The Birch family hasn't been close in many years, so spending an entire week together in quarantine over the Christmas holidays is an ordeal. Until they are certain that eldest daughter Olivia hasn't been infected with the deadly Haag virus while treating its victims in Liberia, they are virtually cut off from the outside world, holed up at the family's decrepit country manor house, each one desperately trying to keep his or her secrets hidden.

Other people have described this novel as both warm and funny, and I have to ask...what book were they reading? Despite some unbearably hot weather we had while I was reading, I felt chilled to the bone by the self-centered, dishonest characters and the gloomy, damp setting. Jesse irritated me the least, aside from Hornak's overuse of the word "like" in his speech (he's a grown man in his mid 30s--he wouldn't talk like a teenager). All the other characters were imprisoned in their individual silos of self-absorption. Obviously life isn't all sunshine and flowers, but honestly, it doesn't have to be that miserable--just tell the truth. Get over yourselves and pay attention to someone else for a change. Stop trying to hide cancer, job dissatisfaction, recently discovered children, forbidden relationships and protocol violations, sexual preferences, doubts, and all the other sources of anxiety. These things disconnect people from each other just as surely as they disconnected me from this whole cast of characters.

The story itself could have moved along more quickly, I felt. As soon as Jesse and Emma had their chat at the airport, I could see where that was headed, but it felt like an eternity before we got there. There was one twist at the end that I didn't see coming, but everything else was telegraphed way in advance. This isn't necessarily a deal-breaker for me, but it didn't help matters, especially when combined with the loose ends left dangling. (For example, Jesse and George's first meeting stayed a secret. Really??)

The tone of this novel strongly reminds me of The Art of Baking Blind by Sarah Vaughan--a book I've never been able to finish because I didn't like any of the characters--perhaps because both are British novels told from different points of view by deeply flawed characters? Thankfully for both authors, there are plenty of readers out there who enjoy spending time with people I can't stand.

For readers' advisors: character doorway is primary, setting secondary. Loads of profanity, including some of my least favorite words. Some sexual content, references. No violence.

I received a free advance reading copy (ebook) from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

A week is a long time to spent with your family. Now imagine being quarantined, or rather under house arrest with them over Christmas.

For the first time in many years, the entire dysfunctional Birch family is going to spend the Christmas Holidays under one roof. In Francesca Hornak's novel, THE SEVEN DAYS OF US, the Birches are on lock-down, after Olivia comes backs from saving the world, needing to be quarantined - cutting everyone off from the rest of the world, including no Wi-Fi!

Eldest daughter, Olivia has returned from some faraway land where she was helping sick people making it imperative she stays quarantine for a week. Parents, Emma and Andrew who are usually off somewhere doing their good deeds are forced to stay at Weyfield Hall this Holiday. Youngest Phoebe must stay, while obsessing over her upcoming wedding. It's lockdown at the aging Weyfield Hall estate and quickly it feels as  if the walls are closing in. The family is cut-off from the outside world and each has their own misegas to content with. Family secrets and resentments, which have been easy to keep quiet, are coming to a boiling point and about to release.

Andrew locks himself in an office writing bitter restaurant reviews, while in his mind, reliving his past as a war correspondent. Emma has a few of her own secrets, which would be better not said, but are destined to shock the family.

Life in the house quickly becomes too close for comfort, but that's not thing compared to what happens when an unexpected arrives. Any reader who loves their family in small doses, will completely relate and be entertained reading THE SEVEN DAYS OF US, praying to God it never happens to them. ...especially around the Holidays.

Hornaks' novel is charming and filled with that sense of humor unique to British writers. It'd pair reading THE SEVEN DAYS OF US with two fingers of bourbon. It'll get you in the mood for "the most wonderful time of the year."

