Such a Good Mother
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- Create Date：2022-08-10 06:52:04
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Helen Monks Takhar
- ISBN：1984855999
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Summary
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， from the author of the "addictive" （People） thriller Precious You。
Rose O'Connell is barely surviving。 Her relationship with her husband is on the rocks and their son has isn’t fitting in at his new school， the prestigious Woolf Academy。 Their tiny flat in a rapidly gentrifying neighborhood--the very place Rose grew up as the daughter of an infamous local con artist--can barely contain her family。 Rose can’t catch a professional break either， trapped in the same junior bank teller role for years。 Life as the only mom in a nametag and uniform at The Woolf’s shiny school gates isn’t easy。
Not so for those in the elite and secretive Circle， a tight-knit group of mothers who rule the school， led by the charismatic and glamorous Amala Kaur。 In exchange for supporting The Woolf’s relentless fundraising and public image drives， the women enjoy lucrative business opportunities， special privileges for their children， and the admiration of the entire community。
After the mysterious death of one of The Circle’s members， Rose dares to hope that filling the vacancy could set her family up for success。 And 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…
Taut， complex， and compulsively readable， Such a Good Mother is a razor-sharp take on modern motherhood and the myth of having it all。
Rose O'Connell is barely surviving。 Her relationship with her husband is on the rocks and their son has isn’t fitting in at his new school， the prestigious Woolf Academy。 Their tiny flat in a rapidly gentrifying neighborhood--the very place Rose grew up as the daughter of an infamous local con artist--can barely contain her family。 Rose can’t catch a professional break either， trapped in the same junior bank teller role for years。 Life as the only mom in a nametag and uniform at The Woolf’s shiny school gates isn’t easy。
Not so for those in the elite and secretive Circle， a tight-knit group of mothers who rule the school， led by the charismatic and glamorous Amala Kaur。 In exchange for supporting The Woolf’s relentless fundraising and public image drives， the women enjoy lucrative business opportunities， special privileges for their children， and the admiration of the entire community。
After the mysterious death of one of The Circle’s members， Rose dares to hope that filling the vacancy could set her family up for success。 And 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…
Taut， complex， and compulsively readable， Such a Good Mother is a razor-sharp take on modern motherhood and the myth of having it all。
Reviews
Debbie
，
This book started a bit slow for me， but it took off and I was invested。Rose is struggling。 Her marriage is a bit rocky， she's stuck in a job she doesn't love that is rather mundane， and her son is not happy at his new school he attends， the famous Woolf Academy。 This school has a clique of mothers that run the place， known as The Circle。 Rose feels like an outsider。 When one woman from The Circle dies unexpectedly， Rose has the chance to become a part of The Circle。 But be careful what you wish This book started a bit slow for me， but it took off and I was invested。Rose is struggling。 Her marriage is a bit rocky， she's stuck in a job she doesn't love that is rather mundane， and her son is not happy at his new school he attends， the famous Woolf Academy。 This school has a clique of mothers that run the place， known as The Circle。 Rose feels like an outsider。 When one woman from The Circle dies unexpectedly， Rose has the chance to become a part of The Circle。 But be careful what you wish for。 Rose quickly learns The Circle is not as amazing as it seems。I enjoyed the writing in this book， and there were some twists that I didn't see coming。 My first book by this author， but will definitely read more from her。Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House for an ARC in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Kris Zeller
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The writing in this book was good， it was a quick read， good fans of the prep school / mom drama genre。 I really wanted to like it， but none of the characters were particularly endearing， many were annoying， and they just really distracted from the storyline。 I would read more from this author but hopefully with a setting that provides room for characters you can get behind。
Dakota
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What a twisty， turny， intriguing read！ I'll admit， I was put off at times because 99% of the characters are just awful people。 The type of people you just don't want to be around。 All about status and manipulating others to get what they want。 The author does a fantastic job of making you hate these characters but in a way that pulls you in and keeps you turning the page。 Especially in the last 100 pages， I could not put this book down。 Shock after shock。 Such an interesting book！ What a twisty， turny， intriguing read！ I'll admit， I was put off at times because 99% of the characters are just awful people。 The type of people you just don't want to be around。 All about status and manipulating others to get what they want。 The author does a fantastic job of making you hate these characters but in a way that pulls you in and keeps you turning the page。 Especially in the last 100 pages， I could not put this book down。 Shock after shock。 Such an interesting book！ 。。。more
