Mother Is a Verb

by Kim Hooper

In this bold and provocative exploration of modern motherhood, three women cross paths on the road to self-discovery, grappling with the uncertainty of whether they can accept what they find.

Gwen Fisher is suffering from postpartum stress. Angeni Luna is thriving in her social media enterprise. Sasha Robinson is grieving over the loss of her sister. All three are looking for something they can’t quite connection, validation, closure…any sign that they’re doing something right.

They just might find it on Bainbridge Island.

There, Angeni runs her “momfluencer” commune with its focus on staying present through all the noise. She has plenty of her own that she’s learned to quiet down over the years. Now she’s offering that same peace to anyone in search of it.

And maybe that’s what Gwen and Sasha need. Peace. But how do you get something from someone who hasn’t truly given it to themselves?

As they begin tapping into the truth of who they really are, they’ll discover what that means to the people who know and love them—and to those who only think they do…

431 pages, Paperback

Expected publication February 17, 2026

About the author

Kim Hooper's latest novel, Woman on the Verge, will be released on June 17. Her previous novels are: People Who Knew Me (2016), Cherry Blossoms (2018), Tiny (2019), All the Acorns on the Forest Floor (2020), No Hiding in Boise (2021), and Ways the World Could End (2022). She is also co-author of All the Love: Healing Your Heart and Finding Meaning After Pregnancy Loss (2021). Kim lives in Southern California with her daughter and way too many pets.

Reviews

[♡Heather✩Brown♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

#ad much love for my advance copy
& @brillianceaudio #partner for the ALC

Mother is a Verb
< @
Releases: February 17, 2026

We are dropped right in the middle of shit here. With Gwen walking into a police station, with her 3 month old baby. There’s been a shooting and detectives asked Gwen to come in for an interview. Oh, how interesting. I’m listening.

When Gwen was pregnant she followed @mother.nurture.official a suspected cult, on Instagram. It’s a momfluencer type of site but also a community who live together and post on social media. Sort of like trad wives.

🎧: also followed along with the audio and highly recommend it. Vanessa Johansson did phenomenal with all the different characters and made for an easy and fun listen.

Then there’s Angeni a new mother living on the commune “cult” who posts for Luna’s brand. But you know how curated posts can be and what’s actually happening is nothing that the followers see. We also get the chapters when she was a kid.

I liked this one. It was a fun and quick read but also dives into hot topics when it comes to motherhood and community. Postpartum, grief, and more.

I also liked how these women - their backstories - all come together on the island. The influencer side of this book was also fun. Loved everything having to do with Instagram.

My favorite though was the pushback to how the world expects mothers to be - all while keeping us busy and distracted, to not be focused on the real issues here. Fiercely feminist.

Great writing. Will def read more from this author.

[Mo Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

‘In this bold and provocative exploration of modern motherhood, three women cross paths on the road to self-discovery, grappling with the uncertainty of whether they can accept what they find.’

Mother is a Verb, as the title implies, revolves around alternating FMC’s experiencing motherhood and/or loss in relation to, along with all the trials and tribulations in tow; labor & birthing plans, breastfeeding, mental health struggles, maternity leave… Breastfeeding being a significant focus.

Unfortunately, and even though I am a mother of three, I could not identify with any of these characters, their behavior, their obsession with an IG mom and her live-off-the-land-au-naturale-granola-esque mom facade. I could not relate. The cult-like following surrounding the IG mom isn't something I can wrap my head around. The superficiality of it all. So perhaps I am the wrong audience for this story.

But because of this, I had no feelings where the MC’s were concerned & little interest in turning the pages to find out what was in store. I did anyway of course. Still, I yearned for that character bond, for a jolt of intrigue, for an emotional hook or foothold... but came up empty. That’s not to say the writing wasn’t well done. It was. It was the story itself & the cast I grappled with. Getting through it felt like a trudge, more than an experience I was eager for.

So again, quite possibly a me-thing.

I read and thoroughly enjoyed Hooper’s previous novel, Woman on the Verge. Matter of fact, I still think about it occasionally. So even though this book wasn’t for me, it will not deter me from reading her future works.

