Therese Ann Fowler writes books that pull reader’s emotions. I enjoyed this story of family relationships. The sisters and their challenges were interesting and kept me engaged. Another thought provoking novel by the author.

Thank you St Martin’s Press and NetGalley for my copy

This is a very good family saga that will capture your interest and keep you reading. There are three main characters that are well developed, along with some side characters that come and go that are also well written. There are lots of twists and turns, and complicated family undercurrents. Each of the sisters present one life to the outside world, while slowly disintegrating or stagnating in their real lives. I enjoyed this book.

This story is about family drama, love, and conflict among three sisters. Each sister is uniquely different. They struggle through the death of their mother and each sister must find their direction to move on. My favorite character in this book is CJ who is rebuilding his life and wants peace and tranquility and maybe love in the future. I didn't love the sisters they all had messed up lives but that's the story. There is love, betrayal, personal growth, and the search for personal answers. Thank you NetGalley, and publishers. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this eARC I would recommend the book to those of this genre’

Very appreciative to have received a copy of this ARC from the publisher as part of their influencer program.

While I was drawn in by the simplicity of the cover and the premise about sisters coming together in the wake of their mother’s death, I couldn’t connect at all with the book.

Had this been more Marti’s story, I probably would have been more emotionally invested, but the sisters were ultra privileged and unsympathetic and their chapters meandered (as did the other multiple POVs) so much, that I would myself skimming just to see if it would ever tie together.

Unfortunately, this book just didn’t work for me and though the author’s writing is lovely, I don’t think I would seek out her other books.

What I liked best about this book was that it was a really good story. The author wrote it during the height of the pandemic. She wanted to write a feel good story and she succeeded. At the beginning of the book, a mother of three grown daughters dies. The story goes from there telling each daughter’s story. I really enjoyed the stories of how Beck and Claire dealt with their problems. Sophie’s story was a bit difficult for me. She’s in her mid thirties, but her story sounded more like someone in their twenties. The sisters’ problems are a bit too easily resolved, but I always enjoy a happy ending!

It All Comes Down to This is the first book by this author I have read. I was expecting a novel about sisters dealing with the death of their mother, and I guess it was but the first several chapters about each daughter just rambled on about things that didn't have anything to do with their mother (like their sex life). To be honest, I skimmed through these chapters because I was bored with the book already. Thanks to author Therese Anne Fowler, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for providing a copy of this ebook for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book. The plot didn't grab me in quite the same way as her previous novel A Good Neighborhood did, but the characters were well drawn, and I thought the multiple points of view were woven together effectively. Fowler is a very skilled writer, - one of the relatively few whose books are an automatic read from me.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this in advance!

This is a story focusing on sibling (sisters) relationships. I appreciated the honesty of their interactions.

this book is about 3 sisters dealing with their mother dying. I have seen where lots of people had a hard time getting into it, but I enjoyed it.

3.8. I really loved Ms Fowler’s earlier book on Alva Vanderbilt, A Well-Behaved Woman, so I was very excited to receive an advance copy of her new book from NetGalley. The novel had an interesting premise of three adult sisters with little in common and how the impact of their mother’s recent death impacts them all, and somehow ties them together. It involves secrets, heartbreak, love, and loss It also well exemplifies family dynamics. I didn’t love the book although the writing was very good. I found it hard to get engaged in the plot. I received an advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased and candid review.

I really wanted to like this book, as I had really enjoyed the author’s last book. However, from almost the first page, I had a hard time with this novel. I found the format confusing, taking me a while to figure out which character was narrating. I made no personal connection to the characters—they were neither likable nor rebatable.

Three sisters (Beck, Claire and Sophie) are charged with meeting at their family’s summer cottage in Maine one last time following their mother’s death and then selling it.

There are secrets galore, lies galore and deceitful behavior galore (purported as well-meaning). I’m far from a saint, but these characters were some of the most self-centered, unsympathetic that I’ve ever read. Did not care for any of the bunch, and the story (told in various voices) was all over the place and not very cohesive.

With over-the-top scenarios as well as a too neatly tied up conclusion, this just wasn’t enjoyable for me. My rating is for the good writing and the overall message of “it’s never too late to reinvent oneself”, but unfortunately it just wasn’t enough to earn much of a thumbs up.

