I really enjoyed this book. It took me a little while to get into it. But once I did, I had to finish it. I loved all the characters. Such a fun ride.

This is my second book by Poeppel, and I’m officially a fan!! This was just so cute and so fun! It was just a really solidly good read! There were so many storylines and characters but in no way was I ever confused about who was who or who was where (because really this took place across multiple continents and planets - lol). Every storyline was funnier, messier, and more interesting than the next.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest rating and review.

I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All of Amy Poeppel's books have been wünderbar to me - Far and Away one of my new favorites. The premise reminds me a little of the movie The Holiday, but it is also completely different.

I loved all the characters. Poeppel really does justice with character development and has you rooting for everyone in this book, except for Bob, obviously.

How Poeppel writes thoughtful, funny moments into the plot is masterful. Lucy and Greta's families are forever changed and improved from their unconventional house swap. I've never been to Dallas, but I have been to Berlin. Jack's vulnerability was touching as he was accused of something terrible that was misunderstood, and that event, along with Otto's opportunity to teach in Dallas, spurs the most wonderful adventure. I can't even find one misstep in this book besides a very minor one. People magazine names their Sexiest Man Alive in November, not mid summer.

5 stars, available June 10th.

Enjoyed this one! A house swap- Texas and Berlin- add in neighbors- unexpected house guests and lifestyle changes! So much more! A fun read with lots of surprises!
Thanks to Netgalley for the eread and to Amy for the arc for my BTP Book Club to share!

A charming tale of two families from different parts of the world who find themselves in unexpected situations and whose lives cross in the most delightful of ways. House swapping with a stranger on a whim—what could possibly go wrong? Turns out…a LOT. I loved the quirky cast of characters, the depth of the emotions and drama each family member was enduring, and the constant blending of American and German cultures. Amy Poeppel seamlessly blends humor and heart with spectacular results. It’s smartly written and kept me engaged the entire time. Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this advanced copy.

4.25 ⭐️

I had no idea what to expect when I picked this up, but I ended up enjoying it so much. It’s a little slow at first, and I struggled to keep track of all the side characters by name (I had to search on Kindle a few times to remind myself who everyone was). But all in all, I thought this was chaotically charming, funny, and well written.

The ending was so sweet, the way everything (and everyone) came together in the last chapter. Is it realistic? Maybe not. But I love the idea that an impromptu home swap and a whole mess of misunderstandings (particularly between Greta and Lucy, who go from completely misreading to genuinely supporting each other) could lead to lifelong friendships and quite literally one big happy family. I'm excited to read more by Amy Poeppel!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. All thoughts are my own.

📖 Book Review 📖 Apparently it does not matter your life circumstance or what continent you live on, it only takes the blink of an eye for your life to change in an instant. Lucy and Greta are world’s apart - from Dallas to Berlin - when even a horoscope could not predict their sudden turn of events. Could a house swap be the saving grace to all of their problems? Amy Poeppel delivers a hilariously delightful novel all about embracing life’s unexpected surprises. The universe has a funny sense of humor (though it doesn’t always present that way when you’re in the thick of it)…and we always seem to end up right where we are supposed to be. Far and Away is a heartfelt summer read that will sweep you off your feet and knock your socks off!

A laugh-out-loud, absolutely lovable gem of a book. I finished this book with a smile on my face and I’ll be laughing for days remembering these endearing characters and all the insane adventures they got up to. It was cringy in the best way, extremely clever, exciting, hilarious, heartwarming and full of love. I adored it entirely.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are mine alone.

4.5⭐️ rounding up to 5⭐️

Thank you Atria and NetGalley for the e-ARC!

I love Amy Poeppel, and I loved this book! It was witty and adventurous and fun to read. I didn't fully connect with all the characters, but that's okay! The character development was spot-on and I loved learning about these people's lives.
If you're looking for a lighthearted quick read, I recommend any of Amy Poeppel's works!

I love Amy Poeppel’s books! Chock full of interesting characters, this story is a housing swap between a German couple and a Dallas family. Neither realizes what they are getting into or leaving behind. Injected with the author’s sense of humor especially with language and culture. I live near Dallas, so enjoyed that as well.

This is my second by Amy Poeppel and it is an enjoyable story. You get the idea that you are watching a train wreck in slow motion, and it was a little slow in the beginning. But once the storyline picked up, it was fun to see how it all played out. I agree with other reviewers that the sprinkling of German was hard to read and understand, as no definition or explanantion was usually given to the words or context. The characters were quirky, and while some of the story elements were far fetched, it all came together and the epilogue was the best part of the whole book. Thanks for the ARC.

Far and Away is the best of Women’s Fiction- feminist, funny, introspective, and full of complicated relationships. The ensemble of characters, contrasting settings between Dallas and Berlin, and the zany hijinks of two families on the cusp of calamity harkens back to the energy of a classic British dramedy like Notting Hill or Love Actually. These characters are wholly imperfect in their pursuit of love and friendship, and that is what makes this book so much fun to read. I will be thinking about the unlikely friendship between Lucy and Greta for a very long time. Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for my gifted ARC!

