This started in a really hard hitting way as a mother received a call saying her young daughter had been hospitalised after being found alone, disorientated and undressed in a strange tent at the summer camp she was attending. My heart was in my mouth as the mother raced to get to the hospital to Casey, and then we find out that Casey's brother Daniel was also in trouble. The backdrop was that Daniel seemed dissatisfied by life and had met a new friend called Byrne who manipulated him and exerted a big influence over him, so the thread of toxic masculinity became a part of the story too. There were a few twists along the way, but the initial fast pace and suspense didn't last and parts of the book dragged slightly. We also discover just how far this mother was prepared to go for her children.

With Every Mother’s Nightmare, every time I thought I knew where things were going, the book slapped me in the face, told me I was wrong and made me keep reading.

With gripping twists, believable characters and a plot to unearth along side the characters, you learn exactly what could go wrong when everything CAN go wrong when it comes to peacocking, youth culture and toxic masculinity.

I found myself rooting for all the right people, and was internally screaming at points when their decisions were being made against best judgements!

Gripping and full of twists!
This book had me completely hooked from start to finish. Just when I thought I had the plot figured out, the author turned everything on its head in the most unexpected ways. The storytelling is brilliantly done—an expertly woven blend of suspense and character development.

The pacing is spot on, with a slow but steady reveal that kept me on edge the entire time. The tension builds masterfully, making it nearly impossible to stop reading. I constantly had to fight the temptation to skip ahead just to find out what happens next!

The writing is smooth, engaging, and incredibly imaginative. It’s the ideal read for a weekend getaway—one of those rare books that you simply can’t put down until you’ve reached the final page.

Highly recommended!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers and the author for the ARC in return for an honest review.

This was a really good book. Definitely went in a different direction to what I was first expecting! Very relevant for today's toxic masculinity debate and highlighted the fears many parents have today. Uncomfortable to read at times because it was so realistic.

Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book.
I did enjoy it although at times I found it somewhat slow. It wasn’t as exciting as some previous books by this author. But still, a good read!

Every Mother’s Nightmare is S.E. Lynes’ latest psychological thriller, and it does not disappoint.
Lynes captures that heart-sickening, world-stopping feeling every mother dreads in this emotionally charged rollercoaster of a novel.
When Casey’s mother, Melissa, gets that call to tell her that her daughter has been found and is in the hospital, I don’t think there is a mother alive who doesn’t connect to that feeling. The self-doubt, the panic, the backtracking in your mind, what could I have done differently? This is Lynes’ genius, she knows her reader, she knows how we think, how we feel, and she taps into our psyche and our deepest fears.
But nothing is as it first appears. There are different stories and different threads all tightly woven. Mainly told in three points of view, Melissa, Casey and Casey’s brother, Dan, each one keeping us in suspense. And then there is Spider - but I don’t want to give any spoilers, so will stop there..
Three storylines and a dual timeline could get confusing, but Lynes keeps her reader well in hand. This style of writing appears effortless but is extraordinarily difficult to pull off, and it is a testament to Lynes’ writing that she never loses her readers' attention.
I read this in two sittings, hardly breathing, unable to put it down, thoroughly and deeply engrossed from beginning to end.
The book should be compulsory reading for anyone seeking to understand the current situation regarding girls and boys and toxic masculinity. We’ve had the TV series Adolescence, and now we have this. It isn’t just toxic masculinity, it is the influencers, TikTok, Instagram – the insidiousness of the internet and how it feeds into the insecurities of young people.
This is a book we can all relate to, with characters drawn with sensitivity and a precision that we have come to expect from this author.
Of course, this is a psychological thriller, so there are twists, boy, are there twists!
For me, this is her best yet, and it will haunt me for some time to come.

Every Mother's Nightmare was a really good read right from the start. I liked all three of the main characters, Melissa a mother who I could relate to, and a lovely daughter, Casey and son Dan. The story held my attention all through the book, and what an ending, total surprise. Another good book by SE Lynes one of my favourite authors.

