This was a can't put downer! Loved it! Very different from tradional thrillers but very fast paced and attention grabbing.

READ THIS BOOK! Loved the premise, the chapters were fast paced and kept my attention. One of my new fave authors!

This so completely hooked me, I absolutely loved it. The super creepy family, the main character's secret past, the entire atmosphere of the climax. This was absolutely one of those "just one more chapter" books.
*
Quick synopsis: Harriet is newly engaged to Edward, the oldest son of a super-rich family, when she meets the future in-laws for the first time. The patriarch shares a dark secret, while also revealing that he knows Harriet's dark secret as well, making Harriet wonder if she'll survive the holiday games the family plays
*
This was a bit of a slow build, and I did think the final twist was pretty obvious from the start, and there was one fairly major plot hole in Harriet's decision-making, but the ending was just set up so well that it completely made up for those minor issues. It was so dark and atmospheric, and I really enjoyed how it all came together.
*
(My only minor nit...Harriet receives a tape with explosive secrets...and it takes her the entire book to listen to the whole thing. What?! How do you not finish that right away!)
*
This is such a great winter thriller, and I whole-heartedly recommend it! Thanks to @netgalley and @penguinrandomhouse for the early copy!

This is a highly original thriller that includes cozy mystery elements, which is another favorite genre of mine. The main character is newly engages and as she is brought into the fold of her fiancés mysterious family, she understands that there is a lot that may have happened behind closed doors and she might be next… Loved it!

Thank you to Ballantine and NetGalley for the gifted ebook of The Family Game. All opinions in this review are my own.

I am 50 pages into The Family Game and I am giving up. I like thrillers because they usually grab my attention right from the beginning and I can't put them down until the end. Unfortunately, this didn't happen with The Family Game. I love the cover and the opening chapter, but then not enough happened to keep me invested. I heard it does pick up at about 40%, but I'm only at 15% and I don't want to skim read to get there. Also, the *SPOILER* accidental pregnancy was the official stopping point for me. I don't like it in romance books, and I don't want it in thrillers.

Oh I love a dysfunctional family book and this one checked ALL the boxes! Harriet meets the love of her life, Edward, who comes from a legendary filthy rich family. Harriet can finally leave her own troubled past behind and is intrigued by getting to know Edward's family. But that is a door she absolutely should have kept shut as the fascination quickly turns to horror. The vivid imagery in this book added to the creepiness and the final twist was a shocker.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Ballantine for the ARC.

What a kickass book! I did not expect the ending - no spoilers, but the scene of the actual family game...CHILLS. Although I have read (or watched) this trope a few times about a weird rich family, a cool woman buying in, then all hell breaking loose, this book still felt unique.

Another impressive book by this author! I loved her debut novel, Something in the Water, and I loved Disappearing Act but I think this one is even better. Each novel continues her growth as a writer with tighter writing and pacing that hooks you. Each story is very different but at its heart is a heroine you want to tag along with. I was shocked when I realized I was halfway through this novel and really no closer to where it was going because I was so enjoying what I was reading which didn’t feel like the description. I don’t mean that in a bad way, just in that’s how great the writing is, that I was completely caught up in the story about well nothing really. It takes awhile before the book barrels forward more towards the description and when it dos it’s at breakneck speed. I loved the reveal but I was sorry the book was ending because it’s such a great read. The beginning started off slowly for me which had me nervous about this book but very quickly I was happily immersed in Harry’s life so don’t worry if it doesn’t grab you right away. There’s a blackmail revealed that sets up the story and my only complaint about this novel is how unrealistic the repercussions hanging over her head were but it’s very easy to overlook for the sake of this story. I do wish there was more clarification at the end but again that’s a minor quibble. I’m excited that I missed the author’s other book, Mr. Nobody, since I’m bummed to be done with this one. If you haven’t read her books yet I recommend you start at the beginning because they are all worth reading. I can’t wait to read her next one! I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I wanted to enjoy this mystery but I found it hard to follow. I felt myself wanting the book to be over halfway through, and skimmed until the end, where I was met with a rather unfulfilling conclusion.

