It was such a ride! I loved the coastal Maine bed and breakfast, hurricane approaching, and dysfunctional family vibe. It was facepaced and kept me reading(listening) long into the night. A whodunit that did not disappoint! The audiobook version was fantastic. I loved the narrator and thought she brought the story to life. This was a must-read for sure, and I can't wait to read more from Jamie Day!

this book was fun! i didnt love it but i didnt hate it. i thought it was a little blah in some area, mostly the beginning. when it picked up, it got good! i definitely guess what was going on but i didnt mind because it was still a fun to see how crazy everyone got. i knew bree had something to do with it but wasnt sure how much, but i knew she was involved with the bishops. there were definitely some cliche tropes and i got kind of bored with those along the way. i didnt looooove any of the characters, i thought all the sisters were dumb but i'm glad they finally took some responsibility.

**3.5-stars rounded up**

One Big Happy Family is an entertaining Summer Thriller set in a small town, Jonesport, on the rocky coast of Maine. I adore that setting, so was sold on this one by that fact alone.

This novel is an inheritance story of sorts, with murder to boot. We're transported to The Precipice, a family-owned hotel, in Jonesport. The elder, George Bishop, has recently passed and his daughters, Iris, Vicki and Faith, are arriving for a weekend to hear his Will and claim what is now theirs. The three sisters bring with them a whole host of dangerous secrets, heavy baggage and more. Tensions are running high. It's not exactly a lovey-dovey family reunion.

Also in the mix, are a few employees of The Precipice, including 19-year old chambermaid, Charley, who desperately needs to hold on to her job.
This is the kind of book so full of drama that once you start, it's hard to stop. I found it to be incredibly fun with the toxic family relationships that I love to watch play out.

I was gnoshing my popcorn the whole way through!

The setting was fantastic, made better by the fact that a hurricane stranded the characters at The Precipice. I love inclement weather stories and I feel like Day absolutely nailed that vibe here. I actually listened to this audio while I was on vacation in Maine, so that's a bit fortuitous. In a way, that made it extra fun, but in another way, I actually think I may have enjoyed it more if I hadn't had vacation brain at the time.

I did find the narration by Saskia Maarleveld to be a perfect fit for the story. She def succeeded in bringing it to life. I highly recommend that format should it be available to you.

Overall, I was really impressed with this. I found it to be gripping, entertaining, fast-paced and dramatic. The setting and set-up were both fantastic. My only small gripe would be that I sometimes found it hard to distinguish between the sisters. With this being said, that could be 100% attributable to the aforementioned vacation brain. It's hard to tell. Either way, I am looking forward to more from this author.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review.
I think a lot of Readers are going to love this one!

This was a fun read with tons of family drama. I loved seeing the story unfold and find new motivations behind the various character’s actions. The ending was strong and I loved how everything was wrapped up.

Thanks, St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio, for the ebook and audiobook review copies via NetGalley. #macaudio2024

Three estranged sisters arrive at their family’s hotel on the Maine coast. True, there’s a hurricane bearing down on them, but their father just died, and they are desperate to hear the reading of his will. What turns into a locked-room mystery is told mainly (pun not intended, but hah) from the point of view of a 19-year-old naive chambermaid, Charley, who has a few secrets of her own.

I started this mystery-thriller as an audiobook, but it was such a slow build it couldn’t hold my interest (though the narrator, Saskia Maarleveld, is still one of my favorites). Luckily, I was able to pivot to the e-book for the remainder. I’m glad I did because once it got going, Oo-De-Lally! It was the murder mystery version of a food fight. Accusations, secrets, insults, bullets, knives…everything flew around this hurricane-isolated hotel. It was NUTS in the best possible way…for a while. Then it bogged down again with a backstory/reveal. Overall, this was entertaining.

My only pet peeve involves my northern Maine pride. The author refers to Jonestown (where the hotel is situated) as “Northern Maine,” and I must cry foul. If you can see the ocean, you’re in Southern or Coastal Maine. If you can see Canada, you’re in Northern Maine.

One Big Happy Family is a solid addition to Jamie Day's repertoire. It may not surpass her previous work in my eyes, but it certainly holds its own with a captivating mystery and complex characters. Fans of the genre will find much to enjoy in this heart-throbbing whodunnit.

