The premise of The Family Home is so good. Matthew and and Lillian are divorced but very set on being good parents and friends. Together with their daughter Mabel they use nesting to keep te family together. If the concept is foreign for you, nesting means that the child lives in the family home and the parents rotate.

After the birthday party of Mabel Lillian returns home to their bachelor apartment where they stay when they are not in the family home. But... then she finds a dead body in her bedroom. He is someone she dated just once and she can think of no reason how this men ended up dead in her bed.

The tension in this book comes from the two narratives. We follow Matthew and Lillian, first strong in their believe that their ex partners could never murder anyone. But as the investigation takes flight doubt begin to seep in.

My only commentary in this book was the ending. I like thrillers where I can guess who did it or what is going on. But in this case there wasn't a clou to the actual killer. It felt a bit far-fetch and just written in to finish the book

A little way into reading this book, when all of the characters were introduced I started thinking about the caption on the cover.
“There’s a stranger in your house. He’s your husband…” I wondered what husband it was referring to. And what house.

I really enjoyed how fast paced this psychological thriller was, you could totally finish it in a day, unputdownable.

There are two time frames, 1 year ago, and as the story unfolds it catches up to the present day.

I was guessing throughout the entire read and I did not guess right, I was not expecting the ending. The author did a great job misdirecting readers.

Thanks to @bookouture and @netgalley for the eARC of this book.

“Something happened. I need your help.”

Need a bingeable thriller? A quick read? The Family Home by Miranda Smith checked all the boxes for me. Between the different timelines, unsolved mysteries, a murder, a missing person, and a unique living situation, it’s a complex psychological thriller that makes you question everyone and everything.

Seaside Cliffs, Anne Isle is harbouring secrets. BIG secrets. It may appear as though the mostly rich and fiercely pretentious neighbours keep to themselves, but “once you get past the veneer, you realize everyone in the Seaside Cliffs neighbourhood has a connection to someone else, most links superficial, but some stronger and sincere.”

You’ll be on a wild ride with this one. It starts off with a couple who are nesting after divorce and when the wife returns home with a date, she discovers a dead body in her bed. The author takes readers on a journey of the events that lead to this discovery and you’ll soon realize that Seaside Cliffs is stuffed with secrets.

At the core of her story is a question: Who did it? This driving question compels you and the characters to move forward, immediately presenting you with a challenge. Smith has set up this mystery perfectly and employed a wide variety of mystery tropes to either obscure, misdirect or prevent you and the characters from easily arriving at the correct answer. By amping up the suspense, Smith has shown us her skills. She takes an idea, keeps the plot a secret so that you don’t see the twists coming, builds exciting and conflicting characters, and keeps readers on the edge of their seats.

You’re still wondering what ‘nesting’ means, right?! Gotcha. You’ll have to read this to find out. You’ll turn over the last page, thankful you’ve escaped Seaside Cliffs unscathed.

A was gifted this advance copy by Bookouture and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

I got an early copy of this from
NetGalley. This book was a little slow so I didn’t like it at first. The main characters Lillian and Matthew annoyed me but the twist I did not see coming! It blew my mind. Definitely made up for the slow beginning.

I really enjoyed the author’s writing style. This was my first book by Smith. I really was enjoying the first quarter of the book, and then things just got very repetitive and predictable for me. Lillian was an interesting character to follow, and so was her friend Cat. When it got to the final reveal, I was just like oh, OK is this it? I didn’t hate it and I didn’t love it. Three stars.

Note to publisher, I tried to post my review to Goodreads via this link, and it said ISBN not found for the book.

“The Family Home” is a thriller by Miranda Smith. What I liked: the idea of two adult people acting like adults in order to keep their child’s life rather stable. What I didn’t like: the constant heavy foreshadowing. I’m also not a fan of “let’s keep this bad thing a secret” when, honestly, calling a lawyer and the cops (maybe not in that order) might save a lot of emotional angst down the road. This book in many ways reminded me of just how small some small towns really can be. I found this book to be a fast, easy read, with an interesting concept that held my attention.

well written and compelling this book had me gripped from the start. It is twisty and unpredictable and had me on the edge of my seat. A fantastic read.

