What Every Mother Needs by Emily Shiner is a twisty psychological thriller with some blood-boiling moments.
Usually, I am a massive Emily Shiner fan, but this one... I liked it, it was good in general, but something wasn't right. It started so promisingly! But the end... was just so wrong. The characters and their actions didn't make sense. I was hoping that the epilogue would give some clarity, but it didn't, so I was left with mixed feelings.

I do understand why this book is a 5 ⭐ read for so many. It's a really good thriller! This is a mad one, a crazy mad one.
There is so much happening! You will have so many emotions while you read this! There is plenty of time when I felt I could just slap someone to wake up...

Charlotte is struggling as a single mother after losing her husband, Lawrence. She didn't have a decent sleep for weeks, and the house is a mess. She needs support.
When Lawrence’s sister Sophie arrives, she is too good to be true. She cleans and cooks, and shops and looks after the baby! She is some sort of Mary Poppins... But soon Charlotte notices strange actions and feels that Sophie is hiding something, just what?

I coughed myself that I am starting to be really frustrated when the female characters are pained as weak and pathetic, and when the male character is placed in the role of God! I can accept this in the olden days, but come on, it's the 21st century... Is it really so self-hating females out there? Probably, I am missing something, but who relies on a male for everything? Please forgive me if this is the reality.
Usually, I love emotions, but this book made me so frustrated in the wrong way.

As I mentioned earlier, this is a really busy, action-packed book that easily could be your next 5-star read :)

Thank you, NetGalley and Bookouture, for this copy!

A decent book and I did enjoy the writing style however I am not sure Sophie would have gotten away with so much and Charlotte would have let her in without the suspicion of who she might be especially in the circumstances. Also not sure the police would have believed one side of it and let Jordan go with her mum!

What Every Mother Needs follows a new mom named Charlotte who becomes a widow mere weeks after giving birth. When her deceased husband’s sister, Sophie—who Charlotte had no idea existed—shows up at the door and begins taking care of her and the baby, it seems too good to be true. Are the sister’s intentions really pure and innocent??

The storyline was interesting and grabbed me from the description. However, this book didn’t do the best in playing out the premise.

For starters, who lets a strange woman into their home to help take care of their newborn baby? Also, things could have been done very differently for the correct mother to have the baby. But no, they were both too emotionally driven and not exactly of sound mind.

The characters weren’t very likable. They were too naive, obsessive, and weak. Plus the ending was rushed and didn’t really tie up the story. It let questions that weren’t answered.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced review copy.

This was quite the page turner. I did guess the big “twists” in this book but it didn’t stop me from enjoying it. Charlotte needs help with her newborn after her husband dies. A mysterious relative her husband never mentioned magically shows up right when Charlotte needs her most. An angel sent from her husband? Or someone who will make her life a living hell? What I didn’t expect from this book was the whiplash from my opinions of the characters! Out of no where your opinions are turned upside down and you see things in a whole new light.

Charlottes husband, Lawrence has recently died, and Charlotte is struggling with keeping up with household chores and looking after her baby girl, Jordan. Charlotte realises she needs some help around the house, and has just put an advert out for a suitable person, when Sophie turns up on her doorstep complete with suitcases. Charlotte has no idea who Sophie is, has never met her before, and is a little suspicious at first when Sophie tells her that she is Lawrence's estranged sister. Charlotte invites Sophie in, as she wants to hear more of what Sophie has to tell her about Lawrence, but this proves to be a mistake. Sophie has her own reasons for wanting to be a part of Charlottes life, and Charlotte has secrets that she would not want Sophie to discover.
The story is told from both viewpoints, Charlotte and Sophie in turn, each convinced that the other is hiding something, and both determined to find out the truth. This is a thrilling read, and Emily Shiner books never disappoint.

I absolutely did not anticipate that ending! Wow! There were so many little twists throughout the book, my head was spinning. Both the female main characters were unhinged, which definitely pushed the reader to not want to stop reading. This is definitely worth the read and I highly recommend it. Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the arc of this book. This is set to be released May 30, 2025.

Secrets and lies. Charlotte and Sophie tell this tale of deception. Charlotte's post partum and she's mourning the death of her husband Lawrence so why not accept help from his sister Sophie? Except is she really his sister? Something isn't right that's for sure but Charlotte has her own things she doesn't want to admit. This is a dance between the two women, both of whom are challenging. It kept me guessing. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARc. A good read.

