I knew I was going to love this from the first pages and I was not disappointed, desperate housewives meets big little lies in this mystery set in a gated community called Hickory Hills.

The housewives here all think they are a cut above the rest, first to talk behind the backs of anyone who is absent. On Halloween the annual party sees one of the teenagers Shelby not return home. the parents are questioning the children, the finger pointing begins and soon more than one families life is shattered.

I flew through these pages (staying up until 4am to finish) this was a great read with relatable characters, red herrings and a lot of mystery.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and of course the author for my eARC

Talk about the tangled webs we weave! This book was quite the wild ride with murder, family drama, lies, secrets, and betrayal at the center of it all. There were so many twists and little hints/details that kept you hooked from the beginning until the end, and kept you guessing to try to figure out the truth. Told from multiple points of view, details from each character were revealed as the story unfolded, leaving you trying to piece together the bigger picture, how each character was connected, and what role they played in the events that happened. Overall, it was a fast paced and entertaining read and I will definitely be checking out more books by this author. Thank you to Miranda Smith, Bookouture, and NetGalley for the ARC in return for my honest review.

I feel like my mind has gone through the wringer after finishing Loving Mother’s by Miranda Smith. I could not put it down and devoured this juicy thriller in a day. Loving Mother’s was intense and mind blowing, and perhaps the twistiest psychological thriller I have read. Miranda Smith has once again written a masterpiece. Her writing style is propulsive and engaging and left my mind exhausted (in a good way of course!). I have definitely found a new favourite thriller author.

It’s the annual Halloween party in the tight-knit gated community of Hickory Hills. The community comes together for celebration and good times but by the end of the night 16 year old Shelby is missing. Did she run away as half the town believes or did something more sinister happen to her? In a community where everyone has secrets you won’t know who to believe nor who to trust. You absolutely must read this 5 star thriller and find out what has really happened. You won’t believe it!

Thank you so much Bookouture, NetGalley and Miranda Smith for my e-arc.

I ATE this book, it’s such an easy and fast read. This thriller, told in multiple POVs, is full of twists and turns that you literally can’t put it down.

The neighborhood is full of moms that never grew up from their gossiping mean girls era, trying to hide something and at the same time doing everything to portray a perfect family life. They’re capable of doing everything and anything to protect themselves and their children.

This was a highly entertaining book, the unfolding of the story and the secret coming to life were extremely shocking, I didn’t expect the killer to be the person it turned out to be. I really need to read more books from this author.

𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 :
• psychological thriller
• domestic thriller
• family & friends drama
• jealousy & betrayal

Thank you Miranda Smith, Bookouture & NetGalley for an e-ARC copy.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for this ARC copy.

This book gave me very Good Girls Guide to Murder vibes - so if that was your vibe you will lap this up.

This book had short snappy chapters and was a very easy read.

I didnt LOVE it, but that is purely my own opinion.

I can't say enough good things about this book! This book was everything I love in a thriller- guessing, twists, fast-paced, and an explosive ending. It's the first book I've read from Miranda Smith, but it won't be the last. Grab it and set aside your day to read it in one sitting!

4.5 ⭐ rounded up - This book grabbed my attention right from the start. It’s fast-paced and very well written, making me feel like I was part of a glamorous neighborhood filled with fabulous (desperate) housewives/mothers. Each character was unique, with their own interesting backstories, yet they all felt real.

The plot was fresh and kept me engaged throughout. I loved how the story built up, drawing me in with every twist and turn. However, I felt the ending could have been more surprising or impactful. Even so, this is a fantastic book, and I definitely plan to read it again. Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC.

Okay so this is a popcorn read full of toxic people and it's entertaining as can be.

Don't expect...depth. Also, do expect that the reveal will NOT take you by surprise.

But these 'Loving' but not 'Lovely' Mothers give you quite the read.

I hated these people, but didn't want to look away.

What a fun ride!! This book was so captivating and had me constantly guessing what would happen next. There were so many exciting twists and turns that left my mouth open in shock. The book gave major Desperate Housewives vibes and I ate it up! The way the author described everything in the story from the setting to the people made it so easy to visualize in my mind and helped ground me to the book. This was my first Miranda Smith book and it definitely won't be my last.

✨️ Book Tour ✨️

Hey thriller lovers!!! I was invited to read this book and I really enjoyed it. I'll admit it isn't my usual type of thriller but it was good, it was just "too light" for me, I could almost say it felt more like an women's fiction with a bit of mystery in it, which was good because I wanted something light but that kept me on edge.
So if you're looking for an entertaining read that kill keep you guessing, this one is for you.
☆ TW, abuse.

a teenager disappears on Halloween night, the mothers in the neighborhood ban together to find her, but two of the mothers think their children know more than they are saying.

This is not the first book I have read like this but I loved it. The cover hooked me in but the story kept me in

What a page turner

Thank you for the opportunity to review

ᗩᖇᑕ ᖇEᐯIEᗯ

𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀
𝗠𝗶𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮 𝗦𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗵
𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

𝗕𝗹𝘂𝗿𝗯:
When sixteen year old Shelby disappears on Halloween night, the neighborhood mothers bann together to look for her, but two of the mothers suspect their children know more than they are letting on. In a community of adult mean girls, rumors are spread, and secrets come to light.
What really happened to Shelby that night? And how far will a mother go to protect her child?

𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄:

This novel was engaging from the first chapter and continued to be a page turner to the end.
The characters are so well crafted with depth, complexities, and vulnerabilities. The plot is fast-paced, filled with action, twists, and turns, which keep you on the edge of your seat.
I really enjoyed the descriptive writing of the small town setting and its inhabitants. There are plenty of surprises and suspense in this exciting psychological thriller, and the ending is satisfying, tying everything together.

