Dark, gripping, and full of jaw-dropping twists, this thriller dives into the complicated and chilling bond between mother and daughter. Carey Baldwin masterfully keeps you on edge, questioning every motive. A must-read for fans of psychological suspense.

This was such a good book. It was a little over 4 stars for me but not quite a 5. The twists were so good and had me guessing throughout the book. And what a great ending. I started questioning if it was going that way but didn't know for sure. Awesome job to Carey Baldwin.

📱E-Book Review📱

Don't Trust Mother
Carey Baldwin

🌟🌟🌟🌟

I love a good psychological thriller and this one had me second guessing from start to finish!

As Ivy comes to terms with the death of her mother, she is shocked when a woman arrives at her door claiming to be her real birth mother.

As the story unravels it's really hard to work out who is telling the truth and who is hiding secrets.

I really liked the multi-pov format which allows us to really get inside the characters heads and see the events in different ways - but the more I read, the more I struggled to work out what was going on.

The characters were not hugely likable - but I think that this was necessary for us to keep our distance and view this without too much emotion.

The writing style created the perfect atmosphere to keep us on edge throughout.
This was a gripping read and I raced through the pages, making my own theories as I went along, but I didn't quite get all the twists and turns.

A great read and I'm sure I'll be grabbing more from this author in the future.



💕Thank you to the author, Bookouture and NetGalley for my ARC copy - this is my honest review 💕

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'Don't Trust Mother' by Carey Baldwin.

WOW!! JUST WOW!!! I WAS NOT EXPECTING THAT EXPLOSIVE ENDING. WHAT A TWIST!!!

This book is extremely well written and the vivid descriptions completely absorb the reader from beginning to end. The cover and synopsis work well with the storyline.

Yet another hugely successful gripping thriller by the extremely talented Carey Baldwin!!! I have yet to come across a book by this fantastic author that is not addictive, page turning and explosive!! This book had me hook, line and sinker from the first page and I could not put it down!!! Every time I said one more chapter it ended on a cliff-hanger and I just had to know what was going on!!! This kept on happened over and over until before I knew it I had devoured the whole book in one sitting!! Each of the chapters are short, gripping and filled with mystery and suspense. If you are going to read this then clear your day because it is truly unputdownable. I started this this morning and finished it at approx. 2pm, reading it in one sitting. This is one of those fascinating books that will have you questioning the characters and yourself throughout!!! You have no idea who to believe and if any other of them can be trusted!!! You really do just have to grab your copy of this superb page turner today to find out more for yourselves!!! It is ram packed with twists, turns and surprises you'll never see coming. I definitely didn't and I have read hundreds of crime and psychological books so a HUGE CONGRATULATIONS Carey!!! It is getting harder and harder to surprise me but you managed it in this successful, chilling and page turning psychological thriller!!! Grab your copy and jump on the rollercoaster ride of secrets, family, suspense, drama, twists, thrills, mystery and everything you could ask for in an epic page turner!!! Carey's fantastic and evocative writing skills ensures you are sucked into the lives of the characters feeling your heart pounding and the hair on your arms raise. This book is rammed with suspense and tension and will keep you biting your nails, on the edge of your seat with your heart pounding while your flipping the pages because you just cant stop. I loved the fantastic ending that left me wanting to pick up more of Carey's books and get stuck straight in.

Clear your schedules and get sucked in to this gripping page turner today!

The authors evocative writing skills brings each of the characters to life and leaves you feeling that you are standing next to them as their story unfolds and lives start to tumble around them. Each of the characters were realistic, well rounded and strong characters which makes it a realistic read. All the characters were strong and realistic as well as hiding their own secrets. I was completely invested in each and every one of them. Carey does a fantastic job of weaving the multiple protagonist perspectives of Ivy, Sandra and Kathleen together perfectly to ensure the reader gets a bigger picture of what is going on without giving anything away until Carey is ready to. Although many of the characters were flawed as well as unlikeable this made them all the more realistic!!! It is rare for me to become so invested in unlikeable characters but the storyline was so addictive I just could not put it down!!!! There were flaws, secrets and so much more you have no idea who to trust and what the truth really is!!! Carey makes you question each and every one of the characters throughout!!! I don't want to risk saying more about how I felt about the characters as I don't want to give anything away to future readers but I will say that I was annoyed, angry, upset, disappointed at the different ones for many different reasons!! Regardless of whether you love them or hate them they each played their parts perfectly!!!

