Member Reviews
The Darlings is an enjoyable must-have for your summer beach bag. It's a family drama with a bombshell secret that will forever change the dynamics of this once close-knit family. Tish Darling shows no remorse when she drops the bomb on her family just weeks from her granddaughters wedding. She's a very unlikable character, set in her ways, and ornery for sure. I hope this is the beginning of a series because it left me wanting more from the Darling family.
Thank you, Netgalley, for this e-ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This would make a great beach read. It takes place on cape cod as a family is getting together for the summer season and the youngest sister's wedding. It’s told in multiple viewpoints so you get a deeper understanding of the characters. It’s light enough that you don’t need to be laser focused on it to avoid missing details but it still has a depth that keeps you interested.
I really enjoyed this women's fiction set on Cape Cod about a secret that emerges in the lead-up to a family i wedding and the impact it leaves. It was the perfect amount of drama between three generations in a beautiful setting.
This would be a perfect Summer beach read!
Thanks to Atria for my ebook copy from Netgalley
This was a good story about family. secrets, and moving forward.
Multiple POVs from the three generations of Darling ladies. They delve into the past in order to heal and move forward in their lives.
This is definitely a good beach/poolside read.
Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read and review.
Interesting summer beach read. Lots of complicated family dynamics. Some of the characters are not very likeable, for me at least. I enjoyed the different characters points of view, but felt that some of their emotions just dragged the story down, pretty tiresome. All and all an interesting book.
3.5 Stars rounded up! This book gave me BIG Elin Hildebrand vibes (and it turns out she liked the book). It’s written from a three person perspective - Andi, Tish, and Cora. The only thread I found for the reason to tell the story from their perspectives was motherhood. I really would’ve liked to have had Hugh’s point of view rather than Andi’s. I felt like we got a solid background on both Tish and Cora regarding their mothering and choices but I didn’t feel that with Andi. We know she’s a mother - sure. But it felt as if the author was trying to thread them together as difficult decisions made as mothers only to miss the mark.
Nonetheless, the book was gripping and entertaining. I kept waiting for flip flops to drop and the book didn’t disappoint.
I really, really loved Tish’s character. In all her complexity and snarky glory. There were things that reminded me of my grandmother - her literal name - Patricia Jean is the same as my gram’s, very stiff upper lip, seldom with a compliment, and general lack of displayed emotion. But where Tish’s grandchildren didn’t all feel loved and valued and cherished or equal, I always, always did with my Gram.
I read this while at the beach and I do think that endeared me a bit more to the novel. Definitely not a waste of time but a book I wouldn’t necessarily recommend to a friend.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest feedback and review.
There was so much family drama in this novel and I both love and hate it at the same time. Overall, it was well written and worth the read!
Very well written book! I had no problem keeping track of the characters. Each character had their own unique storyline. However the focus was on the grandmother Tish and mother Cora. I feel like the other characters story lines wrapped up maybe too quickly. My only criticism is the synopsis or book description exaggerates the plot. The book is not as scandalous as it sounds but more deals with family dynamics and strained relationships.
I read this book while sitting on the beach and I am so glad that I did. It was a perfect weekend beach read. It explored complicated topics while also being compulsively readable. I found myself thinking about and wanting to read this book when I was away from it, which is a huge thing for me. I suggest it to anyone looking for a good summer read with a little more depth.
The Darling Family is back on Cape Cod to celebrate their annual summer vacation and the upcoming nuptials of the youngest daughter, Sydney. However, a wrench is thrown into the vacation when grandmother, Tish, drops a bomb and sweeps the rug out from under the tight-knit clan. Told in three voices, by Tish, Cora, her daughter-in-law and Andi, one part of Cora's set of twins, this complicated family drama will make you stay up late to finish it. An easy light-hearted read that really packs a punch in the emotions department. And a very nice, neat ending.
*Special thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for this e-arc.*
This book does a lot of foreshadowing. It’s a little too heavy for me. I stopped reading about 30%.
