Story Rating: 4.5/5⭐️
Audio Narration Rating: 4.5/5 ⭐️

The Family Inside was an engaging psychological suspense novel. The narrators did an excellent job at drawing me in as a listener and setting the tone for an intense, twisted ride.

The pacing of the story development was slow, but my attention and interest did not waiver. I followed along, eager to learn what would happen next while simultaneously trying to make predictions on the side.

Spoiler alert: I was wrong!

I was surprised by the twists, and they made the story 10x creepier.

If you enjoy an eerie thriller chock-full of family secrets and drama, I'd recommend The Family Inside.

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*Complimentary ALC for review provided by Harlequin Audio. All opinions expressed here are honest and entirely my own.

This book was full of twists ! I enjoyed how fast paced it was and how, as the mystery unfolded, you kept having more questions until the grand reveal. The narration was great and overall, a solid thriller book. 🌲

Unfortunately I did not enjoy this book. Thank you to the author and Netgalley for the opportunity to listen to this book early. I really appreciate it.

Iris is a single mother who’s lost everything—her job, her home, and her stability. Her teenage daughter, Ellery, is spiraling, grieving her father, drinking, and pulling away. Then along comes Hugh, Ellory’s boyfriend of two months, with an offer that seems too good to be true. He invites them to move into his family’s massive, crumbling estate, a place in desperate need of repair. But once they arrive, things start to feel off. Hugh has siblings he never mentioned. Ellory doesn’t trust him. And Iris begins hearing noises in the attic, discovering things that make her question everything. The deeper she digs, the more dangerous the truth becomes.

This book had me from the start. The tension? Immediate. The pacing? Relentless. The sense of dread builds perfectly, keeping you completely engaged. If you love thrillers where the house itself feels like a character—full of secrets, history, and hidden horrors—you’ll eat this up.

That said, about three-fourths in, things got to be... A lot. The story within a story trope? Love it. A story within a story, within a story? Too much. It started feeling artificial, like the author was stacking twists just for the sake of it. The ending was twisty and wild, but I found myself re-listening to parts just to keep up.

One thing I really appreciated was the audiobook performance. The narrator did an excellent job bringing the characters to life—each voice felt distinct, making it easy to follow the twists and turns. The delivery was spot-on, creating a real sense of unease when it was needed. The characters were believable, and the pacing of the narration matched the tension of the story perfectly.

Still, the vibes were on point. If you’re into unreliable narrators, family secrets, good for her revenge arcs, and that creeping “is she crazy or is she not?” tension, this one’s worth a listen.

This was a WILDDDDDDD ride. There was so much going on at one time but I was thoroughly entertained from beginning to end. I was screaming at Iris to get away from these psychos and while I initially loved Hugh for her, it pissed me off that he didn’t have her back when it mattered the most. This was an insane family drama that I would love to see turned into a movie. It shows just how far some will go for the ones they love; even at the expense of innocent people.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for allowing me to listen to this ALC!
The Family Inside is a mystery book which was published a few days ago on January 28th. Desperate after losing her job and facing eviction, Iris Blodgett accepts an invitation to move into her new boyfriend Hugh’s family mansion with her teenage daughter, Ellory. But upon arriving at Ravencliff, she discovers Hugh’s mysterious siblings and a house hiding dark secrets. As the walls begin to reveal their chilling history, Iris realizes she and Ellory weren’t invited for shelter—but for something far more sinister.
Narration: I really like Emily Lawrence and Ashley Klanac's work on this. Very mesmerizing!

A fresh start. A picture-perfect new home. A family full of secrets. The Family Inside is a slow-burning, atmospheric thriller that builds unease with every page.

Since her husband’s unsolved murder, Iris has been struggling—financially, emotionally, and as a single mom to her rebellious teenage daughter, Ellory. When her charming new boyfriend, Hugh, offers them a place to stay in his family’s sprawling mansion while he renovates, it seems like the perfect solution. But from the moment they arrive, something feels off. Hugh’s family isn’t what they expected, and the house itself seems to hold dark secrets of its own. As Iris begins to uncover disturbing truths, she realizes she and Ellory may not have been invited in out of kindness—but for something far more sinister.

Katie Gardner does a fantastic job crafting a gothic, eerie atmosphere that keeps you on edge. The slow build allows tension to simmer, and the mystery surrounding Hugh’s family unravels in a satisfying (and chilling) way. While some parts felt a bit predictable, the unsettling mood and well-placed twists kept me hooked.

If you love psychological thrillers with a touch of gothic suspense, add this one to your TBR. It’s an unsettling, gripping read that reminds you—sometimes, an invitation is too good to be true.

This story was messed up! I was a little confused at the beginning of the story, but once i figured out who was who, the story took off.

Each time I thought I had this story figured out, another clue would drop and I would be back at the drawing board trying to figure out what I had missed. The ending was great and I am looking forward to reading more of Katie Garner's work in the future.

Emily Lawrence and Ashley Klanac did a great job narrating this story and I will look for more of their work in the future.

The pace was too slow for me. Chapter 8 and Iris teen daughter Ellory have lost everything and are moving into the family home of Hugh. His family has many secrets and are a bit strange. Ravencliff mansion houses Hugh’s widowed mother, his brother and wife and his sister. There was another sister, Page but she has passed away. It does have many good reviews, so I recommend it to read. Also I listened to it as an audio. Something that I get hung up on the readers voice.

Thanks for the ARC. This was a hard one for me. I had mixed thoughts and really had to push through this one. It started off too slow and the characters were a bit frustrating and distracting. It left me just trying to figure it all together.