Overall an addictive and gripping emotional rollercoaster of secrets, family, suspense, tension and everything you could want in a gripping thriller!!

#DontTrustMother #CareyBaldwin #Bookouture #BookoutureAnonymous
@CareyBaldwin @Bookouture @BookoutureAnonymous


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Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC (Advance Reader Copy) of Don't Trust Mother by Carey Baldwin. This is my first book by this author. This was a twisty read with lots to unpack and sort through. There were many subtle changes that kept this story unique. It was a fun and easy read. It was a psychological thriller full of secrets and jaw dropping reveals. The ending surprised me! I would recommend this book and I gave it a 4 star rating. #Bookouture

Mother or menace??
I thought Sandra was awful pushy but that was only scratching the surface.
Was anyone capable of telling the truth in this story???
I couldn’t fathom why parents would go to such lengths to paint a deceptive picture until little clues began dropping and it turns out one of the liars was actually telling the truth unbeknownst to her because she’d been hired to lie.
Jumbled weave of truth and truth tampering. But a family emerges!

Don’t Trust Mother by Carey Baldwin is a sharp, twist-packed thriller that keeps readers guessing until the very end. From the first chapter, Baldwin sets the tone for a tense, emotionally charged story where nothing—and no one—can be taken at face value. Just when you think you have it figured out, another layer peels back to reveal something even darker.

Baldwin’s writing is immersive and richly detailed, drawing readers into a world filled with secrets, lies, and psychological tension. The pacing is pitch-perfect, with just the right amount of suspense building in each chapter. The twists are not only shocking but cleverly executed, demanding the reader’s full attention to every subtle clue along the way.

This is the kind of thriller that keeps you up late reading “just one more chapter.” Don’t Trust Mother is a chilling, well-crafted psychological ride and a must-read for anyone who craves an unpredictable, gripping story. Carey Baldwin delivers once again.

Ivy's life seems to be perfect. She has a loving husband, a gorgeous house, and a family that gives her everything she has ever wanted. All that changes when Sandra Steele knocks on her door claiming to be her biological mother. As far as Ivy knew, her mom died in an accident 6 months ago. But with Sandra's appearance, everything changes. The police reopen the investigation into her mother's death and Ivy begins to find flaws in Sandra's story. Sandra claims that Ivy's mother, Patsy, was going to tell her the truth, but now she has to rely on a stranger and the family she thought she knew so well, to tell her what's going on. Can Ivy find out what's fact from fiction? Especially while she's hiding her own secrets?

Don't Trust Mother delivers on the suspense but it didn't quite land for me. The setup is intriguing and sounds promising and Baldwin does do a great job building up the tension. My main problem was how some of the twists are way too predictable so it felt like the impact was dulled instead of shocking. The character development also felt a bit uneven to me, especially with the secondary characters. Overall, I did find it an entertaining read, I just wasn't feeling it as much as I thought that I would.

Thank you to NetGalley, Carey Baldwin, and Bookouture for this ARC! Publication date is July 22nd 2025.

This book has so many twists especially towards the end that makes it a enjoyable read. I managed to read it in two days it was that good. Highly recommend.

Don't Trust Mother by Carey Baldwin is a fast-paced and exciting read! I thoroughly enjoyed Carey Baldwin's style of writing and how well the book flowed.
The characters are fully fleshed out and real.
It was well written and had just the right amount of suspense and build up.
Excellent writing and an absolute must read.

Ivy gets a knock at the door and sees a woman who looks similar to her. The woman says she is Ivy’s birth mother. Only as she gets to know her she sees holes in her story. Is she really her mother or I s she hiding something? Ivy sets about to find out.

I liked the premise of this one as it sounded like a fun concept. I enjoy books that keep me guessing, where I don’t know who to trust. This book did do that and had lots of twists and turns. There are also quite a few unlikeable characters, although I found I didn’t really connect to them. The story takes a while to get started and I found the pacing a bit slow. Even though this wasn’t a favourite read, it was still an interesting enough story. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy in return for an honest review.

This book is twisty, chilling, and deliciously unsettling throughout. It had me suspicious and second guessing every motive, memory, and “Mother.”