Not a bad book. I enjoyed the characters that represent different martial outcomes. I didn't quite love some of the characters. Lillian is a hot mess and does lots of silly things. Then the big secret is hyped up, and I was like, "oh, that's it?" This wasn't completely my jam but I'd still recommend it to those that like books that involve complicated martial situations. Thanks for the advance review copy

When I saw I had the chance to read Miranda's latest novel, I jumped in without looking!

The Family Home follows Matthew and Lillian after they get a divorce. The divorce is amiccable for the sake of their daughter. They agree to share the family home and take it in turns so that she doesn't have to travel back and forth between different houses. I mean, what could go wrong here? Whatever you think it is, trust me, you have it wrong -get ready for the twist of twists!!!

This is a page turner that will have you on the edge of the seat!

goodreads.com/booksireadandliked
Disclosure: I would like to thank the publisher and author for my advanced review copy of the book. This is my honest review

A good read for me which I thoroughly enjoyed, a well written fast paced thriller with good twists and characters although I wasn't keen on them all.

Overall this was a read which I enjoyed and I have no hesitation in recommending.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for this ARC.

Lillian and Matthew have an amicable relationship after divorce for the sake of their child, Mabel. They share a two bedroom apartment together for nights one of them is not sleeping at the house with Mabel .. it’s unconventional, but it works for them! Until the night Lillian finds a dead body in her bed! Their lives and secrets are spiraling out of control! This is a quick read & keeps you guessing! Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for a copy.

Miranda Smith's The Family Home is a fabulous cat-n-mouse thriller you don't want to miss!

Synopsis:
Despite their divorce, Lillian and Matthew are dedicated to the well-being of their six-year-old daughter Mable. They share an apartment and a home where they switch off Mable's care. It is Matthew's turn to have custody of Mable at the house. Lillian attends Mabel's sixth birthday party and then hangs out with a friend for a few drinks. After returning to the apartment, she falls asleep on the couch. Upon waking from a deep sleep, she discovers a dead man laying in her bed. How did this happen? Is someone trying to frame Lillian for murder?

The Family Home by Miranda Smith is a gripping psychological drama. With so many interesting twists and turns, readers want to keep flipping the pages to find out more. It fascinated me so much that I read it all in one night. This is my first book by Miranda Smith and I am so excited to read more of her work.

The Family Home by Miranda Smith is available on October 3rd.
(5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐)

Thank you, NetGalley and Bookouture, for sharing this mind-bending book with me! Miranda Smith sent me on a fantastic adventure trying to solve this crime!

I can’t trust him. I can’t live with him. I can’t let him go. At my daughter Mabel’s sixth birthday party, there’s a cake with candles, sausages on the barbecue, and the sound of her friends’ excited voices as we open her gifts. But at the end of the day, I hug my daughter tightly, drop a kiss into her shiny brown hair… and leave her with my ex-husband, who won’t even meet my eyes.

Even though divorced, Lillian and Matthew share an apartment, alternating from living in the family home sharing custody of Mabel to provide stability to the little girls life. They have a very good relationship and just want the best for their daughter. After the party Matthew's new girlfriend suggests they go for a drink and Lillian thinks why not as it is not something she regularly does. After coming home she falls asleep on the lounge, around 2am she wakes and decides to go to bed. Well she is in for a very big surprise as once she does so she finds the body of a man in there and he is very dead.

