When things sound too good, it means there might be something sketchy going on... When you get offered a great job with a good pay, and top of that you are gaining a new friend, everything should be just fine. Except if the new friend is your new boss and she is suddenly everywhere where you are supposed to be. While you are working, she is with your family. Something is wrong.

The book is well-written and it flows really nicely. It is therefore an easy read, and I wanted to find out what was going on, so I read it in two sittings. I enjoyed the book, but what bothered me was that it was obvious from the beginning who the new boss was. It was however both intriguing and creepy to read how far someone's hate and need for revenge can take a person.

Secrets are the name of the game in this book. Almost everyone in this book has at least a secret or two. Nora and her husband must not have heard of the adage "if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is."

Nora Harmon is a happily married woman and mother. She has been sought out and offered a dream job with incredible pay, a chance at travel, and great hours. What's more is that her new employer, Jane, seems to have taken a liking to her and the two become fast friend. Soon professional and person boundaries begin to become intwined. Jane inserts herself into Nora's home life, buying things for her children and being a little too friendly with David, Nora's husband.

What seemed like a dream initially, soon becomes an uncomfortable mess.

This book was fast paced and a solid read. I enjoyed it and found myself shaking my head multiple times while reading. Things get a little OTT and tension flows throughout the book. I thought I had things figured out but didn't quite hit the nail on the head.

This was a nice book to sit back and enjoy. It doesn't take much thought but made for a fast-paced read. As things went off the rails, I didn't mind suspending some disbelief and shaking my heard. I chalk this up to pure escapism reading.


Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com

This one is hard for me to review because it definitely made me react strongly towards both female characters—given that I always disagreed with both of them and their actions. Unique plot line though!

Such a Beautiful Family is a well-written, suspenseful novel. Nora has it all - two kids, a great husband and a good job, but also a secret from her past. Jane, a new acquaintance, offers Nora a new job that appears to be too good to be true. And while the new job isn’t the issue, watch out for Jane!
While there are no twists to the storyline, it is gripping from page one. Fast-paced and told from the perspectives of both Nora and Trevor (Nora’s son), it is a good read!
Thanks to NetGalley, the author and Thomas & Mercer for the opportunity to read the ARC.

would like to thank netgalley and the publishers for letting me read this frightening book

nora harmon is head hunted by jane bell a successful software consultant, its a dream job with less hours and more money

but things dont go as planned as nora finds herself working longer hours and travelling both of which she didnt want to do but jane keeps piling on the work and then sends her to france

but jane also oversteps the boundaries within noras family and its not long before cracks start showing in noras homelife....

oh my this was compulsive reading as you didnt know what was going to happen next and where it was leading to...and even though you could guess its the stuff of nightmares

If you are looking for a fast paced mystery, Such a Beautiful Family might be for you!

I thought this story was an easy read and kept me invested however, it was all a little underwhelming. The prologue started off so strong and instantly grasped my attention so, it was a little disappointing that the rest of the story didn’t have any strong mystery elements. I didn’t feel any interest to find out who the mystery watcher was or why he was even watching the family. My main interest was wondering how both Jane and Nora would relate back to the accident in the prologue. It just felt a little lacking in the suspense/mystery factor.

Now with that said, I absolutely enjoyed the writing in this story and found myself reading it very quickly. I really enjoyed Trevor’s character and loved what the ending did for him. The whole last few chapters were really good and I loved how it concluded.

Overall Such a Beautiful Family is a quick and easy mystery that would be perfect to help you reach that end of year reading goal!

2.5 stars

Such a Beautiful Family by TR Ragan. Thanks to @amazonpublishing #thomasandmercer @netgalley for the gifted Arc ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Nora Horman finds the perfect job with flexible hours and a great salary. Her new boss, Jane, is so friendly too. Until Jane becomes a little too friendly.

If you are looking for a fast paced and entertaining read, you could pick this one up. Do not expect any surprises; you can see the ending from the very beginning. It’s quite frustrating that the characters are all so dense that they can’t figure it out. That said, it was still a page turner.

“People like her parents tended to think a secret could lay dormant inside them, disintegrate piece by piece until poof, it was gone. But secrets were toxic.”

Such a Beautiful Family comes out 12/6.

