Wow. This book was so incredible. I read this book on vacation and I found that I couldn’t wait to get back to it. I haven’t been this hooked on a book in a long, long time. It was so good that at about halfway in, I immediately downloaded the author’s previous book, Best Day Ever, because I knew I had to read it. I even paid over $7 for it, which for me is a lot for a digital copy for a book (I usually wait til digital books are $3 or under before buying them).

I felt like I was riding along in the mind of someone very different from me. The main character is just chilling. Some of the things she thought or said actually astounded me-I actually shook my head or gasped- which really weirded out the people who were next to me on the plane. I don’t physically react to books very often.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who likes psychological novels that put you inside the mind of a very disturbed person. This author is the master, as far as I’m concerned!

*than you to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC of this book in exchange for this honest review*

Jane Harris is an interesting and complicated main character. She has been grieving the death of her daughter, Mary for a year and is finally ready to stop the meds and reconnect with her husband and her younger daughter Betsy who’s about to graduate HS.

Author Kaira Rouda has big talent when it comes to writing unreliable narrators. Similar to Paul in her last book Best Day Ever, Jane talks to the reader and works hard to prove what a considerate and thoughtful person she is. She’s a good wife and an involved parent.

No spoilers here so all I can say is you will be hooked and won’t be able to put this chilling and complex title down. Bravo to Kaira for another fantastic read!

I received an ARC from Netgalley.

I hated the narrator. Hated her (which I think you are supposed to). I had zero idea what was going on, mainly because we are reading from the view of an unreliable narrator. The plot was ok, nothing crazy but nothing completely boring. The characters all felt very similar, no one stood out from the other. The story built up to this whole graduation climax and it felt very blah. The writing was excellent and definitely kept me engaged the whole time, hence the 4 star rating. But there were definitely things that could have been done better.

The blurb sounded interesting, but it didn't really meet my expectations. I found it to be just so-so overall. It's a psychological thriller, but I think that term is stretching it a bit at times. Some elements seemed a bit forces. Oh, sure, it did have the stereotypical "psycho" character (Jane), but her character just didn't work for me. There really weren't a lot of original components to the story, so it was hard for me to stay engaged. I think that was also due to the fact that too much time is spent inside Jane's head.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley, but I wasn't required to leave a positive review.

Meh, not really what I anticipated in this book. While the writing was good, I could not relate to the characters in any way.

The Favorite Daughter is the second book I have read by Kaira Rouda.

I enjoy her writing style so much and I love a story being told from the perspective of the unreliable narrator. Jane is quite an interesting character. I totally understand that parts of the plot of this book were predictable, but I enjoyed it anyway.

Jane and husband David live in an upscale home in Orange County with their daughter Betsy who soon graduates from highschool. Tragedy struck a year before when they lost their daughter Mary in a terrible accident...or was it an accident? Jane is a control freak when it comes to motherhood, and when she finds out her husband is cheating she will do what it takes to see that his lover leaves town. But what’s the truth behind Mary’s death?

A great book that was hard to put down.

A family falling apart after the death of the oldest daughter; the husband having an affair; the wife coming out of therapy, angry and vengeful; the younger daughter rebelling. All of these things are happening simultaneously as readers are left wondering if the death was an accident, suicide, or murder. The author does a wonderful job of walking a tightrope of keeping horrible characters sympathetic.

Well, Rouda has once again shown that psychological thrillers can be both darkly funny and chilling at the same time without feeling cliched. Both this and Best Day Ever had a really fresh and current vibe that makes you feel like you’re reading something from an author who has found their perfect niche. I’m a huge fan of Rouda’s style and am so excited to (hopefully) see her continue writing in the same vein.

The entire story is told from Jane’s perspective and what a character she is. Often she is speaking directly to the reader giving this such a personal touch, I loved that aspect and she is also one of those narrators that constantly keeps you guessing, one minute I was sure she was delusional and a borderline psychopath and then the next I would almost feel sorry for her. Who is the real Jane?! You’ll have to read to find out, but finding out the truth was one hell of an addictive roller coaster ride.

Once again, I was confident I knew what would eventually happen but the author wrong footed me in the end, there were quite a few startling revelations that delighted me. Jane is just as over the top and dramatic as Paul was in BDE and I love me some drama! Totally recommend this for fans of domestic suspense, it was just so wickedly fun.

The Favorite Daughter in three words: Addictive, Dramatic and Sinister.

Well, it’s not often that I read a book whose lead character I don’t like at all.
That tells you that this one is well written. It’s like a train wreck - you can’t put it down because this woman is sooooo _______, you have to find out what the real story is and what the heck is going on! Hard to say much more without giving the twists away. Just read it and find out for yourself. Could there really be people like this crazy family?

I'll admit that I really struggled reading this book for the first 45 pages or so. The main reason is that I really couldn't stand the protagonist of the novel, Jane. She was the typical vapid bitch that one would imagine a rich Orange County housewife to be. I know that the author was trying to vividly depict a narcissist who's also an unreliable narrator, but I suppose I like my narcissists to be more charming than annoying.

Jane is a total control freak who can't stand that her daughters don't follow her rules, especially her biological daughter Betsy, whom she keeps referring to being the lesser daughter, and going on about how her deceased daughter Mary was her favourite because she was beautiful, smart, talented, and above all popular.

