book totally blew my mind! This psychological thriller is about two mothers (Jen and Lia), and their daughters, (Alex and Lia's other daughter), gets suspenseful right from the start. You think you know where it's going, but NO... you don't!

The story kicks off with a tragedy. And that's Alex's death. Her mother Jen, refuses to accept as suicide.

WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THIS BOOK:
Seeing Jen desperately try to find the truth, even though everyone else (like Lia and the Higgins family), tells her she's wrong... makes things really tense. You can feel how frustrated and determined Jen is as she starts noticing inconsistencies and strange connection between Alex and Lia. There's a weird link between the two.

As Jen looks closer at the Higgins family's perfect life, all these secret layers start coming off. And WOW!!! Some of them are really messed up! You'll keep wondering why everyone is doing what they're doing and suspecting almost every person in the book. Michelle Dunne (the author) does an amazing job of building this crazy suspense that keeps you glued to the pages. It will make you really want to find out what Alex was HIDING.

This book isn't just a mystery. It's also a sad, tragic exploration at being a mom, being friends, and being betrayed. Jen goes through some intense emotions. And the shocking truths you find out will stick with you even after you finish the book. If you want a book you can't put down and that will keep you guessing the whole time, you should definitely read this one!

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NOTE: This is my personal opinion about the book. My goal is to share my experience, not to change anyone's perspective. Thank you to Netgalley and Storm Publishing for giving me the opportunity to read this early.