After reading Helen Monks Takhar's debut 'That Woman' I was intrigued to read 'Such A Good Mother' and it did not disappoint.

Some women would do anything for their children. This thrilling novel cuts straight to the dark heart of modern motherhood, privilege, and the lengths we’ll go to get ahead. Rose O'Connell is barely surviving. Working on a modest salary at the Bank as a Cashier, Rose has big dreams of sending her son to the prestigious Woolf Academy. Run by a close knit group of mothers, known as "the Circle", in exchange for supporting the Woolf's relentless fundraising and raising the school's profile, the women enjoy lucrative business opportunities and special privileges for their children and admiration from the other community, the subject of envy for the mothers who are on the "outside". The morals and ethics are curated by the leader of Circle, the formidable, glamorous and charismatic, Amala Kaur. After enlisting her son in the school, Rose realises she may have got more than she bargained for and the "free-school" that has allowed her son to join, may be seeking a comeuppance in some other form.

Following the mysterious death of one of The Circle's members, Rose dares to dream that she could fill the vacancy. When Amala makes the shocking decision to invite Rose into their clique, her fortunes, self-esteem, and status soar. But the deeper Rose gets inside The Circle, the darker the secrets lurking within every perfectly Instagrammable life. Far from being a dream come true, being inside The Circle could prove Rose’s worst nightmare…

The characterisation is excellent and realistically flawed. If you end up loathing any characters, it is with good reason, the author really commits to the brief and delivers a story which will keep you on edge. I loved Charlie and Jacq (Rose's son and sister-in-law) and I found this to be a fast-paced, gripping read. I attended private school during my formative years as a teenager and I found myself relating to Rose's perspective on more than one occasion. School really can be the driving force of the adult you become and (mins the thrill to carry the story) this is something the book highlighted wonderfully. There is also the experiences of working mothers and challenges they face which is drawn upon, and wanting to do the best for their children whilst also striving to find a balance for themselves, and managing the various spheres in their own lives.

Special mention for use of “The Red Shoes “ by Hans Christian Andersen and entwining it within the story and the Author's Note at the end, I love knowing where stories originate from and I felt this was a cherry on top of the overall reading experience. Everything fit together like a jigsaw puzzle and felt well thought out. My only negative is the ending, I was expecting more and the end scenes to unravel smoothly, not as abruptly, given the whole book had been delivered with this bittersweet hesitancy that left you craving more. It all just ended far too soon far too quickly for me. Otherwise, Helen Monks Takhar's best, and I'm looking forward to seeing more!

Thank you to NetGalley and HQ for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I found this story abit hard to get into “, the main character Rose was very naive and annoying. I wasn’t keen on her character which maybe meant I was less invested. The plot was ok but predictable

The blurb about this book intrigued me as I’ve been that working mother at a high performing school with a strong PTA. However I found the story quite far fetched and the characters, bar one, were unrealistic and unrelatable. Rose who had grown up in what used to be a disadvantaged area has seen the same place change since the advent of a new primary school which has attracted up and coming parents and thus gentrification. We are supposed to believe that this has all happened in the last 3 years and that the power of who is in and who is out lays in the hands of Amala and her Circle. At around 35% I thought about giving up as the story was frustrating me but actually I’m glad I pushed through as the last 25% of the book was the best part. I feel the lack of remorse or conscience in the main characters was unbelievable and stretched my patience. The author gives a brief insight at the conclusion of her book as to her original motivation and intentions for this book and I feel these were closer to the blurb and maybe she should have stuck closer to them.

*Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.*

This was really good until about two thirds in, when the ridiculously convenient loose ends started to get tied up. Rosie was way too dependent on her sister-in-law, to the point where she was an extremely irritating character. And the double (or triple) bluffing going on was insane. WHO CAN THINK AND PLAN THAT FAR IN ADVANCE, DOWN TO WHAT HOUSE SOMEONE BUYS?!

