Alright, announcing here that Lisa Duffy has joined the exclusive group of “would read their grocery list” authors! My kind of people was once again a wonderful read. I was so invested in these characters so much! Every single one of them had their own story and I loved how they unraveled throughout the novel. It’s so hard to pick my favorite novel from all three honestly. They are amazing!

A child must deal with the loss of her parents and the uneasy guardianship of a family friend on her island home. Neighbors and friends become an integral part of her life as they band together—or not—in an effort to take care of her, all while finding new ways to navigate relationships. Author Lisa Duffy entertains readers and offers them a well-executed twist in her mostly likeable novel My Kind of People.

On Ichabod Island off the New York coast, ten-year-old Sky is relearning what family means. Her birth parents left her at the Ichabod fire station when she was a baby, so she was adopted by island natives Brian and Ann. Two months ago, Brian and Ann died in a horrible car crash. In their will, they’d named their best friend, Leo, as Sky’s guardian.

While Leo is, admittedly, relieved to be back home on the island, he’s still trying to process the reality that his friends are gone. The situation becomes more complicated by his husband, Xavier, who is a New Yorker through and through. Xavier has little time and even less patience for slow island life. He wants Leo to find a new home for Sky so he and Leo can return to the city.

It isn’t quite that simple for Leo, though. One of the things he and Xavier had agreed on when getting married was that they didn’t want kids, but he can’t abandon Sky or dishonor Brian and Ann’s last wishes. Having Sky’s fourth-grade teacher, Maggie, just across the street and former contractor, Joe, next door makes him feel a little less alone. He just wishes Xavier could see that even though their circumstances have changed, this could still be a good thing.

Maggie is grateful for the distraction of helping with Sky. Lately she’s felt increasingly disconnected from her husband, Pete. Warning signs of infidelity keep popping up, and Maggie keeps ignoring them. After all, Pete’s the chief of police on Ichabod. It’s a given that he comes in contact with a lot of people.

If there’s one person who won’t let Maggie forget that the signs are there, it’s Agnes, Maggie’s best friend and the neighborhood busybody. Agnes has no trouble passing judgment on everyone and everything. She doesn’t approve of Pete’s behavior and tells Maggie point blank that Pete isn’t worth it anymore.

Maggie doesn’t appreciate the meddling, and when Agnes invites Sky’s estranged grandmother to town, without anyone’s consent or knowledge, Maggie feels like her friend has gone too far. As relationships change and new ones pop up, the residents of Ichabod Island will learn more about themselves and one another than they’ve known in a long time. Through it all, Sky tries to remind herself that the people in her life mean well, even if they don’t always know how to express it.

Author Lisa Duffy builds quite the list of characters to varying degrees of success. Sky, Leo, and Maggie get the most attention and the most development. The other characters, at times, seem to be filling a role.

Agnes’s interference can be distracting. At times it’s hard to understand how Maggie maintained their friendship for so long. Pete’s erratic behavior will raise a red flag for readers, if not Maggie, in the first few encounters with him. Duffy handles Maggie’s portion with grace and realism, though. Maggie agonizes over the decision to believe him or not when he claims his innocence, but once she makes a decision she sticks with it all the way to the end.

Sky definitely comes out the winner in this cast. Sweet and smart, she’s easy to root for. Leo, too, will charm readers from the outset, so much so that they might wonder what attracted him to Xavier in the first place. Xavier’s exasperation with the situation is justifiable, but the length of time he spends complaining about seems less an adult response and more a teenager throwing a tantrum.

Some characters do an about-face in the novel, which might seem a little forced, but the book redeems itself with the reveal Duffy plants. It may just take a while to get there. I recommend readers Borrow My Kind of People.

Leo comes to Ichabod Island to be the guardian of his best friends ten-year-old daughter after they were killed in a car crash. He comes from busy big town Boston to an island where the neighbors are all in your business, gossip runs wild, people don’t hold their tongues and always know what is best for you, and the place that he was born but never really fit into. But mostly there was a sense of community, of love, and support. The people of Ichabod Island genuinely love Sky and want what was best for her.

