**thank you to netgalley and the publishers for the ARC of this book**

rated 3.5 stars rounding up to 4

really enjoyed the beginning that kind of created this world of the main character pauline along with her small group of friends/acquaintances

middle really dragged, so much exposition in the middle of what is supposed to be a reality tv game show type thing (only shown in sweden but so much education about sweden to those who assumably already should know this) i did find the interactions with the special guests interesting but there could probably be a lot of filler removed to make the story flow without all the huge chunks of textbook descriptions

the ending really brought it all together for me, pauline was kind of insufferable throughout the book but i think she was meant to be. this is how real life people can be; no one is a perfect caricature of any one stereotype which we also get to see evolve in the other contestants on the journey. by the end i was seriously rooting for the last two to win and it made me kick my feet on the flight that i read this book during.

I enjoyed this book! On a journey to find her family, Paulie ends up discovering herself in Sweden. I read a few other books about reality TV show contestants, so I hoped I would enjoy this book. This was my favorite book of the genre! Instead of focusing on romance, "Big in Sweden" focused on getting to know yourself, learning to love those around you, and learning to participate in your own life.

The characters drove the book. I found the main character, Paulie, to be loud and joyful, sometimes annoying and selfish, but also lovable and oh-so relatable. I appreciated the character growth and change throughout the book, while Franson still kept Paulie true to herself. Overall, I felt this character was so empowering, both to the joyful mess we can make and to giving readers grace to grow in themselves. I also really liked the supporting characters, supportive girl boss Jemma, the sweetly out-of-touch Declan, and the zany cast of the reality TV show.

I also enjoyed learning a little bit about Sweden! The reality TV show challenges were a fun mix of Great British Bake Off, Renaissance festivals, and ABBA tributes, with a dash of kitch over it all. The descriptions of Sweden and the museums, canals, restaurants, and gardens made me eager to visit. I could not put this book down, and I'm happy to recommend it to all cozy, slice-of-life readers.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book was so much fun to read, and I loved the invented reality TV show with all it's wacky contests. The cast of characters is varied and interesting, and the main characters journey toward finding common ground with them was really well done. As a personal preference, I found the main character to be a little too chaotic and hard to root for, but I'm sure she will resonate with others.

Whirlwind of a book!

It was all about self discovery and acceptance. Pauline went through a lot to finally figure out who she was and what she wanted out of life.

It was funny at times but I did have trouble connecting with Paulie because she was scatterbrained. If you like reading about self discovery, this book is for you!

I have a love/hate relationship with this book. At first, I had a really difficult time deciphering what the author wanted to convey in this novel. Is it a light and funny story about a girl on a reality show? Is it supposed to highlight a long list of current political issues? Is it a twenty something navigating serious family trauma? For me the author was trying to hit on too many themes without really developing any of them and it felt chaotic. I found the main character Paulie a bit intolerable most of the time, but she did grow on me in some of her more heartwarming moments.

That said, I enjoyed the premise of the book and appreciated the witty writing. Stockholm is one of my favorite cities and it was fun to read literature set in Sweden!

I liked the premise and there are some universal themes here that I could relate to (like strength in the face of loss, self-acceptance and finding your identity, and breaking away from generational/family trauma). I also liked the concept of a genealogy-based reality TV show! But, I had a hard time warming up to the fmc and I didn't find her very likeable. I didn't connect well with the story and struggled to finish it, I think maybe I was just not the right audience to appreciate this book. Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this story in exchange for my honest review.

The cover and description of this book made me ready for a laugh out loud experience while maybe picking up some Swedish tidbits through out the story. What I did not expect was the dabbling into Swedish language, political topics such as being gay in the Catholic church, abortion, native rights, refugees, and more.

The story of Pauline is likable, easy to read and connect to the other contestants on “Crying Americans” - I did find myself skimming through some of the detailed pages of history in this book as it felt at times I was reading two different novels. One a lighthearted story about a women finding herself and her family and one about political opinions and social climates across countries.

I enjoyed this book honestly, and its ending, but how much I wanted to like it felt overshadowed by the random tidbits thrown in by the author. For that reason, my reason my review is only 3.5 stars but I would pick up another book by this author. I also personally connected to the book and its Swedish ties as my husband comes from a family that immigrated from Sweden to the US. I think if I didn’t have that backstone I wouldn’t have connected to it quite so much.

