Wow! I certainly didn’t see that twist coming. Just when I thought the ending was laid out in front of me, Ms. Snoekstra changed directions again! Will definitely recommend this book!! I’m looking forward to reading something else from this author. I’m adding her to my TBR author list!

This was an intriguing mystery that kept me on the edge of my seat the whole way through! I was very invested in figuring out what really happened and trying to draw my own conclusions alongside the characters. Great read!

A girl struggling with alcohol. A dysfunctional family moving to LA to chase the American Dream. The boy next door falling in love. And a murder.

This book was filled with suspense and surprise, navigating many different points of view surrounding an affair, homicide, and blackmail. It has all the elements of a good mystery, but falls flat in the details department. I enjoyed how the author spent time on character development for Kay and Casper, but I felt as though Janus and Olivia were neglected. There was little to no explanation on how the great novel that Janus was writing ended or why it was given up so easily, and Olivia’s character just moved on from the nightmare that was herself without therapy or self-reflection??? We also weren’t given enough story of the neighbors and their marriage or relationship, as the troubles were just sprang on the reader quickly at the end. Besides that, I did think this was an overall okay thriller and would recommend to readers who enjoy this genre.

I really wanted to like this book and gave it a fair shot, but reading the whole thing, I wish I had DNF'd it.

Liv's family moves from Australia to the States for a fresh start after Liv's father gets word that his novel could be turned into a movie. Liv and her friend Lelani go out to a party one night. They have a two-drink maximum because of a previous incident Liv had. Liv wakes up in her brother's room back at home when she was supposed to be staying at Lelani's house. She wakes up feeling horrible with bruises all over her and no memory of what happened that night or how she got back home. Her parents start acting weird towards her, and her mother tells her they must never speak of that night.

The synopsis sounded interesting, but this book fell so flat for me. The pacing was so slow in the beginning, then sped up to some interesting parts three-fourths of the way in, and then it just dragged on and on after that for me. The plot twist was surprising, but honestly, it just wasn't very good. The writing style was easy to read, but the whole book just felt like a whole lot of repetition of you knew something happened but not what, and then when the plot twist came, it was one big eye roll. This book was really a family drama that lacked any real depth.

Thank you, Anna Snoekstra, PENGUIN GROUP Dutton, and NetGalley, for the ARC of this book.

I found this book easy to read. The plot keeps you turning pages. I became engrossed in the characters of this family. Each one of them draws you into their emotional journey but they don't overwhelm you. As I sympathized so much for Olivia, there's a twist I didn't see coming. Great book!

I really enjoyed this book. It kept me engaged and it only took a few days to read. I think this is going to be a good book club option for several clubs. I plan recommending to my book friends and I look forward to reading more by this author.

I enjoyed this, but it was predictable. I liked the different perspectives and the relationship-building. Would read more by this author but this one was not a memorable one for me personally.

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher, and author for this Arc.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and would rate it 4/5 stars. This was a fun thriller! Had me engaged from the start . This is the first I’ve read by this author but it won’t be the last!

This book had me playing detective… and failing miserably. Every time I thought I had a twist figured out, the author flipped everything upside down. This story is packed with messy, layered family drama—secrets, betrayals, and dysfunction galore. The tension builds slowly, but when it picks up, it really picks up, making for a wild, twisty ride to the finish.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

THE ONES WE LOVE by Anna Snoekstra

How well do you sleep? Is there anything you wouldn’t do for your family? What do you actually know about your neighbors?

The prologue is intriguing and if that doesn’t hook you, the first chapter definitely will! It’s that quick to suck you in and the pages turn fast from then on.

Family drama, heavily weighted secrets, and never quite being able to trust your own self; it is easy to become invested in this family as they all attempt to do their best at life.

While I may have caught on, I never quite knew where the author was going to take us and it kept me invested from beginning to end.

Enjoy!

📚📚📚/5 (ARC)
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Thank you to Anna Snoekstra, Penguin Group Dutton, and NetGalley for this advanced read copy in exchange for my honest review. The Ones We Love has an anticipated publish date of May 6th, 2025
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When the Jansen family moves from Australia to Los Angeles, tensions begin to rise when the eldest daughter, Olivia, wakes with a blackout period of her memory. She is covered in bruises, her room is now padlocked, and her parents are acting strange.
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Each chapter begins to dissect the Jansen family; and ultimately the family next door. What we find is a thrilling and suspenseful revelation of truths. I did find that the pacing was inconsistent. The first few chapters had be hooked. I struggled from about 20% in to around the 60% mark where the pace really picked up again.
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I was pleasantly surprised at the twists and did not see them coming, which was a joy to me! The characters had good growth near the end, but a lot was left to be desired. They weren’t super likable in my opinion. Overall, once the suspense really started twisting I couldn’t wait to finish.
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For lovers of:
🔪 Dark Themes
😳 Shock and Suspense
🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒 Familial Dysfunction
🤨 Mystery and “who dunnit” vibes

🔉Thank you to Anna Snoekstra, Penguin Group Dutton, and NetGalley for this arc of The Ones We Love, out May 6, 2025!

