The Happy Family is a quick read with lots of twists.. The story moves at fast pace and keeps the reader on their toes, trying to piece together bits of information. I didn’t want to put it down until I found out exactly why Beth’s life was unraveling. I am anxious to read Jackie Kabler’s other two books next.
Thank you to HarperCollins Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and enjoy this ARC.

The Happy Family by Jackie Kabler is a psychological thriller that will have your head whirling. This is my first time reading Jackie Kabler's work and I think I need to go and find her other books now! It certainly kept me on my toes.
Beth is a single parent, she has a good job and two lovely children, she even gets on with her ex and his current girlfriend (the woman her ex was first having an affair with). Beth frequently visits her father who is in a fantastic care home after suffering a stroke. The only thing that is missing from Beth’s life is her mum. Beth’s mum walked out on her and her father when she was only ten years old, this is something that affects Beth in various ways to the present day.
One day her mum just turns up, knocking on her door. She welcomes her with open arms and allows her to move in with her and the children. Everything is going fabulous until strange things begin to happen to Beth. She has no clue who it could be...but will she find out?
A proper twisty story with revelations coming throughout. I obviously had my own ideas, specially when things really turned ominously sinister but I wasn't altogether right and love that in a book, particularly one that has the power to mess with someone's head.I was at times well on the edge of my seat and whispering What?! A few times throughout.
The characters were well fleshed out and I thought the plot fabulous! One thing is crystal clear and that is Jackie Kabler is an excellent author.
Thanks to Rachel's Random Resources, One More Chapter and NetGalley for the copy of the book.

Great book! I loved it! Jackie doesn't disappoint! I was surprised by the twist! There were quite a few different ways this could have went but I didn't see it coming.

The title, blurb and book cover caught me eye. The book kept me hooked throughout. I liked the character of Beth and her friends and colleagues. When her mother who Beth hasn't seen for decades turns up on her doorstep Beth is delighted. Then things change, and not for the better.. A compelling read which had me guessing all sorts of outcomes. A really good read.

Single mum Beth Holland has a settled and happy life with her two children and best friends around her. She also has a successful career as a practice manager in a busy doctors surgery and a beautiful home. Although her life hasn't always been plain sailing she is now perfectly content with her lot. One day there is a knock at her front door, and she opens it to find her long-lost mother, Alice on the doorstep. Alice walked out when Beth was ten years old. Beth decides to let her mum stay with her, but then her life starts to come apart at the seams.

A slow-burner at the beginning, the pace of the story soon picks up in The Happy Family. As everything starts to turn a darker shade and matters take on a sinister vibe I found my mind sifting through various scenarios and likely outcomes. With palpable creepiness, I thoroughly enjoyed my journey towards the shocking ending. There is also an interesting moral dilemma for the rumination of the reader. Very highly recommended.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from One More Chapter via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

I read this ARC for an honest review
All thoughts and opinions are mine

Having a bit of a thriller phase and my this was satisfying
Lots of twists and turns and kept me guessing throughout which was great

A wonderful summer read

What can I say, this is a fantastic psychological crime thriller and has you second guessing everything from start to finish.

It is twisty, gripping and full of suspense - you will want to read it all in one go - then be stunned silent by the ending! 😳😱

This is the first book I have read by Jackie Kabler, but it will not be the last. I love her writing style, it’s so easy to read but so so good.

I definitely recommend this to anyone who loves to read a good thriller!

I’m a little bored of thrillers that have the main character suspecting something but no one believing her or a dark secret being threatened to be told, and this book has both. The complete swapping from a perfect life to the most horrendous situation imaginable with such an unlikely outcome I’m afraid didn’t do it for me.

When Beth was ten years old, her mother Alice walked out and never came back. Despite her rather troubled childhood, Beth has spent a lot of time coming to terms with the way her mother abandoned her, and now she is finally happy and settled in her own life, with a loving family and a home she is proud to call her own.

Her life is turned upside down when her mother suddenly turns up on her doorstep thirty years after walking away without so much as a backward glance. At first, Beth feels as though her life is finally complete, but her happiness is short lived when Beth’s life starts to fall apart around her, and she is left questioning who is behind the threats on her happiness, and how far they are willing to go in the process.

After reading Jackie Kabler’s previous thriller ‘The Perfect Couple’ I had high expectations, and I certainly wasn’t left disappointed!. Beth is one of those characters that you connect with instantly, and the more I learnt about her and her troubled past, the more my heart went out to this woman who had strived to give her children the life she never had. The relationship she shares with her children is wonderful and adds even more depth to this story.

