I did not finish this books. I had it on my shelf so long I decided to not read it. I would still like to pick it up some day.

A quick read with a slow burn... this book was great! I loved the way Jackie Kabler writes and although this was my first book by her, it certainly won't be my last!!

I loved this book! I’m a big fan of domestic thrillers and this did not disappoint. Thank you for the opportunity to read it in advance.

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the ebook. A good mystery novel. Highly recommend

The Happy Family by Jackie Kabler

Filled with suspense, intrigue and a cast of engaging characters.

This was a very tense, thrilling mystery. Many characters, mostly friendly ones. Well-written. Kept me guessing until the end. Also, very emotional. I recommend this book.

Thanks to Net Galley for sending me an advanced reader’s copy for review.

You will get lost in this thriller. It had me hooked from the first few lines. Well done writing and I loved all the characters. They played off each other so well.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC for an exchange for an honest review.

What a story! Very interesting.

My family has just been reunited. So who is trying to tear it apart?

A mother who disappeared…
When Beth was 10 years old, her beautiful, wild mother Alice disappeared. Beth’s life since hasn’t always been easy, but now she’s settled, with a successful career, a loving family and a beautiful home.

An unexpected visitor…
Then one day there’s a knock at the door. Alice has returned. Desperate to rebuild their relationship, Beth invites her mother to move in.

A life that comes crashing down…
At first, everything is wonderful. But then Beth’s friends start to drift away, strange things happen at home, and rumours about Beth begin to circle. Someone is out to destroy Beth’s newfound happiness. But who? And how far will they go?

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It's a murder mystery thriller + suspense + domestic family drama book. The twists are predictable but still enjoyable. The characters are not likable characters but curiosity got me until the end.

Beth is a busy but happy divorced mother of two young children but her life has not always been easy. When Beth was only ten years of age her mother (Alice) suddenly left her and her dad and they never heard from her again. Beth was raised by her loving and doting father but it could never replace her sorrow at feeling abandoned by her mom. Being a loving mother herself she could never imagine leaving her children behind in any circumstance.

One day an unexpected visitor arrives at her door and says she is Alice and would love to get know Beth again and would explain everything had happened all those many years ago. Beth is so excited to have her mother back that she welcomes Alice with open arms. Shortly after Alice arrives Beth begins drinking quite a bit and starts shutting out her friends and neighbors. Alice tries extra hard to be the supportive mother that Beth has always wanted but Beth begins a downward spiral which is affecting all her relationships especially with her own children and also imagines a man following her everywhere and feeling that someone is out to get, her although soon after an unforseen and unbelievable event occurs that shatters Beth world where she may lose her job and also the custody of her children unless she can discover what is causing her life to rapidly fall apart.

This was a fast and entertaining read for me. The storyline and writing were very good which made the book very enjoyable. I found much of the book predictable but there were a few unexpected twists and gaslighting occuring which I really appreciated. Beth was an insecure character trying to be happy all the while making a mess of her life after Alice appeared on her doorstep. Beth is likeable but annoying at times while she continually made impulsive and misguided mistakes trying to please other people especially her long, lost mother. I really appreciated the way the author "Jackie Kabler" turned the book around in the last thirty percent which made this a worthwhile read. I recommend this book to any reader who enjoys domestic and psychological/thrillers.

I want to thank the publisher "Harper 360/ One More Chapter for the opportunity to read this book and any thoughts or opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!

I have given this story a rating if 3 1/2 GASLIGHTING 🌟🌟🌟🌠 STARS!!

This book grabs your attention from the moment her Mom returns and doesn't let go until the very end. There were so many twists, I was kept on my toes, trying to figure out how it was all going to end. A very intense, gripping read that I would recommend to anybody who loves a good suspense.

“Holy bananas”, while this phrase is straight out of the book, it is a completely accurate statement for this twisty domestic thriller!

Beth was abandoned by her mother when she was 10-years old and was raised by her dad. 30 years later, Beth has an unexpected stranger on her door step, which turns out to be her long lost mother. As they rekindle their relationship, strange devastating things start to occur. There is so much gaslighting and suspense that keeps you interested and makes you want to continue reading to find out what is going on! While i had my suspicions of how it was going to end, it was a well-paced and enjoyable read!

***** A huge thanks to Harper360, Jackie Kabler, and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC. It has been provided to in turn for my honest opinion.

