Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Mana vīra bērns

Rate this book
Kad Hanna un Deivids satiekas, tā ir mīlestība no pirmā skatiena. Viņi drīz vien apprecas, un Hannai nav šaubu, ka tā ir pareizā izvēle. Viņiem kopā ir labi – abus vieno smiekli, kaisle un, pats galvenais, kopīgs mērķis veidot ģimeni. Tomēr, kad Hannai neizdodas palikt stāvoklī, situācija mainās. Vai viņu laulība nu ir apdraudēta? Vai viņi spēs samierināties ar dzīvi bez bērniem? Hanna to negrib pieļaut, bet cik tālu viņa ir gatava iet, lai kļūtu par māti? USA Today Bestseller autores Emmas Robinsones psiholoģiskā drāma "Mana vīra bērns" ir stāsts par mīlestību, zaudējumu, noslēpumiem un dotu otro iespēju.

299 pages, Hardcover

First published October 11, 2022

Loading...
Loading...

About the author

Emma Robinson

32 books301 followers
Emma Robinson is a USA Today Bestseller with a passion for stories which explore the power of family and friendship in the most challenging circumstances. Whilst her early novels are humorous; her recent work focuses on emotional themes and these novels are both heart-breaking and life affirming.

Emma currently lives in Essex, England with a husband, two children and a small black dog.

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
558 (45%)
4 stars
426 (34%)
3 stars
212 (17%)
2 stars
30 (2%)
1 star
7 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews
Profile Image for Judy Collins.
3,564 reviews472 followers
September 17, 2022
My first book by the author, Emma Robinson—TO BE A MOTHER, is a beautifully written, heartbreaking emotional family saga about motherhood, marriage, love, loss, secrets, and second chances.

Hannah is married to David, and they want children; however, have not been able to get pregnant. Hannah wants her biological child and has dreamed of it her entire life.

However, Hannah dreams of Katherine all the time, David's first wife, who died, and feels like she always has to live up to her.

As a last resort option, David informs Hannah that his wife Katherine also had fertility issues, and before Katherine died, she had undergone fertility treatment. Now her eggs legally belong to David and Hannah.

Four embryos are still in storage. Her eggs and his sperm are ready for implantation. It was not what Hannah wanted.

Hannah had spent the last two years worrying whether she was living up to David's first wife, and now was she considering giving birth to her child?

The dilemma: Will Hannah agree to this? It could be her only chance to be a mother, but can she carry Katherine (the first wife's baby)? What else was David hiding? What if the embryos do not take?

We hear from Hannah's POV and Katherine's.

Maybe Saint Katherine was not the perfect wife after all. She had been lying to everyone about events leading up to two weeks before the accident, or was there something else? OR was she completely selfless?

So many secrets. Families can be messy.

A happy ending!

Loved this quote from Hannah's mom:
"But the thing is, love—and it took me a while to learn this—your child doesn't really ever belong to you. You get to borrow them for a while. You get to guide them a little. But one day, they will leave and become their own person, and, if you're lucky, you get to watch them spread their wings and fly. And sometimes, if you've done it right, they fly home and sit in your spare room, and you get to hold them again for a little while."


Blog Review posted @
www.JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins |#JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 4 Stars
Pub Date: Oct 11, 2022
Profile Image for Jonann loves book talk❤♥️❤.
870 reviews234 followers
September 8, 2022
To Be a Mother by Emma Robinson is a gripping book gracefully written about the struggle of infertility. Robinson is a master at approaching sensitive subjects with compassionate honesty. Emma Robinson is the best-selling author of sixty books.

Synopsis:
Hannah is David's second wife. David and Hannah are deeply in love and want to start a family, but Hannah's eggs are not viable. They have three options: adoption, using donor eggs, or using embryos that were previously frozen by David and his first wife Katherine before she tragically passed away. Hannah desperately wants a child and David owns the embryos legally, but how does Hannah feel about giving birth to David's first wife's child?

The novel To Be a Mother is women's fiction that feels like a true story. You are pulled into the book on a deep emotional level through the author's poignant writing. The struggle with infertility is a real and gut wrenching subject addressed openly in this beautifully written book. Emma Robinson reached down deep and touched my soul.

