Another favorite book from one of my favorites! This book is one I will definitely recommend to others! It had me guessing which way the story was going and who to trust!

Anothe fantastic book from one of my favourite authors. Charlotte's husband has recently died and needing to be able to still work and pay the bills she places an ad for someone to help run the house and look after her little girl while she works. A woman turns up on her doorstep claiming to be her sister and that she will look after her daughter. Can she trust her as she knows nothing about her and her husband never mentioned having a sister.
Great book from start to finish. You won;t want to put it down.

This was my first time reading a book by Emily Shiner!! and wow, what a wild ride! The story is told from both Charlotte and Sophie’s perspectives, which I enjoyed, even though I honestly didn’t fully trust either of them. Let’s just say… neither of them are winning any “most likable character” awards from me 😂

But what really hooked me were the chapters from the mystery character known only as “Her.” I’m a sucker for an unknown narrator, and I was constantly guessing who she might be. I did eventually figure it out!! but the twist? Totally didn’t see it coming. It was one of those reveals that just makes your jaw drop. (Don’t worry, I’ll keep things spoiler-free!)

At times, I felt like my brain was doing gymnastics trying to make sense of what was happening!! but in the best way. I stayed up way too late reading because I just had to know how it would all unfold.

Also, I really connected with the author’s note at the end!! Emily wrote this book during a tough time in her life, and reading that made the story hit a little deeper for me. It also became a bit of an escape for me this past week, which I’m really grateful for.

And can we take a moment to appreciate that Emily’s donating 10% of her earnings from this book to disaster relief efforts? That seriously warmed my heart.

Definitely checking out more of her work soon!!!! Thank you so much NetGalley and Emily Shiner!

WHAT EVERY MOTHER NEEDS - EMILY SHINER

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you Bookouture & Emily Shiner for this read!

Yet another Shiner read that starts out strong and I just couldn't get enough. This book was dark and emotional, twisty and unsettling!

I binged this in just a few short sittings and if it wasn't for my uni right now I would have binged in one go!

I love a book that has mixed POVs and this book has it! Between each view of our protagonists you'll be questioning the actions of some and wanting to yell at another!

Overall another great read by Emily Shiner and I look forward to what is next!

If you're after a new thriller author whose books are totally addictive and has a bit darker content than your usual popcorn thriller - this author is for you!!!

Out now!!

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What Every Mother Needs is a fast-paced, twisty thriller that hooked this reader from page one. The drama unfolds between alternating perspectives of Charlotte and Sophie and the mysterious her. The dialogue creates a chilling unnerving game of cat and mouse. First I was on Charlotte’s side, then wait a minute Sophie is the one I should be pulling for then no… Charlotte. And who is this “her”?! I’m so torn between which her is telling the truth and what they BOTH may be hiding?

After the sudden death of Charlotte’s husband Lawrence, she is left to care for their infant daughter Jordan alone. Overwhelmed, exhausted, and desperate, she places an online ad for help. When Sophie arrives at her door without notice, she lets her in with barely a second thought because she’s so grateful to receive much-needed help thus ignores the warning signs. Sophie, later on tells Charlotte that she is Lawrence’s sister. He had a sister? Still, Charlotte assumes she is there in response to her help wanted ad and doesn’t verify anything before inviting her into their lives. As a mother, I found it pretty unrealistic that Charlotte would allow a total stranger into her home without confirming her identity, no matter how exhausted she was. Well it makes a good story.

Now that Sophie has planted herself firmly into the household, the psychological tension escalates wonderfully. Secrets about Charlotte’s marriage start to surface, and Sophie’s true motives slowly begin to reveal.
The story ended deftly but abruptly leaving me with questions. The biggest one being is this a stand alone or the first in a sequel because I need answers! We shall wait and see.

If you love domestic thrillers and dark twists, this one will have great appeal. . I will absolutely pick up a follow-up if Emily Shiner writes a sequel,

Charlotte is struggling hard. She has a new baby at home and her husband has recently passed away. Charlotte finally decides to put an ad out for help and within hours there is a knock at the door. Sophie arrives, claiming to be Charlotte's husband's sister (Charlotte didn't even know he had a sister)! Talk about a saving grace! However, it doesn't take long for Charlotte to start questioning Sophie's motives, or identity for that matter. Who is this woman and what does she want with Charlotte's family?

This was a good read. The characters were good. I enjoyed how the story went back and forth between Sophie and Charlotte, as well as past and present but it wasn't confusing to follow at all. I love the length of the chapters. The way the story builds is great - there is a smaller twist part way through but if you've ever read Emily Shiner, you know a much bigger twist is coming so hang on!

