Oh gosh. I really really thought I was going to like this book. I thought the book description sounded fantastic. This is my first book I've read from this author and my assumption would be maybe this is is dandys first novel? I didn't actually look it up, but this very much seems like a first try. Lol the book was sooooooo slow getting going and I won't lie...I wanted to finish the book so I could give feedback but I actually found myself skimming through it just to get the just of what was going on. Even skimming through I honestly felt like I wasted my time. There are so many great books out there, this one I wish I would have passed up.

Thank to Netgalley for allowing me a sneak peak into this book

This book was hard for me to start but once I did it really got my attention

An engaging thriller with a bit of a slow start. It's told from two POVs, mainly Caitie but with a few chapters from a different POV, Elinor. Caitie's sister Olivia had been kidnapped when they were children, and now sixteen years later she suddenly returns, only Caitie starts to doubt if the person who came back is really Olivia. Elinor on the other hand is a teenage girl, growing up isolated with only her older brother for company. (And theirs is not a normal sibling relationship - ick!)
The connection between the two POVs only becomes clear towards the end of the book, and it wasn't what I initially expected. The villain and some of the plot developments were a little "out there" and over-the-top at times, and the writing style sometimes overdid it a bit with the flowery metaphors. But I ended up rooting for Caitie, who was a flawed, but likeable main character. I really felt bad for her when everything started to go wrong, even though she made some stupid mistakes too.

Thank you to the author and to Kensington Publishing for providing a review copy via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Wow, what a page turner. How is the kidnapping of a young girl related to the story of a brother and sister living in a mansion out in the country? That's the mystery that will have you on the edge of your seat. Admittedly, I did skim though some chapters that didn't seem relevant to the story. Lots of twists and turns and surprises. The alternating viewpoints takes a bit to get used to, and you have to check the narrator for each chapter. So, grab your hot cocoa and Guy Fawkes mask, and hold on!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

📝 multiple POV
⚠️ kidnapping
⚠️ incest
🌀 twists and turns

Caitlin loses her sister when they were children; Olivia was abducted from their home in the night at knife point by a masked man when their parents were out on a date night.

The day after the 16th anniversary of Olivia’s disappearance, she shows up at their parents’ house alive. You’d think everyone would be elated and things would settle into a routine with time… but that’s not at all what happened.

The dual storyline and multiple POV had me a bit confused for a while… until it didn’t, and everything slammed into place. You will feel a lot of different emotions reading this one… from anxiety, to fear, to loss, and even disgust. Definitely worth a read.

Thank you to NetGalley for the copy of this book to review.

There are two separate story lines that you know are somehow intertwined, and you just can’t figure out how, until the author starts to unveil little bits and then big bits! This book was like a rollercoaster-lots of twists and turns, and just when you think you know the truth, another twist! The last quarter of the book I wasn’t sure if we were gonna have a happy ending or a mysterious ending (I won’t tell you which it was!) and it definitely kept me turning the pages wanting to find out!

Two brilliantly written stories, seemingly unrelated timelines, until the two worlds collide.

Each time the book went to the different narrative, I was almost frustrated because it was left on such a cliffhanger. I HAD to know more!! The perfect combination of love, hate, empathy, and disdain for the characters. Audible gasps many times throughout the stories.

The twists were twisty, there was dark, there was light, there was suspense, and everything you’d hope to see in a thriller. Just when I began to ask myself how the stories lined up, *boom* in my face.

Wow.......could not put this down....two stories....two sisters, Caitlin and Olivia's, Olivia is kidnapped, 14 years later she reappears but is she really Olivia. At the same time there is a mystery around a manor house the brother and sister who live there. Will these two world's collide? Brilliant from start to finish

I couldn't put this book down at first. I thought I knew what was happening but there were so many twists and turns. I did enjoy reading it. However, I felt it was a little repetitive and at times was skimming pages to get to the end.
I did feel the author did a good job of introducing us to the characters. Everyone had some flaw and trauma that made them who they were.

This book sucked me in! Several times I had to walk away and breathe for a bit because of how worked up I felt. FANTASTICALLY written! I haven't read one of her novels before, but now I'm a Dandy Smith fan! We see this story through the perspective of two women in alternating chapters, Caitlin and Elinor. Two very different women with very different stories and lifestyles, but both experiencing a life with loss of family members. I really love the dynamics in this book. The simmering chaos, the mystery and intrigue, and the drama. Highly, highly recommend!

My heart. Ugh such a twisted, mind confusing, tale. I wanted to hate her so bad. But ended up sympathizing. Cruel and beautiful. Loved this book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Wow, *The Wrong Daughter* completely swept me off my feet. Dandy Smith has an incredible way of pulling you into a story and making you feel like you're living alongside the characters. From the very first chapter, I was hooked and honestly didn’t want to put it down.

