Rating: 1.5

This book wasn't what I thought it was going to be. I hated the main character, she was so annoying. I was really tired of her thinking her fiance's dad was hot, then feeling guilty and blaming her feelings on something stupid. It was repeated at least 3 times in one short chapter. The game didn't even start til almost halfway through and, even then, nothing really happened until the last 30%. I didn't care about the mystery or any of the twists. The book was mostly just slow and boring.

As a person who enjoy games like Monopoly and Escape Rooms I knew this book was going to take me to a whole new level.

Streadman’s amazing imagination had me on the edge of my seat finding out what would happen next.

Take a large wealthy family, secrets, death, a wicked imagination and vengeance with competition and you could not even begin to imagine what lies in this novel.

Harry and her fiancé Edward Holbeck’s go to his family estate and she finds out quickly they play some crazy games that are not for the weak of heart.

Edward’s father Robert has is own game with Harry and it’s not what you think!

Brilliant! Twisted! Unimaginable!
Thank you @netgalley, @ballantine and Catherine Streadman for this advanced copy. This book is due out November 8, 2022.#booksconnectus, #bookstagram, #stamperlady50, #bookreview, #netgalley, #thefamilygame, #catherinesteadman, #ballantine

ARC releasing 11/8/22. Harriett has always been shielded from Edward’s family, but now that they’re engaged, it’s time to meet them. Secrets are revealed through a mysterious tape given to Harriett via Edward’s father and it’s up to her to figure out the truth. Honestly, I was a little bored? I feel like this was more of a mystery and not a thriller, but also not really even a mystery because I found myself not really caring what the truth was.

What does is take to marry into the 1%? Harry gets swept up in a whirlwind romance with Edward. However in the year long love, she has never met his family - the wealthy, elusive Holbecks. That all changes after they get engaged right before Thanksgiving. Harry desperately wants a relationship with his family, but Edward is against it. As she gets to know the family more over the holidays, secrets come out. Does she really know who she is marrying? 4 stars, great thriller.

Wow. This deserves all of the raving reviews I saw, and those reviews did not steer me wrong! I read tons and tons of thrillers, which means I can often guess twists, plots, themes, etc. But this book was fresh, surprising, and I absolutely loved the characters and writing. It kept me turning the pages late into the night even when I was so tired and really should have gone to bed. This is a must read for thriller fans! 5 solid stars! I can't wait to read Catherine's other books.

This is a book about a filthy rich (and completely dysfunctional) family; the secrets they keep and the games they play. It’s told from the perspective of Harriet (Harry), a young British novelist with secrets of her own. She is engaged to the practically perfect Edward, and is finally allowing herself to believe that she can be happy. But first she has to meet the family. Edward is the heir apparent to the family fortune, so Harry knows the entire family, especially Edward’s father Robert, will be scrutinizing her.

To say this family is dysfunctional is a gross understatement. While the story moved quickly, I could not identify with or root for any of the characters. Honestly, I found it unbelievable that Harry would continue to surround herself with these people. Especially after she began to participate in their beyond-strange family traditions. The games were over the top, and hard to believe. I was so hoping that by the end I would understand the motivations of the main characters. But the ending left me with more questions than answers.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this ARC.

This book was legit bonkers, but in a good way. There was a lot going on plot-wise, but it moved really quickly and the nonstop action had me finishing this book in only a couple of sittings. What prevents me from giving this more than 3 stars is the whole weird thing where the main character Harriet (Harry) was sexually attracted to her father-in-law. Too ick for me.
Overall, I enjoyed the plot of this book and would recommend it to others.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine for the ARC!

The Family Game is a wild and intriguing thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat. This is the second book I've read from Catherine Steadman and I think I can establish her as an author that writes engrossing dark stories that fill you with dread in the most entertaining way.

Harriet (call her Harry) is a successful British debut novelist who finds herself in a fairy tale romance with American Edward Holbeck. His family is extremely wealthy and powerful and he's been estranged from them for years. But becoming engaged to Harry changes things. The Holbecks insist on meeting Harry, they need to make sure she's worthy of joining the family.

Harry is willing to do whatever it takes to be accepted by them. She treats it like a game, being able to correctly navigate their expectations and manipulations. Which comes in handy because this family loves their games..

Harry's determination to be accepted is put to the test when the patriarch Robert gives her a tape. The tape contains incriminating information and Harry realizes this is a test of her loyalty. And of course Harry herself has a secret from her past that must never get out and Robert knows, possibly the whole family does.

She decides to investigate and see if it's possible to take the family down while still keeping her secret safe. She wants her happily ever after with Edward without his weird family having control over them. But of course things aren't as they seem and the family game might be even deadlier for Harry than she realizes.

If you like your thrillers a little dark and a little weird, this book is for you. The Family Game is a fun and unique read I highly recommend.

Thank you Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the e-ARC.

4.5 stars! Oooooooohhhhhh this was so juicy and soooo good. Harriet gets engaged to her boyfriend, Edward, who just happens to be the son of an extremely wealthy and prominent family. The problem is, Edward’s family is described as a bit too much and over the top, so her soon to be husband doesn’t have a close relationship with them. Harriet agrees to meet them for the first time at Thanksgiving. And things start to get strange. The family appears to be hiding secrets, bad secrets. And they seem to know her dark secret, which if it gets out could land her behind bars. Stuck between a rock and a hard place, she starts to unravel the truth and it is NOT what she thought.
This book was so well thought out and executed. I just can’t say enough good things about it. Please do yourself a favor and read this book as soon as you can!!
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Harry (Harriet) is a novelist. She is living with Edward, the oldest son of the fabulously wealthy Holbein family. He has been estranged from his family for a number of years. When his sister contacts them and invites them to dinner they agree even though they remembered it was Thanksgiving. Slowly they begin to, in Harry’s case, establish a relationship with them. The family has some traditions they follow during the Holidays that are pretty extreme, yet Harry has agreed to participate. Nothing is as it seems yet everything is more than real. Going further into the plot will lead to unnecessary spoilers. Best I can say is read it! Thanks to Net Galley and Ballantine Books for an ARC for an honest review.

This is a sale all night till the hours of the morning, just finish the book, type of book! The plot was amazing and it was full of twists and turns which really kept you guessing throughout the whole book! Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this Arc in exchange for an honest review

A different kind of family tradition.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

This was so fun! I didn't want it to end. The Family Game tells the story of Harriet aka Harry, an author marrying into a VERY affluent family. A family with billions. As the holidays approach Harry discovers her fiancé's family has some...unique family traditions.

This ended up going in a totally different direction than I thought it would, which I liked! It steered clear of a lot of overused tropes from thrillers which was a breath of fresh air. I've seen this compared to the movie Ready or Not (a fantastic movie if you've never seen it). If you loved that movie, you will definitely enjoy this book, but the story definitely differentiates itself.

I wish the conclusion was a little more drawn out. I was reading the arc on my kindle so I could see the % left and felt like it wrapped everything up a little too quickly. Plus, the end was my favorite part and I would have liked more!

I've never read anything by Catherine Steadman but I'll definitely check out more of her thrillers. The Family Game comes out November 8th. Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the advance copy.

Oh man, rich people are so weird. This is my second Steadman read- I read Something in the Water last year and I truly enjoyed both. The suspense in this book and the limited information really made the book impossible to put down. It was agonizing to have the prologue be on Christmas eve but then go back to before thanksgiving and have to wait around a month to get to answers! Another brilliant and incredibly frustrating moment is how Harry doesn’t listen to the tape all at once! Steadman did an amazing job of giving us crumbs and making us wait to see what she made with the recipe. I do wish there were a few more crumbs that led us to the plot twist because I really didn’t see it coming and I felt like a bad thriller reader for not even having a shadow of a doubt about where the book was going. However, sometimes it’s nice to be reminded that you can still be surprised and plot twists can still impact you. I saw another review that someone compared this to the movie “Ready or Not” and I would agree…kind of, in the sense that it’s rich white people doing weird, probably not above board things…for fun. One final thing I wish there was (for closure but I understand and appreciate why we didn’t get it) was an insight into the aftermath of Harry’s actions before her trip to the Hyde. However, I think it might be even better for Steadman to not give us all the information and keep us guessing and on our toes.

