Oh, to be able to live within this book - with its charming setting, vibrant characters, heart-warming explorations of family, friendships, and pursuing one's dreams...Gah, Poeppel has created a winner! A must-read, especially in these times of quarantine, uncertainty, desolation, etc. This book exudes warmth and companionship.

Special thanks to NetGalley, publishers, and Amy Poeppel for advance access to this delightful text!

Pros:Oh, this book has the feels as in touching and funny and nostalgic! If you've read Ms Poeppel before and enjoyed her, I think you will feel the same about this novel.

Cons:There is WAY TOO MUCH going on - seriously! Between the characters and side plots and side stories...UGH...I almost gave up on it to be honest but I'm glad I stuck with it because I ended up liking this book.


My rating: 4 hearts(out of 5)

3.5 stars. Thank you to Atria Books for a gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Musical Chairs is a fun family saga written infused with wit and love with little to no drama. There is, however, a LOT going on - many different characters and they each have their own stories; but pay attention and stick with it because it all comes together in the end! I love the friendship between Will and Bridget. Who says you can't be best friends with someone of the opposite sex?! I love how they look out for each other and value their friendship above all. This is a great story focused on family, friendship and love, and it's a perfect summer read.

I've seen some reviews label this as a beach read - I think it's more suitable as a weekend read under a blanket with the air conditioning on. Either way, spending time with Bridget and her loveable brood is a solid choice. Musical Chairs is a humorous story of a family, both blood and chosen, experiencing many changes over a summer. There is some messiness throughout, with lies and deception, but the book remains lighthearted as it doesn't get too caught up in any particular issue. I appreciated the changing POV; there was a chapter by Bridget, then Will, and then third POV that is ever-changing, much like the third seat in the Trio. The third POV allowed each supporting character to have their perspective shared, shedding light on what they were actually dealing with. If you're looking for a lighthearted book depicting family and friends at their best and worst pick up Musical Chairs!

What I enjoyed:
-The characters are quirky and memorable
-Use of musical jargon (if you aren't a music person, you'll still fare just fine)
-Bridget and Will's friendship (men and women can be just friends)

Skip if:
-You don't enjoy a large cast of characters (plus 6 pets!)
-You're looking for heavy family drama - there is some drama but it's filled with humor and charm.

Overall, this book hit all the right notes for me

I adored Limelight and was very eager to read Musical Chairs. It's a fun and unpredictable summer read with an eclectic cast of characters. If you love New York City and classical music you'll enjoy this novel as there are lots of references to both. The character list (which included a large number of pets) got a bit long and I kept forgetting who some people (and animals) were, even at the end. Despite that, I think the characters will stick with me for awhile as they did in Limelight. I also felt like Synchronicity would have been a better title as there was only a small reference to "Musical Chairs" but synchronicity was a common theme.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria/Emily Bestler Books for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Linda's Book Obsession Reviews "Musical Chairs" by Amy Poeppel, Atria Books, July 21, 2020
BRAVO! Amy Poeppel, the author of "Musical Chairs" has orchestrated an exhilarating, unique, witty, entertaining, riveting and captivating story. The genres for this novel are contemporary literature, family drama, and fiction. The timeline for this story is set in the present and goes back to the past when it pertains to the characters and events. The story takes place mostly in Connecticut, and also in New York. The author describes the colorful, dramatic, and dysfunctional cast of characters as complex and complicated. I love the way Amy Poeppel vividly describes the characters, events, plots, and scenery. I could easily see this being made into a screenplay.
I especially appreciate that this novel does revolve around music. There is symbolism between synchronicity, harmony, and balance in music as well in life with the family, and friends that are in this story.
The female protagonist, Bridget, has many roles in this story. She is a musician, daughter, mother, friend, planner, and more. Bridget and Will have been friends and been part of the "Forsyth Trio". Varying different people have been the third in this "trio" and it is time to find another to continue to "make music".
A variety of complications seem to invade Bridget's space. Her twin adult children find themselves back home in Connecticut. Bridget's elderly father announces his upcoming wedding, and it looks like Bridget will be hosting this. You will have to read this to see everything that happens!!
I appreciate that the author discusses the importance of family, friendship, loyalty, love, and hope. Each character brings his/her 'tone" to the final composition,
I enjoyed this witty, delightful, unique, and thought-provoking novel and highly recommend that you read it!

Musical Chairs was my introduction to Amy Poeppel's writing, and I am definitely going to be looking for more of her backlist.. In a book of ever-changing moments and emotions, Poeppel has written a sweet, funny book about the fun and challenges that changes, big and small, can bring.

