I received this book free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Charley is a 19 year old girl who is maid at a hotel in Maine. She works there and lives in a tiny room in the hotel. Her boss, George, is a handsy guy who Charley is able to avoid for the most part. When he died, all hell breaks loose.

George's daughters and their families show up in the middle of a hurricane for the reading of will. Shortly after, someone turns up dead. Who did it? Next, the lawyer turns up missing . Where did she go?

At first, this book was kinda hard to get into. It seemed like so much drama and I'm like meh, why do I care. It was about 2/3 of the way where is started to keep my attention. Things started moving and I was OK, this is better. I didn't see the twist coming. I actually thought it would be something else.

3.5/5 stars

ONE BIG HAPPY FAMILY is filled with, secrets, lies and and greed. I liked trying to figure out who was sending the threatening letters and learning more about these sisters' past. The hurricane also added another element to make this an entertaining read!

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for my gifted ARC.

This review will be shared to my Instagram (@coffee.break.book.reviews) closer to publication day.

I have mixed feelings about this one. I was very excited about the one-room mystery of this, and the mystery elements were on point. I just felt like it was a little disjointed. The pieces didn't come together as nicely as I wanted them to. I still enjoyed reading the book to see what happened, but the journey wasn't as much fun as I was hoping for.

This thriller was a wild ride and had me on the edge of my seat! This is my first time reading Jamie Day, but I truly enjoyed this book and want to read more of her work. This book kind of gave me similar setting vibes as The Only One Left by Riley Sager, and the family drama in the story reminded me of the family from Knives Out. The hurricane really added to the suspense factor, and this twisty mystery had me guessing who the killer (or killers??) was until the end. And as a romantic, I liked the little romance sub plot that was thrown in there. Overall, I really fun thriller for summer!

Content Notes: There was some profanity used throughout the book. There were some political undertones at times, which I could’ve done without. There was also a character who is portrayed as Christian, but does not act very Christian-like throughout the book. There is also a very New Age/hippie character who spouts off some strange beliefs, uses tarot cards in one scene, and claims her son can connect to the spirit world (this is semi-spoilery so beware: he later admits that he has no connection and just faked it to make his mom happy). As a Christian, I did not like reading about these aspects of the story, however I felt like the book itself was really good and that these elements didn’t play a big enough role in the story for me to lower my rating.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and MacMillan Audio for sending me an advanced copy of this book! All thoughts and opinions above are my own.

My third hurricane book in a week! In this one, the hurricane took a back seat to the family drama but functioned as a way to force a locked room environment. Mostly told through from the point of view of the maid Charley but every once in awhile someone else popped up to take over and it was a bit disorienting. Otherwise, it was a solid twisty story of lies, deceit, and good ol fashioned greed! Oh, and don't forget the rich people behaving badly. This is another book that does a great job of proving the principle that inherited wealth isn't necessarily a good thing and tends to negatively impact behavior. Some of the twists were thoroughly expected, it was more a wonder of which way they would twist and what the fall out would be. I spent the book thoroughly engaged and wondering how everyone would get their just desserts!

An isolated hotel, a devastating hurricane and a vindictive father’s will are the catalysts that start this twisty murder mystery. When estranged sisters gather to claim their inheritances, old grievances and family secrets come to light. Told from the POV of the young hotel maid, this is an edge of your seat novel that will keep you guessing until the very end. ONE BIG HAPPY FAMILY by Jamie Day gets 5⭐️’s from me. #netgalley

Jamie Day does it again with ONE BIG HAPPY FAMILY! With a family like this, who needs enemies!?

When the family patriarch dies, Vicki, Iris and Faith return to The Precipice Inn for the reading of the will and to put their father’s things in order. Vicki, the oldest, owner of six jewelry stores, seems to take her birthright for granted until the will is read. Then an unfortunate incident changes the circumstances of the will within 24 hours of its reading. Iris, on the other hand receives her one-third of the estate but due to her past drug abuse and legal troubles, her money will be managed by Vicki‘s husband Todd. Faith, the youngest child left home at 18 and never looked back. She became a successful model but has since left that profession. Her father had had dreams of her taking over the business, but Faith was not interested. So should she really expect to be in the will? She does.

