Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for an e-ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review. I live in Orange County and was drawn to the description because of that. A lot of this area is people at their most fake. I wanted to love this book, but I just didn't. An unreliable narrator is one thing, but I wasn't able to connect with anyone. Many people have given great ratings, so please take mine with a grain of salt, but the personality of the narrator was just too over the top, the other characters and situations just too unrealistic for me to even care about.

I did not enjoy this book, so I will not be providing any review on social media and Goodreads. I will still support the book via Instagram photography.

The Favorite Daughter was a quick read, told from the perspective of Jane, a grieving mother who’s daughter, Mary, tragically drowned the precious year.

Jane is self-absorbed and oblivious, trying hard to pull herself out of the “fog” of depression she has been crippled with for the past year. But one day, four days before her other daughter, Betsy’s graduation, she decided to pull herself out of the fog.

Jane’s life is in shambles in other ways too. Her husband is cheating on her and Betsy wants nothing to do with her. But when mysterious notes start arriving stating that Mary’s death was not an accident, Jane recommits herself to figuring out what happened the night Mary died.

The entire book is told through Jane’s perspective, starting four days before Betsy’s graduation and ending on graduation day. You’ll definitely get frustrated with Jane’s lack of self-awareness, but at times also feel sympathy for her for losing her daughter and her cheating husband.

While this book kept my attention, it wasn’t my most favorite, and while a little surprised, I wasn’t totally shocked by the ending.

I would give it three out of five stars.

I was provided a free advanced copy of this book by NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed Rouda's use of first person narrative in this book. Seeing the world through Jane's twisted mind was somewhat alarming at times but it was the perfect way to tell this story. I guessed most of the 'twists' long before they were revealed, but that didn't bother me. I felt this was more of a character study of a seriously mentally deranged person than a whodunnit thriller. The characters were very well described and the setting easy to envision. The narrative was well-paced and the story compelling. I had to laugh so many times at Jane's narcissism. It was easy to visualize her strutting around and thinking her actions were perfectly reasonable. I'm just glad she wasn't MY mother!!

Jane puts the insane in the membrane.

We meet Insane Jane two years after the tragic death of her daughter.

Of course Insane Jane unreliably narrates this story. She is, afterall, the only one that knows the truth behind why her family is imploding. And obviously Insane Jane holds no responsibility at all as she will tell you.

You see she's only ever wanted what's best for herself....errrr...I mean, her family, right up until they all turn against her.

*insert ominous music*
___________________________________

This is a fun compulsive read. Insane Jane narrates the entire story as if she's speaking directly to the reader and this choice by the author is what makes this book so entertaining.

There are a fair share of twists in this story but most astute thriller fans will figure most of them out before Insane Jane feels compelled to grace you with her secrets. So there really aren't any omgfuckmewhatjusthappened moments but it doesn't take much away from the enjoyment of this book.

and

Insane Jane gets a little wordy and repetitive in the middle, I think she likes to hear herself talk.

For those two reasons I had to downgrade this book to a 4 Star ⭐⭐⭐⭐



I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Favourite Daughter by Kaira Rouda is a twisted glimpse into the perfect family and the secrets they hide. When Jane's daughter dies from a tragic accident, Jane gets lost in depression and grief. When she finally comes out of her grief fog before her daughters memorial, she realizes she may have lost her entire family. As we watch Jane fight for her family, we realize how dark and twisted the perfect family can be behind closed doors.

*I received an advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Jane Harris is a wife and mother in an upscale, gated California community. Since her daughter’s death a year prior, Jane has worked through a myriad of feelings trying to figure out her own motives, as well as those of her husband and surviving daughter. Told from Jane’s highly entertaining, and at times hilarious, viewpoint, the Favorite Daughter takes readers on a wild ride of mystery, suspense and humor.

Kudos to Kaira Rouda for accomplishing yet on another outstanding work of psychological suspense. I loved Jane’s first-person narrative and her narcissistic interpretation of all events going on around her. I found the perspective to be both unique, gripping and very effective in creating suspense and intrigue. This was highly entertaining page-turner and I could not get enough!

Many thanks to Netgalley, Graydon House and Kaira Rouda for my complimentary e-copy ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Overall, I think this was a 4 star read for me? I really enjoyed the reading experience, particularly for POV/character reasons (more on that in a minute), but just wouldn't rank it at the top of my list, re: thriller reads. Once it was clear to me what the book was doing, I just wasn't surprised by any of the "twists"? But then again, I ask myself: does that matter? It's a fantastic execution of what the book actually is.

But the author gets 5 stars for the careful character study that is Jane Harris. I really hated her, and rather loathed being in her head... but in a way that I thoroughly enjoyed. I can't say more without spoilers (I'll post more under a spoiler tag on Goodreads), but the author nailed the character-driven execution she was going for.

