The Wrong Family by Ellery A. Kane
(Narrated by Madeline Pell)

When Hallie was young, her mother died in an accident, therefore she spent those years with the foster family. Hallie sent her DNA to Family Ties because she was desperately finding her long-lost biological father.

After sending emails to all the Robert Thompson, and she received a reply. She found his father!

Robert Thompson spread his open arms to welcome Hallie to his family, even to his restaurant business. Robert is warm and caring. A perfect dad for Hallie until all the strange things happened. A burning family photo and a missing necklace. Someone wanted to blame Hallie. Everything pointed to her.

Family Ties emailed Hallie, saying this Robert Thompson was not your father…now she’s trapped in this wrong family.

The twisty story plot was a masterpiece. A slow-burnt, but just hooked into it shortly. I enjoyed the replies from other Robert Thompson. They explained why they were not Hallie’s fathers were entertaining.

The whole story was mainly surrounding Hallie. How eager she wanted to see her father, how much love she wanted from him. The jealousy of Natalie who was Robert’s another daughter perfectly showed under Kane’s pen. All the little details added up to a great thriller.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Dreamscape Select, Hachette UK - Bookouture and Ellery Kane for this audiobook to review.

Format: Audiobook (11h16m)
Pub date: Aug 31, 2023

My best piece of advice is to read this book without reading the description, because the twist that's revealed in said description, the very one that made me want to pick up this book in the first place, doesn't come until the last few chapters of the book. For nearly the entire book, you know something that the main character doesn't. This, coupled with the fact that the reasons Hallie and her long-lost family are thrust together are too contrived to be ignored, is perhaps the reason I was never fully invested.

There was no sense of suspense, no particular thrill. At best, this book is a mystery, but that mystery doesn't reveal itself until those last few chapters. Would I have enjoyed this book more had the description matched the plot? Who can say, but my expectations were far more "wrong" than this family.

Also, this story was meant to have taken place over a couple of weeks, but reads as though (and makes miles more sense as though) it takes place over months. 2.5 stars

I am grateful to have been offered an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5 Stars

Happy publication to Ellery A. Kane and The Wrong Family! Thank you to Dreamscape Select, Hatchette UK-Bookouture and NetGalley for allowing me to read an ALC (Advanced Listener 🎧 Copy) for an honest review!

📅 August 30, 2023 was the pub date for The Wrong Family by Ellery A. Kane. 📅

I just listened to this book in two parts on a road trip 🗺️ 🚘 recently and got sucked into the plot immediately. This read was both fast paced and gripping! It demanded my attention in between travel dates…tempting me to listen 🎧 instead of spend time with my family. I chose time with my family but was so thankful to be able to listen again when back on the road🚦to learn more.

So many 🚩 red flags for danger are presented to the main characters and the reader but neither know who to truly trust while you read…leaving you to face several good plot twists and surprises. This is my first book 📖 by Ellery A. Kane but I plan to read more. I’d argue that her characters and plots are very well written ✍️ for the thriller/mystery genres.

Hallie has been looking for her biological father for years. Her mother, dependent on pills 💊, died in a car crash 💥 when Hallie was just 9 years old. Her mother never had anything good to say about Hallie’s father, Robert Thompson. But, Hallie was still determined to find him, make a connection, and decide for herself.

She set out writing all of the Robert Thompson’s she can find, explaining her search and asking them to take a DNA 🧬 test at the same company (Family Ties) she did if they think they may be a match.

Hallie finally heard from her birth father and they meet up. Fate certainly brings them together because he never got her letter 💌in the mail. It was just happenstance that his wife convinced him to submit take the DNA 🧬 test. Robert is warm and open. In turn, he invites Hallie to his family home for a couple of weeks in Lake Tahoe to meet everyone. Hallie accepts. However, once she gets there she can’t help but wonder if the family is dangerous, if her father is telling the truth, and if her past will also be uncovered.

I highly recommend this read to anyone! I read another review stating that this book might be geared to a younger audience. But, I disagree. I think any aged reader can enjoy the writing style of Kane. 💕

The Wrong Family kept me intrigued throughout the whole book trying to figure out the twists. Loved that there was more to the story when I thought I had some things figured out.

This is my first Ellery Kane read (I listened to the Audible version) thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture, and the author for providing me an ARC of this novel.

Hallie has bounced around in foster care, never having a father present and losing her mother in her younger years. Hallie yearns for a place to belong.

I enjoyed the unique storyline of the novel, but too much of the plot line and twists were revealed in the book blurb and the title. This is a 3.5 star rounded up for me. I wanted more from the characters and their relationships with one another. I wanted to feel the angst, tension, and love and that fell a bit flat for me.

I will put other Ellery Kane novels on my TBR and look for new releases from this author in the future.