I would definitely recommend this book. It grips you from the first chapter and keeps you right until the last sentence (which is a doozy, and leaves your jaw on the floor, by the way!!)

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the chance to read this book for free. This was my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the Advance Reader Copy of What Every Mother Needs by Emily Shiner. I really wanted to love this one-the premise had so much potential! But the constant repetition, snd overly simple explanations made it a frustrating read. The twists were predictable, and the rushed, vague ending didn't help. Sadly, this just didn't work for me. I have read and enjoyed some of her other books. This one just didn't hit the mark with me.

First book I've read by this author and I loved it. I really enjoyed the writing style. I liked the depth in the characters and found it easy to relate to them.. The book was hard to put down. Upon finishing, I found myself hoping for a sequel. I'm dying to know what happens next for these women! Such a good read.

I didn’t see that ending coming! The chapters are short, POV identified and easily read but the story seemed to be a little longer than it needed to be. Not my favourite by Emily Shiner but the twists made it worth reading.
Thank You to NetGalley, Bookouture, and Emily Shiner for the opportunity to read this ARC.

📚 ARC REVIEW 🤯
What Every Mother Needs 🌟🌟🌟🌟.5/5
OMG...Lies, Betrayal, Obsession!

Any sleep-deprived mother will tell you that having an extra pair of hands during those hazy 3 AM feedings feel like winning the lottery, but accepting help from a stranger? That’s where things take a turn from blessing to psychological thriller!

Emily Shiner delivers her latest gem, “What Every Mother Needs,” weaving a tale of fragile trust and unsettling truths. Charlotte, a newly widowed mom juggling grief and an avalanche of diapers, lets Sophie into her home. On the surface, this woman seems like the answer to her prayers. But is Sophie a guardian angel, or is there something more sinister at play?

Shiner explores how desperation can open the door to danger and how obsession can masquerade as care. As the story unfolds, the tension grows tighter with each chapter. The dual perspectives add an emotional punch, and just when I thought I had cracked the case, Shiner yanked the rug out from under me! It is SO twisted. Who is the real threat?

If you’re already a fan of Shiner’s thrillers, brace yourself—you’re in for a wild ride. But fair warning: you might second-guess that overly helpful neighbor or babysitter for a while!

Thanks to the author and Bookouture for this ARC provided via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

#WhatEveryMotherNeeds #EmilyShiner #Bookouture #NetGalley #NewMother #WidowedMother #ARCReview #BookTokThriller #BookReviewer #capcut #lefttoread #reader #read #honestreview #thriller #bookreviewer #thrillerbooklovers #thepulse #lovetoread

Charlotte is the mother of a newborn baby who is dealing with the sudden death of her husband when an unexpected visitor shows up at her door. Sophie, the sister Charlotte never knew her husband had, is move in ready to help take care of the baby and the house. We soon learn that both women have some big secrets that they are trying desperately to keep hidden from each other but it’s only a matter of time until this relationship becomes deadly. I found this to be a real juicy page turner and I thank Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I’m a huge fan of this author! I enjoyed this book. It’s an easy to read, fast paced, with a lot going on kind of book. I really enjoy Shiner’s writing style. It’s straight and to the point. There isn’t a ton of “flowery” descriptions, and with the chapters in both Sophie’s and Charlotte’s POVs, we get inside the head of both characters.

There’s a third type of POV we get here too, though at first it’s not clear who it is. What we learn is who Lawrence really was – the type of man that he was. He was manipulative and very controlling. He wasn’t even a main character in this book but I really did not like him. I wasn’t sad that he wasn’t around!

I guessed at one of the reveals/twists. But there were some others that were coming that I didn’t know about or could foresee coming! That’s what makes Shiner’s books so great. There’s always something that you don’t see coming. The ending wasn’t my favorite. It felt like it ended somewhat abruptly and kind of open ended, but I feel like Shiner may have made this choice on purpose.

Overall, this wasn’t my absolutely favorite Shiner read, but it’s a good one and one that I will still recommend!

Reading in Between the Wines book review #57/125 for 2025:
Rating: 4 🍷🍷🍷🍷
Book: What Every Mother Needs
Author: Emily Shiner
Available now!

Sipping thoughts: I love when something is revealed early on because I know that means there are gonna be some crazy twists and reveals to come. This is exactly what happened. I enjoyed this story and found it hard to like any of the characters and could not read fast enough to see what happened. I have not read an Emily Shiner book that I have not liked yet and can’t wait on the next release.

