WHY DID I LISTEN TO SEVEN DAYS OF US BY FRANCESCA HORNAK?
Honestly, I got a move on listening to Seven Days Of Us by Francesca Hornak because my library hold on Overdrive came in unexpectedly fast. The less shallow reason, though, is that I wanted to listen to something a bit out of the ordinary for me. I rarely listen to British books. Also, it is not all that commonplace that I read adult fiction (although I seem to be gravitating toward it lately).

WHAT’S THE STORY HERE?
Seven Days Of Us by Francesca Hornak is a Christmas set book where a family must stay together in a house in quarantine for seven days. The house is Weyfield Hall. The family is the Birch family. There are the aging parents, Emma and Andrew. We also have their daughters, Phoebe and Olivia. There’s also Phoebe’s fiance. Oh and this American shows up at one point, his name is Jesse.

There are secrets that are just bound to come out. I am here for it. Anyways, they are quarantined because Olivia, who is a doctor, was in Liberia helping to treat this disease called Haag Virus. A whole lot is revealed in these seven days, FYI.

HOW DID I LIKE SEVEN DAYS OF US?
Overall, Francesca Hornak’s Seven Days Of Us is an okay book. The characters are quite well drawn. I loved reading about the characters of Emma and Olivia. Andrew, Phoebe, and Jesse were just not that interesting to me. Olivia probably is the most compelling because of her work and her secret! And then Emma’s secret is one where it is like, ma’am how can you keep that from your family? But she does because she cares and does not want them to worry because she’s the best. I also kept picturing that one woman from Love Actually who plays opposite Professor Snape as Emma.

HOW’S THE NARRATION?
The audiobook is narrated by Jilly Bond. She has the right accent. She also does change her voice for each character’s narrations. I felt like she spoke really fast so instead of listening to the audiobook at my typically 2x speed, I had to slow it down to like 1.25. That is a big deal, friends. In all, not bad. I guess I am lukewarm about this book on the whole.

A heartwarming tale of the struggles and bonds of family. After doctor and family black sheep Olivia Birch returns home to England from plague-stricken Africa, she and her family are under house-bound quarantine for seven days over Christmas. During this week of imposed togetherness, each must face their individual secrets as well as their strained relationships with each other. The author does a great job of bringing this quirky British family to life. Each character is authentically flawed but likeable. It was an honest portrayal of the layered dynamics inherent in even normal, functioning families A perfect, feel good read for a rainy day, a snuggly blanket, and a steep cup of Earl Grey.

I really enjoyed the nuances behind having family together during the holidays, especially family that doesn't spend much time together. Interesting plot line includes both likable and hated characters. It was hard to put down even though there were parts that were not altogether unexpected.

Debut novel deals with a family quarantined together over the holidays. Family drama ensues to some hysterical conclusions. Great alternative holiday title.

First of all, kudos to the author for something a bit different! This was an engaging novel and although I struggled with relating to several of the characters, I did find myself drawn to Emma. I rarely say this but I feel like this may come across better as a movie because some of the descriptions were almost tedious to read although necessary to picture everything in your mind. Overall, a great read but not sure how I feel about the ending.

I enjoyed this book and I've even already talked about it with coworkers and our reader's advisory group!

Seven Days of Us by Francesca Hornak (Penguin, digital) follows a dysfunctional British family with two grown daughters and plenty of secrets quarantined over Christmas because one of them has been exposed to an Ebola-like virus. The plot stretches credibility, but the characters are appealing and the ending was unexpectedly moving.

from On a Clear Day I Can Read Forever

Hornak's work is definitely thought provoking! I quickly became involved with the characters, and I definitely liked some more than others. I identified most strongly with Olivia. One of the things I enjoyed most was that even my least favorite character turned out to have a heart in the end. I didn't find the book as funny as others, but British humor isn't always my cup of tea. There are definitely a plethora of discussion topics for book clubs. Thanks to the publisher Nd NetGalley for providing access prior to publication!

