The Heart of a Mother

Obsession Collection

by Julie Clark

A fateful decision from the past haunts a wealthy Californian. Desperate to make things right, she risks everything in this tense short story from New York Times bestselling author Julie Clark. Hillary Jean leads an enviable life. She has a loving husband, a beautiful home, caring friends, and meaningful work planning fundraisers. Yet she’s always felt incomplete. After a DNA website emails her a match, Hillary sets out to find the daughter she gave up twenty-five years ago. But her hunger to reconnect threatens to destroy the very thing she hopes to gain. The Heart of a Mother is part of Obsession , a collection of compulsively readable short stories about people pushed to their extremes. So addictive you won’t be able to put them down—read or listen to each story in a single sitting.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Thriller, Audiobook, Mystery, Mystery Thriller, Novella

41 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 21, 2023

About the author

Julie Clark is the New York Times bestselling author of The Ones We Choose and The Last Flight, which was also a #1 international bestseller and has been translated into more than twenty languages. She lives in Los Angeles with her family and a golden doodle with poor impulse control.

Reviews

[Nina (ninjasbooks) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Could see where this was going. But for an hour, this was not wasted listening time

[Maren’s Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been making my way through this Obsession collection, and so far, have enjoyed everything I’ve read. I am so amazed with the level of character development and plot Julie Clark managed to sneak into such a short novella, and while I think this would be an amazing full length novel, it still worked as is. Five stars all the way.

[Ceecee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazon Original Stories- Obsession Collection

Hillary becomes obsessed with Joanna who she believes is the daughter she’s forced to give up at birth. A story of unconditional love, maybe. I do see the final twist coming but it’s a good one!

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

A teenager is pregnant, delivers a daughter and is forced to give her up for adoption. Once grown the woman is long married and decides she has to find her daughter and joins a DNA database. Very emotional and heartfelt. Find out what happens. What a good story and well written too. Wow.

[SVETLANA · Rating 3 out of 5]

A mother is obsessed with finding her daughter whom she gave up for adoption long ago.

The story is a bit cruel.

[Karla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Story 3 stars**
Audio 4 stars**
Narrator Susan Dalian

[Kara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pushes hard on the Pro choice

Normally love this author. This was difficult with so many mentions of the pro-choice. Had I known going in probably would have skipped this one. Will say this woman was obsessed, selfish, delusional and had some karma served by the end. Quote from the book below——

I spoke about how I’d begged for an abortion when my baby was nothing more than a clump of cells, knowing she would break my heart simply by existing. I was invited onto the morning shows to talk about my work with Planned Parenthood, my mission to give women the voice that had been taken from me. If my parents weren’t already dead, it would have killed them.

[Sadie Hartmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Very, very unexpected and had a unique twist on the obsession theme. I loved how this one unraveled, keeping the reader invested, emotionally, and looking in one direction that we neglect to see the author building layers...complexity.
This didn't feel like 40 pages. There is enough depth of character to feel like a complete tale from beginning to end without feeling shortchanged on plot or development. Very well crafted.

[Provin Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another free Amazon short story- it was a rainy day. I read them all 😂😂 This was my least favorite. It was super predictable.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wanting to fill my summer with a mix of novels and short stories, I came upon this collection of short pieces called the Obsession Collection. This short story by Julie Clark explores the curiosity a woman has after she gave up her baby for adoption. Hillary Jean made the tough choice to hand her baby over to strangers for adoption, though she never entirely got over it. Many years later, she is alerted to her daughter's existence and begins to try learning about her. When the now-grown woman befriends her, Hillary is ecstatic, but has yet to admit everything to her. Once all is revealed, things will surely change between them, but is it for the better? Julie Clark delivers a thought-provoking story well worth the reader's time.

Hillary Jean has a wonderful life and a supportive husband, However, when she was sixteen, Hillary got pregnant, something her extremely religious parents would not stand for and they forced the teenager to give the baby up for adoption. It left scars inside Hillary, who always wondered what might have happened. When she is alerted to her daughter's existence through a DNA company, Hillary seeks to learn more about the daughter she never had. Slowly, she made connections with Joanna, though the mid-twenties librarian had no idea the woman she was befriending. Eventually, Hillary has to share the truth, which certainly changes the dynamic between the two women. How will Joanna react and what does this mean for Hillary? All this and more comes out in Julie Clark's gripping story.

I enjoy short stories with underlying themes and Julie Clark delivered that for me. She builds a clear narrative that is well supported throughout. As the story develops, Clark keeps the reader curious to see how things will develop and there is no time to wonder, as truths come crashing down. Characters are well placed and keep the reader wanting to know more, all the while wondering how the development of those who emerge will change with the news. Plot points work well and Julie Clark tosses in a few curveballs for the reader to enjoy throughout this piece. The ending was nothing like I expected and I enjoyed that!

Kudos, Madam Clark, for stringing the reader along in this great story!

Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/

[Melody McNamara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very well-developed story in the Amazon Obsession collection. A mother becomes obsessed with finding the daughter she gave up for adoption 25 years ago, and her desperation and vulnerability result in an unexpected outcome. I love Julie Clark's writing and full-length novels, and this story was another winner!

[sadie౨ৎ · Rating 5 out of 5]

nice unexpected little twist at the end

[Alan (the Lone Librarian rides again) Teder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lost Child Found?
Review of the Amazon Original Story ebook (July 23, 2023) released simultaneously with the Brilliance Audio audiobook.

A woman who is now childless in her marriage has been seeking the child whom she was forced to give up for adoption at the age of sixteen. 20+ years later the child would be fully grown. The mother's method of search is to be on every possible DNA Ancestry site that exists, on the off chance that the daughter will one day search for her birth mother. Then one day, a message arrives that shows a 50% DNA match, it must be her daughter! She waits patiently for the daughter to get in touch but hears nothing. Then she starts to search her out and begins stalking her... What will happen next?

Because this is in the Obsession collection, you know and anticipate it will take a dark turn at some point, but I still thought it was clever and well done.

Julie Clark is a mystery suspense writer who has published three novels, the most popular of which is The Last Flight (2020).

Soundtrack
Again, nothing to do with the story, but I couldn't resist listening to Pink Floyd's Atom Heart Mother from the same-titled album (1970). You can hear the extended suite on YouTube here or on Spotify here.

Trivia and Links
The Heart of a Mother is the 4th of 6 short stories making up the psychological suspense series Obsession, released simultaneously on July 23, 2023 as eBooks by Amazon Originals and as audiobooks by Brilliance Audio. The Obsession collection is described as “Lust. Revenge. Greed. Hunger. Desire doesn’t care if you’re at the bottom of the ladder or the top of your game. Six masters of psychological suspense craft tales about people crossing moral lines in pursuit of their deepest desires. In these short stories, even the most mild-mannered characters can spin out of control when passion is at play. Hold on tight—there’s no turning back.”

You can watch for current and past Amazon Original Kindle short stories which are usually paired with their Audible Original narrations at an Amazon page here (Link goes to Amazon US, adjust for your own country or region).

[liyah · Rating 4 out of 5]

somewhat predictable ending but for a short story, I THOROUGHLY enjoyed this!!

[Obsidian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting

I definitely thought that it was a good short story but it didn't quite hit the same notes as the other stories. I will say though that this was definitely an obsessive story so it fits the collection.

[Julie (JuJu) · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Emotional Tale of a Mother Searching for her Child!

I totally loved Julie Clark's book, THE LAST FLIGHT. Have you read it? If not, you are missing out on a great read!

Her short story, THE HEART OF A MOTHER, is available on Kindle Unlimited as part of the Amazon Original Series—OBSESSION. It's about a woman named Hillary who is longing to find her biological child, whom she had to give up for adoption when she was just a teenager.