Francesca Hornak is a British author, journalist and former columnist for the Sunday Times.  SEVEN DAYS OF US  is her debut novel, published by Berkley, an imprint of Penguin Random House. Little Island Productions has pre-empted TV rights to the book.
Francesca's work has appeared in newspapers and magazines including The Sunday Times, The Guardian, Metro, Elle, Grazia, Stylist, Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan and Red. She is the author of two nonfiction books, History of the World in 100 Modern Objects: Middle Class Stuff (and Nonsense) and Worry with Mother: 101 Neuroses for the Modern Mama.
@FrancescaHornack

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an electronic copy of THE SEVEN DAYS OF US for an honest review.

This book was both amusing and powerful. Hornak weaves seemingly disparate story threads into a relationship tapestry. Calling this a comedy of errors, while serving to entice readers looking for a humorous story with clever plot twists, belies the seriousness of the underlying themes: birth parent searches, sexual identity questions, communicable disease outbreaks, to name just a few. Recommend to fans of Liane Moriarty.

I will definitely be giving this book out as a gift this holiday season -- in fact I already had a birthday recipient in mind but the book want published yet. The downside of reading ARCs. The holidays can be stressful for many families. Imagine the usual tensions amplified by a seven-day quarantine imposed because one family member, a doctor, has just returned from volunteering in an area struck by a deadly virus (think Ebola). I highly recommend. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via Net Galley.

A lot can happen when a family is quarantined for a week over the Christmas holiday and that is exactly what happened in this book. Olivia, one of the Birch daughters, is home for Christmas for the first time in years. She has been working as a doctor fighting an Ebola-type crisis in Liberia called Haag and has to be quarantined to sure she doesn't have the disease and spread it to the UK. This book is about secrets, the ramifications once they are revealed, and everyone in the family has a secret. The story is told in alternating voices from the various members so the reader learns what is going on in each person's mind and what has happened in the past. The family has some typical relationship problems like sibling rivalry and a husband and wife who have drifted apart, but as two non-family members arrive all the secrets are unleashed. The characters and often comedic story are engaging and well-told, and as a result of the secrets coming out, there is growth among the family members. This is a delightful book that will keep you turning the pages.

Coming from a big family, the idea of being quarantined with my family for a week gives me a combination of a pleasure and dread. Hornak's debut provides enough storylines and characters to make this premise interesting and a pleasurable read..

I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book and was very excited to read it.  This book is great and I really enjoyed it. I will definitely be putting it on my list of beach reads for next summer!  Olivia is coming home from a trip to Liberia where she is helping treat victims of the Haag virus.  She needs to stay in quarantine for a week upon her return.  Her mother, so happy that she is home for Christmas, decides that the family will stay in quarantine together in the family vacation home.  After all, what is better than being stuck in a house with your family for a week? This story is full of twists and turns and fast paced.  While the story is slightly predictable, there were a few unexpected surprises and the characters are funny and believable.

My Thoughts..........

" Bloody Brilliant!!"!!

I am constantly surprised and delighted by the amazing stories that pop out at me from, seemingly, nowhere. I am so grateful to the publishers who trust me with these books, trust me to give each one a thorough and open-minded reading. Seven Days Of Us is a thoughtful, funny glimpse of a family quarantined together during the Christmas holiday.

Told from the viewpoint of each character, knowing the various opinions of each as they are trapped in a stodgy old mansion, viewing each situation from various parts of the house and grounds was a unique experience. One wanted Christmas at a cherished old home, one came grudgingly, one is too carefree for an opinion, one would rather be anywhere else and one was a complete surprise! It was fun and funny. I admit that the British sense of humor sometimes Sails right over my head, I think I caught most of the humor in this one.

Don't think, though, that this is a laugh fest. It isn't. There is some humor, but this is a serious story with long-held secrets that can tear this family apart. A new secret, too.

I fell into this story and didn't emerge until I read the last page. There may have been a few tears toward the end, but it was okay. I happily recommend this book to everyone. Grab a copy and...

Enjoy!

