Vivienne and Patrick Fisher have done an excellent job raising their three daughters, Alex, Nancy, and Eva. They’re well-adjusted women with impressive careers, caring partners, exciting hobbies, and sweet children. So it’s with great anticipation that three generations of Fishers gather at a beautiful glass house in the English countryside for a weeklong celebration of Vivienne’s seventieth birthday. But when Patrick’s reaction to a freak accident on the first day of the trip inadvertently reveals that he has a favorite daughter, no one is prepared for the shockwaves it sends through the family.

Decades-old unresolved sibling rivalries are suddenly unmasked. And be it newly uncovered smoking habits, ancient crushes, or private doubts about life decisions both big and small, no one’s secrets are safe. Still-tender wounds are reopened amid an audience of friends, husbands, grandchildren, and even coworkers, and as the family's past is re-written, they find themselves suddenly unmoored.

If you love family drama — other peoples’ family drama, that is — then this is for you.

The Accidental Favorite is full of twists, big secrets that keep us up at night, and the small things that eat away at us for decades.

As an only child, I don’t fully appreciate the sister dynamics at play, but in an overall family-level, the dynamics were incredible. They’re skillfully written, and nearly painful to experience alongside the characters.

The pulls for nostalgia, for times that are much behind us, are beautiful. You can feel the yearning from each of the characters.

Primarily — or maybe, fully, now that I’m thinking about it — from the women’s point of view, this medium-paced novel brings the things we’d never say out loud into the light.

I really enjoyed this novel, and how honest it felt.

Fran Littlewood has offered in The Accidental Favorite exactly what the publisher's blurb promises - a tale of sisters, of family dynamics that are ancient as we are. . . .things that can go crosswise can and will and who we are is how we manage all that. Littlewood's characters are real and just like people you know (may know very closely). Overall a good read - I wouldn't read this, though if you are currently in active battles with your own family. . . or maybe could if you need some fresh ideas. . . .

*A sincere thank you to Fran Littlewood, Henry Holt & Company, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review independently.*

Vivianne and Patrick have three daughters who are now adults, each with their own set of issues. All are excited to get together in the English countryside to celebrate Vivianne’s 70th birthday. But when a freak accident has Patrick showing a favorite, the family spirals. Everyone’s secrets begin to be revealed including how Vivianne and Patrick’s relationship evolved over time and how it effected the family and how they view each daughter.

I was excited to read and listen to this one but I didn’t love it as much as I hoping to. I honestly think that was based on mood and having listened to the audio more than reading it. There are a lot of main characters, time jumps and relationships and I think I just got lost for too much of the book. Once I picked it up and read it with my eyes I did like it better but I never got into the story as I would have liked. For me this should have been an eyes versus ears book.

3.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Henry Holt for the ARC to review

Loved this exploration of family dynamics, coming of age, and sisterhood. This was a quick read, funny at times, and really well written. The only eh moment for me was the explanation for the "accidental favorite" situation - that was really rather bizarre. After being the focus of attention of every character (and apparently countless imaginary people on TikTok), the explanation for the father "saving" one daughter over two others falls a bit flat. Otherwise, the relationships between the sisters, their family lives, and all the antics of the family during their week in the glass house make for a wonderful read.

Thank you, NetGalley and Henry Holt and Co., for providing an early reader's copy in exchange for my honest review.

Fran Littlewood’s sophomore novel, 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗔𝗖𝗖𝗜𝗗𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗔𝗟 𝗙𝗔𝗩𝗢𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗘, tells the story of three grown sisters who have always been close, but who are not without certain long standing rivalries and petty jealousies. They’ve gathered for a week-long holiday, together with their parents, children and partners, to celebrate the “naming” of the eldest sister’s third child and their mother’s 70th birthday. An incident early in the story leads everyone to believe that their father has a clear favorite amongst his daughters, stirring an array of long held suspicions and resentments.⁣
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The premise of this book sounded like one I’d like very much, especially since I enjoyed Littlewood’s debut, 𝘈𝘮𝘢𝘻𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘎𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘈𝘥𝘢𝘮𝘴, but sadly that just wasn’t the case. Though there was a lot of humor in the story, for me it went too far with some of that and honestly the rivalries between sisters in their forties just became tiresome. The phrase, “it was okay.” best sums up how I felt about this book. It wasn’t difficult to get through, but not particularly special for me either. By the end, I was more bored than engaged. So, kind of a miss for me! ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Throughout THE ACCIDENTAL FAVORITE by Fran Littlewood, I winced and cheered on the sisters releasing secrets, looking hard and well into their relationships and version of the lives they led together and apart. Having sisters of my own, I so related to the special bonds and terrible strains of family. Great writing, believable characters, dialogue so well done it felt like I was listening in on a real-life conversation I needed to hear. Wonderful, enjoyable, immersive read! I received a copy of this book and these opinions are my own, unbiased thoughts.

Family is everything but they can drive you crazy!

Three sister, they feel like they are very close but they all have secrets that they don't share even with those they thought they were closest to. While on a family holiday, a large tree starts coming down and dad runs to save his youngest daughter who is actually the furthest way. These grown sisters with kids of their own sort of fall apart after that. They all start questioning if dad has always had a favorite and what their own role in the family is.

