I received an advanced copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

First Came Us follows Ellie and Jack Miller and their teenage daughter Sydney. Ellie owns a yoga studio that’s finally starting to turn a profit, Jack is a renowned economics professor at Yale, and Sydney is a straight-A student. They live a relatively normal life until Ellie’s pregnancy test comes back positive, an 18-year-old girl shows up at Jack’s office claiming to be his daughter, and Sydney gets caught up in a secret relationship built on lies with a college boy.

One thing that I liked about this book was the different points of view. My favourite character and point of view was Ellie. I liked that the reader got to see the struggle behind having three children, running her own business, her personal problems, and trying to keep up the charade that everything is picture-perfect. For the most part, I liked Jack, but I did get frustrated with him at times for his lack of honesty and his cluelessness. I really wasn’t a huge fan of Sydney, but that’s because I find that recently I’ve had a difficult time relating to teenagers and their teenage problems.

One thing that annoyed me about this book is that there was so much dishonesty. I found myself wanting to yell at the characters a few times because they were lying, or they weren’t forthcoming with information. I understand that these lies helped fuel the plot and that without them, there wouldn’t be much of a story, but I still found it frustrating. Overall, this book was a reminder that honesty is the best policy and that it helps prevent a lot of major misunderstandings.

My favourite storyline in this book was the relationship between Ellie and Dorothy. Dorothy is an older woman who attends yoga classes at Ellie’s studio, and Ellie takes a special interest in her and her wellbeing. I thought that their relationship was special, and I loved how it helped lead to such a happy ending for the Miller family.

Another thing that annoyed me about this book is the amount of commentary about Ellie’s body. It felt like I was constantly reminded that Ellie was petite and skinny. I understand that part of it was because Ellie didn’t want anyone to know that she was pregnant and that Sydney had self-esteem issues, but I got annoyed with it quickly.

Overall, I liked First Came Us, but I didn’t love it. At times, it felt like it was a bit all over the place, and like there was too much going on. I liked the majority of the characters, and my issues with Sydney stem from a general lack of patience with teenagers. I liked that this book showed a family that wasn’t picture perfect and that was struggling to juggle everything that was going on. I recommend checking out this book if you’re looking for something quick with an ending that will make you smile.

I wonderful and enjoyable read. I read it in 2 sittings and Rachel Cullen writes a smart, relatable novel of family, love, and what is truly important in life. Written in different Points of View it brings out the characters. Perfect for the beach, a cozy reading day, or anytime. You'll want to check out her other books! #rachelcullenauthor #NetGalley

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the free E-ARC!

Thoughts: Well that was seriously so damn cute! Just a good family story, that explores past mistakes catching up with us.

There is talk of getting older, marriage woes, miscarriage, abortion and underage drinking to name a few but it honestly was done very well. I found myself wanting to continuously pick this one up. I’d definitely recommend this as an in between read for some of those heavier books!

I put off reading this book for a little while because it had really mixed reviews, however I enjoyed this book.

First Came Us is about Ellie a yoga studio owner and instructor who’s married with three children who sort of goes through a mid life crisis in her early 40s. She has secrets, her husband has secrets, and her smart teenage daughter takes advantage of her parents moments of weakness and starts acting out.

This book had enough juicy drama to keep me interested and was a fast paced read.

Pub Date is today 2/5.

4 🌟 thank you @netgalley for my ARC for my honest review. #FirstCameUs

First Came Us is a whirlwind of secrets...secrets between a husband and wife...secrets of their sixteen year old daughter. This is a story of love and relationships. Be sure to block out a chunk of time because First Came Us is a page turner!

The cover of First Came Us is so adorable, I fell in love with it at first sight. I wasn’t expecting to enjoy reading it so much when I first requested for the arc. I am lover of books with drama, and First Came Us gave me loads of it. It got me out of a reading slump, and surprisingly, I finished reading it in a day.

