The Family Inside

By: Katie Garner

Many thanks to Harlequin Trade Publishing/Mira and NetGalley for the ARC of this book!

Iris’ husband was murdered three years ago. Now she is facing eviction and her teenage daughter Ellory is growing further and further away from her. On top of that, she lost her job. Everything is just falling apart. She finally is honest with her new significant other, Hugh, about her situation. He suggests moving them both in with him…and his mom, brother, sister, and their family. But the family inside the house is not what they seem. Iris didn’t even know that Hugh had siblings! Now she’s finding out more secrets about Hugh and his family, and the secrets are chilling.

I struggled with this book. It’s not a bad book by any means. But there does need to have a bigger suspension of belief than some of the other books that I read. For instance, Hugh and Iris have only been dating a short while and he proposes to her so quickly. And she says yes, without consulting her daughter. That didn’t sit right with me. She already knew her daughter was pulling away, and didn’t really like living in the house. I would have expected Iris to at least discuss something like this with her daughter. Or maybe that’s me projecting because if I were in her situation, I would have discussed it with my children first as my children would always come first.

There is a twist with the timelines that made me go huh? And it kind of confused me for a minute. I had to sit back and think about it. So instead of thrilling me or making me go WOW, I was trying to figure it out and put the puzzle pieces together. I like thinking in books to try to figure things out, but I don’t like the feeling of being confused.

The ending was even more insane. It really is a suspension of belief!! I don’t know. I think maybe this book just wasn’t for me. The writing was good, I think for me the plot was just too much. Too many twists, too convoluted. There are others that reviewed this book and absolutely loved it! So please, take my opinion with a grain of salt. If you love to read thrillers, this one might just be the one for you!

Publish Date: January 28, 2025
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