This was a good summer read about a family who has grown apart and meets again at their grandmother’s lake house where they were raised. All the siblings are very different from one another., and they all have strong opinions. The summer at the lake forces them to look at themselves and how they fit into their family. The characters were engaging, and the pace of the writing made the book easy to read. 4 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I think this was just a case of the wrong book at the wrong time for me because I usually like books heavily focused on character development, but I didn't like any of the characters. Also the big reveal was pretty obvious, and the ending was a bit flat to me. It was an OK read, but I've liked others by Hannah McKinnon much more.

Sadly,ly I did not have time to read this book before it was archived, however, I still believe it is a worthwhile read!

Thank you #netgalley and @atriabooks for the e-ARC in return for my honest review.

This was my first book by McKinnon and it definitely won’t be my last. A blurb I read said her books are perfect for fans of Elin Hilderbrand and that’s super accurate. I really fell in love with this author’s writing.

The perfect summertime read in with dysfunctional family drama abounds, I couldn’t put this one down! When three very different yet tight-knit siblings reunite at the family lake house on the day of their grandmother’s 97th birthday, with some newcomers on board, well, you can only imagine what unfolds.

I think it’s helpful going into this one knowing it’s a very character driven story. I know that’s not everybody’s cup of tea, but I can’t help but rave about how well done it was here! The characters are all so well developed and have a lot of depth, that it was a pleasure coming alongside them here and watching their “transformation” over the course of the story. I found our main characters so relatable and likable, which is obviously key in a book centered around a “day in the life” of the characters. The Goodwin family will definitely stick with me for a long time to come.

What with the sharp writing, memorable characters, and gorgeous lake setting that gave a strong sense of place, I really was all in here! And I loved that amidst the drama, this is a heartwarming story of the meaning of family. You just walk away from this one with a deep sigh and a smile on your face. Or at least that was the case for me. The only problem here is that now I want more! Highly recommend.

Thank you so much NetGalley and Atria for the gifted e-copy!

This book was awesome!!! I could not put it down! Hannah McKinnon is an amazing author. Her books never disappoint! Can not wait for the next one!

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. I did not finish this book as I thought that I might find a romantic story as McKinnon usually writes about but this was more about family issues and drama and not as enjoyable.

This is a very character driven story, I tend to like those and I enjoyed this book. If you’re not familiar with this author but you enjoy Elin Hilderbrand, I think you’ll really enjoy this book too.

Perry, Phoebe and Jake are adult siblings. We are introduced to these characters as they attend their grandmother’s party.
Surprisingly, Grandma Elise isn’t much of a character in this book after the party.
At this party, Jake is bringing his new girlfriend Olivia. His parents say it could be serious with this one.

As adults, the siblings still have their dramas with each other and in their own lives.

Perry is the oldest. He’s the most mature. He’s a risk analyst by day and he works incredibly hard to give his family everything he thinks they need and to keep them safe. He feels like he’s done a fantastic job of that. His daughter Emma does well in school and hasn’t given her parents any trouble. He belongs to a country club, has a beautiful house and the boat of his dreams. He doesn’t get much free time, but he feels like it’s worth it to keep his family safe and cared for.

Jake is the Golden child, at least that’s what Perry thinks. Jake has lived an easy life, traveled a lot, dated pretty much whoever he wanted to, and everyone loves him. Perry is jealous of Jake’s ease though, he doesn’t like that Jake values fun over responsibility.
When Jake brings Olivia home, Perry is sure it’s a bad idea. Olivia has a young child with selective mutism. Perry is sure Jake won’t handle this well.

Phoebe has an almost perfect life. She’s married to the love of her life and best friend Rob. They have two young children. They earn enough money and Phoebe is able to stay home with the boys as she wants to.
But Phoebe feels something is missing. When her dream house goes up for sale, she talks her husband into buying it with her. But the house isn’t as perfect as it seems and it creates lots of drama that did not exist in their lives prior to buying it.

When family hosts a party for Jake and Olivia, something happens that threatens to tear the family apart.Phoebe isn’t really part of this particular drama. But it causes the issues between Perry and Jake to get explosive. It causes Olivia to potentially have second thoughts about Jake. It results in a set back for Olivia’s daughter and Perry’s daughter Emma too.
One day out on the lake just might change everything forever.

I enjoyed this book. This author does a great job of establishing her characters, then you just go along on the ride with them and wish the best for them all.

I got to read an early ebook edition from NetGalley, thank you!

