Had me on the edge of my seat with the hairs on the back of my neck up at times. I was absolutely gripped the whole way through, I couldn't put it down and I couldn't look away. I loved it

This book had me hooked from the very first chapter! What Every Mother Needs is one of those thrillers that makes you question everything—and everyone. I kept thinking I had it all figured out, but Emily Shiner throws in twists that totally caught me off guard.

The characters felt so real, and I couldn’t stop turning the pages because I had to know what would happen next.

It’s the perfect read if you love psychological thrillers with strong emotions and dark secrets.. Definitely recommend!

This was my first book by Emily Shiner and it did not disappoint. I was captivated from the beginning! I wasn't sure who was the bad guy and it kept me guessing and on the edge of my seat at times. It was fast paced. It felt relatable having a child of my own and how I would feel in this position. Sometimes I did get a little confused from each other person's point of view (maybe a name swap towards the end) other than that I really enjoyed it. I can't wait to read more of her books!
Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC.

Charlotte's husband has passed and she is left with her baby alone. Sophie shows up her door, the sister-in-law she never knew existed. I enjoyed this book but felt the ending was too rushed and just stopped abruptly. This could be an opening for a second book. Thank you Netgalley and Bookoutre for ARC.

LOVED! ⭐️COULD NOT PUT DOWN!⭐️ I was hooked from the very first page and the ending was SHOCKING!! ⭐️
Emily Shiner has quickly became one of my favorite authors to read. Let's just say, I will be reading any and everything she creates. This was my first read of hers, and my mind was blown. Just when I thought I had it all figured out, boy was I wrong. This was an easy read and quite the page turner. Trust me, you will not be able to put this one down once you start.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️FIVE STARS⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Charlotte has lost her husband, and she is needing help with her baby Jordan. All of a sudden, her husband's estranged sister, Sophie, shows up to save the day. However, Charlotte notices Sophie acting strange. She is becoming increasingly obsessed with Jordan. When she tells her she no longer needs her services, Sophie isn't going to leave without a fight.

The epitome of a psychological thriller. There are twists. There are turns. Manipulation. Jealousy....It has it all. I just can't say enough about this book. It is sat to be published May 30, 2025. RUN to get your copy!

Thank you #NetGalley, #Emily Shiner, and Publisher for this amazing eARC. I can't wait for the next one!

Hooked from the very first page!

This was such a gripping read—I was completely hooked from the very first page. Each chapter dropped just enough clues to keep me guessing about the secrets each character was hiding. I found myself constantly shifting allegiances: one moment I was cheering for one character, and the next, a new revelation had me siding with someone else. The twists, the suspense, the emotional tension—it all made this book an easy addition to my top 5 reads of the year!

This was my first book by Emily Shiner, and it absolutely won’t be my last. I can’t wait to explore more of her thrillers!

3 stars.

This was okay. The actual plot was interesting - to a point - but I do think it was predictable. I don’t feel like much happened in this that was unexpected or had me genuinely shocked or surprised. I did enjoy the multiple POVs and the flashbacks were useful to understand the husband - but again it was pretty obvious who the flashback was.

The writing was okay, but at points I just didn’t like the dialogue. Whilst some people probably feel like this was dragged out - I actually felt like entire conversations and discussions were missing. A woman who’s hiding a massive secret and has got away with some horrendous things just accepts the first thing she’s told? I didn’t buy it. The ending and sort of big climax was also just very weak for me.

I will say the actual conversation around motherhood was very interesting. As a mum myself, I’ve been there and felt a lot of things this character was talking about so that was for me, at least, relatable.

Overall, this was just okay. I think I was expecting more Because all the reviews have been so positive. But I don’t think this really hit in the way it was supposed to.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was a book full of unlikeable characters, but in a good way. I thoruoughly enjoyed it and was genuinely very happy about the ending as I just felt so sorry for Her.

Charlotte needs help. She has a six-week-old baby, Jordan, and her husband Lawrence has been dead for four of those weeks. Dealing with the sudden death of her husband while she is a new mom is beyond difficult, and the lack of sleep and support is getting to her. Not to mention the worry - she doesn’t know how she’ll afford to take care of their daughter, as Lawrence did not make her the executor of his will. They had separate banks accounts, and their fancy house and her BMW were in his name. She has to go back to her modest job as a bank teller in two weeks, but after daycare costs, they won’t be left with much.

Enter Sophie, in the form of a knock on the door. Charlotte had just put out an ad for someone to come in a few hours per week to do a bit of housekeeping, and Sophie saw it and decided to show up. She also has a surprise - she is Lawrence’s estranged sister, she is also newly without a partner, and she’s ready to move in and take care of her niece. Charlotte wasn’t wanting live-in help, or help with Jordan at all, but at the time, she was too tired to say no to Sophie’s offer. She opened her home to this woman, at the same time opening a can of worms.

At first, it’s nice having someone to clean up and cook for her, but soon Charlotte sees that Sophie is getting pretty obsessed with Jordan. She wanted a housekeeper, not a nanny, but who is she to tell an aunt to stop loving her niece? As her suspicions grow, she searches the internet to find out more about Sophie, but can only find her perfectly-curated business site. When she comes home one day and finds Sophie in her room, she finally finds her voice, and tells her to leave. But as Sophie said on day one, it wasn’t going to be easy to get rid of her…

This book is written from the points of view of both women, plus an unknown woman from the past. It was easy to see where the story was going, but that didn’t make it any less fun to read, and there were still plenty of other shocks. The ending was good but abrupt; I wish I’d been given just a little more, and that’s pretty much my only complaint. I guess that shows how enjoyable this book was to me though. If you’re a fan of this kind of psychological/domestic thriller, don’t sleep on this one! 4.5 stars, rounded up.

