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I have mixed feelings on One Big Happy Family. None of the characters stood out in a good way. I don’t know why but I kept thinking Charley was a little older than she actually is so when she’d do things expected for her age (like immediately swoon over a guy) it always surprised me. Makes absolutely no sense but that’s what my brain did while I read. Oliver added the creepy factor which honestly I could have done without. All the other characters are written so you’re constantly questioning their motives to create tension. Rodrigo was probably the most disappointing character. I thought he was going to play a bigger role but he ended up barely there. He exists purely to create doubt and I felt this was unnecessary with all the other characters trapped at the hotel.

We’re dealing with the reading of a will so we know that a lot of the family secrets are going to come into play. I had a lot of thoughts of what was going to happen. I wouldn’t call One Big Happy Family predictable but there were a few things I already had pegged early on. There were other things that I guessed partially right and a few things I was wrong about. This whole section was just ok. It is necessary to the story but it was my least favorite part.

I do like that this all takes place during a hurricane. It makes running away and calling the police a challenge while remaining more realistic. This was needed with how some of the story played out. A different setting I think would’ve made too many things feel outrageous.

The twists were ok and the story itself reads well. Everything gets resolved nicely with only a few things that were added to misdirect that felt forced.

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I greatly enjoyed Jamie Day’s The Block Party & had a feeling I’d love his latest suspense novel, One Big Happy Family. I was right! It’s an exciting thriller! Privileged characters are so tangled up, have loads of problems, and skeletons in their closets. The twists hit as the conclusion neared. Add in a Hurricane and it’s a recipe for intensity!

Saskia Maarleveld brings Day’s words to life in spectacular fashion in the audiobook.

Thank you, Jamie Day, Macmillan Audio, St. Martins Press, & netgalley for my early copy & audiobook! All opinions are my own.

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It was a dark and stormy night… Of course it was! Hurricane Larry was bearing down on the Maine coast where Charley Kelley, the chambermaid at the Precipice Hotel, was located. George, the owner of the hotel had recently died and Charley was alone, the guests having wisely checked out as the hurricane drew nearer.

First, a troubled young woman named Bree sought shelter while she was hiding from an abusive boyfriend. Then the three estranged daughters of the late hotel owner arrived to pick over the bones of their father’s estate while picking at the secrets that each of them hid from the world. Then their father’s lawyer Brenda Black arrived for the reading of the will.

As Hurricane Larry swirled menacingly around the hotel the will was read. During those dark and stormy nights (and days) murders began to pile up. In this small, closed off community someone was clearing the way for a big inheritance. But who?

Like the “dark and stormy night”, this book was filled with old mystery clichés. The characters were well drawn and it was easy to be drawn into the plight of this 19 year old chambermaid and the extremely dysfunctional family of her late employer.

I enjoyed the book, but it frankly was not the gripping page turner I had hoped it might be. None the less, I enjoyed reading it and am grateful to NetGalley for the opportunity to read it.

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I LOVED "The Block Party", so was excited to read this. Unfortunately, I just didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would. The story was interesting, but at times it seemed to drag on. At times I was hoping the hotel would slide down the cliffs with everyone in it and no one would survive. All the characters were unlikeable. They had no redeeming qualities and they all acted horribly. All the members of the Bishop family hated each other. They were tied together with all the secrets. Did it really matter who killed Todd? Everyone hated him. The Bishop sisters were all a piece of work. George Bishop was the worst. There's no wonder why his daughters turned out the way they did. George's will was SHADY!!!!I honestly thought he was going to be leaving everything to Charley and the sisters would try to kill her. I knew Bree was hiding secrets and was up to something. Oliver was the weirdest and all that rhyming was creepy. The title of the book is the complete opposite of this family. They are one big CRAZY family. It was interesting getting to know each sister. All of their problems go back to the awful car crash.