I loved this book! Although I figured out the ending pretty early on, it didn't take away from how much I enjoyed the journey! I don't think I've ever loved a kid character as much as I loved Trevor. He was my favorite! The characters were so great and I truly didn't want it to end.

3.5 Hidden Motives Stars
* * * 1/2 Spoiler Free
When something seems too good to be true...It probably is. Our family that has been described by the title as perfect...really is more typical and normally riddled with issues. The son has had a swimming situation that causes him to now have fear of the water. The mom has a past trauma from her youth that still haunts her every single day.
Yet, from an outsider's view, it looks like this family has it all going on without any severe stress.
This leads us to a career offer our gal can't seem to turn down. Her husband thinks it is a positive move, and the kids are open to it, so why is she hesitating...Could it be the vibes from the woman who wants to hire her?

Soon it becomes clear, working for her boss is not all it should be...can someone say boundaries and stepping over them???

This had a lot happening and kept me interested, although I did have an idea of what was about to happen.

So, in a nutshell, Nora gets single-white-femaled. Unfortunately, the book was kind of predictable and Nora isn’t very bright. She does not see what is right in front of her nor stand up for herself before it went too far. Instead, she worried about how these things made her look. I will continue to read TR Ragan books and this one had some really interesting family relationships.

3.75 stars

Such a Beautiful Family, by T. R. Ragan, is a twisty psychological thriller that is also a warm domestic drama.
Nora is happily married, with a great husband, two teenage children and a good job. Then she is approached by Jane, a charismatic, sophisticated software consultant, who offers Nora a dream job with her company, including a fabulous salary and world travel. Nora is conflicted, but ultimately decides to grab the brass ring and take the job. As the story deepens, Jane is obviously obsessive, manipulative and undermining, as she inveigles her way into Nora’s family’s life.
I like the plotting, from the arresting prologue to the shenanigans of Jane, to the extended family drama that brings the story full circle. Nora seemed more trusting and naïve than I liked, but she brings her “mama bear” attitude when most needed. The story did not hold many surprises, but it moved forward nicely to a dramatic conclusion.
I have enjoyed T. R. Ragan’s previous mysteries, and always appreciate her attention to local details (in this case, Sacramento, CA area, where I reside). This book is recommended to readers who like their suspense stories with a warm dose of family drama and humanity.

Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for the ARC. This is my honest review.

Such a Beautiful Family was a complete page turner for me and I loved it. I was hooked from the first page.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for my ARC.

Such a Beautiful Family is a riveting but very twisted domestic thriller. It is a real page turner, and I couldn't stop reading until I finished it.

Nora gets a job offer she didn't ask or apply for. Jane invites Nora and her husband for a dinner interview. Jane promises Nora flexible hours, no travel, double the pay of her present job and so much more. If it seems to be too good to be true, then it probably is. Even Nora questions the offer, but not the right questions. But for the story's sake she accepts the new job.

At first Nora is very happy, but Jane seems to insert herself as a member of the family. Nora finds this unsettling after each occurrence but feels guilty about confronting Jane who appears to have no boundaries. Slowly but surely, Jane ingratiates herself into the family dynamic. Jane tells Nora about a business trip to Paris that they both need to go on. Nora doesn't want to go, but she is guilted into going, but Jane doesn't show, and Nora goes by herself. Nora calls home to find out that Jane has been at the house and cooked for them to help out while Nora was gone.

When Nora returns from the trip her family barely welcomes her back. And then she finds out her husband took Jane to a women's business award dinner wearing a tuxedo. The events get worse until Nora has had enough. Her father was recently diagnosed with dementia/Alzheimer and seems to be deteriorating quickly. All of this guilt plus Jane forces Nora to make a rash decision to sell their family home and move closer to help her parents. Jane's behavior escalates where everyone is in danger from secrets of the past.

So, there are a few odd things that we don't know until later in the book. The beginning starts with a girl getting a phone call from a friend at a party that needs help. She goes to help but gets roofied and realizes she is now in trouble herself and drives off and gets into accident. Next up Trevor, Nora's son has apparently had a lot of fears, but was bullied and nearly drowned recently on a trip the family took. This accident has made him suspicious and less trusting when Jane "joins" the family. Trevor has always wanted to build his own computer and tries to search for information on Jane. But he is determined to find the truth when he comes up empty. Hailey, Nora's daughter seems to be at that age where she starts to mistrust her mother and becomes secretive. David works at home and seems to be the perfect and very trusting husband. There are other characters, but the book mostly focuses the immediate family.

Okay the story is a stretch, getting a job unsolicited, no referral, no resume, or an application. But it's fiction and most stories are a stretch in one form or another. In spite of this I did like the book and wanted to yell "wake up" repeatedly. It was twisted but it was an enjoyable afternoon read.

Do you ever really know who a true friend is?
Great page Turner, pulls you into the family and tragedy from before and how things Intertwine.
Definitely one you will enjoy reading

Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an early release of this book.

As the story begins the Harmon's are a beautiful family. Nora, David, Hailey and Trevor and Nora's parents who feature in the story as well. But Nora and her parents carry around a big secret from Nora's past. One day a job a job offer comes to Nora from out of the blue. And when things seem too good to be true - watch out. Nora's new boss Jane Bell seems needy and attempts to befriend Nora and her family. Nora's thirteen-year-old son Trevor is highly suspicious of Lucy and wary of her motives and his instincts are spot on. All the action came at the end and kept me reading. I liked the book but didn't love it.

I would like to thank Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Such A Beautiful Family’ by T R Ragan in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
Nora Harmon is blessed with a wonderful family, husband David and children Hailey and Trevor. When an unknown woman, Jane Bell, rings Nora offering her a position with her company Impact with twice the salary, flexible hours and more time to spend with her family, Nora isn’t sure but Jane won’t take no for an answer. The offer sounds too good to be true but Jane is so friendly Nora joins her company despite wondering if she’s made the right decision.
I’ve loved all of T R Ragan’s novels and although different to her usual thrillers, ‘Such A Beautiful Family’ is no exception. From the first page I’ve been hooked by the character descriptions, the well-thought-out plot that’s packed with drama, intrigue, and twists and turns, that becomes more suspenseful the closer I’ve got to the last page that ends with bang, an explosive and totally unexpected conclusion. This is an amazing thriller that’s had me gripped and unable to let go of my Kindle, and I’ve enjoyed every single minute I’ve spent reading it.

I like that cover! Maybe a bit predictable, but still an enjoyable read. Great writing - the characters are three-dimensional and there's lots of suspense that kept me turning the pages. I will definitely check out more from T. R. Ragan!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of Such a Beautiful Family by T.R. Ragan that I read and reviewed.
This book was T.R. Ragan’s new book and I am a huge fan of her books but I did not love this one like I do her books that are part of her series. I did not like Jane or Nora as much as I should have to really love this book. Nora was not very smart if she could not see things were not adding up when her son could even see it. As for Jane she just tried to hard to me nice any idiot could see she was a fake except for Jane. I guess it was just overly done for me.
This book gets three out of five stars from me.

Another dark and twisty read from Ragan!

It seems like Nora Harmon has the ideal typical American dream life: two kids, great husband, and a chance a dream career. But then her new boss Jane Bell, seems to want to more than just work colleagues. She's constantly showing up at the Harmon house, offering to buy things for her kids and making dinner for the family. Is Jane just a loner, looking to make meaningful connections or does she REALLY want to be part of the Harmon family?

I loved how this was written where I found myself first thinking Jane was way out of bounds, only to have it maybe explained away, to then finding out the connections and motivations. Ragan did a great job slowly peeling back the layers and leaving you questioning until the end, and then satisfied by the conclusion.

This novel starts off with a high school party and a terrible accident. You don’t know who was involved and you don’t know the outcome. The reader is then introduced to Nora and her family. They are close knit and the quintessential beautiful family. Jane Bell recruits Nora to work at her company and soon injects herself into Nora’s family by becoming Nora’s best friend. The story takes off as you watch Jane try to sabotage Nora’s family or is Nora just being paranoid? Does this have anything to do with that tragic accident and were either of these women involved?
This book very much gave me Lifetime movie vibes. The story was fairly predictable but still engaging and pulled me in. I could not look away. Jane’s character gave me all the ick the way she was supposed to - I didn’t trust her from the start. I loved the dynamic between Nora and her son, Trevor, and how they became a team towards the end in trying to figure out who Jane really was. Overall, I enjoyed the book and would definitely recommend it.