Out of all Catherine Steadman's novels I have read, this one had the fastest pace and the characters were more dimensional. It starts as a slow burn, but catches up quickly and I couldn't put it down. Harriet (Harry) Reed is engaged to Edward Holbeck, the heir to a huge family fortune of old New York money. They play a family game, unlike typical family game nights. This game isn't chutes and ladders and the stakes are very high. Harry is s very strong and empowering character. Read along to play the game.

Thank you #BallantineBooks #CatherineSteadman & #NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I knew that THE FAMILY GAME was going to be a family drama but was not expecting it to be so sinister! This reminded me so much of SUCCESSION meets KNIVES OUT. This was my first book by Catherine Steadman and am excited to read more from her. Part of the plot seemed a little over the top to me but overall, I really enjoyed this book - fantastic thriller that kept me engaged the entire time!

Reading Catherine Steadman’s The Family Game I couldn’t help but think of the movie Ready or Not, a crazy over the top horror/comedy that came out a few years back about a woman marrying into a rather psychotic family. I loved that movie and loved this book. While not quite the same, there are definitely similarities as The Family Game features a wonderfully twisted and at times humorous storyline centered around a completely twisted family that likes to play deadly games. I don’t want to give too much away, but The Family Game an intense, past paced thriller perfect for anyone looking for a short break from reality. 4.5 stars! Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an eARC of The Family Game.

https://www.amazon.com/review/R2LEGZMREGO8P5/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

Thanks Netgalley for an advanced reader copy of this novel. I read this author’s first book and enjoyed it and I thought this one was even better.

This is the story of Lucy & Edward, a newly engaged couple. If you watch Succession, his family reminded me of the Roys. A very wealthy family with 4 siblings. Edward is the oldest and isn’t very close with the rest of the family but after the engagement they all want to meet and get to know Lucy.

And then Edward’s father gives Lucy a cassette tape with some horrifying information. And then things basically go downhill from there. There’s an absolutely bizarre holiday event at a siblings’ house that’s equally funny and horrifying. And what about the tape? Is everything on it true? Is it a fictional story? I really liked this book, the pacing was a bit slow but it’s interesting and a great read for this spooky time of year.

This thriller opens with a prologue where main character Harriet is lying on the floor of a mansion bleeding, then jumps back about a month to her engagement to Edward, and soon meeting his extremely rich and increasingly creepy family.

Much of the early suspense is this driven by your knowledge from the prologue that things are eventually going to go wrong - but then once things get going, things get more and more sinister and crazy. Sometimes when books go cuckoo at the end like this one does, it loses something for me, but in the case of this book, for whatever reason it totally worked for me. The book may not have been realistic, but boy was it entertaining and suspenseful - read it in about 24 hours!

This is the third of Catherine Steadman’s four books I’ve read (still need to go back and read her second book), and I’m also struck by how different each of her thrillers are. She’s definitely becoming a must read thriller author for me!

𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝐹𝒶𝓂𝒾𝓁𝓎 𝒢𝒶𝓂𝑒 𝑅𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌 💖

Pub Date: OCTOBER 18th 2022
𝕋𝕠𝕕𝕒𝕪

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬:
This was a fun fast paced thriller! I will say, I figured out 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐝𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐢𝐭 right away but I still enjoyed the ride and the game aspect of the story.

This book is literally Ready or Not movie 🎥 vibes.

A dysfunctional wealthy family and no fairy tale ending? 🧚🏻‍♀️ I know what you are thinking you have read 💯 books about this and GUESS WHAT you have - but this one is still worth the ride 😉

Thank you @netgalley & @randomhouse for the ARC of #thefamilygame

𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐭: 𝐑𝐮𝐧 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤

Why do I want to have a Krampus chase now?! Like, sign me up. I would have so much fun with that. When I read the description for this I immediately thought of Ready or Not which is a campy but fun horror movie (that I’ll recommend you watch) and I knew I had to read it. I love when books have chapter titles as it makes me guess what’s going to happen next - I wish more authors would do that! Harry was likable and I was rooting for her the whole time. She also made some smart decisions to protect herself which I could really get behind. If you’re into toxic families than this one is for you!

