Three sisters are forced to deal with the sale of their old family “camp,” a modest vacation home in Maine, after their mother dies suddenly. The sisters are three distinct personalities – a busy doctor, a social media influencer, and a freelance journalist – and they all hold secrets, as their mother did. I’ve never read any of this author’s other books, so I have nothing to compare this to . This one was very much a beachy romance novel, and although some of the situations and the ending were entirely predictable, it was a fine vacation read. Many thanks to NetGalley, Ms. Fowler, and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC of this title

I had a hard time following all of the characters. Actually, that’s not true. I could follow them but I had a hard time identifying and caring about what they were doing.

The pacing is all over the place and honestly, I just got bored. Fowler’s books are hit or miss for me and this one missed.

I knew having read the authors previous book that she writes character driven novels about family so while my expectations were set accordingly, there was still something off about this one for me. Usually when I’m engrossed in an audiobook I have no problem following along but here my mind was wandering at different points along the way and I had to really try to focus and pay attention. I think part of my issue was that I didn’t really care for any of the Geller sisters so it was difficult to be invested in their story. The whole thing just felt kinda messy and pointless but I will say between the good writing and the wonderful audio narration I did finish it so it definitely wasn’t all bad. I just think I wanted an overall better connection to the story and characters.

This is a well-written family drama. I liked the twist of the will and how it shaped the story. I liked each daughter as I felt they were distincly written with their own unique voice. I followed the story well and I did like the conclusion. But I just didn't feel invested. I didn't feel drawn in to the family and hope one way or the other for all this would all work out.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

This book was just okay for me. The story follows The Geller Sisters and their family drama. After the death of their mother, everything changes.

It All Comes Down To This is basically a family drama.

Three sisters are dealing with the aftermath of their mother's death. The sisters don't agree with some of the things their mother stated she wanted when she was gone.

Each sister has their own story and it is told from their own perspectives.

There is a lot going on in this one. They all have secrets including their deceased mother. As the secrets come to light, there are some consequences for each of the sisters.

It all does come together in the end, despite it seeming like it was a few separate stories. For me, it just took too long to get there.

I have read another book by this author and enjoyed it. I did enjoy this one but not nearly as much.

Thanks to netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the arc.

It all Comes Down to This is a family drama centered around the Geller sisters. Beck, Claire and Sophie couldn’t be more different. When their mother dies, the three girls are left the family’s summer cottage in Maine to split between them. Told in chapters centered around each girl, readers are introduced to each woman’s complicated life. From afar, they each look like they've been successful in their own niche, but as secrets are revealed, readers learn that each is grappling with their own struggles. Their plans for the summer cottage are further compromised by CJ Reynolds. CJ has just been released from prison and has his own ideas. I really enjoyed the cast of characters that author Therese Anne Flower has created. The writing is witty, engaging and keeps the reader engaged. Ready to release in early June, It All Comes Down to This is a perfect choice for summer reading. Just don’t expect to get much else done, you’ll be too engrossed in the family saga!

A sincere thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book took some work to get through. I enjoyed the premise; the lives of 3 sisters after their Mother's death. But, the problem was the characters; the sisters were shallow and self absorbed.
After the death of their Mother, the sisters are tasked with getting rid of the cottage in Maine.
I found the switch between the characters to be jarring. Just as I somewhat grasping the life of one sister, the next chapter takes a hard left to another one.
It just never came together for me, and the ending was trite and tidy.
Thank you NetGalley & St Martins Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I left this book unattended for a bit but came back to it, and I am so glad I did so. As an only child, I’m fascinated by sibling relationships and the weight they carry. The Geller sisters are no exception and their relationships, as well as their relationships with others, are full of secrets and surprises.

I wanted to know more about their childhood, and their connection to MDI, as well as what Beck was discovering about her parents and their family history. But in an already lengthy novel, perhaps it would have been too much.

I continue to read and enjoy the author’s work.

* I was honored to read an ARC of this book via
NetGalley and the author/publisher. All opinions are my own.*

It All Comes Down to This follows three sisters after their mother's death.. and a random man who might want to buy their family vacation home.. and the mother letting the girls in on a big family secret..

