I received an ARC from NetGalley

This book pulls you in from the very beginning! The twists and turns that you encounter have you saying “what the hell”! I was completely thrown in and thought I had it all figured out…..until I didn’t! Highly recommend this book

This is the first book I have read by this author. It sounded like it would be a good one. As I stated and the more I read the more excited I got. The twists and turns , wow! A couple of them actually made my jaw drop!!!! I will say the big twist I did not see coming. I do wish there was a bit more detail on a couple of the characters. I am very thankful to Dandy Smith and net galley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion. I definitely recommend this book!!

This book is intense! It is sort of two different stories that collide into one in the end, but you’ll never guess how.

When Olivia is 13 years old, she is abducted from her home by a man in a mask. Her younger sister, Caitie, witnesses the abduction but is so filled with terror that she jumps back in bed, under the covers, until her parents get home. She blames herself for the loss of her sister because she wasn’t brave enough to call for help. So when Olivia turns up, alive, 16 years later, Caitie is overjoyed. But, with time, she wonders if this is really her sister. Why is Olivia acting so strange? And who is this masked man she keeps seeing?

The twists are shocking and unpredictable. There are many dark aspects to this book, especially in the sub-story, but I enjoyed it nevertheless. If you love psychological thrillers as much as I do, be sure to read this one. Thank you, NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the advanced copy.

The wrong daughter.

Two sister are left alone when one goes missing.
One sister feeling lost and unsure of life and the other gone for 16 years.
This thriller traps the reader into wondering what happened. What will happen and how did it happen.
Well written read leaving you feeling moments of empathy, anger, confusion, and shock.

I did find it hard to get into Initially but once it started to speed up it was a quick read.
Didn’t guess the ending but loved it!

My 6P review: Premise, Plot, People, Place, Prose/Pace, Praise

Caitlin receives a call from her father telling her that her sister Olivia, has returned. After being snatched from her home years earlier, is this woman who claims to be Olivia, the real deal?

I was really looking forward to reading this book. The premise sounded exciting and original.

Told from two different times and different POV’s their stories eventually intertwined with each other, but it just took too long to get there and by the time it was getting close to doing so, I had figured it out and the ‘twist’ was not very impressive. In fact, it wasn’t really a twist at all as it was so very obvious.

Unfortunately, I did not like this book. It was a real drag to read and so very slow. The ending was rushed and completed in a couple of chapters.

I found the characters annoying, and I wasn’t invested in them. What was the deal with Oscar? What an unbelievable story.

I was astounded that Caitlin was able to do in a couple of days, what Olivia was unable to do in a manner of years. I was left shaking my head.
Absurd!

Thank you to NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I wanted to like this book. It started out good but then it took some weird turns. I feel like it could have been 200 pages shorter. The “big twist” was not big. I had it solved long before I finished the book.

What a wild ride. I thought I predicted the twist fairly early on, but I was so so wrong. Heartbreakingly beautiful - it was excellent.

Dandy Smith's novel The Wrong Daughter is a bonkers read that I couldn't put down. Caitie and Olivia are sisters who were separated sixteen years ago when Olivia was abducted in the middle of the night. I felt sorry for Caitie, who has since lived a life that might give her parents some happiness and peace of mind. Caitie blames herself for not acting during the abduction and does everything she thinks will please her Dad, especially.

As various characters enter Caitie's life, the plot becomes complex and, at times, confusing. I had a bit of trouble trying to figure out how the new characters fit into the abduction plot. Perhaps I tried too hard to get ahead of the author with who was key and how the mystery would be resolved.

If you love complex stories and out-there situations, this is a boot to put on your TBR list!

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced book copy, which will be published on August 26, 2025.

Olivia and Caitlin's parents have left them alone for the first time. But in the night, a masked intruder takes Olivia and Caitlin is left with survivor's guilt. Sixteen years later, Caitlin gets the call from her father, the call she's been waiting for. Come home. She's back. Your sister Olivia is back...
This was a fantastic book. It kept me enthralled from the first page to the last. I did guess the major plot point, but it in no way interfered with my enjoyment of this book.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

Dandy Smith’s The Wrong Daughter is a psychological thriller packed with twists, family secrets, and a creeping sense of paranoia. The story follows Caitlin, whose sister Olivia was kidnapped sixteen years ago. When a woman suddenly returns claiming to be Olivia, Caitlin isn’t convinced—but no one else seems to question her identity. With an inconclusive DNA test, unsettling memories, and a growing feeling that someone is watching her, Caitlin digs deeper, uncovering shocking truths that turn her world upside down.

The novel excelled at keeping me guessing. Just when I thought I knew where the story is going, Smith throws in another twist. The tension between Caitlin and her family adds emotional depth, making the mystery even more compelling. The eerie atmosphere and the sense of unease build steadily, keeping the suspense high throughout.

