•Plot: 2/5 (…nothing really happens. I guess if I had to sum it up, an unplanned pregnancy meets end of life care?)

•Characters: 2/5 (There’s so many characters. And I had a hard time connecting with any of them.)

•Writing: 2/5 (This book is written in present first person narration. It makes everything seem super choppy and I think it’s part of the reason none of the characters really landed for me. One of my favorite things about Napolitano’s books is the heart that she writes with…unfortunately, it just didn’t come through for me on this one.)

•Ending: 1/5

I love Ann Napolitano and was so excited to receive this ARC. Unfortunately, this one was a miss for me. I still highly recommend this author, but I’d definitely recommend some of her other titles first. Special thanks to Random House for the ARC.

A multi-generational family saga about a traditional Irish-Catholic family and several events that turn everyone's lives upside down.

This is Napolitano's first novel that is being republished due to the success of her most recent two. I actually enjoyed this a little more than <u>Hello, Beautiful</u>. It's told in a similar vein, but to me, this story had more enjoyably flawed characters with better development. I wasn't a huge fan of the abrupt ending though and the long chapters made the pacing a little slower than it could have been.

Having read and loved Napolitano's two other books (Dear Edward and Hello, Beautiful), I was overjoyed to get the opportunity to read the re-release of her first novel, Within Arm's Reach. I've always loved her style of writing, how she can craft such a beautiful and emotional story with characters you can relate to and care for. This book was more in the vein of Hello, Beautiful in that it explored the deep but extremely flawed relationships of a large family. I really enjoyed that the POV changed as we moved from chapter to chapter and it allowed for the layers of each character to peel away as we came to know them more intimately. While none of the characters I especially liked, I still was drawn in to the story and was intrigued by where things would lead and how it would end. I found it interesting to hear how the members of the family thought of each other and what they assumed was happening to another character (who we, the reader, were privy to the truth). I thoroughly enjoyed the complexity among Gracie and Lila, two girls who reminded me so very much of my own two young daughters; not close but learning to come together as adults. I loved how Catherine, the strong matriarch of the family, came to realize how critical her role was in the family as she came to terms not only with the knowledge of her own mortality, but also as she reflected on how she could have dealt with her immense traumas which seemed to pile on and on. Overall I was very pleased by this book and had I not known otherwise, I would have assumed this was her third published book, not her first. The stunning manner with which she gives her characters life is certainly a strength of this author and one of the reasons why I will auto buy her work going forward. What a great family literary journey. I'd recommend this for any reader who enjoys a slow burn family drama the likes of Mary Beth Keene or Ann Patchett. I'd especially recommend if you enjoyed Hello, Beautiful.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book with my unbiased and honest opinions.

Since I loved Ann's recent book, Hello beautiful, I quickly requested this book. I thought it was a new book when, in fact, it was her first book written and her agent had it rereleased.so that more people could enjoy it. Her writing has improved greatly since she wrote this book and it has similar family dynamics to Hello Beautiful. I loved exploring the relationships of three generations of this Irish family. It is a very enjoyable book. Thanks to @Net Galley for the ARC of this book.

Ann Napolitano, author of the highly-acclaimed novels Dear Edward and Hello Beautiful, has a new book coming out this spring. Within Arm’s Reach promises to be another beautiful tribute to family love, loyalty and triumph. Ms. Napolitano has a gift for creating families that are interesting, smart and filled with drama, and this book is definitely no exception. While Hello Beautiful and Dear Edward stand out to me as my two favorite Napolitano books, I enjoyed this latest title and will definitely recommend it this spring and summer.

I was really excited to read this book because I loved Hello Beautiful and Dear Edward. Just like these two books, Within Arms Reach was pretty sad. The difference is the other two books had happier endings. It wasn’t that Within Arms Reach had a sad ending, it just felt unfinished. I really want an epilogue to this book. However, Within Arms Reach was beautifully written and I was really drawn into the characters. Honestly, I couldn’t put the book down once I started reading it. I just wish it hadn’t ended so abruptly. I wish Ann Napolitano had added more to the ending before rereleasing it again. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read this book!

WITHIN ARM’S REACH ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5. This book revolves around a traditional Jersey Irish Catholic family, whose beliefs of putting on a front of faith & perfection is deep from that. Told from multiple POVs, when a granddaughter is unwed and pregnant, the families trauma comes to a fore front. So, unfortunately I just didn’t really connect with this book and therefore it had a hard time keeping my attention. The best part to me was the description of New Jersey (specifically Bergen County where I live). I didn’t like any of the characters, or the ending. I see how many who love contemporary fiction will love this book, just wasn’t for me. I felt when I finished it, that nothing was accomplished.

