The Fake Mother: A totally gripping and addictive psychological thriller with a heart-stopping twist

by Jenna Kernan

Eliza has everything I’ve ever wanted. Three perfect children. A doting husband. A dream home. But I know a secret that could destroy it all…

When Eliza Watts hires me as her assistant, I can’t believe my luck. I steady my nerves as she glances approvingly at my glittering CV. I need this job more than anything. But she must never know why.

It’s funny she doesn’t recognize me, because we’ve met before. And ever since we crossed paths, I’ve wanted nothing but to be close to her and her flawless family.

But the job comes with rules. I can only leave on weekends. I must be back by sunset. And I can’t tell a soul about what I see in her home. Or else…

I accept instantly and she looks pleasantly surprised. It’s clear others have turned this job down. But I’ll do whatever it takes to get into her house.

Eliza shouldn’t have been so quick to trust me. Now that I’m here, I see that her entire life is built on lies. And when I talk to her children, it’s clear they’re afraid of her.

I thought I knew Eliza’s darkest secret long before I got here. But what she’s really hiding in this house is so much worse. And if Eliza finds out who I really am, I know I will need to run for my life…

An utterly gripping psychological thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the small hours, flipping the pages until you get to the next heart-stopping twist. Fans of Sue Watson, Freida McFadden and K.L. Slater will be gripped from start to finish!

Readers love The Fake Mother:

“Omg what a rollercoaster… I was on the edge of my seat… I absolutely loved it. I could not put it down… I devoured this book in a few hours… I loved everything about it.” NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Omg this had me hooked!… I absolutely loved it.” Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Wow! Right from the start I was hooked… I read it in one day.” Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“I absolutely devoured this book, reading it straight through because I couldn’t wait to see what would happen next… Absolutely delivered with twist after delightful twist.” Jennbooksit, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“I read the entire book in one sitting… had me hooked from the first chapter until the very end.” Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Wow… couldn't stop reading.” Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Such a wild ride… completely addictive… add this to your list immediately… totally binge-worthy. I couldn't look away.” NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Excellent… comes at you with both barrels and knocks you out of your shoes!… FIVE stars!” Goodreads reviewer, ⭐&

Genres: Fiction

402 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 1, 2025

About the author

Thank you for finding me on GoodReads.

Find my social media links here: https://linktr.ee/jennakernan

Here's a bit more about me...

Publishers Weekly bestselling author, Jenna Kernan has written over forty novels, most recently penning domestic thrillers. Her debut thriller, A Killer's Daughter, won the bronze medal in popular fiction from the Florida Book Awards in 2021. Jenna’s 2022 domestic thriller, The Ex-Wives, won the gold medal in the same category. The Nurse, was released in 2023, The Patient's Daughter released in 2024, and The Fake Mother in 2025. Her thrillers are intense, unsettling, and gripping with unexpected twists and turns.
Jenna began her writing journey penning historical romance, paranormal romance and romantic suspense. Find them here: https://www.jennakernan.com/books-1
A member of International Thriller Writers, Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, Florida Mystery Writers and Novelists, Inc. and a natural redhead living with her husband on Florida’s Gulf Coast, Jenna has recently increased her sunblock to SPF 50.

Jenna offers a FREE BOOK as a welcome gift to new VIP Readers. Subscribe here: https://mailchi.mp/jennakernan/grippi...

Visit Jenna at www.jennakernan.com

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Reviews

[cora · Rating 2 out of 5]

thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

the story follows Bailey, who is hired as an assistant by the seemingly perfect Eliza Watts. but Bailey isn’t just looking for a job—she has her own reasons for getting close to Eliza’s flawless life. as she begins her job, Bailey starts to uncover the secrets hiding behind her boss’s perfect image.

this was an easy read, and some of the twists were interesting enough to keep me going. however, the execution didn’t fully work for me. a lot of scenes were weighed down with irrelevant details that slowed the pace, and some of the big twists didn’t really make sense when compared to earlier events in the book.

one of my biggest frustrations was with Bailey herself. she would uncover shady information about Eliza and immediately run and tell... Eliza. like girl, you find something incriminating about your sketchy boss and your first move is to personally deliver the news to her??? be serious.

overall, a good premise that just didn’t fully deliver on the suspense or thrills i was hoping for.

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great domestic thriller and this author delivered some twists that you simply won’t see coming! With alternating POVs between Eliza & Bailey, the story was balanced between the characters and it was very well written!