📜Quick Summary: When Janus has the opportunity to move his family from Australia to LA for a possible deal on a book he wrote, the family jumps on this. Kay, his wife and former ballerina now Pilates instructor, left her career when she became pregnant with their first child Liv. Liv is 20, loves fashion and wants to work in that industry. Casper is in high school and was hesitant about this move and what it could mean for their family. Like all families, there is drama and secrets and running from the past. When Liv wakes up covered in bruises and questions her parents, they tell her not to ask any more questions and forget about it. But forget about what?

❣️Initial Feels: This seems like a fast paced page turner and I am for all the family drama!

👀Trigger Warnings: murder, abuse

🌶️Spice Level: 🌶️

📖Read if you want: multiple point of views, dysfunctional family, twists and guessing games the entire novel

🙋🏼‍♀️Moving Character: Although I disliked each character at some point or another, I think Casper, the youngest child of Janus and Kay, really showed maturity and intuition throughout this thriller.

🗨️Thoughtful Words: “Change didn’t have to mean disappearance…”

💡Final Sentiments: Overall this was a well done “can’t put it down” thriller. It started out strong, but did fizzle in the middle for me. Things just felt repetitive and although there were many twists in discovering what truly happened that night with Liv, there were times where I was thinking, “Let’s get it moving!” The author did a great job trying to change your thoughts and opinions on what happened, who’s deceiving who, who’s got the bigger secret, etc and I enjoyed those parts! It did pick up again at the end, which I appreciated! I would definitely pick up another piece of work by this author!

🌟Overall Rating: 4 stars

This novel was provided by the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.

The Ones We Love by Anna Snoekstra is a captivating psychological thriller that delves into themes of identity, love, and betrayal. The novel’s suspenseful atmosphere keeps readers on edge, while its complex characters and emotional depth add layers of intrigue. Snoekstra’s skillful storytelling and unexpected twists create a compelling narrative that will resonate with fans of dark, thought-provoking thrillers.

This is my first book by Anna Snoekstra and I really enjoyed it. It was a combination of mystery and suspense which made it hard for me to put down. If this is the type of book you like to read then I recommend this one.
Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for this eARC.

A great read that I could not put down.
If you are a fan of mystery and suspense you are going to love this story.

Thank you NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Dutton | Dutton for sharing this book with me!

It's been about a week since I finished this one and I'm still not sure how I feel about it. For starters, Snoekstra sure knows how to come up with a riveting plotline. I was hooked from the first few chapters and had a hard time putting this one down! I was impressed with the twists when I thought I had it all figured out, especially with what really happened with Liv on the night she blacked out.

My biggest struggle with this one was the pacing. While the first few chapters were incredibly suspenseful, I feel like they dragged out Liv's secret when it could have been revealed earlier without taking away from the story. I also feel like some characters, like Kay, deserved to be more developed, considering the role they ended up playing in the storyline. I also didn't understand why emphasis was put on some storylines compared to others (like I still don't really know why they had to move from Australia?) Because of this, the ending felt a little chaotic and a bit too far-fetched, even for a thriller. With a daughter of my own, I know I'd do just about anything for her but my goodness this one threw me for a loop. Thanks so much for the ARC!

Liv’s family have started their life in LA, the unexpected success of her fathers novel and the subsequent optioning of it as a film put their life on a new trajectory. That is until the night of the party.

Liv swears she had 2 drinks, but she can’t remember anything. Her parents are mad at her, and there’s a padlock on her bedroom door. What happened that night, and why can’t she remember?

At its essence, this story is about how far a parent will go to protect their child, even if the relationship with that child is more strained that it has been. Will they cover up a crime? Will their actions damage the relationship between the parents, the children, their friends?

Going into this, I thought I knew how it would play out, but man was I wrong. And I’m not sure if I was wrong in a way that I enjoyed? Occasionally reading something like this when the twist differs from my expectation you get that feeling of shock, of being blindsided. I didn’t get that here. Sure I didn’t see a lot of it coming, and that’s part of the problem, there were just a few too many reveals to make it all pay off.

At the end of the day, I made it to the end with a few more questions than I’d have preferred, and some moments of “was that really necessary for the story?”

I read this one in a day. While it wasn't the most gripping read, the mystery of what happened - the event that changed the course of everyone's lives - kept me intrigued. I just had to know what happened. There were a lot of twists, some of which made me dislike characters that I'm not sure I was meant to dislike. The ending, as a result, wasn't as satisfying as it could have been, but I still enjoyed the book overall!

Thank you NetGalley for the free ARC! I thought this book was entertaining, mysterious, and darkly humorous. I liked the complex characters and the storyline. I would recommend.

Thank you NetGalley for this ebook in exchange for an hoest review.

The start had me instantly hooked and needing to know more. The first chapters were great but slightly fizzled out during the book.
Casper, Tye and Janus were my favourite characters. Liv and Kay I didn’t relate too much to, but this was a great story with a decent ending. Not mind blowing, but not too far fetched that it wasn’t believable.