I’ve love Napolitano’s two latest novels. this is a republishing of her debut novel for its 20th anniversary. Honestly for me this book was hard to finish; her writing style has changed and improved immensely since this book and it’s definitely more of what would’ve been classified as ‘chick-lit’ rather than the hard hitting stories she writes today. as a fan of her work, this one just wasn’t for me sadly.

Ann Napolitano's 2004 novel is republished to the audience who loved Dear Edward and Hello Beautiful. The McLaughlin family lives in small town New Jersey. The adult children and their parents in this extended Catholic family all struggle to find love and romance. The novel focuses on two events: Gracie, who is in her late twenties, is pregnant; and Gram, the matriarch, breaks her hip. In between the family members are making career decisions and either looking to escape or find marriage. Set on the premise of the lives of a big Catholic family, the story is full of incidents where many of the Ten Commandments are broken.

I enjoy Ann Napolitano’s books immensely and this one is no different. This is a multi-generational family saga told from multiple point of views. For me, the multiple point of views was difficult at times to follow, but I did like the different perspectives. I don’t love an open ending and would have loved an epilogue for the characters, but a great read.

Thank you @netgalley and @randomhouse for the eARC of Within Arm’s Reach by @annnapolitano in exchange for an honest review!

📖📖 Book Review 📖📖 Prepare yourself for an emotional rollercoaster throughout Within Arm’s Reach. This book wastes no time diving right into the tough topics of pregnancy complications and child loss . Probably some of the most difficult topics to fathom and the stark reality is that women are still dying of childbirth in the USA in 2024. Through the unfathomable grief and loss, Ann Napolitano writes a beautiful and poignant novel about discovering hope and resiliency after your world comes crashing down around you. Generational trauma runs deep and is illustrated beautifully in this book through the multiple point of views as this family navigates through the highs and lows of life. An powerful read that is raw, relatable and relevant.

I was a big fan of Napolitano’s latest two books. And I’m assuming their success motivated Random House to bring back her first book, Within Arm’s Reach. Let’s just say that her writing has definitely improved.
The book tracks three generations of an Irish American family, starting with the grandmother, Catharine, moving to her daughter, Kelly and son-in-law, Louis, and then her two granddaughters. I struggled to engage with any of them. Catharine has visions, or “sightings” as she calls them. I typically struggle with books that contain any hint of ghosts and this was no exception. She’s birthed 9 children but only 6 survived. She’s a tough bird. Kelly, at age 56, is finally trying to find herself. She feels removed from both her daughters and siblings. Gracie, one of the granddaughters, is pregnant. She’s not married, not involved with the father but decides to keep the baby. Her sister, Lila, is doing rotations at the hospital but doesn’t have the personality to be good with patients (or anyone, to be honest). Think Doc Martin but without the humor.
While there are moments of the brilliance to come, this is a much more mundane story, despite everyone having problems. No one is happy with their current lives and all seemed to be trying to find a way to make a change. I struggled to engage with any of them.
My advice is, stick to her more recent books, which are excellent.
My thanks to Netgalley and Random House for an advance copy of this book.

Within Arm’s Reach has all the hallmarks of Ann Napolitano’s later novels. You have intense family dynamics with relationships between the women in the family at the center. There are some men in there, too, but especially in this book, they are weak and potentially expendable.

I enjoyed the relationship between sisters Lila and Gracie the best, although I sometimes lost track of who was who and who was dating whom. While I don’t have to have all storylines tied up in a bow in my books, I still like to have an idea of where things are headed, but this ending felt abrupt and left the book feeling unfinished to me.

I’m giving it three and a half stars, rounded up to four. Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy.

3.5 Stars
I was invited to read this by the publisher as I had previously enjoyed the author's prior works, "Dear Edward" and "Hello Beautiful". In the wake of her recent success, this is a re-issue of her very first book written 20 years ago.

The book depicts a large, Irish family with Catharine "Gram" McLaughlin as its matriarch, along with its trials and tribulations through the generations. Gram has endured the immeasurable grief of losing her eldest, three year-old daughter, as well as the stillborn birth of twins. You get a sense that they just don't make them like Catharine anymore- the kind of woman who can prioritize what's really important and get on with life- responsibly and one day at a time. There seems to be a lot more chaos and confusion in her children and grandchildren's lives and she feels like she's got to oversee their well-being before she dies. And she knows she's going to die soon because she's got "the sight" and has life-like visions of those who crossed over before her. The latest earth-shattering development is the out of wedlock pregnancy of her granddaughter Gracie. This pivotal moment is something that brings a lot of hope and expectation to Catharine as she determinedly hangs on to see her great-grandchild born. Some of the conflicts explored in this book are marriage infidelity, life's purpose (work/jobs), guilt about an employee's death on the job, and accepting people's differences.

