Cleo will stop at nothing to have Harris as her husband. Fifteen years ago something happened to separate them and she never stopped loving him. She becomes more than a bit obsessed with him, nearly going off the rails. She stalks him, breaks into his house, nearly goes insane when she discovers there's another woman in his life. The book could've ended sooner, but the twists and turns kept me reading till the very end. Cleo is determined to not let a fifteen year-old secret come to ruin her happiness. Seems like a sequel in the making since Cleo isn't done yet with Harris' family.

This one drew me in right away. It starts with an extremely traumatic and stressful scene! And it developed from there. I quickly learned that none of the three main characters—the politician, his ex, and her sister—with POVs were very likable. They were all unreliable in their narration and erratic in their actions. But I think that’s the genius of the book! I was engrossed watching them as they slowly spiraled more and more out of control. The political campaign of the main character provided lots of drama and intrigue as well, and did his relationship with his father, the senator. <Spoiler Alert. You’ve been warned.> My only quibble with the book was the ending. It was, and I can’t believe I’m saying this, too happy. I love a happy ending, but I didn’t feel like any character deserved one after all they did! Overall though,I loved the writing and the story was intriguing!

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for my review copy.

Related by Blood by Holly Sheidenberger

Thank you Holly and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in return for a fair and honest review.

This is a great psychological thriller. What struck me is how dark and sinister it seemed from the very beginning. Cleo is so intense and quite frankly terrifying ! Her obsession with Harris actually made me a bit anxious if I’m being honest.

Harris is completely toxic and manipulating and don’t even get me started on Thalia, and Cleo and Thalias relationship. What horrible characters, but it did make for a good read if you like that constant sinking feeling in your stomach and a dread of what happens next.

It put me very much in mind of French books in this vein. Very intense characterisation, full of angst and passion.

Overall a good, dark thriller which I would put in the 4 Star category.

I liked this story, up until I didn’t like this story….which was around the 90% completion mark. There was so much drama and I just kept waiting for something, anything to pop off and give me that “ah ha” twist, but it never happened. This is part one in a series, so I still have very high hopes for that WTF moment.

This was a quick read, it definitely grabs you in and keeps you wondering. I’m looking forward to part two.

This was a fun, fast paced, and addictive thriller. It was a great mix of political intrigue, love story, obsession, and madness. ⁣
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The multiple POVs were great but I found the main characters to be very immature, impulsive, and acting like love sick teenagers instead of grown up professionals. I felt irritated by their personalities and their behaviors but I could not stop reading. ⁣
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Thank you NetGalley for the ARC that was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.

🩸Have you ever delved into a book where every primary character is despicable, yet you found yourself strangely captivated? Today’s read was precisely that for me.

🩸 Let’s talk about the terrible people in this book: politicians with secrets, a cheating spouse entangled in a web of deceit, and a spurned lover who takes “bizarre” to a whole new level. These characters are the embodiment of everything readers love to hate. And yet, their appalling behaviors kept me turning the pages.

🩸 The plot setup was riveting. I was hooked from the first chapter, eager to learn more. The narrative unfolds through three distinct points of view, offering the perfect balance of perspectives on the unfolding drama.

🩸 But the ending! Abrupt, unexpected—a twist that shocked me. It wasn’t the resolution I’d anticipated (and secretly hoped for), but perhaps that’s the genius of this story. Life rarely ties up neatly; sometimes, it throws curveballs that defy our expectations.

🩸 In this novel, detestable characters collide, secrets unravel, and the pace never relents. I found myself thoroughly engrossed. A unique talent indeed—to make us invested in villains we despise.

Thank you @Netgalley and Mahonia Publishing and the author for an eArc of this book, which I have read and reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

📚 Book Review 📚

Wow! This was full on and pacy from the first page.

Young couple Cleo and Harris are driving along a tree lined highway at night, heading straight towards their future when an unthinkable event occurs. Things will never be the same for them again.

Fast forward fifteen years and their paths cross once more. Their lives have changed but the feelings they have for each other clearly have not.

This is not so much a psychological love story, but a handbook on obsession and control. It was non stop and at points quite scary to be a part of. It was very easy to read, with short chapters which is great for people like me who read before going to sleep and even better for the ‘just one more chapter’ readers! You just want to keep reading.

Cleo is off the hook, Harris needs to live his own life but Thalia?? What on Earth were you thinking??!

