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.

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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.

#WhatEveryMotherNeeds #EmilyShiner #Bookouture #NetGalley #ARC #advancedreader #Kindle #Booksofinstagram #readersofinstagram #bookstagram #nicoles_bookcellar #bookworm #bookdragon #booknerd #booklover #bookstagrammer #bookaholic #bokreview #bookreviewer #IHaveNoShelfControl #ReadingBetweenTheWines #fiction #thriller #suspense #mystery #MysteryAndThrillers #GeneralFictionAdult

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.

Shiner does a basic retelling of the traditional story of two mothers fighting over the same child. Except there is only one real mother.
I knew right away the truth behind who Sophie really was.
I thought Charlotte was crazy ti allow a perfect stranger in her house with only an infant!! I did yell are you serious???
I would have made Lawrence disappear if he hadn’t already been taken care of because he was a jerk.
I enjoyed this game of wits and deception between two determined women over one baby.
Let the best mother win!

My 4th book by Emily Shiner and wow this one packed a real punch. Very deserved 5 star rating!!!

Life for Charlotte isn’t exactly how she planned, being a widow after her husband, Lawrence, died and left her with their 6 week old newborn girl, Jordan. She knows she needs help, especially now she needs to return to work and so places an ad for help. The ad has barely been up 24 hours when a woman arrives on her doorstep, Sophie, who says she’s seen the ad and wants to help, she then drops the bombshell of being Lawrence’s estranged sister. Charlotte is desperate and so invites Sophie in. With her calm and efficient manner, she is just what Charlotte and Jordan need and soon enough the house and their lives are out of chaos and into order and Charlotte is happy knowing Sophie is family and that you can trust family, despite Lawrence never once mentioning her or even mentioning that he had a sister! However, Charlotte puts this down to the estrangement between them. Soon though Charlotte starts to feel that Sophie is overstepping her boundaries, especially with Jordan. When Charlotte comes home one day to Sophie in her bedroom and a canvas portrait of Charlotte and Lawrence defaced, she starts to question herself about Sophie and how well she really knows her and decides that she wants her out of her and her daughter’s life. Sophie doesn’t take this well but despite this Charlotte stands her ground and Sophie leaves. Soon after Charlotte has an accident and has no choice but to let Sophie back into her and Jordan’s lives as she needs the help once again. However, both Charlotte and Sophie have big secrets that could ruin both their lives and Jordan’s in turn. Will they manage to keep them, or will the lies and secrets get exposed and the truth about both women come out?!

Well, what a read this was!! I really liked the dual POV’s hearing the story from both Charlotte and Sophie, but I have to admit I thought both women were bad apples. I loved the chapters written by the mystery character “her”, I love a mystery character, and my mind was working overtime trying to figure out who she was, I did figure out who it was in the end but not what actually happened. It was something so shocking I would have never thought of it myself (which was great writing), I must apologise for how cryptic this sounds but my reviews are always spoiler free. I did feel my brain was in knots trying to figure out what had happened and what was going to happen, I was so baffled but at the same time extremely intrigued and I absolutely stayed up way too late at night not wanting to put this book down. I also really resonated with the letter at the end of the book by Emily Shiner, saying how writing this book was an escape for her whilst experiencing a very difficult local natural disaster. I found reading this book over the past week a really much needed escape from my real life so thank you Emily. Plus, I love the fact that Emily Shiner is giving 10% of everything she gets paid from this book into relief efforts for victims of natural disasters, what a lovely thing to do!

Ultimately Emily Shiner smashed it out of the park again with another fantastic 5 star read which I would highly recommend to anyone who enjoys psychological thrillers. I can’t wait to read what she writes next!

Thank you to NetGalley, Emily Shiner and Bookouture for my advanced reading copy. Out now.

This was my first book by Emily Shiner, and I was completely drawn in by the suspense and the clever premise. It kept me guessing the whole way through, with twists that definitely caught me off guard. I flew through it!

While I had a few lingering questions by the end, the journey was gripping and thoroughly entertaining. A great psychological thriller that I’m glad I picked up!

Secrets lies and lots of twists in this book. I did guess one of the twists but that didnt spoil it at all. Gripping story that is well worth a read.
Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in return for an honest review

Charlotte is a new mum, and recently widowed. While struggling with everything that entails, she realises she needs help, so puts an AD in the local paper. Pretty soon, a woman arrives on her doorstep, claiming to be her deceased husbands sister, Sophie. But Sophie isn't all she seems to be. She's sure Charlotte is hiding something, and Charlotte is sure Sophie has nefarious intentions. The two wage a silent war against the other, whilst trying to keep the other from finding out.

This was a pretty quick read, filled with lots of twists, although I did feel like a lot of the twists were very obvious. None of them particularly shocked me.
I enjoyed the writing, as it looked into different kinds of grief. Having been going through something that briefly touched on a subject in this book myself at the moment, it hit very close to home and made for a very emotional read.

WHAT DID I JUST READ?!?!?! Oh my goodness!! About 3/4 through this book…🤯. Everything I thought I knew was completely blown out of the water! Loved everything about this book! Definitely recommend and will absolutely be adding this author to my TBR list.