Great book, great story and very believable. Interesting and likeable characters. Well worth reading and deserves a space on your book shelf.

Welcome to the lives of Laura and Tilly, There is tragedy, trauma, tears and tantrums.  Lots of twists and turns with a humdinger of a turn out at the end.

I found myself immersed in this book and it keep me guessing until the very end. 

Can't wait to read more from this author.

In The Family we follow Laura who is grieving after the sudden death of her husband along with seeing the effect this has had on their daughter, Tilly. Laura is in limbo and beginning to suffer financially when an offer of help is made. Is it too good to be true? Now, that is the question!

Tilly and Laura have an interesting mother/daughter relationship, there are misunderstandings but also a closeness that is being threatened. As the past is slowly revealed you really do get a growing sense of unease. I’m trying to be as vague as I can regarding the plot because I do think it is better going in knowing as little as possible. What I will say is that Louise Jensen has written a story that kept me on my toes! There is definitely a sinister undercurrent running throughout this book as the reader knows that something is off but the characters are determined to do things their way!

The Family is also very moreish even though it is a slow burner I still found myself turning the pages as quick as I could especially near the end. I had to know how it would all turn out!

The Family is a book filled with secrets, lies and manipulation.

When you are feeling really lonely and mourning a tragedy and trying to cope with one difficulty after the other, the smallest gesture of kindness, even from a stranger can fill you with gratitude.
That's exactly what Laura feels. Having to face a tragic loss without any family attending by her and unsure how to get back the closeness she had with her teenaged daughter, she doesn't know whom to turn to when faced with financial troubles too. And that's where she learns about a farm where people live like a family, as if in some sort of commune.
The guy running it, Alex, draws everyone in with his charisma and both mother and daughter are charmed into not just visiting but staying. With no connectivity via television or internet or even their mobile phones to the world outside, their world shrinks to within the walls of the farm.
But there is a feeling of unease underneath the gratitude for being saved. Is this utopian place really what it seems?
The feeling of creepiness is prevalent in the story and you feel suspicious of just about everyone and everything so that the twists do come as a surprise.
Like all of Louise Jensens's books that I have read, this one was a page turner too.

Like some of the other reviewers said, bit of a slow start, but pleased I persevered- I was gripped. Great story

The slow start of this book almost put me off but I'm glad I persevered. It turned into a clever and gripping story which I would highly recommend.  Excellent. Thank you #Netgalley for the chance to read it. #TheFamily @Fab_fiction

A good read which kept my interest to the the end. I did find Tilly a little annoying in parts but this did not spoil my enjoyment of the story

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an advance copy of this title in exchange for an unbiased review.

The Family tells the story of Laura, who has recently suddenly lost her husband, and her daughter Tilly.  Finding themselves in financial difficulty, they are invited to stay with a local community, Oak Leaf Organics.  It is soon clear that all is not as appears, and told from the point of view of Laura, Tilly and Alex, who runs Oak Leaf, we discover that everyone has their own secrets they are trying to hide.l.

This book for me was a bit of a slow burn - I was not sure at the beginning if I was going to enjoy it, and but persevered and ultimately it was definitely worth it .  What the author does brilliantly is set the scene - the descriptive writing creates a creepy atmosphere that ramps up the tension as the book progresses. Add to that the twists and turns along the way that keep you guessing right up till the end (though ultimately there was perhaps one too many coincidence for me towards the end) and this adds up to a dark thriller that I enjoyed and would recommend.

Thank you to Netgalley and HQ for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a very intriguing book, it is clear from the start that our characters Laura, Tilly and Alex all have secrets that they are keeping not only from each other but everyone else. When Laura's husband dies after falling off scaffolding and the insurance holding up paying out she is faced with loosing her buisness and her home. With no money coming in she is offered help from Oak Leaf Organics, a local commune who offer her and her daughter a home until things get settled and sorted out.

