The Daughters
- Downloads：6292
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2022-06-11 21:21:46
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Julia Crouch
- ISBN：B09TFG81F5
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Robyn Ghafoor
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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 immat 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。* 。。。more
Maggie
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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 mothe 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！ 。。。more
Faith Hurst-Bilinski
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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。
Colleen
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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 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。I received an ARC from NetGalley for an unbiased review。 。。。more
Alyson Rhodes
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I've read most of Julia Crouch's previous thrillers， so I'd like to thank NetGalley and the publisher， Bookouture， for the e-arc mobi to her latest， 'The Daughters'。 The family at the heart of this psychological drama， is， as Crouch says in the text， one you'd usually see on a Netflix show - a full-on， full-blown， OTT soap opera， with a mix of difficult and emotionally disturbing issues up for discussion - racism （the protagonist， Carys， is mixed race and married to Bill， who is white）， violence I've read most of Julia Crouch's previous thrillers， so I'd like to thank NetGalley and the publisher， Bookouture， for the e-arc mobi to her latest， 'The Daughters'。 The family at the heart of this psychological drama， is， as Crouch says in the text， one you'd usually see on a Netflix show - a full-on， full-blown， OTT soap opera， with a mix of difficult and emotionally disturbing issues up for discussion - racism （the protagonist， Carys， is mixed race and married to Bill， who is white）， violence （from recalled memories or is actual events？）， attempted suicide and self harm， the friction of step-families， abusive exes， child abuse and murder etcCrouch writes in her usual excellent engaging， pacy， fast moving style which grips and draws you in but I did feel at times， she was over-egging the narrative， piling on more and more drama and layering the back stories until there was no character left untouched by pain， loss， violence， horror and trauma （Except the dog， Nonna）。I also didn't greatly warm to any of the characters - even Carys， who tries so hard to be the best step- mum/mum/wife and architect she can be- I don't think I'd want to have a coffee with her and chat。 Both of the two step-daughters are super- laden with issues， full of resentments， very self- absorbed and the elder girl， Sara， does seem to do a volte-face three quarters of the way through the book changing her stance and pov。 However， did I want to know what was going on？ Who killed who？ Why and when？ Who's lying and who isn't？ Only the dog is innocent， I can reveal that spoiler。 So， enjoy the ride and all will be revealed under the suitably named 'Doom Tree' 。 。。。more
E Dod
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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 the 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。 。。。more
Brooke
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I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 It was a good read， a lot of twists and turns。 At times it felt too descriptive of unnecessary things which caused it to drag on。
Brittany Noel
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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。
Heather Adores Books
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3 solid ⭐Family drama to the max coming from six ways to Sunday。TW ~ mental illness， suicide， self harm， death of a child， racismBill 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 marrie 3 solid ⭐Family drama to the max coming from six ways to Sunday。TW ~ mental illness， suicide， self harm， death of a child， racismBill 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。*Thanks to Bookouture， Julia Crouch and NetGalley for the ARC。 I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*More reviews here ➡ Heather Adores Books 。。。more
Kirsty Bookworm86
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BLOG TOUR REVIEW Review for 'The Daughters' by Julia Crouch。 Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Julia Crouch， Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous Publication date 26th May 2022。This is the second book I have read by this author。 I have also read 'The New Mother' which I would also recommend！ I was originally drawn to this book by its stunning eye catching cover and intriguing sounding synopsis and title。 I am also a fan of Julia and if this is half as good as 'The New Mother' it is g BLOG TOUR REVIEW Review for 'The Daughters' by Julia Crouch。 Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Julia Crouch， Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous Publication date 26th May 2022。This is the second book I have read by this author。 I have also read 'The New Mother' which I would also recommend！ I was originally drawn to this book by its stunning eye catching cover and intriguing sounding synopsis and title。 I am also a fan of Julia and if this is half as good as 'The New Mother' it is guaranteed to be a page turner！！ The synopsis stated that this book is 'Perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell， Paula Hawkins and Gillian Flynn。' I am a huge fan of Lisa Jewell so am looking forward to seeing if this lives up to this statement。 I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture。 I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed。 Hopefully this won't be the first。。。 Watch this space！ （Written before I started reading the book）。This novel consists of 47 chapters。 The chapters are short to medium in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed。。。OK， I know yeah right， but still just in case！This book is based in London， England， 🏴 ， UK 🇬🇧。 I always enjoy when books are set in the UK as I'm from Wales and have sometimes visited areas mentioned in the book。 This book is written in third person perspective and the main protagonists are Sara and Carys。 The benefits of third person perspective with multiple protagonists are that it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more， what they are thinking and what they are doing。 It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything。 'The Daughters' discusses some topics that may upset some readers or may not be suitable for others。 I like to point this out ahead of time in my reviews so you can judge if this book is for you or not。 In this book Julia discusses/includes mental health， attempted suicide and the death of a child。OMG！！！！ SERIOUSLY！！！！ WHAT A BOOK！！！ JUST WOW， WOW， WOW！！！ MIND BLOWN！！！ Congratulations Julia on yet another huge success！！ What an absolutely fantastically written book with vivid descriptions that make your heart raise and keeps you on the edge of your seat！！！ The cover， synopsis and title suit the book perfectly！！ This book has a very realistic storyline and one which I was completely invested in。 Once I picked it up I could not put it down so if you are about to read this then make sure you clear your schedules。 If your not going to read it then a） why the heck not？！？！ And b） definitely your loss！！！ 。 It is absolutely filled with fanily， deception， love， tension， lies， suspense and a few shocks and twists thrown in！！！ It was a complete minefield of twists and turns and I jist had no idea who to believe。 I was definitely not expecting the twists or the ending so a HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to Julia。 I have read thousands of thrillers so it is getting harder and harder to shock me but you managed to completely blow my mind！ The fact that Julia has done her research shines through。 There is not much worse than a book filled with errors that have could easily have been avoided through research。 I was completely intrigued by the hypnotherapy aspects as I've always wondered if it does work and if I would be willing to put complete trust in someone to delve that deep into my mind and even possibly place false memories。 Being a vegan myself I enjoyed that veganism was mentioned throughout this book。 This is the second book in which Julia mentions veganism so I'm wondering if she may be vegan herself。 A genuine page turner that will keep you flipping the pages until you reach the explosive ending！！！ I was completely invested in both Carys and Sara who are both very realistic and strong women both with very different personalities。 It was intriguing to watch how both their personalities and their relationship changed throughout the story。 I wasn't sure what to think of Carys at first and struggled to trust her but she redeemed herself as I was reading more about her。 My heart went out to Lucy who was struggling with her mental health while being bombarded with so many different scenarios。 I also felt sorry for little Bonnie who was completely innocent in everything but suffered herself。 I wanted to say something about the other characters but I don't want to give anything away so I think I will have to leave it at that。 Nonna and Fig are both adorable additions and I can see how the breed can be easily confused with Labradoodles so I enjoyed doing my own but of research on Lagotto's and Labradoodles which was quite fun。 Regardless of whether you love or hate the characters they all work perfectly well to make an unputdownable and explosive psychological thriller。 Congratulations Julia on one heck of a page turning psychological read！！！ I absolutely loved reading this book and have already added all your previous books to my wish list。 I look forward to reading more of your previous and future books。 I would absolutely LOVE to see this turned into a movie which I can guarantee will be a sell out！！ This is why you are in my favourite authour club！！！ Here's to your next success 🥂 Overall an absolutely page turning， intense， heart racing psychological thriller that will get you addicted！！！ Genres covered in this book include Thriller， Psychological Thriller， Suspense， Psychological Fiction， Crime Fiction， Psychological Literary Fiction and Women's Psychological Fiction amongst others。 I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of Shari Lapena， 'Gone Girl' and anyone and EVERYONE who loves a fast paced thriller。 329 pages。This book is just £1。99 to purchase on kindle or free on kindle unlimited （at time of review） via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book！！！ Rated 5 /5 （I LOVED it ） on Goodreads， Instagram， Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook。 Feel free to add me on Goodreads or follow me on my website or Facebook for more reviews #TheDaughters #Bookouture #JuliaCrouch #NetGalley #BookReview #BlogTour #BooksOnTour@JuliaCrouch @Bookouture @Bookworm1986 @bookworm86 https://kcmw86。wixsite。com/bookworm86https://m。facebook。com/Bookworm1986/？。。。https://m。facebook。com/Bookwork86/？__。。。https://www。instagram。com/bookwormwhi。。。 。。。more
