At first glance this book appears to be a family drama about a dysfunctional family- and don’t get me wrong, it very much is. But on a deeper level it is about sisters and the ever changing relationships they have with each other. Towards the end of reading this the quote from the old nineties TV show, Sisters (you know the one, with Sela Ward) popped into my head: “…The only ones who are there for you, from cradle to grave, are your sisters.” That quote sums up this book perfectly.
As with her first book, Fran Littlewood has written a book that will speak to most women. This encompasses the sibling rivalry sisters experience as children through adulthood. It delves into the complicated relationship that makes up sisters: how we love each other then hate each other and then end up loving each other again.
I love how Fran Littlewood set this in the same universe as Amazing Grace Adams giving us a fun Easter egg about 80% of the way through and I love that while this book was heavy and depressing for the first half to three quarters, it ends in a way you don’t expect.
Thank you to NetGalley and Henry Holt & Company for an advanced copy of this. The Accidental Favorite hit the shelves on June 24th.

For Vivienne’s 70th birthday, her husband Patrick, their 3 grown daughters (Alex, Nancy and Eve) and their families come together to send a week in a glass home in the country. When a tree comes crashing down, Patrick instinctively rushes to save his youngest daughter, Eve, setting forth a feeling that Eve might be her dad’s favorite kid.

As the week progresses, old memories are uncovered as the sisters and the parents reexamine the past, their old hurts buried but still shaping them into the people they have become.

I love a good family saga. Especially one with witty banter. This novel has both but somehow it just didn’t quite work for me. The sisters all irritated me but maybe it’s because I don’t have sisters? I don’t know. I loved Amazing Grace Adams and was excited for this one but it just didn’t suck me in. I will say that the narration in this one was quite good and that is the main reason I stuck with it.

Thank you to @netgalley @henryholtbooks @macmillan.audio for an early #gifted audiobook and digital review copy of this novel

This book is for the pretty one and the smart one. It’s for the good one and the troublemaker, the athletic one and the creative one, the overachiever and the mess.

The Accidental Favorite is the kind of family drama that starts with one tiny moment and suddenly, all the cracks in the Fisher family’s foundation are exposed. Three sisters, one glass house (metaphor much?), and decades of rivalry, resentment, and birth order baggage come crashing to the surface.

As someone with a younger sister and a very healthy (maybe) sense of sibling competition, I found so much of this to be uncomfortably relatable. The sisters are messy, flawed, and constantly measuring themselves against one another, which made me feel deeply seen and also mildly attacked. Fran Littlewood doesn’t just write family dysfunction—she dissects it, layering in memory, identity, favoritism, and the way our parents shape us even long after we’ve grown.

It took me a minute to find my footing in the multi-POV structure, told in multiple timelines, but once I did, I was all in. The flashbacks to childhood were both funny and quietly devastating, especially the sisters’ insistence that they had a “great upbringing” while listing off enough emotional neglect to fuel a decade of therapy.

It’s chaotic, layered, and just the right amount of uncomfortable. If you’re into sibling dynamics, family secrets, and reading passages that make you text your sister “Do you remember this happening or am I crazy?”, this one’s for you.

Strongly recommend!

Thank you to @netgalley and @henryholt for an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

It's Vivienne's 70th birthday, and three generations gather in a glasshouse in the English countryside to celebrate. The Patriarch insists on taking photos, and as he captures his three daughters, a tree falls, and he passes his two daughters to save the farthest one from him. This sets the tone for the celebration. There are plenty of emotions and rivalries, which make for some good old-fashioned family drama. I enjoyed the audio more once I figured out the names and who went with whom.

This was a pretty good exploration of sibling rivalry and family secrets. I had a hard time believing that the instigating incident would lead to everything that it did, which made the beginning kind of a slow start for me. I did enjoy learning more about each sister's backstory and how they have been shaped into the people they are today, and their relationships with their own children. The primary setting of the book--a glass house in relative wilderness-- is extremely atmospheric and contributes a lot to the overall mood of the book as tempers flare and secrets come to light. Overall, there was plenty of drama (both familial and romantic), and several characters were quite relatable, if not entirely likeable. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a tense family drama with plenty of angst that ultimately sees a resolution of sorts.