Bridget has always been financially secure, but has never flaunted it over her hardworking friend, and fellow musician Will. Together, they are two of the three members of a musical trio, perpetually trying to hold onto a violin player. The annual trip to her summer house starts going sideways quickly... her adult twin children are suddenly going to stay with her, amidst their own heartbreak and upheavals; Will is in jeopardy of losing his apartment, while falling in love with a local woman; Bridget's boyfriend dumps her via email; her elderly father announces his marriage; and the new violinist backs out of their commitments for the fall. All this happening while the summer house is falling down around her head. With every challenge there is new opportunities... which ones will Bridget choose?

With a large cast of characters, it took me a few pages to keep them all straight, but once that was done, the story grabbed me and kept me completely entertained. I giggled, I shook my head, and I might have shed a few tears. This book is the perfect summer read, to be enjoyed and savored, as you fall into the rhythms of the Stratton family. Definitely recommend this book to those readers who like a complicated family story, complete with dogs, sheep, cats and chickens.

Remember playing the game ‘musical chairs’ as a child at birthday parties and the like, and as you went round, and the music stopped everyone clamored for a chair? Then as the game went on there were less and less chairs? Well, in some regards, that is how some of the characters in this book might feel both figuratively and literally. Like a chair was just pulled out for you but wait, where did it go, it was here just a minute ago?

Bridget, our main character, feels like that almost all the time. Take this weekend, for example: just as she was packing and planning to drive up to her old farmhouse in Connecticut for the summer, she gets an email from her boyfriend, Sterling. The subject is what his ex-wife thinks is best for him, which turns out to be breaking up with her! What? And that is how he tells her he is breaking up with her, by email. There goes that chair again.

Okay, she will relax at the house by herself with her best friend Will. Bridget and Will met as students at Julliard in NYC. Upon graduation, they, along with another student, Gavin, formed the, “Forsyth Trio,” a fairly popular chamber music trio, until Gavin left to become an International Violin Soloist. Now they seem to always be looking for his replacement. Will has his own room at Bridget’s house, so that will work out fine for two close friends.

Until that is, her twin, twenty-something, kids show up from their individual homes. Is Isabelle, flying into JFK from France bringing tears and a broken heart. Next, her newlywed son, Matt drives up from Washington, DC. with his dirty laundry, and two large dogs having just had a huge fight with his husband, Oscar. Matt does not want to talk about it, but of course, Isabelle does!

Next, Bridget finds out her elderly, wealthy, famous-conductor father, Edward Stratton, declares he is getting married again and planning a honeymoon trip around the world.

Meanwhile, at her father’s home, ‘The Castle,’ a nickname Bridget came up with because of its ridiculous décor and formality, there are a few extra people. Along with the usual housekeeper and miracle-worker, Marge; there is a new assistant and a British writer, Nicholas Donahue, working on her father’s memoir. There are more but let us not confuse everyone now.

The story, or should I say stories, oh do not worry they are not complicated, you will be able to keep up, begin when Bridget’s house loses electricity because of an appliance and some wiring, something like that. This will quickly lead to the discovery of all the repairs she has neglected over the years to hiring Kevin, a local handy-man type to fix everything. As the list gets longer, she thinks maybe she will sell the place, so she hires an architect to really do this right. Rick, the architect, notices that her barn, (lovingly called, ‘BatShit Barn’) could be eligible for a Registered Historic Site, so let us fix that too! Take a breath.

Bridget holds her father’s wedding in the barn, which is transformed into a fairy tale, in the pouring rain, possibly a nor’easter. As a moat begins to form around the barn, Bridget dances with the British writer, Nicholas, quite cozily, while Will and Emma, the plant-storeowner, do the same. Everyone is having a good time and all the strain, and crises and different story lines merge joyously together at the wedding, as it should. But, not before Bridget and Will look over towards the open barn door, and see a gust of wind, lifts the canopy up and carries it away.

It cannot all be perfect, that would not be real! Please read this marvelous book.

Thank you Netgalley, Atria Publishing, and Amy Poeppel

4.5 Stars

At first glance, I wasn't sure if I would really like this book. I am not a classical music aficionado nor am I a millionaire with a world renowned father (sorry dad). I am , however, a recent empty-nester with grown children, and I love a good summertime book...so I gave it a try. And, man am I happy I did! Bridget is one of the most likable characters I have been introduced to in a long time. The other characters are perfectly penned and it's very easy to fall in love with them all. Musical Chairs offers beautiful writing, pitch-perfect character development and lots of laugh-out-loud humor. I loved this book!

