This isn’t a particularly new sort of mystery plot: It starts with a party, someone gets murdered, everyone is a suspect and then you spend the rest of the book figuring out the whodunnit. Good news is, I generally love this storyline. Bad news is this one wasn’t much of a stand-out.

The specifics here are the Calhouns are having their annual Cherry Blossom party . . . and the police are there are on page one. By the 20% mark you know who the victim is and then you get to find out exactly what skeletons are hiding in the closets of each family member (as well as a neighbor or two). Things play out via sort of an “everything but the kitchen sink” approach and you really have to throw all common sense out the window when it comes to things like police procedures or legal work – not to mention that no one is likeable or more than a cardboard cutout as far as character development. But it’s getting real high ratings, so what do I know?

I don't often use the word delicious to describe a book, but I was almost rubbing my hands together in gleeful anticipation at all the nasty things this awful family did. Yeah, the mystery was slight, and no, it's not great literature, but I had fun, and sometimes you require nothing more than a book that entertains.

Ah, it was so nice to see spoiled rich kids getting exactly what they deserve.

If only real life was like this . . .

This one was hard for me to get into. There were a lot of characters to keep track of, and they were all rich B-Holes. Personally, I have a tough time getting into these types of stories, but a lot of people love that type of drama.

Once I got to the second half of the book, I flew through it. I liked seeing how all the pieces fit together. It was a classis whodunit. All of the family members were hiding secrets, and I don't always love when the narrator is blatantly telling the reader that they are keeping secrets without revealing what they are. Again, this is something that works well for others.

Overall - my thoughts on the book are very pointed and tied to my personal likes and dislikes. It wasn't one that I absolutely loved, but I think that others will.

I’m sorry, but I tried downloading this multiple times and the formatting is off. Further, the story didn’t capture my attention enough to distract from the flawed epub.

This book was okay, I've noticed after reading so many thrillers the plots tend to all slide together. I think it's perfect for a new to the thriller genre reader more so than seasoned.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for gifting me a digital ARC of the new book by Aggie Blum Thompson - 4.5 stars rounded up!

The Calhouns are hosting their annual party at their home in Washington DC to celebrate the return of the cherry blossoms. Their three children are all home and the house is full of friends and neighbors. Everything is perfect until the party becomes a homicide scene. Suddenly, all the family members are under suspicion and their secrets may soon come to light.

This was a delicious scandal of a book - you won't be sure who's the guilty party but you'll know that you can trust no one. The Calhouns' children, Theo, Nate, and Ellie Grace have very complicated relationships with their parents, to whom appearance is the utmost importance. I love a good dysfunctional family story and this was done to perfection. Told from multiple POV, the secrets and twists kept coming. This is a family you will love to hate! Loved the cover too.

This had a good premise and the Calhoun's were despicable people. The problem is that at times the story relied heavily on tropes and character outlines where there could be more depth.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

4.5⭐️. This is my third book by Thompson and they just *do not* disappoint. She has a way of writing that sucks you in and you seriously can’t put the book down. The characters in the Calhoun family were atrocious and unlikable but not to the point where you don’t have any interest in them. She’s good like that. I thought the addition of Cookie was great because he kept me wondering if there was more to him than met the eye and kind of the same thing for Danit, so a couple of red herrings thrown in for good measure makes for a great book...Deplorable people with a motives galore, you’ll be guessing the whole time.

I struggled to push through this arc honestly. It wasn’t because of the story by any means, but rather the awful formatting of the ARC. The file was funky and made it really hard to read. If it weren’t for the forbearing u probably could’ve skated through this in a day or so. It followed Rich family drama and it was nearly a messy reality TV shows.

Overall, I’d give this 4 stars. But, I will more than likely be giving this a second chance in audio format to see if that changes my opinion.