This was an atmospheric thriller that I enjoyed. When the patriarch of the family and owner of a hotel sitting atop a cliff in Maine passes, his family comes together for the reading of the will. Charley is the chambermaid at the hotel, living in a small room at the hotel while her money goes to an assisted living place where her grandmother lives. She is anxious to find out what happens to the hotel as it directly affects her life. What unfolds is a domestic thriller filled with lots of family drama.

I found this to be a tad predictable but a very entertaining thriller. The plot was executed well and I enjoyed it. This was my second book by Day and I look forward to me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy. Opinions are my own.

I have mixed feelings on One Big Happy Family. None of the characters stood out in a good way. I don’t know why but I kept thinking Charley was a little older than she actually is so when she’d do things expected for her age (like immediately swoon over a guy) it always surprised me. Makes absolutely no sense but that’s what my brain did while I read. Oliver added the creepy factor which honestly I could have done without. All the other characters are written so you’re constantly questioning their motives to create tension. Rodrigo was probably the most disappointing character. I thought he was going to play a bigger role but he ended up barely there. He exists purely to create doubt and I felt this was unnecessary with all the other characters trapped at the hotel.

We’re dealing with the reading of a will so we know that a lot of the family secrets are going to come into play. I had a lot of thoughts of what was going to happen. I wouldn’t call One Big Happy Family predictable but there were a few things I already had pegged early on. There were other things that I guessed partially right and a few things I was wrong about. This whole section was just ok. It is necessary to the story but it was my least favorite part.

I do like that this all takes place during a hurricane. It makes running away and calling the police a challenge while remaining more realistic. This was needed with how some of the story played out. A different setting I think would’ve made too many things feel outrageous.

The twists were ok and the story itself reads well. Everything gets resolved nicely with only a few things that were added to misdirect that felt forced.

I greatly enjoyed Jamie Day’s The Block Party & had a feeling I’d love his latest suspense novel, One Big Happy Family. I was right! It’s an exciting thriller! Privileged characters are so tangled up, have loads of problems, and skeletons in their closets. The twists hit as the conclusion neared. Add in a Hurricane and it’s a recipe for intensity!

Saskia Maarleveld brings Day’s words to life in spectacular fashion in the audiobook.

Thank you, Jamie Day, Macmillan Audio, St. Martins Press, & netgalley for my early copy & audiobook! All opinions are my own.

It was a dark and stormy night… Of course it was! Hurricane Larry was bearing down on the Maine coast where Charley Kelley, the chambermaid at the Precipice Hotel, was located. George, the owner of the hotel had recently died and Charley was alone, the guests having wisely checked out as the hurricane drew nearer.

First, a troubled young woman named Bree sought shelter while she was hiding from an abusive boyfriend. Then the three estranged daughters of the late hotel owner arrived to pick over the bones of their father’s estate while picking at the secrets that each of them hid from the world. Then their father’s lawyer Brenda Black arrived for the reading of the will.

As Hurricane Larry swirled menacingly around the hotel the will was read. During those dark and stormy nights (and days) murders began to pile up. In this small, closed off community someone was clearing the way for a big inheritance. But who?

Like the “dark and stormy night”, this book was filled with old mystery clichés. The characters were well drawn and it was easy to be drawn into the plight of this 19 year old chambermaid and the extremely dysfunctional family of her late employer.

I enjoyed the book, but it frankly was not the gripping page turner I had hoped it might be. None the less, I enjoyed reading it and am grateful to NetGalley for the opportunity to read it.

I LOVED "The Block Party", so was excited to read this. Unfortunately, I just didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would. The story was interesting, but at times it seemed to drag on. At times I was hoping the hotel would slide down the cliffs with everyone in it and no one would survive. All the characters were unlikeable. They had no redeeming qualities and they all acted horribly. All the members of the Bishop family hated each other. They were tied together with all the secrets. Did it really matter who killed Todd? Everyone hated him. The Bishop sisters were all a piece of work. George Bishop was the worst. There's no wonder why his daughters turned out the way they did. George's will was SHADY!!!!I honestly thought he was going to be leaving everything to Charley and the sisters would try to kill her. I knew Bree was hiding secrets and was up to something. Oliver was the weirdest and all that rhyming was creepy. The title of the book is the complete opposite of this family. They are one big CRAZY family. It was interesting getting to know each sister. All of their problems go back to the awful car crash.

