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We Were Mothers
A brilliant, twisty novel about a missing woman, an unfaithful husband, and the dark secrets that will destroy two perfect families.
A scandalous revelation is about to devastate a picturesque town where the houses are immaculate and the neighborhoods are tightly knit. Devoted mother Cora O’Connell has found the journal of her friend Laurel’s daughter—a beautiful college student who lives next door—revealing an illicit encounter. Hours later, Laurel makes a shattering discovery of her own: her daughter has vanished without a trace. Over the course of one weekend, the crises of two close families are about to trigger a chain reaction that will expose a far more disturbing web of secrets. Now everything is at stake as they’re forced to confront the lies they have told in order to survive.
A scandalous revelation is about to devastate a picturesque town where the houses are immaculate and the neighborhoods are tightly knit. Devoted mother Cora O’Connell has found the journal of her friend Laurel’s daughter—a beautiful college student who lives next door—revealing an illicit encounter. Hours later, Laurel makes a shattering discovery of her own: her daughter has vanished without a trace. Over the course of one weekend, the crises of two close families are about to trigger a chain reaction that will expose a far more disturbing web of secrets. Now everything is at stake as they’re forced to confront the lies they have told in order to survive.
351 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,037 reviews
October 6, 2018
So... I was going back and forth between a 2 and a 3 star for this one. BUT, I've been told that apparently I'm very critical of my books and am hard to please SO... I'm looking at the positives of this one my friends :)
This reminded me a little bit of Big Little Lies but unfortunately fell flat to that comparison. But, I loved the neighborhood mamma drama scene here and love the neighborhood gossip! :) If you love the lies, gossip, and drama with neighbors this book is THE book for you :).
I was a bit confused at the first start of the book especially with the opening scene... was scratching my head a bit.
It's a bit of a slow burn... but the last 40 percent of the book was definitely a page turner! There were PLENTY of twists in this book... but I think it was a tad bit of twist overload. I felt like the author was just throwing twists left and right just because. Some of them were thrown in from left field and the others were predictable.
The action scenes between the mothers and neighbors were well done filled with action! But, I was hoping for more build-up and the tension for the reveal.
Huge thank you to Amazon publishing and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest thoughts.
3 stars!
Published to GR/Amazon: 10/6/18
Publication date: 10/1/18
This reminded me a little bit of Big Little Lies but unfortunately fell flat to that comparison. But, I loved the neighborhood mamma drama scene here and love the neighborhood gossip! :) If you love the lies, gossip, and drama with neighbors this book is THE book for you :).
I was a bit confused at the first start of the book especially with the opening scene... was scratching my head a bit.
It's a bit of a slow burn... but the last 40 percent of the book was definitely a page turner! There were PLENTY of twists in this book... but I think it was a tad bit of twist overload. I felt like the author was just throwing twists left and right just because. Some of them were thrown in from left field and the others were predictable.
The action scenes between the mothers and neighbors were well done filled with action! But, I was hoping for more build-up and the tension for the reveal.
Huge thank you to Amazon publishing and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest thoughts.
3 stars!
Published to GR/Amazon: 10/6/18
Publication date: 10/1/18
November 27, 2018
We Were Mothers by Katie Sise is really more of a domestic drama than anything. It’s one of those that I like to think of as popcorn books that you grab your popcorn and sit back and watch the drama unfold before your eyes as you read. This one really did deliver on the promised twists but a few of those may need to suspend disbelief a bit.
The story is told from the point of view of Cora, Sarah, Jade and Laurel. Cora is the young mother to two year old twins who finds her husband has cheated with the babysitter and Sarah is Cora’s mother. Jade is a good friend of the family who is considering adoption and Laurel is the mother of the teen that babysat for Cora’s family.
What we have in the book is different ways different generations handle things, struggles with life and love, abuse, lies and deception or dealing with loss among many other things. It’s a bit like reading a daytime soap opera but if you love a juicy drama then this one will probably be for you.
I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
The story is told from the point of view of Cora, Sarah, Jade and Laurel. Cora is the young mother to two year old twins who finds her husband has cheated with the babysitter and Sarah is Cora’s mother. Jade is a good friend of the family who is considering adoption and Laurel is the mother of the teen that babysat for Cora’s family.
What we have in the book is different ways different generations handle things, struggles with life and love, abuse, lies and deception or dealing with loss among many other things. It’s a bit like reading a daytime soap opera but if you love a juicy drama then this one will probably be for you.
I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
December 28, 2022
1.5 STARS
Lately I’ve done a terrible job choosing free Prime First Reads from Amazon. My enjoyment of WE WERE MOTHERS was one star, but I think Katie Sise’s novel is better than my enjoyment of it.
Told from multiple points of view WE WERE MOTHERS is full of characters I didn’t care about, heavy on plot of cheating and lies and slow to grab interest.
The writing isn’t terrible, but never pulled me in. None of the characters felt unique. Sise did include twists and turns, some felt stilted, as if they were added for shock value. The ending wasn’t satisfying.
Check out some positive reviews. Judging from reviews WE WERE MOTHERS was well-received by many readers (unless Sise has many friends and family).
Here’s to better choices for October.
Lately I’ve done a terrible job choosing free Prime First Reads from Amazon. My enjoyment of WE WERE MOTHERS was one star, but I think Katie Sise’s novel is better than my enjoyment of it.
Told from multiple points of view WE WERE MOTHERS is full of characters I didn’t care about, heavy on plot of cheating and lies and slow to grab interest.
The writing isn’t terrible, but never pulled me in. None of the characters felt unique. Sise did include twists and turns, some felt stilted, as if they were added for shock value. The ending wasn’t satisfying.
Check out some positive reviews. Judging from reviews WE WERE MOTHERS was well-received by many readers (unless Sise has many friends and family).
Here’s to better choices for October.
October 25, 2018
2.5 do you love a soap opera story stars
My reviews can be seen here: http://yayareadslotsofbooks.wordpress...
