I loved Dear Edward and really liked Hello Beautiful, but this novel — Ann Napolitano’s debut — fell a bit flat for me, and I generally like multi-generational, family storylines. This one tells the story of three generations of the McLaughlin family, an Irish-Catholic family that is pretty dysfunctional and has been thrown into somewhat of a tumult because of an unexpected pregnancy. It is told from six different viewpoints, including Grace, who is unmarried and pregnant, and her grandmother, the matriarch who is near death. Although the characters were well-developed and beautifully constructed, the storyline dragged quite a bit. Nonetheless, I found it to be and interesting read, and I look forward to reading more from Ms. Napolitano.

I keep saying I’m going to stop accepting/requesting ARCs, because I have so many unread books on my shelves. And then I get a widget for this one from @randomhouse @thedialpress and ugh…of course I can’t resist. This book came to me at just the right time. I love to get lost in family dramas and this one let me get inside the thoughts of 5 different characters.

A large Irish family with a Grandmother at the heart of this story. The McLaughin family is full of characters that are poor communicators, stuck in their own negative thoughts and oblivious to the vast amounts of love around them- I devoured this one. If you loved Hello Beautiful, I think you’ll love this one too. I actually liked this one more. As an interesting note- this is Napolatino’s first book. In her author’s note she speaks about the failures of her first works. This one flew under the radar, so the publisher reprinted it in paperback after the success of Hello. Lucky for us!!

I loved this story. I loved this family. I loved these characters. I loved how flawed each one was. I loved how interconnected the characters were. I loved hearing about situations from so many different points of view. A word of warning though- if you love a neatly wrapped up ending- you won’t find it here. It almost felt like the story just stopped all of a sudden. But it made me think about how many different ways the core events could turn out. I love a messy family with an open ending so… of course I LOVED this book!

I just can’t say enough about this author’s writing. It’s gorgeous without being too flowery, it’s observational without throwing opinions in your face, and it’s just so emotionally spot on. Whatever she writes, I’m reading it.

Thank you @netgalley @thedialpress and @randomhouse for the ARC to read and review. Available NOW!

Within Arm’s Reach was first published in 2004 — Ann Napolitano’s debut. I am so glad that her publisher decided to re-release the book. I am a huge fan of Hello Beautiful and Within Arm’s Reach really shows you how Ann developed her writing over the years. There is a grain of Hello Beautiful in this book, although it is not as polished as Ann was twenty years younger when she wrote the book.

The book is about the McLaughlin family — Catherine the matriarch of a large Irish family — 5 living children and three dead ones. The book follows Catherine as she begins to decline and follows her four daughters, 4 granddaughters and grandson. The most focus is on Kelly, Catherine’s oldest daughter and her two granddaughters Lila and Grace. Lila is a joyless individual who is in medical school for the wrong reasons — Grace likes sex and ends up pregnant and she decides to keep the baby.

There were many perspectives from different characters in the book, which worked for me until she introduced a perspective near the end from a character who had not been heard from before. I thought that late perspective was odd and didn’t really work.

I appreciated this book and getting to sit with Ann Napolatino’s early works.

Thank you to the publisher and net galley for a free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Crown Publishing / Random House & NetGalley for the ARC of this re-issue.

This was a tedious book. I learnt that this is the author's debut book and therefore I'm reading it courtesy the re-issue, some 20 years later. While I haven't read other works by the author (Hello Beautiful recently seemed to be everywhere), and therefore not sure if this is her general style of writing (however, the Goodreads ratings for this book vs her others seem to suggest that the others aren't as dull), I did not enjoy this book folks.

I think my issues with this re-issue (ha) were twofold: (1) nobody was likeable in this Irish (immigrant) American family. In fact, calling them unlikeable is being generous - they were completely unrelatable, emotionless and downright detestable. There, that is a much more accurate description. The extreme and disastrous choices they make as adults and the places they emanate from (childhood traumas and familial tragedies) make very little sense and could very well be averted by a couple of sessions of therapy - or really even talking to a friend who is normal. They are unjustifiably unkind to each other, their conversations unnatural and stunted and they may have been inspired by a real-life family but as a reader it was very hard for me to understand why a decently well-off family from New Jersey of all places had so many problems.

(2) Nothing ever happens in this book! Ann Napolitano's writing style is pacey enough but there was absolutely no material here. Nearly nothing unfurls in the first 50% of the story and then the little that does is not enough / doesn't really go anywhere. Unfortunately, a miss for me, and might even be categorized as a colossal waste of time.

Fantastic plot! I could not put the book down once I began reading it. I am so glad the book has been released. I will recommend it to everyone I know!

A multi-generational saga are some of my favorite reads. Within Arm's Reach features a large, strict catholic family, the McLaughlins. The family matriarch is aging, siblings are feuding and a grandchild gives them something special to bring them back together.

Napolitano's writing immediately immerses you into the story and its characters. Like her previous works, this story portrays the ups and downs of families, and what happens when all is forgiven.

Thank you, Random House Publishing Group - Random House | Dial Press Trade Paperback.

