There are both literal and metaphorical storm clouds gathering in Jamie Day’s One Big Happy Family as the Bishop sisters return to their coastal main town to settle their un-mourned father’s affairs at the Precipice, the hotel he owned. While the sisters have secrets they’re desperate to hide, they’re trying to uncover their fathers’. Charley Kelly, a young chambermaid at the Precipice with secrets of her own, bears witness to the events of the next few days, which include a contested will, a mysterious guest and a suspicious death…and that’s before a massive hurricane makes landfall. Charley narrates the majority of the book, with help from the Bishop sisters. No matter who’s narrating, Day keeps up the plot pacing and keeps the readers guessing. While the locked room mystery of One Big Happy Family stimulates the reader’s brain, its exploration of the relationships that make us who we are hook the reader’s heart. One Big Happy Family will be released on July 16 and it’s an ideal book to take with you on your summer family vacation…just be sure toc heck the weather forecast first.

I wanted to love this book like I did The Block Party, but had a hard time getting into it. I picked up several times to read and just keep putting it down over and over. I was finally able to get through, but found it rather boring.

Thank you to NetGalley for this advanced reader copy of One Big Happy Family by Jamie Day. This book is about family secrets, a hurricane, and an old hotel. The story sucked me in with detailed writing and I could imagine the beautiful Maine setting. It’s a great psychological thriller that will keep you guessing until the end.

This is a locked room mystery located in an isolated hotel in Maine. Our protagonist is a nineteen-year-old female maid. The not-nice male owner dies, and his three evil daughters show up. Once they arrive, the murders begin. Sometimes the story reads a bit too much like a Nancy Drew novel, which is because a teenager is narrating. Still, it was fun trying to guess who is the craziest sister with some crazy twists.

After the death of their father, the three Bishop sisters return home during an impending hurricane to claim their inheritence, the hotel Precipice. Each sister harbors a secret. Charlie, the young hotel chamber maid, is afraid the sisters might close the hotel and she desperately needs the income to support her grandmother. She's also hiding an abused woman in one of the rooms. This had a good plot and started off at a fast pace, but then it just dragged in the middle, The pace picked up during the last part of the book but the characters were just so unlikeable that by the end of the book I just didn't care whodunit.

{⭐️⭐️💫- ONE BIG HAPPY FAMILY - Jamie Day}

I feel bad saying it, but this book was just not good. I was interested in the beginning where you got to know the main character and the history of the hotel but as each additional character got brought in the story just drastically went downhill for me. It was a murder mystery where quite honestly I was happy the characters who got murdered died anyway, and the writing was on the wall for every supposed “twist” the story took. Its not very suspenseful when the characters are dropping easter eggs left and right in their conversations 😒. There was a horrible attempt at a romance angle between the main character and the son of one of the sisters that was super forced and added nothing to the story. The strained relationship between the spoiled rich sisters was generic and boring. Everytime a character spoke I wanted to roll my eyes, the dialogue was so rudimentary and predictable. I really wanted to read Jamie Day’s other book “The Block Party”, but halfway through this one I deleted it from my TBR. The only reason this was not a DNF was because I felt too guilty that NetGalley approved me for an ARC.

Jamie Day's newest thriller is a closed room mystery that will keep you guessing. All the characters are vibrant and unique. Day did an amazing job developing all the characters and I felt like I was stuck in the Precipice Hotel with them. Each character has their own secrets and it keeps you wondering which characters are lying and who is telling the truth!
One Big Happy Family is released July 16th and you don't want to miss it! Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Jamie Day and Netgalley for this ARC.

Overall the story was fast paced but the character development left something to be desired. I didn’t quite care what happened to anyone in the story and the flash back to tell the history of the cast didn’t do enough to endear me to any of them. I also guessed the “twist” early on. Overall if you’re looking for an easy low stakes read this is it.

I enjoyed this book until about halfway through when it started feeling monotonous. The characters were so unlikeable - every last one!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.

The description for this book made me really want to read it. Creepy hotel during a hurricane with a murderer on the loose what's not to like. About a quarter of the way through however I really had to push myself to keep reading. I am not sure what the reason was, but I lost interest. I am thankful though that I did keep reading as the last third of the book was very good. The twists and turns kept me guessing almost until the end.

The Block Party was in my top 5 books from 2023 and turned me into a Jamie Day fan! Her newest book One Big Happy Family is the perfect suspenseful book with unpredictable characters that hooked me by the end of chapter one!