• Ellie Miller was my favorite character from the book. I have never read a book with an yoga instructor as a protagonist before, which is why I really liked reading about her life a lot. I loved her confidence and attitude throughout the story. Her friendly nature was really admirable, and I loved how she cared about the people around her.

• Jack, our male protagonist, was really likeable too ~ even though he did something really disapproving at the beginning of the story. I really liked how he was focused in his career and tried really hard to keep his family members happy.

• Jack and Ellie’s relationship was really nice to read about. I wish that the author wrote more about their romance life though, I wanted to know more about their life. I felt like the conversations that they shared with each other in the book were not enough to completely satisfy me. 

• The mystery content in the book made it a lot better. I was at the edge of my seat almost all the time while reading the book. I couldn’t wait to see how Jack and Ellie dealth with the unexpected situations that life threw their way.

• The family dynamics in the book were really interesting. I loved reading about how Jack and Ellie led their lives with their children, and how realistic the storyline was because of that. Drama wise, First Came Us ticked all the desired boxes. 

• I felt like the POV of Jack and Ellie’s daughter, Sydney was not really necessary for the book. Her life was relatable because of all the teenager problems and all, but I was kinda inclined to know about Jack and Ellie instead of her.

• The epilogue was my favorite part of the book. I loved how Jack and Ellie’s life turned out in the end, and how they figured out their problems together. First Came Us has the potential to be a great short movie! I would love watching it on screen.

• Overall, First Came Us was a truly enjoyable book, with a myterious plot filled with drama and loveable but relatable characters. Definitely recommend reading it if you’re looking for a quick read or to get out of a reading slump! 

Best wishes to the author!

Throw this book in the trash. I think oh should have been done better. It was kinda clunky and just not my cup of tea. On second thought don’t throw it in the trash. Just done read it.

A story about a slice of life from an American family in Westport. I'll admit I liked/appreciated the setting and world a lot because it is the same from my favorite TV show, American Housewife. It gave me a sort of kinship with this world, able to 'fall in' and 'get' the picture and how/why the characters are the way they are. It's a good read all in all. The characters are totally flawed but also in a way that makes them normal, regular people you could meet out there, and the conflicts, though a tad over the top, held the line throughout, despite some deus ex machina explanations towards the end. Still, if you enjoy reading about families and what their lives are like, this is a good one to check out

Just could not get into this book. Try as I might, I just cannot get a feel for the characters as much as I have with other books. Maybe because I can't put myself in the place of them, but, it's just not for me.

I really enjoyed this read!! I could t put it down!!! The end gave me a good cry which I love in a book, even if it was a little predictable at times. I loved how it was written with a point of view from 3 main characters!! Great book that I’d def recommend!!

First Came Us is a great story about the modern American family in all its dysfunction and glory. While the communication lapses between characters almost drove me crazy, the writing was strong and the story kept me engaged right up to the end. I do wish that the other children in the story were a bit more flushed out. It seemed really strange to me that the nine-year-old and middle schooler didn't really factor into Ellie and Jack's day to day life at all. However, that was the only real flaw in an otherwise thoughtful book.

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

Easy, quick and interesting read. Multiple PVO.

The story of Jack and Ellie, along with their 3 children, experiencing the craziest strangest things.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the eARC copy

First Came Us tells the tale of Jack and Ellie, along with their 3 children, experiencing the craziest few months of their lives. The book begins with Jack making one big giant mistake that comes back to haunt him 18 years later, but does it? Ellie feels stuck and confused when another bombshell is dropped on her, meanwhile their 16 year old daughter, Sydney, is experiencing high school a little too quickly. What happens when everything happens at once?

A lot happened all at once in First Came Us. There were so many issues and things going on, that it was a little hard to keep up at times. Without giving away too much detail, I felt like some things were a bit repetitive and unnecessary and added in as filler. I found the writing a little childish at times, making it hard to connect with the characters. Trigger warnings for miscarriages - as someone who has experienced a world of infertility and miscarriages, I found some of the descriptions and explanations a little upsetting and unrealistic. The ending of the book seemed to come out of nowhere, with all of the issues and problems solved at the same time, which felt strange and rushed.

