𝑨𝒓𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒎𝒂𝒅𝒆 𝒐𝒓 𝒃𝒐𝒓𝒏, 𝒐𝒓 𝒃𝒐𝒕𝒉?

A missing child story that is infused with the horrors of domestic abuse.

Elizabeth and Howard Ealy, along with their five-year-old foster son Joe are on a vacation when Joe goes missing. Elizabeth realizes that the secrets she has been hiding all along has led to this. The old man across the street, Gordon, watches the new family and knows something's not right, but with his rapidly progressing dementia, he just can't remember what. Between Elizabeth's secrets and Gordon's failing memory will they be able to save little Joe in time.

This has been my least favourite Nicole Trope book, not because it is badly written, but because every page reeks of domestic violence, leaving the reader as much of an anxious mess as Elizabeth and Joe themselves. The plot was more domestic suspense than psychological thriller, that too, a predictable one.

The author delves deep into the vortex of abuse that sucks in a victim, breaks their spirit and refuses to let go. The plot also gives a glimpse into the lives of those suffering from dementia, which was both insightful as well as heart-breaking.

Overall, an engrossing read, but one that should come with a ton of trigger warnings. Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for providing a digital copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

The Foster Family by Nicole Trope

When foster parents Elizabeth and Howard Ealy go on holidays to Gilmore beach (a fictional town) on the south coast of Sydney with their five-year-old foster son, Jo, they plan to have a great holiday, but we quickly learn that this foster family is not safe and nurturing like it should be. Howard is cruel and abusive towards Elizabeth and Jo and wants to control them in everything they do. Even elderly neighbour Gordon from across the road can see that something is not right at the Ealy’s house, but Howard is getting old and forgetful and cannot explain himself as well as when he was younger so when Howard calls the police, they just dismiss his worries. Then one morning Jo goes missing while playing in his front yard now there is no hiding behind closed doors the truth will have to come out to save Jo.

I loved this book! It was well written, as all Nicole Trope books are and very exciting to read. This was a true suspense thriller.

I would like to thank Net Galley and Bookouture for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Told from several different points of view throughout, with multiple timelines, this was a sad and heartbreaking puzzle to piece together. There were so many other aspects of this that it's hard for me to fully explain. It's a tale of a missing child, volatile households, and the devastating progression of dementia. While the main protagonist Elizabeth got on my nerves quite a bit, I couldn't help but feel for her and her pain. Gordon, the elderly man was the best part of this story and his story was the one that really stuck with me in good ways and bad. This is a different feel from this author's normal reads, yet it's my favorite. I was going to rate this four stars but I honestly can't think of anything wrong with this to remove a star. Five Stars.

Thank you to Netgalley for this fantastic ARC.

Elizabeth is Joe's foster mum and is meant to protect him from his birth mother who came close to harming him. Now, at a holiday home with Joe and her husband, she calls the police, as Joe is missing. One moment he is playing in the garden, the next he is gone. As the story goes on, we see the search for Joe unfold. The supporting characters are introduced and suspicion is cast upon each of them. Elizabeth and her husband both lied about where they were when Joe went missing, so what else are they lying about?

This was a suspenseful story and eerily similar to a real case here in Australia, initially, but as the story went on, the mystery began to unfold and I had my own suspicions (some were right). The plot and characters and the twist really had me immersed. Another enjoyable novel by the author.

I have read and loved two other novels by Nicole Trope, so I was excited to receive an eARC for The Foster Family, and this book definitely did not disappoint. The characters are well-developed, the chapters are fast-paced, and the plot is action-packed and gripping. Elizabeth, her husband Howard, and their foster son Joe take a summer holiday near the beach. With the ultimate goal of adopting Joe, Elizabeth wants to ensure that he has the absolute best summer break; however, the unthinkable happens and Joe goes missing. Balancing secrets, lies, and hidden pasts, Elizabeth is determined to find Joe.

In my opinion, Nicole Trope's greatest strength is her ability to write relatable, well-developed characters that bring out a wide-range of emotions in the reader. I have outright hated certain characters in her books, including this one (Howard), and have fallen in love with others. My absolute favorite character in this book is Gordan, the kind-hearted, lovable, elderly neighbor. His son Malcolm is a close second. I yelled, laughed, and cried while reading this book. I will definitely be recommending The Foster Family!

Nicole Trope, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways:

1) Breathtaking domestic suspense – check
2) Multiple narrators/timelines that keep you constantly guessing – check
3) Complex, relatable, well-developed characters – check
4) Emotional and compelling storylines – check

I could go on, but you get the idea. I stumbled across Nicole Trope’s novels about a year ago and she’s since become an auto-buy author for me. Her newest book, “The Foster Family”, is a perfect example of everything that makes her books so unputdownable.

Foster parents Elizabeth and Howard are on vacation when a parent’s worst nightmare becomes a reality: their 5-year-old foster son Joe goes missing. A neighbor, Gordon, thinks he has noticed some troubling things happening across the street, but he can’t be sure of what he’s seen. In the desperation to find Joe, many secrets and lies will be revealed, leading to potentially deadly consequences.

