When you are living with one parent, you might be curious about the missing one, but when you are a child you don't have the means to look for them. Years later though, you are wondering who your other parent is and you start searching, hoping to find them and maybe be welcomed in a whole new family.

I like Hallie, the main character, a lot. She sometimes acts before she thinks, but it's all in good cause. She wants to help and protect those who stood by her too. She is determined and when she sets her mind to something she does not cut corners. On the other hand, she is not always honest, but I think it's more because she wants to impress and does not want to be judged for things in the past.

But Hallie is not the only one who has things to hide. Be prepared for some jaw dropping revelations.

Not only did the author create some very realistic characters, she also charmed me with the construction of the book. The little letters or emails connected to Hallie's hunt for her missing parent she slipped between some chapters were at times heartwarming, heartbreaking or funny.  

Who is the culprit in this story? The attentive reader might have picked up a hint pointing them in the right direction, but the how, the why and the confirmation of the identity are things that will be kept a secret until the end of the book. 

A very enjoyable read with heaps of secrets. I loved it. 5 stars

Thank you

What a great read! I loved this one! The story was fast paced and hard to put down! It's quite the thrill ride! The characters were well written and fleshed out. I felt like I knew them- and that doesn't always happen with books. I was very surprised by the twists and turns! I really enjoyed the emails and letters throughout from the book of other Robert Thompsons from when Hallie was looking for her father. Great fast entertaining and enthralling thriller! Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Hallie Sherman has been trying to find the father she never knew, sending letters to every Robert Thompson in the Pacific Northwest and sending her DNA to the Family Ties genealogy website. When she gets an email with a first-degree paternal match, she’s elated – she’s finally found her dad. When he invites her to join his family at their Lake Tahoe home, the offer couldn’t have come at a better time for the down-on-her-luck young waitress. Although her new siblings aren’t enthused, Robert and his wife Shelly are warm and welcoming, and Hallie feels hopeful that she could become part of the Thompson family. But no sooner has she arrived than things start going terribly wrong, and people are becoming suspicious of Hallie’s intentions.

This was my first Ellery Kane book and I really enjoyed it! Hallie is an appealing main character, flawed but likeable. Her desperation for a better life and a family of her own are understandable, even when she makes questionable choices to get there. The writing is wonderfully descriptive, and I could easily envision the beautiful, exposed beam lake house and could almost taste the delicious recipes the Hallie whipped up. The eerie happenings surrounding the Thompson family gradually ramp up as Hallie gets drawn further into a dangerous web she doesn’t understand. The suspense kept me on the edge of my seat!

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

I really enjoyed this book!! A solid 4/5 stars for me

Characters: 5/5. Everyone has a past, everyone has a story, everyone was perfect. Ellery Kane did a fabulous job giving such descriptive personalities to everyone. You love and hate every character at some point in the book

Plot: 4/5. Really great. I thought it was a bit slow in the first half but the story had so many twists and turns. When I thought the mystery aspect was slow, we got a bit of Hallie and Nick, or Hallies past, so there was always a bit of depth added to the story. This is one of the first stories I’ve read in a while that I truly didn’t anticipate the ending. I did audibly gasp at one point lol

Writing: 4.5/5. It wasn’t perfect, but I thoroughly enjoyed it! EK was SO descriptive (I could practically taste that lobster grilled cheese lol) .. but she did such a great job telling the story, writing every character, and doing it in a way that kept you interested without seeming too over the top/murder mystery cheesy. There was so much going on in this story without it being hard to follow.

Overall I reallllly liked it and I’m definitely going to read more of EK’s stories! I’ll recommend this book to anyone who likes thrillers and will be doing an in-depth YouTube review as well!

Thank you to Net Galley, Ellery Kane, and Bookouture for an Advance Reader Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

A story which was full of secrets and surprises.
Well written characters.
I was quickly sucked in and finished in record time.
My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my copy.

Confession time… After reading the fantastic synopsis for this book, and then seeing the author’s name- I immediately requested this book from NetGalley. However, I thought this was written by Ellery Lloyd (I was confused for a moment with the familiar name 🤦🏻‍♀️). But- no worries, because I have found a new author to read with Ellery Kane!

This story centers around our main character, Hallie. Hallie had been looking for her biological father through a family DNA test. She then sent letters to all potential matches of those who could be her father. When she gets a response back from her “biological” father, Hallie feels as if all her dreams have been answered.

I loved how this story played out. Ever hear the saying, “Watch out what you wish for”? Well, that’s what happened in this book. I also resonated with Hallie’s character, as she wanted to be liked and belong to a family. But sometimes you can’t always trust your family (or belong), especially when strange occurrences start to take place and you are found to be the one being blamed for everything…

This was an enjoyable read for me, and I do plan on reading more from this author in the future. My only gripes were that the pacing started off a little slow at first, but it did gradually pick up with a satisfying conclusion. I also felt that this book may be geared towards a younger audience. Regardless, I still recommend reading this as the storyline was original and gripping!
(3.5 stars rounded up)

Many thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture, and the author for an ARC of this book which I had the pleasure of reading. All opinions are my own. Publication date: August 30, 2023.
Genre~ General Fiction (Adult), Mystery & Thrillers

What a good book. Kane crafted a fine story and mystery around finding family and self-discovery. I enjoyed it! Four stars. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

This book was sent to me electronically by Netgalley for review. Thanks to the publisher and talented author. This unique story is about finding a birth father. Chaos ensues. The characters are realistic and the story moves quickly. Secrets and surprises add to the suspense. This is a cannot put down novel of intrigue. I did not want to stop reading. I was surprised by some of he events. It has always made me wonder what might happen if DNA sites made mistakes or if they could be manipulated.

