I really enjoyed this book. It's a story of 3 sisters Vickie, Faith and Iris Bishop told through the eyes of Charley. who is a maid at the family owned hotel in Maine. There are a lot of secrets from the past that can tear the family apart, but as they say blook is thicker than water. You don't see what is coming next in the book but it does have an ending that I didn't see coming. Very enjoyable book to read.

This was a slow start but once I got into it I loved it! Great characters and an interesting story. Jamie Day tells a great story with in-depth description.

WOW. This was a fun one. Jamie Day has a talent for untangling intersecting stories and letting the puzzle pieces fall together. One Big Happy Family was a doozy. We're instantly transported to the eclectic hotel aptly named The Precipice, located on the rocky Maine coastline. Our main character, Charley, is the resident maid who struggles to make ends meet and supports her Nana in assisted living. After the death of the hotel's lecherous owner, George, his three daughters, and their families descend upon the hotel for the will reading and to figure out their plans for the property. Unfortunately, the weekend of their arrival also brings a rare hurricane, which promises to make this story into a locked-room mystery that keeps readers on their toes. This book keeps you on the very edge of your seat, as you never know what secret will be revealed or who will die next!

One Big Happy Family is a closed room mystery coupled with lots of family drama between some pretty despicable characters. This novel was well written, engaging, and enjoyable. Although I was able to predict the biggest twist pretty early on, the character development, backstories, subplots, and the humor certainly made up for it. Was it a bit outlandish at times? Yes, but that’s the fun in fiction and the suspension of disbelief!

Overall, I would definitely recommend this book, and I look forward to reading more from this author. Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Jamie Day for this free ARC digital copy.

Based on the cover of this book, I was expecting a soapy, drama-filled mystery with explorations of family dynamics and how the past can come back to haunt you.

The truth is, it WAS all of that, but the vibe was definitely more Knives Out meets Agatha Christie - and I thoroughly enjoyed it. This is a whodunnit through and through, with the cast of characters trapped in an old, large resort during a hurricane. And people keep being murdered, with the killer leaving creepy poems for everyone else to find.

There were twists - some easily guessed and some not - and it kept me entertained and coming back for more whenever I could find time to read. I recommend this if you're looking for something to suck you in and keep you immersed in a wild, quirky mystery until the last page.

A twisty turny read that is fast paced and exciting. While I could see the plot twist a mile away it didn’t detract from the read. The main character was likeable and relatable . The story was unique and well written. The atmosphere was well done and made this read fully immersive. Heart stopping moments galore!
A great read

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book. These opinions are my own.

This is a locked room mystery located in an isolated hotel in Maine. Day's writing is clever and intriguing! I was thrilled to get my hands on the advanced copy of this book, considering I LOVED the author’s debut “The Block Party”. This one was quite different and didn't hold up the same way for me but it was an excellent read just the same!

Charley Kelley is a young maid working at the Precipice Hotel. The perverted owner suddenly dies and his 3 daughters come back to see what they inherit. Family dysfunction and discord abounds. Many secrets and lies are revealed.
Not all will make it out alive.

Thank you for the opportunity to review this book. One Big Happy Family was an enjoyable read with a lot of twists and turns. It was a bit slow at points and somewhat predictable, but overall a good book!

One big happy family by Jaime Day due to be published July 16th 2024 was a book I couldn’t put down till finished it. It was as good as Jaime Days other book I read called the Block Party.
Charley is the maid and she has her hands full as the wind wails outside the hotel. A hurricane is looming and a homicidal maniac is on the loose! It was like the weather was forecasting what would ultimately take place inside (the eye of the storm)!
Walls shaking, as bone-rattling gusts hit and the Bishop sisters arrive for the reading of George's will.

The family isn’t going to be happy to find out what the will entails and someone’s going to wind up dead. Who did it?

Thank you Netgalley and Jaime Day and St Martins Press for the opportunity to read this ARC

The Precipice is a remote hotel on the coastline with unmatched views. Papa ruled with an iron thumb and they grew up working at the hotel with various chores. He was determined that his offspring not be spoiled.

Sadly, Papa has passed and the family congregates at the hotel for a reading of the will. Faith is recently out of prison and Brea, Vicki, and Iris are all thinking of how their lives will change when they sell the relic!

The family is fighting and trying to liquidate the property and Vicki will hear none of it. The hotel is on the track of a hurricane that slams into the Maine coastline. People start dying or disappearing. Are the deaths accidents or is someone trying to eliminate the potential heirs?