Life in the commune is run by Alex, I instantly thought of it being very cult like - ridding yourself of all the modern world has to offer, like technology, clothing etc. But the more I read on I actually quite liked the idea of what Alex was trying to build upon with Oak Leaf, though I couldn't see myself doing it.....

As Laura and Tilly settle in life on the outside is slowly ticking by like a bomb waiting to go off, and when it does go off the secrets that Laura and Tilly have been keeping from each other come to an explosive ending. Not only that the secrets that Alex is keeping will twist the knife in ways I never saw coming.

This was good thriller that has many secrets, twists and turn that I couldn't stop reading.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the arc, which I have enjoyed reading.
The Family by Louise Jensen has a complex storyline around the concept of family, there are many twists and turns to the story some of which are predictable and others that are very clever psychological twists. The main characters of the story are mother and daughter, Laura and Tilly and the other characters that appear and disappear are secondary to the story but also integral to the plot.
A very complex psychological thriller

Poor Laura, not only has her husband just died, leaving her struggling for money but her daughter is now being bullied at school.  All this is pretty tame compared with life with “the family”.  Sometimes it was genuinely creepy but spoilt by “coincidences”.  Another supposedly intelligent woman who turns into a gibbering wreck, believes everything and is just irritating, pretty much like her daughter, Tilly!  Liked the cover and thought the idea was intriguing but it didn’t turn into a bite your nails type of thriller which might have something to do with most of Tilly’s sections being a rerun of Laura’s - ie same conversations and actions.  I did enjoy most of the story.

Another great book by Louise Jensen, could not put it down once you had started and it. So many twists that I definitely didn’t see coming!

Wow wow wow. First book from Louise that I’ve read and now I’m going to have to hunt down the rest. Bloody brilliant. So many twists and turns. So many possibilities. I have no idea what it’s like to lose a partner or a parent in death but I truly believed every raw and painful emotion that Tilly and Laura felt. If you read one book this year. Make it this one.

If cult-style psychological thrillers give you a buzz, then you must read The Family, the latest novel  written by Louise Jensen. Even though, I have yet to read some of this fabulous author's earlier work, I knew I was going to be in for a treat with this one and it was stunningly good. 

Laura Evans is grieving after the sudden death of her husband, Gavan, and is struggling to cope. She is grateful when a local community, Oak Leaf Organics, offer her and seventeen-year-old daughter Tilly, a home. Tilly is smitten and enamoured by Alex, the leader of the community, but as Laura and Tilly are settling into their new life, sinister things start happening. Laura wants to leave but Tilly, enthralled by the persuasive and handsome Alex, refuses to go.

In The Family, bestseller Louise Jensen explores the darkest corners of a cult in a mesmerising and chilling tale of evil, secrets, lies, blackmail, and manipulation. Written in alternating chapters, from the perspectives of Laura and Tilly, with additional chapters from Alex, I was given the opportunity to see things from several viewpoints, making the story altogether more interesting. Louise Jensen's characterisation was incredibly impressive, especially as I was allowed an insight into Laura and Tilly's relationship. The author explores the psyche of her characters with great conviction, making them very credible. It was interesting to read how they frequently misunderstood one another leading to anger, conflict, and pain. The chapters narrated by the charismatic Alex felt disquieting and much darker.

I particularly liked the author's portrayal of Alex who was a fascinating concoction of misguided, mentally unstable, and possessed psychopathic tendencies, in my humble opinion. Each character had a part to play in the story and all of them came across as being good or bad, or both, which made this a very believable read. Everyone has different motives and priorities for their actions, thoughts or behaviour. The Family brought me no disappointments, capturing my attention from the prologue to the final word. Louise Jensen created an underlying sense of dread that was totally gripping. I appreciated the tautness of the plot, the twists and revelations, and the overall quality of the writing. As the second half opened, my interest never wavered as the story spiralled its way towards a superb denouement. I have found a new favourite psychological thriller writer in Louise Jensen and I cannot recommend The Family highly enough. 