To Be a Mother by Emma Robinson is available on October 11th.
(5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐)

Thank you, NetGalley and Bookouture, for sharing this outstanding novel with me. Your kindness is appreciated!
Profile Image for Sherri Thacker.
1,818 reviews418 followers
September 23, 2022
This is my 3rd book by Emma Robinson so I was excited to be approved by NetGalley and the publisher for this latest book. Hanna and David are wanting to start a family but Hanna is having fertility issues. David's first wife Katherine died and Hanna constantly finds herself living in her shadow. Katherine had frozen some eggs before she died and now David and Hanna have to decide whether to use her eggs. This is a heartwarming story that will pull at your heartstrings. It's beautifully written.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Danielle B.
1,469 reviews235 followers
September 1, 2022
David and Hannah have been married a few years, but she still feels like she does not fit in with his friends that were also friends of his late wife Katherine. They decide they would like to have a baby, but Hannah would need donor eggs. David tells her that his late wife Katherine also went through IVF and her eggs are frozen and has high hopes that she would consider using them.

This was such a great story. I was emotionally invested. I thought this book was a thriller, but I was so wrong. I am happy to say I finished it rather quickly. The writing is really great and that helps also make it a quick read. If you are looking for a great story, I highly recommend this one, but be prepared to shed a few tears along the way.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This review will be posted to my instagram (@coffee.break.book.reviews) in the near future.
Profile Image for Lauma Gurgone.
529 reviews294 followers
September 18, 2025
Lai arī par sāpīgu neauglības tematu, grāmata lasās raiti un vieš intrigu. Pirmajā grāmatas daļā tā arī nespēju atkost, kāda žanra tā būs un kas slēpjas aiz noslēpumiem. Skumja, bet cerību pilna, ka arī lielākajā izmisumā spēj ielauzties saulesstars.
Profile Image for Bookworm86 .
2,203 reviews157 followers
October 15, 2022
BLOG TOUR REVIEW 


Review for 'To Be A Mother' by Emma Robinson. 


Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Emma Robinson, Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous 


Publication date 11th October 2022 


This is the fifth book I have read by this author. I have previously read 'My Husband's Daughter', 'Only For My Daughter', 'To Save My Child' and 'His First Wife's Secret' which I highly recommend. 


I was originally drawn to this book by its beautiful eye catching cover and its intriguing synopsis and title. The synopsis stated  'With dizzying plot twists and emotional, heart-breaking family drama, this powerfully uplifting story is certain to leave readers sobbing. Perfect for fans of Jodi Picoult, Diane Chamberlain and Colleen Hoover ' I am a huge fan of all three authors so am looking forward to seeing if this lives up to this statement. I am also a huge fan of Emma and if this is half as good as 'My Husband's Daughter', 'To Save My Child', 'Only For My Daughter' and 'His First Wife's Secret' it is sure to be a page turning read. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture  that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).


This novel consists of a prologue, 39 chapters and an epilogue. The chapters are short to medium in length so easy to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!


This book is based in England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿, UK 🇬🇧 . I always enjoy when books are set in the UK as I'm from Wales and have sometimes visited areas mentioned in the book. This makes it easier to picture where the scenes are set at times. I have in fact visited England on many occasions including this year so am looking forward to possibly recognising name places. 


This book is written in third person perspective with the main protagonists being Hannah Maguire and Katherine Maguire. The benefits of third person perspective with multiple protagonists are that it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything. 



Wow!!! Where to even begin?? Mind you it's hard enough to write this with blurry eyes through tears!! Oh yes, that emotional even I shed tears!!! 


I  start by saying that Emma Robinson is a very talented author and I cannot wait to dig into more of her books. She is definitely on par with several of my favourite authors including Jodi Picoult, Jojo Moyes and Nicholas Sparks which is why she is also one of my favourite authors!!! 


The book itself is written so well that it reads so smoothly from chapter to chapter with brilliant descriptions and settings perfect for the scene. It really dragged me deep into the story and I became completely invested until I came out the other end with tears streaming down my face. The title and synopsis fitted the storyline perfectly. 


