Loved this book! I could NOT put it down. It is very rare these days that a book will grab me this quickly. I think once this gets released it will be a huge hit!

While browsing through NetGalley, I was intrigued by the premise of The Adults. It was not, however, available to request. Bummer. 

There is a button you can press to wish for a title and the publisher may grant your wish. It must have been my lucky day, because Random House made my wish come true!

Needless to say, I was pretty stoked to start reading. I'm a fan of family drama novels, and while this title did include plenty of drama, it did lack the 'razor-sharp' and 'darkly comic' that the blurb promised. 

That is not to say that this was a bad book. It was just different than the expectation set by its description. 

One thing I found interesting--in a good way--is that although Claire and Matt are the formerly married couple who drag their new partners into this mess, they are not the focus of the story. Instead, the story is told from the points of view of their partners, Alex and Patrick, along with their daughter Scarlett.

This was a great choice, because Matt is basically a man child/asshole, and Claire's character is never really sussed out. She seems to exist mostly as a placeholder and a touchstone for Matt's past and Patrick's angst.

Alex started and ended as an interesting, relatable character, but became really muddled  and inconsistent in the middle of the story. 

Scarlett--and by extension, her imaginary rabbit friend, Posey--is the most compelling (and sane) character in the story. I liked seeing through the filter of her frank, young mind, and the addition of her imaginary bunny was fantastic. 

The story itself was fine, and the added layer of trying to figure out who was shot by an arrow and how kept me plowing ahead to figure it out. I'm not sure I would have really cared that much to get all the way through otherwise. 

There is definitely an audience of people who will love this book; I just wasn't part of that audience, and I felt a little misled by the blurb. 

I'd say this is a solid three out of five stars overall, and a four if you don't care that the comedy wasn't clever.

I received an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, and all opinions are mine alone.

Thank you Netgalley for a copy of this book. I like the idea of the story , I was hooked right away.....but it ended up moving along very slow.....to be honest I struggled to finish it. The ending was ok, but I was expecting more. Would say this book was good, not great.

4 adults + 2 ex's + 1 child + 1 imaginary purple rabbit Posey + 1 holiday vacation trip= A magical Christmas to never forget.

Ok... haha I don't know about everyone... but me taking a vacation trip with my ex sounds like an absolute s..t show lol. This was quite the story!!

Caroline Hulse explores relationships in a clever and sassy way in this story. Can we ever really be civil with our ex's?

Caroline Hulse's voice effortlessly flows across the pages and had me laughing, cringing, and smiling all in one! :)

The story takes off with a beginning scene of a dialogue between Alex and the ambulance. Someone has been shot by an arrow.... but once the ambulance says they're on their way... Alex stops responding.

The story slowly takes off in this holiday getaway between this pack of "friends". I had trouble connecting to the storyline in the beginning and seemed a tad slow for my liking. I began to get more invested about 50-60 percent in.

Overall, this was an entertaining domestic drama. I think it could have been a tad better if the plot had more spice/drama to it.

I definitely enjoyed Hulse's writing style and look forward to what she publishes next! :)

3.75 stars on this one for me.

Thank you so much to Random House Publishing Group and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Publication date: 11/27/18
Published to GR: 7/18/18

I think this book is very similar to Big Little Lies. Especially structurally. It has two timelines, one from before, which is the main storyline; one from after, which mainly consists of interviews with the police.

At the beginning of the story, we're told that someone, he, has been shot, and Alex called for an ambulance. But she soon stopped responding after making sure the ambulance was on its way. If you've read Big Little Lies, you'll know by know why I'm saying it's got similar structures.

As for the story itself, I really enjoyed it. It's actually pretty entertaining even though it seems to deal with intense stuff. I liked how the characters all had their own distinct personalities, and I see how their characteristics come into play when it comes to the plot. The conflicts are realistic if you consider their personalities.

Personally, I don't like Patrick. But I could see some people, maybe people who share his views on life, liking him and taking his side. That's what I think it's great about this book. We actually get to see different perspectives. And I can understand if someone has a different view on the whole thing than me. Logically, there's no one who's definitely "in the wrong" in the incident. Though I expect people would all take sides and choose a team, so to speak.

That being said, I still think this book could have been a lot better if there were just a bit more spice. I like a family drama with thicker plots. Also, the humor had some room for improvements. There were funny moments, but I could see how the whole book could have been more humorous. Being more light-hearted would have made this book just a little more enjoyable.

This was a fun and entertaining read about a dysfunctional blended family on a holiday vacation. It hooked me in almost immediately with a 911 call transcript and short, witty chapters. The characters were all flawed but immediately loveable. It didn't take long to get to know the bunch, and there was an element of satire and mystery throughout the book, as you try and piece together what led up to the 911 call. This would be a fun read during the holidays or if you're going camping!

I will post my review after the on-sale date.

I wanted to like this book. However, the story was slow and the characters were mediocre at best. There weren't a twist or anything to the ending that would make up for the story being so slow. I thought it would get better but 75% into the book I realized it won't.

