This book had me hooked from the get go. I was trying to figure out if Charlotte or Sophie were the villains. Well truly Lawrence is the ultimate villain but they are villains too. This book was a wild ride the entire time. The only innocent one in the book is Jordan. As a parent this book was deeply unsettling but that's not said as a complaint just the behavior of both women was super unhinged.

Charlotte, recently widowed with a young baby is having a hard time adjusting to her new life. She reaches out for some help and in comes Sophie, a woman at her doorstep claiming to be a relative of her late husband, Lawrence. Offering no, insisting to help Charlotte and her new baby.

Does Sophie have an agenda? Maybe Charlotte has secrets of her own…


Thank you to Netgalley, bookouture and of course Emily Shiner for giving me the chance to read this ARC.

What every mother needs had me hooked from start to end. I read it in less than 24 hours! It’s fast paced and thrilling. I thought it was quite a similar style to Freida McFadden which is great. As a mother myself I find myself drawn to this whole plot. I thought all the characters were well written and described. I’ve seen a few reviews saying that it’s unbelievable that Charlotte would just let a stranger into her house but I’ve been there, the newborn stage is HARD and to be doing it alone too.. I can totally see why she let her in.
The ending had me puzzled, I didn’t see it coming! When I first started reading I took a wild guess and wrote it down but it was far from the real truth!

Overall really enjoyed reading this book. I’ve not read a book by Emily before but after reading this I will definitely be purchasing her others. I highly recommend this book.

Thank you to Bookouture and Emily Shiner for the ARC!

Charlotte, recently widowed and alone with a newborn baby girl, is struggling. Her husband, Lawrence, hadn’t made her the executor of his will so things are even more stressful. When Sophie shows up at the door, announcing she is Lawrence’s long lost sister, Charlotte is so desperate fort he help she invites Sophie into her home and into her life. But who is she really? And what does she want?

As with every Emily Shiner book I’ve read, the plot easily pulled me in and kept me invested! I can’t imagine inviting someone I never knew existed into my home but I was intrigued to see what Sophie wanted. Told over multiple timelines, with alternating points of view, this story was entertaining from beginning to end. But at about the 75% through mark - holy twist!! Though I had a guess, I still thoroughly enjoyed the journey the story took to get there. A great story if you enjoy domestic suspense!

“What Every Mother Needs” releases May 30, 2025. This review will be shared to my instagram blog (@books_by_the_bottle) shortly :)

This was ok. I don't understand why people would just let someone move in and take care of them. They are always out to get them for some reason! Two women fighting over the same baby-the same husband too, if you want to get technical. I skimmed it. Good enough to skim, but not good enough to read word for word.

Thank you, Netgalley and Bookouture, for providing an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

The blurb spoke to me immediately—intriguing, suspenseful, and mysterious. The book hooked me from the very first chapter with its premise and shifting POVs. The tension builds steadily, full of questions and moments that keep me guessing. If you love thrillers where no one can be trusted and the truth is darker than it seems, this one delivers in all the best ways.

The story follows Charlotte and Sophie. Since Charlotte's husband died, it is just her and their sweet baby Jordan. But it is hard to raise a baby alone. Then Sophie shows up, saying she is Lawrence's sister. Sophie finds Charlotte frantic and overtired. Sophie starts caring for Jordan; she believes Charlotte does not deserve a baby after what she did. But with Sophie in the house, looking through Charlotte's things, it will be challenging to keep the secrets hidden...
Both of these women are liars. One of them is a killer. Who is really in danger in this house?

This fast-paced, gripping thriller pulled me in from the start. What made it so compelling was how it allowed you to step into the minds of Charlotte and Sophie—two women with very different narratives, yet each one feels disturbingly justified in her actions. They navigate a web of secrets, each convinced they know what’s happening while the reader holds the whole picture. Their perspectives are disturbingly logical in their own ways, which makes the tension even sharper as they inch toward a truth neither fully understands. The author builds suspense through the psychological unravelling of both characters. This is a chilling, twisty read where obsession, grief, and misjudgment collide.
If you enjoy thrillers where the villain isn’t apparent and the truth feels like it’s hiding in plain sight, this one is worth your time.

This book was quite the roller coaster of intrigue and suspense! Sophie and Charlotte were well written characters with the plot being well fleshed out but overall I was disappointed in the ending as I saw it coming.

I enjoyed this a lot! This was a very easy to read, page turning, popcorn thriller. I found the twist to be somewhat predictable but the dynamic between Sophie and Charlotte was giving me anxiety, making me mad, and kept me turning the pages to see how this was going to play out. I also enjoyed the writing style. Quick chapters from varying perspectives is my favorite way to read, so this was right up my alley.

We meet Charlotte as a new mom that recently lost her husband. She puts an add out to get help on her day-to-day list of things to do and in walks Sophie…a woman too put together and too perfect but comes to the rescue of Charlotte in her time of need. Both women have a back story, both women have some secrets, and both women have eyes on the same thing.

I could easily see this being adapted into a thriller movie. I think readers that enjoy Freida McFadden or Jeneva Rose will enjoy this!

