As ever with Whitney Dineen books this was hugely enjoyable and simple to follow. Her books provide a wonderful escape from daily life and have you laughing out loud. As with all her other books this is wonderfully told and worth carry on with!

This was not what I expected coming in. I was expecting more of a Rom-com. Which in some aspects it was. But, it was also quite a “coming of age” in some ways. Cat found herself and her happiness. It was a good read.

3.5 stars

Cat is bringing her fiance Ethan and his parents to her hometown over Thanksgiving to meet her family for the first time.

Her parents, grandmother, and brother are quirky and eccentric, but loving and kind. Ethan and his family are more serious and reserved, so things do not go smoothly. Really, though, that's just the beginning of Cat's story.

Cat's family, especially her grandmother, are endearing. The kind of people you can't help but love even when they are driving you a little crazy.

I liked that the blurb doesn't give away the whole story, and that it doesn't end with Thanksgiving. For the most part I enjoyed Cat trying to figure out what her next steps in life should be. However, the book did feel a bit too long and slightly repetitive in a couple spots. I am looking forward to reading the next book, though!

Thank you to Netgalley for providing an Arc!

I literally red this in one sitting! Once you start you don't want to stop, if you love funny books, this is one for you! I look forward to reading more from this author.

Book Review- Relatively Normal by Whitney Dineen

Catriona is a party planner in New York. She dates Ethan who she met at her best friend’s wedding. He has not met her parents yet and Cat has been avoiding it until she can no longer do so. Ethan and his parents plan to spend Thanksgiving with Cat’s family. There is a reason she hasn’t brought Ethan home her parents are crazy. Her brother still lives at home in the basement, smoking pot. Her grandmother says whatever enters her mind. They are quite a group. The shock that Ethan gets is expected but he doesn’t handle it well. They don’t make a good pairing as Cat thought. She learns why later, and it makes sense.
Cat has been running from her family and her broken heart for years. The author forces her to come home and reconnect with her family. She even comes face to face with the boy who broke her heart. He is now a man and the town doctor.
The situations that arise are comical and embarrassing. Cat is thrown for a loop. She thought her life was perfect until she was forced to really look at it and decide what she truly wants. It was an interesting read. It was a coming home story where the main character realizes what she truly wants. I give it a 4 out of 5.

I received this book from Net Gallery in return for an honest review.

Cat and Ethan find themselves visiting Cat’s family so they can introduce their parents to each other .... and the story begins.

This is a well written book from this author and the first I’ve read. Really enjoyed this tale. Humour, great characters, interesting and also some emotional turmoil thrown in as well. A lot going on but very well done. Would make a great read for the beach or holiday. One I’d definitely recommend.

This was the first novel I have read by this author. I love novels that make you laugh and this novel did some of the time. Sometimes my heart hurt for Cat and the way her family treated her. Once I started reading I did not want to stop.

This is a great book with a wonderful story and well developed characters. The story flowed very well and was very enjoyable. This book will keep you reading long into the night and you will not want to put this book down until you finish. This was such a great read and full of surprises. I am looking forward to reading other books by this great author.

Romantic comedies full of witty humor are one of my favorite genres. So I was quite interested in reading this book. Added to that, the cover’s pretty clever. I’ve never read a book by Whitney Dineen but the title and the blurb both intrigued me into giving this book a try.

First of all, the writing was quite fun and witty to read. Catriona (I love that name by the way) was a remarkable character, with a dry sense of humor that I enjoyed a lot, especially when she described her family.

Talk about families from hell lol. Her family was absolutely bonkers. They were super funny with all those idiosyncrasies and their schemes. I found myself laughing a lot at those scenes.

The plot line was compelling enough to keep me reading and the writing style with sensitive moments that weren’t sappy emotional but just that right combination of sincerity and seriousness made this book a fun story to read. The only complaint I have is that the hero didn’t suffer as much compared to how deeply Catriona had been affected. Other than that, this book was a pretty easy read with plenty of funny scenes.

I'm on the fence about Relatively Normal. Obviously, the title is ironic. In some ways I liked the story. Some moments were funny. Some of the weirdness was entertaining. The story is lively and fun. In some ways I disliked the story. Many funny moments were flat. Some quirkiness just became annoying. At times, the story seemed to be trying too hard to be eccentric when it wasn't necessary. I'm just in the middle. It's okay but not fantastic. Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Relatively Normal by Whitney Dineen is a lovely and heartwarming story about starting fresh in old places.

When Cat decides to get married, she realizes she has to introduce her fiance to her parents. To say that her family members are quirky and eccentric would be an understatement. To say that her fiance is cautious and judicious would be too mild. While she tries to join together her two worlds her family has other ideas. They invite Cat's ex boyfriend, the guy who broke her heart to thanksgiving dinner since they believe her fiance is not right for her.
Catastrophe happens and sparks and high emotions are flying everywhere. It is up to Cat to see who is the right man for her and if her family is as bad as she thinks.