A wild ride from start to finish! I struggled to put this book down. It will keep you guessing and keep you wondering in a way that makes it impossible to put down.

Catherine Steadman never disappoints with her writing. The Family Game was a great, sitting on the edge of your seat thriller. I loved the main characters of Edward and Harry but also the other family members too. It was fun trying to dissect all of the personalities to see who was on the good side and who was on the bad side.

I did figure out the ending/twist about halfway through which was a little disappointing. I was hoping that I thought I had figured it out and then Steadman would have another twist but that didn’t happen.

It wasn’t my favorite of hers but still a fast read that is perfect for anyone looking for a book about crazy families, lies, and how to protect and save yourself.

As a fan of Catherine Steadman's other three books, I dove into "The Family Game," a compulsively readable taut thriller. Harriet, known as Harry, meets Edward at her publisher's annual Summer Gala in London. A year later Harry moves to New York City to start a new life with him. Edward comes from a multi-generational wealthy family who remain elusive, shrouded in questionable business ethics.

Edward proposes to Harry and this sets up a cavalcade of events starting with meeting his sister Matilda and ultimately meeting the entire Holbeck family. Edward has severed ties with his family, and everyone hopes that his engagement will break the ice and bring unity back to them. Without thinking, Harriet agrees to a Thanksgiving dinner invitation to meet everyone. In the interim, Harry and Edward learn they are expecting a baby.

Harry meets the entire extended Holbeck clan, including Robert, the imposing family patriarch. After dinner Robert invites Harry for a chat in his study. He commends her on her first book, telling her he enjoyed her clever twists and that she's good at "Telling stories. Untangling them." At the end of their meeting, Robert gives Harry a cassette tape with an idea for a thriller that he's written. And with that the game begins, as Harry listens to a shocking confession and becomes embroiled in a deadly game of cat and mouse.

Once again, Catherine Steadman dazzles with her clever plot laden with twists and turns.. Pull up a chair and be prepared to be throughly entertained right up to the shocking ending.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House/Ballantine Books for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely gripping! Catherine Steadman expertly crafts a game and a tale with twists and turns from start to finish. If you love the thriller variety, this one surely won’t disappoint!

Name of Book: The Family Game
Author: Catherine Steadman
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group ~ Ballantine
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Pub Date: November 8, 2022
My Rating: 2 Stars

Edward’s family happily welcomes Harriet into their family. At first Harriet wonders why Edward chose to shield her from them for so long; but no longer wonders when she meets father-in law Robert the head of the Holbecks.
Harriet is an author and Robert is impressed as he has read one of her novels; and found it very clever. On their first meeting, Robert gives Harriet a cassette tape which contains a confession.
Thus begins a time honored tradition ~ the lethal games of survival.

I am a big Psychological Thriller fan but this was not my typical read. I love the twists and turns and enjoy trying to figure out ‘whodunit’.
This story was a struggle for me as I really didn't care or was interested as to what was going on.

Why would anyone in their right mind play this game?
I hung in there and the ending was okay.
However, I found it disappointing. I know plenty readers love it ~ which only shows that we all have different and unique taste ~ which is fine!

Want to thank NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group ~ Ballantine for granting ‘my wish’ with this early eGalley. Publishing Release Date scheduled for November 8, 2022.

Thanks for this advance copy, NetGalley!

This one was a RIDE, right? Marrying into a rich family with a deep legacy is a good hook, and this book was much more bizarre and twisted than I thought it would be. This author is a great addition to the scene, and so far I'm 2 for 2 with her books and eager to read more. (This book comes out 11/8/22)

I had a tough time getting into this book. I wasn't sure I was going to like it and I found it a little more challenging to get into its groove, but once I did, I enjoyed the book. The plot centers around a thriller novelist Harry, short for Harriet, and her new fiance who is from a rich and powerful family. The first time she meets this powerful family, her father-in-law gives her a mysterious tape of his own thriller. At that point, the story and intrigue pick up and my attention starts to soar. The author does a great job of building the intensity and intrigue almost to the point of it being a little over the top at points. I would also say that this a borderline horror thriller book so it definitely gets intense. Overall, I enjoyed the ride and thought the author did a great job bringing it to the end.