I'm on the fence with The Wrong Daughter. If it's 'unpredictable' it's because the plot is so implausible it would never happen. Also, can we stop with Stockholm Syndrome already? It's been shown to only ever occur rarely at best, and at worst, it's been shown to be riddled with misogyny (see: for example, See What You Made Me Do: Power, Control and Domestic Violence). Yet fictional authors continue to be obsessed by it. So it does make the plot here somewhat predictable in some respects.

The pacing is uneven. It does get going in the middle though. The lead protagonist, Catie, will have you screaming at her not to make stupid choices at times, particularly at the wedding. She's quite a good depiction of what gaslighting does to your sanity. So The Wrong Daughter does have tension, even if it lacks plausibility. The writing isn't particularly fancy, nor are the ideas complex and nuanced: "this time of year I harbour an irrational and intense anger at all the people with sisters they can see and touch and talk to."

First, thank you for this ARC, I really enjoyed it.

This book encompasses the story of 2 pairs of siblings. One gives you Flowers in the Attic vibes and the other does not. Chaos, murder and mayhem bring the story together and the ending isn't exactly what you thought it would be. With so many twists and turns, I thought I had it nailed, but only had a fraction of it sorted. For anyone who enjoys a good puzzle, this one is for you!

This is the first book I've read by Dandy Smith. I selected it because I enjoy reading books about sisters.

It's an intense. Suspenseful page turner. I was very curious to learn how the two storylines would come together. Without giving away only spoilers, I will say the Elinor/Heath chapters had a "Flowers in the Addict" vibe.

I was fully invested in the book until the last 20% which I found to be a disappointing ending.

I'm still reeling from 'The Wrong Daughter' by Dandy Smith - a mind-blowing psychological thriller that will shatter your expectations! The intricate plot is packed with jaw-dropping twists and turns, making it impossible to put down. I was fortunate to receive an advance review copy from the author, and now I'm desperate to get my hands on a physical copy. Don't miss out - grab yours ASAP!

4 🌟

This book had so many twists I did not see coming.

This thriller kept me hooked. There was one POV that was not my favorite due to the relationship with her brother but thankfully that wasn't the main part of the story. However, it was enough of the story to keep me from rating it higher but still a very enjoyable thriller.

Thanks, Netgalley for the ARC of this book!

𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬
Caitlin feels her phone buzzing in her hand. It’s her dad, and he rarely calls. Her heart races with anxiety as he says, "You need to get to the house. Now. It’s about Olivia. She’s back." On the night when Caitlin and Olivia’s parents head out for a dinner party, the girls are thrilled to be home alone. Little do they know, someone is lurking outside, watching them through the open window. After they drift off to sleep, that figure will quietly turn the handle of the unlocked back door. When their parents come home, they’ll discover Olivia’s bed empty. Their oldest daughter has vanished, never to be seen again... until now. But is the woman claiming to be Olivia truly who she says she is? And did Caitlin really see everything that happened that night? Their family has longed for this moment, but could Olivia’s return actually tear them apart?
𝐌𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬
I found it tough to get into this book at first, but I was determined to stick with it because I was puzzled by the two different storylines. The first story revolves around a sister who was abducted from her bed at 13, leaving her sibling to grapple with guilt for the past 16 years, feeling responsible for not being able to fill the void left for their parents. When the missing sister suddenly reappears, the plot thickens, but things start to feel a bit off as the story unfolds. The second storyline dives into a darker realm, featuring a brother and sister caught in a twisted relationship while being raised by an abusive uncle who controls their inheritance. As they navigate their chaotic lives, the tension escalates, leading to murder and heartbreak. Throughout the book, I kept wondering how these two narratives connected, which kept me intrigued enough to finish it. By the end, I was surprised by how everything tied together. It’s definitely a gripping read, especially for fans of psychological thrillers, but be sure to check the trigger warnings before diving in.
Thank You @netgalley and @ Kensington Publishing for allowing me to review this book

I really enjoyed this one! A thriller with very dark moments. The storyline follows two completely separate sets of characters and they are tied together in a way that makes you cringe. The FMC has to be brave and resourceful, as well as confident in herself and her own sanity.