Andrea
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I was really excited to receive an ARC for this book through NetGalley。 Such a Good Mother is a story of privilege and scam that reminds you to be careful what you wish for。 Rose is a mother with a seemingly lackluster life。 Living a shabby apartment above a town shop with her husband and son， Rose lives steps from the notorious and exclusive Woolf school。 Her son snags a spot and she is quick to realize they do not fit in with their basic clothing and lack of money compared to the glamour kid， I was really excited to receive an ARC for this book through NetGalley。 Such a Good Mother is a story of privilege and scam that reminds you to be careful what you wish for。 Rose is a mother with a seemingly lackluster life。 Living a shabby apartment above a town shop with her husband and son， Rose lives steps from the notorious and exclusive Woolf school。 Her son snags a spot and she is quick to realize they do not fit in with their basic clothing and lack of money compared to the glamour kid， well dressed Woolf moms。 After a death of a mom in the inner circle， rose gets the sought after invitation to take her place but quickly learns everything is not as it seems…but just how far will Rose go to give her son - and her family- the best life possible。This book took a little to get into as it built the foundation for the story。 Amala makes a great enemy and the girl-power relationship between Jacq and Rose is outstanding。 The other main characters could have been better devloped。 While the plot was definitely far-fetched this was a fun read with a good twist at the end！ 3-3。5 stars 。。。more
Sue Hayward-Ault
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My thanks to NetGalley and HQ publishing for the opportunity to review this book。 A dark and twisted tale of manipulation。 A page turner that will make you review the group's of parents at the school gate。A unexpected ending。I highly recommend this book。 My thanks to NetGalley and HQ publishing for the opportunity to review this book。 A dark and twisted tale of manipulation。 A page turner that will make you review the group's of parents at the school gate。A unexpected ending。I highly recommend this book。 。。。more
Faith Hurst-Bilinski
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Such a Good Mother just kind of went by for me。 There was a murder and I didn’t much care who did it。 I didn’t even much care to know who the victim was。 There was this school。 I didn’t care if the kid got in。 I didn’t see the big deal。 I didn’t understand why anyone would want to be a part of The Circle。 I hate that we- women， mothers， anything associated with being female- is so trite and shallow。 Even this lady is drawn in because that is just how we are！ Please。 What was the point？
Lauren
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Rose， a working mother， is caught in the daily grind struggling to make ends meet。 Living in a tiny flat with husband Pete & son Charlie， she watches as the town she grew up in is gentrified around them whilst they remain in the red。 Charlie is starting school & The Woolf， an outstanding independent， is just a stone’s throw away， but getting a prized place seems out of reach。 Woolf mums are perfectly put together with carefully curated lives， a world away from the one Rose leads。 So when directo Rose， a working mother， is caught in the daily grind struggling to make ends meet。 Living in a tiny flat with husband Pete & son Charlie， she watches as the town she grew up in is gentrified around them whilst they remain in the red。 Charlie is starting school & The Woolf， an outstanding independent， is just a stone’s throw away， but getting a prized place seems out of reach。 Woolf mums are perfectly put together with carefully curated lives， a world away from the one Rose leads。 So when director Amala takes Rose & Charlie under her wing Rose is understandably surprised。 Why would Amala take an interest in a family she doesn’t know？ And what can Rose possibly offer the inner circle of The Woolf in return？ When something seems to good to be true it usually is。。I have mixed feelings about this book。 On the one hand I was GRIPPED！ I figured the main twist early on but I enjoyed seeing how it all played out。 There are twists & turns galore & I stayed up into the early hours to finish it， I couldn’t put it down。At the same time while a lot of elements of the story are true to life - cliquey mums， people priced out of formerly working class areas， the daily struggle of the working mum - on the whole the story was unbelievable。 As a mother myself I can’t accept a mum ignoring the fact that their child is miserable。 Even if you thought it was the best school in the world， you’d never allow anyone to mistreat your child。 I did sympathise with her but ultimately thought Rose was a terrible mum which made her really difficult to root for。 In fact apart from Jacq & Charlie， all of the characters are awful which doesn’t make for a pleasant read。 I guess that may be the point though and if you love dark playground politics you will love this！Overall I disliked the characters BUT I loved the writing & couldn’t put it down as I had to find out who’d come out on top。 Side note - the author’s note at the end was poignant & her commentary on the bind working mothers find themselves in is spot on。 If @helenmonkstakhar wrote another on that I would read it！ 🙏AD Pr Product - Thank you to @hqstories for providing me with a copy ❤️ 。。。more
Sarah Waldron
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Thank you to @hqstories and @helenmonkstakhar for this copy of Such a Good Mother in return for an honest review。Description 🔖There is nothing Rose O’Connell wants more than to be a perfect mother。 After enrolling her son at the most sought after primary school in the area， she’s unexpectedly recruited into “The Circle”; a group of women who run the school and have it all。 Due to Rose’s desire to have it all too， she joins them and is willing to overlook some questionable things in order to clim Thank you to @hqstories and @helenmonkstakhar for this copy of Such a Good Mother in return for an honest review。Description 🔖There is nothing Rose O’Connell wants more than to be a perfect mother。 After enrolling her son at the most sought after primary school in the area， she’s unexpectedly recruited into “The Circle”; a group of women who run the school and have it all。 Due to Rose’s desire to have it all too， she joins them and is willing to overlook some questionable things in order to climb up the social ladder。Things like， where does all of their money come from and why did one of the mother’s take her own life and what made them pick Rose in particular？ Rose is soon to find out that having it all comes at a cost。General Thoughts 🤔I had been looking forward to reading this book for a few reasons; I liked the cover， I enjoyed this author’s last book and the blurb sounded interesting。 I will admit that this book wasn’t quite as good as Precious You in my opinion （review here）， but it was enjoyable。 I liked the concept of the book; a woman who hasn’t got much， surrounded my woman that have a lot and how far will she go to be like them。 It turned out that Rose would go a lot further than I initially thought she would。Characters 👫👭👬The main character Rose was flawed in many ways， but I couldn’t help but feel bad for her。 She spent a lot of time feeling less than， so I did kind of feel happy for her when she started to climb the social ladder。 However I do think that she took it too far。 She started to make bad priority decisions and it was at this point that my sympathy for her withered away。I really liked Rose’s husband Pete。 He was a sweet man who seemed to be content with his lot in life， albeit he was lacking some ambition and drive。 There was some back story there that I would have liked to have read a little bit more about。Writing Style ✍️There were parts of this story that I did think were very relatable。 Everyone judges each other at the school gate （whether they admit it or not）。 There were also parts of this story that I don’t think were relatable for the majority of society， however I did think they were believable。 I liked the way that the author mixed the two of these together to create a story that I could see myself in， but with some drama sprinkled on top。I think that the majority of the book was well paced， however there was a lot of unravelling in the last 3-5 chapters。 I think that this could have happened a little earlier maybe or been extended out to create a bit more tension。Conclusion & Scoring 🎖Overall I thought that this was an enjoyable read。 It didn’t grab and hold me as dramatically as I was anticipating it to， however it was a good steady burn of a story with some interesting characters and an intriguing plot。 I would recommend this book for some relatively easy reading。 。。。more
Jo
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Twisty， tense and terrific。 It kept me gripped from beginning to end and I will definitively be reading more by Helen Monks Takhar。 Just when you think you have it all figured out another plot twist flings you in another direction entirely。 Perfect summer read！
karen walker
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A brilliant book ， really enjoyed reading this， really good story which was written so well with a brilliant story line。 Loved the ending and all the characters。
Bookread2day
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MY review is in my website and an extract https://bookread2day。wordpress。com/20。。。My big shout out today I enjoyed reading this so much， I highly recommend reading Such a Good Mother。The Woolf school is the best school in all surrounding postcodes， and it happens to be the top-performing school in the region。 It’s a school that strives to give confidence and aspiration to every pupil。 Attending this school is a privilege。 This is a school where all these wealthy Woolf mothers are desperate to be MY review is in my website and an extract https://bookread2day。wordpress。com/20。。。My big shout out today I enjoyed reading this so much， I highly recommend reading Such a Good Mother。The Woolf school is the best school in all surrounding postcodes， and it happens to be the top-performing school in the region。 It’s a school that strives to give confidence and aspiration to every pupil。 Attending this school is a privilege。 This is a school where all these wealthy Woolf mothers are desperate to be invited inside The Circle。 The school always asks do you or anyone in the family have anything in particular that one may prove to be beneficial to the school and it’s governing fundraising。Rose wants her son， Charlie， to join The Woolf school， but is everything going to turn out right？ You need to read this book to find out what happens in this Woolf school。I can tell you there some twists set within in this story， that I didn’t see coming。This privilege school will make you think is this such a perfect school after all。 。。。more