This book screamed phony at its finest! Eliza has it all, she is a social media influencer with 3 amazing kids, a handsome husband and more money than she needs. When she hires Bailey as her personal assistant, it is obvious that both of these ladies have some secrets they prefer to stay buried! And boy oh boy!! When these secrets are revealed, it will definitely be some jaw dropping moments.

Overall an intriguing read that kept my attention the entire time! Recommend for fans of domestic psychological thrillers. Thank you Bookouture and NetGalley for this advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

[TheConnieFox · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book starts off exciting and continues throughout the entire book! It is realistic, twisty, mysterious and dark. It is about a lady named Bailey, who gets hired on as a personal assistant to a very well known and loved social media influencer. A woman named Eliza Watts is the influencer and is known for her perfect Family and life. Eliza has a wonderful Husband and three children.

However, as we all know, not everything on social media is real. It is wild to me what all Bailey figures out while staying at their home, even though Bailey promised not to say a word about what is really happening behind closed doors. My favorite characters would be Bailey and Aubree, while my least favorite is Eliza! The setting completely fits the storyline, I enjoyed the plot and the twists! This is definitely a psychological thriller that you want to pick up and read!

This book does contain some content warnings, be sure to read those before diving into this book. Overall, I give this book a 5 out of 5 star rating! I had so much fun reading it and it will be a book that I know I will continue thinking about! I love that it relates to the life of many people out there that do put on a fake persona on social media.

Thank you to NetGalley, author Jenna Kernan, and Bookouture for this complementary digital advanced reader’s copy book in exchange for my honest review!

[Laura Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

THE FAKE MOTHER BY JENNA KERNAN.
Release date set for the 1st of May 2025.
Very slow start getting into this book if I'm honest.
Reminds me of the whole story of that horrible woman in the news and the show on Netflix about the mother influencer Ruby franke.
This is my first book by this author .

[Christine M in Texas (stamperlady50) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bailey takes a job as an assistant to Eliza Watts, who is a social media influencer who shares her perfect family to her followers.
We all know social media normally shows the good, and necessarily the good, bad and the ugly! We learn early on that Bailey has her motives and she is determined to find out Eliza’s secrets. Let me say this…..Eliza has tons of secrets, but so does Bailey.
Another twisted tale by Kernan, and this one had plenty of twist throughout the story.

[Diane Merritt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book it flowed easy to read, the characters were all very interesting. It caught me off guard the ending great twist. Glad I had the opportunity to read this.

Thank to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an early release of this book.

[Janalyn, the blind reviewer · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Fake Mother by Jenna Kernan, I was so excited to read this book Bailey gets hired as Eliza’s assistant and she cannot wait to feel like part of the family. Eliza is an influencer and has three kids Aubrey, mason and Harper. She knows their rooms as much as she knows her own and the seemingly obsessed with the family but soon she’ll learn nothing in the influencers life is how Bailey thought it would be. From her cozy home to her very intelligent children and even her husband it seems there isn’t anything Eliza wouldn’t lie about and nothing she wouldn’t do to keep her secrets. from the first day Bailey is let down especially when Eliza shows her the mini home Bailey will be living in it’s as big as a storage container and she’s not allowed in the main house. She can’t have fast food on the property not even in her home she cannot leave the property except on Sundays but only when Eliza doesn’t find a reason for her to stay. on the very first night someone tries to open Bailey’s door and a few days later someone tries to assault Eliza’s oldest daughter 14-year-old Aubrey in this will just be his first visit to the property her and Aubrey become close and Aubrey tells her all her doubts about her seemingly perfect mom. we also learned that Bailey has her own reasons for being there in Baily story is not one Eliza will want to share on Instagram but Eliza does have big news to tell and it’s something that is devastating to Bailey but as the reader you left clueless as to why this affects her so much. This was an awesome great read and it definitely didn’t go in the direction I thought it was going to go and it all made for one great wild, OMG thriller. I love Jenna Kernan‘s books but thought this one was very intelligently done and absolutely shows the author’s talent which is outstanding. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves thrillers especially those who like to think they know how it’s going to end because trust me it will not end the way you think. So so good! #NetGalley, #TheBlindReviewer, #MyHonestReview,#JennaKernan, #TheFakeMother,

[Sara 𐙚 · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️ | interesting thriller

Eliza appears to have the perfect life—three wonderful kids, a doting husband, and a dream home. But when Bailey is hired as her personal assistant, it becomes clear that not everything is as perfect as it seems. Bailey knows a secret that could unravel it all.