The secrets slowly come out in timelines that jump back and forth between their young years and the present. I liked the family drama and the way they all coped with the stresses in their lives, I just had some problems with the jumping around. 1975 to 1982 to 1987 back to 1975 with snapshots of the present in between.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

It could be that I just had very high expectations for this book. Based on the summary, it seemed like a book that I was going to absolutely love. But it just fell kind of flat for me. It took me forever to read (I just wasn't excited to pick it up) and felt kind of bland. I typically love a slow-moving book, but this felt like molasses.

The book has all the elements of a book I would like; it's a family drama featuring three sisters in their 40s on a family trip with their aging parents, kids, and significant others all staying in a house together. Everyone has their own personal issues and all of the characters are flawed in some way. When they're taking family photos in the woods and a tree falls, the dad immediately tries to save the youngest daughter, despite the fact she's furthest away from him. This has everyone starting to realize he has a favorite child and probably has all their lives? I love this concept and that's in large part why I picked up the book (I haven't read the author's previous Amazing Grace Adams).

I kept getting the characters confused, but this could be because I read this over a longer period of time. And I didn't particularly like the flashbacks since they were very random and felt quite confusing. I do think they were necessary to the plot of the story, but I wish they were a bit more organized and not so jarring.

Overall, this wasn't the book for me, but that doesn't mean you won't enjoy it! I have heard amazing things about Amazing Grace Adams, so will definitely give that one a try.

I am a sucker for a novel with family drama… however this one was not it. Each of the three sisters didn’t really have a solid voice and they were all really unlikeable. I did enjoy the writing but I couldn’t stand the characters!

This was my first book by Littlewood, so I am more than willing to try another.

I did not end up completing this novel, as I found it very difficult to get into. I don't believe the genre was something that really matched my interests.

This was a book about a serious question but written in such a fun and light way. What a dysfunctional family!! I loved them and they annoyed me, but it got the point across and they were able to work through their problems. Great story!!

A tense family drama covering three sisters, their aging parents, and a lifetime of secrets -- I definitely enjoyed! There's some really deep-seated interpersonal wounds at play here, and the family vacation weekend's quick unraveling reflected the atmosphere really well. I did feel that the rapidly changing POVs did the story a disservice, as it made the narrative feel scattered and a bit confusing at times. But overall would recommend!

I was drawn to this book because I love reading about siblings but I stayed for the reflective writing. This was such a thought provoking novel and I grew to care about the relationships between these characters.

The Accidental Favorite is an absolute delight that is warm, witty, and surprisingly poignant. From the moment the three generations of Fishers gather at the stunning glass house for Vivienne’s seventieth birthday, I was hooked. Fran Littlewood masterfully weaves humor, tension, and heartfelt family dynamics into a story that feels both utterly relatable and utterly absorbing.

Watching the fallout from Patrick’s revelation about his “favorite” daughter was such a joy and a thrill. The way decades-old sibling rivalries, long-hidden secrets, and tender wounds surface had me laughing, cringing, and reaching for tissues all at once. Alex, Nancy, and Eva are brilliantly drawn - successful, vibrant women with real flaws and relatable insecurities, and I loved seeing how their relationships evolved, clashed, and ultimately deepened over the course of the week.

Littlewood balances sharp wit with genuine emotion in a way that makes the Fishers feel like people you could know in real life. The story is a lively, heartfelt examination of memory, sisterhood, and family ties, with just the right touch of drama and reflection. By the end, I felt like I’d truly spent time with this family, and I was reminded how messy, complicated, and ultimately beautiful family life can be.

The Accidental Favorite is the perfect mix of laughter, tears, and insight, a novel that stays with you long after the last page.

I didn't know much about this one going in, and haven't read any of the author's previous books. I was pretty hooked right away, and enjoyed the messy family dynamics as we got to know each sister and their families.

The book switches around between each of the family members and jumps around in time, giving us a full picture of what has happened in the past as well as seeing the present day events from multiple angles. I enjoyed how information was revealed this way.

I love books about messy families and would recommend this one to anyone who likes family drama. I will definitely be reading more by Fran Littlewood!

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book!

In case you weren't aware, families are messy.
While in a family vacation , three adult sisters, and their parents. find their relationships unraveling when their father spontaneously rushes to save only one of them in the midst of a threatening event.
The entire family seems to be suffering from existential crises, all of which come to a head, forcing everyone to deal with each other, and their own crap.
This was entertaining.
Thanks to #netgalley and #henryholtandco for this #arc of #theaccidentalfavorite in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this and savored it. The ending was a mixture of bittersweet and sad. I think I rooted for all of the sisters at different points in time. Everyone was both the victim and the villain in this book and the characters were dynamic

The Accidental Favorite was just ok to me.

It centers on 3 sisters and focuses on a vacation the families are taking together along with their parents. Normally, I love a book with lots of family dynamics but this one fell a little flat for me.

It switches POV between the three sisters yet none of them had a distinctive voice which I think was my biggest complaint. I struggled to remember who was who and some extra character development early on would have really strengthened this book.

I also just never felt that invested in the story. Every thing was fine enough, the writing wasn’t terrible or anything. But I was kinda bored the entire time.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc

3.5 stars. I really enjoyed Amazing Grace Adams so I was excited to read Fran Littlewood’s newest novel. This had the elements I have found I really enjoy - complicated family dynamics and secrets between parents and siblings that unfold throughout the story. While nothing fully groundbreaking in this book, the characters were well-developed and the setting (a vacation house in the UK) was great.