“Wasn’t that what mothers were there for? You could rail against them, you could blame them, and you could hate them, but you still needed their love the way you needed water.” Today I have a review for the book We Were Mothers. I have to say that being a mother of four plus this gorgeous cover are what attracted me to this book by Katie Sise. It was a different type of book for me as I am not often attracted to the soap opera type of read.
There was much going in this upscale neighborhood of Ravenwood that housed more secrets than the CIA. Behind those beautiful closed doors and homes were secrets, buried intentions, and concealed feelings.
This story is told from four multiple points of view. One of the ladies of the community was Cora, mother to twins. You probably have meet her type, the type who hovers over her children and who would not let a non organic product pass her children's lips. Sarah, was Cora's mother. Her husband left her for a much younger woman, and to add to the tragedy of her life, her daughter, Maggie, died in a tragic car accident at age twenty-two. There was also Jade, who was Maggie's best friend, and later married Jeremy, a man who survived the horrific car accident that killed Maggie. Jeremy was handsome, a Matt Damon look alike, but full of himself possessing the personality of a rat. Then there was Laurel, married to a surgeon but who has a very disturbing relationship with him. Also presented are the Laurel's daughters who add their fair share of drama to the story.
All in all the men in this story were rubbish, and the women bore the lives that had been given them each bearing secrets that they knew plus those that they thought they knew. Lots of twists happening within this story which kept the telling pretty quick and moving forward.
What didn't work in this book was that there was just too much going on. It was like a witch's brew where stuff was thrown together in the hopes that something magical would arise. It was a soap opera in words. The angst and the drama were on overload and the implausibility levels were high. Many times I had to say the word "really", that is how implausible some circumstances were. It was just too much!
All in all this was not a bad read, just a mediocre one. Recommended to those who like the soap opera in their stories, or to those who like a quick bit of fluffy reading., and let's face it at times we all need a bit of fluff in our reading at times.
Thank you to Katie Sise, Litte A, and NetGalley for a copy of this book.
My reviews can be seen here: http://yayareadslotsofbooks.wordpress...
“Wasn’t that what mothers were there for? You could rail against them, you could blame them, and you could hate them, but you still needed their love the way you needed water.” Today I have a review for the book We Were Mothers. I have to say that being a mother of four plus this gorgeous cover are what attracted me to this book by Katie Sise. It was a different type of book for me as I am not often attracted to the soap opera type of read.
There was much going in this upscale neighborhood of Ravenwood that housed more secrets than the CIA. Behind those beautiful closed doors and homes were secrets, buried intentions, and concealed feelings.
This story is told from four multiple points of view. One of the ladies of the community was Cora, mother to twins. You probably have meet her type, the type who hovers over her children and who would not let a non organic product pass her children's lips. Sarah, was Cora's mother. Her husband left her for a much younger woman, and to add to the tragedy of her life, her daughter, Maggie, died in a tragic car accident at age twenty-two. There was also Jade, who was Maggie's best friend, and later married Jeremy, a man who survived the horrific car accident that killed Maggie. Jeremy was handsome, a Matt Damon look alike, but full of himself possessing the personality of a rat. Then there was Laurel, married to a surgeon but who has a very disturbing relationship with him. Also presented are the Laurel's daughters who add their fair share of drama to the story.
All in all the men in this story were rubbish, and the women bore the lives that had been given them each bearing secrets that they knew plus those that they thought they knew. Lots of twists happening within this story which kept the telling pretty quick and moving forward.
What didn't work in this book was that there was just too much going on. It was like a witch's brew where stuff was thrown together in the hopes that something magical would arise. It was a soap opera in words. The angst and the drama were on overload and the implausibility levels were high. Many times I had to say the word "really", that is how implausible some circumstances were. It was just too much!
All in all this was not a bad read, just a mediocre one. Recommended to those who like the soap opera in their stories, or to those who like a quick bit of fluffy reading., and let's face it at times we all need a bit of fluff in our reading at times.
Thank you to Katie Sise, Litte A, and NetGalley for a copy of this book.
September 28, 2018
Cora and her husband host a birthday party for their two year old twins, and things go downhill quickly afterwards. Cora discovers a journal of her neighbor's daughter that reveals a secret. Soon after, the neighbor's daughter goes missing.
As one weekend's events unravel, the lives of multiple families are changed. The story opens with a birthday party for toddlers, where Cora has invited family and friends to celebrate her young children. The guests include Cora's mother Sarah, her friend Jade, and her neighbor Laurel. Each of these women has something going on in her life that they haven't been able to discuss with anyone else.
Central to the story is Cora, a married mom of toddler twins. She lost her sister, Maggie, in a tragic accident years earlier, and still has trouble dealing with that loss. The loss of Maggie also greatly affected her mother, Sarah, and friend, Jade. The current emotions and actions of these women can be traced back to the night they lost a loved one.
This book uses multiple points of view from Cora, Sarah, Jade, and Laurel to tell the story. This book is part women's fiction and part suspense. Some of the issues the women are dealing with are very real, as is the feeling of having no one to talk to about those issues. One of the things I liked about this book was the women's desire to protect their children, and how most of their actions are related to the fact that they are mothers. We Were Mothers is a fitting title for the book.
The suspense part of the story comes from Laurel's missing daughter. There are, of course, other events going on, but it seems one missing college student starts the unraveling process.
Some of the topics throughout the book deal with motherhood, domestic abuse, and adultery. A good read for fans of family drama and suspense. This book does have a bit of a slow start, and I wasn't completely satisfied with the ending, but it was still a good, light read.
This was my pick for Amazon's First Reads in September 2018.
As one weekend's events unravel, the lives of multiple families are changed. The story opens with a birthday party for toddlers, where Cora has invited family and friends to celebrate her young children. The guests include Cora's mother Sarah, her friend Jade, and her neighbor Laurel. Each of these women has something going on in her life that they haven't been able to discuss with anyone else.