Off the bat I loved the family blogger aspect of things since it’s something that is sadly very common in this day and age and made for an interesting premise. Bailey, the main character, is an incredibly well-written. Throughout the book, I found myself questioning her perspective, often second-guessing whether I agreed with her decisions making me always intrigued.

The story starts off a bit slow, but it still kept me engaged throughout. As the book went on there were smaller twists I managed to predict, but they only added to the intrigue, making me even more curious about how it would all unfold. Then, in the last hundred pages, everything took a turn—I genuinely had no idea where the story was headed, and my theories became increasingly bizarre. The unpredictability made for an exciting and satisfying read!

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Title: The Fake Mother
Author: Jenna Kernan
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Publication Date: May 1, 2025

The Prologue, wow!!! Just WOW!!! It included just the right amount of mystery and suspense. I couldn't wait to jump in with Chapter 1. Unfortunately, that's when things came to a screeching halt. By Chapter 8, there still wasn't a connection between the Prologue and the body of the book. Because of this, I was almost ready to give up. It wasn't until Chapter 57 that the author finally made a connection. Admittedly, it wasn't the connection I was anticipating.

The theme of the book was definitely relevant to today's social media obsessed society. Are things truly as they seem on social media?

This was definitely one of the better books I have read thus far this year, and I've read loads! Eliza was a very unlikable, selfish character who made me cringe. I enjoyed Bailey's character until she switched things up at the end.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion/review.

[Ad_Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Fake Mother… my first ever ARC, and what a way to start! The twists and turns had me guessing to the end! It felt extremely real, when you consider the life of Instagram influencers and really makes you stop to think of those who have kids. This was a classic “Instagram” vs “Reality”. I did not see Bailey’s true character, in fact, I thought she nah have been the mother of the eldest daughter. The only thing stopping this book from five stars was the slightly slow start and that storyline with what happened to Kaiden (fake baby daddy) seeming to be a bit of a quick wrap up. Otherwise, I loved it! I can’t wait to see what other readers think of it!

[SusanH · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Right from the start I was hooked on The Fake Mother, and I read it in one day. Bailey does everything she can to obtain the job as personal assistant for social media influencer Eliza. Eliza seems to have it all, a perfect husband, perfect children, perfect house and business. Yet from day one, Bailey is suspicious and is faced with some strange rules. However, Bailey is less than trustworthy herself. The author does a good job with the relationship between Bailey and Eliza’s daughter Aubree. It’s better to read this book without too much information because all is not what it seems for both Eliza and Bailey, and secrets abound. It’s exciting, twisted and the ending is explosive. With thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for this ARC. My opinions are my own.

[Jessica Kronfeld · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first book from Jenna Kernan and I will definitely be looking for more of their books. I read the entire book in one sitting. The entire book had me hooked from the first chapter until the very end. I really enjoyed the relationship Bailey had with Aubree throughout the book. I could not stand Eliza, she was so obnoxious and strange but that was kind of the point lol. The author did such a great job of throwing me off on where the the book was going to end up, I thought I knew but I didn't really know like I thought I knew haha. Such a great book and so well written!

*ARC provided by Netgalley, my opinions are my own and not influenced by anyone or from getting the advance copy.

[Heather Chesna]

Wow. This book was really interesting and exciting. I had so many questions and couldn't stop reading because I needed the answers! It was easy to side with Bailey, honestly, and I fear there's really stuff like this happening behind influencers out there. Really great book! Look forward to reading more by this author.

[Els · Rating 5 out of 5]

When some people showcase their life on social media, it seems like they are human centipedes. They do everything perfectly, cook everything from scratch and they can fit so much more in a day than other mortals. The question is though isn't all smoke and mirrors and are they not just fooling us and we fall for it with our eyes wide open?

As soon as the story begins, it's crystal clear Bailey has a hidden agenda. The question is why is she there exactly?

As we dive deeper into the book, I thought I had unraveled how it would all come together, but I was y-wrong. I never thought the author would take me down that road.

The tension keeps on building and I am more and more convinced I know the identity of the wrong doer. The author gives lots of hints to point me in that direction and she does not hesitate to throw in a few shocking twists.