Thank you to NetGalley and Mariner Books for the advanced copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

My final opinion of this book is that it was a very heartwarming story about what family means and how we build connections with all the people we interact with. Not only is no man an island, we are an interconnected web of fungi, dependent on each other in a beautiful human way. That is my opinion upon finishing it, I was not as kind while I was reading.
Unfortunately for me but possibly fortunately for those who don’t want to see a negative review, I didn’t take notes while I was reading and the negative things have kind of fallen from my mind.
For a lot of the time I didn’t understand or particularly like the voice of the main character. Eventually she grew on me, I’m not sure if it got better towards the end or if I got softer to her.
She summarized a lot of things that I would have liked to see play out.
I liked the moments of action when the characters clashes and interacted.

My favorite part and when I decided I had softened to the book and I could leave a generally positive review was when she was walking alone with her camera. I think it was a beautifully written section and summarized the thesis of the book.
Becki was the best character, best written in my opinion.
There were many moments where I didn’t understand why characters did the things they did, I didn’t understand their motivations and they didn’t seem inline with what their characters would do, like their actions were taken more out of convenience for the author. That was mostly toward the middle of the book.

Overall I really enjoyed it. It was nice reading a generally light book that wasn’t a romance. Although I felt like I couldn’t get a grasp on the character for a while I did grow to like her. I loved that she had two genuinely paranormal experiences lol that’s always fun for me.

Anyway it was a nice book and I can see a wide audience that would love the story and journey it takes us on.

Oh my god I almost forgot the last 15% felt like I was reading for 35 years. I kept reading because I just wanted to be done but the ending KEPT GOING. the last 2% just kept going. It was a little bit painful for me because the climax was long gone and I wanted so bad to put the book down. The ending was actually nice and it tied everything up in a way that’s satisfying and positive and I liked knowing all the effects that came from everything, I can’t even say what I would cut if anything. It just felt so god damn long. That is probably fine for a lot of people who really love this kind of book, they want to hear about the small, human experiences. For me it was a slough. I was both appreciating the writing and humanity of the characters and situations and hoping to god it would end soon.
Overall I hope the people who can really enjoy this book find it because there is so much good that I know a lot of people will appreciate immensely.

“If you are very strong, you must also be very kind.”

Paulie and her best friend Jemma decide to apply for a Swedish reality competition show. The show casts Americans with Swedish ancestry to compete for the title of champion. The prize for the winner? A family reunion with their Swedish family. When Paulie is cast for the show, she heads to Sweden and finds a lot more than a reality show waiting for her.

When I read the description for this book, I immediately knew I had to read it. My family is proud of our Swedish heritage so I jumped at the chance to read this novel and I was absolutely not disappointed. Big in Sweden was smart, sassy, heartfelt, and thought provoking in all the right ways!

Paulie was an FMC that I really disliked at times at the beginning of the novel, but now I want to kick myself for saying that I loved her that much by the end. Paulie overcame and learned so much in her time in Sweden, it was such a joy to read about her personal development and the relationships she formed with everyone around her. Sally Franson’s writing was absolutely incredible and made me think about the world around me through Paulie’s eyes in ways I’ve never thought before. This is why I’m giving it five stars (outside of the fact that I generally just LOVED this novel). It delved into serious topics, other cultures, and seeing America through another culture’s eyes in a light and playful yet serious way that was so cool. Just trust me.

What a great, fun, witty summer read. You don’t want to miss this one!

Thank you NetGalley, Mariner Books, and Sally Franson for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. Can’t wait to run to get my own copy of this book and recommend it to all of my friends!

Read if you love..
Self discovery and growth
Seeing the gray in the world around us
Connecting with your heritage
Wanderlust
Giggling over witty, fantastic writing
Crying Americans

i have such a love hate relationship with this book, but i have ultimately decided that i do love it. it was so unique and it wasn’t what i expected at all! it was fun, fresh, sentimental, and a bit chaotic at times. paulie is such a lovable and relatable character that i absolutely adore.

thank you so much to mariner books & netgalley for the arc <3

When a silly homemade video is submitted to a reality show, Pauline gets the chance of a lifetime to explore her family heritage in Sweden to film the show! Paulie is a beautifully written character with admirable qualities mixed with flaws, unapologetically honest with quite a story to tell. The competition to meet her family in Sweden turns into a journey down the family tree and an opportunity for self-discovery. She is accompanied by a colorful cast of characters who illustrate cultural differences in an entertaining yet meaningful manner. Big in Sweden is an absolutely delightful cultural journey that you probably did not know you needed!

