A woman-in-horror anthology with shocking and brilliant stories by some incredibly talented authors!

My favorite short stories from the anthology:

𝐎𝐡, 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚 𝐓𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐖𝐞𝐛 𝐛𝐲 𝐓𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐚 𝐏𝐞𝐥𝐥
"𝓜𝓪𝔂𝓫𝓮 𝓹𝓻𝓮𝓽𝓽𝔂 𝓵𝓲𝓮𝓼 𝓪𝓻𝓮 𝓫𝓮𝓽𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓷 𝓾𝓰𝓵𝔂 𝓽𝓻𝓾𝓽𝓱𝓼."
This story was an absolute masterpiece!
With a chilling jaw-dropping twist that shocked me after I realized what's happening. It was brilliant!

𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐏𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐥𝐞𝐲 𝐖𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐛𝐲 𝐊𝐞𝐥𝐬𝐞𝐚 𝐘𝐮
This was such a brilliant and eerie story, I couldn't put it down and I would love to read a novella or even a full length novel of this tale. 💗

𝐃𝐨𝐠 𝐌𝐨𝐦 𝐛𝐲 𝐑𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐥 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐧
"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."
As a dog mom to three furry babies, I absolutely loved this story and this quote from it is so perfect and true. 🐾🐾🐾

𝐍𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞, 𝐍𝐨 𝐑𝐨𝐨𝐦 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐛𝐲 𝐉𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐁𝐚𝐠𝐮𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐤𝐲
"𝓔𝓿𝓮𝓻𝔂𝓸𝓷𝓮 𝓯𝓮𝓮𝓵𝓼 𝓪𝓯𝓻𝓪𝓲𝓭 𝓷𝓸𝔀 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓷, 𝓐𝓵𝓲𝓬𝓮! 𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓹𝓸𝓲𝓷𝓽 𝓲𝓼 𝓽𝓸 𝓰𝓮𝓽 𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓻 𝓲𝓽. 𝓣𝓸 𝓫𝓮 𝓼𝓽𝓻𝓸𝓷𝓰𝓮𝓻 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓷 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓯𝓮𝓪𝓻."
Such a brilliant and chilling monster story about fear.

Mother Knows Best, edited by Lindy Ryan, is a powerful and chilling collection of stories that dive deep into the dark side of motherhood. Each tale brings something unique—twisted love, haunting memories, or mothers who protect a little too fiercely. I really enjoyed how the book mixed horror with real emotional depth, and while some stories stood out more than others, the whole collection was gripping and memorable. It's a great read for anyone who loves smart, unsettling fiction with heart.

This book takes toxic motherhood to another level. Filled with all sorts of monstrous moms and so called moms, it definitely delivers.
Although I loved the stories, I was not really into the poems, as they didn’t quite meld with the whole package of the book. I would have liked it better if there were only short stories in the anthology.
Some stories were grounded in reality and one could imagine someone around us going through the trauma of having a terrible mother, whereas others were more related to fantasy and the supernatural.
Some of my favorite stories were:
Oh What A Tangled Web - this story got more terrifying as you read it.
The Mom From Upstairs- very uncanny vibe.
Mother, Daemon, Ghost- truly scary read.
I would definitely recommend this book for horror anthology lovers.

This book fell flat for me I read her other book Cold Snap as well and thought I would really like it but they both unfortunately were not for me. Nothing really kept me engaged and I feel it may have also been the writing style. I hope others enjoy this book though regardless.

It was good. I liked they it made mothers monsters. The stories were raw Abe real and I think a lot of people can see themselves in the writing

This is a solid collection of horror featuring some of the best women authors in horror publishing. Sadie Hartman - also known as "Mother Horror" - also fittingly provides the foreword. The beauty of anthologies is that one can enjoy stories by already-loved authors, along with finding new ones to check out. Lindy Ryan's journey into work as an editor for anthologies has been a successful one thus far and I look forward to seeing what else she does.

Book was archived before I could finish, didn't read enough to get a good idea of the book unfortunately.

I had no idea what to expect since the other horror anthologies I've read have been rather hit or miss, if I'm being honest. However, this particular genre and theme was soooooo deliciously horrific that I was blown away. Books on motherhood and the relationship women have with their mothers is always such a good topic for me. It is a most complex relationship and seems to give such great foundation to a good (or in this case horrific) story. My favorite is probably Mother, Daemon, Ghost or The Mom From Upstairs but each story gives it own unique tale. I really enjoyed this anthology and hope to see more of its caliber.

This had so many gems! I loved the stories so much. My favorite was from Kiste, I highly recommend reading it. It was really good!

Some notable standouts, such as Your Mother’s Love is An Apocalypse and The Mom From Upstairs, and overall a decent collection of stories about why mums surely know best.

Mother Knows Best, edited by Lindy Ryan, is a dazzling anthology that reimagines classic fairy tales with a darkly imaginative twist. Each story within the collection is a masterful blend of suspense, originality, and literary craftsmanship, showcasing a diverse array of voices and perspectives. Ryan’s expert curation ensures that every tale is both captivating and thought-provoking, making this anthology an essential read for fans of contemporary fantasy and reimagined folklore. This collection not only entertains but also profoundly enriches the reader's appreciation for the art of storytelling.

This was fantastic! My favorite stories are 'Skeleton Bird Song', ' Oh, What A Tangled Web', 'Mother, Daemon, Ghost', and 'The Mom From Upstairs' but I enjoyed them all and they all are excellent and unique. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys horror. Special Thank You to all the authors, Black Spot Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

Very sad not to love this, or even like it overmuch.

Mother-daughter relationships are a staple in the horror genre for a reason; they're ripe for this kind of exploration, but Mother Knows Best is a real mixed bag, as my 2.5 star rating reflects. Many of the stories were conceptually interesting, but heavy-handed enough in their execution that they gave themselves away too early, and overwrought (and occasionally just plain bad: see "searching balls of slime") prose and silly reveals (a victim of Factitious disorder imposed on another being kept sick by... injections of actual feces?) often spoiled the fun.

I appreciated the inclusion of poetry in this anthology, but aside from Grendelsong: A Merewif's Lament by Carina Bissett, I wasn't a huge fan of the selection. The strongest entries by far, though not necessarily the scariest, were Dog Mom by Rachel Harrison - who, as far as I can tell, seems the most well-established author here, so this was no surprise - and Cookie Baby by Laura Cranehill, who I'll be keeping an eye out for in the horror space from now on.

This was a fantastic, jaw-dropping, page-gripping collection! I thoroughly enjoyed all of the stories and poems, and I thought they were so fantastic and insightful and terrifying, in terms of how they tackle the intersection of motherhood and horror and provide so many different perspectives on what it means to be a mother and how the concept of even conceiving, birthing and/or raising children in itself can be such a peak experience for horror. There's just so much in these pieces that felt evocative and rhythmic and ominous, so many great metaphors and vibes and old favourites played anew and fresh!

"Your mother, the ultimate cosmic horror."

This anthology consists of short stories and poems about mothers and their relationships to their daughters. It features some authors I’d read from before and many that I was unfamiliar with.


The stories and poems were enjoyable for the most part. I have to admit that some of the poems didn't do much for me. However, I was blown away by the creativity and the rawness in the stories. Your Mother's Love is an Apocalypse might be my favorite of the whole collection. It's very difficult to choose just one, so here is a list of some of my favorites.


Favorite stories/poems


Just Like Your Mother

Oh, What A Tangled Web

Mother, Daemon, Ghost

The House Mother

Within the Pink Paisley Walls

Buttons

Special Medicine

A Broken Inheritance

Never Love, No Room for Monsters

Pretend

The Tired Mom Smoothie

Your Mother’s Love is an Apocalypse

There were so many good stories. I feel like there will be something for everyone. Obviously, this anthology contains a lot of dark ropics like animal death, abuse, revenge, etc. Keep that in mind if you decide to pick up this anthology.

Overall, an excellent anthology. I can see myself coming back to read it again. I'd highly recommend this to everyone who enjoys themed anthologies, movies like Hereditary and Mother.

Thank you to NetGalley and Black Spot Books for the ARC.

This was a book about like horror mommy stories. It was really fun, I really enjoyed it. There was like short stories and poems. They were creepy and unsettling and so worth the read.

A very nice anthology which introduced me to many authors. Surprisingly, my favorite texts have often been the shortest ^^' I didn't like everything, but some of the texts are really very good and the idea of ​​the anthology is excellent.

Upon perusing this anthology of tales, I was struck by a plethora of unsettling emotions. The narratives evoked deep sorrow, where the weight of grief led to unspeakable horrors. Some provoked a visceral reaction, causing me to feel as though insects were crawling beneath my skin. Still others were simply deranged from the outset, leaving me in a state of constant unease, unsure of what would transpire on the next page or even within the next sentence.

The focal point of this collection, centered around mothers who typically embody comfort and nurturing, assuming twisted and macabre roles, only adds to the disturbing and enthralling nature of the book. With its diverse range of eerie themes, from cursed lipstick to sinister dolls, from visceral gore to spine-tingling frights, there is something to captivate every reader within these pages.

Each story flows seamlessly, captivating my attention and eliciting a rollercoaster of emotions - suspense, shock, and anxious anticipation of what horrors lie ahead. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone seeking a chilling and gripping read to satisfy their craving for horror.

(Disclaimer: I received an advanced reader copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.)

May is for Mother's Day.
Myself, I was blessed with a fantastic mother. Some aren't so lucky.
Mother Knows Best is a collection that highlights the creepier side of mothers and their offspring.
Thank you to @netgalley and @blackspotbooks for my eARC for review.
Mother Knows Best features 27 works of short fictions, poetry and prose, edited by Lindy Ryan @lindyryanwrites and foreword by @mother.horror herself, Sadie Hartmann.
Each is unsettling, eerie, and off-putting.
I enjoyed them all, but here are a few standouts - So Lovely In The Dark, Almonds, Oh What A Tangled Web, The House Mother, The Mom From Upstairs, Little Mother, Special Medicine, and Sometimes, It's Hard To Let Go.
Horror fans - recommended!
For release on May 7.

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.