This leads to a very suspenceful story that had me totally engrossed and I read the book in one sitting. A strong story of murder, relationships, betrayal and secrets that will keep you turning the pages wanting to find out what has really happened to get Lillian to this point. Lots of strong characters that enhanced the depth of the book and keeps you guessing as to how this leads to to the death of the man found in the bed. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an early copy of the book in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

Thank you Bookouture and NetGalley for an early copy of The Family Home. The heroine was tooooo nutty for me, doing things that she shouldn’t have been doing. Bottom line is that lies are never good and you will always be thinking of how to stay one step ahead. There were some slow parts, I didn’t love the ending but all in all it was a good read.

Miranda Smith hit it out of the park with her newest release The Family Home. I absolutely loved this gripping novel. This is the third book by Smith I've read and reviewed (What I Know (5 Stars) His Loving Wife (4 Stars)) and The Family Home is by far my favorite. The storyline offers a fresh take on nesting, otherwise known as cooperative cohabitation in the best interest of the child(ren), following divorce. In this book, the family home remains intact while the parents alternate weekly stays.

Since this novel is a thriller, our divorced cohabitors become cooperative conspirators after the inciting incident. With every page, the plot and mystery deepen. I rooted for Lillian and Matthew through the entire story, which is tightly plotted, paced, and well written. The mystery kept me guessing until the very end, with lots of possibilities to choose from, heightening my reading entertainment.

The Family Home would make a great movie. A streaming service should definitely option this novel!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing an ARC to read and review. This review will appear on Bayside Book Reviews at https://baysidebookreviews.com and its Instagram page on release day. *NetGalley Top Reviewer*

This was a quick read that I couldn't put down. I enjoyed the story the different twists and the characters. Ending was not predictable. Recommend reading it.

A psychological thriller by author Miranda Smith that pulled me in and kept me reading until the very end. This is my first read of a Miranda Smith novel and I thoroughly enjoyed it and expect to read more of her books in the future.

Lillian and Matthew get divorced but decide for the sake of their daughter Mabel that they will remain friends. They agree to share the family home with Mabel, taking it in turns to live there while the other lives at an apartment close by.

Following Mabel’s birthday party, Lillian goes out for a drink and on her return home falls asleep on the sofa. When she wakes she makes her way to her bedroom to discover a dead body in her bed. A man Lillian had previously dated was dead in her bed. How had he got into her apartment and what happened to him.

This was an enjoyable read full of twists.

I would like to thank both Netgalley and Bookouture for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Like all Smith's books, I finished this in a few hours. It was an easy read.
This is an intriguing premise, but compared to the author's previous books, this one is just a mediocre thriller—still, an enjoyable read.

Thank you Bookouture and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This book is set to be published on October 3, 2022

Lillian and Matthew are now divorced but share a young daughter together. They keep their house and an apartment in both their names. They want to take turns being with their daughter. One night after a night out, Lillian returns to the apartment alone and falls asleep on the couch and the next morning she finds a dead man in her bed. She calls Matthew first and then the police. Who is this guy and how did he get into the apartment when all the doors were locked?

This was a quick read with a nice fast pace. I was quite invested in trying to figure out who this guy was and why he was in their apartment. I was satisfied with the ending and would highly recommend this one to my thriller friends. I will be on the look out for Miranda Smith's future books.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This review will be posted on Instagram (@coffee.break.book.reviews) in the near future.

I wake on the sofa, my head throbbing. Why did I fall asleep here?
In the darkness, I make my way to my bedroom. I know immediately something is wrong. The sheets I tucked in so carefully this morning are rumpled, disturbed. I turn on the lights.
And then I scream.
There’s a body in my bed. And I know this man: we went on two dates together. Who could have killed him? And how did he get into this house? Only two people have a key: me and my ex-husband Matthew.
I cast my mind desperately back to last night, to the last few painful months. I thought I could trust Matthew… now I can’t be sure. Would he really go this far to be rid of me?
But even if that’s true, I can’t tell the police my suspicions. I can’t risk them digging into our past.
Really enjoyed this book totally recommend
Thank You NetGalley and Bookouture
I just reviewed The Family Home by Miranda Smith. #TheFamilyHome #NetGalley