Thank you for providing me with a copy of this book to read. I found it emotional, and a very sensitive topic to cover. A good plot which details the lengths people are stretched to when facing such a diagnosis. Recommended read.

This was an emotional read as a new mother finds out her newborn baby girl has cystic fibrosis. She puts all her energy into researching the condition and distances herself from her family and friends and husband as she struggles to come to terms with the diagnosis herself. You can imagine it’s an all too real situation in real life not wanting to believe what you have been told. It’s a good read albeit an emotional one. It also gives you an insight into the struggles you would encounter if you were given life changing news yourself. All in all a good book

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book. I found this a little hard to get into in the beginning. It wasn’t what I expected but it didn’t disappoint. I found it heartbreaking and sad. Good storyline. Well worth a read.

A heart wrenching tale of having a baby with a life threatening illness and the day to day challenges this brings to both parents and them as a couple trying to adapt. I would recommend this book.

This is undoubtedly a well written book, although I do not favour first person novels as they are all tell. The author is obviously well versed in the complications and treatments for CF. I found it difficult to like the main character Cath and most definitely didn't like Richard. My main empathy was with Cath's husband which is not what I imagine the author wanted. The book wasn't what I expected at all.

An incredible read, fast paced, full of well researched material presented with a fictional twist that pulls you through the devastation a genetic disorder creates in a family.

This book shows how little hope there is when a child is diagnosed with cystic fibrosis and how it affects different people different ways. How do you look at your baby and know that you're going to spend their life filling them with medications, giving them physiotherapy and knowing that they'll die young.

Okay there are scientists looking for a cure - but will it be affordable when - if - they manage to find one.

A heartbreaking book.

Cath has just 25 days of 'normality' with her newborn baby, before Mia is diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis. Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disorder that affects mostly the lungs, but also the pancreas, liver, kidneys, and intestine. Long-term issues include difficulty breathing and coughing up mucus as a result of frequent lung infections.

It's easy to see how a couple faced with such a frightening diagnosis would retreat into a corner, as if in war, preparing for battle, apportioning blame on the only ones they can - each other.

Cath and her husband Dave, find it impossible to talk to each other any more (difficult to be in the same room as each other) so Dave finds solace in football matches and a pint with his mates, while Cath joins a CF parental support group. It's here that she meets Richard, who’s daughter also has CF. Richard is handsome and charming and they begin a passionate love affair that puts not only their already precarious marriages in danger, but baby Mia's life in peril too!

This was so well written that it’s difficult to say you didn’t like the characters very much, Cath in particular. She knowingly puts Mia’s life in danger, preferring to put her role as a woman and mistress significantly higher than her role as a mother. She’s undoubtedly selfish, which also happens to describe Richard too, though his selfishness goes off the radar!

The narrative is written entirely from Cath’s perspective, and although we are given a sense of her immediate family’s feelings, it would have been good to see it from Dave’s point of view.

Motherhood can be a difficult and exhausting time anyway, without the stress and anxiety of that precious little bundle who you’ve waited 9 months to meet, being diagnosed with a life limiting disease, and in that respect it’s a distressing and moving read, but the author made this journey so compelling, and so informative, that there was no putting this one down!

* Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins UK for my Arc. I have given an honest unbiased review in exchange *

An interesting read, particularly in terms of the details of cystic fibrosis, and the implications for the family of a sufferer, of which I was unaware. It truly is a terrible condition to have to deal with and I think the author handled this very well, However, I found the characters of Cath and Richard to be thoroughly unlikable and thought they were both very selfish in their actions. Overall, an informative read and I did enjoy it.

I loved this book. It was not what I expected at all.
At first I thought it was a psychological thriller but it was so much more. A really emotional read.the author has got the characters on point and the relationships between them so addictive. I really want through a rollercoaster of emotions with this one. A fantastic story that will stick with me !

I've never read this author or anything like this before, I can honestly say the book and the character's kept me reading, I couldn't put the book down. I didn't want the book to end. The strength and weakness Cath showed through out the book was brilliant

As a new member of RNA’s New Writer’s Scheme busy trying to finish my first draft, I couldn’t wait to read the winning entry of the RNA’s 2018’s Joan Hessayon Award for new writers. With its gorgeous cover and contemporary title as soon as it was announced on NetGalley I requested this ARC straight away.

Although a bit of a slow starter, the story picks up as the characterisation builds, and has a nail-biting climax that you won’t see coming. The author’s in-depth knowledge of cystic fibrosis and the effects of this debilitating illness on the whole family is apparent in the realistic first-person narrative.

My opinion of the protagonist is a divided one. The story is well written and there were times that I did empathise with Cath; being a new mother is exhausting at the best of times, let alone having to deal with Mia’s condition. But she is also incredibly selfish and even when she realises her actions are putting her daughter at risk she can’t stop herself. It’s almost as if she has a dual personality: acting as both the protagonist who goes all out to find out as much as she can about finding a cure for her daughter, and the antagonist whose actions puts Mia’s life in danger. This conflict between the protagonist as a mother, and the protagonist as a woman is what keeps the pages turning.

But if Cath is selfish, then Richard – who she meets at the CF help group, is in another league. He is prepared to lie and put baby Mia at risk rather than admit the truth. But to Cath he represents hope as well as a means of escape.

My favourite character was the protagonist’s husband. Dave just seems to get on with whatever is thrown at him and would have made a good protagonist himself. The narrative is written in first-person from Cath’s perspective throughout. Throwing in a conflicting perspective would have been interesting.

The story is more about the protagonist’s inner journey, and her coming to terms with her daughter’s illness. It also reflects on her relationships with her wider family and her own inner demons irrespective of what she is going through with Mia.


Under literature Love’s rating scheme, this book has been awarded 4 stars for its genre under Women’s fiction. The narrative is well-written, and although the protagonist wasn’t particularly likeable, she was three-dimensional and completely un-stereotypical. There are a few twists and turns towards the end of the novel but I would have liked to have seen a few more thrown in throughout.

This book was my first by this author and will not be my last it is a good read it is a gripping read.
The book was well written and fasted paced in places, loveable characters you can’t help but feel for them a difficult topic Cystic Fibrosis. It is a good storyline and made me cry in places but I did enjoy the book.

Dealing with a subject that is a very difficult one, I found this book to be very enlightening and Informative and utterly compelling. It is a tale of love, both healthy and unhealthy and shows the different facets of the human heart. Tear inducing in places and a tale of uneasy acceptance and the struggle to cope with a child with a very serious life limiting illness. Beautiful and thought provoking.

Cath and Dave have 25 days of pure bliss with their newborn baby, Mia, and then the phone rings and their lives are changed forever. After a routine blood test Mia is diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis. Cath and Dave have a steep learning curve of physio, medication etc which would put a strain on anyone’s relationship. Who would you cope in their situation ?

Soon it all becomes too much and they drift further and further apart. Unable to communicate with each other Cath suddenly finds herself in a situation that could not only destroy her marriage, it could also endanger Mia’s life. What will she do ?

This is a real eye opener about the implications of living with Cystic Fibrosis and the impact this can have on the families involved. A great book with some really emotional parts. A story of family, love, lies, betrayal, illness, and so much more.

Thank you to HarperCollins and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book.

Cath and Dave's daughter is diagnosed with cystic fibrosis.

Dealing with the diagnosis in different ways Dave becomes the practical one while Cath starts going to support groups. It is here that Cath meets Richard, the dad of another girl with CF.

An interesting story about love, responsibility and coming to terms with long term illness.

A fantastic read. Thoroughly enjoyed this and it is not something I would usually pick up. Will look for more from this author in future.

An interesting book that takes you into the lives of parents whose children have cystic fibrosis. It shows that life does not always turn out as you expect to. Highly recommend read

Well i felt mixed emotions reading this book. Its a moving story about a young couple having a child with a life limiting illness. We see their struggles and feel their pain as they try to deal with what is ahead of them. One of them forms a "friendship" with someone from a help group, and this starts the change of everything. A well written story.

At first I thought this was [just] going to be about a new mum’s struggle when her baby is diagnosed with cystic fibrosis and so it is but with emotional twists and chilling turns. It took a little longer than usual to get in to but once I did it had me well and truly hooked. The author has a child with cystic fibrosis and I find it amazing that she could write about something which is so close to her heart and yet give it such a sinister twist. Persevere, it’ll be worth it.

This book is really well written throughout; from the CF diagnosis to the affair to the eventual acceptance of the diagnosis. The story is written from Cath’s perspective and even if the decisions aren’t the sensible ones you find yourself routing for her to get through it and make the right decisions.

Dave and Cath have been trying for babies for years. They had pictured a large house bustling with the noise and clatter of a happy family—several children, four perhaps?—and as the months and years of failed attempts build up the distance from their dreams feels suddenly shorter at the birth of their daughter, Mia. But Mia isn’t all right. Her little face grimaces at feeds. Her sweat tastes of salt.

At only a few weeks old, Mia is diagnosed with cystic fibrosis.

The doors between Dave and Cath, closed over the IVF disappointments and in the dark times after Cath’s father died, form more permanent barriers between the couple making communication, even seeing the other clearly, almost impossible.

Then Cath goes to a cystic fibrosis support group and meets Richard whose own daughter is a teenager. He is overflowing with positivity, hope and vitality. He works with CF charities and encourages Cath to do her part to fight for her cub in the wider world. It’s a fight that brings her into more and more contact with Richard.
To say much more would spoil the novel. Mother encapsulates all the unwieldy emotions of bringing children into the world combined with the despair, blame and guilt of bringing a sick child into the world. Cath’s relationship with her own mother takes the difficult CF diagnosis into a social landscape we can all relate to. To hone these complex emotions into such a compelling narrative is no mean feat and Hannah Begbie has done an excellent job.

Told from Cath’s perspective, filled with the stale hours of silence and regret, rooms empty of everyone but her beautiful young daughter struggling for breath, and flesh raw from endless bouts of cleaning, Mother is a powerful novel that forces us to remember the importance of communication and the need for honesty and self-forgiveness. It’s hard to write honestly about what motherhood feels like, the exhaustion and frustration as well as the love. In Mother, Hannah Begbie has managed to not only do that but also to write about mothering a child with cystic fibrosis. The subject matter won’t appeal to everyone, but if this peaks your interest you won’t be disappointed.

Not my usual style but it came with great reviews so l thought l would give it a try. I’ve never experienced anything thankfully like this the nearest l have come was having a puppy with severe epilepsy and l know that triggered me to learn all l could so l can imagine the impact this diagnosis would cause. I won’t say enjoyable reading but it certainly made me think and empathise and I’m glad l choose this book it will stay with me

I found this book incredibly thought provoking. It was quite a difficult read in some places as my instinct was that Cath should be doing everything she could to care for her child and sometimes her actions did not seem to do this however who can say how you would react? It was well written and really made me think.

What an emotional rollercoaster. I know I'd have been a lot more emotional even than Cath on such a diagnosis to my longed for baby. For once Cath and Dave had allowed themselves to hope, after many miscarriages, that all would go well. And so it seems when their adorable baby is born, but a few days later comes news that any parent dreads. All is not well, and baby Mia has Cystic Fibrosis. So begins a life of disinfecting and learning how to protect their precious girl. They have different approaches and when Cath meets Richard, dad of teenage CF suffere, Rachel, she falls hard. Bringing a whole world of problems you can't imagine. Be prepared to be on an emotional rollercoaster. And I alos feel I learned. #MotherBook #NetGalley

I found this a bit of an uncomfortable read as I have a friend with CF, but I loved that this felt like a huge wave of grief and guilt. This rollercoaster will have you hooked from the first page and is honestly a brilliantly writted family drama/thriller.

Catherine is a blissful mother for 25 days with newborn Mia and doting husband Dave, before the family crumbles under the deadly diagnosis of cystic fibrosis. Celebrations are long forgotten as the harsh reality of the incurable disease sinks in. After withdrawing completely from friends and family, Cath finally steps out of her dark depression into a charity support group, where she meets Richard. Richard has a 15 year old daughter affected by the same condition. He’s a bit of an expert who is championing for treatment and cures, so Richard is exactly what she needs – a dad who is upbeat and positive about the future, with a daughter who is doing just fine despite the illness. They tumble into an intense affair despite the fact that it’s dangerous for parents of children with cystic fibrosis to even touch, as cross contamination could be harming both their children. Putting the lives of both their children at risk, Cath tries to come to terms with her guilt and despair – as her identity as wife and mother is torn apart.

Unfortunately I really didn’t like the main character, Cath. She is clearly depressed and suffering from anxiety, OCD and possibly other mental health issues (armchair psychiatry!) but refuses help from every single person who ever offers. It’s not that the support isn’t available to her, but that she’s so self absorbed and determined to spiral alone that she refuses it. This may be an accurate reflection of how some people deal with the shock, but it’s a depressing read. Above all else I keep being reminded that she is a terrible mother, putting her daughter in danger. She is a terrible wife, cheating on her husband, pushing him away and ignoring his needs. She is a terrible lover to the man she’s having an affair with, so focused on herself that I feel like she was using him because she wanted to punish herself and feel more guilt, without thinking about the fact she was destroying his family in the process. She is mean and rude to her mother and her sister and just all around comes across as the type of person no one wants in their life… a brutal betrayal of a woman hitting rock bottom and dragging everyone around her down with her. I guess it shows that she’s human, flawed.

Mother is dark and depressing throughout, populated with broken characters who will never be able to be put together again. It’s about broken families, broken romance, broken relationships and broken lives – how people deal with them and whether anything can be salvaged in the end. You’ll have to read it yourself to find out whether there is any peace or recovery for any of the characters involved.

I feel like I closed Mother educated and far more aware of cystic fibrosis, but I also came out of it feeling terribly sad, so not a read for anyone who’s feeling down to begin with. Knowing that the author, Hannah Begbie has a child who suffers from cystic fibrosis gives it a very authentic and honest feel and the amount of information about cystic fibrosis was my favourite part of the book – although going in I certainly hadn’t intended to increase my medical knowledge!

At it’s heart, Mother is a book about darkness, depression and despair more than it is about motherhood or parenting. It is a brutal book, informative, emotional and thought-provoking. I’m giving it four stars for a well-written, unique read, but whether I’d recommend it depends a lot on what you’re looking for and your personal situation.

I've given it 4 stars.

This is an utterly heartbreaking and emotional read.
When Cath and Dave’s newborn baby is diagnosed with Cystic fibrosis it puts tremendous strain on their relationship, no longer able to communicate with each other, Cath attends a help group where she meets Richard who also has a child with CF, the mutual connection friendship soon turns into an affair, one that not only threatens her marriage but also puts her baby’s life in jeopardy.
This is a story with lots of ups and downs, a very delicate storyline handled extremely well.
A great read I would highly recommend.

This book was really good and not at all what I expected.The main characters dream of having a baby but when their dream child has a problem their whole world falls apart.It is not a typical happy ending style of book and I think the fact that a lot within it is very realistic,is compelling and you really can identify with the characters.I really can recommend this book,the author is very good at provoking your feelings for the plight of the various characters.Try this book,you won’t regret your choice!

This bittersweet book will leave you thinking about the characters for a long time. I enjoyed this but it pulled at the heart strings and I prefer to be more detached. A must for people who like a weepy!
4/5 on goodreads

Catch had 25 perfect days with her newborn daughter before Mia's deadly illness was diagnosed. As her life implodes, Cath's despair drives her to a parental support group where she meets a father in a similar position.

Catch is devastated when her daughter is diagnosed with cystic fibrosis. Her husband Dave is coping in his own way. Cath joins a group to help her understand more about the illness. She meets Richard at the meeting who's daughter also has CF. Cath and Dave had gone through IVF to have a baby. Cath & Richard have an affair, but it's one with catastrophic circumstances.

