This was a slow paced and I had a hard time getting into it. I unfortunately couldn’t finish getting through it.

The Family Reunion by Karen King
- Book Review - A twisty tale of family drama.

Synopsis:
After her husband Paul dies, Mary decides to search for a child she abandoned years earlier. Despite having two adult children, she has never told them that they have an older sister, a child she had at sixteen and abandoned in a telephone booth. After finding her oldest daughter Cathy, Mary introduces her to her siblings, much to their shock. It takes all parties involved some time to adjust, and tension is high.

Strange things begin happening in the family since Cathy joined, sudden fires, broken windows, and money disappearing. Everyone appears to be keeping secrets and chaos soon ensues.

On January 23rd, The Family Reunion will be available. It is a slow a burn with a shocking conclusion that I never saw coming.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for sharing this book with me. Your kindness is appreciated!

#TheFamilyReunion

Mary has a devastating secret which she has never told anyone about, she is so ashamed of what she has done, she could not even tell her beloved husband.

She was happily married for many years and had grown children, and when her husband dies, she decides it is time to face her past.

She has two adult children, but has never told them that they have an older sister. A child she abandoned in a telephone booth. She decides it is time to find her child and bring her into the family fold.

Is it a mistake? Strange things start to happen, sudden fires, punctured tyres, money going missing, all since she met her eldest daughter.

All in all, a very good story, Mary's older children seem very entitled, and do not accept their sister and are very suspicious of her.

A great twist at the end of the book, one which I did not expect.

4/5 stars for this thriller by Karen King

Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, The Family Reunion was not the book for me. I found the pacing extremely slow and the plot was predictable. I knew who the "villain" was from almost the start. Additionally, none of the characters were relatable or likable. While there is definitely family/domestic drama, the lack of twists or reveals in this book makes it hard for me to classify as a thriller. Overall, I simply did not enjoy this book.

“We’ve all done things we regret.” Mary, a recent widow, has one huge regret that weighs on her heavily – when she was a teenager, she abandoned her newborn baby. Now more than four decades later, she’s elated to be reunited with her daughter. Mary’s other adult children, Jason and Joanne, are decidedly less thrilled. At the same time, things start going wrong around Mary. Is Mary just getting forgetful? Is her neighborhood getting more dangerous? Or does someone in her life have a more nefarious motive?

Although suspenseful at times, this is more of a character-driven domestic drama than a thriller. The characters are well-developed and the tension between the characters is palpable. Mary is so wracked with guilt and desperate to reconnect with her long-lost daughter that she is a bit naïve and overly trusting. For their part, Jason and Joanne only want to protect their mom… well, and protect her money too! This story will tug at your heartstrings and keep you guessing, right down to the out-of-left-field twist in the epilogue!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing me an advance copy of this book.

I have a lot to say here but first I need to ask the author to give me a book about Bailey where he is safe and on a little bird adventure.
Thank you for the ARC. This is a really twisty story about a family with a whole giant pile of problems. Then they bring more people into it, which happens.
The twists and turns are amazing!
This was good.

This is my first book by Karen King and I really enjoyed it. A gripping, tense psychological thriller that entertained me throughout. I would have rated it 5 stars but I was slightly disappointed by the ending however I so look forward to reading more from this author. Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for the chance to review.

Thank you Netgalley for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review.
.
Triggers: teen pregnancy, child abandonment, suicide (mention), leukaemia (mention), drugs, alcoholic
.
What did I think of this book? (Mult POV)
This was a slow burn.. I haven't read any of Karen King's books before so this was new. I get it everyone has secrets and EVERYONE lies. This book starts with 1 lie and it spirals out of control you don't know what to believe, what you see, and hear.. I didn't love the repetitive but this happened to me and i feel guilt. Or that she practically lived in her past AFTER so many years.. or she didn't know her kids that she was there for are dysfunctional in their own way... it's like wow.. how can't she not see what's going on around her.. I didn't love it but I can't say I hate it.. 🤔

Wow! Some crazy twists that I never would have expected! This book had suspense, intrigue, action, murder, mystery, and so many crazy twists and turns! The storyline was very interesting and kept me glued to my Kindle! I highly recommend reading this book as it was well worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

Mary, who in her sixties, is a widow with 2 adult children and trying to cope with her loss, she decided to look for her long long daughter. Hope, who is now named Cathy by her adoptive parents, agreed to get to know Mary and eventually her other two children. As things started to unfold, family secrets are exposed, and trust now becomes questionable.

