The alpha mums at school, who make you feel inadequate till they invite you in the golden circle. This not your typical story the twists come out of the blue but fit perfectly in with the narrative. It kept me gripped from the first to the last page.

I did not enjoy this at all.
A few mothers of an elite school are in an exclusive group called 'The Circle' where they even have a brooch! These women,Ginny,Tamsin and Ruby were absolutely awful, especially Amala the ring leader.
I really detest these sorts of women who think they are so much better than everyone else.
Rose has chosen The Woolfe Academy for her son Charlie. Soon she is chosen to enter 'The Circle' and drawn in.
The ending left me feeling that Rose was no better than Amala.
Sorry this one was not for me.
Thanks to Netgalley and HQ for the ARC in return for an honest review.

In 'Such a Good Mother' Rose is so desperate to get her young son into Woolf Academy, she will do almost anything. Once he's in, it's not enough. Now she wants to get in with the right crowd so her and her family can all reach their potential. But it requires going from doing 'almost anything' to promising 'anything'. How far can Rose be pushed...?

The book requires you to suspend disbelief from the very beginning (having taken two kids through the admissions process for primary I raised an eyebrow at an open evening which 'selected' parents then made them go through a normal application process), with characters that are hard to like, that make decisions most people would never make, and don't question the things they should question.

So why keep reading? There's a good sense of tension building - you end up wanting to know what the hell kind of situation a school could get into that means lives need to be lost and people to be threatened. I read on because I neededto know. Would I recommend it? Depends on the reader. If you liked Big Little Lies and want a book about unnecessary drama between women who hate each other, then yes! It could be a good summer read for some. Others will be better off waiting for an inevitable TV adaptation.

Had a few mixed feelings on this book but on the whole I did enjoy it although a little unbelievable at times.
Having said that I like books that take me out of my comfort zone & as I continued reading the more I wanted to know what was going on & where will it all end.
As the story develops it really gets more disturbing & you need to carry on to unravel what is going on,
It’s quite a clever storyline & one that you will love or hate but will leave you itching to get to the punch line at the end.
There are so many twists & turns you don’t see coming as it’s a story of manipulation & deceit on a whole new other level.
Did I enjoy it in the end, yes I did.

There is a great need in Rose to improve her lot! Husband Pete hasn’t the strength or the will power so it’s up to her! The newly established school in the area, The Woolf, is ‘the’ school run by Amara and her Circle! Only the best of the best are invited to attend this elitist school and Rose is determined that son Charlie will be one of the chosen! Sister in law Jacq doesn’t approve and husband Pete is not happy but Rose is determined! When she is invited to join The Circle after the suspicious death of one of The Circle members life at first is all that she wished for but of course, like all good fairy stories, it cannot continue and complications evolve! The idea behind this story was fascinating but, unfortunately, totally unbelievable! I did feel the need to read the last chapter but sadly that too let me down! Not for me I’m afraid!

A dive into the world of posh competitive moms and the extent they will go to to ensure their children can get into the best private school. It is an interesting read and the intrigue is gripping in some parts but overall the main character is infuriating and the story is a bit too over the top to let you believe it could actually happen. This type of "close to home" story lacks realistic storylines and unfortunately does not have the humour which could balance some of the outrageous plot points.

Where to start - a good read with a twist which is always fab ! Didn’t see it coming ! Bad points I didn’t like the characters at all - not a bad read to pass a few hours !

Oh. My. Goodness.
This is not for the faint hearted. I saw so many booksellers/industry folk talking about this book on Twitter and I only requested it to satisfy my curiosity - stupidly not believing that it would live up to the hype.
Well, it DID.

Don't be put off by the gentle and slightly mundane opening chapters, you'll learn in a few more chapters time that it is the perfect (and personally only) way to introduce the whirlwind that follows.

It's both absurd and yet disturbingly, it could prove to be true in a not so distant reality.

'Such A Good Mother' isn't something to be written off as 'women's fiction', this is a must read for anyone who loves the thriller genre.

Such a good mother - Helen Monks Takhar

I got to 22% and DNF. I found the storyline slow and boring, sorry it’s not for me.

