Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for this advance reader’s copy, in exchange for an honest review. “The Ones We Love” has an expected publication date of May 6, 2025.
And check out all of my reviews at my Raised on Reading (www.raisedonreading.com) blog site.
I’ve seen several reviews referring to this book as a “gripping suspense novel.” I’d agree the suspense was present in spots. But gripping? Nope, can’t go there. I’ll explain.
The Jansen family – father Janus and mother Kay, and their daughter Olivia (Liv) and son Casper – have recently relocated from Australia to Los Angeles after Janus’s best-selling book was optioned for a screenplay. Beyond culture shock, their lives rapidly spiral out of control following a weekend party Liv attended. She wakes up in her brother’s bed (he’s away at swim camp) feeling sick and covered in bruises. And she can’t remember anything about the night before.
Liv’s confusion is magnified when her mother admonishes her, saying, “We’re not going to talk to anyone about last night.” But she doesn’t tell Liv what happened. Her father, Janus, becomes distant and evasive. Her brother Casper, who returns from swim camp two days later, is caught up in the mystery of why everyone is acting so strange. And the clandestine atmosphere is heightened when Kay puts a padlock on Liv’s bedroom door, claiming there’s a mold issue.
From there the narrative plods along. Ever so slowly, through backstory and breadcrumbs dropped along the way, we come to better understand the main characters and what may have happened the night of the party – but it moves at a glacial pace. Then, around three-quarters of the way through the pace quickens and the narrative becomes more readable, even if not fully believable. I mean, sleepwalking into a neighbor’s house where you babysit, waking up, and the son takes you out for pancakes? That’s a stretch.
The story does demonstrate how poor communication can tear people apart. Coverups, literally attempting to bury the bad and make believe it never happened, don’t work. They’re temporary fixes at best. Eventually, as happens in this book, the lies catch up, and more often than not they lead to someone’s undoing.
That doesn’t happen here, however. And the result is an ending that not only loses steam, but it also becomes implausible. Surely, someone must pay, right? Well …
I give “The Ones We Love” three stars, mostly because once it got going, it wasn’t too bad. But gripping it isn’t.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for the ARC.

This was my first book by this author, and the intriguing premise of a padlocked door and family secrets hooked me. The pacing allowed for character development, and while I predicted some twists, I enjoyed them. Although the sporadic pacing created tension, it felt jarring at times.

I appreciated the different perspectives of each character, both those that were sympathetic and those that were not, as this contributed to a more authentic portrayal. The meta narrative exploring the writing process, particularly through the father character who perhaps serves as a parallel to the author, was engaging.

Although the plot's dependence on communication breakdowns occasionally appeared contrived, the domestic thriller successfully established tension about characters I was mostly invested in. Overall, I enjoyed the read.

The ending, though a bit rushed, was satisfying, especially the final line. I recommend "The Ones We Love" and look forward to exploring more of Anna Snoekstra's work.

This book started off really good and kept me engaged while I was reading but I noticed when I wasn't reading it it wasn't constantly on my mind that "I can't wait to finish reading that" but overall I did really enjoy it.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

This book is all about tension. The Jansen family relocates from Australia to LA when Janus, the father, gets a chance to adapt his novel into a screenplay. His wife Kay, daughter Liv, and son Casper all hope for a fresh start, but escaping problems is never that simple.

After a party, Liv wakes up bruised, with no memory of the night, a padlocked room, and parents acting strangely. A major reveal halfway through seems early, but the final act delivers twist after twist.

If you love suspenseful books that keep you guessing until the end, this one’s for you!

#theoneswelove #NetGalley

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Group for allowing me to read this book as an ARC. This book was full of tension and family secrets unraveling. If you like an uneasy sketchy family based book, this one’s for you. The slower parts of the story I had a hard time focusing and didn’t grasp my attention as much as I wanted which is why I rated it with 3 stars. The story was all over the place at times as well. Twisty portions were enjoyable.

The mystery surrounding the sleepwalking was what really pulled me in. There was something unsettling about it, and the way it unfolded kept me hooked. The atmosphere was tense in all the right ways, and the narration added so much depth, making every scene feel vivid and immersive. It had the kind of suspense that makes you question everything, which I really enjoyed.

But the ending didn’t work for me. I wasn’t expecting it to be so emotionally heavy, and while I usually appreciate a good twist, there were too many. Instead of making the story more gripping, they started to feel excessive, almost as if they were there just to shock the reader. For me, it took away from the impact rather than adding to it.

That said, I can see why a lot of readers would love this book. It’s well-written, full of tension, and packed with surprises. While it wasn’t entirely my style, I’d still recommend it to anyone who enjoys psychological twists and a story that keeps you guessing.

Janus thinks he is living out his dream when he moves his family to LA to work on turning his book into a movie. When things go terribly wrong, this book has you asking yourself how far you would go for the ones you love. Several twists at the end. Some predictable, some not.

Such a great book. Couldn't stop reading it. Thank you for my advance reader copy. Can't wait to look up other books from this author.

MAnna Snoekstra’s The Ones We Love is a fast-paced, gripping thriller that keeps readers hooked from start to finish. With an advanced reader’s copy in hand, I dove into this novel and finished it in less than two days—a testament to how engaging and unputdownable it truly is.

The story is expertly crafted, pulling the reader into a web of secrets, lies, and unexpected twists. Snoekstra’s writing style is sharp and compelling, making every chapter feel urgent and immersive. The characters are layered, each harboring hidden truths that unravel as the plot intensifies. The pacing is relentless, with just the right amount of suspense and intrigue to keep you flipping pages late into the night.

