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3.64 AVERAGE
3.64 AVERAGE
I LOVED the Sullivans! The Chicago setting, the siblings, the family restaurant…I could literally eat it all up. Definitely want to check the back list by Close.
fast-paced
This was such a witty, feel-good multigenerational family story set in Chicago. I loved the third person narration by Cassandra Campbell as we get to know a full cast of the Sullivans - a restaurant family dealing with secrets, infidelity, divorce, death and just a gamut of relatable life moments. Perfect for fans of The most fun we ever had by Claire Lombardo and excellent on audio. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my advance review copy!
medium-paced
3.5 stars. Some really funny parts to this family saga. I live the real references to places in Chicago especially my beloved Cubs.
Check out the full review at Kritters Ramblings
Before I started this one, I was already a Jennifer Close fan and was excited to see a new release from her.
A family in Chicago loses its patriarch at a hard time and must decide what the future of both the family and their restaurant will look like. There are three main characters that are all from one generation, a set of sisters - Jane and Gretchen and their cousin Teddy, all have drama of their own going on as the story begins and through the support of each other and their family will figure out what is next for each of them.
Before I started this one, I was already a Jennifer Close fan and was excited to see a new release from her.
A family in Chicago loses its patriarch at a hard time and must decide what the future of both the family and their restaurant will look like. There are three main characters that are all from one generation, a set of sisters - Jane and Gretchen and their cousin Teddy, all have drama of their own going on as the story begins and through the support of each other and their family will figure out what is next for each of them.
The family themes of this book were engaging enough to keep me reading, but the fact that the book was published in 2022 but set in 2016 so that it could focus on how a family of upper middle class white people living in the Chicago suburbs were "affected" by Trump getting elected was incredibly cringe. The author is unfortunately too out of touch to be including any kind of political commentary in her work if this was her idea of activism.
Synopsis: The Sullivans center their lives around two things: their family restaurant and the Chicago Cubs. When Bud Sullivan passes away unexpectedly, the family takes over the restaurant without him. Jane struggles to keep her marriage afloat, and Gretchen gives up her music career and moves back home from New York. Rose, Bud’s wife, is failing to find enjoyment in life without Bud. Teddy continues an unhealthy affair with his ex, while also taking in Riley, a teeanger who is estranged from her mom. In Marrying the Ketchups, Jennifer Close highlights the intricate dynamics of big families and the power food has to bring people together.
Fans of We Are the Brennans, this one is for you! I always love a book set in Chicago, and it was fun how many references were made to the Cubs and specific parts of the city. Though it was a family drama of sorts, I liked that there were reflective moments in each family member’s story. I felt like I could relate to each of the Sullivans in different ways, but I think Jane might have been my favorite. Jennifer Close got me with the way she seemed to understand what it’s like to live in Chicago, and I found myself nodding my head in agreement and also chuckling out loud. This is a perfect read for baseball season!
Fans of We Are the Brennans, this one is for you! I always love a book set in Chicago, and it was fun how many references were made to the Cubs and specific parts of the city. Though it was a family drama of sorts, I liked that there were reflective moments in each family member’s story. I felt like I could relate to each of the Sullivans in different ways, but I think Jane might have been my favorite. Jennifer Close got me with the way she seemed to understand what it’s like to live in Chicago, and I found myself nodding my head in agreement and also chuckling out loud. This is a perfect read for baseball season!
This family saga is set in a Chicago restaurant, Sullivan's. Bud Sullivan, the owner of the restaurant, has been waiting all his life for the Cubs to win the World Series, and it looks like 2016 will be their year. Unfortuately, Bud dies at the end of the second game of the series. It is at this time that all three of Bud's grandchildrens' lives are falling apart. All three come back to work in the restaurant to find themselves.
While I usually love family dramas, this one fell short for me. I loved the Cubs' storyline in the background, and I loved that the Sullivans know what family really means, but the grandchildren were whiny and unhappy throughout the novel. They didn't grow much at all. But most of all, I didn't like the political commentary running throughout the book.
While I usually love family dramas, this one fell short for me. I loved the Cubs' storyline in the background, and I loved that the Sullivans know what family really means, but the grandchildren were whiny and unhappy throughout the novel. They didn't grow much at all. But most of all, I didn't like the political commentary running throughout the book.