She's married and living a comfortable life and publicly talks about her past. When she finally receives notice that she has a DNA match, she is ecstatic. She can't contain her excitement and does something impulsive. I don't know about you, but I can't imagine being in her shoes!

#TheHeartOfAMother #JulieClark #KindleUnlimited #ShortStory #AmazonPub #ObsessionSeries #ReadersOfTheLateArc #TalkWordyToMe #HonestReview #ThrillerBookLoverPromotions #ThrillerFriendsUnite #ThrillerObsessedBookishClub #LoveToRead #BookAddict #Bookstagrammer #BookReels #LoveBooks #ThrillerBookLovers #BookReviewer #Thriller

[debbicat *made of stardust* · Rating 3 out of 5]

A freebie for KU subscribers...
I read this today (Sunday afternoon) as a nice distraction. It certainly was perfect for that. I would read more by the author. My attention span is a little short this week so it was a great way to escape. I definitely will read the Obsession Collection now. Did not expect that ending. Loved being surprised.

[Katie’s Bookshelf · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️
The story of an overly excited mother who goes looking for a daughter she gave up for adoption twenty-five years before. Honestly this one was sad

[jennyreadit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short story in the Obsession series

Hillary has been hoping to meet her daughter for 25 years. As a pregnant 16 year old, Hillary gave her daughter up for adoption. She has signed up for all the ancestry/DNA sites hoping to find a match. When she gets one, she’s unsure how to proceed while desperately wanting to meet her daughter. A twist makes this Amazon Original a bittersweet story.

[Jessica Paige (Exercise_Read_Repeat) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a short story part of Amazon’s new Obsession collection. Julie Clark did a great job packing a lot of action and character development into such a short book, and I applaud her for that. The end did catch me off gaurd, which I was not expecting!

[Javier · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5 ⭐️

[Gabi Worl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book surprised me. It was such an easy and enjoyable read. Quick with a nice twist!

[Maddie · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

[Zoe Anne M · Rating 3 out of 5]

Would have been lovely if only I hadn't predicted the entire plot.

[sophhhhh · Rating 3 out of 5]

just a simple novella and predictable but not looking for much was i😛

[kota ⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆ · Rating 2 out of 5]

i liked the two other short stories from the Kindle Unlimited obsession collection i read (Just a Girl and People Like Them), but i didn't care for this one. this story follows a woman who gave her child up for adoption at 16 and recently found her again through a DNA match website and it follows her yearning to reconnect with her child, through some extreme measures.

i feel like the fact that i do not have or want children might have made it hard for me to connect with this one because i just didn't really care... this had a lot of emotional passages relating to pregnancy, abortion rights (FWIW, i'm pro-choice and not interested in debating it), and adoption but the story still just felt bland and hollow outside of some of the more poignant quotes.

[itsallaboutbooksandmacarons · Rating 5 out of 5]

The short story captivates with its exploration of the intricate emotions that arise from betrayal and cruelty. The author masterfully delves into the vulnerability that accompanies such experiences, leaving the reader shocked and deeply moved. The power of the narrative lies in its ability to evoke genuine sadness, even to the point of tears. Through the lens of the characters' struggles, the story serves as a poignant reminder of the darker aspects of human nature and the lasting impact of betrayal. A thought-provoking read that lingers long after the final page.

[Eva · Rating 2 out of 5]

Felt like propaganda
I didn't like this. The premise may have been good, but the delivery fell short, and I was put off by the preachy narrative. We get it, we see your point of view, we understand your position on abortion, let's move on. The writing itself is fine–it was sad, and I did feel bad for the main character. Which was, I suppose, what the author was going for.

2/5
Third installment of the Amazon Prime Obsession collection.

[Maddie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Boring and predictable

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thought-provoking and tense.

I initially thought this was just a stunt to talk about women's issues, which is fine, but it became a really heartfelt and ultimately shocking story that I'm glad I took the time to read. I'm really enjoying the Obsession collection.