Wowee wow what a triumph of a psychological thriller! A main character you love to hate in the best possible way, more twists than San Fran’s Lombard Street, and wickedly funny too. June Harris, who lost her oldest daughter Mary a year old, has been beset by grief and finally re-emerges to find her once perfect family changed around her. Husband now gone long hours at the office. Daughter totally secretive. Even Mary, the quintessential “good girl,” may not have been all she appeared to be. Rouda writes characters you detest so beautifully that you love her for it because she keeps you so darned entertained. 5/5

Pub Date 21 May 2019. Available at Amazon.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are mine.

#TheFavoriteDaughter #NetGalley

At first, I felt bad for Jane - I thought she was a mom on the outside because she was struggling to live again after the death of a child; but as I read further into her decent into complete and utter madness fueled by narcissism and gained insight into her mind, I pulled up a chair to sit and watch the sh*t show unravel. And it was a damn good show.

I have loved all of Ms. Rouda's earlier books and her ability to pivot into the world of suspense have resulted in two terrific reads - Best Day Ever and The Favorite Daughter.

I’ll start with the good. I loved the first person narration and it worked well for this novel. I also tend to really like unreliable narrators because typically they make for a good, shocking story. And at first I wanted to feel sorry for her, because her daughter was dead and she was in morning.

Unfortunately, there is not a single likable character in this entire novel. Even the dead daughter comes off as kind of bratty, probably because of her manipulative mother, cheating father, and conniving grandparents. I kept thinking I would understand why Jane Harris acts the way she does, but the deeper I got into this book the more I disliked her and the more she began to unravel.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind crazy characters. But the way she unraveled made me just want to skim through the book so I could find out who Mary’s killer is.

To me there a really thin line between an unreliable narrator and a narrator that is so unlikable that you really don’t care what happens to them. Throw in the fact that every other character is unlikable as well and, well, it makes it really hard to care about the book at all.

This is the first book I’ve read by Kaira Rouda and I’m hoping maybe I’ll find something else of hers that I like better.

I wanted to start off by saying this: I think had the author wrote Jane as a better "unreliable character" and took more time with her-- the story itself would have been more interesting to me and it wouldn't of been so predictable. I know the author was trying so hard to create this character that led us in different directions and I just didn't feel it with Jane. And that is what hurt this book for me. It was predicable. SHE was predictable. I could see everything coming just from the things she was telling us. From the second you read the first few chapters, you know how this story is going to go and how it's going to end. 

With me saying that, I thought the pacing was quick and edgy. That helped me a lot! It was easily a book that could be read in one sitting and sometimes as a reader, that is just what we are looking for. I really loved the campy vibe of the story as well. The writing was jarring and witty and the way Jane used her tone to speak to the reader, on top of the campy vibes, really livened things up while reading. 

Also have to add in my review how stunning that cover is. Ultimately-- it's what drew me into the book. 

The Favorite Daughter was a quick and fun read but the story as a whole was rather boring because you could tell what was going to happen next. With creating a different type of characterization for Jane, I feel like the author could have added a whole lot more suspense that was unexpected to the reader.

This is Kaira's second book -- but the first one I have read of hers and I absolutely loved it!! Her writing is so unique and I could barely stop reading!! It's so unusual for me to want to read a book in one sitting - but she had me hooked!!

Twisted and delusional is the only way to describe the matriarch of the family. Granted she suffered a huge loss of her daughter a year ago and her husband is a lying asswipe but she still has one daughter who needs her.

Jane is a trip. She’s completely wrapped up on her own world and view of things. You are never quite sure if she’s full of truth or full of shit. She definitely falls along the line of unreliable narrator.

It's been one year almost to the day since Jane Harris’s oldest daughter, Mary, fell from a cliff into the dark waters of the Pacific Ocean. Jane, too, has been swallowed up: by grief and by the pills her psychiatrist has put her on. She’s barely left the house except for therapy appointments, is too fragile to drive herself, and is terrified of the ocean. But now on the eve of the anniversary of her daughter’s death, Jane is ready to make a change. She’s done away with the pills and plans on using the memorial as her debut back into Orange County society. Jane is in control. Sort of.

There are a few problems with Jane’s vision of the future. Her husband of twenty years, David, is cheating on her with his assistant from work. Her surviving daughter, Betsy, keeps as much distance from her mother as possible. It’s only a minor setback, Jane tells her audience. She has a plan on how to get things back on track. Or, just how to get back—at the people who’ve wronged her.

Jane is the perfect narrator. Which is to say, she knows exactly the way she wants her audience to see her. The narration style Rouda employs has Jane telling the story directly to the reader, as if you’re her best friend and confidant. As such, Jane reveals information when it’s most convenient for her, bringing into question not just whether or not she’s telling the truth, but who is really responsible for Mary’s death.

The Favorite Daughter was equal parts delightful, wicked, and terrifying as we delve deeper into the mind of a narcissist. This was a page turner, not just because I wanted to figure out what Jane’s deal was, but because I wanted to know how her revenge was going to be served. The Favorite Daughter is a perfect pool-side read.

This was my first time reading this author and it wasn’t a bad read. This book is supposed to be a psychological thriller but I didn’t find it to be that way for me. Often times I would laugh at the tactics Jane pulled throughout the story. When we got to the ending I really would have liked a flashback of the night Mary died from her point of view and the killer. I would have also liked a point of view from David who is Jane’s husband as well. This story had tremendous potential but it was predictable at certain parts. I did feel the ending was abrupt and a little flat. I would have liked to see the characters a few months later after the dust had settled. Overall, I did like Rouda’s writing style and I am not against reading another story by this author.

*cue up the Cypress Hill'

"Who you tryin' ta mess with ese?
Don't you know I'm loco?"

Jane, jane, Jane. You are, so....different from any character I've ever read before. One the one year anniversary of her daughter death, Jane wakes from her grief fog and is determined to find out the truth. Her family, her husband - they are all suspects to Crazy Jane.

Jane starts receiving notes - saying there's more to Mary's death...and Jane wants to find out who is sending the notes and what they know.

Jane is the kind of character I love reading about - in that - original and terrifying and strong and sad and full of terror and love and hate and regret.

The Favorite Daughter is sure to be a hit of the summer.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

A year after the death of her eldest daughter Mary from a horrific accident, Jane Harris tries to put her always present grief behind her and start anew with her husband David and youngest daughter Betsy. But that is difficult as she has been in a drug induced haze and in counseling for the past year dealing with the death.

There is a memorial for Mary coming up as well as Betsy's graduation from high school. Her husband David is never around and leaves for work early and arrives home very late. She feels like she has missed so much over the past year that she has to make up for the time she was "away" grieving. Jane soon realizes very quickly that her family has changed and in her mind not for the better. Betsy is short with her and very secretive and David seems to want to have nothing to do with her.

Jane gives a clear picture to the reader of a family moving on without her and she will have none of that. Jane, although in mourning has been a busy woman throughout the year. She sees and knows more than her family thinks, It's time now for her to reclaim her family.

But then Jane discovers someone knows something about Mary's accident, her husband is having an affair and Betsy has been hiding things from her. She misses Mary so much because she never caused these types of problems.

What should she do? Well fix the family of course! As only she can.

This psychological fast paced thriller will have your heart racing as Jane addresses the reader and gives us bits and pieces of her plans and how the past and present merge into an explosive ending.

From the author of The Best Day Ever, Kaira Rouda is a psychological genius in her character development.

Thank you #NetGalley #Graydon House #Kaira Rouda #The Favorite Daughter for the advanced copy. The Favorite Daughter is out now.

