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Her Daughter's Mother
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She befriended the one woman she was never supposed to meet. Now she's the key suspect in her disappearance. For fans of The Perfect Mother and The Wife Between Us comes a gripping psychological suspense debut about two strangers, one incredible connection, and the steep price of obsession.
Lana Stone has never considered herself a stalker--until the night she impulsively f ...more
Lana Stone has never considered herself a stalker--until the night she impulsively f ...more
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Hardcover, First, 320 pages
Published
June 18th 2019
by G.P. Putnam's Sons
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My thoughts in a nutshell
Daniela Petrova debut novel has a gorgeous cover but it's not just the cover that's beautiful! The book hides an enjoyable, exciting story. Brilliant start!
The story is about...
Skip over this point if you don't like the sneak peek.
Lana and Tyler trying to have a baby but they've been failing at it before. Then they find an egg donor Katya who helps them. One day Lana met Katya and they became friends until Katya has disappeared. Who's the guilty? Everyone has a secr ...more
I don’t know what’s worse, that book you’ve been looking forward to making it known early on that it’s anything other than what you’d pined for or hooking you with a strong opening, only to deflate with page progression. I have to go with the latter, considering that’s what Her Daughter's Mother pulled on me here. Unfortunately, potential does not correlate to enjoyment.
The suspense genre has been hit-or-miss for me lately. I find myself gravitating more towards suspense with notes of women’s f ...more
The suspense genre has been hit-or-miss for me lately. I find myself gravitating more towards suspense with notes of women’s f ...more
Jun 26, 2019
Nilufer Ozmekik
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
i-m-intrigued
Four I raised my glass to salute this mysterious, WTH happened to Katya, whodunit, somebody take this book out of my hands I need my sleep, great combination of strong and also batsh*t crazy women characters stars!
Story is told by 3 POVs!
Longtime boyfriend , Tyler, cheater or not we’re not quite sure yet but we have all the rights to get furious about him because he left his wife (big boo from me! I read his justifications at the end but I still have doubts about his motivations. )
The very lon ...more
Story is told by 3 POVs!
Longtime boyfriend , Tyler, cheater or not we’re not quite sure yet but we have all the rights to get furious about him because he left his wife (big boo from me! I read his justifications at the end but I still have doubts about his motivations. )
The very lon ...more
Thirty eight year old Lana and her partner, Tyler, have been through eight years of trying to conceive, and carry to term, a baby. Eight IVF sessions and three miscarriages have now led them to trying an anonymous egg donor, knowing this is their last chance since they are running out of time and money. Right after Lana becomes pregnant she chances on the anonymous egg donor and a stumble on the street leads to Lana and Katya, the egg donor, meeting and becoming friends.
The book has chapters fr ...more
The book has chapters fr ...more
4.5 stars
A gripping, compelling psychological thriller that explores interesting issues related to reproductive rights, motherhood, friendships and relationships in general.
Lana Stone and her partner Tyler Jones have been trying to start family for years and have even undergone several unsuccessful IVF cycles. Lana, who is determined to continue, decides to use an egg donor. She would like the donor to have Bulgarian genes, the genes of her people. Lana’s mother defected from Bulgaria during the ...more
A gripping, compelling psychological thriller that explores interesting issues related to reproductive rights, motherhood, friendships and relationships in general.
Lana Stone and her partner Tyler Jones have been trying to start family for years and have even undergone several unsuccessful IVF cycles. Lana, who is determined to continue, decides to use an egg donor. She would like the donor to have Bulgarian genes, the genes of her people. Lana’s mother defected from Bulgaria during the ...more
Lana Stone thought she was a normal person until she finds herself stalking Katya, a student at Columbia.
Lana is stalking Katya, the anonymous egg donor who helped Lana to become a mom. Lana is desperate to learn more about her, so she finds herself following her.
They end up face-to-face, and a friendship is formed.
Katya is an edgy, hippie type. Lana has recently broken up with the baby’s father, and Katya brings comfort. All is going well until Katya goes missing, and Lana is the last person ...more
Lana is stalking Katya, the anonymous egg donor who helped Lana to become a mom. Lana is desperate to learn more about her, so she finds herself following her.
