The Darling family gathers for youngest daughter Sydney's wedding, but receive the shock of their lives when reticent matriarch Tish Darling shows up and gifts Sydney the deed to Riptide, the family's beloved Cape Cod family home. She also reveals a horrible secret that will devastate the entire family, including her son, Charley; daughter-in-law Cora; and their elder twins, Andi and Hugh.

I love Hannah McKinnon's books so much; they are such an enjoyable escape. THE DARLINGS is a great family saga about past secrets and what happiness really means. McKinnon always excels at delving into her characters, showing us various POVs and their motivations. So many Darlings are doing what they feel is right--even if they may appear awful at times. I loved how we learned about Tish's past and how all her choices cascaded from so many early events. The relationships here are tangled and intertwined, but nuanced.

It seems like the trope of an elderly woman returning to her beach home to remember her past life or loves is done often (alas, didn't seem to happen with my family!). There is only so much that can be done with such a story, but I still found this tale quite engaging. Does it tread a lot of new ground? Perhaps not, but it's moving and interesting, with a lovely beach setting. It did end a little abruptly though--I would not mind seeing the Darlings again sometime.

A breezy beach read! Hannah McKinnon’s The Darlings transports the reader to the Cape Cod coast, where the Darling family has gathered ahead of a wedding. When grandmother Tish spills long held family secrets, much family drama ensues. McKinnon captured well the beach house and the Cape Cod setting, and the pages of this relatively short tale flip easily. I will say the general theme is a bit well worn and predictable. I found myself feeling as though I’d read this story before. Also, I thought the ending would have been more plausible and powerful had the last few chapters been fleshed out a bit more. Nonetheless, this book should appeal to those seeking a quick, light yet enjoyable tale to breeze through on a summer afternoon.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria/Emily Bestler Books for a complimentary ARC. Opinions are my own.

I loved that this book takes place in the Cape and how vividly it is described the town so you feel as if you are on the beach, eating a lobster roll and enjoying the sunset by the ocean. It was a perfect beach read and quick escape from reality I needed.

Tish, is the meanest and cruelest person on the planet and just reading about what she did made my heart break. She single handedly drags the family apart by revealing a secret and causes the family to divide. She played favorites and chose Sydney above the twins. You feel for her as she lost her husband and is all alone but doesn't see the irony that she treats Cora poorly just like Charlie's parents treated her. Both Cora and Tish struggle to be good mothers and put their families first and you feel how estranged their relationship is. Poor Charlie having to be in the middle of these two strong women fighting for the spotlight.

This was one family drama that you feel like you had a front row seat to watch it all unfold. I enjoyed all the family relationships and seeing things from different points of view and how they worked through the secrets revealed and get to a new normal.

Thank you Netgalley and Atria books for this e-book.

Set on Cape Cod, The Darlings is an excellent story from Hannah McKinnon about family, secrets, and the love that binds them all together.

*I received an advanced reader copy of this book from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I absolutely loved this drama. This is a perfect summer beach read. Similar to an Elin Hilderbrand novel, with a family drama taking place on Cape Cod. The grandmother makes a surprise visit and unveils a family secret that has been hidden for more than 40 years. The characters were all strongly developed and I enjoyed reading about them and their feelings towards the big secret and what that meant for the family. I was sad when it ended and hope there may be a sequel in the future.

A light, fun beach read. The story is told through multiple point of view from interesting characters. Perfect read for family drama and escapism. Recommended for lovers of Women's Fiction. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

The Darlings
By Hannah McKinnon
Pub Date May 2
Atria
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
A good beach read! The cover and blurb led me to this book.
What starts as a family reunion at Riptide will change the family dynamics forever.
I recommend this for readers of women’s fiction.
4 stars

I was so excited when I saw Hannah McKinnon latest novel and of course I jumped at the opportunity to read it! First off, how pretty is this cover!?! Well, I am thrilled to report that the novel is just as fantastic as the cover! In true Hannah McKinnon, I was immediately hooked! Centering around the Darling family at their family vacation home in Cape Cod, I felt like a fly in the wall as they navigate their family dilemmas. The character development was on-point and Hannah McKinnon does a wonderful conveying the delicate intricacies of family dynamics! I really wanted to save this novel for my yearly beach week, but I caved and read it as soon as it hit my kindle lol! In saying that, The Darlings would make a fantastic beach read! As per usual, I am looking forward to Hannah McKinnon next book!

3.5 stars

The Darlings is a poignant exploration of legacy, the secrets we keep, and the definition of what makes a family. Told through three POVs, it touches on adoption, divorce, single motherhood, widowhood, marriage, and classism. I really struggled to understand Tish, she’s basically a walking contradiction. Both she and Charley try to explain the background that informs her decisions several times throughout the novel but it just didn’t add up for me. I also felt there was no overarching event that led her to ease up on some of her beliefs at the end. While I enjoyed the ending, it came off to me as a rather abrupt about face. Overall, The Darlings is a perfect beach read - quick, enjoyable, with a few tugs on your heartstrings.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books/Emily Bester Books for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Three generations of the Darling family are gathering together for the youngest daughter's wedding. What starts as a fun get together at the family home, Riptide, turns into a painful series of secrets being revealed and relationships becoming strained.

The story is told through the eyes of Tish, Cora, and Andy, three generations of Darling women. As they navigate the pain and hurt, they each start to find new answers amidst the new questions swirling around.

To be frank, I read the blurb of this book wrong and thought that I would be reading a family mystery. While it wasn't what I expected, this book was still entertaining, at times emotionally painful, and fulfilling.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced digital review copy.

I enjoyed this book although I still don’t quite understand Tish and how her reasoning seemed to sway Charley and the rest of the family.

There were a few bits where names were switched for a paragraph here and there Charley/Morty and Robert/Richard.

This was a really unique read. Its not my typical genre but I really enjoyed it. It felt like reading a tv show. There were so many characters and secrets and atmospheric. I also live in MA so I could picture the Cape Cod scenery.

Thank you to NetGalley, Hannah McKinnon & Atria Books for an arc of The Darlings in exchange for an honest review. This review is wholly my own & may not be reproduced.

The synopsis of this one was hard for me to try to put into my own words, so I am fully quoting the synopsis from the publisher here & review will be below:

“At age ninety-two, Tish Darling is the matriarch and protector of what’s left of the Darling family fortune, including the decades-old beach house, Riptide. Located on the crook of Cape Cod, it’s a place she once loved but has not returned to in decades, since a tragic family accident one perfect summer day. Still, she is determined to keep Riptide in the family. Even if that means going back there on the cusp of her granddaughter’s wedding. Even if it means revealing someone else’s truth.

Her daughter-in-law Cora has her own complicated feelings surrounding Tish’s return as well as doubts about her place within the Darling family. After all, Cora came into the family carrying a secret that her husband promised to keep for her forever. Tish’s sudden return to Riptide may force everything they’ve worked so hard to protect out into the light.

Meanwhile, Cora’s eldest daughter, Andi isn’t exactly looking forward to her little sister’s wedding so soon after her own divorce. To make matters worse, her ex has arrived on the Cape with his insufferable new girlfriend. Andi has no idea how she’ll be able to survive this family reunion…until she bumps into an old friend from the past. A friend who may just offer her a second chance.

As the three distinct generations of Darling women arrive at Riptide, they have no idea that this summer will forever change them. One old secret, kept with the best of intentions, threatens to not only divide the family, but shatter each member’s sense of who they really are. Can the ties that bind survive, when the history you’ve always been told turns out to be untrue?”

This is not normally a genre that I run to, but I loved the title and the cover and the synopsis sounded like I might like it. And I did. I didn’t LOVE it, but I liked it. I will chalk that up to the fact that I am more of a rom-com, smut and thriller/suspense reader. So, I think it is more my taste that anything that I feel the writer underperformed on.

It took me a little longer to get through this one because it wasn’t as fast paced as I’m used to. The characters were well developed and the family drama & past issues was front & center. It was nice to follow along with each Darling and learn about their past and present and watch them all evolve throughout the story. And a nice feel-good ending will leave readers of this genre extremely satisfied.

On just my personal taste, I’d give it a 3.5/5 stars, but because I know that I was out of my normal box of genres and thinking of readers who would normally enjoy this genre, I’m rounding up to a 4/5 because I do think that the book was well written and well done.

This one had me hooked from the beginning. Although i didn’t expect what had happened I felt I needed to read on. Then at the end I let out a big Aww. Definately wasn’t expecting that.
I highly recommend.

This book was great! I couldn't put it down! The premise was fresh and new, which is hard for me to say as I read so much each year! Sometimes it feels as though I keep reading similar stories, but this was a so original!

I received an arc of this title from Netgalley for an honest review. A great story that kept me guessing who would receive Riptide.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria books for an advanced copy of Hannah McKinnon 's The Darlings.
I enjoyed this family drama with well developed, interesting characters.

A good beach read! Set on Cape Cod, a family reunites for an upcoming wedding of the youngest member of the Darlings. When the patriarch grandmother arrives, old secrets are revealed and family divisions begin to crack open. What starts at the reunion at Riptide (the family home) will change the family dynamics forever. I enjoyed this and look forward to reading other books by this author.

The Darlings is a family drama set on the beaches of the Cape at the family’s summer home, Riptide. The Darlings always vacation together in the summer, and this year they will also be celebrating youngest daughter Sydney’s wedding. When the family matriarch, Tish, drops a bomb of shattering news, the family has to regroup and learn about the power of forgiveness.

The story is told in multiple points of view and spans many years at the Cape, from Tish’s earliest days there up to present day. The characters are all well developed and are sympathetic characters; you truly do feel for them and understand their choices once you know their history. So many topics are touched on- parenthood, dating after divorce, marriage against a parent’s wishes.

The book was well paced and well written, and the setting is like another character, making this beach book great to take on a beach vacation.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria/Emily Bestler Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

A dreamy cover and lovely title made me want to read The Darlings by McKinnon. I'm so happy I did. I love Cape Cod and reading all about this family there was fantastic. Parents and kids and siblings makes for a book to remember! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. Four stars!