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3.48 AVERAGE
3.48 AVERAGE
I loved this book! I didn’t want to put it down. I quickly became invested in every character.
Blair’s relationship with her mom, while different than mine, is very relatable for me. Julie running around always making sure everyone is taken care of before taking care of herself - SAME.
Blair’s relationship with her mom, while different than mine, is very relatable for me. Julie running around always making sure everyone is taken care of before taking care of herself - SAME.
lighthearted
slow-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
I've only previously read one book by Susan Mallery (The Vineyard at Painted Moon), which I very much enjoyed. So when this book arrived as part of my Harlequin Reader Service subscription, and a Christmas book to boot, I was excited to read it. That was in October and it took me until after Christmas to actually get to it, but it was worth the wait. I'd always thought of Ms. Mallery as a romance author (which I have no problem with as I read a lot of romance), but this book was more than that.
There's a large cast of characters, from Julie Parker, the main focus, to her adult children, the 12 years younger man she's been seeing and his young children, and various other partners, exes, friends and family, all coming together for the holiday at Julie's cabin. At it's heart, the story is about relationships. Good ones, bad ones, strained ones, messy ones. One of my favorite characters is Blair, Julie's daughter-in-law, with whom I felt a bit of a kinship.
In her next life she wouldn't know the location of every "safe" bathroom between work and home or home and the grocery store. Her activities wouldn't be defined by whether or not she was going to have a "good" day or if she would be suffering.
Blair has IBS, and if the author's description of that are realistic then it does not sound quite like what I have, but I do have issues for which I'm currently seeing doctors and trying to get a diagnosis and treatment. And if that's TMI for you, I apologize.
A heartwarming read, with lots of great dialogue, lots of moments that made me smile and some that made me laugh, a couple that made me tear up, and of course lots of Christmas spirit. I'm definitely a Susan Mallery fan.
There's a large cast of characters, from Julie Parker, the main focus, to her adult children, the 12 years younger man she's been seeing and his young children, and various other partners, exes, friends and family, all coming together for the holiday at Julie's cabin. At it's heart, the story is about relationships. Good ones, bad ones, strained ones, messy ones. One of my favorite characters is Blair, Julie's daughter-in-law, with whom I felt a bit of a kinship.
In her next life she wouldn't know the location of every "safe" bathroom between work and home or home and the grocery store. Her activities wouldn't be defined by whether or not she was going to have a "good" day or if she would be suffering.
Blair has IBS, and if the author's description of that are realistic then it does not sound quite like what I have, but I do have issues for which I'm currently seeing doctors and trying to get a diagnosis and treatment. And if that's TMI for you, I apologize.
A heartwarming read, with lots of great dialogue, lots of moments that made me smile and some that made me laugh, a couple that made me tear up, and of course lots of Christmas spirit. I'm definitely a Susan Mallery fan.
One Big Happy Family is a story about a planned quiet Christmas that explodes into chaos. It is a story full of wholesome family drama. A story about the importance of family and friends, both old and new. This family does not shy away from the "everyone welcome" mentality and it leads to some fun antics, humor, and some romance. It was the perfect mix of sassy. The entire cast of characters was loveable but still relatable. I now have the urge to go buy a "cabin" to fill for the family holidays. It was a great comfort read for the holiday season.
Includes:
-age gap
-cozy cabin setting
-the more the merrier
-multiple narrators
Includes:
-age gap
-cozy cabin setting
-the more the merrier
-multiple narrators
This was a very cute, very sweet Christmas novel about family dynamics, difficult relationships, and the importance of communication, forgiveness, and acceptance. I liked it, but I wasn’t the right audience for this book. The main female protagonist is in her fifties, and I can’t relate to that. My mom, however, would love this book. Additionally, I prefer more romance in my books, and that wasn’t the focal point of this book. It was all about family. Again, it was good, just not my cup of tea.