Monika Armet
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Rose O’Conell is a 36-year-old mother of one， Charlie， who is 4 and about to start school。 Rose is married to Pete， who is a self-employed plumber， but recently he hasn’t been getting any paid work， money is extremely tight， and it all falls on Rose’s shoulders。 She works as a cashier in a local bank and tries to juggle work and motherhood。As you may have guessed， she feels extremely guilty。 She would like more money to ease the burden of family debt， but also to spend more quality time with her Rose O’Conell is a 36-year-old mother of one， Charlie， who is 4 and about to start school。 Rose is married to Pete， who is a self-employed plumber， but recently he hasn’t been getting any paid work， money is extremely tight， and it all falls on Rose’s shoulders。 She works as a cashier in a local bank and tries to juggle work and motherhood。As you may have guessed， she feels extremely guilty。 She would like more money to ease the burden of family debt， but also to spend more quality time with her son and husband。 Rose wants the best for Charlie and she reckons that by him going to the Woolf Academy， a prestigious but free school with an outstanding reputation， he will have the best start in life。When Charlie is accepted， Rose is overjoyed， but not so much her husband and his sister， Jacqueline （she is also Rose’s best friend）。 They both think that The Woolf is a bad fit for Charlie， but Rose is adamant it’s the best place for her child。Soon， she receives an invitation to join The Circle， an elite clique of Woolf mums， who are rich， beautiful and make motherhood （and life） seem easy。 They are everything that Rose isn’t， but she will try her hardest to fit in。However， on closer inspection， nothing is as it seems。 What are the women hiding？Soon， Amala， the leader of The Circle， begins to ask the impossible of Rose。 Will she quiver under pressure？You’ll have to read this book for yourselves to find out。I really enjoyed this psychological thriller， it had me hooked from the beginning。Rose was quite a complex character – her father was a conman， and she was the one that paid the price for his notoriety。 She craved acceptance and to start with， she appeared quite meek。 When Charlie got accepted in the Woolf， a change occurred – she became more confident and certain of what her family needed。Amala was the antagonist of the story， bold and beautiful， with everything you could have wished for: nice house， handsome husband， and a great child。 She would also do anything for her family and for The Woolf， but I felt she did take it too far。 She was driven by money， power， and revenge。My favourite character was Jacqueline。 She was the most genuine of all the women in the story。 She wasn’t scared of speaking her mind and she loved Charlie， Rose， and Pete。Overall， if you enjoy a tense psychological thriller， then this book is for you。I recommend it。 。。。more
Nicole
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I have a hard time cringing my way through books with unlikable characters。 Every turn of the page was another “oh no， don’t do that” moment。 The pressure cooker of societal pressures on women is very apparent in this plot。 It was difficult to follow Rose trying to succeed both at home and at work while still dealing with her traumatic upbringing。 The ‘how far will she go？’ storyline is certainly a trope， though the twists kept me flipping the pages especially toward the end。In addition to the u I have a hard time cringing my way through books with unlikable characters。 Every turn of the page was another “oh no， don’t do that” moment。 The pressure cooker of societal pressures on women is very apparent in this plot。 It was difficult to follow Rose trying to succeed both at home and at work while still dealing with her traumatic upbringing。 The ‘how far will she go？’ storyline is certainly a trope， though the twists kept me flipping the pages especially toward the end。In addition to the unlikable main character， the other area that I struggled with was character development of the other members of the Circle besides Amala。 I had a time keeping track of who was who。Escapist， this book is not。 But， it was a pretty crazy ride， so I cannot say it was unsuccessful。 。。。more
Georgie