The storyline is absolutely heartbreaking and a real tear jerker. It is also an absolutely beautiful story of love, loss, friendship, secrets and family!! It is filled with love, family, friendship, regrets, selflessness, heartbreak and much much more. It was an absolute roller-coaster ride of emotions. Emma is an extremely talented author and I love how her books are based on life dilemmas and so much more. She always does so much research into her topics and it always shines through. There's nothing worse than a book being littered with mistakes because the author hasn't done enough research into their subject. The main subject of this book is being unable to have children. In this case because Hannah's ovaries are unable to produce healthy eggs. Emma doesn't just stop there though and throws the spanner in the works of Hannah's husbands deceased first wife's embryo's sitting there waiting to be used. I love how Emma manages to take what could be such controversial subjects and manages to weave them into absolutely addictive and gorgeous stories. I also love that we see what Katherine (The first wife) was going through and what was happening in her relationship with David. Again, Emma manages to mix the past and present chapters in at the Perfect times. There is so much going on this book including what happens with Hannah's mum that I just coild not put it down for one moment!! You will definitely not only need to clear your schedules when you start this as you will not be able to put it down but you need to make sure you have tissues at the ready!!! I cried, screamed, smiled, my heart broke, my heart warmed and soooo much more!! Such a rollercoaster ride of emotions!! I can't say too much as I don't want to give too much a way. Needless to say it is a beautiful book and an absolute page turner!!! I WAS completely invested in this book and read it in one sitting as I do with all of Emma's books. It is a complete rollercoaster ride of emotions and Emma has weaved so many "hard" subjects perfectly into a gorgeous yet heartbreaking storyline. This is yet another stunner by Emma that I would love to see made into a movie!! 


Do not start this until you have cleared your schedules as you won't be able to put it down!! 


It is set over multiple time lines. When books show what has happened in the past and what is happening in the present I find it really helps the reader (if it is well done) understand why things are happening and what has lead to the present activities and decisions. It also shows the bigger picture.


The characters are all realistic and described so well I really felt that I got to know them all. I became completely invested in not only Hannah and David but also Gwen and Tony too. My heart completely went out to Hannah "seeing" her break her heart over her inability to have her own children. I couldn't even begin to imagine how that must be feel as I'm lucky enough to have my three boys but Emma has done an absolutely amazing job, as always, with her vivid descriptions making the characters jump out of the pages and showing their emotions and feelings out loud for you. My heart also went out to David after what is discovered, not once but twice. I wasn't a fan of Katharine at the start and found her to be very stuck up and b|tc#y. I really can't say anything else about how I feel about them as I think if I did say anything else I will spoil things but just trust me you need to read this book and you will know what I mean and feel!!! I loved that all the characters were a mix of personalities and I enjoyed watching the relationships between each grow and develop. 


Make sure you read to the very end of the book to read an excerpt of Emma's absolutely stunning 'My Husband's Daughter' which is another emotional page turner and one I have read myself and would highly recommend!! 


Congratulations Emma on yet another page turner!! This is why you are one of my favourite authors and here is to your next success 🥂!!! 


Overall an absolute page turning, tear jerking and emotional roller coaster, beautiful story of love, secrets, family, heartbreak and so much more!! 


Genres covered in this novel include Literary Fiction, Literary Saga, Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Domestic Fiction, Family Saga. Women's Literary Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Women's saga, Emotional Drama and Fiction amongst others. 

 


I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of Nicholas Sparks, Kate Hewitt, Diane Chamberlain Jojo Moyes, Jodi Picoult, Colleen Hoover and just anyone looking for a beautiful read. 



308 pages.


This book is just 99p to purchase on kindle or free on kindle and £7.99 in paperback via Amazon, at time of review, which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!! 


Rated 5 /5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook. 


Feel free to add me on Goodreads or follow me on my website or Facebook for more reviews 


#ToBeAMother #Bookouture  #EmmaRobinson #NetGalley #BookReview #BlogTour #BooksOnTour

@EmmaRobinson @Bookouture @Bookworm1986 @bookworm86 


https://kcmw86.wixsite.com/bookworm86


https://m.facebook.com/Bookworm1986/?...

  

https://m.facebook.com/Bookwork86/?__...


https://www.instagram.com/bookwormwhi...


https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/3...
Profile Image for theliterateleprechaun .
2,918 reviews204 followers
September 12, 2022
The only thing harder than being a mother is … not being one.

Just ask anyone who’s gone through fertility treatments, egg donation, or adoption.