Thank you to NetGalley, Dandy Smith, and Embla books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A wonderful story, that kept me guessing, made me feel heartbreak, grief, love, anger and all the emotions in between. The Wrong Daughter is a book I could not put down. Even if you're a seasoned psychological thriller reader, you cannot possibly guess the next twist, even if you do suspect who the actual villain is. Overall great, easy-to-understand writing in combination with a great storyline! Thank you for this gem!

This was an imaginative, unpredictable, and psychologically thrilling story—at times even diabolical. Told through two perspectives, it explores the unraveling of long-buried secrets when Caitlin’s sister, Olivia, reappears 16 years after being abducted from their home.

The premise immediately hooked me, and the twists delivered plenty of surprises. It’s a dark, intense psychological suspense perfect for fans of Freida McFadden, Adele Parks, and B.A. Paris. The family’s dynamic is complex and messy, and the story raises questions about memory, trauma, and trust.

That said, I did find the pacing slower than expected. While the twists kept me invested, some parts dragged despite the high stakes.

Overall, it’s a gripping and twisty read that I’d recommend to thriller lovers looking for something dark and unsettling.

Release Date: 26 August 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

#TheWrongDaughter #DandySmith #KensingtonPublishing #NetGalley #PsychologicalThriller #BookReview

The Wrong Daughter by Dandy Smith is a definite page turner that kept me engaged throughout the book.

The evening Caitlin and Olivia's parents leave them to go to a dinner party, both girls are bubbling with excitement. At ages 10 and 13, they are at last old enough to stay home alone. After all, in their idyllic town no one even bothers to lock their doors. When the parents return Olivia is gone and not seen again for 16 years.

What happened? Why? Did Caitlin tell the whole truth about what happened?

The twists and turns in the book kept me going until the end. I can't wait for this book to be published so that I can get my book club to read it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

This book was nothing if not a wild ride. What it did successfully was leave me guessing. I never knew which way to turn. I absolutely loved the dual story line. That more than anything kept me interested and reading even when I wasn’t sure if they would connect. I did enjoy how the two stories were brought together I just wasn’t sold on the execution of the plot and it just rang so far fetched that I had a hard time connecting to any of the characters. Is still recommend to anyone looking for an unpredictable twisty thriller.

3.25 stars
I have very complicated feelings about this book! I found it on a Goodreads list of "most read thrillers this week" and found an audiobook copy on Hoopla, so I immediately jumped in. I love the concept of the "missing person returned" and the author wrote a very compelling story that had a lot of twists and turns throughout the book!

I really liked Caitlin's POV. She's the main character of the book and it's her sister who has been missing for over a decade. When a woman returns claiming to be her long-lost sister, suspicions arise when things don't quite line up. I loved the wild back-and-forth as Caitlin questions whether this woman is really her sister or not, and how other people either don't want to believe she's an imposter or genuinely think Caitlin is losing her mind for thinking so.

There is a second, seemingly unconnected POV in this book, and usually that's pretty interesting in thrillers. I love seeing how things connect and hopefully, having my mind blown by the connection, but this POV was incredibly uncomfortable and I truly wish it hadn't been a part of the book. The second POV is a girl named Elinor who lives with her brother and her controlling uncle after her parents died in a boating accident and drowned. Elinor has a very uncomfortable relationship with her brother where incest is heavily implied but it's not clear whether she is longing for him inappropriately, if he is longing for her inappropriately, if it's both, or (my hope) that it was neither. I was really, really, really hoping we weren't going the incest route and spent the whole book hoping that would be a big misunderstanding with an explanation for it.

Things escalate throughout the book, naturally, and I found the writing to be quite compelling! There were reveals and red herrings, clues and tricks, and I couldn't get enough! I was dying to see how the stories connected, if someone was impersonating someone else, if the characters from Elinor's POV were characters in Caitlin's POV, and how these stories possibly connected and why it was important.