I think this one is going to really land for readers who like intense character portraits and dark secrets within families. But it's not a typical "main character works to solve the mystery" type thriller, as I had kind of expected from the blurb. I really enjoyed the book I got, however. A solid 4 stars, recommended.

This will definitely be one of the books on 2019 Top Reads list.

This is the first book that I have read by this author but will be reading more work by her.

The narrative is written in the first person point of view of Jane Harris.

Jane had it all. A loving husband, two daughters, a beautiful house until that tragic day 1 year ago when her oldest daughter fell to her death. Since that time, Jane has been suffering from "complicated" depression, which has pulled her emotionally from her family.

But this week is big and she plans on making a comeback. The memorial for the celebration of her daughter and in days, her youngest daughter will be graduating High School. She has waited for this day and has BIG plans for the celebrations.

A bone chilling read! I didn't know if I should have compassion for Jane or be afraid of her. Were her husband and living daughter just not understanding and compassionate towards her or were they the true victims?

Twists and turns galore! This book was riveting and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough!

If you like psychological thrillers, you HAVE to read this one!!!

Will be posted on May 16th on my blog: http://cmashlovestoread.com/?
And GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/edit/39973248

This is a first read for my by this author and I can say that I am anxious to go back and read her other books. The way that Kaira Rouda adds humor into this psychological thriller is amazing. I have never seen writing like this. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves psychological thrillers because you will love this one and get a good laugh at Jane as well.

Jane is a woman trying to get over her oldest daughter, Mary's, death. She has been a hermit and on medication to help her deal with Mary's death for a year now. Jane has decided that it is time for her to venture out and try to get back into the swing of life now though. Jane has gotten off the meds and is trying her best to act like she is dealing with things pretty good now.

Jane's husband has been unfaithful to her but she is willing to give him one last chance. Jane got a piece of mail that was supposed to go to her husband's business, but came to the house instead. The letter was where he had secured a loan on a new house. Jane is anxious to see where things will lead now with her husband, but will she ever get over what he has done to her?

Is Jane really dealing with everything as well as she wants everyone to think or is she really a psychopath in disguise? You will want to read this one for yourself. Just be prepared for all the twists that come along with this one. You will think you have it all figured out, but then there is a new twist and you will be going in a different direction. The humor adds a great deal to this story as well.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thanks to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.

Following up The Best Day Ever with another totally twisted thriller, Rouda has the reader wrapped around the main character and feeling sorry for her throughout the entire book until....BOOM!!!....things aren't what the seem to be!

**5 Stars**

Kaira Rouda's latest book, The Favorite Daughter, is a haunting, first-person follow up to her hit Best Day Ever. In both books, Rouda painstakingly details what it might be like to live in the shoes of a psychotic, narcissistic person who thinks any and every single thing revolves around their needs, desires, and wants.

Jane Harris - the lead character - is an Orange County, California housewife and socialite who has spent the last year mourning her bright young daughter's strange disappearance and subsequent murder. Her family life is crumbling around her - her husband seems to be straying and her other daughter is hanging out with the wrong crowd - but Jane is determined to take the helm again and show that they are strong amid tragedy. Getting her family to comply won't be easy, but soon enough they will once be the talk of Orange County's elite circles. To do so will also mean hiding a past - one that the police involved in her daughter's case are onto.

This was a quick read for me because 1) I'm from Orange County, California, where this story takes place and can relate a lot to the places and shallowness of the wealthier subset of folks living there, and 2) because I love well written first person thrillers. I appreciated that Rouda tried to dive deep into the mind of someone who tries to rationalize every single terrible, destructive decision they make. She really gives you a sense of what a sociopath might be thinking when they decide to betray, trick, and con the people they supposedly love. 

I saw some of the plotline coming, but that didn't ruin it for me. If you are a fan of thrillers and domestic noir, you'll like this book a lot. There are lots of crazy twists and turns for every the most seasoned thriller readers. 

Thank you to Kaira Rouda, NetGalley, and Harlequin for the opportunity to read this exciting new thriller!

Though much of the plot stretched credulity, I found this to be compulsively readable and for that alone would recommend it!

This is probably the best unreliable character I have ever read from. I mean I really felt for Jane and everything she was going through but at the same time I knew she was a little coocoo.

This is an AMAZING story about a mother who lost her favorite daughter to a tragic accident and her life after the year of grief.

The writing style is amazing. I absolutely loved it. I didn’t want to put this down!


I did figure out the mystery about 75% of the way through but that doesn’t take away from the enjoyment of this novel! It’s that good. It’s written in just such a way that you don’t know what to think or feel... that’s why 5 stars!

I don’t want to give to much away because this is one you just need to pick up and start reading!