2.5 ⭐️ RU.

Thanks to NG and Lake Union Publishing for this arc in exchange for review. I am always grateful.

Pub: 2.17.2026.

[Ariel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first read of Kim Hoopers work, it will not be my last! First, I must say this is not my usual genre. I read a lot of cozy and high fantasy as well as historical fiction. This book was phenomenal. As a mother it is hard to find a book that encompasses all the different aspects, phases, and nuances that is motherhood.
This book however is great for any woman, mother or not. The way Kim details each of the characters own personal relationships and struggles and shines a light on some of the darker and more complex aspects of pregnancy, birth, loss, and new motherhood was so beautifully conceived. You get a full on story of how each character and relationship functions and how they all tie in together. This is not your average happy
Go lucky mommy read, the societal need for someone to “follow” and emulate social media influencers turns some of these families completely upside down. Mother/Daughter relationships are discussed from both angles, marriage after birth is discussed, and friendships after birth. The most important part of this book to me was the relationship many women have with social media, and how when one person is revered almost to a god like state on social media, they have to power to do great good as well as great harm. Amazing work covering so many sensitive topics with grace and honesty. I could not put this down until I finished it! Some trigger warnings include but are not limited to: maternal death, fetal death, infant death, birth, pregnancy, and infertility.

Full Disclosure -I read and received this book as an ARC but my opinions and experiences are my own, I did not receive any compensation for this review 💛Happy Reading 📖

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a brilliant character-driven novel that builds to an exciting ending. Hooper’s characters are fully developed and deeply nuanced, and her writing is perceptive and insightful. The main theme is motherhood and the pressure and judgment that comes with it (especially with the social media highlight reel), and as a childless lady, I loved the insight and chance to see a bit of what mothers go through. I appreciated that the book demonstrates how mothers are whole people with pasts and experiences, and you bring all of that into motherhood with you, whether you want to or not. There were so many small insightful passages peppered throughout the book that got me thinking—especially the passages on how hard it is when someone you depend on has depression, and the pain of longing for something you had and lost versus something you never had. I just adore books like this—captivating stories that reveal the lives of others, yet contain reflections that hit close to home.

[Crystie Rios · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I’m going to start off my review by saying that I rounded up to three stars because it was an arc read. If I was recommended this book after pub date, then this review would have been two stars for sure. I felt like it was a chore getting through this one. I was so excited for a “mom book” because I always want to bond with at least one main character. That didn’t happen for me with this book.

I do want to say that I enjoyed the writing style, the multiple POVs, and the chapters from different perspectives and timelines. I enjoyed the separate stories, the blending, and the way all of the characters came together to bring about a positive change in the end. That being said…I could not stand any of the characters the entire way through the story.

This story focuses on motherhood, but the huge priority here was the obsession with influencers on social media. The way these new mothers chose an influencer over health care professionals, their family & friends, and their spouses BLEW ME AWAY!!!! Now, I was psychotic as a new mom…I suffered PTSD, PPD, and PP-all-the-things. That being said…holy fucking shit!!!!! These women were fucking bonkers!!!! I could not comprehend what was going on in their heads. I’m glad we had the influencer’s POV because it just showed us that no one…I repeat…no one has their shit together all the fucking time. It’s just not realistic.

I hated this book for the first 40%. I struggled through it until around the 80% mark, and I finished strong not hating it completely. I did not hate the writing style, but I found every character absolutely insufferable. The only character I didn’t hate the entire book was Sasha (Sitka). She was suffering from the devastating loss of her sister due to birth complications, and she blamed the influencer Angeni Luna for her sister’s death.

I don’t believe I have to give a summary of the book since it’s easy to find them here, but I do want to say that I’m happy with the ending of this one. I just wouldn’t purchase it, recommend it, or read it again personally. I will most likely try this author out again in the future.

Thank you again for the opportunity to read this arc. I do appreciate what the author did here with this novel. Unfortunately, I was not the intended reader for this type of novel.

