Book Review: Such a Good Mother by Helen Monks Takhar

Some things are too perfect to be true…

Rose O’Connell aspires to be the perfect mother.

And when she receives an unexpected invitation into The Circle, an elite clique of beautiful, wealthy and connected mums at her son’s exclusive school, it seems her dreams are about to come true. Every mother would kill for an invitation, and once she joins, Rose’s social status soars.

But what is each woman hiding beneath her immaculate exterior?

Why did a previous member take their own life?

And why have they singled out unassuming Rose to take her place?

Rose is about to find out that darkness lies at the heart of The Circle. And it’s far too late to run…

*****

Rose is determined to be the perfect mother for her son, Charlie.

When she gets invited into the Circle, the exclusive clique at her son’s new school, it seems like she is on her way. However, nothing is as it seems.

I had not read Helen’s previous novel, That Woman, so I didn’t fully know what to expect.

I pretty much devoured this novel, reading it in one sitting. You are immediately thrown into the action and mystery surrounding The Woolf School and the women running it.

Rose is certainly a character you have a lot of sympathy for when you first meet her. She is wanting to do what is best for her son, not having had the best childhood herself. I think a lot of people will relate to that. Having said that, not all of her behaviour is great. I did occasionally loose empathy with her. She’s a complicated and complex character.

As is Amala. She is a perfect example of the saying ‘if it seems too good to be true, it usually is.’ I found it hard to trust her from the get go. Rose and Amala’s relationship and their dynamics with the other female characters was fascinating to read as the story progressed.

I adored Charlie. He was such a sweet character. I felt very sorry for Pete. He got caught up in something he didn’t really deserve. Jaq was brilliant. I loved her.

The plot moved along well and the pace was great. There were so many twists and turns, secrets and lies. Just when I thought I had figured out where it was going, the plot would get turned on its head. There was one particular heart breaking moment that had me screaming ‘NO’ out loud.

The story focuses around perception, deception, keeping up appearances, revenge and power – what people will do to keep it and how far you will go to protect your family. Yes, the situation that these characters are in may seem a little unrealistic and extreme, but the characters motivations and behaviours are very much something that is possible. You never know what you’ll do when backed into a corner and have everything to lose.

In my opinion, this book was very well written. It had the feel of a grown up Mean Girls with Amala as the Queen Bee.

This is a fantastic psychological thriller. It’s compelling and had me on the edge of my seat. I recommend it and hope it’s one novel you’ll add to your summer reading lists.

Thank you to HQ and Netgalley for the advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review. 

About Helen Monks Takhar:

Helen Monks Takhar worked as a journalist, copywriter and magazine editor having graduated from Cambridge in 1997.

She began her career writing for financial trade newspapers in 1999 before contributing to UK national newspapers including The Times and The Observer.

Born in Southport, Merseyside in 1976, she lives in North London with her husband and two daughters. 

Say hello to Helen via her website or Twitter

Such a Good Mother was released by HQ on 4th August 2022. Click to buy on Amazon UK and Waterstones. 

by

Laura

I'm Laura. I started Novel Kicks back in 2009 as I wanted a place to discuss books and writing - two loves of my life. As someone who has anxiety, these two things give me, and I am sure countless others, a much needed escape.
There is a monthly book club, writing exercises, prompts, reviews, author interviews, competitions and guest posts. I cover many genres and I hope there is something for everyone.
I grew up by the sea in Dorset and currently live in Poole with my husband, Chris and three cats. I love writing and have a BA (Hons) in Creative Writing from Falmouth University. I am writing my first book. If only I could stop pressing delete. Chris has threatened to stop it from working. Haha.
I have always loved creative writing since I was in first school and would very much like to meet my teacher, Miss Sayers, to say thank you for all the encouragement she gave me then.
When not writing, I love reading, cats, Disney, singing (I can't sing but this doesn't stop me,) and falling into a good TV show or film. If I could step into any fictional world, it would be amongst the characters in ABC's Once Upon a Time.
I love reading many genres and discovering new authors.