Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books | Emily Bestler Books for gifting me a digital ARC of this wonderful book by Amy Poeppel. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 5 stars!

Lucy lives in Dallas with her family, and her world is upended when her son makes a mistake that goes viral. In Berlin, Greta's husband takes a dream job in Texas without even telling her. She puts her flat online for a house swap, and the two women, complete strangers, make a deal. But they get a lot more than they bargained for in the process!

This was such a fun and charming book! It made me smile all the way through, as these two totally different women try to take back some control over their lives. They each get plopped into a culture and home that they are totally unfamiliar with, and still try to keep their home and work lives going. I loved both Lucy and Greta, but there is a cast of characters with sparkling personalities to fill out the book, and two completely different settings and experiences. I laughed out loud more times than I can count - this is the perfect summer road trip book!

*I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity*

Lucy knows she can do it all (not that she has much of a choice anyway). While her husband is away on Mars (well... he's participating in a Mars simulation in the middle of nowhere with an alarmingly fast growing TikTok fanbase), she has singlehandedly juggled her twins' various classes and sports, coordinated a party to celebrate her eldest's upcoming graduation and admission to MIT, her own job heading the refurbishment of several west coast hotels (while trying not to irritate her bosses any more than she normally does), taking care of six animals, and preparing for a normal Texas summer. However, when her son, Jack, makes a major mistake that seems to turn the whole town of Dallas against them, Lucy does what any good mom would do: she removes her family from the equation.

Greta, on the other hand, has only her husband Otto. Their beloved daughter, Emmi, is preparing to start a prestigious law internship in New York City, and the two are facing a summer with Otto hating his job, and Greta gearing up for her next job as an art dealer. But when Otto decides, singlehandedly, to take a fellowship in Texas for six months, all the work falls on Greta to organize where they're living, what they're doing, and how they're going to get there.

Thus, the house swap.

The two families' lives continue to get more and more intertwined, with hilarious mix-up and miscommunications, shocking secrets, and complex relationships (not to mention quite a bit of international travel!), prepare for the summer where everything goes wrong (but then, eventually, goes right).

FAR AND AWAY is the perfect uplifting summer read, and while I've never read any of Amy Poeppel's work, I'm excited to see what else she's written based on this book!

This book was recommended to me by Annabel Monaghan. I love her writing and figured I would give this book a shot. I haven’t read this author before, but I did enjoy it! It was a funny book at many times, but at other times it was a little slower pace for me. I found the two main characters’ stories funny, but I did like Greta and Otto’s story a bit more. Without giving away Lucy’s whole story, I’ll just say I didn’t find it as believable. However, the book was lighthearted and fun! I’ll give it that.

Charming characters, an international house-swap, and some family drama combine to make 𝗙𝗔𝗥 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗔𝗪𝗔𝗬 a quirky joy of a summer read.

Amy Poeppel's novel sends a Texan family to Berlin and the Germans to Dallas, and a whole lot of hilarity ensues. But as much as I enjoyed all of the fish-out-of-water fun, this book also cuts deeper, exploring what it means to be a mother, to be a wife and to follow your heart, and the emotional epilogue is perfection. I highly recommend the audiobook - the full cast narration is wonderful, and would be a great pick for a road trip.

Thanks to Simon Audio and Atria Books for the copies to review.

Buckle up as Lucy and Greta swap houses from Berlin to Dallas- complete with built in pets, grandparents and friends. Lucy and her family leave Dallas while her husband is completing a several months long NASA post making him unable to communicate. Greta finds herself detoured in Dallas rather than New York as her husband, Otto stays busy with work. Poeppel’s cast of characters were well developed and truly lovable. I’m grateful for the time I got to spend with them.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the advance copy. All opinions are my own.

This book is simply adorable. It is such an enjoyable read, fun from beginning to end. This is the third Amy Poeppel book I’ve read and I have loved them all. She writes books and that are funny and heartfelt and all about family and found family.
Far and Away tells the story of Lucy and Greta who swap homes from Berlin to Dallas and all the hijinks that ensue. Many of the plot points are contrived (I especially did not like the Jack storyline, it did not seem true to life AT ALL) but overall the book is so sweet and fast moving I didn’t mind.
Thank you to Netgalley and Atria/Emily Bestler Books for an advanced copy of this book.

Far and Away is my first book by Amy Poeppel and it definitely won't be the last! It was such a fun read and I highly enjoyed it. The characters were all extremely loveable and I loved the house swapping dynamic. It is the perfect book if you want a fun, hilarious summer reading.

