This was an interesting read. The premise of the story was ingenious, and I enjoyed reading it very much.

Ah, families and the holidays, I'm sure we all have stories. In this case the family is forced to remain together in isolation for 7 days. What an opportunity for misunderstandings, realizations and perhaps, honest communication. Will they great the New Year with some "resolutuion"?

This book introduces the Birches who each have something on their mind. The elder daughter, Olivia is returning from a Haag infestation in Liberia and has to be in quarantine for one week. Her family wants to spend Christmas together and they decide to go into quarantine with her.

All members of the family have something to hide. Andrew ( the father) is hiding a blast from the past; Emma(the mother), a worrying detail which she feels reluctant to share during Christmas.Phoebe ( the frivolous younger sister) is considering her life choices and Olivia feels dispassionately about her family's way of life. There are unknown factors that come into play later in the week. Forced isolation is a catalyst in any family gathering for some form of reaction or the other. We see the characters evolve and realize their roles in the family. 

The book starts off in a different tone than that with which it wraps up the tale. Each person has more than one dimension, making them very realistic. I was not a big fan of the tone initially but it took a backseat once the story picked up.

This book is packed with drama. There are secrets aplenty, relationship breakups, children from previous relationships, illnesses, deaths, and much more. These events draw a disparate family together during a Christmas quarantine. It was an enjoyable book, and if you’re looking for some juicy drama with a tidy (but not too tidy) ending, Seven Days of Us is for you.

This was a fun book. I like the relationships in the family and the ups and downs they went through during their forced quarantine. There are tears along with laughs. Thanks to NetGalley for offering me this advanced copy.

Fabulous book! I loved the setting, the beautiful writing, the well-developed characters, and the multi-layered plot. A British couple and their young adult daughters are quarantined over the holidays since one daughter has just returned from caring for patients stricken by an Ebola-like virus in Liberia. The core family members and some additional characters who enter their sphere all have secrets, and the intertwining relationships and unraveling secrets are all deftly handled by the talented author. There's something for everyone--health crises, romances, betrayals revealed, relationships begun and ended, and although there is at least one story I would have liked to have seen end differently, it all rings true. Highly recommended! Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance e-copy of the book.

A beautifully written, original story of a family finding their way back to each other after years of going their own ways. Phoebe is self- absorbed, her sister Olivia is out to save the world, their dad, Andrew has an important secret, as does Emma, the mom. When Olivia returns from abroad as a doctor exposed to a serious disease, they are quarantined for the week of Christmas. Moving, heartfelt, and a pleasure to read, highly recommended.

What would happen if as an adult you found yourself quarantined with your parents and sister? This happens when Olivia comes back from fighting a deadly disease in Africa and the family is quarantined in their country house. Secrets, frustrations, laughter, and what being family means are explored as the family is stuck together.

Olivia has just come home from Liberia after working with the disease Haag. She has come home for the seven days it takes to go through the contamination period. She is staying with her mom, dad, and sister. She usually chooses to stay away, because she feels like she has a severely dysfunctional family. This year she's there for Christmas. And, this is only the beginning of this story. I don't want to give anything away. This is a must read book. Funny in parts, sad in parts, it all comes together. I live the characters and what they stand for. Their personalities are believable.
A definite must-read!!
5 Stars

I was immediately absorbed into the lives of the characters in this novel. I felt the author created a vivid, realistic portrait of a family - the sibling rivalry, family alliances and longstanding grievances that are emblematic of most families. I found the plot device of a quarantine forcing a family together for.a week (ie 7 days) was quite clever. The story slight;ly lost its luster with some rather predictable developments near the end of the novel but I found it an inventive, interesting read with good characterization.

What a fun sweet novel! I loved this book. This family dramedy is just what I was looking for. The Birch Family is getting ready to spend their first Christmas together in years. And the best part about it is, no one can leave the house for 7 days! This sounds odd I'm sure but the family is under quarantine. The oldest daughter in the family Olivia is a doctor who has been off treating a highly contagious disease called Haag. She fell in love with another doctor (Sean) while she was away and now Sean has been admitted to the hospital after being diagnosed with Haag. She doesn't want her family or colleagues to know she was in such close contact with Sean, but when she starts coming down with some Haag symptoms, she may not be able to hide it for long. Since she will be returning to her family home while she is in quarantine, the rest of the family has agreed to join her. Her younger sister Phoebe has just gotten engaged to George who may not be who he seems. Not in the "is he a crazy serial killer?" way but more so in a "maybe he isn't being honest with who he is and who is attracted to way". Andrew Birch, the head of the family recently found out he fathered a son 30 years ago when he had a one night stand while working on a journalism story in a war zone. Aside from the fact that he fathered a son without knowing, he had been in the early stages of dating his wife Emma when he had the one night stand. Jesse the son he never knew he had is on a mission to finally meet his father and won't stop even when Andrew ignores his attempts to reach him. Emma the mom of the girls and wife to Andrew has her own secret as well. She has been recently diagnosed with cancer and doesn't want to ruin Christmas with her family so she is keeping the secret to herself. As with any family stuck in close quarters, secrets don't stay hidden long and drama quickly ensues. This story is heartwarming and touching. Great book!

I enjoyed this story. Phoebe was a little self absorbed and selfish, Olivia was clueless about what is going on with the family and cared more about saving people than fixing relationships in her own family, Andrew sacrificed what he loved to be home with his family and it showed in his restaurant reviews since he pretty much trashed everyone one and Emma just wants to make sure everything is going smoothly. Then there is a fiance who sounded like a jerk and a lost son who just wanted to meet his father. Then throw them all into a quarantine for a week and see how a family gets along and if they will abide by the quarantine rules.

The characters were very different and that made the story interesting. There were funny parts, sad parts and parts where you just wanted to throttle someone. I really enjoyed this and when it comes out in October, pick it up and be entertained.

Every Christmas, during the season, I read a Christmas book. This one didn't disappoint. It had all of the feel-good plots and descriptions plus a story that was a little bit different. I recommend it for a pleasant read with a different plot.

Really enjoyed this book. It's funny, light and moving. The story was well-done, each chapter focusing on a different character. Family dynamics always make for a good read.

A wonderful novel about a family who all have secrets from the others. It portrays the family emotions of love, humor, and frustrations as the four adults are forced to spend the Christmas holiday together in quarantine. It does not take long before closely guarded secrets start escaping. Well-developed characters of the somewhat dysfunctional family, how they interact, and their relationships. Each family member has a voice in this story giving it a dramatic edge as well as comedic. The ending was on a sad tone, but overall, I really liked this story. Well written and enjoyable read.

I devoured this book. When I was doing other things, like working or cleaning or cooking dinner, I was thinking about the next time I can pick it up so I can see what happens. It's that good.

Now, after finishing it, I'm still digesting all the wonderful and emotional feelings that it brought. The distinctly British-style writing, the twists and turns, the coincidences of a well-thought-out plot. I think I smiled through half of it just imagining all the big reveals, and the satisfaction they brought was perfect.

This book follows the family of Olivia Birch, a aid worker fighting a viral epidemic in Africa, as she comes home and is quarantined for a week with her family and those who come into contact with them. The first third of the book moves pretty slowly as you get to know all the characters, but once everyone is established, the story picks up the pace and moves along in an engaging manner.

The members of the family are all well-developed characters with faults that are relatable to most readers. During the quarantine they are forced to re-evaluate the ideas that they have about each other and realize that while flawed, each are not as black-and-white as the others have imagined. An engaging look into family dynamics and the power we each have to shape (and reshape) those we interact with.

Couldn't put this one down! A typical family forced to spend the week of Christmas guarantied together. Happy, sad, dramatic, foolish, every emotional state possible. Well written, smooth flow from one event to another, altogether a very enjoyable afternoon spent within these pages. Kudos to Francesca Hornak.

Reading the description for this book had me intrigued.
How interesting- trapped with family. I was thrilled to read this ARC.

Family coming together for a daughter's homecoming and has to be quarantined from Dec. 23 through Christmas and into a New Year. Mother gets a Cancer diagnosis, Father gets a surprise from the past, Daughter has secrets, and someone may be gay.

Read each of their story/viewpoints as it rotates through family members.
Every family should have to be quarantined together.

I didn't think I would enjoy this book. I thought it was going to be pure "fluff". But the author told a good story of a realistic family with all their foibles. I will look closer for books by Ms. Homak. A great twist at the end that I did NOT see coming. Thanks to Ms. Homak for that!