Hallie's mom dies and she's been trying to find her father for years with the help of Family Ties, a genetic testing site. She finally gets an e-mail saying there's match for her father. She meets her biological father and his family. She starts to feel closure of finding her father and her dream of becoming a chef with the help of her new family is coming true. However, strange things begin to happen and she is on a quest to find who is doing these strange things and why.

I gave The Family 4 stars, it was a tad that kept my attention and in wanted to keep reading too find out how Hallie did and see who was behind the mysterious occurrences.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC.

Hallie Sherman has never met her father and after her mother passes tragically, she decides to try and find him. After submitting her DNA to Family Ties, as well as sending out a huge batch of letters to all the Robert Thompsons she can find, she thinks she may have actually found him. He is everything she dreamt of in a father, successful, warm and strong. When he invites her to spend time with him and his wife and children at his Lake Tahoe home, Hallie is over the moon. But upon arrival, she begins to have her doubts. Robert’s wife Shelly is very welcoming, but both children (Natalie and Logan) seem a bit guarded. Then, strange things begin to happen; slashed tires, a burnt photo, and even a dead body. Someone seems to be trying to frame Hallie for the crimes. In this strange new home with her “new family”, Hallie realizes she doesn’t know who she can really trust. But Hallie has secrets of her own and it is just a matter of time that her lies will catch up with her. This was an entertaining novel. Although it dragged a bit, I enjoyed the read and gave it 3 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced audiobook copy.

Narrator-Did a great job. Clear and easy to understand.
Book- This book was a family drama with a little mix of mystery. This was my first time reading from this author, and I would definitely pick up another book from her.

This was an ok thriller for me. This felt more of a YA thriller. I did enjoy the letters/responses for the other Robert Thompsons. That was an interesting touch. Thanks to netgalley for the opportunity to listen to this one.

I received an Arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions in this review is entirely my own.

The Wrong Family by Ellery A. Kane was a pleasant surprise. I was immediately intrigued by the premise. The story gets off to a fast start and does not waste time with unnecessary information. I love Hallie's character although I did feel that she could have a bit more of a backbone in certain situations but after looking for a family for so long I do understand why she didn't.

The book kept me engaged even though many of the twists were very predictable. I still enjoyed having them all revealed. I do feel like the story was slightly too long and certain things could have been left out.

All in all I think this is a good book and I would definitely recommend it. I also really enjoyed the narrator's voice. She kept me captivated and did a fantastic job with bringing Hallie's emotions to life.

The only "negative" thing I am going to mention is that the premise made me think the book was going to be written in first person but it was in third person. It did not bother me personally but I know that it is a turn off for some readers.

Many thanks for NetGalley and Dreamscape Select for the free audio book in exchange for my honest review. This is narrated by Madeline Pell who does an excellent job.

Meet Hallie: A struggling waitress who is on her own. Her mom died, they lived a difficult life and Hallie is still struggling to pay her bills. Hallie took a DNA test to hopefully find her father. She even goes so far to write every single "Robert Thompson" that she can find in the area to ask them if they knew her mom and to take the DNA test. One day she hits the jackpot. Robert Thompson responds and not only is he her dad per the DNA website but he is wealthy! Hallie agrees to go to Lake Tahoe with her new family. As Hallie becomes closer to the family, trust becomes elusive in a world filled with hidden truths and lots of secrets.

I found this one to be slow at the start and the plot a bit unbelievable. The characters are not that well developed and the repetitive scenes were tiresome. I wanted more from this one but found it lacking.

3 stars

Title: The Wrong Family
Author: Ellery A. Kane
Narrator: Madeline Pell
Pub Date: August 30, 2023
Publisher::Hachette UK, Bookouture
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Rating: 3
Pages: 408

The blurb states ~
He tells you he’s your father. He welcomes you into his family. And now you’re trapped…

I’ve never met my father. It was always just me and Mom, so when she died, I was completely alone. But today, years since I first submitted my DNA to Family Ties, I have a match. They’ve found my biological father.

Hallie is excited about meeting Robert Thompson her biological father and even more pleased when he invites her to meet the rest of the family. They live in a beautiful lake house near Lake Tahoe and run a family restaurant.

At the title hints is this “The wrong family”?
There are twists and turns and the story truly isn’t bad.
I love psychological thriller and also love audiobooks. However I am an audiobook snob and this narrator did not work for me. I live in California so was disappointed with the way she pronounced several words especially Sacramento - it is not ‘Sacramentoe’. Okay that is a minor thing but there were other things as well. I kept thinking I would enjoy this more if I were reading it.
About the Author: Ellery Kane lives in the San Francisco Bay area and is a Forensic psychologist by day, novelist by night, Ellery Kane has been writing--professionally and creatively--for as long as she can remember. Just like many of her main characters, Ellery loves to ask why, which is the reason she became a psychologist in the first place. Real life really is stranger than fiction, and Ellery's writing is often inspired by her day job.