Finally at about 85%, things started coming together and it got really good and then took a turn. I liked how things were going until the last 10% where it felt like things went above and beyond. There was a whole new person introduced that wasn't necessary, fears were confirmed (and not in a good way), and things got a little too wild when this could have been a REALLY good psychological thriller without going over the top.

I would be VERY interested to read more from this author, but I would personally hope that things got less over-the-top. I can see why this has such a high rating and people loved the twist, but I was pretty disappointed in it. I can see lots of potential and I did really like the writing, which is hard to find in a thriller for me sometimes, so maybe a different story would hook me better!

First, gross--You'll know what I mean when you read it. Second, there are so many twists I didn't relax until the end. Last but not least, it definitely met all the expectations of a psychological thriller. It is an easy 4 stars for me...5 if not for the gross thing.
Thanks to the publishers for an eARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I will recommend to others.

When Caitlin’s sister Olivia returns years after being abducted, Caitlin suspects something is off. The story alternates between Caitlin’s unraveling life and another mysterious narrative involving siblings Elinor and Heath, which eventually collide in an unexpected way.

Some readers may find parts of the plot very disturbing and unsettling (HUGE trigger warning for incest and pdf files) but otherwise, it's a book that's hard to put down.

The Wrong Daughter was one of my favorite books of the year! I couldn't put it down... so many great twists and the ending was crazy!

I am not sure how to feel about this book. It started strong and was a page turner and then got weird?! Idk just the insinuation of certain things rubbed me the wrong way. If you read it, you’ll know what I mean. Caitie’s parents are horrible. The characters are unlikable and then I’m not sure why the double POV was necessary. I had high hopes.

Caitlin and Olivia were sisters but 16 years ago a masked man broke into their house while their parents were out for the evening. The man walked Olivia out of the house and she was never seen again. Caitlin grew up feeling a huge amount of guilt from that night, she froze as the events occurred and did not scream or call for the police. Her parents arrived home to find Olivia missing several hours after she was taken. Caitlin has lived her life feeling that her parents blaming her for the disappearance of her sister and so has always stayed close to home rather than follow her dreams of travel. By doing so her parents still had one daughter.

This is well put together story with two separate storyline’s occurring throughout the book. It is not until the very late stages that the two merge together and we finally are made aware of how the two connect. To say anymore would give spoilers away. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and highly recommend it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the book, all opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you for the Arc !
I loved this story! I couldn’t put it down .
Loved the characters and all the twist . Definitely did not see that ending coming.

I was all freaking over this! Could not and did not want to put it down. This was such a great read. Really enjoyed the characters and the steady pace.

When Caitlin was just a kid, her older sister Olivia disappeared. They were alone in the house, and all Caitlin remembers is a masked man taking her sister away. Years later, Caitlin has built a life for herself—she has a job, a fiancé, and close friends. Life seems fine, despite the hole left by her sister’s disappearance. But one day, Olivia comes home.

At first, Caitlin is overjoyed to have her sister back, but as time goes on, she starts to sense that something is off. Caitlin begins to suspect that the woman who returned is not really Olivia, and her fears grow when she feels stalked by the same masked man who took her sister all those years ago. However, everyone in Caitlin's life dismisses her concerns. She's gaslighted by the people around her—no one believes her, and they think she's imagining things.

Meanwhile, chapters about a girl named Elinor and her brother Heath begin to intertwine with Caitlin’s story. At first, their connection to Caitlin is not clear—whether they are from the past or the present is unknown—but eventually, their relationship to Caitlin's situation is revealed.

This book was intense and disturbing, and I would have appreciated a content warning for the incest subplot (a topic I really like to avoid). While it’s not celebrated in the narrative (which is a relief, given how common that can be in fiction lately), I still think the story could have worked without that. Caitlin endures so much, and reading about how everyone dismisses her felt suffocating at times, but it was well-written. She definitely deserved better friends. This is a twist on the typical “imposter returns as a missing child” trope, and it’s executed well, resulting in a heartbreaking story