I’d like to thank Mahonia Publishing, NetGalley and the author for the arc and the fantastic opportunity, in exchange for my honest feedback 😊

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

It sets up with a crime that's covered up and never really goes away, even 15 years later. With a political backdrop—but not left or right; ideally balanced—that raises the stakes of keeping the crime hidden, the tension is strong throughout. Short chapters and consistent action keep the pages turning. I kept waiting for a big twist that didn't come, but it's otherwise a solid psychological thriller.

Holly Sheidenberger does a great job in writing the psychological thriller genre. The characters were everything that I was looking for and enjoyed the thriller element to this. The characters has a great overall feel to them and and thought they were realistic. The plot had everything that I was looking for and can't wait for more.

Those books that you can’t put down, even though it’s a stressful scene, even though you know something is about to happen. This is one of those books.

I enjoyed the Kinsman and was very happy when the author asked if I was interested in reading this book.

One event changes everything for Cleo and Harris. One event sets them each on a path that will forever alter everything.

Obsession, lies, deceit, love and infatuation are all present in this book and I could not put it down.

While the ending wrapped up the immediate questions I had the teaser of the next book has me asking more.

This novel is dark and twisty and definitely gives Fatal Attraction vibes. Holly writes in such a way that you can’t help but keep going to see what secret, what twist is coming next.

I am looking forward to reading Holly’s next book.

Thank you to the author and Mahonia Publishing for the copy of this book. All views are my honest opinion.

I was fortunate enough to have read Holly’s novelette The Kinsman and jumped at the chance to read her first full length novel. This was such a gripping domestic noir thriller. I was hooked in immediately and couldn’t put it down, reading it in a couple of settings. I loved the way Holly built up the tension as we counted down to Election Day. I couldn’t wait to see how things played out. I was certainly taken by a few of the twists and didn’t pick the ending.

Told from multiple point of views Harris, Cleo and her sister Tahlia. I admit I found them all fairly unlikeable but it really worked well with storyline. I kept changing my mind with who I wanted to see come out on top. That said, it was mostly the two sisters I wanted to succeed over Harris! I loved all the messy family dynamics and the contrasts between a wealthy, privileged family background and those that have struggled their whole life. It’s always scary to see how powerful people can just make things disappear. A fabulous debut novel, I can’t wait to see what Holly comes up with next.

Thanks to Holly and NetGalley for my copy of Related By Blood. I binge read this in a day!

👉🏻 Cleo and Harris, Harris and Cleo. This is the story of their crazy obsessive past and current relationship. It’s a lot. It’s dark.

Fifteen years ago after a tragic accident Harris and Cleo are separated from each other, not really by choice. Harris has followed in his father’s senator footsteps and running for office. Cleo is still obsessed and just knows he still loves her too. She’s clearly obsessed and headed down a dangerous path. She’ll do what she has to do to get Harris and keep him forever no matter who she hurts.

I enjoyed this dark tale and it was overall a quick and disturbing read. I def want to read more and I’m pretty sure this story isn’t over yet!

Sidenote *Also, I feel dirty after reading this and I’m not sure why. 😂🙈 It’s not necessarily a bad way to feel. 🤷‍♀️

Overall I give it a 3.5-4 star rating as it def wasn’t boring and I did enjoy it!

Thank you Holly Sheidenberger for the ARC!
Pub Date: May 30, 2024

Fifteen years ago, a shocking event changed Cleo and Harris's lives forever. In the present, Cleo still hasn’t recovered from that devastating day. She is yearning to get back the life she lost and makes a bold decision that changes everything. Suspicion and jealousy drive her to increasingly erratic behavior. How far is she willing to go? Soon everyone she knows is entangled in a web of lies and deceit.

The book is told through Cleo, Harris and Cleo's sister, Thalia. Cleo is pretty intense. Think of Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction. I didn't particularly like any of the characters but it was a quick read with lots of drama.

Read if you like:
✨dysfunctional families
✨psychological thrillers
✨morally grey characters
✨multi POVs

I love Holly’s first novelette and was very excited to hear about her new novel. It did not disappoint. It was a page turner!

