The Darlings is the perfect beach read! You won’t be able to put it down, as you dig into the story and family drama of the Darlings. I loved digging into their family secrets and would love to see a sequel with the Darlings!

Ohhhh The Darlings, how do I feel about you?? I wanted to love this book so much. It has an excellent setting, a giant family secret, and lots of wealth. There's a great premise and I love reading about families.
The setting was 💯- Cape Cod in the summer is top notch! There's a lot of vignettes to past scenes that are really interesting and helpful in building character development. They peel back layers of each woman so we see how they got to their current state and it’s really effective in building empathy for each of the women featured in the novel.
I'm not sure what it is that's missing, but there's something that didn't get me to loving this book. I think if you love family dramas, big family secrets, and enjoy a New England summer-- give this book a try!

I received a complimentary copy of this book "The Darlings" and all opinions expressed are my own. This is a nice summer beach read. Good story, makes you feel that you are at Cape Cod. Overall I liked it.

Review will be posted on 5/26/23
Tish Darling is in her 90s now and hasn't returned to her family's beach house, aptly named Riptide, since a tragic accident many years ago. She wants to keep it in the family, so she plans to gift it to her granddaughter at her wedding there this summer. She arrives three weeks early, which sends the family into a tizzy, as Cora, her husband's wife, has never really gotten along with Tish. They are all gathered at Riptide for Sydney's wedding, including her older sister, Andi, and this proves to be a challenging few weeks as she is going through her divorce. Cora is trying to keep things going smoothly for her daughter's wedding, but she can't seem to control everything, including Tish's secret that she plans to unload before the wedding, which will prove that Cora is hiding some secrets of her own. The Darlings is a juicy family drama set in a gorgeous beach house; The Darlings by Hannah McKinnon is the perfect companion to a lazy day at the beach.


The Darlings focuses on Tish, Cora, and Andi the most and I have to say that I found myself rooting the most for Tish and Andi. Cora's story, while I was sympathetic towards her plight, I found myself getting frustrated with her choices. On the other hand, I appreciated Tish's journey as it tugged on my heartstrings, and McKinnon's use of flashbacks really filled in the gaps regarding what happened at Riptide and how did Tish end up in the place she is at. The huge secret that she held all these years was bursting at the seams and while I am not sure her timing was right, it made for an entertaining story. Lastly, I adore McKinnon's style. There's something about how she describes a beach house and a family coming together that appeals to me; I was smitten! Family drama lovers shouldn't miss The Darlings this summer.

What a wonderful family drama Hannah McKinnon has written. All the characters are well rounded - real with flaws and a lot of heart. It was a pleasure to watch each of them develop.

I didn't care for Tish, but I don't think I was suppose to. It was understandable why she was the way she was, but I wanted her to be different. I was wishing her past would have made her kinder and more sympathetic, but it didn't. But that was part of the story - it didn't make me like the story less, just didn't like Tish!

The setting is at the beach - which is always one of my favorite places to be, so I enjoy reading about stories set there. The family cabin was described so I felt like I was there with the family.

The Darling family comes together each summer at their house on the cape. This year, when the family gathers for their summer vacation and Sydney’s wedding, family secrets are revealed. This book explores the importance of history and family bonds while telling its sweet story.

Family is complicated, and this book expertly portrays the ins and outs of family dynamics. A fantastic summer read for anyone looking to mentally escape to the cape through a feel good story!

Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for a fair review.

A story woven through three generations, The Darlings is the perfect beach read this summer as it transports you to a family’s summer on Cape Cod. Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley.

Nice summer beach read. Although some scenes were unnecessarily long overall charming book spanning 3 generations.

A good beach read with enough drama to stay propulsive. Set at Cape Cod in the summer, with a wedding coming up, 3 generations of the Darling family come together at their summer Cape house. A long held secret is revealed that has the potential to rip the family apart. It made me want to visit a beach just to read this book.

Does this book have a groundbreaking new plot? No. But it moves at a nice place & a beautiful setting. I wouldn’t mind finding out what happens to the next Darling generation.

This is a nice summer beach read set in Cape Cod. The Darling family is gathering for Sydney’s wedding. Andi, her older sister is just divorced and not excited about attend the wedding. With her ex husband on the beach with his new girlfriend it’s not a happy time. Tish, the family matriarch is 92 and happy to gather the family together at the little used beach cottage. She wants to discuss the future of the property. With secrets from previous summer visits about to be exposed it could be the end of the Darling family gatherings.