This was an enjoyable read about family, dysfunction, drama, and relationships. I loved the beautiful setting and the characters were so realistic, flaws and all. This book was a good afternoon escape.
Many thanks to Atria Books and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is the story of 3 adult children returning home for their grandmother's 97th birthday. The day is a disaster as a boating accident has the three siblings at each other's throats. Perry's teenage daughter isn't hurt but his brother, Jake breaks a leg and Jake's fiance's daughter breaks an arm. Sister Phoebe has her own problems with a mortgage way beyond due and a bank loan for renovations already overspent. When their mother wants a family dinner to heal the wounds, it backfires and erupts with some secrets spilling onto the dining room table along with the fried chicken. A good story with 3 very different characters. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

A good book About families, the secrets they keep from each other and the importance of honesty. Each family member of this book is A distinct character
I enjoyed working through the issues they were having.

I definitely enjoy a story with a healthy dose of family dynamic and dysfunctional interactions and The View from Here has that in spades.

The knowledge that the whole family walks this summer together on the occasion of the family matriarch's 97th birthday celebration that all of them are very much who they have always been and that this is as much a comfort as an annoyance is the most deeply honest commentary on family dynamics as anything I have read in print in the last year.

Fans of Elin Hilderbrand will enjoy Hannah McKinnon,

A sweet and poignant story about what it means to be a family. The lives of the members of one family intersect and crash into each other at times, but love is always what rules regardless of hurt feelings and betrayals. Told from various points of view, the characters are diverse and drove the plot seamlessly. Perfect summer read.

I love Hannah McKinnon! Nothing screams "SUMMER" like a new HMcK book! Her characters, while flawed, are likable, and the setting surrounding them is one that I can only dream of. When I read an early review of this book, I saw it compared to Parenthood, a TV show that I really enjoyed. That was a pretty accurate description of this family drama. Siblings making mistakes and their family dealing with the aftermath. The secrets that came out were shocking and kept me turning the pages! Family drama is awesome when it isn't your own!


I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

Review will be posted on 9/11/2020

The Goodwin family is a tight-knit group who all live on an idyllic Connecticut lake. The eldest son, Perry, is successful and has wonderful family of his own. His daughter, Emma, is a teenager though and has started to test her boundaries. Phoebe, the middle child, has bought her dream house on the lake except it requires a ton of work. While renovating the house they are finding more and more problems and in turn, this is posing a problem within her own family. Lastly, there's the youngest child, Jake, who has always had things come easily for him, much to Perry's dismay. He is now engaged to a wonderful woman, Olivia, and his parents are thrilled. Finally, he is settling down! Olivia has a young daughter and despite the extra responsibilities (which Perry doesn't think he is ready for), Jake seems ready to take it on. The Goodwin parents decide to throw an engagement party for Jake and Olivia, and disaster quickly ensues. There's a boating accident and it leaves many questions for the Goodwin family. What caused the accident? Who is keeping secrets? This summer may change the Goodwin family forever. Hannah McKinnon's beach read, The View from Here, has a lot of family drama, a gorgeous lake setting, and memorable characters.

I really liked the Goodwin family in The View From Here. Perry is totally type A and resents his brother. This dynamic felt real and it was done well in the novel. When the chapter was from his point of view, you couldn't help but cringe, because he is just so uptight and awkward. The polar opposite of him is his youngest brother, Jake. It really irritates Perry that things have come easily to Jake. He always was the center of attention, girls liked him, and now he is engaged to the seemingly perfect, Olivia. But we all know that things are never what they seem, right? Plus, Olivia has a daughter who is selectively mute, so things aren't always easy for her.

Then there's Phoebe who is a bit of a mess and I loved her for it. Taking care of her twin sons everyday and taking on such a big renovation really stretches her mental health as well as her marriage. Every mom can relate to her. My heart went out to her, because you can clearly see this house is the house of her dreams, but will she follow through with all the renovations and at what cost?

The chapters in The View From Here were narratorated by each Goodwin sibling as well as Emma, Perry's daughter. As a fan of YA fiction, I appreciated McKinnon's take on Emma. Emma is teenager who is experiencing more freedom, interested in guys, and is starting to branch out to different social groups. This is all compounded by a summer on the lake, and McKinnon did a good job tying her story in as well.

The View From Here isn't all beautiful days at the lake though. There's some dark elements in the novel, especially surrounding the boating accident. Due to this accident, there's a lot of Goodwin family turmoil. It felt like an episode of Parenthood, which is a compliment in my book. So, if you love your beach reads with a strong side of family drama, give The View From Here a try this summer.

I really enjoyed this story and could feel connections to the characters. The writing kept me interested in the family dynamics and in each character. The story revolves around the 3 very different siblings that all have their own different personalities. Perry is the older responsible brother who wants everything exactly right. Jake is the fun loving brother who has found the woman of his dreams and wants to marry her. Phoebe is the baby sister with dreams for her husband and family. They all try to act like they have all that they want but by the story ends they’ve had to face adversity and work it all out.

