This started off rather slowly to begin with, and I struggled to keep my attention on it for long before I drifted into thinking about other things. I just couldn’t get into it. However, after reading other reviews, many said it picks up, so I continued on. Although it got more fast-paced, I still struggled to connect with the characters or make myself interested in the plot. Unfortunately, this book wasn’t for me, but that’s not to say other people won’t really enjoy it. Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and author, for a chance to read and review this book.

Tense chilling a true page turner kept me reading late into the night.A book that drew me right in &kept me guessing to the last page.#netgalley #bookoturr

Carys is a young mother who is married to mild mannered Bill. She is a mother and a step mother. Her eldest step daughter. Sara, lives in Australia, and the younger, Lucy, has depression.Her mother's suicide has affected her badly.

Sara discovers that her mother's body has never been found, the coffin was empty. She travels back to England, full of bitterness towards her father and stepmother.

Carys loves her family, and does everything for them. Lucy is a self harmer and almost dies during one of her sessions. Carys takes her to a hypnotherapist. Lucy has some memories that come to the fore, saying that her father was responsible for his first wife's death.

I enjoyed this book, although it was a slow starter. I found some of the characters unlikeable, and found that Carys was too good to be true, with her caring nature and trying to please the whole family who don't appreciate her in the least.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC

OMG WHAT A READ!!!
Fast paced, intense and utterly gripping. This read had me on the edge of my seat, tapping my kindle like a demented wood pecker and reading late into the night. Constantly changing my mind, with plenty of misdirection and a few surprises. A well deserved five stars and a very happy reader.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, Bookouture and by #NetGalley. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Thrills, turns, twists, red herrings, suspenseful, you don’t know what to expect. For fans of the genre and Julia Crouch, this will keep you satisfied.

Carys is happily married to Bill,mother to Binnie and steptmother to Sara and Lucy.
Bill says his first wife died but after visiting a therapist Lucy says that she saw her father kill someone,and when a body is found in woodland next to the family home doubts begin to set in.Who can Carys believe the husband she loves or her stepdaughter who at times can be troublesome and when you have secrets of your own do you leave things alone or hunt for the truth.
A very thrilling read that kept me hooked,another hit for the very talented Julia Crouch.
Recommended.
Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC.

What a read! I loved Julia Crouch’s first few books but had been disappointed by The New Mother, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I was very pleasantly surprised!

Carys is not your typical stepmother - young, successful and glamorous but equally kind and supportive of her stepchildren- so why does her oldest stepdaughter seem to hate her? Why is her youngest stepdaughter so messed up? And what really happened to her predecessor?

The book was full of twists and turns, false leads and red herrings. The characterisation was great and the dialogue, while occasionally clunky, really helped drive the plot and give us insight into the characters.

Some aspects of the plot were a little far fetched (hypnotherapist with a massive conflict of interest who doesn’t appear bound by any professional ethics; a 5 year old who seems completely unfazed by the pretty toxic environment she lives in) but overall I was sucked right into the story and enjoyed every bit of it.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

"Fairies live under the hawthorn to guard it .... In Celtic mythology, it is one of the most sacred trees and symbolises love and protection."

Secrets and lies take center stage on a journey to discovering what happened to Alice, Bill's first wife. Carys marries Bill following Alice's apparent suicide, trying to be the perfect wife and stepmother to Bill's daughters, Lucy and Sara. With Lucy troubled since her mother's death, Carys arranges for Lucy to see a hypnotherapist to help work through her struggles. Lucy's sessions start to evoke intensely disturbing memories, possibly bringing light onto the mystery of Alice's disappearance. Did Alice actually commit suicide or was she murdered? Or is she alive after all?

I thought this was a great premise but I was quite disappointed with the execution. There was way too much going on, not to the point where it was confusing but instead seeming overdone with some side stories unnecessary. Most of the characters were bitter and unlikable and it was difficult to invest myself fully. Additionally, while I appreciate the inclusion of diversity, it felt too forced here.

On the other hand, other elements were more enjoyable. The connection to nature, trees specifically, added a layer of well placed metaphor and symbolism to the story. I loved the relationship and fierce love between Lucy and Sara, particularly at a time of deep loss. The deep look into memories was also thought provoking, arousing a curiosity to deepen my understanding of the validity of recalled memories.