[Chrissy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rating: 4.5

Thank you to NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Mother Is a Verb is my first Kim Hooper book, and definitely not my last. Right from the opening chapters, I felt seen in a way I wasn’t expecting. Hooper writes motherhood with a rawness that cuts through the noise: the pressure to be the “best,” the constant comparison, that lingering fear of not being enough, and the chorus of opinions telling mothers what they should be doing. It captures the emotional weight so honestly that reading it felt like sitting across from someone who finally says all the things you’ve been carrying quietly.

As a mother myself, so many moments hit painfully close to home. There’s something grounding about seeing your own anxieties reflected on the page, not dramatized, not softened, but presented with truth and empathy. Hooper manages to put words to feelings that often stay unspoken.

One aspect that really stood out to me was how the book explores the disturbingly high pedestal that people place social media “influencers” on. And I say “influencers” loosely, because today it feels like anyone with a large enough following can wear that label. The book highlights how curated, filtered, and often misleading these online lives can be, yet people absorb them as the standard for success, happiness, or even good parenting. It’s eerie but accurate—this idea that influencers hold authority simply because they post daily, and how easily some people accept their content without question. The contrast between what’s real and what’s performed is sharp, and Hooper captures that tension so well.

This story felt honest, uncomfortable in the right ways, and validating all at once. I already know I want a physical copy once it’s released, because it’s a book I can see myself revisiting during different stages of motherhood.

Expected publication date: February 17, 2026

[Jayme C (Brunetteslikebookstoo) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mommy Issues

It speaks VOLUMES about Kim Hooper’s talent, that she kept me reading over 400 pages with long chapters, about three of my least favorite topics-a Cult like Commune-A Social Media Influencer and Mothering/Breast Feeding…LOTS and LOTS of breastfeeding.

“Let Spirit Guide You”

Angeni Luna is the biggest “Momfluencer” @mother.nuture.official. She firmly believes a Mother should sacrifice her self, for her baby and feel grateful doing so. Water birthing without medical intervention and Breastfeeding are the only way to go. She also runs a Conscious Couples Account to help couples stay connected through this stage of marriage and beyond. She makes both MARRIAGE and MOTHERING look so EASY.

But how much of what she preaches is authentic? Influencers only show you what they want you to see.

Sasha Robinson is grieving over the loss of her sister, Daphne who died because she followed Angeni’s advice. She believes that to be a good mother you must nurture yourself as well, and she is ANGRY.

Gwen Fisher is a new mother who is struggling to be a PERFECT MOTHER like the Momfluencer Angeni she follows.

The story alternates between their POV’s exploring what it means to be a GOOD MOTHER, and she does it well.

This is the author’s second book in a row exploring MOTHERING and the pressures that Society has placed on women, with “Woman on the Verge” being her last. She always manages to tackle controversial subjects from ALL appoints of view, but if this subject doesn’t interest you, DO check out earlier work as she is immensely talented.

Woman on the Verge: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
No Hiding In Boise: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

A buddy read with Marilyn and DeAnn, so be sure to watch for their reviews for additional insight.

AVAILABLE February 17, 2026.

Thank You to Lake Union Publishing for the gifted copy provided through NetGalley. As always, these are my candid thoughts!

[DeAnn · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 All About Mom stars

Kim Hooper is a great writer and doesn’t shy away from tough subjects. Here, she tackles motherhood and the unrealistic expectations placed on women. Women should be able to do it all, right? Be amazing mothers, bonding with their babies, finding time for their spouses, and keeping a spotless house.

Social media has really changed things, as you can present a few slices of your life and paint an idyllic picture. This is what Angeni has done: built a media empire around what an amazing pregnancy she had, with a water birth and no pain medication, and no issues with breastfeeding. She lives on The Land on Bainbridge Island with some of her followers, her gorgeous husband, and her new baby.

We also meet another mother, Gwen, who isn’t having the best time with motherhood. Her birth plan didn’t go according to plan (no water birth for her), and breastfeeding hasn’t worked well either. But she can’t admit this to anyone because she idolizes Angeni and how she is handling things. She’s even keeping her husband in the dark.

And Sasha, struggling with a family tragedy, also has a lot of feelings about Angeni and her messages.