Definitely recommend the book. It was a good mystery/thriller, that kept me guessing until the end. Yes, I wanted everyone to die, but it still kept my interest. There were so many twists and turns.
So many secrets and lies. Enjoyed the story and writing style. Look forward to reading more books by the author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from St. Martin's Press, through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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I liked the premise of this whodunnit mystery, and loved the setting in an old hotel in Maine, but it read very young to me. Felt like more of a YA mystery than a domestic thriller for me, so it seemed a bit mis-marketed. 2.5 stars rounding up to 3. Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan for the digital galley in exchange for an honest review.

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I was excited to get a copy of this author's latest book as I loved her first one. This one, however, just couldn't hold my attention. As I listened to the audio, I kept waiting to engage in rhe plot. I waited and waited and waited... but it lacked an entry point into the story for me. Nothing snagged me or stood out. It was just words and descriptions and noneventful situations. The plot also stalled even more as the three sisters were being introduced. Unfortunately, it was difficult for me to stay invested or care.

There are some other higher reviews, so I would suggest also checking those out. I need something to grab me - interesting characters, a suspenseful situation, big emotions or something else - which this plot didn't have.

Thanks Netgalley for an ARC and audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

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I could not get into this book. The characters didn’t resonate with me and I just couldn’t finish it.

Thank you for the arc for my honest review.

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I wanted to enjoy this book, but felt it had too many story lines going at once. I enjoyed some of the short, punchy lines, but left me wanting more overall.

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When the owner of the prestigious Precipice Hotel passes away, his three daughters return home for the reading of the will. As live-in maid, Charley prepares the hotel for their arrival, and the incoming hurricane sets the mood for imminent disaster. As things begin to spiral out of control, it is up to Charley to figure out the pieces of this family's shocking past. While filled with twists, turns, and a satisfying ending, Charley's age and naivete played a big part in my rating.

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One Big Happy Family by Jamie Day is an unusual novel. The novel starts out with some background and then pops right into the present day. The novel goes back and forth in time to highlight different memories of the sisters or of the present occupants. The premise is an old inn in Maine on the cliffs looking out to the sea. The owner has died and asked that the will be read while his children are at the inn. There is a hurricane coming up the coast and is going to hit the inn in a number of hours. However the wind has already done damage and trapped them all at the property with so many large trees blocking the road. To top it off, in a fit of rage, one of the sisters ripped the modem from the wall and shot it so it would no longer function.

The Bishop sisters, Iris, Vicki, and Faith, arrive at the inn with their children and the lawyer who is going to read the will. Meanwhile the cook has taken off as has the front end manager leaving Charley (the maid) as the last worker. On top of that Charley has hidden Bree (an abused girlfriend) at the inn.

Everyone at the inn has hidden secrets and information that they should share. There are betrayals, more betrayals and even some surprises that no one expects. There is a hidden painting worth millions. On top of that there are weapons brandished at a whim, kitchen knives, and lots of alcohol. As the storm rises as does all the tempers and stories, until various people have been killed or tried to be killed or actually were the killers when help eventually arrives. It is a mess that you can not put down!

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One Big Happy Family sets readers up to experience the perfect storm (literally) of a family reunion. Following the death of their father, the Bishop sisters come together again to learn what will become of the family hotel where Charley has been working for years. But, with a major storm brewing, unauthorized guest, dark secrets being revealed, and inheritance at risk, things are bound to be messy. I enjoyed the way the author told the story of the Bishop sisters, both in the past and present to learn more about their motives. It kept pointing the blame to each of the people in the hotel, and made this mystery a good one!

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I was looking forward to this book because I really enjoyed the author's previous book. Unfortunately this book didn't live up to my expectations. It was slow and didn't hold my interest.

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Messy family dynamics, secrets & lies…this book is full of all three!
…and top it all off with being stranded at a hotel in the middle of a nasty hurricane.

This book had its ups and downs- I’m always a sucker for a stranded setting and loads of craziness, but I think it just had a little too much crazy- soooo many characters and storylines, I literally couldn’t keep them straight. I was constantly confusing how everyone was connected and trying to remember their history, to the point where I felt it was overload. I also wasn’t super jazzed about any of the characters.

I felt like it started off strong and I was pretty into the storyline, but things slowed down towards the middle and I had a hard time getting back into it.

I did enjoy the settings & descriptions throughout the book- you get the sense you’re stuck in the middle of the storm with everyone.