📖

I started this book with the anticipation of reading plot twists that will make it hard for me to put it down. However, while this novel has a good, intriguing storyline, it failed my expectation of its “mystery/thriller genre.” I find the story very slow, with not-so-compelling storyline for each character. If you are looking for a heavy family drama that focuses on its dynamics, this is the right book for you. Do not expect any jaw-dropping moment, because I don’t think the book is written for that purpose. The plot did try to have a strong build-up perhaps towards the end, but it still did not click with me; even the ending, it left me dumbfounded with how the supposedly antagonist evolved, as opposed to how it was described in the beginning. Some of the conversations were repetitive throughout the book, which makes it a bit draggy. Felt bad for the MC, however, since we’re talking about family dynamics, the audience may find familiarity of the characters in some aspects in real life. Overall, it felt like the book was rushed and tied all the loose ends in the end.

The Family Reunion will be released on January 23, 2023, by Bookouture.

Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I finished this book in a few days and I was gripped. I loved the twist at the end! I really enjoyed this book.

Thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and Karen King for the opportunity to read an advance copy of THE FAMILY REUNION, to be published 23 January 2023. This was a domestic mystery happening in a small town in England. It was a sad story,,especially in the beginning when Mary’s husband of many years dies and she is heartbroken. She wants to give back because as a teenager, she had an illegitimate daughter whom she abandoned. When the daughter makes contact with her, she is delighted. Then the family reunion begins and it’s not what you expect it to be - right down to the final page. I enjoyed this book and recommend it to readers who like a good storyline along with believe-able characters and a surprise ending.

One word - brilliant!

I found ‘The Family Reunion’ to be absolutely captivating. My heart broke as Mary told her story. I can’t imagine experiencing what she went through. Karen King handled the story sensitivity and skilfully. I was so moved.

This book was a fast read for me as I had to keep finding out what was going to happen next. The drama was on another level. Joanne and Jason brought that conflict to the table, as did Cathy’s presence.

I also felt unnerved by Mary’s present day experiences. This isn’t a psychological thriller to be missed. Super cracking read and one I’ll remember for a long time. Fabulous!

This book was sent to me electronically by Netgalley for review. Thanks to the publisher for the copy. This book had family secrets galore! I was drawn to this book by the front cover and it didn't disappont. It is well written with a compelling storyline and well developed characters that I loved. I really enjoyed it.

The Family Reunion by Karen King is one wild ride. Mary is a new widow of 2 grown children. She has a secret that no one knows and it finally comes to light. Deceit, lies, secrets… this book has it all and then some! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release in exchange for my honest review. To be published January 2023.

So many secrets. So many twists and turns. This book was a fast read as it was hard to put down. Riveting and emotional. 3.5 out of 5 ⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this book for me to read in exchange for an honest review!

3.5 stars

I really wanted to love this book, and parts of it I really did love! The characters love and protection for their mother was very heartfelt and real. The ending was a huge plot twist, there was no way I would have guessed it. Although, some parts left me a bit confused, I felt like there were some plot holes left unanswered. For example, there was never any answer to who oepned the bird cage. Also, the brother admits to stealing the money, but It was actually the daughter? I feel like some things could have been clarified but otherwise, I loved the prospect of this novel and I did throughly enjoy it!

I really enjoyed this book. It’s an easy, engaging and well developed domestic thriller.
I was quickly embroiled in the family drama and loved the unexpected twist at the end.
This is a great read and one that I’d definitely recommend.

This felt like so kuchen more than just a thriller. It absolutely has the lies, deception, twists and turns but it actually really got to me ots written in a way that's realistic and really does make you empathise with the struggle the character went through. It is more character driven than I'd like, I'm more one for action, but this actually really touched a nerve with me and had me so hooked. Whether you're genre is thriller, family dynamics, drama or just general fiction..... I think most people will really enjoy this

The Family Reunion
by Karen King
A family drama well written mystery. I enjoyed t, but it started out good, but by the end the family lot wore me out.
I thought by the other reviews I would just rip thru it. I guess I didn't see the big thrill. But, I read it, and it was a good enough book.