There is also a side story about Britt's tough years growing up.

All of these women are trying to find their paths through life, and the author tells their stories with compelling prose. This one might resonate more with you if you are a mother, but the writing appeals to a wide variety of readers.

Interesting note: this book might have the word “boob” more times than any other book I’ve read. And it’s not a spicy romance!

Be sure to check out Marilyn and Jayme's reviews as we read and discussed this one together!

My thanks to Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read and honestly review this one. Scheduled to release on 2.17.2026.

[Danielle James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

The sanctity of motherhood, of womanhood, of “traditional” marriage have been hot topics in the cultural zeitgeist lately. With the rise of mainstream tradwife content, the fall of Roe v. Wade, and the implementation of Project 2025 across the US, the duty of a woman’s body has been contested 24/7. Mother is a Verb is a fascinating look at the intersection of motherhood and womanhood, and begs the question of can they exist together after you have given birth?

Angeni Luna is an Instagram famous spiritual healer who promotes her journey to motherhood with an effort to remain as pure, natural, and connected to the Spirit as possible. Her perfect life as a new mother is broadcast daily to her fans worldwide, many of whom are vulnerable women on the verge of new motherhood who see parts of themselves in Angeni. What those mothers don’t know is that Angeni has a night nurse, a village of people who can cook and clean and tend to her land, and, while she may have labored in a tub at home, her baby was delivered in a hospital with access to the lifesaving care she needed immediately after birth. When her private life begins to bleed into the lives of her followers, things unravel quickly, and the morbid truth of the realities of motherhood is revealed.

I found this book so fascinating, especially in our current climate. I appreciated how the author, a white woman, handled the issues of Black mother mortality with care and honesty. I found the insight into new motherhood brilliant, exploring the ways that pregnancy fundamentally changes your mind, body and soul. A little lit fic, a little psychological thriller, a little social commentary, Mother is a Verb, shines a light on the complexities and intricacies of being a mother in America.

[Selah Grae · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unfortunately, even though I am a mother of two, I couldn’t identify with any of these characters on a deep level. Their behavior—and especially the obsession with an Instagram-famous, live-off-the-land, secluded from society, felt far removed from my own experience. The cult-like following surrounding this IG mom is something I simply couldn’t wrap my head around, and the overall superficiality of it all made it difficult for me to connect. I think this could definitely hit difference with a different audience though. Because of that disconnect, I never developed much emotional investment in the main characters, and I wasn’t desperately awaiting the next time I could pick the book back up to continue reading. The writing itself is well done, I simply didn’t get pulled into the story or characters.

The story’s pacing felt inconsistent, and I found myself having to actively focus instead of being naturally drawn into the narrative. There was an overall sense that something was “off,” and while I could relate to the very surface-level desire to be everything for your child, the story takes that idea to such an extreme that it lost emotional credibility for me. Many of the characters came across as emotionally immature, even when their strong communication skills seemed to mask that immaturity.

That said, the message and purpose of the story do shine through in the end: there is no rulebook for motherhood, every experience is unique, no one truly has it all figured out, and we are all shaped by our pasts while doing the best we can. I appreciated that sentiment to my core.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the advance review copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own and may differ from the final published version.*

[MarilynW · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mother Is a Verb: A Novel by Kim Hooper

Even when Kim Hooper's books cover subjects I'm not interested in her writing keeps me glued to the page. In this case, she covers a slew of things I don't enjoy, such as a cultlike commune and an influencer who has a cultlike following on her very own compound, and breast feeding, so much breast feeding, it almost began to feel like a satire about breast feeding except I do realize that motherhood and being with a baby can take over one's life to the point of causing mental, physical, and emotional trauma. Still, I reached my lifetime quota of breast feeding mentions all in this one book, maybe even three times my lifetime overload. I'm so glad there are groups who can give mothers the support they need and I do hope mothers are able to get to those groups. Poor moms, how in the world do you do it?