At first, I wasn’t so sure if I would like the parallel story lines of going between the past and present, but it definitely worked with this book. I found the beginning a bit slow, but after the drunk scenes with Alex, I couldn’t put the book down. This book definitely is an interesting look into a dysfunctional “family,” but all characters prevail in some way at the end, which I found enjoyable.

This book surprised me. I didn't think I would like it, but ended up enjoying the story and characters. The premise seemed silly at first, but I wanted to find out more once I realized the main character had some problems. To be honest, I started this book and was not sure if I'd read it. Then I peeked at some of the Netgalley reviews, and they encouraged me to give it a chance. I'm glad I did, because it was a quick, entertaining read. I wasn't entirely satisfied with the ending, but it was enjoyable.

I'm afraid I didn't find this book to be as humorous as some, and there really wasn't a single character I liked. Maybe I am just not part of the audience for whom it was written, as so many others like it so much.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley.

This was an easy and amusing read about a Center Parcs type holiday during which one member of the party is shot by an arrow during an archery session. The party consists of 7 year old Scarlett, her divorced parents (Matt and Claire) and the divorced parents' new partners, Alex and Patrick. Scarlett is also accompanied by her imaginary rabbit friend Posey, whom I could have done without. It was difficult during the narrative to work out when Scarlett and Posey were communicating in Scarlett's head and when she was speaking aloud, and the final scene when Posey leaves for good went on far too long.

I enjoyed this story, which was told from the perspectives of Alex, Patrick and Scarlett (occasionally in a voice a little too old for a seven year old). There were chapters interspersed throughout where the police carried out interviews into the shooting and these contained some clever misdirection. The ending was a little ridiculous, but just about convinced, and the author was very hard on her male characters - my only other quibble would be what either Claire or Alex had ever seen in Matt.

I started reading this book, expecting a quick, fun read. I was impressed though, to learn that this book had quite a bit of depth. All the characters were fairly easy to relate to in one way or another. I would definitely recommend this book!

I really enjoyed this quirky read. I liked the characters, especially 7 year old Scarlett and her imaginary friend Posey (a rabbit). The unlikely scenerio, a blended family spending a 5 day holiday together, is a bit unorthodox for most families, I would venture to say......having said that, all the “so called”, ‘we are all adults and can handle this’ proves differently. All their insecurities are exposed, which makes them very “human” and how they work through everything, is very “adult” in the end. This book is amusing and sometimes uncomfortable when they all let “their hair down,” but that’s what makes it interesting and so much fun to read. Thank you Netgaally and the author, Caroline Hulse and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I received an ARC of this book from Random House and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

I give this book 5 stars! The Adults by Caroline Hulse was a quick witty read and thoroughly enjoyable. The story is wildly comedic with likable, relatable characters; like watching a friend's "I told you so" drama unfold before your eyes. Surly nothing could go wrong with 4 adults, (2 of them ex's), a child with an imaginary rabbit spending Christmas together... This laugh-out-loud contemporary drama is sure to keep the reader engaged from start to finish. I think The Adults would be the perfect light read during the bustle of the holidays.

I loved this book. 4 adults, 2 were married at one point have a daughter, Scarlett., head off for an extended Christmas holiday. Scarlett’s Parents wanted her to spend Christmas with both her parents, unfortunately one of the adults ends up shot. You may think you know who did it, but won’t figure it out.

The only trouble I had was with some of the slang as I’m in the states.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I picked up the novel based on the cover and blurb. It was enjoyable and interesting read that I would recommend to fans of contemporary fiction.

This was clever. These characters and the plot were so unique. What an awkward situation, so full of tension.

It was interesting to me that each character could turn from likable to unlikeable with each new situation. It made the story fun because there wasn’t anyone in particular that I was rooting for, at times all, and others none.

The mystery was fun, explained in a series of interviews of resort employees mainly. I was very curious at the beginning how exactly it would play out. As the story unfolds and the rest of the craziness occurs it almost takes a backseat but not in a bad way.

Overall enjoyed this book! The plot kept me interested and was unique! There are not a lot of books on the market that touch on the subject of blended families and how awkward it often is. The author did a great job of intertwining the imaginary friend “posey” of the child, as well explaining the background for how and why the friend came to be. A couple negatives; the subject of alcoholism is handled fairly lightly and not with the seriousness the topic deserves. Additionally, several times in the book the author uses the “c” word pretty liberally which is jarring? Although I understand, more widely accepted in other countries. Overall, I would recommend to friends!

I received an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book was absolutely hysterical – wonderfully quirky characters and a lot of warmth and insight about human relationships. I eagerly recommend this one and I can’t wait for the next from this author

A quirky, read about how blended families try and function within social norms. Yet, social norms don't alway keep us from acting like small children. The Adults is a great reflection of how divorce, custody, and new relationships make us do stupid and foolish things.
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