Author Emma Robinson captures the emotional side of fertility treatments and opens our eyes to what it really takes to be a mother.

So here’s the question at the core of the book: Could you carry your husband’s first wife’s child if it was your only option?

My first response was a vehement ‘no’.

Then I was given a convincing argument to cause me to change my mind.

Then, my vociferous response waned.

I went back and forth for the entire novel.

Would it make a difference to you if you knew it was the first wife, not the ex-wife?

You’ll have to read this fantastic exploration into the moral/ethical implications as well as the psychological and emotional implications of making such a choice. It’s extremely well written, in alternating chapters, in third person with free direct style and a stream-of-consciousness style, making you walk right alongside the characters. It’s Emma Robinson at her best. You need this book.

I was gifted this copy by Bookouture and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.
Profile Image for Diane Merritt.
1,021 reviews199 followers
September 27, 2022
Definitely wiping a tear or two at the end.
Great having all the feels from a book.
About love, life, sickness and of course family.
Greatly told and held together with emotions
Loved this book

Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an early release of this book.
Profile Image for Susan.
2,954 reviews87 followers
August 25, 2024
Wow....this one was heartbreaking. Secrets and longings..... couldn't put it down.
Profile Image for Sarah.
3,049 reviews238 followers
Read
October 5, 2022
To Be a Mother by Emma Robinson is an all consuming read. The storyline weaves and twists in ways I hadn't expected and boy did it send my emotions into overdrive. A beautifully written story that tugs on the heart strings!
Profile Image for Signe Sestule.
24 reviews
September 26, 2026
Ļoti interesanta un aizraujoša grāmata. Stāsts, kurš nav vienkārši stāsts par to, ka pāris vēlas bērnu. Daudz interesanti un negaidīti notikumi lika šo grāmatu izlasīt “vienā elpas vilcienā”.
Profile Image for Bookworm86 .
2,203 reviews157 followers
October 15, 2022
BLOG TOUR REVIEW 


Review for 'To Be A Mother' by Emma Robinson. 


Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Emma Robinson, Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous 


Publication date 11th October 2022 


This is the fifth book I have read by this author. I have previously read 'My Husband's Daughter', 'Only For My Daughter', 'To Save My Child' and 'His First Wife's Secret' which I highly recommend. 


I was originally drawn to this book by its beautiful eye catching cover and its intriguing synopsis and title. The synopsis stated  'With dizzying plot twists and emotional, heart-breaking family drama, this powerfully uplifting story is certain to leave readers sobbing. Perfect for fans of Jodi Picoult, Diane Chamberlain and Colleen Hoover ' I am a huge fan of all three authors so am looking forward to seeing if this lives up to this statement. I am also a huge fan of Emma and if this is half as good as 'My Husband's Daughter', 'To Save My Child', 'Only For My Daughter' and 'His First Wife's Secret' it is sure to be a page turning read. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture  that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).


This novel consists of a prologue, 39 chapters and an epilogue. The chapters are short to medium in length so easy to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!


This book is based in England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿, UK 🇬🇧 . I always enjoy when books are set in the UK as I'm from Wales and have sometimes visited areas mentioned in the book. This makes it easier to picture where the scenes are set at times. I have in fact visited England on many occasions including this year so am looking forward to possibly recognising name places. 


This book is written in third person perspective with the main protagonists being Hannah Maguire and Katherine Maguire. The benefits of third person perspective with multiple protagonists are that it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything. 



Wow!!! Where to even begin?? Mind you it's hard enough to write this with blurry eyes through tears!! Oh yes, that emotional even I shed tears!!! 


I  start by saying that Emma Robinson is a very talented author and I cannot wait to dig into more of her books. She is definitely on par with several of my favourite authors including Jodi Picoult, Jojo Moyes and Nicholas Sparks which is why she is also one of my favourite authors!!! 


The book itself is written so well that it reads so smoothly from chapter to chapter with brilliant descriptions and settings perfect for the scene. It really dragged me deep into the story and I became completely invested until I came out the other end with tears streaming down my face. The title and synopsis fitted the storyline perfectly. 


