This girls loves a good psychological thriller…and author, Iliana Xander, certainly delivered! I had not heard of this author before discovering this book that had me hooked from beginning to end. Of course, I had to research Iliana only to discover that there are currently two books published….I just Love finding a new author….don’t you? Let’s dive into Love, Mom ~ A Book Review with study questions too if you are going to read for a book club!
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I love to include most to all of the characters in my review in hopes that it helps you, my reader, to refer back to at any time you are in question of particular names. I feel this is helpful while reading (if there are a lot of characters) and also it serves as a great reference during book club discussions. Interestingly enough, this is the first time in doing this that as I listed all of the characters I found most of them to relate to Elizabeth Casper, instead of the protagonist. Just a thought I wanted to share.
Mackenzie’s mom, Elizabeth (Lizzy), dies in a questionable accident. She struggles to understand why she can’t feel like she is adquately mounring the loss of her mother. She’s always had somewhat of a distant relationship with her…but it’s her mom…and she just died! Shouldn’t she be feeling more pain about this loss?
Not long after her death, Mackenzie starts receiving letters in an envelope labeled From #1 fan XOXO. Each is signed Love, Mom. While she (along with us readers) is very anxious to figure out who is hand delivering these letters, she is also enjoying getting to know her mom better through them. These letters are actually from her mother’s journal, many written from when her mother was pregnant with her.
As Mackenzie, alongside her friend EJ, dives further into her mother’s past, they both start realizing that Lizzy’s first #1 Best Seller Lies, Lies & Revenge is actually written about her own life. Deep family secrets emerge that Mackenzie was never aware of. Secrets starting from the group home, Keller Foster Care, and moving on through the years from there. As stated in the book, “Sometimes to understand your present, you have to look into the past.” Buckle up my friends….it’s going to be a fun ride!
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While there were some slow spots in this book, I very much enjoyed all of the twists and turns along the way. Just when you thought you read the last twist, along came another one. I enjoyed the Relationships formed and also felt anger at the ones that were plain evil. Each person introduced had a well formed relationship to the overall story. Author, Iliana Xander, has another book, “Man of the Year,” which I am looking forward to reading as well when it comes out June 2025! You can preorder with the link below:
(Warning: Spoilers in the following questions)
I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did. As always, I would love for you to drop your thoughts in the comments below. A good book discussion is always enjoyed!
Happy reading my friends ~
Mimi
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