I thoroughly enjoyed Within Arm's Reach by Ann Napolitano. I have not read any other books by this author, but I definitely will read them all after this one. This book was actually published in 2004 and is being re-released after the success of her recent novels.

Overall, I thought this was a heavy story of three generations of women in an Irish Catholic family, but the author developed her characters so well that I was drawn in from the very beginning. I read this book within a few days because I needed to learn more about the McLaughlin family.

Here are a few things I enjoyed about Within Arm's Reach: (1) multiple points of view (I love stories with alternating POV), (2) all of the secrets (including infidelity and an unplanned pregnancy) this family held from outsiders and from each other, (3) the relationship between Gracie and her grandmother Catherine and (4) how authentic this story felt as my own mother comes from a very large Catholic family.

I felt the ending was a bit abrupt, but it allows the reader to contemplate their own ending to the story.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the eARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

Family’s are messy and Ann Napolitano has done an amazing job showing how the McLaughlin’s, a large Irish Catholic family interacts with each other while all of them are going through some type of difficult situation.

Catherine is the head of the family. She has faced so much loss. She’s getting older so she tries to pull her family together.

Her family is dealing with an unplanned pregnancy, an affair, grief, guilt, depression, an identity crisis, infertility and mental illness. But they are Irish an no one in this family can talk about anything unpleasant or having to do with emotions.

I loved that all of her characters were dealing with a completely different situation. I could tell that this was one of her earlier works republished because it was not as polished as Dear Edward or Hello Beautiful but that did not keep me from being fully invested in the story. My only complaint is that there is not a sequel to find out what happens next. The ending was left so open I was literally screaming “It can’t end like this!!”

Ann Napolitano is an auto buy for me. I love her characters and story lines that are heartbreaking one minute and endearing the next.


I received this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I love Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano and was excited to pick up this previous work by her. I’m glad I did as there were a lot of similarities between the two. Within Arm’s Reach follows three generations of an Irish Catholic family as they learn the oldest girl of the youngest generation is pregnant out of wedlock. The family members all have different reactions to this news and family ties are pushed and pulled as a result.

I love Ann Napolitano’s writing and found this work easy to get lost in. I did find the characters a bit more superficial than I would have liked which led to my investment in their outcomes decreasing. I enjoyed the multiple POVs and the pacing of the novel. The ending is open but in a way that makes sense for the story and is still enjoyable. Overall I had a good time with this work!

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group, and Dial Press Trade Paperback for access to this ebook in exchange for an honest review!

This novel is the author’s debut novel, rereleased after the success of her other books. The multigenerational story of a big Irish American family living in New Jersey is layered and intense. Character driven, the focus is on the grandmother Catharine, the mother and daughter Kelly, and Kelly’s daughters, Lila and Gracie. Catharine is at the time of her life when she is reevaluating her relationships with her own parents, her children and grandchildren. Lila is a med student, unsure whether that path is one she chose for herself or a result of expectations. Gracie and Lila have their own complicated relationship, something Catherine would like to fix. Kelly’s marriage is at risk, but she is not ready to face it yet. Love, loyalty, hardships, and more all contribute to this well written absorbing story. Recommended. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Maybe I wasn't in the right frame of mind to read this novel at this time because I could not seem to follow the many characters and became rather lost and found this book did not keep my interest. long enough to finish it..

I have truly enjoyed reading Ann Napolitano's current books, however, I struggled with this reprint of her debut novel. I understood the concept of the story and that family struggles, relationships, and history were the main focus. The characters, while interesting in themselves, could not function as a family - unit in so many way. Each chapter was designated to one of the main characters in the McLaughlin family. Each member had their own distinct demons they were fighting against and trying to keep separate from their family, which was dysfunctional no matter how much Grandma Catherine wanted it to be otherwise. The writing of the author and her ability to make the reader feel invested in the characters of her books has improved greatly over the years. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Grouo, for the opportunity to read and review this advance reader copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #NetGalley #WithinArm'sReach

This book had kind of a slow start, but I appreciated the relationships between the characters! The alternating perspectives were a nice way to hear from everyone and see what they were thinking, as well as how they felt about one another. Overall a great family story!

Within Arms Reach is Ann Napolitano’s debut novel that has been reissued due to success in the last couple years with Dear Edward and Hello Beautiful. It’s a story about a large Irish family told through the points of view of many of the family members and others close to them. Hello Beautiful was my favorite book last year and I liked Dear Edward as well but Within Arms Reach was a story I couldn’t get behind. It was well written and you could see how far Napolitano has grown as a writer but the characters were harsh and unlikeable. I’m glad I was able to read it though. Thank you NetGalley and Random House for an ARC of the book for a review.

Synopsis: A three generation Irish family and their lives.

Thoughts: This was a struggle to finish. The ending felt unfinished and had a lot of loose ends. I could not connect to any of the characters, and there were a lot throughout the book. I had high hopes because I really did not like Hello, Beautiful and wanted to give this author another try.

Thank you to Ann Napolitano, Random House Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for providing me with an ARC of this book.

