I found myself often switching from liking this book to disliking it. I really liked the premise and the isolated location. Also, there were a lot of good, poignant lines that left me feeling emptional. There was definitely enough mystery to keep me reading but as the secrets began to be revealed, things started feeling a little bit too soap opera-y. It seemed like everyone was a bad guy who committed a crime. I also really hate the cliché "villain monologues their evil plan at the end" bit. The ending reminded me of a Hallmark movie with the forced romance and having characters you thought were bad do something off screen so they're now good guys. Another thing I hated, and I'm being vague to avoid spoilers, was that a character was written like they had a developmental disorder and everyone kept acting like that character was weird and creepy and that left me feeling uuncomfortable. But in the end, that didn't end up mattering, though I won't say why because of spoilers. Overall, it was a good start but didn't hit the mark for me.

A creepy hotel thriller?! Yes please! Charley is a broke hotel maid who is the sole provider for her Grandmother so she is taking money from hotel guests to try to make ends meet. When the owner of the hotel dies, his children and their families come to the hotel to sort out his final wishes, right as a huge hurricane hits! Lies, secrets, and family dysfunction. Good twists and a fast paced read.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy.

One Big Happy Family by Jaime Day
Charley is the live in made at the Precipice Hotel. When the crabby old owner, Mr. Bishop dies, his 3 (somewhat) estranged daughters and their families all show up there in the middle of a hurricane for the will’s reading. This is not only Charley’s story, how she lost her mom to drugs and is her nanas soul caregiver/breadwinner but also each of the Bishop sisters stories of their past at the hotel. The reading of the will did not leave many happy and the fall out is about to begin. I enjoyed learning about Charley's story the most. The Bishop sisters and family were a bit more complex and harder to get into for me.

What’s better than a locked in mystery during a hurricane at a huge hotel?

One Big Happy Family follows Charley, who is a maid at the Precipe Hotel. We also follow heiresses to the Precipe who arrive right before a funeral to attend to their father’s funeral. Vicki, Faith and Iris all seem to hate each other but are committed to keeping each others secrets.

This was a fun, quick read. If you liked locked in mysteries, you’ll probably like it. The twist was clever and I definitely didn’t see it coming. Chapters were short and the ending was satisfying.

Some parts were a little over the top and wrapped up a little too neatly in the end. But it was still a fun read!

Thank you to NetGalley!

This was my first-time reading Jamie Day and I was excited to receive this ARC based on the book description and cover. One Big Happy Family has a lot of twists and turns but for me, this read more like YA vs adult fiction. The dysfunctional family storyline had enough intrigue to keep me reading until the end. Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Rating: 3 stars
Publication Date: 16 Jul 2024

“One Big Happy Family” is the new psychological thriller by Jamie Day. It is set in the Bishop family’s hotel on the coast of main. Charley is the protagonist and chambermaid at the Precipice Resort. The Bishop sisters have come back for the reading of their father’s will. The book is suspenseful and an easy read.

I enjoyed Jamie Day’s Block Party but this wasn’t my favorite. The hotel setting was interesting as well as the mystery with the sisters. However from the beginning it was clear that the mystery guest that was being hidden was going to be a big part in the ending. I kept reading but it wasn’t my favorite. I would still read another.l by the author though. Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy.

I was very excited about this book since I loved The Block Party. I am a sucker for creepy hotel settings and this one hit the mark with that atmospheric setting. It takes place at an eclectic old cliffside coastal hotel in Maine during the offseason with a hurricane looming. The beginning was also a nice hook into the story that kept me wanting to continue the story as it takes place days ahead of the main story showing the aftermath of what was about to transpire.

Charley, the main character, is a down on her luck maid trying to pay for care for her ailing Grandmother in an assisted living facility. She pilfers cash from guests on the side to make ends meet. She is waiting on the children of the hotel owner who recently passed away to come to the hotel. Things get really dicey when they arrive. Really the whole book read more like a dysfunctional family drama and not the suspenseful thriller I think that it could have been.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the early copy to review.

4⭐️

Following the death of the owner of The Precipice Hotel, George Bishop, his three daughters return to their small Maine hometown for the first time in years for the will reading. On the brink of a hurricane, Victoria, Iris, and Faith along with their families returned to the hotel on the cliff to learn what their womanizer father left them.

Charley Kelley has been working as a chamber maid and living at the Precipice ever since her grandmother went into an old folks home. Struggling to make ends meet, Charley suffered through George's advances to keep her job. With the sisters being the new owner Charley knows she needs to make a good impression. She never expected the night to end deadly.

Was this the most original story? No. Did I still have a good time? Yes. I love a locked room/isolated mystery and the storm really added a sense of urgency. I found the addition of Bee to story was interesting because it was obvious she wasn't just a innocent bystander on the run from an abusive ex. But I couldn't pin down where she actually fit in to the story until right before the reveal. I do feel like the pacing was a bit odd and the ending wrapped up a little too easily, but I liked the story.

I enjoyed most of the characters and how different each of the sisters were from each other but they all had similar end goals. A finance bro, a conspiracy theorist, and a hippie vegan all felt like very timely characters for a book based in 2024. I wasn't a fan of Charley; for being someone trying to make ends meet and having more or less been on her own she was entirely too naive and made some really dumb choices. I liked Quinn, but I don't think he worked as a love interest. He felt like a very flat character and was only there because there needed to be a love interest. I'm also not sure how I felt about Oliver; it was tiptoed around about if he was on the spectrum and it was handled oddly.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing this ARC to me!

It's a crazy story about the most dysfunctional family you will ever meet. Charley is a maid at a hotel. When the owner dies, his daughters come to the hotel with their families. There are family, secrets, lies, and death. As the story unfolds, the reader learns more about the Bishop sisters and their families. This story has interesting characters with a plot full of twists—an excellent read for fans of domestic thrillers.

I really enjoyed the author’s previous book The Block Party so I was happy to have received this book early.

I could describe One Big Happy Family as a closed room thriller but there’s more. Action, murder, and mayhem combined with fully rounded protagonists also made this a character study in my opinion.

We’re introduced to everyone slowly which allowed me to get acquainted and absorb the individual personalities. And what colorful people they were!!

Combined with numerous plot twists, I was entertained throughout. Cant wait to do this book for my bookclub this summer.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this arc.

I was excited to read this arc, I liked Jamie Day’s ‘Block Party’ but this fell short for me. I DNF at 32%. I tried over the span of 4 days and just couldn’t get into it.

In Jamie Day’s One Big Happy Family, the Bishop sisters are gathering at their family’s Precipice Hotel in Maine to settle their recently deceased father’s estate. But hearing his will read is like opening Pandora’s Box. Past secrets threaten to seep out and destroy the lives trapped within the walls of the hotel while a hurricane moves closer to landfall. When people start to die, it’s a race to make it through the night. With stormy personalities inside and Hurricane Larry bearing down outside, who will survive and who won’t see the calm after the storm?

While there are several characters that play a key role in the story, each has a distinct enough personality that you don’t find yourself confused on how each contributes to the telling of One Big Happy Family. I will admit, sometimes I felt childhood flashbacks to watching “Scooby Doo,” not because of ghosts chasing the characters, but due to the ghosts of the past creeping into the plot. As it progressed closer to the climax of the story, I found myself better roped in to what the ultimate ending would be. ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy. Opinions expressed are my own. This book will be published on July 15, 2024.

#netgalley #arc #bookstagram #stmartinspress #OneBigHappyFamily #JamieDay

Once I began reading this book, I could not stop – fascinating, captivating story! The character development is brilliant, creative, and clever.
The three Bishop sister, Vicki, Iris, and Faith along with other family members, have all gathered together at the historic Precipice Hotel owned by their family on the coast of Maine. Their dad recently passed away and the reading of his will takes place over the weekend. The sisters, who grew up at the hotel, expect to each own one-third of the hotel by the end of the weekend. Their dad’s attorney has joined them for the weekend, in preparation of reading the will.
Charley, the housekeeper at the hotel is the only staff member there to greet the sisters. Because the biggest hurricane in years is expected, the other two employees left for their own homes to prepare for the intense storm. Charley, who has worked at the hotel for two years, since she was seventeen, lives at the hotel. All the guests have either checked out or reservations have been cancelled. The hotel is empty except for one stowaway, a new acquaintance of Charley’s who begged her to let her stay there to get away from her abusive boyfriend. Charley has hidden her away from the sisters, however, as the storm progresses, she is discovered.
The rain and wind intensify, and it appears the hurricane is heading their way. By now, it is impossible to leave with trees down, blocking the way, and the wind so strong it is impossible to stand up. The will has been read and is not all what was expected. It is distressing and upsetting for most. The power goes off and on, strange messages are discovered; many unexpected situations including a death, a missing person, as well as a gun appears in their midst. Shocking secrets are revealed that changes the dynamics of much of the family. This is a riveting story that was all consuming until the last page was turned.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. All comments and opinions are my own.

A family run hotel on the coast of Maine is the setting for this murder mystery thriller. Three sisters return to their home after their father's death to hear the reading of the will and discuss the fate of the hotel. A maid and her new friend hiding away from an abusive boyfriend sets the background of the story. What happpens next is a who done it and what secrets the sister hold that that can affect them all.. I couldn't put this down until the end (I did figure out part of the ending though) but that doesn't stop me from recommending this book. I am requesting the author's other book from the library today.

Overall 3.75 rounded up. Some of the twists were obvious but others def came as a surprise. Read in 2 days in vacation. Was a quick and fun read, and I normally don't like locked room mysteries.

This was my first book by this author so I wasn’t sure what to expect. The premise, a hotel employee trapped in the hotel with the late owner’s family during a hurricane, is interesting enough but wow there’s a lot going on. While everything (for the most part) is connected, there were still a lot of questions I had by the end. There was a lot of backstory that was integral to solving the mystery, but some of the time I found myself not really caring. The main character, Charley, is unrealistically young, easy to root for, but weirdly obsessed with her appearance and how her clothes make her look at all times. The twist reveals we’re good, slightly predictable, but will keep you reading. (3.5/5)

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC!!

This book definitely comes across as your typical who-done-it mystery and was a really interesting read!! The ending really brought everything full circle. Not my favorite read, but easy and quick for sure.

What a fast read! And it was fast because I just couldn't stop reading. The seedy sisters, the hotel maid, and others really gave many surprises and twists for us to keep up with! I really felt like I was in the hotel with the storm and the bickering surrounding me. Great story with a good ending. I'd love to read more from this author! Thanks NetGalley for letting me read this!

The story wasn’t bad, not entirely original, but not terrible. It was the writing I struggled with. It was inconsistent and seems like the author hasn’t quite found her voice/style yet. Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy!