This was truly amazing. Heart stoppingly tense in places. I think I held my breath for the majority of it.

One of my top reads this year.

This was not really my cup of tea! I was very interested in the adoption angle of this story, but didn’t find it credible how quickly Lu puts her dad to one side and throws her lot in with her new mum. I think a lot of the emotions were correct around meeting a biological parent, but I was uncomfortable with this then becoming the premise of this thriller. Apart from that, I did not enjoy the writing style either.
Thanks to Netgalley for an arc of this book. All opinions are my own.

4.5 Stars

Lucinda (Lu) was adopted at birth. For years, she has thought about looking for her birth parents, and it's not until a tragic accident changes her life forever.

She eventually tracks down her birth mother just 5 hours away. There is a solemn/happy reunion between the two women and a relationship starts to take form. What Lu wants to know more than anything is why she was given up.

But you know the saying ... be careful what you wish for .. you might get it.

This is an exceptional psychological thriller, well-written, with stand-out characters. Lu finds herself questioning all the things that her birth mother is telling her .... her fear becomes palpable. And the ending is nothing short of stupendous.

Many thanks to the author / Bloodhound Books / Netgalley for the digital copy of this psychological thriller. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

A fantastic novel keeps you hooked from the very beginning lots of twists and turns Lu is on a rollercoaster of a ride as she tries to get to know her birth mother after her adopted mother dies what happens is a story that you have to keep reading a real page turner which is told brilliantly by the author a fantastic read

Great storyline that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Plenty twists and turns and a good filled plot. Good characters with a very plausible plot

Wow! This book is full of twists and turns. It is a great psychological thriller. This one has you biting your nails and wondering what will happen next.

From a lot of tragedy, you think something wonderful is happening. But are you right? Has Lucinda finally found happiness and the backbone to stand up for herself? The characters are well developed and you find yourself loving some of them and hating others with a passion. Either way, you develop strong feelings.

I enjoyed this book and hated to put it down...especially the closer I got to the final pages! I couldn't wait to find out what would happen. And then I kept sitting here waiting for the other shoe to drop. A great twist at the end that will have you saying, "What?! Did I just read that?"

I'm looking forward to more books by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an unbiased review

A cracking psychological read that has you gripped from start to finish. Lu tracks down her birth mother which is a dream come true for her but not all is what it seems. Recommended read.

This is the first book of Amanda's I have read so I wasn't really sure what to expect from it.

The book starts off like a normal fiction story about a 30 something trying to find her birth mother after her adoptive mother dies. This first part of the story seemed to drag a lot as we are introduced to Lu and follow the story to Cornwall to meet her real mother and are introduced to her.

I really liked the character of Lu as she developed through the story and gained more confidence towards the end, and once introduced to her mother I found her intriguing as I tried to work out the twist mentioned on the back page.

Once the story develops into a suspense the action built up to the thrilling conclusion, which I for one didn't see coming.

Overall it was a slow burner, which developed into a really good read.

This had me hooked from start to finish and absolutely liked Lu and her journey to find her mother. Thank you Netgalley and the Publisher for letting me review this book.

When Lu's mother dies she decides to find her biological mother. She moves to be with her mum but everything is not what it appears.

This is a slow-moving thriller and the plot slowly unfolds. I didn't predict the ending but I really should have. The ending felt quite cliche and not particuarly original as I feel as if I have seen it before in other books.

Whilst I did enjoy the build up the book didn't have me on the edge of my seat which is what I would expect from a thriller. The majority of the main action happened within the last portion of the book which did have me on the edge of my seat.

I would read more from the author in the future she has a couple of other books out which I am interested in picking up.

Lu is your average almost 30 something, dead-end job and a bit of a loner, she is also adopted. After the recent death of her adoptive mother she decides this is the thing she needs to give her the push to actually find her birth mother. When contact is made, Lu makes the decision to make the visit to meet her mother in Cornwall. Things seem to go well and a tentative relationship is struck between mother and daughter. As they get to know each other a little more the cracks start to show.

This starts off more like a contemporary fiction and then slowly it morphs into an absolutely amazing psychological story. Lu is a really good character and I like the way she herself changed the story, from living at home with her adopted parents to finally taking the decision to stand on her own two feet. By the end of the story I thought she was more confident and also more upbeat and positive about her life. From being a bullied child to a more confident woman. The dynamics between the two different families is a convincing read that really does draw you in the their lives.

I am a little bit biased about the Cornish setting of the book as I live in Cornwall, but I have to say the author does a wonderful job with the descriptions of St. Ives. This knowledge of the area and also the love shows through in the authors writing giving a wonderful picture of a great place.

So as I mentioned earlier, this story changes, it steps up a gear and the depth the plot is revealed. Here I think the author has done a great job of building up the thought of something not being quite right and when the twist finally shows itself bloody hell was I shocked, really didn’t see it coming and caught me completely unawares.

This is a great read and I would highly recommend it to readers who like a book that turns from a contemporary read into an amazing dark psychological suspense filled read.

Thanks to Netgalley for my copy.

This is my first book by this author. Lu is devastated by the accidental death of her beloved mother. Although she has always been close to her beloved adoptive parents she decides to look for her biological mother. Through an agency she finds Mellyn and soon makes plans to visit her in Cornwall.

Mellyn is desperate to have a mother/daughter relationship immediately which is concerning to Lu who wants to take things slowly. Mellyn is selfish, complex and bordering on manic.

There are some great secondary characters in this novel including Rosie and the delightful Adelaide and her sister. I also loved the Cornish setting and it's descriptions.

The ending is shocking and emotional.