Sharp, witty, and emotionally affluent. The Accidental Favorite explores the true meaning of siblinghood, the intricate web of family dynamics, and how we all experience life a little differently despite growing up in the same home. As someone in a family of 3 children, this hits close to home, though I grew up with brothers. Littlewood so accurately captures the relationships between siblings; it's not always perfect and pretty, but there will always be love.

Alex, Nancy, and Eva are having a vacation with their families and parents when a near disaster occurs. And suddenly the question arises - do parents have a favorite? And what happens when that rears its ugly head?

I had a rash of books about sisters and what is that about? But anyway, here we are - another three sister saga. It seems Dad does indeed have a favorite, and that’s not even the biggest secret the family reveals. The sisters harbor long standing resentments and it times it gets tedious, but for the most part this is a well told story. I struggled sometimes with keeping the sisters straight, but once you get to know them, it’s easier. I would read more by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Henry Holt and Co for providing me with an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Available June 24, 2025.

Thank you Henry Holt and Co. and NetGalley for the ARC!

The Accidental Favorite was an exploration of familial relations after a surprise revelation. The book itself was interesting if not a little dry. There were moments that I really connected with, but it took me awhile to get through this book.

Thank you again for the ARC!

3.5 ⭐️
The Accidental Favorites is one of those books you will think about for a bit after. Immersed in family drama and complicated characters, this book is one for the books.
When the Fisher family gathers for their mother Vivienne’s 70th birthday, Pandora’s box is opened, by way of a tree limb falling. The three sisters are faced with questions after their father rushes to save the youngest disinter. Is she his favorite?
The premise of this book is wildly entertaining, and the writing so real and honest. I did struggle to connect with the characters, and like them. But I really did enjoy this read, and can’t wait to read Amazing Grace Adams, which I just found at a book sale. Yay!
Thank you netgalley for this arc!

I was instantly sucked in by the atmosphere and writing style.
The writing is exceptional and I was hooked after the first sentence.
The characters draw you in and keeps you flipping the pages.
The characters were all realistic and very well developed.
I really enjoyed the writing style. I found myself hooked, turning the pages.

I thought I was going to like this a little more than I did, as I'm the oldest sister lol. As someone all too familiar with the intricacies of family dynamics, I found this novel both reflective and revealing. Over the years, my own family has often joked about who the “favourite child” might be so naturally, this story hit close to home.

The novel explores the complex relationships between sisters, between Vivian and Patrick, and between parents and their children with real nuance. It made me pause and reflect on my own family thankfully, our dynamics haven’t taken quite the dramatic turn that unfolds here.

The structure of the book mimics the way memory works: winding, sometimes fragmented, but always authentic. As the holiday progresses, buried tensions rise to the surface. What begins as a seemingly ordinary family gathering slowly unravels into something far more emotional—at times painful and raw, but also unexpectedly funny and sharply observed.

The pace does lag a bit in the middle, particularly during the more mundane recollections that reflect the everyday grind. But just as you're starting to settle in, the emotional stakes climb, and the atmosphere tightens with rising anxiety and stress, pulling you right back The characters were unlikable for me but I still enjoyed the story itself.

A must-read if you are craving family drrraaammmmaaaa! 3 sisters, each at different stages in their lives and with different familial roles, come together with their parents to celebrate the oldest sister having another baby, and their Mom's 70th birthday. When their father unexpectedly shows his true feelings about who may be his favorite daughter, things start to unravel fast.

There are so many secrets, long-held grudges, and unexpected twists that certainly kept my attention. The book often feels like a stream of consciousness, but that helped me get into the minds of the characters more. I just wish the sisters voices were written a bit more uniquely.