I loved this book. The whole premise was amazing and I in no way predicted the twist which I appreciate. I thought the character development and prose were spot on. This author continues to improve with her writing which I greatly appreciate.

Many thanks to the author Catherine Steadman, Penguin Random House and NetGalley.

Even with all the money you can fathom, you can't choose your family. Or can you? An author with her first book meets the man of her dreams. One year later it's time to meet the family, a family who likes to play games. Creepy games. Terrifying games. Games that could kill Meet the Holbeck Family. A wealthy family with old money that can keep everything hush-hush, need be. The father, after meeting his new soon to be daughter-in-law with her first book out, thinks its a good idea for her to listen to his own story he has recorded. This must be a game. A test The father takes matters into his own hands to prove a point. A deadly point.

Another hit for me! 5 stars, highly recommend reading.

I wasn't sure what to expect with this book, but it definitely wasn't Krampus nightmares!!

The Family Game is a slow burn; suuuuuch a slow burn. Could have easily been 50-75 pages shorter. I don't understand how our MC just dicked around so much with access to information. Homegirl had the whole story in her hands and instead of just listening to the entire thing she stops - for DAYS AT A TIME - to go on her own little detective spree as if she was cosplaying Sherlock Holmes. Throw into the mix an infuriating relationship between our MC and her beau - how you going to marry someone you know nothing about? and how you going to just not tell your fiancé anything in a year + time together?!?!?! - and an uncomfortable dynamic of Daddy Warbucks pinning on the part of our MC, and you've got a story that made me super uncomfortable and equal parts frustrated.

But, somehow, I still really like this? The writing was quality, I was thoroughly engaged from page one. And despite the first half being super slow, the back half was a rush to the end. I definitely did not see half of what happened coming - I'm still hung up on the random Krampus story line and TBH I would lowkey want to play except I would punch the thing out because I don't do haunted houses. The family was so damn weird but intriguing at the same time. I don't know; it just all worked really well for me! Yes I was frustrated with our MC but that's par for the course with thrillers and the dumb women in them, and writing that can pull multiple emotions from the reader is a mark of a story and talented author.

Highly recommend and low key recommend for the holiday season? IYKYK.

TW/CW: mention of abortion, murder, killing spree, serial killer, gore, stalking? None of this was overly graphic as I am a wimp.

Do you like the Holidays and insane families? Well, I have the book for you! Harry (short for Harriet) has a secret she’d rather leave in the past, but when she ends up with Edward that is put to the test. His family is rich, powerful and they love to play games. Seems harmless to begin with but things get a bit…wild. I stayed up too late reading this book because I had to know where it was going and I’m glad I did. We need more holiday thrillers because this one was a treat! Thanks Net Galley for the ARC! Happy Pub day 🥳

Well this was quite the interesting read. I got this in ebook form from NetGalley but didn’t prioritize it so even though I’ve finished it by release day, it’s still pretty well on the backlist.

Anyway, this family is a hot ass mess. Rich people in fiction, I tell you. They all be trippin. I really thought I had this story pegged. I was incorrect. In all honesty, I like the twist my brain took better, but this was a solid path as well.

This book starts at the end and then does a rewind. That usually ticks me off, and it did annoy me still but the way it was handled in this book was great. The author ensured that you knew for sure when you hit the spot where it all started. I found that incredibly helpful.

I’m trying not to color my rating with what my own brain came up with being “better” in my mind….but I think this deserves a solid ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Wow! What a book! This will definitely hook you from page 1 and you won’t want to stop reading!! Her books seem to get better and better and this one is no different! Highly recommend

A consistently interesting Christmas thriller to add to Steadman's growing list of amazing books! A quick read that will make a great gift this holiday season for a friend or yourself.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read and review.