In "Such A Lovely Family" Aggie Blum weaves a gripping tale of family secrets, betrayal, and murder against the backdrop of Washington, D.C.'s springtime splendor. The Calhoun family appears to have it all—a picturesque home, successful careers, and tight-knit bonds. However, beneath the surface lies a web of deceit and manipulation that ultimately unravels during their annual spring celebration.

The narrative kicks off with the murder that disrupts the seemingly idyllic gathering, setting the stage for a riveting whodunit. Harper masterfully crafts each character, from the controlling parents to the troubled sons and the Instagram influencer daughter, drawing readers into their complex lives and hidden motivations. As the investigation unfolds, family dynamics come under intense scrutiny, revealing long-held grudges and buried secrets.

What sets "Such A Lovely Family" apart is its exploration of the darker side of familial relationships. Aggie delves into themes of parental control, sibling rivalry, and the facade of perfection, creating a compelling narrative that keeps readers guessing until the final pages. The tension steadily mounts as alliances shift, suspicions arise, and the true extent of each character's involvement comes to light.

While the resolution may feel somewhat predictable to seasoned mystery readers, Blum's skillful storytelling and vivid prose make for an engaging read nonetheless. "Such A Lovely Family" is a must-read for fans of domestic suspense, offering a captivating blend of mystery, drama, and intricate family dynamics.

The book itself was a decent story, but I was constantly distracted by the formatting for the arc. I powered through, but had issues that deterred from my enjoyment. I’ll probably end up buying this in a physical copy so I can give it another go. I don’t think the formatt8mg should stop anyone from reading and liking this book.

If there was a sarcasm font, this title would be written in it. For the most part they are a terrible family. The author manages to keep you wondering what they have done and what will happen to them. You know right away that someone will die. You know that are a lot of people who hated the dead. You know that some of these people are just selfish. Aggie Blum Thompson managed to keep the reader guessing as reveal after reveal made you realize that you can't trust where you are being read.

Mark my words, Such a Lovely Family, will be Book of the Year.

If you haven't already purchased this book, I do not know what you are waiting for!

I was completely consumed, and sucked right in after concluding just the first chapter. The way Aggie Blum Thompson is able to orchestrate such a strong storyline while also creating suspense, and drama was done with such execution, my jaw is going to take permanent residency on the floor.

This book absolutely blew my mind!

Check out this teaser :

he cherry blossoms are in full bloom in Washington, D.C., and the Calhouns are in the midst of hosting their annual party to celebrate the best of the spring season. 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.

Behind their façade of perfection, the Calhoun family has been keeping some very dark secrets. Parents who use money and emotional manipulation to control their children. Two sons, one the black sheep who is desperate to outrun mistakes he’s made, and the other a new father, willing to risk everything to protect his child. And a daughter: an Instagram influencer who refuses to face the truth about the man she married.

As the investigation heats up, family tensions build, and alliances shift. Long-buried resentments surface, forcing the Calhouns to face their darkest secrets before it’s too late.

The Calhoun family is picture perfect on the outside--three beautiful adult children, a successful father and a doting wife. But behind the perfect facade, things fall apart--the oldest son is only home under duress, Ellie Grace's Instagram isn't pulling the numbers she would like and her parents do not like her unemployable husband, and the younger son is planning on moving to Saipan with his nanny fiance and the family's only grandchild. Then, at the Calhouns' annual cherry blossom party, the patriarch of the family is brutally murdered and his wife shot and in the hospital.

This book was so deviously twisty and I loved every second of it! Books about rich people behaving badly is a guilty pleasure of mine, and this one is an absolutely fabulous example of the genre. That perfect family you live next door to in that gorgeous gated community? Daughter married to a con artist, sponging off Daddy's money. Son hooked on something. Dad's having an affair. Mom is hiding it all. Delicious!

I've really enjoyed all of Aggie Blum Thompson's books, and I think this one might be her best yet. The characters are likeably unlikeable, and I was genuinely sad when one of them was murdered (and no, it wasn't the pompous dad) and even though i tried to figure out who dun it, in the end I was surprised at all the twists it took to get to a character I only barely suspected. Masterfully written, this delves deep into all of the vices and skeletons any rich family could be hiding.