Definitely recommend the book. It was a good mystery/thriller, that kept me guessing until the end. Yes, I wanted everyone to die, but it still kept my interest. There were so many twists and turns.
So many secrets and lies. Enjoyed the story and writing style. Look forward to reading more books by the author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from St. Martin's Press, through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I liked the premise of this whodunnit mystery, and loved the setting in an old hotel in Maine, but it read very young to me. Felt like more of a YA mystery than a domestic thriller for me, so it seemed a bit mis-marketed. 2.5 stars rounding up to 3. Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan for the digital galley in exchange for an honest review.

I was excited to get a copy of this author's latest book as I loved her first one. This one, however, just couldn't hold my attention. As I listened to the audio, I kept waiting to engage in rhe plot. I waited and waited and waited... but it lacked an entry point into the story for me. Nothing snagged me or stood out. It was just words and descriptions and noneventful situations. The plot also stalled even more as the three sisters were being introduced. Unfortunately, it was difficult for me to stay invested or care.

There are some other higher reviews, so I would suggest also checking those out. I need something to grab me - interesting characters, a suspenseful situation, big emotions or something else - which this plot didn't have.

Thanks Netgalley for an ARC and audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I could not get into this book. The characters didn’t resonate with me and I just couldn’t finish it.

Thank you for the arc for my honest review.

I wanted to enjoy this book, but felt it had too many story lines going at once. I enjoyed some of the short, punchy lines, but left me wanting more overall.

When the owner of the prestigious Precipice Hotel passes away, his three daughters return home for the reading of the will. As live-in maid, Charley prepares the hotel for their arrival, and the incoming hurricane sets the mood for imminent disaster. As things begin to spiral out of control, it is up to Charley to figure out the pieces of this family's shocking past. While filled with twists, turns, and a satisfying ending, Charley's age and naivete played a big part in my rating.

One Big Happy Family by Jamie Day is an unusual novel. The novel starts out with some background and then pops right into the present day. The novel goes back and forth in time to highlight different memories of the sisters or of the present occupants. The premise is an old inn in Maine on the cliffs looking out to the sea. The owner has died and asked that the will be read while his children are at the inn. There is a hurricane coming up the coast and is going to hit the inn in a number of hours. However the wind has already done damage and trapped them all at the property with so many large trees blocking the road. To top it off, in a fit of rage, one of the sisters ripped the modem from the wall and shot it so it would no longer function.

The Bishop sisters, Iris, Vicki, and Faith, arrive at the inn with their children and the lawyer who is going to read the will. Meanwhile the cook has taken off as has the front end manager leaving Charley (the maid) as the last worker. On top of that Charley has hidden Bree (an abused girlfriend) at the inn.

Everyone at the inn has hidden secrets and information that they should share. There are betrayals, more betrayals and even some surprises that no one expects. There is a hidden painting worth millions. On top of that there are weapons brandished at a whim, kitchen knives, and lots of alcohol. As the storm rises as does all the tempers and stories, until various people have been killed or tried to be killed or actually were the killers when help eventually arrives. It is a mess that you can not put down!

One Big Happy Family sets readers up to experience the perfect storm (literally) of a family reunion. Following the death of their father, the Bishop sisters come together again to learn what will become of the family hotel where Charley has been working for years. But, with a major storm brewing, unauthorized guest, dark secrets being revealed, and inheritance at risk, things are bound to be messy. I enjoyed the way the author told the story of the Bishop sisters, both in the past and present to learn more about their motives. It kept pointing the blame to each of the people in the hotel, and made this mystery a good one!

I was looking forward to this book because I really enjoyed the author's previous book. Unfortunately this book didn't live up to my expectations. It was slow and didn't hold my interest.

Messy family dynamics, secrets & lies…this book is full of all three!
…and top it all off with being stranded at a hotel in the middle of a nasty hurricane.

This book had its ups and downs- I’m always a sucker for a stranded setting and loads of craziness, but I think it just had a little too much crazy- soooo many characters and storylines, I literally couldn’t keep them straight. I was constantly confusing how everyone was connected and trying to remember their history, to the point where I felt it was overload. I also wasn’t super jazzed about any of the characters.

I felt like it started off strong and I was pretty into the storyline, but things slowed down towards the middle and I had a hard time getting back into it.

I did enjoy the settings & descriptions throughout the book- you get the sense you’re stuck in the middle of the storm with everyone.

I have seen some great reviews for this one, it just wasn’t the most memorable book for me!