Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc of this one in exchange for an honest review!

Unfortunately, this book did not work for me. I was not a huge fan of the characters and their family drama. I was just not interested.

I hope others love it.

This was the perfect weekend read to really prepare me for family gatherings of the holiday season. The writing was so vivid and humorous that I felt as it I was part of the story and the characters were so real I felt like I was part of the family. If you like stories with the perfect blend of romance, family drama, and the curious interaction of family relations all coming together, than this is a book you don't want to miss. Susan Mallory is a new to me author, but I am happy that she has back catalogue so that I can read more by her soon.

Thank you NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing and Canary Street Press for the copy of this book that I read. All opinions here are my own.

🎄 T R A D I T I O N A L T U E S D A Y review 🎄featuring “One Big Happy Family” by Susan Mallery!

BOOK REVIEW: 🖤🖤🖤🖤/5

The Parker family was (almost) ready to skip Christmas this year and have everyone do their own thing. Nick (the son) is going off on his belated honeymoon, Dana (the daughter) is stewing over a break up and Julie (the mother) is excited to stay in and snuggle her new boyfriend.

But all the plans change when Nick and Dana decide that all they really want is a big happy family Christmas at the cabin to celebrate in memory the passing of their father earlier that year.

Christmas chaos ensues as the guest list gets bigger and bigger! There is so much to do and so many people to please as the countdown to Christmas gets closer! But what better time to bring people together than at Christmas … all enclosed in one cabin!

This book was adorable, cozy, witty and reminded me of all the National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation shannagins while having a house full of relatives! I look forward to reading a holiday book from Susan Mallery every year and this one did not disappoint!

Thank you kindly to @susanmallery @canarystreetpress @harpercollinsca @netgalley for my #gifted digital copy in exchange for my honest review! This book is out now!

This book was wonderful. I love the Christmas spirit. I loved the characters, the storyline. This was the first book I've read by this author and I'll definitely be reading more of her books.

I loved this book! Love a holiday story and this one delivered! I enjoy the real life depiction but still has that feel good vibe. I felt like I was sitting at their dinner table with them.

Reading Susan Mallery's holiday stories are the best. Family drama, but in the good kind of way. The kind of way where you're glad for family- birth and chosen!

Five Reasons to Read One Big Happy Family:

1. Unique Exploration of Family Dynamics: One Big Happy Family takes a fresh approach to the complexities of family relationships. It primarily focuses on the interactions between Julie Parker, her adult children, and extended family members. I just loved how Mallery portrayed the challenges and joys inherent in familial bonds.

2. Perfect Blend of Humor and Heartfelt Moments: I also enjoyed One Big Happy Family for its balance of humor and emotional depth. The novel created feelings, from laughter to tears, making the story entertaining and touching.

3. Holiday Setting: Set during the Christmas season, the novel captures the festive spirit and chaos that often accompanies family gatherings during the holidays. The seasonal backdrop adds warmth and charm to the narrative and makes me feel cozy and comfortable.

4. Character Development: Mallery's portrayal of multi-dimensional characters, each with flaws and growth arcs, delighted me. The authenticity of the characters' experiences and transformations enhances the story's relatability.

5. Themes of Love and Forgiveness: The themes of love, forgiveness, and second chances are central to the narrative. The story emphasizes the importance of letting go of past hurts and opening one's heart to new possibilities, which provides the needed Christmas Spirit—infusing it into the story in memorable ways.

When her kids want to skip family Christmas, this mother is happy to comply. She is secretly seeing a man and wants to be with him for the holiday. However, the kids change their mind, and the mother is suddenly surrounded in the family cabin.

This was a cute, cozy holiday read and everything I expect from a Susan Mallery book! Good characters and an easy story to lose yourself in. Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

This one is cheesy and corny and may be just what you need as the stress of December hits. Wrap some gifts and listen to this at warp speed because not much happens other than One Big Family meeting for Xmas, and well the one character with IBS who has to keep using the bathroom.

Cringey sex mentions from the lead matriarch and her new boyfriend or a mother-daughter combo make it next level corny, but you will feel the cozy family Christmas vibes as they bake cookies, decorate and chop down a tree that a cougar peed on (and I don’t mean Julia, the matriarch) and come together as one big family to celebrate Christmas, even if they aren’t all related.

Pick this up for some cheesy Christmas cozy vibes

Julie had decided this year to not do the huge Christmas celebration at the family cabin when her kids have other plans for the holiday. In the end her kids decide they want to celebrate together to honor their father who recently passed away. Julie takes it all in stride and decides to make the Christmas a wonderful one. The crowd just keeps growing! Even though some of the additions could make things a bit awkward, she takes in stride and welcomes them in.

This was a sweet Christmas story, highlighting family and togetherness during the holidays.

This was a DNF for me. While I know this was supposed to be light and cheery, I found it hard to get through. I thought Julie was whiny and annoying and her being embarrassed about her younger boyfriend was kind of silly. I also don't enjoy sexy time in holiday books so that also was an check in the DNF column (not tons but enough to make it not my cup of tea). I know I've seen some great reviews for this so I think I'm the outlier for sure. Thanks for the opportunity!

A wonderful tale of family, friendship, and love of all sorts, focused around the Spirit of Christmas -- with a little bit a drama and heartbreak thrown in for good measure. One Big Happy Family is a great read for the holiday season -- very much recommended!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. It was cozy and heartwarming and delightful!

Not a gripping as I’d hope it would be but I still enjoyed it well enough. I enjoyed how many people were in one cabin. and the joy they shared with each other (and the craziness).

THE GOOD:
A perfect, light, minimalist read that’s just the right fit for drinking a cup of cocoa while around the Christmas tree.
Happy endings all around.

THE BAD:
Not a steamy romance, but several of the scenes referencing sex are just a bit too graphic.
The ending seemed a bit rushed.

CONCLUSION:
A feel good Christmas tale.

This wasn't my favorite Christmas romance read. I liked the characters and the storyline about the family spending Christmas together at their cabin, but there was too much family drama and a lot of spice! I'm glad the book included a shortbread cookie recipe and discussion questions for book club groups. I'm not sure I would recommend this book to my audience.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

From the book blurb, it sounds as if, one by one, a dozen people are crammed into a one house for a day or two around Christmas. It's actually a "cabin" that rivals the mansions on The Bachelor. There are at least six bedrooms, three floors, a screening room, AND a present wrapping room. It's easy to co-exist when everyone gets a room with a real bed and a door.

While the characters do have some challenges, the conflicts in the book felt manufactured and minor. Maybe it was because for the first 2/3 of the book it was constantly talking but not doing anything about age gap, the mother-in-law, and the serial dumper guy. Realistically, there could have been so may chaotic and comedic moments with that many different personalities in one (gigantic) house. Instead there are very well-behaved children, polite and helpful house guests and not one, but two!, sets of extraordinarily cordial ex-spouses.

Overall, the book just didn't resonate with me. For that reason, I could not give it a rose. Please say your goodbyes and leave the mansion.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing | Canary Street Press and NetGalley for the advance reader copy. I am required by law to disclose this. #OneBigHappyFamily #NetGalley

What a fantastic holiday read.

Just when Julie's kids won't be home for the holidays she's excited to have time alone with her new man.

But, as life usually throws us unplanned events and issues, so does her adult children.
They decide they want to spend one more Christmas at the family cabin in honor of their deceased dad and Julie's ex-husband.
Of course, she can't say no.
Hilarity ensues when more and more people, friends and family, decide to join them.
I loved this book.

If you love books that center around family, this is one you're going to enjoy. I've enjoyed this author's books in the past and I'm glad I read this one this holiday season! It's about a big family, a mother and her two older children. They all had their own plans for Christmas, but following the death of their Dad, these adult children wanted to honour him by going to their big family cabin. Their mother, newly dating a younger man, wanted to spend a quiet holiday with just him, but obviously wanted to give her children what they wanted. So with her relationship finally out in the open, they head to the cabin. Throw in her boyfriends children, his ex wife, her children's partners, some exes, an overbearing mother in law and it quickly becomes a very full house.

There are plenty of Christmas activities leading up to the big day, some holiday mishaps, some funny moments, some tender moments, a few secrets, a dash of chaos but overall it's exactly as the title suggests...one big happy family, together for the holidays!

It was a really enjoyable and quick read. I loved that it dealt with family. Another thing I found interesting is that one of the characters has IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) and it was actually discussed quite often...how she felt, how she dealt with her symptoms and how it impacted her life. IBS is something I have suffered with myself for many years. It's so unpredictable and this is, I think, the first time I've read about it in a book in detail. I was really able to relate, which was cool.

I'd recommend adding this one to your holiday reading list!