The characters are not perfect. There is alcoholism, mental illness, cheating but there is also love, friendships, hope, and family. Each character was likable in their own unique ways, some harder to like than others. They were real, they were true, and they each had their own reasons for being how they were, and I was not the person to judge them. I was curious as to their backstories and where their lives would lead them. There was anticipation with each new chapter as to what mystery would be shared and who it would affect most.

Lisa Duffy is a must-read author. I recommend reading all of her books.

🎈Happy Pub Day! 🎈 This is my first Lisa Duffy book and it won’t be my last!

My Kind of People takes place in a small island town where Leo and his husband, Xavier, become guardians to the newly orphaned Sky. The town comes together after tragedy and you get to experience all the inner workings of this quaint community.

Lisa Duffy writes a cast of completely charming characters, I seriously love them all (well, almost all😂). There is so much more to this story than meets the eye, I was pleasantly surprised the whole way through. It’s such a sweet story, but with a whole lot of heart and emotion! It’s definitely one I’ll be thinking about for awhile.

4.5 stars rounded down

Thank you to Atria books for the gifted book to review...it’s on sale now!

Y’all I just adored this book! If you’re looking for a heartfelt escape, an ensemble cast of characters that you will fall in love with and a setting that is fully brought to life this is a must read. I was so incredibly invested in the lives of the characters in this book from Sky the ten year old girl who just lost her parents to her neighbor and teacher, Maggie and then to Leo who is Sky’s new legal guardian. There were a handful of other supporting characters that I also loved, is there anything better than feeling like you’ve made new friends by the time you finished a book?!

Besides the best, most relatable characters the author has the most gorgeous writing style. I’m not a big fan of literary fiction, mostly because I feel like I’m not smart enough for wordy prose, but her writing has such a beautiful, evocative feel that it almost feels like you’re reading literary fiction without the pretentiousness. There’s also a little mystery element as well as some exploration into some timely issues like race relations, sexuality and mental health issues all with a graceful and insightful touch. Highly recommended by me!

Thank you so much to Atria Books and NetGalley for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review.⁣⁣
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Wow, I loved this book so much. Once I picked this book up I could not put it down. What a beautiful story of love, redemption, connection, and community in the wake of tragedy. This was my first time reading Duffy’s work and I’m running to get her other books ASAP.⁣⁣
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A character-driven story, the book is told through the point of view of four main characters living on Ichabod Island off the coast of Massachusetts. There’s Sky, the ten year old girl who has just lost her adoptive parents in a car accident. Leo, the best friend of Sky’s parents who has been named her new guardian. Maggie, a neighbor that helps with Sky’s childcare. And a mystery woman that is there to fulfill a dying wish. From the first page, these characters gripped me. I was feeling everything they were feeling and was immediately invested. All of the characters, even the cast of side characters, were so well developed I felt like i knew each one of them.⁣⁣
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A small island with big secrets, this story is packed with drama and tension and I loved every second of it. With every page there seemed to be another issue that not only developed the characters but invested me further into the story. The pacing was perfect and the last quarter of the book had me holding my breath. I could not turn the pages fast enough.⁣⁣
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RUN don’t walk to get this book! This was the perfect escapist read. I would recommend this to anyone, but definitely read this if you like: character driven stories; small town drama; Little Fires Everywhere or Big Little Lies.⁣⁣

You know when you find the perfect book at the perfect time and everything combines to create the ultimate reading experience? That’s exactly what My Kind of People was for me. Sky could be a child in my neighborhood, Leo and Xavier could be my friends or brothers, and Agnes and Maggie could definitely be those traditional New England ladies of a certain age that I know, but no names here to protect the innocent. Ichabod Island could be a place that I’ve visited and want to go return to someday.

Lisa Duffy has created magic once again. She’s given the reader exactly what they want, even if they didn’t know what they were looking for, which is an engaging story where you’re personally attached to the characters by the end. Their experiences resonate with you, they stay with you long after you close the book, and they make you wish there was a sequel, because it just wasn’t quite enough. This novel is beautiful in its ability to tell the story of a newborn baby girl abandoned at a fire station who manages to bring people together and make you care about them a little more every page you read.

Definitely put this one on your summer TBR. Grab a bottle of your favorite refreshing beverage, find a quiet reading spot, and prepare to be transported to Ichabod Island. You definitely will be glad you did.

Thank you to Atria books for the free review copy. All opinions are my own.