At first this book seems to be an innocent story of a bereaved girl trying to find her birth mother after the death of her adopted mother; but this was written by Amanda James so I knew it would not be as straightforward as that. I wasn't wrong, and as the tension built in the story I couldn't put the book down wondering what menace was around the next corner.
Alongside the tension are the lovely characters of Lu and Rosie. Young women who don't see the bad in anyone and are just looking for a nice life. When Lu meets her birth mother she has no cause to doubt anything she says and opens her heart and welcomes her in.
I think this scenario makes us curious. Would you feel an instant connection meeting your birth mother after twenty odd years or more? Or would she be a stranger whom you felt nothing for?
The author's descriptions of the sights and sounds of Cornwall made the setting for the book come alive for me. The lovely cottages and shops and walks by the harbour.
The story builds to a crescendo during the last third of the book, so pour a glass of wine before you reach it as you'll probably need it to cope with the suspense.
I won't give anymore of the storyline away, that would spoil it for the next reader.
Amanda James just gets better with each book she writes. A cracking good read!
Out now in paperback or for kindle download.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Another-Mother-gripping-psychological-family-ebook/dp/B07BQ43R1K/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

This book has an interesting premise, it is of a woman who has just hit thirty and lost her mother and decided to set out to find the birth mother who had given her up for adoption. The hint of an underlying issue makes its way through almost the entire story. The main point would be that, given our circumstances we can never actually know what exactly to expect from another person.

Lu (short for Lucinda) is trying for a change in her life and makes contact with her birth mother, there are a lot of unheavels once that contact is made. Things keep shifting around and it is hard to keep track of what is actually true and what might be a bit of paranoia. There are additional characters who assist Lu during this rough phase of her life.Some of those relationships are pretty well described. I think the tale wound its way well into the unexpected finish. All that said, this was not the thriller for me. As mentioned in the previous reviews, I like my suspense to be a little more subtle. The tone of narration was not something I got used to. That is probably the only reason that I did not relish the book as much as I expected to. I am glad though, that I got a chance via Netgalley to read an ARC of this book.

Lu is devastated at the loss of her adopted mother but it sets her on the path of finding het birth mother, she eventually tracks her down in Cornwall and a reunion is arranged. At first everything appears to be going beautifully........ but could it really be this easy?

A great psychological thriller you are slowly led into the plot and then totally drawn in so you can't put it down until the climax, and as a bonus in my favourite part of the country I always love books set in Cornwall

Ok this was I really need to do something else,but can’t put this down book.very unexpected ending .i could identify with the main character she was very believable,would definitely recommend this as a holiday read

Wow. At first I thought this was more a chick-lit, drama, family story but wow, when you get past half way BOOM! This story will hit you hard. It will mess with your head towards the end and have your heart racing to find out the outcome, very fast paced. Poor Lu, I really felt for her throughout. However, I did not expect that outcome at all. A true shocker! Jaw dropper.

I loved the setting off this book (Cornwall) and Lu's and Rosie's character! I couldn't put this book down I just had to finish it and devour it. Another well deserved four stars from me, highly recommend to you all. I also love the cover on this story too! Another Mother is well written and will have you absorbed in Lu's life and mess before you know it... But will there be a happy ending? That's for you to find out. Perfect story. One I will not forget easily. I look forward to reading more by this author in the future.

i was given a copy of Another Mother by Netgalley and the publishers in exchange for an honest review.

the prologue starts out well however i felt the story slowed some after that but then picked up pace again later. i would describe it as a family drama/domestic thriller.

i can’t say i disliked the book but it didn’t quite live up to my expectations and i’m sure others will enjoy reading it.

Lucinda or Lu as she is known as, is adopted and after a tragedy, goes in search of her birth mother and finds Mellyn. The first part of the story deals with their emotional meeting after so many years. But slowly things start unravelling between them which leads to doubts and secrets. All is not what is seems!!

My first book by author Amanda James, a good book to read. I liked the way Amanda has shown the inner workings of Lu's brain, the emotions which hit her in the beginning, followed by suspicion and fear. In the entire book, I felt Lu was like a wave advancing and retreating depending on Mellyn's moods.

Though I liked the development of Mellyn's character, I felt that the suspense shown could have been better. I liked both the characters but couldn't connect with either.

There were a few niggles, which delayed the read, took me 4 days to finish, which is far too long for me. The story started slow, and had its moments of intensity, but didn't last. It dealt more with the day to day life of Lu with her birth mother. The premise of the story was great, but I wanted the pitch to be higher for it to be classified as a complete thriller.

The author has written the book well, making it more of a family thriller with an unexpected twist in the epilogue.

Another Mother is the first book I've read by Amanda James and I can guarantee that I'll be reading more from her.
I knew from the first chapter that I was going to enjoy this book but I didn't quite know how much.

Lu was adopted at birth, but she hasn't yet met her birth mother for fear of upsetting her parents. So when Lu's adopted mum dies in a tragic accident, she decides it's time to get to know her other mother. When Lu finally heads down to Cornwall to meet her, she's surprised to find that her mother isn't what she expected at all and she's not sure if she's made a mistake.

It started pretty slow to be honest, very family drama orientated with not much thrill or suspense then one tiny thing happens and the whole book changes and it becomes a lot more gripping
I was completely sucked in and I felt everything Lu was feeling, I couldn't believe what I was reading half the time.

I saw the end coming quite quickly to be honest, as I'm sure a lot of people did. But it didn't stop me reading and I couldn't wait to see how it got there, but I was quite blown away by the next twist. I definitely didn't see that one coming, and I loved it. It pulled the story together perfectly and left me feeling quite content. A great book for anyone.

Thank you to the publisher, author and NetGaelley for me e-copy of Another Mother in exchange for an honest review.