The story delves into the complexities of three generations of an Irish American family jarred by an unexpected pregnancy. Napolitano explores themes of guilt, loyalty, and the inextricable bonds that tie families together. I will say Hello Beautiful remains my favorite!

A very realistic portrait of family and the concept that sometimes we don’t like them all. The interwoven drama of patterned behavior and decades old trauma impacted the storyline in a meaningful way.

This Irish family drama sucked me in from the beginning. I really enjoyed getting different characters perspectives. Just enjoyed.

i enjoyed this family saga! Napolitano has a way of telling stories that fully immerse you and take you through a rollercoaster of emotions. highly recommend!

WITHIN ARMS REACH
Ann Napolitano

When you share a secret, do you share in the shame?

Gracie comes from a tight-knit conservative family. And she has a secret that is going to change everyone’s life forever. It’s complicated and confusing and the thing she needs the most from her family right now may be the last thing she is going to get.

We follow along as Gracie’s secret is exposed and each member of her family responds. WITHIN ARMS REACH is an exploration of how carrying secrets affects us and those who love us.

Napolitano constructs her most vivid characters in an interesting way. She introduces them first in terms of what they do not have. We are first introduced to the things they are not instead of the things they are.

Instead of a gradual revealing of negative attributes, it is the opposite. And in the case of Gracie in WITHIN ARMS REACH, there is a slow revealing of her positive attributes. Instead of diving in an ocean looking for sharks we are swimming with the sharks and looking for dolphins.

I am a fan of Napolitano’s writing however this is not my favorite of hers by far. Unfortunately, the story is still pertinent today if not more than it was twenty years ago. It’s available now and I’m glad they have rereleased it.

Thanks to Netgalley, Random House Publishing Group, and Random House | Dial Press Trade Paperback for the advanced copy!

WITHIN ARMS REACH…⭐⭐⭐

Hello Beautiful is one of my favorite books of all-time. This one was not as good, but it was still enjoyable. This book is a re-release of her first book. It has been compared to The Connelly's of County Down, and I agree when it comes to family dynamics and Irish American culture, it is similar. What was missing for me was a strong throughline other than in tough times family sticks together. There were a lot of people to follow (ok def Irish), but I didn't find any to be particularly lovable despite their faults. It took me some time to finish this which is not my usual reading style.

Within Arm’s Reach is a character-driven novel focusing on three generations of women of an Irish-American family and the struggles they face.
Normally I love a novel exploring the layers involved in family dynamics and coming of age, however I felt none of the characters were likeable, and I was not rooting for any of them. After reading both of the author’s more popular novels, I had expected more from this one and felt disappointed at the end.

I read the whole book because I was committed. I did not love this and had to oush myself to finish. Too many characters, many storyline not wrapped up

Very disappointed

This one didn't work for me, it's not a typical genre I reach for. I found the story to be really boring and dragged. Beautiful Cover but not a match for me.

They have just re-released Napolitano's debut novel WITHIN ARMS REACH, and I am so glad.

My first foray into Napolitano's writing was through HELLO BEAUTIFUL, which I adored. I loved this one just as much.

I love stories about big families and this is exactly what the book is about: three generations of an Irish Amercian family— with a multitude of characters centered around their matriarch who is nearing the end of her life. She is ploying to keep the family together after she's gone. 

Like most families, there are issues, tensions, unresolved resentments, rivalries, secrets, but also love, commitment, hope and dreams. Unplanned pregnancies, unexpected loves, tragic events, and connections with loved ones long gone.

I'm shocked to see it rated so low on Goodreads. I have yet to read DEAR EDWARD, but am l loving how Napolitano captures the dynamics within a family — the good and the bad.

This one was ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me. Couldn't put it down.

Thanks so much to @randomhouse and  @netgalley for the #gifted copy.

I loved both of the author's other books and was excited to learn that she had one I hadn't devoured yet. While this book was still enjoyable, it felt significantly different than her strong writing I've become accustomed to. It's another book focusing on multiple generations in the same family and it ebbs and flows as the family grows apart and comes back together at times. I felt like a few characters were developed well but others were lacking and I didn't know where the story was heading most of the time. If you haven't read her other books, I'd recommend starting there!

I enjoyed this family saga about a large Irish Catholic family and the highs and lows of their lives. This is a family story while simultaneously doing a great job developing the individual characters of different members of the family. This work spans multiple generations living connected lives, while each having their own secrets and stories. It is a story of the difficulties in life and the resilience to overcome these challenges. The author does a wonderful job portraying each of the character’s struggles and how that affects their perception of themselves within the lens of the family and how they interact with family and friends.
If you like a sweeping family saga, then this is for you. I really loved the way Napolitano was able to give the multigenerational story all in the span of a short timeframe, really focusing on the interactions within the family as well as the individual plot lines.
#WithinArmsReach #NetGalley #RandomHousePublishingGroup

Thank you to NetGalley and Radom House for the eARC. I was so excited to have been approved for this ARC. I thoroughly loved Dear Edward and truly enjoyed Hello Beautiful, so I was intrigued to check out this re-released of Ann's earlier work. Unfortunately, aspects of this story fell flat for me. There were several comments made by characters that simply did not age well and in a re-release should have been edited for sensitivity. I will say, the characters were well fleshed out and felt fully composed, which was not something I can say in my review of last year's Hello Beautiful. I look forward to future work from Napolitano.

