Betsy’s sister, the good sister, her parents’ favorite, died last year, and her mother has spiraled down into a deep depression, refusing help and alienating Betsy and her father. They struggle along until a revelation rips into the family. Rouda carefully extracts truth from underneath appearances and flays expectations. Fans of Liane Moriarty and Diane Chamberlain will appreciate this story and Rouda’s style. I was fortunate to receive a copy of this wonderful story from Graydon House through NetGalley.

I loved this book! I loved how the author developed Jane’s character. She was awful yet I liked her. Definitely recommend this book.

After reading Best Day Ever, I was interested to see what Kaira Rouda would come up next. In some ways, Jane (the lead character in The Favorite Daughter) is similar to Paul (from Best Day Ever).

This novel is written in an erratic and choppy style, which makes you feel like you're in Jane's head the entire time. It kept me wondering what Jane's next move would be and if she would succeed or not. Part of me wanted her to come out on top and the other part just thought she was completely unhinged and unreliable. There was something she did that was clever and it made me wish some friends of mine could employ her for vengeance on people who have wronged them.

Jane reminds me of a reality TV star, whom I could see playing this role to perfection (and I cast her in that role). There were some timing and fluidity issues, but since this was an advanced copy, I don't know if they were tightened up. As a result, the story felt cryptic and sometimes hard to follow.

Overall, this was an interesting story that kept me guessing throughout. After reading the author's note at the end, I feel that Kaira was successful in what she intended when creating Jane.

Movie casting ideas:
Jane: Darcey Silva
David: Paul Greene
Betsy: Isabel May
Kylie: Brianne Howey
Sam: Ryan Guzman
Hoffman: Spencer Treat Clark
Elizabeth: Kim Director

I enjoyed it, but it wasn’t as thrilling as I hoped. A lot of it left me wanting more. Overall, an okay read, but I was left feeling incomplete.

So I randomly discovered Kaira Rouda in 2017 thanks to Book Con. I ended up getting her book Best Day Ever when I went up to one of the booths and told the person books I liked. They recommended me that one. After that I knew I had to read more from Kaira. So when I finally heard she had another thriller coming out I was really excited. I went into this one not knowing much. I just knew I had to request it on Netgalley. I however missed that time frame. Then I picked it up at a book signing where I met Kaira. She was just so lovely and very friendly. I knew I had to pick up the book right away. However I am really sad to sad that this book did not do it for me.

I am really sad to say that I did not like the narrator of this book at all. I got 8% into this book and honestly wanted to put it down and never return to it. I decided to continue on with my journey anyway. The majority of the time listening to this book I would roll my eyes and just feel bad for the other characters that had to deal with our main narrator. She was not easy to deal with and just very unlikable. I mean a lot of the things she does and says are just horrifying. I know this was something that really added to the experience of a lot of readers. I saw most of my friends on goodreads were rooting for her and just loved being inside her head. It ended up being the complete opposite for me. I think part of the reason why is because growing up I had a very controlling Mom. I know she wasn't nearly as bad as this main narrator but some things were similar. So I feel going through that and then having to read these other characters deal with that was not an enjoyable experience for me.

I do have to say there were a couple of times I did end up feeling bad for this main character. I mean the main plot of the story is she lost one of her daughters and it's a year later and she is finally trying to move on from it. However there are some other things in this book she had to deal with that end up being messed up in her favor. So I did end up enjoying the way she handled one of those bad situations. I obviously can't say what because then that will end up spoiling a part of the book for you which I don't want to do.

Overall I felt like this book really wasn't for me. The main narrator is just very unlikable. She was very hard to read about. However if you like unlikable narrators then you'll probably end up enjoying this book. It is a wild ride just wasn't for me. I also do feel it is predictable but I know people who read this book said they liked it because of how crazy of a ride it is. I still will read more from Kaira in the future. She is a great writer just not every story is for me.

Holy crap! This was one WILD ride! A psychological thriller at it's best, Rouda takes her reader on an unending roller coaster of emotions, twists and turns. This had your narcissist, your "who-dun-it's", and your ending that will leave you on the edge of your seat, wondering what the heck you just finished reading.

Rouda did a magnificent job creating this plot line. She chiseled Jane, Mary, Betsy and David perfectly. The lies, the suspense, the family issues.....all of it was phenomenal. Jane's narcissistic thinking was intensely gripping. Each page turn brought me closer to the edge of my seat, needing to know what happened to Jane's daughter Mary, why things just didn't seem like they should.

If you are looking for an awesomely written novel that will suck you in, grip you completely and twist your heart up all while taking your breath away with thrilling intensity, then this is a 4 star novel for you. Rouda hooked me from the start with this one and I am looking forward to reading another amazing story from her! Hats off to you, Kaira Rouda! Hats off!

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley, Graydon House Books and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*

Favorite Daughter tries very hard to be a thriller in the vein of Gone Girl but unfortunately misses the mark. Favorite Daughter has an interesting premise--narrator as narcissistic monster--but it faila to work because everything is so over-the-top you know what's going to happen by the time you're about three chapters in. Having said that, I did read the entire book! Ms Eouda is very talented and I think that her future works will be ones to watch

I had read a few of Kaira Rouda's books before and I had always enjoyed them. The Favorite Daughter was no different! Kaira has nailed this thriller and I can't wait to read more work like this by her!

The Favorite Daughter by Kaira Rouda is a book that will twist and turn and move at break neck speed that will have the reader questioning everything they think they know as they go along. What is truth? What are lies? But most of all, what is madness?

"...This ocean view is why we bought this home all those years ago, scraping together every last dime and tapping into David's trust fund to move into The Cove, the best community in Southern California. We were young parents, and so madly in love. The ocean was romantic, beautiful then. Not deadly and dark and cold.
I feel the rush of heat as my hands clench into fists. Anger and loss, did you ever notice how those emotions mix together? It's a toxic combination. I swallow. I need to focus on the table, the first step of my coming-out party. All that's missing from this perfect setting is the fourth wineglass. I have another one, of course. It's almost symbolic. It was Mary's spot at the table, Mary's wineglass that fell to the floor.
Mary who dropped into the sea..."

Jane Harris lives in an enviable community in Southern California, living a very wonderful life with a husband and two daughters. It was the perfect life. One she had worked very hard for. It was complete she thought and completely under control. Until the day her oldest daughter fell to her death in a tragic accident and Jane's perfect world came apart at the seams.

But now Jane is back and under control and she wants to take back what she believes is hers. Everything she had before Mary died. Control of her life, her children, her husband. It's been a year but the timing seems perfect to Jane. Mary is going to have a memorial and three days later her second daughter, Betsy will graduate High School and leave for college. But the universe has moved on in the last year while Jane has been in a haze of anti-depressants. Betsy is distant and Jane's husband Dave is working long hours at the office. And even more so are the notes Jane is receiving, telling her that perhaps Mary's death was not the accident everyone thinks it is.

"...My daughter's face is pale, her lips pursed. 'Mary was alive when I left her, you know that. This is why people hate you. Accusing your own daughter of something horrible, of knowing some sort of secret. I don't know what you're up to but I desperately want to be normal again, to feel normal again. It's hard enough to not have Mary. She was my best friend. If you try to open this all up again, we'll lose the little bit of respect we have around here. I can't take it, the stares, the pity. Not again. If you try to open Mary's case, Dad and I will tell everyone you're insane, a monster..."

Jane is on a mission. To back what is hers and no one is going to get in her way. Not her husband, not her daughter, not Mary's biological mother and not her uber rich in-laws. No Jane knows how to run the game and she is in charge. Problem is, who do you believe when everyone around you is lying. When you can't even believe yourself?

Whatever you may think about this book I guarantee you this much. You will never forget Jane Harris. She is a chameleon of a character. From victim to manipulator to schemer to jilted wife to unloved mother. Is she innocent of capable of great evil? This tale is told in Jane's words and through her eyes and thoughts, but it doesn't take the reader long to realize that there is something very, very wrong with Jane. Or is there? Is Jane just playing it up to gain sympathy or an advantage. The way she treats those she says she loves only proves that Jane is not really capable of loving anyone. It is all about her.

This is a good and disturbing read!

Yes, this book is suspenseful and well written but I found it predictable right from the start and I even guessed how the story would end. It has been my experience that if you already know what’s coming the book isn’t going to be very entertaining and that’s my honest opinion. I read a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley and all opinions expressed in my voluntary review are completely my own.

Best Day Ever was a favorite book of mine the year it came out. I was super anxious to read her follow up! However, this book ended up just being okay. The main character's evil-ness did not have the same magic as the one from Best Day Ever.

This book really puts you into the mind of a narcissistic mother, Jane, who is coming out of the fog of grief when she lost her oldest, Mary, (and favorite) daughter a year ago. Things are not going well for her in her life and she is trying everything she can to hold on to the life she used to have. Her husband, David, is never home and her youngest daughter, Betsy,  is about to graduate and is leading a secret life that her mother knows nothing about. 

This is a fun read in the way that it takes you into the mind of a disturbed woman. She is talking directly to the reader which makes you (the reader) feel like you a part of the story.  It was amusing to hear the way she justifies her actions and thoughts about the outlandish things she was doing and thinking. The book really shines when you see Jane implementing her schemes. Jane also has a fascination with all the ways someone can accidentally die. The story is peppered with random facts about how someone has died in the most bizarre way. 

One of the downfalls of the book for me is how much takes place off the page. We go into the book with Jane already knowing 90% of what she needs to know. So the reader goes in blind and there is a big disconnect when certain reveals are happening because the book is told with us in Jane's head. It just started to feel like a cheap trick when it happened but that may be because the ending was very predictable so I don't think trying to trick the reader was necessary. I also want to make clear that I'm not talking about the big reveal because that wouldn't make sense for the readers to know any earlier but some of the other reveals could have been mentioned before they were. 