Ooh, this was twisty and disturbing! I love reading about dysfunctional families, in a can't-look-away kind of way. I did suspect the end twist, but I was actually really happy with the way it played out--a lot of hope, which I don't look for in a thriller but really appreciated as we roll into fall 2022. It also gave me really cozy vibes, despite the f-ed up holiday stuff! I saw everything so clearly in my mind--would make a great mini-series.

Review published on Goodreads, 5 July 2022:

As with Steadman's previous psychological thrillers, I was drawn to this one—her newest—because of its intriguing premise. There's just so much juicy potential in the idea of the newest member of a powerful, wealthy family being given a tape with what appears to be a murder confession on it. Even though the story got less appealing to me as it spun on, I still kept reading THE FAMILY GAME to see what in the world was going to happen. I could tell where the plot was going from the get-go, but I definitely wanted to see how it was going to play out.

That being said, there was a lot about the plot that didn't make sense to me, including the purpose of the confession tape. I also found the characters (Harry included) to be cliché and unlikable, with some of them being downright reprehensible. The whole idea of Harry being attracted to her father-in-law turned me off completely, especially since I didn't see him as "charming" in the least. Ick. Even though the plot of THE FAMILY GAME goes from illogical to bizarre PDQ (pretty darn quick), I did find myself racing through the pages. I didn't really care about the characters, but I did want to know what was going to happen to them. The ending (at least Harry's resulting relationship with the Holbeck family) made no sense to me either, so...I'm calling this an average read. There was plenty that rubbed me the wrong way about the story, but it kept my attention throughout and kept me turning pages.

I went into this, as I'm sure others did as well, expecting it to be something like the movie Ready or Not. There's kind of the same vibe, especially when they play the game with everyone's favorite malevolent Christmas sprite (outside of the Elf on the Shelf). But overall, this is a different kind of story altogether and I liked it. Yeah, maybe it's not the most plausible tale in the world, but it's a good time.

Actual rating 2.5 stars.

I will start by saying that I had a fun time reading this, and for that reason I gave 3 stars rounded up. This is a thriller involving a writer who winds up in over her head when she meets her fiance's family. Harry (Harriet) is an orphan, a writer, and a Brit expatriat living with her boyfriend Edward Holbeck in New York City. Edward proposes, and Harry realizes she will have to meet his family. Turns out that Edward is the eldest son of the Holbeck family, one of the wealthiest and most secretive families in America. Harry is then drawn into a cat-and-mouse series of cruel games that the family like to play, and the tension escalates when she becomes the target of the patriarch, Robert Holbeck and the secrets that Harry keeps close to her chest threaten to come to light.

This is a very enjoyable thriller if you do not think about the plot at all. Although the climax was interesting and entertaining, it truly makes no sense so do not think about it just go with the vibes, like the author did when attempting to write about America as a British person (I lol'd at some of the dialogue of the American characters and description of New York City like it is very much written as someone overseas attempting to write about America without having been there for like more than a weekend).

⭐️⭐️FOUR STARS⭐️⭐️

Catherine Steadman’s latest thriller, The Family Game, poses the question, “How far are you willing to go for love?” In the case of her protagonist, the answer is pretty darn far!

Many people have likened this book to the film Ready or Not. I’m here to tell you to disregard that comment. Go into it with a fresh mind - this is an unique and original story. That being said, if you liked the film, you’ll probably like this book.

Our protagonist is Harry (Harriett), a young, newly successful author, who has fallen in love with a wealthy and seemingly perfect man. But, after she meets his family, she learns some family secrets are darker than others… including her own.

I really enjoyed this book. It was tough to put down! My only complaint? It ended too abruptly. I liked the conclusion, but I think it could have been executed better. I honestly wondered if there was a chapter missing before the final one.

That being said, I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes a good thriller or a quick read.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for providing an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Harriet (Harry) Reed seems to have everything going for her. Her first novel just sold its millionth copy and she’s about to marry the handsome, wealthy man of her dreams. Now that it’s the holidays, she’ll be meeting his family for the first time. Growing up an orphan after her parents died when she was young, she likes the idea of having a family again, even though Edward has been estranged from them and warns her they are not like other families. Harriet attributes it to them growing up with the kind of money most of us can’t fathom in real life.