Basically, there were too many plotlines here, and there wasn't one main thread to hold onto. I would say that the sisters struggling to stay afloat at significant crossroads is probably the most succinct summary, but the anticlimactic secret and CJ Reynolds (the random man) were too present, in my opinion.

The ending was.. painful. I like Fowler's writing (most of the time), but there were some cringey lines that I hope get cut out of the final publication. I did not understand why a love story was forced on us at the end when the book seemed character driven. I wanted to know about Beck and Claire and Sophie, but I felt very "Oh, that's it?" by the end of this book.

It All Comes Down to This is Therese Anne Fowler’s new family drama. I had high hopes after enjoying the rollercoaster that was A Good Neighborhood, but unfortunately this book didn’t work for me.

This is the story of three adult sisters in the aftermath of their mother’s death. They’re all at crossroads in relationships and careers. Secrets are revealed and the women are forced to decide to make big life changes or continue with the status quo.

This seems like a book that I would love. I enjoy character driven family dramas. However, the pacing didn’t feel right. The big revelations didn’t come until the end of the book, so it felt like there was a lot of lead up and a fairly anticlimactic resolution. The characters reactions to the reveals didn’t feel real to me, and the tidy conclusion certainly didn’t. This book would be a better fit for
a reader who prefers feel-good books and unambiguous endings.

Big thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to review an advance e-book copy.

I just could not connect with this story. The sisters each had struggles, but I found myself not caring much about them. The storyline was good, but again, just didn’t hook me. Maybe it was my current frame of mind!

It all comes down to this is a book for someone. I don’t know who that someone is, but I know now, after several months of trying to get through it, that that person is not me.

The premise was interesting. I love women’s fiction, and I love when said women’s fiction involves sisters or really close friends. I was really excited to start this book, and then, when I did, the narrative couldn’t keep my attention.

The issue is, I think there’s potential for an interesting story here, but the way this particular work was executed wasn’t it. Again, at least not for me.

The characters were hard to relate to—the sisters in particular come off self-centered and self-obsessed, overly preoccupied with their own first-world problems. I think in an attempt to humanize the characters, the author inserted a lot of unnecessary detail about each of them (even the side characters—and while I’m all for giving a side character their own spotlight once in a while, this felt excessive and like there were more characters than were necessary running around, taking up space where they weren’t needed). This makes for a rambling narrative. I spent a lot of time waiting for the characters to get to the point, for something to finally happen, and when it finally did, I just didn’t care, feeling burned out from the long, drawn-out narrative.
The mother’s POV, Marti was the one bit of the story where I felt truly engaged. However, seeing as she dies, this didn’t last very long. And even after reading through those chapters, there was so much discussion about her disease that I felt more triggered than engaged.

I ended up skimming through the last few chapters because I had a pressing feeling that I was wasting my time and would’ve much rather spent it reading or doing something else.

There have been very few times when I have felt this way about a book. And even in those times, as I’m writing the review, I keep thinking maybe I’m wrong and maybe I missed something. I’m sure in the end this book will find its audience. There are bound to be people out there who are into this kind of narrative. This particular one, unfortunately, was not for me. And that’s what it really comes down to.

I’d like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Many thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of the latest book by Therese Anne Fowler and beautifully narrated by one of my favorite narrators, Barrie Kreinik - 4 stars!

Beck, Claire and Sophie are the daughters of Marti, who is dying of lung cancer. Marti has planned her estate to make things as easily as possible but it includes one stipulation - their Maine cottage must be sold right away and the proceeds split between the sisters. But each of the sisters has a secret and each is struggling with their life.

I absolutely loved this author's previous book, A Good Neighborhood, and thought it was a must read for everyone. This one didn't invoke the same passion for me, but it was a good family saga and character study. I loved the setting and the importance of family stories. It's beautifully written - I'll look forward to Fowler's next book!

3.5 Stars. This book went real, real slow for me. I normally love family drama type stories told from different perspectives, but this one felt very hard to get into. The story felt cobbled and all over the place, which made it difficult to feel invested in any of the characters. It just felt like their were so many pieces missing and questions unanswered and the ending felt abrupt. Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

This book was a fun treat! I loved it! It was a good reset after I read a heavier book. It kept me flipping pages well past my bedtime!!