Central to the story is Cora, a married mom of toddler twins. She lost her sister, Maggie, in a tragic accident years earlier, and still has trouble dealing with that loss. The loss of Maggie also greatly affected her mother, Sarah, and friend, Jade. The current emotions and actions of these women can be traced back to the night they lost a loved one.
This book uses multiple points of view from Cora, Sarah, Jade, and Laurel to tell the story. This book is part women's fiction and part suspense. Some of the issues the women are dealing with are very real, as is the feeling of having no one to talk to about those issues. One of the things I liked about this book was the women's desire to protect their children, and how most of their actions are related to the fact that they are mothers. We Were Mothers is a fitting title for the book.
The suspense part of the story comes from Laurel's missing daughter. There are, of course, other events going on, but it seems one missing college student starts the unraveling process.
Some of the topics throughout the book deal with motherhood, domestic abuse, and adultery. A good read for fans of family drama and suspense. This book does have a bit of a slow start, and I wasn't completely satisfied with the ending, but it was still a good, light read.
This was my pick for Amazon's First Reads in September 2018.
September 23, 2018
Desperately tries to be Big Little Lies and fails. Awful characters, terrible plot and lousy writing.
January 22, 2021
SO MANY SECRETS!!!
“A brilliant, twisty novel about a missing woman, an unfaithful husband, and the dark secrets that will destroy two perfect families.”
To be honest I was expecting another suspense novel that would keep my interest, throw a few twists in and leave me forgetting it days later. This is definitely not the case with We Were Mothers.
The story is complex and layered. It’s a story about relationships, secrets, love and loss. The timeline of this story is actually quite short. Sure, there is history to the characters but a whole heck of a lot happens over a weekend. I must admit it took me awhile to get all the characters straight. Once I did, the story picked up some pace and I was 100% invested. I’m looking forward to discussing this with @saltwaterreads on November 4th. I recommend suggesting this to your book clubs. It will make for a great discussion.
“A brilliant, twisty novel about a missing woman, an unfaithful husband, and the dark secrets that will destroy two perfect families.”
To be honest I was expecting another suspense novel that would keep my interest, throw a few twists in and leave me forgetting it days later. This is definitely not the case with We Were Mothers.
The story is complex and layered. It’s a story about relationships, secrets, love and loss. The timeline of this story is actually quite short. Sure, there is history to the characters but a whole heck of a lot happens over a weekend. I must admit it took me awhile to get all the characters straight. Once I did, the story picked up some pace and I was 100% invested. I’m looking forward to discussing this with @saltwaterreads on November 4th. I recommend suggesting this to your book clubs. It will make for a great discussion.
September 2, 2018
I struggled this month to choose my free Amazon prime book because there seemed to be several good prospects. I'm slightly kicking myself that I went for 'We Were Mothers' as I found it very ordinary and a bit disappointing.
The opening pace was SO slow that I really found myself checking other reviews to see if there was any prospect of it picking up. I would say I was over a third of the way through before it became even slightly interesting.
I'm not a fan of multi-narrative stories at the best of times, even less so when the author doesn't give each character their own voice or point of view so I'm left thinking 'Which one is this again?' far too often. The first third takes place at a birthday party in a 'nice' suburban setting where a group of couples are celebrating the second birthday of the twins of one couple. That third is just an information overload - like an overly long 'Here's what happened in the last episode' at the beginning of a sequel. All you really need to know at that point is that a lot of the characters are linked by the death of a girl called Maggie, six years earlier and what you'll soon learn is that none of the people playing happy families are as happy as they'd like you to think.
Once the book gets going though, it flies along with head-spinning pace that's completely out of time with the plod-plod of the opening.
The women are all saps, the men are all bastards - at least that seems to be what it all comes down to. Not so much 'We Were Mothers' as 'We let Motherhood get in the way of common sense and self preservation'. Do I believe one small group could ever blow up in such a major way in just a few days? No, it's all a bit too hard to swallow really. But fiction doesn't need to be believeable, does it?
The opening pace was SO slow that I really found myself checking other reviews to see if there was any prospect of it picking up. I would say I was over a third of the way through before it became even slightly interesting.
I'm not a fan of multi-narrative stories at the best of times, even less so when the author doesn't give each character their own voice or point of view so I'm left thinking 'Which one is this again?' far too often. The first third takes place at a birthday party in a 'nice' suburban setting where a group of couples are celebrating the second birthday of the twins of one couple. That third is just an information overload - like an overly long 'Here's what happened in the last episode' at the beginning of a sequel. All you really need to know at that point is that a lot of the characters are linked by the death of a girl called Maggie, six years earlier and what you'll soon learn is that none of the people playing happy families are as happy as they'd like you to think.
Once the book gets going though, it flies along with head-spinning pace that's completely out of time with the plod-plod of the opening.
The women are all saps, the men are all bastards - at least that seems to be what it all comes down to. Not so much 'We Were Mothers' as 'We let Motherhood get in the way of common sense and self preservation'. Do I believe one small group could ever blow up in such a major way in just a few days? No, it's all a bit too hard to swallow really. But fiction doesn't need to be believeable, does it?
September 3, 2018
Terrible
I felt like I just read a screenplay for a really bad soap opera! It was so bad! I had to skim page after page because the dialogue and plot lines were so far fetched it literally felt like I was in a Days of our Lives storyline. The author has potential but seriously, I feel like I wasted two days on this drivel. Skip this one!
I felt like I just read a screenplay for a really bad soap opera! It was so bad! I had to skim page after page because the dialogue and plot lines were so far fetched it literally felt like I was in a Days of our Lives storyline. The author has potential but seriously, I feel like I wasted two days on this drivel. Skip this one!
November 5, 2018
At first this gave me Desperate Housewives vibes but without the humor... which then gave me more Big Little Lies vibes... either way, there's a neighborhood full of mothers/daughters/wives that all interconnect in some way or another and boy do they ALL have secrets! Good lawd, did I need a chart of some kind to keep up with all of them.
