I think this just might have been a case of the wrong book at the wrong time. It felt very long and I could never get attached to the characters in a meaningful way. I’ve heard a lot of positive reviews, but there were several elements of the writing style and plot structure that didn’t work for me in the end.

I honestly forgot to review this book when I first read it almost a year ago. But if you are considering reading it now I say go for it. I really enjoyed reading about this family. They were funny, flawed, loving and real.

Claire Lombardo’s debut, The Most Fun We Ever Had, is the best kind of family saga—tightly woven with characters who are flawed and human, and who submerge us face-first into the messiness of familial and romantic love. Marilyn and David Sorenson have been inseparable since the 1970s, and even as life has thrown them challenges, their love is the sun around which all else orbits. In 2016, we see their four daughters all suffering from unique dysfunctions—and all fearing that they will never have a relationship as strong as that of their parents.

Lombardo's sweeping family drama, fueled by power plays between spouses and between sisters, is operatic in both good ways and bad. It hits plenty of high notes, but like opera, it runs long and tends toward histrionics and repetition. A few themes are replayed so often — David and Marilyn's canoodling, Violet's uptight rigidity — that the book would have benefited from judicious editing, particularly in the flashbacks.

But let's not lose sight of Lombardo's considerable achievement. The Most Fun We Ever Had is a deliciously absorbing novel with — brace yourself — a tender and satisfyingly positive take on family.

One of the best in-depth family portraits in a while. Really gets into the complexity of the family relationships & portrays them in a realistic, authentic way. And the writing is well-matched with the tone of the story. Overall, very successful.

I reviewed this for netgalley. At first it looks like this book is headed nowhere, but it quickly becomes clear that this family’s story needs to be told. Four sisters, who grow up watching their parents seemingly ideal marriage, struggle to adapt to adulthood. Their relationships with one and another and with their parents are masterfully written.

A gut-wrenching family drama that both warmed my heart and broke it. It spans more than 40 years, so it felt a little long at times, but I was still engaged throughout -- I found myself extremely invested in the characters and needed to know what was happening to them throughout their life.

This book is a fascinating look at a family's dynamics and how they all interact with each other. Strong characters drive this book and the writing is very well-done. I thought it dragged on too long in places, for which I subtracted a star.

Thanks to Doubleday Books and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A riveting, sometimes heartbreaking family saga. A long read but I was hooked once I got into it. Interesting, sometimes infuriating characters - some implausible plot moments, but overall, a very satisfying read. Four stars from me. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC, which I received in exchange for an honest review.

Long family saga that had great characters but took me just a little too long to read. I don't think it was the books fault sometimes I'm just not in the right mood for that type of book.

Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for the early copy!

I had a hard time connecting with the writing style and decided to put it down.

I just really loved this book. It was well-written and I felt fully invested in all the characters throughout the book.

I loved this book! Super long but doesn't feel that way. Engaging, beautiful story. I would highly recommend it to anyone!

I loved following this complicated family,with all their flaws, over the span of several decades. Absolutely loved the characters Wendy and David-who reminded me so much of my own Dad it made me want to pick up the phone and call him just to say “I love you” every time I turned the page. I loved the way Marilyn was portrayed. As a woman and a Mother myself, I related so much to her inner struggle with being her own fierce, independent, strong woman with her own goals and dreams, and having to let go of that to instead give everything of herself away to her children and husband with a quiet acceptance. I saw pieces of myself in almost every single character of this book. Loved it!

I love a good family saga, so I've been meaning to read this since the spring. To be honest, I was intimidated by the length, but when a friend assured me it doesn't drag and that Lombardo's authorial voice is gold, I picked it right up and read it in three days (and it's a 500-pager, so that's saying something!) This is the story of a married couple and their four grown daughters. In the opening pages, one daughter reveals a huge family secret, and the novel tracks what happens in the next year of every family member's life. Listen to me recommend this book in Episode 206 of What Should I Read Next, coming 10/22.

When The Most Fun We Ever Had first came across my radar, I thought it sounded interesting and added it to my future TBR pile. Then Jenny at Book Coffee Happy said it was one of her favorite novels and I instantly moved it into my current "pile." (I keep a list of the next five books I am going to read on my Kindle, and this is separate from my print pile.)

I agree with Jenny on a few things:
1. It was nice to read a book set in Chicago. I grew up near where Jenny lives and we went to the same high school, so we can definitely relate on this aspect.
2. It's perfect for fans of Parenthood and This is Us. Fans of these shows will appreciate that this novel features a large family and shows perspectives from the parents and their four daughters. It also goes back and forth between the past and present. The story spans from the 1970's through 2017.
3. It's long. I read it on Kindle, so I had no idea how many pages there were, but it took me longer to read than most books do on my Kindle. However, while Jenny didn't want it to end, I was actually thrilled when I finally got to the 50% mark and beyond.

