The story starts in shocking fashion, describing a horrifying shooting. Who is involved and what has happened that leads to this terrifying event? Told mainly from the perspective of mother and daughter, Laura and Tilly as their seemingly normal lives spiral out of control after the death of Laura’s husband Gavan. As Laura’s business fails amid fears she will lose her home and also her remaining family turn their backs she is only too accepting of a strangers offer of help. They start their new life without money worries on a remote farm as part of a community. Is this the answer to her prayers or the start of a new life from which there is no going back for either her or her daughter? Dark family secrets, misunderstandings and tragedy all make for a thrilling read that has the reader continuously wondering just who to trust.

Rating 3.5 stars

It took me a while to actually get into this book but I did enjoy it more than I thought I would. There were definitely some twists that I didn't see coming, but there were some which I managed to work out. The differing POV's were interesting and added to the suspense of the novel. I did find it a little confusing at times, especially at the end, the way Jensen likes to jumble up sentences, I understand it is trying to portray the characters emotions though.

An interesting read!

This starts so well, with Laura (a grieving widow) and her daughter Tilly both reeling following the sudden death of Laura's husband. They are both left bereft and in grave financial difficulties. The mother and daughter tensions are gripping and real and the storyline progresses with elements from each perspective, along with a third person, Alex.

What works well: The dynamics between mother and daughter and the tension that builds as they both try to survive a horrible situation.
There's also the immediate family who have disowned them and the teenage daughter is bereft of family and friends.

What didn't work for me: There was just too much going on that I spent most of the book feeling confused. The 3 character elements became frustrating, as did the occasional welsh words, with no apparent link to anything.

I didn't really care enough about any of the characters and found the premise too far fetched.

I'm very grateful to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to preview this book. However, sorry, it's not for me. A 2* OK read.

When Laura’s husband, Gavan, falls to his death from on a building site she is left as a single mother in financial ruin. Prior to his death Gavan’s construction company was at the centre of a local scandal as a family has claimed the land on which he built their home caused their daughters leukemia and as a result the family (and Laura’s florist) have been ostracised by the local community.

When Saffron comes to her shop selling organic products from a local farm, Laura discloses her troubles and is offered what seems a promising lifeline for her and her daughter, Tilly, to join the community at the farm until she can land back on her feet.

Here we meet the extremely charismatic Alex who is head of the community who welcomes Laura and Tilly with open arms. Things soon start to take a sinister turn and the community are not as happy and carefree as they seem from the outset.

I’ve given the book a rating of 3 stars as the plot has many twists and turns with new revelations revealed until the very last page. I enjoyed the differing narratives in the novel which gave conflicting viewpoints of the same situation, however, the character development was not quite there for me. We know from the beginning that all characters are harbouring secrets, but I felt these were all dragged out throughout the story then all suddenly released at the end. Laura’s character was a weak yet protective mother hen who seemed incapable of making any rational decisions whilst Tilly’s character was too “teenage angst” to be truly believable. Alex’s story was definitely under explored but this helped to pique the readers interest and provided motivation to keep reading.

Thank you to NetGalley and HQ for giving me the chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Well, this was as twisty and turney (yes, I know that’s not a real world but it serves a purpose) as the Welsh lanes that feature in the story. If you have heard stories of people being inculcated into a cult and thought, I would never fall for that, read this book. This novel describes brilliantly how, when you are at your lowest ebb, a few gentle words of kindness and the offer of a helping hand, can change your world forever.

Laura’s husband, Gavan, has been killed in an accident on a building site. Her florist business is failing; her daughter, Tilly, is unhappy and being bullied at school. Gavan’s brother and wife are distancing themselves from Laura because of claims that Gavan had built houses on contaminated land which caused the illness of one of Tilly’s classmates. The inquest into Gavan’s death is taking too long to conclude; meaning that Laura is unable to claim on his life insurance. She has to accept that she is about to lose everything, including her house. Enter Saffron who is sympathetic and understanding, she offers Laura and Tilly a place to stay at Oak Leaf Farm where organic vegetables are grown and sold by a group of like-minded people.

Laura and Tilly move to the farm where they meet the charismatic Alex, a man, who will have a significant effect on both their lives. As they are drawn deeper into the lives of those living at the farm they become accepting of living life in a different way. Are they safe and supported or are there less than altruistic reasons for their invitation to live there? When Laura decides it is time to leave and Milly refuses to go with her, events become very unsettling.