The plot is so well-crafted with so many twists that I couldn’t stop turning the pages. It’s one of those books where every time I thought I had figured it out, Smith would throw in something unexpected, keeping me on my toes. What really made this book stand out for me, though, were the characters. They felt so real—flawed, complex, and full of emotion. It was impossible not to connect with them, especially as the story peeled back layers of family secrets and buried truths.

The pacing was just right, blending suspense with quieter, more emotional moments. There were times I felt my heart racing, and other times I had to pause to let the gravity of what was happening sink in. It’s a beautiful balance that makes the story so compelling.

If you love a gripping, emotionally rich story that keeps you guessing, *The Wrong Daughter* is a must-read. I finished it days ago, and I’m still thinking about it. Highly recommend!

What. A. Ride!

The story begins with a very captivating hook, beginning with a sisters point of view of the day of her sister being taken away, kidnapped. What follows is the riveting tale of how lives have moved on and how others have seemed to fill voids of those lost.

Two brilliantly written stories, seemingly unrelated timelines, until the two worlds collide.

Each time the book went to the different narrative, I was almost frustrated because it was left on such a cliffhanger. I HAD to know more!! The perfect combination of love, hate, empathy, and disdain for the characters. Audible gasps many times throughout the stories.

The twists were twisty, there was dark, there was light, there was suspense, and everything you’d hope to see in a thriller. Just when I began to ask myself how the stories lined up, *boom* in my face.

The author beautifully wraps up the story, and not to an excruciating halt, but a sincere and tasteful ending. It was a slow build to the main conundrum but effectively had so many thrills and questions throughout, I was hooked the entire time.

Thrilled and impressed, this was an excellent read.

Is it great, is it terrible, is it pedestrian?

I felt really mixed reading this book, and not just because of the two narrators - Catie and Elinor. Some chapters and tight, suspenseful and engaging. Some are tedious, unnecessary. Some ridiculous and far fetched.

The premise and first half or so is great: Catie’s older sister is stolen when they are children and then reappears in her life some 14 years later. Catie’s adult life and her decisions have always been in the shadows of Olivia, so what happens when she comes back….

And then the plot descends into chaos.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Kensington Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is 300 pages of a binge-worthy ride. It's a fast read but with some great twists and an unexpected conclusion! It's a little Criminal Minds and a little Law and Order written from multiple points of view. This is a short review because I don't want to give anything away. I will list trigger warnings below, before the description that may contain spoilers. The ending isn't all roses and butterflies. It is unexpected. All I can say is that this is a psychological thriller that I would recommend if this is your genre!

Trigger warnings:
Murder
Incest- not graphic, but spoken of
Grooming- obviously
Kidnapping

What started off as a great plot ended up making me skip through pages so it would end. Was repetitive and predictable. The whole child abduction, pedophile, grooming, child bride, brainwashing and incestuous relationship was stretched out. I almost DNF .. just wasn’t for me ..

The Wrong Daughter was so good!! I found it to be a fast paced read that was full of twists I never saw coming, There was so much going on it was too hard to predict anything that was happening.

This book is written from the dual perspective of Elinor and Caitlin. I was waiting for most of the book to see how their stories actually intertwined and when it was finally revealed it made so much sense. Some parts of this book were giving me anxiety and I wanted to put it down but I also, didn’t want to stop reading.

There are some grimy parts in this book that I was not to fond of like S A, kidnapping and incest which is the only reason I’m giving it 4 stars because at times I just felt uncomfortable with it. Otherwise I would totally recommend this book for a good mystery read.

I really enjoyed the twisty turns of this book! I will say I thought the beginning was a bit slow to get into and then it seemed like everything happened pretty quickly at the end. I do like that we were not left with major questions still hanging at the end. This book made me question what I thought I knew/suspected throughout. Every time I thought I figured something out, I then doubted myself. A great suspenseful read.

It's possible that recent natural events may have affected her behavior. I would say that this story is almost a three rating for me. It was almost there. The only thing holding me back was that there were parts that left me disconnected. There were parts of the story that I felt were irrelevant and could've been left out. This could just be a preference for me, but I think that it had a lot to do with character building, but it didn't really do anything for the character at all. I think it was more for the shock factor. I also felt like none of the characters were likeable. I didn't feel like they had very likeable personalities. I really wanted to like the book, but the last quarter of the book really threw me off. I think, for what the story was supposed to be, I felt a little bit disappointed because the beginning really draws you in. The last part of the book gets you really confused. It's a dual POV book, but if you read far into it, even if it gets confusing, you can kind of piece together what is about to happen or at least take a good guess.

I happened to enjoy reading this suspenseful novel. Not my usual genre to read but it held my attention which isn't easy. I saw pieces of the plot slowly coming together, but was still surprised in the finale. Caitlin was a pretty strong female protagonist but her sister was cray-cray! They fed well of each other for the suspense in the Arden family, but the bigger part of the story to me was the Ledburys! Elinore and Heath's story was more tragic and was tied in nicely. I would recommend this book to friends and family.