It All Comes Down to This by Therese Anne Fowler is a slow moving character study focusing on the lives of the Seller sisters. After the death of their mother Beck, Claire, and Sophie come together to mourn their loss and work on fulfilling their mother's last wish of selling the family's summer cottage in Maine. The Geller sisters are not especially close, and all have secrets from each other. It becomes quickly apparent that their mother, Marti, also had secrets.

Listened to the audiobook.
I received a free Advanced Reading Copy via NetGalley in exchange for a complete and honest review.

Ugh, this book had so much potential but it didn't live up to it

4.25 stars
The story is about adult sisters but they aren't close and they each have their own drama going on in their lives. But while working through their grief and the logistics after a parent dies, they find their way back to each other and to themselves.  

I loved this even more than Fowler's 'A Good Neighborhood' that I read last year. This being her second novel that I have read, I am realizing Fowler's strength is writing characters that are imperfect, relatable and very realistic. Real people have flaws, baggage, can be annoying and are messy. 
Messy is the perfect word to describe the Geller family. The three sisters have secrets, resentments and drama individually and amongst each other.  And the book shifts between all three of the POVs (which I love) and you learn more of how their shared history shaped them into three very different women. 
I especially loved Beck's (the oldest sister) POV. I think it was the most relatable for me but her ending gave me all the warm and fuzzy feelings. Loved it. 

Thank you NetGalley, Macmillan Audio and Therese Anne Fowler for the opportunity to listen to an advanced copy. All opinions are my own. 'It All Comes Down to This' is out now!

From my blog: Always With a Book

I fell in love with Theresa Anne Fowler’s writing with her last two books, A Well-Behaved Woman and A Good Neighborhood. When I saw she had a new book coming out, I jumped at the opportunity to read it…and was luckily enough to not only get a print copy but also an audio version, too.

I love family dramas…I think coming from a large family, I just appreciate reading about messy, complicated families and so when I saw that that was what this was, I was excited. But…this doesn’t really go anywhere. It’s really just a character study of three sisters who have very complicated relationships with each other, and truth be told I had a really hard time connecting to any of the characters, and therefore wasn’t fully invested in what was going on with them. This made it a little more challenging to really focus on the book. It’s not a bad book – it’s full of all the things I usually love – family secrets and lies – but I just felt like it dragged at times.

I didn’t not like the book, I just didn’t love it as much as I expected to, but I will still be eager to see what this author writes next and I still plan on reading from her backlist – I know she wrote a book about Zelda that I’ve been meaning to read for quite some time.


Audio thoughts: Barrie Kreinik narrated this book and to be honest, I think she kept me from putting this one down. I love the way she narrates and she did a great job bringing this story to life. Her pacing was good and even though this book was a bit on the longer side, her voice made it all the more enjoyable!

It All Comes Down to This by Therese Anne Fowler is a solid story about family and the different dynamics throughout. Beck, Claire, and Sophie Geller are strong-minded women and sisters who are faced with an upcoming tragedy. Their mother, Marti, will soon die from cancer. This will make the girls orphans since their father has already passed on years before. Marti wants her passing to be pain free for her daughters alloting everything in thirds and asks that the family’s summer cottage on Mount Desert Island, Maine, must be sold, the proceeds split equally between the three girls.

The selling of this home brings out mixed feelings and emotions between the girls because of secrets they are hiding.

We also meet C.J. Reynolds, an ex-con with secrets of his own that bring more trouble to the sister's situation.

How are these two stories connected and what will become of the Geller sisters?

Overall, this was a solid read. There were times when the plot slows down a lot which can be difficult to get through. I enjoyed the story as a whole, but struggled through some parts of the book. I did have to go to the audiobook in order to finish the story and I am glad that I had that option because Barrie Kreinik did a fantastic job with the audio.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Geller sisters have been called together because of their mother’s death. Marti left a will and a video with a revelation for her girls. Can these girls overcome what life has to throw at them? These three sisters are so different. First is Beck. Beck is a journalist, want to be novelist. Her marriage is on the rocks but she is unsure how to fix it. Next we have Claire. She is a pediatric cardiologist and she has an unrequited love interest. Finally we have Sophie. Sophie is the “fly by the seat of her pants girl”.

Nothing like family to make you want to pull your hair out! I love these three sisters and their relationship. They are not afraid to tell each other what they think. But, when the time comes…they have each other’s backs and they learn to forgive and accept.

This story really had me all over the place. I really loved each and every character, even if I wanted to jerk one or two baldheaded because of a bad decision. And believe me…quite a few bad decisions were made by each! Add in the setting of Maine, and I was hooked! I really can see this being a binge series on Hulu or Netflix.

The narrator, Barrie Kreinik, is wonderful, especially on all the different voices.

