This review has been posted to Goodreads and Storygraph on April 8th, 2025. Links provided.

Fun for the Whole Family centers on the Endicott siblings - Gemma, Connor, Roddy, and Jude - who have grown distant after years of estrangement. The story begins when Jude, a successful actress, reaches out to her siblings with a mysterious invitation, pulling them together in a remote North Dakota town. Each sibling is at a crossroads in their lives: Gemma struggles with her feelings of living an ordinary life and the uncertainty of motherhood, Connor is grappling with the aftermath of a divorce and writer’s block, and Roddy faces the physical and emotional toll of his fading soccer career. As they reunite, old wounds resurface, and secrets emerge that threaten to undo their fragile bond. Throughout the weekend, the siblings confront the complexities of their shared past and their futures, all while discovering deeper truths about one another. Through a mixture of multiple perspectives and flashbacks, the novel explores themes of family, forgiveness, and the sometimes mess nature of love and connection.

What truly made Fun for the Whole Family stand out to me was its emotional depth and the realism with which it portrayed the dynamics of family. Jennifer E. Smith skillfully navigated each sibling’s internal struggles, allowing me to see their vulnerabilities and motivations. I loved how the narrative switched between the present and the past, providing context to the complex relationships and the unresolved tensions. The characters felt so real; I found myself empathizing with each of them, especially in their most flawed moments. The family drama was compelling, and the secrets kept me hooked, making it difficult to put the book down. What struck me the most was the way the story captured the bittersweetness of family - how you can love someone fiercely while still being deeply hurt by them. It’s a book that makes you reflect on your own relationships and appreciate the messy, imperfect, yet unbreakable ties that bind you to those you care about. It was a truly heartrending read, and I could relate to so many of the feelings the characters were going through. It’s been awhile since a book really made me cry but it was clear from the start that this one was going to do just that. I absolutely loved Fun for the Whole Family and highly recommend it!

Thank you to Random House Publishing - Ballantine and NetGalley for the opportunity to read to an ARC of Fun for the Whole Family in return for my honest review.

I was immediately drawn into this novel about four siblings who have been estranged for the past three years. Gemma, Connor, Roddy, and Jude haven’t spoken or kept in contact since a massive fight that erupted after their dad’s funeral. Now, three years later, Jude has managed to gather everyone from their various corners of the U.S. to meet in North Dakota for a family weekend. It is here that we discover whether the siblings can let go of the past, forgive each other, and move toward a shared future.

This is a heartwarming and beautifully written story with a surprise ending that I didn’t see coming. Some readers may not be pleased with it; I personally wish Jennifer Smith had chosen a different direction, but I was ultimately willing to accept the outcome as a reality.

This book would make for a great read in a book club. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC

This is the average "estranged family gathers togethers for a family vacation and secrets are spilled" story. I tried to like it, but it just wasn't the book for me. It was a slow burn for the entire book, and I just didn't feel a connection with any of the characters. A lot of other people seem to have enjoyed it more than I did, so I think this may just be a "it's not you, it's me" situation.

I adored this one! The writing drew me in right from the first page. I absolutely love family dramas, and this one was incredibly well done. Four siblings: Gemma, Connor, Roddy and Jude get together after not seeing each other for years after Jude reaches out to the rest of them. It was hard to read the secrets that came to light, one of which was the reason why they haven’t spoken in years. I love that most of the story was present day with longer chapters, but there were chapters from their past mixed in, but in a shorter length. The characters were all relatable and with their flaws, I laughed and cried along with all of them. I loved the theme of trying to get to all 50 states since they were children going on road trips with their free-spirited mother. Coming from a large family myself, I enjoy reading about the dysfunction and love in families. I highly recommend this family drama!

This was my first book by Jennifer, definitely not my last

Loved the way she wrote about the siblings relationships. Couldn’t put this book down, had me much more emotional than i expected.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc

Four siblings, including a National Book Award-winning author, an MLS superstar, and a movie star with more than one secret to hide, meet in North Dakota to spend the weekend together. There’s drama, there’s romance, there’s reminiscing, and forgiveness. I wanted a little more from this contemporary family drama, but I did cry happy tears at the end so 4 stars from me.

Pub Date: 4/8/25
Review Published: 4/7/25
eARC provided at no cost by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

A dysfunctional family drama with siblings that have such sweet but also complicated relationships.