This propulsive suspense novel grabs you by the heartstrings in the very first chapter and holds on tight until the very last page. The terror of a missing child, the horror of domestic abuse, the shocking twists – they’re all here in spades. Told from multiple viewpoints including Elizabeth, Gordon, and a man whose identity we don’t know (but ends up tying in in a very satisfying way), this story is complex and nuanced. I wouldn’t call it action-packed, but the plot flows quickly and there is a constant undercurrent of dread running through the narrative as the story plays out.

This story is far more than a run-of-the-mill thriller. Although the suspense is very well done, the depth of the characters and their interactions is what makes Nicole Trope a cut above the rest in this genre. The characterization is brilliant – nurturing but beaten-down Elizabeth, eager to please but wary Joe, the truly vile Howard, and my favorite character, Gordon. Gordon is an elderly widower in the early stages of dementia, and his wonderful humanity and his frustration at his memory loss are depicted with such compassion. His chapters were my favorite!

Highly recommended – you don’t want to miss this book! And then you’ll want to read everything else from this author too. Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing me an advance copy of this book.

I am a fan of Nicole Trope's work and this book did not disappoint. I was curious, then drawn to the characters between its pages, loved the chapters sharing different points of view, and loved how it all come together (suspensefully) by the end. Highly recommended for those who enjoy mystery/thrillers and domestic situations. This book does concern child abuse and domestic violence and it is quite gripping so it may be an intense read for more sensitive readers. 5 stars!!! #TheFosterFamily #NetGalley

My thanks to #NetGalley and #Bookouture for the advance copy of #TheFosterFamily by #NicoleTrope. Excited for the chance to finally be a family, Elizabeth and Henry open their home to fostering little five-year-old Joe with the hopes of eventually adopting him. For Elizabeth and Henry, old habits die hard, and they find themselves settling into an old familiar pattern of familial discontent. When little Joe goes missing, their family strife is laid bare, and Elizabeth must confront her past before it destroys her future. The most heartwarming part of the book must be Gordon, the neighbor across the street, the kind-hearted elderly man with the failing memory. Gordon has settled into a routine of watching his beloved birds and searching for the beach has always loved to visit. Gordon and Joe bonded over the birds in Gordon's yard, and their relationship is just precious.

The story is told in a back and forth, past and present format which lends to the tension of the novel. The characters have depth and personality, and the way they all interact is magical. This was my first Nicole Trope novel, and I absolutely loved it. I plan to go back and find more, but I'll have to say, this book should come with some trigger warnings. I'm not a victim of anything, yet I felt very anxious throughout the entire book. It's exciting, riveting, and upsetting all at the same time. That being said, I'd not hesitate to recommend it, just the same.

This story started out a little confusing in that it flip flopped back and forth more than I expected. I kept reading on and the stories all started making sense and it all merged into one, but it took a bit to get there! There’s multiple main characters and you quickly develop strong feelings for each one based on their role in the story. I like how the book ended, with the characters coming together in an unconventional way. I’ll for sure be looking up other titles from this author.

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read the newest book by one of my favorite authors Nicole Trope. This book, as all the others I have read, did not disappoint. A great read involving a few main characters and how they all come together at the end. It mostly focuses on the foster family with the parents of Elizabeth and Henry and their foster child Joe. Joe disappears early in the book and the story shows what led up to that point. Another main character was Gordon the older man who lives across the street. Although Gordon's memory is failing he still has a lot of insight into what is going on across the street and his concern for Joe's well being. Don't want to spoil anything but the story flowed and had a good ending. I will definitely recommend.

I was super excited when I received this #arc because "The Family Across The Street" by this author became one of my favorite thrillers and when I saw I got this one I hurried to finish the one I was reading so I could dive into this one.

And I knew it, I just knew Nicole Trope wasn't going to disappoint me!!! This is so so good!!! But be careful, it has really hard topics and it was hard to read at times. But the entire plot is good, the characters are incredibly strong and so believable. It's the kind of book that once I started I was on the edge the entire time and it was too hard to put down to the point that I went to bed around 4 am, until I finished it. I knew I was going to regret it later that day but I just couldn't put it down.

Been a while since a book grabbed me this way and I'm so so happy!!! Nicole Trope is now an autobuy for me and I need to read all her books asap!!! She is good good gooooood!!! This book will ripped you in pieces and will have you there for hours, nonstop. A thriller that has also really horrible abuse but with a really happy ending. I just loved the mix of topics and how they were perfectly treated and handled so the reader can feel it all. Thw story isn't unnecessarily extended as other books, and that also helps you feel like everything happening is important.

And I'll say this, as a victim of abuse, as a survivor of domestic violence, it was hard to read but at the same time I felt incredibly identified and I truly appreciate how realistic the abuse topic was portrayed because sadly most times it's not respected as the monstrosity it actually is. And if me, as a survivor, was able to read it with no anxiety attacks, I think many others will be able to do it. It is a hard topic, but it was treated as a main topic in the most respectful way.

TW ⛈️ read the review for them. I explained them as better as possible for me.

