This wasn’t for me, unfortunately. I couldn’t grasp the story based off the writing style. Thank you netgalley and the publisher for gifting me this arc.

I loved The Unsinkable Greta James so was very excited to read this. I had a few false starts where I read a few pages and lost interest but once I got going I couldn't put it down.

It's a simultaneously heartbreaking and heartwarming story about four siblings and the meaning of family and forgiveness. It was an absolutely beautiful read.

I loved this story of the four Endicott siblings. Great character development and a great pace for a fun family story. I feel like I didn't get a proper wrap up of Connor and whether he broke through his writer's block at the end, but I loved all their relationship woes and the love they strongly shared with one another, even when they found themselves reluctantly apart. Typical family woes though the family ties bind beyond reason. I felt like it ended a bit abruptly, but all in all an entertaining read. 4 stars.

Netgalley, please do something with your app to allow for font adjustment. The font on both my iPad and iPhone were just so small it made for painful reading.

A complicated family story told with dual timelines and a multifaceted group of characters that makes for a very compelling story. Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this copy for read and review

It was a good family drama and was well crafted and readable. Overall an ok book
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review book

What an absolutely wonderful story of family - the complexity, the love, the memories, and the endurance. This was a heaping helping of feels with so many layers as four adult siblings came back together. Each character was so unique in their path, but they also all "fit" together so well. I loved that this was blend of the present and the stories from the past - including learning the truth behind some of those past experiences. The character depth and way they were each written around the realities of family was just so, so, good. Thanks to NetGalley for the early look at this April 2025 release!

I adored the novel “The Unsinkable Greta James,” so I was excited for chance to read and review “Fun for the Whole Family” by Jennifer E. Smith. As it rarely happens with a second novel, I love this story almost more than the author’s previous work.

I love novels that focus on family and this book is a great example of that. The four estranged siblings are brought back together by an abrupt text one of them sends. For almost three years, the siblings—Gemma, Connor, Roddy and Jude—have barely spoken to one another after the death of their father. While each of them headed in a distinct and difference direction, their upbringing—and the yearly trips their mother took them on—affected them greatly.

This novel is told in the point of view of all four siblings and moves from the present (2025) to the past effortlessly, without adding confusion. Smith does an awesome job of capturing the voice of each sibling. It’s hard to have a favorite though as an oldest child, I identified with Gemma’s extra responsibilities. Families are messy but also necessary. This book did a great job in capturing both of these qualities.

Four and a half stars.

My thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for this great read.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book. I was laughing and crying and laughing through the tears. I have three older siblings and we are all very different and have gone in various directions with life, so this book felt like a warm hug and a look into our own lives in a way.

Excellent novel. I hope Jennifer Smith gets all the accolades and attention for this one. BUT, should have been named "The Exceptional Endicotts."

I adored The Unsinkable Gretta James and jumped at the chance for an early release of this novel. Fun for the Whole Family delivers. It is emotionally deft, gripping, and Smith's characters will stick with you for a long time.

Smith weaves a then/now timeline. The Exceptional Endicotts--a pro footballer, an oscar nominated actress, a national book award author and the oldest that raised them all. When their mother leaves and father is largely absent, the four Endicotts forge bonds. Their only contact with their mother is their summer road trips. She obsessively checks off states with the goal to hit 50. We enter to the youngest and famed actress, Jude, summoning them to break their three year estrangement after a big fight following their father's funeral--in North Dakota.

Fun for the Whole Famliy shines a spotlight on four very different siblings working through their differences and shared trauma. The subject matter is heavy but the delivery is delightful. The characters will interest the reader in a way that will make them think for a long time. And, grab the tissues.

Fun for the Whole Family is a feel-good story about a dysfunctional family trying to reconnect. It's like a road trip movie, but without the annoying kids in the backseat. The book is full of humor and heart, and the characters are easy to root for. There are a few surprises along the way, but I won't spoil anything. If you're looking for a heartwarming and uplifting read, Fun for the Whole Family is definitely worth checking out.

This is a story that will marinate in my mind for a while, about the bonds and secrets of family; how we can perpetuate myths and memories and experiences tied to the mutual existences of individuals within a family unit. I love the characters in this book, I love how Smith tied memories to a literal sense of place on the U.S. map. The older I get, the more I contemplate how my family experience formed by identity and beliefs, and then again how my own family has been impacted by those ingrained memories. This is a wonderful read; not always FUN, but delivered in a mostly upbeat and honest way.

This was a fun story. I enjoyed the read! :) I always love a good family drama! This was an enjoyable read!

Thank you for the ARC!