Gemma, Connor, Roddy and Jude are siblings that grew up with a workaholic father and a mother that put her dreams before her children. Every year, their absent mother would suddenly show up to take them on a road trip across America. After tragedy strikes, the four siblings are cut off from a relationship with their mother. As adults, the siblings are estranged and throughout the book, the reader discovers the reason. Gemma is married, struggling to make a decision about whether to have a baby. Connor is a celebrated author, who has written a tell-all book about his family.
Roddy is a professional soccer player and Jude is a famous actress. Jude, the youngest, invites them all to a cabin in the middle of nowhere in North Dakota where the siblings are stranded together in a snow storm. As they begin confessing their past sins and issues, the brothers and sisters begin to understand each other and grow even closer than before.

Jennifer E. Smith, the author, wrote each character with flaws and with strengths that created such a beautiful story of how childhood trauma can affect relationships with everyone around you.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for the Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review. #NetGalley #FunForTheWholeFamily

This was a book filled with family drama but also what it means to be family. The bond the siblings had was so realistic and wholesome.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Books for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

3.5/5 stars

This sibling-connection drama revolves around Gemma, Connor, Roddy and Jude who have been fragmented for several years. We are transported between the here and now and the family's childhood with narrations from each sibling's point of view.

Smith focuses on each individual's tempestuous relationship with their mostly absent mother who they only saw during summer cross-country adventures in her quest to travel all of the lower 48. As the youngest, Jude, instigates a peace-making reunion in North Dakota, the turmoil and secrets begin to be unpacked.

While the story had its moments and was well-written, I just felt like it wasn't anything new in its premise. To be honest, I didn't connect with or even particularly like any of the characters, so it was hard for me to have a depth of feeling for what they were going through both past and present. Yes, as children they were vulnerable and basically helpless as to how they were treated by both their mother and father, but as adults I found them a bit shallow and self-absorbed.

If you enjoy fiction centered around siblings, you will most likely enjoy this one.

My thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group / Ballantine Books for providing the free early arc of Fun for the Whole Family for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

Sometimes you need something other than a mystery or thriller to give you chills. This novel does all that, and even shed a tear or two along the way.

Four siblings, raised almost parentless, become estranged over one sibling’s violation of their privacy. So when a message comes from one of the four, to the other, asking them to join her in North Dakota for a weekend, of course they all agree. It is with trepidation that the family reunites, now with extended family members, to try to pick up the pieces and become one group again.
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This book was amazing. I am an only child, so I cannot imagine what it’s like for a group of siblings, mostly raised by the oldest, to stop speaking to one another. To me, it would have to be mighty big to cause such a rift. Jennifer E. Smith unwinds this spool of thread inch by inch. Gives us current bits and old bits to marinate before unspooling more. It kept me so engaged and looking forward to the hopeful time where these four would no longer feel like strangers.

I did shed a tear or two several times throughout. Really good.



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This a a wonderful, warming, family drama. The characters are fully realized. Readers will love them in spite of their flaws (which only make them more real). A heartwarming, sentimal without being soppy story.

Another wonderful family story featuring siblings dealing with the fall-out of their parent's deficiencies as well as their relationships with each other! Despite the 4 narrators and multiple time lines, I was impressed with how well it was all written and that I could easily follow along. This made it much easier to focus on each of the siblings and what had brought them to the place they were at when the main part of the story takes place. And despite all the conflict and ruination of best plans, it was easy to see how much everyone cared for each other and hope for the best outcome for everyone! A wonderfully heart lifting read!

What a book!!! The story of four siblings who, after three years of not talking to each other, come together and reconnect. The story jumps between the past, present and the four characters which could have led to much confusion but in this stories case it just made the story that much more special. I loved the characters and how flawed they each were and the level of forgiveness they had for each other. It was such a heartwarming book and did lead to some tears.

I loved this book and thank Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to read it in exchange for my honest review.

Fun for the Whole Family is the emotional story of a family's history, told through the eyes of four estranged siblings over the course of a weekend reunion. Jennifer E. Smith tells the story of the "Extraordinary Endicotts" in lovely prose, exploring the relationships between siblings & parents, spouses & outsiders, and how one person can be seen so differently by various people in their lives.

While I loved the concept of this book and the story overall, I got more than halfway through before skipping ahead to the last few chapters. The plot moved a bit too slowly for my taste and I found myself getting a bit bored with the repetitive arguments & relational challenges between characters. I also found it challenging to relate to the characters and the problems in their relationships with each other.

I do feel this book is well-written in general & readers who enjoy family sagas & dramas, or slower-paced, emotional stories would really appreciate this book. I would recommend it to fans of Coco Mellors' Blue Sisters & Jennifer E. Smith's other novels.

