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The Better Mother: A Thriller

by Jennifer Van Der Kleut

A pregnancy becomes a struggle over boundaries

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Awards & Recognition

  • Award recognition

    2026 IPPY Award Silver — Best First Book in Fiction

    2026 IPPY Award, Silver, Best First Book in Fiction

AlbakiReads Editorial

A pregnancy becomes a struggle over boundaries

After a brief relationship leaves Savannah Mitchell pregnant, she hopes to establish a workable co-parenting arrangement with the child’s father. His reunited girlfriend, Madison, offers help—but her uninvited visits and demands about Savannah’s pregnancy turn that offer into an escalating conflict. The suspense hinges on the gap between Madison’s presentation as supportive and Savannah’s growing sense that her involvement is dangerous. Pregnancy and future parenthood become the ground on which questions of trust, control, and personal boundaries are played out in this domestic thriller.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Readers who enjoy domestic thrillers centered on interpersonal conflict and escalating danger.
  • Readers interested in stories about pregnancy, co-parenting, and contested boundaries.
  • Fans of suspense involving competing claims of support and control.

Themes

Pregnancy and parenthoodCo-parentingTrust and controlPersonal boundaries

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

2026 IPPY AWARD - SILVER - BEST FIRST BOOK IN FICTION

A woman ends up pregnant after a casual fling, but the father's girlfriend has much more sinister intentions in this plot-driven suspense debut.

A modern spin on Fatal Attraction meets The Hand that Rocks the Cradle, perfect for fans of The Last Mrs. Parrish.


Still recovering from a devastating breakup, 34-year-old Savannah Mitchell has finally managed to put her life back together when she gets the shock of her life--after a brief fling with a man named Max, she is pregnant.

When she gets in touch to tell him, he reveals that he's just gotten back together with his ex, Madison, and he will need time to break it to her. Surprisingly, Madison isn't upset--in fact, she's excited, and wants to help.

Max insists Madison has the best of intentions, but Savannah finds her efforts--popping by uninvited, demanding lifestyle changes, and pretty much trying to take over the pregnancy--anything but helpful. When Savannah finally stands up for herself, Madison's treatment of her goes from casually cruel to downright dangerous.

All Savannah wanted to do was form a friendly co-parenting relationship with the father of her child--but his new girlfriend obviously has much more sinister plans in mind.

She has no plans to co-parent at all.
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