this is such an amazing christmas read!! it's perfect for the holidays and this time of year! i loved every second of this and it was just so cute and precious and you should definitely read it immediately!!

2★
“During normal times, Mom loves to spend most of her day on the phone with one of us or the other. As soon as she hangs up with Channing, she’ll call Sammy; as soon as she’s done with Sammy, Tyler will call; and then she starts the whole process again. Not that we’d ever say this out loud, but we’re in the thick of our lives, so we’re busy with dating and kids and friends getting married and pregnant and such, and, well, Mom’s stories are kind of dull. Though obviously, in retrospect, this is an instance when we should have paid better attention.”

So . . . those are “Mom’s” three kids, Channing, Sammy, and Tyler. I got that. I understand who they are, how they relate to each other and to their parents. What I don’t get, is who on earth the narrator is? Who is the “we” who should have paid better attention?

As you can see above, the narrator talks about the kids (now adults) in the third person, yet “Mom” is Mom except when the mother narrates a bit herself. I kept thinking it would be explained somehow, but if so, I sure missed it.

This is a familiar story of an unappreciated mother/grandmother who is mocked for caring about holiday traditions, who does all the work and is expected to babysit the visiting grandchildren as well. When something changes, her offspring are starteld to realise they may have to be the grownups.

“We had thought we had more time before we had to assume the role, but our father was lost, dumbfounded . . . The thing no one said, of course, was that at the end of the day, our mother had to love us because we were her kids—but he was less of a sure thing.”

I’m sure some readers will chuckle here and there, thinking “yep, this is us, my family, for sure”. I don't think many mothers would appreciate being portrayed the way this one is, though.

Thanks anyway to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for the copy for review. The Amazon stories are usually worth a read and a good way to try an author, but this was wasted on me.

Great little novella that's festive and entertaining! Chandler Baker is such a great writer... I'd read anything she pens short or long, holiday themed or otherwise. I liked that there was a but of a thriller aspect to it (something happens to mom! and it's a mystery!)

My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5 stars)

My thoughts: I usually stay away from holiday books, maybe because I’m not so into the “cutesy” stories. This was not that at all, and I’m glad I took a chance on it.

Yes, it’s a holiday story. But it’s told in signature Chandler Baker style; with a nod toward all the exhausted moms out there, and just a little bit of mystery. And it’s freaking hilarious.

It’s also a short story, so I figured even if I read it and hated it, there wasn’t much to lose. But I didn’t hate it; I LOVED it.

Chandler Baker is quickly turning into another of those authors that’s on auto buy for me. I think I’d read the side of a cereal box if she wrote it.

It’s on kindle unlimited now, and it comes with an audio version, so go ahead and pick it up for when you’re wrapping all those presents and creating a little magic for your family that will just take it for granted anyway.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was a light hearted, funny short story. It was enjoyable to read, with very relatable characters. The story line has 3 grown children coming home for the holidays, which every year is organized and engineered by mom (very familiar to my life as mom). The grumbling of traditions mom keeps every year are suddenly made meaningful by an event that changes their perspective. I read this while traveling by airline, and it made my journey much more enjoyable.

Oh what fun by chandler baker

2.5 stars

My thoughts:
Super quick read hit a little bit to home. As you get older and you realize all the work your mom went through to make Christmas the way it was magical and fun. So when reading this and having Claire's adult children just not realize fully how much work she does until she doesn't do it ugh. Those children made me crazy. Definitely makes you remember to be thankful for everyone around you and for the people that help and notice more when you struggle. I enjoyed the moral of the story but too quick for me and then just fizzled.

Quick holiday feel and lovey dovey read. If you are a fan of chandler you will Ike this quick read. (A little predictable, but well written and a very good read) I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Very cute book about a family that.... forgot their mom? Extremely cute and Christmasy! Totally not the chain of events I thought were going to play out however, good overall.

This was a quick, fun read. More of a short story than a novel, but very enjoyable. Would highly recommend, especially if you need something fast before starting another full length book.

A cute short story that I’m sure will resonate with a lot of mom. I felt it in my soul. Moral of the story: Don’t take your loving mother for granted.

In this bubbly short story, Tyler, Channing, and Sammy Clauster all unite at their family home to celebrate Christmas with their parents and engage in endless traditions that their mom always makes sure goes off without a hitch. However, this year something is off when the Clauster’s mother disappears, and the family realizes just how much work and love their mother puts into their Holiday season and to their shame, how little they have appreciated it.


