So color me surprised because I really enjoyed this book a lot. I'll be honest after reading a bunch of the reviews I wasn't expecting to like it much as it seems to have a lot of mixed reactions. But I was pleasantly surprised. Was it the most fantastic book I have ever read? No. But the writing was very good. The pace was perfect. We jump back and forth from Clare's story in the past to Levi and Samantha's in the present. I found the past the more intriguing narrative as Clare was undoubtedly the most interesting of all the characters. The present could have been a bit more fleshed out, and I was left with some unanswered questions and loose ends. But this looks like it is going to be a series so perhaps these characters will be seen again in later books. All in all, it was a very enjoyable read, and I'll be keeping my eyes peeled for the next book. Plus the cover is very cool as well. Therefore this one is getting a solid two thumbs up from yours truly.

great read cant wait to see what else this author has in store the story was great didnt see tht coming at all

Soooobim not entirely sure of what to say other than this was so boring and it takes forever to get through and I didn’t even read the whole thing.
I read the first 15 chapters and got so bored I just skipped to the last few chapters.
Even though I had just skipped like more than half the book I still had an idea of what was going on so there was no loss.
Would not recommend.

A few interesting spacing between words but this could be due to the download.

The story is fantastic and gripping. The characters are well rounded and interesting. The story is fast past which is great, its nice not having to wade through chapters of description which is not entirely necessary.

I really like the two sides of the story, the current and the background, it'd good to get the background to the story. There is a lot of strong content and I would advice caution for readers who have suffered similar situations.

Overall a really good read. It deals with a lot of issues and has a really good story line.

It would be nice to have had a chapter at the beginning to give a little more information of the main characters as the story drops you in without much explanation of how or why or the bond between the girls. A little more explanation around them would have been good as the start felt like it jumped in the middle of a story.

A great book for those who enjoy crime/thrillers. I would recommend this to matures YA to.

Received a copy in exchange for a honest review.. Thank you to Netgalley and Ellery Kane Publishing..

I struggled with this book.. I found it to be be a interesting plot 2 teenagers going away on a trip to let loose.. a hot guy.. and family secrets.. However I struggled through this book.. The opening drew me in but the further I got into the book the more it dropped down hill for me.. It swapped between the girls story and her moms.. I would often have to flip back pages to see where I was in the story.. It just lacked luster.. I eventually had to put it down.. I did not have the want to continue with the book.. I try not to do that to many books but some I just cant force myself to get through.. I know other have read and enjoyed the book and I do not discourage people from trying it themselves.. It just wasnt the book for me.. Recommend? No

~Happy Reading~

This is a decent mystery. I did find that the constant back and forth on the time line was at times rather choppy and took away from the flow of the story. Otherwise, a good read that I would recommend.

Daddy Darkest was my first book by Ellery Kane. It was a fairly quick read. I went into the book hoping for more. It just felt like something was missing. I think its just the case as it wasn't my cup of tea. Writing was good and I liked the world she created. I would definitely recommend!

An enjoyable read! I was hooked looking for a suspenseful thriller, but not the typical kind where a guy hacks up a girl in a shack in the woods. This hit the mark. I guessed some of the plot twists ahead of time, but that didn't stop me from being sucked into the book and wondering what would happen next. Can't wait to read the next in this series!

The book starts with two girls Ginny and Samantha hopping on a plane to San Francisco, and Ginny gets kidnapped and Samantha goes searching for her. In her search for Ginny, Samantha ends up finding the real truth about her mother Clare's background.
The book is written in the present time about Samantha's predicament and in the past about Clare's life, her sexual abuse as a young girl, her interactions with a sociopath in the prison as a psychologist, and her love affair with him, a toxic serial killer.
The book by Ellery A Kane, started off well, the plot was intriguing, a case of mistaken identity till the mother Clare's story touched the pages. Then it took an ugly turn, and I lost all interest. I skimmed parts of the book to get to the gist of the story. With a title like Daddy Dearest, I did expect the story to have darker overtones, but I wanted the main characters to be well etched, generating pathos. Unfortunately, they come across as annoying. Both the mother daughter duo are not likable. Samantha is too naive and Clare insecure. Where the characters should have been bold and strong, they come across people who need therapy themselves. The book does come together for the ending, but by then I have lost interest, and it is more of a case of too little too late.

Ok, I was not sure about this book in the beginning, but the description piqued my interest so I decided to read it. Oh my gosh, the twists & turns, the mental abuse, the physical abuse. The things this woman was put through it is amazing that she pulled through as well as she did in my opinion. The strength of her daughter was amazing also.

The characters were written in such a way that you were not completely sure which was the bad guys & which were the good guys & even the good guys were not all that good. You need to read this book if you like mystery, thillers, with a bit of "Oh my gosh!" mixed into the story lines.

Daddy Darkest was my first book by Ellery (Author). I hadn't actually seen any of her previous work, so I went into this with a clean slate and no precognitions or expectations. I do love a good thriller but I'm not a huge fan of police/FBI crime books, so hoped this one would work out for me, luckily it did.