I enjoyed this book. When Rose is asked to join the Circle, an elite group of mothers at her son's exclusive school, she feels she has arrived. Her social standing soars, even though she can't understand why she was chosen to replace Bea, who tragically took her own life. However, it soon becomes evident that the price of belonging is very high and even involves breaking the law. How far will she go to remain a member of the Circle? Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.
Copied to Goodreads.

Looking at the previous reviews for this book there is a real mixed bag - it appears to be a bit of a love it or hate it read.

I didn't enjoy this book, I didn't like the characters - they are basically a bunch of shallow, controlling bitches - and I couldn't resonate with any of them.

The plot had potential but because of my dislike for the characters I struggled to really get into it.

If you haven't read this book, give it a try as I can see why people would love it - unfortunately it just wasn't for me.

Rose O’Connell wants her son to have the best education and that means a school where he struggles to fit in.
The school has a group of wealthy, beautiful mothers and suddenly rose is invited to join them . Why? but it means the best of everything for her son.
Whats the catch?
this will have you on the edge of your seat as the twists and turns keep coming.

This book was a real struggle. Where do I start? The plot was unbelievable, the characters were so nasty and shallow. A circle of very nasty women who quite honestly deserve everything they get and more. I really hope other readers will enjoy it more just not for me.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.

This book is the epitome of a child wishing for something that they don’t understand can harm them. All that glistens is not gold. It’s a cautionary tale of a group/clique that you wish you were part of then next minute you’re in too deep and praying that things were as they were before which never works for anyone. Brilliant book.

I've never read any of Helens books before but I will now. This book had me intrigued right from the start. AND right to the end. Did not see it coming at all. Really easy to relate to and tells the story of manipulation and deceit. Highly recommend.

If ever there was an embodiment of the phrase "be careful what you wish for" then this book is it. Our central character Rose is desperate to escape her past where she was bullied at school and her father was a con artist who brought disgrace on the family name. Despite a happy marriage to Pete and a lovely son Charlie it still isn't enough to satisfy her craving to be bigger and better than she is. Along comes the opportunity for her son to gain a place at one of the top free schools in the neighbourhood. At the open night Rose meets the school founder Amala who embodies everything she aspires to be. When Amala accepts Rose into her inner circle, everything changes for the better as Rose begins to realise her aspirations. But at what cost? Nothing comes for free......

I really enjoyed this book. As a mother who has just put her son through Primary school I couldn't help but get caught up in the very dark descriptions of the parents in the story, there was something delicious about how outrageous their actions and secrets were!
Of course it was completely far-fetched as a story but the author had a great way of sweeping you along with the characters.
Rose, the narrator painted a landscape of longing that all parents feel as their child is starting out, and described brilliantly just how far you will go to make things right for them, get the best for them., especially when you don't have a lot yourself. In fact I felt that Rose's desperation for a bigger and better life was definitely the most realistic thing about the book. The murders and dreadful characters - such as Ginny and Amala - just added that fun, mystery element.
There were a couple of unexpected twists at the end that I appreciated and overall I really liked it. Will certainly look out for this author again.

A school that everyone wants their children to go to. An outstanding eduction which is free. Its not catchment that gets you in. You need to be vetted by the board. A truly despicable bunch of characters. A dark read with lots of mystery and twists. Some very far fetched situations but a good read.

Thankyou to Netgalley for allowing me to read this ARC.

Jeez that was a roller-coaster of a book wasn't it? It was giving big little lies, in the way the mothers were acting and full on made me uncomfortable how far they'd go to impress Amala.

Speaking of Amala, what a witch of a woman!!! Her character truly made me feel icky and that's props to the author for making her feel so real and villainous.

I felt sorry for Rose but in a way that like she basically did all of this to herself, the tragedy of Jacq, her husband going stray, Charlie hating his new school etc.

Such A Good Mother is a fast paced, thriller with a lot of twists and dramatic scenes (move over Eastenders). I rated it 4/5

Absolutely brilliant! It’s not often that I can pick a book up in the morning and then finish it the same day - I’m just not one of those people who do “one sitting” books….but this one….wow!

I was gripped from the start. Twists, turns, ooooo, it has everything!

My thanks to Netgalley and HQ for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review