Blog post:
1-15-18
https://kristinsbooks.wordpress.com/2019/01/16/the-favorite-daughter-by-kaira-rouda/

This is a challenging novel because the first-person narrator is wildly unlikeable even though she is in mourning for the death of her eldest daughter. She’ll tell the reader something and then go and lie to her therapist, her driver—anyone who will listen, which isn’t many since she’s managed to alienate everyone over the years. She judges people by what they do for a living—how much money they make. Also a highly unlikeable trait.

She makes it clear that yes, things have gotten even worse in the year since her daughter died and she was in a haze of pills for much of it, but her alienating behavior began a long time before that. Even through her self-absorbed eyes, you have sympathy for the surviving daughter and even the philandering husband. That is quite a trick to pull off. However, it’s easy to figure out the gist of things early on, and that’s what makes this particularly disappointing.

This book was wild!!! It was one complete joy ride of insanity. The story is told all from the point of view of the main character, Jane Harris, who is perhaps the most narcissistic and mentally unstable characters I have ever read. The book is fast paced and you hardly can recover from something outlandish she says or does before she says or does something again. You want to have a shred of likability for her but its impossible- however, the story works and this is an incredible read. There isn't any book out there like this and it's fantastic!
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Kaira Sturdivant Rouda you did it again! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Man can you write people I love to hate! Even sometimes I find myself almost rooting for them! Whenever, I would put this on my nightstand to go to bed I would have to pick it up to read just one more chapter. Maybe a sequel of a holiday star falls in love with someone from Florida!!!! Oh the trouble the two of them could get into!! #TheFavoriteDaughter was AMAZING!!

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin-Graydon House for an advance copy of The Favorite Daughter to review. The following is my honest opinion:

After reading Best Day Ever, I was worried I may have set my expectations too high for this book because I simply loved Best Day Ever. Well, not to worry, I thought The Favorite Daughter was fantastic as well!

Jane is a well-to-do housewife suffering from depression due to the accidental death of her adopted daughter Mary a year ago. Jane has decided it's time to reemerge into the world and set things right in her life. Without giving anything away, Jane has come to realize that both her husband David and her biological daughter Betsy are keeping big secrets from her. Jane is going to show them who's the smartest of all though.

I was a little concerned that I might not like the format of this book because it is told entirely in the first person point of view. Honestly, it was the PERFECT way to narrate this story! I enjoyed the feeling of Jane talking directly to me as the reader and telling me her side of things. Jane is an unreliable narrator, to say the least, but using the first person narrative allows the reader to get a true feel for who Jane really is. She is a fascinating character. She can be annoying, but she is also manipulative and clever. It's difficult to decide whether to hate her, admire her, or simply feel sorry for her.

I thought the ending of this book really brings the story full circle. I don't think many people will be surprised by the events that led up to Mary's death but they should enjoy Jane's perspective on the how and why of it all.

Thanks to Kaira Rouda for the afterword. I think many people know someone like Jane and it's interesting learning more about the psychological aspects of her behavior.

Highly recommended!

No one leaves a star. That's what makes one a star.
- Norma Desmond (Sunset Boulevard)


Jane Harris is a modern-day Norma Desmond but with a smidge more crazy, tracker apps and a higher body count.

I figured this would be a ride with an unreliable narrator but I had no idea that Jane was a next level narcissist. It was tense watching her unfurl her machinations on her family and others and it was so satisfying by book's end to find that she had had her head so far up her own rear, she missed some very big things and that was her downfall. She literally could not imagine a world in which she is not the smartest, prettiest, most deserving or most aggrieved.

People were all means to an end for Jane. She only saw her family members as an extension of herself & when they didn't conform to her strictures and demands, she went to extremes to manipulate them to her will or if they were really willful, end them. Jane throughout talked about getting back into her Hollywood life but truly, there's no getting back into something that never was. She thought every man who crossed her path was captivated by her. She couldn't pass reflective surfaces without checking herself out.

Jane's husband was cheating and planning to leave her and I didn't feel bad for her. Her daughter was ready to flee the nest & I didn't have any sympathy for Jane's empty nest feels. I was cheering the husband and the remaining daughter to make their grand escape and successfully disappear into the ether just to be free of Jane. I was pulling for a witness protection type disappearance. When I finished the book, I was still pulling for Kiley to return! Jane had me rooting for the "home-wrecker" to have a happily ever after! That shouldn't be a thing! People were all means to an end for Jane. She only saw her family members as an extension of herself & when they didn't conform to her strictures and demands, she went to extremes to manipulate them to her will or if they were really willful, end them.

Thank you Kaira Rouda for writing a character that appalled, stunned and kept me up late reading. I'd read another by Rouda in a heartbeat. Well done all around and I think this will definitely be one of the more talked about of 2019. Definitely recommended.

Many thanks to the publisher for the ARC, you made my reading weekend.

I read it all the way through, but there were times when I just wanted to stop reading. I found much of the plot implausible. And the character was very unlikable. I felt that it could have been edited more professionally.