Reviews with content warning for Injury/Injury detail - Keep It In The Family

So I really was just annoyed with the first half of this book because of the male Author’s negative presentation of postpartum depression (which annoyed me as a woman but I also can see value in the presentation of it in adding to the story line it was just frustrating). However the second half of the book as every thing came together it was a FREAKING ROLLER COASTER jerking me in every direction. SO MANY TWISTS and such a twisted and dark story.

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k8lynn's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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courtnetto's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

4.5⭐for this one. I did enjoy it but what did bring the rating of this book down a bit is the fact that it involved children. I found that because of this it was a very difficult read and I had to keep taking breaks to compose myself before resuming with this book. Another thing that irked me a bit was the mention of Covid, I was hoping to be able to read another book without the mention of Covid but it was mentioned in this back. Obviously, it is something happened and I can appreciate that but I don't get why we need to bring it into books.
Anyhow, in this book we meet Mia and Finn, a married couple who have just bought their first house together since being married. What was strange about this house was the fact that from the outside, it couldn't be seen as it was so overgrown with bushes and trees. Upon inspecting the house when they have been given the keys, they both realise that they have made a mistake in purchasing this house but they don't have the heart to tell each other that they regret buying the house. Only, the more they look around this house, the more weird things they discover. Mia finds a message on the skirting board which reads "I will save them from the attic" which prompted her to want to look in the attic to see what the message is referring to. Her and Finn are not the only people in the house at this point though, as Finn's parents, Dave and Debbie are also there. At this point in the book, we have also been told that Mia is actually pregnant after believing that she was infertile.
When they inspect the attic, they initially find two suitcases which are just storing old paint cans and old wallpaper roles... it is what they find after that changes everything for them! As they discover another 7 suitcases hidden behind another wall in the attic, but they are laid out in a 'V' shape. Except what is in these suitcases is much more sinister than what was in the first two suitcases that they found. Soon after, Mia takes a tumble down the attic stairs and blacks out. She eventually wakes up but finds herself in a hospital bed and also discovers she is no longer pregnant... what happened and where is her baby?
It's soon revealed that Dave went to school with one of the victims and one of the survivors of this book, but in what sense did he know them?
Debbie also really does not like Mia, that she even tries to pay Mia off so that she will move away leaving Sonny (her son) and Finn behind. Soon after, a news report drops about Finn having a child with another woman who he is currently dating - behind Mia's back! Except, how did the reporter know of this?
While the police are still searching Mia and Finn's house after the discovery in the attic, they discover 2 adult bodies buried in the front garden, one belonging to a female and one belonging to a male. Mia continues to dig to see what she can find, as she feels like Dave and/or Debbie have something to do with the discovery in the attic. Except, what she doesn't realise when she's looking in the garage of the house is that there is a camera so Dave and Debbie are able to see that she has been snooping and they proceeded to move the box that she had been looking through. However, when she had been snooping originally she discovered a box of books with handwriting in which she matched to the writing found on the skirting board and believed it to be Dave's but the books were actually water damaged so there was no name on these books to really prove whose book it was, thus not being able to determine whose writing it was on the skirting board.
There are so many twists and turns within this book, I did work out who was behind the crimes just from things that were said in particular chapters but I still got a shock when I turned out to be right.
Except, Finn isn't who he thinks he is which is only revealed to him when Mia decides to do a DNA test on him and Dave to see if they are actually related as she doesn't seem to think they are. Another book that makes you think, can you really trust every single person you encounter in your lifetime?

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