2shay

I really wanted to like this book. It seemed like a fun, light read that would make me laugh out loud, but I found the characters shallow and the plotting weak. There were too many unanswered questions, such as what is Haag (we don't find out specific details until 100 pages into the book), that I was left not caring about what happened to these people. Why would Jesse travel all the way to England to meet his biological father at the most stressful time of the year for most families when his father hasn't even responded to his request to meet? Does anyone actually like Olivia? Why is Phoebe marrying George? I had high hopes for this one, and unfortunately, they just didn't meet my expectations.

"Seven Days of Us" is a debut novel by Francesca Hornak. The novel set in the UK and it is about a family that has to be quarantined for seven days over the Christmas period. Yes, I was reading a book about Christmas, in July... good way to get the Christmas spirit started.

It might just be the thought of having the spend seven days in quarantine with my family, but this novel did not do it for me. It felt like one of those books you've read already. Honestly, the plot felt very vanilla and already done, not that anything is wrong with that, but if you're going to do safe, at least make it less predictable. The characters were generic and clichéd some borderline annoying after 5 chapters.

What I will say is this, if you are looking for an easy, laid-back holiday read this Christmas, this book is right up your alley. There is the usual family drama that everyone is all too well aware of that might hold your interest and keep you entertained

I am halfway through this book and it's great. I had high hopes for this author, having read her pieces in the Sunday Times Style magazine, and I wasn't disappointed. Francesca manages to skew modern life with her bitingly funny satire while threading the individual stories of the five main characters - most of whom are going through some very real issues - into a very readable book. I simply cannot put this book down.

I enjoyed the book but it did take some time to get into the characters. The family dynamic between the two daughters and the parents is fairly predictable. I really enjoyed how the family began to open up after the new found brother/son is introduced. I enjoyed the storyline and was a quick read.

Very entertaining story about a family who has to stick together, literally, in quarantine for Christmas because their physician daughter has just returned from Liberia where she has been treating those struck down by a contagious virus. The family is stuck in their English manor house for a week. In the meantime, family members harbor secrets that cause some hilarity and somber reflection. I really found this to be a good read this summer. Don't miss it.

This story could be some people's worst nightmare. I don't think I'd mind spending 7 days with my family. This book is funny but has some heavy moments. Olivia returns home from Liberia after doctoring the sick and is informed she and her family must be quarantined. With father guarding a secret and mom hiding a bad medical report each member of the family narrates different chapters. The fact that it's Christmas adds to the stress. A good read.

I was hooked by SEVEN DAYS OF US from the first page, and at the end wished it wasn't over. I enjoyed the setting, in a somewhat run down historical family mansion in northern England where a family is quarantined over Christmas week, and the way the POV kept switching between the characters, who were all different and interesting. I liked that each person was keeping a secret; it added to the drama and suspense. I liked the way all the storylines intertwined. Some of the situations may have felt a bit cliche, but the the characters felt real. The part about doctors working in Liberia to contain a deadly virus was well-researched. The dialog was great, and the character arcs just what you'd hope for. At times funny and light, at other times heart-breakingly sad (I'm not a fan of all aspects of the ending), this novel held my attention and kept me reading long into the night. I recommend it!

The Birch family have grown apart but they're spending Christmas together--really together. Doctor daughter Olivia has been treating an epidemic in Liberia that requires the entire family be quarantined for a week. Everyone has a secret--how long before they start slipping out?

This is an enjoyable book that will ring true to all readers.

The Birch family will be spending the Christmas holiday in quarantine, thanks to eldest daughter Olivia's recent relief work in Haag infested Liberia. She has returned, but must be in quarantine for seven days to insure that she is not carrying the disease back to England. This family has probably not spent that much time in each other's company EVER. Each person has secrets that are slowly revealed over the course of the seven days. It is particularly interesting to watch them become the family that they should have been all along, supportive and loving. Not a "Merry Christmas" read, but an enjoyable one nonetheless.

A dysfunctional family is quarantined due to the elder daughter's exposure to an Ebola-like disease. Fascinating and often amusing interaction among disparate personalities makes for an enjoyable read.. External factors add interest and complications to the plot.