Fun For The Whole Family by Jennifer E Smith
Narrator: Lauren Graham
Rating: 5 stars
Pub date: 4/8

Thank you so much to Random House and Ballantine Books for my gifted copy, and to PRH Audio for my complimentary audiobook.

This story follows the Endicott siblings—Gemma, Connor, Roddy, and Jude—who were super close growing up, thanks in part to their flaky, once-a-summer mom and totally absent dad. But now, as adults, they’ve drifted apart… until a surprise text from Jude pulls them all to North Dakota for a reunion weekend that no one quite knows how to handle.

I love stories with complicated family dynamics, and this book has that in spades! Each sibling is going through their own stuff, and I loved how real the sibling dynamics felt. The story goes back and forth between the present and flashbacks of their chaotic childhood summers. There’s bickering, teasing, lots of love, and some genuinely emotional moments. I was teary-eyed by the end (fair warning: have tissues handy.)
Lauren Graham did an amazing job with the narration, and really brought the story to life for me.

Overalll, if you love stories about complicated families and second chances, this one’s definitely worth picking up.

This was a book filled with family drama but also what it means to be family. The Endicott siblings are trying to do a family reunion but with each of them having their own issues and their own thoughts on their childhood, many things come to the surface that need to be worked out. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review... Wow! If you love a good familial book with all of the feels, you will love this one. Recommend!!

Siblings Jude, Roddy, Connor and Gemma have not seen each other for years. Their mother referred to them as the "Amazing Endicotts" and each lived up to the name, with the exception of Gemma. Jude is a famous actress with an impending Oscar award, Roddy a famous soccer player, and Connor has a best-selling novel. Still, Gemma has a fabulous "normal" life, living in Chicago as a marketing executive with a solid and loving husband. They grew up with a mother who was often scattered and absent from their lives, yet she always took them on a road trip during the summer to visit each of the 50 states. They checked states off the list, yet mother Frankie became more distant and eventually the trips stopped. After a scary incident, the siblings stopped speaking to her, with the exception of Jude. Years later, Jude has called the siblings to reunite in North Dakota. Is this just an attempt to check another state off the list, or is something more going on with Jude?

I adore a family drama, and Fun for the Whole Family was a superb one! Alternating between past and present, the Endicotts’ childhood memories with their aloof mother have followed them into adulthood. I loved how each character’s personal struggles were highlighted, yet they always went back to their siblings to find strength and support. Each character was so well-described that I felt like I was on the North Dakota trip with the family. Connor’s children offered some lightheartedness to the group and it was sweet how they were in awe of their aunts and uncle. There were many tough topics covered in this book; cancer, infertility, marital/relationship struggles, and more. The story flowed well and was very emotional with just the right amount of humor thrown in. This was an impactful read that was beautifully written, and I highly recommend it!

Dammit!!! This book hit me right in the feels—exactly what I expected, but I wasn’t ready for the emotional rollercoaster. At its heart, this story is about four siblings and their mom embarking on a cross-country road trip to visit every state in the U.S. What starts as a cool, adventurous journey turns into something much deeper as life happens along the way. The narrative alternates between their past road trip memories and the present day, weaving a poignant tale of love, loss, and family bonds.

Now grown with their own kids and accomplishments, these siblings—Gemma, Roddy, Conner, and Jude—have drifted apart. They miss each other but rarely find time to reconnect. That changes when Jude sends out a message asking them to meet her in North Dakota after three long years apart. Despite their busy lives, they drop everything to be there for her, sensing something important is about to unfold.

What follows is an unforgettable reunion filled with laughter, tears, and revelations. Old wounds are addressed, secrets come to light, and everyone finds closure in their own way. This trip brings both joy and heartbreak, but it’s a powerful reminder that it’s never too late to show up for family. The effort matters—the love matters—and this book beautifully captures that truth.

I adored these siblings and their journey. It’s a story that will stay with you long after you turn the last page. Family is messy, complicated, and imperfect—but it’s also worth everything.

The book opens as the Endicott siblings (Gemma, Connor, Jude, and Roddy) are trying to make a family reunion in North Dakota work, especially when they haven't seen each other in three years. Each of them is dealing with life defining issues - that none of the others know about. The central plot line deals with the why of three years and the why of North Dakota. The book explores the time before, when they were together as a family, but were they? Their father travelled and their mother - well there is a story to be unraveled as the story goes along. Fun for the Whole Family is really four different stories that merge into one. And the merging is neither convenient nor calm. Any reader will have a hard time putting this one down.