Tarryn Fisher knows how to entrap you into her writing, FIRST AND FOREMOST. Geez, I couldn't put this book down and it was definitely a relief after reading several lackluster stories lately. The Wrong Family is more straightforward than her last book, The Wives, but in true Tarryn Fisher fashion, she will throw a massive curveball or two your way, unexpectedly. I really think people will have strong feelings about this book, but for me, this was exactly what I needed right now. Light mystery, dark dialogue, and wild outcome— The Wrong Family is not to be missed!

Loved this book and read in just a quick couple of days. The characters felt alive as I read. Tarryn Fisher once again had me at the edge of my seat with this psychological thriller.

We are introduced to a family that live in one home – there is Nigel, his wife Winnie, their son Samuel, and Juno. One evening Nigel and his wife Winnie have an argument that results in smashed glass all over the floor, and later on Juno walks into the kitchen and makes her way to the fridge for some food. Why is there still glass all over the floor? What were they arguing over? With a beginning like this, I was hooked and intrigued on what was going on.

Juno was an interesting and complex character full of her own secrets, lies, and betrayals. She was interested for for and I enjoyed reading through her eyes and the story unfolded from her POV. I also enjoyed reading the novel from Winnie’s POV. They were both different yet similar in many ways, and they had strong personalities that was interesting to read about.

A book that I recommend.

I don’t read thrillers often but Tarryn Fisher is most definitely a one click author for me so I had to read this book. She delivers an epic read that’ll have you on the edge of your seat. The Wrong Family is the right book to read!

This book was so good! With every page you never know what secrets will come out and what is really the truth. It’s Winnie and Nigels life and Juno is just trying to decode it. We must remember that we don’t always have the full story and consequences can be dire.

This book is a must read in my opinion and going in blind is the only way. So jump in and enjoy the thrill ride this author will take you on!

DNF @44%
2020; Mira/HQN

When I first started reading The Wives, I was so enthralled with the mystery, I could not stop listening for the first 1/4 of the book. By the end of it, I wondered why I hung on to finish it. I am not a complete quitter, so I decided to give Fisher another shot. Again, I was so intrigued, but as I started to guess on what was happening I decided to DNF. I don't want to give another lower rating so I am bowing out. I am in minority for both books, so I would read other reviews if this one sound good to you. I found that Fisher tries to sway you away from figuring out the mystery, but goes too far left field (ie: it has nothing to do with the story). Then I start thinking, maybe I haven't figured it out and gear myself for something cool, and it was what I initially thought. I feel misled and it wasn't a fun enough journey that I could forgive the betrayal. I don't think I will try another book by Fisher as I don't seem to be the reader for these books.

***I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.***

Once again Queen Tarryn blew my mind with this book. As a longtime Tarryn Fisher reader, I know that you can never be sure what you’re getting into when you start one of her books. Will she rip my heart out? Will she make me question my sanity? A little of both?

Probably 🤷🏽‍♀️

It’s so hard to put this book into words, but I’m going to try. It’s gripping. The story grabs onto you from the very first page and pulls you along for a wild ride full of secrets, lies, shock, twists and turns, and just moments that will have you gasping and wanting to grab the person next to you and say “oh holy shit this book is crazy” (I may or may not have done that to my poor husband a few times)

The characters were so amazing, I went into this knowing I’d end up on one team or the other thanks to my friends, and I could clearly empathize with both characters perspectives but in the end I am #teamwinnie all the way.
I don’t want to say much more because truly this is an experience you need to go into blind or knowing very little. But trust me when I say this book will blow your mind!

This book was sooooo good!! This novel follows Juno while living at the Crouch house with Winnie and Nigel. She lives without getting involved with the family and she knows she shouldn't get involved. But then she does......

The story of Juno, a homeless women who finds the opportunity to hide and then come to live in a family’s closet and crawl space. While there she overhears a disturbing secret about the family. Juno begins to investigate and the results are disastrous.
This book was a little weird. I was intrigued at the thought of someone being able to live in a house without the family noticing. The rest of the story felt disjointed to me. The end was surprising. But I can’t say I enjoyed it enough to recommend it to others.

The Wrong Family is a good, solid suspense novel. Juno and the Crouch family have many secrets that are revealed throughout the course of the book. The writing is good and the pacing of the story is steady. Fisher explores a lot of themes related to mental health through many of the characters in this book. I liked this book, but I did have two little hang-ups with it.

First, I found the "surprise twists" weren't that surprising. The first one (revealed at the end of Part One) was so obvious, I didn't know it was supposed to be a twist. I knew from the first chapter what was going on, so that "big reveal" was a let down. The rest of the surprise twists and revealed secrets were only "meh" to me. I'm not sure if it was because I was expecting more from Fisher who normally writes VERY twisty books or if I just figured things out really quickly in this book. Either way, it took away from my enjoyment a little bit.

