bookapotamus's review against another edition
5.0
The intriguing synopsis of this suspenseful read was definitely one that hooked me in right away!
Combined with meeting the absolutely love Daniela Petrova at a Book Expo party this Spring, I knew I had to read this. And I couldn’t have been more pleased with what transpired behind this beautiful cover!
We meet Lana and Tyler, who have been trying to conceive a child for years. And after several rounds of IVF, they decide to try one last time with an egg donor.
Lana is from Bulgaria and she wishes to find a donor from her native country. When Tyler places an ad for an “anonymous” Bulgarian egg donor - against Lana’s wishes - and finds a match, the results turn out to be any BUT anonymous.
It’s something I read at a pace that was intense and hurried. The bizarre situation that Lana finds herself in after Katya, the mysterious egg donor, suddenly disappears, is just the beginning of an engrossing story of 3 people in a tense and twisted dance of betrayal.
A complex and elaborate mystery enveloped in obsession, delusions and an overabundance of emotions.
A fantastic debut! Huge congrats to Daniela!
Combined with meeting the absolutely love Daniela Petrova at a Book Expo party this Spring, I knew I had to read this. And I couldn’t have been more pleased with what transpired behind this beautiful cover!
We meet Lana and Tyler, who have been trying to conceive a child for years. And after several rounds of IVF, they decide to try one last time with an egg donor.
Lana is from Bulgaria and she wishes to find a donor from her native country. When Tyler places an ad for an “anonymous” Bulgarian egg donor - against Lana’s wishes - and finds a match, the results turn out to be any BUT anonymous.
It’s something I read at a pace that was intense and hurried. The bizarre situation that Lana finds herself in after Katya, the mysterious egg donor, suddenly disappears, is just the beginning of an engrossing story of 3 people in a tense and twisted dance of betrayal.
A complex and elaborate mystery enveloped in obsession, delusions and an overabundance of emotions.
A fantastic debut! Huge congrats to Daniela!
jls19's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
strawberrymivvy's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
This psychological tale doesn't read like a first novel, well-rounded (if not particularly likeable) characters, and I loved that Lana had an unusual job - never read about an art historian before!
Lana's whole life in recent years has revolved around her desire to get pregnant, she's lost herself along the way, and now has lost her partner too - just in time to find herself pregnant.
She comes across her egg donor on the street and decides to follow her, but when Katya disappears Lana's life unravels even more, with herself as a suspect, then her ex-partner, and Lana somehow comforting Katya's Bulgarian mother.
Katya was particularly unlikable, especially in her interactions with Josh, her therapist, and I enjoyed how different twists and surprises were thrown into the story when we were least expecting it.
The ending was ultimately disappointing to me, I felt it lacked real closure and instead was a tick box exercise, but it was forgiveable.
Infertility thread could be triggering for some readers
Lana's whole life in recent years has revolved around her desire to get pregnant, she's lost herself along the way, and now has lost her partner too - just in time to find herself pregnant.
She comes across her egg donor on the street and decides to follow her, but when Katya disappears Lana's life unravels even more, with herself as a suspect, then her ex-partner, and Lana somehow comforting Katya's Bulgarian mother.
Katya was particularly unlikable, especially in her interactions with Josh, her therapist, and I enjoyed how different twists and surprises were thrown into the story when we were least expecting it.
The ending was ultimately disappointing to me, I felt it lacked real closure and instead was a tick box exercise, but it was forgiveable.
Infertility thread could be triggering for some readers
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infertility
Moderate: Miscarriage
thegeekybibliophile's review against another edition
4.0
Lana and her partner, Tyler, struggled with infertility for eight years when they decided to try getting pregnant using donor eggs—and it worked. Curious about the donor, Lana "accidentally" meets and befriends Katya. A week later, Katya is inexplicably missing. Lana is desperate to find her and reveal their connection, only to discover she wasn't the only one keeping secrets from her new friend.
