The Wrong Family

This was my first book by Ellery A. Kane, id heard good things so had to request it when I seen it on Netgalley.

I never read the blurb of a book as I like to go in blind, and for this one I'm so glad I didn't until I had finished. The biggest twist of the book is included in the blurb what's all that about? If I would have read that first like most readers do I would have rated the book much lower.
Thrillers are my favourite genre and I usually race through them. I felt like this one dragged a little and took a while to get into. That being said I like the idea of the plot.
⭐⭐⭐
I'm going to try another book by the author and hope I enjoy that more.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture, and Ellery A. Kane for an ARC in exchange for a honest review.

I found the initial plot of this story to be compelling and rather unique. I did feel there was a lot of detail that perhaps could’ve been edited to reduce the length. Because of this, the pace wasn’t as punchy as the storyline called for. Despite this, I was still invested and wanted to find out what the big reveal at the end was. Characterisation was superb!

This story is a great thriller that follows Hallie while she attempts to find her biological dad. Throughout her journey, we read the letters she received from potential matches (I loved this aspect of the book!!). When Hallie meets Robert Thompson, she is invited to their family house, and things are not as perfect as they seem. While Hallie gets to know her new "family," she learns their family secrets and what lies beneath the surface of their picture-perfect life. I loved the twists and turns in this book and how it kept me on my toes till the very end!

This book was so unexpected, and I raced through it until I reached the end! I had no idea what to expect, or who to suspect, and I loved that I was so startled by the ending. I’ll definitely be reading more of this author :)

Alright, let's dive into this fascinating tale! Hallie Sherman is on a mission to find her elusive dad, and boy, she's pulling out all the stops. She's sending letters to every Robert Thompson in the Pacific Northwest and even putting her DNA on a wild genealogy ride with Family Ties. Talk about determination!

And guess what? The stars align, and she gets an email with a first-degree paternal match. Cue the confetti! Hallie is over the moon, thinking she's struck gold - her dad has been found! And talk about perfect timing - the girl's a young waitress, down on her luck, so an invite to her newfound dad's Lake Tahoe home is like winning the lottery.

Now, I must say, her new siblings aren't exactly rolling out the red carpet for her. But Robert and Shelly, the mom and dad in the picture, well, they give her a warm welcome. Hallie's got her hopes high, thinking she might just become part of the clan.

But whoa there, trouble starts brewing faster than a squirrel chasing nuts! Things take a turn for the worse, and people start raising their eyebrows at Hallie's intentions. It's like she's stepped into a web of mystery and mischief.

This was my first dive into Ellery Kane's world, and I've got to say, it was quite the enjoyable swim! Hallie is a character you can't help but root for - flawed, yet still likeable. Desperation for a better life and a loving family can lead anyone to make some questionable choices, right? I mean, I've certainly had my moments.

The writing is like a magic wand of descriptions, painting vivid images of that beautiful lake house with exposed beams. And get this - I could practically taste the delicious recipes Hallie whipped up! My mouth was watering, I tell ya.

As the story unfolds, the eerie happenings start creeping up, slowly but surely. The suspense gets cranked up like the volume on a rock concert. I was on the edge of my seat, flipping pages faster than a kid in a candy store.

So, if you're up for some family drama, mysterious shenanigans, and a good old dose of suspense, this book is worth a solid four stars! Ellery Kane knows how to keep you hooked, that's for sure. Just remember, sometimes a little danger and excitement are all you need to spice up life!

This was my first Ellery Kane book and I would love to read more. Her writing hooked me from the beginning of the book. This was a quick read, I read in under 24 hours! Fast and twisted .. It was a great read !

This was a good thriller that kept me guessing until the end.

I liked Hallie’s characterization a lot and I really enjoyed reading the letters that she received back from various Robert Thompson’s which are interspersed throughout the book. The Thompson family was pretty cliché, consisting of an alcoholic mother, a social media-obsessed daughter, and a son who is desperate to impress his father. However, I enjoyed discovering each of their hidden secrets which fit well with the characterization that they’ve been given.

