Received an ARC via NetGalley. Fun read! Suspense and action. Wish the book included a picture of the rowboat painting.

I had loved The Block Party, so I was happy to get the opportunity to read an advance copy of Jamie Day's newest book thanks to the publisher and Netgalley. This book is a fun, suspenseful read with the "common" scenario of murders taking place in an isolated hotel cut off from help because of a hurricane. It also has the reading of a will with unexpected results. There were lots of twists and turns and a cast of unusual, flawed characters. I missed the touches of humor that had been in The Block Party, but this was still a satisfying thriller. I'm sure mystery fans will enjoy this one.

Charley works as a maid at a hotel owned by George Bishop. Upon George’s death, his three daughters travel to the hotel for the will reading. Before the Bishops arrive, a stranger asks Charley to harbor her at the hotel. As the Bishops arrive, Charley must juggle hiding Bree and waiting on the Bishop sisters and their families. Charley gets uneasy vibes from all of the guests at the hotel and doesn’t know who she can trust. Read this book if you enjoy family drama, secrets, murder, lies, and deceit.
I enjoyed this book more than Day’s first novel.

I didn’t read Jamie Day’s first book, and probably wouldn’t have picked this one through Netgally if I had. It was a little immature and chaotic for my usually taste in suspense books.

Thanks to Netgally and St Martin’s Press for the advanced copy.

To all my bookish friends…..

I have a PSA

If you have not already request, pre-ordered or heard of this book I am about to share with you, you need to drop what you are doing and RUN on over to request/ pre-order this book.

Holy Freaking Smoke 💨

One Big Happy Family

I know I asked you all to pick my next book and well majority didn’t win in this case 🤣 of course my little squirrel brain had other intentions . I saw the cover and said let’s just read the first chapter and see how it plays out .

Oh no no no …

This is not how it worked out . One chapter turned into 2, turned into 3, ended in finishing this entire book in one sitting (and it’s a big one!)

My mind is completely blown!!!! The narration was done with perfection. The details had me in awe and just the story itself had me completely consumed . I could not get enough!

Teaser :

Could this reunion be the death of them?

The Precipice is a legendary, family-owned hotel on the rocky coast of Maine. With the recent passing of their father, the Bishop sisters--Iris, Vicki, and Faith--have come for the weekend to claim it. But with a hurricane looming and each of the Bishop sisters harboring dangerous secrets, there's murder in the air-- and not everyone who checks into the Precipice will be checking out.

Each sister wants what is rightfully hers, and in the mix is the Precipe's nineteen-year-old chambermaid Charley Kelley: smart, resilient, older than her years, and in desperate straits.

The arrival of the Bishop sisters could spell disaster for Charley. Will they close the hotel? Fire her? Discover her habit of pilfering from guests? Or even worse, learn that she's using a guest room to hide a woman on the run.

With razor-sharp wit, heart, thrills, and twists, Jamie Day delivers a unique brand of SUMMERTIME SUSPENSE

I’d like to thank Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity the ARC of One Big Happy Family..
I love a “locked in” mystery, and will grab a book if I see this in the description. In this case, Charley, a maid at the Precipice Hotel, the Bishop sisters and their families, plus a stranded Bree looking for a place to hide are trapped at the hotel during a huge storm.

I really liked the character of Charley. The story is told from her perspective, and I felt the author did a great job of fleshing her out. I understood what she was feeling and why, the choices she made, and how she interacted with others.

The Bishop sisters arrive because their father recently passed and the reading of the will is happening. The characterization of the sisters and Vicki (the eldest sister) seemed very stereotypical and over the top. Vicki- super controlling; Faith- typical model; Iris- angry at everyone. Todd, Vicki’s husband, was stereotypical macho man. Hope- Faiths wife was over the top new age woman. However, I actually enjoyed most of their interactions and backstories. Some of it was repetitive, and Vicki had no subtlety so right off the bat I could care less about her!

