The way the novel unfolds will keep the reader completely engaged. Edward and Harry have been getting to know each other and Harry (Harriett) moves to New York from England as she is a writer. Edward pops the question while ice skating and now they are engaged Harry is introduced and gets to know the famously rich family of Edward's. The novels engrosses the reader in small hints and thrilling tidbits throughout the novel and as Harry gets to know the family the reader is introduced as well learning their traditions and secrets. Will Harry be able to survive all the traditions or will learning the traditions drive her pregnancy to end???? This is definitely a wonderfully laid out and enveloping story that the reader will want to toss everything else aside to finish in a day. Enjoy how the story unfolds and see what the family is really like under the pretty curtains.

Thank you Netgalley, author and publisher for the opportunity.

I didn't know what to expect when I read this book, but oh my gosh was it so much fun! I really enjoyed it. The suspense, the thrills, the drama was priceless. I loved the main character and all of the fun games happening before our eyes. I also enjoyed the pacing of this book was perfect. Never was I bored or overwhelmed. It was aa very well plotted out story and Ill be reading more from this author.

This honestly reminded me a lot of would you rather - but make it into a family version instead? Thrillers having a plot so insane but intertwining that with some family history and sinister games always have me. I loved this a lot and cannot wait to see what others think too!, highly recommend!

4,5 ⭐️

When last year I read The Disappearing Act I finished my review saying it was my favorite book by Catherine Steadman. Well, that honor belongs now to The Family Game. Wow! Such a fantastic read! Me changing favorites every time I read a new one means she’s getting better and better. With so many thrillers out there with similar plots and characters, Catherine Steadman always presents interesting and original plots that keep you on the edge of your seat.

Imagine meeting your in-laws for the first time. Stressful, right? Now imagine those in-laws are part of the 1% and your fiancé has had a estranged relationship with them for years because of their high expectations. Not the most appealing scenario. That’s the situation Harry, a novelist from the UK, finds herself in. The Holbecks seem to welcome her with open arms, so she’s drawn right into their world, but the Holbecks like their games so when Robert, the patriarch, gives Harry and old cassette tape making a shocking confession, a twisted game that could turn out deadly will be set in motion.

The start had all the fairy tale ingredients, engaging the reader right from the start. Although things took a while to start moving forward, I was completely mesmerized by the Holbecks. They might have been a bit over the top, but their dynamics were so intriguing, and the promise of so many dark secrets so captivating, I found myself listening to the audiobook every single free moment I had (the author herself made once again an incredible job with the narration. Perks of being an actress, I guess 😄).

The family games don’t resemble at all any kind of games I’ve ever played with my family, and thank goodness! The Krampusnacht game almost gave me nightmares! The atmosphere the author managed to convey was out of this world, and the sense of menace was present even in the most benign settings.

Once Christmas arrived the final fireworks were lighted, and what a remarkable thing they were. Was it OTT? Definitely, but it was so much fun, with so many unexpected twists that I was completely in from start to finish.

The Family Game was a twisty and entertaining story, with raising tension all throughout (forget boring Monopoly or card games), where winning or losing could be a matter of life or death. Absolutely recommended.

Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have read almost all of Steadman’s work and this is one of my favorites. The Family Game is a cat and mouse thriller that induced fear and anxiety. Then, made me second guess why I was even anxious to begin with. I changed my opinion about who the “bad guy” was several times, but in the end, this thriller took me for a ride! It’ll definitely make me think twice if I find myself marrying into a wealthy family. Haha! I highly recommend this one for any thrill seekers.

A good mix of family drama and thriller. I love Catherine Steadman and this is no exception. The pacing and mystery were good and there was a clear build up to the twist.

I was hooked, intrigued and a bit terrified from the first sentence of the prologue. Reading this story I was simultaneously fearful of the Holbeck family and also quite irritated with them. Their family holiday traditions were outright crazy, and definitely not anything I would choose to take part in! I had a hard time relating to any of the Holbeck family members due to their immense wealth, but I loved Harry and the way her mind worked. The fact that she was an author was a good touch, allowing her to work out all the details of the crimes through the lens of book writing research. In hindsight, I should have been able to figure out who was behind everything, and yet I was blindsided when it was revealed. Once I put all the pieces together I couldn't read the book fast enough to see how it would all play out.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Ballantine Books for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

The thriller genre is the one I read the most so I always grade them pretty critically but this one I actually really enjoyed. There is lots of family drama, lots of secrets, and lots to keep readers interested. I will say I wish I listened to this one on audio because I heard the tape player part was cool to listen to so if that's an option for you, I would highly consider it. If you've read this book please slide into my DMs so we can talk about it!

Let it be known that a neon cover font will have my immediate attention 👀

Thank you to Ballantine Books of @penguinrandomhouse for my gifted eARC of “The Family Game” by Catherine Steadman. It’s out this Tuesday, 10/18, and was also a @bookofthemonth pick for October.

⭐️ rating: 3.75 (rounded to 4 on @goodreads)
📚genre: domestic suspense
#️⃣ length: 322 pages
🗓 pub date: 10/18
⏳pace: slow burn
🧮 the vibe: The undeniable power of old money

I would compare this one to “Good Rich People” by Eliza Jane Brazier. Very similar vibe. This one gets extraordinarily dark at about the 80% mark, and I love a moment in a book that’s so dark you have to reread it and sit there stunned.

Synopsis: Up-and-coming novelist Harriet is engaged to Edward Holbeck, heir to a very powerful old-money family. Edward has teetered on estrangement from his family, but his impending nuptials have brought him back into their orbit.