I do enjoy reading about everyday people navigating everyday life, so enjoyed delving into the life challenges experienced by the various family members. I especially was intrigued by Catharine's granddaughter Lila, interning as a doctor at the local hospital. Despite her excellent marks and knowledge, she lacks empathy when dealing with people. I admired Gram the most for how strong she was living through the loss of three children and her common sense, no-frills take on life. It reminds me of myself when I was a teenager working in a five and dime and gravitating towards all the elderly employees for their wisdom. I sometimes found it difficult remembering who was narrating the chapter as the various family members volley telling this story. I also had trouble keeping track of all the family members in my mind. There is actually a graph at the beginning of the book outlining the family. The ending was a bit anti-climactic leaving me with unanswered questions. The writing style itself was free flowing, pleasant and easy. Even though there were many pearls of wisdom and a spectrum of life to be had from this book, I still found it to be just a "good" read. I was much more enamored of her most recent book "Hello Beautiful" which was the best book I read in 2023- and a lot of people agreed with me.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group / Dial Press for providing an advance reader copy via NetGalley.

Within Arm’s Reach is an early novel by Ann Napolitano. It is a beautiful family saga. Ann’s voice that I know and love from her recent novels is still very strong in this book. You can feel her personal experience shining through giving a real authenticity to the book. It may lack some of the polish of her recent novels but its flaws are often its strengths. This book is often confusing & frustrating, but filled with beauty and raw emotion. I enjoyed reading each characters story and feeling the family ties between each of them. Glad this one is being republished.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book. All thoughts ‘ opinions are mine alone.

After thoroughly enjoying Hello Beautiful, I was excited to take on Within Arm’s Reach upon re-release. With the same alternating first person accounts of the main characters, I knew i could count on multiple perspectives of the story while enjoying once again Napolitano’s seemingly effortless character development. The result is a rich chronicling of the McLaughlin family through 4 generations.

As typical with Napolitano, the family dynamics are messy, relationships are at times strained, and there are hills to climb. However, just like Hello Beautiful, I found myself rooting for perseverance of the family because the characters are relatable and likeable. Napolitano’s gift is her ability to get you to look in the mirror and recognize a part of yourself and your own family within the story.

In retrospect, I felt the author's two books are a bit too similar, with each having major emphasis on the relationships among the sisters. Still, Within Arm’s Reach was an enjoyable read. The only criticism I have is that Napolitano’s character development of the males in this story takes a back seat and is void of the same intensity and emotion delivered in the character development of Gracie, Lila, Kelly, Catherine, and even Noreen.

Truly intriguing and fascinating is this story of a dysfunctional family in a time of intense trouble. The thoughts and actions of five family members and a caretaker tell a tale of unhappy and confused people experiencing upheaval and of their coping mechanisms. All come to play when an unplanned pregnancy throws everyone into personal chaos.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is a re-release of Ann Napolitano’s 2004 debut novel. I loved Dear Edward and Hello Beautiful so I was excited to get an early copy through Net Galley. Let me just say that even in her twenties Ann knew how to tell a story. The characters are well developed and the story well written. There was not a rigid ending to the story. Instead, like real life, things were left open ended. She did give enough clues so that the reader, while drawing their own conclusions, could make pretty good guesses as to what might happen next. Now to find her second novel so I can say I’ve read all her books!

This is a lovely novel by Napolitano that I knew I had to read after Dear Edward. Catharine is the matriarch of a huge family and they all look up to her even as she's getting on in years and "ghosts" told her to stop after a car accident that puts her in the hospital. Now granddaughter Gracie is pregnant and the entire family must come together as they each have different attitudes about whether she should keep it or not as she had an abortion earlier in her life. It's a fascinating look at a family trying, sometimes failing to live up to the standards set by others; there are heartbreaks but all these families are linked by suffering and scandal...but mostly by love!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

I DNF this book, I just couldn’t get into the story. Too slow moving for me. I have tried to read it two different times. Therefore, I will let other reviewers who enjoy this book promote it, so I will not be posting on social media or reviews on retail sites. That way, this book gets much deserved attention from those reviewers who loved it!

I was disappointed as I have read enjoyed other books written by Ann Napolitano.