Her Daughter's Mother proved to be absolutely unputdownable, and I read most of it in one sitting. The story is told from three perspectives: Lana, Katya, and Tyler (Lana's ex who is also the father of the baby). I loved the way things proved not to be as they seemed when the perspective switched between characters. Just when I thought I knew what was going on, the other side of the story would be revealed and leaving me guessing all over again! For various reasons, none of the characters were 100% trustworthy, and I found myself questioning their motives (not to mention, their veracity!) more than a few times as I read further in the book.
The pacing of the story was perfectly executed. Revelations were gradually doled out, but they always seemed to land exactly when I felt I just HAD to find out something more about this or that. I was never left hanging too long about the latest suspenseful thing, but was always kept on edge long enough to allow the latest reveal to really pack a punch.
Petrova's debut novel, with its ethically-flawed but nonetheless fascinating main characters, will captivate readers from start to finish. Add this one to your wishlist, folks!
As for me... I'm looking forward to Ms. Petrova's next novel. May it come soon, because I can't wait to read more from this talented author!
I received an advance reading copy of this book courtesy of G.P. Putnam's Sons via Edelweiss.
Her Daughter's Mother proved to be absolutely unputdownable, and I read most of it in one sitting. The story is told from three perspectives: Lana, Katya, and Tyler (Lana's ex who is also the father of the baby). I loved the way things proved not to be as they seemed when the perspective switched between characters. Just when I thought I knew what was going on, the other side of the story would be revealed and leaving me guessing all over again! For various reasons, none of the characters were 100% trustworthy, and I found myself questioning their motives (not to mention, their veracity!) more than a few times as I read further in the book.
The pacing of the story was perfectly executed. Revelations were gradually doled out, but they always seemed to land exactly when I felt I just HAD to find out something more about this or that. I was never left hanging too long about the latest suspenseful thing, but was always kept on edge long enough to allow the latest reveal to really pack a punch.
Petrova's debut novel, with its ethically-flawed but nonetheless fascinating main characters, will captivate readers from start to finish. Add this one to your wishlist, folks!
As for me... I'm looking forward to Ms. Petrova's next novel. May it come soon, because I can't wait to read more from this talented author!
I received an advance reading copy of this book courtesy of G.P. Putnam's Sons via Edelweiss.
faye_v's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
kbranfield's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars.
Her Daughter's Mother by Daniela Petrova is a mesmerizing domestic mystery.
Lana Stone is a successful career woman who has been in a relationship with her partner, Professor Tyler Jones for eight years. For the past several years, they have been engulfed by infertility treatments and heartbreaking miscarriages. Having finally made the decision to use a donor egg, Lana is days away from her upcoming embryo transfer when Tyler leaves her. Despite a few qualms about going through with the procedure, Lana seizes this last chance at pregnancy.
Soon after learning she is pregnant, Lana recognizes their egg donor and decides to get to know her. Katya Dimitrova is a vivacious twenty-one year old college student from Bulgaria and Lana is dazzled by her refreshing honesty and effervescent personality. Needing a distraction from her personal life, Lana joins Katya for an evening of dining and dancing but later in the evening, she goes home early. Dismayed when she does not hear from Katya again, Lana is soon consumed by guilt when she discovers her new friend has gone missing. Determined to find out what happened to Katya, Lana is shocked by the information that soon comes to light. Unable to let go of her suspicions that someone harmed Katya, will Lana uncover the truth?
Anyone who has ever experienced infertility will emphasize with Lana's decision to go through with the embryo transfer. She does go through short-lived bouts of guilt over her choice, but ultimately, she easily pushes aside these momentary misgivings. Lana also knows she should not be hanging out with Katya, but her curiosity about her egg donor is insatiable. She is determined to learn more information about Katya's disappearance and Lana is unable to stop herself even when she knows she is endangering her future.
Chapters from Tyler's and Katya's perspectives fill in some the blanks about the months preceding the events unfolding in the present. Tyler is frustrated by Lana's inability to give up the infertility treatments. Instead of confronting her with his feelings, he begins making questionable decisions that eventually put him in a very difficult situation. Katya's chapters are very illuminating and provide valuable insight into her motivation for becoming an egg donor. They also reveal a very different picture of the happy go lucky young woman.
Her Daughter's Mother is an absolutely riveting mystery that is impossible to put down. The main characters are immensely flawed yet they are also easy to sympathize with as they blunder their way through life. The storyline is engrossing and each chapter builds the suspense and tension to a fever pitch. Daniela Petrova masterfully conceals the truth about what happened to Katya until the nerve-wracking but somewhat low-key conclusion. A very clever debut that fans of the genre are sure to love.
Her Daughter's Mother by Daniela Petrova is a mesmerizing domestic mystery.
Lana Stone is a successful career woman who has been in a relationship with her partner, Professor Tyler Jones for eight years. For the past several years, they have been engulfed by infertility treatments and heartbreaking miscarriages. Having finally made the decision to use a donor egg, Lana is days away from her upcoming embryo transfer when Tyler leaves her. Despite a few qualms about going through with the procedure, Lana seizes this last chance at pregnancy.
Soon after learning she is pregnant, Lana recognizes their egg donor and decides to get to know her. Katya Dimitrova is a vivacious twenty-one year old college student from Bulgaria and Lana is dazzled by her refreshing honesty and effervescent personality. Needing a distraction from her personal life, Lana joins Katya for an evening of dining and dancing but later in the evening, she goes home early. Dismayed when she does not hear from Katya again, Lana is soon consumed by guilt when she discovers her new friend has gone missing. Determined to find out what happened to Katya, Lana is shocked by the information that soon comes to light. Unable to let go of her suspicions that someone harmed Katya, will Lana uncover the truth?
Anyone who has ever experienced infertility will emphasize with Lana's decision to go through with the embryo transfer. She does go through short-lived bouts of guilt over her choice, but ultimately, she easily pushes aside these momentary misgivings. Lana also knows she should not be hanging out with Katya, but her curiosity about her egg donor is insatiable. She is determined to learn more information about Katya's disappearance and Lana is unable to stop herself even when she knows she is endangering her future.
Chapters from Tyler's and Katya's perspectives fill in some the blanks about the months preceding the events unfolding in the present. Tyler is frustrated by Lana's inability to give up the infertility treatments. Instead of confronting her with his feelings, he begins making questionable decisions that eventually put him in a very difficult situation. Katya's chapters are very illuminating and provide valuable insight into her motivation for becoming an egg donor. They also reveal a very different picture of the happy go lucky young woman.
Her Daughter's Mother is an absolutely riveting mystery that is impossible to put down. The main characters are immensely flawed yet they are also easy to sympathize with as they blunder their way through life. The storyline is engrossing and each chapter builds the suspense and tension to a fever pitch. Daniela Petrova masterfully conceals the truth about what happened to Katya until the nerve-wracking but somewhat low-key conclusion. A very clever debut that fans of the genre are sure to love.
babeinbookland's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
brealoadion's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This is a solid four stars from me. I haven’t had the best luck with thrillers recently and I was glad that this one got my attention quickly and pretty much kept it the whole way. I liked that, even up until the end, it kept me wondering who had done it, and that the book flowed well instead of trying to wrap up loose ends in the last 10 pages as some thrillers do. That said, it wasn’t a perfect five stars due to a couple of small things: 1) I thought Lana immediately jumping to the conclusion that Tyler cheated with literally ZERO reason to think that except that he wanted a break was wild even if it did end up being true, 2) the scene where Katya pressures her therapist to have sex with her was really uncomfortable for me because it felt VERY coerced, and 3) why did the author keep making the distinction that Lana was not bulgarian but that her mother is?? Surely, if she is her mother’s biological daughter then she would be bulgarian as well, as that would be part of her genealogy?? But all-in-all, a very good book, in my opinion!
corinne82's review against another edition
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
🎧 This sounded like an interesting storyline but it was extremely slow paced and I was a little bored. The storyline just wasn’t as engaging as I had hoped it would be. It felt like it was all over the place switching from past to present and character to character. It lacked the build up and suspense. The plot was very predictable and a little unbelievable when it came to the subject of egg donation. Lana was an irritating character and really I wasn’t overly mad about any of the others. I couldn’t take to Katya at all, she truly was a horrible character. Unfortunately this fell flat for me.
lommelun's review against another edition
dark
informative
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5