"Trees have a permanence and a wisdom we can only dream of, that we can all learn from standing under them."

** Special thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. Available May 26, 2022. **

Author: Julia Crouch
Genre: Psychological thriller
Releasing Date: 26th May 2022

My Husband says his first ...wife is dead.

His daughters say he killed her…



What is true here? Who is saying the truth?

Whom to trust? Daughters or my loving, and caring husband. They all look suspicious to me.



Set in London, The daughters is a psychological thriller book by Julia Crouch is an mind-bending book. The book revolves around dead Alice, Bill, Carys, and their daughters Lucy, Sara, and Binnie Bill says his first wife, Alice took her own life and everyone believed him because her body was not found. This could be a secret forever until Carys decided to take Lucy to a Hypnotherapist, Ajay.



Carys is waiting for her daughter Lucy, to come out of the patient... room, her heart is thumping......Why hasn’t she come yet? and she came running towards Carys, my father, Bill, he killed someone.



The story took a new turn when the body was found in the Wilderness of their house. Will Carys believe in Lucy? Is Alice dead or did she just move on? Find out the secret of Bill and Carys, who seems seem to be like just perfect for each other.



I felt sometimes he must be the culprit but I must say the author very well played with my mind, seems like I knew but I don’t know anything. Invigorated with lots of tension and suspense in the book.



I am highly impressed by the writing of the author, who brought out the life in the characters. I could easily imagine the fear of Lucy, Carys tension, and Sara's love for her sister. The story took new turns and twists with every new chapter you can not even imagine what would be next?

I highly recommend it to those who love to read thrilling books.

I would happily give 5 out of 5stars to this thrilling book and recommend it to the age of 18years.

How would you feel if your mother committed suicide, but then you suddenly start believing your father killed your mother?
I honestly couldn't even imagine!

The Daughters shares a chilling, thrilling story.
Here we have Sara and Lucy the two grown daughters of Alice and Bill.
But unfortunately Alice committed suicide years back.
Soon after their mother's death Bill married Carys.
Carys tries to be there for Bills daughter's. And help them the best way she can.
Obviously, Lucy and Sara are still struggling especially Lucy.
So she agrees to go seek help and talk to someone.
Little does Lucy know what she is about to uncover and remember could bring their entire world crashing down on top of them!
What really happened to her mother?
Y'all have to read to find out!

Julia Crouch knows how to write a true suspense story.
Cleverly done, paced perfectly, compelling storyline.
Crouch manages to raise the tension in this book, with the unknown, memories, the descriptions.
How she writes real and complex characters. It's amazing.
This author has a unique way of pulling you in and making even small events interesting and tense. She draws you in quickly and doesn't let up.
I was intrigued and on the edge of my seat with anticipation.
A book to become absorbed in and totally lost! I truly enjoyed reading this novel.

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

Bookouture,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!
I will post my review to my platforms, blog, B&N and Waterstone closer to pub date.

Alice, a beloved GP, a "formidable woman", committed suicide ten years ago, leaving behind her grieving husband Bill and two daughters.

Bill's second wife Carys is doing her best to be all things to all people - her much older husband, with whom she runs an architectural practice; young daughter Binnie; and vulnerable, self-harming teenage stepdaughter Lucy. In the eyes of elder stepdaughter Sara, though, a police officer newly back from Australia, Carys is untrustworthy, too good to be true, and quite possibly implicated in Alice's death. Sara is looking for answers.

When Carys tries to help mentally fragile Lucy by involving a hypnotherapist, devastating secrets begin to come out - but what's true and what isn't? Who can be trusted?

This was a brilliant read, with characters who have genuine depth. We see things from the points of view of Carys and Sara, and both are interesting characters. (There's also a lovely dog, Nonna.) I was left with an abiding sense, often via side characters, of the lengths of cruelty and selfishness, but also kindness and goodness, of which people are capable.

There's no specific reason for it to be called The Daughters, apart from that there are daughters in it and that it's apparently compulsory now for every psychological thriller to have a family member in the title. I miss more creative titles.

A fabulous read.

