Omg 5 stars from me. I loved the hotel aspect (my husband and I love going on staycations) and the family arguments really helped the story thrive. I wanted to know even more about the “secret” woman in the room. It all came together pretty well and I wanted more to the story like more pages.

One Big Happy Family
(This review is from an ARC sent to me by NetGalley)
A Novel
by Jamie Day
This suspenseful thriller takes place in a family-owned hotel on the rocky coast of Maine.
The Bishop sisters, Iris, Vicki and Faith have come to the hotel for a weekend after the passing of their father. The sisters are harboring dangerous secrets.
The other main character in this novel is Charley Kelley, a chambermaid who is in desperate straits who steals from guests and hides a fugitive in one of the hotel rooms.
Each sister has come to claim what is rightfully theirs and so begins the twists, deception and wit the author weaves into the novel.

The Block Party was one of my favorite books last year, but unfortunately One Big Happy Family didn't hit the same. I didn't love Charley as a character and found her internal dialogue annoying, so getting into the beginning of the book was difficult. Eventually it did pick up, but overall I still wasn't loving this one as much as The Block Party.

This book takes place in a hotel in Maine, a hurricane is on its way, a family with secrets, and murders are happening. Terrifying right? The drama, secrets, and lies that the Bishop family have had me thinking “They’re all going to hell.” The story had so many layers that just kept revealing more & more. The history of the sisters was just as interesting as the present day and the way it all comes together makes sense. There are a lot of characters but the author did a good job of describing their background therefore it wasn’t confusing which character was which. They go through real problems, but they are all unlikeable in their way. The ending was shocking 😮 but I was so satisfied with the ending that I’m wondering “Maybe I do sorta like these people but I want to keep my distance”

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this Advanced Reader’s Copy of One Big Happy Family by Jamie Day due to be released July 16, 2024.

I was a fan of Jamie Day’s previous book, Block Party, and this book is similar in that there are secrets between a small group of people. But I predicted the big ending of this book early on and it took some of the excitement and enjoyment knowing what would happen. This book is still good, and when the action picks up halfway it makes it far more enjoyable, but there was a stretch where I felt it dragged a little. None of this would stop me from wanting to read the author’s next book.

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martins for the arc.

I want to start off by saying that I was super happy to get my hands on the advanced copy of this book, considering I LOVED the author’s debut “The Block Party”. While I gave “The Block Party” five glowing stars, this book didn’t quite make the cut for me.

This story centers around Charley, who works at The Precipice Hotel. Charley is young, broke, and trying to pay for her grandmother’s care at an assisted living home. The owner of The Precipice Hotel, George Bishop, passes away- which involves his three daughters coming to town for the funeral. The arrival of the Bishop sisters- Vicki, Faith, and Iris bring a whole set of thrills and complications to the hotel. As the author stated in the book, “these sisters definitely put the fun in dysfunctional!” I just wish that I would have had more fun when I was reading about them…

This story was broken down into Four Parts. While the chapters were nice and short (that’s always an added bonus), I unfortunately felt that this book was too long. It started off with a bang for me, but about halfway through I felt the story started to drag on. I also predicted what was going to happen and how this story would end pretty early on. Another thing that took away from my enjoyment was all the backstories on each of the characters- now normally I enjoy that, but for a thriller it just made for a super long book.

I had super high hopes and expectations going into this book, especially since I loved the author’s debut novel so much. But as you can see, this was a middle of the road read for me. Will I read more from this author? You betcha!! I just felt that this book was going in a few too many directions.

Charley is trying to make ends meet by working as a chambermaid at an old hotel in Maine. When the proprietor dies, his three daughters return home, leaving Charley with lots of questions and concerns about what will happen to the hotel and to her. Of course, everyone is hiding secrets, including Charley! The author does a great job of setting the scene--the suspense ratchets up with a storm on the way, and you know something bad will happen--you're just not sure what. Lots of twists and turns made this an enjoyable read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! What an intense family. Loved the concept of this book. Perfect Maine setting. Creepy guests and family members. Seemingly innocent (tho she does steal from time to time) protagonist. Supporting cast who many be integral to the plot or just background fodder. Then there's the hurricane. Tons of good things, but I unfortunately think the plot unwound itself and too many opportunities were missed to make this from a good book to a fantastic one. I enjoyed it, don't get me wrong, but it had moments where it was excessive and then some that were too vague or left unused in the best way possible. From a character perspective, some of the most multi-dimensional I've seen in a while. Wish it tied more things together across the board, but certainly kept me guessing for most of the time. The true culprit is mostly obvious but there were lots of paths it took before getting there.

I really enjoyed Jamie Day's first book The Block Party, so I was excite to get to read this book. This book seemed a bit slow to me. I was intrigued within the prologue but found myself having to force myself to keep going. I really enjoyed the conclusion of the hurricane and the events within The Precipice. The ending was great too. I just found the back story to be a bit long.

I loved Charley and Rodrigo. The Bishop sisters were quite the trio. However I think that their childhood forced them to be the completely messed up women that they become. George Bishop their father was a lying, cheating, predator. The girls had secrets from when they learned of his infidelity and how they tried to stop it. And in keeping secrets continued to gain more and more secrets. These secrets turn out to be the downfall of the Bishop sisters.

This book was entertaining and has some interesting plots twists, I just had difficulty staying interested. I did finish and am glad that I did. I think that The Block Party was better.

Thank you to St. Martins Press and NetGalley for the arc of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

I feel like I have read this story before. It was still a decent plot and I enjoyed the characters, but I feel like I knew exactly what was going on the whole time. I will say I enjoyed it better than the author's first book, The Block Party. I skipped to the end to see what happened in that book. This one I was at least able to read the whole thing.

This book kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. Mid way through it did get a bit predictable and I figured out part of the twist, however the ending was still surprising. This is the 2nd book by this author and it did not disappoint.

Thank you to netgalley for allowing me to read this ARC

Review posted on StoryGraph

I thought I had this book figured out several times and I was completely wrong every time. Just when things seem to make sense, wham! another twist and secret are revealed. While the story is told through multiple views, we hear mostly from Charley, the maid who lives in the hotel. When the owner passes away, his 3 daughters come for the reading of the will during a massive hurricane. Each has their own agenda, and their own secrets. As the storm rages, tempers also flair. . and people start dying. Can Charley figure out who she can trust and who she should fear before it's too late?

After reading Jamie Day’s book The.Block Party I knew she wouldn’t disappoint with this book! She starts this thriller setting the scene and tone for the entire book and brings you on a roller coaster ride through a hurricane and a totally dysfunctional family that will murder for what they think they derserve! Thanks for the advanced read!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this novel in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Charley is a 19 year old live in maid at The Precipe Hotel who is used to taking care of herself and fending off her creepy boss. She prides herself on being able to clean up any mess (and cleaning out a few wallets along tbe way...). However, when her boss dies and his daughters arrive at the hotel for the reading of his will on the eve of a major hurricane, she may not be prepared for the mess that is about to come...

This book started off really strong. I liked the set-up and was drawn to the character of Charley and her grit. However, some of the other characters, like the daughters, were a little over the top.

When I hit the halfway point in the book, the story started to drag. Once all the characters were trapped in the hotel during the storm the story became a little repetitive. Luckily, the pace picked up towards the end (although I thought that the epilogue tied things up a little too neatly).

I thought the twist was OK too, but a little predictable.

If you like dysfunctional family drama with a mystery then this is the book for you. The main character, Charley, is a 19 year old woman working at a old inn on the cliffs of Maine. After the owner dies his family arrives for the reading of the will along with an impending Hurricane named Larry. Of course there are lots of scary moments both with the inn, the weather and the family.
I could see this book becoming a movie in the vein of Knives Out! Glad i was able to read it thru NetGalley and thanks to author and publisher.

One Big Happy Family
By Jamie Day

I was immersed in this book from the first chapter. The character development of the maid Charley was so perfect and I was rooting for her through the whole story. I really enjoyed the flashback to the story of the sisters and it really made me understand their motivation.
The suspense in this book had me guessing until the ending. I have already downloaded Jamie Day's previous book and I'm looking forward to reading it as well.


Thank you so much to netgalley, St. Martin's Press and Jamie Day for an ARC of this book that I got the pleasure of reading. Publication date: July 16th, 2024. All opinions are my own, I was under no obligation to write this review.

Jamie Day knows how to create a creepy and suspenseful vibe. The hotel setting and characters with their secrets make for a gripping read. It feels like you're stuck in the hotel during a hurricane, just like the characters.

The story is told from different perspectives, which keeps you hooked. There's plenty of action, mystery, and even a murder or two to keep you guessing. While the ending felt rushed, it doesn't ruin the story. Overall, it's a thrilling read that fans of the genre will enjoy.

I loved Day's first book, and this one is just as good. I can't wait to see what they write next.

One Big Happy Family by Jamie Day was such a great murder mystery. This book really felt like I was watching a movie or that I was part of a murder mystery dinner. I really enjoyed the twist at the end and the "who done it" type style of reading.

A hurricane is headed to the shores of Jonesport, Maine bringing the Bishop family together at their family's hotel, The Precipice, to read the will of their late father.
Unknowingly, the live-in maid, Charley, will be drawn into the family's web of lies and deception. Betrayal, murder, and devulging of family secrets are all in store as The Precipice endures another storm raging inside its walls.

I have been provided with a review copy of this title from NetGalley for an impartial review. I just really enjoyed this story and I just didn’t want it to end. I just lost myself in and I just couldn’t get enough of these interesting characters. I can’t wait to see what’s next from this author.