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I was really excited about the premise of this book， elite school with a clique of uber mums where not everything is at it seems。 But I was disappointed with the pace and the characterisation。 I couldn't sympathise with the Rose as she was down trodden but not in a plucky underdog way but in a 'stop wallowing in pity' way， meaning that I actually didn't care about her storyline。 I found peripheral characters flat and the storyline slow。 I was really excited about the premise of this book， elite school with a clique of uber mums where not everything is at it seems。 But I was disappointed with the pace and the characterisation。 I couldn't sympathise with the Rose as she was down trodden but not in a plucky underdog way but in a 'stop wallowing in pity' way， meaning that I actually didn't care about her storyline。 I found peripheral characters flat and the storyline slow。 。。。more
Kyra
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Helen Monks Takhar pulls off the perfect psych thriller about motherhood and family with Such a Good Mother。 The novel follows working mom Rose as she vows to do everything for her son so that he may succeed and thrive in a prestigious school。 As she gets pulled into The Circle--the innermost group of the school--she must decide what exactly she's willing to do to ensure her family's success （even if she's fighting against her family to get it）。 But how much of what she's doing is for her son？ H Helen Monks Takhar pulls off the perfect psych thriller about motherhood and family with Such a Good Mother。 The novel follows working mom Rose as she vows to do everything for her son so that he may succeed and thrive in a prestigious school。 As she gets pulled into The Circle--the innermost group of the school--she must decide what exactly she's willing to do to ensure her family's success （even if she's fighting against her family to get it）。 But how much of what she's doing is for her son？ How much is for revenge？ And how much is because she is truly her father's daughter--a con artist and a criminal？ There was definitely a lot happening in this thriller， but it was easy to follow， had surprising twists， and a morally complex ending。 Such a Good Mother was all around successful at exactly what it was--a family drama psychological thriller centred around social status and childhood trauma。 。。。more
Sheri
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How far will you go to be the best mother for your child？ When Amala has the chance to enroll her son in a prestigious school she is concerned about the costs。 The queen bee of the school takes a liking to her and brings her into the Inner Circle。 Amala does not know what it will end up costing her to be in the Inner Circle。I can understand why Amala was drawn to the school and being a power mother but I wanted to put some sense into her with some of the things she was asked to do。 It is a very How far will you go to be the best mother for your child？ When Amala has the chance to enroll her son in a prestigious school she is concerned about the costs。 The queen bee of the school takes a liking to her and brings her into the Inner Circle。 Amala does not know what it will end up costing her to be in the Inner Circle。I can understand why Amala was drawn to the school and being a power mother but I wanted to put some sense into her with some of the things she was asked to do。 It is a very interesting book with a fitting end。 。。。more
Connie
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The Woolf Academy requires no fees for students but parents are expected to do their part to support it。 Tonight， the parents are headed to an auction at the Academy when they see a woman’s body by the outdoor gym equipment。 Her death means there is a vacancy for a woman at Woolf’s top table with Amala Kaur。 Rose and her husband Pete are looking to enroll their young son， Charlie， in the Academy。 Rose had attended the same school years ago when it had another name。 At the time， she was bullied a The Woolf Academy requires no fees for students but parents are expected to do their part to support it。 Tonight， the parents are headed to an auction at the Academy when they see a woman’s body by the outdoor gym equipment。 Her death means there is a vacancy for a woman at Woolf’s top table with Amala Kaur。 Rose and her husband Pete are looking to enroll their young son， Charlie， in the Academy。 Rose had attended the same school years ago when it had another name。 At the time， she was bullied and called Rotten Rosie。Rose meets Amala and it so happens that the woman is taken with her and invites her to be a part of what is called the Circle， a group of women who work directly with Amala for the school。As Rose becomes more involved in the school and sees behind the scenes of it all， she is shocked to see what is going on。 Can she continue with this and she becomes deeply embedded with the secrets？Straight out I will say that I did not like this book。 Jacq was the only character with morals and the rest disgusted me。 I admit that I really had to push myself to finish this book。 It’s dark and off-putting。 I cannot even imagine people behaving like this。 There was so much hype given to this book and I was really looking forward to reading it。 Sorry。 Not for me。 Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review。 。。。more
Lisa Leone-campbell
