Such a lovely novel about siblings! I am grateful I got this book from NetGalley and have already started recommending it to my friends

This family drama was surprisingly sweet and poignant, I loved the deep dives into the imperfect siblings, their relationships, and the things often left unsaid. In their own ways, they were all equal parts endearing and beyond frustrating! Overall the writing felt medium paced with character development really pushing the narrative. Great read!

I had not read any of Jennifer E. Smith's previous works so I was not sure what to expect. I know that this is minor but I think the publishing company did a disservice to this book by the cover. The cover made me think that this was a lighthearted book and it is anything but. '

This is a story of four siblings that did not grow up in a traditional way. A disconnected workaholic father and an absent. mother who would show up every summer to take her kids on a road trip.

The book alternates between each sibling and the past and the present.

This is a story showing how misunderstandings and lack of communication can have such an impact on a family. This is not a lighthearted story but did make me chuckle a few times. It is a story that will make you think about your relationships with other, it will rip out your heart and then it will stitch it back together. Get a box of tissues ready.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Four siblings that grew up in the most dysfunctional manner. A father that was physically present, but emotionally unavailable. A mother that came around once a year to sweep them away on a road trip across the country before taking them back home and disappearing again.

They’re now adults with full lives and plenty of baggage. Also, they're attempting to reconnect after not speaking to each other for three years.

For the first half of this novel I felt as if I was having a conversation with a friend that only wanted me to know the pretty version of their problems. I desperately needed to hear the ugly truth. The author moved us back and forth through time as we learned about their past and their attempt at reconnecting in the present day.

While I did enjoy my time with these characters and in the end felt as if the author wrapped the story up perfectly. I wish we hadn’t stayed in the shallow end of the pool for most of it.

⭐️ 3.5 ⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy.

Fun for the Whole Family follows the mostly estranged Endicott siblings as they come together for a weekend in an attempt to repair their fractured relationship after spending years apart. When they were children, their mother left to follow her dreams of becoming an actress but would return every summer to take them on an epic road trip. Told through multiple POVs and weaving back and forth from the past and the present, we learn how the Endicott siblings became virtual strangers and navigate the truths that unfold leading them to reexamine the way they see each other, their mother, and their future.

This was my introduction to Jennifer E. Smith and will not be my last. I was impressed with how full the characters felt and how excellently she told their story through multiple POVs. I would recommend this to any of my friends.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

What a delightful read! Jennifer E. Smith's Fun for the Whole Family is like a warm hug in book form. This charming story follows the Johnsons, a family that's a little bit quirky and a whole lot lovable. As they stumble through life's crazy moments together, you'll find yourself laughing, cringing, and rooting for them every step of the way. If you're looking for a book that'll make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, grab yourself a copy of Fun for the Whole Family!

Fun for the Whole Family is a heartwarming, sometime heartbreaking story about the four Endicott siblings. Although they could not really count on their parents, they could always count on each other…..until a horrible fight reduces their interactions to a couple of yearly texts.

Told from multiple points of view, we get to know each sibling through their triumphs, struggles, fears and regrets. The characters are well developed, vulnerable and very likable.

I look forward to reading more by Jennifer E Smith.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

Having read The Unsinkable Greta James, I was excited for this one and it did not disappoint! I love a good family drama and the Endicotts certainly deliver. Each character remained distinct and were so real. The sibling bickering was very realistic, and I loved the scenes where they're all together (meeting at the Inn, having dinner their first night in Portree, etc.) Recommend this one for people who also love a good family drama!

This was a fun family drama with interesting characters. The story was also heart-wrenching at times. I did enjoy most of the book. However, I found the fact that 3/4 siblings became famous and some of the dialogue seemed contrite. This book has value, but is not one of the best I’ve read.Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

🗺️ Fun for the Whole Family by Jennifer E. Smith 🗺️

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

What a way to start a year of reading. I used to read Jennifer E. Smith’s romance novels as a teenager, & I am blown away with her new voice. This novel feels like Malibu Rising set in the present with snow instead of sand. Four siblings finding their way back to each other in the most beautiful way.

I’m always impressed with authors that can write multiple POVs & timelines & have them all fleshed out well. From childhood through adulthood, I felt connected to all four of the main characters. The emotions of the siblings were palpable, & I loved all of them deeply. I would have liked to have a bit more knowledge about the side characters, who also seemed extremely lovable.

