This was definitely an entertaining and drama filled read. Pacing was slow at first but eventually, the drama got me hooked and I couldn't put it down. That being said, I don't think I would exactly classify thing as a psychological thriller... It felt more mystery/drama to me. Either way, I love the sense of dread that builds as you are reading. Something is just not quite right and trying to figure it out was fun.

Thank you to Boukouture and Dreamscape Select for the ALC. All opinions are my own.

A woman who has been through the foster system finally finds her father through a family ties match after years of searching for him after her mother died in a car accident when she was 8, She is invited to spend the summer with her "new' family but the perfect family turns out to be less than perfect when she ultimately gets accused of being an accessory to murder.
Well narrated, good story-line, enjoyable listen.

Did not finish this one. I just couldn't get into it. The story and audiobook just wasn't working. I would say more but I'm not sure what to mention. So I'll leave it at that.

4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️



✨ Mystery Thriller
✨ Drama
✨ Fast Paced




✨ The story was centred to Hallie, as the blurb already mentioned that she was looking for her biological father until she found the one in a ‘DNA’ testing website. Hallie and the so called dad ( Robert) met each other. All good and all in places like any other stories of someone looking there parents. Until, everyday ( more like every chapter ) has something going on .
She felt trapped and she doesn’t know how to escape the madness.


✨ The book story was very common, but the writing style of Ellery is actually fast paced? Which I’m so amazed that normally in this kind of story it will be draggy.
Anyway, there isn’t much of changes in the story, as I predicted it’s very much same plot and ending with the rest.



✨ Thankyou bookcouture for the arc copy of this book for a honest review.



🫶🏼shaye.reads

The Wrong Family was a great read by Ellery A. Kane. Hallie has never met her father and after her mother's death, she was completely alone. Years after she mailed her DNA to Family Ties, she finally found a match. They found her biological father and Robery welcomes her into his family. Robert is a warm and dependable man and Hallie finds herself desperate for him to like her. His family seems perfect and she wants more than anything for them to like her. After some time she realizes that they aren't so perfect. Strange things go wrong in their Lake Tahoe house everyday. There is a family photo that is found burning, Robert's car gets tampered with, and her mother's necklace goes missing. The worst was finding the huge family portrait violently slashed in it gold frame. Someone is trying to blame Hallie. In a crazy turn of events, she gets an email from Family Ties stating that Robert Thompson isnt her father. This was a great read and I can't wait to read more by the author.

Didn't finish this one -- couldn't connect with the characters, narrator or plot any time I picked it up.

I really enjoyed this novel. I love domestic novels and this one was full of shocking twists and turns that I did not see coming. I definitely would recommend this novel and I look forward to more titles by this author.

I’m a sucker for DNA found family stories, and I was really intrigued by a thriller! I will say, after reading it, it’s more of a mystery than a true thriller but nonetheless it was a good read and I would recommend.

I also loved how the twist didn’t come from the area you thought it would come from… so while it felt like it was coming, there was an extra swerve along the way.

Hallie has been on the search for her birth father since her mother died and never told her anything about her dad. After mailing her DNA to Family Ties, a match is returned. Ecstatic, she decides to travel to meet her dad and wonders if she can find a way to become part of his family. But no family is perfect, and sometimes, not knowing is better than the alternative.

One of the strengths of this work was the correspondences that were included between the chapters. I think it was an interesting way to include some of the interactions Hallie had with strangers and to maintain an emphasis on her search for her family.

One of the things that didn’t work so well for me were the plot holes and inconsistencies. I think some of these were due to the author wanting to hold back information to build tension, but some of it didn’t make any sense to not share with the reader sooner (I won’t include details because of spoilers). Similarly, there were several convenient coincidences that detracted from the strength and believability of the story.

The characters were also lacking. They were barely good enough to play the roles they’re supposed to but didn’t go beyond that. They weren’t believably written. The tone of this work is also quite YA, but I was surprised to learn that it’s not classified as YA.

I think this is the case of it being the wrong book for me and most folks have rated it much higher than I did. I could see enjoying it if you’re in the mood for a slow burn family drama as long as you don’t think about it too much. My thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Select for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This is a compelling psychological thriller that expertly navigates the complex terrain of family secrets and identity. At the heart of the story is Hallie Sherman, who receives a life-altering message from Robert Thompson, a man claiming to be her long-lost father. What ensues is a suspenseful journey filled with unexpected twists and turns.

One notable aspect of the novel is its exploration of unreliable narrators, creating a narrative that keeps readers guessing about the truth behind each character's perspective. The presence of dishonest family members adds an extra layer of complexity to the plot, making it challenging to discern who can be trusted.

A particularly intriguing subplot involves Hallie's proactive efforts to uncover her origins. Her decision to reach out to numerous individuals named Robert Thompson adds a unique and suspenseful dimension to the narrative. This subplot not only showcases Hallie's determination but also introduces an element of mystery and unpredictability.

The author skillfully builds tension through various plot devices, including slashed tires, partially burnt family photos, and a mysterious figure living in the woods behind a restaurant. These elements contribute to an atmosphere of deception, keeping readers engaged as they navigate the characters' hidden motives.

"The Wrong Family" successfully maintains suspense and intrigue throughout, thanks to its well-crafted narrative and complex characters. Without revealing specific details, the book explores the theme of dishonesty within families, creating a psychological landscape that captivates readers until the very end.

