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It All Comes Down to This

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Member Reviews

One of the best books I’ve read in a while. I just love the family dynamics. I love the story of the three sisters, their mother. This book portrayed three strong women struggling with every day life. Great setting in Maine. Theresa May Fowler has always been a fabulous writer.

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Fabulous read! This book grabs the reader at the onset and keeps them engaged until the end. Brings up emotions and deals with many emotional aspects of families. I would encourage everyone to pick this up. You will not be disappointed. Easy read!

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I read The Good Neighbor last year, and while I enjoyed it I wouldn't really say that it stuck with me. I wasn't sure what to expect from It All Comes Down to This, but I was happily surprised that this book was very different from the author's last. It All Comes Down to This is a book about sisters, and I love a good book about sisters! This book explores the sister bond , and how it can change and develop as we age. I loved the different points of view in the book, and also loved the rambling nature of it. These characters were well drawn, and I found them easy to connect with. This book reminded me of another that I read a couple of years ago, "The Sweeney Sisters" by Lian Dolan, also a terrific take on sisters.

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If you are looking for a good book about complicated family relationships then this is the book for you. Beck, Claire, and Sophie are sisters who upon learning of their mother’s sudden death, come together to navigate trials and tribulations of their own. Each sister has their own situation to work out. The characters in this book were likable, (some more than others) and the development of this story was very well done. If you enjoy a book about family secrets, the bond (at time dysfunctional) between sisters, and a strong family plot then I would definitely recommend it his book for you. This would make a perfect Book Club selection, in my opinion. There are many relatable topics to discuss in It All Comes Down To This. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the ARC.

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This book was fun and well written but was not at all what I was expecting based on the description and marketing of the book.

I was expecting and looking forward to a novel that put Maine at the center of it, something along the lines of last summer's "Haven Point," among others. Instead what I got was a really well done novel about what it is like to try and make it as an adult woman in (mainly) New York City. Not bad in and of itself, just not what I was expecting.

Fowler creates a really great cast of characters, though for a book that purports to be about sisters, I was most drawn to CJ and Arlo (and then subsequently Beck). However, this means at different points, it's hard to get a grasp on what the central narrative is supposed to be. We see so many different points of view and even writing styles that it can feel a little disorganized. I appreciated the way it did come together in the end but still left some questions unanswered.

So if you are looking for a fun summer read about finding yourself, read this book. It's worth it, even if it's not really about Maine. 3.5/5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and Goodreads for the ARCs in exchange for a review.

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I have loved other books by Fowler, so I was SO excited to read the latest! While I thoroughly enjoyed it - it did leave me feeling a bit underwhelmed. The best part for me was the relationship between the sisters. I am also a family of 3 girls - and as the years and distance have kept us apart - I know we are all keeping things from each other - due to pride or whatever! Their dialog and relationship felt very real to me, so I really loved that. Some of the other parts, I felt, lacked some depth and development. Overall, though, a perfect vacation read and I highly recommend!

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If you haven't met the Geller sisters (Claire, Beck, and Sophie) you are in for a amazing wild ride! It all Comes Down to This is Therese Anne Fowler's dramatic upcoming novel due out June 7th.

Marti Geller is dying of cancer. She leaves a will with a few unexpected surprises for her three daughters. In a video she tells her daughters about her past and is very specific about her future wishes concerning her estate. Readers learn how inheritance, tumultuous relationships, secrets, betrayal and dysfunction can alter a family dynamic. Can the three sisters maintain their bond and follow through with their mom's last wishes? There is an element of Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson in this book and I think the same crowd will enjoy it. (4⭐⭐⭐⭐)

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to review this book. I appreciate your kindness.

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A tale of family drama: the secrets, the relationships, and the dysfunction. The characters are complex as are their stories. It was an enjoyable read for me.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

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Sometimes I get too attached to characters and I want more, this happened here. Sometimes I also don't enjoy too many tied up ends, I like a few loose. Also, an issue here. Overall, a good read. Sometimes a bit too twee, but Fowler made up for it with her amazing character development and descriptive narrative. 4 stars, firm.

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What a terrific books. Heard the hype and delved in... This is going to be the Beach Read of 2022 for sure.

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I really enjoyed the author’s first book and had high hopes for this one. Overall, it was a good story and I was eager to get started. It just seemed from the start that it was somewhat unbelievable. So many things that just didn’t add up. Why didn’t one of the married couples just talk to each other from the beginning instead of living decades of lies and unhappiness? Two characters were secretly in love for over twenty years, but neither knew how the other felt? I could go on, but those are some obvious examples.

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I am a huge fan of Therese Anne Fowler and have adored her prior novels - especially her most recent prior to this - A Good Neighborhood, so of course was thrilled to receive an eARC of her latest. However, I just did not have that same feeling after finishing this novel - and I think for me, I just couldn't fully connect with any of the three sisters and their joint and individual stories. Beck, Claire and Sophie are thrust into some joint challenges after the death of their mother Marti, who has made stipulations in her will - and also revealed some lifelong secrets about her past - that force the three sisters to re-examine their individual and collective histories, relationships and legacies. From Fowler's acknowledgments she intended this novel to be a departure from her prior more complex historical fiction tales and to be a more "upbeat" family saga as a post covid escape for readers, but somehow it just fell flat for me. The issues faced by the three sisters felt like "first world problems" and I just couldn't muster up the empathy to care how they resolved their challenges. Still a big fan of the author - I'll just wait for her next novel! Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

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This is the 3rd book I've read by this author and I think it's my least favorite. HOWEVER, I absolutely loved "A Good Neighborhood" and "A Well Behaved Woman" so being my least favorite means I merely liked this book, without loving it. It's well written with good character development, focusing on the 3 adult Gellar sisters in the wake of their mother's death, as well as CJ Reynolds, who shows up in Maine with secrets and a desire for a new start. I enjoyed all the characters, though they drove me crazy at points. And the plot seemed to thicken and devolve to a point where a happy ending didn't seem possible. It did happen, though, so be ready for a bumpy ride, knowing it will all work out in the end....