Musical Chairs by Amy Poeppel is a quirky indefinable book in the best possible way. Bridget and Will have been two parts of a musical trio since they left Juilliard. After a decade their original violinist, Gavin, moved on alone to huge success. Since then they filtered through a series of replacements. In midlife they find themselves at a crossroad with the trio. Do they take on a new high maintenance member that may bring exposure they want, or consider other options.
At its heart Musical Chairs is a book about family relationships, those we are born into and those we make ourselves. These relationships are exponential with a big cast of characters. I really appreciate Bridget is a woman of an age not often represented in fiction as leading lady. I knew I was going to like the book immediately. It took me well into the book to realize I really liked it, a lot. Any Poeppel’s writing is smart and extremely funny. I highly recommend for readers looking for a hidden gem.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for the Advanced Reader Copy and the opportunity to review Musical Chairs. All opinions are my own.

I appreciate a story that refrains from being linear and one note and Amy Poeppel avoided doing so quite well with the introduction of many characters with their own stories threaded throughout. The overall theme of this book is about being at a crossroad in life and grappling with which path to travel. The path with the cautious choices that are expected, predictable and safe versus much scarier choices that require leaping into the unknown, the unpredictable and the unexpected. Poeppel managed to provide depth to every character. Even characters that didn't really have a subplot still had a story and she allowed the reader to feel like you know every character. I have read some highly rated books where the author struggles to provide any depth or familiarity to less than a handful of characters so I applaud Poeppel's ability to do so with triple the characters. The story itself was engaging and relatable with much like real life, many loose endings. If you are someone that requires the tidy ending then this may not be for you.

I liked reading this book well enough while reading it. I wouldn't tell anyone it's a must-read, but if the synopsis interests you at all, then go for it.

The focal character is Bridget, daughter of a famous musician, and her friends and family as they prepare for her father's summer wedding. This is a big ensemble cast with lots of interconnected dramas, and it sometimes felt a bit like a soap opera. Many of these conflicts, particularly Bridget's, felt underwhelming.

Wow, wow, wow! I loved this book. I will admit that I struggled through the first few (short) chapters as a lot of characters were introduced. It felt like I was thrown into the middle of a storm with all the character introductions. However, I took a calming breath, jotted down some character notes and forged onward. So apropos since part of the theme of the book seems to be about regrouping amid chaos and moving forward.

I might have developed a bit of a girl crush on author Amy Poeppel, so forgive the gushing. I adored the myriad cast of characters in this book. I loved the fluidity of the relationships between the characters. People grow and perceptions change. People fight hard to defend the life they have been telling everyone they love, only to ultimately find out that there are many alternative locations and lifestyles that they could equally love.

The title, Musical Chairs, is a double entre. It represents the heavy focus on music and careers in music. It also represents life’s chaos and the scrambling for a seat at life’s table like the childhood game of the same name..

The story is nicely layered with musical references and philosophical quotes.  I deeply empathized with Bridget's life predicament of needing a quiet summer of contemplation and ending up with life-changing chaos. I adored the epilogue written as one of Bridget’s father’s long-winded toasts/speeches.  I so want to discuss details and add quotes from the book, but even more, I want you to read this book!

Musical Chairs is an excellent title for this book, as the characters and  various pets, dance in and out of the story. Most of them by the end of the book have changed places - upending the lives that were and taking on something new.

I did find so many characters hard to keep track of, although I need to say they all eventually settled and intertwined in a satisfying way.

The friendship that Will and Bridget have is amazing and right the way through they are there for each other. They form part of a trio - the only problem being they have lost their third member and this is sort of forcing them to take a second look at their lives.

There is so much going on with Bridget's adult children, her sister and father who has just announced he too is going to be making a big change in his life.

For readers who love music this would be a great book for them to relax and have a good summer read. I am not one of those so the music references were lost on me. However this was a book that grew on me and by the end I was left wishing the characters a happy going forward in their lives.

This is the perfect to make you forget your troubles
Sometimes you read a book at the exact right time, and Amy Poeppel's new novel, Musical Chairs, is that book. I enjoyed her first two novels, Small Admissions, about a young woman who works as admissions officer at a fancy Manhattan school. n (My review is here).I loved her second one, Limelight, about a mom who moves with her family from Dallas to the Upper East Side of Manhattan, where she ends up accidentally becoming an assistant to a Justin Beiber-like character as he prepares for his Broadway debut. It was hilarious and sweet.

Her newest novel, Musical Chairs, features a protagonist closer to my age, which is refreshing. Bridget Stratton is preparing for a sexy summer with her boyfriend at her summer home in Litchfield, Connecticut. But like all great plans, this one falls apart.