My main issue isn’t even with the book itself but rather the blurb which spoils most of the book. The scene where we find out that Robert Thompson isn’t Hallie’s father happens 81% into the book and for some reason, this is mentioned in the blurb. I honestly can’t understand why they would reveal one of the biggest plot twists of the book in the blurb.

My second biggest issue is that it’s never explained why Hallie was roped into this whole situation with the Thompson family. The main antagonist (who has been behind all of the strange events occurring to the Thompson family) has no previous connection to Hallie or reason to target her. Hallie was only a small, basically irrelevant, part of his grand scheme. It’s extremely frustrating as a reader to find out that the main character who we’ve been following for the entire book so far is borderline irrelevant to the main antagonist’s plan and his motivation for involving her amounts to “I thought it would be funny.” It makes the previous 90% of the book that we spent learning about Hallie, Nick, etc feel totally wasted.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Oh the suspense! This book constantly keeps you on your toes, anxious to know what happens next.

'She can only wonder what else her new family is hiding'.

Synopsis
Hallie has been looking for her biological father through both a DNA testing service, and sending letters to every Robert Thompson in the country. When she finally gets a response, she thinks it's a good opportunity to get her fathers side of the story, and maybe build a relationship with him.

When she's invited to go spend two weeks with them at their family home, Hallie accepts the offer - meeting her half sister and brother. Things start off well, Hallie is helping out in her father's restaurant and getting to know the family. But things start to change when objects start getting destroyed, going missing, and a body shows up.

What are the Thompsons hiding, and what has Hallie been dragged into?

Thoughts
I was well and truly gripped from the start, sometimes thrillers, for me, take time to build up to the crescendo, but this had me in suspense and on edge throughout.

I enjoyed the letter responses back to Hallie trying to find her father throughout the book, some were quite amusing - giving the reader a nice break before jumping straight back into the suspense.

It was also really clever using the DNA testing throughout - can never be too careful who might just find your details...

Overall, a really enjoyable pyschological thriller, and I can't wait to read more by Ellery!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this copy. This review is voluntary.

This is the first book to read by this author! I will say it won't be my last! I found it fast paced with twists throughout! I really enjoyed reading this!
Thank you Net Galley for allowing me to read and review book!

Review: I enjoyed this book overall. I felt it jumped in very quick to Hallie living with her new family, then stalled for awhile before I was fully engrossed. The story was intriguing and easy to follow. I did not figure out the twist so I always love a thriller that I can't solve! There were so many potential suspects that I truly didn't know who was capable of what! The characters were dimensional and everyone had some dark secrets- some of them I saw coming and some I did not! I also appreciated that this was a clean thriller- no unnecessary sex or gore, just the mysteries. I would recommend this to thriller readers and definitely those who want to dip their toe in the genre but want something more mild.

I really enjoyed this book and could not put it down. The author did a perfect job developing the characters in my opinion. The way the family would communicate and banter felt very relatable and real. The flow of the story was just enough to keep you engaged and and although it felt like there was a lot going on in the story, it was easy to follow! More times than not I find myself figuring out the ending early on, but this one I didn’t see coming! Add this to your list of you enjoy thrillers!!

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the Advance Copy of this book.
This is my honest opinion.
I wish I could find one good thing to say about this book, but I just can’t.
Long, rambling, and oh.so.very.boring.
The plot synopsis was interesting. The execution, not so much.
Down-and-out woman decides to seek out the father that abandoned her and her drug addicted mother before said down-and-out woman was born. Woman does an Ancestry.com type DNA search and lo-and-behold, they tell her her father’s name (always think that’s a bit of a sketchy practice, but I digress). She proceeds to mail letters to every man with that name in the entire Northwest, hoping one will respond (Already rolling eyes).
To make the crazy coincidences even crazier, a wealthy man shows up and says, Hey! Oh, I never got any letter, but they contacted me, too, gave me your name, and I am so happy to meet you come live with me and mine at our amazing house in Lake Tahoe. (Huge red flags everywhere!)
Well, she goes, and…..yeah…ridiculous events, horrible, boring characters, and obvious twists ensue.
What could have been an interesting plot line was simply an over-the-top, obvious, silly chain of events that, all told, made The Wrong Family the wrong book for me.
Can’t recommend.

