When I saw this cover and title I was very introduced and requested it right away haha. I haven’t read many short story books either so figured this would be a good one to read ahha. This book was okay. Some stories were way creepier than others. The two that stuck with me was the Coraline like one and the one that for some reason reminded me of Gypsy Rose. And others I don’t really remember. I did like that some were poems.
I maybe would recommend this to others.

Thank you to Netgalley and Black Spot Books for the review copy.

Mother Knows Best, curated by Lindy Ryan and featuring contributions from diverse female writers, along with an introduction by Sadie "Mother Horror" Hartmann, stands out as a truly original horror anthology in my experience. Its release feels particularly timely as Mother's Day draws near, making it an essential read for this season and beyond. For those seeking narratives that delve into the eerie dynamics between mothers and daughters, this anthology offers precisely that, making it a must-have addition to your reading list.

Although the stories were hit and miss, there were more hits than misses. I loved the innate horror and the good ones were hard to move on from!

This is a horror collection of short stories and poems all about mother daughter relationships and bad mothers of all varieties.

the stories were hit or miss for me, I did enjoy many but some were so ambiguous, in a way that just felt too confusing.

a few of my favourite stories were:
- Oh What A Tangled Web, this was gross, fast paced, and I was a full book written out of this short story.
-So Lovely In The Dark, I'm not sure I fully get it but it was a good time.
-Skeleton Bird Song, I'm still thinking about this one.
-The Mom From Upstairs, this gave me Goosebumps vibes and I'm not mad about it.
-Special Medicine, WTF!! but felt cathartic.
-Your Mothers Love Is An Apocalypse, strange and reflective.

I knew this book had poetry going in, but for some reason I was expecting there to be a little more short stories over poems so this is on me. I'm not a big poetry reader, I struggle with them and I always feel like I'm just missing something. That was the case here, this is just a personal opinion but I did not care for most of them, the two poems I did enjoy were:
-Mother Bead
-Sometimes Its Hard To Let Go

Thank you to Netgalley and Black Spot books for sharing a digital copy, as always opinions are my own.

Just in time for Mother's Day! This collection was a mixed-bag for me. Some stories were brilliant (Tanya Pell's, Emma E. Murray's), some were just okay. Some were gross, some were horrifying. If you like horror, if you like short stories, there's something for everyone in here.

I just expected more. I didn’t find most of the stories that good and some needed more time to explain things. I found the entire anthology uneven.

Full review: Oh child. So seriously I wanted these women to bring the horror, but mostly I just felt confused by the end of this anthology. I just thought a few people missed the landing, and or just missed the boat entirely. Per usual, the rating is for the overall anthology. Read below for reviews on each story.

"Preface" by Lindy Ryan (5 stars)-Honestly this had me gagging in a good way. Give me some Bab Yaga and I am a happy camper, too bad what followed wasn't as interesting. I did love the idea about mothers being made, and not born and how some daughters become their mothers, and why that's not a good thing.

"Foreword" by Sadie Hartmann (3 stars)-Honestly I just lost interest on page two of this.

"Mother Bear" by Jacqueline West (1 star)-It's a poem or something. I don't know. I didn't like it.

"So Lovely in the Dark" by Jessica McHugh (3 stars)-I was confused from beginning to end of this story. Was she a vampire? I don't know.

"Almonds" by Lisa Kroeger (4 stars)-I was intrigued by this one, but thought it needed some more explanation. A woman named Maddie returns home to help her mother after her cataract surgery. Memories resurface of how her mother treated her as a kid and wanted her gone. And then the night comes.

"Just Like Your Mother" by N. J. Ember (1 star)-Look, I don't like most poems and this one was so short I wondered at the point of it.

"Oh, What A Tangled Web" by Tanya Pell (5 stars)-This was very dark. A woman named Marnie dealing with her harridan of a mother. I loved the build up and the reveal.

"Skeleton Bird Song" by M. Halstead (3 stars)-I didn't get most of this story and the ending had me going, okay then, if that's the way you want to do things. It was just uneven.