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I’ve had a very mixed relationship with Fowler’s books. I’ve loved some and disliked some. This one, unfortunately, fell in the latter category. I just could not get invested in the lives of any of the characters. Marti Geller, mother of three adult daughters, dies at the start of the story. Her daughters are very different from each other and not particularly close. Fowler does a good job of making each character distinct, with their own issues. They each struggle with the loss of their mother and the need to unload the family’s Maine cottage. But I just could not relate to their problems, especially their romantic entanglements. The book deals with playing it safe and being pushed out of your comfort zone.
I also found the story very uneven. It’s not a good sign when you keep checking how many more pages there are to read. The ending was a cliche that did little to make me feel like I hadn’t wasted my time.
My thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy of this book.

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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️- { IT ALL COMES DOWN TO THIS- Therese Anne Fowler}

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read the ARC of Therese Anne Fowlers newest novel in exchange for an honest review!

This is a story of three sisters - 36 year old Sophie is a professional “do-er “ for the rich and famous. Working in a art gallery and hustling for famous people on the side has done wonders for her instagram game, but shes starting to feel too old for the upscale club environment she frequently finds herself in. 40 year old Claire is a mother and pediatric cardiologist stuck in Minnesota and working through a messy divorce after drunkenly admitting to her husband she has feelings for another man. And last is 44 year old Beck, an unsuccessful writer who’s sexless marriage has led her to secretly suspect her husband is having a gay affair with his business partner, but has kept quiet to keep her children and grandchild happy and close. Their lives have taken them in totally different directions but they all are at a pivotal life altering stage, and the death of their mother forces them together and forces them to deal with some hard truths about where they are in life and where they ultimately want to be.

I loved A Good Neighborhood so I was eager to jump into another one of her novels. And folks…I was not disappointed! Each chapter focuses on a different character (either one of the sisters or the supporting men in their lives), but the chapters are long enough and in depth enough that you don’t feel cheated out of developing strong feelings for each one individually. And I actually liked every single character which is a rare find! 🤣 There was certainly romance, and different levels of loss (jobs, loved ones, identity) but there was a happy ending for everyone in some way or another and it just rounded out in a really enjoyable way! And since so much was going on there was really never a dull moment so the pages flew!

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Sometimes it's just best to quit while you're ahead. And it's certainly the case with It All Comes Down to This.

I'm sure that other readers will disagree with my assessment. But I found It All Comes Down to This, just uninteresting. The characters are dry as dust. And the family drama really isn't drama at all. The Geller sisters just seemed to be self-centered -- each touting their own agenda, not caring about the other. The only character that I did like was their mother, Marti. Too bad she had to die, rather than cementing the family relationship.

Basically, I read the first 25%, then skimmed the last few chapters to see if I missed anything. Nope. Nothing missed and I dodged another bullet. One star.

I received a digital ARC from St. Martin's Press through NetGalley. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.

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Good family drama with strong characters, the matriarch is preparing to die but wants to shield her three daughters from the news.. Recommended for women who enjoy family dramas with well fleshed-out characters. Fans of Ann Patchett and/or Emma Straub will appreciate. Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC.

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It All Comes Down to This
By Therese Anne Fowler

If you are looking for a heartwarming read about family dynamics and the things that really matter over a lifetime, then this is the book for you. It is the story of three sisters: Beck, the oldest, a homemaker and part time writer; Claire, a pediatric cardiologist, recently divorced; and Sophie, the baby, the free spirit, and the most irresponsible.

The story begins with the death of their mother, Marti. She leaves the girls two legacies: a house on Mount Desert Island and a tell-all confessional dvd in which she divulges secrets she has kept from her family throughout her lifetime.

As the sisters each grapple with their loss and each one's shifting family situations, the story reveals that the sisters, while having had erroneous ideas about their roles in the family, learn that nothing and no one is ever all that she seems. The barriers to closeness begin to fall as understanding grows and the sisters finally see that it all comes down to love.

I loved this book. The characters, while imperfect, are likeable – and relatable. I especially liked the relationship between C.J. and Arlo. The author displays a good grasp of what it means to be family.

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This is a character study book. If that sounds like your cup of tea, then It All Comes Down To This by Therese Ann Fowler is going to be your jam. It's poetically written. I know it wasn't, but the author made it seem effortlessly written. The writing just flows throughout the narrative with such ease, it's not a hard read, but a thoughtful read. It's super lovely. I would've never picked it on my own.

Thank you to St Martins Press for the advanced reader copy.

I recommend it to fans of Jodi Picoult.

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I LOVED Fowler's "A Good Neighborhood," but this novel fell very very flat. I don't remember the last time I read a novel with so much conflict, but such a tidy ending. The characters were not well developed and most of them had few redeeming qualities. I wanted to love this, but only liked it instead. Fowler's writing style, as ever, is crisp and engaging, and one of the book's best qualities.

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