I didn't feel like there was one particular plot line - it did center around one particular thing but ultimately it felt like a glimpse inside a community and the drama that happens behind closed doors. The intricacies of marriage, mother/daughter relationships and how the secrets of the past always come to slap you in the face in the future.
I wish I had connected better with this book. There were certain aspects that had me befuddled and going WHAT - no, no, that just doesn't even make sense. To the point where I had to reach out to a fellow Bookstagrammer to discuss. Then I remind myself, this is a work of fiction - suspend some reality woman! I can easily do this but sometimes it's just not quite as easy as others.
For me, I think there was just too much going on all at once. All the women are struggling. All the men are assholes. However, I also couldn't stop reading this either. It's like one of those Lifetime movies that are guilty pleasures. Twisty, lots of drama and you find yourself yelling at all the characters.
Thanks to @saltwaterreads for holding the readalong <3
I didn't feel like there was one particular plot line - it did center around one particular thing but ultimately it felt like a glimpse inside a community and the drama that happens behind closed doors. The intricacies of marriage, mother/daughter relationships and how the secrets of the past always come to slap you in the face in the future.
I wish I had connected better with this book. There were certain aspects that had me befuddled and going WHAT - no, no, that just doesn't even make sense. To the point where I had to reach out to a fellow Bookstagrammer to discuss. Then I remind myself, this is a work of fiction - suspend some reality woman! I can easily do this but sometimes it's just not quite as easy as others.
For me, I think there was just too much going on all at once. All the women are struggling. All the men are assholes. However, I also couldn't stop reading this either. It's like one of those Lifetime movies that are guilty pleasures. Twisty, lots of drama and you find yourself yelling at all the characters.
Thanks to @saltwaterreads for holding the readalong <3
November 26, 2018
Started out rather slow beginning with a birthday party for toddler twins in the tightly knit community of Ravendale. I guess this was the author’s way of introducing us to all the characters (at the party) and their personalities and history.
This community is known for its gossip and sure has plenty of secrets. People end up knowing a little bit too much about each other for their own good. One big secret leads to another, and another, and like a row of perfectly set dominoes, they all fall down!
Sarah: Mother to Cora and Jade and deceased daughter, Maggie. Divorced after the trauma of losing a child, divorced after the trauma of finding her dear husband, Clark, is in love with someone else and is leaving. Grandmother to Cora and Sam’s twins, George and Lucy. Haunted by the death of daughter, Maggie.
Cora: Wife of Sam, Daughter of Sarah, sister to Jade and sister of the deceased Maggie. Mom to the twins. Also haunted by the death of Maggie. Trying to make friends in Ravendale, but finds it socially difficult to do so what with being exhausted and busy with two little ones, and hardly any support from Sam or anyone else. Marriage a bit unstable.
Sam: Cora’s husband and father to the twins. He has done a naughty thing which is exposed in an odd way at the party. I never liked his character and sure enough the guy is a sleezeball. He has plenty of secrets. He is a very bad liar and a man of poor morals and conscience. A domino falls...
Jade: daughter of Sarah and sister of Cora and Maggie. Jade and Maggie were in love. They were going to make their relationship announcement at a party, but there was too much rowdiness and drink and pot going on; they decided to hold off. Unfortunately, an auto accident that very night occurs with Maggie, Sam and Jeremy; Maggie being killed at the wheel. She was not fit to drive. Why were they together in the car?? A domino falls...
Enter Jeremy: Jade now lives her life in a fog. As she starts to slowly pick up the pieces of her life, she finds herself dating and sleeping with and marrying Jeremy, who much earlier, had been dating Maggie. It’s as if being with him gives her a lost connection with Maggie. But, he’s really not a nice guy. Narcisstic and full of himself; “it’s all about me!” Loves to posture and check himself out, wears only the best looking and best fitting clothes. A peacock strutting. Other women swoon over his good looks. But...She doesn’t deserve to be with this guy. He causes her a lot of pain and suffering with his physical and mental controlling tactics. He’s also got some other secrets he’s hiding. Another domino falls...
Laurel and Dash: Laurel’s dreams of finishing medical school were pushed aside with marriage and pregnancy so that Dash’s dream of medical success and prestigious surgeon could be achieved. And it was. He is always right and domineering and oh geez, another narcisstic male in the story! However, he’s got a bad case of liking the S&M scene and hurting Laurel when they have sex and even when they’re not. He’s also a mean tempered SOB. In this story, one of their daughters goes missing, which sets more of the dominoes into a fall. Laurel tries to protect her daughters from knowing about their fathers sordid actions and temper, but these kids, they have secrets of their own and they’re actually quite observant. 😬
I have to say once situations were set into motion, they kept revealing and revealing and I did not want to stop reading because I couldn’t wait to find out what was going to happen next. It was really a hot mess at the end, but the truth did come out; lives were physically and emotionally and mentally torn apart and then recalibrated, but Ravendale and these families would never be the same.
I’m giving this book 3 1/2 stars as I did like it and it kept my interest.
This community is known for its gossip and sure has plenty of secrets. People end up knowing a little bit too much about each other for their own good. One big secret leads to another, and another, and like a row of perfectly set dominoes, they all fall down!
Sarah: Mother to Cora and Jade and deceased daughter, Maggie. Divorced after the trauma of losing a child, divorced after the trauma of finding her dear husband, Clark, is in love with someone else and is leaving. Grandmother to Cora and Sam’s twins, George and Lucy. Haunted by the death of daughter, Maggie.
Cora: Wife of Sam, Daughter of Sarah, sister to Jade and sister of the deceased Maggie. Mom to the twins. Also haunted by the death of Maggie. Trying to make friends in Ravendale, but finds it socially difficult to do so what with being exhausted and busy with two little ones, and hardly any support from Sam or anyone else. Marriage a bit unstable.