Cheers and thank you to @Netgalley and @Bookouture for an advanced copy of @WhatEveryMotherNeeds.

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A good book that had me hooked but the ending just fell a little flat for me. I really enjoy Emily's books and look forward to reading more of them.

I’ve yet to be able to put an Emily Shiner book down. Even this one, with its unreliable narrators. I usually struggle with narrators I don’t like, they make me uncomfortable. I immediately questioned Sophie’s motives in this book. But the more I read, the less I liked Charlotte too. And we also get the POV of HER, who we don’t know who HER is.

I read this one in a day. So even with characters like Charlotte and Sophie, it didn’t deter me. That’s definitely the sign of a good book in my eyes.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for my copy of this book.

🌟🌟🌟🌟
Charlotte’s husband died and she’s left to raise their baby girl, Jordan, on her own. Then her husband’s sister shows up to help, and family is always there for you. Right?
Let’s meet the characters:
Charlotte: is widow trying to survive single parenthood but she has mysterious secrets about her marriage
Sophie: Appears to be Lawrence's sister, but can we trust her?
Her: our mystery character- I loved trying to figure out who she was!!

This book kept me up late reading!! I loved the premise of this. Both Charlotte and Sophie were not likable characters, but they kept me coming back for me! I look forward to more books by Emily Shriner. Many thanks to the author, Bookouture and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
#WhatEveryMotherNeeds #EmilyShiner #NetGalley #Bookouture #BooksOnTour #BookLove #Bookstagram #NewBook #ILoveBooks #SummerBooks #NewThriller #FamilyDynamics

Omg what a tremendous thriller by Emily Shiner!!!
I had no clue what character to trust! Filled with so many lies, and deceptions. I was shocked at the end!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc.

What Every Mother Needs by Emily Shiner.
I did enjoy this book. Twisty and gripping from start to finish. I loved the cover and blurb of this book. I couldn't put it down. Read in two sittings. I wasn't sure how I felt about the characters. I didn't not like them but I didn't hate them. I didn't have any favourites. I certainly didn't see that coming. Wow. I would definitely recommend this book.






Blurb.
She’s what every mother needs. But can you trust her?

Since my husband Lawrence died it’s just me and our sweet baby girl Jordan. It’s so hard raising her alone. Then Sophie shows up at my door. She says she is Lawrence’s sister… and she seems like a blessing in disguise. But with her in my house, looking through my things, it’s going to be difficult to keep the secrets about my marriage hidden...

Charlotte didn’t recognize me. That isn’t surprising. She seems frantic, and I know she’s not sleeping. I hear her tossing and turning while I rock her baby to sleep. When Jordan stares up at me with those big blue eyes, my heart melts. Charlotte doesn’t deserve such a gorgeous child. Not after what she did.

It’s clear to anyone that Charlotte isn’t coping. All she needs is a little push to send her over the edge… And then I’ll finally get what I really came for.

Both of these women are liars. One of them is a killer. Who is really in danger in this house?

Buy Link:
Amazon: https://geni.us/B0F3FTJX3Zsocial


@Authoremilyshiner
@bookouture
@netgalley

Time for me on the Book Blog tour. CThank you to Netgalley, Bookouture. For allowing me to read this ARC, in exchange for my review of this book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ from me.!!

It’s been a while since I read a book, with this amount of twists & Turns. Each and every one of them, I did not see coming!
First time reading this author ❤️📚 and definitely would read again.

🔴 Charlotte: Since my husband Lawrence died it’s just me and our sweet baby girl Jordan. It’s so hard raising her alone. Then Sophie shows up at my door. She says she is Lawrence’s sister… and she seems like a blessing in disguise. But with her in my house, looking through my things, it’s going to be difficult to keep the secrets about my marriage hidden...

Sophie: Charlotte didn’t recognize me. That isn’t surprising. She seems frantic, and I know she’s not sleeping. I hear her tossing and turning while I rock her baby to sleep. When Jordan stares up at me with those big blue eyes, my heart melts. Charlotte doesn’t deserve such a gorgeous child. Not after what she did.

It’s clear to anyone that Charlotte isn’t coping. All she needs is a little push to send her over the edge… And then I’ll finally get what I really came for.

This book had an interesting storyline, one that differs from the typical thrillers that litter this genre. While I enjoyed the basis for the story, there were parts I felt could’ve been fleshed out more or taken out as it just felt like filler. Overall I enjoyed it, wised the ending didn’t feel so sudden, but still an enjoyable read.