was surprised by how much I enjoyed this family drama and mystery. The characters have much more depth than I expected, and the conflicts that develop are significant and feel genuine. I found myself strongly identifying with the anger, jealousy, confusion, and happiness that the characters experience, and I credit the author for so ably drawing the confrontations and their implications.

The author does a great job of camouflaging the central mystery and then working out its solution in a slow, steady fashion that pays off quite satisfactorily.

The Adults is a bit of a family comedy but more of a relationship drama, and it moves forward with compelling narrative force. It is an easy, quick read and a good, solidly entertaining read

Thank you very much for allowing me the opportunity to read this book! I appreciate the kindness. <3

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via Net Galley.

Claire and Matt are divorced but decide that it is a swell idea to have a family Christmas at a winter-themed vacation park. Each brings their new partner. Add alcohol and mix in hysteria. Hilarity ensues.... Not exactly. Not objectionable but, unless the premise sounds just too cringe-worthy to pass up, I suggest a pass.

This happens to me a little too often, getting excited about a blurb and maybe setting expectations a little high, based on that alone. I rather enjoy a good familial disfunction, especially ex-spouses, what drama is better than ex-drama WITH new partners present?! However, the juiciness fell short, and the plot and characters alone just weren't QUITE enough. I enjoyed parts of this and thought the characters were actually very well written and realistic. The different points of view were done fantastically, none of them sounding similar to the others. The story carried along nicely and resolved itself satisfactorily.

I just didn't connect with this book so I didn't finish it. Not fair for me to give it a star rating but it's making me.

Unfortunately I have not been able to finish this book. This is a book I have picked up three times and for some reason I just cannot get into it. I love the premise, but the execution for me just is not working.

Something about this imaginary bunny just does not sit well with me, and I am someone who had imaginary friends as a child. I will not be posting this review publicly as I don’t as a rule post reviews for books I have not finished or give fewer than three stars.

DNF at 20% - I will attempt this book again next holiday season, though! Maybe I was just burned out on Christmas books by the time I got to this one :-)

Loved this one! I took a long time to read this one. But it really was something I totally wanted to read now..

RATING: 4 STARS
(Review Not on Blog)

At first this book sounded interesting so I requested to read and review it. Then I as I reread the synopsis, I wasn't sure if I wanted to read it anymore. I noticed that my eLibrary had a copy so I put a hold on it. When the hold came in, I decided, "what the heck?" Aaaaaaand, I really enjoyed this quirky story. It is a hard novel to put into one genre. It is a quirky contemporary tale about a blended family trying to be normal adults but none of them know how to stay within those confines. I highly recommend you listen to this one as the narration really adds to the story!

***I received an eARC from NETGALLEY***

This one was just okay for me. It was an easy enough read, but I didn't find myself as invested in the plot and the characters as I wanted to be. I think it would be a great recommendation, though, for readers who liked The Nest or Lianne Moriarty.

I enjoyed this more than I was expecting. Surprisingly funny. I read it in two sittings. Although I am now quite wary about dating in the future, after seeing the drama and problems of having a blended family. 😋

I enjoyed this authors writing style. Light, entertaining read about two exes that want to give their daughter a vacation and a perfect Christmas. Enter their partners who also join in on the fun, the perfect recipe for an entertaining story. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Unfortunately, I was unable to get into this title. It just wasn't a good fit for me. Thanks so much for the opportunity to read this title. I will not be posting a review online, in order not to skew the ratings. Thanks for the opportunity to read it.

Fun, cute read. A good palate cleanser after some books with tougher material. Story about two divorced parents who decide to spend Christmas together out of town with their daughter and their individual new partners in a small cabin. What could go wrong? (Spoiler - lots of things!)

This actually proved to be pretty fun. It followed through on an interesting premise, where a divorced couple, their little girl and their new partners go to spend Christmas at a sort of all inclusive holiday park in Yorkshire. The story takes a bit of a dark turn and delivers a pretty good story.

If you are looking for a book to give you a warm fuzzy feeling, stop now, you've got the wrong book. If you're looking for a good story of how the best intentioned plans can go wrong, you've got it.
When separated parents decide to set aside their bruised feelings and egos to give their daughter a memorable Christmas, they obviously did not factor in how fate could turn their holiday into a headline.
I really enjoyed the story and the characters. Caroline Hulse did a great job of taking this often used premise and give it a unique flavor of her own.

A light, quick read good for those times you don't want anything too heavy or distracting. I had hoped for more humor and have to admit the adult characters are all pretty unlikable. That kept me from enjoying it more, but I did find moments of relatability with some of the characters. I think the point being made is people are flawed and relationships are messy, but I needed just a bit more to rate it higher. The mystery of the 999 call throws some suspense in there, but again it could have been more. I'd read something else by this author though. Thank you to Random House for the ARC.

I love when I don't hear anything about a book but am hooked to it by its summary. That's what happened with the Adults. I thought this looks intriguing enough and plus I loved the dysfunctional family dynamic in this is where I leave you. I was left liking the story, it was able to satisfy my expectations for family drama, for insight into the different characters and it definitely had you at the edge of your seat. I think it helps if you are already feeling all the winter feels because it definitely helps you understand how the chaos brews over in this one.

Two couples and one little girl head to the Happy Forest Holiday Park with one goal in mind, give Scarlet a picture-perfect Christmas. Matt and Claire have been split up for a few years now and they both have new partners. Even though Matt has Alex and Claire has Patrick, there is still a lot of resentment and bitterness between the two couples. A lot of history. A lot of things left unsaid. And a seven-year-old little girl with a sassy imaginary friend and an intense desire to see her parents get back together. But "The Adults" make an effort to let it all go. They make an effort to bury the hatchet and get through the weekend. But when you have adults forced to be together in close quarters, throw in some competitive activities, add in alcohol, and you have the makings of an explosive situation. And that is where the book starts. With one of them shot and the rest of them telling their stories to the authorities.

The Adults is the anti-Hallmark Christmas story. And I loved every page of it. The book is about four flawed characters and a little girl being raised by imperfect parents. Patrick and Matt were the most difficult to like. Patrick was a narcissistic ass and Matt was an irresponsible free-spirit. Even though they can't stand each other, it is indisputable that Matt and Claire have a history. Their shared history sometimes left Claire and Patrick feeling left out and on the outside looking in, which also made me feel a little bad for them. More for Claire than Patrick. His intense assholiness made it tough to feel bad for him. The book is kind of a mystery because you are unsure of who did the shooting on the archery range. But I think the ending was just a little bit of a cop-out. - CLICK HERE FOR SPOILERS As much as I enjoyed this book, I must warn you, there is a lot of rough languages. Which is just another reason why I loved it. You wouldn't see that kind of language in a Hallmark movie.

Bottom Line - I don't think there has been a more perfect cover of a book this year. Under the best of circumstances, the holidays can be like a powderkeg with a short fuse. The Adults is an entertaining look at the way one modern family handles the pressure.

Details:



The Adults by Caroline Hulse
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Pages: 368
Publisher: Random House Publishing
Publication Date: 11/27/2018
Buy it Here!

Four adults and a little girl with an imaginary bunny go on a Christmas weekend trip together during which each one has their own collision with reality. Matt and Claire are the divorced parents of Scarlett. Matt and his new girlfriend, Alex, go along with Claire and her new partner, Patrick, on this unusual adventure so as to give Scarlett a Christmas where she has all the important adults in her life with her at once. As expected, there are tensions and certain inevitable truths make their way to the surface all of which lead up to the near tragedy which occurs and how the adults manage their way through.

This was a very entertaining, well written, and fascinating story which I really enjoyed. It was interesting and a bit frustrating and I couldn't wait to get back to it. Strongly recommend.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for a review copy. This is my honest opinion.