Synopsis:
Perfect strangers Lucy and Greta have agreed to a house swap—and boy, are they going to regret it.

Lucy’s hometown of Dallas has gone from home sweet home to vicious snake pit in the blink of an eye after her son makes a mistake he can’t undo. And Greta’s beloved flat in Berlin is suddenly up for grabs when her husband Otto takes a dream job in Texas without even telling her. In their rush to leave town, Lucy and Greta make a deal, pack their bags, and—thanks to martinis, desperation, and some very rusty German—have absolutely no idea what they’re getting themselves into.

Trading Southern charm and barbecue for European sophistication and schnitzel, the two women get a lot more than a change of scenery as they move into each other’s houses, neighborhoods, and lives. Greta and Lucy’s husbands are no help: Otto is winning over his colleagues, swimming laps in the backyard pool, and rooting for the Rangers, while Lucy’s husband is doing a six-month stretch out west, either in a NASA biosphere or in jail, depending on who you ask. Meanwhile, Greta’s daughter Emmi and Lucy’s son Jack get tossed into each other’s orbits, where they both discover secrets they can’t ignore.

When Greta’s biggest career achievement—the buzzworthy purchase of a Vermeer at auction—is thrown into question and Lucy’s past with a hot Viking named Bjørn invades her present, the two women need each other in ways they never could have imagined. Through jet lag, culture shock, suspiciously nice neighbors, and scandals that refuse to be left behind, Lucy and Greta will have to decide if they can ever go home again.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria/Emily Bestler Books for the advanced digital copy of the book for my opinion.

This book helped get me out of a reading slump! Amy Poeppel is a can't-miss author for me -- I'm spending my summer becoming a Poeppel Completionist!

Amy Poeppel is the queen of intelligent feel-good novels. Her newest work, Far and Away, is about two women that have never met, one in Dallas, one in Berlin, who exchange houses for several months. The deal is done fast, as both of them have a short time to line something up, and soon they will both regret their hasty decisions.

My thanks go to NetGalley and Emily Bestler Books for the invitation to read and review. This book is for sale now.

One of the things I love best about Poeppel’s writing is her ability to create a complex plot with a lot of moving pieces, along with believable, sympathetic characters; yet somehow, the whole thing is easily understood, never confusing. Our story starts with Lucy and her family in Dallas, Texas. Her eldest child, Jack, is about to graduate from a private high school, then attend M.I.T. At the last minute, however, he is expelled unceremoniously. He’s done something dumb, and it’s been interpreted as something more sinister. He isn’t even offered a chance to explain or to defend himself. And though there is a lot of other business involving other characters, I enjoy this part most for the message it sends us at a time it’s desperately needed. Before you judge someone, take a moment to listen. Ask some questions before you hurl accusations and seek vengeance. If the behavior is as deplorable as you think it is, there’s still plenty of time to accuse and avenge afterward. We in the U.S. and also Europeans can benefit from this one tasty nugget. Plenty of others can, too.

On the other side of the world in Berlin, Greta’s husband Otto has been invited to teach for a term at a college in Texas. He’s accepted without even discussing it with Greta; he has to go right away! Where will they even live? Otto suggests a hotel; Greta is having none of it. In her desperate search for last minute housing, she is connected with someone that knows that Lucy has decided, quite suddenly, to relocate for the summer. The accusations against Jack have turned to harassment and vandalism, and she’s ready to get out of Dodge. Her husband is incommunicado, performing a simulation for NASA, a part of which is to be cut off from everyone else. Mason still thinks that Jack graduated, and that M.I.T. is Jack’s next step.

And so it is that Lucy and her brood relocate to Greta’s apartment in Berlin, and Greta and Otto take up residence in the massive experimental home in Dallas owned by Lucy and Mason. Not a lot of details have been exchanged about either place; there hasn’t been time. So, they get on the plane, and everybody gets what they get, to their sometimes consternation.

There are many hilarious moments here; I especially enjoy the foreign language errors made, both English to German, and German to English.
If there were one thing I could change, I’d rework the epilogue. There’s a considerable jump in time, but the chapter heading doesn’t tell us, and so I am taking in details while doing some mental calculations. That’s not so bad when it’s at the start of a book, but at the end, it’s disorienting and breaks the flow. I also feel as if there were too many things tied up with too many bows. A kindergarten teacher told me once that the key to having a kindergartner paint, was to know when to stop them. It may also apply to adults and their writing.

