"Life Swap" sounds perfect, right? Two sisters, one is wealthy and has an apartment in Venice and one has little twin girls in a small village in England. They agree to trade houses and 'lives' for 1 week. Tasha, the busy mom of twins loves Venice and hopes to rekindle some romance with her husband. Alice, the super auntie, is loving the 'mom-life' and her adorable nieces with her hot hubby. It's exhausting but fun until she hears an intruder in the middle of the night and sends the hot hubby to check it out... Tasha receives a message in Venice that her sister is in hospital with a head injury and the hot hubby is DEAD. What??? The twins slept through it all and Tasha hurries home to find out what happened. Everyone assumes it's a burglary gone wrong until a note is slipped under the door that reads: It was supposed to be you!

Tasha feels like she's living in the shadow of her older sister Alice, who has a high-powered career, a successful husband, and a glamorous lifestyle. She jumps at the chance to spend a week with her husband at Alice's fancy apartment in Venice while Alice and her husband babysit Tasha's young twins. They've barely gotten settled in Venice before they have to rush back home--Alice's husband has been murdered in what appears to be a brutal home invasion. Of course, nothing is what it seems, and as secrets are uncovered, we learn more about the sisters and their tangled relationship and past.

This book definitely held my interest, with steadily ratcheting suspense as Tasha tries to figure out whether she and her family are also at risk. Secrets are slowly revealed, with a very satisfying climax.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was good in the beginning then got really slow and kind of confusing. Picked up again in the end. I give it a 3 out of 5. I probably won't recommend as I only recommend books I rate 4 or 5. Thank you for letting me read you book.

The Wrong Sister by Claire Douglas is an intense quick moving thriller. It has clever twists and a compelling storyline that makes this a fabulous page turner. It’s one my favorite Claire Douglas book to date!

A story that begins with 2 sisters who are different as night and day in their life styles, but bonded by love. The story has its twists and turns, but it defines one strong point. How far will you go to defend a member of your family that you love. I enjoyed this book from Claire Douglas and I thank Net Galley for allowing me the pleasure of an early read. It’s fast moving.

Very well done, and the twist at the end shook me. Some information earlier in the book had made me consider the possibility of the ending, but it was skimmed over so I had forgotten about it.

Tasha and Aaron have been wrapped up in raising their young, twin daughters and lost the spark to their marriage.

Tasha’s sister, Alice, and her new husband, Kyle, live a life of luxury and offer to swap lives with Tasha and Aaron for a week. They’ll come take care of the girls and the parents can spend a week in their Venice vacation home.

Only a couple days into the swap, tragedy strikes when someone attacks Alice and Kyle while the twins are sleeping, leaving Kyle dead and Alice in the hospital.

The same night, Tasha and Aaron evaded a man with a knife in Venice.

30 years ago, Alice and Tasha’s infant sister was kidnapped and never found.

When a familial DNA match is found at the scene of Kyle’s demise, the sisters and their mother begin to consider the possibility that Holly is back, and that her life did not turn out as theirs had.

This story is told in multiple parts from multiple perspectives, and will have you grasping for the answers that are tied up neatly in the end.

The reason this was not a 5 star read for me is because I need more answers behind the note Tasha received. I’m not going to leave a spoiler so this is vague, but did the note leaver know what was happening? If they didn’t, why would they have left such a sinister note? Alice wasn’t the one who died, Kyle was. The note leaver was obsessed with Aaron’s life, so they wouldn’t have wanted Aaron to have died. Was this strictly pertaining to Alice being in the hospital instead of Tasha?

Another incredible book. While some of the twists and turns were predictable, I definitely did NOT see all of them coming. The way that the author wove all of the stories together was remarkable. I look forward to recommending this book to my network!! Thank you to the publisher for giving me an opportunity to review an ARC in exchanging for my honest review.

One of my Favorite Books!!! I was NOT expecting the ending at all. Highly recommend reading this one!

I enjoyed this twisty novel full of unexcepted surprises! It did seem to be a slow burned but the twists made me want to keep reading

This is an excellent thriller/family drama. Two look alike sisters house swap and one is attacked and her husband murdered. Then an ominous note says the wrong sister was attacked. Who’s the attacker? What’s the reason?
I liked the family drama in this book. We have different points of view to reveal all sorts of drama. The complexity made this a hard book to put down. There was a lot going on and I wanted to hurry and know every last bit of it. I was suspicious of a lot of people but the twist was wild and had me shocked.

How did the book make you feel?

Truly, I was a little afraid to read this book. I'm a mother, and I have a sister, so I kept thinking how terrible this would be in real life.

"The Wrong Sister" was a frightening read with big surprises!

If you read enough thrillers you have a mental catalogue of the tricks you’ve seen before. Authors leave little bread crumbs throughout the book, leading up to the sometimes predictable turn. Claire Douglas was tricky in writing “The Wrong Sister”. I thought I knew it all, turned around to see I was wrong, just to be flipped again! Douglas is very good at misdirection and casting suspicion on innocent people.

"It was supposed to be you."

Honestly, how does a person go through life after receiving a note saying this. Tasha is a lot stronger than she realizes. As a mother in her thirties, she looks at herself as having lost her "youthful spark". And yet, through tragedy she's thinking of her family before herself. Often protecting her mom or her sister from further distress while she herself is spinning of the rails. I definitely identified with Tasha's need to solve the mysteries while keeping secrets from her sister, mom, and even her husband.

