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Member Reviews

Thank you for the advanced readers copy in response for an honest review.

This is a book about Charley who works at the precipice hotel, where the owner has passed away and his daughters have come for the reading of the will.

Just as you thought not all is well and we soon find out.

Great read

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This book fell a bit flat for me. It had me hooked in the beginning and the first few chapters flew for me. As I read longer, I found myself just flipping through the pages and not really enjoying what I was reading.

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What keeps One Big Happy Family from becoming a big ole mess are the multiple twists at the end. But they really are too many too late, capping off a novel that moves slower than a snail's pace. There's a lot of clueless characters in One Big Happy Family, and it isn't just members of the Bishop clan who excel at burying their heads in the sand. The first of many bad decisions-Precipice hotel maid Charley letting virtual stranger Bree hide out at the property-is like a snowball rolling down a hill that becomes the size of a mountain by the time it reaches the bottom. The writing is decent, the scenery stunning, but the tedious pace keeps them from having much of an impact. One Big Happy Family is a murder mystery wrapped up in family drama, but by the time you get to the end you won't care if anyone makes it out of this hotel of horrors alive.

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This was nothing like her previous book "The Block Party". I picked this up thinking that this will be as good as that. However, this book was just disappointing. The story was so boring, ridiculous and predictable.

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Fabulous book. An old hotel, a hurricane looming, 3 sisters wanting to know of their inheritance. And Charley, a devoted employee. Lots of surprises, had me turning the pages faster and faster. Read this book. I highly recommend it. Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and the Author for allowing me to read and review this book.

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Charley, a broke 19 year old ,works at The Precipice Hotel as a chambermaid and pickpockets from wealthy guests on the side to pay for her grandmother’s care at an assisted living home facility. After the death of The Precipice Hotel’s owner, George Bishop, his three toxic daughters arrive in town for the funeral which brings a whole another level of trouble for Charley.

One Big Happy Family by Jamie Day is a domestic , psychological thriller full of lies , deceit , shocking secrets and enough twists and turns that kept me thoroughly entertained.

I would like to thank St. Martin’s Press & NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and fair review.

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A locked room mystery in an old hotel on a high cliff with a hurricane bearing down? Yes please. Loved Jamie Days last novel and loved this one even more. Charley Keely is a smart nineteen year old who rather than being at college, lounging in her parents house, backpacking through Europe having the time of her life is instead laboring as a live in housekeeping maid in this hotel spending her meager salary to keep her beloved grandmother in an assisted living home. Rooting for her yet? After the sudden death of the abusive hotel owner, his three daughters plus their immediate families swarm into the hotel for the reading of the will. I couldn’t decide which sister was the worst as they keep revealing their true selves as the winds and the rain increases. Charley, first worrying about the future of her job is suddenly having to worry about any future, period. Snappy dialogue, a smart plot, despicable villains keep this novel moving quickly and surprisingly with various unexpected twists.

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The main plot revolves around the new heiresses of Precipice Hotel: a legendary family hotel located on the rocky coast of Maine, the three Bishop Sisters who gather at the family resort to hear the will of their late father George Bishop.

I couldn't decide which sister was the worst. Good grief!!!!! Enjoyable mystery though!

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Wow, this book is filled with secrets, lies, deception and so much more, it will leave you shaking your head, asking, what just happened?
Charley is a chamber maid at The Precipice, a unique, family owned motel on the coast of Maine.
The owner, Mr. Bishop, has passed away and his three daughters are arriving for the reading of the will and to settle their father's affairs.
The sisters each have their own problems, and when a brutal storm approaches, things turn bad, fast.
Charley has her own secrets, like hiding a woman in the hotel, and worrying about how she's going to pay for her grandmother's care.

I read this book in a day, it grabbed me from the beginning and I couldn't put it down.
There was so much going on in the story, but I was cheering for Charley the whole time.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of the book.

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Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read this and the publication for the chance as well I enjoy a good hotel book especially suspense or horror as my all time favorite is the shining by Stephen king. I worked in a lot of hotels and always wondered if there was a juicy tell but never heard any.

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Charley is a maid at the family owned Precipice Hotel. George, the owner, recently died and his daughters are coming to the hotel to settle the estate. A huge storm is also coming to the hotel. Suddenly a murder occurs and the remaining hotel occupants are all suspects. The mystery and family dynamics are interesting and keep the story going. I enjoyed this book. Thank you Net Galley for the opportunity to read and review this fun mystery.

