I think this book tried to do too much. It was a suspense book: why did the sister disappear, abandoning her daughters? It was a romance: Ryan and Teo trying to pick up the pieces of their previously shattered romance. Oh, and Ryan's coworker's romance too. Family drama: why did the parents treat Ryan so differently than Wendy? All these feelings of inferiority. And then there was Ryan building a relationship with her nieces. And Ryan dealing with her own history. Too much! For me, the end result was a book that was too long and drawn out that had what should have been suspenseful moments somewhat flattened out by everything else going on. The ending also felt a bit anticlimactic, but that could be attributable to how stretched out the story felt.

Wow! A Family of Strangers was such an interesting and thought-provoking nove! I admit, I didn't expect much going into it ,but it's so well-done and so fascinating that it completely won me over! Recommended.

I loved A FAMILY OF STRANGERS!! Even though I immediately picked up on one of the family secrets, there was so many different facets of this story that I couldn’t wait to see what happened next. Ryan has to quickly uproot her life when her sister “disappears” and needs her to take care of her girls. Slowly, Ryan uses her job skills to investigate her sister’s story. She uncovers things that no one could guess. AFOS has the perfect mix of mystery, secrets, betrayal and second chance romance. I am looking forward to delving into Ms. Richard’s library.

A FAMILY of STRANGERS is an entertaining story full of mystery, family drama, and lots of secrets. This story pulls you in right from the start. Dysfunctional family at its best!

I truly enjoyed reading this story, Emilie Richards is an incredible writer and I truly believe that the readers will thoroughly enjoy reading this novel.

Rating: 3.5 / 5
What would you do if your sibling was in trouble and turned to you for help, no questions asked? What if you learned that your loved one wasn’t the person you thought you were? That is exactly what happens to Ryan Gracey, the main character in Emilie Richards novel A Family of Strangers.
Although I found this story to be predictable, reading as the mystery of Ryan’s sister Wendy unfolded, kept my attention.
What fascinated me the most was Ryan’s podcast Out in the Cold and how she explored unsolved crimes. I wish that this would have played more into the overall story. In fact I think that this would have made for an interesting premise for a book on its own. Instead her sluthing skills, she gained in her career assisted her in uncovering the truth behind Wendy’s disappearance.
Although A Family of Strangers wasn’t as thrilling as I hoped, I would still recommend it to fans of the mystery genre.

Called upon, unexpectedly, by her much older sister, Ryan Gracey drops everything and goes to take care of her two nieces. Older sister Wendy has a cryptic story about being possibly involved in a murder scandal…and she cannot get home quite yet. The grandparents cannot take the young girls due to the health issue of Mr. Gracey. So, it falls to Ryan who is merely an acquaintance of the nieces. Wendy’s husband is away with the Navy on a top secret mission, so he isn’t available. Ryan has always lived in the shadow of her very accomplished sister.
The nieces have anxiety and Ryan hopes to establish routine at their home to help them get used to one another. As the story goes on, she finds out more pieces about why the girls are cautious.
Wendy is a complex person, as the story reveals. She works for her dad at Gracey Group which manages/owns resorts around the world. So, her work does involve travel. The murder occurred at a property that Gracey Group was prospecting.
Thankfully Ryan’s ex, Teo, still lives in town and his K9 and police force background help podcast crime author, Ryan, as she digs into her sister’s story full of holes.

This was my first read from this author and I found it to be very enjoyable. The storyline was unique and interesting. While some parts were a little predictable, it didn’t distract from or ruin the plot. I normally don’t expect strong character development in these types of novels (more thriller-esque). I was very pleasantly surprised by the character development here. This development was not only evident with Ryan, but with her mom and her young nieces as well. I’m looking forward to reading more by this author.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is a very suspenseful family drama and excellent mystery. I loved this book. This is the tale of two estranged sisters who meet again when one is accused of murder. One was the popular perfect sister the other the black sheep always in her shadow. What follows are mysterious revelations and deeply hidden secrets of one sister. I loved how the author built up the drama page by page creating a exciting read . The p!ot is multi layered and will please the most avid mystery reader. I highly recommend this book. Thank you for the ARC with gratitude. My opinion is my own.