Billie
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My father said my mother killed herself。 My sister says he’s lying。The day of our mother’s funeral， my little sister Lucy and I clung to our father’s side。 He promised he’d get us through it， and we believed him。 But then I discovered that the coffin we wept over was empty。Dad says he was trying to protect us – that he thought it would be easier to grieve if we didn’t know our mother’s body was never found。His new wife says she just wants to help us move on from the past。Then Lucy has a flash of My father said my mother killed herself。 My sister says he’s lying。The day of our mother’s funeral， my little sister Lucy and I clung to our father’s side。 He promised he’d get us through it， and we believed him。 But then I discovered that the coffin we wept over was empty。Dad says he was trying to protect us – that he thought it would be easier to grieve if we didn’t know our mother’s body was never found。His new wife says she just wants to help us move on from the past。Then Lucy has a flash of memory that leaves her shaking。 Our father。 A woman she doesn’t recognise。 A knife…She insists she knows something about the day our mother died， but it’s buried too deep to see clearly。What happened to our mother？ I need to find the truth。 But I have no idea who I can trust。 And what if the answer puts my life in danger？This is a thrilling read。Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start。Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable。Great suspense and found myself second guessing every thought I had continuously。Can't wait to read what the author brings out next。Recommend reading。I was provided an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher。 This is my own hone\st voluntary review。 。。。more
Anne
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I've always enjoyed Julia Crouch's books， I read and reviewed her previous novel， The New Mother in October last year。 I was really happy to get a copy of The Daughters and started reading with a sense of anticipation。Set in London， we are introduced to the two adult daughters of Bill and Alice in the opening pages。 Sarah， the eldest， is living in Australia， whilst younger sister Lucy is based in London。 Sarah watches via video link as her sister and father lay flowers， to remember the death of I've always enjoyed Julia Crouch's books， I read and reviewed her previous novel， The New Mother in October last year。 I was really happy to get a copy of The Daughters and started reading with a sense of anticipation。Set in London， we are introduced to the two adult daughters of Bill and Alice in the opening pages。 Sarah， the eldest， is living in Australia， whilst younger sister Lucy is based in London。 Sarah watches via video link as her sister and father lay flowers， to remember the death of Alice。 Also present is Carys， Bill's second wife， step-mother to Sarah and Lucy and mother to Binnie; Bill's newest daughter。 It is clear that Sarah is a unhappy， almost bitter woman。 Still reeling from the unexpected death of her mother and totally against Cary's involvement in their lives。 Alice was a much loved and respected family GP who took her own life。 Sarah has uncovered details about the aftermath of Alice's death， things that were hidden from her Lucy， and she's going home。 Determined to uncover the truth about Alice's death and find out just what really happened。 This is a twisty psychological thriller that takes one family and slowly and carefully dissects it。 Each character is flawed， from the controlling nature of Bill， to Lucy's desperate self-harming behaviour and Carys' hidden past。 As the reader learns more about the circumstances of each character， their opinion of what may have gone on will change。 The introduction of Ajay， a clinical hypnotist is really clever and explores the intricacies of the human brain， and how memories are made。 As Lucy undergoes therapy， she makes some startling revelations that will rock the family to the core， but are these memories actually real？ Is Lucy taking parts of different experiences and creating a whole new happening， and just how exactly is hypnotist Ajay connected to the case？I enjoyed this story。 The characters are， in the main， quite deplorable， yet are so skilfully created at the same time。 It's a complex story， with many strands that are woven together cleverly， building up to the shocking conclusion。 A real page turner。 。。。more
Leona
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Unfortunately not for me。 The blurb sounded great but I just couldn’t get on with it and gave up at 20%。
Christine M in Texas
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With a headline like “My husband’s says his first wife’s dead， and his daughters say he killed her” you know you are in for wild ride。Bill’s new wife Carys is trying to be a great stepmom to his daughters。 Lucy was six when her mother died。 After trying for years she finds a therapist for Lucy。 The therapist， Ajay suggest some unusual practices to help Lucy， but Carys is at her wits end。 During a session of hypnosis， Lucy starts to remember things！ She has always been told her mother committed s With a headline like “My husband’s says his first wife’s dead， and his daughters say he killed her” you know you are in for wild ride。Bill’s new wife Carys is trying to be a great stepmom to his daughters。 Lucy was six when her mother died。 After trying for years she finds a therapist for Lucy。 The therapist， Ajay suggest some unusual practices to help Lucy， but Carys is at her wits end。 During a session of hypnosis， Lucy starts to remember things！ She has always been told her mother committed suicide， but is that the truth？ Is the therapist really trying to help Lucy or giving her false memories？ I admit I wondered。 You will have to read to find out！The secrets， twist and face paced novel will keep you turning the pages， to find out what really happened！ 。。。more