This book is a huge, 'Who can you trust?' story. I was captivated from the get go and liked Sam as a character. But admit, the chapters in the past of Clare are what I really enjoyed. I felt at times Sam could be a little weak, too naive although thinking of her as 18 and only just about to head to college that made sense. I feel though of the two characters I probably bonded more with Clare. Clare was the one with the interesting story, the past that was both shocking and dark. I wanted to know what had happened to her, why it had happened and what was going to happen. See there is a lot happening just from that sentence. There isn't a strong romantic theme either which I found refreshing. I did wonder how Ginny and Sam were even friends at times although Ginny isn't a huge featured character in the book. I don't want to talk about the other characters mentioned in the synopsis. I feel any information I could give on my thoughts on them could be conceived as spoilers (I do not post spoilers).

Daddy Darkest is fast paced flitting between the past with Clare and the present with Sam. As the story enfolds there is some confusion but in the end all is made clear. I did love those final pages of the story with the flower, that made me smile. After everything I kind of want to know what happened next. This isn't a who done it style book, but I can say the characters I thought were good/bad were correct. It was the line the story took that I didn't get right.

If you like a good thriller without a heavy police/fbi investigation I feel this book is one you should look out for. I thoroughly enjoyed Daddy Darkest and read this almost in one sitting (I was at 89% but it was gone midnight and even I need sleep). It totally reeled me in and kept my focus for the whole book. I give Daddy Darkest 4 stars and look forward to reading The Hanging Tree next. I did have one niggle with this book which I don't want to say as it could come across as a spoiler, I am going to look at other reviews to see if its mentioned. If you do want to know what it is, please drop me a message as I am not leaving it here for others to see which made spoil their reading pleasure.

Plenty of twists make this a riveting and unforgettable book. I absolutely loved this! There are few suspense authors that I love, and now this one is ranked right up there with my favorites. Yes, there is disturbing subject matter in here. The entire plot works here, and it's page-turning suspense.

Right from the start, we have Samantha's friend Ginny being abducted. There are no clues as to what happened. Samantha must decide if there is anyone she can trust or if she's on her own. A killer is at large and the hunt is on.

This is a dark psychological thriller that will have you on the edge-of-your-seat. Be prepared to be up all night. Is book two ready yet?

Reviewed by Janet of the GothicMoms Review Team

A great crime thriller which i read in a few days, couldn't put it down

Daddy Darkest was a fun twisty mystery thriller. I wasn't sure if I liked the flashing back and forth until near the end but it actually fit and made sense as the revelations came forth in the past and the present for each woman. No spoilers so can't say much more. Even when I thought I had figured out what exactly was going on I would have to revise my theory. The one thing I didn't understand was how Clare told a special someone something that would end up risking her daughter's life. If you are hiding why be so stupid? I did like how the story showed everything is not always as it appears. This was shown time and time again. Also you do not choose who you fall in love with but can choose who you stay with. Overall I would say I look forward to reading another Ellery Kane book.

I received a free copy of this book for an honest review.

I enjoyed the suspense in this book. The characters were interesting and I could see them as three-dimensional chacters. The storyline was interesting. I plan to look for more books by this author.

I voluntarily read an ARC through NetGalley for an honest review

Samantha and her best friend goes on a trip to San Francisco after their high school graduation. Ginny, wearing Sam’s varsity jacket, goes to the bathroom and ends up getting kidnapped. Sam, all alone now, has no idea how to find her friend. She runs into trouble with the Mexican mafia and a mysterious man named Marco. She receives help from a stranger who she sat next to on the plane to SF. Suddenly her trip turns into a nightmare and she finds out she might not know her mother as well as she believes.

The story is told from two different time periods: past and present. The past tells the backstory of Clare Keely, Sam’s mother, and her time as a psychologist in a prison.

I think the author did a great job developing the characters, Clare and Cullen. I really see into Clare’s mind and how years of experience can lead her to where she was. The past backstory is very detailed and I think it overpowers the current plot line. The first 85% of the story was interesting and I kept reading to know more about Clare’s past. It was slow but it was necessary to develop the plot. However, the ending was a huge disappointment. I felt like the whole backstory of the past was building up to this very point where Cullen meets Clare again and Sam will meet her dad. However, I was left hanging and wanting more. The main storyline (present time) only consists of 10% of the entire book. It didn’t serve any purpose, in my opinion; like the author had a great idea and explanation for the story but lacked a strong point. Overall, it was a good book but ending left me unsatisfied.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

One of the best thriller read I've read. The back and forth POV really helped me understand the story even more and I love how the author tied the two stories together. I can't wait to read more!

It was a good book. It was darkish and it kept me interested. I found some of it confusing. It goes between the daughter and the young version of the mom. Towards the end it got confusing between the past and the present and the daughter.

Excellent start to a new series. Clare Keely is too beautiful for her own good. Men cannot resist her, and in spite of herself she can't help responding. Even when the man is dangerous....especially not then.
Years have passed, and Clare has a new life, but the past won't stay buried long.
Perfect for thriller lovers--dark, twisty and so immersive you won't be able to put it down!

2.5 stars. Compelling plot, if not entirely new. Some confusing writing.