Gretchen Anthony's debut novel, Evergreen Tidings from the Baumgartners, is cute; I can see many reasons why people would love it. For me, however, it is a good reminder of why I tend to steer clear of contemporary fiction and family dramas. Violet's heavy-handed mothering makes helicopter moms look like absentee parents, but it is her attitude and smugness that is truly infuriating. Her self-righteousness is beyond annoying, and I enjoyed any moment in the novel which saw someone undermine her authority or introduce chaos into her orderly life. I appreciate the attempt made at adding diversity but feel that there could have been even more. To add insult to injury, the story itself is predictable. There are some quirky scenes that befit the upper Midwest setting, but nothing that happens is a significant surprise. I managed to enjoy most of my time with the Baumgartners, but I am going to continue to limit the number of family dramas I read. I have enough drama in my own life to not need or want to read about others' drama.

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this title. How many times have you received a Christmas letter chronicling the "perfect family's" year and you say to yourself " What's the real story?" In Evergreen Tidings from the Baumgartners, we get to see both sides of the story and how far apart they truly are. A good read if you want to take your mind off your own dysfunctional family.

3.5 stars. This well-written novel focusing on the Baumgartners, a dysfunctional, but loving family is fun and easy-to-read. I was a little disappointed that most of it does not actually take place at Christmas, but it still had great characters, provided many smiles, and even delivered a few surprises.

When I started reading this novel I thought I was going to be in for a very slow read. Violet is every well intentioned mother who instead controls her daughter’s life knowing no boundaries. To give you an example, her daughter has a woman who lives with her that Violet identifies as a “close friend” until facts are presented that make it so she can no longer avoid acknowledging her daughter is a lesbian. Now, it isn’t that Violet has a problem with her daughter’s sexuality, but like everything else in Violet’s life she worries how her church and community would view it. This is the constant theme of the novel, what will people think?

This could be a dreadfully frustrating novel, but it is much more than that because we also hear things from the point of view of Violet’s daughter, Cerise, as well as her best friend’s husband, Richard. At first, it was a lot of build up to individual storylines, but by about a quarter of the way through the novel the convergence of the stories as well as the action and humor pick up. Once this point hits in the novel it becomes a true page turner. I recommend this book, and giving it time to grow into the story it is meant to be.

Evergreen Tidings from the Baumgartners has a family of cracked characters just trying to do their best for one another, and often failing.

Violet Baumgartner is the quintessential formidable matriarch. She loves her family fiercely, but sometimes that fierceness can be smothering. She is a busybody and a perfectionist who is obsessed with tradition, but every annoying thing she does is done out of love. Her husband, Ed, is just trying to endure her frenetic antics while he’s stuck at home adjusting to retirement. And their daughter, Cerise, has a secret she’s been waiting to share that just erupted unexpectedly at her father’s retirement party. Throughout the story are Violet’s annual Christmas letters that are often as earnest as they are snarky.

Throw in Violet’s best friend whose marriage is crumbling and the other child, a son, who’s being investigated by the feds, and you have a cocktail of crazy for the holidays.

The crisis in Evergreen Tidings leads to some hilarious family blow-ups worthy of “Arrested Development”. I couldn’t stop reading even though the book was shaking in my hands from laughter. Underneath it all, however, are some tender insights about how familial roles change with age.

Definitely pick this up in time for Christmas. It’s one you’ll want to re-read every year.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin Hanover Square Press for the review copy.

This is a read that really snuck up on me. The characters are shown from both their own perspective as well as that of their spouse and or children. This gives an interesting look at both resilience and how privacy can lead to misunderstanding motivations. All of us are the world through our own lens, built from our personal journey. There is a twist at the end, the closet, so as not to spoil anything that floored me. Not only did the characters misunderstand each other, but it made me question my own characterizations. Really good!

This holiday-themed novel focuses on a small group of friends, particularly the Baumgartner family, whose matriarch, Violet, includes a family letter in her annual Christmas cards showcasing her family's accomplishments and happenings over the past year which are interspersed throughout the story.

