Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy of The House in Fripp Island. Kauffman seems to always know how to write a story that can find itself coming full circle in the end. It’s a slow burn with some twists thrown in. Just when you think you know what a character is up to, you find out you’re wrong. I am a huge fan of Kauffman and can’t wait to continue following her journey as a novelist.

I received an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review

This one was pretty twisty- some more obvious than others but still an enjoyable ride. You really do you fall in love with Poppy the main female character. Solid four

I like summery books in summer so this one caught my attention with the premise being a couple winning four-day vacation to Fripp Island in South Carolina and taking along some friends. I oddly wasn't expecting a mystery but that's what it ended up being and it did keep me guessing until the end. Good bits about friendship and class in there too.

So, if I hadn’t been reading a digital copy of this book I would have thrown in across the room at the end. Strong writing, strong character development, and strong storyline. Knowing it is a murder mystery and intrigued by a couple of twists I didn’t mind the murder so late in the book. What I was disappointed in was the “wrap it up in ribbons” ending telling what happens to almost all the characters in a shallow way. Not finishing the story or Roxie and Keats was just a huge miss. Totally goes downhill after the murder.

Secrets at every turn!

When the Daly and Ford family went to Fripp Island for vacation, little did they know the nightmare that would ensue. . .

While I found the plot to be very interesting.. I felt a bit letdown. I couldn't easily get into this book. It took me a while. I also felt that the characters were generic. They weren't very unique. So, while I did like the plot, the pacing and characters I found to be a bit dull.

2.5 stars.

I really enjoyed this thriller. A person is murdered and drowns in the very beginning, but the author doesn’t reveal who it is or who is responsible. This is the story of two very different families, one wealthy and one more middle class, who come together for vacation on an island off of South Carolina. They haven’t seen each other for years but the two moms are old friends who grew up together. Now they both have been married for 20 years and have multiple children and teens. Many of them keep secrets from the others, even the kids and teens, and this made me think, “How well do we really know one another?” There are many twists in the story and I did not expect or predict the ending. Some of the descriptive writing setting the scene is very good, but there were a few places (when the author describes how the couples met and married and when she tries to get all the characters caught up in some scenes) where the book seemed a bit choppy. I would definitely recommend this for anyone who likes a good thriller and stories about families. I would rate this about 3 1/2 stars. I thank the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy and the chance to read and review The House on Fripp Island.

This book was a wild ride! From the gripping prologue all the way until the very welcome epilogue. It's an interesting look at family dynamics, female friendship, and weaved through is a compelling mystery. We'll be interviewing the author for an upcoming installment of Sit Down & Write.

Thank you to NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for a copy of this eARC!

Two families go on an all expenses paid vacation to Fripp Island. The story opens with one of the family members on this trip being murdered but you are left to figure out who was killed and who did it for the entire story. Most of the characters are harboring secrets that unfold as the story goes on. This trip changes the lives of the families forever for several reasons.

I wouldn't quite call this a page turner but I enjoyed this book. I would have enjoyed a little more suspense but overall a good read.

I did enjoy this book about the families of two friends whose friendship had lasted through their lifetime. Both families vacationed to a house on Fripp Island in SC. One family was quite rich and the other had very moderate incomes. It was very true to life for a lot of it with family struggles and how they dealt with them. The catcher came at the very end when the plot took a turn that I really did not expect. Do not go to the back and ruin the story. Very surprising (to me anyway) ending. It is quite light reading but this is what I enjoy often to take my mind off more serious things. I would recommend this book. Thanks for allowing me to have a prerelease edition.

I thought the book was a bit odd. The beginning and the middle of the book was very slow and nothing too exciting happened and then the last few pages so many things unexpectedly happened at once. It was a little too much and it turned me off from the story. I think it would have been nicer if these events build up throughout the story.

In this life-altering time of viruses and quarantine, I find myself picking up books focusing on vacations and exciting locales, as this is something severely lacking in all of our lives right now. Rebecca Kauffman's The House on Fripp Island, which chronicles a joint vacation taken by two families to the luxurious and exclusive Fripp Island where secrets and scandal come keenly into play, was just the book I needed in these turbulent times. In fact, I found this story so engrossing and compelling that I finished it in nearly one day. I believe this book will be a much-needed reprieve for anyone seeking a break from the real world.

The Daly family has just won an all-expense paid vacation to Fripp Island, a playground for the wealthy in South Carolina. Scott and Lisa Daly and their two daughters may be used to sitting in the lap of luxury, but Lisa's childhood friend Poppy and her family are not, so when the Dalys invite the Fords to join them on this trip, they jump at the chance. As the two families converge on the beach, everyone falls into a relaxing rhythm - the kids become fast friends, the adults bond over meals and drinks, and the sand and surf melt away everyone's troubles ... until it doesn't. Because everyone has brought secrets to this island, and the truth is bound to get out. As the days grow long and hot, troubles and tension heat up around the families, culminating in a night of unspeakable acts that will change their lives forever.