"Grendelsong: A Merewif's Lament" by Carina Bissett (5 stars)-Another poem, but shocker readers, I liked this. I thought she did a great job with it and it's told from the point of view of Grendel's mother.

"Mother, Daemon, Ghost" by Stephanie M. Wytovich (4 stars)-Honestly this could have been perfect if there had been more backstory about Chloe's bringing up. There are too many things that you have to understand after the fact for most of this story. And I just needed more there. I loved the idea of a woman being haunted by her mother. I thought the ending was very good though.

"Mouthpiece" by Carol Edwards (2 stars)-Okay. Another poem. At this point I started to skim most of the poems.

"Cookie Baby" By Laura Cranehill (3.5 stars)-Weird. Won't talk about it too much to not give away spoilers, but I thought it was interesting, but just didn't quite pull things off in the end.

"There's No Place Like Home" by Roxie Vorhees (2.5 stars)-Another poem, pretty much taking the point of view of Dorothy Gale. It's just okay.

"The House Mother" by Kristi Demeester (2 stars)-I was confused through this whole story about a woman named Marion that returns to a sorority that rejected her as a house mother. Also, this and some other stories have me never wanting to eat food prepared by anyone else again.

"The Mom From Upstairs" by Teagan Olivia Sturmer (5 stars)-This one was pretty horrific, and I like it a lot. A woman named Valerie finally returns home after being partially estranged from her mother. What becomes of both of them will give you nightmares.

"Within the Pink Paisley Walls" by Kelsea Yu (2 stars)-I was just bored by this. A young girl named Miralyn is provided a picture of her long dead mother by her stepmother, Laura. And from there, Miralyn is given an opportunity to know her mother. I just felt bored throughout this one. I don't know if it was because it didn't really tap into horror like some of the other stories I gave 3 stars and above. I do know that it started to feel overly long after a while though.

"Little Mother" by Lee Murray (3 stars)-I think my initial thought was okay and moved on. Not a bad poem, just not an overly interesting one.

"Buttons" by Emily Holi (1 star)-A girl named Charlotte...here's the thing parts of this has French language sprinkled throughout. I don't speak French. I had to look up things after the fact and felt annoyed by it. I started reading about a movie and I don't think that is what the author meant and then had to text a friend who spoke French who was like what are you reading? Anyway, 1 star.

"Special Medicine" by Meg Hafdahl (5 stars)-A woman who is visiting her sick mother comes upon someone unexpected that is making her mother ill. And it causes her to finally accept what her mother did to her as a young girl. I thought this was cleverly done.

"A Broken Inheritance" by Renee Cronley (can't rate, skipped)-It was another poem and I didn't read it. Wanted to be honest.

"Dog Mom" by Rachel Harrison (2 stars)-I get the sentiment behind this story, but it wasn't really horror. Then again, I didn't like reading Rachel Harrison's books before, don't know why I thought I could like a short story written by her.

"Sometimes, It's Hard to Let Go" by Caitlin Marceau (can't rate skipped)-Another poem.

"Never Love, No Room for Monsters" by Jill Baguchinsky (4 stars)-A woman who has to deal with the monsters who have been hunting her, her whole life. And this includes her mother.

"Pretend" by Emma E. Murray (4.5 stars)-A sad story about an emotionally starved young girl. The ending was very sad. I didn't give it 5 stars though since it needed a bit more I think. It was just a bit too short.

"Mother Tide" by L.E. Daniels (can't rate, skipped)-Another poem.

"New Again" by Christi Nogle (5 stars)-I thought this was very well written and developed. A mother named Bonna who without realizing it, may have overly influenced her daughter Lorna to a point of no return. And the ending, though not said, you can guess what happens next.

"Mother Knows Best" by Crystal Sidell (can't rate, skipped)-Another poem.

"The Tired Mom Smoothie" by Brooke Mackenzie (3 stars)-A mother wanting to consume her daughter. I don't know, this felt a bit off in some way. Just not as strongly written and developed in my eyes like the other stories.