Fun for the Whole Family follows 4 siblings, Gemma, Conner, Roddy, and Jude in their adult life as they unpack their childhood and find reconnection in their adult life. Gemma, the oldest, is a 40 year old marketing specialist living in Chicago with her husband Matteo. Conner is a divorced father of 2 and best selling author going through a mid-life crisis. Roddy(twins with Jude) is a professional soccer player living in DC with his fiance, Winston. Jude, (twins with Jude) is a world famous actress currently living in California. After a conflict divides the close siblings for several years, they must figure out how to overcome and reconnect. I don't have enough good things to say about 'Fun for the Whole Family', it was truly one of my very favorite books of the year so far. Would be the perfect book club pick.

The biggest thanks to Jennifer Smith, NetGalley, and Random House Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I always enjoy a good family drama, and Fun for the Whole Family certainly delivered! I can confidently say that each sibling felt well fleshed out- and that characterization even extended to the children, spouses, and girlfriends present. I think the choice of one sibling out of the four being "normal", and her loving that part of her life, was really smart, especially seeing as Gemma was able to ground her siblings. On the topic of Gemma in particular, I also appreciate how much she grappled with the bitterness of being parentified in her youth- and how that complicates her relationships with Connor, Jude, and Roddy. I think the sibling I found the most interesting was Connor, though, mostly because I liked his children (the dynamic between Rosie and superstar aunt Jude was so sweet), and also that his Famous role was being an author. His choices regarding his family history were also very interesting- and I feel like his siblings responded to what he did appropriately. One small gripe I experienced was that although Gemma, Connor, Jude, and Roddy are in their late thirties/early forties, I didn't feel that come out very much. The challenges they faced were age-based, in some cases, such as Gemma navigating IVF (assuming that was due to her age, and not an underlying condition,) Roddy and his injury/aging out of professional soccer, and Connor's midlife crisis arc. But in their heads, they all felt at least ten years younger. This is especially true to me with Jude and Roddy- I kept imagining them in their late twenties. However, this wasn't much of an issue for me in the end. I loved the "one year later" ending- which is where I teared up, of course, The snippets of their childhoods spent on summer roadtrips with their mostly absent mother also helped me feel more connected to who the siblings are, and the build up to the secrets (mostly held by Jude), had me very engaged. The ending was devastating and hopeful, which to me is the perfect combination.

Thank you for the ARC!

I'm very close with my family and I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It made me laugh and cry and warmed my heart! After I finished it, I immediately reached out to my parents and my brother. I'd recommend this book to anyone!

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for a review. I loved this story about four adult siblings after a falling-out. The way Jennifer E. Smith told the backstory was beautiful, unique, and authentic. I can't wait to read more from this author, 5 stars, more if I could.

fun for the whole family is a multiple pov family drama that comes out next year and I lovedddd it. it reminded me a lot of the show this is us (too much so?) and I could list the reasons and you’d be like “that IS this is us”…but I love this is us, so no real complaints over here

the concept is four siblings who had a really chaotic mother / childhood and went through a lot together. it’s 2025 and they have barely spoken in last three years because of ~something that happened~. they all live in different places, have different problems, and have very different lives: one is a famous actress, one a famous author, one a professional soccer player, and the other a “normal” marketing executive

the older three get texts out of the blue from the youngest asking them to come to North Dakota, and so they do. we flip back and forth in time between their childhood, a few years ago, and present day; we see things from each of the four siblings’ perspectives; and there are a few mysteries / secrets that give the plot some momentum but it’s largely character-driven

my thoughts:
oh.. my gosh. this WRECKED ME. like I had tears streaming down my face while reading the last chapter

maybe I should not have read a book about four siblings who have drifted apart as adults when I’m the youngest of four and my sister is about to get married… so that’s on me for sure

BUT genuinely loved this book so much. rich characters that felt real to me, a little mystery, and lot of heart

very fun to get a copy early (thank you, netgalley) and I genuinely recommend this!!!

What a heart warming story of the four Endicott siblings and their crazy road trips with their Mom every summer. Life happens, and they lose contact due to conflict. I enjoyed how the author explained their road trips by naming chapters of the state they were in on the map.
Truly enjoyed this story, and highly recommend. Thank you Net Galley for the ARC.

This is a great read that I look forward to recommending. The four Endicott siblings were raised by an unconventional, sort of Auntie Mame-ish mother who would arrive each summer and take them on exciting adventures. As the book opens, they've drifted apart, but must reunite, and they are all in difficult, challenging places in their lives. We root for them as they try to figure out how to be a family again, and how to overcome their problems together.

There was nothing I didn’t like about this book. Four siblings torn apart, and brought together to repair their relationship, without knowing what had been the real reason for the rift. Beautifully written, leading me to cry through the very believable ending. This is a book of an imperfect family, struggling to deal with being called back together to get back what they used to love of each other.