One Big Happy Family is set at the Precipice Hotel, a family-owned hotel on the coast of Maine. With the recent passing of their father, the Bishop sisters have come for the weekend to claim the hotel. Charley, a young maid, greets the sisters and their families, as she also prepares the hotel for a looming hurricane.

At the same time, a young woman, Bree, arrives at the hotel. She seeks Charley's help to hide from her abusive against. Although Charley is risking her job, she agrees to hide Bree away in the hotel. But as the weekend commences and the storm unfolds, Charley quickly learns that she is not the only one holding a secret. After someone is murdered, Charley is worried that one of the sisters secrets may be more dangerous than she thought.

I really loved the Block Party by Jamie Day, so I was super stoked to read her latest novel, One Big Happy Family. Although I slightly preferred the Block Party, I also really enjoyed One Big Happy Family. It was another crazy and wild ride! I really loved the setting of the old hotel. It was a great backdrop and there was plenty of strong imagery.

If you love a story with crazy family secrets, then this is the perfect book for you! Secrets galore, family chaos, and some crazy characters always make for a fun read. The Bishop family is truly crazy.

Thank you St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

After thoroughly enjoying Jamie Day's last book, "The Block Party," I was thrilled to be approved for this one.

"One Big Happy Family" is a psychological thriller with a dysfunctional family trapped in a rural hotel during a hurricane. While there were a lot of entertaining moments, I found this one felt far too predictable throughout. It took away from my enjoyment and didn't keep me locked in enough. I was saddened by that but I am still looking forward to future books.

Thank you NetGalley, Jamie Day, and St. Martin's Press for selecting me for this ARC.

One Big Happy Family by Jamie Day is a locked-room mystery/thriller. The main character Charley 19 is a live in maid at an old hotel in Maine. There’s a hurricane coming and the Bishop family shows up to hear the reading of there Grandfather’s will. Most of the family is together for the first time since childhood.
This thriller felt more like a family drama to me. I had to put it down a couple of times but I did follow through till the end. I absolutely loved Block Party so when I received the offer to read an arc I was thrilled. However, this one fell flat for me. I feel like anyone who enjoyed “The Sanatorium” would probably enjoy this one.
Thank you NetGalley and St.Martins Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

The first thing I noticed on the cover of Jamie Day's new book was the lovely pastel beach chairs. But, then I looked at that stormy background - and that small print. One Big Happy Family may not be the truth...
The Precipice Hotel is about to change hands as George Bishop has died. His three daughters are gathering to hear the will read. It's been years since they've seen each other...

Okay, so far we've got three women who don't see eye to eye. A odd lawyer with the will. And from the cover - a bad storm coming. Isolated hotel. Limited staff - and that would be Charley. She's our protagonist. And some other supporting characters. I thought that all the pieces for a 'locked room mystery' were in place.

I liked the setting very much - especially the library room and there are many more rooms. Charley is worried about what this change of ownership would mean to her circumstances. I liked her early in the book, but found a number of her actions were questionable as the book progressed.

I'm all up for twists and turns and a plot that keeps the reader guessing. But for me, this plot just asked too much of the reader. I found it to be too far-fetched in places and repetitive in others.

Still, it was an entertaining book for the beach. 3.5

Interesting Story

One Big Happy Family by Jamie Day left me needing a day to sit and gather my thoughts—and for all the right reasons. This was my first encounter with Jamie Day's writing, but it definitely won’t be my last. The book is a masterclass in crafting deliciously chaotic family dynamics that turn each page into a twisty, tension-filled experience.

What a wild, unpredictable ride this story turned out to be! I found myself completely enthralled by the insane family drama, which was as messy as it was mesmerizing. Jamie Day has a talent for weaving intricate connections between the past and present, creating a web of secrets and lies that had me constantly guessing. I loved how every revelation seemed to echo through the generations, with ripples that reached far into the present.

By the time I finished, I felt like I had lived in this family's world for a day—caught up in their scandals, shocks, and surprises. Just when I thought I had it all figured out, the story took another sharp turn, leaving me wide-eyed and eager for more.
One Big Happy Family was an amazing read, full of surprises that left me wanting more. I’m eagerly looking forward to diving into Jamie Day's next book. Four stars for a brilliantly entertaining story that kept me on my toes from start to finish!

Author Jamie Day excels in creating nuanced and believable characters, each with their own backstories and motivations.
One Big Happy Family plot is full of Suspense and is unpredictable, it will keep engaged as unexpected revelations come to light.
The Precipice hotel adds to the overall suspense and intrigue.
Thanks netgalley

I was a HUGE fan of “The Block Party”, and I was excited to get another chance at a Jamie Day novel.

This is a highly atmospheric, domestic thriller in which readers and characters are trying to identify the killer. Although I found some part to be a bit predictable, I found it to be a well plotted and entertaining mystery. Highly recommended to fans of "who done it" thrillers!

One Big Happy Family by Jamie Day was a suspenseful and captivating read. With a hurricane brewing, the Bishop sisters want to claim what is theirs, The Precipice hotel. Iris, Vicki and Faith, the sisters, will not be kept away from getting what they want. Charley, the hotel’s chambermaid, has her secrets and needs as well. She is young and working to take care of her family and protecting one guest. Once the sisters arrive, the drama starts.

As the story begins and moves forward, we feel the tension brewing, secrets unraveling and the drama grow as the hurricane comes closer. I enjoyed reading this domestic thriller and to read more from this author going forward.

