🌸 Such a Lovely Family by Aggie Blum Thompson sat on my TBR ARC pile for WAY too long!! 🌸

This is a who-dun-it set in Washington, D.C. during the gorgeous cherry blossom season. The wealthy Calhoun family is hosting their annual party to celebrate the season when there is a brutal murder during the party, transforming the lavish festivities into a crime scene. Behind this perfect family lies some very dark secrets. Family tensions build and alliances shift as the Calhoun family comes to grips with the reality of who the murderer is. 🕵🏼

This was such a fun suburban family drama. I was hooked right away and honestly kept changing who I thought the murderer was right up until the end! There were some really fun twists and turns and unexpected relationships and bonds formed that I honestly just enjoyed the ride. 🌸

If you liked House of Glass, The Haters, If Something Happens to Me, Darling Girls, or Look in the Mirror - you will enjoy this one!! 📚

And this cover...I mean COME ON!! 🌸🌸

Thank you to Aggie Blume Thompson, NetGalley, and Forge Trade for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review! ✨

Reading in Between the Wines book review #105/130 for 2024:
Rating: 3 🍷🍷🍷
Book: Such a Lovely Family
Author: Aggie Blum Thompson
Available now!!

Sipping thoughts: A great domestic family thriller/drama. This book is a great representation of how money does not bring happiness. It also has elements of secrets, lies, betrayal, and, of course murder. I kept changing my mind about who the murderer was, and after hearing about the deception, it was not surprising and very understandable. I am always entertained with an Aggie Blum Thompson’s book, and this was no different.

Cheers and thank you to @TorPublishingGroup and @Netgalley for an advanced copy of @SuchALovelyFamily.

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Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review an advanced copy of this novel. I highly enjoyed it and will be recommending it to others.

3.75 stars!!

It's so bizarre to see a family dynamic be stretched this far. The premise is amazing, I think I'll never look at gingham the same lol

I do love a good "block party" domestic thriller and this one did not disappoint. This genre is even better when there is so much naughty behavior, and nearly everyone in this Washington DC cul-de-sac has a dirty little secret. The Calhouns are the most wealthy and notable family on the block and an invitation to their annual cherry blossom party is to die for; this year, quite literally. The murder of the Calhoun patriarch during the party sets off a chain of events that upends nearly everyone's secrets and has everyone on edge and trying to cover their secrets while being interviewed by the detectives.

Solid domestic thriller that will keep you guessing - everyone in the wealthy family is such a hot mess, it is easy to believe any of them would have done it, and it was only a matter of time before one of them would do it. I also absolutely loved how the story ended, with the brief snippet of the next family moving in allowing the readers' mind to go crazy wondering what their "lovely" secrets are.

A domestic murder mystery rife with scandal and backstabbing, Such a Lovely Family, would rival any soap opera with its family drama and buried secrets... an enjoyable read full of twists, scandals, and dramatic reveals. Despite its flaws, I recommend it to anyone who enjoys these types of mysteries, and I would seek out this author again.

Full review here: https://horrortree.com/epeolatry-book-review-such-a-lovely-family-by-aggie-blum-thompson/

Should have expected the cliche voice from the title. I can hear an annoying dramatic old woman reading it like Bugs Bunny doing a parody. “Oh, I do declare!” TV movie type setup. Sorry, it’s the opposite of my thing straightaway.

Ich weiß ehrlich gesagt nicht, wie ich dieses Buch bewerten soll, da ich es aufgrund relativ kurzer Ausleihdauer (ohne Verlängerung) nicht lesen konnte.

This domestic thriller set in an affluent DC community is everything! This rich family is completely off their rocket! The plot line is intricate and completely keeps you guessing.

Another well written and entertaining novel from Aggie Blum Thompson.

We really don't know what goes on behind closed doors. The Calhoun family are throwing their annual Cherry Blossom party. Unfortunately, the party does not go as planned. In fact, it goes entirely off the rails when someone is murdered.

A story about a truly dysfunctional family with many secrets. A suspenseful family drama that had some great twist and turns and kept me intrigued from start to finish.

I look forward to reading more from Aggie Blum Thompson!

I loved this book. A family drama full of unfolding secrets that shocked and twisted the story - this one is hard to put down! Not only was the plot spectacular and well thought out, the characters were developed and believable (and mostly unlikeable!). The writing was seamless and effortless. I would describe this book more as a mystery suspense rather than actual thriller, but it was highly entertaining. I think fans of Lisa Jewell would really enjoy this one!

With a house full of friends, neighbors, and their beloved three adult children, the Calhouns are expecting another picture-perfect event. But a brutal murder in the middle of the celebration transforms the yearly gathering into a homicide scene, and all the guests into suspects.

A solid mystery, if not a little predictable. It was well-written and well-executed.

I’m not how I feel about this book. It was pretty much a giant drama filled book full of family secrets of a rich family. Seemed very cliché and at some points, just felt like a run around. But I did like that they kept you guessing with all the twists.

Thank you NetGalley, Tor Publishing and author Aggie Blum Thompson for this gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review.

🦋suspense
🦋Drama
🦋Murder mystery
🦋dysfunctional family dynamics
🦋whodunit

I have to say, it was a wild ride! I wasn't sure what to expect when I started it, but it completely blew my mind. It's a locked room mystery that kept getting better and better as I read on. It starts a bit slow, but the way secrets were gradually uncovered kept me hooked. There were so many twists and turns that I couldn't stop reading. The story kept getting darker and darker, and I loved every second of it. I felt empathy for the characters, then I hated them, and then I felt sorry for them again. I kept trying to guess who did it until the very end. This family seemed so lovely and picture-perfect, but boy, were they messed up! I’m glad that there were at least a few sympathetic characters. At first, I was a bit confused trying to keep track of all the characters and their different points of view, but as the story progressed, it all made sense. I highly recommend this book

I really enjoyed this book. It was different than anything else I've read recently. I couldn't put it down! I will keep an eye out for this author's future work!

I’ve been down in the dumps but I’m back and I’m better! What caught my attention first was of course the book cover! I definitely was looking for a romance book that I was able to be intrigued by and this was the first one that I came across so of course had to try and get my hands on an ARC. I like how the story was a good mix between character and plot based, sometimes when I’m reading a book I’m either not emotional connected with the character or plot but I like how this had a good enough balance for me to be interested enough to continue.

This was so fun and twisty! Rich people doing bad things is one of my fave “tropes”. This was entertaining & will make any thriller /mystery lover happy, however, the formatting of the arc made it very difficult to read.

Thank you NetGalley and Tor for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion!

To think people and families like this exist...

Started reading and I knew it was going to be messy. I wasn't wrong. I usually enjoy this kind of books buy this one is even hard to review. The characters are not likeable, I couldn't even feel a thing for "the good ones". By the end of the book, after 90% it became a huge mess and all the twists were too much. The police procedures were unrealistic and that stressed me out.

I'm not saying it was a bad read, I'm just saying it wasn't for me. There's many recommendations for this one so I hope others give it a try and enjoy it.

Isn't this cover pretty? Are you guilty of judging a book by its cover? Have you gotten a book just because you were enchanted by the cover?

Thank you @netgalley and @torbooks for the e-ARC. Happy pub day to this wonderful book!

I love dysfunctional families and coupled with a murder mystery, it's everything I ever want.

This book kept me on my toes. I had no idea what to think or who to suspect. I loved the twists and turns and the ending kept me on the edge of my seat.

I've already added the author's backlist to my tbr!

What a ride! A family drama dripping with secrets, lies and betrayal. I think you’ll love to twisty machinations and piles of questions.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy. These opinions are my own.