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC! absolutely LOVED this book. I was hooked from the first few pages and could not put it down. Lots of twists and turns and didn’t expect any of them. This was a fast-paced, super engaging thriller that will keep you on your toes from start to finish. *4.5 stars* Also left this review on goodreads and Fable!

A really enjoyable read, I loved all of the twists and turns and the story unfolded nicely. The first half of the book is much stronger than the second half in my opinion.

Found I didn't really gel with any of the characters but that didn't take away from the reading experience, I certainly didn't trust any of the characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me this ARC.

A book filled with unlikeable characters and you aren't sure who is telling the truth and who is lying. Ivy is devastated after her mother past unexpectedly in a car accident. She is bereft with grief and having difficulty moving on. Her husband Clayton keeps her dosed up on pills and tries to help her. you wonder is her really a doting husband or something more sinister?

Then Sandra Steele shows up at the door claiming to be Ivy's biological mother. This news comes as a shock to Ivy as she didn't know she was adopted. Sandra Steele claims Ivy's mom was going to tell her the truth the night of the accident. Ivy is shocked and talks with Becky Walters a staff member who has been like a second mother to her. Becky tells her to give Sandra a chance.

Sandra showing up starts a catalyst of chaos. Ivy isn't sure anymore who is telling the truth and who is lying to her. Hang on to your seat as once the drama starts unfolding it is one wild ride until the end.

Don’t Trust Mother was not at all the book I was expecting - and honestly, that made the experience even better. I follow the author, Carey Baldwin, on social media and had seen posts teasing this release. Aside from the striking cover and the line “She says you’re her daughter. She’s lying…right?”, I went in pretty blind.

This isn’t a super dark thriller full of nonstop violence or shocking gore - it’s more of a “thriller-lite,” and that’s exactly what I needed. It served as a perfect palate cleanser while still delivering plenty of suspense, a strong plot, and twists that kept me guessing. I was constantly reworking my theories, which is always a sign of a compelling story.

The characters are mostly unlikable and deeply suspicious - so many bad decisions - but if you’re willing to suspend a bit of disbelief and go along for the ride, it’s well worth it. This was my first read by Carey Baldwin, and I’m excited to dive into more of her work.

One thing I really appreciated: the author doesn’t wait until the end to hit you with twists. She drops bombshells early on, and I found myself open-mouthed more than once in the first half alone.

Ivy, the main character, is sweet and naive, grieving the recent loss of her mother. Her father and husband treat her like she might break at any moment - and then a strange woman shows up on their doorstep, claiming to be Ivy’s real mother. That’s when everything spirals into a chaotic and wild unraveling. From questions surrounding her mother’s “accidental” death to shocking truths about Ivy’s adoption, nothing is quite what it seems. Nearly every character - Sandra, her father, her husband, the lawyer, her maid - is hiding something.

Poor Ivy! You want to protect her, yet she proves she’s stronger than she seems. As she starts digging for the truth, the story ramps up with secrets, dead bodies, mysterious “accidents,” gaslighting, and a growing sense of paranoia. The twists keep coming - each more shocking than the last - leading up to a final reveal. I loved watching Ivy rise to the occasion and come into her own. I also loved the way some familial stories were tied up.

I would definitely recommend this one.

This story definitely reeled me in right from the beginning. I liked Ivy but was unable to relate to Sandra. I wish that there would have been more character development in the beginning but the suspense kept me intrigued. The ending was satisfying for me. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!

Oh my gosh this book was incredible! This gripping page-turner left me second guessing every single character as the story unfolded. Talk about family secrets! Don’t Trust Mother truly is an unputdownable thriller — I read the entire thing in one sitting!

This book was a great suspenseful read. One of those heart-pounding thrillers where you need to know what’s going to happen but don’t want it to end as it’s so good.

I was hooked from page 1 and flipped pages long into the night! There was so many twists and turns in this spectacular, heart pounding, pull your hair out by the roots, throw your Kindle into the fire good book!

I loved it! I will not forget this one for a long time it’s definitely a MUST READ!

A massive ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ from me!

This book was very twisty and so very good. I thought I knew how it was going to happen, but everything I thought was revealed in the first 15% of the book. I was shocked, my jaw opened a few times, there were a few gasps and that ending was just so fitting.