I was almost immediately drawn into this story. From the beginning I was waiting for the other shoe to drop and drop it did! Highly recommend this book if you enjoy thrillers about family secrets and drama.

Super fun! I thought that the concept of DNA testing was a great addition to a thriller - especially how it was used for bad rather than good. All the characters are complex and some are very unlikable but in a good way! There were many twists that I didn’t see coming, it was very exciting! Overall, great read!

All Hallie wants is to connect the father she's never met. So when a DNA result connects her with Robert Thompson she is reluctantly estatic. Robert invites her into the family with open arms and invites her to their home in Lake Tahoe, but things are not always what they seem. When strange things begin to happen Hallie begins to question her new family.

Oh my God! The Wrong Family by Ellery A. Kane had me on the edge of my seat throughout the entire book. I wanted to know the truth so badly that I stayed up until 4 am just to finish it. I loved the overall concept of the book and thought it was executed well. The characters were all well developed, even the ones you love to hate. There were constant twists to the story that kept you guessing throughout the entire story. I was so shocked at the end. I did not see it coming. I highly recommend checking this book out when it goes on sale on August 30, 2023.

Thank you so much, NetGalley, Ellery A. Kane and Bookouture for my Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.

Well that is not at all how I expected the book to turn out! Hallie submits her DNA in hopes of finding father. She is welcomed into his family and restaurant. Everyone has secrets. People stop talking when she enters the room. Everyone and I mean everyone in this book has some sort of secret. Secrets you would not see coming. Great book!

Can the act of wanting become damaging at some point?

We all want to belong, either to someone or something, and oftentimes that drive becomes all-consuming. It certainly did for orphaned Hallie Sherman. This resilient and determined, often homeless, young woman has a burgeoning desire to find her father. She’s never met him and her mother never discussed him. Nevertheless, just knowing who he is becomes Hallie’s quest.

“It’s important to understand where you come from. Who you come from. To know you belong. Don’t you think?”

In short, this book is about a girl who receives the results of her DNA test and discovers that her new family isn’t what she expected and now her life is in danger.

Be careful what you wish for, right?

Hallie comes to the realization that DNA technology is a double-edged sword: it can be used for good as well as evil. When she arrives in Incline Village to spend time with her father and his family, her initial fascination with their perceived perfection soon wanes as she starts to see signs of imperfection. The warning bells were ringing loud and clear.

“It felt therapeutic to find the evidence of imperfection.”

The star of this book is the ever-present sense of dread and the characterization. From the start, I was aware that something wasn’t quite right, but I didn’t know what. Kane managed to hook me and keep me reading until I discovered for myself what shocking secret Hallie had unearthed. I was glad for the lighting on my Kindle so that I could read this well past my bedtime and not irritate my husband with the bedroom light on! The characterization was stellar! I loved to hate the conniving “I never lose” Nat and loved trying to figure out what her brother was hiding. I didn’t see the twists coming!

This novel that explores how DNA technology is making it more difficult to get away with murder needs to be on every thriller lover's reading list!

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

Complex story with many twists. Nearly everybody has a secret and some of them are dangerous. Didn't find it very credible.

I am a big fan of her books and this one doesn't disappoint. A unique plot, a main character to root for, despite many impulsive and often bad decisions. She, after losing her mother to drugs and a car accident, is shuffled around in foster homes. Desperately wanting to belong and finding herself broke again and jobless and homeless. She thinks she finds her father and the perfect family. Many secrets and twists and observations about who we value and who and what society values are immersed in the story. I also liked the email responses from some of the possible fathers.

The Wrong Family
Ellery A. Kane
Pub Date: August 30, 2023
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
I liked this one! New author for me and I highly recommend it. The pacing started off slow but it picked up for a satisfying conclusion. Could be geared to a younger audience?
4 stars