Nevertheless, I loved this book! Part of the magic is due to Poeppel’s understanding of human nature, which is inherently good, and part of it is her hilariously quirky humor that often drops in, seemingly out of nowhere. Highly recommended.

Thank you to Atria for the galley for this book. I got to about 40% in this book and unfortunately it wasn't for me. It was cute but the story felt incohesive and I struggled to believe it, really. I first had trouble believing the initial premise of the story where the son is expelled days before graduation for the data experiment he conducted. It might have been meant to be satire and humorous, but it didn't land for me. I felt it was far-fetched. I also found the constant sprinkling of German language throughout a bit distracting and frustrating as it was quite frequent and I had to keep using my Kindle's translation tool. I also found the constant jumping to conclusions that Greta made about Lucy and her family a bit irritating, and again, unbelievable. I could see the good in the story of family ties, sticking together, and finding some humor in it all, but in the end, it was just too much of a stretch and I didn't want to continue reading it.

Love how Poeppel always brings together a vast cast of unique characters to create a heartwarming story. Really enjoyed this look at two moms, one in Berlin and one in Dallas, who switch homes for a summer. While some elements of the story weren’t for me (particularly how one storyline ended), I thoroughly enjoyed it!

I really liked The Sweet Spot and loved Musical Chairs by this author, so I was ready for some madcap adventures. But this book I had trouble enjoying - some parts were funny, but I a lot of time annoyed by the characters’ behaviors rather than charmed by them. Around 75% in, it finally started to pull things together and that last part I really enjoyed, so the experience overall ended up feeling mixed.

4.25/5 rounded down

Thank you Atria Books for the advanced reading copy!

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this one but it was lovely! Even throughout, I really didn’t know where things were going to end up or even how I wanted things to play out, but I really enjoyed it!

Both Greta and Lucy were lovable, funny and frustrating at times. I struggled specifically with Greta’s judgement of Dallas/the people, but came to understand her so much more as the book went on. The friendship that they developed was so meaningful, and such a joy to read.

There were tons of characters in this one, and while one or two got lost on me, for the most part I was able to keep them straight with relative ease. I listen to this one on audio, and the way the narration was done really made it clear whose perspective we were getting and what was going on. I think telling the story from Greta and Lucy’s point of view, but adding in a few other perspectives really created depth and meaning in the story.

And that ending 🥹 like I said, I wasn’t sure where I wanted things to go while they were playing out, but I could not have written a better ending for this book. I laughed out loud at various points, loved learning a bit about German culture, and hearing some of the German language, and teared up, especially at the end ending. This book was such a pleasant surprise and I highly recommend!

There was so much to love about Far and Away by Amy Poeppel! A wonderful story about Lucy, a wife, mother, and designer who needs to leave her home in Dallas when her son Jack gets expelled from school under a cloud of shame, and Greta, an art consultant who is forced to leave her home in Berlin when her husband Otto takes an unexpected visiting research position in Dallas.

The timing works out perfectly for a house swap between the two. While they both are not sure about the other as they start learning bits and pieces about the others lives. They quickly realize they have a lot in common. A quick, easy read which I flew through! As a Dallas resident, it was so fun to read about places that I actually know as well.

I will defintely be looking for more books by this wonderful author!

I enjoy how this author takes a bunch of seemly unrelated characters and weaves their stories all together.

The impulsiveness of the Greta and Lucy is amazing and inspiring at the same time. Seeing how each of them fight for what they wanted and supported each other when they needed to was inspiring.

Yes, some of the sub-plots are ridiculous, but still believable at the same time.

If you are looking for an adventure and to be an armchair traveler, add this book to your TBR list.

Thanks to @netgalley and @atriabooks for the advanced reader copy.

An intriguing work of fiction about cementing the strength of a family and creating a found family through an unconventional way.

We find two strangers, Lucy and Greta, going through a lot of changes in their family. For certain reasons, they both decide to house swap with one another. And what a journey it was! This story is filled with serious situations but told in a quirky way that makes you giggle at what is happening. A lot of misunderstandings but with so much heart.

I found all the characters charming in their own way, even when at first you think they’re going to get on your last nerve. It was such a delight to discover Amy Poeppel and I’m looking forward to reading her other works.

Some favorite moments: when the kids runaway to the beach house, the reunion of the Holts, the epilogue. 🥹

Thank you so much NetGalley, Atria and Amy Poeppel for the ARC in exchange of an honest review.

