In this book you're fully immersed into one of the nightmares of every mother! What a roller coaster of a book!

This book was wildly entertaining!

It all started with a phone call that no mother wants to get. Casey is at Summer Camp and receives unwanted attention from one of her brothers so called friends. Things escalate quickly and Casey finds herself in big trouble. So she calls her mom.

Things get twisty and everyone involved has their own secrets!

Thank you NetGalley for the arc! I truly enjoyed this book!

I've said it before and will say it again, no one writes characters like S E Lynes. They feel so vivid and the dialogue is really natural, which hardly anyone gets right but she knocks it out of the park!

The theme was really interesting and I enjoyed seeing how Dan was enticed into Byrne's little crew. I liked the multiple perspectives and timelines.

The only thing that I didn't love about this book was that there weren't really any surprises - it is heavily hinted from the first few chapters what has happened. The epilogue was good though.

Overall I would recommend this book.

The was my first read by S.E. Lynes and it won't be my last! I loved the chapter set up with the POV of the main characters and the change from past to present throughout the chapters. A very gripping read which as a mom, gave me all the feels. Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC. All opinions are my own. Rating: 4 stars Expected publication date: July 9, 2025

First, thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC!

Melissa's children are in summer camp. Then Melissa gets a phone call. Her daughter is in hospital. Hurt and not remembering anything. And then a dead body is found is the same woods of the camp. And your daughter still can not tell what has happened...

This was surely a chilling read full of drama and a rollercoaster of emotions. It might be more suspense than a thriller, but still a gripping read.

There are multiple POVs and different timelines, which are often not my cup of tea, so, even when the writing was very good and the ending a shock and unexpected, I am only giving 4.5 stars for this one.

Loved this one! Picked it up and just couldn’t put it down! Such a good page turner!
I loved the characters they were interesting and totally relatable. They felt so real
The twists like I did not see them coming!!
It really kept me on my toes loved it

This is a story that needs to be told, particularly now the issues of toxic masculinity and alpha males are coming more to the fore.
An interesting plot. Sometimes a little slow in pace. More suspense than thriller. Not a bad thing. Just managing expectations.

S.E .Lynes does it again.
A powerful storyline. Sadly all relevant issue's today.
I loved how we are taken back and forth and also the main characters having there own chapters.
Wonderful writing i highly recommend this read.
My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my copy.

Talk about hitting me in the "feels." If you are a parent, this book will send you on a rollercoaster of emotion. While this is the first novel I have read by this author, I can assure you, it will not be the last. Your child is hurt. You get the call while you're at work. Racing to your children's side, you have more questions than you do answers. Where was Casey's brother Dan this whole time? How did she wind up in a location she knows nothing about? Why can't she remember anything? Is someone out to hurt the family?

This is a fast read and one I highly recommend. The ending will have you SHOOK!

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the eArc!

Every mothers nightmare is something bad happening to their child and when Melissa’s kids go off to summer camp the unthinkable happens the police are on the phone and her daughter has been found and had been the victim of an attack. As Melissa rushes to be at her daughter’s side her son is waking up in a nightmare of his own as he can’t find his sister and has no memory of what happened the night before. This book is a great thriller and I can’t tell you any more without spoiling it but I loved it.

The Housewarming by S.E. Lynes is one of my all-time favorite thrillers. That book has haunted me for years, especially since I read it when my daughter was a baby. Its plot—centered around the disappearance of a child—is every new parent’s worst fear, and it hit me like a punch to the gut.

So, when I saw Lynes had a new book coming out, I had to read it immediately. As the title suggests, Every Mother’s Nightmare taps into another universal fear: something terrible happening to your daughter. And on that front, it delivers.

This story is chilling and gut-wrenching. The drama feels real, and the use of multiple narrators across different timelines adds depth and emotional complexity. I found myself cringing at several moments—it’s one of those books that makes you want to hug your kids a little tighter.

That said, for me, it didn’t quite reach the masterful level of The Housewarming. While the premise was strong and the storytelling solid, the mystery’s resolution felt a little too easy. We figure out the truth fairly early on, and while there are a few twists later in the story, they don’t shift the narrative as much as I hoped. Some of the characters’ decisions—particularly the mother’s—also didn’t always feel believable.

Still, this is an entertaining and emotional read that thriller fans will appreciate. It plays on real parental fears, and while it didn’t shake me quite like Lynes’s earlier work, it’s definitely worth a read.

A huge thank you to Bookouture for the gifted ARC !

Lordy! This was a bit of an eye opener into the ever changing lives of young people today. Scarily accurate. The author doesn’t shrink back from opening doors into the dark rooms where toxic masculinity thrives and where young women hide behind invented social norms. Oh yep …. and it’s a cracking thriller too!

Multiple twists and turns! 4 stars!

This book completely captivated me! I genuinely thought I had the plot figured out, but the author expertly subverted my expectations at every turn. The narrative is masterfully crafted, weaving together suspense and character development with remarkable skill. The pacing is excellent; the gradual unveiling of the timeline kept me on the edge of my seat, building an almost unbearable level of suspense. I found myself constantly resisting the urge to simply skip ahead and discover the ending sooner! The writing itself is really great; fluid, engaging, and brimming with creativity. It's the perfect choice for a weekend escape – a book you won't want to put down until you've devoured every last page. Highly recommend!

Thank you Bookouture and NetGalley for an early copy of Every Mother’s Nightmare. The synopsis and the writing about the book on the cover pulled me in. Byrne was a real, pompous jerk and Dan was groomed right from the start, very sad how subtle it was. The fight between Casey and her mom was so real regarding the camp and Melissa’s guilt over money hits home as a mom. Sarah was an Awesome friend, no one better. Dan and Casey were great siblings, made me cry especially with the way they connected after the arrests. This is a book that could happen now to anyone of us and it’s scary to know that. I did NOT like the ending and what ACTUALLY happened, it turned me off regarding Melissa. That was the only bad part. Thank you again.

S.E. Lynes delivers a masterclass in psychological suspense with Every Mother’s Nightmare. This gripping, emotionally charged thriller explores the darkest fears of parenthood with stunning realism and heart-pounding tension. Lynes’ writing is beautifully layered—both haunting and compassionate—and the characters are so vividly drawn, they feel heartbreakingly real. The twists are expertly placed, keeping readers on edge while delving deep into complex themes of trust, guilt, and maternal instinct. A powerful, unforgettable read that lingers long after the final page. This is Lynes at her absolute best.

Another 10 star read from Lynes. An unsettling tale with lots of twists., Lynes is a writing witch - knows how to scare without making the subsequent bump too devastating.

Absolutely fantastic read! I felt I was in this book! As a mum of a teenager I could feel her anxiety and I absolutely loved the multiple end twists. So real I can def see this being a movie!

Wow! What have I just read! The twists and turns were fantastic. I loved Casey and Dan's story's, they were amazing. I read this in one sitting, at times my heart was in my mouth. Such a great story. I totally recommend reading this ASAP ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

It’s the call every mother dreads.
You knew it was coming…

This book had me on the edge of my seat. As soon as I read the first chapter I couldn’t put it down.
Being a mum and nanny myself this would definitely be my worst nightmare imaginable. To find out one of your children has been hurt and you’re not there is awful. Then when all the details of the incident come out things escalate rapidly.
I always enjoy S.E. Lynes writing, her books are thrilling and definitely hard to put down!
Thank you to Netgalley and the author for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Release: July 8, 2025
Author: SE Lynes
Publisher: Bookoture

Rating: 4 ★ 

On a sweltering summer afternoon, a mother receives the phone call she’s always dreaded—her daughter has been found alone and disoriented, with no memory of what happened. Panic sets in as she rushes to the hospital, overwhelmed with guilt for ever letting her daughter leave for the weekend. She’s also angry—her son was supposed to be looking out for her, and something clearly went wrong.
As the mother tries to piece together the truth, her worst fears escalate when the police discover a body in the woods near where her children had been staying. Suddenly, it’s not just about helping her daughter recover—it’s about protecting her family at all costs. But as secrets begin to surface, she’s forced to ask the hardest question of all: Who really needs protecting—her daughter, her son, or herself?
I couldn’t put this book down—it completely pulled me in from the very first page. The way the chapters jump through different timelines made it easy to follow and kept the suspense building throughout. I found myself constantly trying to figure out who could be trusted, and just when I thought I had it all figured out, another twist would hit.
What stood out to me most was how emotionally connected I felt to the characters, especially the mother. Her strength and determination were so compelling, and I admired how she fought to protect her family, even when the truth started to unravel. The story also touches on some deeper themes, like toxic masculinity, which added another layer to the plot and made it even more thought-provoking.
With a gripping mix of mystery, emotion, and unexpected twists, this is definitely a thriller I’d recommend—and one I’d gladly read again.

Favorite Quote:
"she closes her eyes to a vision of herself in the dock, hands clasped front of her, head bowed. In response, her entire body flushes hot, an echo of the burning humiliation she felt less than an hour ago. And sure enough, her mind strays to that mortifying ordeal."