I highly recommend everyone pick this book up when it comes out on April 15. Thank you to NetGalley for providing me such a special read.

I received a free DRC of this book through Netgalley. I am also from a big family like in this book so reading about some of the family dynamics was interesting. I liked the roadtrip aspect trying to get to all 50 states. There is a lot of grief wrapped up in this book, but also a lot of love and adventure. It made me tear up and smile at times so it's a good feelings book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


Fun for the Whole Family centers on the four, mostly estranged, Endicott siblings as they gather for a weekend in the middle of nowhere North Dakota and attempt to reconnect after 3 years apart. Jude is a famous actress; Roddy, her twin, is professional soccer player; Conner wrote an award winning book; and eldest sibling and de facto mom, Gemma lives a quiet life in Chicago. When they were children their mom, Frankie, left to chase her own acting dreams but would return each summer for an epic road trip.

Told through the siblings POVs and alternating between present day and the past, we learn how the Endicott kids find themselves virtual strangers and watch as secrets are revealed and truths are told changing the way the four look at each other, their mom, and their future as a family.

I loved this book so much. The siblings felt fleshed out and real while the family dynamics felt grounded even though 3 of the 4 were “exceptional”. Having the story told by all of the siblings made them feel more relatable and stepping into their past made what was happening in the present understandable. Secondary characters Rosie, Hugh, Annie, Winston, and Spencer were wonderful additions that added depth, angst, and comic relief.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advance copy.

This was a great book about four siblings who had a mother who wanted to see every state this brought for a very interesting upbringing. The book alternates between Present and past and the author does this nicely. this book was filled with a lot of family, drama and family dynamics. I love that I could relate to certain characters, but still find entertainment in others. if you eat up family drama like me, you will love this book.

This book was so good and I can’t pinpoint why. The writing style, the story line, the characters, all of it was amazing. This was one of my few 5-star books of 2024.

Four siblings reconnect on a trip to South Dakota after being estranged for several years. Each chapter gives a little insight into the characters, eventually leading up to the estrangement.

This book was quirky, funny, heartbreaking and a little shocking. I absolutely loved it and I’ve been recommending it to anyone that will listen!

Thank you to Jennifer E. Smith and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

4.5 stars rounded up. This book was so well done and was a great start to the year as the first book I finished in 2025. Smith crafted a beautiful story about the lasting bond between siblings and executed it excellently.

I love a multi-POV story centered around a family and I'd recommend this one as a must-read. That said, if you want to read something light and fluffy, still buy the book, but save it for another day. Before I started reading the book, I was skeptical of other reviews that said 'get the tissues' because the book was described as 'joyful' but this book wrecked me with so many tears. The story was very touching and had more depth than I ever would've expected.

Thank you to Random House and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review! I'll definitely be picking up anything that Jennifer Smith releases in the future.

Smith’s previous book was my first book of 2022, so it’s only fitting this is my first official book of 2025. It’s impressive how fleshed out all the characters felt and how I found myself rooting for all of them. I did feel like some of the flashback chapters were redundant (namely some of the ones about how they all missed one another during their fight), but it wasn’t enough to cut into my solid 4.5 (rounded up) review. I do wish the title was more along the lines of “The Amazing Endicotts” as I think that would be more fitting - the current title feels too impersonal/doesn’t capture the book. Makes me wonder if they noticed using a name in Smith’s previous novel’s title didn’t work the way they hoped so they went generic here?

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Fun For the Whole Family tells the story of four siblings who have barely stayed in touch over the years but come together for a weekend reunion. Their shared past is complicated by memories of their mother, who drifted in and out of their lives until a tragic event cut off their relationship with her completely. As they spend time together as adults, they must figure out how to deal with both their difficult history and their future as a family.
This engaging story will appeal to readers who enjoy books about complicated family relationships. Anyone who likes reading about family drama and healing old wounds will find themselves drawn into this emotional story about the power of forgiveness and second chances. I am recommending to Book Clubs as a summer 2025 choice.

