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I listened to the audiobook and the narration was very good. This was a solid thriller The second half kicked in, it was a wild ride to the end. It’s over the top, ridiculous, and unbelievable, but very enjoyable. The main character, Iris is at the end of her rope. Her husband was murdered, her house is being foreclosed on, and her work just fired her. However her boyfriend, Hugh, has asked for her and her teenage daughter to move into his family home until she gets her feet under her. When Iris moves in though, she realizes he lives with his whole family and they all have plenty to hide. You know from the moment she gets there they are all creepy and hiding way too much. The twists the story provides are enjoyable. The final reveal is one I really didn’t see coming. Don't expect this to be a realistic thriller, it’s just too insane to do that. If you go in with the right expectation, you’re in for a good time.

Thanks to NetGalley for the audioARC to preview.

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This one took me on a wild ride. Even what I thought I was going to rate it changed dramatically throughout the book, too. The beginning didn’t start off the strongest, but I’m glad I kept going. Some parts even started confusing me, but everything made sense eventually. And the twists in this one were not ones I saw coming! Honestly the ending has me considering adding a half star at least. If you like twisty, psychological thrillers, I would recommend this one to you! Just stick with it if you find yourself struggling at the beginning, too.

𝘼 𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙚 𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙣𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣:
The two narrators for this were fine, but I feel like their voices should have been a little more different to really distinguish between the two. Also, the narrator for the daughter actually sounded older than the narrator for the mother, so that threw me off a little, too.

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A shocking thriller with several twists and turns that will have you guessing right til the end. I really enjoed this one and there was so much going on that I did not see coming. It kept me guessing to the end and I loved the many twists in this novel.

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Iris and her daughter are saved by an invite to join Iris’ boyfriend at the family mansion when they find themselves penniless and evicted on the heels of a loved one dying.

I really enjoyed this. I was intrigued from the start and hated setting it aside for supper but still finished in a day.

This is a complexly woven dual timeline.

I was anxious to see what was about to happen next and how it would come together. Then, surprised by a twisted ending.

You can see there’s been a lot of planning as the info is delivered at just the right time to break it open.

Recommend it? Yes!

Emily Lawrence; Ashley Klanac did a great job narrating.

With thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for the advance listening copy.

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I got this as an audiobook from NetGalley. I love audiobooks so thank you!! OH MY GOSH!!! The TWISTS in this book are crazy!! It took a while for me to get in to it but man...it was sooooo twisty!! I loved it!! Thank you Kate Garner!! I will definitely see what else you have to read!!

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Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Canada for the advance reader copy of The Family Inside by Katie Garner. This was a great thriller! From the start, the story pulled me in with its eerie tone and family dynamics. The characters were intriguing, each with their own secrets that kept me guessing. Just when I thought I had it figured out, the book threw in a twist I did not see coming. The suspense built up well, and the ending wrapped up nicely, tying everything together in a satisfying way. If you love psychological thrillers with unexpected turns, this one is worth the read! 4⭐️

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Wow! This was such an addicting, twisty, fast paced read. There was a twist in almost every chapter, and I was hooked! The narrator was great and I enjoyed listening to this on audio.

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Domestic thriller. Entertaining listen that was easy to get into. I was able to figure out the twists but still enjoyed the story overall.

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What a twist! This book had so many layers that weave together to make an unforgettable story. The complications of each tragedy move to create a seamless dance that is impossible to predict. Even the ending doesn't let up, giving readers even more deception to traverse. This book was a master class in writing, thank you so much Katie Garner! The audio was also flawless, fantastic narration to set the scene.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author Katie Garner, and Harlequin Audio for my advance copy of this audiobook.

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3.5 for "The Family Inside"! The book is a whirlwind. I really thought I had the plot twist nailed down and I was completely wrong, which turned out to be a good thing because the ending was better than I expected! I love a good psychological thriller and this book was full of mental mind games. This book gave spooky vibes with the haunted house on the hill feel and was screaming unreliable characters with hidden motives. If you think you know what's going to happen in this house, think again.

Iris is down on her luck. She is trying to survive in the wake of her husband's unsolved murder while supporting her teenage daughter with a waitressing job. When her job and home are swept out from under her feet, Iris takes up an offer to stay her boyfriend Hugh's family home with several other members of his family while they try to get back on their feet. Expect this home is notorious for devastation, missing persons, and most shockingly: murder. As Iris discovers more about the house and the people inhabiting it, she questions the intentions everyone around her, including Hugh.

If you're a fan of the tropes such as dysfunctional families, creepy houses, untrustworthy narrators, betrayal, secrets, and deceit, this book is for you.

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This audiobook was great! The narrator did a fantastic job; I was not the least bit disappointed. The story was just as great. I felt all feelings while reading - that's how you know they did a great job! The twist was amazing and EXACTLY what it needed, without being predictable. The ending had me absolutely reeling in the best way. Thank you to Netgalley, Katie Garner and Harlequin Audio for this ARC.

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Pretty decent thriller. Lots of twists and turns that you won’t see coming. Only missing that fifth star because I found myself not overly invested in the main character.

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Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of Katie Garner’s dark and twisty new novel, The Family Inside. Iris is raising her teenage daughter Ellory on her own after the unexpected death of her husband. When she meets Hugh, he seems almost too good to be true. He invites Iris and Ellory to stay with him at his mother’s house while he helps her with renovations, and Ellory is less than thrilled. Things take a twisted turn when Ellory disappears and Iris is left with Hugh and his mysterious, creepy family. Iris has to come to terms with secrets from her past as she navigates the disappearance of her daughter and the deeply unsettling behavior of her fiancé’s family.

