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3.59 AVERAGE
3.59 AVERAGE
This is a popcorn, rich people drama, thriller if I’ve ever seen one. If you like reading about rich white people, family drama, in Lucy Foley’s writing style, then this will be perfect for you. We follow multiple POVs at the Calhoun’s annual cherry blossom party when a murder occurs.
I didn’t think the plot twists in here were anything amazing or unbelievable. Reading this, I figured out that I don’t care about rich family dramas hahaha cause I didn’t care about any of the characters. They were all unlikable, all had their secrets from each other. The ending wasn’t anything shocking. Unfortunately, a pretty average thriller for me.
Thank you to netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.
I didn’t think the plot twists in here were anything amazing or unbelievable. Reading this, I figured out that I don’t care about rich family dramas hahaha cause I didn’t care about any of the characters. They were all unlikable, all had their secrets from each other. The ending wasn’t anything shocking. Unfortunately, a pretty average thriller for me.
Thank you to netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.
Such A Lovely Family
By Aggie Blum Thompson
Rating: 4.5/5 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
The book follows the Calhoun Family A picture-perfect family. Thom and Ginny have been married for 35 years. They have 3 Adult children together. The Eldest is Thomas (Trey) Calhoun III, The middle child is Nate Calhoun and the youngest is Ellie Grace. While hosting their annual Cherry Blossom Party, tragedy strikes when the party ends in murder. Soon dark secrets within the family are slowly revealed when the family is placed under a microscope as possible suspects.
The author wrote the Calhoun family perfectly. This is exactly what I’d imagine when I think of a “Picture-perfect” family. Extravagant parties, Christmas cards with coordinating outfits, and spending thousands just for fun. Just for the family to keep up a facade of a perfect life while secretly falling apart. Ginny's favorite child Trey is the black sheep of the family who has returned home with the help of his parents to get him on the right path after making a huge mess in California. Nate is the seemingly normal one of the bunch. He would prefer a simple life with his fiancé Danit and Son Maclom. Ellie Grace an Instagram Influencer with a need to show off her seemingly "perfect life" to her thousands of followers. What Ellie Grace really craves is her parent's acceptance and attention.
Such a lovely family has secrets, lies, twists, betrayal, and murder. This is whodunnit kept me guessing until the very end. Everyone has a secret in the book and in each chapter, it's revealed. The book had me gasping out loud with each reveal. Each character played a special role and the personalities were written in perfect detail. My absolute favorite character was Cookie! I thoroughly enjoyed this thriller and look forward to reading more from Aggie Thompson.
Thank you to NetGalley, A Forgebooks, and Aggie Blum Thompson for the opportunity to be an ARC reader in exchange for an honest review.
By Aggie Blum Thompson
Rating: 4.5/5 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
The book follows the Calhoun Family A picture-perfect family. Thom and Ginny have been married for 35 years. They have 3 Adult children together. The Eldest is Thomas (Trey) Calhoun III, The middle child is Nate Calhoun and the youngest is Ellie Grace. While hosting their annual Cherry Blossom Party, tragedy strikes when the party ends in murder. Soon dark secrets within the family are slowly revealed when the family is placed under a microscope as possible suspects.
The author wrote the Calhoun family perfectly. This is exactly what I’d imagine when I think of a “Picture-perfect” family. Extravagant parties, Christmas cards with coordinating outfits, and spending thousands just for fun. Just for the family to keep up a facade of a perfect life while secretly falling apart. Ginny's favorite child Trey is the black sheep of the family who has returned home with the help of his parents to get him on the right path after making a huge mess in California. Nate is the seemingly normal one of the bunch. He would prefer a simple life with his fiancé Danit and Son Maclom. Ellie Grace an Instagram Influencer with a need to show off her seemingly "perfect life" to her thousands of followers. What Ellie Grace really craves is her parent's acceptance and attention.
Such a lovely family has secrets, lies, twists, betrayal, and murder. This is whodunnit kept me guessing until the very end. Everyone has a secret in the book and in each chapter, it's revealed. The book had me gasping out loud with each reveal. Each character played a special role and the personalities were written in perfect detail. My absolute favorite character was Cookie! I thoroughly enjoyed this thriller and look forward to reading more from Aggie Thompson.
Thank you to NetGalley, A Forgebooks, and Aggie Blum Thompson for the opportunity to be an ARC reader in exchange for an honest review.
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book was a whirlwind of plotwists and secrets and a bunch of old-money drama between siblings and their wealthy parents.
Although this book was fun, it was definitely difficult to get into because of the amount of main characters and important side characters that this book introduces you to in the first few chapters. Those chapters were something I really had to push myself to get through.
After you learn who everyone is though, that's where the real story starts and that's when it gets good.
This book to me felt like 'If Gossip Girl went dark' and I really enjoyed letting myself get swept away by the secrets and lies of the so-called picture perfect Calhaun family, and I could've never guessed the big plotwist at the end.
Thank you to Netgalley and Tor Publishing Group for the Arc
Although this book was fun, it was definitely difficult to get into because of the amount of main characters and important side characters that this book introduces you to in the first few chapters. Those chapters were something I really had to push myself to get through.
After you learn who everyone is though, that's where the real story starts and that's when it gets good.
This book to me felt like 'If Gossip Girl went dark' and I really enjoyed letting myself get swept away by the secrets and lies of the so-called picture perfect Calhaun family, and I could've never guessed the big plotwist at the end.
Thank you to Netgalley and Tor Publishing Group for the Arc
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Blood, Car accident, Murder, Alcohol
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I love sordid family dramas and this DID NOT disappoint.
The Calhouns are a picture perfect family, with a beautiful marriage, elegant parties, Christmas cards with coordinated outfits… but there is a lot of filth lurking beneath the surface.
At their annual cherry blossom party, the facade is beginning to crack. Then, a murder shocks their entire world.
Everyone is freaking out. Each member of the family begins to panic, with their individual skeletons in their respective closets being exposed. The investigation into the murder is heating up and the carefully constructed world they have created is crumbling.
This was a great popcorn thriller. I love dysfunctional families and this one was intense. The Calhouns are a freaking mess! With resentment, manipulation, past crimes and infidelity, there are many, many potential murderers… and the ride to find out who was responsible was FUN!
The Calhouns are a picture perfect family, with a beautiful marriage, elegant parties, Christmas cards with coordinated outfits… but there is a lot of filth lurking beneath the surface.
At their annual cherry blossom party, the facade is beginning to crack. Then, a murder shocks their entire world.
Everyone is freaking out. Each member of the family begins to panic, with their individual skeletons in their respective closets being exposed. The investigation into the murder is heating up and the carefully constructed world they have created is crumbling.
This was a great popcorn thriller. I love dysfunctional families and this one was intense. The Calhouns are a freaking mess! With resentment, manipulation, past crimes and infidelity, there are many, many potential murderers… and the ride to find out who was responsible was FUN!