I’m typically a huge KMod fan but this one fell flat for me, which is rare for her books. From the beginning I never really connected with any of the characters and it almost felt like there was some background I was missing at the start of the book. I struggled to maintain interest while listening to this one. I wanted to badly to get into this book but I just was unable to find interest.

A psychological thriller that will lead you to a twisted end that ultimately lies in death, found family and love.
I will say that on the way, I did have to suspend disbelief for a bit and just listen to the story. Once I did it was a easy listen and I was along for the ride. Towards the ending, is where the story got a bit intricate and you really had to pay attention.
The narrator, Jennifer Sun Bell did a wonderful job portraying Austyn, Lowell, Dallas and many of the moving characters in the story. She certainly kept me engaged till the very end. The narrator used a variety of tones and inflections where I was able to easily distinguish the variety of characters and distinguish them from the main characters.
Sometimes keeping a secret can be deadly.

A very special thanks to Dreamscape Media and Netgalley for the ALC.

FABULOUS, SO GOOD :)
This is a fabulous story from Kiersten Modglin. I really enjoyed this and it I am delighted to have found a new author I will be following from now on.
In this romantic suspense delightful book Austyn Murphy appears to have it all to look forward to with her fiance Lowell Bass. Soon Lowell gets informed his parents died and he needs to go back to the family mansion along the rest of his siblings. Secrets are buried in this household and Austyn sets out to unravel them.
Such a lovely twisted mystery book with much love and friendship thrown it.
I listened to the wonderful performance from Jennifer Sun Bell, the narrator and could not stop listening to it.
After a heavy book with gruesome murders, I was ready for this delightful book and can not recommend this little gem highly enough...

The Family Secret opens with Lowell Bass and Austyn Murphy, a recently engaged couple, arriving at his opulent family home. Though they should be there to finally introduce Austyn to Lowell's prestigious family, they have instead returned to "The Pond" to bury both Lowell's mother and father who have died in a tragic accident. From the time they arrive at the pond, turmoil ensues.

I loved the setting of this novel. It was, by far, the best aspect of Modglin's story telling. The Pond (appropriately named because a bunch of Bass live there), is described in an intricate and somewhat gothic manner. It truly is the perfect venue for a thriller to unfold.

I didn't, however, love the characters in this novel. Austyn isn't all that likable of a protagonist, and even Lowell's brother Dallas (who is supposed to be a brooding heart throb) fell a little flat. Thankfully, the plot moved at a good rate, and there was enough drama and twists to keep me engaged until the story's end.

That end did require quite a bit of suspension of disbelief, but the author tied up all aspects of the storyline nicely. This book wasn't one of my favorites of the year, but it was worth the six or so hours it took me to listen to it in its entirety.

*A special thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for an advanced readers audio version of this book in exchange for an honest review*

I am never disappointed by kmod.
Huge thanks to NetGalley for this review copy in exchange for my honest review. As with her previous books I flew thru this super fast and loved the ending.

Rich people are literally the worst. The entire book could be about that.
Don't date ridiculously rich men because they might be evil.
This book was a little cheesy, especially the shed scene at the end.
The narration was wonderful.

Modglin is a safe bet when it comes to fun, readable thrillers. I listened to this pretty quickly and liked the story. There were some unexpected things along the way too. The narrator was pretty good. I can definitely recommend this.

I finished this book in a day. IN A DAY!!

{Scroll below for full Amazon synopsis…otherwise keep reading for my thoughts! And friends, I have a lot of thoughts…}

First off…Lowell…I mean, you think you know a guy! Then an overheard conversation from his fiancé, Austyn, changes everything!

The secrets, the lies, the sneaking around, and the layers of what happened in the Bass family home generations previous had me not wanting this book to end, but at the same time,l NEEDING to know what happened!

I started off really disliking characters, (ahem…Lowell’s brother) or really liking characters (namely, Lowell’s sister) and it’s amazing how things can change so fast to be the exact opposite of your first impression!

I’m also such a little detective as I read, I try to piece it all together in my mind as the story progresses, and I can honestly say this book had me guessing up until the very end. I was so blown away once the story came together, and impressed that I didn’t figure it out before the ending!

Is this post too vague? Gosh! I wish I could say more! Looks like you’ll just have to read it for yourselves 😉

This book will be published on April 4, 2023! Thank you @netgalley and @dreamscape_media for the #alc of this totally twisted and amazing thriller!

