Iu received an advanced reader copy of this book. This is no way affected by review of the book.

I found the book to be slow starting. However, in the middle and end there was plenty of action. Lots of twists and turns. It included some things I did not expect.

I am a little about Bree. Would Olga have recognized Bree if she had stayed? I would think Bree would have been interested in her.

I also did not see the need for the part about Janice taking money for Charley's Nana. It did not seem consistent with Janice taking her in.

All in all I enjoyed the book.

3.5 stars out of 5

I really enjoyed Jamie Day's previous book, The Block Party so I was really excited to see a new book out. The book is pretty engaging from the get go but it is entirely too drawn out. There were a lot of moving parts in the book but everything was tied up nicely in the end. I didn't particularly like any of the characters but they all brought the drama! There were a lot of twists and turns in the book but I did find other parts pretty predictable. I did have a feeling early on what was going on and I was right. Overall, it was a pretty good read and I am looking forward to more by Jamie Day in the future.

The story begins in Maine at the The Precipice, a hotel owned by George Bishop. He ended up passing away and his 3 daughters are coming to have his will read by their fathers attorney. Charley is the hotel maid who is living at the hotel for free as part of her payment. Charley's elderly grandma is in a nursing home, so every penny Charley earns goes to paying for her monthly fees. Charley is worried about her job security but she has much more to worry about. There is a hurricane forecasted to hit the area right before everyone arrives. Before the sister's arrival, she is approached by Bree, a girl down on her luck, running away from her abusive boyfriend. She has no money to pay for a room so Charley lets her stay for free but must stay hidden from the sisters. Quickly, she sees this family is really messed up because one of the sisters husbands ends up dead. But who killed him?

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I thought Jamie Day's debut was just-okay, but I always give debut authors 3 reads before I decide whether or not I want to continue reading them. I loved this book way more than the debut and you can really tell her writing improved.

This was such a fun thriller that was perfect for the colder weather. i had a cup of hot cocoa and read it underneath a lot of blankets. Truly the perfect experience. I was hooked from the start and there were so many twists and turns (only a handful of which I saw coming).

Thank you netgalley for the ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of One Big Happy Family.

As a hurricane bears down on the Precipice, a family-owned hostel on the coast of Maine, chambermaid Charley is getting the place ready for the deceased homeowner's daughters to arrive.

The Bishop sisters have gathered at the hotel for the reading of the will and to claim what is rightfully theirs.

But, each sister has something to hide, and not everyone may leave the hotel alive.

This is my first book by the author, and it might be my last.

The writing was straight forward, but the plot is predictable and the characters nothing but cliches:

A wealthy dead patriarch, gorgeous sisters, an odd teenager, a handsome son, a silly romance between him and Charley. Charley is good person, but stuck working a dead end job to take care of her sick grandmom.

Charley's an only child with no friends except Rodrigo. Charley immediately accepts a random young woman for who she is but everyone knows but Charley that she's the monkey wrench in the narrative.

There's little suspense, but plenty of drama mama as the narrative is about the secrets the sisters share together and from each other.

Needless to say, since I read a lot of these types of books, I guessed nearly all of the 'twists.' I'm confident most people can guess, too.

The ending is corny, everything falls into place, Charley gets everything she wants including the hottie boyfriend.

One Big Happy Family by Jamie Day is good!
Charley Kelly is a maid at the famous Precipice, a family-owned hotel on the coast of Maine.
With the death of their father, three sisters come up to see about the hotel and their inheritance.

Charley is in a crisis; Her Nana is in a nursing home and the rent is going up. Will she have a job, will they find out she has been stealing to make ends meet? Who is the mysterious guest Charley is hiding?
The story is fast paced and very well written. I cannot tell you much more or I will ruin the story.
I highly recommend this book – In fact, I have read other books by this author, and they have all been wonderful.

A murder in an old hotel with lots of possible suspects? I'm in!

Jamie Day's latest thriller was entertaining! Lots of plot twists and kept me guessing throughout. Definitely add to your list if you enjoy a good whodunit.

I loved this book. It was about 3 sisters who inherited a hotel, they gather to hear the reading of the will and things go very wrong. it will keep you guessing until the end.

Thank you NetGalley and St.Martin’s Press for the advanced copy of One Big Happy Family by Jamie Day. Charly works at the Precipice Hotel, in a coastal town of Maine, as the maid. The hotel is empty as it is not the summer season. The owner George has died. His family is about to arrive to read the will. There is a large storm looming and it sets the mood for impending doom. The family arrives and the chaos begins. I am a fan of Jamie Day’s writing. I hope she continues on give us great stories. 3.5 stars.

I was a big fan of Day's previous novel, The Block Party, so I was excited to dig into One Big Happy Family. It did NOT disappoint! The idyllic setting that surrounds The Precipice provides its guests with serenity and seclusion– perfect for a weekend getaway! Or, when a hurricane comes barreling toward the coast leaving the staff and children of the recently-deceased owner trapped on the grounds for a weekend with no way out, it becomes the perfect setting for murder. When blood starts spilling as quickly as family secrets, chambermaid Charley is left to figure out just how far the Bishop sisters are willing to go to protect long-kept family secrets.

I thought the inter-weaving storylines played out very well in this book. These connections could have easily veered off into the realm of absurdity, and in a way they do. But, between the storm, the secluded setting, and the overall whodunnit vibe, it worked! There were so many times I thought I had guessed the plot twist, and even though I got close, there were so many more nuances that the reader couldn't possibly guess, which adds to the fun! No matter how shocking the unraveling plot could get, there was always more!