Harriet’s father-in-law-to-be hands her a cassette of a book he’s been working on — but it’s actually a murder confession. Now it’s up to Harriet to figure out how to handle this: is it a game to test her loyalty to the Holbecks? If not, what is it?

This was a like, not a love, for me. If you like rich people behaving badly tropes, this one is for you. The writing was fantastic; it’s just a slow burn, and I really have to be in the mood for that.

I'm going to start by saying that The Family Game is filled with messed up family games and weird traditions that I sure as hell never want to play or be part of. This book was all kinds of twisted. If you ever encounter a family similar to the Holbeck's, run, don't walk, very very far away. Catherine Stedman can definitely write a novel that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Plus that ending! I did not see that one coming at all. Yeah...This is one family game I'm not playing.

This book really just took me for a ride. I loved the build up, the character development, and the writing. I would definitely read more from this author!

I. LOVED. THIS. BOOK.

Y'all. Catherine Steadman is THE SHIT. I love her books and she is quite possibly one of my most anticipated authors of the year. And boy did this one not disappoint.

Harriet "Harry" Reed seems to have it all - a rocketing literary career and an engagement to one of the world's most eligible (and rich) bachelors. What could go wrong? Maybe, you know, going to meet the in-laws and ending up in the middle of a bizarre series of increasingly-creepy games. This was like nothing I've read before and I stayed up late into the night, turning pages until I finally hit the ending. And it was good. Ohhhhhh it was good. Bravo, Ms. Steadman. Keep up the fantastic work.

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

Initially I had a hard time getting into this book, but before I knew it I was 70% through.
Harry has a secret she's never shared with anyone and if it gets out, she will spend the rest of her life in prison. She has just been proposed to after a whirlwind romance to a man from a powerful family, and is certain that if her secret is found out, it will be the end of her relationship.
Turns out, her secret is already out and the family has secrets of their own - unsure what will be asked of her, she attends the family Christmas celebration to find out.

The Family Game positions itself very obviously in the vein of movies like Ready or Not. However, the key to a good thriller is a satisfying pay-off or grand reveal. The Family Game does not have to reinvent the thriller, but it should at the very least hit the aforementioned goals.

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Thanks to Ballantine, Catherine, and Netgalley for an ARC of The Family Game.

When up and coming author Harry falls, quite literally, into Edward’s arms, she thinks her life might be coming fully together finally. Edward is everything any woman could want, and his old money with new ambition lifestyle is just icing on the cake. Of course, with old money comes family. And Edward’s family is eccentric to say the least. The Holbeck family has been in the headlines for centuries, but that’s never really been Edward’s game, so he’s quietly made his own money and forged his own path. However, with Harry in the picture, the family is back in Edward’s life, curious about the new addition to the heir’s life…Harry is intrigued by the family and obliges meetings and some more forward meddling in her life with grace, but when when Edward’s father Robert slips a tape into Harry’s hands with explicit instructions not to alert any of the other family members of it, Harry is pulled into a weird and dangerous game (one of many she’ll play if she wants to make it in the Holbeck’s intoxicating world).

I mean, the premise of this book is fantastic. Old money is a fascinating topic to me, so I’m always in on that. Add in another one of my favorite current trends – neon on book covers – and I’m 150% in. This book had me hooked and kept me hooked the entire time. I had no idea what direction it was going to take, but I was waiting for it with bated breath.

It was an interesting choice to have Harry be an up-and-coming author as opposed to either 1) a total nobody or 2) already prominent in the book world; it really begged the question of ‘is this her ticket to shoot up the ladder or is she for real?’ It wasn’t a necessary piece to keep things moving and confusing, but it was definitely a nice addition.

The family was big, but I felt like we got to adequately know the key players well enough. The plot moved quick, starting with a current scene and then backtracking to make our way to that point again which I love as a good way to get me immediately invested – might be a cheap trick, but it always works. The games the family played were fucked up in the best and most bizarre ways.

This was my second Catherine Steadman book, the first being Something in the Water. While I enjoyed that one well enough, I wasn’t struck to go out and pick up her other releases despite them being on my TBR. The Family Game, however, has convinced me that I need to put The Disappearing Act and Mr. Nobody higher on my list.

It's difficult to review this book without giving it away. I had a theory from the get go that I think would have been a more interesting twist. My theory was wrong and it could have possibly detracted from my enjoyment of this book. That being said, it took a lot for me to get into this book and in fact, I considered DNFing it throughout the first half. And then throughout the second half, I wished I had. The characters just weren't that interesting and I think the twist was pretty contrived. I preferred my theory instead. lol

A well-written, twisty thriller, full of dark humor. The comparisons to Ready or Not can't be avoided, but it doesn't feel like an imitation.

This is my favorite book of the month!! I even chose it as my "Book of the month" pick because I NEEDED the physical copy. I loved the story, I loved the twists and turns, I loved and hated the twisted family and could not stop reading. I felt like I was right there with Harriet, the author did an amazing job of writing our main character.

This book kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. I knew there was some big family secret that would eventually be revealed, but I was completely thrown for a loop when it was. I liked how the author herself narrated the audiobook, and it was very well done. In this story, we have a young lady named Harriet (Harry) from England who moves to the US to be with her fiancé, Edward. Edward's family is ridiculously rich, and it's old money. Harry is a bit nervous to meet them, but soon she finds herself feeling a bit welcomed into their orbit. But as she spends more time with the Holbeck family, she realizes that some of the family members know more about her past than she would like. The Holbecks are not the only ones trying to keep things secret, and Harry can't afford to let anyone find out her own dark secret. The story is quick paced and well-written. Loved the atmospheric sense of place, as much of it takes place in stately historic mansions with many rooms and corridors.