This sequel to The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewel was a tough read for me. I had read the first book in the series so I was already familiar with the characters, however even with this knowledge, the story seemed to really take on a life of its own, however there was so much going on, the book was difficult to follow. With multiple storylines, there was a lot to follow and at times it was a little confusing. If you were a fan of the The Family Upstairs, don't miss this one.

As much as I loved the first one, and Lisa Jewell, this book just didn’t hit the mark for me. Sometimes sequels just can’t do justice to the original.

The Family Remains is a very strong continuation of The Family Upstairs. The author, Lisa Jewell, says in the afterword that the character of Henry Lamb stuck with her as readers wrote to her, asking, what happened next? While she is generally not inclined to write sequels, she continued the story.
I appreciated the way the plot intertwined with that of the previous book, with dual timelines; I also liked the way that the reader sees some of the events in that book through different perspectives and in a different light, once the complete story is revealed. Henry is still a mysterious, indecipherable character at the end, though, and Jewell leaves us with a small twist that makes the reader wonder whether she will continue his story. To me, he is eerily reminiscent of Patricia Highsmith's Mr. Ripley - a chameleon with no strong underlying personality of his own, due to unspoken trauma, which makes him so adaptable that he readily assumes other people's personalities and lives at will.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a digital arc copy of The Family Remains by Lisa Jewell.

The setting was pleasant and at atmospheric. I enjoyed the character engagement and how the story wrapped up in the end. Definitely worth the read.

Not as good as the first in my opinion. This is the sequels to The Family Upstairs. It’s more a 3.5. I think you need to read the first book to understand this one. Thank you #netgalley for the ARC. It was purchased for or library.

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

I think you definitely need to read the first book before you read this. I don't think it works well as a stand alone. It has been awhile since I ready the previous novel, so I had forgotten a lot of details. I did get confused quite a bit as I tried to remember what had happened previously. Otherwise, I think it ties in nicely to the other book. I think if you read the first one, this puts a nice ending on the story.

This standalone sequel to Lisa Jewel’s The Family Remains was twisted…then it all untwisted very nicely by the end. While revisiting the characters lives from the first book was interesting, I thought it focused too much on some big mystery only to have everything revealed as we went. So as I approached the end, I was left with no questions to answer, which is just not what I want out of my Lisa Jewell books. Quick read though that held my attention but ultimately fell a bit flat

A sequel to the Family Upstairs, I should have refreshed my memory on that before reading this. Thick with character development and details, this title did not drive forward the way I was expecting it to. Without reminders of the characters and the story from The Family Upstairs, it was harder to keep up with who was who. Overall, this was an enjoyable read.

Early one morning on the shore of the Thames, human bones are discovered. At the same time, a man named Michael is found murdered in his home. A woman named Lucy Lamb is buying a house for her 2 children. These three stories are all connected and being told simultaneously in Lisa Jewel’s The Family Remains. This is a sequel but I liked it better than the first one! I loved how Jewell connected all the pieces and how the stories overlapped! Thank you, NetGalley!

I found this book very hard to follow. There were so many characters and different timelines. I loved the first one but this one.. not so much. Maybe it was too long ago that I read the first one? I don’t know.

I love this author and this book is another one of her best. This is a sequel to her book “The Family Upstairs”. This book continues after that book ends, following the Lamb family after the events of the first book. This book actually answered some of the questions from the first book. It was fun to get to revisit the characters and catch up on their lives now. In this book there is a murder that takes place in the present, but also a murder that took place in the past. Lots of twists and turns but the ending wraps everything up nicely. Although you could probably read this as a stand alone book, I think it would be better to read after reading “The Family Upstairs”.

I enjoyed this follow-up novel to the Family Upstairs, which I enjoyed reading several months ago. I loved how the story progressed, but I must admit I had forgotten a lot of what happened in the first book...however, Jewell did a great job of getting us up to speed. She tells a great story and it was very enjoyable. I look forward to the final book of the trilogy.

I am quite possibly the biggest LJ fan so I was thrilled to get this ARC. "The Family Upstairs" was so incredibly written that I was nervous "The Family Remains" might not stack up, especially since LJ never really writes sequels, but boy was I wrong. Like most LJ books, I could not put this one down and I read it in two days. Another page turner about families, relationships, decisions and their consequences, and a bit of cat and mouse chase. Highly recommend both in the series.

A creepy, thrilling follow up to The Family Upstairs. Jewell perfectly picks up and expands upon where the first installment left off, and answered many burning questions about the characters we grew all became invested in the first time around.

I did not love this book. It was interesting enough, but I didn’t think this sequel was necessary. I liked the idea of a second book, but I did not feel that it gave me enough closure from the first book.

Lisa Jewell is a prolific writer and we readers are so fortunate for that! In The Family Remains, Jewell draws the reader into this powerful drama. For the optimal experience, read The Family Upstairs first. Thank me later!

I received an ARC of this book, which I was excited about because I've enjoyed other works of this author. However, after getting only a few chapters in did I realize that this was a sequel to The Family Upstairs, which I have not yet read! I decided to put it down and go back to read the first book before reading this one. Then I can update my review with a full scope.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of "The Family Remains" by Lisa Jewell.

My first comment would be that readers read "The Family Upstairs" by Lisa Jewell before beginning this book. While it is described as a stand-alone sequel, I feel that I would have enjoyed it more had I already been invested in the characters. However, it is possible to follow and enjoy this book without having read her previous publication,

There was a lot going on in this book. A cold case investigation, family deception, marital abuse, embezzlement, a obsessive stalker, and more. With so many themes I don't feel some of the storylines were given as much attention as they deserved. With more work I think this could be a gripping and suspenseful tv thriller/drama.

P.S. possible triggers include emotional and physical abuse, including rape, and stalking.

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Honestly, didn't like this one. The Family Upstairs was great, but this follow-up felt so unnecessary. It felt like it was written because fans wanted more to the story, not because there was more story to tell.