[arc review]
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
One Big Happy Family releases July 16, 2024

The owner of the Precipice Hotel has recently died, and his family is gathering together to lay him to rest and take part in the reading of his will, even in the midst of a hurricane.

This was more of a family drama than a suspenseful thriller, and ended up being way too drawn-out for my liking.

The threads of romance with the housekeeper pining after Quinn felt really out of place and was completely unnecessary for the story. I found that the inclusions of the gay side character from a family of illegal immigrants added nothing of value to the narrative except showing that the author knew how to be extremely stereotypical in writing characters of colour.

I wish One Big Happy Family had been told entirely from the pov’s of the Bishop family, instead of being observed by Charley.
Bree integrating herself as one of the hotel staff members, or even impersonating Charley would’ve been less obvious than the placement she was given by the author.

One Big Happy Family by Jamie Day is a domestic suspense novel set at a remote family-owned hotel on the coast of Maine. George Bishop has suddenly passed away and his family is called in for the reading of the will. All of the other guests that were supposed to arrive have cancelled their reservations in anticipation of Hurricane Larry. But George's three daughters are determined to make it work.

This story is told from the POV of the hotel's chambermaid, Charley, who has been living on the premises in a tiny room for free for the past couple of years. Charley is trying her hardest to earn enough money to hlep her grandmother who raised her. Things are tight and the rates at her nursing home keep going up, causing Charley to steal some from the guests in order to make ends meet. Charley soon meets Bree, who is looking for a place out of the way to hide from her abusive partner. So Charley takes that as an opportunity to make a little extra money on the side and hides her in the hotel during the storm.

As the sisters arrive, the fighting starts. They definitely are not "one big happy family" and we see lots of secrets revealed. Shortly after the reading of the will there's a death. As problems continue and the storm intensifies, the family realizes they're stuck at the hotel with a possible murderer.

This is another in a long line of locked-room style mysteries that take place in secluded locations during some kind of storm or another published recently and this one really does nothing to set itself apart. Part family drama (and yes, there's drama) and part mystery I'm sure you will enjoy this one.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I’m not going to lie the cover of this book made me intrigued and the storyline didn’t disappoint!
Great page turner with all its twists and turns that will keep you up way past your bed time.
Hope to read more from this author! 📕

I liked this one! It’s not my usual genre but once I got a few chapters in I could t put it down. Thank you to NetGalley for giving me an advanced copy

One Big Happy Family
Jamie Day
3.5⭐️

Pub Date: 7/16/2024

I wanted to love this one so much. It reminds me of The Maid by Nita Prose (which I adore) initially however, the writing style and how the MC narrates this is a little bothersome and a bit more repetitive than what I deem necessary. I get that this is family drama but there was too much bickering and there were even parts of the conversation that seemed pointless to the plot. Especially when Vicki and Todd arrived first. I guess it did add to making the reader understand the dynamics of the family but I thought it could have been cut down a bit. This book didn't really catch my attention up until maybe around halfway through when shiz hit the fan. It gave a thriller with some supernatural vibes. It was creepy because of the poems/rhymes and that actually was a huge plus that kept me reading. The bad blood and secrets between the sister and the whole family itself got crazier as I turned the pages. The characters are all unhinged! All of them. And I can't pick which character is the worst as I kept going. Vicki is just insufferable and I have a deep seated dislike for her from the start but I wouldn't say she's the worst. Overall, I still thought it was a good book to read. I still enjoyed parts of this but it just didn't hold my attention consistently. This may be for people who particularly or especially enjoy family drama and dynamics!

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for an advanced reader copy of One Big Happy Family in exchange for my honest review.

I always enjoy a locked room mystery but this story was a bit of a roller coaster. Lots of suspenseful moments but then the story would drag. And the cycle would repeat. Not my favorite locked room mystery.

Overall an ok story.

One Big Happy Family" by Jamie Day is my first read by this author, and it was an interesting experience. The story offers a unique take on family dynamics and the complexities that come with them. While I found some parts of the plot a bit slow, the characters were well-developed and relatable. The book had its moments of charm and insight, making it a worthwhile read. Despite some pacing issues, I enjoyed Jamie Day's writing style and will definitely read more from this author in the future. #netgalley #Onebighappyfamily

Another suspenseful page-turner by the talented Jamie Day! This book did not disappoint. If you are a fan of twisty whodunnit thrillers and/or enjoyed THE BLOCK PARTY by this author then I highly recommend picking this one up. It's full of juicy secrets, loads of domestic drama and will keep you guessing until the very last page.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for access to the e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoy the locked room trope and I felt the ominous atmosphere and tension in this story. I enjoyed the beginning but I thought the sisters backstory was a bit slow and then unfortunately I started loosing interest. It did pick up at the end with a lot of drama. Overall, this was between ok and I liked it. I would still be willing to try another book by the author.

