But nothing is as obvious as it seems. We get a twist at the very end. My advice for this book, don’t trust anyone. This was fantastic, I was so excited reading it and rushed through it in a few hours… The twists kept coming and I didn’t know who or what to believe!… Phenomenal writing!’ Mrsbookburney ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

When Mary succeeds in locating her first child, the scene is set for tensions to unfold. The Family Reunion simmers with an underlying menace as the twists are revealed like the slow drip of a tap. Sibling rivalry abounds. The story seethes with resentment and jealousy, not just because of the hierarchy between the children shifting, but also because of the financial implications. This is Mary’s firstborn, after all. I reach for my bright yellow roses, and I force myself to be as cheerful and sunny as those flowers. I won’t dwell on everything that’s happened recently – ever since we agreed to stay with his parents for the weeks ahead of the wedding.Genres covered in this novel include Thriller, Noir Fiction, Psychological Thriller, Domestic Fiction, Suspense, British Thriller, Domestic Drama, Psychological Suspense, Mystery, Women's Psychological Fiction, and Psychological Fiction amongst others. Outside of her writing, she is very active in writer groups and is a member of the Society of Women Journalists and Writers, the Society of Authors, and the Romantic Novelists’ Association. This is my second book by Karen King. The first one left me with mixed feelings. The description of this sounded too good to pass it.

But the family doesn't live happily ever after - Mary's other two children don't trust their older sister, their spouses think she's only after their mother's money and strange things keep happening. Reaching for the bright yellow roses, she forces herself to be sunny and cheerful as she tries to forget recent events. The couple had been forced to stay with Sam’s parents for several weeks before the wedding and it had not been easy. I liked the main character and as a fellow pushover at times, I could relate to her and how she went along with everything to avoid conflict. Usually main characters are very strong so it was refreshing to have someone realistic and relatable. But, her future mother-in-law, Evelyn, had different ideas. Evelyn was gracious and welcoming. But soon, Dana began to feel as thought something sinister lay behind Evelyn’s smile and thoughtfulness. As such, much of her early work was commissioned by magazines. At some point, she was invited to pen three story/audiobooks focusing on several characters in a children’s magazine that she was then writing.

Advance Praise

It was love at first sight for Dana and Sam. And Dana could not believe how wonderful it was to be in love and to receive a marriage proposal after only four months of dating. Mary wants to right the wrongs of the past. Very saddened by the loss of her husband after nearly four decades of being happily married, she decides to deal with something that happened when she was just 16 years of age, something that she kept secret for decades. With two grown children, Joanne and Jason, revealing that secret might change everything about her life. Even after they were surprised by a pregnancy twenty years after the birth of their supposed last born, they remained unphased. WOW! What a thrill ride! I simply devoured this book in a matter of hours not knowing who was lying, who was telling the truth… Holy moly, this isone addictiveread!!… I was left breathless throughout… and by the time I read those final words… I was speechless.’ Confessions of a Bookaholic ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ However, the sweet and beautiful love story was tragically cut short following a painful battle with cancer that had taken Lily’s mother.

Well, that wasn't quite what I expected. THE FAMILY REUNION is my fourth read of Karen King's psychological thrillers and I wasn't disappointed. Although I would class this one as more in the domestic thriller genre, as it was specifically centred around the family and its extending tendrils. Throughout the entire story there is an undercurrent of something not quite right and it seems the answer is just staring us in the face...why can't anyone else see it? Or maybe they have...or maybe they haven't. But one thing is for sure...nothing is as it seems.This is how you write a tense battle of wills. Right from the start you know things have gone horribly wrong for bride Dana…… The commissioned work she did during that time paid the bills and she penned everything from plays, joke books picture books, early readers, and bits and bobs of non-fiction work.

Mind you, she doesn't really do much to help herself and I just kept thinking what a doormat she was allowing herself to be treated as. The way her naivety and eagerness to be accepted was being used and taken advantage of would have become quite annoying, if I hadn't known that things were probably going to escalate out of hand and the situation explode out of control at some point in time. Sam is too busy trying to appease 'mummy', who he has set on a very impressive pedestal, to see what is really happening right under his nose and although he makes all the right noises, it takes a life or death situation to stir him into decisive action. Compelling and addictive, THE MOTHER-IN-LAW is a dark and twisted tale as well as being an easy read that I devoured in a matter of hours. And I naturally loved the short snappy chapters that are always a winner for me as they keep the pace moving at a rapid speed. Thank you to Noelle @bookouture for my place on the tour and ebook via NetGalley. All opinions are honest and my own. Karen King is the publisher of multiple bestselling children’s and adult fiction works. She went to grammar school and after graduation, she went to Open University where she got her bachelor’s degree. Thank you NetGalley, Bookouture and Karen King for letting me read “The Family Reunion” in exchange for an honest review.

Realllllyyyyy wanted to love this one. I thought it had great potential with the storyline. I just didn’t connect with any of the characters and every single one of the characters drove me CRAZY. Glancing down at my sparkling engagement ring, I pretend to myself I can forget about the ‘accidents’ I keep having, that I can’t believe are coincidental. Or about his mother’s barbed comments, and the dark looks she gives me. Will have you reading until the early hours of the morning (trust me, I’m speaking from experience) … Without a shadow of doubt, this is one of the best storylines I’ve read in a very long time… Phenomenal .’ @onmybookshelf , 5 stars This was unreal with all the twists, turns & don't get me started on the cray-cray … An absolute mind-bender that leaves you with whiplash… I loved it! A sensational salacious dark game that I sank my teeth into like a gooey cinnamon bun!’ @caffeinereadrepeat