I’m a big Poeppel fan and this was a good one! The premise of a house swap in different countries is an appealing one, especially when such bizarre circumstances befall one family, and another eccentric couple sets out on an interesting job adventure. The character development was done really well, and it had some really comedic parts throughout. The smart house was a fun addition, as was the neighbor Adam, who added much needed softness and fun to the Berlin side. This book made me NOT eager to visit Berlin, but eager to visit Texas! The only downfall is that the first half kind of dragged and needed more action, which lost this book a star 🙁. Overall, this is a fun, family adventure that does not stray from what I expect from this author. Give it a read! Thank you to Emily Bestler Books and. NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you Atria Books for this arc.

I’d like to let potential readers know that there is humor here and, yes, some trans-Atlantic hijinkery but also some very serious issues are raised and dealt with so don’t go into it thinking gut-busting comedy.

Despite the issues requiring Lucy and her family and Greta and Otto to suddenly need to and then decide to exchange their domiciles, I could believe in the reasons. As neither side had expected to be where they ended up and few questions were asked, there are attitude adjustments and fish-out-of-water moments before they settle into their new cities. Soon though, Lucy and Greta are exchanging texts as their lives are brought together even as they’re an ocean apart.

The reasons for the swap are at times painful. Greta’s husband Otto has long term issues with disrespect from his Berlin colleagues and finds himself flowering (and this is lovely to watch) in Dallas among people who actually admire him and his medical work while Greta discovers that Dallas is nice but not home. Lucy thought she remembered a lot more German than she does but getting her son Jack out of the range of the wrath of people who won’t let him explain exactly what he did was paramount. That husband Mason is stuck in NASA isolation doesn’t help. Jack thought that what he did was harmless but now he realizes how it could be taken the wrong way and how hurtful it actually was.

There are other relationships that are changing or need to be figured. The issues between and among these characters are laid out, clues are provided, and nothing springs out from nowhere. At times I wasn’t sure how some things would end up while for others I had a pretty good idea. There are homecomings as well as bittersweet moments. Truths emerge, self discovery is done, stands are taken and we see first hand that Jack is actually a well behaved young man who would never disrespect women and is, in fact, a wonderful babysitter for his much younger sisters.

The epilogue is a whopper. If most everything is tied up (maybe a little too) neatly, I didn’t mind. Characters I’ve come to care for find their happiness and acceptance. I feel that all of that has been thought about and earned without issues being filed down or glossed over. The perfectly tied bows that end the book are very neat but the emotional experience of the book which I was, frankly, not expecting leads me to a grade of B+.

This was an entertaining, well-written book. It was fun, warmhearted and kept me reading. I enjoyed this book and will look for more books by this author.

When a school scandal hits Lucy's son right before his high school graduation and leaves him expelled and turns their family into the town's pariahs, she decides to get the heck outta Dodge... or rather Dallas. With her husband, Mason, deep in an experiment and job for NASA and unreachable, she finds a post from an old friend of a friend of a friend on Instagram advertising a house swap and impulsively makes the deal to relocate her and her kids to Germany for the summer.

Meanwhile, in Berlin, Greta finds herself thrown in the lurch when her plans to move to NY for a year with her husband, Otto, fall through, and he hastily accepts a job offer to uproot them to Texas instead. Having just begun to really feel like she's thriving within her career as an art curator, she's not thrilled at the prospect of Dallas vs NYC. She's also hesitant about having a stranger live in her home, but she'll be damned if she's moving to a Holiday Inn off the highway so she drunkenly accepts Lucy's house swap.

The two women could not be more different on the outside, but they're more similar than they know. The chaos that ensues from their lives and whirlwind decision to swap houses will forge a bond and friendship that each of them deeply needs. It will prove to be a summer of change and growing for their family and friends around them as well.

💬 "Something was coming, she thought again— trouble or change— and all she could do was embrace it."

✈️ Thoughts:
Wunderbar!! I was ecstatic to receive Amy's latest. Her writing and stories are always so fresh and her characters so messy, real and endearing. The prevailing themes of motherhood, marriage, and finding one's joy in life are expertly explored among the characters in Far and Away. The settings are vivid, particularly Dallas and Germany, and I loved the juxtaposition between the cultures. Clever, witty, and full of heart to it's core, this was all the things I've come to expect when I pick up a book by Amy.

✨ Thank you to Atria, Net Galley and Amy Poeppel for this eARC! Officially out NOW!!