I guess, overall, it was a pretty easy and cute read, but otherwise I wouldn't say rush to add it to your TBR.

This was an interesting book. It really felt like being dropped into the middle of a story which felt odd but even still, I liked the characters. We get 3 povs (our Hero, Heroine and oldest daughter) so there's a lot going on but not much time lapses. Honestly, if there was maybe more of Jack and Ellie's relationship in the beginning and a longer ending, I think it could have worked better for me.

The writing style was interesting and well done. I read it in one sitting even. I just needed a bit more.

On a side note I would be very interested in a Sydney story with her crush. 😉

I adore Rachel Cullen's writing and this book was no exception. A light,quick read that deals with issues of marriage, infidelity, and teenage issues. I love that it was told from three different POV's and how they each were feeling with all the changes they each were going through. Overall a great, fun read!

This book was promising because I really enjoy stories based on families that are already established and just kind of trying to navigate through the ups and downs of life because I relate to that. However, this one wasn't for me. The beginning started with a cheating scene which left a bad taste in my mouth. While I know this is the kind of thing that happens in every day life, I think it could have been written better. The story was slow for me and I wasn't able to stick with it and ended up DNF'ing at 20%.

First Came Us by Rachel Cullen was a book I have mixed feelings about. Part of that is because the story was just being real, and part of that is because I wanted more of some aspects of the book. The story focuses on the marriage of Jack and Ellie. They appear to "have it all" but then a blast from a poor decision in Jack's past threatens to upend this life. Meanwhile Jack and Ellie's high-achieving teen daughter Sydney is making choices that threaten her future. Part of my struggle was with Sydney's storyline. I wanted her to be stronger, and I didn't want her to just give up on all she'd worked for to get ahead. I found myself frustrated with this storyline, but I can also recognize that these choices are complicated for a teenager. With that, the storyline I really enjoyed involved Ellie's relationship with an elderly woman who came to her yoga studio. She was a driving force behind the story I ultimately wanted more of, as she was a vehicle to encourage Ellie to figure out what she really wanted out of life. She built depth in the story that I craved as I read. This was an intriguing read about the complexities of family, the danger of secrets, and the way we learn to heal together. Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced look at this March 2020 release.

Ellie and Jack have everything figured out. Ellie owns a yoga studio and Jack is an economics professor at Yale. They have three kids, ranging from 16 years old to a 3rd grader. Things start coming up in their lives that draw the focus to themselves and less on their children. They must figure out how to deal with their personal surprises and continue to be parents at the same time.

This book was a very quick read at a little over 300 pages. I finished it in about half a day. I don't want to give away the surprises that come up but they have the potential to change the future of the family. Jack and Ellie deal with these surprises differently but I would say in typical fashion. It was easy to see where a little more communication would have solved a lot of the issues. The story also focuses on the eldest daughter, Sydney, as she deals with typical teenage troubles. I enjoyed Sydney's character the most in the story. She is dealing with typical teenage anxieties about appearance, school, friends, and boys and does so in a very relateable way.

Overall I enjoyed the book. It was a light read, despite all the surprises the family must deal with. What kept me from enjoying the book more was the number of surprises that came up. As I said, it was a quick read and each of the surprises could have been expanded upon by itself. It almost felt the story was trying to cover too many surprises and did not have the space to expand upon them.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for my honest review. If you are looking for quick read about family dynamics and how life always surprises you, check out this book when it is released on 5February2020.

Jack and Ellie Miller have been happily married for almost two decades and lead an ordinary life with their children in a suburban Connecticut town. Yet, of course, things don't go as planned.

I really, really wanted to love this book. I tried, but had a hard time connecting with the characters in any meaningful way and felt that I was waiting for the book to be over at parts. The ending felt rushed and it did not feel satisfying in a resolutionary way at the end.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Loved this book! Highly recommend it and it’s just in time for Valentine’s Day! You won’t want to put this down!