What sets The Ones We Love apart is its ability to balance emotional depth with thrilling suspense. The relationships at the heart of the story feel authentic, adding a layer of complexity that makes the twists even more impactful. Just when you think you have it all figured out, Snoekstra delivers another surprise, keeping you on edge until the very last page.

If you’re looking for a quick, captivating read that will keep you engaged from beginning to end, The Ones We Love is a must-read. Thriller fans, especially those who enjoy psychological suspense with a strong emotional core, will not be disappointed.

Can they survive what’s behind the padlocked door? Since the weekend of the party the one twenty-two-year-old Liv can’t remember, the one that left her covered in bruises she’s been locked out of her bedroom by a padlock. Her parents are behaving oddly and her best friend won’t respond to her texts. Maybe she really was out of control that night?! Wow! Some shocking twists in this book! Great read! This book had thrilling suspense, murder, mystery, intrigue, gaslighting, a fantastic and shocking who done it! The storyline was very interesting! I highly recommend reading this book! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me! Can’t wait for more!

3.5 stars
This was an entertaining read that I did enjoy but found a bit slower paced. It took a really long time for something to happen, and I felt frustration with the lack of communication amongst the characters. I’m chalking this up to a me problem because I’m seeing lots of excellent reviews for this one. Try it for yourself.

My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

"The Ones We Love" is a gripping suspense novel centered around a profoundly dysfunctional family. The story follows a family of four that relocates from Australia to Los Angeles, leading to dramatic upheaval in their lives. One morning, Liv awakens to find herself covered in disturbing bruises after a night of heavy drinking, yet she struggles to recall the events that transpired. Compounding her distress, her parents have padlocked her bedroom door. Among the characters, I found myself particularly drawn to the teenage brother, Casper, as the only sympathetic figure. The dynamics among the mother, father, and Olivia reveal their deep-seated issues. If you enjoy mysteries intertwined with family drama, this book will resonate with you.

i enjoyed this thriller. I felt like it had a very unique take on family drama while keeping you engaged. it was a quick read and I really enjoyed the authors writing. the characters were really well executed and had quite a bit of depth. I really liked the themes of parenthood and the lengths parents would go for their children. i did however have some struggles with the pacing. my interest was mostly grabbed at 70% and that was about it. I felt like it was really slow to start then we found out everything a little too early and were left with a rush conclusion with not much of a resolution. but over all I have a good time!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

If I had to describe this book with only one word that would have to be tension!

The Jansen family were presented an opportunity to relocation from Australia to LA when the father, Janus, has his first novel optioned and he takes on the role of adapting the book into a screenplay. The rest of the family consists of Kay, a professional performer who gave up her career when she first became pregnant, Liv, the 20 something daughter who wants to start a career in the fashion industry and Casper, who is in high school and misses how things used to be. Everyone but Casper thought the move was just they needed and things will be able to get better somewhere else. But like most dysfunctional families, running away from problems never really works out.

After Liv attends a party one weekend though, things have gotten really weird. She is covered in bruises, can’t remember anything, her room is padlocked shut and her parents are acting strange.

There is a large reveal about halfway though the book and at the time I thought it was strange we were been given such a large moment already but then during the last act, the twists and reveals really start to fly.

If you’re looking for a book full of twists that will keep you guessing right to the last moments, you should definitely add this book to your list.

This was such a good book! I love how you feel so conflicted in the beginning and throughout the book. Is the family and the friends acting out and acting weird? Or is it our main character? We cant tell immediately and we are kept on the edge of our seat waiting to find out, love it!!

Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complimentary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

Anna Snoekstra's The Ones We Love was a haunting and thrilling story of what people do for those they love—and the consequences that takes on a family. The lengths these characters go to in an effort to protect Liv from herself is so heartbreaking and, frankly, terrifying. The things we do for love.

Super mysterious and enjoyable. I thought the book had creepy factors for sure! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Anna Snoekstra's "The Ones We Love" is the kind of thriller that gets under your skin and stays there. Picture this: a seemingly normal family moves from Australia to Los Angeles, and everything's fine until it's not. After one weekend, 22-year-old Liv is sporting bruises, her bedroom door is mysteriously locked, and her parents are acting like everything's perfectly normal - spoiler alert: it's not.

What makes this book so compelling is how it peels back the layers of the Jansen family like an onion that's been sitting in the sun too long. There's Janus, the dad drowning in his own regrets and a secret that's eating him alive. Kay, the mom doing that delicate dance between keeping her family together and facing the truth about her marriage. And then there's Casper, the younger brother whose curiosity about that locked door leads him straight into the heart of darkness.

Snoekstra knows exactly how to turn the screws of tension. Just when you think you've got it figured out, she throws another curve ball that makes you question everything you thought you knew. The story moves at a perfect clip, never rushing but never letting you catch your breath either.
Sure, the ending wraps up a bit too neatly - like trying to put a bow on a tornado. But honestly? The journey there is so gripping, with its web of family secrets and emotional land mines, that you barely notice.

This is the kind of book that makes you look at your own family dinner table differently, wondering what secrets might be lurking behind those casual conversations about passing the salt. If you enjoy thrillers that mess with your head while breaking your heart a little, this one's for you.

A huge thanks to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Dutton for sharing this brilliant mystery's digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Thriller about a family who move to LA from Australia. But things don't go as planned. The father is struggling to produce a viable script for the movie to his book. The mother is finding it hard to fit into LA life. When the daughter turns up with bruises and her bedroom door is padlocked, the son attempts to find out what has happened to her and why his parents are acting weird.

This was a good page-turner with interesting characters and a few twists.

I really enjoyed this and flew through it. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC!