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.

Thank you to NetGalley and Henry Holt and Co. for an advanced reader copy of this book! This book definitely has some complex family drama that centers around a specific drama that unspools the history of the family and their shared relational issues. It definitely took some effort to keep all the characters and their families straight, which I'm not opposed to but you do have to work a bit to keep it straight throughout the novel as the narration shifts frequently, as well as jumping back and forth in timeline. Multiple versions of stories and memories are shared, which both add and emphasize the themes of shared memories, family relations, as well as secrets and their long-standing impact on family relations and the question of "who is really the favorite"? I liked the shift in memories and the story itself was pretty good. I was expecting more of out of the ultimate secret but overall enjoyed this novel.

Folks with sisters will enjoy this one!

Thanks Henry Holt and Company and NetGalley for the invite to read this ARC!

Synopsis -

Vivienne and Patick Fisher have raised their 3 daughters to the best of their abilities. Alex, Nancy and Eva are all doing very well for themselves and that’s everything they could hope for. When the Fishers gather at a glass house in the English countryside for a weeklong vacation and Vivienne’s 70th birthday celebration, an unexpected incident reveals Patrick might have a “favorite” daughter. This is just the kindle to the fire, which will rage and send shockwaves through this family as the week progresses, unearthing decades old secrets, resentments and fall outs triggering new ones in their destructive wake.

Review -

What anyone needs to be prepared for before picking up this book is that, the pacing is slow and patience will be key to truly savor it. This is not for the thrill seeking nor is it for those looking for a quick brain refreshing easy read.

Littlewood’s writing is deeply observational - there is a lot of attention to detail, to everything ranging from the characters, the settings, the general vibes and particulary the emotions. Sibling rivalry is at the very core of the story and the author explores sisters’ relationships - delving deep into the shift and shuffle of their dynamics over the years, playing out w.r.t their careers, family lives, their kids, mindset differences, age gap, financial status and social/societal standing.

Not a lot happens until about mid-way and just when I started to get jittery, tension escalates, dirty secrets are unveiled, chaos ensues in this glass house and you know what they say when you live in one! Don’t throw stones at it!

The ending did make up for the inertia, but overall the book fell just a bit short for me.

Fran Littlewood has populated a family tree that is all too typical: Mom, Dad, three sisters, spouses, and children of the sisters. The extended family is gathering for a vacation together to celebrate Mom's 70th birthday. As a member of an extended family, I know how easy it is to see favoritism in any situation. On the first day of the vacation, circumstances conspired to reveal Dad's favorite child. The timeline then switches to remembrances of the sister's childhood. I recognized so many of my family members in these characters. Littlewood must have a large family too.
As the sisters begin reviewing their childhood, searching for clues to explain the "favorite" status, the interactions within this family are so realistic that I was hooked on their stories. The family stumbles along until they realize it doesn't matter; they are still sisters with many blessings to be thankful for.

A smart, relatable novel about sibling rivalry and messy family dynamics. I was pulled in right from the start, even if it took a bit to keep the sisters straight. Not quite on par with her debut for me, but Fran Littlewood is firmly on my auto-read list.

Families are complicated and often messy, so the premise of this book caught my attention. Three adult sisters gather with their partners and children to celebrate their mother’s birthday when a near tragedy occurs. In that brief moment their dad does something that is interpreted to signal that one of the daughters is his favorite.

Told through multiple POV and across a nonlinear timeline, Littlewood explores the secrets, insecurities, petty jealousies, and grievances that until then lay unvoiced and unexplored. With so many characters contributing to the story it sometimes felt like a cacophony of voices clamoring for my attention.

I have a sister and I am a sister. I know firsthand how complex those relationships can be. Unity and the desire for independence are occasionally at odds. Loyalty competes with envy. Shared memories and experiences look and feel different through each individual prism. I wanted more depth in those areas, but was left feeling slightly unsatisfied. Littlewood has a talent for capturing and highlighting the frustrations we often keep hidden, and she does so again here. I simply wanted more.

Fans of family dramas will appreciate the gritty feel of this book. I alternated between digital and audio versions of this book. Fiona Button is a talented narrator, but I occasionally had difficulty tracking which character’s POV was being presented and found that easier to manage with the digital copy.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and Henry Holt and Company for the advance copies. All opinions are my own.

I was really intrigued by the premise of this book, because anyone with siblings wonders if their parents have a favorite child. This was always a BIG topic of conversation in my family because I have a much older brother and sister so I'm the BABY of the family and since they had me so much later, it was suspected that I was the favorite. Personally, I think my parents just looked at me as a fresh start for parenting. They didn't want to make as many mistakes with this one! And if I was a little spoiled or I was given a little more freedom, it wasn't because they loved me any more than my brother and sister. It was just because they must have been exhausted by the time I came around! :-)

So, when Vivienne and Peter Fisher take a lovely vacation with their three middle aged daughters and their families to celebrate Vivienne's 70th birthday in their glass house (wonderful metaphor!) and Peter rushes to save one of the daughters from a falling tree (who happens to be the daughter furthest from the danger), the girls naturally assume that Peter has a favorite! And that's where the fun begins! This stirs up a lot of sibling rivalry between Alex (the oldest), Nancy (the middle) and Eva (the baby) and the memories and untold secrets ensue. What I really enjoyed is that the memories were told from the perspective of the three daughters and the reader learns the truth about their childhood at the same time as the three women.