Need a good, true to life family novel…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

Excellent narration!
Bernie Kreinik has a lovely voice and the perfect inflection to bring the story about a New York City mother & daughters to life.
This is the fourth wonderful book I have read by Therese Ann Fowler. I love her way of writing, she gives her female protagonists such a unique voice, which makes you empathize with them and want to cheer when good things happen and cry when they are down.

The story basically revolves around the relationship of a mother with her three different daughters. I wish we could have actually " lived" through Marti Geller's life story as she grew up - she was my favorite character.

I thought it got a little too coincidental, the way Beck and CJ Reynolds kept meeting throughout the entire book, (Beck's backstory & the prologue, come on!) but I loved it anyway.
I didn't like the chapters about CJ Reynolds and I think the narrative could have flowed just as well without his whole story, but I get why the author added him in there - it created a catalyst for Beck's self revelation and new independent life.

It was fun to read about Sophie's exploits into the jet set life of the art & fashion world.
Claire's emotional turmoil was heartbreaking, but I was so happy for her at the end. Actually, I was happy for all of them, Marti included.

Once again, Therese Ann Fowler has written an engaging story, with characters who make you think about them after the book has ended.

Three grown sisters who lead very different lives face the hardship of losing their mother, Marti, to illness. At the reading of the will, they find out that Marti wants them to sell their cottage/camp in Maine but one of the sisters doesn’t want to. They all have their reasons for selling/keeping the house and in their time together figuring out how to proceed, secrets are revealed and lives are changed. I’m a huge fan of Therese Anne Fowler and I really enjoyed this family saga. Each character is so well developed and I could relate to everyone.

I really loved Therese Ann Fowlers last book so I was super excited for this one. Unfortunately I found this one to just be ok. I enjoyed the sisters and their relationship and how it grows after their moms death, but I just wasnt as pulled in as I hoped to be.

I did really like the narration.

It All Comes Down To This by Therese Anne Fowler is an interesting sisters story, but I can't recommend it. TW: parental death, infidelity.

The primary setting is Mount Desert Island in Maine (a new-to-me location) at the Geller family summer cottage. I appreciated the strong-willed characters of Marti Geller and her adult daughters Beck, Claire, and Sophie. Each had an interesting life, and it was refreshing to read about women who independently made major decisions for about their futures.

However, the "romance" was completely superfluous and distracting. It could have been completely eliminated and this would have been a better novel. And the ending wrapped up so abruptly I was sure I accidentally skipped several chapters of the audiobook while multitasking. It was like the author suddenly realized she only had X number of pages to complete the story and made a huge leap to the end. Very strange and unsatisfying.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the review copy of the audiobook narrated by Barrie Kreinik.

Overall I enjoyed this book. There were parts that seemed to drag on though. The characters were well developed and likeable.

After their mother dies, Beck, Claire and Sophie Geller learn that they inherited their parents’ Maine summer cottage but that they have to sell it and split the money between the three of them. Each of them has their own issues, secrets and insecurities and for some years they’ve been relatively estranged from each other.

Their mother’s death forces them to come together and decide what to do with their cottage but as they process their grief, they discover some secrets that their mother always kept from them.

As they help each other through this journey, they begin to understand some things about their mom and about each other that ultimately help them find themselves.

Overall I enjoyed this character-driven family drama about finding joy in life and following your dreams.

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Barrie Kreinik and she did a wonderful job. Thank you @macmillan.audio and @netgalley for the advanced audio copy.

This is such a big-hearted story of multiple feelings and multiple focuses. It is very character-driven and focused on the lives of three sisters after losing their mother. It follows them each through their grief and current stages of life while keeping family at the center of it, even if they aren't the closest sisters. For a while, I lost interest because I couldn't see where the story was going to go, but Fowler rounded this out really well. There is a lot of bigger picture topics in this story and while I am not yet to the age these women are, I imagine this book would be very appreciated to those that are. I really enjoyed this one and look forward to reading more of Fowler's work.

The sisters are all unique very different and in different stages of their life, one is divorced, one is married with older children, and one is a jetsetter not ready to settle down. Their busy and separate lives are brought together when their mother loses her battle with cancer. Now, they have each other to walk through their grief journey, but that doesn't mean their lives stop carrying on. Each of them seems to be at pretty big turning points of their lives, but it isn't easy. Coming together, even under these grim circumstances, may just be what they need to help them step into this next chapter of life and continue figuring who they are. A beautiful story of sisterhood and life in the middle years.

I felt the nararrator did a great job of keeping me engaged and kept the story going at a good pace!

I will start by saying I have very mixed feeling about this messy complicated family novel. Marti the matriarch of the Geller family dies somewhat unexpectedly, bringing together her three daughters to deal with the aftermath.