Though I did finish this book, I never felt truly engaged in the story.. I found the plot to be superficial and predictable and the characters to be very one-dimensional This book read like a freshman creative writing project as opposed to a fleshed-out, mature, well written novel.

Thank you NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.

Another great thriller by Jamie Day. I loved the setting and cast of unreliable characters. This book is Clue meets family reunion. I had my suspicion on many of the characters, however there were still twists and surprises that kept me guessing!

This is my first book my Jamie Day, who is a very talented writer but this one was not for me. The characters were interesting but the story was very predictable and seemed to drone on.
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my ARC.

I liked the sarcastic title and as I really enjoyed Block Party I was excited to read this one.

This one has a more sinister feel as the Bishop sisters come back to their family owned hotel for the reading of their father's will. The Bishops are not a happy family and have held many secrets from each other. Charley the chamber maid is trying to get the hotel ready for the sisters arrival. She needs this job to provide for her grandmother so she is nervous about what her future holds.

Now, because of the storm the sisters, their lawyer and staff all our stuck at the hotel. Only trouble is one of them is a murderer. This was one crazy locked room thriller with a cast of some horrible people. This has a slower pace and includes a lot of family drama.

I would have given this book 5 stars, but the formatting made it very hard to read. I played around with fonts and font sizes on my Kindle, which helped a certain amount, but there were a lot of places that had '--1', a few words and then '0--', that I found extremely disruptive. But aside from that, the story was totally engrossing from beginning to end. I love that we met the Bishop sisters one by one so that it was easy to remember which one was which and who was part of which family. There were some things that I was guessing that turned out to be correct, both who the person was and the essence of why that person did it, but the author very cleverly kept me from knowing a very major "how', which is why I thought I must be wrong, even though having somebody on my radar made me notice things all along that reinforced that I was correct. The characters were well developed and believable, and it was a refreshing and enjoyable read.

Where to,start …. This ok is about a family that owns a prestigious hotel on the shores of the ocean in Maine. Three sisters are jealous to the maid their father is fixated on and lan I trap to have her injured. Skip on to years later when the sisters are trapped at the hotel with their families facing a hurricane named Larry. Murders, signs and visions all take place to reveal the truth about that childhood prank and everything that’s gone wrong sense.

Thank you to net gally and the publisher for an advanced copy

Great story, Jamie Day does a great job of really making the characters come to life. I couldn't put it down.

I loved the binge-able aspect of this fast paced thriller. A series of complex characters, each hiding their own sinister secrets.

Faith, Iris and Vicki are the Bishop sisters and grew up at their family owned hotel. A childhood decision changed them forever and sent them off in different directions.

Fast forward to present day. Chambermaid, Charley, is the only maid on staff at the hotel. Charley has a secret of her own.

A severe storm is on its way to shore just in time for the arrival of the Bishops and the reading of their father’s will.

This twisty story pivots from one surprise to the next and delivers punch after punch. The timeline and delivery worked great in most of the novel. I would have been more surprised if the flashback starting in part two was a little further into the book. But it worked ok here too.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and the author, Jamie Day for this DRC.

Nothing like a death in the family to bring out the worst in people! As the family descends upon the Precipice hotel for the reading of the will, their relationships also teeter on a precipice of lies and hidden truths. The Precipice hotel is a destination stay with each room having its own personality - I love the description of the eclectic collection of bric-a-brac and furniture. It sounds like a grand place to stay! Although you meet the sisters and their families, each person harbors secrets and a personal agenda. The characters are all so quirky but real - my favorite is Oliver! The mystery is a masterful blend of camouflage and diversion. The tension builds just as quickly as the storm, and there is more than one surprise twist before the night ends. A truly clever and engaging mystery that will hold you captive until the conclusion!

The Bishop family may not be the one big happy family they like people to think they are and that makes for a very interesting and deeply chilling story.
Charley has worked as a live in maid at the Precipice Resort in the wilds of Maine for what seems like her entire life even though she is still a young woman. When the owner, George Bishop dies and his daughters return home to review the resort and lay claim to what they believe to be their inheritance, havoc ensues as a storm rage sand cuts power and contact with the outside.
A death occurs and suddenly everyone is suspect. When one of the sisters goes rogue and is determined to find the guilty party amongst them, the others all find themselves in the middle of a murder mystery where every one has a motive and opportunity - though some a little more than others,
Very suspenseful with several "didn't see that coming" moments which makes for fascinating and enthralling reading as you flip the pages to get to the next event.
When you think you have it figured out and nope, you really don't - that's a successful novel, in my estimation.
And this one succeeds on all levels: great character development, plot twists that keep you reeling and suspense that doesn't quit.
One BIg Happy Family delivers.

One Big Happy Family is very cleverly written by Jamie Day. The Bishop sisters, Vicki, Faith and Iris, return to the Maine hotel their family owns for the reading of their father’s will. The Precipice Hotel sits on the top of a rocky hill. The chambermaid, Charley, lives and works there, struggling to pay the bills for her grandmother in assisted living. Charley secretly steals cash from the guests, but she works hard. She befriends and agrees to hide a woman named Bree at the hotel, as Bree shows signs of abuse by her boyfriend. The sisters bring along their immediate families, and the attorney is there as well. Everyone is keeping secrets, the sisters do not get along due to long held grudges, Charley is terrified of losing her job, and a hurricane is about to hit. Very early on someone is found dead. Day has created some vividly drawn unlikeable characters and the twists are creative all the way to the end. I was very glad to receive this ARC from Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press. My opinions are my own. susanh_bookreviews