This was another excellent and gripping read from Jackie. The characters and plot were fantastic. I was absolutely gripped from the start and loved the big twist at the end

Wow!!! I did not see that twist coming at the end.

This book was nothing short of amazing. This psychological thriller was quite an entertaining, jaw dropping story.

Beth, 40, a single mother of two, is trying to live a peaceful life. After her divorce from ex husband Jacob she settles into a new home, has a great job and is content to be happy.

There has been a missing element in her life though, her mother. Who after abandoning her and Beth's father thirty years prior miraculously returns at her doorstep. This supposed happy occasion in Beth's is not as it seems, since shortly after reuniting with her mother things in her life started to shift. Things from Beth's past seems to be lurking at every corner.

I liked the sequence of events in this book. I was eager to know what would happen next. There was a point in time where I started questioning everyone's sanity in the book especially Beth. The author was clever to make the reader wonder what Beth did in the past I think that was a nice touch because it had me literally screaming wanting to know what Beth did. I need to talk about Jacob. He was by far a typical ex husband I found he was so mean to Beth really.

Alice's character was very interesting. I did not know what to make of this long lost mother who just came back after thirty years.

Beth's life spiraled downward fast. Who was behind it?? I think you will be very shocked to know who. All in all I liked this book as I knew I would and I hope you like it too. For fans of a nice psychological thriller, mystery you can check this one one.

Favorite Quote:

There will be more rain, more darkness, of course there will. But there will always be rainbows. You just have to weather the storm, and then lift your face up and look for them.


My Review:

This was a slowly unfolding, busy, and multi-layered tale that kept me tethered to my Kindle, although I was conflicted with the main character throughout as I found her to be annoying and rather witless. Maybe because I was a mercilessly bullied youth myself, so I had a heaping helping of antagonism toward her for being such a horrid and vicious little madam as a pubescent young teen, and then a somewhat erratic and anxious adult. Yet this infuriatingly crafty author had me ensnared and I remained edgy and curiously vexed and aggravated as I nibbling on my cuticles while reading. Jackie Kabler is a wily one. I couldn't seem to read fast enough.

When Beth Holland was 10-years-old, her mother simply walked out, abandoning her and her father. Today, Beth is a practice manager for a group of physicians and the divorced mother of two. When she leaves the office, she sees what she believes to be the same man who is always hanging around watching her. Beth’s children Finley, 7, and Eloise, 10, are well cared for by Robin, their child minder. Jacob is her ex and lives with his beautiful and wealthy girlfriend who keep the children with them on the weekends. Beth’s father is now 80 and having had a stroke, lives in a care home where he is very happy.

One day, a woman knocks on the door and it’s none other than her mother. She apologizes profusely for having left Beth and her father and asks for her forgiveness. Beth is so happy to see her and begs her to stay.

Beth is not a happy person because she thinks someone is watching her. She’s also afraid that a deep secret she is hiding will come out. But when someone posts terrible pictures of her virally, her life is turned upside down.

There are some well-created characters in this book and readers will wonder who is trying to hurt Beth and destroy her reputation. There are lots of surprises and Beth’s pain is described very well. All in all, I enjoyed the book, but found her story to be a bit repetitious at times. The reader already knows what’s going on, so please don’t repeat it over and over. Enjoy readers!

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I love Jackie Kabler's novels and could not believe that I got the chance to read The Happy Family and give my feedback.

In the novel we meet Beth, she is divorced and her back story is one that is quite hard to read about. Her mother upped and left 30 years ago and obviously ruined Beth's upbringing - as how a mother can do this to her 10 year old is just horrendous. The plot is centred around this and her mother re-appearing back into Beth's life. When her mother shows up, even though delighted, many weird things start to happen to Beth, her friends appear to abandon her and we wonder what is happening to Beth and why?

I enjoyed this book and the characters in it were thought provoking and interesting.

A slightly slow burner of a novel but once it gets going it is full of mystery and twists and turns that make the reader quite uncomfortable.

Thanks to NetGalley, Jackie Kabler and the publisher for a copy in exchange for this review.

I liked this book but it did not blow me away. I thought the plot was too obvious and the protagonist, Beth, excruciatingly naive. It was an ok read but I did not get the thrills I was hoping for.

When Beth’s long-lost mother abruptly turns up on her doorstep, Beth asks no questions, instead seeking the relationship that she has craved for so many years. Keen to see her a part of the family, Beth encourages her mum to stay in the family home for the long-term so that she and Beth can catch up after such a long absence. Beth is delighted that her children respond so positively to their grandmother and when Alice announces that Beth also has a step-sister, it is like the dream of a properly family is suddenly coming true.

But whilst this may seem like that happy family that Beth has longed for, she cannot ignore the problems that start occurring in her life. Frequent forgetfulness, disintegrating relationships with close friends and a belief that someone is watching her, Beth feels like this part of her life is falling apart. Although she is playing happy families with her mum, everything else is crumbling. In addition, her relationship with her ex-husband becomes more strained and Beth feels desperate, concerned that a secret from her past is the cause of these problems.