Sam: Cora’s husband and father to the twins. He has done a naughty thing which is exposed in an odd way at the party. I never liked his character and sure enough the guy is a sleezeball. He has plenty of secrets. He is a very bad liar and a man of poor morals and conscience. A domino falls...
Jade: daughter of Sarah and sister of Cora and Maggie. Jade and Maggie were in love. They were going to make their relationship announcement at a party, but there was too much rowdiness and drink and pot going on; they decided to hold off. Unfortunately, an auto accident that very night occurs with Maggie, Sam and Jeremy; Maggie being killed at the wheel. She was not fit to drive. Why were they together in the car?? A domino falls...
Enter Jeremy: Jade now lives her life in a fog. As she starts to slowly pick up the pieces of her life, she finds herself dating and sleeping with and marrying Jeremy, who much earlier, had been dating Maggie. It’s as if being with him gives her a lost connection with Maggie. But, he’s really not a nice guy. Narcisstic and full of himself; “it’s all about me!” Loves to posture and check himself out, wears only the best looking and best fitting clothes. A peacock strutting. Other women swoon over his good looks. But...She doesn’t deserve to be with this guy. He causes her a lot of pain and suffering with his physical and mental controlling tactics. He’s also got some other secrets he’s hiding. Another domino falls...
Laurel and Dash: Laurel’s dreams of finishing medical school were pushed aside with marriage and pregnancy so that Dash’s dream of medical success and prestigious surgeon could be achieved. And it was. He is always right and domineering and oh geez, another narcisstic male in the story! However, he’s got a bad case of liking the S&M scene and hurting Laurel when they have sex and even when they’re not. He’s also a mean tempered SOB. In this story, one of their daughters goes missing, which sets more of the dominoes into a fall. Laurel tries to protect her daughters from knowing about their fathers sordid actions and temper, but these kids, they have secrets of their own and they’re actually quite observant. 😬
I have to say once situations were set into motion, they kept revealing and revealing and I did not want to stop reading because I couldn’t wait to find out what was going to happen next. It was really a hot mess at the end, but the truth did come out; lives were physically and emotionally and mentally torn apart and then recalibrated, but Ravendale and these families would never be the same.
I’m giving this book 3 1/2 stars as I did like it and it kept my interest.
October 17, 2018
Ummmmm .....I’m sorry to say but this reads like a bad midday t.v movie for me . That’s it !
November 22, 2018
The cover of We Were Mothers looks pastoral at first glance, doesn't it? There are strewn flowers, and a clean, beige background. But look closer. Are those flowers wilted AND torn apart? Welcome to the world of Ravendale. It starts innocently enough, at a toddlers' birthday party. Yes, twin toddlers. Everyone gathered there has secrets, dark ones, and before the week is over, four women's lives have changed forever.
I read a lot of reviews describing this novel as a less successful Big Little Lies. I haven't read that book, but I guess I should, because I really enjoyed reading We Were Mothers! I didn't click with all the characters, but I was flabbergasted with the ways their lives detonated, and how one chain reaction led to another. It was a bit soap opera-y at times, and the ratio of men behaving quite badly was quite high. None of that really bothered me, however. It was a suspenseful, attention-grabbing read!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC.
I read a lot of reviews describing this novel as a less successful Big Little Lies. I haven't read that book, but I guess I should, because I really enjoyed reading We Were Mothers! I didn't click with all the characters, but I was flabbergasted with the ways their lives detonated, and how one chain reaction led to another. It was a bit soap opera-y at times, and the ratio of men behaving quite badly was quite high. None of that really bothered me, however. It was a suspenseful, attention-grabbing read!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC.
September 8, 2020
At some points I was skeptical about this book but I’m glad I stuck it out. It was a slow-burn but a truly great read
September 6, 2018
Picked this as my Kindle First offering for the current month. It is VERY well presented indeed, I only spotted a couple of mistakes, which is highly impressive. However, if I'm honest, it's quite a mumsy book and story and I'm not a mother, so it wasn't really my "thing" and at parts I tended to glaze over a little because I just didn't find all that side of things very interesting as I have no experience of that side of life and neither have I ever had a hankering to. And yes, I read a great deal of books featuring murders and I'm not a killer, either, and it's never been an issue but in this story I felt it mattered more. At one point she mentions the mother of twins counting that they needed forty-seven things over the course of an hour. That would be my idea of hell, I have to say.....you'd never get a minute to yourself !!
It was pretty staggering the amount of secrets and lies we uncover as we read what is essentially a couple of days in the lives of the families featured, along with their nearest and dearest. An intriguing look into the sordid underbelly of suburbia in the face of such respectability among these people, though none were very likeable, I found. I despised Laurel's daughter Mira with a passion.....talk about a selfish, self-centred little cow !! Plus, I despise liars and she was a liar of the highest order, though she wasn't alone in this by any stretch.
This line needed a hyphen to make sense in the way she was writing it, "....she had never had a day off when she was saving for college spending money, either"......she also writes about antianxiety medication and again I'd have added a hyphen there, but that was it for errors....
I wouldn't race to grab a similar story by her but something less mumsy I would for sure.
It was pretty staggering the amount of secrets and lies we uncover as we read what is essentially a couple of days in the lives of the families featured, along with their nearest and dearest. An intriguing look into the sordid underbelly of suburbia in the face of such respectability among these people, though none were very likeable, I found. I despised Laurel's daughter Mira with a passion.....talk about a selfish, self-centred little cow !! Plus, I despise liars and she was a liar of the highest order, though she wasn't alone in this by any stretch.
This line needed a hyphen to make sense in the way she was writing it, "....she had never had a day off when she was saving for college spending money, either"......she also writes about antianxiety medication and again I'd have added a hyphen there, but that was it for errors....
I wouldn't race to grab a similar story by her but something less mumsy I would for sure.
June 22, 2018
Cora and Sam. Dash and Laurel. Jade and Jeremy. Sarah and Clarke. Anna and Mira and Asher. And then there's Maggie.
You have to absolutely be sure that you get the characters straight because this is one of those books that is told from different points of view. But the one piece that ties all the main characters together is the death of Maggie.