This read made me very happy that I was not raised with this family. No love is lost between these siblings. The storm worsens and the property is boarded up to protect from blowing debris. Who will remain after the storm to take over the property? If the property is still there. 4.5 stars – CE Williams

Thank you Net Galley and St.Martin’s Publisher for an honest review.
I have to say I liked The Block Party better but this was a book filled with twists and turns. The big happy family was far from it. This was a dysfunctional family with many secrets . It will keep you turning the pages. I enjoyed it.

This book was honestly a really relaxing/easy read. There were a few times I had to go back and reread some parts solely for the fact I was shook at some of the twists and turns. Def a quick, fun and “thrilling” read. I thought I had things figured out and I def did not.

The beginning of this book grabbed me but the middle let me go. I feel like Jamie Day wants to teach a lesson in her books and sometimes the explanations are a little extra. I liked the overall story, I just wish the excitement lasted throughout. I'll definitely pick up her next book though.

Omg 5 stars from me. I loved the hotel aspect (my husband and I love going on staycations) and the family arguments really helped the story thrive. I wanted to know even more about the “secret” woman in the room. It all came together pretty well and I wanted more to the story like more pages.

One Big Happy Family
(This review is from an ARC sent to me by NetGalley)
A Novel
by Jamie Day
This suspenseful thriller takes place in a family-owned hotel on the rocky coast of Maine.
The Bishop sisters, Iris, Vicki and Faith have come to the hotel for a weekend after the passing of their father. The sisters are harboring dangerous secrets.
The other main character in this novel is Charley Kelley, a chambermaid who is in desperate straits who steals from guests and hides a fugitive in one of the hotel rooms.
Each sister has come to claim what is rightfully theirs and so begins the twists, deception and wit the author weaves into the novel.

The Block Party was one of my favorite books last year, but unfortunately One Big Happy Family didn't hit the same. I didn't love Charley as a character and found her internal dialogue annoying, so getting into the beginning of the book was difficult. Eventually it did pick up, but overall I still wasn't loving this one as much as The Block Party.

This book takes place in a hotel in Maine, a hurricane is on its way, a family with secrets, and murders are happening. Terrifying right? The drama, secrets, and lies that the Bishop family have had me thinking “They’re all going to hell.” The story had so many layers that just kept revealing more & more. The history of the sisters was just as interesting as the present day and the way it all comes together makes sense. There are a lot of characters but the author did a good job of describing their background therefore it wasn’t confusing which character was which. They go through real problems, but they are all unlikeable in their way. The ending was shocking 😮 but I was so satisfied with the ending that I’m wondering “Maybe I do sorta like these people but I want to keep my distance”

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this Advanced Reader’s Copy of One Big Happy Family by Jamie Day due to be released July 16, 2024.

I was a fan of Jamie Day’s previous book, Block Party, and this book is similar in that there are secrets between a small group of people. But I predicted the big ending of this book early on and it took some of the excitement and enjoyment knowing what would happen. This book is still good, and when the action picks up halfway it makes it far more enjoyable, but there was a stretch where I felt it dragged a little. None of this would stop me from wanting to read the author’s next book.

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martins for the arc.

I want to start off by saying that I was super happy to get my hands on the advanced copy of this book, considering I LOVED the author’s debut “The Block Party”. While I gave “The Block Party” five glowing stars, this book didn’t quite make the cut for me.

This story centers around Charley, who works at The Precipice Hotel. Charley is young, broke, and trying to pay for her grandmother’s care at an assisted living home. The owner of The Precipice Hotel, George Bishop, passes away- which involves his three daughters coming to town for the funeral. The arrival of the Bishop sisters- Vicki, Faith, and Iris bring a whole set of thrills and complications to the hotel. As the author stated in the book, “these sisters definitely put the fun in dysfunctional!” I just wish that I would have had more fun when I was reading about them…

This story was broken down into Four Parts. While the chapters were nice and short (that’s always an added bonus), I unfortunately felt that this book was too long. It started off with a bang for me, but about halfway through I felt the story started to drag on. I also predicted what was going to happen and how this story would end pretty early on. Another thing that took away from my enjoyment was all the backstories on each of the characters- now normally I enjoy that, but for a thriller it just made for a super long book.

I had super high hopes and expectations going into this book, especially since I loved the author’s debut novel so much. But as you can see, this was a middle of the road read for me. Will I read more from this author? You betcha!! I just felt that this book was going in a few too many directions.

Charley is trying to make ends meet by working as a chambermaid at an old hotel in Maine. When the proprietor dies, his three daughters return home, leaving Charley with lots of questions and concerns about what will happen to the hotel and to her. Of course, everyone is hiding secrets, including Charley! The author does a great job of setting the scene--the suspense ratchets up with a storm on the way, and you know something bad will happen--you're just not sure what. Lots of twists and turns made this an enjoyable read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.