2.5 stars

Dark and twisty thriller set during a Hurricane on coastal Maine. A great read for upcoming winter nights. The hotel itself was the best written character in this novel. There were quite a few characters and subplots to keep track of, so maybe a little more complicated than it needed to be. The book wrapped up fairly neatly though. I enjoy Jamie Day's writing style.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced reader's copy of this novel for my honest opinion.

Thank you @netgalley for the Advanced Reader Copy of One Big Happy Family by Jamie Day. It’s the story of a rich family behaving badly after the death of their father, meeting up at the hotel he owned in Maine. And there is murder and a storm involved to make it more interesting. The story is told from the viewpoint of Charley who is 19 and works at the inn, and really needs the job. The family obviously does not get along, and there is a lot of drama, along with the murder. I didn’t love this one, don’t do well with unlikeable characters. #onebighappyfamily #jamieday #netgalley #bookstagram #mainehotel #familystory #murdermystery #lovetoread #takeapagefrommybook #readersofinstagram #bookloversofinstagram

✨ Publication date: July 16, 2024✨

One Big Happy Family is a mystery/thriller by Jamie Day. This is my first book by this author and won’t be my last!

This book introduces many characters that are interconnected, you need to pay attention and make the connections to keep up but it’s not overly difficult to track.

The Precipice hotel is owned by the Bishop family on the Maine coast. Charley is the hotel maid preparing to greet the Bishop sisters who are meeting at the hotel after their father’s death. The Bishop family has a long and tumultuous relationship with the small town they live in and there aren’t many positive things to say about the sisters.

The sisters begin to arrive with their families but they are on the brink of a hurricane and the Bishop families, Charley, the family lawyer and one other guest of the hotel are stuck together to ride out the storm.

When the last will and testament are read and family secrets come to light, not everyone was treated fairly in the will. As the storm rages on, tempers flare and bodies start to pile up. No one is taking accountability and everyone has a reason to be the killer.

The story is mostly told from Charley’s point of view. We do get a few chapters from the lens of the Bishop sisters. There are parts that drag on a bit and likely could have been wrapped up a bit quicker but ultimately I enjoyed the writing and the story! This was a 3.75 (rounded to 4) star read.

Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

#NetGalley #jamieday #onebighappyfamily

Did Not Finish at 23%

This book was not for me. I had a very difficult time connecting with any of the characters and did not find any of the characters very likable. The plot also moved a little too slowly for me.

I might try to finish this book at a later date.

Overall I really enjoyed this book, I loved in particular how the author weaved the storyline together. The writing style was enjoyable and the plot held my interest. Looking forward to the next release.

One Big Happy Family by Jamie Day is the sophomore book from this author. The book is set in Maine where the owner of a hotel on the coast of Maine has died. From the viewpoint of one of the staff, we watch the sisters and their families return home for the reading of the will amid a hurricane. Please start dying and those staying at the hotel are forced to reveal secrets to stay alive.

I really enjoyed the debut book from this author but this one did not work as well for me. I found the pacing to be very slow and I knew about half of the twists before they were revealed in the story. This was not much of a suspense or thriller as marketed. I also found the romance aspect to be a strange inclusion in the story. It didn't really fit.

2.5 rounded up. So this just wasn’t good for me.

Didn’t really like any of the characters. The Bishop sisters were all awful. Quinn was decent but he wasn’t a major player in the story. The ending was over the top and felt like after much dragging on and on we were in a rush to be at the end.

Really enjoyed The block party by this author and was super excited to get this ARC but didn’t really enjoy.

Thanks to the author and netgalley for my electronic advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed the authors book The Book Party and was excited to get a copy of One Big Happy Family.

The book starts off strong with Charley, the maid at a quirky hotel in Maine taking money from guests while cleaning their rooms to help pay for her grandmas nursing home care. With a hurricane brewing this quickly becomes a locked door mystery when the daughters of the hotel owner come for the reading of his will.

This book was a slow burn. There is a lot of back story into the sisters lives which I found interesting. The twists and turns are pretty predictable.

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

This “closed room” mystery takes place in coastal Maine at an old hotel during a hurricane. The former owner has died and his daughters have come during the storm for a reading of the will. Charley, the young female maid, is the main character. Characters start dying off, one by one. Who’s the murderer?

I spent the whole book wondering about one specific character, only to be surprised when the twist involved them. LOL!

I thought this was a well-written atmospheric domestic thriller/suspense. The characters were unlikeable, the drama was legit, and I couldn’t wait to see what happened next.

Read if you like locked-room storm plots with a very large side of family inheritance drama!

It was a like, not a love for me! I found myself skimming quite a bit because I wasn't connecting with the characters or feeling the tension in the story. I LOVE a reading of a will, so I was excited for this but overall it was just okay. I will read this author again though, because I liked their first novel!