The storyline is absolutely heartbreaking and a real tear jerker. It is also an absolutely beautiful story of love, loss, friendship, secrets and family!! It is filled with love, family, friendship, regrets, selflessness, heartbreak and much much more. It was an absolute roller-coaster ride of emotions. Emma is an extremely talented author and I love how her books are based on life dilemmas and so much more. She always does so much research into her topics and it always shines through. There's nothing worse than a book being littered with mistakes because the author hasn't done enough research into their subject. The main subject of this book is being unable to have children. In this case because Hannah's ovaries are unable to produce healthy eggs. Emma doesn't just stop there though and throws the spanner in the works of Hannah's husbands deceased first wife's embryo's sitting there waiting to be used. I love how Emma manages to take what could be such controversial subjects and manages to weave them into absolutely addictive and gorgeous stories. I also love that we see what Katherine (The first wife) was going through and what was happening in her relationship with David. Again, Emma manages to mix the past and present chapters in at the Perfect times. There is so much going on this book including what happens with Hannah's mum that I just coild not put it down for one moment!! You will definitely not only need to clear your schedules when you start this as you will not be able to put it down but you need to make sure you have tissues at the ready!!! I cried, screamed, smiled, my heart broke, my heart warmed and soooo much more!! Such a rollercoaster ride of emotions!! I can't say too much as I don't want to give too much a way. Needless to say it is a beautiful book and an absolute page turner!!! I WAS completely invested in this book and read it in one sitting as I do with all of Emma's books. It is a complete rollercoaster ride of emotions and Emma has weaved so many "hard" subjects perfectly into a gorgeous yet heartbreaking storyline. This is yet another stunner by Emma that I would love to see made into a movie!! 


Do not start this until you have cleared your schedules as you won't be able to put it down!! 


It is set over multiple time lines. When books show what has happened in the past and what is happening in the present I find it really helps the reader (if it is well done) understand why things are happening and what has lead to the present activities and decisions. It also shows the bigger picture.


The characters are all realistic and described so well I really felt that I got to know them all. I became completely invested in not only Hannah and David but also Gwen and Tony too. My heart completely went out to Hannah "seeing" her break her heart over her inability to have her own children. I couldn't even begin to imagine how that must be feel as I'm lucky enough to have my three boys but Emma has done an absolutely amazing job, as always, with her vivid descriptions making the characters jump out of the pages and showing their emotions and feelings out loud for you. My heart also went out to David after what is discovered, not once but twice. I wasn't a fan of Katharine at the start and found her to be very stuck up and b|tc#y. I really can't say anything else about how I feel about them as I think if I did say anything else I will spoil things but just trust me you need to read this book and you will know what I mean and feel!!! I loved that all the characters were a mix of personalities and I enjoyed watching the relationships between each grow and develop. 


Make sure you read to the very end of the book to read an excerpt of Emma's absolutely stunning 'My Husband's Daughter' which is another emotional page turner and one I have read myself and would highly recommend!! 


Congratulations Emma on yet another page turner!! This is why you are one of my favourite authors and here is to your next success 🥂!!! 


Overall an absolute page turning, tear jerking and emotional roller coaster, beautiful story of love, secrets, family, heartbreak and so much more!! 


Genres covered in this novel include Literary Fiction, Literary Saga, Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Domestic Fiction, Family Saga. Women's Literary Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Women's saga, Emotional Drama and Fiction amongst others. 

 


I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of Nicholas Sparks, Kate Hewitt, Diane Chamberlain Jojo Moyes, Jodi Picoult, Colleen Hoover and just anyone looking for a beautiful read. 



308 pages.


This book is just 99p to purchase on kindle or free on kindle and £7.99 in paperback via Amazon, at time of review, which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!! 


Rated 5 /5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook. 


Feel free to add me on Goodreads or follow me on my website or Facebook for more reviews 


#ToBeAMother #Bookouture  #EmmaRobinson #NetGalley #BookReview #BlogTour #BooksOnTour

@EmmaRobinson @Bookouture @Bookworm1986 @bookworm86 


https://kcmw86.wixsite.com/bookworm86


https://m.facebook.com/Bookworm1986/?...

