My thanks to NetGalley and BookOuture fora. Ops of “ The Daughters “ for an honest review.

Unfortunately I just couldn’t get into this book, despite being drawn in by the premise.I struggled through so much of it , and then skimmed through the end , which seemed , to me , quite predictable.
Unfortunately had to give an under average score, because I’ve read so much better in the same genre

The Daughters by Julia Crouch

I was dizzy with the twists in this book! Fabulous from start to finish.

Sara and Lucy are still reeling years later from theirs Mothers death. Dad Bill has tried to protect them along with their step mother Carys who seems almost too perfect!

Carys plays the doting stepmother to the sisters and mum to her own daughter Binnie, but what is she hiding? What does she know about Alice’s death? All is revealed in this absolute page turner

A suspenseful story of who is telling the truth. Some triggers include mental illness, suicide, self harm, death of a child and racism. Bill and Alice, who is no longer alive have two daughters, Sara and Lucy. Sara moved away and hasn't been back home in over ten years. Now a detective in Australia she has found new evidence that perhaps her mother did not kill herself after all. She takes a six month leave and goes back to London to figure out what really happened to her mother. Her father Bill is now married to a much younger woman Carys who is just five years older than her step~daughter Sara. They have a five year old daughter, Binnie. Carys does her best to be a great stepmom and wife since Bill is suffering from injuries from an accident. They run a construction business together and are in the process of digging for a new development when bones are discovered. This sets forth an investigation into who the remains belong to and who put them there. Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the advance ecopy.

What did I just read? If you are looking for a twisty thriller, this book is for you. It is not to be missed. I was on the edge of my seat and could not stop reading it. I recommend this one.
Many thanks to the author, Bookouture and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of this book. My opinions are my own.

Enjoyed this book and the twists and turns along the way. It took me a few chapters to really get into it but after that, it kept me hooked.

Really liked this one, haven’t read anything from the author before but was pleasantly surprised, it’s a good book that will keep you guessing and have you up all night with one more chapter 😂

Based on the blurb of this book, I really thought I was going to enjoy this one, but unfortunately I feel like it was very misleading. I assumed that the scene that was being described would be the opening scene(or at least come very soon into the story), but it doesn't happen until like a 3rd of the way through. And that third is a real slog to get through. There are too many characters, too much exposition, and too much setup for things that ended up being nothing but red herrings.

I could not stand Sara as a character and I think the book would have been so much better without her. Her internalized misogyny, covert racism, and inability to grow up combined to make her one of the most unlikable characters I've ever had the displeasure of reading. Her choice to make Carys her scapegoat for 90% of the book really did not sit well with me, especially given the fact that the author herself is a white woman.

And after somehow making it through the entire book, my only reward was the most stereotypical ending that could have possibly come out of this story. I had hoped that there might be a twist in the end that would give me something positive to say about this book but unfortunately it never came.

Having a stepmother myself, I was quite interested to see how this one lived up to the stories, LOL. Book was entertainingly written, full of secrets, plot twists and turns. Really liked it, will read more in future.

My father said my mother killed herself. My sister says he’s lying.

The day of our mother’s funeral, my little sister Lucy and I clung to our father’s side. He promised he’d get us through it, and we believed him. But then I discovered that the coffin we wept over was empty.

Dad says he was trying to protect us – that he thought it would be easier to grieve if we didn’t know our mother’s body was never found.

His new wife says she just wants to help us move on from the past.

Then Lucy has a flash of memory that leaves her shaking. Our father. A woman she doesn’t recognise. A knife…

She insists she knows something about the day our mother died, but it’s buried too deep to see clearly.

What happened to our mother? I need to find the truth. But I have no idea who I can trust. And what if the answer puts my life in danger?

This book was really gripping and had me making up all different scenarios in my head

This book was fast paced and very tense

Throughly enjoyed

I've tried a few of Julie Crouch's books, hoping that I would find one that grabs me, but sadly this was not it. I was hoping for something more original.

What a wild ride! This fast-paced thriller will have you staying up all night, turning the pages to see how is ends. One of the better psychological thrillers released in 2022.

