I love, love, loved this novel! The Most Fun We Ever Had is most definitely not a short book, but I felt so attached to the fantastic cast of characters that I could have read it even if it was 5 times as long and still wanted more! I found the situations The Sorenson’s faced intricate and complex (as family issues usually are) and filled with authentic raw emotions. We time-hop from the mid 1970’s to present day (2016) throughout the novel which worked perfectly with the storyline because we get to appreciate everyone’s journey with their triumphs and traumas. The Most Fun We Ever Had is a 5+++ star read that will stay with long after you finish! Before I read this novel I found the title and book cover both catchy, now that I’ve read it, I find the title and cover the most fitting I’ve come across is loooong time- perfection! I cannot recommend this novel enough- if you’re looking for a brilliant beach read put The Most Fun We Ever Had at the very top of your list! Being that this epic book is Claire Lombardo’s debut novel, I can absolutely promise I will be keeping her on my radar and 1-clicking everything she comes out with in the future!

This is one of the best reads of 2019, bar none. I am calling it... this book will win all of the awards. Claire Lombardo is the next Kingsolver. Here it is in writing, in January of 2019, and I can't wait to look back on this and know how right I was. 

Lombardo's debut novel is truly a work of art. It follows the Sorenson family, consisting of Marilyn and David (the parents), and their four daughters, Wendy, Violet, Liza, and Grace. Each character has their own personality, truly distinct and yet somehow envelopes that of all families. It felt in a way as if my own family were being described, in how different we all are but yet how we come together and find ourselves bound together by blood. 
The story is told in flashbacks, as well as present day, chapters alternating. We witness the story unraveling, how the characters got to the point that they are now, almost as if a coming-of-age story for every single character individually and as a family unit. Marilyn and David have an unparalleled love story that engulfed me, and gave me hope that my fiance and I have found what those two have. And, it reminded me of my own parents, married now for 35 years and still as in love as they were the day that they met.

Despite the privilege in which these characters are bread into, they have their own struggles. No one is immune from mental illness, no one is immune from ill-fated hardships, and it felt as though reading this book was seeing a very realistic and relatable family through a very raw, magnifying lens.

I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed this book. I am heartbroken that I have finished it, and wish I could read it again with the same lack of awareness as the first time. I think a LOT of readers will resonate with one or more characters in the novel, and the thematic elements that emerge through Lombardo's writing. Lovers of Kingsolver's Unsheltered will love this piece of writing. I know I did!

I really enjoyed this book! The characters were realistic and memorable, and the family dynamics were rendered in a believably honest and complicated way. A touching and funny depiction of a family's story unfolding over the course of decades.

This book was incredibly fun to read all the way through its 520 pages. I am going to miss the Sorenson family!. I don’t think that I’ve read another book that so well captured regular life - spousal, parental and sibling thoughts and dialogue were spot on throughout all of this families ups and downs. It felt so real yet was still very entertaining! What a great reminder that there are always two ways to look at everything and that often self talk - the ideas that we work up in our heads leading up to an encounter or dialogue - are encased with negativity that doesn’t reflect reality. I will admit I got Wendy and Violet, two of the four sisters, mixed up for the first 20% of the book which made me a bit confused but it eventually became clear which sister was which! If you liked the TV show Parenthood you will definitely love this book.

I initially opened up the book to ensure it had downloaded correctly, but as I glanced at the first page, I was magnetically drawn towards it and soon found myself unable to put the book down. It is simply mesmerizing, beautifully written with many characters, each well developed.

Lombardo has created a family, one with myriad issues, but tied together by love, kindness and loyalty. The Sorensons have four daughters, each dealing with personal crises, and remarkable parents whose love for each other and their daughters never wavers.

The catalyst for the story is the reappearance of Jonah, the child who had been given up for adoption by Violet, a now comfortable, upwardly striving matron, who finds her life radically changed by his appearance. The reader sees the reaction of all the characters to this innocent, lovable teenager.

Lombardo skillfully weaves in the backstories of the other family members, each of whom is likable and engaging. I felt involved with each of the sisters and I loved reading about their histories. I simply loved this novel and thank Netgalley for the absolute joy I had reading this grand family saga. I hope Lombardo continues to write such brilliant novels in the future.