“The Favorite Daughter” by Kaira Rouda is the story of Jane Harris and the perfect home, the perfect family, and the perfect lie. It is unfolds in Jane’s first person narrative. She talks to herself and she talks to readers. She admits being manipulative, “I should win a domestic Golden Globe.” She shares her feelings about others “Well, she was already on my list of course, but she’s bumped herself up in the ratings.” She explains her social philosophy “I’ve always enjoyed the company of men over women. I’m sorry to say. They’re just, well, easier.” In addition, she shares her research, “But honestly, I watch a lot of crime TV these days, do a lot of online research about death. If you are going to be murdered, you’re more likely to be killed by someone you know, and most likely, love. Almost half of all murdered women are killed by a romantic partner. Lovely, I know.” Readers can only wonder why she is sharing that!
Jane Harris lives picturesque Orange County. A beautiful place, but Jane’s beautiful life is drenched in sadness. One year ago, Jane’s oldest daughter, Mary, died in a terrible accident, but despite this gut-wrenching tragedy, Jane is someone that readers will just love to hate. In fact, everyone in the book is nasty, and that nastiness makes for fantastic reading. Of course, there are times when one cannot help but root for her, even just a little, but unfortunately, she is just disagreeable, narcissistic, and horrible.
Rouda’s plot proceeds at an appropriate pace with plenty of twists and turns, but it is not so complex that readers get lost in the complications since Jane feels compelled to share her secrets.
“The Favorite Daughter” is a fun, almost compulsive read. The storyline is interesting with some unexpected moments, and an extraordinary ending. I received a review copy of “The Favorite Daughter” from Kaira Rouda, and Graydon House Books. It is highly entertaining.

This was one heck of a book. From the beginning you will get into Jane’s head and won’t be able to escape. She’s one narcissistic woman who you don’t need to cross. I liked her very much but would certainly never want her as a neighbor.

The characters in this book are so well developed. So hard to truly get to know. You only get to know them via Jane Harris and Jane has lots of opinions about each person in this book. It’s told completely from Jane. This book will keep you turning pages until the very end. You will want to know honestly who did what to whom and will certain people get caught in their deceitful, conniving, two timing lies. Or will Jane get what she wants. The truth about what happened to her first daughter, Mary.

Did Mary have an accident or did someone push her? If someone pushed her, was it a loved one or a mortal enemy? Or could it truly have been just an accident and Jane can’t accept it as such.

I enjoyed every page of this book. There were some characters I didn’t like but they were still important. Just don’t cross Jane. Jane is a force to be reckoned with if you bother someone she loves.

Thank you to #NetGalley and Harlequin-Grayden House Books for the copy in exchange of my complete and honest review.

I loved it. It’s a big 5 stars.

The Favorite Daughter takes the unreliable narrator to a whole new level with Jane, which was a bit two-sided for me. On one hand, the author has created a character who certainly piques the interest. There's no way to read this one and not be shocked by Jane's words and actions. On the flip-side of that, Jane is so out there with her behavior, at least in what she tells the reader, that it's almost impossible not to see where this story has to be going. There are twists, but most of them are a little too easy to at least guess at way before they're revealed. Despite that, the story still held my interest. I think a big part of that lay with the characters. Surprisingly, there really aren't any characters in this one that I particularly liked, but the author still managed to make me feel some measure of sympathy for their situation - even the ones who were in a mess of their own making. That's a feat in itself and certainly shows Rouda's talent for storytelling. In the end, I liked some things about this one, and others, not so much, but it is worth the read.

Jane and David live in The Cove in southern California. It is an exclusive community filled with very wealthy people. Jane has been in mourning for the past year after the death of her daughter, Mary, and is ready to try and rejoin the living. She has been in intense therapy and has relied on too many medications to get her through the day.

Their other daughter, Betsy, will graduate high school in just a few days. Mary had been adopted and Betsy is their biological daughter.

This past year has been hard on all of them. Jane has decided that she needs to be brave now. Tomorrow is the celebration of life for Mary and David hopes Jane will be ready for it.

As we get further into the story, we realize that there is a lot more going on behind the scenes. Jane is quire a character as she flicks back and forth between fantasy and reality. Her interactions with her family and friends is not only crazy but it makes the reader laugh as well. If so, it’s great. Don’t miss this one. It’s a winner.

Copy provided by NetGalley and Edelweiss in exchange for a fair and honest review.

It has been in a year since Jane lost her oldest daughter Mary in a tragic accident. Jane is finally coming out of her "controlled grief "to realize that her husband David and younger daughter Betsy have moved on leaving her behind.Betsy won’t even talk to her and David seems more distant than ever.Jane who is a control freak cannot let this go on too long as everything that Jane has done is to keep her family together and even though her Perfect Daughter is not around she will have to make do with the one she has.

