Mom Brain

By: Nicole Hackett

Narrator: Saskia Maarleveld

ISBN: 9781400350353

Publisher: Harper Muse Audiobooks

Publication Date: 04/21/2026

Format: Audio

My Rating: 5 Stars (ALC)

APR 2026 MUST-READ BOOKS

“Hackett’s skillful plotting and character work will keep readers hooked…” - Publishers Weekly

Can a luxury resort transform her life by giving her back control? Georgia Evans thinks it sounds too good to be true. Turns out her motherly intuition isn't wrong . . . In the vein of Liane Moriarty's Nine Perfect Strangers, Mom Brain turns a discerning eye toward society's view on modern motherhood and reframes "mom brain" as a superpower.

Welcome to The Program, an immersive week-long experience set to the backdrop of the breathtaking island of O'ahu, where mothers in all stages of crisis can come to take control of their lives. It's not exactly the type of thing Georgia Evans--a busy working mother of two--would usually consider. However, still spiraling from a debacle that crowned her "internet's worst mom," she is desperate enough to try anything.

Once on the island, Georgia is quickly won over by the elegant (and somewhat enigmatic) founder of The Program, Cecilia Clements. Cecilia shows The Program's attendees how the biology of motherhood has imprisoned them. More importantly, she promises them freedom from that prison. Captivated by this possibility and the compelling science behind it, Georgia grows deeply involved with Cecilia's mission, ignoring any doubt that starts to creep in. That's the whole point of The Program, after all: you can't really trust a mom brain.

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Praise

'Nicole Hackett's Mom Brain is twisty and suspenseful, with sharp commentary on modern motherhood set against a lush, escapist backdrop. It's a riveting and eye-opening page-turner that explores the ways parenting can fundamentally impact female identity.' -- Audrey Ingram, USA Today bestselling author of The Summer We Ran

'Hackett's skillful plotting and character work will keep readers hooked...'

-- Publishers Weekly

Captivating, smart, and funny, Mom Brain is perfect for fans of Liane Moriarty. This wildly imaginative story immerses us in a Hawaiian retreat for struggling mothers--an irresistible setting packed with secrets, mystery, and suspense. Yet this is more than a thrilling, escapist page-turner--it's a compelling exploration of motherhood in modern society, with our fears and triumphs, vulnerabilities and powers. This thought-provoking read defies categorization, offering complex emotions, surprising insights, and a dash of the speculative. I couldn't put this book down!

-- Laura Resau, author of The Alchemy of Flowers and The River Muse

Sharp, propulsive, and wildly inventive, Nicole Hackett's latest is NINE PERFECT STRANGERS meets THE SCHOOL FOR GOOD MOTHERS. A group of women trying to 'fix' their mom brains on a Hawaiian retreat takes dark, unnerving, and deliciously twisty turns. Provocative and whip smart, the book crackles with biting and incisive observations on the complexities of motherhood. I couldn't put it down!

-- Jaclyn Goldis, author of The Last Time We Saw Her and The Chateau

Smart, tense, and deeply human, Mom Brain cuts to the heart of what mothers carry. Nicole Hackett writes with empathy and the fearless kind of truth-telling I admire.

-- Jessica Guerrieri, award-winning author of Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea and Both Can Be True

About the Author

Nicole Hackett lives with her husband and two kids in a very old house in the farmlands of northern Maryland, where she works as a biochemical patent agent. She is the author of the “cleverly constructed thriller” (Kirkus Reviews) The Perfect Ones and is one of those annoying people who run on vacation. Connect with her online at nicolehackettbooks.com; Instagram: @nicolehackettbooks; Facebook: @nicolehackettbooks

#MomBrain

My Review

MOM BRAIN by Nicole Hackett is a phenomenal, whip-smart treat that combines the cutting edge of speculative thriller suspense with a brilliantly biting social satire. Setting a cult-like maternal wellness retreat against a gorgeous tropical backdrop, this page-turner completely blew me away.

A perfect blend of contemporary literary depth and an intensely addictive psychological thriller.

📌 The Hook

~ A working mother of two, branded the "internet's worst mom" after a viral public crisis.

~ An elite, cult-like luxury rehabilitation retreat hidden away on the breathtaking island of O'ahu.

~ A magnetic founder using extreme neurological experiments to promise women absolute freedom from the cage of motherhood.