Special thanks to NetGalley for providing an opportunity to read this advance copy, allowing readers to immerse themselves in the suspenseful world crafted by Ellery A. Kane.

This was really exciting and captivating and start to finish. I was a little thrown off by the ending twist because it's such a common one but thought it was surprising still at least. I really enjoyed the characters in this and liked getting to know them through their relationships with each other. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks you Dreamscape Select, Hachette UK - Bookouture for allowing me to review The Wrong Family on NetGalley.

Narrator: Madeline Pell -- Okay. She wasn't over the top or memorable. I didn't have any what if moments. I did wonder what she would do with good material. Perhaps one day we will meet again.

Stars: 2

This falls between boring and gripping (publisher, not me). The story reads like a freshman college creative writing student's final exam.

There are too many unrealistic happenings: I'm convinced there is a writer's checklist. Death of a parent, foster care, no siblings, abandoned by male parent, etc., all accounted for. Why? Next, duping of the educated and troubled. Why? Chef's are taught how to chop and shop. You don't bluff one. Why try?

The twist: The use of the fictitious world of Ancestry.com., the forgotten, and the less than scrupulous attorneys (no surprise), dementia. None of these are twists.

I'm bored with dumbing down.

I've read a few reviews that basically say that the synopsis for this book doesn't match its actual contents, and I pretty much agree. The synopsis paints a very sinister picture:

After years of searching for her biological father, she finally hears back of a DNA match. Robert Thompson is dependable and welcoming, inviting Hallie to his family's lake house, where she finally gets to see what a functional family looks like for the first time. But then things start to go wrong — a slashed bridge, a tampered car, a stolen necklace, a vandalized painting...and then Hallie finds out that there was a mistake, that Robert isn't actually her father. That last sentence of the blurb, that Hallie was "trapped," is what puts the finishing touches on my expectations, and I went into this expecting a psychological thriller.

Instead, she wasn't trapped by any means, and (spoiler alert) the Thompsons weren't the antagonists at all. The plot turned out to feel quite anticlimactic, as I didn't care much about the drama of the backstory.

I think the plot wouldn't have bothered me so much if it had been marketed originally that way, perhaps as a contemporary drama instead. Still, it wasn't a dealbreaker — I was still pretty curious about how the story would end.

I think the characters were the weakest part of the book. None of the side characters were very likable, and Natalie in particular felt like a complete parody of what adults think teenagers acts like. She seemed shallow from beginning to end; there's little, if any, character development on her part.

However, I had an even bigger issue with Hallie and reading the story from her perspective. She was, simply put, an extremely frustrating protagonist. I have nothing against imperfect characters — in fact, they're what makes character development possible and stories interesting. Hallie's perspective, however, was just really repetitive. Throughout the book her narration is interspersed with woe-is-me comments about her backstory every few lines. Her unlikeability and constantly poor decision-making makes the ending feels unearned, and I was also not that invested in the cooking plot to care about how it turned out.

Overall, the writing style was fine. The plot has potential here, and I liked the letters from all the Robert Thompsons that were interspersed between chapters. Perhaps with better-liked characters I'd have felt more invested overall.

This was an excellent thriller that kept me guessing the whole time! It was unexpected and fresh. I would definitely recommend this book!

"The Wrong Family" by Ellery Kane is a gripping and suspenseful thriller that takes readers on a rollercoaster ride of deception and danger. The story revolves around the protagonist's quest to find her long-lost father, which leads her to the seemingly perfect Thompson family. However, as she becomes entangled in their lives, she begins to realize that things are not as they appear.

Kane skillfully builds tension throughout the narrative, creating an atmosphere of uncertainty and fear. The book keeps you guessing and second-guessing the characters' motives, making it a page-turner that's hard to put down. The author's writing style is engaging, and the plot is full of twists and surprises, making it an enthralling read.

I love this book, It was a great audiobook as well. Perfect pace of a book and the storyline was well played out. I enjoy the plot twist as well.
Definitely planning of giving this book as gifts this Christmas.

The Wrong Family has a strong concept. The FMC grows up with an addict mother and has never met her. After her mother dies, the FMC takes a DNA test to search for her absent father. She sends out letters to anyone matching his name in the US but her DNA finds a match. After connecting with her father in person, she goes to visit his family and in turn becomes intwined with his family life.

I didn’t find myself reaching for this book to continue the story or to find out what will happen next. The character were all flat. There wasn’t any major growth with any of the characters throughout the plot. I wish we could have seen more connection or growth.

Overall a solid 3/5 stars.

I've recently become obsessed with my own ancestry, so this book was especially interesting to me! As someone who was adopted myself, I understand the pull of wanting to learn about your biological family, especially as someone who grew up in foster care, like Hallie did. I enjoyed this audiobook and narration very much.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Clutch pearls! Thank you Netgalley, Dreamscape Audio, Ellery Kane, and Madeline Pell for the audiobook!! A great thrilling listen that had me listening to the very end.

After all this time trying to find her dad, sending letters to every Robert Thompson out there, it's fitting that when you're at you lowest you suddenly find THE Robert Thompson.

At least that's what it seems, but there may be something more sinister at play here. Welcomed into the family and joining them in Lake Tahoe, life is finally beginning to brighten, until it all starts to fall apart.

Ancestry sites, DNA, and twisted families. So ma y thrilling chills are housed in this dark family drama.