What Every Mother Needs follows Charlotte struggling to look after her baby following the death of her husband. When Sophie comes along, saying she was the sister of the husband, Charlotte is grateful for the support. However, it soon becomes evident to Charlotte that there is something wrong with Sophie, and she may not be the person she believes she is. She throws Sophie out, but then she gets in an accident and Sophie worms her way back in. There are twists and turns along the way, culminating in a surprise ending. What Every Mother Needs is a shocking psychological thriller.

this book was full of fun thrills. and i know that sounds odd talking in a thriller that way but its those oooo and gasping moments that make a good thriller so good, fun. i thought i knew where this book was going as the story went on but that didnt take away from the little ups and downs to get there. plus there was a fair few bits i didnt see coming and surprises of how we might get to the end point. this book is told to perfection. the pacing makes you want to read hard and fast but at the same time you love it so much you fear you'll read it in just one sitting!
i thought starting off that it was hard enough. we have a new mum who is also just as newly widowed. errrm how the hell does a woman deal with that!? so when she isnt coping you arent shocked. she has all the grief symptoms and all the new mum symptoms. she is tired inside and out.
money is one of the key worries. because the will wasnt put in her favor. and so she needs to find money fast. this will mean getting a job, but how does she then afford childcare?
well, enter the savior perhaps in Sophie. when she knocks on the charlottes door she tells her she is Lawrences estranged sister and she is here to help. she wants to take care of her niece, to do so she wants to be a live in helper. Charlotte wasnt looking for this but is so overwhelmed with it all she agrees.
this could turn out to be the biggest mistake of her life. for what Sophie is bringing isnt the help Charlottes needs or wants in her life.
the at first helpfulness around the house quickly turns into something uncomfortable. and Charlottes isnt ok with how much Sophie seems to be getting attached to HER child. but how can she tell someone to stop loving their own niece or how to do so?
but things continue and so doe the suspicions that all is not right here. Charlotte tries to find out more about this woman who has interloped into her home but cant find what she needs. then it gets to much one da and she asks her to leave. oh dear Charlotte you underestimated this situation greatly...
i was hooked in this book and cant recommend it enough. its just brilliant. the little shocks and tensions all the way through was just soooooo juicy. brilliant.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book!
I really loved the “HER” chapter where you are not sure who she is! I love that kind of writing. I like the fact that I kept switching sides on which character I liked. The book would’ve been better if something’s weren’t so obvious up front, the murder of the husband- that would’ve prob had a bigger pop later in the story. I feel like at some points it dragged but I did like the twist even if it was a little far fetched as well as the fact that in the beginning I was team Charlotte and by the end not so much. I like that you can see both POVs for the most part. I like that the ending leaves more to the imagination as well are we thinking a second book ? Because I really did like being able to think all ended well for who it needed to end on a good note for . Although I felt like it was kind of obvious a little too early. I rounded up 3.7 because at times the book got a little confusing & repetitive.

Solid 4.5 stars for me on What Every Mother Needs. There were so many things I enjoyed about this book and the authors writing that I was rapidly turning the pages....or should I say swiping on my kindle lol. What I most enjoyed is that the author tells you within the first two chapters what one of the main characters has done so you feel like the mystery of the plot has been revealed, but then she introduces another main character and you know there's some sort of drama around her but you think it's one thing but it's not. The two women are guilty of something, have someone in common, and they both are keeping big secrets. HUGE. The author drops a bomb in the beginning, the middle, and even at the end. I honestly would've given it a 5 star review but I don't give those out lightly....but I almost did.

Charlotte’s husband, Lawrence, has passed away, and she is left alone to raise their 6-week-old daughter, Jordan. Sophie, Lawrence’s sister, randomly appears on Charlotte’s doorstep, but things are not as they seem. Sophie moves in to help take care of the baby, and Charlotte senses something off with Sophie. Sophie seems to be obsessing over Jordan.
Murder, abuse, lies, and drama, Emily Shiner writes in a way that makes me NEED to figure out what is going on. This book is written from the POV of Sophie, Charlotte, and a third creative point of view, “her”. While I appreciate Shiner’s writing style always keeping me on my toes, the ending fell a bit flat for me, was rushed, and predictable.
Thank you to NetGalley & Bookouture for a copy of this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

For me this book was a bit of a wow. I loved the secrets and the intrigue and I was hooked from the start.

I loved how the story unfolded and I enjoyed how the author held the suspense.

For me as a reader this was a good one.

Jaw-dropping, mind-spinning, edge of my seat read! This was addictive and full of the thrills. I loved this and will be adding it to my favorites list!!

Wow never read one your books this had me guessing to the very end
So detailed got to know the characters which I love
Thank you for giving me the chance to read 🥰🥰🥰

Overall a good fast paced thriller read that kept me involved in the storyline from the beginning until the end with devious characters.

Like other readers I was disappointed with the ending and felt it was a bit rushed from about three quarters of the way through but all in all it was a good, well written read.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for this ARC which I can recommend.

This book had me gripped before the prologue was finished......... loved the twists in this one would definitely recommend 👌

I found this to be a fairly quick read, and I can see the effort that went into crafting the story. That said, I struggled to connect with it. The pacing felt a bit rushed, especially with so many plot twists happening at once, it became hard to keep track of everything, which took me out of the story. I appreciate the ambition, but the execution left me confused at times. Unfortunately, the ending didn’t land for me either; it felt unsatisfying after all the buildup. Still, readers who enjoy fast-paced, twist-heavy narratives might appreciate it more than I did.

First of all thank you Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to be an advanced reader for this novel. I leave this review voluntarily.

This novel sounded promising but it felt flat. The plots were too predictable and the characters were unlikable and their thought patterns and actions felt unrealistic to me (and yet I know there are people like this out there). Unfortunately I found the novel repetitive and lacking depth, the ending just felt underwhelming because it was more of the same. I guess it wasn’t for me.

Charlotte is a widowed mother who just needs help. Soon as she posts her needs, she get a knock at the door. Sophie, her deceased Husbands sister shows up to help. Charlotte had no idea her husband had a sister! This is just the beginning of this Rollercoaster ride of twists and turns. Emily is the queen of sinister sprinkles that make you want to keep turning the pages! I gave 4 stars because the ending was a little to abrupt for me and left me wondering will there be a part two?