The book is very British, which was fun, and I always love a vacation setting (especially in a rich-person's vacation house, thanks to the youngest sister recently becoming a multi-millionaire). I kind of expected a few more shocking twists and turns, but in the end, it's a simple book about family drama, sibling love, and coming to terms with the past. An easy 4 stars and a great summer read.

They say parents don't have favorites, but we know that they do. The Accidental Favorite highlights this in a fun, yet still moving way. A perfect summer read.

I couldn't seem to connect with this book. It took me some time to get accustomed to the author's writing style. The characters were occasionally whiny. Thank you, NetGalley.

If you are looking for family drama, look no further! Thanks so much to Henry Holt for both the #gifted physical ARC and NetGalley ebook access in exchange for my honest opinions. It took me a little while to get into this read (and I am so glad there was a family tree to refer to!), but once I was into it, it was hard to put down. The end was especially engaging!
I’m an only child, and I particularly love reading about messy sibling drama because it’s something I've never had to deal with!
The title and plot of The Accidental Favorite stems from a family reunion where a tree falls when the dad is taking a picture of his three grown (40ish year old) daughters - and he bypasses two of them to make sure one is moved to safety, apparently showing a previously-hidden favoritism. As you can imagine, there is a lot more to the story than just that. Written through multiple POV (from all three sisters and the mother, both in the present and with occasional flashbacks to the past), this tale of sibling rivalry and family secrets, told by women who all have children, was really engaging. If you’re a fan of sibling and family sagas, I definitely recommend this one, which published 6/25. I enjoyed finishing the book on my couch with a delicious beverage from Trader Joe’s yesterday afternoon after my school year FINALLY ended. Cheers to books and beverages and summer break!

The Accidental Favorite is one of those books that starts with a bang—not literally, but with an emotional jolt that sets off a chain reaction you can’t look away from. As someone who gravitates toward family dramas, especially those centered around siblings, I was intrigued from the first page. Fran Littlewood doesn’t just peel back the layers of a family—she cracks them wide open with a moment so small and yet so revealing that it forces every character to reckon with everything they’ve carefully tucked away.

The setup feels deceptively serene: a multi-generational family—Vivienne and Patrick, their three grown daughters Alex, Nancy, and Eva, plus all the partners and kids—gather at a modern glass house in the countryside for Vivienne’s 70th birthday. Think white wine, charcuterie boards, shared bathrooms, and years of unspoken tension simmering just below the surface. Then comes the freak accident: a tree falls during a casual stroll in the woods, and Patrick instinctively rushes to save just one of his daughters. That snap decision—who he runs to, and who he doesn’t—is the moment everything shifts. Because, of course, it’s the moment the other sisters realize: Dad has a favorite. And it’s not them.

From that point on, the novel spirals into a tangle of old grudges, suppressed memories, and family truths that can no longer be ignored. It alternates between present day and past flashbacks, each one adding another layer of understanding—or confusion. The nonlinear structure can be a challenge. There are no traditional chapters, just different POVs sliding into each other, like overlapping monologues. At first, I found it disorienting. But eventually, I saw how the format mirrored the disarray of family storytelling. How memories collide. How no one version of the truth is ever quite the full story.

The quote that stuck with me most—“They’re under her skin and in her heart, these women, her sisters. She has no choice in the matter.”—felt like the emotional anchor of the book. That sentence captures what’s so painful and beautiful about sibling relationships: you’re bonded whether you like it or not. That kind of love doesn’t always feel good. It can be fraught with jealousy, misunderstanding, and comparison—but it’s still love. Messy, exhausting, often unsaid love.

As for the characters, they aren’t easy. I found myself irritated with each of the sisters at different points. Alex is controlling and performative, Nancy is tightly wound and bitter, and Eva is detached and self-absorbed—but they’re also complex, hurting, and trying (and often failing) to connect. Nancy, the middle sister, stood out most to me. She carries so much of the emotional weight of the story. Her inner conflict felt the most grounded—balancing resentment and duty, trying to hold it all together when she’s falling apart inside.