  

https://m.facebook.com/Bookwork86/?__...


https://www.instagram.com/bookwormwhi...


https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/3...
Profile Image for Trina Dixon.
1,134 reviews53 followers
September 4, 2022
In society, it's assumed that every woman will become a mother and staristics show that under 30's have a 25% chance of falling pregnant but for many women it is not a simple easy process.
This is the story of Hannah and David who find themselves at the fertility clinic debating their options. But unlike many women, Hannah finds that David's late wife Katherine had also had fertility problems and had had embryos frozen. The dilemma follows, does Hannah use the embryos and risk her potential child looking like Katherine or risk not having a child at all. But is David telling the truth about their relationship as Katherine's friends tell a different story of their marriage.
As someone who has experience of infertility I expected this to be a very difficult and personal read for me, and I'd be lying if I said this wasn't the case at times, and a few times I had to take a deep breath before reading on, but Emma has written this novel in an empathetic and sensitive way, it's heartwarming and thought provoking. Yes, you may need tissues but that's par for the course for Emma's books, she certainly knows how to tug at her readers heartstrings and that's why we love her books, they're true to real life. Long may she continue writing
Profile Image for Heidi Lynn’s BookReviews.
1,370 reviews121 followers
October 14, 2022
First, I want to thank Emma Robinson, Bookouture and NetGalley for providing me with this book so I can bring you this review.

Ohh how I just LOVE Emma Robinson’s books!!! She is one of the few authors I will read anything by! She writes about such sensitive issues facing women today with such empathy and compassion. To Be A Mother is one of those beautifully written novels that you must stock up on tissues-trust me I bawled my eyes out with this one.

Emma wrote an extremely sensitive yet very powerful book that focuses on IVF, egg donation, and adoption. She wanted to take this opportunity to celebrate all the Moms out there. Even if you are not blessed to have children of your own this book will touch everyone’s heart.

As always Emma does a fantastic job educating us readers by doing her research on this topic. I love all things medical and always am fascinated by what I learn.

In most of Emma’s books I try to put myself into the character’s shoes to feel the empathy that they are feeling. The emotions that I had in this book were all over the place! I wanted Hannah and David to be parents more than anything but the many twists in the story had me questioning it. There was one major medical concern I had that I actually meant to google-however all was revealed to put my mind at ease at the end.

Did I mention you will need tissues? Not just a few…ok maybe a few boxes! With all Emma’s twists and turns in this book and climatic reveal you will need some! This is one of Emma’s best books to date. Then again I don’t think I have read a book by her I didn’t like!

Emma has the best of the best cover artists around! The graphics on her To Be A Mother are stunning! Great job!


Profile Image for BookJunkie.
367 reviews12 followers
September 15, 2022
Oh boy, I most certainly believe you should have yourself a couple of tissues handy when reading this book. It was a fantastic story but by the end, it broke me!

Following Hannah who for all intents and purposes was the main character (although by the ending I couldn’t help as think of her as an understudy for Katherine) in the nicest possible way.

Hannah met David 9 months after his late wife Katherine’s accident. Married and now trying to have a baby. David never talks about his late wife but as the journey into parenthood starts to become more and more complex Hannah has questions she needs answering, and when the truth is all revealed WOAH it’s a bit of a kick in the teeth.

This book is incredibly well written, it knows just how to tug at your heartstrings and how to make you smile.

The characters are so incredibly authentic that you can feel every pain, and happiness with them along the way.

To Be A Mother is set for release on October 11th – get your tissues ready and preorder your copy here http://To Be a Mother: A totally heartbreaking and uplifting story about life, loss and second chances https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0B6GN7XY...

Profile Image for Staceywh_17.
4,158 reviews12 followers
October 15, 2022
If the only way of having a family was to use your husbands late wife's embryos would you? I have no idea what I'd do in a situation like this, what would you do? It certainly gets you thinking...

To be a Mother is beautifully written and the story of one woman's journey to become a mother. The story is told from Hannah's POV and we also get to hear from Katherine in her final days.

You'll definitely need tissues handy for this one, as it's an emotionally charged read that will break even the hardest of hearts.

I couldn't help but admire Hannah and her strength and tenacity to become a mother, yet constantly living in Katherine's shadow.

A heartwarming drama of love, loss and secrets.

Many thanks to Bookouture for my tour spot.

Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Profile Image for Sheri.
1,919 reviews59 followers
October 7, 2022
One man, two wives, all who want a family. Hannah is David’s second wife. David does not talk about Katherine, his first wife who passed away. David and Hannah want a family but it is not easy for them. If I were Hannah I don’t know how I would have responded to everything going on in her life. I enjoyed reading this story. I never knew what was going to happen next.
Profile Image for Corinne Rodrigues.
503 reviews61 followers
October 14, 2022
Hannah and David are madly in love with each other and very well suited. But the problem is that Hannah is David’s second wife and is always compared by his friends to his first and ‘perfect’ wife, Katherine.

Hannah knows little about Katherine from David, apart from the fact that she died in a tragic car accident and that she was the director of an award winning television show. He seems reluctant to talk about her or their marriage.

When the couple realize that Hannah can’t conceive normally and IVF is not an option, David suddenly tells Hannah that Katherine had undergone fertility treatment and there are embryos in storage for them to use. Hannah is shocked with this information and wonders what else he’s keeping from her.

Will they choose to use these embryos? Will David ever be able to tell Hannah more about his previous marriage? And will Hannah make peace with the fact that Katherine will somehow always be in their lives, but David has chosen her?

The author dealt with the difficult subject of infertility and with so much sensitivity. Her characters are so well etched that it was easy to empathise with them, especially Hannah. Also, it was interesting to see how David, Katherine’s mum, her closest friend Hayley and all her other friends held pieces of the puzzle that was Katherine’s story.

There were so many emotions that arose while reading this story – empathy, anger, frustration and sadness.

Another beautiful story of love, family, friendship and healing from the author.
Profile Image for Gita Salduma.
38 reviews1 follower
March 2, 2025
Emma Robinsone “Mana vīra bērns”.
Hanna un Deivids ir laimīgi precējušies un vēlas ģimenes papildinājumu, jo abi jau vairs nav nekādi jaunieši. Tiesa arī tas, ka Dievidam šīs ir otrās laulības, un pirmā sieva Ketrīna ir “klātesoša”. Laulātais pāris gana ātri saprot, ka nespēj bez medicīniskas iejaukšanās paši tikt pie bērniņa. Kad daktera kabinetā tiek meklēti risinājumi, pavīd iespējas par adopciju, donoru olšūnām, un pavīd arī tam nākošie līdzi pagātnes rēgi, meli, noslēpumi un beznosacījumu mīlestība. Smeldzoši skumjš stāsts par to, ko esi gatavs darīt un pieņemt, lai piepildītu alkas pēc ģimenes.
Stāsts par sievietes iekšējo cīņu- pieņemšanu, saprašanu, piedošanu un ,visbeidzot, arī varēšanu.
Profile Image for Ilze.
241 reviews17 followers
May 4, 2024
Grāmatas galvenā ideja jau bija forša, bet izpildījums kaut kā nevilka līdzi, nebija tik jaudīgs.