Suspenful and creepy. Will keep you up way past your bedtime trying to figure out what's going on. Absolutely enjoyed it from the beginning until the last page. Happy reading!

This fascinating novel, The Happy Family, written by Jackie Kabler helped create entirely new definitions for the words "happy" and "family"! 😳What a ride! 😆For the first half of the book, I was rooting for the main character and then more than halfway through the book...I stopped and had a "Wait, what?!" moment. 😲It was awesome! Expertly written, fast paced read with serious plot twists that will keep your head spinning. And I for one have learned a valuable lesson while reading this exceptional novel.... Do NOT let people back into your life who left you years before...they were gone for a reason. 😂 Effortlessly a 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️thriller. A book to add to your Must-Read list for sure. 😉👍🏼📖

Oh, this book was so totally right up my alley. I devoured it. I could so easily myself and my own mother in these roles. Poor Beth was so happy that her mother had finally come into her life and opened up to her completely. To no surprise, her mother took advantage, no holds bar.

I saw everything coming in this edge-of-my-seat thriller except . . . well, you'll see. I don't want to give anything away. Some of the story was redundant--similar things happening that didn't need to happen because they didn't move the plot forward--but otherwise it was a good read.

OMG how great. This Author can do no wrong. This book is beyond incredible and totally unputdownable! Just go in blind and you will read for hours. It's that great.
Thanks to Netgalley.

Beth's mother, Alice, walked out of her life when she was just 10 years old. As a child, growing up, feeling unwanted by her mother, she takes her anger and hurt out on others. Until one day she goes too far.
Beth is now grown up, has her own house and is raising her two children with her ex-husband, with whom she has an amicable relationship. She has a small circle of friends and is overall happy with her life, but her past still haunts her.
One day, there is a knock at the door and it's Alice. Beth is ecstatic to have her mother back in her life. She is everything Beth could have imagined. Unfortunately, Beth's life starts to slowly fall apart and she's not sure who she can trust.

This story was not hard to figure out, everything was just so obvious. I am not a fan of characters that are ridiculously naive and trusting, like Beth. She was not at all a likeable character and when we find out her past, I found it hard to feel sorry her.
How do you just blindly trust a stranger and question every other person that's been in your life for years??? Nobody is that blind!
That said, it wasn't a horrible read, I just wasn't expecting any surprises and I didn't get any. It was still somewhat entertaining to see how it all played out.
One last thought, the title really doesn't fit the book. It wasn't about a family so much as a woman forced to face her past.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper 360 for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review

Absolutely nothing at all happened in this book. I felt like I was reading the same story about this poor pitiful woman, who’s mother returns after 30 years of abandoning her. Beth is so gullible, it is sad. I just thought she was a complete fool for being so naïve. This book was repetitive, and I got very bored. I would not classify it as a thriller at all because there was nothing thrilling about it. 2 stars

This is a super slow-moving thriller. It was just an ok book in my opinion. There are a couple of twists in this book. One I very clearly saw coming but the other totally stumped me. There was a bit in the middle where the story dragged just slightly, as the same types of things kept happening and I was like "we get it, already".

Beware of who knocks on your front door and be even more careful when you open it. Beth is a divorced mother of two who is living happily in Cheltenham, peacefully co-existing with her ex who left her for another woman, and happily employed as a manager at a surgical facility. Beth grew up with her father after her mother left the them, never to be heard from until one day when Beth answers her front door. Mum, who is about to turn 60 years old, appears. Beth is excited and confused, but welcomes Mum into her home. Surprisingly, Beth soon becomes disconnected with her friends and workplace for reasons she cannot explain. Beth begins drinking more and sees faces in her windows and a stranger following her. Beth's keys go missing; her son is injured in a trampoline accident, naked images of Beth appear on Facebook. Such are the twists and turns in Jackie Kabler's The Happy Family. A good read that makes readers question what is real and what is imagined.

I loved this one! I think a big part of the reason why was because of the writing style. It was so easy to follow and understand. It was also descriptive, but not too descriptive. I will definitely read more by this author!!

Despite the downward spiral at times, I really enjoyed Beth’s character. I also thought all of her friends and even her ex husband and his girlfriend were pretty great. Not to give too much away, but the author even made me not absolutely hate the antagonist (I won’t mention who that is).

I did see the ending coming, but again that didn’t mean the story wasn’t entertaining along the way. I read this book in a little over a day, and couldn’t put it down. It was a cosy thriller that was a great mental escape! 5/5 would highly recommend.