Certainly the holiday games they play aren't like anything she's known--they border on being psychologically cruel, but Harry does her best. She’s under an extreme time crunch to get her second book written, so she can’t investigate the family members much until it might be too late.

The last 50 or so pages in particular were very tense and suspenseful. I whipped through them quickly to see how it all worked out. I don’t remember reading another story quite like this, so kudos to Steadman for her original premise and execution.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this novel, which RELEASES SEPTEMBER 29, 2022.

This was kind of over the top but ya know what. I liked it! The setup: Harriet has just gotten engaged to the man of her dreams – he’s charming, handsome, and comes from an old money New York family. Now it’s time for her to meet his mysterious family…and they may be more than she bargained for. Think: that movie Ready Or Not. I never saw it so I can’t speak to how totally similar they are but it’s definitely in that vein (though this wasn’t a horror novel, just a thriller).

I loved the setting of this book. I thought the author did a great job of evoking NYC at Christmas – the lights on Fifth Avenue, the icy streets, just the whole atmosphere. I loved the fiance’s family’s mansion on the Upper East Side, the Brooklyn townhouse where his brother lives, and the gigantic, secluded, gothic home upstate where they go to spend Christmas. So fun. It reminded me the tiniest bit of Rosemarys Baby – none of the devil worship/supernatural stuff at all, but just this young woman in NYC and everyone kind of manipulating things and keeping secrets around her. The book fell into my favorite genre – rich people acting crazy on the Upper East Side – so it seems I’ll enjoy anything that falls under that umbrella. Again, the whole thing was definitely a little far fetched and over the top but honestly, I enjoyed it! A fun, fast read that I think will be great for fall and heading into Christmas. This one releases in November!

This was my first book by Catherine Steadman, and I definitely am a fan of family drama and thrillers so I thought I was really going to love this one. I must say though, it was a slow start, and I pretty much guessed the "twist" about the halfway point. Still, I did want to keep reading, and there was enough of a mystery to move it along. I do think some will really like this one.

Harry (short for Harriet) is a novelist who is engaged to Edward. He is the Heir to a very wealthy, prominent, and powerful family. Edward has severed ties with his family to make his own way, but inevitably, they are pulled back into the family. Harry thinks that they seem welcoming and fairly normal. Then, her soon to be father in law, Robert, hands her a tape of a book he's written. As she listens, she realizes it's actually a confession. Why would Robert want her to hear this? Harry decides to play the dangerous games this family has. If she plays wrong, things could go terribly bad for her.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own. Out October 18.

Inventive and atmospheric, this book is going to be a hit this November/December - or at the very least it deserves to be. I echo the other reviewers who say this one reminds them of “Ready or Not” - such an apt comparison. It definitely made me feel the same way while reading it as I did watching the movie. I raced through the last 15-20% of the book, desperate to have my questions answered. A few threads I feel like were glossed over and a few puzzle pieces I would’ve liked answered a bit more clearly, but ultimately, this is a really strong entry into the genre. Thank you to Ballantine and Catherine Steadman for the advance review copy in exchange for my free and honest review.

3.5 rounded up to 4. Atmospheric thriller featuring a powerful family and wicked games. The premise of the book drew me in, dark secrets and unnerving mind games are part in parcel for this novel. The plot and the characters build up slowly then really take off midway through the book. Primary critique is the representation of the American characters- they sound and feel more British. Overall though the reading experience was a good time with The Family Game.

3.5*
Thank you SO much to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for this ARC! 🫶🏼

First of all let me just say that I enjoyed this book! I was intrigued by the whole story line. I was desperate to know what was going on. The mystery aspect of this book kept me on my toes. However, there were a couple parts that felt a little lackluster and I felt myself getting a little bored. I did guess where this one was headed around 60% in the book. There’s not a big plot twist or anything with this book so just keep that in mind.

I would recommend giving this one a shot, if you’re looking for a short chapter, easy to read thriller.

Review will be posted to Instagram on 9/13/22