Wow, wow, wow. I loved this one! I love a good family drama/thriller and this more than delivered on that promise. It took just a little bit to get into as I was adjusting to longer chapter lengths than I was used to but still, I was hooked from the beginning.

As an esteemed family finally begins to accept the prospective partner of their eldest son, it soon becomes obvious just why this son has been trying his best to sever all ties that he can with them. The family drags the protagonist, best selling author Harriet, into their twisted world, or is just a game after all?

I could not put this one down! 4.5/5 stars from me. I cannot wait to read any and all other works by this author as I adored her style of writing and story telling.

And as always thank you to NetGalley and the publisher Ballantine Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I honestly don’t know what to say except wow! The last half of this book had me on the edge of my seat. I’ve read Christmas romance and cozy Christmas mysteries, but I don’t think I’ve ever read a Christmas thriller before. The warm comforting visions of Christmas combined with the anxiety and stress of a thriller was a fun contrast that helped me plow through this book; staying up late, getting up early just to read a few more chapters. This might be my favorite Steadman novel to date!

I had such a great time reading The Family Game! Though it was a bit slow to start, once the story got going I read the last 2/3 in one sitting. Others have compared this to the movie Ready or Not (which I also loved!) and I’d have to agree. If you love books with plenty of rich people drama definitely check out The Family Game.

Harriet is a British author whose first book has blown everybody away. Dealing with a relocation across the pond and a proposal from her handsome and wealthy American boyfriend, Harriet is struggling with the deadline for her second book. A dinner with her future in-laws sets her back on track. But at the end of the night her fiancé’s father hands her a tape containing his own book - but everything is not as it seems. This family, whose wealth dates back to the gilded age, likes to play games and sometimes they have a body count.

This book was full of twists and turns that keeps you guessing. The author sprinkles clues from the past in throughout, but not in a way that takes away from the current timeline. I can’t wait to check out more from this author in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy!

Harry is marrying into old money. Her fiancé’s family is intimidating but she’s ready to get to know them. When the patriarch gives her an audio tape with a confession, the games begin.

I loved the games aspect of this book. The anticipation was there the entire time and kept the pages turning. There was a lot of guessing involved. I liked the cat and mouse feeling. The ending and big reveal was not my favorite. I was expecting it to unravel more twisty but I still enjoyed the story.

“A game is only a game if you do not fully understand it. We play as we live.”

The Family Game comes out 10/18.

I love games. Pair that with a wealthy family and a mystery, oh my. Great story and twist. Almost as good ashes debut

Welcome to the best Catherine Steadman book since Something in the Water!

The Family Game follows Harriet, a mystery and thriller author, who becomes engaged to her super handsome and super rich fiancé. When it comes time to meet his family, she senses something is weird is going on… and then the cat and mouse game begins. But, Harriet has secrets, and there’s too much at stake not to play along.

Now, I have to say, the moment the book took a turn, I had actual chills all over my body. I was HOOKED. In fact, I listened to the audiobook at 1x speed only so I could fully immerse myself into this book… because things get crazy—really crazy! Since I don’t want to give away any spoilers, you’ll have to find out on your own.

What I appreciated while reading is that the author drops hints only when needed, and unlike many authors, she doesn’t shove the “main character with secrets” trope down our throats every other chapter. The reader is allowed to speculate and learn things on their own. That creeping pace is what really allowed my thoughts to wander, and probably why some moments truly scared and surprised me.

The ending was slightly predictable, but I was still along for the ride.

While it did not impact my rating at all, I just wanted to mention that Catherine Steadman has an awful American accent. Oof. Sorry, but it had to be said. I still LOVE her books and narration, though! And I really look forward to future books.

Thank you to @RandomHouse and @PRHAudio for my advanced e-galley and ALC in exchange for an honest review.