The was alot going on in this book. At times I felt bored. But overall very gripping, suspenseful, shocking and twisty.

Thank you to Harlequin Audio for the gifted ALC.

Overall, I wasn't in the mood for this book and the outrageousness of it and the need to suspend disbelief to such a high degree, really didn't help. I love me a good and entertaining thrill ride of a book, but I didn't care for the relationships and behaviors within.

3.5 stars

This is an absolutely unhinged story that turns into a veritable nightmare – but in the very best way. So many twists and turns made it impossible to guess the ending, and I loved the house in the story which almost felt like a character in itself. It’s a little over the top, but I was entertained.

I paired the audio and the print and really enjoyed this immersive reading experience.

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

This book was such an unhinged ride that was absolutely chock full of surprises! It takes a lot to throw me for a loop, and consider me thrown. Once I started reading this I almost immediately didn’t want
to put it down. I love a thriller with family secrets and this book understood the assignment! Definitely an early contender for my top reads of 2025 list. I listened to the audiobook and thought the narrator did a phenomenal job! I highly recommend listening to the book.

A little slow to begin but once you get into it, it turns into an interesting read. You will not figure this one out, just wait til the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher HTP/TheHive for providing me with this book for free in exchange for my review! All opinions are my own. #HTP #HTPTheHive #Partner #HTPInfluencer #TheHiveInfluencer #HTPHive

I was first approveed to read the ebook in June of 2024, I was planning on reading it closer to the pub date, but I ended up taking a peek at the first chapter, and I was hooked. I finished this book in under a day. Katie Garner has the thriller formula down pat, and I hope she writes many more great books in the future. I am definitely planning on going back and reading her other novels.

This book is absolutely perfect for fans of Shari Lapena, Lisa Jewel, Megan Miranda, Rachel Hawkins, and Sally Hepworth. It is so good, that I decided to request the audiobook and listen to it in January. The audiobook was just as good. If you can I recommend both reading and listening to this book for the best experience!

"It takes a special family to turn a home into a nightmare"

I've read countless books about dysfunctional families, but the Smoll family is truly in a league of its own! It's fascinating and unsettling how the author brings these deeply disturbed family members and their crazy antics to life.

Set against the backdrop of a haunting, centuries-old mansion undergoing renovations, "The Family Inside" paints such a vivid picture that the house feels like it has a personality of its own, adding a spooky vibe to the story.

Iris is trying to find a place to live with her daughter, Ellory, but money is tight. Thankfully, her new wealthy boyfriend, Hugh, has a plan: they can stay with him at his mother's house while he works on the mansion. Sure, his mom and other family members will be around, but the house is huge, so it will be fine. As Iris learns more about the Smoll family's eccentricities, she can't help but question how someone as seemingly normal as Hugh came from such an unusual background.

The characters are well-developed, and they kept me wanting to know more! Even though the story isn't always fast-paced, I eagerly anticipated the little secrets the author revealed about this bizarre family. The alternating timeline between the present and flashbacks adds to the intrigue and keeps things interesting.

Thanks to #TheHive, I enjoyed an audiobook version! Listening to the audiobook while following along in the ebook enhanced my experience. The two narrators did an amazing job of bringing the creepy atmosphere of the old mansion to life. I can't recommend it enough!

The book is bursting with unexpected twists and jaw-dropping moments that come one after another right up to the final page. I adore endings that make you think—the ones that challenge your imagination and remind you it's just fiction! These endings certainly spark mixed reviews but leave a lasting impression! 🤣🤦‍♀️

Thank you to Katie Garner, Harlequin Audio, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and The Hive for providing an ALC and ARC through NetGalley. All opinions are my own and left voluntarily.

#TheFamilyInside #KatieGarner #HarlequinAudio #HTPBooks #TheHive #NetGalley #EmilyLawrence #AshleyKlanac

I usually enjoy a good suspense or mystery novel, but this one just didn't do it for me. In the beginning I was Intrigued with the plot and where it might be going. Unfortunately there were too many characters and very little character development to keep my interest. The story felt very rushed and too many new plot twists thrown in haphazardly. There was enough momentum that compelled me to complete the novel, but 3 stars was the most I could muster to give. Thanks NegGalley and Harper audio for the opportunity to listen to the ARC of this audiobook.

4.5 ⭐️

Wow this book really took me by surprise! I could tell from the description and the first few chapters it was going to be an intense journey, but little did I know what was coming. There’s nothing I love more than a good plot twist and I literally gasped out loud and had to re-read a few chapters after one of the twists.

The Family Inside follows Iris and her teenage daughter as they move into Iris’ boyfriend’s house with his mother and unexpected family members. It is a dark, multi-layered, dual POV thriller that keeps you on the edge of your toes. Set in an old, crumbling mansion of a house, the atmosphere is eerie and gothic and absolutely riveting.

I really enjoyed the audiobook narrators! They did an excellent job of distinguishing between the many characters and creating a sense of unease and urgency throughout the book. I especially enjoyed the Iris narrator, I thought she was really captivating and could’ve listened to her all night long.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing, Harlequin Audio and NetGalley for the gifted ARC and ALC of this book.

Thank you Harlequin Audio for the gifted ALC!

This. Was. CRAZY! I could not stop listening. The whole time I was thinking to myself that the book seemed kind of predictable, and then the first twist hit and I realized I couldn't have been more wrong.

Once the twists started they didn't let up until the very last page. Interestingly enough, there was one mystery I really hoped would be solved (that wasn't) but by the end so much had happened I found I really didn't mind not knowing. (Sorry that's so vague, I don't want to spoil anything).

Highly recommend to fellow thriller lovers!