3.5 stars
<b>A Family of Strangers</b> by Emily Richards is marketed as a mystery/thrillerbut I have to say that it is much more of a family drama. The mystery - Where is Wendy? What has she gotten herself involved in? Is she a victim or a perpetrator? Will she ever find her way back home to her daughters? Despite all of these questions the focus of the book strangely enough os not on Wendy but Ryan, the little sister who always disappeared in the shadows of Wendy's perfection.
> How will Ryan be able to cope with being a single mother to Wendy's two little girls?
> How can Ryan reconcile the mistakes she has made in the past and the price others have had to pay for them?
> How will she manage her reunion with Matteo? Can they overlook the errors of the past and make a new way of things?

Ryan's plate is no doubt full and the Gracey family is rife with secrets. <b>A Family of Strangers</b> is an apt title indeed and will appeal to readers who seek domestic dramas.

<i>Special thanks to Justine Sha from Mira Books, NetGalley and Emilie Richards for access to this title.</i>

This book started out good, but as it progressed I found myself bored. I didn't care what happened to the characters. I thought it might be my reading slump, and I'm still not sure it wasn't. Lots of people will enjoy this book, I'm just not the right reader for it.
I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley. Thank you, Netgalley.
All opinions are my own.

In exchange for an honest review, I was provided a free eARC of A Family of Strangers by Emilie Richards.

Release Date: June 25, 2019
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Official Description (Courtesy of NetGalley)

Could a lifetime of memories…be a lifetime of lies?

All her life Ryan Gracey watched her perfect older sister from afar. Knowing she could never top Wendy’s achievements, she didn’t even try. Instead Ryan forged her own path while her family barely seemed to notice.

Now Wendy shares two little girls with her perfect husband while Ryan mourns the man she lost after a nearly fatal mistake in judgment. The sisters’ choices have taken them in different directions, which is why Ryan is stunned when Wendy calls, begging for her help. There’s been a murder—and Wendy believes she’ll be wrongfully accused.

While Wendy lies low, Ryan moves back to their hometown to care for the nieces she hardly knows. The sleuthing skills she’s refined as a true-crime podcaster quickly rise to the surface as she digs for answers with the help of an unexpected ally. Yet the trail of clues Wendy’s left behind lead to nothing but questions. Blood may be thicker than water, but what does Ryan owe a sister who, with every revelation, becomes more and more a stranger?

Is Wendy, who always seemed so perfect, just a perfect liar—or worse?

My Thoughts

A Family of Strangers was an interesting and intriguing read about all of the secrets a family could have.

Wendy, Ryan's older sister, is seemingly perfect in every way. But, as the story unfolds and Ryan digs deeper into the murder mystery that is keeping her sister away from her family, Ryan begins to realize that Wendy is not who she appears to be to everyone.

Wendy is far from perfect and does some pretty shady things that makes Ryan question her loyalty to her family. Through many twists and turns, Ryan's digs up many secrets that twists how she sees her sister and her mother in almost every aspect.

Ryan was a go-getter and at times I felt she got herself into more trouble than was necessary. But I get that she was doing what she could to help out her family, no matter the cost.

I felt that the family dynamics were off from the beginning, but this was something that is actually part of the storyline and is explained towards the end of the story.

In Conclusion

While slow at times, I found A Family of Strangers to be intriguing. It's one I would have bought in the store after reading the cover and it's one I'd recommend if you like a good mystery.

Some plot points are predictable, but I found it was still worth the read.
Four stars!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Ryan Gracey receives a call that will change her and her families lives. A murder, her older sister on the run, guardian to two little girls, and a past that she must face along with the man she loves. Family secrets are revealed, lives are forever changed when A Family of Strangers secrets are revealed.

Ryan Gracey and her staff are celebrating a recent award win for her podcast Out in the Cold. A call from her much older sister puts Ryan on the road to her hometown to look after her two nieces while her sister is on the run from a potential murder charge. She has no idea how to deal with a 12 & 10 year girl and learns on the fly. Her father's recent heart surgery is another reason for Ryan's return home. While she's in town she must work up the courage to apologize to her former boyfriend Teo Santiago. She helps her mother with taking care of her father and gets the knack of taking care of her two nieces. Ryan with the help of her podcast staff and her best friend work to investigate the murder her sister is involved in to bring her home. Cryptic phone calls with little information from her sister does little to move the investigation along. Meanwhile, Ryan decides it time to face the past trauma that came between her and Teo and apologizes for her leaving him like she did. Both of them are older and wiser and must figure out a way to leave the past behind them. Ryan's best friend begins coming to town more often to visit a new love interest and it helps them work on her sister's disappearance and a new show idea for the podcast. Ryan and Teo begin to get through there past and come together again. A break in at her sister's house has Ryan asking to rent one of Teo's security dogs. She and her nieces have settled into a routine and with the holiday season coming get closer. Ryan and Teo must figure out a way to get into the safe her sister has. Slowly they unravel clues to her sister's past that come as a huge surprise. Meanwhile, she is keeping the real reason why her sister hasn't come home from her parents. A visit with some old high school friends of her sister reveals a long held secret. A visit to a bar reveals another side of the sister. Ryan's niece reveals the real reason she's happy her mother is still gone. Ryan falls in love with the girls and doesn't want to give them up. Teo and Ryan get closer. Ryan finally reveals the reason for her sister not returning home and finds out about her sister's divorce from her Navy husband. The truth about Ryan's life is revealed. A stakeout has a confrontation between Ryan and her sister. She returns home to reveal all to Teo and her parents. The whole Gracey family's world is turned upside down when what her sister is really like is revealed. Her brother-in-law makes a decision about his daughters. Ryan must make a decision. A decision to return home and to the love of her life are made.

I'm not a big fan of the first person books. Emilie Richards was able to keep my interest. Think it was the surprises coming around the corners. It kept me interested, with trying to figure out how involved the sister was involved in this murder and how they were going to get her back home. I probably should've seen the family secret because of such a huge age difference between the sisters but I didn't, also wasn't able to see the true nature of the sister's personality. It was suspenseful. A Family of Strangers has a few twists and turns that I didn't see coming, which kept you wondering what problem would crop up next.

Emilie Richards latest stand-a-lone is part women’s fiction part thriller and a whole lot of fast-paced knock your socks off unforgettable. It’s darker than her usual fare but its one heck of a novel.

When Ryan Gracie left her hometown after a crime that nearly took her life and that of the man she loved she never thought she’d come back but a frantic mysterious call from her older sister Wendy begging her for help has her doing just that. As time goes by and Wendy’s vague reasons for not coming home start ringing warning bells to the journalist in Ryan a new and not complementary picture of Wendy starts to appear which leaves Ryan torn between family loyalty and ethics. This is especially troubling to Ryan because she’s recently reunited with the man she once loved and almost lost and there will be head-butting about it.

All I can say is WOW this novel has it all, a fantastic storyline, non-stop action, spine-tingling suspense, murder and a few OMG moments thrown in for added adrenalin rushes and racing pulses.

Richards starts out giving the audience a mystery introducing her readers to her protagonist Ryan Gracie who hosts a cold case podcast that she also created. This career choice will be beneficial to the plot as the story gets under way.
As our crafty author peels the layers off her complex characters revealing some jaw-dropping secrets that will literally blow reader’s minds the story takes off running with head spinning twists and turns.

The constant unfolding family drama is intense, intriguing and very believable and gives the read a dynamic added dimension that non-related characters wouldn’t have. And there’s also a budding second chance romance taking place between Ryan and the man who almost died saving her life years ago.

All in all Emilie’s fans will eat this up even though she takes darker turns than usual and those who aren’t familiar with her work if you like the thrillers of Lisa Gardner and Lisa Jackson you will soon add Emilie Richards to your list of must buys.

A Family of Strangers by Emilie Richards is a family drama and a murder mystery all rolled into one very dysfunctional family. The Graceys have two daughters: Wendy who is married with two daughters and Ryan, the much-younger sister who is single and hosts a true-crime podcast. Out of the blue, Wendy contacts Ryan asking her to move back to her hometown to take care of her two young daughters until further notice because she has gone into hiding. Ryan, using her crime investigation skills, sets off to find out why her sister disappeared. This is when the Gracey family begins to realize that they all have secrets. And those secrets will change the Graceys forever and may pull them apart. At almost 500 pages, this is a long read but the suspense never fails to keep the reader fascinated. Highly recommended. Thank you to Harlequin-Mira and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is one of those amazing books that I can't figure out why I'm not seeing it everywhere!  Part thriller, part mystery and a whole lot of family drama!!  Told from the perspective of a sister lost in the dark about her sister's reasoning for hiding from the police, she spends her days taking care of her nieces and trying to figure out what in the world is happening!  I highly recomend this book for fans of slow burning mysteries and family drama.

Life is not always the way we truly see it as through our own eyes. Ryan Gracey always believed she could not be as good as her older sister Wendy so she stopped trying and started a different path for herself. But one phone call will change everything she thought she knew about her sister and will send her life upside down.

