The best word for this fast paced family dramedy is delightful. The characters are all quirky and interesting, each with their own secret pasts and uncertain futures. The central character is Bridget, a middle aged woman who has decided to spend the summer at her ramshackle country house in Litchfield County, Connecticut with her relatively new boyfriend. But when he dumps her unexpectedly and her grown children both decide to move back in, her summer plans fly out one of her leaky windows. Bridget is left to deal with these problems along with those of her aging, narcissistic father who is also a famous conductor, and her music partner and best friend, Will. The scenes are all perfectly crafted and the book is full of quippy one liners and hilarious turns of events. I flew through this wonderful novel and was left wanting more of this fantastic story. I couldn't imagine a more perfect escapist read.

Thus was a good book. Solid. Well written and enjoyable as are all of this authors works. Highly recommended. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher!

I loved Small Admissions, so I had really high hopes for this.

It took me a bit to get into this book. There are a lot of characters and backstories that we are introduced to early on. It was confusing and difficult to keep it all straight and as such, this book didn’t quite hold my attention in the way that Small Admissions did.

However, once I got into it and was able to internalize the characters and their problems, it became a really cute read about finding yourself and finding home. I became invested in this group of people and found the ending really rewarding.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

Musical Chairs is more proof of the author’s ability to find humor in the ordinary. Once again, she’s created a family drama that is filled with heart and humor. It’s become evident that wit is inherent in her writing style.

The story is set in upstate Connecticut in a dilapidated family home that is stuck in the “fix it up next year” syndrome. It represents renewal, change and purpose. The owner of the house, Bridget is a character you’ll want to be friends with in real life. Much like Allison, the main protagonist in Limelight. I think this happens because Poeppel creates such relatable characters and puts them is completely understandable and meaningful situations.

This book covers mother/son/daughter and sibling relationships. It touches on aging parents, why we make the decisions we make, love, paternity, parenting adult children and music is a huge part of this story. The title has multiple meanings, but for me, most prominently it reflects how we’re always rearranging ourselves, our days, our perspectives to meet everyone else’s needs.

There’s an extra bit of authenticity with the name dropping of famous people that live nearby. If you’re looking for a good escape with characters and animals that will make you laugh out loud, definitely buy this book!

This book is so much fun. It was hard for me it down. There was so much mature zaniness. Just when I figured when I plot was going to go one way, it zigzags.

Bridget is part of a chamber trio for thirty years. During the summer of finding a new violist for the trio, she goes to her dilapidated country home to have a romantic season with her boyfriend. Instead, her boyfriend dumps her, her adult children come home, her ninety-year old father is getting married, and she finally decides to fix up her home and barn. During the upheaval, she gets a good look at her career and place in life and decides what she wants from it.

For a book that has a lot of characters, I love all of them. Even her elderly father who loves to steal the spotlight can be charming. Characters either are awesome or on the journey to be awesome. My only problem is that towards the end there were so many side characters (the estate agent, the barn handyman) that I started to get confused when they randomly popped up.

I loved this book about musicians Bridget and Will. Bridget has moved to her country house for the summer. It's a falling down ramshackle, but she plans to spend the summer with her boyfriend. In a week, Sterling breaks up with her, her twin adult children move to the country house (one quits a job, one b/c his husband is cheating on him), her father falls and then announces he's getting married again (at age 90). At the same time Bridget and Will need to replace a third musician in their Trio.

Charming and heartfelt, Musical Chairs is an excellent first purchase for collections where women's fiction is popular.

Musical Chairs by Amy Poeppel is a great fictional novel that at its heart addresses the age-old important concepts of: friends, family, support systems, love, loss, and what stays the same and what changes during these milestones.

I enjoyed reading about Bridget and Will’s pasts (together and apart). Both were like able and realistic characters and to see their respective struggles, flaws, and family hiccups made them both refreshing. I enjoyed reading the dynamics and the constants that are present despite the changes that are inevitable and the revolving door of changing family components. It always great to immerse yourself in a world that is separated from reality. A nice escape.

4/5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Atria/Emily Bestler Books for this ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon and B&N accounts upon publication.