Hallie Sherman is a 28-year-old waitress struggling (and failing) to make ends meet in Sacramento, California. Life hasn’t been easy for her. An orphan, never having met her father and her mother dying when she was 9, Hallie has been writing to every Robert Thompson in the area begging them to do a DNA test so that she can find the one last link to family she has.

On her 28th birthday, she receives an email from Family Ties, the DNA service, telling her she has a match for her biological father. The two meet and hit it off not long after. Determined to make up for lost time, Robert invites his long-lost daughter to his home in Lake Tahoe to meet and stay with his family for 2 weeks.

Once she arrives, she starts to fit right in and starts to warm to her new family. Having been through more than a handful of foster homes (and subsequently a group home), Hallie struggles to trust and attach to others. Is this because of her past or because there’s something terrible wrong with the Thompsons?

Wow! What an amazing book. There was so much depth to the characters and so much felt flushed out and developed. I really appreciated the writing style and the creepiness that I had to sift through as I read this book.

I found the authors choice to name that Hallie found the wrong family in the books title and the blurb interesting. On the one hand, this could have been a WILD twist on one would have seen coming. On the other, knowing the other foot would drop (but not when) kept me on my toes and invested in devouring this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for an e-ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review. I truly loved this thriller and despite my best efforts I truly did not guess how this would go.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This fast-paced and engaging story drew me in and didn’t let go. Hallie lost her single mother when she was young, spent years with foster families and longs to have a father. When she receives an email saying based on DNA Robert Thompson is her biological father she accepts his invitation to spend 2 weeks with him and his family in Incline Village Nevada. Strange things start happening and her diva “sister” blames it all on her. All the characters are well described and you can’t help but want to find out what happens in the end. I wasn’t thrilled with the ending but it did not detract from the storyline. If you like thriller and mystery books this is for you. I received an arc of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed are my own.

The wrong family was addictive reading for me. I was gripped from the very first page and thoroughly enjoyed the twists and turns the book took you on.
Wow! Seriously, I was tired after reading this. My adrenaline was pumping full force!
Highly recommended!

#TheWrongFamily #NetGalley is an amazing thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end.
Hallie just wants to meet her father. She lost her mother at an early age, was put into the foster care system, and has struggled ever since.
When the DNA agency Family Ties emails her that she's matched to another client, she's nervous but excited.
Fast forward to the meeting, the invite to his family home, then the whirlwind of destruction that erupts after all the lies are uncovered.
This book is fantastic! The characters, the storyline, it all worked so well together and created an unbelievable world, where things aren't always what they appear to be.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of this book.

Great book! This book had a bit of everything! It had suspense, Action, intrigue, mystery, revenge, murder, arson, and some crazy twists and turns! The storyline was very interesting and kept me glued to my Kindle! I definitely recommend reading this book as it was well worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

This was an unputdownable read! From start to finish I was completely immersed in the storyline. The author crafted an engaging tale of mystery and suspense.

One of the most remarkable aspects of this book was it's well-developed characters. The dialogue and banter between the members of the Thompson family felt so authentic and relatable. Which helped me feel emotionally invested in their storylines.

I also really appreciated the pacing of the book, it had an eerie sense of calm to it that added so much depth to the plot. It kept me on the edge of my seat turning pages awaiting the whodunnit reveal.

I would definitely recommend adding this to your TBR if you enjoy reading Mystery Thrillers.

Thank you Ellery A. Kane, Net Galley and Bookouture for providing me with an ARC of this book!

New fear unlocked! This book leaves you rooting for the girl born into the worst circumstances, and when you think she’s finally found some luck in life, you realize she’s entered the biggest whodunnit in all of Lake Tahoe. The characters were engaging and the plot kept twisting. A devious delight from start to finish! Bravo!

The Wrong Family" is a suspenseful thriller that had me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. I finished it in a day. The writing style is engaging, and the pacing keeps you hooked, eagerly turning the pages to uncover the dark secrets lurking within the Thompsons' seemingly perfect family.

The dialogue is natural and adds depth to the characters, making them feel real and relatable. The descriptions are vivid, painting a clear picture of the grand Lake Tahoe house and its eerie atmosphere. I particularly enjoyed the way the story builds up slowly, steadily intensifying the suspense with each passing chapter.

Robert is a standout character, well-rounded and charismatic, which makes it easy to trust him alongside the protagonist. His warm demeanor adds a layer of complexity to the story, leaving readers guessing about his true intentions.

As for the main character, she's likable, but I did find her naivety a bit distracting at times. While it added to the suspense, it also pulled me out of the story on occasion.

Overall, "The Wrong Family" is a gripping thriller with an intriguing plot, well-developed characters, and a masterful build-up of suspense. Fans of psychological mysteries will undoubtedly find this book an engrossing and thrilling read.#TheWrongFamily #NetGalley