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!

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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 ⭐️

This book had a great premise, but just took way too long to get into it. I love a good thriller and the was the first I've tried by Catherine Steadman. I do know I'll have patrons I can recommend this one to.

Review of The Family Game by Catherine Steadman

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Whew! This one was a crazy ride! Crazy. It made my heart pound at times and I never guessed the completely ending at all. This is the best thriller I’ve read in a while.

Quick synopsis: Harriet is thrilled to be engaged to Edward and is nervous to meet his extremely successful and wealthy family.
She hits it off with the family immediately though they are all quite eccentric. But then her soon to be father in law gives her a cassette to listen to which changes everything. She’s suddenly in the middle of a very dangerous game playing with a family who loves their games.

What a crazy ride this book was! I went into this book completely blind and I was not expecting what I read at all.
First of all, I HIGHLY recommend this book on audio. Catherine Steadman narrates her own books and she always does a fantastic job. This is honestly one of the best audiobooks I’ve ever listened to.
I always love when a thriller captivates me from the first chapter and this one definitely did just that. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough to find out what would happens next. This story is a spooky, page-turning, psychological thriller that I couldn’t get enough of!

I really enjoyed this book. It took a while for me to get into it, but I did not see the twist coming. I liked the setting of the story and how it involves the 1 percent that most of us will never experience. I would recommend this book.

This book is one crazy ride. To start I really liked the main character. She's smart and relatable. The writing in this one was great and really flowed. I finished this one in two nights, staying up way too late. I will say that I could see the twist, or at least part of it, pretty early on but it didn't diminish my enjoyment of the story at all. If you're a fan of thrillers this one is worth checking out!

Harriet Reed has risen through a difficult childhood to write a thriller, she knew she had accomplished something. When that book became a bestseller, she knew she no longer had to worry about her future. And then she fell in love.

When Harriet met Edward Holbecks, she knew who he was. Everyone knows the Holbecks. They’re old money, like the Rockefellers and the Vanderbilts and the Gettys. Harriet didn’t really care about that. Edward wasn’t all that close to his family either. He had gone off on his own to form his own company instead of taking over the family company. But now, Harriet and Edward are moving to New York, Harriet moving from her home country of England and Edward moving back to the city he grew up in, and it’s time for Harriet to finally meet his family.

Edward is reluctant for Harriet to meet the family, as he knows that his family is difficult on anyone who is in a relationship with him or one of his siblings. But Harriet is courageous. She agrees to meet with his sister Matilda for tea, but then she realizes it’s the same day and time as her meeting with her publisher. Harry is supposed to be working on her latest novel, but she’s gotten a little stuck since moving to New York. She’d already pushed her deadline back, so she explains to Matilda’s assistant about the meeting. In mere moments, her editor calls her to reschedule their meeting. As Harriet is talking to her, she realizes that her editor works for a company that is owned by the Holbecks. So that’s how it’s going to be. Harriet agrees to meet Matilda for tea, on her terms.

Harriet is surprised to have a genuinely good time with Matilda. She finds her charming and thoughtful, so when Matilda invites her and Edward over for a family dinner soon. Harriet decides to say yes for them. Matilda is thrilled, as they were hoping that Edward moving back to New York meant that he would be back in the fold. It wasn’t until much later that day, when Harriet was talking to Edward on the phone about how the tea had gone, that he told her where she had fallen into the trap. The dinner Matilda had invited them to? It’s Thanksgiving. As a Brit, she had no idea.

In the run up to the Thanksgiving dinner, Harriet has to hunker down and finish her novel. But she also figures out that she’s pregnant. Edward is thrilled, and Harriet feels excited. She thinks that this may give her a little bit of power against any Holbecks who may not want her in the family. But when they show up for Thanksgiving, Harriet is met with warm welcomes and encouragement. And then Robert asks to speak to her alone.

Robert is Edward’s father, the patriarch. He is intimidating, but Harriet can’t help but feel an attraction to the power of the man. He gives her a microcassette, telling her that it is a book idea. But days later, when she’s finally able to locate a microcassette player she can use to listen to it, she realizes it’s not a book idea at all.

It’s a confession. To murder.

Harriet is stunned. Is it real? Is it just a story? Is Robert playing games with her? And what does this mean to her relationship with Edward, and for their child? She decides to research whether it’s possible if Robert’s story is real, and she finds herself drawn deeper into the stories he tells her. But by getting deeper into the story, she is getting deeper into his secrets. Will she be able to carry the weight of the family secrets, or will the family games be the end of her?

Bestselling thriller writer Catherine Steadman is back with The Family Game. The look inside this old money family, at all the advantages and burdens they have, is crazy. Watching the secrets unfold, wondering what was going to happen next, was fascinating. There is a lot of momentum in this book, and layers of lies to dig through in order to get to the truth.

I loved this book. Watching as Harriet wove herself deeper and deeper into the fabric of this family, into their secrets (bringing her own secrets in there too), kept me hooked into these characters’ lives. I could feel my own anxiety ratchet up as Harriet spent time with the Holbecks, and I wanted to reach out and pull her out. I couldn’t, of course. All I could do was keep reading, until the very last page. I have been a fan of Steadman since her first novel, and I think she just keeps getting better and better. The Family Game is exceptional, and I can’t wait for her next novel.

Egalleys for The Family Game were provided by Ballentine Books through NetGalley, with many thanks.

It’s been awhile since I have read a GREAT thriller but that changed after reading The Family Game. This book was fast paced, intriguing and kept me on the edge of my seat. Once I started reading, I had an extremely hard time putting it down and may have stayed up a little too late to finish. I loved everything about this book and definitely look forward to reading more thrillers from this author!

This was a great read! I will be ordering for my library. Loved the main character, Harry -- somehow, this story felt real in spite of the "ultra rich 1 percent" perspective. Awesome plot!