Oh, but “momfluencer” Angeni will tell you exactly how you should do it. Your entire life should be devoted to baby, no time for husbands, jobs, or any other kind of pursuits, baby comes first, second, third and that's why you shouldn't even have another baby for three years since the baby you have at the moment should control every second of your life. You will be planting a garden for the baby and making its food from scratch and anticipating its every need. You will be co-sleeping, never ever considering formula, or spending alone time with your partner. All of this Angeni makes clear on her social media, pictures and video included.

Except behind the scenes Angeni has a cultish compound full of people doing it all for her. Even her at-home pool labor wasn't all it seemed in the two minute inspirational video she put out. Angeni is a liar but she feels it's in the best interest of babies and mothers. Mothers are nothing if they don't do as she says. Sure, maybe she's not doing it but her intentions are good and she will not veer from her demands that things should be just as she tells her readers they should be. She has so many followers and those followers are judging themselves and each other by how closely they follow what Angeni says. And people can die from following Angeni.

The story seems so long and I guess that is a part of what it feels like taking care of baby "according to Angeni". Poor moms, no relief from the judgement from Angeni and from their own self judgement for not measuring up to what Angeni shows online. The pain is real and add to the pain, the nonstop exhaustion, mothers trying to mimic what Angeni shows when in reality she has a whole team of people catering to HER. Beware social media influencers, probably none of it is true! I'm so glad I got to read this with Jayme and DeAnn, I had a lot to say and I never want to read about breast feeding again. Having said all that, Hooper does such a great job with her characters, I enjoyed following them through the story so very much.

Expected pub February 17, 2026

Thanks to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC.

[Colleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Thank you to the author for a pre-release copy of this novel - out on 2.17.26!*

I have been a Kim Hooper fan since several years ago when I read All the Acorns on the Forest Floor, and have since read several of her books. Her novels have a way of building real, complex, flawed characters that you come to care about quickly, and they almost always make me cry (in a good way).

Mother is a Verb was particularly poignant & powerful to me, as I became a mother for the first time in late 2024. This novel perfectly encapsulates the struggle of being a mom in this digital age - Google, social media, Reddit, AI, all the information at our fingertips can seem like a blessing, but often becomes overwhelming and can drown out our own inner voice when it comes to how to parent our children. There is so much noise & pressure to be a “good” mom. I found myself completely pulled in by each and every character, nodding emphatically, laughing, and crying along with them as they navigated new motherhood in this insane world we now live in. I highlighted so many sections that completely resonated with me. If you are a mother, you will absolutely find something in this book to relate to.

I think my favorite part of Mother is a Verb is the very important reminder that whether you breastfeed or formula feed, work or stay home, give birth in a hospital or at home, co-sleep or crib - no matter what choices you make when it comes to your children - we are all, at the root, just trying to be good parents who want the best for our kids. This novel was a reminder to treat myself, and all moms, with grace and compassion. A beautiful novel that I gobbled up quickly!

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Hooper excels at writing stories like these, with several different perspectives coming together to tell the same story and it’s a story with motherhood at the core. This one touches on some hot topics right now like the trad wife trend/crunchy moms. One of the characters is a “momfluencer” with a huge instagram following both her marriage and her mom journey. Like most social media, there’s a haze obscuring the truth, and when real people are swayed into following these edicts to a T, it can be dangerous. If you’re a mother you’ve no doubt heard lots of debates on natural births, home births, midwives, breastfeeding vs formula, co-sleeping, going back to work, and on and on. It’s been a long time since those things were on my mind but I hope new moms now are seeing that there is no right way to do any of this. You can plan and hope and wish but you cannot orchestrate every detail of giving birth or raising kids. Things can and will go off the rails, no matter what. There’s value to the “crunchiness” for sure, but the issue is when those things come off as better than, or the only way. Or when it’s portrayed as easy. Motherhood is not easy and it’s only fair to talk about the struggles alongside the joy. Not just fair but it’s necessary.

Obviously this book brought forward a lot of thoughts on this subject but to summarize I will say mother IS a verb. It’s an action and it comes in many different forms. And as Hooper eloquently points out, we have to mother ourselves too. This book does a great job encompassing all of these aspects, thoughts, etc and presenting it in an easy to read, page turning story.

[Sabrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love momfluencer stories, so I had to have this. It’s a lot quieter/more grounded than I expected, but very thoughtful and beautifully written.

Premise - Gwen is a new mom in the throes of PPD. Sasha Robinson is grieving the death of her sister, a victim of home birth. And Angeni Luna is a back-to-nature momfluencer running a culty commune on Bainbridge Island. When the three women cross paths, it soon becomes clear none of the women's lives are as cut-and-dried as they seem.

I was really expecting this to be dishier and gossipier than it was, probably due to the momfluencer angle. It’s really a quite grounded book, truer to thoughtful book club fiction than any sort of thriller (though there is some suspense).

It examines the pressure of modern motherhood, culpability when non-doctors give what boils down to medical advice, and the ever-persevering-fakeness of social media.

I didn’t feel it necessarily added much new to the conversation and I’d hoped to connect with at least one of the characters more than I did, but it’s a well told story and I enjoyed it. I just don’t think it’ll stick with me.

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Vanessa Johansson. I think I definitely enjoyed it more in this format than I would have as a traditional book, so I highly recommend.

Pick this up for your mom friends! … but maybe wait until their youngest is 5+ years old.😅

Thanks, NetGalley and Brilliance Publishing, for the audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Shannon (The Book Club Mom) · Rating 4 out of 5]

MOTHER IS A VERB is the sixth book that I’ve read from Kim Hooper, and her talent shines brighter and brighter with each new release. In her latest, Hooper expertly blends all of my favorite themes like motherhood, marriage, and female friendship into one compelling story that I found impossible to put down. It’s dark and heavy at times, yet timely, relevant, and relatable. It weaves three different women’s storylines while exposing the dark side of social media and its performative influencers. Through selective content sharing, editing out the hard stuff, omitting truthful details, and the impossibility of witnessing what goes on behind-the-scenes, motherhood becomes extremely competitive by giving women impossible standards to follow. Hooper crafts a twisty and mysterious tale that uncovers and explores this toxic desire for perfectionism.

QUICK SYNOPSIS:
𝘐𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘰𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘯 𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘥, 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯 𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘴 𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘰𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧-𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺, 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘱𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥.

READ THIS IF YOU ENJOY:

- Female friendship
- Marriage and motherhood
- Mommy wars
- #momlife
- Complex relationships
- Influencer lifestyle
- Communal living
- Fun twists and turns
- PNW setting
- Multiple POVs and timelines

MOTHER IS A VERB releases on February 17th. Do yourself a favor and preorder it now! 4/5 solid stars!

[Andrew Langert · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this outstanding novel through NetGalley.

This is about motherhood (among other things). At first, I feared that I was reading a book intended for a female audience. It is not. The main characters are all female, but more importantly, they are human. I confess, as a father of five adult children, that I learned, by reading this book, a lot more about what women deal with psychologically in the birthing process and managing the first months and years of raising a newborn child.

This is also about a more modern phenomenon, The Influencer. One of the main characters is an Instagram star with over a million followers. She presents herself as the perfect mother, believing in all-natural, at-home childbirth, exclusive breastfeeding, cloth diapers, staying at home with your child rather than working, etc. She, as I suspect of most Influencers, is phony, acting out a role to garner an audience. Not a real person, ingenuine.

The plot of this book shows how other women are affected by this Influencer, often quite unfavorably.

A truly outstanding, insightful book. Masterful storytelling and character portrayals.

[Emma Thomson · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I asked one of my favorite bookstore’s book buyers what I could expect from 2026, they told me about the trad-wife/“feminine rage” trend coming. I gotta say that Mother is a Verb falls right into that bucket. As a mom and a therapist who works with postpartum moms, this book hit hard. I couldn’t always identify with the characters, probably because they felt a little over-dramatized and the social media craze felt a bit over the top, but I also felt like there were so many moments that I could relate as a mother in small ways, especially to the internal dialogue of the characters.I flew through this book in a couple days (thank you, Net Galley), but would be thoughtful about who I would recommend it to. While I loved a lot of the messages in this books surrounding mothering and the complexities of it, and perhaps this is me with my therapist hat on, there are tons of triggering and activating parts that may not be a fit for other moms (ex. Traumatic birth) As a sidetone, there is a whole story line that feels really similar to Yesteryear, which I found at points distracting but probably wouldn’t happen to others unless you read that first.