The story centres around Violet who, unfortunately, I found to be overbearing, manipulative and annoying when gets stuck on one issue regarding her daughter for too much of the book. She quickly became a caricature of a busybody matriarch - one that could easily give lessons on passive aggression for she has honed it into an art form.

The bones of this book were good, but it didn't come together for me. More time needed to be spent developing characters (Ed and Barb, in particular) and giving readers a mystery they can sink their teeth into. Instead, I think this book was trying to be too many things and it became convoluted. It's a Contemporary/Women's Fiction with a mystery that is too obvious, has a fairly strong Christian theme and an attempt at humour which didn't quite get there. Unfortunately, I felt the book was predictable and too slowly paced which lead me to skim much of the last half of the book.

Overall, this light family drama was a miss for me but readers who enjoy a lighter read with a Christian theme about the sometimes complicated bonds between mothers and daughters may enjoy this book.

I had so much fun reading this--I don't know what that says about me, enjoying so much family dysfunction, but the combination of a great cast of eccentric characters along with touches of Minneapolis thrown into the mix was pitch perfect. Violet Baumgartner fancies herself the doyenne of the family and has been carefully planning her husband Ed's retirement party, not knowing her daughter Cerise has news of her own. When the party is quickly disrupted by multiple means, what follows is a messy, outlandish ride. The book alternates between several characters but it was easy to follow and the twists and surprises just keep coming. It's a book for the holidays too, Anthony cleverly uses many of Violet Baumgartner's holiday letters to frame parts of the book.

At the beginning of Evergreen Tidings from the Baumgartners, I was primed to believe that this would be a novel about an overbearing, repressed mother and her adult daughter's struggle to keep their relationship pleasant. It sort of is that novel, but things are, as in real life, much more complicated than that. Gretchen Anthony's thoughtful, complex character development shines. When the book opens, Violet Baumgartner is drafting her annual (and mildly boastful) family Christmas letter and plotting to get a local reporter to attend her husband's retirement party. Her plans begin to fall apart almost immediately—not only does the reporter refuse to attend the event, but Violet will soon learn that her daughter, Cerise, and Barb (Cerise's longtime partner, who Violet can't quite force herself to recognize as a daughter-in-law) have been hiding a pregnancy from her for several months. The story is told in three perspectives: Violet's, Cerise's, and that of Richard, Violet's hapless church friend's unemployed husband. The narrative is interspersed with holiday letters (which range in tone from humble-brags to mournful admissions to awkward almost-TMI), memos to the board of a non-profit, local news clippings from Cerise's childhood, and reports about a mysterious activist art group. This was so fun to read, and a perfect novel to pick up during the holiday season—especially if you need a humorous respite from your own family dramedy.

This book took me much too long to finish and in fact, I'm surprised I even accomplished such a feat. I liked the overall premise of the story and I don't think I've read any books with snippets of humble-bragging Christmas letters, so that was quite unique and fun.

However, the characters where just not the type of people I want to read about, especially when no redeeming qualities emerge after countless pages of off-putting personalities. The characters always make the book for me, and in this case, they broke it. I did not enjoy it. That said, my opinion is definitely all my own and I believe that many people will enjoy, or even love this book.

Whether it’s a church fundraiser, party invitations, or someone else’s marriage, Violet Baumgartner knows best. She’s successfully masterminding her husband’s retirement party, just as she’s done his career and their home lives, when the local celeb she’s asked to make a sparkling, celebratory toast lets out a surprising family secret: Violet and Ed will soon be grandparents. Cerise, the Baumgartners’ daughter, has long been living with Barb, a woman Violet quite likes, but determinedly calls Cerise’s good friend, and now they’re expecting a child.

Violet is determined to save face, because she just loves her perfect family too much to let them be less than perfect. She’s also determined to find out the identity of the child’s father, and just how the baby was conceived, and design the cutest nursery ever. In Evergreen Tidings From The Baumgartners. you’ll be sucked into the believable Baumgartner(-Hesse) family, while secretly cheering that exasperating Violet isn’t your mother.

The story is well-plotted, with secondary storylines involving are church-committee mothers, long-term Minnesota neighbors, and retired husbands who are just home a little too often. There are some with moments of zaniness, but when the narrative starts to veer into madcap antics (I’m looking at you, train station chicklit novels), good Midwestern values pull it back.

The end of this novel is amazing. I would have been satisfied with the ending I was expecting, a warm finale about a very different mother and daughter trying to connect with each other, but the sub-plots of the second characters are all resolved so well.

Good for fans of the family relationships in The Nest and The Heirs, with a Midwestern kind of style.

Quirky story of a family whose secrets are blown into public view and how they find their way back to one another. Violet is the domineering matriarch of her family; her husband Ed and her daughter Cerise find it easier to acquiesce than to push back. Violet runs her church group and her friends much the same way. But when a less-than-Christmas-letter-perfect family scenario rears its head at Ed's fancy retirement party, Violet must decide if she would rather protect her public persona or her relationships. The characters are quirky. The situation has very serious overtones, but the story is told with levity. The author says she was influenced by Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine and Where'd You Go?, Bernadette. While I liked both of those books better, I appreciate the nod and enjoyed the Baumgartners. The need to write the "perfect" Christmas letter really ties beautifully to today's need to show the perfect "Instagram" life. Perhaps things aren't so different after all. Recommend to readers looking for a light, humorous, holiday read.

I thought this book was really cute and it made me laugh several times. It's a fun book to read at Christmas time. It's a nice mix of humor and family drama.

Just in time to gear up for the holidays, Evergreen Tidings from the Baumgartners shares the story of one Minnesota matriarch’s quest to display her family’s perfectionism with each and every Christmas letter. Violet Baumgartner is a control freak who can’t bear to have her community think of her family as anything less than perfect. Told from her point of view, as well as her grown daughter Cerise and other characters, I found myself laughing at Violet, laughing with Violet, and riding on her rollercoaster of craziness.

Each chapter shares one of Violet’s many Christmas letters that she sends to “loved ones near and far” that shows Violet’s version vs her family’s reality. It’s easy to roll your eyes at her, but also feel empathy toward her as she shares her husband’s business successes and her daughter’s life updates. Overall, this novel goes to show that as always, there’s more to the story than you’re being told.

I was excited to read this, hoping it would be as good a holiday read as last year's Seven Days of Us, and I was delighted when I found out it was set in Minnesota, but while I did like it, it didn't quite live up to my expectations. It is, at it's heart a story about a mother (Violet) dealing with her daughter's pregnancy and impending motherhood, and a daughter (Cerise) learning how to grow up and out of her mother's rather controlling (but loving) clutches. There is also a whole zany cast of other characters including Cerise's partner Barb, Violet's husband Ed, friends Richard and Eldris, and their son Kyle. There were some great moments in the story, especially in the last quarter or so--I loved the over-the-top humor of the pre-baptismal dinner and the baptism, and the ending was very sweet with both Violet and Cerise coming to a more balanced understanding of their relationship. But some parts of the story dragged, and I got a bit aggravated by how controlling Violet was and how annoying Cerise could be. And personally, I am just not as interested in all the new motherhood stuff as some readers might be. Not my favorite, but definitely has some funny moments, and may be worth reading if you really like humorous family dramas, especially about relationships between mothers and daughters.

Favorite Quotes:

Barb was steeped in the classics, but the only literary references Cerise knew came from the mandatory hours spent next to her mother watching Masterpiece Theatre on PBS. All that time invested and the only things she had to show for it were a decent British accent and a canny ability to let her thoughts wander behind open eyes.

If the Hesse family were birds, we’d be California condors… No, members of the vulture family and nearly extinct.

He watched as his soon-to-be-former boss, a toad of a guy who kept his dermatologist busy with retinol treatments and mole removal, straightened the pin tethering his Dolce & Gabbana tie to his Burberry shirt… I hope you croak, Richard wanted to say. I hear that’s what toads do.