Beck is a journalist working on her first novel. She is married to Paul who Beck believes is really gay. Claire, is a pediatric heart surgeon, who is recently divorced and has been in love with Paul since she was a kid. Last but not least Sophie who is a 30 something social influencer who is completely broke.

Marti, made very clear how she wanted everything to be dealt with in her will bringing upsome issues with the sisters, especially of what to do with Marti’s house in Maine. Beck wants to keep it and buy her sisters out of it, but can’t afford it. Sophie you can imagine eagerly wants the money.

Through this story we me CJ, who has a shady past, but is ready to settle down in this particular area and really wants this house, but not all the Geller’s think he should get this house.

I do love a complicated family story but somehow this one did not sit well with me. When it comes down to it, I am not sure I liked any of the Geller sisters. They appeared so selfish at times, but something made me keep going. The author does a good job of recognizing the messiness of this family and that actually helped it sit better for me. This is a juicy and at time salacious book and would be perfect for the beach.

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio for an Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I LOVED THIS. The ending was SO PERFECT. I’m such a sucker for narrators addressing the reader, and this was no exception. I enjoyed this read from start to finish.

Thanks for letting me review this book net galley. I liked the narrator. The mom was my favorite character. I didn't feel that the three main characters were relatable. The cover of the book is pretty.

4.5 stars.
I love a story of family, and this one about the Geller sisters is a winner. It begins with their mother Marti, and a secret she has held for all their lives. It was never intended to be a bad thing, just something Marti didn't want to share with her late husband Leo, or anyone else. Marti loses her battle with cancer, and the girls are left to grieve and settle her estate,whch includes the small the small house their parents had on Mount Dessert Island, Maine. The name alone is picturesque and full of stories. Beck, Claire and Sophie are split on what they should do, even though Marti left instructions to sell the house. Beck would love to keep it and use it as her writing retreat.
Naturally the secrets don't end with Marti's. She reveals her past in her final papers and will, and we learn the sisters each have their own secrets, don't we all.
I enjoyed this story so much. While I feel it was more about Beck, each sister had her own journey to face, and in the end they are able to open up more to each other. The story seemed real to me and I didn't want to leave their lives.
Therese Fowler has written Historical Fiction, more literary fiction and then this, a much lighter book full of drama and a few laughs and hope. Therese has proven herself a multifaceted and talented author. Her books are a must read for me, and I hope you'll consider picking up this book.
I was sent a digital copy and audio advance copy from the publisher an also won an ARC from Goodreads. The audiobook was narrated by Barrie Kreinik, whose voice I recognized but had not known by name. She is a very good vocal artist.

Family drama + great audiobook narrator + beach house drama = An excellent summer read! #partner @macmillan.audio @thereseannefowler

The Geller sisters are reeling over the loss of their mother and the secrets she revealed at her will reading. They have to work together to sell their holiday home but their lives are unraveling in the process.

One sister is broke. One sister is going through a divorce. One sister is convinced her husband is gay. By the end of the month (and the story) each of their lives will look entirely different.

Will their mother’s death be the catalyst for changing their lives for the better or the wave that drags them under? If you are a lover of family dramas, this one is for you.

Irresistible!

The talented Therese Anne Fowler returns with an intimate perspective of messy modern families— A delicious summer beach escape of life lessons!

IT ALL COMES DOWN TO THIS is a fitting title exploring the power of family, struggles, mistakes, betrayals, failures, triumphs, and how they shape you. Learning to be true to yourself and not always taking the safe route.

Fowler is at her shining finest with this drama of secrets, family, career, and home. Having read all her books, a longtime fan of the author, she possesses knockout storytelling power.

With a modern contemporary Jane Austen vibe infused with art and literary elements, IT ALL COMES DOWN TO THIS is a splendid novel —engaging, moving, and witty. Rich in character, a perfect book club choice for further discussions.

SETTING: Idyllic lakehouse Mount Desert Island, Maine.

CHARACTERS: I LOVED the mother, Matriarch Marti Geller, as well as C.J., Arlo, and his grandmother.

I resonated with Marti on many levels! Being in the last chapter of your life, single, and facing her terminal cancer, she wants to control things her way and die with dignity. Don't we all? She refused to do the deathbed confession thing. Her girls would find out later. She did not want to die surrounded by the girls and their families. I get it; same here.

Her husband Leo passed away years ago, and they have an apartment in New York with a beloved lake house in Maine. Marti has many secrets from her past.

Rather than confess on her death bed, she is hoping the three daughters and grandchildren will stay away and let her die in peace with Delia, her hospice nurse by her side who knows the drill, and then make a video to confess her past and let her will speak for her.

Being a daughter hadn't gone well for Marti, but being a mother had been much better than she expected. Meet the three daughters: Beck, Claire, and Sophie.