The Darlings by Hannah McKinnon involves women who show resilience and love as they work toward what's best for their families and themselves.

Hannah McKinnon is an author I’ve been reading for a few years now. While I enjoyed this book, it was not my favorite. But that’s not to take any thing away from it!

, This is a realistic and believable tale of what one family goes through to stay together. The backdrop is lovely Cape Cod . Lots of detail of a classic beach house that has been added on over the years, flashbacks show the matriarch of the family and the decision she’s made that rocks the family just a few short weeks before a family wedding. Recommended for all public libraries.

A heartwarming, intergenerational summer domestic drama that makes a perfect beach read with family secrets, romance and second chances. good on audio and perfect for fans of Elin Hilderbrand and Jennifer Weiner. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the early digital copy in exchange for my honest review! This was my first book by this author and I would definitely try another!

This book shocked me from the very beginning! I love a multi generational story and this one was just perfect! I loved the characters and the setting and everything about it!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book.
A summer beach read but this family drama is more than that. Deeply drawn interesting characters who are easy to become invested with.

I love Hanna McKinnon's novels. Her books always signal the start of summer for me. The settings put me in the mood to be by the water. The Darlings is a family saga told from three different points of view: Tish, the matriarch of the family; Cora, Tish's daughter in law; and Andi, Cora's daughter. There's family drama, a wonderful setting, and lots of love, both romantic and familial. My only complaint is that I don't think the conflict was fully fleshed out. Several moments of the conflict happen behind closed doors, so I don't think the resolution is as satisfying. The ending took my breath away, though!

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

The Darlings by Hannah McKinnon is the perfect summer read! A family gathers in their usual summer escape on Cape Cod but this year it is extra special because the youngest Darling daughter Sydney is getting married. Just when the weeks of wedding preparation are beginning Tish Darling (the grandmother) comes to town weeks early and reveals something so shocking that everyone ends up hurt and confused. Can this family pull it together and get back to the close knit family they have always been? Really loved these characters! Take it on your summer vacation with you. You will not be disappointed!

Official rating: 4 stars
Page turner rating: 4 stars

I knew nothing about this book going into it except for its super cute cover, but it completely delivered! Its a family drama that takes place in Cape Cod when the whole family coming to their family summer home for the youngest daughters wedding. It was filled with drama without being too ridiculous, there were multiple perspectives, and the characters were all enticing in their own story lines. If this is your type of book, I would definitely recommend this one for the summer!

Read if you:
- Like Elin Hilderbrand books
- Are looking for a good book for vacation
- Wish your family had a summer house on the beach

“We are all human. Messy, complicated humans.”
The Darlings is a family drama set in a family-owned summer house on Cape Cod, told through alternating perspectives of three mothers of different generations of the Darling family: Tish is in her 90s, Cora is in her 60s, and Andi is in her 40s having just gone through a divorce. In the weeks leading up to Andi’s younger sister Sydney’s wedding, a family secret is revealed that complicates everything. The book follows the family (Tish’s son Charley, Andi’s twin Hugh and his partner Martin, Andi’s daughter Molly) as they grapple with the effects. The summer house, Riptide, is a character in the story, too.
This would be a terrific summer beach read - especially if you’re on the Cape! Thanks to Atria Books Emily Bestler Books for an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion. It’s available now - just as the Massachusetts weather is FINALLY getting warm enough to enjoy reading outside again!

This story takes place in Cape Cod, Ma. where a wedding is being planned at a beloved beach house for the youngest Darling, Sydney. It is told in three Points of View, (three generations of The Darling family) so you get to know each character individually and their response and emotions to their family secret that was revealed.

Tish Darling is the family matriarch at age 92, and protector of the family fortune. Cora is Tish's daughter-in-law, has a family secret and Andi is Cora's daughter and is coming out of a recent divorce.

Some of the topics discussed in the book are adoption, divorce, single motherhood, marriage and widowhood.

I really enjoyed this family drama and this family was definitely dysfunctional The narrations jump between these three characters, but I never felt lost while I was reading the novel, which is so important because you never lose interest in the story.

This is a great beach read. I felt transported to the Cape Cod Coast with the descriptions of the beach and nearby towns are very good.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Atria books in exchange for an honest review.