What's funny about this book is that I really didn't have a "favorite": character. The author managed to make me fall in love with all three women and both of their parents. The story dragged a bit at times (more during the present day than in the past), but I didn't really care that much because I was fully invested in this wonderful, funny, slightly dysfunctional family.

I think this would be an excellent book for a book club discussion!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Henry Holt & Company for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. The anticipated publication date is June 24, 2025.

This had a very intriguing plot! I did struggle with so many characters that weren't differentiated early enough on for me. I would have done better with an excel spreadsheet to follow and maybe the published copy has a family tree in the front to help? And while I enjoyed the story, it felt too meandering at times. Yes, despite the solid plot, this was a more character driven book and that kept me feeling a little off kilter most of the time. This is probably very much a mood dependent book and the mood wasn't quite right for me at the time I read it.

Just finished *The Accidental Favorite* by Fran Littlewood—a warm, occasionally messy family dramedy that really lands.
Fran Littlewood’s sophomore novel centers on three accomplished sisters reuniting in a glass‑walled country house for their mother’s 70th birthday. A freak accident triggers a shocking revelation: Dad has a favorite daughter. Cue sibling rivalries, old grudges, and secrets that unravel over the week .

What makes this one shine is its mix of sharp humor and emotional insight. The sisters—Alex, Nancy, and Eva—are vividly drawn, each with relatable flaws and private anxieties: from parenting guilt to career disappointments to secret marriages.
It’s poignant and funny, balancing cringe‑worthy sibling spats with genuine moments of sisterly loyalty. Think spilled wine, social‑media snooping, and sharp tension in a literal glass house—it’s messy, but heart‑warmingly so.

In short? A cozy, emotionally honest read perfect for fans of family sagas with bite—full of laughter, tears, and those relatable family dynamics that linger long after the last page.

When the Fischer family gathers for Vivienne's 70th birthday, three generations together in a glass house creates a pressure cooker for drama. During a family photo, Patrick, the father? gathers his daughters for a photo. When a tree starts to fall that the girls can't see, he runs to the one furthest from danger to save her. The other two sisters are left reeling with confirmation that their father indeed has a favorite, and it isn't them.

This book in print is a real treat. Alex, Nancy, and Eva are in their forties and are there with their own children and spouses. There are several names to learn, but I felt it was easy to keep track of the characters. The family drama includes all of the compelling elements that resonate with readers of the subgenre: marriage, sisterhood, identity, parent-child relationships, and the sting of favoritism. To complicate the situation, each family member is keeping secrets. I found the characters to be real and their feelings relatable. The feelings of belonging, being needed and that you matter and are important are universal and don't end because you reach adulthood. Littlewood brilliantly teaches us not to throw stones at glass houses. If you love family sagas, this one is not to be missed.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Henry Holt & Company, and Fran Littlewood for an advance reader's copy in exchange for my honest review.

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Many thanks to NetGalley, Henry Holt & Company and Macmillan Audio for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of the sophomore novel by Fran Littlewood, author of Amazing Grace Adams. The audiobook was perfectly narrated by Fiona Button, especially when considering there were a lot of characters in this book! All opinions expressed in this review are my own – 4.5 stars!

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. The three generations gather at a beautiful glass rental home for a weeklong celebration of Vivienne’s 70th 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.

This book really made me wish I had sisters (although I do have lots of sisters-in-law!) because these three women had such a complicated but unbreakable bond to each other. I like books with a domestic/family theme, because it’s a good reminder that all families are messy in their own ways. That was certainly the case here with everyone having secrets and issues. I also liked the theme of family birth order and how that affects personalities. This is definitely a character-driven story and I loved this look into the Fisher family.

⭐⭐⭐.5

Pre-Read Notes:

I tend to be interested in stories about dysfunctional families, so the title of this book grabbed me. The opening pages make it clear that this is my kind of story-- adult sibling rivalry and fighting aging parents? Yep, that's my bag.

I also loved Amazing Grace Adams, so I was really happy to read more from Littlewood and Henry Holt & Co.. Looking forward to this one!

"She walks past an abandoned towel, a damp scrunch of swimsuit left on a sun bed, a single white sock. She won’t touch them. Why should she? Why should she continue to pick up the pieces of everyone else’s messy, messed-up lives? Let them do it themselves." p1290

Final Review

(thoughts & recs) THE ACCIDENTAL FAVORITE is definitely an entertaining book and I liked the first half quite a lot. It's a story about dysfunctional adult siblings, with characters I felt were authentic and developed naturally in response to the plot. It's a huge cast, though, and I didn't really figure out who was who until more than halfway through. And then, sadly, I thought the form started dragging on the story here and everything grew more and more convoluted as moves toward the climax.

So for me this book is a half & half, where I liked one half but not the other. I think fans of A FAMILY MATTER by Claire Lynch will probably enjoy this one.

My 2 Favorite Things:

✔️ This book is composed of multiple flavors of controlled chaos, served in a single sloppy scoop. The form is also Interesting, with most of the book delivered in one long chapter. I love the first feature, but the very long chapter makes me feel fatigued. If the design gains more significance later, I'll make an edit. *edit I didn't find the experimental form here to be either meaningful or related to anything else about the book. I wish the author had just done typical chapter breaks. This was a lot to read in a single chapter, within which perspective and time shift wildly.

✔️ I really love stories about adult siblings, especially if they're trying to work out some sort of dysfunctional. I love stories about people who work things out, and respect stories where characters choose their own meeds. This is a good one, really. I don't often like multiple perspectives, but I like getting reactions from all three siblings.

Notes:

1. content warnings: family dysfunction, disordered thinking, death of a child/sibling, cheating and suspected cheating

Thank you to the author Fran Littlewood, publishers Henry Holt and Company, and NetGalley for an accessible digital arc of THE ACCIDENTAL FAVORITE. All views are mine.

Fran Littlewood’s The Accidental Favorite, is a being called a heartfelt dramedy which centers on the Fisher family as they convene in a stunning glass house in the English countryside to celebrate matriarch Vivienne’s 70th birthday.

The gathering takes a dramatic turn when patriarch Patrick squeals past his eldest daughters, Alex and Nancy, to rescue the youngest, Eva, during a freak accident—a moment that exposes his favoritism.

What seems like a simple misstep triggers decades of simmering sibling tension. Alex, the eldest, battles with unfulfilled promise and a difficult marriage; Nancy, the middle sister, is wrestling with trouble at work; and Eva, the youngest, hides a hasty secret marriage .
Littlewood alternates perspectives among the three sisters and their mother, weaving a narrative that spans from 1976 to the present. Each voice is distinct, allowing the family’s complex dynamics—bitterness, humor, regret—to surface authentically.

I finished this book in one day and felt it perfectly captured family dynamics and the fact that, on the surface everything looks perfect, but it can take just one small thing to fracture relationships. I enjoyed the multi-generational and emotionally complex, with alternating viewpoints. I am always drawn to books with strong insights into family roles, sibling rivalry, and forgiveness

The Accidental Favorite is a beautifully messy portrayal of family. With humor, heart, and a poignant reminder that favoritism—intentional or not—can rock the strongest of bonds.

As the youngest of three sisters, the title and synopsis alone got my attention with this book.

Family drama can be a bit hit or miss for me, but this one was good! There were a lot of characters to get used to, and that did take me longer than I’d have liked, but after about halfway through I was having an easier time with it. I also found that there being only unlikable characters made for an interesting read.

There’s a lot of POV switching throughout the book, which kept me entertained. The family drama was hiiiiiigh here, and I actually found myself laughing out loud at points at some of the situations. The author’s writing style was a little out of the ordinary, which worked for me most of the time.

Overall this one was pretty good, and would be good for someone in the mood for a big family story.

I was excited to have the opportunity to read Fran Littlewood's second novel, after I devoured and loved Amazing Grace Adams. While I enjoyed many aspects of The Accidental Favorite, I was left feeling a bit underwhelmed by the book, and not satisfied with the novel's wrap-up at all.

I loved the premise of the story, which involves three adult sisters, their spouses, children, and their parents spending the week together on holiday for the matriarch's 70th birthday. When a tragedy nearly befalls the sisters, their father inadvertently reveals that he has a favorite daughter. From there the drama ensues, with long-buried resentments and secrets threatening the loving peace of the family. And boy does this family have secrets! There was a lot going on, both present-day and in years past, which provided a lot of juicy drama. The family drama is really off the charts with this story. I also liked the story structure where secrets were revealed little by little, with hints and clues as to what might be going on, and why they might feel as they do. The resentments, particularly, were realistic in multi-sibling families, where one seems to have favor, and all have a role they play in family dynamics. Seeing this play out in their adulthood, and so dramatically, was very entertaining.

However, The Accidental Favorite was one of the more difficult books I've experienced in a while, for several reasons. First, there was a LOT going on, both in the present day, and in the past. I found it very difficult to keep track of which of the sisters (or their mother) was telling their POV, and whether it was present day or past. There are a lot of characters, including some that are not at the house with the family, and it was tough to keep them all straight. Second, every character had secrets, resentments, or drama, and the siblings had some of both. The anger in several of them was almost palpable, and my personal response was often, "Oh, come on, get over it!" Other characters had (IMO) more of a right to be upset, and their ambivalence was annoying. Also, I just thought some of the drama was unnecessary to the story, and many of the issues were left hanging unresolved.

Fans of family dramas will find this book worth a read. Thank you to Netgalley and Henry Holt for the digital ARC of The Accidental Favorite by Fran Littlewood. The opinions in this review are my own.

A family gathers in a glasshouse in the English countryside for a week-long vacation to celebrate the mother's 70th birthday. There are flashbacks to various parts of their lives, and ultimately, there is a secret. I did not care for the plotlines or people, so this book didn't work for me.