Lost interest in this book after the first 50 pages
I couldn’t get into this story and struggled to even make it through the first 50 pages. I will try again and maybe I need a light read. I’ll update my review if I finish.

I really loved this book!! It had so many twists and turns. It kept me on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen next!! This was my first book by this Author, and it won’t be the last!! Quick read!! Highly recommended!! You won’t be disappointed!!

Claire thinks she got the sister she always wanted, but did she? Social media can find people, and it can help people find you. Allowing strangers into your home is dangerous, especially when you don’t really know them. This book was mind blowing, page turner from start to finish. With an ending you never see coming!

Family Secrets is a must read for suspense lovers. I was hooked by the end of the prologue. This one definitely kept me guessing right up until the end. Even with the split POV it felt smooth. I didn’t have a favorite character per se. But I really felt for Bernard through the whole story, and I loved the ending for Claire. There were a few parts that dragged on a tiny bit and could have maybe been cut out, but overall I loved this book.

'Claire always wished for a sister. But should you be careful what you wish for?'

What would you do if you got a text message out of the blue saying 'you don't know me, but I'm your sister'? Claire always wished for a sister, and with her father increasingly unwell with dementia and her husband having an affair, the appearance of a half-sister, Sophie, comes at just the right time. But what will happen as Claire allows Sophie into her life more and more, can you really trust who people say they are? With dark twists and turns, The Family Secret really is as gripping as they come.

I absolutely adored this book, domestic thrillers have fast become my favourite genre and this certainly didn't disappoint. Very cleverly written, I was left guessing until the end. Each chapter was told from a different perspective; mainly that of Claire or her husband Luke, but also we saw insights from Sophie and Claire's father, Bernard. I felt this added to the suspense, and further added to the many strands of the unfolding secret without giving anything away.

I found Claire to be frustrating at times, she was incredibly quick to disregard her husband and believe someone she'd never met. It seemed funny how she went from being so overprotective of her young daughter around her own father, to trusting her completely with a woman she only just met. But having reflected on it, I suspect that it is intentional to encourage the reader to turn on certain characters and be as trusting as Claire.

Overall I found The Family Secret to be a gripping read, and I will certainly be reading more of Sheryl Browne's novels in future.


This review will feature on emilyclairewrites.com from 15th January

Claires life is falling apart. Her marriage is suddenly broken, leaving her to look after their 4 year old daughter, whilst her ill father requires her attention 24/7. So when she recieves a message from a stranger claiming to be her half-sister, Claire thinks this may be just what she needs.

This book had me on the edge of my seat from the start. It opens with a dramatic couple of chapters then jumps forward 27 years, leaving us with unanswered questions and wanting more.

I admit, I am rubbish at predicting the outcome of books! So when the big twist came, I was shocked! I love a book that keeps me guessing.

This is an addictive book for any fans of psychological thrillers. I'm really looking forward to reading more from Sheryl!

This thriller grabs the readers attention from the very first word and never lets up. Our story starts with out main character Claire caring for her father who suffers from Alzheimer's. Things are hard but she is doing her best to make it work. Suddenly out of the blue Claire finds out that her husband is having an affair and her life and her mental health start to fall apart. Around the same time Claire gets a message from a girl named Sophie who claims to be her half sister. Being a good human being and since family means a lot Claire invites Sophie into
their lives and that is when things start to go wrong. I was very invested in this story and couldn't put it down as soon as I picked it up. The characters were very interesting and I enjoyed even the ones I didn't like so much. There were so many twists in this book that every time I thought I knew what was going on or what was going to happen something else would chance it really kept the reader on their toes. This was the first book that I've read by Sheryl Browne but if they are all like this one then it won't be my last.

Claire is having a hard time balancing all of her responsibilities. She, her husband, and daughter moved in with Claire's father to help take care of him. His dementia is getting worse and he is becoming more and more confused and aggressive. Four-year-old Ella has hemophilia and between looking out for her and watching over her father, Claire has little little spare time and her marriage is suffering. Her father be keeping a secret, but in his confusion he can't really Claire's questions When someone reaches out to Claire claiming to be her half sister, Claire sees a chance to finally get some answers. 

This book was very promising at the beginning and I was intrigued by events in Claire and her father's past that could be playing a part in their current lives. However, before long, the tension and suspense I was feeling turned to frustration. Both Claire and Luke allowed themselves to be manipulated and neither Claire nor her sister were very likable characters. One of Sophie's big secrets was fairly obvious from the beginning, but a couple of the others that were revealed at the end were surprising to me.

I'm disappointed the book didn't turn out to be as good as it sounded. It's a shame because I could see the author is talented. The scenes in which Claire brings her father to the senior care facility are very realistic and heartbreaking, and I found myself tearing up while reading them. I wish the rest of the book could have brought out an emotional response, but I didn't feel connected enough to the characters. I liked that there were some twists that took me by surprise, but the very end of the book is too ambiguous for my taste. 

I received this book from NetGalley, through the courtesy of Bookouture. The book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.

The Family Secret is a fast passed domestic thriller that doesn’t disappoint. Claire and her family move in with Claire’s father so she can care for him. He is suffering from dementia from advanced Alzheimer’s. Her husband Luke thinks all of this is just too much and he fears for the safety of their daughter. Having reached his limit one evening, Luke goes out and has his picture taken by one of Claire’s friends kissing a girl. Luke regrets it the moment it happened but Claire is sure this is the start of an affair. Claire wishes she had someone to talk to and confide in as she struggles with her Dad and the affair. Out of the blue she receives a text from someone that says they are sisters and wants to meet. This begins a roller coaster of dark and twisted events in a well-crafted and thought out plot that will keep you on your toes. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, although I wanted to shout at Claire not to always be so trusting, I highly recommend.

Wow, just wow.

Fantastic work by this author who delivered jet again heart stopping thrilled.

Each family has some secrets, some bigger and darker than others. What you gonna 'see' uncovered in this thriller will shock you.

Brilliant book by fantastic author.

I had high hopes for this thriller based on the synopsis but unfortunately I found this to be rather predictable - the identity of one of the characters was fairly apparent from the the start, and the twist at the end was pretty lacklustre. Having read some great reviews of her previous books, I feel that this one simply didn't hit the mark.

Oh, I do hate it when I’m not too fond of a book by one of my favourite authors, and I have to write a review as I accepted an ARC. Most of the time, I love receiving advanced copies of books and shouting from the rooftops how great they were. However, there is the odd time when I come across a book that I was really looking forward to reading but am forced to write a disappointing review. This, unfortunately, is one of those times.
I’m not sure what went wrong with this book, but it just didn’t hit the high standard mark that I am used to from Sheryl Browne. It felt disjointed, rushed and confusing.
Claire, the protagonist, was a mercurial character. She was erratic and all over the place. She seemed to jump to conclusions based on no facts or anything at all really. She went from one thing to another at lightning speed, and you were left wondering how she had decided that outcome. She was paranoid before anything had even happened or before anyone had given her any reason to be. She called people liars before they’d proved to her that they’d lied (we knew they’d lied, but she didn’t).
Unreal situations occurred, which just weren’t feasible or practical. Unfortunately, I can’t back any of this up with examples without giving spoilers; I did vent a lot of my frustrations to my husband last night after finishing the book. I knew he’d never read it so was able to tell him the many inconsistencies just to get them out of my head as I knew I wouldn’t be able to put them in my review.
The characters were just unlikeable; they acted irrationally and unrealistically in irrational and unrealistic circumstances.
The ending was very confusing, and I had to reread it twice to try and understand what was happening or trying to be conveyed. It was still left slightly ambiguous.
I think the best bit about the book was the intrigue surrounding the deaths of the mothers and what happened in chapter one back in 1992. That was, in fact, the most interesting chapter and storyline, and finding out all the mystery surrounding this event was exciting. The little twists that were revealed were shocking, and I didn’t guess them at all. The big twist, however, I did figure out at around 10% of the way into the book, so that was no big surprise.
Overall the book just lacked coherence. I only persevered to the end out of respect to the author. I have enjoyed the majority of her past books, and as I said, I was very much looking forward to this one. I’m sorry that this book wasn’t for me.

