Fantastic story! I really enjoyed the cat and mouse game between the future father in law and Harry. What I didn’t love was how quickly the ending arrived. It seemed to go from zero to 10 in a matter of a few pages. While I was disappointed with the ending, I thought the overall story was quite entertaining.

Harriet falls in love with a John F Kennedy, Jr type and realizes after he proposes that this fam likes to play GAMES…games in the literal sense and games that mess with your mind. This book was fantastic and I loved every second of it.

Harriet is a recently engaged novelist and I just starting to meet her fiancée Edwards family. Bizarre family games and secrets put Harriet in what she views to be an unsafe situation.

This sounded like such an interesting premise and while I enjoyed parts of it, particularly Krampusnacht, there was a great deal that felt like a chore, or a distraction, that was just dropped. Unfortunately, I predicted the big twist in the book. For a bit, I hoped to find another more interesting twist, but no, it was just another distraction. My rating is based on the fact that I enjoyed reading most of the book, but was supremely disappointed by the ending.

I don't know what it is about this subgenre of thrillers focused on rich people behaving badly, but I can't get enough of them - if you're looking for a fun & entertaining read that's perfect for fans of "Ready or Not", look no further than Catherine Steadman's "The Family Game!"

This was the first book of Steadman's I've picked up & I thought her writing was fantastic - this started off as a bit of a slower burn, but everything was so meticulously planned & plotted out, my attention was immediately piqued. & once the games get going, man do they get going! What does it say about me that I'd lowkey love to take part in the Krampus game? 🤣 Although I'd definitely run screaming for the hills during that final game 👀 This was one wild family & I loved that everyone had their own secrets about them, including Harry - it made the stakes that much higher & the final few hours of the book extremely suspenseful. & ya'll, this covers Thanksgiving through Christmas, so it truly is such an unexpected gem for the holidays - if you're looking to add a little bit of thrills & chills to your holiday reading, don't skip out on this!

All in all, I had a great time reading this & can't wait to check out more from Steadman's backlist, & thank you so much to Catherine Steadman, NetGalley & Ballantine Books for providing an ARC in exchange for a honest review!

The Family Game is really about all kinds of games a rich family plays with each other. The MC is incredibly naive. Does anyone really not know about Krampus? It’s incredibly weird. How she does not see what is right in front of her is a little shocking. She seems perfectly OK with overlooking a lot of red flags and outright evidence in order to marry into a rich family. It is really hard to feel sorry for her even as she races for her life.

You know those in laws? You know the ones. The ones that are just a few steps away from center? That family that is just a little too perfect, too rich, too private- weird.. add in a few billion dollars and this is Harry’s soon to be new family. Recently engages she is really getting to know edwards family. Something is just not right.
This was fun; and not the same story retold. I’ve got to go back and read mr nobody.

I LOVED THIS ONE!! I couldn’t put it down. I truly didn’t see the ending coming. The pace was great; the recording/transcript within the story was a nice touch. I loved the “games”, twisted as they were. This was dark and addictive, my favorite of this author so far.

I received an advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

As someone who is still only just beginning to really dip her toes in the Thriller/Suspense genre, I have to say: This was such a fun thriller! From the very first page I was hooked— the premise feels fresh & original; I loved how atmospheric this book was. I think the author does a real great job of setting the scene for us. Harriet’s mounting confusion and fear is palpably felt as the story builds upon itself, and while yes, I did figure out a few (but certainly not all!) of the many twists early on, it didn’t even faze me because the journey getting to that point was a hell of a ride. This is my first time reading Steadman’s work & now it definitely isn’t going to be my last!

Book Review:

The Family Game by Catherine Steadman

Whew! I finished this just under the wire today! But sooo good!!

If you liked the movie Ready or Not you will be a fan of this book. Girl falls in love, is finally introduced to boy's incredibly rich old money family, and a game of cat and mouse ensues...but who is actually playing?

The Family Game just released on Oct. 18th, make sure to add it to be your TBR!!

