This was not what you would expect from an Emily Richards book. Ryan Gracey has been in her sisters shadow all her life. Never able to top Emily’s achievements, and fading into the background of her family. Now the tables are turned and Wendy is in trouble and needs her sisters help.

This book falls into several categories, women’s fiction, mystery and romance. It is about family dynamics, the secrets within a family, with a good mystery thrown in. The ending surprised me. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

Emilie Richards is fast becoming a go-to author for me. While A Family of Strangers is different than her usual books, it's just as good and maybe better.

This book is more of a thriller - family drama - hard to describe, but filled with secrets, danger, exploration of relationships and renewal.

It's tough to watch the 'favored' child do everything first, win the accolades, accept the praise and still have to find your own way in the world. Now the tables have turned and Ryan is the one that is needed and the one that tries to save her sister Wendy by uncovering whodunit while also taking care of her nieces.

I truly enjoyed A Family of Strangers and would recommend it not only to previous readers of Emilie Richards, but to those who enjoy books centering on family drama, mystery and sibling relationships.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an ARC at my request. All thoughts in this review are my own and freely given.

Great read. The author wrote a story that was interesting and moved at a pace that kept me engaged. The characters were easy to invest in.

So well written Emilie Richards has a literary style of writing that drew me right .n The plot is multilayered family secrets a true edge of your seat page turner an ending that will shock,#netgalley #harlequin.

I almost don’t know what to say about this book. First off, it was NOT anything I expected. I have read Emilie Richards before, but it was some of her earlier works. This was very different from many of the books I have read lately, and I LOVED IT. It was such a complex family story with so many twists and turns, I could not put this book down. I felt as if every chapter was another twist and turn. This book was women’s fiction, a mystery, and a contemporary romance all in one wonderful story. The complexity of the family and how well it played out is such a tribute to Ms. Richards writing.

I enjoyed this book, it wasn't as deep as I thought it was going to be which was nice. I liked the mystery revolving her sister. Her reconnection with her lost love, there was a traumatic event that caused their eventual breakup. The connection and the blossoming of her nieces as she takes on the responsibility of raising them while her sister is missing and their father is in the Navy.

I think some of the parts that bugged me was the secrecy of some of the people in the family, the fact that for the most part police weren't involved, and lack of trust. Overall good read, moved forward without dragging out.

Wow this is good! Ryan has always looked up to her big sister Wendy so she stunned when Wendy calls and asks her to look after her girls because she is going off the grid to avoid a possible murder charge. It turns out Wendy has a lot of secrets. More than even Ryan, who has a true crime pod cast could have imagined (and thee's one heck of a twist). The girls, Holly and Noelle, are a challenge- non responsive, prissy, and just a little off. Ryan's dad has just had heart surgery, her relationship with her mom has never been the best, Wendy's husband Bryce (a nuclear submariner) is angry, and someone tries to break into the house. Ryan renews her relationship with Teo, a former K9 officer who now runs a dog training facility and well, things take off. No spoilers for this one. Ryan's a great character, you'll watch her mom grow, the girls change, the relationship with Teo and Biz the dog is great, and all in all, it's a page turner! And Wendy, well, the less said the better about her. Thanks to net galley for the ARC. I really enjoyed it.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Emilie Richards takes us through ups and downs and back around. This is a superb story involving families, love, happiness and sadness but Emilie never fails to have a fabulous ending leaving you wanting more of her writing. Enjoy! 📚

EXCERPT: '....I'm not coming home. I can't, and I don't know when I'll be able to. I need you to go back to Seabank and take care of the girls until things clear up for me.'

'You're kidding.' I really thought she might be.

'I don't want to go into detail. Can't you just trust me and do it?'

I paused, with no plan to restart until I made sense of her request. Finally I said the only thing that occurred to me. 'Look, this sounds crazy. You have to tell me more.'

"Great. Thanks a lot.' For the first time Wendy choked up, as if she was trying not to cry. 'I'm in Phoenix. Okay? There was a murder last night, and I'm pretty sure the sheriff will think I'm involved. I need to disappear for a while until it's sorted out. Is that enough to get you moving?'