Ugh. Please give me the whole day I spent slouching and trying to get through this book. Sorry but I did not like this one bit! And the main character? So annoying!

Thanks to Netgalley! Hoping for a better read next time!

I had so many mixed feelings about this book. I've read quite a few by Julia Crouch and I know that she is an expert on crafting a good story which will keep you guessing. But I also know that her stories are a slow burn. This started as a slow burn, more of a slow simmer really and I honestly wasn't sure I was going to like it.
The first chapter is meeting a lot of characters, I had to read it more than once to get my head around everything.
When Lucy starts seeing a hypnotherapist she suddenly starts to remember details from her childhood, including what really happened to her mother. Are these repressed memories, or are they planted memories, or are they just a teenagers overactive imagination.
Throughout this book I was questioning who to trust. Lucy is damaged but can you trust what she's now saying? Is Ajay (the hypnotherapist) the real deal or is he planting things into Lucy's head? Carys is too good to be true. Can she be trusted or is it all a facade to throw you off?

Secrets. lies. twist, turns and a fast pace are all the things I like in a gripping read. I was hooked from the start. The book does touch on some difficult topics, so check your triggers.

This book is full of secrets , lies and twists galore. It moves at a fast pace , some very sensitive subjects. So much going on in this story to keep you on your toes. Its one of those stories that you are best going in blind.

Unfortunately, I have been locked out of my netgalley account for a few months and was not able to see which books I had on my list, in order to properly read and review. I do apologize and am doing a 3 for neutral. Will update once I’m able to obtain a copy and read!

Wow! My second book by Julia Crouch and not only was it brilliant but it was even better than the first one of hers (The New Mother) I read! Totally deserves 5*.

Carys fell in love with Bill however she hasn’t had an easy time of it. She is much younger than Bill and has also married into a family where Bill’s first wife, Alice, had only just a year prior, died from suicide. She is desperately trying to be a good stepmother to Bill’s two daughters with Alice; adult Sara and 18 year old Lucy and blend the family together, with her and Bill’s daughter Binnie. Lucy is troubled and always has been since she lost her mother so tragically, but Carys is determined to help her in any way she can. When Lucy’s latest self-harm lands her in the hospital Carys is desperate and on a chance meeting when walking the family dog she meets Ajay, who is a clinical hypnotherapist and offers to help Lucy. Carys is happy to try anything to help Lucy but when Lucy attends Ajays clinic, troubling memories start to arise…….Can Carys bring the family together when there are so many secrets and lies including hers?!

This was brilliant and I was so obsessed reading it I was grabbing any available free moment to read to find out what was going to happen next. Julia Crouch sure knows how to write a psychological thriller and drop bombs into the story all the time; I am never disappointed! I loved all the psychological memory material; it was so interesting to read about and this was obviously researched thoroughly and extensively, and I learnt a lot. The story kept me guessing right until the very end, I spent probably the last 25% of the book flip-flopping over who I thought the baddie was, so great job Julia! I enjoyed every page of the thrilling ride this book takes you on!

Absolutely fantastic and if you enjoy psychological thrillers that are so engrossing, this is for you, just one bit of advice….. clear your schedule as you won’t want to put this one down! Totally and utterly deserved 5*!

Thank you to NetGalley, Julia Crouch and Bookouture for my advanced reading copy. Out now.

A fun, quick read. The Daughters kept me entertained throughout even if parts of it were a bit predictable. I look forward to reading more of Julia Crouch's books in the future.

"My husband says his first wife’s dead.

His daughters say he killed her…"

Initially, I had a difficult time getting into this book...BUT once it took off, things looked up! I found myself second guessing my predictions, which, to me, is the sign of a great read. I did have to re-read chapter one as there is a lot of character information provided at the start and if you aren't paying close attention you may be lost later on. I do wish the author scaled back a bit on the unnecessary details which seemed to overwhelm the book.

Many thanks to Net Galley and Bookouture for the advance copy.

I thought this was an excellent, fast paced thriller! I love that it kept me guessing and I didn't predict the ending.