DNF
****** I received an ARC from NetGalley for my honest opinion. *******
The Darlings met up at their summer home, in Cape Cod, to help prepare for the youngest daughters, Sydney's wedding, when Charley's Mother Tish comes for the 1st night dinner to give the bride to be her wedding gift and a shocking secret to everyone. Charley's wife, Cora and his mother Tish, have never gotten along. The twins, Andi who was recently divorced and her daughter, Hugo and his husband Martin were sitting there with utter shock. Cora tries to maintain the family vacation even though no one is speaking to Charley and Cora. This was a very good/enjoyable read. Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read it.
An interesting story with an unexpected yet believable twist, a relatable cast of characters and a great location make this book an excellent summer read
Charley and Cora Darling are at their Cape Cod beach house, getting ready for a family wedding. Sydney is marrying very shortly, so everyone is up to their neck in wedding preparations. Charley's mother, Tish, has never spent any time at the beach house since her husband died many years previously. Then she shows up in the village and chaos erupts as she discloses some long held family secrets.
A family story, and as with most families, there are highs and lows. The descriptions of the beach and the nearby town are great.
The Darling Family, Charley and Cora and their grown children, twins Andi and Hugo along with the youngest sister Sydney, are spending time at their Cape Cod home. Sydney is getting married in two weeks and things are quite busy. Andi, newly divorced, arrives with her teen daughter and Hugo and his husband Martin are there as well. Charley’s mother, Tish, has not spent time in the house since her husband died. She arrives and upends the family when she reveals a long-held secret that will affect all of them.
This is a novel of family, what it is, what it means, how to keep it. There are secrets, resentments, regrets and misunderstandings, but at the end, family is everything. Laugh out loud funny at times, heartbreaking at others, it is a realistic and believable tale of what one family goes through to stay together. Set on beautiful Cape cod with descriptions of the beach, town and ocean, it is a read that pulls you in and keeps you till the end.
What a gentle tale of family, traditions that can stifle and bring joy, and a secret that once aired can heal rifts. And all set on the beautiful Cape.
Reading books like this make me wish for a family beach house that is so beautiful that it pulls family back year on year. To have the opportunity to provide memories and stability. That’s the draw of books like this for me. This one did not disappoint. Three generations of women, all with their own assumptions and opinions and all shuttered up and not allowing other ideas in.
Read this by the beach and let the waves bring the summer season alive.
Thanks Netgalley and Atria for this ARC. I so enjoyed the read.
I enjoyed this story of a family whom gather at the family's summer home to celebrate a wedding, but secrets come out that will possibly tear the family apart.Told by multiple characters, past and present ,
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to review this eBook. These are my opinions of the book and mine alone.
Great book, loved the story and all the characters. It really opens your eyes to how short time is and to live life to the fullest. An inspiring story through the Darling family.
The characters were all lovable, but Tish was a tough one to understand- the ending really brought her story full-circle though. My favorite character was Andi who was a twin and starting life over. Nate seemed dreamy in the novel and quite the catch too. The other characters added to the novel, but I didn’t relate to them like I did Andi and Nate. The family secret shocked me, and I loved how it played out.
Mostly, I loved the history behind Riptide and how the author weaved it into the story. It was a moving novel that I highly recommend to anyone who loved a little family drama, some laugh out loud moments and romance.
As for the ending, it was definitely a vision to read and picture.
This was a cute beach read but was ultimately just okay for me. I enjoyed the multiple POVs and the story of family/legacy and secrets we keep from the ones we love. The author did a good job of transporting the reader to Cape Cod. While it was enjoyable it just didnt grab me in the way that Elin Hilderbrand does. I wasn't as entertained as I want to be reading something marketed as "breezy and beachy"
Love this authors writing! She takes hard complicated plots and multi dimensional characters and weaves interesting and heartwarming stories. A great summer read - will take you to the cape even if you're thousands of miles away.