What another wonderful novel by Duffy this was. I loved this story. She has a way of making her characters so diverse, yet feel so real to the reader. I enjoyed the age range of the characters. She explores conflict in relationships without making them dramatic. It is always a joy to read one of her stories, and I loved the ending of this one. 

I loved how the community in this book worked. Not everyone wanted the same thing for Sky, but they all thought that they were doing the best thing for her. I also enjoyed how all of these characters stories intertwined. She does such a great job at creating a complex plot that has a lot of depth and realness. 

Her other two books are also favorites of mine, and I highly recommend them to those that love fiction. This book is out today, and I think it's best to go in not knowing too much so you can genuinely enjoy getting to know the characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a beautiful story about family, friendship, and community on a small island off the coast of Boston. Leo and his husband Xavier move to Ichabod Island after the death of Leo’s childhood friend and his wife to take care of their daughter Sky. The story is pretty simple and quite predictable; but the characters are fun, diverse and well developed The first half of the book was rather slow moving, but the story picks up towards the end.

An enjoyable read.

3.5 ⭐️

Vacationing on an island usually makes one think that life there must be idyllic, and for the inhabitants of Ichabod Island, off the coast of Massachusetts, life does seem pretty good. Until the unthinkable happens and a much-loved family is torn apart by a strange accident. This loss triggers events that lead to exposed secrets and many changes.

This book took me by surprise. It was so engaging that I read it in one sitting. The story of orphaned Skylar Pope and the people who love her is a sweeping story of family, friendship and love.

I loved the characters! They are very relatable and engaging. There are a few colorful characters thrown in to spice up the story. What story set in a small town doesn’t have at least one quirky or colorful character?

My Kind of People is a well-crafted story; I enjoyed how the point of view toggled between a mysterious voyeur, Sky, and the adults in her life. Ms. Duffy is definitely a skilled storyteller. She set an emotional path of discovery for many of the characters in this book. Even though there is a lot going on in terms of the various issues of the main characters, it is not overwhelming. It feels like a slice of life in a small town; you know a little too much about your neighbors’ business and your circle is small enough that you can easily keep all that juicy gossip straight.

With a plot that flows at a perfect pace, realistic dialogue, and great characterization, there was no way I wasn’t going to fall in love with this uplifting tale. My Kind of People is a small-towns-with-big-secrets story that takes readers from loss and grief to hopeful new beginnings.

#MustRead2020 #FamilyDrama #SmallTownStory

It’s always amusing to imagine living on an island like this one. Not just for a vacation, but the ins and outs of life in a tight-knit community. Especially if the community is full of likable characters like the ones in this book.

This book wouldn’t just be a great movie, it’d be a whole soap opera. It was an engaging read with fun and varied characters. Watching Leo and his husband struggle to be good parents to poor Sky, who has known too much loss in her young life, was in turn amusing and heart-warming. Nothing is ever easy, and Ichabod Island seems to have more complications than other places people call home.

The development of the relationships as everyone learned more about each other was intriguing and sometimes unexpected. A few chapters were voiced by a mystery character who revealed more about herself as the book went on. The woman’s identity and existence changed experiences for other characters in many ways, some not shown until the very last pages.

I’d give this entertaining read 4 out of 5 stars. The author has a couple of previous books, which makes me wonder if some of the characters may carry over. I’d love to find out what happens for some of the characters after this book ends.

I fell in love with Lisa Duffy's storytelling in her book This is Home. So, I was honored to read her new book My Kind of People.

Lisa Duffy is hands down a very talented author. My Kind of People is a very character driven novel with one of our main character's Skye at it's center. Skye is a 10 year old little girl who sadly has become an orphan for the second time when her adoptive parents die in a car crash. Leo not only learns that his best friends have died but he is legally the guardian of Skye now. Leo is struggling to keep his relationship alive with his partner and balancing become a new father now to Skye.

Characterization is what makes this novel so special. I absolutely LOVED Leo. Oh my goodness he was my favorite. Duffy transpires you into the island of Ichabod and you feel right at home. Lisa Duffy once again lays a masterful story of love, friendship, loss, tragedy, community, mental illness, and overcoming grief.