Abuse, revenge, deceit are presented in a glossy box with a giant bow. It kept me up reading into the early hours. 5 stars

Thank you

[Jennifer TW · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting read. Bailey takes a job working for Eliza but both have their secrets. In this insta happy world, we all know that what lies beneath the surface rarely reflects the reality. A few twists and turns but Eliza showing her hand at times was frustrating. Thanks to the author & publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Corinne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one is a must read psychological thriller and I was hooked from the beginning. Loved the social media/influencer theme. The storyline is really well developed. It has the perfect pace and flows well. It’s a quick and easy read. The characters are intriguing and well developed so much so you don’t know if you like or dislike them. The author definitely builds the suspense but gives you just enough to keep turning those pages to unveil the next twist or turn. I had a totally different outcome built up in my head so not sure if that impacted my feelings on the ending. This is a must read and one I really enjoyed.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review #TheFakeMother

[AGilden · Rating 3 out of 5]

This isn't quite my kind of thing. I'm getting a little bored with books with several horrible characters doing horrible things to each other and to others, and this one fits neatly into that category. I should also stick to my rule not to read books with social media/influencer characters, since there's always a bit to much social media shoots and pretence and shallow stuff. There were also too many strands in the plot that didn't quite make sense to me. But I was interested enough to finish the book, and there were bits that were pretty suspenseful, so I'll give it something for those. 2.5 stars.

[Elly Munoz · Rating 3 out of 5]

omg, it took me a good while to finish this book. I am rating it a 3 because it was a very slow read for me. once I got to 60% It got better. and I couldn't put it down. so was I disappointed??? yes! but I did appreciate the end. it was a good ending. I just wish it hadn't been so slow for me. I read the reviews and they were all so good. that's what made me want to read this book. but oh well at least I finished it.

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

At first it reminded me of the real life mommy influencer who was in the news and jailed and then the story started unfolding more which was interesting BUT it felt like the story kept going on and on and on and was going nowhere until it finally ended. By no means was it gripping or thrilling. I wasn’t a fan of it but I do appreciate NetGalley for the ARC for my review.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow wow wow
I will definitely be reading more from this author!


You really had me rooting for Bailey 😂

[Cc Readsss · Rating 4 out of 5]

Release: May 1, 2025
Author: Jenna Kernan
Publisher: Bookouture

Rating: 4.25 ★ 

When Eliza Watts offers Bailey a job as her assistant, it feels like a dream opportunity. Eliza’s life seems perfect — a beautiful family, a stunning home, and the kind of success most people only imagine. But Eliza has no idea that she and Bailey have crossed paths before. And Bailey has been waiting for the right moment to get close to her.

The position comes with strict rules: Bailey can only leave on weekends, must return by sunset, and isn’t allowed to speak about anything she sees inside the house. Others have clearly turned the job down, but Bailey is determined to stay — because she knows Eliza is hiding something.

At first, Bailey believes she already knows Eliza’s darkest secret. But once inside, it quickly becomes clear that the perfect image Eliza projects is built on lies. Her children seem terrified of her, and the reality of what’s happening behind closed doors is far worse than Bailey ever expected.

As Bailey uncovers the truth, she realizes she’s in far deeper than she ever intended — and if Eliza finds out who Bailey really is, escaping might be impossible.

This was such a compelling read! It pulled me in right from the start with a really intriguing look behind the scenes of a “perfect” influencer life. While the story starts off a little slow, it doesn’t take long for the pace to pick up, and once it does, I was completely hooked. The characters felt believable and relatable, and I loved the modern, social media-driven setting. It made the story feel timely and unsettling in all the right ways.

The plot was full of secrets and twists I didn’t see coming, which kept the suspense high all the way through. I especially enjoyed how it showed the darker side of influencer culture—how far people will go to maintain a certain image online.

Told through multiple POVs, the story unravels slowly but cleverly, and I liked getting to see things from different angles. Even though the ending wasn’t the happily-ever-after I usually root for, it still felt fitting and left me thinking about it long after I finished.

Overall, this was an original, addictive thriller with strong characters and a sharp commentary on the illusion of online perfection. I’m definitely excited to read more from this author!

Favorite Quote:
"a lie can be the beginning of a beautiful story, but it's always the ending that matters."

[Sun-young Peony · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Fake Mother" kind of brought back memories of a friend I used to have. There was this whole other part of them that I just couldn't deal with. And eventually it got to be TOO MUCH for me. You know that feeling when you just know something's being kept secret... and it could mess everything up? That's the vibe this book gives off BIG TIME!

SOME INFO ABOUT THIS BOOK:

- When Bailey goes to work for Eliza (who looks like she has it all), you can just FEEL that something's not quite right. Eliza (this fancy influencer), has all these strict rules for Bailey. Well, Bailey herself has some mysterious reasons for wanting this job so badly. You can't help but be curious about what those are.