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When push comes to shove， a mother’s love for her child is endless。 Their happiness is your happiness， their pain， your pain。 No one should ever take what a mother won’t do for their child for granted。Rose O’Connell has lived a rather rough life。 Her father was a con man who scammed people， even his friends for his entire life。 Rose， who had no mother was endlessly bullied as a child as many knew of her father’s schemes。 But when her dear friend Jacq introduced her to her brother Pete and they f When push comes to shove， a mother’s love for her child is endless。 Their happiness is your happiness， their pain， your pain。 No one should ever take what a mother won’t do for their child for granted。Rose O’Connell has lived a rather rough life。 Her father was a con man who scammed people， even his friends for his entire life。 Rose， who had no mother was endlessly bullied as a child as many knew of her father’s schemes。 But when her dear friend Jacq introduced her to her brother Pete and they fell in love she was sure her luck would change。 And when their son Charlie was born， he became the light of her life。Money has always been a bit of a struggle， but they have been making ends meet with Rose working for a bank and Pete being a plumber。 But when Rose sees a new elite school right across the street from them where her own old school sat which is called Woolf Academy， she gets it in her mind that Charlie should go there no matter what。 At the interview she meets Amala Kaur， the wealthy leader of a group of women known as The Circle who seem to be able to exert great power at the institute。 Rose knows her chances of Charlie being accepted are slim， but he is accepted！ And when one of The Circle women tragically dies， Amala asks her to take her place， although the other Circle women don’t believe Rose meets their standards。Amala assures Rose that tuition would not be a problem as there are many ways she would be able to work within The Circle to make the money。 At first， Rose becomes giddy with power。 As the other mother’s look at her differently， as she begins to dress differently when not in her bank uniform， as she and Pete are able to eat at a fancy restaurant and are invited to powerful fundraisers， she is blinded by the materialism。But when things begin to take a different turn and Amala begins to ask her to perhaps not be as honest as she should， it begins to affect her relationship Amala， with Pete and even Charlie who at first seemed to be having a difficult time adjusting to the school。 She feels over her head and is unable to find a way out of the situations she is being put in。 As she begins to discover the hidden Circle secrets， she feels the price she has to pay is not worth what she has been given。 But it could be too late for her to leave。 It seems she has been conned。 And now her family is paying the price。The more Rose goes against Amala， the more terrifying the stakes become for her family。 But nothing will stop her from protecting those she loves， no matter what。 Especially a mother who has been scorned and their child who is now being manipulated。Such a Good Mother is an incredible psychological thriller which takes the reader along Rose’s ride of sadness for never being accepted， to Rose’s newfound strength as she fights for those she loves and will not stop until her family is whole again。 With a satisfyingly twisty ending you don’t see coming！Thank you #NetGalley #RandomHouse #SuchaGoodMother #HelenMonksTakhar for the advanced copy。 。。。more
Sharon Williams
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I really enjoyed this book from the start。I thought I knew where this was going then 3 quarters of the way in the twist wow then another and another。 At one point i was sitting with mouth open thinking wow。 I just wanted to keep reading。 Really good。
Bridget
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Rose O’Connell， enrols her seven-year-old son， Charlie into the prestigious school， the Woolf Academy across the road from the O’Connell home - a shabby， tiny flat。 The Circle are an elite group of influential， wealthy mothers who believe they rule the school。 When a member of The Circle dies， Rose is invited to join them。。。Although this tale pushes the boundaries a bit for what I deem to be plausible， I still found it to be a highly compelling and engrossing read。 A great family drama that's we Rose O’Connell， enrols her seven-year-old son， Charlie into the prestigious school， the Woolf Academy across the road from the O’Connell home - a shabby， tiny flat。 The Circle are an elite group of influential， wealthy mothers who believe they rule the school。 When a member of The Circle dies， Rose is invited to join them。。。Although this tale pushes the boundaries a bit for what I deem to be plausible， I still found it to be a highly compelling and engrossing read。 A great family drama that's well worth a look。I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from HQ via NetGalley and this review is my own unbiased opinion。 。。。more
Jane Hunt