Krista Hajjar-Nejad
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I really enjoyed this psychological thriller！ It had me guessing what was going to happen the whole way through。 There were many twists and turns that had me on the edge of my seat。 This one was unputdownable for sure！ I was tearing through the pages desperate for the truth！ I didn't feel any real connection to the characters， but thought they were all very well developed。 I really wanted to know what Carys' backstory was and what she was hiding。 I thought her and Sara were the most interesting。 I really enjoyed this psychological thriller！ It had me guessing what was going to happen the whole way through。 There were many twists and turns that had me on the edge of my seat。 This one was unputdownable for sure！ I was tearing through the pages desperate for the truth！ I didn't feel any real connection to the characters， but thought they were all very well developed。 I really wanted to know what Carys' backstory was and what she was hiding。 I thought her and Sara were the most interesting。 What a thrilling read！ 。。。more
Louise
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“My husband says his first wife’s dead。 His daughters say he killed her…”This book is about a family who lost their mother （Alice）， a stepmother （Carys） who replaces her and a question over what exactly happened to Alice。 It follows the relationship between Alice’s two daughters Lucy and Sara and their relationship with Carys。 I loved everything about this book。 It was gripping right from the start and had so many twists and turns which I love in a book。 Just when I thought I had it all figured “My husband says his first wife’s dead。 His daughters say he killed her…”This book is about a family who lost their mother （Alice）， a stepmother （Carys） who replaces her and a question over what exactly happened to Alice。 It follows the relationship between Alice’s two daughters Lucy and Sara and their relationship with Carys。 I loved everything about this book。 It was gripping right from the start and had so many twists and turns which I love in a book。 Just when I thought I had it all figured out， another twist came along。 I loved how it was fast paced which kept me wanting to read more and more each time I picked it up。 This book is definitely 5 stars and I have already recommended it。 I’m looking forward to reading more from this author。 。。。more
Els
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No matter how old you are， loosing a parent is always devastating。 But it is a lot worse when you are a child， a child who thinks they know more about what happened。 Is it real what they remember or is it something they imagine because they want to believe it？The remaining parent has a lot to deal with。 They should always be there for their children。 They should be their first priority， but what if that parent cannot handle it because they suffer to much themselves？Thank God for a loving stepmot No matter how old you are， loosing a parent is always devastating。 But it is a lot worse when you are a child， a child who thinks they know more about what happened。 Is it real what they remember or is it something they imagine because they want to believe it？The remaining parent has a lot to deal with。 They should always be there for their children。 They should be their first priority， but what if that parent cannot handle it because they suffer to much themselves？Thank God for a loving stepmother who is there to make everything better and come up with the best solutions， isn’t she？Well， well， I did not know who to believe here。 Most of the characters seem to have a hidden agenda， but who is the worst？ Who inflicts the most pain？ Who is the best actor？I kept changing my mind several times during the course of the story until finally the author puts me out of my misery。It’s a story where a family is ripped apart following a great sadness and once the cards are on the table， they can start rebuilding。 Nothing is the same again， but the bonds are strong。I loved the strength of Sara， my heart bled for Binnie and Lucy and I admired Carys for trying to do the right thing but approaching it in the wrong way。 5 starsThank you 。。。more
marnie | once upon a time book reviews