The author does a fantastic job of slowly peeling back the layers of Eliza's life. You see the pretty house, adorable kids and a husband who seems so in love!

BUT. The way Bailey sees things? MAAM, you start to realize that everything isn't as perfect as it looks. The kids gave me a weird feeling. They seemed a little scared and it made me wonder if Eliza's perfect life was actually a lie.

WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THIS BOOK:

- The author is really smart about giving you little hints along the way. Bailey knows a secret about Eliza from the start! But as you keep reading, you realize there's so much more hidden beneath the surface. Every interaction between Bailey and Eliza feels loaded with unspoken tension. I mean, you can tell THERE'S A LOT going on that they're not saying.

When you think you have a handle on things, Jenna Kernan throws in a curveball that completely changes the game! The ending totally blew me away! I was still thinking about it for ages after I finished the book. If you're looking for a psychological thriller that will keep you guessing and on the edge of your seat, definitely pick up "The Fake Mother." You won't regret it!

---------
NOTE: This is my personal opinion about the book. My goal is to share my experience, not to change anyone's perspective. Big thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this early.

[Kecia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced review copy.

So this book was a solid read for me. It was an easy read, even with multiple POVs. I had it devoured in less than 24 hours!

I was interested in the characters and story from the beginning, through there were times the progress slowed and seemed watered down with too many details/irrelevant information.

The author did great at characterization though. I really liked Aubree and her desire to find out the truth about her parents and family. Even as a sheltered, poorly educated teen, she knew things happening to and around her weren’t quite right.

I’ll admit, I liked Bailey for most of the story. I like a good underdog, and I really thought she would be the heroine for those kids. Her connection to Eliza was relatively easy to figure out by halfway through the book, and I’m a little bummed she was revealed to be crazy at the end!

A solid amount of twists and turns fueled the story and kept me interested. I did not have the entire ending figured out, but I’m not happy with how all of it played out. Kaiden’s storyline, for example, was just rushed with little explanation. I wanted to know more. Also, I wish more had come about from Aubree’s real father. Maybe Eliza would confess the truth to her daughter or at least tell her about her father.

This was my first book from this author but I plan to read her other titles.

[Carrie Shields · Rating 4 out of 5]

𝐅𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐲 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐫𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫.

Having just watched 𝑨 𝑫𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒍 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑭𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒚, the documentary about mommy vlogger Ruby Franke, this was a very timely, 'ripped from the headlines' read that managed to completely take me by surprise because I didn't read the synopsis in its entirety--if you want to be surprised, skip it.

Bailey has just interviewed for the job of a lifetime, personal assistant to Eliza Watts, a huge social media star. What is she famous for? She and perfect husband and their perfect children all run a farm, and she films every moment of their lives. It's all wholesome, organic, and exudes conservative family values.

But it's all a lie. We all know that everything on social media is carefully manipulated to curate an image, but Eliza is up to something that may be much more sinister. And why exactly is Bailey so crushed when she finds out that her living quarters are not inside the family home? Why does she want to get close to this woman? Is Bailey a deranged fan? Is Eliza someone she wants to emulate?

I thought I had this one figured out, but that twist totally derailed my theory. This was absolutely compelling, a little bonkers (in the best of ways) and again, very timely. Thank you so much to Bookouture for the early copy. This title will publish May 1, 2025.

[Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eliza has gorgeous three children, a handsome husband and an idyllic life with a business that is breaking the record books. As a blogger and influencer, she documents her family’s daily activities where she sells everything that is produced off the land. Bailey is hired as her new assistant and is desperate for work. From the moment she arrives Bailey has a strange feeling that all is not as it seems. She must live by a strict set of rules that leave her stuck on the farm all day every day except for Sunday and she is always at Eliza’s beck and call.

Bailey has had a fascination with Eliza for a long time and has followed her life as with many others on her streaming services of which there are many subscribers. She is desperate to get into Eliza’s home and see firsthand how this beautiful family are living. The cameras are always rolling and as time moves forward Bailey realises that this may not be quite the happy family that Eliza promotes. However, Bailey has her own reasons for wanting to move into Eliza’s world and this is the heart of the book.

As the book progresses the tension mounts and soon answers to our questions start to unfold. An enjoyable read that kept me interested throughout. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the book, all opinions expressed are my own.

[Silvia LD · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC REVIEW
Thank you Bookouture and NetGalley for this ARC! I literally read this in one sitting!

The fake mother
4⭐

The story follows Bailey, who gets a job as a personal assistant to famous influencer Eliza Watts. Eliza is known online for her perfect life. But, like we all know, social media doesn’t always show the truth, and while staying at their house, Bailey starts to see that things aren’t what they seem, the kids are scared of Eliza and the perfect life she's portraying on socials is all a facade. Bailey is not allowed to talk about what’s really going on behind the scenes, she has odd curfews and soon things start getting quite mysterious, and is not completely honest herself, having already met Eliza before... Can she survive if Eliza finds out who she really is?

I enjoyed the overall story. It was tense and full of twists and turns, and it kept me wanting to know what would happen next. It’s one of those books where you’re never sure who’s telling the truth, and the ending had some major WHAT moments. The fact that it's told from multiple point of view helps keeping the atmosphere tense... The characters were interesting and I liked that the story kept changing and pulling me in different directions, always leaving me guessing.

A totally bingeable read!

[Ashley Sawyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Her perfect life is built on the darkest lie."

The Fake Mother by Jenna Kernan is a gripping psychological thriller that will have you completely absorbed from the first page!

When Bailey gets hired to be an assistant to well known social media influencer Eliza Watts, she can not wait to step into Eliza's picture perfect life. With three amazing children, a handsome and attentive husband, and all the money and luxuries she could ever want, Eliza seems to have it all. But soon Bailey realizes that Eliza's life on her feeds is not at all what it seems to be. As Bailey learns more and more about Eliza's secrets, she wants to expose her for who she really is. But Bailey has some dark secrets of her own and the reason she wanted to get close to Eliza is shocking.

This is definitely a case of Instagram vs Reality!! Things are perfect, picturesque, and curated online but behind the scenes things are dark, twisted, and messy. A little slow to get started but then it quickly picks up the pace and doesn't let up. Every time I thought I knew what was happening, I was thrown off!! I would definitely recommend The Fake Mother to fans of K.L Slater and Sue Watson!!

Thank you to NetGalley, Jenna Kernan, and Bookouture for this ARC!! Publication date is May 1st 2025.

[Nada Khalaf · Rating 4 out of 5]

You know what? I actually liked this! The Fake Mother is my first dive into this trope, and honestly? Pretty unique. It’s got a farm. It’s got child abuse. It’s got fame. All things you hear about in real life, but not exactly your standard thriller setup.

Eliza is a picture-perfect family influencer. Flawless life. Flawless kids. Flawless husband. But (you guessed it) things are not as they seem.

Bailey, for reasons unknown, is desperate to work for her. But the job comes with some…odd rules. She can only leave the farm one day a week. And she must be back before sunset.

Also, small detail: they’ve met before. But "she" doesn’t know that…👀

This one will keep you up late, I promise.

So why the knocked-off star? Well, it could’ve been 50 pages shorter, and I saw the twist about 10 pages before it dropped. But still! It kept me guessing and was a super fast read.

Bottom line: Great slump-buster. ⭐⭐⭐.75 stars.

PS – Maybe I’m a little harsh, but seriously, worth the read!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Faithe · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Fake Mother by Jenna Kernan centers around Eliza who has a perfect life: 3 kids, a loving husband, a dream home, but she also has a secret that could destroy it all. She hires Bailey as a oersonal assistant, but Bailey isn't actually looking for a job, she has her own reasons why she wants to be on Eliza's home.
I found this book kind of odd. Bailey wants to expose and uncover all of Eliza's secrets but when she uncovers one she tells Eliza?? even knowing that doing so would put herself in danger??? That part doesnt really make sense.
I do like that it highlights the fact that you cant believe everything you see on social media, and that social media is a mostly crafted experience, people show what they want you to see.
Thank you Jenna and Bookouture for partnering with NetGalley. I received an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion and review.

Thank you Jenna for partnering with NetGalley. I received an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion and review.

[Eva Edge · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Fake Mother by Jenna Kernan is a total and absolute nut-house thriller with turns and twists that keep coming unexpectedly! Seriously, this is so busy and so nowadays related!
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who has a social media idol whose life you envy. This book is spot on to show behind the scenes the shiny million-follower profiles!
And in parallel to that, there is an ongoing thriller with a dark and twisted story.

When Bailey is hired as an assistant by the seemingly perfect social media influencer, Eliza Watts, she is over the moon. Eliza has everything you would expect in a perfect family, at least this is how it looks. But remember, social media is the dream world of perfection and filters! There are always a deep-dark secrets that will destroy everything and everyone, so be ready for a wild ride!

Thank you, NetGalley and Bookouture, for this copy!