🛗 Elevator Pitch

Georgia Evans is completely spiraling after a viral public debacle crowns her the "internet's worst mom". Desperate to regain control of her unraveling life, she accepts an invitation to "The Program"—an exclusive, week-long immersive rehabilitation experience on the island of O'ahu. Led by the elegant and deeply enigmatic Cecilia Clements, the retreat promises to reframe "mom brain" as a neurological superpower and free women from the biological prison of motherhood. But as Georgia is drawn into Cecilia's radical mission, terrifying doubts creep in, forcing her to question the science, the retreat's real motives, and her own mind.

🍹 Setting

The stunning, deceptively serene landscapes of the Arcadian Bay Resort on the island of O'ahu, Hawaii, contrast with the high-pressure domestic realities of Washington, D.C.

🕯️ Vibe

Chilling, atmospheric, deeply provocative, satirical, and intensely gripping.

📚 Genre

Speculative Fiction / Psychological Thriller / Social Satire / Contemporary Literary Fiction

🧠 Themes

~The crushing, impossible societal pressures placed on modern mothers.

~Weaponized wellness culture and the dark side of self-improvement.

~Maternal identity, bodily autonomy, and neurological transformation.

~The distortion of science and technology as tools for psychological control.

👥 Standout Characters

~Georgia Evans: A hardworking, high-achieving mother of two fighting an uphill battle against immense maternal guilt and internet cancellation.

~Cecilia Clements: The charismatic, elegant founder of The Program, whose radical theories on maternal biology blur the line between therapy and manipulation.

✍️ Author Writing Standout

Hackett delivers an extraordinarily sharp, incisive examination of the modern maternal experience. Her plotting reads like a masterfully paced thriller in the vein of Liane Moriarty’s "Nine Perfect Strangers," however, elevated by incredibly smart, fearless observations that force you to examine society's toxic view of motherhood.

💡 Takeaway

Society demands that mothers achieve total perfection while stripping them of their identity, making them uniquely vulnerable to anyone promising an easy escape from the noise.

🏷️ Title Significance

"Mom Brain" cleverly flips a common, dismissive cultural phrase on its head. Instead of treating maternal forgetfulness as a mild joke, the novel examines the real, permanent biological restructuring of a mother’s brain, exploring how that vulnerability can be terrifyingly exploited.

🕊️ Metaphor

The retreat's organized "pods" and rigorous rituals serve as a metaphor for the rigid, artificial boxes that society forces mothers to fit into, under the guise of helping them "have it all".

📖 Why You Should Read

Read this for a genuinely fresh, provocative psychological thriller. It completely bypasses typical domestic tropes to deliver a deeply human, unsettling look at maternal anxiety that will leave you thinking long after the final chapter.

💬 My Thoughts

Chilling, atmospheric, deeply provocative, and satirical. A perfect blend of contemporary literary depth and an intensely addictive psychological thriller.

Nicole Hackett has crafted an absolute masterpiece of speculative suspense with Mom Brain.The pacing is electric, and the slow-burn realization that something is deeply wrong beneath the luxury resort's surface is brilliantly done. Georgia is an incredibly relatable, flawed protagonist whose desperation is entirely understandable. As my first introduction to Hackett's work, I am utterly captivated by her ability to merge gritty, high-stakes thriller tension with top-tier social commentary, science, and literary flair. A brilliant, incredibly tense, and fiercely triumphant thriller from a major talent.

⚖️ Verdict ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5 Stars)

"A provocative, razor-sharp, and completely unforgettable thriller. It flawlessly marries a dark cult wellness premise with a brilliant, empathetic look at the realities of modern motherhood."

📚 Recs or Read Alikes

~Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty

~The Husbands by Chandler Baker

~The Stepford Wives by Ira Levin

~The Chateau by Jaclyn Goldis

🎧 Audio Standout

The audiobook performed by the fabulous Saskia Maarleveld (a favorite) is an absolute must-listen. Her masterful performance captures the mounting paranoia, maternal panic, and hypnotic atmosphere perfectly. An absolutely stunning, multi-layered solo performance. Her voice perfectly channels Georgia's initial exhaustion and spiraling anxiety, morphing seamlessly into the smooth, hypnotic authority required for Cecilia Clements. It makes the entire listening experience incredibly immersive and genuinely unsettling.

Special thanks to Harper Muse Audiobooks and NetGalley for sharing an advanced listening copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks

My Rating: 5 Stars

Pub Date: Apr 21, 2026

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