When exes and their new partners and the kids decide to do a family holiday trip all kinds of craziness transpires. Readers will love this dark comedy.

"The Adults" was good, very good... Funny, well not so much (I chuckled a couple times especially with Scarlet and Posey's one sided dialogues, but that's about it), but I can forgive the misinterpretation because, again, it was that good.

If you put together 2 exes, their daughter, their current partners, and an imaginary purple rabbit with a made in China tag, send them on a 5 day Christmas holiday together what do you think it's going to happen? Exactly.

This is the story of a divorced couple (Matt and Claire), who decide to go on a 5 day Christmas holiday with their daughter, Scarlet, her imaginary purple rabbit, Posey, and their current significant others, Alex and Patrick, respectively. Matt does ok as a salesman but he is still a teenager at heart, a man-child who in his 30's still smokes weed and skateboards, probably in large the reason why they divorced in the first place. Claire, is a woman who has it together, she has a good job, she is a good mother and overall a good person. She believes she finds what she is looking for in Patrick, a reliable, stable "adult". In reality Patrick is a super competitive, perfectionist, stiff bore. Alex, Matt's new partner, is a scientist. She is a no non-sense kind of woman (she simply gave up drinking when she felt she was drinking too much, that kind of discipline), she is analytical and methodical, she obsesses with every detail and her relationship with Scarlet is not the best, largely because of Posey's negative opinions about scientists (he thinks scientists kill animals).

Living together for 5 days will put into perspective each individual's life, what's important to them, and how to achieve peace and happiness when you are part of a blended family.

I enjoyed this book thoroughly. It is about a divorced couple who both want to spend Christmas with their seven year old daughter so along with their new significant others they decide to spend five days together at Happy Hills Forest in the same cabin. Scarlet the. seven year old also brings along her imaginary friend Posey who is a four foot purple bunny.
Everything that can go wrong does but by the end things have pretty much worked themselves out. It is well written and easy to read and thoroughly entertaining.
I definitely recommend this book.


Thank you Net Galley for allowing me to read the republication of this book.

This novel was a slowly building pressure cooker of emotions, with well-placed intermittent 'After' reports and interviews with police. And I'm still amazed that I didn't really pick the right person as the victim until towards the end. The characters were really well fleshed out, and I loved that the 7-year-old daughter had the added complication of an imaginary giant purple rabbit named Posey. There was humor, wit, frustration, irritation, confusion, and ultimately the book ended in a not-too-devastating way. I'm very pleased by the whole book - light but also heavy, but not too heavy, if that makes any sense at all? Just read it, time will whoosh by.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. It will be published November 27, 2018.

Claire and Matt are divorced and they have a young daughter, Scarlett. Matt is now partners with Alex and Claire is with Patrick but it has been suggested that for the benefit of Scarlett, they should all spend Christmas together at a cabin. While Matt springs this news to Alex as a “done deal” at the last minute I have to say that she takes the news much better than I would have.

The book opens with a promotional brochure from Happy Forest Holiday Park, the site where the cabin has been rented for Christmas. Next is a transcript of a 999-call reporting that someone has been shot by an archery bow. At this point, we are not totally sure who has been shot or who the shooter is. The story then starts its backward rewinding so we see all the events leading up to the shooting.

I will give this book credit for an unusual storyline but I was looking forward to reading this as a Christmas book but it just didn’t feel Christmassy. If you are looking for a book that puts you in the Christmas spirit, I don’t feel you will find it here but if you are looking for a book where the characters are heading for a train derailment and you just have to sit back and enjoy the ride, then it might be the book for you.

I have to say that my favorite character in the book is Scarlett’s imaginary friend, Posey who is a about a 4’ rabbit that talks to her. He can be very sarcastic and funny (although mean sometimes too).

