TWO MOTHERS by Kathryn Croft
⭐️ rating: 7/10

read if you like:
🧒 missing kids
🔥 slow burn mysteries
👯 multiple POV’s
⏰ time jumps

summary:
This book is about two best friends — Rachel, grieving the recent loss of her daughter alongside her husband and son, and Holly, whose daughter is kidnapped at the start of the book. Shortly after Holly’s daughter Luna returns home, unable to tell anyone where she had been or who took her, Rachel disappears. Does her disappearance having anything to do with Luna’s? Has Rachel’s grief overcome her in a way that she wanted to fill the void with her best friends daughter?

This book moves surprisingly slowly, with Luna returning home and Rachel disappearing in the opening pages, only for the mystery to carry on throughout the book. But what it lacks in speed, it makes up for in depth. Both women are incredibly interesting and deep, and hearing the story from their alternating POV’s before and after Rachel’s disappearance creates a complex web of truth and deceit. There is also a uniquely interesting dynamic between both women and their husbands that forces you to think about —- what makes a supportive partner? There is also a secondary storyline where Holly, a journalist, is chasing down a story about two teens in an alleged sexual assault claim. Ultimately the ending brings everything together in brilliant, satisfying AND surprising way.

Thanks to @bookouture and @netgalley for the advanced copy. Check out this book when it comes out on July 5!

Rachel and Holly are friends, who have little girls the same age. Rachel's daughter, Evie, was killed when she was hit by a car several month ago. Holly and her daughter, Luna, provide a sense of comfort and healing for Rachel. When Luna goes missing, everyone thinks that Rachel had something to do with it, until Rachel goes missing too.

I don't want to give too much away in my review. This one had me hooked. It is told from both Holly and Rachel's POVs. Holly's POV is the "now", while Rachels is the "before." At times having several perspectives in a book can be confusing, but in this case it worked very well. We are also introduced to the husbands and other secondary characters who make an impact in this book.

I am usually pretty good at figuring out who did it in these kinds of books, but in this particular one I failed. There were themes of mental health issues and domestic violence in this book and each theme lead me down a different path. In the end, I was shocked by who actually did it and the ending was good, but made me a bit sad. I just wish that it could have been a happier ending for everyone.

All in all, this was a great read and my first from this author. I will definitely be trying to get my hands on more of her work!

Thank you to NetGalley, Kathryn Croft and Bookouture for the ARC!!

I found this book somewhat slow albeit enjoyable once I got into it.

I found myself liking the lead female character Holly a great deal finding her character well developed and interesting- unfortunately the plot had a few holes.

Thank you Netgalley

Firstly I would like to thank netgalley and Bookoutune and the fantastic author Kathryn croft for an early copy of her book to read.

Another fantastic read from this author, this book is about friendship between Rachel and Holly they both have children the same age,Rachel is married to a brute of a man,her child dies it was a tragic accident,her husband blames her.A year later Holly daughter is taken it all leads to her friend Rachel..Holly is convinced she wouldnt take Luna..was it Rachel or someone else? Kathryn croft writes great psychological books keeps you guessing to the end..looking forward to reading her next book.a five star read.



This book will be reviewed on goodreads and Amazon uk.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for allowing me the opportunity of an early read of this 5 star domestic pschological thriller.
This was a story as the title suggests, about two mothers who experience terrible tradegies involving their young daughters and the fall out thereafter. Two best freinds, Holly and Rachel who both have professional careers, sadly are unaware that one of them is a victim of domestic abuse behind closed doors, which inevitably leads to extreme lengths of behaviour. The other has a husband who isn't faithful.
This book was a page turner from the start. The twist and turns were amazing, I didn't guess the ending!
A 5* read Publishing 5th July!

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookoture, and Kathryn Croft for the advanced copy in exchange for my review.

This was one long slow burn. I’m not a mother so maybe it didn’t resonate with me the same way it has others. This book felt like it took forever to get to the point. I wanted to put it down so many times. It took till about 60% completed to become slightly interesting.

There wasn’t many characters to keep track of so I’m thankful for that. However, the characters just weren’t interesting. They were all obnoxious in different ways.

There’s a lot of plot holes and unfinished storylines. I’m confused why Luna thinks Rachel is bad. What happened to Damien? And why was he never questioned? Why did we never learn about Rachel’s plan? I felt like it just ended abruptly with loose ends.

Overall, it was just ok. I wouldn’t say it was bad but it just lacked that level of thrill to keep me interested. It took me days to read this and normally I crush a book in a few hours.

This was a NetGalley ARC.

Great book! The story was a web of intrigue right from the start.

Reading from the perspective of both the mothers the story unfolded gradually and kept me guessing up to the end.
It’s a fast paced read and it was addictive once I’d started.

Only reason I didn’t give it 5 stars is because I felt a few of the storylines were left up in the air.

Loved it and would defo read more by this author

Two Mothers, written by Kathryn Croft, is a suspenseful story of two friends, ripped apart by tragedy. When Rachel’s daughter Evie is gone (vague to avoid spoilers), her life seems pointless. Her only reprise is visiting friend, Holly, and spending time with her daughter, Luna. But then Luna disappears- without a trace. Could Rachel be responsible? Is her grief so much that she took her friend’s daughter?

There’s a lot to unpack in this story, including background noise about other things happening in the character’s lives. When the story finally comes full circle- the reader is left shocked with the discovery. Two Mothers was an enjoyable read that questions how well we really know each other and the secrets in our lives.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC!

Thanks for the early copy of the book Netgalley. I would definitely reccomend this book. It had the perfect amount of suspense and intrigue. I read a lot of thrillers, and I really thought I had it figured out. They ending was such a shock. I also like that there were red herrings, but the ending was not completely implausible.
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. It was very interesting and had a great twist. The story was drawn out a bit and I would have liked a more concrete ending, but all in all, it was a pretty good mystery. The only thing that bugged me was the questions after statements: "It isn't good for the kids, is it?" I think this was more of a difference in British and American speech.

**Also, the blurb for the book is told in first person. The story is told in third person, so I don't feel like they flow well together. Rachel never describes her feelings, actions, and thoughts. This is done by the narrator. The blurb should reflect the point of view used in the book.

This one totally captured my attention. Lots of interesting side characters, but the plight of the mother whose baby is stolen is so tragic and captivating. I kinda knew who took the child, but I missed the real villain in it all. Obviously not obvious, but definitely had me guessing. I will definitely keep reading more from the author. I enjoyed how the past and the present were illuminated, plus the use of phones and distractions kept me intrigued with so many different plot lines ultimately coming together in a smashing way. Looking forward to more books by the author.

This was a traditional psychological thriller which gave you little clues and red herrings throughout. Lots of twists and turns which made it hard to put down and Rachel and Holly are both written in a way which makes you want to root for them both. Time jumps help keep the action moving whilst explaining why things have happened. 4 stars for me as the ending was a bit meh in my opinion- I was hoping for a bit more twist to the story.

Kathryn delivers another amazing story.

This one starts out slower but the build and final reveal make it worth it. Love the different POVs and thr back and forth to the present and past.

Holly and Rachel are neighbors and good friends. When Rachel's daughter dies, Holly is there for her friend. But Rachel's grief is deeper than just losing her daughter, her marriage isn't what everyone thinks it is. Even Holly has no clue.

When Holly's daughter suddenly goes missing everything in Rachel and Holly's lives start to drastically fall apart.

Thank you Netgalley, for this ARC.

Her daughter died. Did she take mine?

This is the opening line for the synopsis of 'Two Mothers' by new-to-me author, Kathryn Croft. This line immediately grabbed me and had me ensnared until the end!

Told in dual perspectives, the novel is set in modern UK and follows the lives of Holly and Rachel, two best friends. Holly is a first-time mother of a toddler (Luna), a devoted wife, and a journalist, juggling to make it all work. Rachel is also a mother, wife, and employed as a teacher, but one year ago, her life changed irrevocably for the worst - her 2-year-old daughter Evie died after she was hit by a car. This, coupled with a troubled marriage, has her struggling at work and home and has also changed her relationship with her son and Holly. One of the few things that brings her joy is spending time with Luna. Then the unthinkable happens. Someone has kidnapped Luna. When she is finally found, Rachel disappears a few days later, leading people to believe that she was the kidnapper. Readers follow Holly as she investigates, learning devastating truths along the way.

I really enjoyed the mystery inherent in this book's plot. There were a lot of little twists and turns and they ensured that I was never bored - I was definitely invested in finding out what happened to Rachel! So I appreciated Croft's ability to draw me in, her writing flowed well and created the right kind of tension. I also liked that I did not get the 'whodunit' correct! Yes, I love it when a mystery novel manages to catch me off-guard, and I was not disappointed here.

The only reason I was not able to give this 5 stars was because I found the conclusion to be a bit unsatisfactory. I would have preferred a happier ending for everyone (including everyone getting their just comeuppance!) but there was a loose end or two that I did not like. However, this is just more of a personal preference.

All in all, 'Two Mothers' is a pretty good mystery novel and one I would recommend for a quick read.

*A great many thanks to Bookouture, Kathryn Croft, and NetGalley for this ARC. It is important to note that I was not committed to providing a positive review; all opinions are undoubtedly my own.*

You think you have figured it out, you have perfectly singled the suspects, you even got the motives lined up and then HA-HA not one of those characters is the suspect!

For me this makes a good thriller, it keeps you guessing until the end.

Holly and Rachel are both great characters - in some situations though I wished they just talked to each other! a lot could have been avoided.

Thank you Netgalley!

Two Mothers was an amazing book. There is so many things that are happening at once that eventually tie in together. It deals with struggling friendships and relationships, and shows a mother will do what she can for her children. It is an incredible read that kept me intrigued, I did not want to put the book down. It's a story about hard times and loss that have you sympathizing with almost every character. If you have the chance give it a read 10/10.

Two Mothers was intriguing and kept me pulled in. Overall I enjoyed this book and found myself questioning motives and reconsidering things throughout.

This is my second book from this author and I enjoyed this one the most.

I felt things mostly wrapped up well but did have some frustration with one loose end.

Thank you to Kathryn Croft, Bookouture, and NetGalley for an arc of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed this book and though overall it was a solid, quick and easy thriller from start to finish. The characters weren't deeply developed. I had wanted to know a little bit more about Holly and Rachel's friendship vs how they separated due to the circumstances surrounding them, but the dual perspectives told from the POV of Rachel in the past and Holly in the present was interesting. I found the ending to be satisfying and there were several twists throughout the book, some that surprised me and some that didn't. I think it's a good book for those looking for a quick and effortless read. This book publishes July 5, 2024.

Couldn’t put this book down! Fast paced , gripping and really liked majority of the characters! Lots of twists and turns! Highly recommend

This is great read. The characters were engaging and I couldn't put the book down. I would recommend this book for a book club or a friend.

I quite enjoyed reading this book whilst by the poolside on holiday. Although I found it enjoyable, I don't think this story was particularly anything special, and the plot seemed a little rushed towards the end. Despite this, it served a purpose for a lighthearted holiday read.