This book is a lovely combination of light read, and meaningful family drama. There were a lot of coincidences, but were so seamlessly woven, it was charming and not distracting. I will happily recommend this book over and over.

I would best describe this book as average. Nothing really stood out for me, some things seemed a bit too contrived or convenient for real life, some of it was just plain boring, but I could see this book as a good book club read, there is lots to discuss and dissect.

While I enjoyed parts of this family saga that takes place over Christmas when the entire family is quarantined for a week, because one of the daughters had been treating an epidemic abroad, I found myself wishing it was a bit more festive and not quite as dull. A few of the characters were extremely unlikable and the dramatic parts at the end felt forced and not very realistic.

This is a story about a family that has to spend 7 days in quarantine, over the holiday season, in England. The stories are interesting and entertaining, and some even depressing, but a good book all over.

Contemporary Fiction
Adult
For the first time in years, the Birch family will spend Christmas together – not that there’s much choice. Olivia Birch has long avoided the holidays with her family – in school, then in residency, and most recently in Africa as a doctor treating victims of a deadly virus. Her tour of duty over and back in the U.K., she is under quarantine for seven days, and thus the enforced family gathering at the slightly shabby family estate in Norfolk. Sister Phoebe is secretly jealous she’ll no longer be the focus of attention, but she’s busying herself planning her wedding to an absolute ass, though she doesn’t see it. Yet. Mum Emma is keeping a big secret from her family, and Dad Andrew, a restaurant critic, is dreading the prospect of a week with his wife and daughters. He and Emma have grown distant, and Olivia’s commitment to helping the marginalized is a painful reminder of his own abandoned career as a wartime journalist. Only Phoebe makes him feel good about himself and his biting reviews of small restaurants. The domestic drama reaches a high point when a young American appears, the son Andrew never knew he had from a one-night-stand in Beirut that occurred early in his relationship with Emma. And yes, she figures it out almost immediately. All the ingredients are there for a comedy of domestic horrors, and first-time novelist Hornak delivers a wry and biting commentary on married life that comes with moments that are often painful, sometimes quite funny, and ultimately heartwarming. While it’s certainly similar in tone, this is much better than The Nest; as Hornak develops much more sympathetic characters despite healthy doses of self-centredness. A great antidote to the usual holiday romance, Seven Days of Us is a charming and engaging story that rings true while still leaving readers satisfied and hopeful for this family’s future.
My thanks to Berkley Publishing for the advance reading copy provided through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
More discussion and reviews of this book: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33357622.

This book was just not my cup of tea and I was not able to finish it. Thank you for this opportunity, though!

I enjoyed this book (Thanks, Netgalley) and found the format of alternating stories definitely helped me keep track of the characters, since there were several rather disconnected ones at the first who eventually all came together. The characters seem somewhat one-dimensional at first but Hornak fleshed them out pretty well as it progressed, and I found myself more and more engrossed. A forced quarantine would probably bring out the fractures in any family, but the competing storylines of the individuals compelled the action quickly. I will look forward to future books by this author.

This was a pleasant surprise. Excellent writing; a finely nuanced, well-crafted story; and real characters - they're flawed, but they're trying. In a less qualified writer's hands, these characters could easily become cliches, but Hornak gives them all heart and humanity.

I don't always like books that alternate between different characters' POVs, but Hornak handles this well, also. You can see how the characters are operating with different understandings of the situation at hand, and that somehow it'll all eventually come to a head ... that if they would just communicate a little better, they could avoid a lot of the strife they're putting each other through.

Seven Days of Us took a few chapters to get into but once I got over that, the book really moved along quickly. I felt for all members of the Birch Family and was glad that they all started being their authentic and more understanding selves towards the end. It was funny, sad and heartfelt. Makes me wonder what all of us could learn about ourselves and our family if we were in forced confinement for seven days! I will definitely be recommending this to people I know and patrons at the library. Also a great choice for book clubs!

