I was drawn to the title - hilarious, and cover - oh so whimsical. It felt like peak summer fun. The story is based on a real life experience Sally Franson had as a contestant on a Swedish Reality show. It is a story of chosen family, personal growth, and a love of all things Swedish.

At times I felt like there was too much political commentary but overall it was a fun read for a long summer weekend.

3.5 stars, but rounding down.
Thank you to netgalley & Mariner Books for the advanced reader copy!

This was an interesting book. From the cover, I was expecting a rom-com but this is more of a women's fiction, coming-of-age story, though with a heroine in her thirties. That's not to say there isn't humor; there is plenty to generate laughter and some great one-liners but also a fair amount of soul searching and emotional depth. It was meatier than I expected it to be.

There's a fairly large cast of characters and at times I did get confused about who was who and which back story applied to which contestant on the show. I had to go back and forth a few times to figure it out. Paulie's character is pretty well fleshed out over the course of the book with a significant amount of self-growth after a rocky journey. She's a fish out of water so some ups and down are to be expected but she's also at loose ends in life. I enjoyed not only watching her evolve but also realizing my feelings about her had evolved as well. I didn't like her all that much at the beginning but that slowly began to change as she changed. And I also enjoyed her interactions with the other contestants. I was surprised by the relationships that formed - and with whom - as well as the challenges other characters faced. And I love the found family. That part of the book made my heart so happy.

My favorite part of the book is the travel around Sweden during the filming of the reality show. The author does a great job of creating a sense of place as well as capturing the personality of Swedes in general. Many of the locales depicted in the book are places I've visited and it was fun to revisit them through her words and characters. For those readers who have not visited Sweden, this book just may make you book that trip.

*Note: I feel I should warn readers that Paulie's character is very blunt and outspoken about her negative feelings relating to politics and social issues in the U.S. so if that's not your cup of tea, you may want to give this book a pass or just take a pass on those pages.

ARC received from publisher via NetGalley
Fair and unbiased review

Whenever I give books like this a chance on my reading list, I know there are even odds that I will like it or feel lukewarm toward the contents. This is a case of lukewarm. I don’t have anything against the main character Paulie, but her life is exhausting to read about. I wonder if people like this exist in real life or if we only read about them in books. The word that comes to mind is flibbertigibbet.
I have Swedish ancestry so the description spiked my interest. I’ve been to Sweden and lived with a family for a couple of weeks. That Sweden bears very little resemblance to what is described in Big in Sweden. I hoped for connection but didn’t find it.
Thanks to Netgalley and Mariner Books for the opportunity to review this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Mariner Books for this E-ARC.

I was so excited to read this book. My mom and her side of the family is Swedish and that’s where I grew up. I was really hoping that the writer was going to get the references and jokes correct! And boy did they. There were many times where I was laughing about the jokes or references to something. The nostalgia was real.

However the characters are insufferable. I hated them. I don’t know if that was the point of the book? To kind of point out the way certain things bother Americans that don’t bother other countries? I’m not sure. I just found them annoying and whiny.
There’s one line that says “you Americans are so mad. And sad. In Sweden we are all just a little depressed all the time”. I laughed at that. Cause it’s true. In the winter, where I grew up, it was 22 hours of darkness. So you spent 5 months not seeing the sun and you were just kind of depressed all the time.

Overall, good book. Loved the way it was accurate to the language and certain jokes.

𝘽𝙞𝙜 𝙞𝙣 𝙎𝙬𝙚𝙙𝙚𝙣 𝗯𝘆 𝗦𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗼𝗻
𝘈𝘷𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘕𝘰𝘸
𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆: "Big in Sweden" introduces us to Paulie Johansson, an American woman whose life takes an unexpected turn when she auditions for a Swedish reality show on a whim, urged on by her best friend Jemma. Despite initial doubts and the disapproval of her boyfriend Declan, Paulie's quirky charm wins her a spot on the show. Packed with her trusty Polaroid camera and a cherished copy of Pippi Longstocking, Paulie heads to Sweden to join seven other contestants in a series of eccentric challenges, from rowing in stormy weather to facing off in a pickled herring eating contest. Along the way, Paulie discovers deeper connections to her Swedish heritage and grapples with newfound perspectives on family, friendship, and love. "Big in Sweden" explores cultural discovery and self-acceptance in a journey filled with unexpected connections and personal growth.

𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀: This book surprised me with its blend of humor, introspection, and social commentary, which was quite different from what I expected based on the cover and blurb. Paulie Johansson is a realistically flawed character. I enjoyed the balance between Paulie’s moments of self-discovery and her humorous escapades. At times, the story felt chaotic as there was so much information on Sweden and political commentary mixed throughout the story. Still, Franson's writing is irresistible, offering thoughtful perspectives on identity and family dynamics through Paulie's experiences. This book encourages readers to ponder deeper themes while entertaining them with Paulie's witty navigation of life's twists and turns. It's definitely a novel that sparks contemplation and conversation, making it a rewarding read for those who appreciate layered storytelling and meaningful insights.

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗲𝗻𝗷𝗼𝘆:
🇸🇪 Women’s literature
🇸🇪 Found family
🇸🇪 Game shows
🇸🇪 Foreign countries
🇸🇪 Strong female characters

Thank you, NetGalley and Mariner Books, for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this book more than I thought I would! It was humorous at times and I think it had a great message.

Paulie was such a relatable character and she was truly a delight. I loved following her journey from the beginning of the book through her time on the show and how she developed and really found herself and her happiness, as well as family.

Honestly this book was just a delight to read and it kept me hooked from the very beginning.

I feel like the main character could have just taken an Ancestry.com or 23andme DNA test to find her family. I did not like her and did not find her funny

i requested this purely for the cover, and i ended up being a bit disappointed. i didnt like the talk about american politics. i didnt disagree with paulie’s opinions, but i found the way she talked about politics annoying. i just found her annoying and unlikable in general. i couldnt tell if she was supposed to be unlikable or not. i was glad the end was happy, though, even if it wasnt quite what i expected

After discovering Sally Franson’s first book “A Lady’s Guide To Selling Out”, I instantly knew that I found my perfect “cup of tea”! In this latest release, the main character, Paulie, (after consuming a few glasses of wine with her bestie) enters a Swedish reality TV contest. She gets flown to Sweden for filming along with a group of fellow American misfits also seeking to rediscover their origin.

For Paulie this trip was both a journey to discover her roots and to figure out her own self. The filming of the show, the “manufacturing of drama” was not an easy feat. Strung high on emotions, Paulie was often angry and, as a result, was lashing out at the others. But she came a long way, and I loved watching her relationship with her fellow contestants grow.

Favorite scenes?? Paulie’s romance! ABBA museum shenanigans!!! (Adding to my bucket list of places to visit ASAP). Clash of cultures was described in such epic way, the author nailed it! The diverse characters were so well written and so imperfect in such a perfect way.

I just have to say that the author has such an amazing talent for writing that I constantly marveled at it as I read. And did I mention the humour?! I mean, I read so many fun and funny novels, but this is next level! I don’t think I’ve ever laughed this hard in my entire life while reading a book!

What a great feel-good read! I hope you go into this book with an open mind and an open heart, and embrace the multitude of emotion in it. Really, a must-read novel this summer!

Big in Sweden by Sally Franson was such a charming story.
I enjoyed everything about this one.
The writing was fun, the characters are engaging and the storytelling was entertaining.

Thank You NetGalley and Mariner Books for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

On a drunken whim, Paulie Johansson applies to be on Swedish reality show Sverige och Mig featuring Americans of Swedish origin competing to learn about their roots.

This book is an entertaining look at American society, finding family and not letting life happen to you but taking action to create the life you want. Paulie is floundering. While she has long-term and steady partner Declan after a chaotic childhood, she hates her tutoring job and has given up pursuing photography.

However, I found this book dense and slow going that it took me a long time to get through this book. While the reality show was a great way to heighten the drama but I found myself bored by the ridiculous challenges and wanted to see more character development for Paulie, who I just couldn't grasp. I am all for complicated female characters but I'd liked to have seen start to have a few 'aha' moments earlier. I felt really sorry for Declan, but would've loved to have seen more of him. I'm pleasantly surprised and enjoyed that resolution, though I wish there was more of a pay off for it.

Overall an enjoyable but slow read.

Thanks to Mariner Books and NetGalley for the ARC.

I must preface this review by saying that I don't read fiction that often, so I didn't have a lot of expectations going in. At first, I was pulled in by the premise of the book, but as I read on, I became appalled by Paulie and her desire to wait for things to happen TO her vs her being an active participant in the planning of her life. However, as I continued to read and learned more about the other contestants, I realized that it wasn't fair of me to judge Paulie so harshly because she is just a human and even characters can be human, which is a hard concept for me to grasp when I read vs watch. I felt neither disappointed nor fully satisfied with the ending, instead, I would say that I felt content that the story ended on the right note.