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*Trigger warnings: Suicide， self harm， sexual assault， violence and racism* “My husband says his first wife is dead…His daughters say he killed her…”With the above tagline I was immediately hooked by this and I needed to discover who was telling the truth， who was living a lie， did Alice really commit suicide， or is there something more sinister at play？ I couldn’t wait to dive in and find out。There is not much worse than losing a parent， unless of course if you think that the other parent kill *Trigger warnings: Suicide， self harm， sexual assault， violence and racism* “My husband says his first wife is dead…His daughters say he killed her…”With the above tagline I was immediately hooked by this and I needed to discover who was telling the truth， who was living a lie， did Alice really commit suicide， or is there something more sinister at play？ I couldn’t wait to dive in and find out。There is not much worse than losing a parent， unless of course if you think that the other parent killed them！ It is just unthinkable。 But after a shocking discovery by one daughter and a repressed memory that is brought to the surface for the other， this sets things in motion and opens up one massive can of worms！The characters are well crafted and I didn’t know who I could trust。 There is a lot to unpack with this story and although it does move on the slightly slower side， it still held my interest and a need for answers kept my glued to the pages。 When it did kick in， it did so in spectacular fashion and was well worth it that’s for sure。 WOW！…Thank you to Julia Crouch， Bookouture and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of The Daughters， which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily。Where you can find me 😊💻 Blog: bit。ly/3gR3io8👩🏫 Facebook: bit。ly/3gVeC2B🐤Twitter: bit。ly/3BQk2Dl📷 Instagram: bit。ly/3wSv0Gj📌 Pinterest: bit。ly/3vS2HGX📚 Goodreads: bit。ly/3wQxUM3 。。。more
Bridget
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Bill and Carys are married; for Bill， this is his second marriage。 His first wife， Alice committed suicide and their daughter Lucy starts to see a hypnotherapist named Ajay， found for her by Carys， as she was just six when her mother died and is still troubled。 Lucy's sessions bring out all manner of hidden secrets and thoughts from her childhood。 She believes she saw someone killed。。。 but is it true， and if so， does she know who the killer is？An extremely enjoyable read， the tale is dark and ta Bill and Carys are married; for Bill， this is his second marriage。 His first wife， Alice committed suicide and their daughter Lucy starts to see a hypnotherapist named Ajay， found for her by Carys， as she was just six when her mother died and is still troubled。 Lucy's sessions bring out all manner of hidden secrets and thoughts from her childhood。 She believes she saw someone killed。。。 but is it true， and if so， does she know who the killer is？An extremely enjoyable read， the tale is dark and takes a look at issues such as mental illness， grief， and blended families。 Tense and unpredictable with a good ending。I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Bookouture via NetGalley and this review is my unbiased opinion。 。。。more
Janilyn Kocher
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I had a hard time with this book。 It didn’t resonate with me and I didn’t connect with any of the characters。 I liked the premise and concept of the book but it just didn’t do anything for me。Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the early read。
Leighton
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Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review！The Daughters by Julia Crouch is a psychological thriller with an interesting premise and a twist that I did not see coming。 The story revolves around Carys， the new stepmother trying to "mother" and take care of her stepdaughters in the wake of their biological mother's death。 Carys believes she's in a perfect marriage with Bill， but Lucy， one of her new stepdaughters， says that Bill is a murderer。 Could it be t Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review！The Daughters by Julia Crouch is a psychological thriller with an interesting premise and a twist that I did not see coming。 The story revolves around Carys， the new stepmother trying to "mother" and take care of her stepdaughters in the wake of their biological mother's death。 Carys believes she's in a perfect marriage with Bill， but Lucy， one of her new stepdaughters， says that Bill is a murderer。 Could it be true？ Here is a chilling excerpt from Chapter 1:"Sara’s stepmother stands by the tree， her lean brown fingers wound around poor Lucy’s blue-white hands， her close-cropped hair resting against Lucy’s orange frizz。 Carys is a good six inches shorter， but the way Lucy – Sara’s eighteen-year-old baby sister – leans against her makes it clear who is doing the supporting。Carys has made herself indispensable to the family since she moved in less than a year after Alice’s suicide。Supposed suicide， Sara corrects herself。And that’s the uncertainty now burning a hole in her mind。"Overall， The Daughters is an addictive psychological thriller that will appeal to fans of An Anonymous Girl or The Silent Patient。 I should warn you that self-harm does appear in the book， so if that is a trigger for you， you might want to read something else。 For everyone else though， this book is a slow-burn thriller that really picks up near the middle， to the point where I could not tear my eyes away。 One highlight of this book is the twist， which I absolutely did not see coming。 If you're intrigued by the excerpt above， or if you're a fan of thrillers in general， I highly recommend that you check out this book when it comes out in May！ 。。。more
Stina
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**TRIGGER WARNING** This story contains: racism， violence towards children， sexual assault， suicide and self harm。Secrets and lies abound in this tale that begins off very slow and keeps up the glacial pace for as long as I could bear it。 That's if I could find them amidst all the other fluff。 I wanted to like THE DAUGHTERS。 I loved Julia Crouch's previous thriller "The New Mother" and was looking forward to this one， but。。。I just couldn't。 Yes， there are plenty of secrets。 Yes， there ar **TRIGGER WARNING** This story contains: racism， violence towards children， sexual assault， suicide and self harm。Secrets and lies abound in this tale that begins off very slow and keeps up the glacial pace for as long as I could bear it。 That's if I could find them amidst all the other fluff。 I wanted to like THE DAUGHTERS。 I loved Julia Crouch's previous thriller "The New Mother" and was looking forward to this one， but。。。I just couldn't。 Yes， there are plenty of secrets。 Yes， there are plenty of lies。 But there is also plenty of fluff about eco-buildings and hummus and rice cake snacks for a five year old that just had me thinking that this book must be the love child of Greta Thunberg and Elon Musk。 I'm sorry， but I am not interested in vegan life or eco-buildings when I want to delve into the secrets surrounding the girls' mother， Bill's first wife Alice。 Nothing I read in the first 20% or so reflected anything from the premise so I kind of felt robbed。 And I certainly don't have the patience to wade through glacial fluff before getting to the thrilling part of the story。 Life is far too short to read books that do not hold my interest。 And this one didn't。Many reviews promised the book does get better if I just stick with the boring bits and move past them， then it does pick up and the story moves a lot quicker。 I'm sorry。。。but why？ If there is nothing interesting to grab me in the beginning， what's to say I will enjoy the promise of what is to come？ Of course it didn't help that I didn't like anyone。 Lucy， Sara and definitely couldn't stand Carys。 Didn't see enough of Bill or Binnie to form an opinion， but I felt for the poor girl being fed hummus and rice cakes。 Just ewwww。And then there was Lucy taking us on a journey to the cliff top， talking about fairies and celtic legends that live under hawthorn bushes。 Seriously？ Come on。 This is supposed to be a thriller but I was bored to tears and honestly by that point， I didn't care what happened to any of the characters and Alice had been dead twelve years and nothing was happening to make me want to find out what actually happened。After an exciting and twisted previous thriller with "The New Mother"， I had high hopes for THE DAUGHTERS。 Sadly， it did not live up to expectation。 And certainly not gripping in the slightest。I would like to thank #JuliaCrouch， #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheDaughters in exchange for an honest review。This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic。blogspot。com/。 。。。more
Sophie Sheppard
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I found this book an interesting read， after a slow start that I really had to force myself to keep reading it had literally everything packed into it。 As someone with a history I’d highlight what was a huge challenge for me to read about which was self harm and there may be a few more in this book that other readers may find challenging。 Once I got into the book i did enjoy it， there was plenty going on and it contained many twists and turns which kept it more than interesting although I did fi I found this book an interesting read， after a slow start that I really had to force myself to keep reading it had literally everything packed into it。 As someone with a history I’d highlight what was a huge challenge for me to read about which was self harm and there may be a few more in this book that other readers may find challenging。 Once I got into the book i did enjoy it， there was plenty going on and it contained many twists and turns which kept it more than interesting although I did find it a little difficult to warm to any of the characters。 Cary’s married Bill after his first wife Alice tragically died with everyone believing her death was a suicide。 Cary’s has tried to be the perfect wife， mother and step mother and even though she has tried her best there have been many bumps along the way。 Things go from bad to worse for Cary’s when she tries to get her step daughter Lucy some professional help after her bout of self harm。 Whilst sitting in the waiting room Cary’s is stunned when her step daughter Lucy runs out clamming that she witnessed her father kill someone and bury the body。 No one wants to believe what Lucy is saying until a body is discovered during some construction work。 Lucy then tells the police， her therapist Ajay and her step mother that if more searches were to take place then more bodies would be found including her mothers。 Thank you to NetGalley， the publishers and the author for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for this review。 Although I was split on this one hopefully other readers will enjoy！ 。。。more
MeWriter
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Complex family/psychological drama with so many twists and turns you'll be wondering who the real culprit is！ This is a blended family， with lots of secrets and more than one who needs to hide their secrets。 Good read！Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC！ Complex family/psychological drama with so many twists and turns you'll be wondering who the real culprit is！ This is a blended family， with lots of secrets and more than one who needs to hide their secrets。 Good read！Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC！ 。。。more
Sarah