I have seen some great reviews for this one, it just wasn’t the most memorable book for me!

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The owner of The Precipice Hotel dies and his three adult daughters, Vickie, Iris and Faith, return to bury him and attend the reading of the will. Charlie is the live in maid and when the family arrives she gets drawn into their drama and into a murder mystery.

The setting of a remote hotel on a rocky Maine coast during a hurricane was my favorite part. I love a locked door mystery and this one was quite the wild ride. The Bishop sisters are hiding a secret and they are each unlikeable and crazy in their own way. Who is the murderer and how many people will die? How many secrets are they hiding exactly?

On the downside, this one was a little far fetched and moved slowed in the beginning.

Thanks to @netgalley and the publisher for an arc for review!

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Charley's world is about to get turned upside down as her boss has passed away and his daughters are coming for his funeral and to divide the assests including the family hotel which Charley has worked and lived at for the past few years. She has always wondered what the Bishop sisters were like but she got a lot more than she ever thought when they arrived and it was discovered they all had secrets the would kill to keep.

I really enjoyed this book and the twists that it took throughout especially towards the end. Thank you netgalley, the publisher and author for my arc!

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Thank you for allowing me to read this book as an ARC.
While I enjoyed the story line, it took me a little while to get into the book. It seemed to start out slow with not much happening in my opinion.
Once the story picked up, it went quick with one thing after another happening. Unfortunately, the story often seemed very far fetched and unrealistic. The characters all seemed unlikeable even tho the author appears ro make the reader feel for and like the protagonist.
While this book didn't give me the wow unput-downable feel, it was a fun quick read.

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𝚁𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐: 3.75⭐️
𝙶𝚎𝚗𝚛𝚎: thriller/ mystery 📚

𝙼𝚢 𝚃𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜:
This one was okay, I enjoyed it but all of the drama took away from the suspense/mystery
𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎:
Hotel on coast of Maine setting
Family drama
All the secrets and lies
Looked room murder mystery
The Maid vibes
Flashbacks
Unlikable characters

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝙸 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎𝚍:
The rhyming kid was a good touch

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝙸 𝚍𝚒𝚍𝚗’𝚝 𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚛:
More drama than suspense
Super over the top
Starts off slow

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One Big Happy Family begins well, The narrator's POV had me hooked early on in setting the creepy vibe of an isolated beachfront hotel on the eve of an incoming hurricane. Sadly, the story itself did not live up to the expectations set in the first part. There is a marked shift in the point of view in part two that is supposed to flashback to help us understand the motivations of the characters and increase the tension in the present. This didn't work well though, as it moved the attention from the locked room to past events, so there was no big reveal when things came out in the present. It felt repetitive and by the time all the characters understand what is happening, the reader has known for a while. For me this undermined the suspense and made an interesting concept a fairly boring experience. The characters are unlikeable and flat, though we are supposed to feel for many of them in their situations. I simply didn't care much by the time we got the resolution. Very little real mystery or suspense and even less sleuthing, I found this was not the book for me.

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I really enjoyed this story. It had a lot of keeping you on the edge of your seat drama. There was mystery and suspense, and a hurricane. I would recommend this to anybody who enjoys a story filled with all of these attributes.


I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.

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I voluntarily read and reviewed an eARC of this book via NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Rating: 5/5 Stars
Publishing: July 16, 2024
Pages: 384

So, I have read “Block Party” by Jamie Day and did not think “One Big Happy Family” would not let my reading appetite go to waste. This book excelled my first review by this author, and I truly enjoyed the story. It was fun and had me engaged every minute from the start. “One Big Happy Family” is not the happy family that you might think…three sisters, hubbies and children go to main knowing they all have their own quirks and just do not mix well. There is murder at the hotel that was owned by their wicked father and now has become isolated due to a hurricane and later presents twists, turns and “oh my” more. I could not put this book down as it was entertaining. On another note, I truly enjoyed the maid, Charley who was not only 19 years of age, but was supporting her grandmother. This was one of those stories that you must read. Totally enjoyed and highly recommend.

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