My Review:
I loved this book from the start and was soon smirking as I relished the smartly written and clever humor, which quickly led to giggle-snorting and then on to full-on laughing aloud, which occurred several times before I finished. I adored the full slate of fascinatingly quirky and odd characters, but the winner, by far, of the most expertly crafted and deftly depicted character sweepstakes was the petty, shallow, and highly manipulative Violet. Violet was a meddlesome helicopter parent who was ridiculously intrusive, arrogant, judgmental, and an exacting perfectionist with everything she did, whether it was controlling the various committees she spearheaded or in keeping her home surgically clean. Violet’s to-do list was never-ending as she was constantly scheming and often had several going at once, although in her rationalizations it was always for the betterment of her family; her inner musings were comedic gold and highly entertaining. The storylines were ingenious and highly eventful while the writing was laced with insightful observations and packed with lip twitching levity. I couldn’t put my Kindle down, as I couldn’t wait to see what outrageous situation would pop-up next. I was stunned and awed to realize this was the author’s debut; it was a delight to read and a treasure to have discovered. Gretchen Anthony is definitely one to watch and has a new fangirl.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Park Row and Gretchen Anthony for the opportunity to read and review this book - I loved it! 4.5 stars for a very entertaining read - hard to believe it is a debut novel!

Every year, Violet starts out her holiday letter with Evergreen Tidings from the Baumgartners. And what letters they are! She's already started writing this year's letter as she is in the process of planning a big retirement party for her husband, Edward. However, at the party, a secret is announced about Cerise, their daughter, that literally fells Violet. Violet has always been in control - of her family, her volunteer events at church, even her friends. She tries desperately to delve into Cerise's secrets and keep that control.

Meanwhile, Violet's neighbor and her husband, Eldris and Richard, who are parents to Kyle, Cerise's best friend, are having difficulties too. Richard has lost his corporate job and is now disappearing for stretches without telling Eldris. And Kyle's charity seems to be getting him in trouble with the Feds.

This is a hilarious book - I laughed at the hilarious antics Violet took with her family. But it all boils down to the fact that every family is dysfunctional in their own way - you just have to figure it all out with love. A thoroughly fun read - kudos to all involved in this debut novel!

Oh my gosh! Violet Baumgartner is THAT woman! Not only does she write those insipid Christmas letters, she acts as though her life is just that perfect year round. Everything is all perfect and wonderful because she forces it to be. However, as the story goes along the cracks in her world start to be more visible with somewhat comedic results. All the characters in this story tend towards the stereotype but, surprisingly enough, I think it really works because they are all still somewhat genuine and loveable. I have to admit I was really surprised by how much I enjoy this book.

Read this as light satire. Violet thinks her world is perfect- and if it isn't, she's going to make it so. If you've ever received a Christmas letter, hers will make you hoot. Her daughter Cerise, who is committed to her partner Barb, is pregnant. The identity of the father is meant to be a mystery but you, like me, might figure it out before the big reveal. It's a light fast read that would be irritating in the extreme if you read it seriously (Violet grrr) but do it for chuckles. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

Evergreen Tidings from the Baumgartners is the first novel from author Gretchen Anthony. This is a story reminiscent of the BBC comedy “Keeping Up Appearances”, the play “Church Basement Ladies”, and the children’s book “Heather Has Two Mommies.” Told with humor and heart, Ms. Anthony has shared the story of micromanaging mom Violet Baumgartner as she plans the retirement party for her husband, Ed. In an unexpected turn, a guest speaker announces the impending birth of their first grandchild.

Violet and Ed are caring and understanding where their daughter, Cerise, and her partner, Barb, are concerned. However, a grandchild is very unexpected. So much so that Violet passes out cold, resulting in hospitalization, stitches, and a severe concussion. While recovering, Violet becomes obsessed with the “how” of her grandchild.

Meanwhile, friends Richard and Eldris, along with their son and Cerise’s best friend, Kyle, get caught up in an unusual mystery of their own. As the two stories intertwine, the reader will find repeated connections between the two families.

This is a fun and novel story that I found engaging. It demonstrates how the family dynamic can be anything that works for the people involved and that there is no perfect script for that dynamic. With unexpected twists and interesting characters, I did enjoy this book and do recommend it.