In The Perfect Daughter Kaira Rouda has created a perfect narcissistic psychopath character.
I loved the twists and unexpected turns even though the end was predictable Kaira’s quirky writing with an engaging protagonist made it an entertaining read.

I would like to thank Harlequin -Graydon House & NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and fair review.

This and more reviews at https://chloesbooksblog.wordpress.com/

The Favorite Daughter by Kaira Rouda is one of those books that I seem to be a bit on the outside looking in when I check out other reviewers. I actually read this one a while ago before too many other opinions were up but it seems others do love it while I ended on a meh, it’s ok simply because I guessed the ending practically before it began.

What we have in The Favorite Daughter is one of those completely unreliable narrator’s in Jane Harris. A perfect wife with the perfect home and the perfect family…. that was until it all crumbled around her when her oldest daughter, Mary, died in a tragic accident a year ago. Now however Jane is coming out of her haze of anti-depressants and wants answers.

Kaira Rouda has written a solid psychological thriller that is full of the characters one necessarily wouldn’t love but love to hate and suspect. The story was engaging while reading and I had hope I would be in for a huge surprise or at least some small twists along the way but as I said the ending didn’t shock me at all, probably one of those cases of just reading too many similar tales but I’m sure most will love this one.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Thanks to NetGalley, Graydon House, and Kaira Rouda for the opportunity to read and review her latest novel. I absolutely loved Best Day Ever - if you haven't read that, do it now! I couldn't put this book down either - 5 stars for a great read!

Jane is trying to come back to the real world after being devastated by the death of her daughter, Mary. Jane's husband, David, and younger daughter, Betsy, seem to have moved in the world and left Jane behind. With Betsy's graduation date approaching, Jane feels she must do what she can to reclaim her family. The less said the better about any details of the plot.

You will love to hate Jane and all her secrets. I also loved all of the interjections of various ways people die. Highly recommended for a deliciously fun read!

Rouda’s has managed to do it again by creating another perfectly crafted novel full of villainous characters. Trust me when I say that you’ll loathe these characters while at the same time love all their wicked acts. The Favorite Daughter is addictive and impossible to put down. Pick up this book and fall in love with these wickedly delicious characters.

3.5 STARS - The Favorite Daughter is a psychological thriller that pulls readers into the unstable, narcissistic and manipulative mind of a memorable main character who won't be winning any Mom/Wife/Neighbour of the Year awards anytime soon.

With The Favorite Daughter, Rouda continues her use of the unreliable character method with Jane, a character whose manipulations, deceit and grandiose view of herself will make her a memorable protagonist. I enjoyed how Rouda allows Jane to often speak directly to the reader which helps to pull us further into her demented view of herself, her family and her role in her community.

The premise of this book and the fact that I enjoyed her previous book Best Day Ever are what drew me to this book initially. I found this to be a quick and easy read, if not a little disturbing as I got a bird's eye view of Jane's inner thoughts. But I was kind of hoping for a bit more tension throughout the story and a stronger ending. Things get a little slow and repetitive and being inside Jane's mind the whole time got to be a little much after awhile. Unfortunately, I felt that Jane's narcissistic and unstable personality, which constantly obsessed about how everyone else viewed her flawed family, began to verge into an evil baddie caricature. Adding perspectives from some of the other characters would have rounded out the story for me.

Overall, this is a good, slower paced psychological thriller that has some solid twists and will have readers hanging on to find out what exactly happened the year prior.

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to the publisher for my complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I loved the author's last book, Best Day Ever, so I was very excited to read The Favorite Daughter. The book is told from Jane's perspective and I can't say I was her biggest fan She is a big obnoxious and seems to be overly obsessed with keeping up the appearance that her family is perfect. There were times when I felt sorry for her because of the way her husband and surviving daughter treat her, but I still found her to be very annoying. I imagine that some people will not enjoy reading from her perspective because of her personality, which is understandable. There weren't any major plot twists but just like in her last book, Best Day Ever, I thought I had the ending figured out, but I was wrong. I would certainly recommend this book to fans of domestic thrillers. I look forward to reading more from the author in the future.

Thank you to the publisher, Graydon House and Netgalley, for sending me an ARC of this book.