I tried to rearrange her words into sentences that didn't catapult our family into an unfamiliar dimension. 'Murder?'

ABOUT THIS BOOK: 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 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?

MY THOUGHTS: For most of the time I was reading the book I was thinking 3 stars, maybe at a pinch, 3.5. Then 80% into the book, it became 4. A good solid 4 stars.

It is an interesting story. Unlikely....but interesting. A lot of things were very obvious from the start, and so most of the reveals lacked oomph. But I really liked the effort the author put into her characters. Ryan grows enormously as a person throughout the book. Even though I liked her from the start, I liked her a whole lot better by the end. And the end is not entirely predictable.....

It begs the question 'how well do we know our nearest and dearest?' and 'how reliable are our childhood memories?' Although a little wordy and slow in places, I still enjoyed A Family of Strangers far more than I thought I would when I was 25% through.

****

THE AUTHOR: I'm the author of seventy-something novels, including romance, women's fiction and mystery. When We Were Sisters debuted in June 2016, a stand alone novel about two foster sisters traveling back into their past together. I loved writing it and love the cover my publisher chose.

I'm also excited about my recent series, Goddesses Anonymous, which started with One Mountain Away and was followed by Somewhere Between Luck and Trust. The third book in the series, A River Too Wide, came out in July 2014. The Color of Light debuted in August 2015. Will there be more? We'll see.

I'm also putting up my newly edited romance backlist and love re-reading and updating them a bit.

Last year my husband and I moved from Virginia, to Osprey, Florida, the state where both of us were raised, met, and married. In the summer we live in Chautauqua, New York. I'm a quilter, knitter, kayaker, and the mother of four children, whom I regard as my greatest creative endeavors. And now there are four wonderful grandchildren to spoil.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Harlequin-Mira (USA & Canada) via Netgalley fro providing a digital copy of A Family of Strangers by Emilie Richards for review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own personal opinions.

Please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the 'about' page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com for an explanation of my rating system.

This review and others are also published on my webpage sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

I could not put this book down! Truly one of the best books I've read this year and another winner for Emilie Richards. It's a mystery, a romance, and a surprise turn. Just loved it!

Title: A Family of Strangers
Author: Emilie Richards
Genre: Family drama
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Ryan Gracey is a true crime podcaster who nearly lost her life after a fatal error in judgment years before. She knows she can’t compete with her perfect older sister, Wendy, so she stopped trying years ago and went after a life that made her happy. And she is happy, despite some regrets, when her sister calls her out of the blue and begs for her help.

She won’t tell Ryan much, just that there’s been a murder and she’s afraid she’ll be wrongfully accused, so Ryan moves back home to care for Wendy’s two daughters—and to try to prove Wendy’s innocence. But the more Ryan digs, the more secrets she uncovers, and soon Ryan realizes everything she’s ever thought about her big sister is a lie.

This was not what I was expecting at all. It’s marketed as women’s fiction, but I’d say it falls more into the murder mystery/crime investigation genre. I was just as surprised as Ryan at some of her discoveries, and this read takes family drama to a whole new level! I found it hard to put the book down.

Emilie Richards lives and writes—across a multitude of genres—in Florida. A Family of Strangers is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Harlequin/Mira via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.)

This is an engrossong story about family secrets and how keeping them can not only put a riff between family members but distort the perception of a person's true character. Suspenseful, thrilling with equal parts hope, romance and depth, readers will not be disappointed if they choose this book to spend time with.

This is not a women's fiction Emilie Richards book, it is mystery, little bit 0f romance and absolutely riveting! I didn't want to put it down, I had to know what happened next. Even when the book ended, I wanted more. Lots of twists that I didn't see coming and it ended almost perfectly.

This review is based on a galley copy from netgalley, courtesy of the publisher. All opinions are my own.