Thanks to @netgalley and #BallantineBooks for this advanced reader!

#BookReview #Bookstagram #CatherineSteadman #TheFamilyGame #BallantineBooks #BookishLife #reading #Bibliophile #BookPhotography #BookRecommendations #InstaBooks #BookNerd #ThrillerBooks #FictionBooks

What a read!!! A rollercoaster of thrills and chills. I could not out this book down. I am still reeling and processing it! I loved that I never knew what was going to happen, which kept me on my toes. I marveled at how perfectly the story unfolded. This book is not to be missed!

A fun, quick read with an unexpected twist. I liked that the protagonist actually had a dark side, too often horror protagonists obsess over their "awful" past only to reveal something totally benign. I'd definitely pick up another book by Steadman if I saw it.

Harriet Reed's life started off on the wrong foot. After enduring a difficult childhood, Harriet "Harry" grows into a successful adult and eventually falls in love with Edward Holbecks. Edward comes from "old money"--think the Vanderbilts and Rockefellers, but he is not close with his family. When Harry meets Edward's family, things are not what they seem, This novel explores deep family secrets, and will enrapture you until the very end. Thank yu to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for an advanced copy of this wonderful book.

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this storyline and how it took domestic thriller to a whole new level! It was a little confusing at first with the way the story started out, you obviously know that everything is leading to a horrible point. It was interesting learning of all the twisted family games and a different spin on the lives of the mega rich and powerful. I was happy with how things turned out in the end for Harriet, even though personally, I wouldn’t have stuck around for all that chaos!

The Family Game by Catherine Steadman was an excellent book. Even though I guessed the twist it was a well written and interesting book. Definitely worth the read.

Another page turner that kept my interest. Do you really know the family you are about to marry into? This book has everything, Family, love, deceit, twists and turns galore and a protagonist that doesn't give up easily.
My fourth read from Catherine and won't be my last I really like her writing style.
Thank you to Netgalley, Random House Ballantine Books and the Author, Catherine Steadman for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This one had me hooked from the start!

Think The Inheritance Games, but...bloodier. 😅

It was a pageturner, and I flew through it. It's a great pick for a fall read!

Read this if you liked Lock Every Door or Goodnight Beautiful.

I’m not usually a thriller fan but this one sucked me in. It reminded me of that movie released a few years ago with a similar plot but it was exciting and entertaining

I was captivated by this story from page one. The characters, the drama, the suspense. This old money family is hiding lots of secrets - and honestly you never know who you can trust or when. The characters were dynamic. Their relationships fascinating. I found this book to be such an interesting and enjoyable read. Highly recommend!

I wish I could give this one more than five stars. Catherine Steadman has really outdone herself with the constant twists and reveals. Could I have guessed the end? Absolutely not! I loved the character of Harriet. She was a real person, who is mostly good, but don't we all have a bit of mean streak? She's strong, protective, and willing to do whatever she has to to protect those she loves. All the drama of joining a rich and powerful family while still trying to maintain her own sense of self and strength was addictive to read! All the stars!!

Link to 10/20/2022 Instagram Post:
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cj8dhrFL6k0/

"They say you can’t choose your family but they’re wrong. YOU CAN. It just takes way more effort than most people are willing to put in."

What 👏🏼 a 👏🏼 ride this wasssss! I freaking loved it. One of the first books I read this month, and it didn't disappoint!

Here's what worked
✨ the pacing was perfect
✨ short chapters will keep you on your toes the entire time
✨ the overall eeriness of this families secrets was SO GOOD
✨ had many guesses on where this was going and although I was *close* the shock factor was still there
✨ all of the family "games" were so interesting to me

If your spooky season TBR is out of control (hello, it's me 🙋🏻‍♀️), then you should 100% read this for a thrill around Christmas time! It takes place in New York during Christmas time. I loved how she incorporated the traditions of this already cryptic family to keep the mystery going!

4.5 ⭐️