Someone dies, and I figured out who it would be that died way before it happened. The author set it up so it was obvious- and everyone left had major reasons for wanting this person dead. Some reasons were left to be fleshed out in the rest of the story, though.

There is a lot going on in this story- but the author ties it all together. However, the ending! I was happy for one character, but felt the consequences for another character were ridiculous!

I did enjoy this and was engaged. I will probably read another by this author. If you are in the mood for a locked door mystery with over the top stereotypical characters- this might be for you. Sometimes reading that entertains and villains are written over the top is what I need on occasion!

Imagine being trapped in a hotel on the coast of Maine during a major hurricane. Now imagine that each of the guests are hiding secrets and the only way to survive is to uncover the truth. What follows is an intense thriller with lots of twists and action!

Charley lives and works at the hotel. When the owner dies and the three daughters come to the hotel to hear who will inherit what, she is worried that her life might change drastically. She needs this job to support her grandmother in her nursing home. The same day that the three sisters are coming to the hotel she meets Bree, who needs a place to hide from her abusive boyfriend. Charley, decides to help Bree but is risking her job to do it. After meeting the three sisters and their families things only get more intense as we find out that each sister has her own baggage in more ways than one.

This book was told from multiple points of view which helped keep me glued to the pages. The author did an excellent job keeping the reader on their toes. Lots of action, mystery, and even murder. This is one thriller fans won't want to miss.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4 Stars

Wow! This was SO FUN!

I would first like to thank the publisher for the invitation to read this ARC-- I was excited to dive in!

First off, having read The Block Party over the summer as my introduction to Jaime Day's writing, I was blown away by how different this one was. Some authors have a similar style or voice, with each novel, but this one was an entirely different beast, and in a good way.

The MC--Charley's- voice was authentic and vulnerable. I found her relatable in all the small details, in her hurts and insecurities, and was pleased that she wasn't annoyingly culpable, like some passive protagonists.

I loved how the author set up the backstory and revealed the history when he knew the reader needed it-- that way the big reveal to the other characters wouldn't feel contrived. Even though there was a LOT going on, he masterfully wove several intersecting plot lines, complete with flashbacks, and no tangling! He did not drop any balls, let me tell you! There is nothing more annoying than some arbitrary plot line or character dropped in for no reason, and a loose end left flapping in the proverbial breeze.

He also made sure that you clearly knew the character motivations, goals, and answered every question by the end of the story. Even though he reveals "spoilers" (we, the reader find out before the characters), he leaves in PLENTY of mystery to keep you turning the pages.

The only thing I wasn't crazy about was around the 30% mark, when the characters get into tarot card reading, having a gift to talk to spirits, and so on. I am very careful not to mess with or read about those realms, so unfortunately, I had to skip those pages entirely whenever it came upon it. I almost quit reading to be honest, but I wanted to see if it was pertinent to the story or just a one and done.

Of course, most of the characters are unlikeable-- and because there are many of them-- they aren't all fully fleshed out, but, this is a thriller after all and that is to be expected! As long as Charley was, I was OK with that.

Overall, the cover is eye-catching, and the setting is everything (Maine is forever on my bucket list). I could visualize the hotel-- and (having lived through too many hurricanes to count), could feel the ticking clock of not only the tension ramping up, but the hurricane as well.

I also loved the attention to detail when it came to action scenes, fight scenes, and the elements. It put you in the story as a (mostly) innocent bystander.

It's official-- Jaime Day is now one of my new favorite authors to auto-buy! I am so grateful for discovering his work through NetGalley. As a side note-- and BOTM member-- I would love to see his books offered in the Book of the Month subscription in the near future.

I would like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

One Big Happy Family is a whodunit full of mystery, intrigue, suspense, and lots of action. A cast of characters with so many secrets and when they are exposed everything changes. Kept me turning the pages and loved the ending.

I am going to have to pass on this review. I found after the reading of the will the story got too complicated. The backstory of the family when they lived in the house etc, is extremely hard to follow and I couldn't tell where the story was going.