They end up face-to-face, and a friendship is formed.
Katya is an edgy, hippie type. Lana has recently broken up with the baby’s father, and Katya brings comfort. All is going well until Katya goes missing, and Lana is the last person ...more
scratch that - they decided to go with an author interview instead, so i'm OUT! but they gave me two others to review, so all is not lost.
My thoughts:
I told myself I wouldn’t get caught up in this book just yet. We had a long weekend planned—out of town—and I hadn’t done any preparation or packing, because, well...I’ve spent too much time reading 🥺. But...I could not pry my nose out of this book and put it down!
A new voice in psychological thrillers, Daniela Petrova has written a tragic tale of obsession and deep, intense guilt.
The story is told in past and present, by several POV’s. Lana and her partner have been desperately tryi ...more
I told myself I wouldn’t get caught up in this book just yet. We had a long weekend planned—out of town—and I hadn’t done any preparation or packing, because, well...I’ve spent too much time reading 🥺. But...I could not pry my nose out of this book and put it down!
A new voice in psychological thrillers, Daniela Petrova has written a tragic tale of obsession and deep, intense guilt.
The story is told in past and present, by several POV’s. Lana and her partner have been desperately tryi ...more
Daniela Petrova has crafted a clever tale that had me riveted. The story was perfectly paced, taught and tense I was furiously turning the pages. Lana is an adventurous successful confident woman but she is struggling with her fertility. Her partner Tyler and she have tried everything and this is their last shot, a donor egg. But Tyler might no longer be on the same page as Lana, but Lana is determined. Katia is beautiful and young, but she struggles with personal connections. She is also Lana a
...more
I'd recently read a really scary thriller and thought I needed a break from the genre, but boy was I wrong. Her Daughter's Mother has the perfect amount of suspense mixed with compelling storytelling. I cared about all of the main characters and enjoyed how they were portrayed as more gray rather than black and white. The way the author described Upper Manhattan was beautiful. This is Daniela Petrova's debut novel and I'm anxious to see what she writes next!
Thanks so much to Netgally for the ad ...more
Thanks so much to Netgally for the ad ...more
2.5, maybe 3....
There was so much about this book that I wanted to like. The writing itself was interesting and had a nice rhythm and flow to it. Even the subject matter, IVF with a nefarious undertone, was something that peaked my interest. However, no matter how many times I picked up the book, I could not get into the actual characters. I certainly didn’t like Tyler, the absentee/misunderstood ex, or the egg donor/murder victim who was not at all what she seemed. Even the main character was t ...more
There was so much about this book that I wanted to like. The writing itself was interesting and had a nice rhythm and flow to it. Even the subject matter, IVF with a nefarious undertone, was something that peaked my interest. However, no matter how many times I picked up the book, I could not get into the actual characters. I certainly didn’t like Tyler, the absentee/misunderstood ex, or the egg donor/murder victim who was not at all what she seemed. Even the main character was t ...more
Her Daughter’s Mother is a compelling thriller that is only deepened by the real and intertwining emotions driving its main characters. A marriage is breaking on the pain of trying to conceive, in which the act of love is reduced to success or failure. Into this trauma is woven a fresh chance in the form of a young woman struggling with her own demons, who gives to the marriage a gift of her body in search of redemption. Beneath the twisting thrill ride is a story of the private obsessions and m
...more
If this is Petrova's debut novel I can't wait to see what she writes next. Fantastic plot, great characters you will not soon forget. I loved how this book sucked me in from the very first chapter.
I am not going to give anything away but you will not see the end coming.
4 stars and I recommend this book.
The Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are our own.
I am not going to give anything away but you will not see the end coming.
4 stars and I recommend this book.
The Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are our own.