(Thank you to Bookouture for inviting me on this book’s tour! “What Every Mother Needs” will be released on May 30, 2025.)

I enjoyed everything about this book… I except the ending. The storyline was thought out and the characters were believable but the ending fell short for me. I was disappointed because I felt like it ended right in the middle of a thought. I would still recommend this book because like I said the storyline was good. It was enough to keep me turning the pages and I didn’t want to put it down.

Charlotte is struggling as a new mum, alone after the death of her husband, Lawrence. Sophie says she's Lawrence's sister. and Charlotte needs all the help she can get - what new mum doesn't?

Charlotte and Sophie are both the victims of one controlling man. As they each narrate the story, it is impossible to know which one is telling the truth and who will stay one step ahead. In the midst of the twisty narrative, is a newborn baby girl, Jordan. Both women are desperate to be mothers and it's that desperation that tips them both over the edge after years of manipulation by the late Lawrence. The craziness they are driven to was chilling and when the situation came to a head, I was holding my breath!

4 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Emily Shiner and Bookouture, for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Shiner shines again. Even though I had the plot figured out, I still loved the story. A widowed mother is having a hard time and when her late husbands sister shows up she offers to help. No question! She is exhausted. But.,,, they both have secrets they want to keep from each other.

I recently finished "What Every Mother Needs" by Emily Shiner, and I have to say, it was quite the gripping read! The story revolves around Charlotte, a mother trying to navigate life after the loss of her husband while caring for her adorable baby girl, Jordan. The arrival of Sophie, claiming to be Charlotte's late husband's sister, adds a twist that keeps you on your toes.

Shiner really does a great job of building suspense. I found myself wanting to know more about Sophie and her true intentions. As the plot unfolds, you can feel the tension grow, especially as Charlotte struggles with her own challenges. The emotional depth of both characters is profound, making it easy to empathize with their situations.

The pacing is solid, and there are plenty of twists to keep readers engaged. However, I felt some aspects could have been developed a bit more. For instance, I wanted a deeper exploration of Charlotte's backstory and her relationship with her husband. It would have added even more weight to the story.

Overall, I’d give this book a solid four stars. It’s an engaging thriller that highlights the complexities of motherhood and trust. If you're looking for a compelling page-turner that keeps you guessing, I'd definitely recommend picking it up!

Great book. I did not expect the twists and turns. There were some missed words that I noticed which is fine I was still able to read the book. Strong four stars.

Thank you, NetGalley and Bookouture for the eARC!

I enjoyed this book for the most part, but there were so many parts that made me feel like all the women of this story were weak-minded and very naive from the beginning. That being said, I didn’t mind that, as many women would do the same actions that took place in this book. The twists and turns felt a bit predictable but nonetheless, it still kept me on my toes! There were a few minor writing mistakes as well, like the story would be in Sophie’s point of view but then say something about what “Sophie” was doing when really, it was supposed to be Charlotte’s name. And there were a couple grammar mistakes, but not a lot for me to be confused, just enough for me to notice.


All in all, this book wasn’t bad! If you enjoy thrillers that keep you guessing, you’ll like this one!

You cannot go wrong with an Emily Shiner thriller, including her latest, What Every Mother Needs.

Charlotte's husband,. Lawrence, recently passed, leaving her to raise their baby girl Jordan. Charlotte has been having. difficult time managing on her own, until Sophie shows up at her door. Sophie says she is Lawrence's sister - but how come Charlotte has never heard of her? Sophie is immediately obsessed with Jordan. She knows that Charlotte doesn't deserve Jordan after what she did. And she will stop at nothing until Jordan is hers.,

The story provides POVs from Sophie and Charlotte, as well as an unknown "her" POV. Emily Shiner does a great job at creating disbelief. I was unsure who to trust and kept flipping back and forth throughout the novel. The book is fast paced and really hard to put down. Didn't find that there was any unnecessary filler, which often happens in thrillers. It is contrite and well written. Emily Shiner always manages to deliver a compelling read.

I docked a star as the ending felt a bit flat for me after the rollercoaster of a novel. I think way more could have been done. Left me feeling a bit dissatisfied.

Thank you Bookouture and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Loved this book just as much as Emily Shiner's other books! I couldn't put it down, I needed to know what happened. And that ending??? I have so many questions I wanted more!

I wanted to shake Charlotte for letting a stranger in but once I put that aside I really enjoyed this novel. The twists and turns had be thinking and I constntly switched between who was "bad". A solid thriller.

I was hooked from page 1. I love a good, twisty story. The two main characters were very interesting women. Both liars indeed, but one of them had a good reason to lie, and the other didn’t.
I kept trying to decide who to side with and at the end I sided with the right person.
I wish the end would’ve been expanded on a bit more. I wanted more of the story.
But I’m glad to have discovered Emily Shiner through this book.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this book!

Amazing book! I read this entire thing in less than 12 hours. It was so gripping, I had to finish it as quickly as possible! This book roped me in from the very beginning, and it had plenty of twists and turns that kept me hooked until the very end! I thought this book was fantastic, and I believe other readers will enjoy it as well!