Duffy's fans will surely enjoy this one just as much as her previous novels. I highly recommend checking this one out but I do have to say that my favorite by Duffy is This is Home.

Overall, wonderful!

4 stars!

Thank you so much to Atria for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Pub day: 5/12/20
Published to GR: 5/10/20
Published to IG: 5/11/20

A heartwarmer. Sky's life has been turned upside down by the death of her parents and so has Leo's. He's been named her guardian. His husband Xavier isn't happy in Icabaod Island and isn't adjusting well to the changes in their life. Maggie, who lives next door , is also coping with changes in her marriage. This is a novel about how it takes a village to raise a child (and keep oneself in a good place). There's a big secret here, which will be obvious from the beginning but the answer won't be what you might think (although Duffy does give you a hint), The characters are believable and relatable-there's Frankie, Leo, Lillian, and even Agnes to enjoy as well. Duffy's a good storyteller. There are no false notes here. I could see the house, the treehouse, the ferry, all of it. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A great read I thoroughly enjoyed.

I'm not sure if I wasn't in the mood for this book or what but I had a hard time connecting with anything in the book. I had to make myself pick up the book and skimmed a lot of it to finish it to see what happened. I didn't connect to any of the characters and some of them, like Xavier, I just downright didn't like. He was such a terrible character without any redeeming qualities.
Maybe I would like this book at a different time, that time is just not now, unfortunately.

My Kind of People by Lisa Duffy is the kind of book that once you start reading it you are entranced with all the characters. You don't want to stop reading but you don't want the story to be over.

Sky is the heart of the book. At 10 years old she is orphaned for the second time when her adoptive parents are killed in a car accident. Enter best friend Leo, now Sky's guardian, who despite his husband's objections, lives with Sky on Ichabod Island the only home she has ever known.

Into their lives comes a community of people who are there for Sky and Leo while dealing with their own crazy lives. Like Maggie who loves watching Sky as she deals with her chief police husband keeping secrets to the mysterious woman who has come to the island to die holding some secrets of her own.

There are many characters to keep track of and at first the mysterious woman seems to pop in and out of chapters almost like an after thought but towards the end truths are revealed and despite it all this small community is bonded together for one another which is a joy to read during these isolated times.

I hope there is a sequel in the works and maybe a series deal with Netflix because these characters need to be brought to life not just on the page but on the page but on the screen as well.

I received a free copy of this book from the Atria Books via NetGalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my

I had never heard of Lisa Duffy before but I am sure glad I took a chance and picked up MY KIND OF PEOPLE. Ms. Duffy instantly hooked me and pulled me right in.  A young girl who is dealing with becoming an orphan for the second time, plus an island filled with secrets, betrayal, racism, and so much more.  MY KIND OF PEOPLE has it all. It is so raw you need to keep the tissues close by because your emotions are going to be on one crazy roller coaster ride.


MY KIND OF PEOPLE is the heartbreaking story of Sky.  She has just lost her adoptive parents in a tragic accident.  She is now living with her Dad's best friend, Leo who is her guardian and has no idea how to raise a child.  Leo is struggling to hold on to his marriage, but his husband is not willing  to move to the island and Leo is not ripping Sky away from the only home she has ever known. I loved how the community comes together to help Sky in her life.  There is also a mysterious woman who paints beautiful pictures, as she fulfills her dying wish.  Hang on tight people!  This is a heart tugging story that is going to pull you right in and never let you go!



All the characters in MY KIND OF PEOPLE are very relatable and not perfect at all. You can't help but feel each emotion that these caring people are dealing with. When one of them was happy, I was happy. When Sky was crying, I was crying too. I love when an author does that to their readers. Lisa Duffy grabs her readers by the heart and never lets them go. I truly was an emotional mess after reading this heart tugging story of love and finding a way to get through the situation these people were thrown into.  Now that I have read MY KIND OF PEOPLE and discovered Lisa Duffy, I'm excited to read more of this new to me, auto buy from now on author. If you are looking for a contemporary read that is filled with heavy subject matter, but still fills you with hope, please take a chance and read MY KIND OF PEOPLE.

From my blog: Always With a Book:

This is the third book I've read by Lisa Duffy and I really believe her books just get better and better. This is another book that I found myself completely captivated with right now...another book that just fed my soul and I think that right now these are the types of books that I need.