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Such A Good Mother is psychological suspense that delves into motherhood and school mum cliques producing a dark， disturbing story with many unlikeable characters and cleverly crafted twists that keep you reading。 It's also a social biography of bullying， shaming and gentrification of inner cities。 Explored in an impactful way， it shows many aspects of modern society in an unfavourable light。 I like the vivid characterisation and the vibrant setting that gives the story authenticity。 The shockin Such A Good Mother is psychological suspense that delves into motherhood and school mum cliques producing a dark， disturbing story with many unlikeable characters and cleverly crafted twists that keep you reading。 It's also a social biography of bullying， shaming and gentrification of inner cities。 Explored in an impactful way， it shows many aspects of modern society in an unfavourable light。 I like the vivid characterisation and the vibrant setting that gives the story authenticity。 The shocking twists are well written but equally thought-provoking， the socio-political issues the story explores。 I received a copy of this book from the publisher。 。。。more
Sharon Williams
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Very good read thought I knew where this was going then by part 3 my mouth dropped and I thought wow。
Vicki
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This book kept my attention throughout but I don't know。 It just wasn't my favorite。 There was such a huge buildup and then the end felt kind of rushed and fell a little flat。 It wasn't very much a thriller like it's labelled。 None of the characters are particularly likeable which I don't think they are really supposed to be。 I would have like Jacq to be more involved throughout the whole book。 It is a huge exaggeration of the lengths we go to provide for our children and that's what provides th This book kept my attention throughout but I don't know。 It just wasn't my favorite。 There was such a huge buildup and then the end felt kind of rushed and fell a little flat。 It wasn't very much a thriller like it's labelled。 None of the characters are particularly likeable which I don't think they are really supposed to be。 I would have like Jacq to be more involved throughout the whole book。 It is a huge exaggeration of the lengths we go to provide for our children and that's what provides the drama。 I would say this book passed the time fine。 。。。more
Karen Makeham
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Rosie joins a circle of helpers at her son's exceptional school。 The leader is Amala， and each Circle member follows her every instruction。 As things improve for Rosie and her son， she discovers that there is more going on in the background， and Amala's requests become more demanding。 What has she let herself in for， and can she leave the Circle？A great book showing how easily we can be blinded by what seems to be the easy wealth and status of others。 A great read！ Rosie joins a circle of helpers at her son's exceptional school。 The leader is Amala， and each Circle member follows her every instruction。 As things improve for Rosie and her son， she discovers that there is more going on in the background， and Amala's requests become more demanding。 What has she let herself in for， and can she leave the Circle？A great book showing how easily we can be blinded by what seems to be the easy wealth and status of others。 A great read！ 。。。more
Sharon May
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Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House for gifting me a digital ARC of the new novel by Helen Monks Takhar - 4 stars！Rose O'Connell feels like she is keeping everything afloat by herself - her husband's jobs have dried up， they are living on a dime， and she desperately wants son， Charlie， to go to the famed Woolf Academy。 But from the first open night， she realizes she doesn't fit in with the other moms， especially those in the inner Circle， headed by school head， Amala。 When one of The Circl Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House for gifting me a digital ARC of the new novel by Helen Monks Takhar - 4 stars！Rose O'Connell feels like she is keeping everything afloat by herself - her husband's jobs have dried up， they are living on a dime， and she desperately wants son， Charlie， to go to the famed Woolf Academy。 But from the first open night， she realizes she doesn't fit in with the other moms， especially those in the inner Circle， headed by school head， Amala。 When one of The Circle dies， Rose is surprisingly picked to join。 Suddenly the world opens wide for her and her family - but at what cost？This was a well-written book even though most of the characters are very unlikeable！ It can be broken down to its basic premise - what does it mean to be a good mother？ And who is judging that？ Just what would we do to ensure the happiness of our children and family？ There are lots of mysteries and twists here， as Rose tries to escape from the hold her past has on her， yet not being able to forget those lessons her dad taught her。 。。。more
Carol Werner Harris