Lana and Tyler want a baby, but they have been unable to conceive. Soon after making the decision to use an egg donor, their relationship hits a rough patch. After their break-up, Lana sees a familiar face... the egg donor, Katya. Wanting to know more about the donor, Lana follows Katya, and the two end up hitting it off. Soon after their friendship gets started, Katya disappears. Lana may have been the last person to see Katya, and she becomes a suspect in her disappearance. Wanting to find the
...more
This book was supposed to be the thriller meant to divert my mind off realities of life and it did. But it left me with a lump in my throat, the size of a golf ball. Don't get me wrong, it was a great thriller, but the backstory had me wanting to sob.
The story started with a couple Lana and Tyler and their IVF cycles and its effect on their relationship. Entered an anonymous egg donor, Katya, from Bulgaria. Anonymity was subverted and Lana and Katya bonded without telling each other the truth. ...more
The story started with a couple Lana and Tyler and their IVF cycles and its effect on their relationship. Entered an anonymous egg donor, Katya, from Bulgaria. Anonymity was subverted and Lana and Katya bonded without telling each other the truth. ...more
This is a smashing cocktail of everything thriller-y: The intricate concept of motherhood, the price of betrayal, the mysterious vanishing of a beautiful young woman with a dark past, along with a raw psychological understanding of the haunting effect of bottled-up guilt. And in addition, a possible murder.
The author did a great job conveying these topics through an addictive work of fiction. And with that, I gave this read full 5 explosive stars.
Halfway in, the book turns into a brilliant bone ...more
A beautifully told, emotional domestic suspense novel, Her Daughter’s Mother was compelling, disturbing and thoroughly enjoyable. It explores themes of motherhood, obsession and the price of betrayal when a beautiful woman unexpectedly disappears after becoming an egg donor to an infertile couple.
The tension ramps up as Lana, our protagonist searches for Katya when Katya goes missing. I loved the movement between these two protagonists, as well as Tyler, Lana’s ex, who’s also the baby’s father. ...more
The tension ramps up as Lana, our protagonist searches for Katya when Katya goes missing. I loved the movement between these two protagonists, as well as Tyler, Lana’s ex, who’s also the baby’s father. ...more
The story of a woman who inadvertently befriends her egg donor, only to become a suspect once the donor turns up missing, this book had me gripped from the very beginning. There were so many secrets, so many layers, so many characters to enjoy being suspicious of! I loved trying to guess who was responsible for the donor’s disappearance, and I particularly enjoyed how the book’s many shocking secrets were revealed through multiple narrators, none of whom you were exactly sure you could trust. At
...more
This was a quick and compelling read - on one level, it's a page-turning thriller about a woman who gets embroiled in the life of her egg donor with potentially criminal consequences and on another it's a brutally honest and emotional depiction of the impact of infertility, not just on a woman trying to conceive but also on her (male) partner and on their relationship. With great Manhattan locales, Her Daughter's Mother artfully combines the grittiness and drama of an urban thriller with the hea
...more
Strange as it may sounds, but sometimes I know from the very first paragraph whether I’m going to like a book or not. As soon as I met Lana I was immediately pulled into the story, and by the time I turned the last page I felt like she was a flesh and blood character I had known all my life! In short – I loved this book!
As the title suggests, this is not a straightforward mystery about mothers and daughters, or any “normal” family dynamics. Instead, the author has created an intriguing story fu ...more
As the title suggests, this is not a straightforward mystery about mothers and daughters, or any “normal” family dynamics. Instead, the author has created an intriguing story fu ...more
Mar 22, 2019
Betty
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
from-edelweiss,
2019-arcs
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. Th ...more
Her Daughter's Mother proved to be absolutely unputdownable, and I read most of it in one sitting. Th ...more
Daniela Petrova has written a compelling, raw, and chilling tale of desperation and obsession. HER DAUGHTER'S MOTHER, vividly set in Manhattan, transported me to both the city and into the characters' struggles and traumas through a story so perfectly paced and well-written that I couldn't put it down. Fantastic twists and turns woven with emotional depth kept me hooked from the first page to the last. I loved it! I received an advance reader copy.
Captivating and powerful, HER DAUGHTER’S MOTHER is both a thought-provoking story about the ethical gray area one woman stumbles into on her quest for motherhood, and a twisty thriller about another woman’s abrupt disappearance. Secrets, obsession, lies, betrayals big and small—they’re all here in this expertly paced novel that will keep readers guessing right up until the very last page.
A gripping, twisty psychological thriller that is rooted in the pain and longing of infertility. I adored this book's specificity, from its Bulgarian main characters to its setting around Columbia University's campuses. It all felt so vivid and real.
"Her Daughter's Mother" is a twisty, suspenseful whodunit. While it won't have you breathless, it will have you scratching your head over who among a number of candidates may have been involved in Katya's death. Or was it really a suicide? This young woman is very emotionally unstable and she seems to have no true moral compass.
Katya agenda's override what society says is questionable and even harmful but those thoughts never enter her mind as a consideration. Thus, she says whatever she wants ...more
Katya agenda's override what society says is questionable and even harmful but those thoughts never enter her mind as a consideration. Thus, she says whatever she wants ...more
My Rating: 4.5 Stars
Lana Stone has been trying everything possible to have a baby. Just as she is about to try her eighth and last chance at IVF, her relationship implodes. However, she goes ahead with the procedure. Lana and her partner Tyler were determined to give the child some Bulganian roots, due to her mother's heritage, so a donor was found. For reasons Lana cannot understand, she is determined to find out as much about her as possible. The egg donor, Katya, should have been anonymous, b ...more
Lana Stone has been trying everything possible to have a baby. Just as she is about to try her eighth and last chance at IVF, her relationship implodes. However, she goes ahead with the procedure. Lana and her partner Tyler were determined to give the child some Bulganian roots, due to her mother's heritage, so a donor was found. For reasons Lana cannot understand, she is determined to find out as much about her as possible. The egg donor, Katya, should have been anonymous, b ...more
Her mother's daughter is one of the best thriller/fiction/psychological books I've ever read, I was always anticipating what would happen next, only to be surprised yet again with something quite unexpected.
After eight years of trying to have a baby, Lana and Tyler decide to search for an egg donor to make their dream true. One of the huge mistakes Lana had done was befriending Katya (her egg donor), only to have her disappeared after a week of their last encounter, she was one of the last peop ...more
After eight years of trying to have a baby, Lana and Tyler decide to search for an egg donor to make their dream true. One of the huge mistakes Lana had done was befriending Katya (her egg donor), only to have her disappeared after a week of their last encounter, she was one of the last peop ...more
Awesome debut by a thrilling writer. Ethical questions...frightening dilemmas...enticing characters...all draw you into this can't-put-it-down mystery written with pathos, humor and style. Throw it into your purse or travel bag. It's perfect for beach reading and it will definitely keep your mind off turbulent air travel :)
Fast-paced page turner! Perfect read for those thriller fans! It's amazing how far some people will go to have a child.
This novel is a masterful rendering of childhood trauma, love, and young adult obsession.
Katya, a twenty-two year old Columbia University student from Bulgaria, and egg donor, wants to have a normal life, to “make things good again,” but will her turbulent history and obsessive nature get in the way of her dream and the dreams of those she loves most.
Relentless pacing and real down-to-earth characters had me glued to this book, which I read in one sitting.
I don’t recall being so invested in a ps ...more
Katya, a twenty-two year old Columbia University student from Bulgaria, and egg donor, wants to have a normal life, to “make things good again,” but will her turbulent history and obsessive nature get in the way of her dream and the dreams of those she loves most.
Relentless pacing and real down-to-earth characters had me glued to this book, which I read in one sitting.
I don’t recall being so invested in a ps ...more
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Daniela Petrova is the author of the novel HER DAUGHTER’S MOTHER (Putnam, June 2019) named one of five thrillers to read this summer by Time magazine and one of the best summer books by O Magazine, the New York Post, PopSugar and InStyle. She grew up behind the Iron Curtain in Sofia, Bulgaria. Soon after the fall of Communism, she moved to New York where she worked as a cleaning lady and a nanny w
...more
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