This book will push all your emotions and I loved that. The different characters go through a range of emotions throughout this book and I could feel that coming off the pages. It always amazes me that an author can evoke such strong ranges of emotions through the written word and Lisa Duffy is clearly a master at this.

I loved the characters, some that I immediately took an instant dislike to but eventually warmed up to, and some I loved right off the bat. Each of these characters had their own challenges they were facing, which makes them all so real and relatable. As we get to know them and understand their challenges, you can't help feel for them and want to see them find some way to overcome their obstacles.

There are secrets and hot button topics that are featured in this story, but they are not what drive this story. Rather, it is the way the neighborhood comes together to care for and help this little girl who has seen so much upheaval in her short life. It really plays on the adage, "it takes a village" and it is so appropriate here.

This is one of those books that I became so invested in the characters and the story that I did not want it to end. I could not put this book down and enjoyed every minute I spent with these characters. I highly recommend picking up this book - it might be an emotional read, but it was totally worth it!

Many thanks to NetGalley, Atria Books, and Lisa Duffy for the opportunity to read her latest fabulous novel - 5 stars for a book full of characters you will love (and some not so much!).

Set on Ichabod Island off the coast of Massachusetts, 10-year-old Sky is once again an orphan after her parents die in a car accident. Their will leaves Sky to their best friend, Leo, who grew up on the island but now lives in Manhattan with his new husband, Xavier, who doesn't want to live on the island or become an instant parent. Leo comes back to the island, moves into his friends' house, and tries to deal both with his grief and with taking care of Sky. He has the help of people in the small neighborhood, but everyone is struggling with secrets and their own life issues. Maggie is a fixture in Sky's life but she is dealing with marital issues; Joe, the neighbor across the street, is recovering from a work injury at Sky's house; and Agnes, the town busybody who invites Sky's estranged grandmother to live in the neighborhood.

I just loved this book - the setting, the people, the friendships, love, and community. Definitely a must read!

❥My Review: A beautifully written novel. It took me by surprise and I was not expecting what I read. Simply written, but with so many feels. A story perfectly written for today’s times. The book opens up with all the detail you need. I love when characters are introduced in a timely manner instead of naming any and all characters in the first chapter. I appreciated this so much. This caused me to connect with each character, and cheer for them.. (or not).

The story centers on the island of Ichabod, more particularly a ten year old girl name Sky. Who tragically loses her adoptive parents and becoming an orphan for the second time. What a wonderful young girl, she has so much strength, and alongside her new guardian, Leo she learns to continue her everyday with her parents gone.

The novel is full of unexpected secrets, and it also touches some very important sensitive topics. I happily give this novel a 5 star review. It was beautiful. Some have mentioned it’s slower paced, I would disagree. It reads with just the right information. All essential to how everything comes together at the end. I have added this title to my favorites of 2020.. and I really, truly recommend it! To anyone and everyone who would love to get transported to a nice island, with uniquely interesting characters.

♡Thank You #AtriaBooks for sending me a beautiful copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.. #Partner

My Kind of People was a great “feel good” story to dive into.

Sky, recently orphaned when her adoptive parents die in a car accident, is adjusting to life without them. She’s under the guardianship of her parents’ best friend, Leo, whom she knows very well. He’s married to his husband, Xavier, whom Sky finds awkward and she can’t seem to get a good read on. She knows one thing: he hates it here on the island.

This book takes place on Ichabod Island, off the coast of Massachusetts. A quaint town where everyone knows everyone, and a close knit family doesn’t just mean within the four walls of your home.

There were a lot of storylines going on in this book, and while it wasn’t confusing for me to read, it was a little overwhelming to be honest. The main storyline is Sky’s of course, but you also have the storylines of Leo and Xavier, a couple of their neighbors, Sky’s estranged grandmother, and a mysterious woman whose presence is a chapter here and there with a page or two describing her current actions. There is a lot going on in this little town!

Anyway, that being said... I loved Sky’s story. I loved her. I loved her passion. This book weaves such a beautiful tale that I had to sit for a minute afterward and just ponder it.

I did think the ending was wrapped up a bit quickly when it came to the other storylines and a few things weren’t fully closed in my opinion, but overall this was such a great book.