This book started out slowly for me but it builds and picks up steam with each chapter. In fact it picks up so much steam that it blows up at the end---too many stories all collide to where it became a bit of an overload--one denouement after another. I mean really, how many times are the police going to go that neighborhood in one night?
As I thought about this book later--I mean I was so involved in the story that I didn't pick up on this fact--until later, I thought "hmmm. There were no male good guys when it was all said and done (except for the old English teacher random add-on at the end)." And the women were victims who eventually made good choices and were lifted up while the men were all dogs.
So this book is well written and I enjoyed reading it BUT it felt like a stereotypical suburbanite-women are life's heroes and all men are idiots with fatal character flaws.
Buy it, read it, tell me if I'm wrong.
Thanks Amazon Publishing for the ARC.
You have to absolutely be sure that you get the characters straight because this is one of those books that is told from different points of view. But the one piece that ties all the main characters together is the death of Maggie.
This book started out slowly for me but it builds and picks up steam with each chapter. In fact it picks up so much steam that it blows up at the end---too many stories all collide to where it became a bit of an overload--one denouement after another. I mean really, how many times are the police going to go that neighborhood in one night?
As I thought about this book later--I mean I was so involved in the story that I didn't pick up on this fact--until later, I thought "hmmm. There were no male good guys when it was all said and done (except for the old English teacher random add-on at the end)." And the women were victims who eventually made good choices and were lifted up while the men were all dogs.
So this book is well written and I enjoyed reading it BUT it felt like a stereotypical suburbanite-women are life's heroes and all men are idiots with fatal character flaws.
Buy it, read it, tell me if I'm wrong.
Thanks Amazon Publishing for the ARC.
September 4, 2018
Author Not Ready For Adult Fiction - Should Stay With YA Audience
My 1st impression when I started reading was that the language was very stilted/trite. As I got further into the story, I became less pre-occupied by the wording, and more upset with the storyline, which I found inauthentic - almost as if the author's motivation was not to create a good story ( or even to make a buck or two)- but to disgorge a bunch of her own personal ideas of what being a mother Should Mean crossed with a fixation of the tremendous impact a person's death Should Have on those lucky enough to still be drawing breath - almost as if she was trying to incorporate some moralistic lessons to her audience. Although most of the characters in this book were "quote" adults, their thoughts & behaviors more reflected those of teenagers. And I found her treatment of domestic abuse to rise almost to the level of being a dis-service to the reader - adult or teenager. In short, I would not recommend this book. I would recommend (somewhat cattily I guess) that for whatever book she's promoting that she use a different picture of herself - the current pic seems overly frivolous & detracts, in my opinion, from any credibility of her being a serious writer.
My 1st impression when I started reading was that the language was very stilted/trite. As I got further into the story, I became less pre-occupied by the wording, and more upset with the storyline, which I found inauthentic - almost as if the author's motivation was not to create a good story ( or even to make a buck or two)- but to disgorge a bunch of her own personal ideas of what being a mother Should Mean crossed with a fixation of the tremendous impact a person's death Should Have on those lucky enough to still be drawing breath - almost as if she was trying to incorporate some moralistic lessons to her audience. Although most of the characters in this book were "quote" adults, their thoughts & behaviors more reflected those of teenagers. And I found her treatment of domestic abuse to rise almost to the level of being a dis-service to the reader - adult or teenager. In short, I would not recommend this book. I would recommend (somewhat cattily I guess) that for whatever book she's promoting that she use a different picture of herself - the current pic seems overly frivolous & detracts, in my opinion, from any credibility of her being a serious writer.
September 22, 2019
I loved this book. Despite the bad reviews... yes, there was more telling than showing and a lot going on at once... But I personally like a busy book. And this book was busy... it took a few to get the characters straight, but smooth sailing once I did.
Neighborhood drama/scandal... lots of twists I didn’t guess... and I liked how everyone’s lives intertwined.
To me, this was a good story... :-)
Neighborhood drama/scandal... lots of twists I didn’t guess... and I liked how everyone’s lives intertwined.
To me, this was a good story... :-)
December 6, 2018
Well the men were monsters, the women triumphed. Not many likable characters here, but oddly compelling.
September 5, 2018
Yippee. Hallelujah and rejoice. Put up the flags and all that jazz. At last. I picked an Amazon Kindle First that was actually worth reading. Although it’s hard reading at times as it features domestic abuse, this was a novel that twisted and turned throughout. It’s a lesson in understanding that no one knows what goes on behind closed doors and demonstrated the lengths that people will go to hide the truth. Mira and Anna’s actions were a domino affect in revealing the secrets and lies of this community that looked so yummy mummy perfect. A good read.
September 14, 2018
DNF. Barely made it to 19%. I got this as a Kindle First Reads (or whatever it's called) so at least I'm not out any money, even though I feel like I've wasted my time.
Nothing has even happened yet and I'm almost a fifth through the book. Waaaaay too many characters to try to keep track of. Feels like there's a LOT of telling instead of showing.
Nothing has even happened yet and I'm almost a fifth through the book. Waaaaay too many characters to try to keep track of. Feels like there's a LOT of telling instead of showing.
September 14, 2018
There was not a single character in this book that was believable as a real human being. From the woman who wears the hospital mesh panties 2 years after her babies were born along with her lululemon, to all the psychotic men who don't seem to care about any of their families, this book was filled with contradictory and nonsensical motives and drama.
September 23, 2018
"Twisty," yes. "Brilliant?" no. It was as though I were a viewer, watching from afar, as a story unfolded, never really able to hear or interpret what I was watching. Eventually I would walk away from the scene, without knowing or really caring what happened. In this case, however, I stayed to the end - but I should have left as soon as I realized that I was not engaged.
September 7, 2018
Dark secrets
This is one of those stories that makes my heart hurt. It’s a cross between Desperate Housewives and Big Little Lies with a focus on the deadly power of secrets. Each woman has a secret and they hold it in until everything explodes.