Thank you so much for the arc.
Review will be posted on instagram @pink.bibliophile on pubday !!!

Wow what a book. When Howard and Elizabeth foster little Joe she thinks her chance at a proper family will finally come true but she is hiding secrets from everyone and when Joe goes missing the truth about her marriage comes tumbling out and it’s a race against time to work out what has happened to Joe and her only friend Gordon is unsure what he knows due to his memory issues, loved this story so much and could not put this book down. It’s a jewel of a read.

Nicole Trope does it again. A fabulous read fabulously written.
A little boy goes missing and the reader is left wondering why and how they are fostering?
An elderly neighbour is in a difficult position and the story takes us back in time with snippets of another part of the story, eventually everything comes together.
My thanks to the publisher and netgalley for my copy.
This is a domestic thriller which had a number of heart thumping moments.

The Foster Family by Nicole Trope introduces us to Elizabeth. She is Joe’s foster mother, and Joe goes missing. She was meant to look after Joe. They are just footsteps from the ocean, and little Joe can’t swim.

The story revolves around Elizabeth's secret that she has been keeping for years and whether somehow this secret has hurt her little boy.

Nicole Trope is able to craft well-developed characters and a catchy plotline. The story had many twists that kept my interest and kept me guessing. The setting was great. I did sometimes find it hard with the changing timelines and the story being told from multiple points of view.

Overall, a good psychological thriller that I would recommend. Nicole Trope does not disappoint when telling a story.

#TheFosterFamily #NetGalley @bookouture

Another great read from this author which held my interest throughout. A bit of a different read from this author I thought but a great storyline and well described characters, my favourites were Gordon and Malcolm such lovely characters.

Plenty of twists in this book that I never guessed which made it an enjoyable and interesting story and I have no hesitation in recommending this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for this ARC.

Another absolute belter of a novel from Nicole Trope! All your usual domestic thriller elements are here, plenty of bread crumbs leading you to try and work out whodunnit and how.
For me this book was especially poignant because one of the main characters, Gordon is in the early stages of dementia. Having both of my parents with this horrible disease it made me feel very protective towards him and it was a good insight into what might be going on inside their heads. Gordon proves that while he may not always be able to remember things he is still needed and helpful.
I also find Trope’s children very believable. There are many domestic noir writers out there who don’t seem to have got children or even met any and the child characters are either ridiculously precocious or very immature. Joe feels like a five year old in every way, from the toys he likes to the way he behaves to what he says.
I normally grade books of this genre by whether I managed to figure it all out before the characters did and I was almost right but I had fallen for a subtle piece of misdirection by Trope and she also had a shocker that I actually gasped out loud at.

Another great psychological thriller by Nicole Trope

In THE FOSTER FAMILY, a man named Gordon who is suffering from dementia waits for his son Malcolm to come for a visit. He observes a family coming to stay for holiday in the house across the street, Howard, Elizabeth and their foster son Joe. But he soon realizes that Howard is abusive and Elizabeth is too beaten down to stand up for herself or Joe. There were lots of interesting characters in this one. There are two unnamed characters we meet early on who only become clear later in the novel—a young girl who has run away from a bad situation and a man who helps her. Most of the novel revolves around Howard’s horrific abuse of Elizabeth and Joe. When Joe goes missing, who will be believed, Elizabeth or Howard and where is Joe? The writing was outstanding. Howard is twisted and a truly detestable character. I enjoyed the twists in this one. 5/5 stars.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary ARC copy of this book from Bookouture and NetGalley for review purposes.

Oh WOW!! The Foster Family is so much more than a psychological thriller, it is also utterly heartbreaking. There is something hidden in this book for every reader.

Following two separate stories in the beginning, we have Elizabeth and Howard with Joe their foster son on their holidays, and a man who has found a young girl on a bench hurt. Tensions run high throughout the entirety especially when both stories merge together and it feels like a huge slap in the face.

The Foster Family is incredibly well written, the tension building from the start keeping you turning the pages, to bringing a tear to your eye when everything starts to unfold.

The author definitely has a talent for bringing her characters to life, with all of them holding a place in your heart, or leaving you seething and angry.

The Foster Family is due to be published on September 21st and this is definitely a book you need to preorder. No matter what genre you favour there is something in this book for everyone.

I would to give a big thank you to both Netgalley and the publisher Bookouture for my review copy in exchange for my honest review.

This story was gripping from the beginning and the author did fantastic with character depth i felt all thier emotions right along with them worry,happiness, sadness,hurt everything it was great it had an excellent ending one that I was not expecting but none the less loved!!!! I will be highly recommending this book

Much thanks to #netgalley and #bookoture for selecting me to read and review this ARC

I will also be posting my review in the Facebook group I created @DOMESTIC THRILLER READERS BOOK CLUB closer to publication date

I received the Foster Family from NetGalley as an ARC. It was amazing! I loved the characters. I absolutely loved the setting.
I was on my toes throughout the entire book. I was so worried about Gordon and Joe. I loved Gordon's birds. I was waiting to find out who the girl and the man who rescued her were and I was so delighted when I figured it out.
It was just a lovely book that made me quite happy.