ꮪꮜꮯꮋ ꭺ ꮮꮎꮩꭼꮮy fꭺꮇꮖꮮy
ᏼy Ꭺꮹꮹꮖꭼ Ᏼꮮꮜꮇ Ꭲꮋꮎꮇꮲꮪꮎn
ꭱꭼꮮꭼꭺꮪꭼ ꭰꭺꭲꭼ 03/12/2024

The Calhouns Annual Spring Celebration Party results in a murder and one wounded. No one saw it. Everyone is a suspect at the party. And all have their own opinions.

Trey, Nate, and Ellie Grace - Thom and Ginny Calhoun's children stand the most to gain — there’s a large inheritance at stake.
All are a mess differently; it’s so bad you want to stop reading; it’s like watching a train wreck, but in this case, You can’t turn the page.
You think this is a typical whodunit-type book - but it leaves you guessing until the end.

4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️S͓̽T͓̽A͓̽R͓̽S͓̽

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Typically I am a sucker for rich people behaving badly. For me, this book was alright. Although it may seem impossible, I think there were too many twists thrown in which took away from any of them having that wow factor. Everything was pretty predictable, minus one meager detail about Trey.
As for Trey, he was the one of the only characters enjoyed (and I said that very lightly). Danit was the only other whose chapters I looked forward to.

This definitely is a good who done it, it just didn’t completely work for me!

Grab your popcorn and settle in for this delicious domestic drama that will have you turning pages well into the night.

With the spring season in Washington D.C. comes the blooming of the cherry blossoms, and each year the Calhouns time their annual party just right to celebrate the gorgeous blooms. As friends and neighbors join the gingham-clad family, all appears picture perfect, that is, until a brutal murder turns the event into a crime scene and the guests into suspects.

I love domestic thrillers. They’re so rich with flawed characters, and this one did not disappoint. The Calhoun’s three children each had motives for murder, and with good reason. Their parents are each master manipulators, so you don’t feel bad feeling sorry for the children and the things they do. As a parent, I can’t imagine doing any of the things either of them seem fine doing, but to each their own. I loved the character of Cookie. He was a charming character that would pop up just when someone was in crisis. Everyone needs someone like him in their lives.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and think it would be a great addition to your spring break bag.

Thank you to Aggie Blum Thompson, Tor Publishing Group and NetGalley for an early e-copy of the book for an honest review.

This was just what I wanted it to be. Messy rich people that you love to hate. This was a quick read, focused around a family in DC and a murder. Definitely entertaining!

SUCH A LOVELY FAMILY reminded me that even though someone may portray their life to be perfect, it may be very different behind closed doors. The Calhoun family drama had me glued to the pages. Every family member had secrets and I never would have guessed them all. I liked how the story slowly built up to many surprising outcomes. It reminded a bit of the game Clue, who murdered the person in question and why? I highly recommend adding it to your TBR list. It was a lot of fun to read!

Many thanks to Tor Publishing Group and NetGalley for my gifted copy.

This review will be shared to my Instagram account (@coffee.break.book.reviews) this week.

Just like this cover, those beautiful family pics of the Calhouns belie what goes on under the surface. Ginny, the matriarch, may manage her household with an iron will. Daughter Ellie Grace may have the family all decked out in a gingham theme for Christmas pics. But there is a rotten core that will come out the day of the annual Cherry Blossom party at the Calhoun home in Chevy Chase, Maryland. I found this book to be such an entertaining read. Someone dies at the party sending shock waves through the family and giving the police detectives quite a mystery to solve. I was wavering between four and five stars and decide to round up. Loved the twisty turny mystery to solve. Bits and pieces were revealed to us through the actions of some and the discoveries of others. Once the Calhouns have disintegrated, will there be another lovely family to take their place in the neighborhood?

Thank you to Forge Books and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.