The Family Guest by Nelle Lamarr

 

The Family Guest
by Nelle Lamarr

Reviewed by Valerie Palmer

I downloaded this book on my Kindle because it was recommended by one of my favorite authors, Freida McFadden. If she makes a recommendation, I of course have to read it! I believe this is Nelle's debut novel. If you like psychological thrillers, you may want to give this one a try.

Summary
Long blonde hair. Sparkling dark eyes. Perfect pearly-white teeth. I’ve never met her before but I know exactly who she is as I spot her through the crowds of the terminal. Because our new guest is the spitting image of the daughter we lost. And that’s exactly why I chose her.

From the moment our exchange student Tanya comes into our home, I feel like my daughter has come back to life. Tanya, with her long blonde hair and slender frame, looks so much like Anabel that sometimes I can almost pretend she didn’t die in that tragic accident.

Tanya really is the perfect guest – kind, polite, and always happy to help me in the kitchen. At last, a member of the family who compliments my beautiful house and enjoys my homemade dinners. And when she asks questions about my life, I feel I’ve finally found someone I can confide in.

My younger teenage daughter, Paige , isn’t so happy about our guest. She thinks it’s weird that Tanya looks like Anabel, and she hates it when she wears her sister’s old clothes. But then again Paige and Anabel always had a strained relationship… And I’m certain that having another teenage girl in the house will help heal our family.

But now Paige is insisting I check Tanya’s records. She’s become convinced Tanya isn’t who she says she is. But I learnt a long time ago that sometimes it’s best not ask questions you don’t want to know the answer to. And I definitely don’t want Paige pulling this thread… because I’m growing suspicious that our new guest Tanya might have a secret. But I’m certain it is nothing in comparison to mine…

What I Liked
This book had me interested from the start. I abhorred Tanya from the beginning. If I have feelings about a fictional character, that signifies good writing.  I knew there was something off about her, but obviously had to keep reading to figure out why.

What I Didn't Like
One of the main things that I did not enjoy with this book is that there were too many "secrets" or things going on with all the characters at the same time. The ending seemed a bit rushed and all the secrets came out at once. I also did not like how she treated her daughter Paige. She was putting her relationship with Tanya over her own biological daughter.

Rating⭐⭐⭐

I gave this book three stars on Goodreads. As much as I enjoyed this book, the ending was not the outcome I wanted. I would, however, give this author another try when she writes more books.