A multigenerational family drama about three grown sisters dealing with the death of their mother and the sale of the family summer house on an island in Maine. I really wanted to love this one more than I did but unfortunately I didn't really connect to any of the characters and didn't find the story very interesting or compelling. Full of secrets, lies, infidelity, mid-life crises and authorial aspirations. Recommended for fans of The paper palace. I loved the cover and REALLY loved the author's last book but this one turned out to be disappointing unfortunately. Much thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to review an early copy.

This story is about finding love, fulfilling desire, and connection. It is also about keeping secrets and each woman in this book has one. The story begins with Marti Geller going to hospice to die peacefully alone. She leaves her three daughters, Beck, Claire, and Sophie a letter explaining that she wants them to sell their cottage in Maine that each would visit in the summers growing up.

The sisters have very different personalities and aren’t close. Yet, they must come together to get the house in order. The reason Marti wants to sell the place does becomes clear. Marti also began her life based on a lie. So, what held my interest with this book was why each sister was behaving the way she was. I think it is important that each is living with a secret and that secret is based on a lie about themselves. It is not really possible to create intimacy in your life when you are pretending for whatever reason. It comes down to being true to yourself and being honest with yourself. Once you do that, it is possible to reconnect. This begins to happen with Beck, Claire, and Sophie as I got further into the book. I liked that change and connection is always possible.

I had some issues with this book. The biggest was really connecting to the characters. I don’t think any of them had found a way to connect to themselves, so what could each offer me the reader? Yet, I related the most to Beck and understood her feelings and decisions, while Sophie I hardly understood at all. Claire, somewhat, but needed more. Some of the twists and turns in the sisters’ lives did not seem plausible or if they did happen would cause a lot more problems then presented. The male character CJ, who is looking to buy the house, I thought he was not well developed and that part could have been dropped completely.

The bothersome parts of the book were not enough to keep me from liking it. I kept coming back to the theme of pursuing your own passion and being authentic and how that changes a person for the better. It is really the only way to live a full life. The book explores this and finding joy in your life. I like Therese Anne Fowler’s writing and connected to this story.

I had both the Kindle book and the Audio book. I really like reading this way. The narration by Barrie Kreinik was done very well. Reading the book allows me to absorb all the writing and highlight passages that I thought presented the book’s message.

Thank you NetGalley, Therese Anne Fowler, and St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio for a copy of this book to review.

3.5 🌟

Three sisters, Beck, Claire, and Sophie, inherit a summer cottage in Maine when their mother, Marti, dies. But Marti leaves instructions that the cottage should be sold and the money split between the girls. This simple act allows Marti to still be in control, at least in some manner.

It causes the now-adult sisters to work together. Beck wants to write a novel and doesn’t want to sell the cottage. Claire, a doctor, is divorced but is in love, and the man she’s in love with complicates things. And Sophie is living the glamorous life, but is it all for real?

There is this parallel storyline of C.J. who is recently out of prison and becoming attached to a young boy named Arlo. At first, I wasn't sure how this part even fit into the overall story, but when C.J. takes an interest in buying the cottage, his past clashes with one of the sisters.

As much as I’m a fan of messy family stories, I struggled with this one a bit. The writing is good, which I expected from this author, but the story doesn’t develop into much and feels a bit scattered at times. The ending felt a bit too transactional to me. I did, however, enjoy the sisters and their relationships, and I look forward to reading what Therese Anne Fowler writes next.

Thank you to @stmartinspress for the gifted ebook and @macmillan.audio for the audiobook.

A well-written story of three sisters, Beck, Claire, and Sophie and the impending death of their mother, Marti. Each of the sisters are very strong, independent women with busy lives. Beck is the oldest sister and is a freelance writer and is married to Paul. Claire is a pediatric cardiologist and recently divorced. Sophie works for an exclusive art gallery and is also a social media influencer. Each sister is dealing with their own issues they must face and try to overcome. Secrets are uncovered as the book progresses.

This is a character driven novel dealing with relationships, some messy situations, some self-discovery, betrayal, loss and regrets. Mixed in there's some humor too. Each character is portrayed distinctly so the differences are clear. My favorite charcters were C.J. and Arlo, although the sisters were good characters too.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published June 7, 2022.