3.5 rounded down.

What I truly loved about this book was the MC, Charley. Learning her personality, background, and witnessing her growth throughout the story is what made my rating higher. Especially the ending, which I found extremely satisfying. However, this was all interwoven with an eye rolling thriller plot. I enjoyed this extremely dysfunctional family and unraveling their secrets as the book progressed, but a lot of the action was unrealistic and too unbelievable for my liking. Everything fit together too nicely and I found the twists to be underwhelming since I figured them all out prior to the reveals. It wasn’t my favorite, but I would still recommend if you’re a fan of closed door thrillers (similar to clue) with a memorable MC.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martins Press for a #gifted eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press for the chance to read and review this egalley. I do love a good locked room mystery in an old house. The storm element really helped with the atmosphere of this novel This is a great summer beach read for those fans of mysteries/thrillers.

One Big Happy Family by Jamie Day is a captivating summer suspense novel that kept me hooked from start to finish. This gripping thriller is filled with nonstop twists and turns that will leave you on the edge of your seat. I couldn't put it down!

I tried to get into this book, but it wasn't capturing my attention. It was a bit too slow-paced for me for a thriller. Also, there was some wonky formatting going on, which made it somewhat difficult to read.

I DNF'd this after 20%. It might be good book for some, but it wasn't the book for me.

After having the opportunity to review "The Block Party" last year, I was excited to read another title by this author.

Maid tales seem to be popular in the thriller world as of late and this one did not disappoint! Charley is employed as a maid at The Precipice Hotel, owned by George Bishop. He was well known throughout Maine for his interesting antiques (which adorn the hotel) and obsession with conspiracy theories. Charley is young, only 19 and living in a closet in the hotel. She is trapped working at the hotel in order so pay for nana’s care facility. Charley finds herself in a serious predicament when the care facility increases their price. When Charley meets Bree, she is met with a proposal that is difficult to refuse but could have dangerous consequences.

The main plot of the book is around the Bishop sisters, the daughters of Precipice Hotel. The sisters have gathered at the family hotel for the reading of their Father’s will. The details of the will leave the sisters shocked and angry. While a storm is brewing inside the hotel, a hurricane is hitting outside, trapping the visitors and staff inside. If the hurricane doesn’t kill them, someone inside the hotel may.

I really enjoyed this book, it was a quick read with plenty of twists. If you are fans of Millie and Molly, then you will like Charley!

Huge thanks to St. Martin’s Press, NetGalley, and the author for this ARC.

One Big Happy Family will be released on 7/16/2024.

Charley is trying to get by. She has been living and working at a family-owned hotel. Her life is upended when the owner dies, and his three children travel back for the reading of the will. Everyone gets stranded in the hotel during a massive storm, and some people are not going to make it out alive.

The book is packed with family drama and secrets. There were a few more characters than I usually like to keep track of, but I didn't find it too difficult. I enjoyed how the book took place mostly in the present with a few shorter flashbacks from the siblings' past.

I found it very easy to read. The ending was a little bit predictable, but it was a fun ride.

Oh, boy... where do I start?
Well, let's start with the good things because there were a few things I did actually enjoy. The ambiance with this was is fantastic. I love a good "locked in" mystery and the cottage/hotel vibes really worked for me. I will say this one kept my attention and had me fairly invested in the story, until, that is, I figured out the twist. Did I guess all the details? No. But, I did have a strong suspicion at about the 50% point for where the plot was headed.
In addition, I also have some complaints about one of the characters. Let's start with Oliver. Is he supposed to be neurodivergent? Is he just supposed to be "strange"? Towards the end of the book, I feel like I saw the real him a little better, but for the majority of the novel, I was frustrated by the portrayal of this character. It felt a bit like writing a ND character for the sake of writing a character that way.
Charley also puts the pieces of the mystery together REALLY easily... in some regards, too easily. And she's not really ever wrong about her suspicions. She would've been more believable as a character had she struggled a little more. The flip side of this is that she missed the most obvious twist even though it was directly in her face for the entire novel (no spoilers, I promise).
I also didn't feel that ANY of the sisters existed anywhere in the realm of reality. I would have preferred one (or more) of the sisters to have some redeeming qualities.
The only other complaint that I have is at the end of the book when the POV changes with little to know warning. Did I get to the end and then understand what was happening? Yes. Was it really jarring happening without a different chapter heading or something? Also yes.
Overall, good, not great, in my opinion.
It's a quick read and a nice summer thriller for anyone interested in that type of book. But it just left me feeling kind of "meh" in the end.

Please note: this review will be posted on my GoodReads account as of today 7/8/24
Thank you for letting me read!

Overall it's a good read because of the characters. There is a mystery but this felt more like a family drama. It took me awhile to get into the story. The pacing was slow. For what it is, the story is well written. But the locked room plot has been done a lot in the genre so I was hoping for more.

Look out Molly Gray, Charley Kelley is the newest maid to be solving hotel mysteries. As Hurricane Larry is quickly approaching Jonesport, Maine, the Bishop family has checked in to read their father's will and more importantly, find out what stake they have in the Precipice Hotel now that he is gone. However, the three Bishop sisters are harboring dark secrets; some secrets may even change their lives if they get out. When cryptic messages appear throughout the hotel, tensions skyrocket and nobody is safe - even Charley, the Precipice's maid. Although, Charley is hiding some secrets of her own. Secrets that could lead to her dismissal from the hotel. As the weather becomes more destructive, so do the members of the Bishop family. Not everyone who checked in will be checking out of the hotel.

I was so excited for this one! However, it fell flat for me. It was too similar to other books in the genre and didn't give me the twists and turns I wanted - that is, until the last 3 or so chapters of the book. I couldn't connect with the characters and just wanted some of the action to pick up. I am satisfied with the ending, however, so my rating is higher than it would be if it ended on a different note. I think this book would be good for someone just getting into the thriller/mystery genre, but if you're an experienced reader, you may find this slow and somewhat easy to solve (not all the twists are, just some of the more obvious ones). I'd pass on this one, but if you like locked-door, close-proximity thrillers, you may find this one worth picking up.

One Big Happy Family by Jamie Waters
Mystery, suspense thriller.
The Precipice is a family owned hotel on the Rocky coast of Maine. With their father dying, the Bishop sisters have returned to the hotel for the reading of the will. They each want their piece of the estate regardless of the secrets that should have kept them away.
Charley Kelley just wants to keep her chambermaid job. She doesn’t care who the new owner is. Her concern is making enough money to pay for her Grandmother’s care and if that means letting someone stay at the hotel and paying her to keep quiet, why not? She’s not hurting anyone.
Family arrives, the lawyer reads the will and suddenly someone is dead. No one can leave because the Hurricane is getting close. Can you trust the person sitting next to you? Can you feel safe sleeping in a hotel where the secrets outnumber the guests?

🎧 I alternated between an ebook and an audiobook copy narrated by Saskia Maarleveld. A wonderful performance. I’ve followed this narrator for years. Voices are distinct and clear with emotions and tension leaving you breathless. I was comfortable with the speed at 1.4 for the best theater.

I like reading along with an audiobook. In this particular story, the printed format was helpful to keep the sisters straight with each of their backstories as the mysteries and twists got deeper.
An edge of your seat read. Definitely read the epilogue. A bit more righteous closure.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley and publisher Macmillan Audio.

https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/7a148bd4-c256-442d-884e-f4fd9acba853

Charley is a maid in an eccentrically decorated hotel that caters to the wealthy. Fighting off the owner’s advances proves difficult, as he takes it as a challenge. Due to known heart problems, one day he dies to nobody’s surprise. His 3 grown daughters reconvene to their childhood home along with their families just as a hurricane is expected to hit. Trapped in the large hotel, and unable to trust anyone, threats, chaos and murder begin as they try to solve the mystery and save themselves.

This book was just a little slower paced than I like, but was still very entertaining with great detail to backstories. Once the action began, the pace picked up and I was biting my nails in anticipation of where this was going and what would happen next. It was a great and intense read!

Thank you St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this arc!

I had high hopes going into the book because of the atmosphere and location. It started off strong, but the repetitive conversations and rambling made it a very slow read. The book felt more like a family drama instead of a mystery. I enjoyed the author's debut novel, but this locked room mystery fell flat for me.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Three estranged sisters reunite at the family hotel after the passing of their father all while a massive hurricane is approaching. I enjoyed the ominous sense of the impending storm that helped build tension, the family dynamics of three sisters, and a narrator that I wanted to root for, even if she was a bit naive for my taste. To say chaos ensues would be an understatement, but I am always willing to suspend disbelief and just enjoy the ride. I can count on Jamie Day for a fun domestic thriller and this one fit the bill!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martins Press for the advanced readers copy of One Big Happy Family by Jamie Day.

I was a fan of the author's previous novel, The Block Party so I was excited to read this new novel and she did not disappoint. I love a good book with family members doing dark and messed up stuff. Throw in a will with interesting twists along with a hurricane, and you've got lots of ways for things to go wrong.

I think most thriller readers will enjoy this novel and not necessarily figure out all the exact details of the twists. And there are definitely a few!

After loving Jamie Day's previous book, The Block Party, I was really excited to read this, but it just didn't land for me. The characters were hard to connect with and the events were implausible. There was so much backstory that I lost interest often and the plot just dragged. I really did love The Block Party though, so maybe this was just a miss for me.

Jamie Day has once again brought together a group of seemingly self-absorbed characters, trapped in their family inn as a hurricane batters the coast of Maine. Upon their father’s death, the three sisters gather with their families for the reading of the will. When one of them ends up dead, suspicions are roused and secrets revealed. In the crossfire, is a young hotel maid, Charley who kind heartedly is trying to help a woman in danger, landing her in trouble with the sisters. Complex and intriguing characters and a locked door mystery plot with one reveal after another as the story unfolds.
Snarky and witty dialogue among characters that will surprise you added to the enjoyment of this book.

I enjoyed Jamie Day's previous book, The Block Party, so I was happy when I got an advance copy of One Big Happy Family to review. While this book is also good, I didn't care for it as much as The Block Party. The characters, while good, aren't as interesting, and the plot is not quite as engaging.

On the eve of a hurricane hitting the isolated Precipice Hotel in Maine, the three Bishop sisters, Faith, Iris, and Vicki, gather for the reading of their recently deceased father's will. A shared secret from their past binds the sisters together, but is that enough to overcome how their father divided up his six-million-dollar estate? Watching the events play out is the hotel maid, Charley, who quickly becomes embroiled in the sister's turmoil. As the hurricane increases in intensity, cutting the sisters, their families, and Charley off from the outside world, emotions run high when a death occurs. Someone among them is a murderer, but who and why are questions that arise?

I liked Day's sometimes snarky humor and the plotting of the book. The pacing is good, and some twists surprised me, but the isolated characters with a killer in their midst have been overly done. This is a thriller with interesting characters, i.e., a boy who only speaks in rhyme and a big-hearted maid who carries the world's weight on her shoulders, but the sisters themselves aren't very likable. Overall, this is a fast read that satisfies. 4/5 stars.

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The publication date is July 16, 2024.

I was pleasantly surprised by this one as I did not love the authors debut. This book follows Charley who is a maid at a small hotel on the coast of Maine after the passing of the owner, and his daughters return to claim it. I found that this one started out really slow and I was not invested, but at about 50% it picked up and I couldn’t put it down. It has elements of mystery, thriller, and family drama. The atmosphere was one of the highlights of the book and I think added to this book in a good way. It is definitely a SLOW burn but I found the payoff to be fun and worth it in the end. Not my favorite thriller of the year but still a solidly entertaining read. Thank you to NetGalley, Jamie Day, and St. Martins Press for early access in exchange for an honest review.

3.75/5 Stars

One Big Happy Family by Jamie Day

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5 stars

[ thank you @stmartinspress for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own! ]

PUB DATE: July 16, 2024

THOUGHTS:

This was good mystery! It kept me entertained and I liked how it was broken up into four different parts and had short chapters! 👏🏼

I love a locked room mystery! So the setting was perfect. Set at the family owned Precipice Hotel with Hurricane Larry making its way towards it. Like what more would you want in an eerie setting?!

This had a lot of family drama and sometimes that overshadowed the actual suspense. The mystery was good even though I had figured most of it out.

Overall, it kept my interest. I liked it but didn’t love it. I would try this author again in the future though!

I love books centered around maids being the main character. I’ve always loved books like that. So, I was immediately drawn into this book. There is a lot of drama and a lot going on to keep you on your toes. So many family secrets and twists.