cherihy808 's review for:

One Big Happy Family by Susan Mallery

4.5

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

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4.5 ⭐️ (rounded up). For the months of November and December I try to read all holiday romance books. This was a great book to start off the season. It had all the right “Christmas feels” but also some family drama. I liked all the characters (except Gwen…at first…but she definitely grows on you). My favorite was Heath. The storyline of Julie dating a younger guy with younger kids, was a bit worrisome at first but it really worked and it really was probably my favorite part of the book. Julie, was a strong, kind, “always in control” woman who was afraid to completely fall in love with Heath just because he was 12 years younger. But his character was written so well that you forgot at times he was younger…he was mature, strong and just an all around great guy. I also really enjoyed both Dana/Axel and Nick/Blair storylines. The 1/2 star off was mainly because I felt the parts with Blair and her mom (Gwen) were very repetitive. Overall, I LOVE how everything came together in the end for everyone. A chaotic, unexpected Christmas that turned into the best Christmas for everyone. I highly recommend turning on your Christmas lights, and getting cozy in your favorite reading spot with a copy of this book! 🎄