Grab your copy Oct 3rd, 2024

Thank you to Netgally and Bookature for my copy. My review was voluntary.

My review is also on Instagram
www.instagram.com/sheilasenchantedbookshelf

Loving Mothers by Miranda Smith is a highly recommended suburban mom domestic thriller.

After gated community Hickory Hills holds a neighborhood halloween party, Donna Bledsoe's sixteen year old daughter Shelby goes missing. She calls her friend Mary Holden, the queen bee, because Mary's daughter Grace is best friends with Shelby. Friends and neighbors Naomi Davis and Janet Parks come to lend their support. New-to-the-neighborhood Stella Moore also lends her support. Her son Hudson is the new kid at school. Mary keeps insisting Hudson was Shelby's boyfriend, but he says no. He and Grace are actually talking to each other.

There is no doubt that Loving Mothers has plenty of twists and will hold your complete attention from start to finish, however, it can also be said that this plot, protective secretive mothers, has been covered many times before. Think 'Mean Girls' but with suburban moms in their thirties and forties.

The well constructed plot unfolds from the multiple viewpoints of several characters and covers the missing teen along with other personal problems and gossip between neighbors. Every character is flawed. Expect plenty of secrets, twists, drinking, drama, gossip, and deflection. The ending is surprising. Thanks to Bookouture for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

The review will be published on Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

I finished this book over the weekend, I just couldn’t get enough! From the pace to the characters - I loved everything about this thriller and will recommend it to all of my reader friends when it hits the market 10/3. I wanted to savor each page - but I couldn’t put it down longer than a few minutes at a time before picking it back up and devouring more of the story.

This is my first time reading a book by this author, but now I will go back and read all the others she has published. Thank you for the ARC and well done!

Hickory Hills is the perfect place to raise a family. Everyone knows everyone. Sometimes that's a bad thing. The morning after the Halloween party, the word spreads from house to house, each resident gasping at the news, each mother holding their child tighter. Shelby has gone missing. My daughter should be distraught, but she's claiming they weren't even friends any more. When I go to talk to her, I hear her giggling on the phone with Shelby's boyfriend. And then I find her Halloween costume, stuffed in a bag in her closet, covered in blood.

Everyone in the whole neighbourhood had their own thoughts on what had happened when Shelby disappeared after being at a Halloween Party. All the neighbours in the gated community of Hickory Hills had been at the party. There are plenty of twists and surprises along the way. It's suspenseful and told from multiple points of view. The chapters are short, It's action packed, and I could not put the book down. The characters are well-developed, and they all have something they'd prefer to keep hidden.

Published 3rd October 2024

I would like to thank #NetGalley #Bookouture and the author #MirandaSmith for my ARC of #LovingMothers in exchange for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed Loving Mothers. The plot itself hooked me from the start, what is there not to like? A teen girl goes missing after a safe suburban neighborhood Halloween party, other teens are potentially involved. Catty suburban moms who gossip about one another? Count me in. The twists and shocks kept coming. I did not want to stop reading, even with a headache, I was too invested in Mary & Stella's fictional drama. The multi-person perspective truly helped keep me interested. If I spent the whole book following Mary Holden around I would have tapped out.
From the get, I did not like a majority of the characters on a personal level. All I wanted was to read more of their lives falling apart. Mary was just the worst. Stella came off as weak and desperate for approval. Naomi was a sad little follower. Janet was a messy drunk. Holden was moody. Grace gave snotty, stuck up girl vibes. I sympathized with Donna at first, that quickly fizzled away - your daughter is missing, stop calling Mary and go do something to find her. The only one that was likeable was Ken, there was a father that cared. As the book progressed I found my feelings for the characters shifting.
The writing was just truly wonderful, there is a good chance this could be my favorite read of the year. I cannot wait to read more by Miranda Smith.

(This is posted on, Goodreads, Instagram and my new blog - still trying to get the blogging thing figured out)

I absolutely loved this book. I was hooked from page 1 and could not figure out who actually did it. There were a lot of characters but it wasn’t hard to keep everyone straight. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who likes thrillers and it’s perfect for fall.

“Loving Mothers” by Miranda Smith is a fast paced psychological thriller that deals with the lengths a mother will go to protect her child.

The novel is set in the neighbourhood of Hickory Hills where a close community are thrown into utter confusion when sixteen-year-old Shelby goes missing after a Halloween party. Shelby’s best friends mother begins to suspect that her own child is hiding something and as she tries to deal with her disappearance she discovers her daughter’s bloodstained Halloween costume.

She now has to face the fear that her daughter may be involved in Shelby’s disappearance and possibly a lot worse as well.

How far is a mother willing to go to protect her child?

A thought provoking story full of tension and twists

I would like to thank both Netgalley and Bookouture for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Loving Mothers by Miranda Smith

Stella moved to a quiet cul-de-sac in Hickory Hills, with her son Hudson, a few months ago. All the neighbours are so friendly and after attending the street Halloween party thrown by the most popular house wife on the street, Mary, Stella finally feels like she is part of the neighbourhood. But then a sixteen-year-old Shelby is found dead and suddenly everyone is a suspect.

I was hooked from the very first chapter and could not wait to find out what happened to Shelby. This is the first book I have read by Miranda Smith but I think she is my new favourite author. I have already purchased two more of her books that I cannot wait to read.

I would like to thank Net Galley and Bookouture for a copy of this eBook in exchange for an honest review.