A very good contemporary family drama. It's quirky and witty, with excellent storytelling. The characters and connections between them were a great, even through the messiness. I think this will be a hit! I appreciate the chance to read it early... it is a good one!

When the story starts we meet Dorothy she’s trying to write an email to her daughter Cecily. She feels like she is finally settled and ready to tell her daughter the truth about who her father is something she has kept from her daughter all her life. Her and her good friend and business partner Fiona are opening up a retreat they’re calling a gala based on Fiona‘s self-help books and she wants Cecily to come so she can give her the news about her paternity. Cecily who was working in academia but is now under a title IX investigation for sexual assault on a student name Lee. Cecily has been living with her partner Santos for years but that doesn’t stop her from packing her bags and retreating to her uncle Tom’s apartment. It’s what she’s always done whenever there’s trouble in her life and one of the reasons Tom’s long time live-in boyfriend has moved out. Tom is an architect and ever since Cecily‘s birth he’s promised his sister he would be there for her but he’s going above and beyond he says he is going to now live for himself and focus on his career but this was all said right before Cecily showed up bags in tow. There is also Dorothy‘s friend Charlotte and her husband Oliver that are a part of the story but I will start my review here and say this gives a pretty good indication with the book is about everyone has secrets, dysfunction ET see and the big reveal the Dorothy has been nervously waiting to tell her daughter for all these years isn’t even told by her butt by someone else and the father of Cecil he reveals a lot as well. Let me just add when Dorothy decide to settle down it was in Woodstock and she did it for all the reasons that town implies. In the book we learn Dorothy treated Cecily more like a younger friend as opposed to her daughter instead of protecting her from all the things adults have to deal with she discussed at all with her including her up or down for sexual affairs those of her uncles ET see his family is a mess the people they call friends aren’t any I would want in the one good thing they have which is Tom and Cecily‘s individual partners sadly are no longer as the story goes on due to their dysfunction there is a lot more to the story than even that I think I have no F to give when it comes to horrible mothers name because the book started with that it took a lot for me to even finish I love the books I get from Henry Holt and Company but not this one so much. Maybe other people will like it as I know some people do not judge terrible mothers… But I do and so couldn’t find a reason to root for any of these people… Well except for Charlotte just a little bit. I have read two other books by this author and found him to write smart intelligent funny dialogue and so I guess I just didn’t jive with this book. I want to thank Henry Holt and company and Net Galley for my free arc copy please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

"You Only Call When You're in Trouble" by Stephen McCauley is a Blend of Family and Literary Fiction!

In alternating chapters, we hear from the three main characters who are related, co-dependent, and sucking the life out of each other...

Tom is a gay sixty-something architect and father figure to his niece Cecily. He's experiencing a bad break-up with his long-time boyfriend, Alan, and struggling with several challenges at work.

Cecily is a professor in the thick of a Title IX investigation at the university she's currently suspended from. The stress of the accusation is playing havoc with her career path and her relationship with her boyfriend, Santosh.

Dorothy is Cecily's egotistic single mother and Tom's high-maintenance sister. She's using her life savings to open a retreat center in Woodstock, N.Y. with her business partner, and wellness expert, Fiona Snow.

And now, after thirty-four years, Dorothy decides she wants to tell Cecily who her father is...

"You Only Call When You're in Trouble" is my first glimpse at McCauley's writing style and storytelling. I found it to be a read filled with the flawed characters he's well-known for and a story that's humorous, engaging, and entertaining.

The humor is the kind you hear in your head about situations and individuals but wouldn't dare to speak them aloud. It's this continuous narrative of honest thoughts and opinions streaming through the story that kept me glued and continuously giggling. As I listened and giggled, with AirPods in my ears, my hubby looked at me like I was nuts.

This was an immersion reading experience through the gifted Digital Reading Copy and Advanced Listening Copy. The audiobook narrated by André Santana is my preference, but either format will deliver a great experience.

"You Only Call When You're in Trouble" is full of family and relationship drama from beginning to end. It holds serious, life-changing topics delivered in a witty, honest, and fun-loving narrative. By the end, I found these characters to be slightly more tolerable in an oddly endearing way and I recommend this book to readers who might feel the same!

4.25⭐

Thank you to NetGalley, Henry Holt and Co., Macmillan Audio, and Stephen McCauley for a DRC and an ALC of this book through NetGalley. It has been an honor to give my honest and voluntary review.

Family drama is relatable. This contemporary domestic novel opens the door to one family and their woes. Tom, Dorothy, and Cecliiy are all trying to figure it out and what comes next.

"They're the epitome of the unappealing, well-heeled, aging white couple that Americans claim to loathe while secretly aspiring to become."

I enjoyed You Only Call When You're in Trouble, by Stephen McCauley and not just because I, like most people, have relatives that are like that. I was immediately drawn into the story - aging architect Tom's dilemmas with his work, his broken relationship and his oft-troubled older sister and niece. Here is the publisher's synopsis:

"After a lifetime of taking care of his impossible but irresistible sister and his cherished niece, Tom is ready to put himself first. An architect specializing in tiny houses, he finally has an opportunity to build his masterpiece—“his last shot at leaving a footprint on the dying planet.” Assuming, that is, he can stick to his resolution to keep the demands of his needy family at bay.
Naturally, that’s when his phone rings. His niece, Cecily—the real love of Tom’s life, as his boyfriend reminded him when moving out—is embroiled in a Title IX investigation at the college where she teaches that threatens her career and relationship. And after decades of lying, his sister wants him to help her tell Cecily the real identity of her father.
Tom does what he’s always done—answers the call. Thus begins a journey that will change everyone’s life and demonstrate the beauty or dysfunction (or both?) of the ties that bind families together and sometimes strangle them.
Warm, funny, and deeply moving, You Only Call When You’re in Trouble is an unforgettable showcase for Stephen McCauley’s distinctive voice and unique ability to create complex characters that jump out of the book and straight into your heart."

Tom tries to be all things to all the important people in his life, but he seems to be failing them all miserably. Most urgently, Tom is worried that his guesthouse project has fallen through, which will cause him to lose his job. And because he has given so much money away, he doesn't have enough saved to retire.

"Shaken, Tom returned to his desk and looked at the schematics for Charlotte's guesthouse. Having it be both his 'masterpiece' and his possible downfall was a confusing state of affairs. It was a small, beautiful gem."
A quick, easy read with a mostly fun ending. Releasing Tuesday, January 9, 2024

Hardcover, 336 pages, Audiobook about 12 hours.

I really enjoyed this one. The blurb makes you think this story is solely about Tom but it’s actually about him and the two women that have the biggest impact on his life - his sister and niece. Each are facing life changing difficulties individually but of course their choices have consequences for the others. I love a good family drama and this has plenty. The writing is quick and witty. There were moments I wanted the characters to make better decisions for themselves but I hope that shows more that I cared about them rather than a critique of the book.

"You Only Call When You're in Trouble" is a delightful novel. The characters are engaging and McCauley seems to write them with a great deal of affection. Recommended if you are drawn to novels about relationships and family dynamics. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Great premise, unfortunately the novel itself does not live up the potential. Poorly written and lacking in character development, it was difficult to complete.

Tom, his sister Dorothy, and his niece Cecily tell this story of their family and their lives- their messy lives. Tom's always been the one who took care of Dorothy and Cecily but he's got his own issues at the moment after a breakup and a professional problem. Cecily, a professor, needs to get away because she's been accused of inappropriate behavior with a student. These two find themselves lured by Dorothy, who has always denied knowing the identity of Cecily's father but who now might reveal it. Oh the dysfunctional family with secrets and lies! As those things go, this trio isn't so bad but their challenges will no doubt resonate with some readers. This is very character driven and, to be fair, McCauley has a way of making them come alive. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. Not my favorite of his work but still a good read.

You Only Call When You’re in Trouble
Stephen McCauley

McCauley’s characters are so flawed, real and great. It’s not often you have most of the main characters over the age of the speed limit, especially with rich lives and internal dialogue. There is an abundance of self acceptance and understanding as well as calling out the strengths and flaws of themselves and others. They own their flaws and love others because of and in spite of theirs. There is a tightrope between selfish and selfless. They take action and risk failure multiple times which is brave. Families are what you make of them. I appreciate the glimpses of the past to know how the characters got where they were and how it rippled into the present. The story showed how assumptions about characters are almost never on the mark. Kindness and love are lurking under half truths and omissions. This novel is driven by characters, situations, multiple voices, their journeys and the unpredictability of it all. The title and book cover art are top notch. If you love great writing, you’ll love this book. I would like to thank Henry Holt and Company, New York and NetGalley for an advanced copy and Stephen McCauley for writing this wonderful book.

