A wonderful novel about a family who all have secrets from the others. It portrays the family emotions of love, humor, and frustrations as the four adults are forced to spend the Christmas holiday together in quarantine. It does not take long before closely guarded secrets start escaping. Well-developed characters of the somewhat dysfunctional family, how they interact, and their relationships. Each family member has a voice in this story giving it a dramatic edge as well as comedic. The ending was on a sad tone, but overall, I really liked this story. Well written and enjoyable read.

I devoured this book. When I was doing other things, like working or cleaning or cooking dinner, I was thinking about the next time I can pick it up so I can see what happens. It's that good.

Now, after finishing it, I'm still digesting all the wonderful and emotional feelings that it brought. The distinctly British-style writing, the twists and turns, the coincidences of a well-thought-out plot. I think I smiled through half of it just imagining all the big reveals, and the satisfaction they brought was perfect.

This book follows the family of Olivia Birch, a aid worker fighting a viral epidemic in Africa, as she comes home and is quarantined for a week with her family and those who come into contact with them. The first third of the book moves pretty slowly as you get to know all the characters, but once everyone is established, the story picks up the pace and moves along in an engaging manner.

The members of the family are all well-developed characters with faults that are relatable to most readers. During the quarantine they are forced to re-evaluate the ideas that they have about each other and realize that while flawed, each are not as black-and-white as the others have imagined. An engaging look into family dynamics and the power we each have to shape (and reshape) those we interact with.

Couldn't put this one down! A typical family forced to spend the week of Christmas guarantied together. Happy, sad, dramatic, foolish, every emotional state possible. Well written, smooth flow from one event to another, altogether a very enjoyable afternoon spent within these pages. Kudos to Francesca Hornak.

Reading the description for this book had me intrigued.
How interesting- trapped with family. I was thrilled to read this ARC.

Family coming together for a daughter's homecoming and has to be quarantined from Dec. 23 through Christmas and into a New Year. Mother gets a Cancer diagnosis, Father gets a surprise from the past, Daughter has secrets, and someone may be gay.

Read each of their story/viewpoints as it rotates through family members.
Every family should have to be quarantined together.

Seven Days of us is a family drama centering around a family Christmas gathering. The Birches are under quarantine until it is confirmed their daughter, Olivia, hasn’t contracted the deadly Haag virus during her humanitarian efforts abroad. But it isn’t long before close kept secrets start coming to light, making for an awkward lockdown.

I thought the story was very well done. The different characters, each of which takes turns as the focus of the story, are realistic and interesting. I enjoyed the build of tension as things progressed, but there were a lot of people to keep track of.

As a novel originating in Britain, I found it pretty well adapted for US readers. Most of the prose feels US, while the UK remains in the dialog of its British characters. It’s a comfortable balance.

As for originality, well, this strongly reminded me of some of the books I’ve read for book club. Common themes are explored through the eyes of the characters to good effect. Throughout the read, I found the tone and delivery somewhere between Everything I Never Told You and Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons, both of which I enjoyed. I must admit, though, that I was disappointed in the outcome. It seemed on track for something upbeat and uplifting, but left me feeling a little down instead.

Overall, I really liked this story. I think folks who enjoy family dramas would like this. I also think this would make an excellent choice for book clubs. It’s deep enough for discussion, but still a rather straightforward and quick read.

I received an advance review copy of this book from NetGalley.

I didn't think I would enjoy this book. I thought it was going to be pure "fluff". But the author told a good story of a realistic family with all their foibles. I will look closer for books by Ms. Homak. A great twist at the end that I did NOT see coming. Thanks to Ms. Homak for that!

A fabulous , funny twisty family story, ideal for fans of Joanna Trollope and Maeve Binchy. Hornak is one to watch.

The book is based on a shaky premise of an entire family being quarantined when thei eldest daughter returns from a stint in Africa, possibly exposed to the deadly Haag virus. They choose to spend Christmas week in quarantine in their stately home. All this is thin and totally unbelievable.

Mother is hiding a cancer diagnosis, younger daughter is engaged to a man who might be gay. The family manages to gad about despite the quarantine. In the midst of this, dad's illegitimate son pops in for a visit from California. Before all this, he has a random chat and confides in a woman he met at Heathrow, of course its mom, Emma. So pat, so silly, too many coincidences.

So, despite the many flaws, it is a facile read. One cannot help but find the characters very likable. The ending, again too predictable with a death and a pregnancy.

Seven Days of Us by Francesca Hornak


I received advanced readers copy from Net Gallery in exchanged for an honest review.
It was the first time reading author Francesca Hornak’s work and must say it was engaging and gobsmacked.
The story takes place in England about a lovely family, spending the holidays together for seven days in a family countryside estate under quarantine due to their daughter Olivia- doctor helping to ward off Haag virus in Liberia.
Andrew Birch is a food critic writing for The World Magazine; he has been married to Emma for about thirty years, and together they have two lovely daughters Olivia who is the doctor and Phoebe who does some type of work in reality television.
It appears that while one family member is taking the plug falling in love and finding romance, the another is getting engaged, just when the parent's marriage is in a state of complacency or is it? Andrew and Olivia’s lives seem to be parallel, at one point, Andrew was a war correspondent working in war-torn Lisbon. Every family is dysfunctional, and keep secrets, or so they like to think it’s a secret, but secrets have a way of showing up.

A family is forced to stay together for 7 days in their country home. Each member has a secret or problem that they are dealing with. All is revealed at the end and everyone comes to understand each other better. It was an enjoyable read but I personally found it a bit predicable and thought that the ending was too abrupt.