i was unable to read this book, as I lost my login information! but now I am back and ready to review books for authors!!

A missing sister, a dysfunctional family and constant gaslighting are expertly combined in this fast paced, suspenseful and very entertaining thriller by Cathryn Grant. I have read and enjoyed many of her previous thrillers, and this one is no exception. The tension is high as secrets are revealed and lives are changed forever. Annie’s sister is missing without a trace. Did Annie’s sister flea her family, or did something more sinister cause of her sudden disappearance? Unanswered questions are accumulating as danger lurks around every corner. Should Annie trust her family? All is not as it seems in this twisted tale of deception and betrayal. Thank you NetGalley and Inkubator Books for my copy.

I couldn't wait to find out what was actually happening. For a book to make you question everything, it takes a lot of talent. A good amount of twists and a great ending.

If you enjoy crazy family dynamics and crazy family secrets then pick this one up! A pregnancy and a missing sibling. What could go wrong?

This is a new to me author and I have to say I am looking forward to reading more by this author! I loved this book

Annie is in a good place in her life with being happily married and a child on the way. While enjoying a vacation with her extended family at their coastal home. Her sister Sunday disappears and while she is highly concerned, the rest of the family assures her this is not unusual behavior for Sunday. As Annie tries to figure out what happened to her sister she realizes that not everyone in the family is what they seem. The plot was a slow build that led to a great ending. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced reader copy.

Dysfunctional family involving lies, deceit and paranoia,. A thriller that kept me interested from the beginning to end. Definitely recommend.

"Far too much time had passed before the emergency call was placed, but there were other things that had to be taken care of first. The story needed to be believable and airtight for the police."
-Cathryn Grant, The Favorite Child

4🌟/5

I received this e-book from NetGalley.

"The Favorite Child" focuses on the disappearance of Sunday Ledger (the favourite child) and Anne Ledger, a pregnant woman who will not stop her search to find her own sister, even though she is discouraged (many times!) by her own family as they constantly remind Anne that she is, in fact, pregnant (What? As if she doesn't know! Shock!). As you'll read, you will want to know the reason behind Anne's family's apathetic behaviour about whatever happened to Sunday.

It was certainly a gripping story, and while some of the twists were easily noticeable before they actually took place, I was never left bored as we uncovered the many secrets of Anne's family.

I enjoyed this book and I would definitely try another story by Cathryn Grant.

This book is easy to read and easy to follow. Full of family drama and suspense. Nothing extraordinary but if you like a good, short mystery then I would recommend it. It can be finished in one sitting.
Thank you to NetGalley and Inkubator Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Inkubator Books and NetGalley for an e-ARC of this novel in exchange for a review. This novel was released on Aug. 14, 2022.

The Favorite Child is a slow burn domestic thriller focused on a very dysfunctional family of mostly unlikeable people. It's a quick read where you don't have to think too much- and I don't meant that as an insult!

Annie, pregnant with her first child, is at the family home for vacation with her siblings. When the "favourite," Sunday, goes missing no one but Annie seems to care. Weird right .....?

Annie's family is truly unlikable for the majority of the book. The gaslighting/hysterical woman trope is a bit overdone these days and not my personal favourite, though I liked how it wasn't centered on a romantic relationship. As the book progressed, I found myself more interested in the "bad" family members and more annoyed by Annie. I would have loved to dig deeper into the family's history and principles. It screams cult-ish to me.

I will definitely read more of Cathryn Grant's books!

Thank you to NetGalley and Inkubator Books for the e- ARC.

Annie's sister Sunday has gone missing and no-one seems to care. A sinister gripping domestic thriller. And an easy page turning read.

I really enjoyed this book. The MC was very timid and at times annoyed me. The family was completely crazy. This was the perfect domestic suspense book! At times I didn't know what was going to happen. The actual ending caught me completely off guard. I actually cheered lol. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes mystery and suspense!

This book was creepy, sinister, and fun to read with the dysfunctional family dynamic! It explores the question: how reliable are the childhood memories we have of our families? It’s chilling and thrilling to read along page by page, the author really knows how to keep readers hooked. Highly recommend for fans of psychological thrillers.

Really liked this book. First book I’ve read by this author. Keeps you guessing from beginning to end. Easy to read. Short chapters. Easy to follow. Not too many characters where it becomes hard to remember who is who. I’d recommend this book.

Sunday has always been the favourite child of her parents but this holiday she has a disagreement with her family and leaves. Her sister Annie is convinced that something sinister has happened: she saw Sunday arguing with someone on top of a cliff, her parents and siblings are acting strangely but no one is interested in trying to find her...
The Favorite Child is a psychological thriller set in America (hence the spelling of favourite in the title!) I will just say that I was not keen on Sunday as a first name and found it jarring throughout the book but this is my personal opinion.
I was instantly hooked on this book. The favoritism and family dynamics are fascinating. The dad is a famous family guru but he treated one of his own children as a favourite and did nothing to combat the sibling rivalry. Annie does not remember any of the terrible things her older siblings did to Sunday when they were children and starts to doubt herself in the face of her family's united opinion.
Tension and suspense build from the very beginning. The whole family's attitude to Annie and her pregnancy is hideously claustophobic and beyond uncomfortable. I wanted to scream and shout at Annie to leave the house and get away from her family as soon as possible. She should have followed her instincts but I did fear for her unborn child and felt that her family had a point in being concerned.
The majority of the book is written from Annie's first person perspective but there are a few chapters set in the past which show the siblings as children. This shows how their lives and relationships have been shaped by their parents' attitude to family life. In turn, this informs how the characters behave in response to Sunday's disappearance but with increasingly dangerous overtones.
The Favorite Child was an intriguing thriller that maintained the suspense until the end.

Honestly mind boggling??

I think I missed the memo and I am so sorry to say that I just couldn't wrap my head around to the fact of what's her name sister.

Way too much information and not enough time to process things.

Not really worth it.

I was lucky to receive an advance copy of The Favorite Child by Cathryn Grant from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review and opinions. Wow this family puts the 'fun' in dysfunctional! Goodness gracious, I never want to be in this family! I really enjoyed this book and was surprised by the ending. I will for sure read more by this author as she knows how to grab you from the first page and keep you engrossed until the last page.

I absolutely devoured this book, it was one of my favorite reads of the year as far as thrillers go! The last 10% of this book was wild and I LOVED every second of it. Definitely will recommend this to all my thriller junkies like myself!

A dysfunctional family gets together for their annual (very long) vacation, what could possibly go wrong? This is my first Cathryn Grant book, but it certainly won't be my last. I loved the strangeness of the characters' behavior, it had me furiously flipping pages to figure out what the heck was happening and the ending did not disappoint.