I received an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

*The Good Mother* by Kim Lock is a thoughtful and engaging read, though it took me a little time to fully immerse myself in the story. The beginning felt a bit slow, with some passages feeling overly descriptive, which initially made it hard to connect. However, I’m so glad I persevered because once the story picked up, it became captivating. The characters are well-drawn and believable, with their complex emotions and motivations making it easy to empathize with them. The structure of the book allows you to see things from both main characters' perspectives, enhancing the emotional depth and connection to the story. Overall, it’s a rewarding read with well-crafted characters and a compelling narrative.

This was definitely a emotional and such a page Turner I just had to see how it ended. Definitely will be pick up more books from this author in the future.

This book lacks excitement and suspense. I can’t give it any more of my time. Did not finish.

The book seems to be a psychological thriller - the domestic kind. But when reading I didn’t feel particularly gripped or interested in the chain of events.

Another of my blacklisted review books.

Thank goodness I’ve learnt to organise my books from Netgalley better over the years, because.....
This is a book I should have read ages ago, look what I missed out on.

So, her best friend dies leaving a family behind.
But of course, there’s going to be much more to the story as this happens early on in.

The secrets mount up into big piles of unfathomables , which I loved.

A very well written story I read in one sitting.
Characters were very good and realistic, my only bit of anxiety at times was that in certain places it lapsed excitement.

But on the whole, an enjoyable read and I’ll certainly seek out more of her books.

One ordinary afternoon, Fairlie Winter receives a devastating phone call - her best friend is dead.

The Good Mother is an emotional rollercoaster. A slow burner full of tension.

A book about friendship, an abusive relationship and the need to ensure the wellbeing of a child. It didn't really hit the spot for me, I am afraid.

This slightly far fetched story tried my patience as I didn't feel real emotion from any of the characters. Having been in a situation where a close friend took their own life, I feel Fairlie didn't show the grief, guilt, emotional breakdown of a best friend in a realistic way so the book lost points (or stars) for me because of that. However I appreciated the slow build of controlling tension coming from Ark's character who I felt was well developed.

This was a real page turner from the beginning. Will definitely look for this author in future.

A moving account of the lies people tell and the consequences of them. Friends,mothers and daughters all suffer because of them. Well written and a good read but bittersweet

Fairlie finds out that her best friend Jenna has taken her life. She rushes over to her house to find Jenna's husband Ark devastated. Both are confused as to why Jenna would do this, especially leaving her small son Henry motherless. Fairlie then receives a letter from Jenna and a key to a storage locker. The contents of which set her on a path of discovery to uncover the truth, which turns out to be more personal than she even envisaged.
This book was, for me, a slow burner. The tension is there but it starts off slowly and steadily but, when it happens, boy does it! When I read a book, sometimes there are characters that, I know that there's something a little off with them but I can't quite put my finger on what initially so I keep it in mind, on the back burner. There were quite a few of them here. Possibly too many for me anyway.
We flit between "now" and "then". I find that this technique, when done well, is an effective way of giving character background as well as injecting key information at pertinent times. Here it as done well. In the "then", we learn more about the relationship between Fairlie and Jenna as well as documenting the relationships between various characters. We see how Jenna met Ark, and also witnessed the relationships between both girls and their mothers and how they all developed. It supplemented the "now", very well.
Characterisation was on the whole good and, although I didn't quite reach my optimum connection with the main characters which is quite important to me as a reader, they certainly all got me emotionally involved in some way. There were a few things that I did find a bit unbelievable given certain characters relationships to each other but, then again, I've never been in the situation they've been in so who am I to judge really? It just occasionally felt a bit off to me.
All that said, it was a good solid read, full of family dysfunction, secrets and lies, discovery and awakenings and held my concentration more or less throughout and left me with a few things to mull over when I'd finished.
It's my first book by this author and, although I was not completely satisfied at the end, it has left me interested enough to check out her other books.

My thanks go to the publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Fairlie is extremely upset when she hears that her best friend has killed herself. She then receives a letter posted before she died. It leads her on a very stressful journey to discovery. It picks up pace towards the end of the book as Fairlie finds out more about Jenna’s relationship with her husband and family.
The characters are well drawn and you can feel the troubled lives and the quandaries people sometimes face and what they will do to resolve them. You do wonder why Fairlie has been unaware of the problems Jenna was facing- but sometimes things are too painful to share.
It’s the first book I’ve read by Kim Lock and I may try another of her books to see where she takes those characters. I think this would be a 3.5 star read for me- but keen to read more.
With many thanks to NetGalley for the chance to read an ARC of this book and trying a new author.

This is the first book I've read by Kim Lock and I will read more from her I think.
This was an interesting story, with some surprises along the way.

Absolutely loved this book, read it through in one go. It's heart wrenching but honest, really didn't see the twist coming, wow.

Fairlie Winter receives a phone call telling her her best friend Jenna is dead. Jenna has taken her own life, leaving her Husband, Ark, and their young son, Henry behind. Fair lie thinks that Jenna has been hiding something. Then Fairlie recieves a letter from Jenna, posted before she died. Driven by the need for answers Fairlie sets out to discover the truth.

I quite liked this book. I did find it a bit slow in parts. A decent enough read though.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Little Brown Book Group UK and the author Kim Lock for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a heart breaking story. It begins with Fairlie being informed that her lifelong friend, Jenna, has taken her own life, leaving behind a husband and young son. The story is told in a Then/Now format, and chronicles Jenna's relationship with her husband leading up to her suicide. When Fairlie receives a letter Jenna wrote to her just before her death, and containing a key to a secure storage unit, the plot becomes more mysterious. Why had Jenna stopped speaking to her mother several years ago, and how does that involve her friendship with Fairlie? This is a real page turner, both tense and poignant. Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.

Brilliant book. Excellent main characters and plot. I would recommend this book.

A fantastic book that explores the dark subject of domestic abuse, great characters , gripping read.

I picked this book up without reading the blurb first. It's been a while since I received this advance copy and I think if I'd have read the blurb again it would have added to my enjoyment. I don't normally need to re-read the blurb, but on this occasion it would have made all the difference.

Whilst I enjoyed the story of Fairlie, I didn't warm to Jenna at all. The two mothers, Patty and Evelyn are major characters yet held in the background (for reasons that become obvious later on).

So to summarise, I found this book rather frustrating and a little disappointing which earns it a 3* rating...

However if the blurb is taken into consideration, this is an interesting book that poses a moral dilemma. The question of what you would do for your children is at the centre of this book-- and unfortunately the dilemmas that Jenna faces are not drawn to the surface. I found it slightly incomprehensible that she would be unable to articulate her unhappiness to her best friend Fairlie... in some shape or form...

The book comes to a crescendo in the last 25% where it is pacy, interesting and full of those dilemmas that are alluded to in the plot. Sadly this wasn't enough to rescue the book - the slow-build of the story detracts from the scenario that is at the heart of the book. I think it would have benefited from less scene-setting and more action.

On balance, it's a 3.5* read for me as it didn't quite fulfil its promise.

My thanks to the publisher for an advance copy. I have reviewed this book voluntarily and all opinions are my own.