This is a deftly plotted and very clever read. The description of the farm and the surrounding landscape create a menacing and threatening atmosphere. The difficult relationship between a mother and a teenage daughter is handled really well and is very realistic. The story is told from the points of view of Laura, Tilly and Alex (all of whom have secrets which gradually emerge); this creates different interpretations of the same events: I really liked that. You are encouraged to make assumptions which may or may not be true. The Family is addictive and compelling and you get to learn a little bit of Welsh along the way! Ardderchog! Highly recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and HQ Stories for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have read all of Louise’s books and find them all enthralling, the family was no different. Although initially confused by the different POV’s I quickly settled into this and found it a great addition to the story. It was interesting to read what each person was thinking and it it defiantly part of what made it so irresistible. I read the whole thing in a couple of hours because I just couldn’t put it down. The plot itself I found strangely intense, the writing was so good it was easy to find yourself imaging the people and the mindset they had which in turns makes you feel a little uncomfortable and glad you wasn’t in there position! Can’t wait for Louise’s next instalment. 4/5

Coincidence
Fate
Destiny
Very twisty psychological thriller.
Saffron is in Laura’s florists trying to get her to sell organic produce from the farm business, Oak Leaf Organics. Laura having just lost her husband suddenly has a panic attack and Saffron offers to take Laura home. Here Laura pours her heart out to this stranger about the possibility she will lose both her florist business and family home due to delays in paying out on her husband’s estate. Saffron offers Laura and daughter Tilly shelter at a local farm where they meet Alex, who is running things for the farmer who is getting on in years. It seem the ideal short-term solution to Laura, who will help out at the farm in exchange for somewhere to stay.
There were some strange goings on at the farm, and the electric fence added to the strangeness for Laura. It seemed all the females staying at the farm put Alex on a pedestal, well he was totally gorgeous so who could blame them if they all fancied him. He was pretty flirtatious with everyone which added to my suspicions.
It was a paranoid read and I was suspicious of everyone and what they were up to, wondering where they fitted in. As the conclusion was reached I never guessed at all. None of my theories turned out to be correct, wrong on every one.
Creeped me out quite a bit, especially the crow!
Thanks to HQ, Harper Collins and NetGalley for the review copy in which I give my honest opinion.

This is a hard book for me to review as I liked the book but I didn’t love it as much as I was expecting to. It starts out with a lot of promise with Laura having difficulties after the sudden death of husband leaving her financially in a mess and her daughter Tilly struggling at school with bullying so with an offer to join a community (cult) it’s seems like a lifeline but all is not as it seems !! Well I love a story about a cult but somehow this just failed to hit the mark for me I found it hard to gel with the characters and as the book progressed I found my interest waning. So the book was ok but perhaps a little bit to far fetched overall but still a 3 star read and I’m sure others will enjoy it more.
My thanks to NetGalley and HQ for giving me the chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins for a free ARC of this book.

The Family brings us the sudden death of a husband. An argument with the inlaws. A widow and her daughter left alone and in financial difficulty. Then enters Saffron and Alex, who offer Laura and Tilly shelter at a local farm turned kind-of-cult. As if things weren't bad enough already, they soon take a turn for the worse.

I love good psychological thrillers with plenty of twists and turns and familial betrayal. Somehow, this book offered all that but failed to fully deliver. Many of the thrilling bits ended up feeling like 'the boy who cried wolf', in that they never ended up being what you'd been led to believe. Read that scenario enough times, and you find yourself not reacting anymore. Add to that lots of typos and miswritten sentences, and the whole thing starts to feel frustrating. As this is an advanced review copy, I have to let a lot of the technical issues go in the hope they will be rectified before publication.

The narrative jumped between Laura and Tilly for the most part, with the odd visit to Alex's head. I didn't find myself connecting with or caring for any of the characters. I never got to know them well enough to invest in them. Everyone remained vague and not all there for me.

Finally, the end was so unsatisfying and left way too open. Also, the sheer number of coincidences felt too far-fetched and unbelieveable. Large parts of the book did keep my interest, however, so this has left me feeling somewhat ambivalent while writing my review.

I've given it two stars, because it wasn't an awful read. Some parts were quite good. On the other hand, I didn't love it either. So, two stars it is (see my review notes below).

***

NOTE ON RATINGS: I consider a 3-star rating a positive review. Picky about which books I give 5 stars to, I reserve this highest rating for the stories I find stunning and which moved me.

5 STARS: IT WAS AMAZING! I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN! — Highly Recommended.
4 STARS: I WOULD PULL AN ALL-NIGHTER — Go read this book.
3 STARS: IT WAS GOOD! — An okay read. Didn’t love it. Didn’t hate it.
2 STARS: I MAY HAVE LIKED A FEW THINGS —Lacking in some areas: writing, characterisation, and/or problematic plot lines.
1 STAR: NOT MY CUP OF TEA —Lots of issues with this book.