Why This Book
I was surfing NetGalley when this one appeared on my screen. Given it’s a family drama, one of my favorite sub-genres, I had to read it. I’m on a kick to finish reading all my NetGalley books by 12/31 before I can request anything else, so this moved to the top of the list. I added it as a book on my ‘Book Bucket List’ on my blog at https://thisismytruthnow.com/my-very-own-book-bucket-list/, where my followers choose one book for me to read each month. This was the winner for December, so I moved it up the queue.

Plot, Characters & Setting
The Birch family, parents Emma and Andrew, have two daughters, Olivia and Phoebe, in a small lovely English town. Olivia is visiting for the first time in a very long time, taking a week’s vacation from her work in Africa. Due to working with a particular type of disease, she and her family must live in quarantine for 1 week to ensure the disease doesn’t spread. Each family member has their own secret, which are all starting to come undone during this week long exercise in re-connection. I won’t spoil anything, but it’s a very warm-story about how everyone relates with each other, or fails to connect, over the course of this 7-day period. A few visitors stop by the house, not realizing they must stay once they’ve been exposed, which makes the drama level heightened.

Approach & Style
I read the Kindle version on my iPad of this 350 page book over the course of a week. It’s a contemporary fiction family drama novel told from the perspective of each of the major characters in the main family. The novel is in third person POV with relatively short chapters.

Strengths & Concerns
Hornak excels at creating distinct family members with believable characteristics and stories. I liked them all for different reasons, but even better as a family unit. The English setting is quite charming and helps shine a light on the type of ‘off-balance’ relationships going on in the Birch family. The story doesn’t get nicely wrapped up in a bow at the end, which is always a good thing — it’s nice to leave a bit of drama still circulating around the edges. The writing is crisp and clean. I find myself thinking about the family days after I’ve finished reading it.

While I enjoyed the construct of the seven day period, it felt a bit rushed as there is a bit of history to get caught up on with each character. It’s minor, and there’s really no other way around it (I’ve written a novel in a similar structure, so I totally get it!). I would have liked some additional content in the Epilogue to know where the characters went eventually; the current version was way too short. Both are minor and nothing to even distract or worry. I always try to leave a small suggestion.

Author, Other Similar Books, & Final Thoughts
I believe this is her debut, and it’s outstanding under that context. I truly look forward to reading more from her. Thank you to NetGalley for granting me the ability to read this book, as well as the publisher and author.

About Me
For those new to me or my reviews… here’s the scoop: I’m Jay, an author who lives in NYC. My debut novel, Watching Glass Shatter, can be purchased on Amazon. I write A LOT. I read A LOT. And now I blog A LOT. First the book review goes on Goodreads, and then I send it on over to my WordPress blog at https://thisismytruthnow.com, where you’ll find the revealing and introspective 365 Daily Challenge – words and humor. You can also find all my social media profiles to get the details on the who/what/when/where and my pictures. Leave a comment and let me know what you think. Thanks for stopping by. Note: All written content is my original creation and copyrighted to me, but the graphics and images were linked from other sites and belong to them. Many thanks to their original creators.

Set during Christmas, a family must remain quarantined together to make sure that their daughter, who has been treating a deadly disease in Liberia, isn't ill and won't spread it past her family. I know, unbelievable, why wasn't she quarantined away from them?

Anyway, it turns out that there are family secrets that will come out while they are cramped together in their winter home, upturning all their lives and changing everyone for the better.

I have trouble endorsing this novel, mostly because of its ending. As it is set during Christmas and New Years, I expect something of a happy ending. I am certain that some will disagree with me, but I found that there was an extra heap of sadness that was entirely unnecessary and ruined the novel for me.

A somewhat dysfunctional family of four finds themselves quarantined for seven days during Christmas when the eldest daughter returns from treating an epidemic abroad. With plenty of family secrets and unresolved issues, it makes for a tumultuous week. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this, especially leading up to the holidays. It's a charming book with plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader engaged throughout.