Set in the heart of New Jersey, we're introduced to the sprawling McLaughlin clan through the perspectives of not one, not two, but five family members, along with an outsider thrown into the mix for good measure. The story follows this Irish Catholic family and for anyone unfamiliar with books spanning generations, it may be an abrupt entry point. Where this book excels is in well-crafted and layered characters but it can be difficult to follow without a clear plot. Keeping track of everyone in this bustling family tree was a bit like herding cats at first. Within this novel, prepare to encounter a whirlwind of themes and emotions. From the complexities of love and loss to the tangled web of sibling rivalry and long-held grudges, Napolitano explores it all. Pregnancy out of wedlock, the weight of tradition, the delicate balance of mental illness—all are expertly woven into the fabric of this multilayered narrative. Yet, within that chaos, one theme shines through with unwavering clarity: the unbreakable bond of family. Despite their flaws and follies, the McLaughlins remind us that, in the end, family is everything.

But perhaps the biggest challenge with the book should have been the best part —the ending. While Napolitano leaves us with plenty of breadcrumbs to consider the fate of our beloved characters, I couldn't help but wish for a more concrete conclusion.

So, if you're like me and enjoy the rich storytelling of family sagas told from multiple perspectives, do yourself a favour and pick up a copy of "Within Arm’s Reach."

Thank you so so much to the publisher and netgalley. I will preface this by saying I LOVED the author’s two previous works but this one didn’t work for me. I didn’t realize this was a re-issue of a previous edition. It is a character driven multi generational story which I think readers of stories such as We are the Brennans will love,

#Withinarmsreach#netgalley
Within Arms Reach by Ann Napolitano

Catherine is the grandmother and matriarch of this family. The strength that holds everyone together but she is dying and is concerned what will happen to her kids and grandchildren when she passes so she arranges a party get together for everyone to come.
This story is told from several points of view. Admittedly I found it confusing as there were too many characters to follow.
The character development was good and the stories of problems in each relationship were believable but never really resolved.
The ending was kind of sudden and unsatisfying. However I must say although this book doesn't measure up to her other books she wrote I still found the writing very good. 3.75 for this book.

Thank you netgalley and random house for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I was so excited to see a new book by Ann Napolitano since I loved Dear Edward and Hello Beautiful. I quickly discovered this is actually a republishing of Ms. Napoliatano’s first book which was originally published 20 years ago.
This family drama chronicles the lives of the McLaughlin/Leary family during a 9 month period through the eyes of matriarch, Catharine; her oldest daughter, Kelly; Kelly’s two daughters, Gracie and Lila; and a nurse, Noreen. Everyone is dealing with their own drama and instead of working as a cohesive unit, each is so focused on their own issues that no one is able to help one another, until Lila’s eyes are opened by someone unexpected and she realizes that there’s more to life and family than what they all seem to think.
Normally I love family dramas, but this one just didn’t work for me. I don’t mind a dysfunctional family, but when there isn’t a single likable character within the pages of the book it makes it really hard to feel any kind of empathy for the characters and for the issues which they are all having.
After I read Hello Beautiful (having read Dear Edward a couple of years before) I was thrilled that Ms. Napolitano was able to write books that were so deep yet vastly different. It turns out I thought that only because I hadn’t yet read Within Arm’s Reach. I guess it’s a good thing I hadn’t read this one first because I never would have picked up her other two books. I can’t fault the 29 year old author for not writing a book with as much compassion as the 45-50 year old author did since time brings maturity, but I that doesn’t change how I feel about this debut novel. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for an advanced copy of this republishing. Within Arm’s Reach hit the shelves (again) on April 30th.

Through all of her character’s imperfections, mistakes, and gray choices, I have three times now, in 3 of her books I’ve read, been moved to tears with a feeling this is real life- we aren’t all good, all bad, all right or all wrong. Families are made up of complicated choices and experiences. Some of those experiences and choices are made before and for us and shape us into who we are. Within Arms Reach felt like the generational tale of the stories that shape us- for better or worse. And a sweet reminder at the end that we can change things going forward.

True to her character-driven style, the story of the McLaughlin family is unfolded for us through 6 different POVs. This does an excellent job of demonstrating how our stories weave into each other’s. The multigenerational aspect gives a clear picture of how the eras we grow up in have such a deep impact on the ways we are raised. I believe if Ann added an addition to this story with the newest generation of McLaughlin’s, we would see the positive effects that facing emotions head-on (and some therapy!) would have in the healing they all need.
As someone with young adult children and a teenager, Catherine’s POV made me feel the agony of choices you wish you could undo as parents and the pressure of time lost/running out to correct course.

Both Dear Edward and Hello Beautiful were 5 stars for me. I can absolutely see the influences of Within Arm’s Reach in her other books. I may not have liked this one as much had I not read her others first. My attachment to the characters was quicker simply because I felt I could trust the author. This being a debut novel (re-release), the depth of her characters felt a little faster in her more recent books. My recommendation would be that if you’ve enjoyed her later two books or any stories exploring the complicated layers of relationships, you’ll enjoy this as well! If you’ve not read her other work, I would start with either Hello Beautiful or Dear Edward (which has been adapted and streaming on Apple TV).