Anyone looking for a leisurely read that transports them to another time and place will find much to like about The House on Fripp Island. Kauffman described the sights, sounds, and smells of Fripp Island so well, I felt like I was on vacation right alongside the Dalys and Fords. It was easy to become immersed in this world, and I found myself relaxing and enjoying the island right alongside the characters. And much of this novel is focused on just that - the ins and outs of a family vacation to the beach - with the very end of the book being reserved for a terrible tragedy that will turn this trip into a nightmare. Take note that this is not a spoiler - this tragedy is hinted at from the very first page of the book, and is slowly revealed as time goes on. I found myself racing to the end of the novel to discover who was holding what secret and what horrible fate awaited one member of these two families. In all, The House on Fripp Island is a great book to spend an afternoon getting lost in with its memorable characters, intriguing plot, and tantalizing setting.

Thank you to NetGalley and Mariner Books for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

The House on Fripp Island by Rebecca Kauffman is yet another recent release that tries to poke fun at the pretentiousness of the rich but does so by exaggerating their lack of self-awareness. Kauffman's satire lacks bite or insight, and what we are left is a rather banal commentary on class. The writing tries and fails to imbue each word or phrase with a sense of unease or discomfort (for instance there is a tendency to describe an act in minute detail ie. Poppy chewing a gum and balling up the wrapping). The children and teenagers suffer from the one-dimensionality that affects most children and teenagers in adult fiction (they are very one-note, the teenage girl who is on the brink of 'sexual awakening').
Maybe other readers will find this more amusing or suspenseful that I did.

Wow. This one was full of twists and turns but also dealt with major family issues. This book has everything! Family drama, teen drama, mystery, murder, and thriller. I loved the way each character was portrayed and the way the setting was described. Having family in Fripp Island, I was very excited about this one! I only wish that the ending wasn't too abrupt, but the epilogue was a great way to wrap it up!

Thank you Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and Net Galley for an early copy of The House on Fripp Island. I loved this book right from the beginning where two families are going on a trip together. I felt like I was on vacation with both families smelling the cookouts and the ocean. Very fast read. The ending bored me, almost ruined the book for me. Stick with it and forget the ending and you will be happy to be on the island with these families.

Kauffman produced a decent story. It began in an unusual way with someone who died but has been drifting around for two decades. The dialogue was good. I found some of the scenes to be a little slow and I was easily distracted from the story. It was an interesting read.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review. I haven't read any of Kauffman's books before but the description sounded interesting to me and would be an enjoyable summer read. It's not necessarily a thriller or suspense, although there is a death which is violent. There's an excellent character study. The time frame is a little hazy, between 1996 and 2001. Most likely late 90s. The plot moves along fairly well and the pacing was fine, although I didn't particularly care for the adult characters. It was frustrating to learn the identity of the murderer, the motive and the aftermath for that person and their family.

𝑯𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒚 𝑺𝒂𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒅𝒂𝒚, #𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒔! I've been so excited to read The House on Fripp Island, mostly because I live right next to Fripp! Thank you @goodreads and #HMHBooks for my ARC Kindle copy of this book. Two very different families vacation together for a long weekend and we learn SO much about each character. Scandal, betrayal, and murder just happen to be woven throughout their stories. I kept wanting to know more, even after I finished. 🌴🌴🌴 3/5 stars

Let me start out by saying that I live in Beaufort, South Carolina, and Fripp Island is one of our gorgeous group of islands that make up our beautiful town. The story starts out with Lisa and Scott, and affluent, unhappily married couple of two daughters. They're the perfect example that money does not buy you happiness and in fact it may destroy it.

We are then introduced to Lisa's childhood best friend, Poppy and her husband John with their two children, a son and a daughter. They join together for a 5 day getaway on Fripp Island which Scott has one at his work as a fundraising prize. What a beautiful relaxing familyfFun vacation on white sand and a gorgeous beach front view. But there is danger that is very sinister and has the potential to cause heartache for both families.

I felt that this was an absolutely engrossing novel and I read it in the span of a single day! There were several mysteries interwoven through the novel and each character had hidden agendas that the others didn't know anything about. The author kept the readers intrigued and interested with her well-developed characters and fascinating plot lines. I must admit that the mystery involved was caused by someone I least expected, which is one of my favorite ways to be surprised when we reading these kind of novels. I was totally enthralled the entire time and I feel that it would make for a wonderful movie.

I would like to thank Rebecca Kauffman, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

A brilliant novel showing the class divide between rich and poor. Great family dynamics. Well written and highly emotional at times. Brilliant.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the Kindle arc of The House on Fripp Island. What a fantastic story! So real life without being overblown. Lisa's husband, Scott, is a top producer at his company and wins an all expenses paid vacation to Fripp Island, an exclusive, wealthy beach island off the coast of South Carolina. The house on the island is huge, enough for their family of four. Lisa invites her lifelong friend from her hometown, Poppy, and her family of four along for the vacation. Lisa, thanks to her husband's lucrative career, has moved on from her and Poppy's small town, financially limited town. Poppy is married to John, an average guy, but a sweet, caring spouse and father. Rae and Kimmy, Lisa's daughters, are close in age to Ryan and Alex, Poppy's son and daughter.
No spoilers here, but the first chapter of the book makes it clear that one of the family members has died and is writing the story through those who left the island after the tragedy. The reader suspects who it is who died an untimely death, but it isn't fully revealed until the end of the book, which makes for a tension-filled story.
How the death comes about, the intimate secrets of Lisa's marriage and teenaged Rae's attraction to Ryan made it almost impossible to put the book down. Living on Fripp Island is also a registered sex offender and his wife, which provide the story with even more taught speculation. I'm anxious to read more of Rebecca Kauffman's work, because The House on Fripp Island was one of my favorite books so far this year.