4.5/5 stars

Amazon Synopsis:
“When freshly engaged Austyn Murphy and Lowell Bass receive the news that Lowell’s parents have died unexpectedly, they set out for the historic Bass estate to handle their affairs and lay the former heads of the family to rest.

Enshrouded in layers of secrecy and tradition, the Bass estate, and the family residing within its walls, give anything but a warm welcome. When the idea of staying in the home permanently is brought up, Austyn witnesses a side of her future husband she’s never seen before.

Late one night, Austyn overhears a whispered conversation, revealing she hasn’t been given the full truth about the world she’s marrying into. And when Emily, an old friend, calls with devastating news of her own, Lowell and Austyn invite her to join them for a visit at the estate.

Upon Emily’s arrival, a confession is made, causing a rift in the seemingly impenetrable bond the girls once had. As Emily settles into their home, becoming closer to Lowell than ever before, Austyn fears she’s made a grave mistake.

Trapped inside the Bass estate under the ever-watchful eye of the staff and her soon-to-be family, Austyn makes another chilling discovery—something so terrible it changes everything.

With distressing revelations hidden around every corner and time running out before final decisions are made about her future, Austyn must uncover the truth about the opulent and powerful Bass family…at the risk of becoming another one of their dark secrets.”

I really enjoyed this book and think the narrator did a great job! It was unlike many of the mysteries I’ve read, and had lots of twists and turns! The only thing that I disliked was the unnecessary romance between the main character and the brother.

I read The Family Secret in just one sitting. It was a perpetual page turner. Kierstin Modglin is quickly becoming one of my fave authors. She just keeps giving me the best reading experience.

This is a family drama with more secrets than you might expect. I loved it.

Love the fast pace of this book how you just want to continue with one more chapter but end up reading so many more. It was a little bit difficult Well listening to the audio because some of the family connections are a little bit confusing but overall I was invested in the read and it was pretty good

Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the free audio book in exchange for an honest review.

I listened to this book as narrated by Jennifer Sun Bell. I really enjoyed the narration and thought it was well done. If you have the opportunity to listen, I recommend the audio version.

I have mixed thoughts on this book. It was touted as a thriller but it just did not get there for me until the final chapters. Austyn and Lowell have been dating for 7 years, are engaged and live in Nashville. Oh, and Lowell is an heir to a multi-billion dollar family. Lowell's parents die suddenly and so they travel back to California where Lowell inherits the family business, the family estate and shares the inheritance with his siblings. Emily, a mutual friend from college, comes to visit and Austyn suspects that Emily and Lowell of having an affair. So at this point it sounds great!

But, why was Lowell inheriting and taking the helm in California news to Austyn after 7 years of living with and dating Lowell? She had angst about keeping her Nashville bakery running when if she sticks with Lowell, there will be no bakery. And we are to believe that Lowell's parents, these multi-billionaires, party and do drugs which is how they died? This story is labeled as a domestic drama, suspenseful, thriller...I agree with the domestic drama part but like the minority of reviewers, I did not find this very suspenseful until the end, which was a disappointment for me.

The execution of the story and plot made it hard to believe and yet predictable and fairly easy to figure out. It would have been nice to have more mystery and less soap opera-ish drama. At times, I found Austyn to be the dumb blonde in slasher movies where you are screaming don't go into the room. More character development would have helped the story.

I wanted to like this one but found myself not really believing the drama or rolling my eyes at the predicted events. 2.5 stars rounded up to 3.

I was lucky to get my hands on this audiobook since I already know a lot of Kiersten's books.
This one shows how far a family goes to protect the family name and keep all their secrets hidden? And if a lot of money is involved as well, things start to escalate quickly!
Lowell and Austyn are engaged. When Lowell's parents are killed he brings his fiance home to meet the family. But Austyn had not the slightest idea how well off Lowell was and it takes her awhile to get use to all the staff and being waited on.

She discovers a journal and realizes she may have made a mistake coming here and getting engaged to Lowell. Will she be able to get out alive?