It was a good book and I enjoyed reading it, more for the outlandish demands of the featured school more than the plot itself. However, I've read books by Helen Monks Takhar before, and I will continue to do so!

Such a Good Mother by Helen Monks Takhar is the story of a parent, Rose, who has grown up in a working class area that has become very middle class, and the school that she went to has become an expensive and desirable academy. Rose wants to send her son Charlie there, but a group of mums known as the circle seem to be the gatekeepers to not only the school, but social acceptance and mobility for Rose and her family. How far will Rose go to get Charlie a place at the school and a group of friends, and how far will 'the circle' go to stop her?

It might be that I'm not a parent that I didn't relate to the characters or find any of them likeable - apart from one side character - and so wasn't rooting for any of them. Some of the decisions made by them were so bizarre and there is a need for suspension of belief for some aspects of the book.

I felt that the ending was quite rushed, there were some good twists but it was all wrapped up in the last few pages and in the end no one came out on top.

This wouldn't put me off reading any of the author's other books, her writing is great and really, that's what kept me going with the book, rather than giving up.

Rose was bullied at school. Her father was a con man & trust did not come easily. She has a respectable job at the bank, a lovely husband Pete- even if she wishes he had more 'get up & go'! Pete's sister Jacqui is her best friend & she adores her son Charlie. The Woolf school is THE place to get into & even through it seems like their family will be a fish out of water she is determined to try. She looks at the charismatic Head, Amina & those within the inner circle & she knows where she wants to be. But be careful what you wish for!

I find it difficult to review this book. I nearly abandoned it on a couple of occasions because I got so cross with Rose but had to see it through to the end. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this boo

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher & Helen for the ARC.

A fast paced thriller, difficult to tear yourself away from. Well written and expertly crafted.

What a fantastic book! It sucked me right in and kept me guessing throughout.
Rose is a mother who wants only the best for her child. She grew up poor, without a mother, with a con-artist father and she never felt loved or wanted. She doesn’t want that for Charlie. As he approaches school age, Rose only wants the best school possible for her son. That school happens to be the one right across the street from her flat.
The Wolff School though may not be as perfect as it appears.
This story had me sitting here with my hand on my mouth, my heart beating fast and sometimes with tears in my eyes. I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys psychological thrillers with twists and turns. You won’t regret choosing this one.

Firstly, thank you to the publishers for sending me a gifted copy of this book and inviting me to be part of the book tour.
Secondly, a huge thank you to Claire, my buddy read. We had such a fun time reading this.
I read Precious You in lockdown and absolutely flew through it, so I was very happy to see that the author was releasing a new book and even more excited to be invited onto the book tour.

In this book, we follow a group of mums, who will do literally anything to keep in with the "inner circle" at school. Protecting their popularity and that of their childs But at what cost?

The first thing I will say about this book is I hated every single character. The author's writing style is one to be admired and so truly fantastic, that she can make you have pure hatrid, but such love for the book at one time. The author delivered a perfect revenge novel.

Throughout the book I had Desperate Housewives vibes, although the housewives are no where near as mean and toxic as the school mothers!!

Although the book was slightly far fetched at points, it was an absolute delight to read. It is a hard book to review, so as to not give too many spoilers away, but if you love domestic revenge thrillers, then this is a book for you.

I enjoyed the book. The storyline was captivating which kept my interest until the end. Sometimes I found the storyline to wordy but that’s the same with many books nowadays. I would thoroughly recommend this book .

What makes a good mother? Love, care, support,.. a mother would do anything for their child, but how far does that actually go? This is a dark exploration of just how far a mother can go to provide for her child. Rose signs her son up to join the elite free school, The Woolf Academy, despite her feeling that they are extremely out of place among the families there, and by some stroke of luck is welcomed into ‘the circle’. Amala, the beauty and the brains behind the academy, sees a value in Rose that others miss, but there is a darkness behind those who shine so golden. This book truly gives you ‘more and more’, as is the Woolf Academy’s motto, and was impossible to put down. This was so so incredibly close to earning 5 stars from me, but even though this was an incredible read, I felt as if there was something missing that juuuust made it fall short of 5 stars - but I did truly love reading this. It had my heart racing, it took me through so many turns, I was excited, enthralled, terrified, and it had me on the edge of my seat without feeling over-the-top. Any fan of a good thriller should absolutely pick this book up, you won’t regret it.

