{"id":32129,"date":"2026-05-06T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-06T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/?p=32129"},"modified":"2026-05-06T07:18:09","modified_gmt":"2026-05-06T11:18:09","slug":"review-family-lies-by-karen-rose","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/2026\/05\/06\/review-family-lies-by-karen-rose\/","title":{"rendered":"Review \u2764\ufe0f Family Lies by Karen Rose"},"content":{"rendered":"<!--themify_builder_content-->\n<div id=\"themify_builder_content-32129\" data-postid=\"32129\" class=\"themify_builder_content themify_builder_content-32129 themify_builder tf_clear\">\n    \t\t\t<!-- module_row -->\n\t<div  data-lazy=\"1\" class=\"module_row themify_builder_row tb_9hdp959 tb_first tf_w tf_clearfix\">\n\t    \t\t\t<div class=\"row_inner col_align_top gutter-narrow tb_col_count_2 tf_box tf_rel\">\n\t\t            <div  data-lazy=\"1\" class=\"module_column tb-column col3-1 tb_kjlh959 first\">\n                                                        <div class=\"tb-column-inner tf_box tf_w\">\n                        <!-- module image -->\n<div  class=\"module module-image tb_k17g960 rounded drop-shadow customBorderRad_top image-center auto_fullwidth tf_mw\" data-lazy=\"1\">\n        <div class=\"image-wrap tf_rel tf_mw\">\n\t\t    <img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"968\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/family-lies-karen-rose.jpg?resize=640%2C968&#038;ssl=1\" class=\"wp-post-image wp-image-32130\" title=\"family-lies-karen-rose\" alt=\"family-lies-karen-rose\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/family-lies-karen-rose.jpg?w=992&amp;ssl=1 992w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/family-lies-karen-rose.jpg?resize=198%2C300&amp;ssl=1 198w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/family-lies-karen-rose.jpg?resize=677%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 677w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/family-lies-karen-rose.jpg?resize=768%2C1161&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/family-lies-karen-rose.jpg?resize=400%2C604&amp;ssl=1 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/>\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<!-- \/image-wrap -->\n    \n    \t<\/div>\n<!-- \/module image --><!-- module text -->\n<div  class=\"module module-text tb_8bhz960 customBorderRad_bottom repeat \" data-lazy=\"1\">\n        <div  class=\"tb_text_wrap\">\n    <p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">As an infant, Kit McKittrick\u2019s foster sister Akiko was abandoned at a firehouse. Now 32, Akiko has received an unsettling phone call from a woman who says that she knew her birth mother but refuses to divulge any details except in person. Akiko is nervous but also thrilled at the prospect of finally learning about her blood relations.<\/span><br \/><br \/><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">Kit has a bad feeling about this and insists on accompanying Akiko to meet the woman. Sure enough, as they stand on Mary Sherman\u2019s doorstep, shots are fired and Kit is hit&#8230;and inside the house is a corpse: Mary Sherman herself.<\/span><br \/><br \/><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">Although she\u2019s on medical leave and forbidden to work the case, Kit cannot rest. With police psychologist Sam Reeves, she undertakes a covert investigation into the mysterious Mary Sherman. Was\u00a0<span class=\"a-text-italic\">she<\/span>\u00a0Akiko\u2019s birth mother? Why did she reach out after all these years? And who had a motive to kill her?<\/span><br \/><br \/><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">As more bodies pile up, Kit starts to put together the pieces of the frightening puzzle that is Akiko\u2019s birth family, and she\u2019ll come to wonder whether some secrets should stay buried after all.<\/span><\/p>    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<!-- \/module text -->                    <\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n                        <div  data-lazy=\"1\" class=\"module_column tb-column col3-2 tb_k9hc960 last\">\n                                                        <div class=\"tb-column-inner tf_box tf_w\">\n                        <!-- module text -->\n<div  class=\"module module-text tb_nrxj960  repeat \" data-lazy=\"1\">\n        <div  class=\"tb_text_wrap\">\n    <p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-16467 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/3_5-hearts-1.jpg?resize=146%2C44&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"146\" height=\"44\" \/><\/p><hr \/><p><strong>Release Date:<\/strong> Mar 31, 2026<br \/><strong>Series:<\/strong>\u00a0<em>San Diego Case Files<br \/><\/em><strong>Book:\u00a0<\/strong>4<br \/><strong>Heat Level:<\/strong> Sensual<br \/><strong>Publisher:<\/strong>\u00a0Penguin Group<br \/><strong>Imprint:<\/strong>\u00a0Berkley\u00a0<br \/><strong>Price:<\/strong> $14.99<\/p><hr \/><p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Kit McKittrick<\/strong> is determined to help her foster sister, Aiko, track down her biological mother. Aiko received word from an unknown woman who may have some information, but when Kit and Aiko arrive at the location given, the woman is dead. To make matters more complicated, someone fires a gun at them, injuring Kit.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Things get worse as Kit is forced to put this case on the back burner due to her injury and closeness to it. However, that has never stopped her, and she really wants to help Aiko. She decides to stay involved regardless, and has help from her lover, police psychologist <strong>Sam Reeves<\/strong>.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The story didn\u2019t land like it normally would for me. After all this time, I didn\u2019t feel the burn between Sam and Kit. Of course, Kit is not as open and affectionate as Sam due to her own traumatic upbringing. I just felt she could have been a bit more loving in some ways because she did get good foster parents and a sister despite her challenges. As an adult, when do we let go? Sam is a saint because he is very calm and patient with her. His family (when they finally meet Kit) is open and understanding.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The suspense pace was action-packed. Bodies were turning up, and more drama ensued. The problem with that is the introduction of multiple characters. I learned early on in the book that I had to pay attention because there were so many characters being added to the story. They each had some special relation to Aiko or one another. I didn\u2019t really like that.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">While this story didn\u2019t necessarily wow me, I can say that I did enjoy it. The ending of the book definitely leaves more to come in this series, which I look forward to. If you like a slower paced romantic suspense (slower on the romance), then this one is for you.<\/p><p><em>~ Samantha<\/em><\/p>    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<!-- \/module text --><!-- module text -->\n<div  class=\"module module-text tb_wuzo960 customBorderRad repeat \" data-lazy=\"1\">\n        <div  class=\"tb_text_wrap\">\n    <p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span class=\"s1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3P5NVvF\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Amazon<\/a><\/span><span class=\"s2\">\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/apple.co\/4wbTb1v\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s3\">iBooks<\/span><\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.barnesandnoble.com\/w\/family-lies-karen-rose\/1147750115?ean=9780593817216\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s3\">B&amp;N<\/span><\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.kobo.com\/us\/en\/ebook\/family-lies-12\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s3\">Kobo<\/span><\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/books\/details\/Karen_Rose_Family_Lies?id=U65pEQAAQBAJ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s3\">Google Play<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<!-- \/module text -->                    <\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n            \t    <\/div>\n\t    <!-- \/row_inner -->\n\t<\/div>\n\t<!-- \/module_row -->\n\t<\/div>\n<!--\/themify_builder_content-->","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As an infant, Kit McKittrick\u2019s foster sister Akiko was abandoned at a firehouse. Now 32, Akiko has received an unsettling phone call from a woman [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":32130,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"pagelayer_contact_templates":[],"_pagelayer_content":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[83,128,48,50],"tags":[148,216,367,369,423],"class_list":["post-32129","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-berkley","category-penguin-group","category-reviews","category-samantha","tag-3-5-stars","tag-contemporary","tag-mystery","tag-mystery-suspense","tag-romantic-suspense"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Review \u2764\ufe0f Family Lies by Karen Rose - Smitten by Books<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/2026\/05\/06\/review-family-lies-by-karen-rose\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Review \u2764\ufe0f Family Lies by Karen Rose - Smitten by Books\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"As an infant, Kit McKittrick\u2019s foster sister Akiko was abandoned at a firehouse. 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Now 32, Akiko has received an unsettling phone call from a woman who says that she knew her birth mother but refuses to divulge any details except in person. Akiko is nervous but also thrilled at the prospect of finally learning about her blood relations.<br \/><br \/>Kit has a bad feeling about this and insists on accompanying Akiko to meet the woman. Sure enough, as they stand on Mary Sherman\u2019s doorstep, shots are fired and Kit is hit...and inside the house is a corpse: Mary Sherman herself.<br \/><br \/>Although she\u2019s on medical leave and forbidden to work the case, Kit cannot rest. With police psychologist Sam Reeves, she undertakes a covert investigation into the mysterious Mary Sherman. Was\u00a0she\u00a0Akiko\u2019s birth mother? Why did she reach out after all these years? And who had a motive to kill her?<br \/><br \/>As more bodies pile up, Kit starts to put together the pieces of the frightening puzzle that is Akiko\u2019s birth family, and she\u2019ll come to wonder whether some secrets should stay buried after all.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/3_5-hearts-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"146\" height=\"44\" \/><\/p><hr \/><p><strong>Release Date:<\/strong> Mar 31, 2026<br \/><strong>Series:<\/strong>\u00a0<em>San Diego Case Files<br \/><\/em><strong>Book:\u00a0<\/strong>4<br \/><strong>Heat Level:<\/strong> Sensual<br \/><strong>Publisher:<\/strong>\u00a0Penguin Group<br \/><strong>Imprint:<\/strong>\u00a0Berkley\u00a0<br \/><strong>Price:<\/strong> $14.99<\/p><hr \/><p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Kit McKittrick<\/strong> is determined to help her foster sister, Aiko, track down her biological mother. Aiko received word from an unknown woman who may have some information, but when Kit and Aiko arrive at the location given, the woman is dead. To make matters more complicated, someone fires a gun at them, injuring Kit.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Things get worse as Kit is forced to put this case on the back burner due to her injury and closeness to it. However, that has never stopped her, and she really wants to help Aiko. She decides to stay involved regardless, and has help from her lover, police psychologist <strong>Sam Reeves<\/strong>.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The story didn\u2019t land like it normally would for me. After all this time, I didn\u2019t feel the burn between Sam and Kit. Of course, Kit is not as open and affectionate as Sam due to her own traumatic upbringing. I just felt she could have been a bit more loving in some ways because she did get good foster parents and a sister despite her challenges. As an adult, when do we let go? Sam is a saint because he is very calm and patient with her. His family (when they finally meet Kit) is open and understanding.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The suspense pace was action-packed. Bodies were turning up, and more drama ensued. The problem with that is the introduction of multiple characters. I learned early on in the book that I had to pay attention because there were so many characters being added to the story. They each had some special relation to Aiko or one another. I didn\u2019t really like that.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">While this story didn\u2019t necessarily wow me, I can say that I did enjoy it. The ending of the book definitely leaves more to come in this series, which I look forward to. If you like a slower paced romantic suspense (slower on the romance), then this one is for you.<\/p><p><em>~ Samantha<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3P5NVvF\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Amazon<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/apple.co\/4wbTb1v\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">iBooks<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.barnesandnoble.com\/w\/family-lies-karen-rose\/1147750115?ean=9780593817216\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">B&amp;N<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.kobo.com\/us\/en\/ebook\/family-lies-12\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Kobo<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/books\/details\/Karen_Rose_Family_Lies?id=U65pEQAAQBAJ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Google Play<\/a><\/strong><\/p>","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32129","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32129"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32129\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":32148,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32129\/revisions\/32148"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/32130"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32129"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32129"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32129"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}