Reading the description for this book, one would be tempted to think of the plot to a Lifetime movie-one-of-the-week. Never fear, because the story and the characters are not one dimensional, and the mystery in this novel had me hooked to a point that I couldn’t wait to find out what happened next. ⁣
I loved how each character was layered and realistic, not a caricature. Everyone had their strengths and their flaws, just like we all do. We all have known or have been a Katya, or a Lana. And unlike other mysteries that I loathe, where the protagonist solves the mystery on her own when they should go to the authorities, Lana does some of her own investigating, but also leaves a majority of it to the professionals. This was a gripping debut novel and I look forward to Daniela Petrova’s next work. ( )

Most novels involve miscommunication to some degree but this one carries it to absurd degrees. A story about infertility and mental illness could have been fascinating, but the amount of character manipulation needed to carry off this one was annoying. ( )

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. ( )

I was browsing through a list of the best books of 2019, and this novel was featured as one of the best thrillers of the year. In it, an infertile woman catches sight of her egg donor on the NY subway. She manages to insert herself into Katya's life, only to find herself as a person of interest when Katya's body is found.

It's a wonderful premise, and Petrova adds depth by making Katya a Bulgarian graduate student at Columbia who is reckless and filled with guilt for her role in her brother's death. And Lana is a driven person, whose relentless pursuit of having a child drives away her husband. That drive is what pushes her to intrude first into Katya's life, and then into the lives of those who knew her.

The plot moves quickly, there aren't any unnecessary scenes and things keep happening, all of which make for a solid thriller. What made it less successful for me was that the three main characters, all of them Ivy League graduates and supposedly highly intelligent, did so many stupid things in order to keep the story moving and that the entire plot depended on poor communication between the characters. This book was fun and fast paced, but I wasn't able to get past the flaws in this one. ( )

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, but Lana was able to discover her identity. She makes the decision to follow her, and, although Katya doesn't know the connection, the two form a brief friendship.

Katya is a Columbia student who has very good reason for donating her eggs. However, Katya disappears and this really upsets Lana. With the procedure being a success, albeit delicately tentative, Lana feels that it is her responsibility to discover what happened to Katya. She is relentless in her search for answers, much to the consternation of the police. The police actually become wary of Lana, especially as they discover what happened to Katya. What is more, secrets are exposed and this eventually makes Lana a likely suspect in what is going on.

Her Daughter's Mother is a crafty mystery that grew out of one woman's desire to be a mother. There were a lot of layers in this story, which was delivered in multiple points of view. With Lana, particularly, we learn a lot about her. She was really obsessed with her desire to be a mother, which is something that I am sure many women can relate to. What I liked about her in the story was her determination, and not just to have a child. It was her determination to protect her pregnancy, but even more, her drive to solve Katya's disappearance, all while dealing with a painful breakup.

Another interesting character is Katya, and this was played out from the past, and this part of the story led to a twist that changed everything in this story. While Lana was a strong woman, Katya was a loose cannon, to say the least. We also have the story from Tyler's perspective, and this was handled well, although with him leaving Lana in the beginning made it hard for me to like him.

These three characters, the scenarios, the shocking twist and the compelling conclusion all came together in a very well-written story that was near to impossible to put down. I found this to be an engaging read that blended both mystery and emotion. Daniela Petrova is a debut author who has done a fantastic job. I definitely look forward to reading much more by her.

Many thanks to G. P. Putnam's Sons and to Edelweiss for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion. ( )