Originally published in 2004, I questioned whether Within Arm's Reach would live up to my love of Ann Napolitano's 2023 release of Hello Beautiful. As it turns out, I may love this re-released debut more - or maybe the same amount, but a different kind of love - and I really didn't think that was possible!

Napolitano quickly tosses readers into the fray of an Irish American family, the cacophony of boisterous personalities vying for attention even while no number of discernible interactions occurs between them; within this family everyone is an island and acting for themselves alone. Napolitano builds characters, family dynamics and stories that build up around you as you read, only to be shocked to find the family not in fact surrounding you when you glance up from the book. Each and every character is richly developed and relatable. Catharine - the elderly family matriarch; Kelly - the daughter caught in the middle and seemingly pulled in every direction; Louis - the son-in-law trying to keep the peace; Lila - the rigid do-gooder doctor-in-training; Gracie the one just trying to have fun.

In no way does this novel feel like a book first released in 2004; it could have been written within the last year as it is just as relevant in today's world, as it was twenty years ago. This is both a testament to Napolitano's timeless writing, along with the fact that times have not changed all that much.

I devoured this book in a day, and I will wake up tomorrow missing and longing to know more about this family.

(The audiobook is narrated by a full cast, and I highly recommend it!)

Thank you NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group and Dial Press Trade Paperback for the complimentary copy to read and review.

Let me start by saying I LOVE Napolitano's previous two novels, Hello Beautiful and Dear Edward. Now you can understand why I am very sad to have to give the review that I would not recommend this one. I can definitely tell this is a first novel. Boy, has she improved! To be honest, I would not have re-published this. I sincerely hope it doesn't set her back. Her writing in this debut novel is overly descriptive, i.e., it doesn't show, it tells. I hate reading this type of writing. It makes me feel like the author doesn't trust me as a reader to take away what is meant to be conveyed. This style might be better for the young adult genre, though the subject-matter is not meant for a younger audience. I can see what she was trying to do. It's an inside look at at family set in their ways and how they deal with an aging matriarch. In some ways it even resembled Hello Beautiful, in showing the "outsider" who married into the family struggles to relate to the rest of the family. But even if there are similarities, I would never ever recommend this book when she has written two exceptional novels since.

So glad to see that this author's first book, "Within Arm's Reach" is getting a re-pub and some additional fanfare!

If you grew up in a large Irish Catholic family, you will immediately recognize the patterns and behaviors of the McLaughlin family. The struggles and the conflicts are not unique, nor are they incredibly complex. But each of the five POVs included in this novel includes a rich honesty and realness that will draw you in.

I will admit it was hard to keep track of all the family members at first, but Napolitano did a great job sketching enough of their personalities to make each one stand out. This one dragged just a bit for me towards the end, and I do wish we had gotten an epilogue or a more settled conclusion, but there is no denying that Ann Napolitano is a wonderful writer and I was impressed by this being her first novel!

Well written novel from the author of Dear Edward. Poignant and easy going read of family connections and love.

Ann Napolitano does it again! If you are a fan of her books, you will not be disappointed in this new one. The book sucks you in from the get-go and you will find yourself thinking about the characters long after you finish it. Do yourself a favor and get this book!!

Ann Napolitano is a very gifted writer who makes me feel all the feels with her books. So imagine my surprise when I realize how much I dislike this large Irish American family! They are dysfunctional, mean to each other, and also completely irrational in most of their thoughts and actions. I wanted so bad to hate this book and this family, but I ended up really liking them. They are realistically flawed, although I would like to think that my family doesn't think as many hateful things about me as these family members think about each other! This story is told in 6 POVs, all set in the present time. It is an easy read, however it left me feeling very sad about the family and wishing they would be nice to each other and communicate well instead of stuffing down all of their feelings. And this is where I realize that Ann did not let me down with this book. She has still made me feel all the feels, even if I do not like the feelings.

This book was originally published in 2004 and has been re-issued in 2024. The copy I read had a book club guide in the back with thought-provoking questions. Given the nature of this book I do feel like this would be a excellent book for a book discussion.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for my copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Within Arm’s Reach is a captivating tale of the expansive McLaughlin family residing in New Jersey. Narrated through the perspectives of five family members and an unrelated woman, the initial challenge of keeping track of everyone in this large family was mitigated by a helpful family tree provided at the beginning of the book. The narrative weaves through various threads, subplots, and issues, drawing the reader into its intricate web. Themes explored include the loss of connection, diverse perspectives on sexuality, the complexities of love, unplanned pregnancy, feelings of guilt and shame, sibling rivalries, lingering grudges, adherence to tradition, mental health struggles, the art of compromise, and the monumental task of maintaining family unity, which emerges as the ultimate priority.