Amy Poeppel gathers a wide cast of characters in this novel about love, both platonic and romantic, during a summer in the Connecticut countryside. At the center of the story is Bridget, a cellist of middling age, beautiful, talented, financially secure, but feeling a little lost. She is in a bit of a rut but is quickly thrust into chaos as her family descends upon her summer home.
This book was interesting enough to keep me reading, with a sweet sentiment, several examples of healthy relationships, and a few twists. It was, overall, an enjoyable, easy read.
I gave it 3 stars, as I liked it, and thought it was well written, but don't find myself cheering for any of the characters or pining to know what happens to them after the stories end. No book hangover here, but it was a pleasant read.
Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC ebook of this book.

I am quickly becoming a huge Amy Poeppel fan...to the point of stalking her website for upcoming new releases so I can pre-order them and read them ASAP! I loved "Small Admissions," and although I did not expect to enjoy "Musical Chairs" as much - I did! I also figured out why I love Amy's books so much - they remind me of a Madeline Wickham-style story arc: create a scenario that will get a group of slightly neurotic people together, each of whose lives are slowly falling apart, throw one humorous unexpected event after another into their paths, and watch the hilarious implosion after which everyone lands exactly where they need to be.

"Musical Chairs" tells the story of Bridget and Will, BFFs and colleagues who formed the famed Forsyth Trio after working together in college. The Trio gained notoriety (credited in some part to the name recognition connected to Bridget's famous conductor father) and enjoyed life in New York City and traveling all around the world. Bridget and Will's continued to be BFFs (no hooking up - no romance) through Will's failed marriage, Bridget's decision to have children through artificial insemination and the many many "thirds" that kept being replaced in the Trio.

Bridget begins the summer headed to her country home in Connecticut, anticipating a romantic summer with her new boyfriend. That quickly falls apart as the boyfriend dumps her via email on the advice of his ex-wife, her twin children each make impulsive decisions in their jobs and marriages and return home, and Will comes for his annual stay in the summer. The number of house guests and unexpected turns of events continue to grow: Will meets a girl who may be "the one" to change his outlook on marriage and commitment, Bridget realizes that there is a possibility she knows the father of her children because of that one night, and her 90-year old father announces his upcoming marriage and around-the-world honeymoon trip. Bridget, Will and all the other characters realize change is inevitable and they are at points in their lives that perhaps it is time for change. As they explore new opportunities, they realize that the friendships and family will stay permanent, even with the new additions and new adventures.

In many stories, a chapter or two (or three or four) is necessary to set the stage. Not so with Amy's books; you will feel like you have been quietly dropped into a story where you already know the characters and their backgrounds. If you are building a summer/beach TBR list, add this one!

I just finished Musical Chairs by Amy Poeppel and this was a 4⭐️ read for me.⁣
⁣
Musical Chairs tells the story of the daughter of a famous composer who moves to Connecticut from NYC for the summer after getting dumped - and surprise her grown children move home also. This book was a fun, new twist on a family novel (not a family saga though) where everyone is going through their own life changes as adults.⁣
⁣
Absolutely pick this one up when it comes out on July 21, 2020!⁣

Summer was about to get complicated....
Hanging out in an old broken down estate in Connecticut....with no nonsense friends.....family.... musicians...artists... academic types...caretakers...dogs...cats...love...’love-nots’....egos....smooth talking types....chatter-mouth-neighbors...uncompromising characters.....each with a plate filled with struggles....
is smart and charming > a combination of fierce and tender.

Amy Poeppel takes us ( the readers), on a journey of complex
relationships, letting us see their shortcomings.
Against daunting odds....everyone is tying to find their missing piece...a place they can call ‘home’. (with themselves).
It’s filled with wonderful, captivating, imperfect characters.
They made me laugh one moment - and almost cry other moments.

Bridget wonders if she is too old to find her right people. “What if Sterling was ‘it’ for me, my last chance?”.
Being serious a moment - I think this is a common thought for many people pass a certain age.

Bridget has talents...( she also has challenges)...POOR GIRL....( I came to love her)...
Bridget plays the cello. But with so many other concerns - I wondered how she could focus on anything other than her next glass of wine.
Bridget was part of “The Forsyth Trio”.
She’s was also part of her family’s history - no matter how much she wished she wasn’t. ( ie....her famous conductor/composer father Edward Stratton).

Will was Bridget’s best guy friend, (since their school days at Juilliard). I loved Will too!
He played piano - and had a great dog I came to adore named Hudson.
As for the third person in ‘the trio’, .....ha, it’s just not a perfect science finding a replacement violin player.
Like musical chairs....the position keeps changing seats.
The number of other interesting characters rotate in chairs ALL SUMMER LONG!

One of my favorites characters was Marge:
Marge had superpowers. She took care of everyone’s needs. I soooo wanted her to come to my house - while we Californians are staying home - hoping to escape the coronavirus.( along with the rest of the world).

Marge did the laundry, the mail, emptied bedroom trash cans, saw open laptops, but she had no need for snooping. She was a darn good cook too.
It’s wasn’t as if Marge had psychic powers either, but knowledge did come to her. She was a woman I wanted to have my backside.
“As for the Strattons, Marge had known before anyone else, for example, that Quinn would be a much happier, more satisfied person once she got rid of her jackass husband, Charles, and started focusing on her career. She’d known Isabelle would never last the year in Hong Kong. Just like she knew that Edward was up to something very, very big because there was an energy radiating off him she had never felt before. And that Bridget was grasping at straws‘s to give her midlife meaning, unaware that what she needed was change”.

I agreed with what Marge thought about sterling ( the older man that Bridget fancied as her ‘it’ guy)....
“Sterling was a weasel. He was one of those stupid men who thought he was smart. A weak man who thought he was tough. He had a fragile ego, and what he wanted was a mother, not an equal. His ex-wife, as far as Marge was concerned, could keep him”.

Overall, I fell under the spell of Amy Poeppel’s writing charms, dialogue, and textured characters.

I admit to taking a little longer to read this adorable delightful novel.
The seriousness of our global crisis is always on my mind. I become more distracted when reading than before this crisis.
Living in the hottest hit county in all of California is a little surreal to say the least.
However....( and I mean this wholeheartedly), every time I did pick this book back up to read…it was engaging. I loved following along - getting to know these folks.

Thank you Amy....your charming book (first, but not last that I’ll read by you).
Special thanks to my local friend - Lisa - my real friend - and reading buddy here in the Bay Area....( we lift each other up). It was our phone chat today that actually gave me enough refreshed circulation to even attempt writing a book report. Thanks Lisa - for helping me get off my ass! I hope I helped you today too - in other ways!


I’m reading “David Copperfield” for my first time...but I’m slow.....( thinking about it when not reading it). Would love to hear from others who have read it. Any tips you have to offer about it....to finish or not...etc. I’m all ears.:

With the OVERWHELMING thoughts about our current crisis —- [ literally I cry on a dime at any given second]....it’s just hard to experience any difference I can make writing a book review. I hope I’ve made a little difference.

“Musical Chairs” is enjoyable ...( definitely it is).....but all I keep wanting to share with others is “BE SAFE”.
DO NOT GET the coronavirus! Really...STAY HOME! Eat bonbons or something - play games - watch something silly on your TV screen....
Read when you’re up for it - do something else if not.

“Musical Chairs”, isn’t a MUST READ....but it’s good!

With SO MANY REAL - FRIGHTENING STORIES - happening in my neighborhood- I’ve never wanted to reach out and hug complete strangers more than I do now!

I admire every reader who can plough through a novel these days without focusing challenges.
Blessings to my friends and family.

Thank you Netgalley and Atria/Emily Bestler Books

Kudos to Amy Poeppel. This book will be released in July of 2020.

[Full review to be posted closer to publication at SometimesSnarky.home,blog.]

This book isn't scheduled to be released for a while, but I'm going to do something I've never done before and post a pre-review, because this should definitely be on your radar. Stay tuned for my full review, which will be posted on publication day, July 20, 2020. Let me know in the comments if you're excited to read Musical Chairs, or if you're already a fan of Amy Poeppel!

Let's start with: this is not my usual fare. I almost exclusively read and review books with twenty-or early-thirty-something protagonists, often set in urban landscapes, with edgy subject matters and/or a biting sense of wit. Musical Chairs has none of that. Instead, it is a tame book about family dynamics, set in rural Connecticut, with a middle-aged protagonist and zero Millennial angst.  Nevertheless, I genuinely enjoyed this book, which is a testament to Amy Poeppel's writing. There's not a ton going on here as far as plot, but the characters are all well-developed and the world feels immediately available for entering and viewing, as flies on the water-dampened walls of Bridget's home. Usually, I've found with novels like this, the details drown out all else, but Poeppel manages the fine balance of detail, dialogue, and action. Her skills are so evident that I plan to go back and read her previous work, Small Admissions. 