One thing I loved was how Littlewood handles the idea of memory. What do we remember, and why? What do we block out? How do our parents appear differently to each sibling? These themes are explored in subtle, poignant ways. There’s an ongoing tension between what actually happened and how each person remembers it happening. That kind of emotional layering added depth to what could’ve been just another family drama.

That said, the novel isn’t without its flaws. The pacing lags in the middle, especially when it leans too heavily into internal monologue and reflection. There were moments I wanted the story to snap back into the present-day drama, rather than wade so slowly through childhood flashbacks. I also think the cast could’ve been trimmed. With so many characters—spouses, children, friends—it was hard to keep track at times. And while I admire the risk of the stream-of-consciousness style, it occasionally felt like style over clarity.

Still, when The Accidental Favorite hits, it hits hard. There are moments of raw truth that took my breath away—conversations between sisters that felt painfully accurate, and silences between parents and children that said more than words could. The final chapters are especially strong. Without spoiling anything, I’ll just say the ending felt earned. It didn’t wrap everything in a neat bow, but it gave me closure. And in a book like this, that’s all I wanted.

Ultimately, this is a story about perception, pain, and the invisible threads that tie us to the people we’ve known the longest—even when we don’t quite know them at all. It’s about being seen. About wanting to matter. And it’s about how a single split-second decision can bring decades of buried emotion rushing to the surface.

Would I recommend it? Yes—but with the caveat that you need to be in the right headspace. It’s not light or escapist. It demands patience. But if you love complex family dynamics, emotionally flawed characters, and stories that aren’t afraid to sit in the discomfort of real relationships, this one’s worth your time.

Thank you to Henry Holt & Co. and NetGalley for the advance reader copy of The Accidental Favorite. This is my honest and voluntary review.

I have been very excited to read this since I loved Grace Adams. I am honored to have received an ALC through NetGalley. The audiobook narrator had a good performance, nice British accent that fits the characters. However I think it may have worked better with multiple narrators. It was very difficult to follow this on audio— there are so many characters and the narrative makes time jumps and jumps to each other that it is difficult to keep straight. I did preorder this as a hard copy so I am going to try reading the physical copy instead to see if I can follow it better.

Book to be published June 24, 2025

Update: I got a copy of this and I am DNFing at 30%. With a mom and 3 sisters, present time all different POV and then going back to prior time periods I can’t keep the characters straight and there is no cohesive plot.

This one wasn’t for me, but I can see how others may enjoy it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Henry Holt for the ARC.

Thanks to NetGalley and Henry Holt & Company for the eARC.

As a sister, one who has always felt like she was not the favorite, this book spoke to me from the moment I read the synopsis. Fran Littlewood did not disappoint. This book is fully of family dynamics, drama, and the heartache associated with family. I adored it.

4.5 stars!!! was not expecting to like this one as much as I did, but WOW. Talk about the drama, talk about interesting family dynamics, talk about the insightfulness. Fran Littlewood did such a great job at making me think about my own family dynamics and how much it really can impact your adult life. Life is MESSY and this novel surely demonstrated that. I knocked off half a star because some of the plot lines felt a little unresolved and I would REALLY like to know some things that aren't revealed in the book. IYKYK. Anyway, reallllly enjoyed this and I feel like it most definitely should be made into a mini-series on Apple TV or something because I would be SAT!

Also, sidebar, I love the UK title and cover so much more!!!! Regardless, you should definitely get this one added to the tippy top of your list!

This novel centers on three sisters, Alex, Nancy and Eva, who are gathered for their mother’s 70th birthday. Having enjoyed Amazing Grace Adams, I was excited to read this novel. However, I found myself having difficulty connecting with the characters and truly caring how everything resolved.
Told in different perspectives, this is overall and examination of how we interact with siblings and our roles within our families. The highlight of this book was the way Littlewood created each character. Unfortunately, this was not a compelling read for me. If you are looking for a slower paced book that focuses on family dynamics/drama, this would be a good choice.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Henry Holt and Company for the advance copy. All opinions are my own.