This is one of those stories that makes my heart hurt. It’s a cross between Desperate Housewives and Big Little Lies with a focus on the deadly power of secrets. Each woman has a secret and they hold it in until everything explodes.
Read
June 5, 2023An intriguing look at the gossipy, dark side of suburbia, with a number of well-drawn characters. The book is a slow burner that slowly builds and builds, the tensions tightening like a corkscrew. An easy and enjoyable read.
October 25, 2018
I really enjoyed this book. It wasn’t what I thought it would be. It was way better. The characters were very flawed, but interesting. The women were very relatable. Towards the end there were so many things happening I didn’t know what the final outcome would be. Great book!
January 13, 2019
We Were Mothers is a brilliantly crafted work of fiction by Katie Sise. From the first page to the last, you’ll experience spectacular, head spinning suspense and twists.
Multiple devoted parents in a beautiful town have bigger secrets than meets the eye. They show up to events and discuss the multiple deadly things that can hurt their children like gluten, but fail to contain the danger in their own homes where dark (and sometimes deadly) secrets abide. It’s these numerous secrets, devastating losses, and multiple points of view that made this read spectacular and so well crafted. There were multiple characters, but they were so well-developed and well-done.
Many times, I can predict the ending of books but not this one……WOW! Sise does an amazing job of hooking you and not letting you go. I didn’t want to leave the house, just wanted to see what would happen next. We Were Mothers is a 5-star read and an instant favorite for me! I can’t wait to see what Sise does next!
I received a review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley for my honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Synopsis from the Publisher/NetGalley.com
A brilliant, twisty novel about a missing woman, an unfaithful husband, and the dark secrets that will destroy two perfect families.
A scandalous revelation is about to devastate a picturesque town where the houses are immaculate, and the neighborhoods are tightly knit. Devoted mother Cora O’Connell has found the journal of her friend Laurel’s daughter—a beautiful college student who lives next door—revealing an illicit encounter. Hours later, Laurel makes a shattering discovery of her own: her daughter has vanished without a trace. Over the course of one weekend, the crises of two close families are about to trigger a chain reaction that will expose a far more disturbing web of secrets. Now everything is at stake as they’re forced to confront the lies they have told in order to survive.
Multiple devoted parents in a beautiful town have bigger secrets than meets the eye. They show up to events and discuss the multiple deadly things that can hurt their children like gluten, but fail to contain the danger in their own homes where dark (and sometimes deadly) secrets abide. It’s these numerous secrets, devastating losses, and multiple points of view that made this read spectacular and so well crafted. There were multiple characters, but they were so well-developed and well-done.
Many times, I can predict the ending of books but not this one……WOW! Sise does an amazing job of hooking you and not letting you go. I didn’t want to leave the house, just wanted to see what would happen next. We Were Mothers is a 5-star read and an instant favorite for me! I can’t wait to see what Sise does next!
I received a review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley for my honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Synopsis from the Publisher/NetGalley.com
A brilliant, twisty novel about a missing woman, an unfaithful husband, and the dark secrets that will destroy two perfect families.
A scandalous revelation is about to devastate a picturesque town where the houses are immaculate, and the neighborhoods are tightly knit. Devoted mother Cora O’Connell has found the journal of her friend Laurel’s daughter—a beautiful college student who lives next door—revealing an illicit encounter. Hours later, Laurel makes a shattering discovery of her own: her daughter has vanished without a trace. Over the course of one weekend, the crises of two close families are about to trigger a chain reaction that will expose a far more disturbing web of secrets. Now everything is at stake as they’re forced to confront the lies they have told in order to survive.
October 10, 2018
via my blog: https://bookstalkerblog.wordpress.com/
'Mothers took their children’s behavior so personally, and Sarah thought it was a waste of energy, because when you’re a mother you have zero control, and having a child is a tremendous act of optimism bordering on magical thinking. It was the biggest chance you could ever take.'
It appears for the women in this novel, the second biggest, most dangerous chance they can take is on love. I don’t say that in the light-hearted ‘love is adventure’ way either. There are quite a few characters to keep track of, none of them seem happy with their love lives. Cora spends her time lusting over Jeremy, feeling ashamed for not being a better wife, for not yearning for her husband Sam more often. Jade can barely stomach Jeremy’s touch. There has been devastating loss, with the death of Maggie (daughter, sister, lover) years ago that no one has truly been able to get past. More painful still to her family was how she died, her own stupid fault as the drunk driver in the car accident that killed her the night of her sister Cora and Sam’s engagement party. Sam survived (Cora’s husband) and so did Jeremy, her friend who were both in the car. The wedding went on, Cora and Sam had twins George and Lucy and tried to make happy memories from the grief that remained. Everything seemed straight forward, Maggie made an irrecerseable stupid mistake, and it cost Maggie her life. Despite the facts, so much regret and shame reamins to share since that night, still so many secrets untouched that years will never be enough to bury. In deep sorrow, relationships formed, marriages happened, life moved along, children were born. Jeremy is married to Jade now, once very close to Maggie (devastated for deeper reasons after her passing) trying for a child, Jade barely feels a lick of attraction for him these days. As she struggles with the emotions she’s tried to close off, Jade fakes it hoping she can get through every moment of intimacy between them, shocking as he is very good-looking, charming and successful. She has her own secrets concerning her relationship with Maggie. Six years passing hasn’t made life without her any easier.