Watching Beth’s life come tumbling down, I felt really sorry for her. As I have seen with many characters in similar stories, Beth turns to excessive amounts of alcohol, in the attempt to numb the pain of what is happening. However, this just leads to distorted memories and that Beth no longer trusts what she believes. It’s a terrible cycle and I was desperate for Beth to find the answers to why she thought someone is watching her.

Over the story, we gradually find out about Beth’s past, informing us of why she is so paranoid in the present. To be honest, I was not that surprised by the revelations, having guessed, to a degree, what had happened. With this in mind, I thought the story just took far longer than necessary. Elements of the story were too obvious for my liking and I felt frustrated by Beth’s acceptance of everything around her. It slowed the pace of the plot and I found there were many moments where I thought the narrative was tedious and predictable. This was reinforced by the fact that I had sadly guessed how the story would conclude and I thought it took too many chapters to get to this point.

This is an ok story that explores the concept of family and relationships. The more sinister theme of gas-lighting shows how victims really do lose faith in their judgement and I found Beth’s behaviour saddening because she lacked control over her life. However, in terms of plot development, I don’t think it was the most original of stories and surprises in the plot were lacking.

With thanks to Harper Collins, One More Chapter, NetGalley and Rachel’s Random Resources for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read The Happy Family by Jackie Kabler. I really enjoyed this novel, it was full of twists and kept you wondering what was really going on
The story main character is Beth, a divorced mother of two. Beth has a secret from a long time ago, she is hoping will never come back to haunt her. Her father lives in a seniors residence and her mother left when she was just a child. One day, her mother shows up on her doorstep, Beth is so excited that she has her mother back in her life, they decide that she will stay for a few months and take a sebatical from her job. And then things start to become strange for Beth.
This really was an enticing read, also an easy book to read and by that I mean characters were well introduced and described so the reader wasn't confused as to who was who. Full of many emotions and twists. I recommend it as a must read. I would read books by this author again.

Beths mother left home when she was a young girl and the devastation from that caused teenage Beth to act in ways she’s regretted her whole life. One day a stranger shows up at her door and says she is her long lost mother. Beth welcomes her with open arms. Soon after their happy reunion things start to go horribly wrong for Beth and she has to figure out who in her life she can trust and who she can’t.

I enjoyed this book and the characters were very likable. I gave it a 3 star although I liked it a lot it dragged on sooooo much. I picked out who the “bad guy” was early on and so I felt like the book just kept dragging on until it came out who was doing the awful things to Beth. There was a nice other twist near the end which was a little harder to pinpoint the answer to.

If you enjoy thrillers I would say this is worth the read.

The Happy Family by Jackie Kahler got my attention because of the mystery of the title and then the synopsis. I wanted to review it to find out if the family in the story were really happy. The Happy Family is a concept that has always intrigued me anyway in life. How happy is someone really?

Beth is divorced and a mother. She has tried to get on with her life after her own mother walked out on her when she was ten years old.

I was hoping to find a fast-paced thriller but instead this was very slow moving and I was not as surprised by the twists as I thought I would be. The characters were not as interesting as I initially thought they would be.

I was surprised by Beth inviting her mother to stay as soon as she turns up on her doorstep. Who would after all those years?

I did not find Beth particularly likeable either because she was not too positive at times. The body image subplot was strange.

I was expecting to be more hooked by this thriller but it just did not grab me.

Thanks to Jackie Kabler and Rachel's Random Resources for my ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.

3 stars.

When Beth's mother, Alice, returns after an absence of thirty years you can't help but be delighted that the happy ending of the story starts right at the beginning of the book. At first I thought this would be a cosy family drama where everything in the garden is lovely and Beth and her mother find all the love and happiness which has been denied them for so long. How wrong I was ! The Happy Family is far from happy and poor Beth soon starts to act in a very strange way, which makes her mother's care and consideration all the more timely.

The story flows well and there are enough twists and turns in the plot to keep you guessing. I really warmed to Beth's character, she's a single mum, juggling kids, home and work, and in desperate need of a great dollop of self esteem, but as the story gets darker so Beth's confidence starts to shatter. Some of the other characters, who flit into and out of the story, are more likeable than others, and from right from the start I enjoyed trying to guess where they all fitted into the overall scheme of the plot.

The Happy Family is the second of this author's psychological fiction I have read and I have thoroughly enjoyed both books. The quick pace and lively action makes The Happy Family perfect escapism when all you want to do is sit in the garden with a good book and packet of chocolate hobnobs.

I received an ARC copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest opinion of it. Beth is divorced and raising two children. Her life seems to be good with her kids, friends and her job. There is a knock at her door and she is shocked that it is her mom who left Beth and her dad when she was a little girl. Beth welcomes her unto her home with open arms and let's her stay with her and her kids. Beth starts forgetting things and notices that her two close friends in her neighborhood gave distanced themselves from her after supposedly claiming to Beth's mom that they were tired of being the mother figure to Beth. I reached about 50 percent of this book and I was not able to finish it. The main character was just so annoying. She let everyone, including her ex-husband, walk all over her and just constantly complained about her weight. I just could not finish it.