The second area I struggled with was the multiple sub plots and minor characters. They were all interesting, but I never felt like the book went into enough depth with those. Part of me wanted Fisher to cut a few of the side plots related to Nigel and Winnie and explore more in depth the characters of Dakota, Josalyn, and Juno and the pasts that shaped them.

Overall, I would recommend The Wrong Family to fans of suspense stories or readers who enjoy novels that explore mental health issues and homelessness.

Wow what a story. As soon as I’d finished I knew I was gonna struggle to review it. I’ve gotta write a few words so here goes... I felt the story started off slowly but not in a bad way. It was as if the author drew me in blindly. Then the twists and turns kept on coming. As I was reading I didn’t or couldn’t guess what way the story was gonna go.

Ya know when you play pin the tail on the donkey- your blindfolded, twirled around a few times and you don’t know what direction your gonna go in, well that’s how I felt reading this.

I am in awe of this author who had my head in a tizzy. The Wrong Family has some dysfunctional, crazy and flawed characters.

If your looking for a well written story that will have you wondering what you’ve read then I certainly recommend this gem.

3.5 Stars
Author Tarryn Fisher delivers a heart pounding, thrilling and suspenseful story with her newly released novel, The Wrong Family. The story gives new meaning to “you never know what goes on behind closed doors.” Secrets, lies and misunderstanding take us on a crazy rollercoaster ride.

The Wrong Family is not what I expected and took me by surprise with twists I did not see coming. The characters of Winnie, Nigel and Juno are well crafted and complex. Things are not always what they seem.

it is a gripping cat and mouse game. A compelling read to the very end.

This is a twisted story about a family that is falling apart and it was a very entertaining and captivating read. We have two narrators and it was so interesting seeing things from both of their perspectives. Neither of them are very likable but their bad decisions lead to a very appealing story. There is a lot going on in this one story and I can easily picture this book as a movie. It is overly dramatic (especially that ending!) but it kept me wanting to read to see what was going to happen next. Fisher has a very informal style of writing that I sometimes liked and other times it felt out of place. I also don’t like the way that mental illness was portrayed in the this story especially when it was used as a scapegoat. There are also a lot of trigger warnings in this story including: miscarriage, cheating, drug and alcohol abuse. While this story was a twisted ride it was a mostly predictable one. I think that if you are looking for a book that is high enjoyment and easily read then this might be one you want to check out.

QUICK TAKE: I loved the concept of this one...a homeless woman (who we come to find out has a very dark history) ends up trapped in the house of a wealthy family and ends up living in a crawl space under their house and of course stumbles upon the secrets they're hiding. Ultimately, the pieces didn't come together in a satisfying way for me, and I kept comparing this to PARASITE, and it just doesn't live up to that incredible film. That being said, it's a fast thriller for fans of the genre.

First line: Juno was hungry.

Summary: Juno, a retired therapist is living with the seemingly perfect Crouch family. She wants to spend the rest of her days here but then one day she overhears Winnie and Nigel discussing a matter that is hard for her to ignore. She tries to remind herself that she should not get involved but the therapist in her wants to help fix the situation. As she digs deeper into the family secret she worries that she will have to reveal it. But Juno has her own secrets as well.

My Thoughts: Tarryn Fisher’s book, The Wives, was one of my favorite reads from last year. I loved the big reveal that completely changed how the beginning of the book was read. It was inventive. I think Fisher does it again in The Wrong Family. I love that the story is once again set in the Pacific Northwest, in a beautiful house in Seattle.

I liked Juno. Her history and life were sad but most likely common for many people in the world. Winnie was whiny. She had a lot going for her but she seemed entitled. This shows the differences in society and people’s views on life.

The ending of this book was wild. But first the beginning was a little predictable but with several plot twists that really derailed what I thought would happen. I love how the author created this dual storyline which leaves the reader oblivious to what is revealed. I raced through the ending as everything came to a head. I was really worried for both our narrators but the last chapter was a perfect ending. I had to go back and reread a few pages to make sure I picked up the final twist. It was worth every minute!

FYI: Very violent at the end. Drug and alcohol use.

3.5 stars!
Juno moves in with the Crouch family and falls in love with their idyllic lifestyle. Winnie and Nigel own a huge house and seem to be deeply in love. They adore their adolescent son, Jonah. When Juno overhears a conversation between the couple, she realizes she has grossly misjudged them. With a history of being a therapist, Juno can resist getting involved in the family dynamics and trying to help. When Winnie’s alcoholic brother comes to live with them, things suddenly take a turn for the worst and Juno starts to meddle even more. Will Juno’s help be a hindrance or will it coach the Crouches out of the holes they have dug for themselves?