Firstly, I am thankful for the opportunity to have received a free advanced copy of this Ebook through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Carys has married Bill, after his first wife Alice committed suicide. She’s a great stepmother to Bill’s children Lucy and Sara. But Lucy has been suffering mentally and Carys takes her to a hypnotherapist. Once memories start to resurface, Lucy believes her father killed her mother, but what really happened? Lots of lies and secrets along the way and I enjoyed this one which kept my interest.

I rate this eBook 4 stars and would recommend to those who enjoy their psychological thrillers.

#TheDaughers #NetGalley

Mixed feelings about this one, interesting premise but too many melodramatic connections and coincidences to make it relatable to me. Others might enjoy it though

Outstanding book. Want be able to turn the pages fast enough to keep finding out what happens next. High recommended. Read this book now you will not be disappointed.

#TheDaughters #NetGalley
BRILLIANT book with a CHILLING ENDING.
I start my review by saying that there are a lot of characters in this domestic thriller who attracted my attention. The story starts off by people giving respect to an assumed dead family member.
Carys married Bill ten years ago, short time after his first wife, Alice committed suicide, if it was a suicide. And they're living happily together with Bonnie, Bill and Carys daughters and Lucy, Bill and Alice's daughter who's still grieving her mom and from time to time she has episodes. She's a history of mental conditions. Alice's other daughter, Sara lives in Australia because she couldn't face this family anymore and because what had happened to her all those years ago.
Sara hates Carys, she thinks that the wicked stepmother is a gold digger and maybe she was having an affair with her dad and she has something to do with their mom's death.
Constructor found a little girl's body at Bill's old house back garden, the body is old so who placed it there? What happened to her mom and dad? Who's responsible for her murder?
And here Carys meets Ajay who's a hypnotherapist and arranged Lucy to go to him for her own good. All was going well until one day in a session Lucy told something terrible... something that will cause damage.
Ajay's and Lucy's characters were written brilliantly. Although each character consisting many layers inside them.
It started off a little slow but picked up after 2-3 chapters. This is a story of great interest if you pay close attention to it.
Bottom line, it's a great thriller.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for giving me an advance copy.

Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy. This book didn't turn out to be what I expected. It's confusing in the beginning keeping everyone straight as to who they are and their relations. I thought the book was going to be about a girl with mental illness (yes) and her loving stepmom (no). Many secrets come out about the stepmom, their mother, and their father. It was kind of long, kind of confusing, not really for me.

I really enjoyed this read and I couldn't put it down. It was fast paced, tense and creepy. Really twisty and unpredictable and left me guessing right until the end.it was dark and creepy and I LOVED IT.

I was intrigued by the book synopsis and was not disappointed! Parts of the story are very frightening and dark. I was a little disappointed with the ending because I wanted to be surprised, and I had figured out the murderer, but still enjoyed the read. Recommended if you enjoy mystery/suspense! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

My Review:
I want to start off by saying that this book starts off very slow but if you stick with it you are rewarded with a great ending. I also want to say that make sure you pay close attention to the first chapter as it spits out everyone’s name and how they are related. I had to read it a few times to get it all correctly. I did read a review on Goodreads that said exactly the same thing as me so it’s just not me that got confused. Once you get past the boring parts it does pick up and you move a lot quicker. I read this in only a few sittings as I wanted to know the truth of what happened. You know from the very beginning that everyone has something to hide and you have to figure out who’s telling the truth and who’s not. I also do want to say that I felt that this book was very wordy if that makes sense. For example, you don’t need that many words to describe a place, person or object. The author also uses words that I felt aren’t used in everyday conversations. In fact, I haven’t even heard of some of the words that were used in my life. I did have to google them and I don’t do that very often. All that is why I did knock this book down one heart. Otherwise, it was quite an enjoyable read once it got started. I really let myself go and got super immersed in the characters and the story line. I also loved the way this book ended. It came full circle in the end and was wrapped up neatly with a bow on top. The author left clues throughout the whole book on how it was going to end but I still was left guessing on who done it and why. To me endings are very important and most of the time the ending will affect how I rate the book. All in all, I will definitely be reading more of this authors works in the future.

In conclusion, the plot, the characters and all the twists in this book made this book an enjoyable read. I would definitely recommend it and happily give it 4 Hearts❤️❤️❤️❤️

Another great thriller. This story is a fast pace thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat the entire book wondering what is going on. I enjoyed the characters immensely and liked the story.