I really love Hannah’s novels, but this one fell a little flat to me. I loved the family and their dysfunction, but the main boat crash storyline was not enough. It was clear that the young teen was driving and I think everyone made much to big a deal over the same teen getting photos in her undies.

This story could have been much more.

I was approved for this book by Netgalley and Atria Books in exchange for my honest opinion. This is my first book by Hannah McKinnon and I can assure you that it won't be my last. This story of the Goodwin family and while I'm going to let the synopsis speak for the book, you need to know one thing, go read this book! It will put at your heartstrings and make you want to read more about these wonderful characters. You feel for Olivia who was raising her daughter Lulu on her own, before she met Jake and just longs for her daughter to fit in like other kids do.I think she is the character I was invested in the most, because even though I don't have children of my own, you could feel her pain and her joy for her child. I wanted to slap some sense into Perry and Phoebe and just make them take a step back and REALLY look around at what they had. I won't spoil it, but I was surprised when the truth came out about the accident. I would also like to add that this book while reminding me of Mary Alice Monroe and Elin Hilderbrand, also reminded me of another favorite author of mine, Luanne Rice.

SYNOPSIS: From the acclaimed author of Sailing Lessons and Mystic Summer—a “charming gem of a novel” (Elin Hilderbrand, #1 New York Times bestselling author)—an evocative and moving tale about what it means to be a family, set over the course of one unforgettable Connecticut summer.

Siblings Perry, Jake, and Phoebe Goodwin were raised on the shore of a beautiful Connecticut lake in a close-knit family. The eldest of the family, forty-two-year-old Perry has long craved order as surely as his charismatic younger brother, Jake, has avoided it. Phoebe, their baby sister, courts both. As adults, the Goodwin siblings could not be more different.

Perry is as married to his career in New York as a risk analyst as Phoebe is to her college sweetheart, but both have returned to Connecticut to raise their young families. Charismatic Jake, however, has spent his years living away wanderlust and unable to settle. The three have not spent much time together…until this summer. On the afternoon of their grandmother’s ninety-seventh birthday party, the siblings reunite at the lake house where Jake stuns the family with a stranger on his arm and an announcement.

Olivia Cossette, daughter of a French chef, does not share the traditional Goodwin New England upbringing or sense of family. What she does share is parenthood, as the single mother of a little girl who does not speak. While the Goodwin family struggle to welcome the newcomers over the course of the summer, a series of bad choices made by each family member finally unravels, leaving them all to question just what truly makes a family. Can one fateful moment on a July afternoon undo a lifetime of good intentions? Only one thing is for certain—this extraordinary summer has irrevocably changed the Goodwin family and all that remains is the uncertain future.

With Hannah McKinnon’s signature “enticing and refreshing” (Nancy Thayer, New York Times bestselling author) prose, this is a warm-hearted novel that is perfect for fans of Mary Alice Monroe’s the Beach House series and the works of Elin Hilderbrand.

Thank You NetGAlley/Publisher & Author for this gifted e-ARC!

Summary/Goodreads---
Siblings Perry, Jake, and Phoebe Goodwin were raised on the shore of a beautiful Connecticut lake in a close-knit family. The eldest of the family, forty-two-year-old Perry has long craved order as surely as his charismatic younger brother, Jake, has avoided it. Phoebe, their baby sister, courts both. As adults, the Goodwin siblings could not be more different.

Perry is as married to his career in New York as a risk analyst as Phoebe is to her college sweetheart, but both have returned to Connecticut to raise their young families. Charismatic Jake, however, has spent his years living away wanderlust and unable to settle. The three have not spent much time together…until this summer. On the afternoon of their grandmother’s ninety-seventh birthday party, the siblings reunite at the lake house where Jake stuns the family with a stranger on his arm and an announcement.

Review---
Ok so I was so excited when NetGalley & Publisher approved me for The View From Here.
I have been anxiously waiting to read this for some time now.

This was full of secrets, dysfunctional family type deal. (I'm pretty sure more families are like that) I know mine is. So I really enjoyed that part of the story.
I could relate ti it, which had me hooked. I found it hard for me to stop reading, the writing in this book was really something else. I just loved everything about this book.

Rating--- 4/5

Thank you to Atria & Netgalley for the E-ARC in exchange for my review. This was a cute story about a family and their coming together that has a summery vibe to it.

What I liked:

-complicated family dynamics story
-touches on teenage struggles, some of which are very relatable
-set in a lake town in Connecticut - feels homey!
-multiple POVs

What I didn't like:

-took a long time to learn the truth about the accident
-dragged in some areas & ended it taking me a while to finish

For me, it started out strong but then meandered as the story went on. I felt like I didn't get to know the characters as well as I would've liked to, which resulted in me not really caring about anyone in the story. I also didn't really care about the accident. I ended up skimming most of it.