I enjoyed this murder mystery setting of Maine during a wild storm in the Precipice Hotel, it was easy to imagine being right there in the storyline. The Bishop sisters, while vindictive and selfish in character were easy to connect with. Upon the reading of their fathers will, we find out this is truly not one big happy family!

The storyline was believable with drama and angst amongst sisters in this story of family and friendship. By the end of the book it was making me want to start planning for the next storm whether it be amongst family or Mother Nature.

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 ⭐️

This book was a story about a family with many secrets and lots of drama including murders!
The setting is in the family owned hotel. Besides the family, the other main characters are a maid and a woman she was “helping”. I found this book dragged a bit, not as fast-paced of a thriller I love. There were many side stories told about each main character as the main story was being told. The story comes together in the end with all secrets finally revealed!
Thanks to Netgalley for this eArc for my review.

I enjoyed this whodunit. It was a good pageturner with some excellent twists that I didn’t see coming. Title and book cover are very appealing. I felt the characters were pretty well-developed without giving away any of their secrets too soon. I also very much appreciated the epilgue.

Can I say wow?! This is the first book I have read by Jamie Day. The characters were so well developed with some backstory for each of them. The Precipice is a family owned hotel on the rocky shores of Maine. Charley the maid prepares for the three Bishop sisters Iris, Vicki and Faith to arrive as they are meeting with their late father's attorney. They are meeting to discuss his will. Charley has not idea how this meeting will go, but she depends on this job to help support her grandmother. As the sisters arrive along with a literal hurricane, secrets and suspicions start to grow. Power outages, and a chain of unforeseeable events take hold in the Precipice. Charley harbors her own secrets as she is hiding a secret guest in the hotel. This story takes so many unexpected twists and turns, it had me guessing and surpristed in the end. This was a great thriller and mystery!
Thank you Netgalley for a copy of this book. This is my honest review of One Big Happy Family

With “locked in the room” thrillers now be a popular topic Day will have you reading this one in a day!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC. This book sounded like your sink into your chair and get into a great thriller type of book, I was looking forward to it as I really enjoyed The Block Party by Jamie Day. Sadly, this book just didn't meet the same satisfaction...I found the story to drag by the middle and I was able to predict the ending...not a good indication! It read more like a family drama vs a suspense love. I felt that if I read once more time about how hot Quinn was or about the impending storm I would have to call it quits. I really forced myself to finish it because it's rare that I don't complete a book, but I found myself relieved to complete it. Sorry, this one just wasn't for me.

The premise of this book was so, so good but it needed a good deal of editing. There were parts that didn't quite flow and others that were extraneous. I kept with it because the set up was great but the final product missed the mark.

This book grabbed my attention from the first page. I enjoyed the characters and the story twists. Would definitely recommend this book!

When I first read Block Party by Jamie Day, I loved the way each chapter introduces another view of how that day unfolded. One Big Happy Family is no different and this family knows more about being dysfunctional than fun. The setting is a grand hotel, The Precipice, a family owned hotel located in a semi-remote area of Maine. The Bishop sisters, Faith, Iris and Vicki grew up in the hotel and have returned after their father passed and the reading of his will, is to take place at the hotel. But not all is what it seems, the sisters are as hiding secrets from each other and when creepy rhyming poems begin to appear, the sisters turn against each other and the staff, add an approaching hurricane and you have the perfect setting for tension to go awry. Caught in the middle of this drama is Charley, the maid who lives at the hotel, and is forced by circumstances to partake in this deadly game.

I do like the writing style of the author, the way things are revealed slowly, build up the anticipation of the story and where it is headed. The characters were well written and developed, the storyline convincing, the plot engaging, what’s not to like in this book. If you haven’t read Jamie Day, you are missing out, this is the second book I’ve reviewed and I look forward to reading more. Well done.

Publication date: July 16th, 2024
Page count: 368
Genre: domestic thriller
Setting: family owned hotel in Maine
POV: Charley- chambermaid, Vicki (daughter)
Features: locked in mystery (hurricaine), siblings fighting over inheritance, family secrets

Charley is a chambermaid at the Precipice Hotel. When her boss George BIshop dies, his three daughters come to the hotel for the reading of the will. At this time a stow away Bree is staying at the hotel. This all occurs during a hurricane. Not everyone is happy with what the will says. The night of the will reading there is a murder.

While the first part of the book is fast past and engaging, 1/3 of the way in it starts to drag on, and picks up again toward the end. Overall an enjoyable ride!

Thank you to author, publisher, NetGalley for advanced audio copy. This is an honest voluntary review.