This book held my interest at times as it was very full of descriptive writing that at times become a bit too much for my liking. But with so many family secrets and plot setting, I am sure this is why it was a very long book. A mystery is not one of my top genre's but I do read a few and this book did have all that was needed for a good mystery.

Ryan is a great character that you will have a connection with straight away, on the other hand, her sister Wendy was straight on my No Christmas Card List. Wendy's children Noel and Holly and very sweet and loveable. There are a few twists and turns some are predictable at times others may just catch you unaware.

For a first time reader of this author, I would be happy to read them again in the future may be in a different genre. I won't say anymore as I do not want to affect the mystery for you all if you give this book a try.

Summary from Goodreads:

"All her life Ryan Gracey watched her perfect older sister from afar. Knowing she could never top Wendy’s achievements, she didn’t even try. Instead Ryan forged her own path while her family barely seemed to notice.

Now Wendy shares two little girls with her perfect husband while Ryan mourns the man she lost after a nearly fatal mistake in judgment. The sisters’ choices have taken them in different directions, which is why Ryan is stunned when Wendy calls, begging for her help. There’s been a murder—and Wendy believes she’ll be wrongfully accused.

While Wendy lies low, Ryan moves back to their hometown to care for the nieces she hardly knows. The sleuthing skills she’s refined as a true-crime podcaster quickly rise to the surface as she digs for answers with the help of an unexpected ally. Yet the trail of clues Wendy’s left behind lead to nothing but questions. Blood may be thicker than water, but what does Ryan owe a sister who, with every revelation, becomes more and more a stranger?

Is Wendy, who always seemed so perfect, just a perfect liar—or worse?"

My Thoughts:

Oh wow - I really enjoyed this book! I picked this one up and was a bit intimidated by the size of it (it's close to 500 pages) but I needn't have worried. I absolutely fell into the pages of this book and Ryan's life. I feel like this book was the type of book I've been wanting and waiting for without even really knowing it. I read a ton of thrillers and mysteries - I wouldn't categorize this book in either of those genres really even though it has elements of both. Instead, I think that I would call it a family drama maybe or suspense. Honestly it doesn't even matter to me what exact category this book falls into because really it was just a plain great read! From the very beginning pages, I fell into the story the author was telling and Ryan's life. Ryan's life is upended when her sister calls her one day and basically tells her little to nothing other than she might be charged with murder and she needs Ryan to care for her children while she tries to clear her name. And just like that I was completely sucked in. I don't think it is a spoiler to say that Wendy's brief call leaves the reader with more questions than answers. I was completely hooked that easily and stayed hooked throughout the rest of the book. The author did a really great job with the pacing in this book so that I never lost interest. Just when I would think that I had things figured out there was a twist that changed everything. I need more books like this in my reading life! I just loved how easily I found immersed myself within this book - I couldn't stop reading it and didn't want to. I'm hesitant to say much more. This was a book and a reading experience that I just couldn't get enough of!

Overall, I enjoyed my time with this book immensely. I need other readers who have read this book to recommend me more just like it (well, not exactly like it but you know what I mean). I need more books like this in my reading life - that's for sure. This book worked for me so well because it did have suspense and mystery elements but the focus was on Ryan and her family. The secrets and truths that were coming to the surface whether she was ready for them to or not. I loved every minute of my reading experience with this book which is why I can't wait to read more by this author. The positive side is that it looks like this author has quite a backlist for me to try! That's always exciting! I would recommend this book to readers of suspense, mystery, and those who love books focused on family secrets or drama. It's a page turning read that I highly recommend!

Bottom Line: A reading experience that I won't be forgetting anytime soon!

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher as part of a TLC book tour. Honest thoughts are my own.

This is a book that I was looking forward to for quite some time. I was really interested in the family dynamics in this summary, especially since I am the oldest sister and my younger sister and I are in constant completion with each other.

I thought this one would yield interesting family relationships and dynamics as well as present a fascinating mystery with lots of things to question and debate.

Plus this author has written a number of books, most of which are women fiction or romance, sprinkled with a few mysteries. This one sounded like it was going to be a little darker and more complex than her usual books. I have never read anything by this author before, but I was eager to discover her style and writing.

Summary

All her life Ryan Gracey watched her perfect older sister from afar. Knowing she could never top Wendy’s achievements, she didn’t even try. Instead Ryan forged her own path while her family barely seemed to notice.