This is a fascinating tale of a hurricane, an old hotel, and family secrets that threaten to tear apart an already-broken family! Nineteen-year-old maid, Charley works at the Precipice Hotel in Maine as Hurricane Larry is about to hit land. But a wealthy family still arrives and is determined to stay as they believe nothing can touch them and they have "issues" to get through. But these issues may be bigger than Hurricane Larry as they go back decades and are as convoluted as a sophisticated labyrinth! Love, money, betrayals, mistaken identity: what's not to love? I raced through this one as it's a thrill ride I'm not likely to forget; but I'll definitely be kind to my family as I don't have a death wish and will stay out of hurricanes!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

This book wasn’t a hit for me. I didn’t like any of the characters and it felt more family drama than thriller. There was some suspense but the drama outweighed the thrill. This was my first book by Jamie Day and I plan to try another one. I’m still hoping to like this author.

Superb thriller that kept me guessing until the end! I loved how it was divided into parts and with each part the reader was able to see how the characters were related and even develop a little more empathy for their situation and understand why they were acting the way they were. Using the storm as a character was brilliant! I really enjoyed this book and will look into the author’s other book as well. Thank you for allowing me to read and review!

Charley Kelley is a young maid working at the Precipice Hotel. The perverted owner suddenly dies and his 3 daughters come back to see what they inherit. Family dysfunction and discord abounds. Many secrets and lies are revealed.
Not all will make it out alive.
This was a great book with enough twists and turns to give whiplash.
Thanks NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the opportunity to read this eARC!

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of One Big Happy Family by Jamie Day.

I really enjoyed this book and I love the cover! It was a great mystery with some twist and turns while anticipating a hurricane coming in. The characters were well developed and I liked them all except the Bishop sisters. They were all selfish and crazy. I felt bad for Charley bring in the middle of all their drama and family issues. Quinn and Oliver also got the short end of the stick with parents.

I definitely recommend reading this book!

Loved the dynamics of the characters in this book! So many twists and underlying “wait what?!” Moments! I loved the “who did it?” Thoughts throughout too…all the characters had a motive at some point during the book.

I was a bit shocked that the big secret about the car accident wasn’t actually their mom instead of Christine. I was just thinking that was the big, big reveal but maybe I missed the little details of how the mom died. Maybe I’ve just read too many thrillers to think there is always one big twist!

This was a very exciting story with an ending that ties up all the loose ends but certainly not as you would expect while reading the book. There are many plot twists until you feel like your head is spinning - in a good way. I stayed up late to finish the last several chapters because I just had to know how it all turned out. I will definitely look for more books by this author.

This was a good story with unlikeable characters. It’s set in coastal Maine with an impending hurricane. It has a lot of family drama but not many of the elements of a typical thriller. We have sisters with a lot of secrets coming to claim their inheritance and Charlie the chambermaid hiding a guest. In the end someone will end up dead.

Ominous locked room thriller. Hotel overlooking the ocean on the Maine coast, Hurricane coming. Creepy setting, check. Hotel owner dies, family coming for a reading of the will. Motive, check. Hurricane traps everyone in the hotel, and people start dying like flies. There is a murderer inside with no where to hide. (Oliver coming out in my review 😉) this was an Agatha Christie style whodunnit, with a twist.

This is my second book by this author and I have enjoyed both. Very entertaining read.

Thanks to NetGalley, st Martin’s press, and the author for an arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 stars rounded up.

Charley, a hotel maid, gets stuck with the Bishop sisters during a hurricane while they attend their dad's will reading. The sisters have complicated problems, dating back to their childhood. The story unfolds in the hotel, revealing secrets and building suspense. The storm outside matches the emotional turmoil inside, making it a gripping tale of family secrets and questionable alliances. The characters are so-so, but I enjoyed the writing style of Jamie Day.

Thank you to NetGalley, Jamie Day, and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this arc!