The Better Mother by Jennifer van der Kleut: A new mom’s nightmare of gaslighting, obsession, and control

There’s a particular kind of suspense novel that feels less like escapism and more like a psychological endurance test—and this is very much one of them. The Better Mother by Jennifer van der Kleut falls squarely into the latter category, delivering a fast-paced, anxiety-inducing suspense novel that taps into very real fears about boundaries, manipulation, and what happens when someone decides they know what’s best for your life better than you do.

Savannah Mitchell is 34, freshly recovering from a devastating breakup, and finally feeling like she has her life back on track when a brief fling with a man named Max leaves her pregnant. When Savannah reaches out to tell him the news, he explains that he’s just reconciled with his ex-girlfriend, Madison, and needs time to break it to her. The twist comes quickly: Madison isn’t angry or resentful—she’s thrilled, eager to be involved, and insistent on helping Savannah through the pregnancy.

At first, Madison’s interest seems intrusive but manageable. She drops by unannounced, pushes lifestyle changes, and slowly inserts herself into every aspect of Savannah’s pregnancy. But what starts as unsettling soon turns sinister. Madison’s behavior escalates from passive-aggressive cruelty into something far more dangerous, and Savannah begins to realize that this isn’t about co-parenting at all. Madison has a plan—and Savannah is not meant to be part of it.

This book triggered my anxiety in a very real way. As someone who has experienced a deeply unsettling situation involving stalking and extreme boundary violations, I found Savannah’s slow unraveling painfully believable. Van der Kleut captures that uniquely maddening feeling of being gaslit—of knowing something is wrong while everyone around you minimizes it. Madison and her mother, in particular, are chilling in how calmly and methodically they manipulate the people around them, leaving Savannah doubting herself even as the danger mounts.

That said, there were moments where my frustration outweighed my fear. Savannah waits far too long to involve the police, despite multiple early incidents that should have prompted at least a report. There’s also a scene involving hidden cameras that stretches credibility, especially given how little follow-up Savannah does after discovering one. These choices feel less like organic character flaws and more like narrative necessities designed to keep the plot moving forward.

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The final act introduces another issue: Madison and her mother make a series of surprisingly sloppy mistakes. After being portrayed as meticulous and cunning for most of the novel, it’s hard to believe they managed to carry out their plan for as long as they did given how recklessly things unravel near the end. The resolution itself is also notably tidy—almost comfortingly so—wrapping up with a sense of justice that feels closer to a made-for-TV thriller than the darker psychological territory the book flirts with earlier on.

Even with those flaws, The Better Mother is undeniably compulsive. It’s the kind of book that keeps you reading because you need to know how much worse things can get—and how Savannah will survive it. While the execution could have been more artful and restrained, the core tension is effective, and the premise taps into something deeply unsettling about trust, entitlement, and the danger of being underestimated.

If you enjoy plot-driven psychological suspense with a strong domestic angle—and you don’t mind a story that prioritizes momentum over subtlety—this one will likely keep you turning pages late into the night.

Have you read The Better Mother by Jennifer van der Kleut? Did Savannah’s choices frustrate you as much as they did me, or did you find them believable under the circumstances? Share your thoughts in the comments.

An advance reader copy of this book (ARC) was provided to me by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

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