This book is not a thriller or a cop-orientated book, more like a very long description of facts from beginning to end. I have to be honest here, I found this book very boring in my opinion, no cliffhangers, no big reveal twists at the end... Everything was very predictable and all in all, I believe you don't need that many pages to tell such a story. Not my cup of tea, I am afraid. I have read other novels by S.E. Lynes and was instantly hooked, but not this time. Thank you NetGalley though, for the possibility to review this book in advance.

Not at all what I went in expecting but it ended up being even better than I could have dreamt. It's every mother's nightmare. When the truth comes out all I can say is hold on because I nearly dropped my kindle. The characters develop well although I was unsure of their intentions. The storyline is believable and twisted.

This book was okay, nothing about it really stood out to me too much honestly. A easy to read thriller

A harrowing cleverly woven story based around male toxicity, how someone can become involved in it and how it manifests as appealing when ‘sold’ to those seeking ‘the best life has to offer’ and are drawn into it and once there, even with reservations, find it hard to leave it

The story is set at a Summer camp where our main character ( working there ) wakes to find herself in a terrible predicament and not knowing who had caused it….her brother and his ‘friends’ are also at the camp, what happens next is a tense, quick moving tale involving ‘Mum’, the Police and Spider ( another worker at the camp ) all very diffetent characters but all central to the story

Its such an involving read, a buzzing hard hitting start that really didn’t let up and although I say this regularly this is my new fav by the author

I liked the ‘non easy approach’ to everything involved in the story, its so easy to write about a subject that is horrific without looking into the issues around it, why it seems glamorous and why the vulnerable are intoxicated by it and the role Social Media plays

And also any book that mentions Nescafe, Silk Cut and Joan Collins in one sentence ( offering light relief in a serious book ) has to be a winner

Superb again from S E Lynes

How far will a mother go to protect her child? Melissa is so terrified that something will happen to one of her children that she has pre-empted and prepared for a number of scenarios! That does nothing to prevent the horror and fear when the call she is dreading comes through. Her daughter, Casey, who has taken a summer job at a camp, has been found in a tent, in a state of undress and with no memory of what happened.

Told from multiple perspectives and in the run up to the incident as well as afterwards, the story explores the key character's behaviours, particularly the young males, the rich kids and the peer pressure that impacted the behaviour of Melissa's children.

It was a slow burn of a read, which is different to other books I have read by this author and then the ending was an absolute rollercoaster of twists and turns as the truth was revealed - I had to sit for a minute to calm my racing mind after it all unravelled!

3 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, S. E. Lynes and Bookouture, for an ARC of this book.

I devoured this book in one short sitting, I couldn't put it down. The writing and story line hooked me right from the very start and held my attention hostage until the very end. The pacing and tension was perfect and the characters were really well developed and I was so invested. I loved it.