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Rose O'Connell， the main character of the story is hardly surviving as a mother， wife or in her professional life。 Her son is offered a spot in a prestigious Academy。 Like all schools， there are cliques for students and for the parents。 Rose really wants to fit in and be offered into the woman's adult cliques。 Lo and behold， one of the woman members happens to die unexpectedly which opens up a spot in the Circle for Rose。Is the Circle what Rose expected or did she get into something she wished s Rose O'Connell， the main character of the story is hardly surviving as a mother， wife or in her professional life。 Her son is offered a spot in a prestigious Academy。 Like all schools， there are cliques for students and for the parents。 Rose really wants to fit in and be offered into the woman's adult cliques。 Lo and behold， one of the woman members happens to die unexpectedly which opens up a spot in the Circle for Rose。Is the Circle what Rose expected or did she get into something she wished she hadn't。 Was it too late to get out？I can't say I enjoyed all the characters， but it was definitely an entertaining read！Many thanks to Random House and NetGalley for my ARC of Such a Good Mother in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Jennifer Caloyeras
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Ginny Kirkbride is trying to enter the gate code at The Woolf Academy for the school fundraiser as parents surround her all waiting。 But she’s anxious with all the pressure on her to get the code right and also maybe a little drunk。 When she finally gets the gate open， she’s the first one to lay eyes on the dead body。 The parents seem more concerned about what a dead body discovered on school ground will do to the school’s reputation than with the dead woman herself or the three kids she leaves Ginny Kirkbride is trying to enter the gate code at The Woolf Academy for the school fundraiser as parents surround her all waiting。 But she’s anxious with all the pressure on her to get the code right and also maybe a little drunk。 When she finally gets the gate open， she’s the first one to lay eyes on the dead body。 The parents seem more concerned about what a dead body discovered on school ground will do to the school’s reputation than with the dead woman herself or the three kids she leaves behind。 The moms notice a small golden circle broach on the dead woman’s blouse。 And now， there’s an unexpected opening at the inner circle of The Woolf Academy and the moms are clamoring to take her spot in what’s known as The Circle。 Then we’re taken to the outer circle and we meet Rose， a prospective parent on tour for her son， Charlie。 Rose is an alum who only has awful memories of her time being bullied as a student here。 She works at the bank and is an accountant and it’s this asset that gets her son into the school and lands her a spot in The Circle， but are these moms really vying for what’s best for all children？ Or just their own and how far will they go for their cause？ Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the advanced review copy。 To learn more about this and other books， listen to my book recommendation podcast， Books Are My People。 。。。more
Stephanie
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Talk about an out there domestic thriller！ This has a cast of highly unlikeable characters who make some really questionable choices。 It really worked for me though。 I liked the con man aspect to this story and thought it played out well。 The ending really bumped this up for me and I enjoyed the be careful what you wish for vibes。 There is some great *Instagram is not real life* content that we all need to remember！
Lisa Jeffers
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I’m not 100% sure how I feel about this one！ I was hooked from the start and didn’t want to put it down， ambiguous throughout I found myself trying to guess the next twist and turn and failing。However the last 10% wasn’t what I was expecting and I’m still trying to decide if I liked the way it ended…hmmm
Susan
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I was listening to a podcast the other day where an author mentioned it is fine if a reader can guess the twist before it happens as long as they still enjoy getting there。 I have to agree with this whole heartedly！ Frequently I can figure out where a story is going。 Knowing allows me to chuckle along as the characters get there。 I get a little extra thrill。 That was how I felt about this book and Rose's struggle to push her family forward for a better life。 I saw the twist。 I knew it was coming I was listening to a podcast the other day where an author mentioned it is fine if a reader can guess the twist before it happens as long as they still enjoy getting there。 I have to agree with this whole heartedly！ Frequently I can figure out where a story is going。 Knowing allows me to chuckle along as the characters get there。 I get a little extra thrill。 That was how I felt about this book and Rose's struggle to push her family forward for a better life。 I saw the twist。 I knew it was coming。 I wasn't totally sure how it was going to get there but I knew we would and I was evilly joyful when we got there。 But then the book continued and I didn't like that。 I know the bar to surprise readers is high but sometimes reaching for it causes a writer to overstep。 That is what happened here。 I'd like to give you a funny comparison that I thought of， but it might be too much of a spoiler。 And I don't want to do that because despite this little hiccup， it made for a good read。Thanks to Random House for a copy of the book。 This review is my own opinion。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Such a Good Mother
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Such a Good Mother&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Such a Good Mother&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0