This was a fun cute holiday story from Chandler Baker author of “The Whisper Network” and “The Husbands”. In the beginning I was a little confused because this story dives in right of the bat with very little background as it slowly weaved in throughout, it goes back and forth between the present in where the characters are explaining what happened and to the story itself which lost me in the beginning but near the end I was able to connect the dots and everything made sense in a fun little twist. This is perfect for anyone in the mood for a quick fast-paced story perfect for the holiday season! I absolutely adored the Clauster family and had some laugh out loud moments along the way. This short story warmed my heart with how this family, while having their dysfunctional moments, still showed their strong bond and love for one another.


Thank you NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for an electronic copy of this story in exchange for and honest review. This sweet story is available on Amazon and Kindle Unlimited.

Oh. What. Fun. is a short Christmas story that centers around a mom, Claire, who works hard to get everything done for her family but feels under appreciated for her efforts. When she gets tired of doing it all and goes missing the family must try to figure out where she went and why she left.

This was a cute read and really got me looking forward to the holidays.

Oh. What. Fun. by Chandler Baker is a short story about a family that is home for the holidays and a mom that goes missing. With the chaos of everyone being home nobody can really say when and where they last saw their mother/wife, Clare. All they know is that she is missing with no trace of her anywhere. What will happen to Clare and will the Clauster family ever be able to find out what happened to the matriarch of the family?

A quick, fun holiday story that will get you in the Christmas spirit.

Oh. What. Fun. is a Christmas story about what happens when a family all gets together for the holidays. Claire is the typical Mom who does everything for her family even though her children are grown and some even have children of their own. What happens when Mom gets tired of "doing it all"? Check this book out and see!

I knew this was a novella but wow it was even shorter than expected. I had a bit of a hard time following it and who was narrating (I don’t think the NetGalley/ Kindle version was in final form as there were lots of weird line breaks, etc.). I appreciated the story but definitely feel like it would have benefited from more development. We could have gotten to know the kids better; but especially spent more time on Claire, where she went when she was away, etc. I wanted her to have more of a real like epiphany instead of just kind of going “crazy”.

This is such a fun little short story. I loved the way it is told in the voice of both mom and one of the kids as they try to find out what happened to mom. It really hit the gist of it on the head, moms do most of everything for the holiday and most of the time, are not really appreciated for it. All she wanted was someone to notice! The gift of the yearly robe made me laugh, reminded me of that hilarious SNL skit. We women know the truth.

Thanks to Netgalley and Amazon Original Stories for a gifted copy of this book.

This was a cute, quirky holiday short story in classic Chandler Baker style. It was a really quick read, and I enjoyed it for the most part although the narration was confusing at times.
We are following a family whose mother goes missing a few days before Christmas and uncovering the story of what happened and why.

Christmas comes but once a year - and surely all mom’s are thankful for that. With the “magic” of Christmas comes the stress, long hours, planning, shopping, cooking, baking, wrapping, all to please our families. And this theme of holiday stress and family expectations is at the heart of Chandler Baker’s short story Oh. What. Fun.

Claire Clauster is the matriarch of a rather large and boisterous family. As usually happens this time of year, all of her adult children, their spouses, and kids gather together looking to experience the Christmas they’ve known since childhood. One that comes with all the recipes they love, the perfectly wrapped gifts, and all the same traditions they’ve grown to rely on. Which is all well and good until they fail to realize Claire has gone missing three days before Christmas. Chaos quickly ensues as they begin to understand what their mom endures for them every year and what it is that really makes Christmas special.

A laugh out loud holiday romp that’s sure to get you into the holiday spirit, this book will also resonate with anyone who feels the pressure to make each and every Christmas perfect. Grab a cup of eggnog (with some rum of course) and enjoy this very timely story!

Oh What Fun by Chandler Baker. Pub Date: November 30, 2021. Rating: 🌟🌟🌟. A short story set around Christmas time, this is a quirky and fun tale of a family who has a mother that disappears amongst the chaos of getting ready for the holiday. The mother always works extra hard to bring the Christmas cheer to her family, but feels slightly under appreciated through it all so she up and disappears while the family is at Disney on Ice. Where did she go and what is the spirit of Christmas truly about? Cute, fun story. Thanks to Amazon and Netgalley for this free e-arc in exchange for my honest review! #bookstagram #bibliophile #bookworm #igreads #netgalley #ohwhatfun #amazonpublishing

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4370461501?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

https://www.instagram.com/p/CXDJtI1LbwN/

This was a fun and quick read that reminded me of a Christmas version of Apples Never Fall. Perfect for someone who wished that story was a bit shorter or wants a Christmas time tale that isn’t a romance. Very good use of an hour!