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If you enjoyed the movie, Knives Out, this is a book for you! Set in a high end hotel during a hurricane, you will find a rich, crazy family, death and even a maid!

Thank you, NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review this book early!

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DNF. Picked it up because I enjoy locked-room mysteries, creepy old hotels, family drama murder mysteries. But I did not enjoy the narrative style nor Charley as protagonist. Despite the attempts at fleshing out her character with the tragic family backstory, George Bishop preying on her, and money problems, I found her rather flat. Sure to be a fun summer beach read for some, just not my style.

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I want to start by giving thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Jamie Day for giving me the opportunity to review this ARC.

I DEVOURED this book. The chapters were long and that’s something I don’t typically like. However, I was hooked the instant I started reading it! I read about half of the book in the length of the Superbowl. I liked that this book was in 4 parts. The first part is placed in the present and focused heavily on Charley, with the sisters and their families being introduced later in part one. In part two, it was about the sisters. In part three it goes back to the present. And lastly in part four, it goes back to the sisters.

I found myself trying to guess what was going to happen throughout the book. Just when I thought I was on the right track, the book proved me wrong! At times, I felt as if I was in the Precipice with everyone and a book hasn’t made me feel that way in a long time. The rating for this book was easy… 5 stars! Do yourself a favor and pick this book up once it hits the shelves in July!

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OH MY GOSH! This book was nothing short of amazing. It kept me on my toes the whole time. Twist after twist after twist. It was so good. Nothing was left unturned. If you are looking for a book to keep you on your toes the whole time, this is the one for you. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. I will be buying myself a copy when this releases!!!!

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The story centers around Charley Kelley a chambermaid that has a very small room to live in at the hotel. Her Nana is in a nursing home, and she is helping to pay for her staying. The owner of the hotel passes away and his daughters come to settle the estate. A hurricane keeps them trapped at the hotel. Murder and family chaos with secrets coming out. The story line dragged out too long, but a good conclusion.

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One Big Happy Family is a closed door thriller centered around The Precipice- a legendary family owned hotel on the coast of Maine. The Bishop sisters (Iris, Vicki, and Faith) are dealing with the recent passing of their father. The sisters came to claim their inheritance, but they are in for more than they bargained for. Little did they know that not everyone who visits a the hotel this weekend will come out alive. Plus, there’s a hurricane coming. With a storm on the horizon, and murder in the air, this is a summertime suspense novel full of twists and turns.

Things I Loved:
- The setting made for an excellent closed-door thriller- and the incoming storm made it even more eerie
- The short chapters kept the plot moving at a good pace
- In depth character descriptions helped me connect with the characters

Things I didn't Love:
- While there were a lot of surprising twists, some were pretty predictable which made parts of the book feel a little long and drawn out

I definitely want to check out more books by Jamie Day, because overall, this book kept me on the edge of my seat and made me want to keep turning the *e*page!

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Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the ARC for this book.
I very much enjoyed The Block Party and was eager to read this book.
I loved the setting for the book, a old gothic vibe hotel on the coast of Maine will get my attention every thime.
The story is that of Charley who works as a maid in the hotel. The owner has just died and his family is coming in to decide the fate of the hotel and those working there.
While I sped through the book, driven to find out the resolution of the plot, the book did not quite satisfy.
The characters were unlikeable and to me unrealistic. There seemed to be a lot of contrived coincidences that were just too much. The resolution seemed chaotic and really just high melodrama.
The lack of consequences for any of the characters behavior bothered me as well.
All opinions my own. I'm sure many will enjoy this suspenseful story.

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It was dark and stormy night.

This story had a good set up, the death of the letcherous owner, the coming together of the disfunctional family, a mysterious stranger and an impending storm.

The story features an interesting cast of charcaters, unfortunately none of them are very likeable. The elements all felt a bit too forced and the resolution a bit too tidy. This would probbaly make a good beach read mystery.

3 Stars

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

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A fun mystery murder book. There are some backflashes later in the book, but it is very well written. Clean book for language and sexual content. The book moves quickly after the first few chapters all the way up to the end. A good read for mystery readers.

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