I also want to mention that I unfortunately know someone who is narcissistic and totally out of touch with how their behavior effects people so that may have influenced my feelings of this book. Thankfully, that person is no longer in my life but the whole time I was reading it I kept getting flashbacks of her. If you are lucky enough not to know someone like Jane then I think you will find her character much more enjoyable than I did.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my copy of The Favorite Daughter by Kaira Rouda. All opinions are my own!

This. Book. Was. Nuts. And by that, I mean the good kind of nuts. I love a crazy, unreliable narrator and Jane was all that and a little bit more. There were plenty of twists in here that I saw coming, but it takes quite a bit to stump me at this point. I found myself laughing, I found myself sighing, and also found myself feeling a little sympathy from poor old Jane. I did find things to be a little repetitive toward the middle of the book, so that took away some of my interest.
Overall, I enjoyed this crazy read!

A mother loses her child tragically...

Jane has been in a haze of antidepressants ever since. We read the story through Jane eyes and let me tell you she is as crazy as they come! I had zero sympathy for her and could not relate to her character. By the end she was driving me up the walls, she was a utterly insane and unreliable character that will go to any length to get what she wants. I think I see a theme in Kaira Rouda's characters, they are despicable.

I wasn't surprised by the ending, as the character development progresses throughout this story, it becomes clear what happened. Overall though, I kept wanting to know more, I wanted to know what would happen next, and I wanted to understand the thoughts behind Jane's insanity. Good psychological suspense novel.

Whoa, this novel. These characters! Kaira Rouda went straight crazy with her main character, or did she? Jane is one of the most underestimated, over the top, delusional characters I have read. Part of me wanted to feel badly for her, part of me cringed when she thought to herself.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this from Rouda. It was a first for me but am looking forward to reading some more.

I loved this author’s previous book so I was eagerly anticipating this one. Once again we have an unreliable narrator in Jane. Jane is still grieving her daughter Mary, who unfortunately died a year ago after a fall off a cliff into the ocean. Since the anniversary of the death has arrived there will be a memorial service. At the memorial service Jane receives a clue that her other daughter may have been the person responsible for Mary’s death. As Jane is now coming out of her year long fog of anti depressants she is determined to exert control over her family, which is already beyond dysfunctional. Her 18 year old daughter Betsy hates her and her husband David is having a secret affair and will be moving out in a couple of days. Did her daughter kill Mary? What really happened on that cliff? Jane is every bit as creepy as Paul from this author’s previous book which is what makes the story so much fun. This was a well written book with a very interesting main character.

Four stars. I devoured this book. The main character is fascinating. You will want to believe she is an extreme version of a specific type of psychopath, but the author’s note at the end is a brilliant, insightful reminder that we live among women who think this way. They are true narcissists and they surround us more than ever on social media. I loved the ending as well and honestly didn’t see it coming!

Meh. This book was a good domestic mystery. I wouldn't say it is a thriller, because nothing was really a thrill. It was interesting, and almost like a bizarre look into a dysfunctional family. The characters are all awful, and I think that actually saves it a little bit.

It was just average, and I did enjoy it. But it wasn't anything that I would recommend to a bunch of people.

With Jane Harris basically talking directly to me it didn’t take long to know she is one to steer clear of - she’s kinda scary, well...not kinda, let’s just say I wouldn’t want to get on her wrong side. The author did a great job with her characterization, it wasn’t hard to see why she didn’t have very many friends and I wasn’t sure if it was because she was grieving the death of her daughter or if this was just the way she was all the time. She was neurotic, paranoid and suspicious of everything it was no wonder she had a rocky relationship with her family.

I started this book at 9 AM and thankfully I had some driving, dog walking and cleaning to do finishing it off in the evening, I just had to know what was going on.

Labeled psychological thriller it was not as action-packed as I thought it might be but as the story developed I was sucked right it, with some surprises along the way and a few parts somewhat predictable I really enjoyed the ride.

My thanks to the publisher (via Netgalley) for a digital copy.

3.5 rounded down to 3.

Jane is ready to reclaim her life. She has spent the last year mourning her oldest daughters death but now it's time to come out of mourning rejoin her family and her community. Of course she isn't blind she can see that her family has moved on without her. She has noticed her husband working longer days/nights. And her younger daughter seems more distant than ever before but thats okay, all will be fixed now that Jane is done mourning.

Kaira Rouda uses an amazing job of using an unreliable narrator, which I will be honest and say is one of my favourite things ever in a book. During this novel you never know what is true of false. Who is telling the truth, is it the real truth or just their versions of the truth. Its a wonderfully tangled web that leaves the reader guessing till the very end.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a mystery book or an unreliable narrator.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the eArc. All onions and reviews are my own.