"What Every Mother Needs" by Emily Shiner is a jaw-dropping, emotional rollercoaster that had me hooked from the first page. The fast-paced plot is packed with suspense and anxiety-inducing moments that every parent will feel deep in their gut. I couldn’t put it down, especially as the dynamic between the two main characters unfolded in such a compelling and intense way. A must-read for fans of domestic thrillers that keep you guessing until the end.

Creepy, twisty, and hard to put down!

This was such a tense and twisty read! What Every Mother Needs pulls you in right away with a sense of unease that only builds as the story goes on. Charlotte is a new mom trying to hold it all together after her husband’s death, and just when things can’t get more stressful, a woman shows up claiming to be his long-lost sister. That’s when things really start spiraling.

Emily Shiner does a great job keeping you guessing. I kept flipping pages thinking I had it figured out—and then boom, another twist. The dual perspectives between Charlotte and Sophie added a lot of tension and made it even more fun to try and figure out who was telling the truth.

My only reason for docking a star is that a few parts felt a bit far-fetched, and I found myself questioning some character choices. But overall, it’s a fast-paced, creepy psychological thriller that’s super entertaining. If you enjoy domestic suspense with a dark edge, definitely give this one a try!

Charlotte is struggling to cope with the recent loss of her husband while tending to the demands of an infant. Her house is in disarray and she feels like she never sleeps. When Sophie, who claims to be her sister-in-law, shows up to help, she seems like a godsend. But Charlotte knows that she cannot let Sophie get close enough to learn all of her secrets. As Sophie infiltrates the house more and more, Charlotte grows increasingly suspicious of who Sophie is, and what her underlying motives may be.

This book is a guessing game of who these two women really are, and what secrets they are both hiding. It becomes clear that both are liars, which is a bit disconcerting, except that they both do seem to have the welfare of the baby in mind. The ending is a shocker!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

🍼Book Review 🍼

This story revolves around Charlotte who is recently widowed and has a very young baby. Just like every first time mummy in those early days, Charlotte is tired, exhausted, emotionally drained and on top of that, navigating her grief after the death of her husband Lawrence. Enter Lawrence’s sister Sophie.

Sophie becomes enraptured by the baby and Charlotte invites her to stay with them. Everything goes well until Charlotte starts to realise that Sophie has no intention of leaving. Sophie has a secret to hide. Mind you, Charlotte has secrets of her own …

This is my first Emily Shiner book and I really enjoyed it. Its pacy and suspense and tension build up nicely throughout the book. There are twists and turns, although for me these were no surprise but I still enjoyed reading the book. The characters are well defined and I could picture them in my head as I read, flaws and all! This is a solid page turner and I look forward to reading more from Emily!

I’d like to thank Bookouture, NetGalley and the author for the arc and the fantastic opportunity, in exchange for my honest feedback 😊

Book released on 30th May2025

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

What Every Mother Needs by Emily Shiner is another gripping read from this prolific author. I always set an afternoon aside when I dive into an Emily Shiner book as I can virtually guarantee that I will not be able to put it down.

Charlotte's husband Lawrence has died, leaving her with a young infant. Out of the blue, a woman named Sophie appears at the door claiming to be Lawrence's sister, though Charlotte has never heard any previous mention of her. Claiming to want to help the exhausted new mother with the baby, Sophie is invited into Charlotte's home with very few questions asked given the circumstances. As the narrative unfolds, it is unclear which of the women is the true villain of the piece.

This one kept me turning the pages and questioning every calculated move. Pick this one up, you won't be disappointed.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for an ARC.

DNFing this book at 20%. It started very slow and the writing made parts of it super confusing. None of the characters were likable and made it difficult to connect with the story. It had great potential, but didn't do it for me!

Gripping from the start….. 🤩

The prologue got me questioning the story straight away. I don’t want to give anything away but just think… whose the bad girl 😏😝

The storyline is fantastic. Constantly thinking, who? When? How? And why? 😂😂

Chapter lengths are great as well! All less than 10 minutes which I love! A very easy read. I just wanted to keep going! 😍🤩

This sounded promising and to start off with u was intrigued. Charlotte's husband has just died leaving her with a small baby and she needs help. Sophie her long lost sister in law that she didn't know anything about turns up out the blue to help.

I found it bizarre that you would let a strange woman into your house and let her move in without hesitation. It was a predictable story from the beginning and I actually think the storyline is very weak. There were certain details that were just left unfinished. It was all unbelievable and silly to be honest. It left me with more questions at the end. Lots of things just happened with no explanation to them. It was a weak story.

Thank you net galley for the arc. i really had a time with this story. wow i was up till 2 am reading it, i was hooked. Emily Shiner is a really good binagable author. wow the ending was a little lack luster but the book it self was great.

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.