Children need babysitters, and Mira is a beautiful young woman, daughter of Dash and Laurel. What happens, though, when Cora discovers her journal describing a passionate encounter with Sam, her husband? Worse, what if that isn’t his biggest secret? How can she ever trust him again? Should she? Laurel is frightened when Mira turns up missing, and of course Sam is suspect. Worse, Laurel is dealing with her own marital problems with Dash’s increasingly aggressive behavior. His daughters, Mira and Anna, with the intense drama and confusion they cause bring his spiraling madness to head. Out comes the monster that Laurel has been cowering from, but is it too late to finally stand up for herself, her girls? To Sarah, who still grieves the death of her girl Maggie, Laurel seems pompous, with her ‘professionally blown out’ perfect hair. Disgusted by the ‘blame mothering’ as much as the one-upmanship game of women like Sarah, too she has to contend with her husband’s ‘not so new now’ wife. A friend once, of sorts, now by the side of the man she was meant to end her days beside. Then when they had a chance to try again, the shocking devastation of Maggie’s drunk driving accident. The panic attacks may have stopped, but there isn’t a day she doesn’t think of her girl until what she thought of as fact comes to light as a big lie. She will do anything, right or wrong, to keep her family safe, she can’t lose another daughter, she won’t!
This story is sometimes all over the place but it isn’t bad. The men aren’t worth a damn, sadly. Narcissistic, violent, criminal, selfish but good-looking. Is good looking a quality? No? Some of the characters worked for me, I liked Jade but would have preferred a little more meat to her and Maggie’s past. Jeremy I could take or leave, he was sort of just there. Sam, well he’s a real nightmare isn’t he? Dash goes from calm to hurricane at the snap of a finger, which is the point when dealing with abuse. Mira is naive, a bit stupid but that’s youth sometimes. Laurel is the perfect example of women who put on a persona to hide the destructive lives they suffer behind closed doors. I don’t think there could be a sadder bunch of women in one story, nor men who will do nothing but turn you off men in general. I think there are some characters that could be worked on, but it was a decent story. You think it’s going to be the typical young girl, affair, murder… it isn’t. The mystery is buried in Maggie.
Available Now
Little A
'Mothers took their children’s behavior so personally, and Sarah thought it was a waste of energy, because when you’re a mother you have zero control, and having a child is a tremendous act of optimism bordering on magical thinking. It was the biggest chance you could ever take.'
It appears for the women in this novel, the second biggest, most dangerous chance they can take is on love. I don’t say that in the light-hearted ‘love is adventure’ way either. There are quite a few characters to keep track of, none of them seem happy with their love lives. Cora spends her time lusting over Jeremy, feeling ashamed for not being a better wife, for not yearning for her husband Sam more often. Jade can barely stomach Jeremy’s touch. There has been devastating loss, with the death of Maggie (daughter, sister, lover) years ago that no one has truly been able to get past. More painful still to her family was how she died, her own stupid fault as the drunk driver in the car accident that killed her the night of her sister Cora and Sam’s engagement party. Sam survived (Cora’s husband) and so did Jeremy, her friend who were both in the car. The wedding went on, Cora and Sam had twins George and Lucy and tried to make happy memories from the grief that remained. Everything seemed straight forward, Maggie made an irrecerseable stupid mistake, and it cost Maggie her life. Despite the facts, so much regret and shame reamins to share since that night, still so many secrets untouched that years will never be enough to bury. In deep sorrow, relationships formed, marriages happened, life moved along, children were born. Jeremy is married to Jade now, once very close to Maggie (devastated for deeper reasons after her passing) trying for a child, Jade barely feels a lick of attraction for him these days. As she struggles with the emotions she’s tried to close off, Jade fakes it hoping she can get through every moment of intimacy between them, shocking as he is very good-looking, charming and successful. She has her own secrets concerning her relationship with Maggie. Six years passing hasn’t made life without her any easier.
Children need babysitters, and Mira is a beautiful young woman, daughter of Dash and Laurel. What happens, though, when Cora discovers her journal describing a passionate encounter with Sam, her husband? Worse, what if that isn’t his biggest secret? How can she ever trust him again? Should she? Laurel is frightened when Mira turns up missing, and of course Sam is suspect. Worse, Laurel is dealing with her own marital problems with Dash’s increasingly aggressive behavior. His daughters, Mira and Anna, with the intense drama and confusion they cause bring his spiraling madness to head. Out comes the monster that Laurel has been cowering from, but is it too late to finally stand up for herself, her girls? To Sarah, who still grieves the death of her girl Maggie, Laurel seems pompous, with her ‘professionally blown out’ perfect hair. Disgusted by the ‘blame mothering’ as much as the one-upmanship game of women like Sarah, too she has to contend with her husband’s ‘not so new now’ wife. A friend once, of sorts, now by the side of the man she was meant to end her days beside. Then when they had a chance to try again, the shocking devastation of Maggie’s drunk driving accident. The panic attacks may have stopped, but there isn’t a day she doesn’t think of her girl until what she thought of as fact comes to light as a big lie. She will do anything, right or wrong, to keep her family safe, she can’t lose another daughter, she won’t!
This story is sometimes all over the place but it isn’t bad. The men aren’t worth a damn, sadly. Narcissistic, violent, criminal, selfish but good-looking. Is good looking a quality? No? Some of the characters worked for me, I liked Jade but would have preferred a little more meat to her and Maggie’s past. Jeremy I could take or leave, he was sort of just there. Sam, well he’s a real nightmare isn’t he? Dash goes from calm to hurricane at the snap of a finger, which is the point when dealing with abuse. Mira is naive, a bit stupid but that’s youth sometimes. Laurel is the perfect example of women who put on a persona to hide the destructive lives they suffer behind closed doors. I don’t think there could be a sadder bunch of women in one story, nor men who will do nothing but turn you off men in general. I think there are some characters that could be worked on, but it was a decent story. You think it’s going to be the typical young girl, affair, murder… it isn’t. The mystery is buried in Maggie.
Available Now
Little A
September 3, 2018
It was an easy read that I finished in an afternoon. It definitely held my interest but in the end it just felt like a LOT relative to the length and substance of the book. I’m not sure how to best describe it...
August 29, 2018
I was blown away by this book! I expected a fluffy summer read, and instead found myself up all night unable to break myself from the suspense. Not least, the setting of this book reminded me a little too much of the small town in which I live. It makes me think twice about my neighbors and friends!
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