“(..) tavs bērns nekad tā īsti nepieder tev. Tu vari uz kādu laiku viņu aizņemties. Tu vari viņu mazliet vadīt. Taču kādu dienu bērns aizies un kļūs par neatkarīgu cilvēku, un, ja tev paveiksies, tu varēsi vērot, kā viņš izpletīs spārnus un aizlidos. Un dažreiz, ja visu esi izdarījusi pareizi, viņš ielidos tavās mājās un apsēdīsies brīvajā istabā, un tu varēsi viņu kādu brīdi atkal paturēt.”
Profile Image for Monika Guseva.
157 reviews7 followers
August 16, 2024
Sieviete iekāpj jau nedaudz velkātās kurpēs, kas ir vīra bijusī sieva. Ideāla un brīnišķīga, kā gan lai Hanna sevi nesalīdzina ar viņu? Stāstā tiek ievīts gan esošās, gan bijušās sievas stāsts, bet pats interesantākais sākas, kad tiek iepīts bērns.
Ļoti interesanta grāmata, izdoma izcila. Uzrakstīts tā, lai interese nezūd un galvenais, ka viss nav kā izskatās no malas.
Profile Image for Zane Cīrule.
360 reviews6 followers
March 29, 2024
Pēc atsauksmēm un apraksta likas, ka grāmata būs riktīgs spriedzes romāns, bet patiesība bija sāpju, izmisuma pilns par sāpīgu tēmu daudziem!
242 reviews
August 11, 2024
Grāmata,kas pilnībā attaisnoja ekspektācijas. Safabricēts stāsts tipiskam sieviešu romānam. Izlasi un aizmirsti.
Profile Image for Sandra Pukina.
90 reviews
November 14, 2024
Man patika,viegli lasāma, bet pietrūka tā "wow" momenta. Bet kopumā var lasīt.
Profile Image for Dana.
1,447 reviews
July 30, 2025
"To Be a Mother," by Emma Robinson, is an absolutely beautiful, yet heartbreaking novel about the meaning of being a mother, whether a woman must be biologically connected to her baby, or whether mothering is the loving, nurturing, and raising of a child. I am in the second category. Giving birth does not make someone a mother, any more than fertilizing an egg makes a man a father. The question raised in this novel is whether Hannah, 41, happily married to a widower, David, will choose to carry the embryo created and frozen by David and his late wife, Katherine. Hannah and David are told that she will never conceive on her own, that her eggs are no longer of the quality to sustain life. They talk about a donor egg, adoption, etc, but then Hannah learns that her mother is not in great health, and she really wants to have a baby while her mother is alive, so the woman will know the joys of being a grandmother. The logical choice to get in vitro underway quickly, is to use the embryos that are available now.
Over the course of the novel, there are twists and turns, as secrets are revealed about Katherine, her death, her marriage to David, and so much more. There were definitely some surprises, except the final one, which caught me totally off guard (the sign of good writing). The story goes back and forth in time telling Katherine's story and Hannah's. There are some interesting supporting characters, some seem to judge Hannah unfairly, especially those who were close friends with Katherine and miss her. David married Hannah quickly after his wife's death, which seemed shady to some in his orbit, but there were reasons and serendipity involved.
The plot, pacing, and writing are 5 stars worthy, thus I gave this book 5 stars. I listened to the audiobook, and had moments where I was cringing when the characters who were supposed to be in their 60s were speaking (the mothers of Hannah and Katherine, mostly). Women in their 60s are vibrant. They do not sound as if they are 98, with cracking, croaky voices. I can only assume the two women who did the narration of the novel are very young, and must think that 60 is ancient. I found it sounded ridiculous and it bugged me every time they spoke this way, plus, there were a few words that were mispronounced, but I blame whomever edited the recording. The author still deserves kudos for her interesting and thought provoking novel.
Profile Image for Teresa Nikolic.
989 reviews131 followers
October 5, 2022
Hannah and David have everything they could want, a happy marriage, a lovely home and some very special friends, but one thing is missing, something they both desperately want and that's a family of their own, but Hannah has just been told her eggs aren't viable and even IVF won't work, then David drops a bombshell. His first wife Katherine, who tragically died in a car accident a few years earlier, was also having fertility issues and they had frozen some of her embryos for future use, now David is suggesting that they use them. Hannah is torn, she desperately wants a baby, but how would she feel giving life to a child that could look like Katherine? Since marrying David she has lived in his first wife's shadow, always wondering whether she lived up to this wonderful person who was just amazing in every way, according to Katherine's best friends, Lauren and Priya. To then be offered the chance to use her embryos was a daunting prospect, and one that she certainly couldn't take lightly.

To Be A Mother is a beautifully depicted piece of women's fiction told by Hannah and Katherine, with the story based on infertility. Every woman believes that it will be a given, should they want children, that it will happen, unfortunately it doesn't work that way and sadly, this was the case for Hannah. I found myself invested in Hannah's plight from the beginning, hoping and praying that she would come to a decision that was right for her, and fulfil her dream of becoming a mother. As with all this authors books, the topics she writes about are told with compassion and sensitivity and this one is no different. Robinson takes you on an emotional rollercoaster ride of a read with this story, and just when you think you can put the tissues away, she comes at you again with both barrels. This is a fast paced read which I devoured in less than 24 hours and I highly recommend, but be prepared to have your emotions tested on this one!

I'd like to thank Bookouture and Netgalley for the auto approval, I will post my review on Goodreads now and Amazon on publication day.
454 reviews2 followers
October 27, 2023
It’s easy to lampoon this book because the novel is based on people acting in totally unrealistic ways. The story is told by describing what’s going on with Hannah and her husband, David, in the present and with Kathryn, David’s first wife, in the past. Hannah’s endlessly tiresome introspection about everything drags down the intensity of this unbelievable plot.


Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews