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A review by nicolem_young
Loving Mothers: A completely compelling psychological thriller packed with suspense by Miranda Smith, Miranda Smith
4.0
Book/Story: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Book Cover: ⭐⭐⭐.5
TRIGGER(S): DOMESTIC ABUSE, MURDER, UNDERAGE GROOMING, CHILD DISAPPEARANCE, ALCOHOLISM, INFIDELITY (OFF PAGE/MENTIONED)
POV: Multiple, First & Third Person
Series/Standalone: Standalone
Tropes: None
Spice: None
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Debut Novel: No
Safe or Dark: Dark
Release Date: October 3, 2024
How far would you go to protect your children?
The women in the affluent neighborhood of Hickory Hills all have secrets, and after a tragic event at a Halloween party, they start getting revealed one by one.
This is a fast-paced, quick read with nice, short chapters. I could not put this book down! It gets right into the action, which I love. It is easy to fly through this story without giving it a second thought. All the characters are well developed and nicely fleshed out. We are given all their backstories in a fun and pretty straight-forward manner.
The author does a great job of weaving the past Halloween night (the night in question). It doesn’t get confusing, and there isn’t constant flipping back and forth. Miranda Smith does it just enough for us to get a glimpse into what all the neighborhood ladies and kids were getting up to that night. It was fun seeing what part they all played at the Halloween party and using that to try and piece the mystery together.
There were a few subplots within the main plot. I enjoyed those as well. They didn’t get confusing or bog down any part of the story. You get pulled into all their personal problems one way or another and always want to know more. Although the issues the couples/people had are typical ones found in many books set in affluent neighborhoods, they each had their own twist on the situations. It was fun exploring the lives of all the characters involved.
The only thing I couldn’t really get on board with were the differing points of view. Stella’s POV was told in the first person, while all the other characters POVs were told in the third person. There might have been a reason behind it, but I just couldn’t figure out what it was.
At the end of the day, though, the shift between the two wasn’t jarring enough to pull you out of the story, and it didn’t ruin anything within the plot. I just found it to be a bit odd.
I could not stand Mary Hudson. Unfortunately, most of the book is told from her point of view. She was the worst. Her constant gossiping was reminiscent of a high schooler trying to get revenge on a fellow student who had wronged her. Her holier-than-thou attitude made me want to karate chop her in the throat. She thought she was the most amazing person to ever walk on the face of the earth. She was so full of herself that it made me want to vomit. Mary thought she was just the best at everything (wife, mom, neighbor, friend). She so desperately wanted to be the Queen Bee of Hickory Hills. Eh, blow it out your butthole, Mary.
I could put up with her constantly talking about how beautiful she was growing up and how she turned a ton of heads. I could put up with her thinking that her daughter, Grace, had the beauty of an angel and was better than other girls. I was done with Mary when she judged one of the other neighborhood housewives (and her supposed good friend) for not wanting to have children. Janet didn’t even say out loud that she didn’t want to have kids; Mary just assumed she didn’t and instantly judged her for it. That was the straw that broke the camel's back for me. Mary stated that she couldn’t “think of a reason as to why Janet wouldn’t want children.” First of all it’s none of Mary’s business as to why another woman wouldn’t want kids and second of all, SIMPLY NOT WANTING CHILDREN IS A VALID ENOUGH REASON TO NOT HAVE THEM!
*Takes a deep breath* However, I myself am child-free by choice. So needless to say, this is a hot button topic for me.
If Smith didn’t want me to like Mary Holden, then she succeeded because I HATED THAT LADY! However, she did eventually get what was coming to her and somewhat redeemed herself.
Stella Moore is another key player in this story, and I have to admit that I didn’t care much for her either. She wasn’t as bad as Mary; she wasn’t even close. However, there was just something about her that didn’t jive with me. Her vibes just weren’t vibing. Even though she was going through a difficult time, I found it very difficult to sympathize with her.
I enjoyed the side characters. In a way, I felt bad for all of them and what they were dealing with. Well, all except one. You’ll figure out why. At least, I hope you will.
The couple's kids in the story were also well developed, which doesn’t always happen when a book focuses more on the parents' lives. They weren’t cardboard cutouts of teenagers. They were well fleshed out. I found that to be refreshing.
I’ve read a lot of thrillers with a lot of different plot twists, but this one by far takes the cake. It threw me for the loopiest loop. I wouldn’t have seen it coming from a mile away with a pair of binoculars. I was truly shocked. Bravo, Ms. Smith. Very well done.
Don’t even get me started on the ending! It was phenomenal. It gave great closure to the story. Very satisfying.
I can’t wait to check out some of Miranda Smith’s other books! She’s definitely gained a new fan!
TLDR: FUN THRILLER SET IN AN AFFLUENT NEIGHBORHOOD! IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR A PAGE TURNER, CHECK THIS OUT!
I would like to thank Bookouture and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this book.
This is my voluntary, unbiased, and honest review.