I enjoyed reading this book and it’s intricate details about this family with it’s dark secrets. I found the relationships interesting and relatable

When Ryan Gracey gets a cryptic phone call from her older sister Wendy asking her to come and take care of her 2 girls while she takes care of something, Ryan drops everything and goes. But when she starts having more questions than answers as to what is going on with Wendy, Ryan uses the skills and resources she has available from her job as a true crime podcaster. What she uncovers will upend the lives of her entire family.
I had a hard time getting into this book, but once I did I enjoyed it. I still felt it dragged at times, but overall it was an enjoyable story with a good mystery.

A Family of Strangers by Emilie Richards was a new to me author book. After reading it, having a hard time putting it down, and absolutely loving it, it certainly won’t be my last! I loved this book. It really hit all of my requirements: great characters, great storyline with lots of twists, fast pacing, and a surprising ending that I gasped at.

Ryan is a true crime cold case podcaster. Between seasons her older sister reaches out to her and begs for her help. Ryan’s nieces are with Ryan and Wendy’s parents. She can’t make it home because of reasons and Ryan needs to pack up and take care of the girls until Wendy can make it back. Oh and would Ryan be a good little sister and use her resources to help clear up those reasons? Find out what really happened?

Truly Ryan does an AMAZING job of just rolling with it. She seems very chill for someone who is grasping at straws trying to help her sister under considerably mysterious circumstances. I can in fact tell you that if it had been me, my poor sister would have been screwed. I am no good unless I feel like I know what’s going on. I would have been a walking zombie keeping myself up with all the possibilities. I really admired that in Ryan. She was able to do SO much while caring for her nieces.

The secondary characters are just as great. Teo was totally worth the tease. I think that Richards did an amazing slow build second chance here. There was a bananas backstory to these two and really for most of the book it could have gone either way. I also really enjoyed Sophie’s character. A character that I had a lot of inter struggle with is Ryan’s mother. She definitely seems to dote on Wendy considerably more than Ryan. She also just seems really stiff and the exact opposite of Ryan.

Richards kept the suspense cranked high. If you’ve followed my reviews here on Once Upon a Chapter for any length of time then you know I love a mystery so much more when I am actually surprised (in a good way) at the end. It doesn’t always mean that the villain has to be a surprise but I like being kept on my toes. Richards nails that. Once I felt like I *might* have a grasp on what’s going on, Richards’s pulls not only the rug but the entire damn living room carpet out from under me! I honestly can’t tell you how much I enjoyed A Family of Strangers! I would love to read more books involving this cast of characters! Hello cold case detective duo with a podcast platform! Sign. Me. Up.

What happens when you throw a detached analytical true crime podcast producer into a situation where her own family member may have committed a crime? That juxtaposition is the biggest strength of the book “A Family of Strangers”. I also enjoyed how the main character’s family and romantic relationship grew and changed over the progression of the book.
Thanks to NetGalley, Harlequin-Mira, and the author Emilie Richards for an advanced digital review copy. This book will be published June 25, 2019.

I have never read anything by Emilie Richards, so I'm not sure if this is her typical fare, but I'm going to find out! The characters were realistic - not perfect but not stupid (which is one of my thriller pet peeves), and although I guessed a few things that were happening, I really had no idea!
Ryan gets called in to help her sister Wendy, who has to disappear. As Ryan attempts to help Wendy, she discovers more and more about not only the current troubles, but about the past. This was really hard to put down!

This was my first book by Emilie Richards and a fabulous read for me!

I loved the author's well fleshed out characters who were almost real to my mind. The plot itself was really intriguing and the ending was astonishing. I liked the steady pacing and it held my interest throughout. The mixture of family and mystery was a perfect combination. Emilie Richards has crafted a wonderful winner!

I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel, at my own request, from Harlequin MIRA (US & Canada) via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

This is my first book by Emilie Richards & I loved this story!!!!!!!!!!!!! Loved the mystery of it but also the very relatable style of writing. It was a tad long in my opinion but it kept you still reading through. Ryan Gracey is a producer of her own cold case podcast and hasn't heard from her too perfect older sister in ages until a phone stating that her sister may be a suspect in a murder and she needs Ryan to come home to take care of Wendys two young daughters until she can get everything cleared up, Ryan agrees and she starts doing her own investigation and finds alot more that she bargained for. Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin for my honest review.