Unfortunately, I don't share Jenny's enthusiasm for this novel. There were a lot of things I enjoyed about it and I thought it was incredibly well-written for a debut. I didn't feel close with the characters, but they were relatable in some ways. I liked Jonah a lot and felt he really carried the story along the most. His narrative was my favorite. Second to Jonah was Grace, who was a misfit in her own way. She didn't have as much narrative time as the other characters, so I looked forward to the morsels I got from her.

Marilyn and David reminded me of myself and my husband in some ways, like with setting the standard for relationships for our kids. They may complain when we are affectionate with other in front of them, but I'm always telling them that they are lucky their parents love each other so much and that we hope they'll find that for themselves in the future. Aside from that, I found myself referring to things that happened in the novel when talking to a friend about something related to these things. I don't want to say what they are as to not give too much away, but when my friend was talking about someone who is dating a guy who is experiencing anxiety and depression, I immediately thought of Liza's situation and relayed that to her. I also thought it was interesting to see how some of the things that were referenced by characters in the present fit in when we saw them in the past.

Overall, it was an interesting novel and the length didn't scare me off from reading it all the way through. However, there were times it felt slow to me and I wondered where it was going and how long I'd have to wait for it to get there. Yet, at other times, it was captivating and kept me turning the pages. Readers who liked Ask Again, Yes will enjoy this novel too. (And now you know how I felt about that one.) Enter for a chance to win this novel and a "family survival kit." (US only. Ends December 15th.)

Thanks to Doubleday for the book in exchange for an honest review.

Movie casting ideas (all in present time):
Marilyn: Joan Allen
David: Bryan Cranston
Liza: Teresa Palmer
Wendy: Mena Suvari
Violet: Krysten Ritter
Grace: Libe Barer
Jonah: Aedan Duckworth

On paper, I should have loved this book. It takes place in Chicago, there's family drama and rich people problems, and it's a multigenerational story. It was good, but I'm not rushing out to recommend everyone read it.

This is the story of Marilyn and David Sorensen and their four daughters. They have a happy loving marriage and are very supportive of their kids- much to the irritation of the girls. All four seem to blame their relationship struggles with the inability to live up to their parents love and support- really cementing the idea that as a parent, you really can't keep your kids from going through their own pain and struggle, no matter how much love you give them.

My biggest irritation with this was just how selfish some of the characters were. Violet in particular had no redeeming qualities in my opinion; she was completely self serving, cold, yet needy and I really couldn't get behind most of the actions she took. She's the epitome of entitlement and I never came around to her. Wendy definitely had her issues, but I loved her sharp tongue and once you get to learn more about her, you see why she's the way she is. I didn't quite see the point of Grace's character, or really Liza's if I'm being honest. There were moments of tenderness and Jonah really delighted me, especially when he kept exposing secrets he didn't know the family were keeping. All in all, I liked but didn't love it. There were moments of tenderness, but I don't know if I'm taking away much more than that. I should say that I'm an only child, so maybe I would have liked this more if I also came from a large family. 3.75

Ahhhhhh definitely a contender for my FAVORITE overall book of 2019. I loved this family. I struggled between wanting to read this book ALL THE TIME because it was so damn good but also not wanting to read too fast because I didn’t want to say goodbye to the characters. I love them. I love Claire Lombardo. Please write more?

The Most Fun We Ever Had was a fantastic family drama, featuring the Sorenson family, headed by David and Marilyn, and their four daughters Wendy, Violet, Liza, and Grace. This is a loving, but dysfunctional family, with tons of love, but also a lot of issues. I loved all the characters and their flaws. I loved the format, which switched between present day and the past, moving forward from when David and Marilyn met, and through major milestones in the lives of the family members.

I was was originally intimidated by the size of the book, but by the time I stopped reading, I was sad that it was over.

very popular with readers, great family saga weaving together the generations. will look forward to more by this young author.

I almost put the book down after the first 100 pages, confused with characters and timelines. However, once I got into the rhythm of the writing, I really enjoyed it. Marilyn and David have a marriage that is idealized by their four daughters, Wendy, Violet, Liza and Grace. The betrayals, jealousies, and ultimately love shared by the sisters is so realistic. Their relationships never seem to live up to their image of their parents’, as they struggle through adolescence to adulthood. Highly recommend, but you have to stick with it.