I received a complimentary copy of this novel from HQ via NetGalley at my request. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

Laura and her seventeen year old daughter Tilly are left devastated when Gaven, their husband and father, dies after falling from scaffolding.  Laura then finds that they are in financial difficulties due to a scandal concerning the construction company that was owned by Gaven and his brother.  His death may be regarded as suspicious and if so the insurers will not pay out so Laura and Tilly could be in danger of losing their home and Laura’s floristry shop.  The scandal has affected Laura and Tilly and their relationship with Gaven’s brother and his family.  Laura is befriended by Saffron who lives in type of commune that grows local produce and she offers them a place to stay at the commune until their insurers pay out, but soon things start to go wrong.  Tilly becomes obsessed with Alex, the leader of the commune and soon all the friendliness of the other members turns sour and Laura and Tilly’s lives are in danger.  The chapters are told by Laura, Tilly and Alex, who are all hiding their own secrets.  I found the plot rather complicated and I didn’t like the open ending.  I did enjoy the book but I didn’t think it was as good as her previous ones.
Thanks to Netgalley and publishers HQ for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

A very tense, psychological thriller. A grieving mother and her child are offered accommodation by a local organisation. All is not what it seems and when the mother wants to leave she finds that isn't possible. Their being invited to join the group, had an alternative reason and leaving isn't part of this.

Another suspense-packed page turner from Louise Jensen

I’ve read and reviewed all of Louise’s previous books (The Sister, The Surrogate, The Gift and The Date) and I’m very pleased to say that in The Family she has produced yet another page-turner. In fact, trying to find something original to say has proved almost impossible as this book is more of her winning formula. Safe to say: if you have enjoyed all/any of her previous psychological thrillers, you should put The Family on your Christmas list!

The short chapters, which nearly all end on a mini cliffhanger, make The Family incredibly readable. With plenty of twists and turns to keep things interesting, I expect many readers will race through to finish it in one sitting.

Unlike her previous books, this story focuses on the bond between a mother and daughter when subjected to extreme stress. I did feel for Laura and Tilly, particularly as they are in an awful situation at the start of the book and things only keep getting worse!

Towards the end I did start to feel there were perhaps one too many incredible coincidences or an over-reliance on destiny to explain everything. Also, while on the whole the three different narrators lead us on a clear path through the story, in the last few chapters the voice hopping did confuse me a little. Although I do acknowledge that could be a product of my addled brain!

Overall: Fans of Louise Jensen’s previous books will no doubt devour The Family with delight.

Fantastic book, lots of twists and turns to keep you guessing all the way thrugh. 
If you haven't read anything by Louise Jenson you most definitely should.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest, independent review.

"Laura is grieving after the sudden death of her husband. Struggling to cope emotionally and financially, Laura is grateful when a local community, Oak Leaf Organics, offer her and her 17-year-old daughter Tilly a home.
 
"But as Laura and Tilly settle into life with their new ‘family’, sinister things begin to happen..."

Having read some of Louise Jensen's novels in the past, I was looking forward to her latest book, and she did not disappoint! The plot was gripping, and had me on the edge of my seat. There were times when it started to feel a bit predictable, but then a twist was chucked in and everything was thrown up in the air - this kept me invested in the storyline throughout.

I didn't connect with any of the characters, sadly. The novel was told from three different points of view - Laura, Tilly and Alex - and unfortunately, neither of them grabbed me - I found each a little annoying in some way. However, I could tell each of them were telling secrets though, and this along with the gripping storyling kept me reading.

I'm looking forward to reading Louise Jensen's next novel!

Kept hearing about Louise Jensen from a book club I’m a member of and when I saw this I decided it was about time I read it. It’s not the scariest thriller I’ve ever read - more of a “cozy thriller” (is that actually a genre?) but since I love cozy mysteries, that was fine by me.
When two people are narrating, I always find I relate to one more than the other - in this case the mother - but the split narrative did help the plot. Bit confused by the 3rd person narrative from the bloke being thrown in.
Anyway, now I need to read all her other books.