"What makes a family isn’t blood. And it isn’t love. No matter how they’re formed, the truth about family is this: it's complicated."

India Allwood has always wanted to be an actor. In high school she was overlooked for the school play every year as the director always chose a musical and India can’t sing. In college she found her way into many theater productions. Was it talent, or her exceptional study skills (before the audition she memorized the entire play)? No matter, she got the part and eventually worked her way up to Broadway star and then to television star and then as a TV Superhero.

What India had forgotten is that once she is in the limelight her thoughts and opinions are not to be shared. Everyone, from her agent to the producers have an opinion on what she can share and how she must live her life.

When India stars in a movie that presents adoption in the same old stereotypic light, she shares with a journalist that she is tired of the same old tropes about adopted children and families and it is a bad movie. A media storm ensues with the paparazzi, protestors and advocates from both left and right making her miserable.

But India has knowledge of all types of adoptions, and she is not backing down. "Not all stories of adoption are stories of pain and regret. Not even most of them. Why don’t we ever get that movie?” When her twin 10 year olds decide to help mom get out of the mess she's in they send out a call of help. Who do you call in a situation like this? Family!

An engaging, well-written and entertaining book. Everything you want in a novel about family relationships. Funny, charming and full of love plus, a long list of terrific characters. I have loved every Laurie Frankel book that I have read this is no exception. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "Everyone needs their stories not just told, but created.“ Thank you to NetGalley, Laurie Frankel and Henry Holt and Co. for this Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review. Pub date: January 23, 2024

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I have read a couple of books by this author before. She is a good writer that tackles topics that make you think. This book is no exception, however, it wasn't as intriguing to me as her others. I found myself putting this one down for long periods of time before returning to it. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

A really beautiful book loaded with twists and turns yet easy to read. The story itself was heartbreakingly clear and so emotional. Lengthy but worth it.

Absolutely loved this book. I love the way Frankel can write about issues - in this case, adoption - that have the potential to be contentious (and she acknowledges this situation as part of the book) but treats the topic with empathy and humor. The young point-of-view characters are presented in ways that seem both realistic the their age and relatable to adults. Though I sometimes get irritated with books of this ilk, finding them a bit overly-sweet for my taste, that was not the case with this one. It just had all the feels, in the best of ways.

It has been a few years since I have read one of Laurie’s books, and I had forgotten how much I adore her writing! I was so captivated by India’s story, and I felt like I got a new perspective on adoption and what makes a family. It was truly so well done. I also really enjoyed the dual timelines. The dialogue was excellent, and the characters were all so well developed. I can easily see this being one of my favorite books of the year! Further review to come with link updated closer to pub date!

This is best when it focuses on the family- on all the tentacles moving outward from India Allwood- and not on her discussions with the press and various advocates about adoption. It's India's daughter Fig (and to a much lesser extent Fig's twin Jack) who is the catalyst for everything that happens in the present but this moves around in time to tell more stories. India, an actress, first became pregnant as a teen; she chose Camille to adopt her daughter, named Rebecca by Camille. She's determined to become an actress and goes too far in getting into character- and become pregnant again, with a son who is adopted by the Silvermans. And now, Fig and Jack. It's their story which is the last to come out and which is the most poignant. Fig is one determined child- wise (and to be honest too much) beyond her years. I suspect you could go either way about India who is both selfish and selfless but the children are marvelous. As, btw, is Camille. It's an unsettling read in spots and emotional in others. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A thought provoking read.

Acting and adoption....two topics thoroughly covered in this book! The author gives us a different type of read in regard to adoption. This book has some interesting characters making some bad choices and hard decisions. It was nice to see a book featuring an adopted child that isn't full of anguish and the need for recovery. The book follows the title in many ways bringing different people together in an unlikely way. It sometimes feels like a lesson to not judge other's decisions or circumstances. This book covers many emotions and has humorous aspects. The story kept my interest and I liked the ending. The children in the book were some favorite characters. I loved the confetti!!! Thank you netgalley for the chance to review the book.

I was nervous that my hopes were too high for this one - Frankel’s This is How It Always Is is one of my all time favorites - but I needn’t have worried!

Family Family has Frankel’s trademark compulsive readability + characters you can root for + exploration of a topic you probably haven’t read enough about. In this case the topic is adoption, and she’s once again writing from her own experience (don’t miss the author’s note at the end!). I for one have not read many adoption stories, and certainly not enough with any nuance like this has.

It’s been a while since I’ve had this experience of not being able to put a book down and wanting to be reading it even when I was doing other things. Frankel’s writing style reminds me a lot of TJ Klune - it’s full of heart but bordering on overly saccharine, which will make you feel all the feels if it hits you right, but will also feel cheesy to some readers. There are also some romantic storylines in Family Family and it was fun for me to read the witty banter that I don’t usually see outside of the romance genre! It felt a little longer than it needed to be and was a bit sentimental for me personally (reader, know thyself in that regard), but I definitely recommend picking this up when it comes out on January 23!

Thank you Henry Holt & Co. and NetGalley for the free copy in exchange for my honest review!

4.5⭐. This was a really enjoyable read! It dealt with some very important topics such as adoption, but handled it in a positive light, even if showing that family can be messy, it's also so beautiful. This book gave me all the feels. It's filled with fun characters, witty banter, and also made me laugh, which is always a plus. I loved getting different characters POVs, and seeing how they all come together. I was pulled in right away and invested. What a brilliant, beautiful read!

Out January 23

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. My review will be posted on Instagram, Bookbub, Goodreads, and Amazon once it publishes.

I could not be more grateful this book is about to be out in the world. It turns adoption storylines on their heads and will have the reader desperately turning pages while rooting for the characters. Everything I thought was going to be true about this book was untrue and I mean that in the best way.

Fun, interesting, a good discussion of adoption in book form with some really cool characters. Thanks for the arc

Frankel is quickly becoming one of my favourite authors with another slam-dunk here. This was such a fun and touching tale, and I loved both of the two alternating timelines greatly. There's some interesting commentary on social media and the way that being a public persona--or anyone, really--forces you to have an opinion and a position that I felt particularly timely. Strong characters and clever writing.

Family Family by Laurie Frankel is an entirely unique story and a study in all types of families. As always, Frankel brings perspective to unique and complex family dynamics. This book follows India, a famous actress and her adopted children in the wake of a media scandal. I loved everything about this quirky, complicated family and India’s ever expanding history. I loved every page and couldn’t wait to see how it all came together.

The tone of this one was not for me immediately. It felt like it had an agenda, or maybe the character’s agenda were not one I was interested in. I like this author but am not sure this one was for me.

Rating: 3.5

Aspects of Family Family that I enjoyed:
--made me think more about adoption stories, and how varied they can be
--there were some really funny moments throughout
--the exploration of unique family dynamics and how the definition of family can expand in unique ways

Things I didn't love:
--I found some of the younger characters to be a bit too precocious and cutesy (especially Fig). I enjoyed her for awhile, but then she started to be just too much.
--the story could've been shortened a bit. About 3/4 of the way in, I started skimming a little through some of the dialogue.
--The ending worked overall, but it seemed a little too wrapped up in a bow. In reality, would all of these kids really gotten along so well, and with all of the adults?

Overall, a quick, fun read. A well-written family story with some humor throughout. I expect this book to do very well. I liked it, just didn't love it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is the first of Frankel's novels I have read and will definitely be reading her backlist this year. As someone who has a family partially formed through adoption, I so appreciate the representation in this book. It isn't always some devastating last resort as it is usually portrayed to be. I also absolutely adored Fig and Jack. What a duo. Someone hurry up and option this for TV, so I can see them on screen!

As someone with a very weird family of many half siblings, some secret, I totally identified with this story. There are a lot of complicated families out there, and FAMILY FAMILY shows there are many ways to be a family, find family, and relate to others. I liked the humor in this, and the reoccurring joke about “two buts.” There’s a lot going on for sure.

Born out of Ms. Frankel's own family story, Family Family resonates with authenticity and love.
It's the story of family and particularly that of India, who's now a famous actress trying to live a private life in LA with her adopted kids, Fig and Jack. India's story is told in alternating chapters portraying her as a teenager and then as a mother in her early 30's.
She's always been focused and not afraid to speak her mind. Her latest film project is about adoption and she finds herself in hot water after making remarks about what she views as misconceptions and generalizations with how adoption is portrayed. As you might expect, a whole different storyline then erupts.
Ms. Frankel, as always, has such a talent for immersing the reader into a family and enabling the reader to feel like they're really people we know. She presents a balanced view of family and birth stories in the book, as well as the adoption experience.
I liked the glimpse she provided into the life of a stage and screen actress, and the paparazzi. I also liked the character of India's mother and missed her perspective and presence once India went to college and began to live her adult life. Don't skip the author's note at the end!
Thanks to Netgalley and Henry Holt & Co. for the opportunity to read Family Family in exchange for an honest review.

I know this might sound heavy but this book brought me so much joy! I loved every single one of the characters in this "family family" — but especially India. This book is also very of its time — pandemic, fake media, pro-choice, etc. I kind of loved it all, and even more so after reading the Author's Note at the end. Pick this one up for sure!

I wanted to read this book because Laurie Frankel's This is How it Always Is is one of my favorite books of all time.
I was excited to see she had a new book coming out and to be approved for an early copy of it.

"The one thing she knows for sure is what makes a family isn’t blood. And it isn’t love. No matter how they’re formed, the truth about family is this: it's complicated."

I really enjoyed this novel about family. India Allwood has always wanted to be an actress, so when she gets pregnant as a teenager, she chooses to place her baby for adoption. Again pregnant at the end of college, she places a second child for adoption. Then later in life, adopts two children from foster care. We are able to see many sides of adoption through this novel.

Overall this book is about family and what makes family. Family isn't just blood relationships and it isn't just love either. Families can be organized in so many different ways. Every family is different. I felt that this book was able to give me a new perspective of adoption, minus the shame that is typically associated with an unwanted pregnancy.