BECK, the oldest is a freelance writer, is stuck in a sexless marriage married to an editor for a large publishing house. She dreams of writing a novel one day. CLAIRE, a cardiologist, is recently divorced and pining for a man, but not just any man. SOPHIE, an art curator, is Instagram famous but drowning in debt but none of the sisters or mom know the real person, only what they pretend to be.

Marti worries most about Beck. She knows her life is not what she wanted for her daughter, and she needs a push. This is what wills were for. "To pull the strings you weren't able to, or willing to, in life."

After Marti's death and the big reveal, the terms are the lake house must be sold and split three ways. Everyone is on board with this plan except for Beck. Beck dreamed of moving in and writing a novel, and starting a new life. But how will she afford to buy her sisters out? She comes up with a plan, but that plan fails.

To make things more intriguing, meet the fabulous (LOVE) C.J. REYNOLDS. From South Carolina, originally from a well-to-do southern family with money and lots of control. He was sent to prison for a crime he did not commit due to his controlling father trying to teach him a lesson.

He is now out of prison and has money left from his grandmother and wants nothing more than to buy a secluded lake home in Mount Desert Island, Maine, to paint since he is an artist.

While searching for a home and working with his local realtor, his former roommate and friend, Joseph from college is traveling in Greece and allows him to stay as a guest at his lake home - the prestigious Callaghan's four-story Victorian while in the area.

However, when he arrives, he finds there are other house guests—Ms. Dierdre Callaghan (Joseph's aunt) and her eight-year-old grandson, Arlo. Not what he planned; however, soon they become friends, and he decides to extend his stay by helping her out.

In the meantime, Arlo looks up to C.J. as a father figure, who lost his parents in a plane crash, and Ms. Callaghan is worried about his future since she is getting up in age and bad health. Arlo and CJ develop a strong bond—love these two together with the grandmother. CJ also has a grown daughter who lives in Portland.

There is an intriguing back story that connects the two storylines from Marti's past and also CJ/Beck (think The Great Gatsby- the haves and the have-nots—class/privilege have consequences).

Things get explosive with sparks and tensions flying between CJ and Beck, and she realizes he wants to buy their lake house. Can she stop him?

The mother's decision to sell the home might be the best thing that can happen to all the girls to get them to come face to face with their current lives and finally give up the facade and find their true path and fate.

I LOVED loved this one! Get this on your summer TBR list.

A novel about breaking rules, secrets, duty, responsibility, and the lengths we will go to protect our children and ourselves. A page-turner about lost opportunities, decades-old secrets, and second chances. The characters' hopes and struggles are totally relatable. Well crafted, the novel is also about womanhood, sisters, motherhood, and female aging. Her fans will be delighted.

I hit the literary JACKPOT! A special thank you to #NetGalley and #StMartinsPress #SMPInfluencers for a digital ARC, #MacmillanAudio for an Audio ARC narrated by the talented Barrie Kreinik, and #Goodreads for a beautiful print paperback copy. The audiobook was award-winning and I highly recommend it. I LOVE THIS COVER, huge fan of the author, and this book!

FOR FANS OF: Elizabeth Strout, Ann Patchett, Dorothea Benton Frank, and Jennifer Weiner's That Summer.

Blog Review @ www.JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5/5 Stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Pub Date: June 7, 2022

🔊Song Pairing: 3 Sisters - Rural Alberta Advantage

💭What I thought would happen:

Honestly, I was underwhelmed. The ratings are far from stellar but I was gifted the book and wanted to like it (I very much did)

📖What actually happens:

Martie know she doesn’t have much time left, cancer has gotten the better of her and she has a secret she wants her daughters to know before she leaves this world. Martie isn’t about death bed confessions so leaves it in a recording for after her passing.

Martie’s daughters Becks, Claire and Sophie are all battling their own demons. Becks is certain her husband is gay and is ready to finally leave him, Claire is in love with Beck’s husband and Sophie is so in debt but has to live that posh Manhattan lifestyle with all of her celebrities besties.

🗯Thoughts:

I very much enjoyed this book. It is HEAVILY character driven. If you don’t like that, seriously do not pick this one up. I loved the characters and their drama. I wanted to know how all would be resolved.

I’d say the book leaned more towards Beck’s story and honestly she was quite dull…such a wet blanket. I wanted more of Sophie, Claire and Paul. The addition of Coleman’s perspective didn’t really feel necessary and kind of felt like a second draft edition.

I felt like some of the story was never resolved in the end. I didn’t quite understand what Martie’s secret was and trust me I was listening, waiting. I don’t know how I missed
It or if the audiobook has skipped something. So I did leave a little confused.

Overall, a surprisingly good read!