Holy moly, she’s done it again! Susie Lynes knows exactly how to tap into your fears and mess around with your mind and in Every Mother’s Nightmare, she executes her skill exquisitely! When Melissa receives a call at work informing her that her daughter Casey is in hospital I got that rush of fear, the call that every mother/parent dreads!
We’ve all been there, when your kids start taking those first steps to independent living, you want to hold them back or at least wrap them in bubble wrap before they step out into the big bad world. Melissa’s wracked with guilt following the incident, she blames herself, she shouldn’t have let her go to the camp…she should have been able to afford the lifestyle her daughter’s friends had…so many relatable themes in this book.
However, it soon becomes clear as you turn the pages that not everyone or everything is at it seems. Told from three points of view, Melissa, Casey and Dan (her brother) doubt starts to creep in at every turn, each of them seems to be keeping a secret and it’s killing them. The dual timeline worked perfectly, effortlessly weaved together and never confusing.
The story is very relevant in today’s world of toxic masculinity and filtered lives played out on social media. It was easy to see how young men can get themselves caught up and trapped by extremely skilled manipulators who play on the insecurities of others. There is also the world where our young people live their lives comparing themselves to others and their filtered lives on screen and left feeling isolated and insecure. My loathing was real as Lynes fictional versions of the Tates played out on the pages, my skin crawled and my rage intensified. It’s a scary world out there and Lynes cuts to the heart of a world where social media feeds the insecurities of our youth making them ripe for manipulation.
Once again she poses the what if and what would you do questions, which draw the reader into the heart of the story and the lives of the characters making you question yourself; me I was yelling, I hear ya sister to Melissa every step of the way!
As always, Lynes paces to perfection; she doesn’t write wham bam thank you mam style, it’s not what her books are about. Rather, they are about exploring some of our deepest fears, insecurities, they are about the what ifs and the realisation that her characters are all people we know, or perhaps they are even us; they are about firmly placing yourself in the heart of the story, you become an actor in it, making for a completely compelling and engrossing read.
The connection to the characters for me is what makes Lynes a master storyteller, their lives are relatable and their fears are our fears too. Once again she nailed it.
This book is way off the “it’s a belter” scale…go buy it now, you won’t be disappointed!

it was okay. at first it was fast and easy to read, but the second part really slows down and i'm not sure that helps the story. dan's chapters often felt like instagram infographics which i get, raising awareness of redpill dudes is a good intention, but the way it was written was not natural. the way in which we learn new info was also odd to me, and the twists were kind of predictable.

This was a tense, emotionally layered read that pulled me in right away. As a mom—and especially as a mom of a daughter—this one hit close to home. I felt such a connection to the mother in this story. The way she steps in at the end? Total momma bear moment. I honestly can’t say I wouldn’t have done the same.

Byrne Sharp is exactly the kind of man you hope gets what’s coming to him, and watching it all unravel kept me turning the pages. Every character felt believable (who hasn’t met a Byrne?), and while the UK phrasing slowed me down just a bit, it didn’t take away from the story. I even found myself reading parts in my best British accent—take that as you will! There is a twist that was unexpected and a fun surprise there at the end!

If you like stories where justice is served and moms don’t mess around, this one’s for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Release date: July 8, 2025
Author: S.E. Lynes
Publisher: Bookoture

⭐️⭐️⭐️

pre-read ‧₊˚⋅♡𓂃 ࣪
This book sounds like it’s right up my alley. I’m excited for a twisty thriller!!

Every Mother’s Nightmare

The writing didn’t really work for me—some parts felt dragged out and a little clunky—but the story itself was tense and twisty enough to keep me reading. It’s told through three perspectives, which helped build the suspense and slowly reveal the truth behind a seriously disturbing situation. There’s a dead body found in the woods, a missing teenage girl who’s later found alone in a tent and hospitalized, and a mother who’s completely unraveling but determined to protect her kids at all costs. The characters weren’t super deep, but the plot had enough going on to make up for it. Not amazing, but definitely kept me curious.



Thank you to Netgally, Bookoture & SE Lynes for this early edition!

The book is written before and after the event. The background is the backdrop of the story.
Melissa is a single mum to Dan and Casey, money is tight so but they survive.
Dan works in a bar and he begins to listen to Byrne, a motivational professional.
Casey has just finished her A-levels and finds a job in a holiday camp for young people; where her wealthier will be attending.
Dan, Byrne and friends arrive at the camp and when Byrne meets Casey the story begins.
A book that keeps you guessing!!

As good a read as all the previous books the author has written!

S E Lynes books are always immaculately written and provide depth and insight to unimaginable situations.

Picking up a new book by this author is always a treat to savour which when over always leaves me feeling bereft until the next release!

As recommended as always!

Enjoyed this book! Parts of it were slightly predictable, but other parts were not. I was really interested to know more throughout and I connected with the main characters. I also thought it addressed some really current important issues and it gave me a feeling of dread and familiarity in my stomach (in a good way) I liked how it all came together in the end. Would definitely be interested to read more if this authors work!