The narration by Jennifer Sun Bell was wounderful


Thank you # Netgalley #DreamscapeMedia for this audiobook

I could not put this down! The Family Secret is perfect for binging in one sitting. This psychological thriller has a fast pace and engaging plot that immediately drew me in. I loved getting to know the characters and slowly unraveling their secrets. The creepy atmosphere had me feeling nervous for the entire book. And that ending was so much more intense than I anticipated. I highly recommend to thriller lovers.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Another popcorn thriller from Modglin
I have learned that Modglin is the perfect palate cleanser. Her novels are unpredictable, sometimes unrealistic, and nonstop. 
When Loyll's parents die suddenly, he must go home to lay them to rest. Of course, his fiance, Austyn joins him and meets the rest of his family for the first time. 
This one has an interesting plot and I was immediately sucked into this story. What is this family hiding? How did the parents die? And what will happen to Austyn's quiet life now that she is going to be the new Mrs. Bass. 
The big theme in this story is that people will do anything for money. Money can bring out the worst in people and force them to make decisions they normally won't make. I loved the alternating storyline between Austyn, and the diary that Austyn finds. 
This book had my praises until the end... There was a very strange and inappropriate scene near the end that totally ruined this book for me. 
Will i keep reading Modglin? Of course, she keeps things interesting always. 

The audio book was great. The narrator really brought the story to life.

4⭐️ 1🌶️ 4🎧

KMod really knows how to keep me on the edge of my seat and this book was no exception!

When her fiancé’s parents die unexpectedly Austyn travels with Lowell back to his family estate. There she meets his siblings for the first time and begins to understand the wealth she is marrying into. But with great wealth comes great secrets and Austyn doesn’t know who to trust once she starts uncovering secrets that people are willing to kill to keep hidden.

As always KMod had me making all sorts of crazy guesses about what was going on and who was in on what and I was almost entirely wrong. But that is what I love so much about her books.

I did struggle with liking Austyn. There were just too many instances where things could have been cleared up if she asked the right person her questions. Instead she chose avoidance and anxiety. Although Lowell would have only tried to gaslight her even more.

I really liked the ending of this book. Not just how the mystery was resolved but also the direction the characters all went with their lives.

I listened to the audiobook and while I generally really liked the narration, there were a couple times when the narrator said Bass, as in the instrument, instead of Bass, the fish. Considering this was the last name of the family with a huge legacy, it seemed a pretty big error to me. But other than that, I did enjoy her narration.

This was a tough one for me, maybe the audio format just didn’t translate like it would on paper. I just didn’t love this and found it really hard to buy into any of the characters and their motives. Too outlandish but not in a fun way? I think just not believable.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media, Kiersten Modglin, and Netgalley for an advance listening copy of The Family Secret in exchange for an honest review. First off, the narrator did an excellent job grabbing the listeners attention and keeping it throughout the whole story. You all, I truly don't understand how every book by Kmod has me throwing stars out like confetti!! This book was full of drama, suspense, and a few greatly placed twists! I needed to turn the pages faster and faster as the story went on because I just HAD TO KNOW what was going on! I found myself judging most of the characters intentions wrong which made the ending even more satisfying for me.

I will say this is definitely a popcorn thriller but it has more family suspense aspects then actually creepy thriller aspects. Do yourself a favor and pick this one up from Amazon!!

The Family Secret
by Kiersten Modglin
Narrated by Jennifer Sun Bell

Rating: 4.5/5.0 Stars

I listened to this book in one day. It wasn't super long, but that's not the reason for the speedy listen. It moved along at a great pace and kept me interested until the very end. I see some people giving it less-than-stellar reviews, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I've been KMod fan for quite some time and always enjoy the escape that her stories give me, though this one was a bit different than her usual. It's a lot less involved than her typical stories. It felt more like a short story, though it was full-length. I quickly got caught up in Austyn's relationship with Lowell and the rather odd members of the Bass family that she meets after receiving the terrible news that Lowell's parents have both died unexpectedly in a car crash. With all of the talk of the Murdaugh's recently in the news, the Bass family reminded me of them, what with all of their power, money, and the apparent feeling that they could control any narrative, no matter who got in the way.

The narration was excellent and brought each character to life. Ms. Bell would be a narrator that I'd listen to if I come across any of her other performances. KMod, as always, delivers, and delivers well. The Family Secret is a fun, albeit quick, wild ride and I was happy to have had the chance to listen and review!

I really enjoyed being taken on a ride with Austyn, Emily and the Bass family. This book kept me guessing all the way through. True to form, Kiersten Modglin delivers a fast paced mystery/thriller you won’t want to put down.

The narrator for this book was pretty good. I love when a narrator is able to really distinguish voices between each character and personality but this wasn’t that. Still, a good narration for a good book!