Meet Charley Kent, Chambermaid/housekeeper for the Precipice . While she had ambitions of leaving Jonesport, Maine as soon as she could, she’s found that she had to remain to care for her grandmother who was in a care home. Rodrigo, all around handyman and concierge rounds out the major staff members and is close with Charley. Charley is also helping Bree, who is hiding from an abusive boyfriend and now from the sisters and their families

The cook up and quits and Hurricane Larry is knocking at their doors and windows as the sisters try to decide what to do about the will. Then bodies start turning up and long buried secrets begin to surface. Incidents from the past affect all of the major players in this novel. There were so many twists and turns in this one that I felt like it was a tornado, not a hurricane. The secrets revealed are crazy and it seems that no one’s identity is safe.

I have read Jamie Day in the past, so was excited to see if this thriller stood up to the last. It did not disappoint. The writing was clear and concise and I could feel the air pressure changes and felt the need to batten down the hatches. I can’t wait to see where she takes me next.

Thank you too NetGalley and Saint Martin’s Press for this ARC opportunity. All opinions are my own and given voluntarily.

This one was a fun one / locked room mystery - the maid always gets all the action. We have one big happy family with many many secrets. George Bishop passes away and his will is read off to his surviving family members. But after that - all the shenanigans begin. It felt like I was reading about the game CLUE - who DUNNIT - it was entertaining. As it picked up, I found myself glued to my kindle. I also had access to the audiobook, but I think overall I preferred reading this one. Thank you to Netgalley and St. martins press for this ebook in exchange for my honest opinion.

A locked door style mystery set in a peculiar hotel in Maine. Charley has been working as a maid at the hotel for the last two years as she has to have money to pay for an assisted living for her Nan.
I did guess some of the who in the who-done-it but not the why. No spoilers here . Definitely worth the read (or listen).
I received a ARC of this title. All opinions are my own.

With a hurricane bearing down on the historic hotel in small town Maine, this thriller becomes a locked room mystery with the eccentric and obnoxious Bishop sisters reuniting for the reading of their father’s will. This one didn’t hit the right notes for me, the characters were a bit cliche as was the overall plot going in many directions. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for this free advanced reader copy for an unbiased review.

This was a very meh read for me. The characters were pretty unlikeable, there wasn't much character development, and the twists were not super exciting or earth shattering.

A riveting mystery/thriller with complicated characters and plenty of twists and turns. The author has done a wonderful job with slowly revealing the pieces of the story. The character development throughout the story propels much of the plot. The setting is almost gothic with a dark and stormy couple of nights at a grand old hotel. Highly recommended for all readers!

This review will contain spoilers!
DNF @ 25%, I may pick this up after it's been published depending on post-release reviews.
This one started off boring and then got slightly better but it wasn't enough for me to care about anything that is happening.
I do appreciate the the author included backstory for Charley. However, it seemed to me that Charley was dwelling too much on the past and needed to get out of her own head. Also, I don't vibe with the whole stealing money from guests thing.
I have a theory about Bree even though I DNF'd this book. She was the most interesting character, but I just couldn't suffer through everything else to find out who she is.
I don't care for the writing style. It repeats events too much. A lot of telling instead of showing.
The jokes are way too corny for my taste. The creepy kid trope (Oliver) is not something I vibe with. Definitely don't like that he only speaks in rhymes. Charley seems way too trusting and naive. Rodrigo may be the only sane character. Olga the chef just conveniently quits, leaving the family plus Charley, Rodrigo, and Bree vulnerable to what's about to happen.
This is just not the book for me. I don't mind a stormy locked room type of psychologlical thriller, but the execution is not working. It's not exciting or holding my interest 25% in. Charley's backstory isn't enough to make me care about her. It just seems like any other character sob story we get in every other book. It was also lacking suspense. If it felt more suspenseful - like it was building up to something big happening - I may have felt more incentive to continue on.
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for this honest review.

This family’s history is wilder than the winds Hurricane Larry is bringing in to the rocky coast of Maine, leaving the family members at the Precipice hotel stranded with a killer on the loose 😬🌀⛈️

I always love when the atmosphere almost plays its own sinister character and propels a story forwards. This storm was no exception! It built right along with the intensity and drama as people are getting picked off one by one and secrets from the past come to light.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t all that surprised by the twists and turns, and I’ve pinpointed what didn’t work to the timing of the reveals. We get some of the sisters’ backstories in Part Two, and all these details made it pretty obvious to me what was coming. There were a few surprises still, but overall, I wasn’t all that shocked when the storm settled. Overall, I liked it, especially Charley's narration, but it wasn't a fave!

Nineteen year old Charley Kelley works at The Precipice, a family owned hotel located in Maine, known for its eclectic nature. While Charley’s position is less than ideal, it has provided her with much needed food and shelter. Even though the owner, Mr. Bishop, can be dismissive and handsy, Charley has learned to develop a thick skin, namely since she need the job to support her ailing grandmother.

Then the owner dies and his three, otherwise absentee adult daughters along with their family members swoop in, each with their own agenda. But Iris, Vicki, and Faith Bishop have more than designs for the hotel on their mind. As the drama unfolds inside the hotel’s walls, a hurricane keeps those in attendance hostage, including a young woman who Charley agreed to protect. Then there’s a murder. Suddenly everyone is a suspect. Now they are in a race to find the truth. Can they each avoid being the next guest to check out, permanently?

One Big Happy Family is an entertaining thriller of the murder mystery dinner variety. Where Author Jamie Day’s debut last summer led us to a cul de sac full of criminals, thus time around the hotel, and the storm swirling around them, only added to the suspense. While I had my suspicions about who actually was the killer, it was still a fun ride trying to figure it all out.

This story is very interesting. Three sisters inherited a hotel in Maine after their father passed. This is happening during a bad storm. After the will has been read, someone is mirdered. The story slowly unfolds as deep secrets are revealed. What made it difficult to follow along is the choppy writing. It’s told from first person pov however it goes into tangents with random statements like: “Since this is my dinner as well, I guess I’m in for a night of bad breath and smelly pee”
There’s a part where the killer is revealed and this is what they say: ‘**** rises from the table, ignoring the gun leveled at her chest. “Look, I’ll make it easy for you. Is there a room where you can lock me up until you figure out what you want to do?” * asks. ‘
I took out the name of the person so it does not spoil the reveal. But what murderer says that??
I was kept interested in knowing what everyone’s involvement was to the story and what secrets they we all hiding. The dialogues are all over the place. With a good editing this book shows promise. It just needs to be edited for a better flow and structure. This reads as the first draft.

Unfortunately for me this second book was not a hit. I liked the authors first book but this one has way too many characters and reveals, that I felt my head was spinning. It was hard to keep track of all the people and their stories. I also thought it could have been told in a more concise way. It felt a little like it dragged in the middle.
The premise was exactly what I like. A hurricane coming and people are basically trapped in a hotel when bodies start dropping. It was just too all over the place for me.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for the honest review.
3⭐️

Fast and easy read. Good mystery with good twists. Interesting characters in an amazing setting. Really enjoyed it.

This is the first book I have read of Jamie Day. It was enjoyable and I would definitely recommend.
Charley has been a live in maid at The Precipice on the coast of Maine ever since her mom died and her grandma developed dementia. The owner of the inn died and now his three daughters are coming for the reading of the will. There are plenty of twists and turns and drama among the sisters, Charley and a young woman seeking refuge from her abusive boyfriend.
Thank you to Netgalley and St Martin’s Press for the advanced copy in return for my honest review

Jamie Day delivers a tense closed-door mystery with a moody backdrop that you become fully ensconced in. The characters, at times, are a little outlandish, but it adds to the charm of this coastal Maine caper. Charley was a character you could root for, that you wanted to see succeed, and I felt the ending was a satisfying way to wrap up the story. I had previously enjoyed The Block Party by this author and this book will keep me coming back for more by Jamie Day.