The Family Inside is unpredictable, original, and filled with shocking reveals. The narrator of this audiobook expertly built up the tension and brought the characters to life.

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This review contains some spoilers….



Narration:
⭐️⭐️⭐️
I am not a huge of fan of breathy, meek sounding narrators which is why I wasn’t the biggest fan of Iris’s narrator. I did like Ellery’s narrator.

Story:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Katie Garner has officially been added to my “auto author” list and will now be an author I don’t even need to read the blurb of the book- if her name is on it, I’m reading it! So many things I loved in this book- an unreliable narrator, shifting perspectives, out of order timeline, and a twisty ending that I didn’t see coming!

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC of The Family Inside!

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I'm still not sure how I feel about this one, and I've given it a little time to gel in my brain... 😮

Iris is a widower. Her husband (Jack) died 3 years ago. She has an 18 year old daughter who is a bit rebellious...especially since she's started dating again... and Hugh has asked her to marry him!

Also, Iris is drowning in debt. Her home has gone into foreclosure, and she's just lost her job!

So, when Hugh asks them both to move in with him, she happily agrees. What she does NOT know is that she will be living with him, his Mom, his brother and his sister...all under one roof! She is not happy about this, but her daughter Ellory is even LESS HAPPY!

Also, Iris has nightmares...pretty much every night. She sees 3 dark figures...lurking in the yard. At home, at Hugh's... everywhere!

And then, her daughter goes missing... and no-one seems to care!

My thoughts now: I feel like this book went on FOREVER... and, not in a good way. Yes, they had to put a lot of information out there, but could it have been done differently? I'm not sure... 🤔

Also... the fact that there are actually two timelines going on in this one... but you are never told this...anywhere along the line...

The last hour or two of the book was wonderful. Really kept you on your toes and invested throughout! BUT... I can't tell you how many times I wanted to put it down and just put it in as a DNF....

That being said, I am giving it 3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️... because the ending was phenomenal! I just wish the whole book could've been the same way!!

#TheFamilyInside by #KatieGarner and narrated nicely by #EmilyLawrence and #AshleyKlanac.

Thanks so much to #NetGalley and #HarlequinAudio for an ARC of the audiobook which has already been released. So, if it sounds like something you'd like, you can look for it now!

You can also find my reviews on: Goodreads,
Insta @BookReviews_with_emsr and/or
My Facebook Book Club: Book Reviews With Elaine

Thanks so much for reading! And if you ‘liked’ my review, please share with your friends, & click ‘LIKE’ below… And, let me know YOUR thoughts if you read it!! 📚⭐️

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I love a good psychological thriller. This story, however, did not sit well with me. I give props to the author for writing an action packed plot. The protagonist ignored too many red flags and I didn't care for that. The twists were a little far-fetched for my liking and it wrapped up too easily. It is a story to entertain though, and I'm sure there are others who will enjoy it.
The narration was fantastic! I'd love to hear more audiobooks from the narrator(s). I'm thankful for the opportunity to review this audiobook and wish I had a better review.
Thank you to the publisher for an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

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Thank you HTP Hive and Harlequin Audio for the complimentary DRC + ALC

1.5 stars

Unfortunately, this did not work for me at all. The main character consistently overlooks obvious red flags and makes the worst decisions, which made it hard for me to care or root for her. Disaster seemed to follow her relentlessly in a very short space of time, so everything felt sudden and overly dramatic. While there were several twists in the plot, only one felt well-executed and took me by surprise, while the others, particularly the final twist, seemed extremely far-fetched.

That said, the narrators, Emily Lawrence and Ashley Klanac, did a great job with their performances. Unfortunately, despite that, I just couldn’t fully get into this story.

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"People can be the scariest things on earth."

Widow and mom Iris Blodgett believes she's found love again with a mysterious man named Hugh Smoll. When Iris loses her home and job, Hugh invites her and her teenage daughter to come live with him in his family's sprawling home in the country. But they'll have housemates -- Hugh's mother and siblings. There's something off about them, and the house too. And then, Iris' daughter disappears. Did she run away (again), or was she kidnapped?

Wow, what a rollercoaster ride this book was, with hints of horror thrown in along with all the mystery and suspense. Lots of jump-scare moments, and Hugh's family definitely gave me the creeps -- especially his mom. Alas, I felt like this book dragged a bit and could have ended several times. The very ending of the book was a stretch, but I guess it made certain events feel less coincidental and more calculated. Just suspend all reality when you read this one, because it's pretty out there.

I did love the house setting. It felt almost unreal in a magical realism type of way and was a bit inspirational for some of the writing that I want to do.

The audio narration was great and evoked a lot of emotion and dread.

3.5 stars.

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I wanted to like this a lot more than I did, but it just kept getting crazier and crazier. There were some good twists I suppose, but overall it was just very exaggerated and out there.

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Thanks to #NetGalley and #HarlequinAudio for the book #TheFamilyInside by #KateGarner. This book was filled with of suspense, secrets and murder inside more secrets. Iris has had a pretty rough go of it lately. Her husband was killed and left her raiding her daughter alone, and now she has lost her job and house. The one good thing going for her is her new boyfriend, Hugh, who has just asked her to move in with him. She has no clue what she is in for as she moves in with him and his “family”.

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