Thank you to the publisher, Dial Press, an Imprint of Random House, and the author, Erin O. White, for the privilege to read this advanced copy through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

There are three couples intertwined throughout this book. Ruth and Wyn are in a homosexual marriage and have four children. Siddha was the child of Ruth with Elliot, a man from college. Caroline and Mike are married with one son, Luca. Tobi and Evie are also in a homosexual marriage and have a set of twins. Mike was a sperms donor. Tobi and Mike had a very close relationship since Tobi's mother took Mike in when he had no where to go in his childhood.

At the core of this book is relationships. Relationships with straight marriage and gay marriages. Trials of a teenager, counseling for parents of children who are products of a sperm donor. All three of these couples have connections which makes them feel like a family. This book deals with feelings, loss, loneliness, homosexuality, secrecy, infidelity, and friendship. There is much information on life of a lesbian such as "top surgery" and binding.

The book moves along but I didn't enjoy the homosexual extensiveness of this book. If you are interested in this topic, this book is for you. It wasn't for me.

This book was not for me. Too many characters who complained too much. I was unable to connect to any of the characters and found it a chore to read.

I thought this was an okay story. It just felt like all the characters made really poor decisions. There was quite a bit of deception. Why did Ruth feel the need to cheat on Wyn just because Siddha’s father died? Couldn’t she have just reconnected with Florence as a friend? Why was Tobi so afraid to tell Evie that she wanted top surgery? I did appreciate Ruth and Caroline’s deep friendship. And why did we never find out how Elliot died? It did have a nice warm ending.

I found this to be just okay.

While I appreciate the various familial dynamics and exploration of love and all its different types, and duh queer rep, I struggled to keep reading this one.

While cozy, the problems felt like mountains made of mole hills. Characters made such silly decisions and just complained and complained. I wish the characters felt more grounded, which usually isn’t a problem given their small town dynamics and close knit family ties.

Great premise. Easy writing style. Just wanted a bit more of realism.

I have mixed feelings on this one. It is well written and very engaging - I wanted to keep reading, but some of these characters make such terrible choices that made me very frustrated for portions of the book. This tells the story of three married couples and their young children in a cozy little Upstate New York town. I’m actually having a tough time summarizing the plot because it sort of goes all over the place (and then sometimes nowhere at all.) I’ll just say it examines marriage and parenthood and what makes a family. There were some really lovely parts, and some baffling parts. My overall description for this one is uneven.

I loved this book so much. Erin White lovingly depicts the three couples—two queer, one straight—figuring out marriage, parenting, work, and how to be a person without losing yourself. The characters are flawed in all the best ways: they make mistakes, they can be selfish, they hurt each other sometimes even when they love each other terribly. The book lets them be messy and human, very real How do I be a good parent? A good partner? A good friend? What happens when I don’t measure up?—are the same ones I turn over in my own head. There’s a therapist character I absolutely adored, some scenes that completely wrecked me, and an overall generosity toward its people that cracked my heart open. Possibly my favorite book of the year so far. If you’ve been in a reading slump or just want something that will grab your heart, please read this.

Like Family is just all over the place. Three couples, two of whom are gay, five children, some of whom are related (it's complicated). The book comes with a chart in the front to keep track of all the assorted family relationships. Most of the people (and there are a lot of characters) in the story spend their time complaining, complaining, complaining. This was a big turnoff for me. So, get over yourself already. Families are diverse and I'm okay with that, but that probably doesn't make these families any more special than any other family who has good times, bad times and struggles with a lot of issues.

Like Family can be a warm and fuzzy read. It’s the book that will surprise you with the intimate, quiet, funny, angry layers that make it real. It’s about the complicated thing we call life; about adult friendships, parenting, marriage, and the things we do for the ones we love the mostest.

The story is set in a New York town full of farmers’ markets and hidden country roads. Ruth and Wyn’s small farm ( and their family) becomes the emotional, revolving centre of their friend group, and when tragedy strikes, everyone in this group is forced to deal with truths they’ve been too afraid to voice out loud.
The writing is cozy, with some moments that brought me to tears because they brought out some memories in my own life. Everyone wants a connection and that brings with it the risk of being hurt. But as we read this cozy book, we understand the joy of growing older with those we have chosen to be in our lives. It captures family, perfect and not so perfect, just humans being humans and the love that brings us together.
Recommended read! 4 1/2 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and The Dial Press for my eARC.

This one was a total mindfuck but I also feel like the more you understand motherhood and how people become mothers it seems less nuanced. There were parts of this book that I truly enjoyed, and I loved seeing the dynamic between the couples. I appreciated the way that donors and couples that can’t conceive on their own were portrayed, and that families can truly be whoever you choose as an adult. this isn’t truly a book for everyone, but I do feel like it caters to a crowd that is desperate for a book like this. I would definitely recommend Like Family for a book club, a friend that is going through kind of the same experience, or just someone that is curious about blended families. Good read, great writing, easy to get through. well done.

Well written book about three couples, two are lesbian, one is straight, There was a realistic quality to the relationships and conversations, which i appreciated. It is more character driven than plot heavy and some people will not like the waiting for something to happen feeling. It got complicated at times with trying to keep all the character separate.

Great story of all sorts of relationships- marriages, friendships and family and the ups and downs life can throw at you.

This follows three connected couples in upstate New York. For some reason, I had trouble remembering who was who but that's probably just my menopausal brain. An enjoyable read the families we create.

DNF

Just could not get into this story or these characters. The story dragged and too much LGBTQ focus.

Full review to come on Goodreads and Amazon. Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for a review copy.

I was excited to read Erin White’s Like Family, which I received as an ARC. The story takes place in an upstate New York town and centers around three couples. One is a lesbian couple, Ruth and Wyn, with their four children. The second couple, Caroline and Mike have a son, Luca, and the Gold-Fynches are Tobi and Evie. They have two kids. It took me quite a while to keep these pairs and their children straight, despite the cast listing at the beginning of the book. There really is no introduction. We’re just thrown right into their daily drama.

And there is a lot of drama. Through much of the book, I felt as though I were in a soap opera. I am no stranger to real-life LGBT drama, but this seemed over the top at times. The relationships are complex, as are the characters, which is a good thing, but it also made the story overly complex. It felt like there was too much going on, and I had difficulty keeping the three families straight – pardon the pun. Through half of the book, I could only read a few chapters at a time; it was a real slog! It wasn’t until about three-quarters in that I began to feel more engaged with the story and the characters.

I’ll explain. These folks, mainly women, but the heterosexual partners too, have been together for many years, and their relationships have gone through ups and downs, as all relationships do. They seem to have reached a point where they are not communicating effectively, not sharing, not experiencing the kind of togetherness they once had. This happens when kids, work, and life coincide with a romantic relationship. Often, something’s gotta give. And does. Can they figure it out? Will they? I was more pleased with the finale than I was with the other 75% of the book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Dial Press. My opinions are my own.

This book explores family dynamics, friendships, and the bonds that hold them together. It’s the story of three interconnected couples whose lives revolve around a small farm in upstate New York. When a near-stranger unexpectedly dies, tensions arise and bonds are tested.

This book is emotional, authentic and complex. There is an abundance of characters, which takes a while to figure out, but there is a list of characters in the beginning of the book that helps.

I like the theme of queer relationships and traversing through all the good and not so good aspects of family and friendship. This book is really heartfelt and well written. Thank you, NetGalley and Random House for the eARC.

This felt very warm and cozy, I loved the deep exploration of romantic, platonic, and familial relationships. I liked reading a book with queer love and diverse family dynamics. However, a lot of the book dragged along slowly and there were so many characters and perspectives that I felt a bit lost. It could have been shorter and less all over the place.

A really great debut novel. We need more books that explore deep relationships like this-in a thoughtful and thought-provoking manner. The story focuses on three couples and their children, with two of the three couples being lesbian couples. All three couples are interrelated in one way or another through friendships or marriages and they struggle through child rearing, jealousy among each other, and how their pasts impact their children.
Wonderful writing and interesting characters, with informative perspectives about gay marriages. I look forward to her next book.
Thank you NetGalley for an Advance Reader Copy.

This debut novel follows 3 couples (2 lesbian couples and 1 straight couple) as they navigate life. Like the title implies, these couples and their friends are “like family.” They always show up for each other.
I appreciated the different viewpoints and perspectives, but I am sorry to say I found myself a bit bored. I did enjoy the ending as everything was tied up nicely.
Thank you for the advanced copy. I will be looking for the author’s future works.

Conversations between characters were so relatable. Likeable characters which a slice of life plot. Loved queer representation