Love, Mom – A Thriller That Will Shock You Now

Blurb of Love, Mom

Mackenzie Casper, a brilliant student, lives in the shadow of her mother—a bestselling author of dark thrillers. After her mother’s mysterious death, Mackenzie receives pages of her mother’s diary that start with the lines: Want to know a secret? Love, Mom. Signed “From #1 Fan. XOXO.” Each revealing shocking secrets from her mother’s past.

As shocking secrets unravel, Mackenzie uncovers sinister truths about her family and her mother’s dangerous path to fame. Soon, she realizes some things are worse than murder—and they might be coming for her next.

Sometimes fame is worth a murder. Or worse. Soon, Mackenzie will come to find out that there are worse things than murder…

Pin this for later

Get the book from Amazon

This is an affiliate link. I earn from qualifying purchases made through this link at no extra cost to you 

My Review

Omg! What did i just read! The book started with the pages of a diary, and I thought i knew where the story was going. But when I reached the mid-half of the book, I had goosebumps when the twist written right there turned the story upside down. Everything I knew was shot, and I had to look at all the characters and the lines in the book with new eyes.

This was one of the best thrillers I had read in the past 2 years. Being a thriller-gal, I could normally get a read on the story before I actually reached halfway. But this…I tell ya…this blew my mind completely.

4.75 stars

Why I Picked Up Love, Mom

A debut author, so none of the normal social media feed had her book as you would see with a bestseller. It was per chance I got to hear about this book in one of the Facebook group discussions where people were raving about its twist. I was intrigued. A book that most people were entranced with? I had to get my hands on it. So, onto Amazon I went. At $0.99, I thought I would be getting a good value for money.

The cover of the book caught my eye. Red and white theme with blood drops. Yes. That worked for a thriller. The blurb too was quite interesting with the tagline – Want to know a secret? – adding to the intrigue. This was my second book about a bestseller author dying who was also a mother and maybe a murderer, the first being – A Very Bad Thing by J. T. Ellison. I was hoping I would enjoy this book more than my first.

Themes, Plot, Writing

A daughter discovering the truth about her mother’s life. That was the main plot line. And then the author added the dark swirls of a nefarious mind and hideous sub plots that would destroy all we knew about the different characters, thereby slowly developing them over the pages. To be honest, this book did not feel like a debut but the work of someone who had been writing thrillers for a very long time. Most of the words in the book gave the feel of the scenes in a movie. There were times when a gasp or two escaped my mouth.

If I had been prone to reacting like a medieval heroine, I would have fisted my hands and thrown them in the air and said – How dare they! But I was not. My thriller-y heart enjoyed all the shadowed scenes in the book, adding to the adrenaline that was already coursing through my veins after the twist. Needless to say at this point, the story was fast-paced, and I read it at a much faster rate to get to the ending. How could I not? I wanted to know if my second supposition would come true. Yes. it did.

Strengths

The writing and the structure of the main plot line and subplots were the biggest strengths in this book. It was clear the author had worked hard to keep all of them in line and inject suspense every few pages, so that readers never got the time to feel bored. I suspected there was white board with the subplots written somewhere in the conception of this book. It had to be since all the subplots were answered beautifully at the end with nary a question lingering in my mind.

Weaknesses

The beginning of this book had a Young Adult feel to it in the way the daughter Mackenzie spoke and moved about, with repetitive lines and hints of love interest. That made it slow moving, and only when she began to investigate did the book catch speed and became a good thriller. That was probably a slight hitch.

After the midway twist, the story shifted from the daughter’s POV to the story being told by the others characters, which felt off to me. I wanted the story to be shown from the investigative point of view in the same vein as the first half had been written. But this was the easiest way for the author to reveal the story in its entirety from all angles. Once my mindset shifted, I began to enjoy the subplots again.

Conclusion And Recommendation of Love, Mom

Absolutely! You’ve got to get it. One of the best twists in recent times, and the author managed to tie all the loose ends together in a pretty bow. I would say barring the dual points that jarred me, this book was how a thriller was to be written. I was sure every thriller reader would enjoy this book. The author had a success in their hands.

Have you read this book – Love, Mom? Did you like it? Let me know in comments.

Level Up Your Thriller with Professional Beta Reading

Speaking of gripping thrillers, this is exactly what I help authors achieve through my beta reading services. I know what makes a thriller work – those perfectly-timed plot twists, the mounting tension, and characters that leap off the page. Having analyzed countless thrillers like this one, I offer both beta reading and developmental feedback that helps authors polish their manuscripts into stories that readers can’t put down.

If you’re working on a thriller and want to create that same edge-of-your-seat experience I just described in this review, let’s connect for a beta reading session.

MY TOP POSTS

• 15 Small Business Ideas To make You Rich
• Social Media Marketing That Will Make Your Business Soar
• 6 Free Sites For Aesthetic Pictures For Your Blog
• Earn Money In Digital Marketing With No Experience
• SEO Keywords 101 – How To Find Power Words Now
• Blog Post Ideas That Will Attract Your Audience
• Pinterest Affiliate Marketing – That Will Turn Pins Into Money

Stay connected outside my social media with my weekly Newsletter – Digital Content Pages

My introducer post – check out why I chose Showit as my website builder here

Use my code DCP to get one 1.5 months free on Showit

Get all the resources for your social media and digital marketing without breaking the bank from my DCP Shop here

Pin this for later