Light and entertaining book about our roots and whether we can run away from them, This is a story about accepting our family and friends as they are and loving them nonetheless.
Well written story with many laugh out loud moments, lovable and outright crazy characters they will stay with readers for a long time.

What a heartwarming experience! It takes a while to find yourself, but it's fortunate when it happens before it's too late!

I received a copy of this story from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Here's what I was hoping for, based on the summary:
- family drama
- hilarity
- a parental meet-cute that leads to minor misunderstandings, a few bumps in the road, and a happy ending
- a lighthearted read

Here's what I got:
- family drama...but like weird
- I don't think I laughed out loud once
- a whole cast of characters that don't fit together and seemed destined not to
- an angsty, weird read

I would have given this 2.5 stars if I could but I recognize that it's not entirely the author's fault that I was expecting something different. I'm like Catriona in that I like the homecoming/finding home/weird family trope. But I've read better. This story was too predictable. From the moment Catriona and Ethan arrived at her parents' house, I could tell the direction things were going to go. It made Catriona's waffling annoying instead of driving the plot forward. The emotional moments lacked depth and punch; I read them but didn't feel them.

There were surprises that were predictable and there were surprises that seemed gratuitous. It almost felt like a competition of who-can-be-weirder. There were commas in spots they had no business being in. I don't know where the hilarity is hiding that other reviewers have mentioned. It just wasn't my cup of tea.

This was fun, in an outrageous rom com type of way. And when I say outrageous, I do mean outrageous. The twists and turns that happen in the last half are pretty wild and unexpected.

I enjoyed the cast of characters, especially Cat's eccentric family. They were all interesting in their oddities. Cat herself was the normal in it all, though it was odd that she was oblivious to so much. The characters were mostly a vibrant array of colors, with Cat the neutral color tying them together.

The first half is a bit slow, and then the second half feels like it goes by very quickly. I didn't get a lot of chemistry between any part of the triangle, which was disappointing. The way Ethan went from stick in the mud with no real personality to hypersensitive emotional person bothered me and felt very forced. I found myself wanting more of everything a bit, especially Cat & Sam, and Cat & her friends. Her Nan was the best part of the whole thing, by far.

All in all, a fun and light read. Very much like a Hallmark holiday movie.

"Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review."

Loved this book very much. It had just enough sweet, sexy romance and the storyline was great! I highly recommend!

ARC received for an honest review.

This was much cuter and easier to read than I'd anticipated. It's always hard to know what to expect from a book billed as "funny." And while I didn't laugh out loud while reading this I did thoroughly enjoy myself.

This book is something of a romance, but more of a journey. Our heroine is one place - mentally and physically - and she needs to be some place else. There's no steam, a funny grandma, and mice wearing kilts. Honestly, I think that pretty much sums this up.

It could easily be read in one sitting, and I would have given it 4 stars had the timeline been different. I just thought things happened too quickly. Overall it's mostly a 4 star read. If you're in the mood for something light with a holiday vibe I can definitely recommend this easy little book.

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It has been a while since I have read a Whitney Dineen story and I was happy to grab this copy, it was hilarious and in true Dineen fashion splendidly silly. Grab a copy of crazy family and trying to stay relatively normal. So if you need a pick me up this is it...Enjoy!

This book is a fun and easy read and well written. It had me hooked from the first chapter. It is a laugh out holiday story about family, finding out where you belong.
Thanks to 33 Partners Publishing and Netgalley for a advance copy in exchange for and honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I didn't like this book much. That doesn't mean it's a bad book or anything it just didn't work for me. It was supposed to be funny and I didn't find it funny at all. And to enjoy a book you have to like or at least appreciate the characters - sadly I wasn't fond of any of them. At least not any of the main characters. And I didn't find Cat's family endearing or quirky or funny. I found them weird (but not in a good way), insensitive (I mean who keep's in touch with their daughter's/granddaughter's ex boyfriend who dumped her suddenly after they made all the plans for their future together but doesn't try to keep in regular touch with said daughter) and rude, very rude. And on top of that, the first half of the book feauters one of my most hated tropes ever, a love triangle. If I'd known about it I'd never even start this book. But not all was bad, hence the 2 stars and not 1. The writing was good and fluid and kept me reading along right to the end. So that's something.

I received a copy of Relatively Normal by Whitney Dineen from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first novel by Whitney Dineen that I have read, but I was quickly hooked on her writing style and engaged until the final page. She made a challenging situation into a fun plot device and her novel had everything - humor, cringe-worthy moments, drama from family dynamics, and romance. Even with everything, she still managed to move the plot along with relatable main characters, and keep it light so the pages flew by until the end.

It was a fun book to curl up by the fire on a cold winter day. I would read a future novel by Whitney Dineen without hesitation.