One tragic accident changes the face tire for Cleo and Harris. Their lives are no longer set on a track together. But after 15 years apart, they find each other again. Cleo becomes a crazy stalker, that typical “if I can’t have him nobody else can” crazy girl. She does everything she can to keep others away from Harris while trying to get back together with him. Harris wants Cleo, but he knows they aren’t good for each other, and she would be bad for his political career. One twist and turn after another, the story unfolds as you see the lengths people will go through for love. The ending brought some great closure to this story, but also opened up for a sequel for the craziness to follow. Cleo is one that will stop at nothing to get what she wants!

Related by Blood by Holly Sheidenberger revolves around Cleo and Harris. As the story foreshadows, can one mistake destroy your life? It did for Cleo. Cleo hopes that her undefined relationship with Harris, the son of a U.S. Senator, will finally become official. But their plans are interrupted by a shocking accident.

I'm not sure how I feel about this book. There was no real reason for them to leave the scene of the accident, other than to preserve Harris's supposed future political career. But I guess that is the crux of the storyline. The characters were good, some you rooted for, others you despised. There were good twists and the story shows how power and greed can corrupt and how people treat each other.

Overall, it is a good read and one I would recommend.

#RelatedByBlood #NetGalley @XPressoTours

Thank you to NetGalley and Mahonia Publishing for providing this book, with my honest review below.

Related By Blood was an unexpected and excellent thriller that really took advantage of the concept of dysfunctional families.

Cleo grew up taking care of her sister, Thalia, and from the wrong side of the tracks but falls in love (and deep obsession) with Harris, a senator’s son who grew up in every way the opposite of Cleo. Despite this he is as in love (and obsessed) with her as she is him. Fifteen years before he was willing to ignore his instincts of the type of wife he’d need to follow on his father’s footsteps and propose to her, but before it could come to pass something tragic happened. Now in the windup to his own election Harris and Cleo are reunited - but with age comes complications and so it follows for them, bringing in Thalia and Harris’s Senator father, William, into the mix.

There is no carrier to root for here as being ‘right’ but that makes this one so much fun. Everyone is flawed and a bit disgusting but as they lash out at each other or believe they’re acting to do the right thing for themselves, only to cause hurt and pain, this thriller unfolds into a bit of a rollercoaster ride that is wholly engrossing.

I’d recommend this for lovers of dark thrillers who like a lot of intrigue and suspense, it didn’t let up!

Thank you NetGalley, Mahonia Publishing and Holly Scheidenberger for allowing me to read the ARC of "Related by Blood" in exchange for an honest review.

"Related by Blood" is one hell of an intense psychological thriller. I read this book in one sitting. It follows Cleo and Harris and their love story, that abruptly comes to an end when they find themselves involved into a crime. Fifteen years later, they both seem to still not have let go of each other, Cleo certainly did, monotoring and following Harris every move with a plan to get him back.

And this is basically the core of the book, their relationship and Cleo's obsession to get Harris back into her life and become his wife.

Overall, I really enjoyed to see a female lead being the morally grey (borderline villain actually, especially at the end once her sister was involved). I cannot say I liked any of the characters playing in this book, but I get the impression no one was meant to be likeable, they all had their flaws, they all have their problems, some more than others (Harris and Cleo, as well as Harris' father).

But this is what made the book such a refreshment for me, the fact there was no "good" or "bad" per se, only an affair of many intervowen stories that lead into one gigantic explosion. I enjoyed leaning back while reading and just ... watch everyone go nuts. Even if it did really play with my sanity once in a while.

The most interesting character to me was clearly Cleo, showing me just how FAR love (obsession) can make us go.

I would love to read more about Cleo, personally.

A young couple’s lives each take a different direction than either of them planned after a tragic accident. A psychological thriller that is engaging from the start.

Yikes! Cleo is intense. She truly believes one “mistake” shouldn’t wreck her plans and she’s waited 15 long years to be with Harris. To be fair, Harris is a sociopathic manipulator himself. I like fictional stories where I can just sit back and enjoy reading about the awful things people do to one another and be grateful that it’s not a true story!

There are lots of twists and turns throughout the story with fun, unlikeable characters. You need to suspend your disbelief, but I’m fine with that when it’s an entertaining read. If you enjoy this one, there is a prequel coming out soon! The author also has an excellent novella available called The Kinsman.

I was delighted to find out there was another book by this brilliant author. I really enjoyed the plot line of this story and thought the multiple points of view gave it extra depth. I liked Cleo (despite the fact she came across as mentally unhinged at times!) but found some of the other characters a bit annoying at times! I would recommend this to all thriller lovers.