Alex’s boyfriend Matt tells her right before the holidays that he wants to spend it with his daughter Scarlett. The hitch is, he wants to spend it with Alex, Scarlett , Scarlett’s mother Claire and her boyfriend Patrick. Alex goes into it knowing it probably is not a good idea but they head off to Happy Forest Holiday Park for a few days of fun and bonding. A lot goes on but I am not sure about the fun and bonding. So many things go wrong and so many of them have to do with secrets that come out and an imaginary bunny named Posey. When the story begins, we know someone is shot with an arrow. Use your imagination!

This was a lot of fun. To me, I would call it pure escapism. It is set in England so I loved the lingo and learned a few new terms. Matt got on my nerves a few times but maybe because his slacker mentality could wear on someone. I will say he redeemed himself. All in all, a very enjoyable read.

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House for this advance copy.

My life has been going to hell in a handbasket (clogged sewer line and flooded bathroom for starters), so I decided it was time for a comedy. And I love dysfunctional family stories. This isn’t really a dysfunctional family. It’s two exes and their current partners and the daughter they share. Matt, the ex-husband managed to irritate me within pages. What ever did Alex see in him? Or Clare initially, for that matter? Or maybe I just like men to have balls. Add into the mix the daughter’s imaginary rabbit friend who misinterprets what scientists do.

There’s lots of thinking and second guessing going on here. Things we all wonder about get expressed on the pages. I found myself nodding a lot. Other than her choice of a man, I did find myself bonding with Alex. As a stepmother without her own kids, I remember those initial years of trying to figure out where I fit in. Hurse does a great job of expressing Alex.

Of course, it doesn’t take long for things to start getting snarky. Members of mixed families will relate to how wrong it can go. It’s not laugh out loud funny, more dry humor. In fact, the publisher does a disservice to author and reader by calling the book hilarious.

Hurse mixes her formats, police interviews, excerpts of brochures intermingled with regular storytelling. I liked the mixture, it kept things moving along at a brisk clip. I loved the ending, seeing how it all comes together. I can definitely recommend this book. Just know it’s more chuckles than tears streaming down your face from laughing (which is my definition of hilarious).

My thanks to netgalley and Random House for an advance copy of this book.

We can all tell this is a recipe for disaster. A divorced couple (Matt & Claire) decides to spend Christmas with their daughter (Scarlett) and include their current partners (Alex and Patrick). Five people in a vacation cottage for five days. Oh, plus Scarlett's imaginary friend -- a five-foot bunny named Posey. From the beginning of the book we know that one of the men ends up getting shot by an arrow on the archery range. Police interviews are used in the book to give an additional POV to the story along with the viewpoints of Alex, Patrick and Scarlett. This book reminds me of a scaled down "Big, Little Lies" and I quite liked the magical realism that Posey adds to the story. An entertaining holiday read if you prefer snarky over sentimental. The cover is beautiful and quite drew me in as well.

Thank you, Random House and NetGalley, for a digital ARC of this upcoming release.

The pace of this book was a little slow to my taste but I’m a fan of character development which it had in spades and so I was fully engaged by midway. I had thought this was supposed be a light-hearted book but it wasn’t for me - two couples in one cabin to create the perfect Christmas memory for a seven-year-old girl who just wants her parents to get back together - well, it’s is a recipe for disaster. There were serial rocky moments, and the best part was watching the four adults slowly get honest with themselves and start to grow up.

Patrick (never Pat) drove himself relentlessly to be good enough. I think he still has a way to go but by the end but he had begun to not take himself so seriously and became more likable. Easy-going Matt had created a persona that was a cover-up for the things he didn’t want to admit to. I liked Claire the best, just not with Patrick with whom she put her worst foot forward. Alex was the least clear to me and the most remote, but one of my favorite parts was how she and Scarlett buried the hatchet and became friends.

I’d have to say because of the slow start I’d round down the stars to 3.75. It seems a waste to finally like everyone just as the book is ending. I would like to see a sequel with a punched up plot line. Thanks to Random House and NetGalley for allowing me to read this in prepublication!

100 pages of reading is my make or break point for a book. Unfortunately it was a break here. I didn’t find any hilarity as promised in the summary. The interactions between an imaginary bunny and a girl, the uninspiring characters and the British humor were things I just couldn’t warm up to.

Loved this book!! I never knew what was going to happen next. What could go wrong when exes decide to spend Christmas together with their seven year old daughter, their partners and an imaginary purple rabbit at the Happy Forest Holiday Park??? The answer to that is lots and lots and lots could go wrong!!! There's burlesque dancing for a seven year old, a pheasant who happens to be in the wrong place, staking of old high school classmates, and large amounts of alcohol consumed, just to name a few. What's a fun Christmas holiday without someone getting shot and ending up in the hospital? Scarlett had very little supervision in the lodge, even with four adults always around her. She was a very resourceful seven year old with the googling of Harvey and Watership Down. Her reaction to Posey after watching the bunny movie was heart breaking and funny at the same time, especially after she made Posey leave her bedroom.

I loved the story, characters and writing style. The holiday just seemed doomed from the start. Who wants to go on a holiday with people you don't know and stay in a lodge with them for five days? What's worse two of them were previously married and one is a large purple bunny who hates scientists. I felt bad for Alex, although she did choose to be with Matt. What grown man hides mail throughout the house because he doesn't want to read it.

Definitely recommend the book and I look forward to reading more by the author. It's a perfect book for the holidays, especially if you feel the need to spend it with you ex and current partner!! Just don't go to any type of shooting range!!!

Thanks to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Random House and the author, Caroline Hulse, for a free electronic ARC of this novel.

Clever read. Though I'm not sure I'd agree in the slightest with the blurb which calls this book "hilarious." It portrays some ridiculous family situations where everyone acts badly and tension mounts, but this is by no means a lighthearted family farce. To be clear though, this isn't a heavy drama either. It's simply a book about relationships and the baggage that comes with them.

I think it's interesting that chapters alternate focus between all of "the outsiders" involved -- the new partners, Alex and Patrick, and Claire and Matt's daughter Scarlett (and her imaginary friend Posey.) We assume Claire and Matt no longer fancy each other and that's why they've concocted this vacation idea, but none of the outsiders really knows if that's exactly true (thus, we the readers do not either) and that creates just enough tension to keep the story moving along at a nice pace. (Along with the low stakes mystery of what happened with "the arrow incident.")

I think the addition of Scarlett's perspective in the chapters really changes the tone of the book for the better. Without her (and Posey!) the book might have gotten bogged down in relationship drama. Scarlett's childlike misunderstanding (and sometimes laser clear insight) into the things going on around her, combined with Posey's meddling, are, in my opinion, the best parts of the book.

One small quibble-- I would have flipped the order of the final two chapters. While Patrick's perspective gives us information we need for closure on "the arrow incident," Posey's gives us that dramatic thrill.

Thanks to the author and NetGalley for granting me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Really enjoyed this book - what could go wrong with two exes and their new significant others, along with the shared daughter and her invisible giant rabbit? The answer is everything, obviously. The dynamics between the adults were believable and made for a great story, and the way the novel skipped back and forth among the characters kept the mystery of who got shot in the opening scene going. Quick light read, I recommend!

I found the cringeworthiness of the situation completely understandable, relate-able, and sometimes hilarious. I can see why it could definitely ruffle the feathers of some readers, but I found the story to be a bit of a fun romp. I mean, what could possibly go wrong???

This book starts with someone being shot with an arrow at The Happy Forest. Then the story goes back to the beginning to tell about Matt & Claire wanting to take their daughter Scarlett to spend Christmas at The Happy Forest, along with Matt's girlfriend and Claire's boyfriend. As you can well imagine, all those dynamics in one cabin for days during one of the most stressful times of the year is a recipe for disaster.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The drama between both of the couples was funny and written so well you could almost see it happening in front of you. The book kept you guessing until the end about who shot whom. I highly recommend this book!