Fun for the Whole Family by Jennifer E. Smith is a heartfelt story about the complexities of sibling bonds and the power of reconciliation. This novel stands out for so many reasons, and one of them for me was that the siblings were not in their younger years, but we could see them as adults - with all their problems, life experiences and regrets.
When the estranged Endicott siblings reunite in a small North Dakota town, they confront old wounds, secrets, and the ties that still hold them together.
With humor and warmth, the author captures the messy beauty of family and the hope that even fractured connections can heal. It is extremely relatable and worth chewing on its gorgeous and steeped in truth sentences. The style of the writing is both tender and insightful, capturing the nuances of familial relationships with authenticity and warmth.

Perfect for fans of emotional, character-driven stories!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC!

I really enjoyed this book. Four adult siblings in their late 30s and early 40s have drifted apart over the last 3 years. Jude, who is a Hollywood star, asks her three siblings to meet her in North Dakota for a weekend in February. They all agree, despite having a lot going on.

Gemma and her husband are going through IVF, and she's waiting to take a pregnancy test. She isn't sure she even wants to be a mom, having done the majority of parenting of her siblings. Connor is a divorced dad living in Nashville trying to write a book suffering writer's block. He brings his young kids with him. Roddy (Jude's twin) and his fiancé, Winston, are supposed to get married the following weekend while Roddy, an MLS player, has committed to moving to Orlando two days before the wedding. Jude brings three secrets and a plan to reveal them.

The book goes back and forth between current day and trips the siblings took with their mother each summer—a new state every year. Until a tragedy take her out of their lives. The siblings grew closer, until Connor's first book caused the current rift.

Fun for the Whole Family is heartwarming, funny, and well written.

**Book Review:**

*Fun for the Whole Family* by Jennifer E. Smith is an emotionally charged, character-driven novel that captures the complexities of family dynamics with sharp, realistic insight. The story revolves around the Endicott siblings—Gemma, Connor, Roddy, and Jude—who reunite for a weekend getaway in Colorado after three years apart. What starts as a fun family reunion quickly turns into a weekend of revelations, secrets, and a rekindling of old emotional wounds, all set against the backdrop of a snowstorm that traps them in a cabin with no power.

The novel is structured in a way that offers glimpses into the past and present of each sibling. The chapters alternate between their childhood summers spent on the road with their mother, and their adult lives as they navigate the complications of their own relationships and careers. This structure is incredibly effective in fleshing out each character, giving readers insight into their individual experiences growing up and how these experiences shaped who they are today.

At its core, *Fun for the Whole Family* is a story about love, forgiveness, and the weight of familial expectations. Each sibling is distinctly defined, making it easy for readers to connect with their struggles. Gemma, the eldest, carries the weight of having raised her siblings while also wrestling with her own doubts about motherhood. Connor, the successful writer, has a charming exterior but is hiding his own insecurities. Roddy, the soccer star poised to retire, is full of bravado but vulnerable in ways he doesn't often show. And Jude, the famous actress with a secret, is grappling with the pressures of fame and her fractured family ties.

The exploration of the siblings' relationships is heartwarming and often heartbreaking. The author does an excellent job of showing the unique dynamics at play—the bonds formed from shared history, the tension between old grudges, and the deep love that exists despite years of estrangement. The family feels real, with all the flaws and imperfections that come with it. As someone who has experienced sibling dynamics, I found myself relating to different aspects of each character's role within the family structure.

That said, while I adored the family drama and the depth of character development, the plot did fall a bit short in terms of surprises. The twists and secrets that were hinted at throughout the book felt somewhat anticlimactic and predictable. Once I had an inkling of who might have been behind certain actions, the rest of the story seemed to unfold too easily. This didn't detract from my enjoyment of the characters and their emotional journeys, but it did leave me longing for a bit more suspense.

The book’s emotional payoff is undeniable. By the end, I was deeply moved, even shedding a few tears as the siblings reconciled and confronted their past. The love they have for one another, despite everything, was both beautiful and cathartic. The only aspect I wish had been explored further was the parents' impact on the siblings. Their absence and the effect it had on each of them was palpable, but I wanted to know more about their motivations and the reasons behind their abandonment.

Overall, *Fun for the Whole Family* is an enjoyable, heartfelt read. If you love character-driven stories about family, forgiveness, and self-discovery, this book will resonate with you. Despite the predictable twists, the emotional depth and the journey of the Endicott siblings make it a rewarding read that will stay with you long after you finish.