Twists, turns, and flips...

This book kept me hooked with all of the plot twists. Exactly as a thriller should. While we know that the biggest plot line is the murder of Tasha's brother-in-law, an accidental casualty, there are more troubles within and around her family. In "The Wrong Sister" it's not just a case of mistaken identity, there's missing people, and additional mysterious murders. It all coils together perfectly in the end.

(This review will go live on thelitbuzz.com on 07/28/25)

3.75 stars! This read had so many twists, turns, loops & crazy moments! As you read, it truly got more messy with the main characters & with each chapter you uncover more truths that are actually their secrets. You are swayed one way, then the next you’re totally wrong. It kept me on my toes, & the imagery throughout this read was perfection! It did a really great job of making the connections to people & see how their own secrets can impact them in a negative way to say the least. There were a few parts that seemed quite heavily detailed, this made it too cushy & lost sight of the plot for just a tad (personally). There was also another unanswered question from the beginning of the read, so it seemed as if it was a loose end that wasn’t tied up! Overall, I did enjoy this read!


Thank you NetGalley & Harper Perennial and Paperbacks for this eARC!

“The Wrong Sister,” is a novel about the death of a young woman that transpired around mysterious circumstances, and the rippling effect it has on her surviving sister. The plot is well developed, with themes of sibling rivalry, family secrets, lies, half truths, and deception. Douglas, does a very good job of weaving it all together and at the same time keeping the story flowing and twisty.
The narrators’ are cagey, and unreliable which contributes quite a bit to the mounting tension, and suspense. There is a level of emotional depth in this novel that is real and refreshing. In many novels, the emotional ‘connection’ feels concocted or forced, at least in my opinion. Here, is adds to the twists and turns.
Though, the twists may not be entirely original, combined with the pacing and writing, they lend themselves to being impactful and thrilling.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and look forward to additional novels by Douglas.

Thank You to NetGalley and the Publisher for this advanced eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This book blew me away right from page one. I have enjoyed all of Claire Douglas' books but this is by far my favorite. Domestic drama full of twists, secrets, lies and surprises, this one has it all.

Natasha "Tasha" and her husband Aaron and her sister Alice and her husband Kyle "switch lives" so Tasha and Aaron can work on their stale marriage. As Tasha and Aaron trek off to Alice's swanky Venetian apartment, Alice and Kyle move into Tasha and Aaron's modest home to take care of Tasha's twin daughters. While in Venice, they are chased by a knife wielding maniac while back at home Alice and Kyle are attacked in a presumed home invasion. The race is on to find who is behind this and many lies and secrets are uncovered on this journey to the truth.

The action is nonstop throughout and the twists are around every corner. The ending was perfect! Told through several POV'S the writing is superb and flows rapidly making it easy to devour this in a couple sittings. I highly recommend this book.

Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Publishing for the advanced copy

Such a good book!!! Ilove how this book has so many twists and turns and unexpected things go on. The sneaky way the author writes is so good. I love how it kept me on the edge of my seat, needing to finish the book until I find out what happens. It was a fast paced thrilling read, and I really enjoyed reading it

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

This was as a thrilling, twist-filled novel that keeps me hooked from the very first page. This psychological suspense story explores themes of family secrets, deception, and the complexity of sibling relationships. The plot revolves around the mysterious death of a young woman and the ripple effects it has on her surviving sister. As the story unfolds, Douglas masterfully weaves a narrative full of secrets, lies, and shocking revelations that keep you questioning everything you thought you knew. The characters are well-crafted, each with their own motivations and hidden depths, making them both relatable and unpredictable. What truly sets this book apart is its ability to create an atmosphere of tension and suspense, where each chapter unveils a new twist that leaves you wanting more. The pacing is perfect—never dragging, yet always keeping the reader eagerly turning pages. The Wrong Sister is an addictive read that expertly combines mystery, emotional depth, and thrilling twists. If you’re a fan of suspenseful, character-driven novels with shocking surprises, this book will not disappoint. Claire Douglas has truly delivered a page-turner that will linger in your mind long after the final reveal.

I found this book really interesting at the beginning but a little over halfway through the ending of the book was really obvious to me. For this reason, I found the second half to be somewhat boring

This book has a lot going on! Family dynamics, a missing sibling, double DNA, two murders, and so much more! It takes place in London, and revolves mostly around two sisters Tasha and Alice, their husbands, mothers and mothers-in law, and Tasha's two little girls.
Alice and her husband Kyle offer Tasha and her husband Aaron a romantic getaway to their condo in Italy for a week, while they stay with the twin girls at home. While they are away, Kyle gets murdered, Alice hurt, and a note appears that says it was supposed to be Tasha. The whole story then spirals into clues, "who dunnit" scenarios, and twists and turns involving a host of other characters. It was pretty predictable towards the end, but then the ending kind of felt like the story just stopped. Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy of "The Wrong Sister" by Claire Douglas.

This was my first Claire Douglas novel, and while I enjoyed it, I will say-- I struggled to chug through this. It is a slow building thriller, with an intricate story. I LEGIT thought I had it predicted up until the very last chapter, and then it twisted on me. It's a good read, but just wasn't what I needed at this time.

Wow! I loved this! I couldn’t put it down and read during every free second I could spare. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC!