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3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
This book was a fun read. The characters were so well defined that you felt like you were right there in every family gathering. Bravo!
Such a quick, fun read. If you like Emily Henry's books, this one is for you. But the characters are not that deep, but rather a bit more like caricatures.
Engaging dialogue but the overall plot feels underdeveloped.
Book 185 of 2023
Sometimes I take a chance on a random well-rated Kindle Unlimited book...and come away with a new favorite author! And that's just what happened here. Funny and sarcastic and flirty where everything the characters say is perfection. I definitely wish this was a series.
Sometimes I take a chance on a random well-rated Kindle Unlimited book...and come away with a new favorite author! And that's just what happened here. Funny and sarcastic and flirty where everything the characters say is perfection. I definitely wish this was a series.
This has been on my TBR since I first discovered it back in October. I finally got around to listening to it, and it was even better than I expected.
Penelope Banks knows she’s not the perfect daughter. Instead of following the plan her parents laid out for her and her twin sister, Phoebe, Penny became a romance book author. Instead of coming home for Thanksgiving, she’s spent the last 10 years away, not wanting to relive the drama every Thanksgiving seems to bring. Her dream of opening a book store rests solely on spending Thanksgiving with her family. She’s pretty sure things will be ok, until her ex-husband shows up, there’s a new guy her mother has invited to Thanksgiving for Penny to meet, and her twin airs all of her grievances in a two day span. Filled with lots of humor and a couple of poignant moments, Brooke Abrams has given us a masterpiece of a debut novel.
Not only did I find the story to be fun and unpredictable, the writing was wonderful. It’s written in first person and every couple of chapters takes us to a Thanksgiving of Penelope’s past which give us the insight needed to see why the Banks family is the way they are.
I didn’t realize this was Ms. Abrams’ first book until after I finished it and I’m excited to see what else she has for us in the future.
Penelope Banks knows she’s not the perfect daughter. Instead of following the plan her parents laid out for her and her twin sister, Phoebe, Penny became a romance book author. Instead of coming home for Thanksgiving, she’s spent the last 10 years away, not wanting to relive the drama every Thanksgiving seems to bring. Her dream of opening a book store rests solely on spending Thanksgiving with her family. She’s pretty sure things will be ok, until her ex-husband shows up, there’s a new guy her mother has invited to Thanksgiving for Penny to meet, and her twin airs all of her grievances in a two day span. Filled with lots of humor and a couple of poignant moments, Brooke Abrams has given us a masterpiece of a debut novel.
Not only did I find the story to be fun and unpredictable, the writing was wonderful. It’s written in first person and every couple of chapters takes us to a Thanksgiving of Penelope’s past which give us the insight needed to see why the Banks family is the way they are.
I didn’t realize this was Ms. Abrams’ first book until after I finished it and I’m excited to see what else she has for us in the future.
challenging
emotional
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Started really strong. Second half just kind of fell flat.
Had the quirky family thanksgiving with all the usual characters and I definitely laughed aloud many times, but her sister was a huge biotch right?!
Had the quirky family thanksgiving with all the usual characters and I definitely laughed aloud many times, but her sister was a huge biotch right?!
I love reading about messy family dynamics especially when it involves a daughter returning home after years of trying to avoid her family. This book was a really great read and I couldn't put it down. I really enjoyed every character in this book and I loved how it weaved the past memories with present day to explain how messy dynamics can be.
I honestly thought this was going to be more about retrograde and crystals and the universe but that was not the case. Penelope is in fact a writer who wants to open a romance focused book store with some of her best friends and she is looking to ask for money from her father. Instead, on her trip to Thanksgiving, she has to ride share with her ex-husband during a storm that leaves them stranded for a few hours. Throughout this novel we see Penelope have to navigate her family who she is not close with, seeing her ex-husband for the first time in a while, and meeting the man who her mother is trying to set her up with.
Truly, this was such a delightful surprise for me and I would have probably actually rated it 4.5 stars.
I honestly thought this was going to be more about retrograde and crystals and the universe but that was not the case. Penelope is in fact a writer who wants to open a romance focused book store with some of her best friends and she is looking to ask for money from her father. Instead, on her trip to Thanksgiving, she has to ride share with her ex-husband during a storm that leaves them stranded for a few hours. Throughout this novel we see Penelope have to navigate her family who she is not close with, seeing her ex-husband for the first time in a while, and meeting the man who her mother is trying to set her up with.
Truly, this was such a delightful surprise for me and I would have probably actually rated it 4.5 stars.
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced