The Mother I Never Had by Gary Goldstein

Release:October 11, 2022
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Hadleigh House Publishing
Source: Suzyapproved Book Tours
Find it at: Goodreads, Amazon

It’s tough enough for L.A. landscape designer Nate Cronin when his professor father, Jim, who raised him alone since birth, dies, leaving Nate an orphan at thirty years old. But when the provocative and mysterious Amy enters Nate’s life soon after, it sends him on a devastating journey to unravel the truth about his past, the veracity of Amy’s claims, and the history of the father he adored.

At the same time, Nate must come to terms with his commitment to his longtime girlfriend, Jennifer, a dance instructor whose patience with the resistant Nate frays as she attempts to help him navigate the psychological minefield set off by Amy’s arrival.

The Mother I Never Had asks readers to consider what they would do if they found themselves faced with a parent they never knew existed—and if they could accept the secrets and lies that kept her away for a lifetime

About the Author:

Gary Goldstein is an award-winning writer for film, TV, and the theatre with more than thirty produced screen and stage credits. The New York native and longtime L.A. resident has also been a contributing film reviewer and arts feature writer for the Los Angeles Times since 2007. His first novel, the romantic comedy The Last Birthday Party, won a 2022 IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award for Excellence in Fiction.

The Mother I Never Had Review:

“The Mother I Never Had” is a heartfelt drama between a man and his mother that touched me.

I enjoy reading stories that realistically portray family dynamics, and the author writes them beautifully. Nate shares beautiful chemistry with Amy as she returns to his life and tries to patch things up with him. The author writes their scenes dynamically, and you can understand Nate’s reactions as you would react similarly if in his shoes. I could relate to Amy and Nate, and my heart went to both of them. There are also times when both characters frustrated me because of their impulsive reactions that jeopardize their bond. I was thoroughly invested in both of them and wanted to see how the story turned out.

Even the supporting characters are memorable, as I enjoyed the turbulent relationship between Nate and Jennifer and his friendship with Danny. Danny is one of my favorite characters because of how upfront he is with Nate about his decisions. Some of my favorite scenes were when Nate meets his grandparents and Robin or when he sees Amy’s photo in the book.

Perhaps the only minor criticism I had was that the book staggered in some places, like the scene where Nate sees a psychic, or even Charla’s character, which I felt did not add much value. On a side note, I would have also liked more background on Jim and why he did what he did.

Apart from that, “The Mother I Never Had” is a lovely tale you can read if you love emotional family dramas. I would love to read some of the author’s other books in the future.