This one gets off to a bit of a slow start, but ends up being such a charming book about fate, found family, forgiveness and making your life into the life you want.

I found both Greta and Lucy a bit hard to warm up to, but I got there eventually. The older kids, Jack and Emmi, are charming, and Greta's mom lends a bit of sass to the proceedings. Lucy's parents are exactly how I'd picture Texans in their 70s, and Otto is . . . well, Otto is German.

Mason being off in the desert isn't really a necessary part of the story. I'm not sure how Lucy's domestic situation could have been handled differently, but that part seemed pretty far-fetched, and a long way to go just to get Mason out of the way for most of the story. The other far-fetched thing I couldn't get past was Jack's "transgression." The poor kid got expelled and lost his spot at MIT over . . . THAT? The offense should have been a lot more egregious, or more widely misunderstood, or something to merit the consequences. As it stands, it's pretty unbelievable that a math exercise upended his life.

Those issues aside, I loved the house swap set-up and the way the families adjusted to their new surroundings. This was a take on the fish-out-of-water story I'd never seen before, and part of the reason it worked so well was the extreme contrast between Berlin and Dallas. If the swap had involved two locations with more similarities, the story wouldn't have functioned as well. But moving Texans to Germany, and plopping strait-laced Germans into Texas yee-haw country, made for a nice mix of serious issues and sit-com hijinks.

I've seen some other reviews that claim the German phrases are a problem unless you speak the language. I don't know a word of German other than Volkswagen and I managed just fine. There's plenty of context to tell you what's going on.

The epilogue is super cheesy but somehow made for a perfect ending.

This is the first book I've read by this author, and I'm looking forward to checking out her other work. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC of this book.

Such an original book! Set in Dallas, TX and Berlin, Germany, two families swap homes unprepared for what is waiting for them. Following these delightful characters as they navigate through their new lives was a joy.

This was my first Amy Poeppel book. It will not be the last. Thank you, Atria Books and Net Galley, for the ARC of this book. I am still smiling.

Reading an Amy Poeppel book is like knowing you are watching a train crash and enjoying every minute. Her books are so chaotic and funny. This one was not as unhinged as The Sweet Spot but I enjoyed it so much. Everyone in the book was having their own crisis and they were all running away. Of course in the end everyone was one happy family, but what a wild ride.

Thanks NetGalley for an arc. I enjoyed the house swap theme and traveling to other countries. I haven't read any books set in Germany . However, I do not speak any German and the books sprinkles the German language throughout with no explanation of what is being said. This caused the story to be very choppy for me. Ugg the characters were well developed but overall, this would not be at the top of my list to read.

So fresh, imaginative and entertaining! An absolutely perfect beach read! Poeppel nails the locations, all of the many fascinating characters, and the pacing in this house swap tale set primarily in Dallas, Texas and Berlin, Germany. This novel deserves to be one of the buzziest best sellers of Summer 2025.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria / Emily Bestler Books for the privilege of a complimentary ARC. Opinions are my own.

Far and Away is a charming and heartfelt novel about two very different families—one from Dallas, TX the other from Berlin, Germany —who swap homes for the summer. At first, neither family is happy with their new environment, but as they settle in, both begin to grow, make new connections, and overcome personal challenges. The two women at the center of the swap, Greta and Lucy, start off unsure of each other but end up forming a strong friendship that helps both families in unexpected ways. Amy Poeppel does a great job developing the characters and showing how the experience transforms them. It’s a touching, well-written story about change, connection, and new beginnings.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

I'm probably an exception here, but this book wasn't very impactful for me. I enjoyed the house swap theme and traveling to other countries. The author also connects the characters together in a nice way that I enjoyed seeing played out. I haven't read many books set in Germany so that was fun. However, I do not speak any German and the books sprinkles the German language throughout with no explanation of what is being said. This caused the story to be very choppy for me. It was also hard for me to connect with the characters or really care about what happened to them. This book has great reviews and I'm clearly an outlier. So just because it didn't work for me, doesn't mean many others won't find this a very enjoyable read!

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books | Atria/Emily Bestler Books for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Before anyone hops on a plane, we get a front-row seat to the stress and pressure building in Lucy and Greta’s lives, the kind that makes escape feel not just tempting, but necessary. Moving to a new country doesn’t exactly make things easier. I felt so much secondhand stress that I almost stopped reading.

But as the story unfolds, the characters slowly find their footing, make friends, and embrace their new culture (Otto most of all!). By the end, they’re one big found family (with a lot of frequent flyer miles). Poeppel balances heart and humor with an ease that makes it a fast, rewarding read. I liked Lucy and Greta, but my favorites were side characters like Lucy's parents.