Although we are aware that Beth is carrying a secret from early on in the story, the suspense that built around this well hidden secret is utterly captivating and had me on the edge of my seat as the plot progressed. With a strong cast of characters, and incredible dialogue created by the author, you find yourself fully immersed in their lives and the drama that surrounds them.

The storyline is wonderfully structured and perfectly paced, allowing the tension and suspense to build with each passing chapter which kept me engrossed to the very end. With an abundance of twists and turns, this is an utterly chilling story that I read in one sitting as I couldn’t bare not knowing the how the story would come to it’s conclusion. This is definitely a book that will sit firmly on my ‘must read’ list for 2021.

I enjoy the beginning of the book but in the middle it turn to a slow read.
I like the two twists but it was something that I already predict to happen so it wasn't a big surprise for me.
I think Beth could be a more strong character and not go easily with the information's that other characters give to her.
I the end it was a ok book.

Life hasn't always been easy for Beth. When she was just 10, her mother abandoned her and was never heard from again.
Now, in her early forties, Beth is finally settled; she has two children, and although she is not with their father anymore, she feels happy; she has a successful career and a good circle of friends.
But one day, when her mother unexpectedly knocks on her door, Beth's life gets turned upside down...


I requested this book because I've read and enjoyed one of the author's previous books.
I admit that the blurb didn't lure me in instantly, and so I didn't set my expectations very high.
I'm happy to report that I was pleasantly surprised.
This was a brilliant read, fast-paced and full of twists and turns.
The story started a bit slowly, but it picked up pretty quickly, and it had me guessing all the way through. Some of my suspicions proved to be right, but still, the story kept me in suspense till the end, and I raced through it.
Highly recommended.

While listed as a thriller, this is more of a family drama with a few twists.  I thought it was a very easy read, but moved at a slow pace as you learned a lot about the characters.

Beth has always resented that her Mom walked out of her life when she was young, so when she shows back up in her life, she is so overjoyed that she doesn't question it.

Then odd things start to happen.  Is it a coincidence or is something going on?  While I figured out some of what is to come, I enjoyed the unraveling of the story.  At times Beth seems a little naive, but as her past is woven into the story, it makes a little more sense how she turned out.

I don't want to tell too much and spoil the plot, but this is a good, quick summer read.  Sit back and enjoy the story as it unfolds.  I think fans of CE Rose, Kelly Heard and CL Taylor will like this book.

2.5 stars. I really enjoyed this author’s previous book The Perfect Couple but The Happy Family is just not for me. I’ve been pickier about thrillers recently and this one didn’t cut it for me. I really don’t like the overdone plot of “forgetfulness” and having people making the main character believe they are to blame for weird things happening (and then the main character believing them). I’ve read this storyline one too many times and honestly don’t care for it. That being said, the characters are amazing, the writing is excellent and it was very suspenseful so if you are into that plot line, I say definitely give this one a shot! And please check out all the amazing reviews on Goodreads! I’m definitely in the minority with this one.

Thank you to the publisher and @netgalley for providing a free advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This isn't my first Jackie Kabler's book, and I enjoyed it as much as I did the other one I have read. The author has a good way of grabbing the readers attention and making us not being sure what is right of wrong and yet wanting to come up with a theory as we went through the story.

In this book we follow Beth and her family. We met characters, we can see them interact and be suspicious about them. And as strange things start happening, I had that 'at the edge of my seat' kind of feeling. I couldn't stop reading, I needed to know more about Beth, Alice and the mysteries.

It is kind of tricky to talk about the book, I'm kind of afraid to give a spoiler. What I can say it that the way the author messed up with my head and yet made me almost like addicted to the story, was fantastic. I really wanted to read the next page and learn if I was right with my ideas. I wanted to see how the author would surprise me next.

Overall, I enjoyed it. I was unsure if I enjoyed it more than the previous book of Jackie Kabler that I have read, but I can now say I do like it more. Maybe because of the strong family element and family mysteries that we go through with the the main character. That really got me spooked and curious.

[I want to thank Rachel, at Rachel’s Random Resources, Jackie Kabler and One More Chapter for the eCopy of this book, via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.}

This book wasn’t very good , in fact it was blooming brilliant, Right from the first few pages I knew I was going to be hooked and I sure was. Just awesome.

The Happy Family is a bullys worst nightmare, a story of revenge, of drama and acting at its best. The story centres around Beth: a practice manager of a doctors surgery, and her family. She is divorced, but on good terms, a mother of two and abandoned by her mother when she was young.

But what happens when an unexpected visitor comes knocking. When a ghost from her past turns up at her door, bringing with it a string of bad luck. Or is Beth letting the stress get the best of her.