However, some of the plot twists did stretch believability, and the story leaned heavily into familiar thriller tropes. While this didn’t bother me as I love a l fast-paced psychological thriller, if you are looking for a more grounded mystery you might find certain elements a bit over the top.

Overall, The Wrong Daughter is an engaging, binge-worthy read. If you enjoy thrillers filled with unreliable characters and jaw-dropping twists, this one is worth adding to your TBR.

This teetered between 3 or 4 stars for me

I read this when I got it from Net Gallery in exchange for an honest review.

This book floundered between 3 and four stars for me. While the kidnapping child and later returned adult trope has been done a lot, this one had some unique aspects to it.

The story is told back and forth from two time periods, and how they connect takes most of the book to come together. At times it was a bit confusing , but the chapters are labeled with the viewpoint to help readers.

I found the older plot line to be a bit pretentious in the writing style. There was overuse of figurative language, as if the author was trying to write a literary Victorian piece, despite it not being in olden times. I'd also like to warn there is a heavy amount of incest described, reminiscent of Flowers in the Attic. This whole plot felt a bit off.

The more modern storyline, with the sisters, was the stronger one. I found myself feeling bad for the main character, although I'd have liked to see her parents' characters flushed out more. There were some very suspenseful scenes wondering if someone was in the room or seeing the Venetian masked figure that gave it a nice eerie quality. Sometimes conversations and unnecessary side lots dragged on a bit, though.

Overall, it was easy to read through quickly. I listened to a few chapter in the middle and read the rest. The audio was done well.

Wow—just wow! I absolutely loved this novel by Dandy Smith. The Wrong Daughter was the perfect thriller for me, keeping me guessing the whole way through. The language was thoughtful, and clues were sprinkled throughout, making for an engaging read. This was my first book by Smith, and it definitely won’t be my last! If you’re a fan of Lisa Jewell or Freida McFadden, this one is for you.

A story of 2 sisters who are very close, until one of the is kidnapped from their home. Wow! The psychological portion of this thriller really had me hooked. Every time I thought I had a portion of the book figured out, it felt like the rug was pulled from underneath me! I was captivated by each character as the story progressed. There was some heavy subject content, which may not be for everyone. Overall, I enjoyed the book. The only thing I disliked honestly, was how portions of the story were dragged out somewhat. Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book!

The Wrong Daughter

This book was great!! I loved the thrill, the suspense, and the story line! It starts out really fast past thriller suspense and in the middle it did get a bit confusing, I had to slow down following almost 2 plot lines, but then picked back up all the way to the end!

I would highly recommend this book!

Thank you Dandy Smith, Kensington Publishing, and NetGalley for allowing me to read this amazing book!

O.M.G.!
This is definitely an intense psychological thriller that definitely held my interest.
I quickly read to see how the pieces of this puzzle came together and yet I was confused at times and then,,,, IT ALL WILL COME TOGETHER!
It is not an easy read, but if you enjoy suspense, mystery, horror and sadness then you will adore this novel!

Thank you to @NetGalley and to @Kensngton publishing for this ARC and allowing me to read and provide my own review. WOW!

Catie is just ten years old when her thirteen year old sister Olivia is kidnapped by knifepoint in the middle of the night. The girls were home alone and in her terror, Catie failed to alert the authorities, instead waiting petrified for her parents return.

Sixteen years later she is still carrying the guilt of feeling that her sister’s abduction is her fault. When her father calls one morning and tells her to hurry home because her sister has returned, her whole world is turned upside down once again. Because, after the excitement of being reunited dies down, Caitlin starts to wonder, is this really her sister Olivia? And if not, what does this imposter want with her and her family?

The story that follow is an engaging, tense psychological thriller that delivers startling twists and turns from beginning to end. The reader is left constantly guessing at Olivia’s motives up until the shocking finale. Well drawn characters exist in an increasingly sister situation throughout in this suspenseful, emotional thriller. 4 stars.

I received this advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and feedback.

This book is a true slow burn, and while things eventually do pick up, it almost felt like it moved too quickly at that point? There was no happy medium there. There was also a lot of repetition that made it drag on, sometimes making it tough to get through. I really wanted to love this and there are some great twists and other aspects but unfortunately, the formatting threw it all off, leaving me unable to fully enjoy it. The pacing issues just ruined the experience for me.

Caitlin watches as her older sister, Olivia, is being kidnapped from their home. She is never found and 16 years later, a woman appears saying she is Olivia. Soon, Caitlin begins to question whether “Olivia” is really her sister. There is an alternate story of a sister and brother. We don’t know how they are related to Caitlin and Olivia until late in the book.
There are a couple good twists to the story. The beginning was good but then it starts to drag in the middle. I found myself skimming because there was so much repetition. The twist toward the end was surprising but the ending seemed too rushed and deserved to be slowed down and really explored.

What a silly book. The middle dragged and ending felt rushed.

Caitlin's sister Olivia goes missing from their childhood home. Years later she returns.

This was still a good book that kept me engaged, but I just found it was a really slow burn, then the ending was too fast.