This was so wholesome and the perfect beach read! I really recommend you bring this on your beach trip this summer.

This was a great example of a time when I should disregard low Goodreads ratings. I loved this little slice of life character study of a family on vacation at the beach. All of the characters felt fresh and real to me. I can see why people who rely on plot-focused novels would find this boring, but I actually really loved the chance just to get to know the characters. It's fairly short and fast-paced, so I didn't feel like it was a slog to get through. There were aspects of this novel that also reminded me somewhat of my own family, so perhaps this is why I enjoyed it more than other readers. I am excited to check out some of Newman's other books now, since this was such a fun read for me.

This is the story of a family on a beach vacation and their relationships. There is the main character, Rocky, and her husband, Nick. Their grown children, a son who brings his girlfriend of many years and a daughter who is gay and in college. They are joined by Rocky's parents as well halfway through the week.

Rocky is in menopause and angry all the time. She constantly rails at Nick and then wants him to comfort her. She has hidden a huge secret in their marriage for decades and resents him for not 'seeing' her in her totality although she has created the distance with her secret. She is also suffering from empty nest syndrome.

During the week, secrets are revealed. The son and his girlfriend are pregnant and haven't yet decided what to do. Rocky guesses and then causes a fight between the two by being the first to know, even before the boyfriend. Rocky's parents reveal family secrets such as the fact that many members of her father's family were killed in WW II by the Nazis. Her mother reveals that she has a heart condition and passes out on the beach necessitating a trip to the hospital. And Rocky finally reveals her big secret, although not directly to Nick. She tells her daughter and he overhears her.

Catherine Newman started as a children's book author but lately has written several adult novels, this being one of them. The book has gotten a lot of praise but I had a hard time with it as I couldn't relate to Rocky at all. This is a woman who has everything, a husband who continues to love and desire her, two grown children who are successful and still close to her and loving parents. Yet she whines and rages and is one of the most narcissistic individuals I've encountered in print. Her ideas of parenting are far from mine. I was thrilled as my children grew up and moved into their own lives as I raised them to be independent. My role as a parent of adult children is to support them when they ask for it but not to intrude and make everything about me. I was turned off as Rocky reminisces about giving her son sexual advice about specific techniques when he was a teenager. I can't imagine how Nick endured her constant ranting and blaming him for everything that has ever gone wrong in her life. This book is recommended for readers of women's fiction but beware.

I really loved Rocky - she had me laughing out loud multiple times! I loved the honesty and how close her relationship with Willa was. I also loved how accepting she was of Willa. I think some of the subject matter could be too polarizing and lead to lower reviews, but I also think there’s enough humor to balance it out. The only negative notes I have are that the ending became a little long and became too serious in tone compared to the rest of the book.

I enjoyed this! It felt like I wasn’t quite the target audience as a 29 year old but it did give me insight into how my mom looks at her kids. A quick read that covers many important topics in a nuanced way. Overall would recommend!

I was very excited to read this book after reading the synopsis, but overall it fell short for me. I did enjoy the concept and loved the setting, I just could not get into the characters or story like I thought I would. I kind of wish I had not read what it was about before picking it up. I wish I had just heard a little bit about it from someone and gone into it with less expectations and I wonder if I would have liked it more?

Thank you to netgalley for providing an e-galley for review. Sandwich explores that in-between time of parenting almost adults and starting to parent your parents. The book recalls childhood memories and how grief unexplored leads to rifts, but not insurmountable ones. Very relatable and true to life.

Not what I was expecting, but I enjoyed leaning about this quirky, loving family as they spend their annual week at the beach cottage. It’s about love and its evolving state, whether it’s romantic or parent/child. It’s about keeping secrets and whether the holder of the secrets is trying to protect their loved ones or themselves. It touches on post-partum depression and anticipatory grief and shines a spotlight on couple dynamics and navigating a marriage. The story is narrated with humor and self-deprecation by Rocky, the mom, who is dealing with menopause, the weight of guilt, and being an empty nester. Recommended

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Harper through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Catherine Newman has become an author whose books will immediately be a purchase in the future for me. "Sandwich" is such an intimate tale of a family's vacation that is so specific yet so incredibly relatable for anyone who has spent a meaningful amount of time with their own relatives. I cannot wait to read her next publication.

A good lighthearted read. Made me a bit apprehensive about menopause but all in good humor! A very relatable little book.

I tried reading this book last year because all my book buddies raved about it, but I couldn't relate to the main character because I’m only in my 30’s and my children are very young. I didn’t want to DNF, so I set it aside for another time.

Fast forward to now, I listened to the audiobook and was bored to death with the lack of a plot and the bland characters.

Wow, this book just did not work at all for me, from the opening pages where main character Rocky is introduced dealing with an overflowing toilet in her rented beach house, which I think is supposed to be a quirky, "meet funny" moment not-so-subtly indicating the state of her life but which immediately turned me off to both her and the book. Things did not get better with the introduction of Rocky's son and particularly her daughter, who never rose above stereotypes for me (her long-suffering husband was the only character I felt for) and the hot-button-issue plot points and stilted dialogue often felt engineered primarily to serve as a soap box. "Sandwich" has over 20,000 five star reviews, so maybe it's me--and I am ok with that.

Thank you to NetGalley and to Harper for providing me with an ARC of this title in return for my honest review.