I particularly enjoyed the subtle, but effective metaphors throughout the book, weaving together music, love, and the "series of inspired follies" that is life. As the novel comes to its culmination, we're reminded that "Life is most delightful when it is on the downward slope."-- a beautiful, if not often neglected, sentiment, particularly given the demographic here.

"Life is a perfect combination of chance and choreography... a group of people come together and delight int he act of rearranging themselves into new configurations. ONe person turns, leaving a space, upsetting the arrangement, but the other dancers follow suit and they all align themselves anew. For a moment they are all in motion, shifting with a chassé or a crossover, until a new constellation forms, and then there's a moment of equilibrium... before it begins again." 

How beautiful, right? 

This will be popular among book club enthusiasts, for its quaint story that opens up larger discussions of what it is to be a middle-aged woman, raising children who are struggling to find their way, taking care of aging parents, and having a life of one's own romantically and professionally. How does the modern woman navigate all of life's nooks and crannies (which is what it is here, rather than the cliche 'ups and downs')? While this isn't the book you'd go to for thrills, laughs, or a steamy romance, it is the perfect book with which to curl up on a rainy day. 

Rating: 4/5 stars.

4.5⭐️ Thank you NetGalley, Amy and Atria for an ARC. I don’t know when a book last made me laugh out loud but this one did. It was adorable and fun, and just kept getting better and better. Lots of great characters. Highly recommend putting this on your TBR. Publishes late July. But in the mean time read Amy’s last book Limelight. Loved that as well. If you like music or performing arts it’s a plus.

A quick and easy read with a cast of characters that are likeable and well developed. The author does an amazing job of introducing such a large group of people and making them all integral in furthering the plot.

delicious witty novel filled with eccentric sharply drawn characters and modern sophisticated plot make this a delightful and easy pleasurable read

I closed the book feeling like I just watched a telenovela. There were So.Many.Dramas. At first, it was funny that there were so many “problems encountered” . I’m a walking Murphy’s Law, so I could almost relate!! However, at some point it just got annoying and I wanted the book to end. The characters are ok, would have liked a bit more development or depth with Bridget.
One thing that really bothered me... lots of “hints” that something was going on with Edward, but nothing ever came of it. (Other than it was a reason for Hans to be a jerk.)
It’s a cute summer read, but that’s about it .. and there’s nothing wrong with that!

Thanks to NetGalley & the publisher for the ARC. I really wanted to like this book as it focused around a trio of musicians & their interweaving circles of family & friends. There’s a long(er) list of characters within the story right away made it a little difficult to keep track of ‘who was who’ however I did really love Bridget’s character. Overall it was just ‘ok’ for me.

The Forsyth Trio consists of Will on piano, Bridget on cello, and ? on violin. Will and Bridget, dear friends since Julliard but not a couple, would rather have a revolving door at the violin position than break up the trio.

"Musical Chairs" is set in Manhattan and in the countryside of Connecticut, where Bridget has an old house and barn that she can't bear to part with. Author Amy Poeppel continues to write about complex, interconnected characters and their longings and frustrations, as she did in her last novel, "Small Admissions." Poeppel is impressively adept at keeping a cast of characters straight in the reader's mind while making surprise connections and switching points of view. It helps (but is also a weakness) that the reader doesn't really fall in love with any one character. The novel is packed with realistic and sympathetic human portrayals, and I was always ready to look at the action through another character's eyes.

I found "Small Admissions" to be a funnier novel, but there is abundant humor in "Musical Chairs," mostly due to the spoken words of Bridget's father, Edward Stratton, a brilliant and pig-headed 81-year-old composer and conductor, and the internal musings of his twenty-something administrative assistant Jackie—internal musings, that is, until she has had too much to drink.

The plot relied too much on tension created by whether secrets would be revealed and on awkwardness about money. Even though I felt that the action occasionally lagged, at the end, I felt that I was leaving good friends behind, a sign that the character development, in spite of my lack of affection for any character or characters, might have been deceptively deep for the cast of characters as a whole.

I received an advanced readers copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley and was encouraged to submit an honest review.

I loved Admission by Amy Poeppel when it came out a few years ago, and enjoyed Limelight (though a little less). Poeppel’s wit is entertaining, in the same way as Elinor Lipman.