A very slow story full of unlikeable characters of very bitchy mums, I just couldn`t get into it though tried numerous times it just wasn`t for me.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC

The ending is handled a little awkwardly and it does veer a little into the unbelievable at times, but overall, "Such a Good Mother" is an intriguing thriller with plenty of twists to keep you guessing along the way. As a parent myself, I know that mum politics can be killer and that's an understatement when it comes to this book.

Suspend disbelief and you'll have a great time reading this.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC without obligation.

I enjoyed this book.

I didn’t know what to expect but got into it straight away there were lots of twists and turns that kept me engrossed

Rose O’Connell is desperate to be in the ‘circle’ - the group of the most elite mothers at The Woolfe Academy.
The only issue being, that Rose doesn’t really fit in. But she must become one of them, the stakes are too high. Financial security, protection, opportunities for her son. She needs to get in if it’s the last thing she does.
Luckily for her, a spot opens up as one of the members of the circle is found dead….

I was really enjoying this book at first, being a mum myself I could really understand the mindset rose had when wanting the best of the best for her son. But after a short while I just became bored, I felt nothing much was happening and the motives of the characters where mediocre. It is definitely a story which exhibits the lengths people will go to be in a position of power, and also the lengths they will go to to keep that power. The writer threw a little bit of revenge in there too which I enjoyed. Overall it just missed the mark for me.

What a story, this will have you reading late into the night
A school the Woolf, anyone would inspire to send their children, the background setting for this novel. The two main characters one dominant the other clinging and crawling to be accepted into the aspirational society circles.
The story not as clear cut as the characters first seen. Deceit, blackmail, infidelity just to start with
A long desperate journey to be better, richer, more popular. Will it all come crashing to the ground or will the heroine come out on top.
Not reading this-is not an option and criticising this would be a step into the abbyss
All I can say is
Pre order now you won't be disappointed
Thank you to the publisher and net galley for proof copy This review is entirely my own viewpoint.

I could not put this down... it was absolutely thrilling and the twists and turns couldn't come fast enough. Absolutely devoured this within 24 hours. Some of the characters in this book are so clearly seen at school gates around the country that it felt incredibly familiar. Brilliant.

I absolutely loved this book. It is incredibly dark, gripping and full of twists . I couldn't put it down and cannot recommend it enough.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to lose several hours...
A dark and sinister, completely believable story of how far a Mother will lower her own standards, beliefs, morals and those of her own family, to ensure that her child has the "perceived" very best education.
Lots of wonderful characterisation; lots of situations that you can clearly envisage happening and a few wry smiles as you recognise that person from the playground.
Mum didn't have the best start in life but her Father taught her some life lessons that she'll carry with her forever. Dad desperately wants Mum to feel safe and secure, but also wants her to be happy with what they can achieve together instead of forever wanting to walk through the highly protected and revered gates of the school opposite. A book that can be devoured regardless of being on a sun lounger, or in front of a warm fire..
A superb book by Helen Monks Takhar and I thank you for sharing it with me.

A dark thrilling portrayal of motherhood and how far you would go to get to what you believe you deserve. I could not put this book down after the first page, I needed to know what happened so desperately. Every single character had a motive for revenge The amount/speed of the twists felt like I could genuinely get whiplash. I think the manipulation and deceit are on a whole new level, it also shows how toxic the need for perfection can truly be. I am really glad I was sent this book, the ending took my breath away I was left wishing there was so much more. #netgalley #SuchAGoodMother