I loved The Wives by Tarryn Fisher. I read it in one sitting. When I got this as an ARC on NetGalley, I was so excited. There are some things that are the same in her second novel, like her writing style and some crazy twists and turns. However, I found the premise of this one to just be too unbelievable. Without giving too much away, Juno is in a very precarious living arrangement with the Crouches and I just couldn’t get my head wrapped around how it was possible. I did like the characters of Winnie and Juno, they had interesting histories and their character arcs are very fascinating. Some of the supporting characters needed a little more detail in my opinion, like Jonah and Nigel. The ending was action-packed and had me on the edge of my seat which was nice after a sometimes slow middle. Overall, still very creepy and a good thriller - just not sure how I feel about the logistics of this one.

I never know what to expect from a Tarryn Fisher story. They always completely leave me reeling and this one was no different. The storytelling is captivating and the story itself is unlike anything I have read. I was pulled in from the beginning and it did not let up until I finished. The twists and turns held me on the edge of my seat. I am still fully able to express how intriguing this story was. I can't wait to read more from Tarryn and to see what she has in store for us next.

This was a weird story - was Winnie's house really so big, were Winnie and Nigel really that disengaged, that they wouldn't notice someone living (actually LIVING) in their crawlspace / front closet for MONTHS? They had a home security system, but presumably no in house cameras, because Juno was ALL OVER THE HOUSE. The plot just seemed so . . . implausible.

The characters were terrible people - I didn't connect with any of them (like many reviewers before me, I didn't even like Samuel). I want to believe that Winnie's actions regarding Josalyn were well-intentioned, but what happened afterwards was inexcusable. The portrayal of mental illness was not well explored and wholly used as a plot device. The whole of the last 20% of the book was absolutely off-the-wall (although I did enjoy the creepiness of George's experience in the epilogue).

Unpopular Opinion

I won't extend myself here, because this book wasn't what I expected at all, and I'm already tired of talking about it.

Tarryn Fisher is always a hit or miss for me, and although this was my worst book this year, I will still be supporting this author in her future projects.

The Wrong Family is narrated in dual Pov. Winnie, a mother, a wife, a sister, a control freak... She's the full package of a perfect life. The alternation POV is with Juno, a mystery and a sick old therapist, who lives inside Winnie's house.
Juno develops an obsession with Winnie's family,  and both women struggle with their own lifes... Winnie in her failing marriage and Juno in her sickness and loneliness.

I won't dive into the plot or all the why's this book couldn't hold my attention (if you really need it, you can PM me), but I'll say that it was boring... Soooo boringgggg that I had almost DNF it a bunch of times, but if you know me, you know that this is my ultimate nightmare, so I'd put my big girl panties, and finished!

The third person narration is something that isn't my thing, but the pace of the story killed everything for me... it was super slow, with little crumbs of information here and there, with their daily boring life being narrated as an animal TV show on discovery channel, where you wait all the episode for the lion to finally eat the gazelle, and in the last 5 minutes, things get done and over.
Other than the boredom, there's not really any surprise or suspense at all. You figure out very quickly all the plot and all the "mystery" happening.

When the plot twist came, it was lame and with zero excitement. So many holes on the details, so many things mentioned and then left behind... But hey... at least she killed a bunch of people in the end. So yay? 🙄😒

I know that Tarryn's MMC are always weak, or cheaters or full of issues (or all of the above), but for once, I wanted her to really write a happy ending after all the drama, or just a character that we could've fell for.
Or I don't know... It's always a bitter end, and this one is no different.

I guess I'll just have to keep waiting for a change.

From the moment I started reading I knew I was in for a mystifying storyline. Although the build up started out a little slow, I couldn’t help but keep reading to find out what would happen next. I was enthralled. The thought provoking plot line, the character development and the subsequent delving into each of the characters thought processes and ultimately what they eventually led to held me spellbound. Family dynamics, motherhood, obsessive compulsive behavior, mental health issues and how families deal, neglect or deny when family members exhibit struggles with situations, economic differences, homelessness and the need for control are all deeply relevant issues that are all expertly woven and purposefully exposed. A riveting mind bending and consuming story. It’s been days since I finished and I’m still replaying it in my head.

This book is a head-scratcher at first, trying to figure out how Juno fits into the Crouch family of Winnie, Nigel, and Sam. When I finally did figure it out, I wasn't sure I was buying the premise, but the excellent writing and good character development kept me reading. The chapters rotate from different characters' points of view, which helped me keep the characters straight in my head. The less you know about the plot, the better you will enjoy reading this very entertaining book. Thanks to NetGalley and Graydon House/Harlequin for providing an ARC.