"Your Mother's Love is an Apocalypse" by Gwendolyn Kiste (3 stars)-This could have worked if there had been more development behind the backstory. A woman named Selena having to return home again and again to her selfish mother so she doesn't destroy the world. It just doesn't quite work. This ends the anthology, and I get that it ends it on a note of hope I think for all women/daughters with terrible mothers. But it just felt a bit like things went out on a whimper.

“Mother Knows Best: Tales of Homemade Horror” by various female authors, edited by Lindy Ryan and a foreword by Sadie “Mother Horror” Hartmann, is one of the most unique horror anthologies I’ve ever read. It’s also perfect timing since Mother’s Day is approaching, and this should be a must-read every year around this time. If you’re looking for something that hits that Mother’s Day horror checkbox with mother/daughter angles, you will find it here.

Before I begin my review, I found a few trigger warnings while reading. They were…

- Animal cruelty and death (rats, cats, dogs, birds, and rabbits)
- Parental abuse (mental and physical)
- Self-harm

If any of these trigger you, please do not read this book. Moving along, I loved how every author here was female to showcase their talents in writing nonstop mother/daughter horror. It’s one of the first of its kind I’ve ever read, and it was so much fun.

Of course, when it comes to anthologies, there are instances where some stories are excellent, some are okay, and some don’t click, depending on the reader. I experienced that, but let me tell you, there are more than enough horror gems in this anthology that make it all worth reading entirely.

I’m talking about some of the best horror short stories I’ve ever read. The kind that made me make weird faces while reading from some of the creepiest, weirdest, and most insane horror. I loved every moment in the following short stories…

- Almonds, Oh, What A Tangled Web
- Skeleton Bird Song
- Mother, Daemon, Ghost
- The Mom From Upstairs
- The Tired Mom Smoothie

I also loved that there was a Stephen King reference, which made me smile. I bet he would love the stories found here since they were that horrific. Now, the poems between stories I didn’t enjoy. I felt they were a bit out of place and threw me off, but if you enjoy reading poetry with a horror twist, you’ll love this anthology even more. They didn’t do anything for me.

Some stories were also a bit confusing and didn’t make much sense to me, but as a whole, this was still a solid reading experience. It was an excellent way to deliver horror, and this would be perfect for all you horror moms and daughters out there to read right around Mother’s Day. Best of all, these stories were short, making this anthology an easy read.

I give “Mother Knows Best: Tales of Homemade Horror” by various female authors, edited by Lindy Ryan and a foreword by Sadie “Mother Horror” Hartmann a 4/5 as this was an entertaining anthology filled to the brim with tons of mother/daughter horror. It’s a fun, horror-filled reading experience, and I greatly respect all these fantastic female authors bringing their astonishing horror talents to this anthology. Some stories I didn’t enjoy, and the poetry felt out of place to me, but aside from that, I would highly recommend this to horror fans everywhere.

I want to thank NetGalley, all these incredible female horror authors, and Black Spot Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there, and for those moms who are not with us anymore, your memory will last forever. Thank you for being you <3

Say what you will about mothers; we all had one in some capacity in order to be here on Earth. This book is full of stories of others interpretations and views on mothers and motherhood and I found it to be very interesting! I am not yet a mother, but feel seen and heard just from some of these perspectives.

Thank you for the ARC for my honest review.

This collection of poems and short stories is the first time I can say I enjoyed the majority of the stories. Each based on mothers, the authors gave us a wide variety to choose from and some left me with my jaw on the floor.

Just in time for Mother's Day comes a new collection of horror written by women, exploring the most macabre parts of motherhood. Mother Knows Best: Tales of Homemade Horror features short stories and poems about a vast spectrum of mommy monsters. Some stories are shocking and horrifying, some are satirical, others are almost unbearably sad; all of them are thought-provoking.

All of the entries explore, in ways great and small, the complicated relationships that daughters have with their mothers, delving into topics like generational trauma, expectations and disappointments, emotional abuse, neglect, smothering, and projection. Some stories are firmly placed in the real world, while others are more fantastical. Each work is entirely unique but shares a universal quality of raw, resonating emotion.