Every character in Musical Chairs is so fabulous, even the secondary ones. Jackie, the young city woman from a much different background who becomes Bridget's dad's assistant, has so many great lines as a fish out of water, wondering how she got here with these crazy people. (The scene when she gets drunk at Bridget's house is priceless.

You don't need to enjoy classical music to like this book (I am not), but if you are an aficionado, you will get an extra layer of enjoyment out of it. I absolutely adored Musical Chairs, and even thinking about it now brings a smile to my face at a time when we could all use a little joy. This is a book I will return to again and again when I want to forget the troubles of the world. It will make you laugh out loud. I give it my highest recommendation.

Musical Chairs is the funny and heartwarming story of The Strattons, a modern family which consists of not only those related by blood or marriage but also the other people with whom they've chosen to spend their lives. Their world revolves around music - patriarch Edward Stratton is a renowned composer and his daughter Bridget is a professional cellist - and when the group unexpectedly comes together for a summer in Connecticut, it changes them all forever.

Bridget, middle-aged and recently single, is trying to decide what her future holds. Meanwhile, her two grown children, twins Oscar and Isabelle, move in with her while they deal with issues in their own lives, her best friend and musical partner, Will, is reassessing his life choices, and her 90-year-old father surprises everyone with the announcement that he's getting married. Definitely not the makings of a relaxing summer in the country.

Amy Poeppel has created characters you want to get to know and whose motivations and quirks feel completely realistic. There are a lot of people in this book - aside from the family, there are co-workers, friends, new acquaintances and more - but they're all so well written that it never gets overwhelming. The author also has a gift for comedy and I can't count how many times the dialogue and interactions between characters literally made me laugh out loud. I rooted for Bridget and Will and Edward and Oscar and Isabelle to find happiness in their next acts and while I wish the event at the end of the book wasn't so rushed, I loved the way their stories wrapped up. Edward says "Life is a perfect combination of chance and choreography" and that proved to be true for all of the Strattons.

Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books and the author for an advanced copy to review.

I knew I was going to love Musical Chairs by Amy Poeppel when one of the characters had the same name as a character in my favorite sit-com growing up-Edward Stratton! As in, Edward Stratton of Silver Spoons! But that’s really where the similarities ended. Musical Chairs takes place in Connecticut over a summer. Bridget and Will are 2/3 if a musical trio who needs a violinist. Bridget had grown twins, who may be the product of a donor or maybe there’s another “donor?” Both kids show up in Connecticut dealing with grown up issue. Will and Bridget ate at crossroads in their lives. Bridget’s dad, Edward, is starting his second half and as family dramas do, everything is wrapped up by the end of the summer.

This was an enjoyable story. It was everything I love-character driven, family dynamics, and concluded with a big event! I truly enjoyed Musical Chairs!

Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for an advanced e-copy!

Thanks to Atria/Emily Bestler Books and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

A slightly messy family dynamics mixed with a little bit of a mid-life questioning at a summer house in Connecticut is Musical Chairs. It was a fun book to read and I loved the themes of strong friendships, family loyalty and learning to take chances.

I loved the cast of characters, but there were a lot to keep track of. The musical aspect was fun and I loved the theme of synchronicity throughout the book.

Dnf @ 23%

I'm really sorry to say this but it seems that Poeppel's style doesn't suit me. I have the impression that nothing happened in the first quarter of the book and I wasn't interested anymore. However, if you liked her previous books you'll like this one.

** Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion **

Synchronicity, #timing, and #fate, play important roles in author @amypoeppel’s latest novel #musicalchairs. Reading this 📚 involved a bit of “synchronicity” for me, as well. First of all, I added it, a while ago, to my already long list of @netgalley books on my shelf. Then, a couple of days ago, while I stayed home baking, I noticed a #Facebooklive event with @amypoeppel. I reasoned that watching the event was the least I could do towards fulfilling my commitment to reading the book. So I watched as I baked, (and I am so glad 😀 that I did).

This book is about all the messiness and complications that everyday life involves (and thankfully, these problems are NOT YOURS...), they belong to Bridget, the heroine of musical chairs, as well as to the book’s very large cast of characters: Bridget’s kids, her dad, her musician partner, her country house that is falling apart (and more....). The story takes place over the course of one summer, which turns out to be a completely different summer from what Bridget thought her summer would be, when she initially planned it. Like I said at the outset, the story is all about synchronicity, fate and timing!

Thank you @amypoeppel, @atriabooks and @netgalley for my advanced copy of #musicalchairs. in return for my honest review. I give it #5musical🪑🪑🪑🪑🪑’. Pick it up on #pubday 07/21/2020 #summeread #summerread2020 #beachread #family #pets #music #travel #secrets #bestseller