In my opinion this book is completely advertised wrong; it's supposed to be a psychological thriller but there is nothing thrilling about it whatsoever, it was more of a family drama for me. I didn't care enough about what was going on and was just going through the motions trying to get it finished.

I think this has been the worst book in terms of characters for me, absolutely none of them were likeable (well maybe Binnie and the dog); Carys was too much of a try hard and Sara was just an immature, whiny specimen that thinks she can waltz back in after a decade missing and just take over.

No thrills, all drama (and not in a good way).

*Thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and Julia Crouch for the copy of this book. All views are my own.*

I greatly enjoyed the first book from #JuliaCrouch that I read, #TheNewMother. I jumped at the chance to read this one & was happily satisfied. Starting out a little slow, it takes off into a dark thriller with an array of characters I wasn’t sure how to feel about. Crouch once again left me confused with who was worse and a very #thrillingthriller!

Thank you, Julia Crouch, bookouture & netgalley for my copy! All opinions are my own. Thank you, #Bookouture, for including me on the tour!

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book..A solid psychological family set drama with all the twists and turns you would want delivered by Crouch again. The amount of characters meant the book was a little difficult to get in to but persevere as it is well worth it. I would recommend this one .

A thrilling, edge of your seat read that you will stay up all night to finish!

So many twists and turns that you can't anticipate

I received an ARC from netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I saw this advertised, and it gripped me immediately. It has a great premise, and I thought I would enjoy it.

There are secrets and lie in abundance in The Daughters. Carys marries Bill after his first wife, Alice, apparently commits suicide. She takes on their daughters Sara, who is just five years younger, and Lucy as her own, but Sara moves away to Australia as soon as she can.

Lucy was only six when her mother died and subsequently grew up with several mental health issues. We first meet her properly when Carys finds her in her flat after a possible suicide attempt of her own. Carys meets someone while out walking the dog. He specialises in Lucy’s issues and unconventionally treats them as a specialist hypnotherapist. She thinks this is the perfect solution and gets Lucy booked in.

Carys is the perfect helicopter parent. She likes to be around Lucy and seems understandably, entirely pushed out when Sara returns after ten years and takes over. Sara resents Carys, so this is the perfect solution for her. However, she has found out that their mother may not have died as they thought and wants to investigate more, so she has taken a six-month sabbatical from her role as a police officer to return home and discover the truth.

Lucy gets on well with the hypnotherapist but begins to discover memories about events she has witnessed. Whether these are the truth or events the hypnotherapist has suggested to her is unclear, but the police are very interested in any case and investigate her claims. Sara stands by Lucy, but Carys isn’t so sure, especially when it directly affects her own perfect life.

I struggled to get into this book a lot, and it took me a long while. It wasn’t dreadful, just perhaps not the one for me at that time. I persisted and enjoyed the ending. I liked that the characters each had their own secrets they were trying to keep from the others. The escalation of events and the twists and red herrings towards the end was enjoyable too. I didn’t get on so well with the characters, though. I didn’t find myself rooting for any of them.

The book could have flowed better. The large cast of characters of a similar age didn’t help this, though it was integral to the plot. All loose ends were tied up, but I felt there could have been more detail about some of it. There is a small side plot in this, including the neighbour, which also appears to be a little out of place, it does deal with a potential loose end and works initially, but the conclusion to it was primarily a one-line description which felt a bit vague.

Not one of my favourites but a good premise and some good ideas.

Perfect for readers who love Lisa Jewell. Was intrigued by the synopsis—I love a family drama and it did not disappoint. I think it would be great on audio too.

The daughters is an interesting and gripping read, that will make you question what is going on#

well written and fast paced, i can recommend this

I will recommend this book to all my book loving friends! It had me hooked from page one its a different type of thriller then that which I usually read but I absolutely loved it the ending was awesome!!!! I will definitely read more books from this author!

When Bill's wife, Alice, disappeared & it was suspected that she committed suicide & he was left with two daughters Lucy (6) & Sara (18) When Carys stepped into their lives it was a relief. Sara left for Australia. Carys married Bill & did her best with Lucy who was very troubled. She has mental health issues & was self harming. Sara meanwhile had trained as a detective but as her marriage had broken down & she was worried about Lucy she came back home. Sara had always had doubts about her mother's death. Lucy seems to also know more about it. When Carys finds a hypnotherapist in an attempt to help the story of Alice's death things get worse- especially when a body is found where architects Bill & Carys are designing a set of houses. The story gets darker & the reader isn't sure who to believe- perfect thriller writing! I'm not sure the end came as a surprise but I wasn't disappointed. The characters were interesting & the story grabbed me.

Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book. I loved it!

This thriller has a lot going on between the pages, from family dynamics to guessing the answers of all the questions!
Bill’s first wife is Alice, their daughters struggle and search for answers, how did Alice really die?
Carys devotes herself to being the best stepmom and wife, until there’s a grim discovery.
The storyline sounds like it has a lot going on, it does, however I it didn’t really grab me, it wasn’t the page turner I expected!
I didn’t gel with the characters, so it took some time to relate to the emotional family dynamics.

Thanks to Bookouture, NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to read and review this book.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

#netgalley #thedaughters This is a gripping physcological thriller that has you on the edge of your seat. Overall I enjoyed reading this but wasn't a fan of how mental health and racism was delivered but saying that it did fit in great with the story line. Very well written. 4/5 stars

This is my second book by Julia Crouch. Like the first one, I felt that this one worked very hard to be shocking, including many controversial and terrible subjects. Too hard. There was just too much so that none of it got the attention and the respect it deserved. There was so much promise. The author takes on a lot.

I was lucky to receive an advance copy from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review and opinion! OMG - buckle up as this book takes you on quite a ride and will leave you guessing until the very end. Loved all the twists and turns through out! So so good!

I was drawn in to this book, after reading the blurb, and really wanted to dive right in, and find out the story behind the mother. I am so glad I did because this book is even better than I could have imagined! I was pulled this way and that, wondering if this twist would reveal her fate or whether I would have another surprise to leave me reeling.

The characters are excellent. There is so much depth and personality, plus the back stories are really able to both bring the characters to life and bring them together. Throughout the read you find out more about each person, and it does well to help you make a conclusion about them, if if you might end up wrong.

The pace is perfect, truly helping the story flow. You are never left wanting, unless you count wanting to read more. I honestly loved this booked and found it exciting and interesting, especially with the level of detail.

I can honestly say I completely recommend this read!

What really happened to Alice? Is it really suicide as the family has been told or is it something more sinister, like murder? Sarah, Alice's oldest daughter, is convinced there is more to the story and that her father and stepmother know more than they are letting on. When her younger sister Lucy begins to have odd flashbacks, Sarah knows she has to find out the truth of what went on that day.

The mark of a good book, to me, is a book I just can't put down, usually involving me staying up till all hours of the night to finish it. The Daughters is definitely one of those books! Except, I made the responsible grownup decision to start it earlier in the evening so I finished it up at a semi-reasonable hour.

That said, this book will keep you guessing and saying, "Just one more chapter," the whole way along. Each time I felt like I knew what was happening and who was responsible for Alice's death, a new tidbit of information was revealed that made me question everything I was convinced of thus far. I kept swinging, pendulum-like, between two main suspects and really didn't have a solid guess which one was correct until the very end. The twists and turns definitely keep the reader interested and the family secrets plot is always a winner.

https://www.rockymountainreads.com/2022/06/the-daughters-by-julia-crouch.html

The Daughters is a psychological thriller with an interesting plot. The story has many characters but primarily revolves around the two daughters Sara and Lucy. It also has Carys the stepmother just five years older than Sara, there are many problems with this age span between the two. Sara is watching the annual ceremony they have for Lucy and Sara's deceased mother via internet since she is away from home. She is sad but is also angry having just found out the mother may not have died as they were told. Lucy has been struggling since their mother died. Carys acts the overly concerned, helicopter "parent" but actively involved stepmother resented by Sara. After the ceremony Sara decides she must return home to face the truth about her mother, father and stepmother.

Lucy is discovered by Carys after "cutting" and near death. Carys suggests it is time for her to find out why she is having problems by seeing a hypnotherapist. Lucy reluctantly agrees, After a few sessions Lucy begins to say things about events she says she witnessed. Is this the truth or is the therapist suggesting these as false memories. Sara stands by Lucy since she believes the worst about their father and stepmother.

The story is mesmerizing, but I struggled with the characters. In my opinion there is not one that is likeable. They each have their own secrets which they are desperately trying to keep hidden from the others. The story escalates as there are multiple possibilities responsible for the events of the past. A huge reveal at the end clears up what Lucy saw and experienced.

The early reviews tell you to pay attention to the first chapter as it lays out who is who. I had to reread it several times as it just didn't click for me. As a result the book just didn't flow well for me.

Another good read by author Julia Crouch. We meet Carys who is married to Bill. Bill's first wife committed suicide leaving behind Sara and Lucy. Carys has tried her best to love these little girls like they were her own.

Both girls have obviously been traumatised by the death of their mother, especially Lucy and even though the book is many years after Carys has married Bill she still wants to help her grown up step daughters. She takes Lucy to a therapist who can potentially help Lucy.

The therapist uncovers some memories in Lucy's past and she now believes that Bill has murdered someone. Then a body is found.....

I do not want to give too much away but this is worth a read. It did take me a while to get into the novel but I am glad that I stuck with it and completed it. I love the way Julia Crouch really brings her characters to life and you feel that you sort of know them.

Thanks to NetGalley, Julia Crouch and the publishers for allowing me a copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

How did Bill's first wife die?
That is the question that needs to be answered in Julia Crouch's The Daughters.
The daughters believe one thing but dad says something else.
In this psychological thriller, by using a therapist who maybe able to help, Bill's new wife tries to find the answer to this question and what it may mean for her.
This is the first book I've read by Ms Crouch but it won't be my last.

I found this book to be a little too predictable. It was a who-dun-it novel with way too much family drama that was easy to figure out. The main reason I didn’t take an interest in this book is because NONE of the characters are likable and they all have their own hidden agendas.

3 solid ⭐
Family drama to the max coming from six ways to Sunday.

TW ~ mental illness, suicide, self harm, death of a child, racism

Bill and Alice (deceased) have 2 daughters, Sara (30) and Lucy (18). Sara moved away and hasn't been back home in over a decade. Now a detective in Australia she has found new evidence that perhaps her mother did not kill herself after all. She takes a 6 month sabbatical and goes back to London to try to figure out what really happened to her mother.

Bill is now married to the much younger, Carys ~ in fact, she is just 5 years older than her estranged step~daughter, Sara. They have a lovely 5 year old daughter, Binnie. Carys does her best to be a great stepmom and wife, since Bill is still suffering from injuries from an accident. They run a construction business together and are in the process of digging for a new development when bones are discovered. Thus sets forth an investigation into who the remains belong to and who put them there.

There's lots of secrets and lies, as what we'd usually expect from our psychological thrillers.
For some reason this one took me quite a few days to get through ~ I didn't hate it, but it didn't grab me to want to quickly turn the pages in a day or two. Although written well enough, the characters were all unlikable and untrustworthy, except Nonna and Fig. For me it was predictable, but there were some times that it was all over the place making me second guess myself, but in the end it happened just as I'd first thought.

This is my first time with this author and I would try her work again.