Happy reading!

Not too many good things happen during a hurricane. Jamie Day has definitely written a book that includes a hurricane, and more twists and turns than a rollercoaster. Wow! After their father dies, Iris, Faith, and Vicki, come home for the reading of the will. Many secrets come out during this time. Charley is a maid at the Precipe, a hotel in which the sister's father owned. The sisters want what is rightfully theirs, but wow, what happens in between the beginning, and ending, of the book will keep you reading. Great book!

This book offers a fascinating portrayal of an intense and complex family dynamic. I loved the unique concept, which is perfectly set against the atmospheric backdrop of Maine. The story is filled with creepy guests and family members, creating an unsettling yet captivating environment. The protagonist, while seemingly innocent, adds an intriguing layer with her occasional lapses into theft. The supporting cast is equally intriguing, with some characters playing pivotal roles in the plot, while others serve as intriguing background figures.

Then, of course, there's the hurricane, which adds a dramatic twist to the story. Despite these many strengths, I felt that the plot unraveled somewhat and missed opportunities that could have elevated it from a good book to a fantastic one. While I certainly enjoyed it, there were moments where the story felt excessive, while other parts were too vague or left underdeveloped.

From a character perspective, this novel features some of the most multi-dimensional characters I've encountered in a while. I wish more elements were tied together cohesively, but the story kept me guessing for the most part. The true culprit is fairly obvious, yet the narrative explores various paths before reaching the conclusion. Overall, this book is an engaging read that captivates with its intriguing characters and atmospheric setting, even if it falls short of its full potential.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to receive this book for an honest review.

Why did I read this book during Florida's hurrican season?

Even so, this book was very good. Is filled with twists and turns and kept me guesssing throughout.
I highly recommend this one.

This was an interesting book. There is a feisty maid working there during a hurricane, when the heirs to the Precipice Inn show up and all sorts of crazy begins. It was funny and had a lot of twists and turns. I would say more but do not want to give anything away.

Charley is our main character. Her life has been shaped from her past living with a drug addicted mother and learning life lessons from her grandma who helped raise her. When she was only 17, she was offered a job she couldn’t refuse working as a maid in a hotel where she worked for a low wage, but also room and board.

George, the hotel owner, passed away and Charley wonders if she’ll be given the same work offer when his three daughters, Victoria, Iris, and Faith take over or if the hotel will even remain open. Worse yet, she recently started harboring a guest for free trying to escape an abusive relationship and fears the sisters won’t have the same grace.

There is a past / present component to develop the Bishop sister characters and understand context for their harsh relationships with each other when the will for their father as read and as they navigate their reunion.

In the background- a terrible hurricane is coming, so the hotel is bare besides Charley, the sisters and their families, and the stowaway. Death soon finds itself to the hotel with more continued if past secrets of the family are not revealed.

This book had a little bit of everything- secret adoptions, car accidents, accidental deaths, purposeful deaths, secret baby out of wedlock, whew !!

I would say this was fast paced and did hold my attention. It was almost too much packed into one book, but the twists did keep it interesting and kept me guessing.

Thanks NetGalley for access to the advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 🌟 rounded to 4. Some good twists in this
book that I had not figured out. This family
puts the "dys" in dysfunction, that's for sure!
Thank you to @netgalley for an ARC

This book was okay. Not the best book I've ready, but certainly not the worst. I thought the book started off interesting, but then just thought it was a little too slow of a read for my liking. There was so much going on in this book, but it still didn't really hold my attention. Again, it was an okay read. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a digital arc of this title.

This is a locked room murder mystery set in an old eclectic hotel in Maine that includes old family secrets and rich people behaving badly. The premise had me hooked but the execution was a miss for me. The writing veered toward YA and the beginning is very slow. Not much is happening until Part 3 but by then, I didn’t really care much about the plot or most of the characters.

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for an advanced reader copy.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book.

This book was very predictable and slow. The author tells you everything. There's no exploration of character or setting. It's not a fun or engaging read.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3/5)

"One Big Happy Family" by Jamie Day is a mystery/thriller that invites readers into the lives of the Bishop family & the enigmatic Precipice Hotel. The writing is engaging, & the story starts off on a high note, promising an intriguing blend of suspense and family drama. However, as the plot progresses, it becomes increasingly convoluted, losing some of its initial charm & coherence for me.

I had high hopes for this novel, especially after being captivated by Day's debut. While the potential was there, & certain elements were well-crafted, the overall execution left me wanting more.

Despite my reservations, "One Big Happy Family" has its merits and may appeal to readers who enjoy intricate plots and multifaceted characters.

Thank you to #NetGalley, the author and publisher for the ARC. My reviews are my own and freely expressed.

This was a cluster of a book with a complicated family history that as the story went just became more and more convoluted. Usually I am here for a family drama story but this one was a little too complicated even for me... I kept getting Oliver and Quinn confused and then I forgot that Samuel even existed.

The relations between them and overall opinions of one another made this one even worse.

While reading this was fun in a way that I didn't know what to expect, it was a bit hard to keep track of and the ending fell really flat. I could have done with out the embezzling from the nursing home piece because that was just way too much. I enjoyed Block party more than this one but as always authors have to flex a bit

My thanks to St. Martin's Press, Jamie Day and Netgalley.

I don't have a lot to say about this book. Started off good, I liked the setting and the suspense but then it just started to fall flat. Unrealistic family drama and very predictable ending.