Just a quick summary: On a whim, Paulie submits her application to audition for a reality tv show in Sweden called "Crying Americans", where Americans of Swedish descent learn about Swedish culture through a series of high stakes games, cultural immersion, and being pushed to their limits. In the end, they get to meet their Swedish family. Every episode, someone gets sent back to America after their elimination, no staying around to watch or sabotage the remaining contestants. What happens in between every episode is where the real story unfolds.

I wanted to like this book but it fell short. For me Paulie just wasn’t a character with many redeeming qualities. I know this was supposed to be a book about self discovery but I didn’t feel like Paulie really did any of that. I struggled with the book as a result. Thank you Net Galley and Mariner Books for the advanced copy of the book in exchange for my honest opinion.

The writing style of this one is very....confusing...to say the least. I had no idea what was happening within the first 10% of the book because the narration is all over the place.

This was laugh out loud funny, which is so rare these days. It was witty, biting but also charming. Honest in a way few books feel these days . . . I adored this one! This will make you want to travel but also to realize that no one has it all figured out. Definitely add to your TBR!!

Big in Sweden comes out next week on July 2, 2024, and you can purchase HERE!

The thing is, unless you get married, buy a house, build an important career, and/or have children, the narrative arc for a thirtysomething woman sort of sputters and stalls. I had recently turned thirty-five, had no career to speak of, and found myself more or less unfit for marriage, property, and procreation, either despite or because of biweekly rummagings through the subconscious in group therapy. I often waxed nostalgic to Jemma about our twenties and the acute sense of purpose that had defined them-the quests for new jobs, new lovers, new dresses and apartments! The delicious suspicion that one's real life was lurking around every corner! I even missed my particleboard bookshelf, which had listed so badly-for years!-it finally collapsed on a guy we called Crotchgrabber while he offered me an unsolicited explanation of cryptocurrency. How he had screamed! It was more emotion than I'd ever seen from him, including the grunt of his orgasm.

I enjoyed this story about a Swedish reality show. I was really rooting for Lars and Paulie. Loved the other annoying contestants. Some interesting facts about Sweden. Story about self discovery but not sure I bought her choice at the end.

Geez, the writing just did not grab me. I've actually heard of the swedish gameshow and was intrigued to try the book out. I've known a couple of people who've been on the show. But the writing I just couldn't find love in the words or the characters. It seemed a bit all over the place. The book cover is what drew me in.

This had such promise- I love a tv show book but this one just really wasn't hitting for me so I DNF'ed it about 50 pages in. I hope to maybe go back at some point when it might better suit my tastes because it's a cool premise and a gorgous cover! Sadly just not for me.

I went in thinking I would enjoy this book. I've really been loving all the women who find themselves through an odd journey in their life. This was a little bit of a disappointment.
Paulie wins a chance to be on a reality show based in Sweden, where she'll learn of her family history and if she wins, meet her family. The book is all about the journey. And none of it really made any sense to me. She was contradictory at best, flipping from hating someone to being their friend in the flip of a page. Her main partner relationship didn't jive and she never really learned much about herself along the way.
Thank you to NetGalley and Mariner Books for allowing me to review this book.

Based on the cover art, classification (romance), and blurb, I was expecting a lighthearted Bridget-Jonesesque storyline. It’s definitely more women’s lit, finding yourself later in life. An Eat, Pray, Love moment, if you will. Paulie, our FMC has a lot on her plate. RELATABLE. She’s plucky, sarcastic, sharp-witted and liberal. (Thus the many other dumb reviews of people saying the author hates America or that it’s a political book. It’s characterization. It’s fiction.)
So when an opportunity pops up for her to star in a Swedish tv competition, and get to know her heritage, she makes a knee-jerk decision and dives right in. She has a lot bubbling below the surface, and a lot to work through. What’s nice is that there’s a lot of comedy and antics mixed in, so the (inadvertent) soul-searching/internal growth storyline is well balanced. Having said all that, I wasn’t looking for this type of plot line, so I found myself putting it aside for a true romance, and at times feeling bored. I think it’s really well written, and a quite lovely read, but if you’re a mood reader like me, it’s best to know what you’re going in for. This would make a fantastic movie. 3 ⭐️

Thank you so much NetGalley and Mariner Books for the opportunity to read and review this advanced copy!