I had to get myself a copy of this book after reading my friend Maureen's review. This is a difficult subject to write about. An emotional read that's full of ups and downs. The book is a little bit slow to start with, but keep going with it, it's well worth it. It also has a nail biting climax that I did not see coming. The author has a great knowledge on cystic fibrosis. It's very hard work being a parent of a child with CF. This is a well written book of which I loved.

I would like to thank NetGalley, HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction and the author Hannah Begbie for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

An emotional story about the difficult subject of a baby being diagnosed with a serious medical condition. Heartbreaking in places but a very good book

What would you do if you found out your baby not even one month old has cystic fibrosis. A devastating disease with no cure.

This story is about Cath, who finds out her newborn baby has CF, after years of trying to have a baby, going through IVF, and just a few weeks of enjoying the fruits of her labor she is thrown into this world of terror and she does not know how to handle it. She doesn’t communicate her fears with her husband. She lives in a real world of having a baby with CF but she lives in it in shock and her actions have consequences.

This story is sad and telling on how sometimes an incurable diagnosis can ruin a family that was already cracked. Fighting a disease like CF is hard and laborious and soul crushing and Bigbie does a wonderful job at making you understand the daily stress that CF causes Moms and Dads who just want to love their babies like they dreamed about.

Mother by Hannah Begbie is about two parents meeting at a support group as their children have Cystic Fibrosis. This is a very emotional book about a difficult subject matter.

I loved this book from start to finish. Really gripped me from the start, characters fell into place easily and quickly.
Loved the pace of the book, the twists, and kept me gripped to the end.

I loved this book, I found it very emotional and disturbing yet thrilling at the same time. I found myself experiencing what it would be like to be in their shoes. Highly recommended.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Hannah Begbie for the copy of this book. I agreed to give my unbiased opinion voluntarily.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. What a complete rollercoaster of a book, very emotional and on a particularly difficult topic.

This book was great, though I did find it a little difficult to read in places having a disabled child myself. It's an incredible roller-coaster of a ride and a very emotional journey that struck a chord with me on quite a few levels. The depth of characters is brilliant and I did cry a couple of times. I remember withdrawing from my family and struggling to come to terms with what our diagnosis meant for us as a family. No amount of research can prepare us for the decisions we make as parents. It's thought provoking and well written.

A fully intriguing novel full of heartbreaking scenes. Intense romance and sad family scenes.
A little hard to believe at times (the Rachel meeting) but pulled me into the story regardless

What would you do if you found out your new born had a life limiting illness? Would it tear you apart or make you stronger?
That is what we find out as we read this story about Cath and her new baby Mia.
A well written book about the struggle one mum faces as her life is turned upside down by a devastating diagnosis.
I will definitely be looking in to reading more from this author in the future

Cathy and Dave have waited a long time for a baby. They now have a beautiful daughter, Mia, but after 25 normal days she is diagnosed with cystic fibrosis and their lives fall apart. Cathy turns to a support group for help and meets Richard whose daughter is also suffering.from the same disease. He is everything Dave isn't and they turn to each other for comfort and more. But is Richard all he seems to be? Can Cathy cope with the pressures of her daughter, an affair and saving her marriage?
This book will make you think - how would you cope in the same situation? Who would you trust?

A very real to life story which is gripping and moving following on from a baby's diagnosis with a terminal illness. This is very hard hitting and demonstrates a range of emotions and is one to keep you enthralled

I enjoyed this and have personal experience with the sensitive subject matter. I’ve read mixed reviews for this book, and can understand some where the readers have struggled with the characters. All I can say is this, unless you’ve truly been there, you’ll never understand it. Looking forward to reading more from Hannah Begbie.

I enjoyed reading this book, the storyline was interesting, although I wasn’t a fan of the main character, who came across as selfish sometimes. All the same, it was a good book and I would recommend it.

Wow, what an incredible read. Took me through so many different emotions.would highly recommend this book. I’d been hearing about it for so long and can now see what others were raving about.