I'm always excited to hear to hear that Stephen McCauley has a new book out....and definitely add You Only Call When You're in Trouble to your TBR list! As the book opens, it seems that all of our characters, siblings Dorothy and Tom and Dorothy's daughter (Tom's beloved niece) Cecily have lives in a bit of turmoil.
They're all well developed characters with interesting and entertaining stories, and I also loved his secondary characters. He did an especially good job of capturing the town of Woodstock, NY as well as the "Woodstock" type.
This is not your typical sibling story. Tom has felt great responsibility for Dorothy and Cecily for years, both financially and emotionally, and he may have just reached the end of his rope. Mr. McCauley also addresses aging in alternatively poignant, realistic and entertaining language. "Bitterness was as unattractive on someone in his sixties as a crop top" and "memory was complicated as you aged - too little of it was terrifying, too much of it was depressing" are just two of my favorite lines.
Thanks to Netgalley and Henry Holt for the opportunity to read You Only Call When You're in Trouble in exchange for an honest review!

“You Only Call When You’re in Trouble” by Stephen McCauley is a book about family, and how much of your own life you are willing to give up no matter your own personal cost. We are immediately involved into the family’s drama of love, loss, accusations of abuse that can lead to loss of career, and the disclosure of a biological parent. This book provoked a lot of emotions reading it and the author did a super job developing each of the characters. I personally felt that I needed more at the end of the story and was longing for more closure. I may be the only one feeling this way and am sure this will be a very enjoyable read for others.

Thank you NetGalley and Henry Holt & Company for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

If you love secrets, heartbreak, and misunderstood characters, then you will love this book. I really enjoyed reading this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Henry Holt & Co. for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

A great contemporary read about family drama and the ties that bind, full of comedy and heart. You Only Call When You're In Trouble follows three protagonists: down-on-her-luck college professor Cecily, her eccentric, flighty mother Dorothy, and Dorothy's brother Tom (an architect specializing in small structures, like guesthouses, and reeling from a recent separations). The characters are real and sympathetic, and their problems and conflicts are intriguing and build tension without ever leaning too far into melodrama. The writing style was quick and dry and witty, which made this an enjoyable read and also a fast one! It reminded me of a less comedic version of a book by Elyssa Friedland or Andrew Sean Greer.

I read my first Stephen McCauley book, The Object of My Affection, back when I lived in Boston and I met him at a book signing. Since then I have read many of his books, and was excited to hear he had a new release.

You Only Call When You're In Trouble is, mostly, about what you will do for family. How you will show up and be there, even when it's at your expense. How even when you know you are perhaps an inconvenience you know they will always be there for you. How even when they seem to be making all the wrong decisions, they are still the very right family for you.

I loved the messy family dynamics of this book. The character development elicited such strong emotions- I HATED Fiona, I detested snobby Oliver, and Charlotte made me cringe. I'm not going to tell you why or who they are to the main character, Cecily, because it's better going in not knowing. Form those strong emotions for yourself without any heads up.

Cecily is a college professor under a Title IX investigation. She calls her Uncle Tom asking if she can come stay with him for a while to ride it out, leaving her boyfriend at their apartment after an unpleasant meeting with his mother. Tom can never refuse Cecily, as he always treated her as his own, since his flighty sister Dorothy never revealed who he was. No matter that Tom's partner, Alan, has left him and he is in jeopardy of losing his job. When Cecily calls, everything else is on the back burner.

This is a steady read- it changes perspective every chapter or so, which I typically don't enjoy but it worked here. There are several side stories that slowly creep their way into the larger picture, with everything coming to a head at the Gala for Dorothy's new wellness retreat center- yet another endeavor she has undertaken without much thought.

I loved these characters and hope to see them again. Hear that, Mr. McCauley??

This is such an engaging novel about the power of family and connection. Tom has always taken care of his niece, Cecily, the daughter of his loving but irresponsible sister, Dorothy. Now is job is in jeopardy, as is Cecily's, and Dorothy is being swindled by a selfish self-help guru. The three go through a lot of ups and downs together, but their love wins out as they make unselfish decisions that end up making each of their lives better. Fun, well-paced story with great characters. I look forward to recommending this title.

I can vividly remember reading The Object Of My Affection by Stephen McCauley when it was published in 1987 and I was a 27 year old single woman living in Chicago. I was thrilled to receive a copy of Stephen McCauleys latest book which is to be published in 2024 and provide this review thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley.
The descriptions of his main characters and the situations they experience is extremely well written.
It is entertaining and intriguing to read how Tom, his sister .Dorothy, and his niece Cecily navigate the struggles of their lives.
I loved this book!

Good book. Easily captured my attention in the beginning and grew from there. An exploration of family and what we do and sacrifice for them - and what it is worth to us.

I really enjoyed this book and I always enjoy this author. At times I felt like there were too many characters/plot lines/backgrounds to follow but overall it worked really well. I loved seeing how the characters were all connected and none of them were perfect.

Pretty good. Really enjoyed the dynamics and perspectives of the three main characters. At times the characters got a bit repetitive and annoying but overall good book.