This book starts with a sticky situation, exes spending the holidays together so their 7year old can have a great Christmas. The wrench thrown in was that the exes also brought their S.O.
You know at the beginning that Patrick gets show with an arrow at the archery range, but don’t know til the end what the whole story is.
A fun holiday read with a some drama and an imaginary friend to boot!

This was an interesting and slightly twisted take on the importance of family togetherness during the holidays. The format in which each chapter is written from a different character's view point, built suspense and created small twists that kept me from determining exactly how the plot would unfold. This was a quick and engaging read, a nice diversion for your own "family reading time".

Who doesn’t deal with dysfunctional family around the holidays? Big family drama is the main theme of Caroline Hulse’s The Adults. The way she flips back and forth from characters, relationships and events kept me not wanting to put my kindle down and “adult”.
The Adults is a funny read that has a twist of mystery. I really enjoyed The Adults and look forward to reading more from Caroline Hulse!

Every reader will start this book with the same thought: "Are they NUTS?"
Followed soon by "What DOES Alex SEE in Matt that would make her decide this vacation is ok?"

But reading and finding out the answers to those questions are the allure of this book! Scarlett is spoiled (obviously), Matt is a grown up child, Patrick is the lost kid trying to fit in, Alex has no idea where she has landed and Claire, well Claire is the sun they all orbit around. But should she be? This book is more than just a look at family dysfunction, it's a look at relationships and what ignites our like for each other, that turns into love. It's a cautionary tale of settling and accepting, of taking the easy way out. It's a book that will stay with you long after you read the roller coaster ending (which you will see coming a mile away, but like the proverbial car wreck, you can't look away from!). Be sure to add this one to your fall reading list!

The Adults starts out with a brochure description of The Happy Forest. A blissful place for people to get away from the city and experience the outdoors. The next page gives us the transcript of a 999 call (911 in the US) on Christmas Eve from the none too happy Happy Forest. It’s a mystery that will unfold in the rest of the book. A story of extremely bad behavior by children and adults alike.

At first glance, The Adults reminded me in some ways of The Dinner by Herman Koch. The setting is a beautiful one, but the dark underlying behavior of the adults in the room is disturbing. Unlike The Dinner, this foursome is more lighthearted, the situation is less dire and far less sinister. Alex and Matt are a fairly happy couple cohabitating in Alex’s home in Nottingham, England. Alex has never been married. Matt is divorced from Claire. They have a seven year old daughter named Scarlett. Scarlett of course wants her parents back together. She has an imaginary friend named Posey, a five foot tall purple rabbit, with whom she converses regularly. Posey is as real to Scarlett as you or I would be. Claire is cohabitating with Patrick, a barrister who is obsessively competitive and concerned about outward appearances.

For some crazy reason this extended/blended family decides to holiday together at The Happy Forest. It is in this close setting that the chaos ensues. There are underlying fears and concerns that the new partners have when they view the couple of Matt and Claire in a household setting together. There is the child who is not terribly fond of the new partners and only wants what any child would want, her parents back the way they were. Especially once she does have them under one roof once again. Of course there is also the inability to be oneself when you are living in a small, vacation lodge with people you barely know. It’s a recipe for disaster.

Some of my favorite moments in this novel were the conversations Scarlett would have with Posey. How Scarlett could so cleanly divide her personality into Posey, the naughty child egging her on, and herself, the child trying to get Posey to behave. That her parents did not discourage nor encourage this behavior is admirable, until you realize how out of control it has become. The adults in this book all needed a good smacking around at different portions, or perhaps a time out, and definitely no more alcohol!

Caroline Hulse has created real people who have flaws and issues just like the rest of us. It was an engaging story the way it was laid out with interspersing details about the 999 call and the players involved. While the climax was revealed before the story even began, it was enough of a tidbit to make me want to get to the end to find out what really transpired between this group of people. Adults behaving badly can end up with someone getting hurt. This story played out perfectly and wrapped up nicely without lingering questions. Definitely a good read.