Sandwich by Catherine Newman is well written with interesting characters. However, it felt a bit lackluster for me and was a bit of a slog to get through.

Sandwich is a place in Massachusetts known as a beach town. Rocky and Nick have spent every summer there since their children were very small. This summer, the kids are grown, and Rocky (who is the mom), is reminiscing about summers when the kids were small. She has had a hard time accepting the empty nest phase of her life, so this one week is just pure love and joy for her.

The anxiety she feels every day is told very well by the author. I could almost feel it for her. She is in between dealing with grown kids that no longer need her, and her parents that are getting older. To add to that, she is experiencing menopausal symptoms that are not very pleasant. I really felt sorry for Rocky, as it seemed to me, she suffered from depression as well. For a first novel by Ms. Newman, I thought it was pretty good. Thank you to Harper publishing and NetGalley for the ARC

I loved this read so much! It was a book I didn't know I needed and at the perfect time! While I might be younger than the main character, I did feel like there was a lot for me to relate to throughout the story. And it definitely made me give pause to the craziness of life, slow down, and appreciate my relationships with my husband, and my kids. But it almost made me sad about how quickly this life flies by and how each chapter in our lives brings us different hurdles and different mountains to climb. Loved this one and how it made me reflect.

A delightful read, a fresh voice from threading between the generations - didnt sound like every other mom POV out there.

Sandwich by Catherine Newman is a poignant, funny, and heartfelt exploration of family dynamics, aging, and self-discovery. Set during a yearly family vacation to Cape Cod, the novel follows Rocky, a woman navigating the challenges of midlife, hormonal changes, and the shifting roles within her family. Sandwiched between her children, who are growing up fast, and her aging parents, who require more care, Rocky’s world feels both familiar and increasingly complicated.

Newman’s writing shines as she delicately balances humor with the emotional weight of Rocky’s journey. The book captures the bittersweet nature of family vacations—how the same rituals and locations can be a source of joy and tension alike. As Rocky grapples with her changing body and the unresolved emotional baggage from her past, the narrative takes readers through a reflective journey, revealing the complexity of her relationships and the secrets she’s kept hidden.

With rich, relatable characters and moments of sharp humor, Sandwich is an insightful look at the turbulence of midlife and the impermanence of family life. It’s a story of love, forgiveness, and accepting oneself—perfect for readers seeking a story about growth, vulnerability, and the messiness of life. Newman's engaging voice and vivid storytelling make this novel a heartfelt and enjoyable read.

While reading SANDWICH It was hard not to root for Rocky and Nick in this emotional and heartwarming story. Both characters enjoy a simple life and neither needs much to enjoy life. But, there are some pretty big obstacles for them to overcome. I really loved the fun-flowing banter between all of the family members and really enjoyed their reactions to the issues that come up throughout the week of vacation. SANDWICH has a slower pace, but I didn’t mind as that’s exactly what the characters needed too. Their love story is one I’ve heard before, but it’s still unique and very special.

I loved SANDWICH very much. It is emotional, funny at times, hopeful, and inspirational. The characters are deep, well-developed, and realistic. SANDWICH is a book about love and change and loss, all packed into an annual family vacation week on Cape Cod. After reading for a while and getting pulled into the book I started to realize that Nick and Rocky were both much more complex than I initially realized. Also, they were very good together. Nick made Rocky a better person and made her want to do more with her life. Nick was the light that Rocky needed in her life. However, they both have their own issues they need to work out first.

The way these characters in SANDWICH interact and learn to trust each other makes a wonderful story and I was very glad to go on this journey! When Rocky’s secret from years ago comes back, front and center in her life, she wonders how much her life is about to change. Now Rocky is forced to face what she did and why, all those years ago. I found myself so absorbed in SANDWICH that I couldn’t wait until I knew what happened with everyone and how Ms. Newman was going to wrap up this heart tugging story. I can’t wait to read more by this wonderful author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions expressed are my own and were voluntarily given.

"Sandwich" is about three generations of one family being brought together for their annual family vacation. All have a unique voice but the one resounding voice heard above the others is Rocky’s. Along with her husband, she is sandwiched between her parents and two adult children.

The main focus of this story is their extended family as seen through Rocky’s eyes and heart. It’s bold and tender, full of humor and sadness, and her first-person narrative exposes her secrets, fears, and regrets. But mostly, it's a story about deep, endearing love.

I read Catherine Newman's previous novel "We All Want Impossible Things" and fell in love with her simple writing style, emotional storytelling, and perfectly imperfect characters. My first response after reading it was "Wow, what a ride".

How does Newman pack so much believable life and living into novels that are barely over 200 pages?

I was hooked on "Sandwich" seconds after reading its short prologue. It's my favorite read of 2024 and I highly recommend it. Thank you, Catherine Newman, for another great ride!

5⭐

Thank you to Harper and Catherine Newman for the DRC via NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.

I cannot explain how much I loved this book. I fell in love with Catherine Newman after reading We All Want Impossible Things and it's candor and approach to tragic topics that managed to feel real and hysterical. Newman continues this work in this book: Sandwich is so FUNNY and heartbreaking and well-written. It tells the story of a family’s week at the beach, where the main character has adult children and aging parents (the sandwich generation) and so many feelings. Catherine Newman is one of the funniest writers I’ve ever read, and she manages to capture relationships in the most lovely way that feels honest and warm.