Not a bad read.

Claire is trying to deal with a father with dementia,a husband she suspect of cheating,a daughter with a potentially life threatening illness and if that's not enough she receives a text message from someone claiming to be her half sister.

Claire can't get any answers from her dad and with her husband seemingly going more volatile by the day,she has no choice but to invite her half sister,Sophie into her like,but could that be her biggest mistake yet?

Thanks to netgalley for the opportunity to review this book,this is my honest opinion.

I've enjoyed Sheryl Brownie's past books, so I was eager to read her newest release. Unfortunately I didn't like this one quite as much as her previous books, so I'm rating this one a 2.5 stars. I guessed the main twist the very moment a certain character stepped into the scene so it made the book frustrating to read rather then suspenseful. Also, there were some loose threads that were never tied up.

An enjoyable domestic drama from one of my favorite authors.

Claire made a vow to have a perfect family and be the best mom and wife to make up for her unhappy childhood.
All is going smoothly until Claire"s husband leave her to care for both her daughter and sick father after he had a quick affair with a mysterious woman.

Claire"s seemingly ideal life starts to crumble, but suddenly a young girl shows up claiming to be Claire's unknown sister. From this moment forward things take a turn for the worse, as there seems to be a lot more to this so-called sister than what meets the eyes.

Although I love Sheryl's books, this one seemed a little less complex with some far fetched aspects, yet as a whole it entertained me for a couple of hours and would recommend it to fans of the genre.

Thanks Netgalley, Bookouture, and author Sheryl Browne for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

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

Family drama with some extremely irrational behavior by the main character, which of course feeds into the plot and fans the flames of the mysterious "secrets". I found it very predictable, and felt the plot was truncated by the author's effort to tell the story from different POVs, not entirely successfully.

From the very first book I read by this author, I was thrilled. Now, a few books later, I still am! She does not disappoint. I would even say more : she comes back stronger each time!

Claire always wished for a sister ... Maybe she should have wished for something else ;) 

The beginning of the story was a good warm-up. It leaves you wondering what it is all about and who did what. 

Little by little you find out that appearances can be deceiving, but who deceives who and who tells the truth?

I love the way the author describes the emotions. That's one of the things her books are so brilliant. I wonder whether she ever considered writing a different genre? I am convinced that she would write a great sentimental tearjeaker as well.

Anyway, an amazing story. This might even be my favourite up till now. 5 stars.

Thank you, Sheryl Browne and Bookouture

Yet again Sheryl Browne has written a good psychological thriller that keeps you guessing to the end.Claire is on her own caring for her daughter Ella after her husband leaves her after a one night stand with Anna who turns out to be not the woman he thought she was,also caring for her dad who is suffering from dementia Claire is at her wits end and then out of the blue she meets Sophie who claims to be Claire's sister from her dads secret affair form years ago,at first Claire welcomes Sophie into their lives as Ella adores her,but doubts start to creep in and Claire starts to have grave misgivings about her sister.The Family Secret is a good thriller but i don't think it is Sheryl Browne's best book out there,but it is still a good 4 star read which didn't disappoint and i wouldn't hesitate to recommend this book to anyone who enjoys this genre.

Sheryl Browne has created another amazing domestic thriller that is very addictive.
It’s the perfect mix of lies, deceit and intrigue that will keep you reading until you’ve finished.
I’ve loved all of her other books and this didn’t disappoint.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book as an ARC. Contains spoilers: This was my first book by Sheryl Browne but will not be my last. I read this book in about a day as it was gripping and kept you guessing. Claire, the main character, in my opinion, was a bit gullible, but understand that she was searching for "family" and was open to letting someone in who claimed to be her "half-sister". I figured out pretty early that Anna and Sophie were one in the same but the reveal still was exciting to get to. I felt bad for Claire's husband Luke as he was truly trying to do the best he could helping care for Claire's father and daughter who had medically issues. The end secret was a big reveal that could easily have been missed, I had to reread it a few times! I would definitely recommend checking this one out.