Now Wendy shares two little girls with her perfect husband while Ryan mourns the man she lost after a nearly fatal mistake in judgment. The sisters’ choices have taken them in different directions, which is why Ryan is stunned when Wendy calls, begging for her help. There’s been a murder—and Wendy believes she’ll be wrongfully accused.

While Wendy lays low, Ryan moves back to their hometown to care for the nieces she hardly knows. The sleuthing skills she’s refined as a true-crime podcaster quickly rise to the surface as she digs for answers with the help of an unexpected ally. Yet the trail of clues Wendy’s left behind lead to nothing but questions. Blood may be thicker than water, but what does Ryan owe a sister who, with every revelation, becomes more and more a stranger?

Is Wendy, who always seemed so perfect, just a perfect liar—or worse? (summary from Goodreads).

Review

From the summary, I was geared up for this to be more of a domestic thriller rather than women fiction/romance with a little mystery. I think the summary is slightly misleading. I think people who have read this author before would maybe know what to expect, but for me as a new reader, I thought I was getting something much different than what I actually read.

The domestic thriller/mystery seemed more like the secondary focus of this book with the familial relationships and budding romance taking center stage. I noticed that a few other reviewers noted similar thoughts and I wholeheartedly agree with their observations in regard to that aspect.

That is not to say the book isn’t good, I did enjoy it and found myself thinking about the story at random times during the day. I loved how honest and real the character were. They were smart but yet had flaws, as we all do, and lots of family and relationship baggage which I think many readers can relate to. I know I certainly found things to identify with, especially when it came to the sisters and their relationship.

I did find this one to be a little on the wordy and overly descriptive side though. I think some of the descriptions could have been pared down a little to make things more crisp. Even though this book had a few small imperfections, I did enjoy reading the story and found myself immersed in the story and thinking about the family dynamics often. I think this author is incredibly skilled and wrote a story that readers will enjoy reading on a last summer day!

Book Info and Rating

Kindle Edition, 496 pages
Expected publication: June 25th 2019 by MIRA
ASIN B07HD772QX
Free review copy provided by publisher, MIRA in partnership with TLC Book Tours, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and in no way influenced.
Rating: 4 stars
Genre: women’s fiction, contemporary lit, chick lit, domestic mystery

A mystery must contain certain elements to be considered a good read. Emilie Richards hits all of them with A Family of Strangers. The "family" consists of two sisters born 18 years apart and knowing very little of each other. This basic premise is the basis for the whole book...and it works very well. The back story for the younger sister is well developed, bringing her confusion to the front as she finds out her family may not be what she always thought they were. Lots of mystery to keep you reading and lots of twists to keep you guessing. Overall, a really good book.

Favorite Quotes:

Sophie had many ways of getting to the truth. Now she pulled out guilt, a tool she manipulated with the precision of a top chef’s boning knife.

The flaws of an older child are bleached by time, while a younger’s are always in plain view.

I listen to your podcast, Ryan. I was right there in that awful prison with that poor woman, the one who was sentenced for a crime she didn’t commit. That’s as close as I want to get to iron bars and a cellmate named Butch.

“I can tell him she’s on a religious retreat, that while she was traveling she had a spiritual awakening.” Mom looked skeptical. “She’s a Catholic. We’re awakened enough.”

I was almost sure who the package was from. I picked it up once more and lifted it to my ear. Bombs today aren’t the Wile E. Coyote variety with dynamite wired to a ticking alarm clock, but cartoon habits die hard.

Sophie’s ex-husband was more of a hobby than a relationship. He came and went as regularly as the meter reader, and she regarded him with the same lack of wonder.


My Review:

Despite her prolific listing of thirty books to date, this was my maiden voyage on the crafty vessel Emilie Richards has most recently launched. I was supremely lucky in my selection as it was an excellent journey, although it was not smooth sailing for the characters featured. I was quickly caught up in the intrigue and my curiosity was primed and frequently prodded into increasingly higher levels of elevation and exasperation with the elusive Wendy and her fawning and over-indulgent mother. The characters were complex yet highly compelling while the taut and absorbing storylines were full of jagged secrets, daunting histories, and disquieting reveals that squeezed my heart. With thirty books to her credit, Ms. Richards certainly knows what she’s doing by now, as her pacing and storytelling skills appear sharply honed and lushly appointed with emotive and vibrant details and perfectly placed lashings of edgy humor. More, please.