Quick one-sentence reviews of my favorites in the collection:

-"Oh, What a Tangled Web" by Tanya Pell: This story started so innocuously but morphed into something deliciously insidious and horrifying.
-"The Mom from Upstairs" by Teagan Olivia Sturmer: Creepy puppets are always a vibe.
-"Little Mother" by Lee Murray: The last line of this poem made me laugh so hard.
-"Special Medicine" by Meg Hafdahl: Quite possibly the ickiest take on Munchausen syndrome by proxy I've ever read.
-"Never Love, No Room for Monsters" by Jill Baguchinsky: A story that both scared me and made me feel bereft.
-"Pretend" by Emma E. Murray: This one made my heart feel as broken as the narrator's spirit.
-"The Tired Mom Smoothie" by Brooke MacKenzie: Beware of TikTok trends, is all I'll say.

Thank you to Black Spot Books for the early reading opportunity.

𝗠𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄𝘀 𝗕𝗲𝘀𝘁 was everything I wanted. Every single story and poem were so different from one another and had me feeling all the emotions I want from a horror book. It was a fun and creative anthology of horror that I will definitely return back to. Motherhood isn’t always pretty, and this reflected that in many aspects. Thanks to Black Spot Books for my eARC! 𝗠𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄𝘀 𝗕𝗲𝘀𝘁 will be published 5/7.

An anthology of stories about mothers, the mothers of our nightmares, the ones lurking in the shadow waiting to pounce.

This is a collection of short stories and poems (there were a lot of poems--they're a good foil to the stories, giving you a breather from some of the harder to read stories while still being horrifying in their own right) from familiar names in horror and new names. Each story is *really* good. I never to expect to like every story in an anthology, and I liked every one in this one. Favorites included Dog Mom by Rachel Harrison (crazy lady in the park has an unwelcome surprise for kids on the playground), Mother, Daemon, Ghost (Chloe tries to escape her supernaturally abusive mother), Your Mother's Love is an Apocalypse by Gwendolyn Kiste (Mom literally is bent on destroying the world), and Never Love, No Room for Monsters by Jill Baguchinsky (Mom insists the monsters under the bed aren't real, but pregnant Alice knows better).
Lindy Ryan has certainly put together an amazing anthology of women in horror, one of my favorite genres to read. I would not be surprised to come back in 10 years and look at the table of contents and find that some of my current favorite horror authors have stories in here and are now dominating the horror publishing landscape-every story and poem will make you shiver and make you feel glad that your mom just packed lunches and met you at the door with kisses after school.

I usually struggle with short stories, but I did really enjoy this collection. As usual, many of the stories left me wanting a lot more, which is frustrating but a sign that they were well written. I'm not a fan of poetry, so I mostly skimmed those sections, but overall I really enjoyed the actual stories. My main issue with this collection as a whole is that many of the stories share very similar themes/plots, even character names. I think it could have done with a bit more editing to make every story truly stand out on its own, but most of the time the writing was so good I was able to look past this.

An extremely bingeable, delightfully enjoyable collection of short stories and poems. I read this collection in one night.
The variety presented is wonderful, and each story is unique. The collection does cover toxic relationships as well as touching on different types of mothers and societal expectations. The horror is present in all of the stories, and I really enjoyed the twists and reveals of each story.
This anthology made me more grateful for the relationship that I have with my own mother.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, editor, and authors for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Horror anthologies are always a lot of fun. They’re always a mixed bag of stories (and poems as well in this one) that haunt you and those that don’t quite work for you. There’s the chance you might find a new to you author who is set to become a new favourite and I enjoy seeing the different takes on a theme.

My favourites in this anthology were Tanya Pell’s Oh, What a Tangled Web, Kristi DeMeester’s The House Mother and Rachel Harrison’s Dog Mom.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Black Spot Books for the opportunity to read this book.

A very big thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC!

Mother Knows Best is a diverse, gripping anthology focusing one of the most influential relationships in one's life, the one between mother and child. This collection of poems and stories reflects on the divisive aspects of this bond, the cycles that continue, and the darkest feelings that can take root. Many of these stories easily got under my skin, especially Almonds by Lisa Kroger, The House Mother by Kristi DeMeester, The Mom from Upstairs by Teagan Olivia Strurmer, and Dog Mom by Rachel Harrison. All of these authors channel the crushing feelings of expectations a mother can have, the need to appease, and the complex behaviors we fall into. I highly recommend this to readers looking to explore the darker side of motherhood given that these stories offer a little something for everyone.

This book is a horror anthology all about mothers. It has a mix of authors with short stories and poetry.

This book was decent. I liked some of the stories but I disliked some others. A few of the stories didn’t really make sense to me. I’m also not a huge poetry fan so the poetry didn’t work for me. Some of the stories I did find scary and interesting though.

Anthologies don’t usually work for me and I thought this one was just ok also. I hope others love this one. Thanks so much to netgalley and Black Spot books for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

“Maddy has a choice to make. On one hand, Mom, and on the other, her sister. Because, you see, like most little girls, Maddy wasn’t born with a third hand, where she can choose herself.“ -from Cookie Baby by Laura Cranehill

MOTHER KNOWS BEST an anthology edited by Lindy Ryan from @blackspotbooks May 7
Ahhh mothers… They can be your best friend or your worst enemy, they can be smothering or negligent, your fiercest protector or sell your body for drugs. Manipulative, petty, kind, or caring and in this anthology we have a little of each. Good moms or bad moms are scattered throughout but one thing is for sure, we have some amazing stories filled with love and hate in here.
There are so many 5 star stories, my intention was to just read a couple stories a day but I ended up finishing the book in two days. I couldn’t stop. I was hooked into the “just one more story” mindset. A few of these tales had me applauding by the end, and a few had me transfixed with the gracefully flowing writing style, and there were several that were just so fucking weird and wild that I was left speechless.
For better or worse, mothers shape us into what we are, and that can be scary as hell.
*DISCLAIMER- my wife and my mom are the bestest of all moms and should in no way be compared to any of the evil personalities in this anthology. 😈😁
“Maybe I don’t know what it means to be a real mom, but maybe I don’t give a flying fuck. I know what it is to love. There can’t be more to it than that.” from Dog Mom by Rachel Harrison

A solid Short Horror Anthology by many different female authors.

Like all anthologies, there were stories that really worked for me and some that just didn’t quite land. However, I did enjoy many more than I didn’t. It’s also just a preference of what types of horror are preferred.

The standout five stars and my favorites were:
“Oh, What a Tangled Web” - classic, at least for me. Probably one of my tops for the whole collection.
“Skeleton Bird Song” - such a unique one that utterly horrified me.
“The Mom from Upstairs” - this one was just weird. Reminded me of Coraline in ways.
“Within the Pink Paisley Walls” - I read this one before bed and I actually had nightmares, something that never happens from books!
“Special Medicine” - disturbing
“The Tired Mom Smoothie” - this one made me chuckle more than anything from its disturbing nature.

The rest of the collection was still good, but those would be my standouts. I was surprised that of them all, I adore Rachel Harrison’s novels, but I was meh on her contribution. It felt far less horror and more bang you in the head commentary on what classifies motherhood. Weird story, but I wanted less obvious theme and more story.

I could have also done without the poems, but that’s a personal preference. I just would have rather had a few more authors of short stories than the poems.

Overall, I’m rather excited to have a couple new authors to watch out for and already ordered one book from one and this is definitely a great collection of Mother Horror.

What a great horror anthology. I loved the theme Mothers of all sorts and it comes with all the emotions. Fear, gross out, sad and hopeful what I loved most was how it was compiled- to have short stories and poems spread throughout.

A fun horror anthology and I have some new to me authors I need to read now!

Thanks to netgalley and black spot for an eARC.