Review is on Goodreads and will be posted to Instagram ahead of publication!

i have a love hate relationship with the main character. she definitely acts young, but she is very selfish. which is realistic. im not a big fan of the cheating trope, if you are no hate to you, but this was done slightly more tastefully than a lot of other books. really enjoyed it even though its not my typical read!
thank you to netgalley and the author for providing me with a copy of this e-arc!

When you take a premise like “Survivor” with the winner meeting their long-lost family in Sweden, you have an unexpectedly fun read. The book started off slow with character development but half way through had me fully vested in their stories. Plus, add in, the descriptive writing of the various locations in Sweden and you will be booking your flight to see the beauty & interesting history. Add to your summer reading list. The publication date is July 2nd. Thank you to Net Galley and Mariner Books for this advance read.

I loved this book. Paulie has a complicated relationship with her family, and she feels she and her boyfriend, Declan, have been out of sorts with one another. One evening, after drinking, shelets her friend Jemma convince her to enter a reality show contest that takes place in Sweden. She thinks it will be a fun trip to Sweden, with little thinking into what else it would entail. She is thrilled to learn she's chosen as a contestant. The grand prize is a reunion with her Swedish relatives.

Paulie has a fun personality, and she goes off with a Polaroid camera and her most beloved book, Pippi Longstocking. Initially the whole contest seems like a train wreck, but as the time progresses she learns about her co contestants, herself, and what family means.
She is a great character. I was sorry to see it end.

Another fun bit is that Mariner Books gives a bit of their history at the end of the book. It was all super interesting, and I'm glad they added it. I'll look for more by this publisher.

Thank you to Mariner Books and NetGalley for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

#BigInSweden #MarinerBooks #NetGalley

This book definitely wasn’t what I expected! In a good way!

Big in Sweden centers around Pauline, who is off to Sweden to film a reality tv show about her Swedish roots. This book felt so millennial, in a fun, fresh way. Between the pop culture elements to the current events, political discussions, and humor, it felt like the world many of us in our 30’s relate too.

This book was sweet and sentimental. I found myself laughing but also really resonating with the struggles of Paulie and some of her cast mates. Part of that is hard as a reader because, in a lot of ways, they are all hard to love. Their growth has you sticking it out though- you want to see how they end up!

Reading this felt chaotic at times just because of Paulie’s mindset, but also all of the content that is fit into the book. We have lots of information about Sweden (obviously), but also a lot of political and social commentary. It seemed like there are a number of issues that are strong on Sally Franson’s heart and mind (love that!) but I do think she might have had too much in too little. Sometimes it felt a little esoteric at times.

Overall, I enjoyed this read. It was emotional, thought-provoking, funny, contemporary, unique, and definitely resonated with this season of my life. I think it will for a ton of other readers too!

Loved this book!

I’m a big fan of reality tv and this had all the drama with added heart. I loved her journey and how she learned who she was.

Really enjoyed this book is really delightful ,the characters are wonderful.the whole story was charming.#netgalley #marinerbooks

Super cute book with a main character that will steal your heart. She is big and lovable and a bit chaotic. The book overall is well done and I loved it from start to finish.

This was a really cute book. It was very cute and family oriented and I really liked that. The romance was really cute. I would recommend this book.

I had to DNF this at 23%.. I love the concept of this book. Traveling to the country your family is from to participate in a competition to find out about your ancestry? Sold me immediately. And then I met the FMC and it was over. There is white-guilt (very relevant in real life, very important, needs to be addressed more in media) and then there's whatever this story was. The stereotypes were SO heavy handed that every single character was immediately unlikable. Every. Single. One. I do hope for people that make it through this book that the characters become not so one-dimensional.

"Not to put too fine a point on it, but we were all white. The white of Wonder bread, soft serve, mashed potatoes, picket fences, musical theatre, Teva sandals, one-drop rules, and Daughters of the American Revolution. As fair as a county fair, as pale as unfair comparisons," followed by "we waddled behind her with out luggage like little white ducklings." WE GET IT. YOU'RE WHITE. WHY SO MANY "UNFAIR COMPARISONS?" Holy smokes you're Swedish, what did you think you were all going to look like?

And just because you're talking with food in your mouth (disgusting, by the way, and it happened more than once in the first 23%), you can just SAY that the words were garbled, you don't have to spell it differently because it looks and sounds stupid. Just write it out and describe it. Or just have your characters be not people lacking manners.