[Jayne · Rating 3 out of 5]

➡️ Some ADJECTIVES to describe this "VERB" book:
Raw, introspective, emotionally charged, and very, very, very lengthy (13-hour audiobook!).

This thoughtful, nuanced, and honest look at modern motherhood by talented writer Kim Hooper was a powerful read.

WHY NOT 5 STARS?
➡️ I listened to the audiobook. expertly narrated by Vanessa Johansson.

Although Vanessa Johnsson's performance was outstanding, the book unfolded from three POVs and would have benefited significantly from three narrators.

Three narrators would have better highlighted the characters' individuality and experiences and strengthened the book's emotional impact.

➡️ I also felt that this book would have been more meaningful for readers in an earlier life stage than I am, particularly new moms wrestling with motherhood and navigating parental expectations.

➡️ And, finally, the book was waaay too long. This 13-hour audiobook easily could have been just as powerful (and more enjoyable) if it were a 9-hour audiobook.

Although this book was not the best fit for me, this devoted Kim Hooper fan will be eagerly awaiting Kim's future releases.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

*****3.5 stars****
Thank you to Netgalley and the published for the Kindle ARC. I am a fan of Kim Hooper's work and was happy to be approved for her latest novel, Mother is a Verb. The book started a little slowly for me and I wasn't sure I would be interested enough to continue. About a quarter of the way through, the story got more involved and interesting. Three women from different backgrounds are tied together through the one mother, Angeni, who is a mom-influencer not of products but of a wholesome lifestyle. She breastfeeds only, lives on a large piece of land with a few others and they work the land while living "cleanly." Gwen is on maternity leave, is suffering from post-partum depression and is dreading her return to work. Sasha has lost her sister while she was giving birth, under the home birth suggestions of Angeni. There are several twists and turns but this is by no means a mystery or suspense novel. Some true identities are hidden but the reader can put the pieces of the puzzle together. It was a slower but enjoyable read.

[Helen Wu ✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved Woman on the Verge. I read it twice last year. I love unhinged stories, and Hooper’s delivery there was sharp and gripping.

Going into Mother Is a Verb, my expectations were high. I do not have kids, but I trust strong storytelling to pull me in regardless. Hooper is still witty, still dark, and still incisive in how she writes about motherhood, grief, anxiety, and the quiet pressure women carry. The critique of influencer culture is unsettling in an intentional way, and the cult-like community that forms around it felt almost delusional at times, which was oddly funny to read. That said, the pacing felt uneven for me. I noticed I had to force my attention rather than being carried by the story. Some chapters felt immersive and emotionally true, while others slowed the momentum. I admire what this book is trying to do, even when it did not fully work for me. It is honest, uncomfortable, and purposeful. Just not as gripping as I hoped.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC.

[ruthie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you so much to Brilliance Audio + Brilliance Publishing for the chance to listen to the ALC before the book is released. Mother Is a Verb was a joy to listen to from start to finish. This was my fourth Kim Hooper book and she's cemented herself as an auto-read author for me! Hooper writes the kind of stories that you are immediately pulled into and characters that are so rich and vivid that you forget you are listening to an fictional audiobook. Mother Is a Verb was unlike any of her previous 3 books, but there was the usual Kim Hooper twists that I know and love. She got me good! 5 stars.

This paired with Vanessa Johansson's narration, I've had the best time listening to this this afternoon. This was my first Vanessa Johansson audiobook, but I've spotted her name on a few audiobooks I'd like to listen to so it won't be the last time I listen to her narrate a book. 5 stars.

Mother Is a Verb is out 17th February, I already can't wait to reread!

CW: baby loss, maternal death, death of a parent

[Janet Fiorentino · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a change to read Kim Hooper’s “Mother is a Verb.”