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Wowzers！ This was one jam packed story of nail biting suspense that didn't let up until I turned the last page！ Wowzers！ This was one jam packed story of nail biting suspense that didn't let up until I turned the last page！ 。。。more
Stephanie
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I want to thank NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book。 Who killed Alice？ Alice was a mother and doctor who made a terrible mistake during her medical training。 Alice lived with that mistake her whole career。 Many years later， Alice’s death was declared a suicide。 But was it？ When her daughter， Lucy， is found on the verge of bleeding out after a cutting incident， her step-mother， Carys， tries to get her help from a hypnotherapist that she encountered one afternoon。 While under hypnosis， I want to thank NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book。 Who killed Alice？ Alice was a mother and doctor who made a terrible mistake during her medical training。 Alice lived with that mistake her whole career。 Many years later， Alice’s death was declared a suicide。 But was it？ When her daughter， Lucy， is found on the verge of bleeding out after a cutting incident， her step-mother， Carys， tries to get her help from a hypnotherapist that she encountered one afternoon。 While under hypnosis， Lucy has memories that start to arise。 Someone killed her mother。 Many people have reason: Ajay （the hypnotherapist）， Carys and Bill。 Or， is Alice still alive？ The turns and twists will have you page turning。 I ended up enjoying this book with all of its twists and turns。 I felt the beginning was a little bit slow， so DO NOT GIVE UP！ The end will take you on an incredible ride that。 It is 100% worth the read。 。。。more
Nicole
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The concept was a good one， but I thought it fell short on execution。 The characters were unlikeable （literally all of them）， the plot was dragged out in places， and I didn't feel compelled to keep turning the pages， which pretty much means it failed to be a thriller。The ending was predictable but at least everything wrapped up nicely （not that the ending was happy， but there was resolution）。Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review。 The concept was a good one， but I thought it fell short on execution。 The characters were unlikeable （literally all of them）， the plot was dragged out in places， and I didn't feel compelled to keep turning the pages， which pretty much means it failed to be a thriller。The ending was predictable but at least everything wrapped up nicely （not that the ending was happy， but there was resolution）。Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Lori L （She Treads Softly）
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The Daughters by Julia Crouch is a highly recommended thriller featuring a highly dysfunctional family。First， lets look at the basics of this blended family。 Carys has been married to Bill for 12 years， is 25 years younger than him， and the two have a daughter， Binnie。 Bill's first wife Alice died by suicide。 Bill and Alice had two daughters， Sara and Lucy。 Lucy was only 6 when her mother died so Carys has been a step-mother to her while Sara， 5 years younger than Carys， has been off living in A The Daughters by Julia Crouch is a highly recommended thriller featuring a highly dysfunctional family。First， lets look at the basics of this blended family。 Carys has been married to Bill for 12 years， is 25 years younger than him， and the two have a daughter， Binnie。 Bill's first wife Alice died by suicide。 Bill and Alice had two daughters， Sara and Lucy。 Lucy was only 6 when her mother died so Carys has been a step-mother to her while Sara， 5 years younger than Carys， has been off living in Australia during their marriage。Now Sara is coming home for a long visit。 She has evidence that her mother's body was never found and the casket was empty at her funeral。 She blames Carys for controlling everyone since she and Bill married shortly after Alice's death and she's going to confront Carys。 She also knows she needs to come back to help Lucy。At the same time， Lucy has been suffering from various struggles with her mental and emotional health。 Carys has tried to help her， so when she meets a hypnotherapist who is sure he can get to the root of Lucy's trauma， Carys takes Lucy to him without telling Bill。 Lucy's sessions bring out all kinds of hidden secrets and thoughts from her childhood。 She is sure she saw someone killed。。。 and maybe more than one person。 And she thinks she knows who the killer is。There is a whole lot going on in the plot， so you have to pay attention while following all the various twists， turns， and new revelations。 None of the characters are particularly likable and all of them have some aspersions cast their direction。 You won't know who to believe or if anyone can be trusted， which is what makes The Daughters so entertaining。 You have to set some disbelief aside as you sit back， enjoy reading， follow the clues left in the narrative， and see if you figured it all out by the end。Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Bookouture via NetGalley。http://www。shetreadssoftly。com/2022/0。。。 。。。more
Rima
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I loved this book， very good！ Keeps you guessing from the start & the twists are great。 Very well written， definitely recommend！I would like to thank NetGalley， the publisher， and the author for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review。
Charlotte Baddeley
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