I devoured this book as I'd read The Perfect Couple and loved it as well! Beth is a divorced mom of two young children whose own mother walked out when she was young. Suddenly out of the blue, she appears on Beth's doorstep, apologetic for her disappearance all those years ago. Beth is kind and forgiving, grateful for this and invites her in, happy for her kids to have a grandmother. But Beth is also harboring a dark secret from her past that comes to haunt her with her mother's move. Things go downhill quickly as her friends and colleagues become distant and seem to shun her. And when the truth comes out, it is truly shocking and had me gasping for breath! You won't be disappointed with this thriller!

Beth's life seems to be going according to plan when all of a sudden she receives an unexpected knock on her door. It is her long lost mother--the same woman who walked out of her life as a child and never came back. Beth welcomes her into her home. Soon after, bizarre things start happening. It's almost as if someone is trying to sabotage her.

Beth was a relatable character. I felt the joy she felt when her mom returned, I felt her embarrassment when things started to go wrong for her. I enjoyed going on the journey trying to figure out how these things were occurring. Although I was able to guess the big twist, I think maybe that was intentional on the author's behalf because of the perfectly placed breadcrumbs along the way.

All in all, a solid read and I would read more from this author.

I received an ARC of "The Happy Family" by Jackie Kabler in exchange for an honest review.

Compelling Domestic Noir….
A family reunited, an unexpected guest, secrets, bizarre occurrences and devastating consequences. Compelling domestic noir with a well drawn and credible cast of characters, a clever and fast moving storyline and an engaging narrative. An addictive, escapist read.

This was a great story but I couldn't finish it. The sense of dread became to strong for me to cope with. Very well written story with good descriptions and the tension build up was phenomenal.

The Happy Family is such an amazing fast paced psychological thriller. This is my first book by Jackie Kabler and I’m now a huge fan.

30 years after her mum walks out on the family, Beth opens her front door to see her long lost mother standing there. Alice has come back into Beth’s life. At first things are fabulous but suddenly strange and horrible things start to happen to Beth. Beth life starts to fall apart and implode.

This is such a gripping edge of your seat unputdownable book. I thought I had the plot all figured out but was pleasantly surprised by the final shocking twist.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins Publishing’s for my free advance copy in exchange for my honest review!

I am a fan of author Jackie Kabler's work....
I've read all her books now and they do catch my interest...
She writes with ambition, good storytelling and a flair for a whodunit mystery.....
We meet Beth in this story. Beth's mum left her as a baby to be raised by her dad. Having missed out on a mother's love throughout her life, Beth wonders where she is and will she ever come back to her.
One day a woman turns up on her door step....
To Beth's astonishment, her mum has come home to her after all this time.
While they try to catch up on all they have missed out on together, strange things begin to happen in Beth's life. She can't quite explain them but when they start to have an impact on her family, friends and workplace, then something must give...
Suddenly her life is in chaos and she feels she has no one to turn to for help only her mother. But she is frightened to confide in her for fear of her packing her bags and heading off again...
Can Beth find the courage to tell her mother and will she help her daughter when she really needs her....
A great story that will keep you guessing right to the very end...
I really enjoyed her characters in this one...
Well worth your time....

If you like a slow moving thriller, then this is the book for you. Personally, I prefer something more quick-paced, which sadly made this a 3-star read for me. It was frustrating to see Beth become more isolated and traveling down a dangerous path, knowing what was happening to her but waiting to get that resolution (which I think was worth it in the end.

While I empathised toward Beth, I didn’t really like her as a character. I guess that’s mostly because I didn’t understand her. I thought it was a bit too fake that she opened her mother in with open arms, not once getting angry or questioning why she left. Likewise, I thought her relationship with her ex-husband and his new partner was also too good to be true.

What would you do if your mother who disappeared when you were ten years old, shows up suddenly thirty years later? Single mother Beth is overjoyed at the chance to rebuild their relationship and invites her mother Alice to move in. At first, life seems perfect, but then Beth’s friends start to drift away and strange things start to happen at home. Beth is forced to question everything… Is someone in her life trying to destroy her happiness?

This wasn’t my favorite book. It moved SO SLOWLY that I just couldn’t get myself interested. Plus, Beth made horrible decisions and acted like a silly goose. The plot was also very far fetched… although I figured out the twists very early!

Meh. This one wasn’t horrible, but I found it very lack luster. Three stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and One More Chapter Publishing for the free ARC of The Happy Family in return for my honest review.

A well-written mystery that is best promoted as a domestic thriller. Kabler offers an interesting cast of characters that elicit a general distain from the reader and adds to the overall tone of the novel. Some of the storyline felt familiar and whether Kabler intentionally added some predicability or not, it diminished the narrative’s dimension.
Recommended for those newer to the genre as veteran readers may find the the plot paced and transparent.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC of #TheHappyFamily which was read and reviewed voluntarily; all thoughts and opinions are my own.