I am not a mom nor do a plan to be ever be one, but I thoroughly enjoyed the perspective a mom, Gwen, struggling with post-partum depression who is greatly affected by mom influencer, Angeni. We also meet Sasha who lost her sister in child birth—yes, this does happen in 2026. We also get flashbacks to Britt, whose connection to these women is at first unclear.

Hooper writes with such authenticity that it’s difficult to put this book down. I appreciated the no-holds barred perspective of depression and measuring yourself by standards that may not be what they appear to be. While the novel has some great twists and turns, it takes its times getting into the mind-set of these characters.

Four and a half out of five stars.

Thank you the Kim Hooper, NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this novel.

[Brittany Strehlow · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a pleasant surprise of a book! I went in relatively blind and I do think it was the way to do it so I don’t want to spoil too much. I will say being a mom to two toddlers and being in the thick of “mom is my identity” may have had me relating to it more than I would have five years ago, but I don’t think you need to be a mom to enjoy and appreciate this story.

I loved that it had the interconnected ladies’ stories, it was so satisfying when they all finally clicked together. The pacing was good and each character was so flawed and yet so appreciated. I really just enjoyed this read so much.

“I have realized that taking care of myself is the best gift I can give my daughter. I want her to understand what it means as a woman to resist the pull to tend to others at all times and instead mother oneself.”

Thank you to NetGalley, Kim Hooper, and the Lake Union Publishing teams for this ARC copy for an honest review.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

With thanks to Netgalley and Kim Hooper for the book arc in exchange for an honest review.

Following her troubled past, Angeni has reinvented herself into a guru influencer. While teaching her followers (both in her physical commune and online community) the sacredness of motherhood, she harbours a secret from childhood. The social media presence she cultivate isn’t quite matched with her reality, which has serious consequences for some of the other characters.

Sasha’s sister, Daphne is taken in with Angeni, while Sasha tries to figure out how to break the spell and reveal Angeni’s true nature.

Gwen is struggling with motherhood after a traumatic birth. The taboo of expressing the challenges and guilt of feeling like a whole new person has made it hard to connect her with husband. The loneliness of new motherhood is somewhat salvaged with a new friendship.

This is motherhood from different lenses;
compassionate, insightful and doesn’t try to pin motherhood to one thing. A refreshing message of how everyone is trying their best. The characters are full of depth and nuance, neither idolised nor villainised.

[LoveBooks2119 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel explores motherhood in the context of today’s social media-focused society, offering perspectives from several different female characters. Sasha’s storyline is particularly moving, while Gwen and Leigh bring moments of humor even as they navigate the challenges of new motherhood. Angeni is portrayed as a complex, often unlikable, character that I found difficult to relate to.
The storyline was engaging, leading to an emotional conclusion.
Thank you to the publisher and author for providing me with a complimentary advanced copy. All thoughts shared here are my own.

[Lynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this contemporary take on motherhood. While some of it is farcical, it is all very entertaining. Four women are new moms dealing with health, emotional, and relationship challenges while doing the absolute best for their babies. There are negative consequences for dishonesty and past lifestyle choices but even that was interesting. This author is such a great writer that I was completely immersed. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

[Kerri Schlottman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Kim Hooper for the advanced copy.

Kim Hooper is one of my favorite authors. Her books are unputdownable and Mother is a Verb is no exception: A masterful weaving of narratives that takes on social media influencer culture at the intersection of motherhood. I devoured this book. Mother is a Verb is a perfect book club pick since you will want to discuss it. Another wild ride of plot to add to Hooper's impressive accumulation of works.

[Dana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just love Kim Hooper and her work, like I said before she writes about heavy topics and her the tone is always perfection. 💛

[JXR · Rating 4 out of 5]

bold, lyrical, interesting, and unique book about a sort of mommune/influencer and the surrounding effects. 4 stars. tysm for the arc.

[Melissa Woods]

From the moment I began reading, this book had me intrigued into the way the characters depended on the word of one woman.

The story felt very different to how I imagined the story would go. It had mentions of loss, control, controversy and of course a hint of love and a need of finding answers.

I did enjoy this book and found that I couldn’t put it down as I needed to find out what the characters would do and how they managed.