This book was an absolute struggle to put down, even harder than a good slice of cake. It gripped you very early on with breadcrumbs of drama dotted page by page. It is a well written drama, with writing that flowed to life and had you feeling like you had jumped straight into a TV drama. I loved what Jackie brought to life. It was full of suspense, questions and spirals of guilt. It even kept the final surprise as the biggest reveal.

I will admit, I had my right suspicions on who the puppetmaster was, but as far as motives went, I was definitely taken by surprise and I am so glad for it, as it made the events unravel an entertaining drama. I really enjoyed this book and it is definitely on my list already for birthday/Christmas ideas for the thriller readers of my family. I loved every staged step of this story and can not wait to check out more by this author.

“Figments of your imagination don’t leave footprints, do they?”

I found this book easy to get into and I was hooked from the beginning. The author creates a definite sense of uneasiness straight away as Beth feels that she is being followed and is having nightmares. These problems continue well into the book, and the details and possible explanations are uncovered slowly and effectively in order to maximise tension.

Beth was a relatable and likeable character to an extent. She is clearly a hard-working mother who tries to keep her life on the right track following some past mistakes and the break down of her marriage.

My favourite element of the book is definitely that the author clearly has a skill and talent for balancing both elements: the psychological element alongside the thriller element. The nightmares, paranoia and Beth’s ability to be easily influenced by others all ramp up the psychological element of the narrative and give this story even more impact.

I have found this story to be perfectly plotted, suspenseful and full of unexpected twists, therefore I think it completely worthy of five stars. I would recommend this book to fans of Miranda Rijks and Arianne Richmonde.

The Happy Family by Jackie Kable is a bit of a slow burn, psychological thriller. There were some surprising moments, but what I think was the most successful part of this plot, was the atmosphere that the slow burn created. It helped put me inside the story.

The plot explores family and relationships, and the emotional abuse that can happen. As I said, there were some surprises, however there was some predictable things too. That didn’t deter my enjoyment though.

Beth was an interesting character. She’s definitely going through it in this story and it was sad.

Overall, I liked The Happy Family. I’d recommend it.

Thank you to Rachel’s Random Resources for the opportunity to honestly review this book on the blog tour. All opinions are my own and unbiased.

Take every conceivable part of what makes a great psychological thriller, add every ingredient from a family drama and mix it up with a classic whodunit and you either get a disaster OR you get this
I loved every bit of this book, the storylines ( and there are a lot all fighting to be heard ) the characters, which are for a reader just heaven sent, the writing style which is near perfect and calls to you to come on back when you’re not reading it and there you have it, a wonderful read
You can forgive the few believability snaggles in your mind as it’s too good to waste time thinking about them, they are there but it’s a good enough read to forgive them
There is no padding, no faffy repetition and no added words to make it longer and the adrenaline and almost fainting with palps whilst there is kept to a minimum and it whizzes on getting more and more exciting as it goes
There is also an interesting moral dilemma for the reader as to wether you forgive something truly horrific in a characters past when they repent
Loved it

10/10
5 Stars

Beth is happy with her life. Living with her two children, divorced from their Dad but still friendly with him and his partner, a few good, close friends and a job she loves. The only things bothering her is that her Mum left when she was a kid and she hasn’t heard from her since, and her Dad is now in a care home – although he’s happy. So one day when there’s a knock on the door, she’s surprised when it appears that her Mum has tracked her down after all this time! Ecstatic, she invites her in and she plans on staying for some time.

But things start going downhill for Beth. Just as she thought things couldn’t get any better. But as her friends drift away, strange things start happening at home and she keeps losing things. She doesn’t know if she’s losing her mind or if someone is out to get her. But who? And why? As things escalate, Beth needs to work out what’s happening before her whole life is destroyed.

This is a brilliant, suspenseful psychological thriller that will get you questioning and doubting everyone. There are a couple of big twists in this – which I managed to figure out before the reveal – but even then they were still shocking!

The things that happen to Beth are creepy and really would put you on edge! Her self-esteem is in tatters, and things just get progressively worse for her. And because some of the things are pretty unbelievable, even those close to her start to doubt her sanity. I felt really sorry for her at times! But then again at other times, I really wanted her to just open her eyes!!

In terms of characters, I did really like Beth although there are definitely some questionable things about her. Probably the only two people that I completely liked and didn’t doubt at some point were her Dad and son! Even her daughter drove me nuts at times!

The writing style will pull you in, is easy to read and will make you want to keep reading. I wouldn’t say this was particularly fast-paced; to me it was a slow suspenseful burner than left with questions that would later be answered – making you want to keep reading.

So…if you’re looking for a psychological thriller with a couple of super twists that will leave you questioning everyone, then this is for you. Recommended by me. I’ll definitely be checking out more from Jackie.