Rachel the Page-Turner's Reviews > Mothers' Instinct

What a fun and fast-paced book! Actually, “fun” may not be the right word…this book was at times quite emotional and deep, but it was also a fantastic thriller book (soon to become a major motion picture).

Laetitia and Tiphaine are next-door neighbors, and best friends. Laetitia grew up in the duplex the two couples share, and feels so lucky that a couple their age has moved in next door. The two couples become close friends - and that friendship grows even more when the women get pregnant within months of each other, both bearing little boys who became to be like brothers.

For years, these families had great times together. Long nights enjoying drinks while the boys played, always having built-in emergency childcare with friends they trust completely, watching their sons grow up together - it was the idyllic situation, until one day, tragedy strikes. When one of the boys dies, a wedge was driven between these families, and both women started (understandably) going off the rails.

While I saw the ending coming throughout most of the book, it didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the story. There is obviously a trigger warning for the death of a child, but that part was written thoughtfully and true-to-life. Towards the end, some things did get a little wacky and implausible, but overall this was a fantastic book with excellent writing. If the movie follows the book well (and the all-star cast won’t hurt anything), it should be pretty good. I’m giving this 4.5 stars; it was definitely a page-turner and a great story.

(Thank you to HarperVia, Barbara Abel, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review. This book is slated to be released on May 15, 2023.)