My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing the free early arc of It All Comes Down To This for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

Oy. I hate to do this, but I just could not get into this one. I adored Fowler’s previous book and really expected to devour this one just as quickly. I felt like so much was going on, yet nothing was actually happening. I dnf’d at 35%

This was a total, it’s not you. It’s me type of read.

I was interested to start and then I just found myself thinking these sisters needed to smarten up with their “first world problems”. I just didn’t connect to any of them or their secrets. Again, I’m sure I’ll be in the minority and I bet the author was going for more a light read (especially after Covid). So that’s why I say, not the right time for me… and it’s not you. It’s me.

Thank you to the publisher for a gifted copy in return for an honest review. I feel like to have the opportunity to have read this one! Perhaps I’ll pick it up again at a difft point and enjoy it more.

This is another great novel by an author who knows how to use voice and make the characters relatable and real. I will read everything she writes.

2.5 stars
I'm in the middle on this one; I see alot of folks who were bored and hated it. I actually got that way with A Good Neighborhood but not here. Maybe it's bc I'm a Mets fan.

Essentially it's a lot of super messy family soap opera drama, with several POVs that have a distinct tone in each which is hard to pull off (hence moving up to 3 stars bc that's good writing whether you enjoy the characters or not). It's not fully character driven as there is a plot but the threads are disparate enough to not fully tie together to make a person invested enough in an outcome.

Anyway, it's well written and lots of Mets references which I loved. Have faith.

Marti is dying of cancer. She is going to leave behind her three daughters whom she knows are struggling. Beck is unhappy in her marriage and suspects her husband to be gay. Claire is recently divorced. Sophie is in a serious amount of debt. The three girls must come together at their family camp where they will reveal themselves and their secrets to each other in the wake of their grief.

I really liked the three sister protagonists. They were all really fully-developed characters and I liked how there were chapters from all of their POVs. The exploration of the dynamics of the relationships between all of the family members was also well done. However, there were subplots that were just unnecessary in my opinion and took away from the main story. Some minor characters were irrelevant (although Arlo was cute) and I kept waiting for some of it to be connected to the main plot. While the beginning is interesting with the setup of the family and their issues, it does slow right down. Thank you to @netgalley, @macmillan.audio and @stmartinspress for the review copies.

DNF at 25%. I had high hopes for this book after reading The Good Neighborhood and was disappointed by how slow this one is. Each time I picked it up, I had to remind myself what was going on because the story didn't stick with me. There are a lot of characters to keep track of and seemingly unnecessary details about all of them. The pace may pick up later but I didn't care enough to stick around to find out.

This book was very readable, though I didn't find myself looking forward to it or compulsively reading it. I don't enjoy extramarital affairs as a plot line so that put a damper on things for me. Love the cover, enjoyable read though won't be a favourite at the end of the year. Rated on goodreads.

Beck, Claire and Sophie’s mother is dying of Cancer. Marti is told at a doctor’s appointment that she only has a few weeks left. In that remaining time, she lays out exactly what she wants her family to do when she passes and finalizes her will. One of the stipulations of the will is that the daughters sell the family vacation home in Maine. Beck, the writer, was hoping to use the ‘camp’ to write a novel. Claire, the doctor, doesn’t have a strong attachment to the place. And Sophie, the Instagram famous and youngest of the women, has gotten herself into a financial pickle and needs the money. Insert CJ Reynolds, who comes to Mount Desert Island, Maine looking for a fresh start.

This is my first book by this author. I have one of her previous books waiting on my shelves to read and will be moving that book up based on how much I loved this one.

The lives of the Geller sisters are very different. I found something interesting in each of their stories. Fowler takes on marriage, love, infidelity, trust and grief.

Being a woman who has been in a monogamous relationship for almost 24 years, I was able to identify with some of the thoughts and feelings that go on around long relationships. I think the strength of the novel lies herein. The assessing of one’s current situation, the wondering about how things might have been different had you taken a different path. What story about yourself that you’ve shared and what you want for those that come after you.

Mixed in with this literary aspect is the mysterious presence of this new person to the community and how his intentions will affect the sisters.

The ending is hopeful which you don’t always get in a family story.

While the character of Sophie will look more familiar to the younger generation, I think the audience that will get the most from this book is a more mature audience with some life experience behind them.

Thank you to @stmartinspress and @netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinions. It All Comes Down to This publishes June 7, 2022.