Book Cover: ⭐⭐⭐.5
TRIGGER(S): DOMESTIC ABUSE, MURDER, UNDERAGE GROOMING, CHILD DISAPPEARANCE, ALCOHOLISM, INFIDELITY (OFF PAGE/MENTIONED)
POV: Multiple, First & Third Person
Series/Standalone: Standalone
Tropes: None
Spice: None
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Debut Novel: No
Safe or Dark: Dark
Release Date: October 3, 2024
How far would you go to protect your children?
The women in the affluent neighborhood of Hickory Hills all have secrets, and after a tragic event at a Halloween party, they start getting revealed one by one.
“The most convincing lies are born from truth.”
This is a fast-paced, quick read with nice, short chapters. I could not put this book down! It gets right into the action, which I love. It is easy to fly through this story without giving it a second thought. All the characters are well developed and nicely fleshed out. We are given all their backstories in a fun and pretty straight-forward manner.
The author does a great job of weaving the past Halloween night (the night in question). It doesn’t get confusing, and there isn’t constant flipping back and forth. Miranda Smith does it just enough for us to get a glimpse into what all the neighborhood ladies and kids were getting up to that night. It was fun seeing what part they all played at the Halloween party and using that to try and piece the mystery together.
“Beneath the detailed makeup and elaborate ensembles, each person wore another mask, the role they were accustomed to wearing every day, not just on Halloween.”
There were a few subplots within the main plot. I enjoyed those as well. They didn’t get confusing or bog down any part of the story. You get pulled into all their personal problems one way or another and always want to know more. Although the issues the couples/people had are typical ones found in many books set in affluent neighborhoods, they each had their own twist on the situations. It was fun exploring the lives of all the characters involved.
The only thing I couldn’t really get on board with were the differing points of view. Stella’s POV was told in the first person, while all the other characters POVs were told in the third person. There might have been a reason behind it, but I just couldn’t figure out what it was.
At the end of the day, though, the shift between the two wasn’t jarring enough to pull you out of the story, and it didn’t ruin anything within the plot. I just found it to be a bit odd.
I could not stand Mary Hudson. Unfortunately, most of the book is told from her point of view. She was the worst. Her constant gossiping was reminiscent of a high schooler trying to get revenge on a fellow student who had wronged her. Her holier-than-thou attitude made me want to karate chop her in the throat. She thought she was the most amazing person to ever walk on the face of the earth. She was so full of herself that it made me want to vomit. Mary thought she was just the best at everything (wife, mom, neighbor, friend). She so desperately wanted to be the Queen Bee of Hickory Hills. Eh, blow it out your butthole, Mary.
I could put up with her constantly talking about how beautiful she was growing up and how she turned a ton of heads. I could put up with her thinking that her daughter, Grace, had the beauty of an angel and was better than other girls. I was done with Mary when she judged one of the other neighborhood housewives (and her supposed good friend) for not wanting to have children. Janet didn’t even say out loud that she didn’t want to have kids; Mary just assumed she didn’t and instantly judged her for it. That was the straw that broke the camel's back for me. Mary stated that she couldn’t “think of a reason as to why Janet wouldn’t want children.” First of all it’s none of Mary’s business as to why another woman wouldn’t want kids and second of all, SIMPLY NOT WANTING CHILDREN IS A VALID ENOUGH REASON TO NOT HAVE THEM!
*Takes a deep breath* However, I myself am child-free by choice. So needless to say, this is a hot button topic for me.
If Smith didn’t want me to like Mary Holden, then she succeeded because I HATED THAT LADY! However, she did eventually get what was coming to her and somewhat redeemed herself.
“It was more like being transported back to my Mean Girls high school era, except now all the women are in their thirties and forties.”
Stella Moore is another key player in this story, and I have to admit that I didn’t care much for her either. She wasn’t as bad as Mary; she wasn’t even close. However, there was just something about her that didn’t jive with me. Her vibes just weren’t vibing. Even though she was going through a difficult time, I found it very difficult to sympathize with her.
I enjoyed the side characters. In a way, I felt bad for all of them and what they were dealing with. Well, all except one. You’ll figure out why. At least, I hope you will.
The couple's kids in the story were also well developed, which doesn’t always happen when a book focuses more on the parents' lives. They weren’t cardboard cutouts of teenagers. They were well fleshed out. I found that to be refreshing.
I’ve read a lot of thrillers with a lot of different plot twists, but this one by far takes the cake. It threw me for the loopiest loop. I wouldn’t have seen it coming from a mile away with a pair of binoculars. I was truly shocked. Bravo, Ms. Smith. Very well done.
Don’t even get me started on the ending! It was phenomenal. It gave great closure to the story. Very satisfying.
“All children love their parents. Even if they’re flawed, even if they’re downright horrible people. Even if there’s an impenetrable wall between them, love is always there.”
I can’t wait to check out some of Miranda Smith’s other books! She’s definitely gained a new fan!
TLDR: FUN THRILLER SET IN AN AFFLUENT NEIGHBORHOOD! IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR A PAGE TURNER, CHECK THIS OUT!
I would like to thank Bookouture and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this book.
This is my voluntary, unbiased, and honest review.