I really enjoyed the authors previous book but this one was a bit slow going. The characters and story were interesting and the writing was engaging... Just not as good as Hello Beautiful

What a beautiful, heartbreaking, honest look at what it means to be a family. Ann Napolitano is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors - her writing is just so fantastic and sincere.

I loved Napolitano's Hello Beautiful and Dear Edward, so when I saw this one on NetGalley, I jumped on it without realizing it was a reissue of her debut novel. The result was that I did not want to like this one as much as I did! I wasn't mentally prepared for how drawn in I became to this family drama. It helped that every single character was engaging in their own way, even if you didn't quite relate to their struggles. Highly recommend!

Last year, I read Ann Napolitano's novel, "Hello Beautiful" which was a loose adaptation of "Little Women." It was a fantastic novel in my opinion. Ann is able to write about big, dysfunctional families and she does it well!

"Within Arm's Reach" is actually Ann's debut novel which was originally published in 2004 and was just re-released. A reader who has read "Hello Beautiful" may find similarities in this novel as this novel is also about a large, dysfunctional novel. "Within Arm's Reach" is about an Irish-Catholic family, the McLaughlins and their dramas. This novel is told from the viewpoint of 6 different characters. Five of them are family members. Once I began this novel, I could not put it down. I just wanted to see what would become of the characters. I also enjoyed the setting--this book takes place in NJ, in an area I'm very familiar with.

All in all, I think this was a well-written debut novel. If you're interested in reading about large, dysfunctional family dramas, you'll like this one. I only wish the ending tied things up a bit more. It left things very open-ended.

Thank you to the publisher for the digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Beautiful writing and a poignant storyline. I enjoyed getting to know all of the characters and, although there were some slow moments, this was a rewarding read.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/203019737

A reissue of Ann Napolitano's first novel, Within Arm's Reach tells of a sprawling Irish-American family, told mostly through the inner lives of its women. Each character is given a distinct voice, and the fact that Napolitano made use of her own family's history gives authenticity.

As a huge fan of Ann Napolitano, I was excited to read her debut.

This book had a lot of elements that I really enjoy it a book. It is told from multiple POV and mostly deals with family dynamics. While I did like it- I didn’t love it.

I somehow just felt like I had a hard time connecting to the characters. I do think the author is a very talented writer and I did really enjoy her writing style throughout the book. I would have enjoyed a bit of a deeper dive into some of the characters or a bit more resolution at the end.

Overall, if you like character driven novels with a lot of family dynamics, I think this is one you will enjoy.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

When I first requested this book, I thought it was a new novel from Ann Napolitano and I was very surprised, because I remembered reading somewhere that she typically spends an entire year just *thinking* about a story before taking pen to paper. (I wish I could find that interview…it really stuck with me as a lesson in spending time in your story’s world before beginning to write). Anyway, since Hello, Beautiful came out in March 2023, it seemed like super, super quick time between books! Everything made much more sense when I realized that Within Arm’s Reach is a re-release of a novel originally published in 2004, which had been out of print. Ann Napolitano is amazing at character and this novel vividly paints the various members of sprawling Irish-American Catholic family and the rifts that occur when the youngest daughter becomes pregnant outside of marriage. I enjoyed the book and I could certainly see glimmers of Hello, Beautiful in it. I wouldn’t put it on *quite* the same level as that book, but I do think fans of Ann Napolitano should pick this up. And as writer, it’s truly fascinating and wonderful to see how an already-amazing writer’s talents grow from first book to most recent book. I am so curious about what story she’s planning now and I can’t wait to read!

Thanks so much to Random House and NetGalley for providing me with a review copy!

Release date: April 30, 2024 🗓️

If you like a family drama that's heavy on the drama, this book is for you. There was a lot going on here, and a lot of very unhappy people, but it felt so real. At times I wish we dove more into some of the older sister's lives, but there was already enough that it might have overwhelmed the storyline. There were people that my heart broke for, and people I just wanted to shake some sense into.

After reading Napolitano's Hello Beautiful last year, I was excited to get a copy of her new release. Written in similar style as her 2023 release, the book is narrated by the McLaughlin family. Catherine the matriarch, her daughter Kelly and her husband Louis as well as their two daughters, Lyla and Gracie are the main narrators. All dealing with their own issues and problems

Napolitano's character development is superb. However the plot felt unfinished to me. Almost like we read the middle of a book. Things just ended without resolve. I felt like we missed growth in characters or change. I would love to see her continue this story, maybe a sequel to follow.

Thank you to Random House Publishing and Netgalley for this ARC.