Although this wasn’t a big WOW for me I will give Ms. Kane another chance as I know she typically writes thrilling adventures!🙂

Thank you NetGalley, Hachette UK and Bookouture for this audiobook.
Publishing Release Date was Wednesday August 30, 2023.

I listened to this as an audiobook and the narrator was not my favorite. It didn't exactly feel very dramatic or suspenseful. It was literally like she was just reading the book like you would in your head. It's the first time I've felt this way, but ultimately didn't affect my rating of this book. I will give this book 2.75 stars. It had a 4 star premise, but the actual execution was 2.75 stars. This is my first book by this author, so perhaps this particular book just wasn't for me but another one would be. I always try to read a couple books by an author before deciding whether or not it's an author I want to continue to follow.
Our main character Hallie has lost her mom and is searching for her father Robert Thompson. She signs up for a DNA database and reaches out to all the Robert Thompsons she can find and they all write her back with various degrees of success. One day she gets a message saying they found her father and they meet. They instantly click, but Hallie has secrets. Her new family has secrets and secrets don't stay buried for long. My biggest issue with this book is no one was particularly likeable. Her newfound family didn't feel like a dream family at all. Sure they had a nice house, and Robert and Hallie seemed to get along, but other than that her new sister and brother weren't particularly welcoming or likeable. The end does wrap the story up nicely, but again, it was just hard to love this book when no one is particularly likeable.

The story definitely held my attention. I liked the main character and could get behind her need of wanting to find her father. Halley seemed way younger than 28 but that could have been due to the narrator’s voice which wasn’t annoying but somehow made Halley sound like an 18 year old. All the talk about cooking and restaurants really makes me want to give the book a different title with something pertaining to food but hats just me. There’s definitely some parts that drag and I’m not sure why the author wanted to make all the siblings criminals? That part felt a bit overdone. However, it was an entertaining read.

The Wrong Family was a great clean mystery/thriller. Hallie has finally found her long lost father and his picture perfect family. But when she’s invited to spend two weeks with them at their beautiful Lake Tahoe home she becomes entwined in a web of secrets and lies. The story kept me guessing and I loved the surprise ending!

Just finished this new release from Ellery Kane and here are four reasons for four stars:

🌟The Lake Tahoe setting is a place on my bucket list. Loved my book escape there.
🌟The search Hallie has undertaken to find her birth father seems a bit foolhardy yet seems to have paid off big time. Throughout the book we get a glimpse into the letters and emails returned by the other potential candidates.
🌟While there seem to be one of more villains amongst the Thompson clan, Hallie is no saint herself. What skeletons are in her closet? Will justice be served?
🌟The restaurant kitchen scenes give us a chance to read about gourmet food prep. Goes right along with shows we enjoy like "Master Chef." Hallie was perfecting a Lobster Grilled Cheese sandwich for a competition. I want one of those!

All in all, an entertaining read which also makes us think about the consequences of spitting in that tube and, who we choose to become intimate with at all levels.

Thank you to Bookouture and Dreamscape for both digital and audio ARCs in exchange for an honest review.

I recently had the opportunity to listen to an audio production that was certainly well-executed. The production quality, from the sound design to the voice acting, was clearly a result of meticulous work. Each element seemed to come together seamlessly, contributing to an immersive auditory experience. However, I couldn't shake the feeling that the story lacked a certain level of gripping intensity that I had anticipated.

The narrative had its share of twists and turns, but I found myself somewhat disappointed by the main twist. While unexpected twists can be a hallmark of a captivating storyline, this particular revelation didn't resonate with me as much as I had hoped. It's worth noting, though, that personal preferences vary widely, and what didn't quite resonate with me might very well strike a chord with others. The twist, while not to my liking, could potentially be a strong selling point for a different audience.

In terms of engagement, I struggled to see the overarching point of the story. The plotline seemed to meander at times, making it challenging to discern the central message or purpose. This lack of clarity left me feeling a bit disconnected from the narrative. Perhaps this was a deliberate narrative choice, but for me, it hindered my full immersion into the story's world.

In conclusion, the audio production showcased remarkable technical skill and attention to detail, contributing to a polished listening experience. While the twist didn't align with my personal preferences and the narrative's purpose eluded me, I recognize that others might have a different perspective. Despite my reservations, the production's strengths warrant giving it a chance, as it could very well resonate with a diverse range of listeners.

Thank you NetGalley for this audio ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. I unfortunately strongly disliked this book. Every character was annoying, and the twist is essentially ruined in the synopsis.

i LOVED THIS AUDIOBOOK, It kept you with bathed breath, I couldn't stop till I finished it. I highly recommend it. The narrator too is terrific.

Hallie just wants a family, a place to belong. That shouldn’t be to difficult unless the family you find isn’t your own. Hallie finds a man that she thinks is her dad unfortunately his family has more secrets than she does. Some of those secrets could be deadly.