4.5 stars
Being my first book by the author didn't exactly know what to expect, but this story got me gutted from the first pages and i just couldn't put it down.
As a mother, you'll go to no end to keep your daughter safe when life strikes bad and will do whatever it takes to provide a decent life and a future for her.
Told in 3 povs, this book is full of twists and turns that i didn't see it coming my way even if i really enjoy psychological thrillers, a cast of characters that will keep you guessing what they are thinking or what are their goals at the end and why are they really acting like this.
All this make for a perfect read for me and I'll be looking out for more books by the author as I'm definitely a big fan now.

A truly terrifying, psychological and yet full of love novel
It starts at the end but to be honest after a couple of chapters I had forgotten that, I was so invested in the relationship between Laura and her daughter Tilly.
Like most mother daughter relationships I know it had its ups and downs although Laura had it even tougher after losing her husband ,her business and all her family the only place she had left to go was to a commune outside of town
From here the story has so many different paths and you can't imagine how it will lead them to one conclusion. But that's the art of a good storyteller they can weave their own magnificent web and leave you to untangle it
I think different people who read this book will read a difference in the ending I know who I think lied and kept secrets.

I’ve read Louise Jensen’s previous books so was looking forward to this one. An easy to read thriller, this is exactly what you would expect from this author. This is not my favourite of her books but still an enjoyable read for fans of the thriller genre.

Who is your family? The group linked by blood ties and memories shared over many years. Or those people who are there for you when tragedy strikes and you feel in the depths of despair with nowhere to go and nowhere to turn. What do we know about a commune or the events and reasons why people seek this form of existence; suddenly relying on an existence totally alien to everything they know and understand. And most importantly when you find yourself on rock bottom and desperately need a friend who can you trust. This is the dilemma in which Laura finds herself. Catastrophic events in per past, long buried deeply behind lies and untruths, a young daughter dependent upon her and post traumatic stress caused by a sudden bereavement leave her unable to rationalise her current situation and adrift in panic mode, Choices are made which destabilise both their lives, putting them at serious risk of harm and in danger. We the reader travel her journey with the same frustrations not knowing or understanding who or why the perpetrator is focussed on destroying this family . When her back is against the wall and there is nothing to lose and everything to play for who can Laura turn depend upon. Who is totally trustworthy family in the true sense of the word. Her life and that of her daughter relies on the answer.

Thanks to Netgalley and HQ for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Laura finds herself in a financial mess when her husband dies in an accident and she is left to fend for herself and her 17 year old daughter. Making matters worse, her husband’s housing development business was thought to be responsible for a girl getting sick with leukemia after her home was built on a former toxic dump. A boycott against the family effectively puts Laura’s florist shop out of business. Due to her inability to pay her rent while waiting for life insurance check, Laura ends up taking her daughter to live in a self sustaining community and of course that doesn’t go well.

This was another pretty good read from Louise Jensen. You knew both Laura’s and her daughter were hiding something and you knew there was going to be trouble in the community they moved to. I thought the ending was pretty interesting despite the fact that there were a lot of coincidences. I look forward to Louise Jensen’s next book.

A very intriguing addictive read
This is a clever plot and has many twists and turns along the way
Very well written and enthralling
A brilliant book

I wanted so much to like this book. I'm a big fan of the author but the plot was just so contrived and the triple narration made it feel like wading through treacle. Sorry.

This is one of those books which I cannot quite decide how to review. The story line and uncovering of the past made the reading suspenseful, however it was a long haul to get to the point when much was given away and then it all came out quite quickly. If I was to offer advice to the author from an avid reader of psychological thrillers, then I would suggest that she 'drip feeds'information more steadily throughout the writing to keep the reader engaged. Some of the characters appear unrealistic, ie they start off seeming to have a particular personality and then it changes. Whilst I realise that this is part of the nature of this genre of writing. I still didn't believe in some of the cast especially Alex. I nearly gave up 60% through. In the end I was pleased to have finished it, rather than delighted by the conclusion.

This book kept me guessing to the end, I enjoyed the twists and felt for the main characters. I would read more of Louise Jensen’s books.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The descriptive writing was great, it really painted a picture in my mind of the place and characters. I could really envision it as if a film was playing in my mind.
The storyline was great and I felt she explained and tied up the story at the end too, so I didn’t feel like I was missing anything.
A great read which I’ll happily be recommending to my friends!

Good book I have never read this author before but just found a lot of the book was repeated so did get a bit boring but it is worth a read