Maybe it's a personal pet peeve but I really dislike protagonists (especially those that are written in first person) who are prone to criticize other women and pretty much be the sort of mean girl you try to avoid in real life. Honestly, there's a reason why I avoid those reality shows like the Real Lives of (insert city) Housewives, cause all those women are shallow, manipulative, and just plain horrid human beings.

Now you're wondering, what made you continue to read if you hated the protagonist so much? Well, the writing itself was flowing and easy going (although it lacked the descriptive writing I'm more of a fan of) and I did want to find out if my hunch on what had really happened was true.

Spoiler alert: I was right, so the grand twist was no true twist. I don't know if this book was the best representation of a psychological thriller, but it was entertaining. I just wish that the other characters in the book were a bit more likable, as I would've actually felt some compassion for the terrible things that were happening to them. But ironically, as much as I disliked Jane, I kinda sided with her, cause her family members truly treated her poorly that they kinda deserved her ire.

I think women's book clubs and fans of cozy mysteries would actually be the best fans for this novel. There's not much gore or thrill, so fans of thrillers seeking a chilling tale won't find it in this book, but if you're hoping to be entertained and spend the afternoon with a delusional rich housewife and laugh at her expense, then you're at the right place.

You can see the plot point coming a mile away, but this still is an enjoyable read. The family dynamics are a bit predictable but still painful, the setting a familiar place of privilege and wealth in SoCal.

I was hesitant when I started this novel, as I usually don’t like books with unreliable narrators. WOW am I glad I persisted! I flew through this in an evening and loved every bit of it. It’s twisted, compelling, and surprisingly filled with some dark humor. It would make a fantastic choice for book clubs. If you like mystery/thrillers, this is a must read!

The premise of this novel is great and I do like Kaira Rouda's writing, but this particular novel could have been stronger had it been tightened up. I understand what the author was trying to do -- to plunge the reader inside Jane's unreliable head -- but the reader spends so much time there that it becomes wearing.

Thank you netgalley for the e-review edition of this book.

The book opens on the first day of the rest of Jane's life. She has suffered a crippling blow, her golden child, her light, died in a horrible accident a year ago. And now. after 12 months of severe depression, sleeping, not caring about a thing in the world, Jane has decided it is time to reclaim her life. Poor Jane.

Over the past year, her husband and caretaker, David, has grown weary. And her remaining daughter, Betsy, has grown distant and possesses that dreaded teenage quality--sarcasm and snark. It appears that when Mary died, the perfect, happy family died with her. Jane is desperate to reclaim that dynamic.

As these books go (and predictably so if you read Best Day Ever), things are not quite as they seem and to call Jane an unreliable narrator would be the understatement of the year. Still, it's hard to know who to trust and what to believe.

I definitely enjoyed this book--Rouda really nails what a narcissist is and their baffling behavior. And of course, the most disturbing part--their belief that they are always in the right and that they are a victim of other's doing things to sabotage them. As if. These people are train wrecks. And infuriating. And it's impossible to look away as much as you may dislike them.

But I did have some criticisms. To me Jane and Paul Strom (the narcissistic character in Best Day Ever) are so similar, it started to get a little tired for me about halfway through the book. And having read her last book, made the story and outcome all a little too predictable for me.

I'm not sure what would have differentiated it more for me. While different genders and in different situations, both Jane and Paul seemed to be attractive people who were once loveable and likeable until the people around them had just had enough and saw them for what they really are. And their tones were just so similar.

At the end of the book, in the afterword, the author addresses this personality disorder--narcissism. And explains a bit why she is so fascinated with it and how she now sees them everywhere. So I understand why it has had such an impact on the stories she tells. I am looking forward to more books from Rouda, maybe a new spin or personality disorder will be featured next time.

Special thanks to Graydon House Books and Netgalley for an advanced e-galley in exchange for my honest review. This review will be published to my blog, WomeninTroubleBookBlog on April 22, 2019.

Oh this book.
I loved Kaira Rouda's The Best Day Ever, so I was excited for this book. And I wasn't disappointed at all.
What I loved: Rouda writes an amazing unreliable narrator who slowly starts to become unreliably reliable (that's I thing...I think).
What I liked: The way the MC pulled us along through the story and gave a insight into the other characters - her husband is truly spineless (he could have done so much), her daughters, the neighbors, her in-laws.
What I hated: The MC, but also her husband. I just wanted him to grow a pair. YEESSH.

Definitely worth the read.
Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this!!

Kaira Rouda's novel, The Favorite Daughter starts out very strong and gripping. It was an exciting page-turner that had me wanting to read more. However, as the book progresses, the storyline, as well as the characters seem to fall apart. It becomes an almost unbelievable tale that just gets crazier with each chapter. If Rouda would have stayed with the original train of thought, it would definitely been a better written novel.

I loved Kaira's writing and she is one of my new favorite authors. She has the best ability to write those characters you love to absolutely hate.I was so engrossed by this style of writing I could not put it down.. i mean I absolutely hated the mother but couldnt stop reading her and getting inside her head!

Wow. Much like Best Day Ever, this book is written from a narcissist’s point of view. And while I can’t stand narcissists, they sure do make great book characters. While I was hoping a bit less predictability I could not put this book down and was ultimately happy with the ending. I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

There is NO ONE and I mean NO ONE who writes the delusional, unreliable narcissist quite like Kaira Rouda! If you thought Best Day Ever's Paul Stromm was a fun character to hate-read, wait until you meet Jane Harris - who just may put Paul to shame! This plot was so inventive and creative, I really enjoyed being along for the ride! I know this will be a book everyone is talking about in 2019!