Within Arm’s Reach by Ann Napolitano, author of the acclaimed Hello Beautiful, embeds the reader in a chaotic Irish Catholic family that avoids anything unpleasant. Told from the points of view of six family members beginning with grandmother Catharine who sees ghosts including those of her dead children. When her single granddaughter Gracie, an advice columnist who hasn’t a clue about her own life, becomes pregnant, the family tries to intervene. This is a rerelease of Napolitano’s first novel published in 2004. While not as polished as her later novels, Within Arm’s Reach features a carefully constructed cast of characters coping with loss, identity, and hope. It brilliantly shows sibling rivalry.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for this ARC.
3 stars

I have mixed feelings about this book. I started off loving it, and read it super quickly until probably around 60%. After that, it started to drag a little and I also started to get really annoyed by the characters. From reading Ann Napolitano's Hello Beautiful, I know that she does an amazing job writing these intense family/character studies, and I really enjoy that. However, this one felt like it could've used just a tiny bit more plot, or maybe more time spent with fewer characters. For example, there were some character arcs that I really liked, such as Lila's, and I would've liked more time with her; on the other hand, I really disliked Kelly's chapters and while I understand why she was included, I don't think I needed as much time with her. But this being said, I still want to give appreciation to Ann Napolitano for her amazing work with developing these flawed characters and presenting their stories with empathy. I just think it was a little too long for me, and tried to do a little bit too much.

I would recommend this book to anyone to enjoys books about family, books written from multiple points of view, and books that are more character driven versus plot driven. There's some really wonderful growth shown in this book, I just found it a little too lengthy personally.

Ann Napolitano has such a knack for writing about family dynamics. This story, although definitely not plotless, is a heavily character driven novel. I absolutely loved getting to know all of these family members and felt like they were so relatable. If Ann writes it...I'm going to read it.

I liked the plot premise and it was well written but found it slow and uneventful. Not the most interesting or likable characters. This is the my least favorite of the author’s books.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

My review is available on Goodreads.
I read this as an ARC through Netgalley.
Ann Napolitano's 'Hello Beautiful' was one of my favorite books of 2023, and I was excited to read another story by the same author. 'Within Arm's Reach' is a re-release, as the book was originally released in 2004. Ann Napolitano's writing style remains relatively the same. In case you haven't read her work, her writing is gorgeous. She writes fleshed-out characters, and they are not always likable. However, her characters are very relatable. I almost gave this book 3 stars. It felt excessive at times. The dialogue was heavy and negative. Furthermore, I wish it would have a more detailed ending. The author's writing is not spoon-fed, but there was a lot to absorb in the final chapter. The conclusion lacked clarity. It is a 4-star read because the writing is elevated and it feels like an honest portrayal of family dynamics.

I loved Dear Edward and really liked Hello Beautiful, but this novel — Ann Napolitano’s debut — fell a bit flat for me, and I generally like multi-generational, family storylines. This one tells the story of three generations of the McLaughlin family, an Irish-Catholic family that is pretty dysfunctional and has been thrown into somewhat of a tumult because of an unexpected pregnancy. It is told from six different viewpoints, including Grace, who is unmarried and pregnant, and her grandmother, the matriarch who is near death. Although the characters were well-developed and beautifully constructed, the storyline dragged quite a bit. Nonetheless, I found it to be and interesting read, and I look forward to reading more from Ms. Napolitano.

I keep saying I’m going to stop accepting/requesting ARCs, because I have so many unread books on my shelves. And then I get a widget for this one from @randomhouse @thedialpress and ugh…of course I can’t resist. This book came to me at just the right time. I love to get lost in family dramas and this one let me get inside the thoughts of 5 different characters.

A large Irish family with a Grandmother at the heart of this story. The McLaughin family is full of characters that are poor communicators, stuck in their own negative thoughts and oblivious to the vast amounts of love around them- I devoured this one. If you loved Hello Beautiful, I think you’ll love this one too. I actually liked this one more. As an interesting note- this is Napolatino’s first book. In her author’s note she speaks about the failures of her first works. This one flew under the radar, so the publisher reprinted it in paperback after the success of Hello. Lucky for us!!

I loved this story. I loved this family. I loved these characters. I loved how flawed each one was. I loved how interconnected the characters were. I loved hearing about situations from so many different points of view. A word of warning though- if you love a neatly wrapped up ending- you won’t find it here. It almost felt like the story just stopped all of a sudden. But it made me think about how many different ways the core events could turn out. I love a messy family with an open ending so… of course I LOVED this book!

I just can’t say enough about this author’s writing. It’s gorgeous without being too flowery, it’s observational without throwing opinions in your face, and it’s just so emotionally spot on. Whatever she writes, I’m reading it.

Thank you @netgalley @thedialpress and @randomhouse for the ARC to read and review. Available NOW!

Within Arm’s Reach was first published in 2004 — Ann Napolitano’s debut. I am so glad that her publisher decided to re-release the book. I am a huge fan of Hello Beautiful and Within Arm’s Reach really shows you how Ann developed her writing over the years. There is a grain of Hello Beautiful in this book, although it is not as polished as Ann was twenty years younger when she wrote the book.

The book is about the McLaughlin family — Catherine the matriarch of a large Irish family — 5 living children and three dead ones. The book follows Catherine as she begins to decline and follows her four daughters, 4 granddaughters and grandson. The most focus is on Kelly, Catherine’s oldest daughter and her two granddaughters Lila and Grace. Lila is a joyless individual who is in medical school for the wrong reasons — Grace likes sex and ends up pregnant and she decides to keep the baby.

There were many perspectives from different characters in the book, which worked for me until she introduced a perspective near the end from a character who had not been heard from before. I thought that late perspective was odd and didn’t really work.

I appreciated this book and getting to sit with Ann Napolatino’s early works.

Thank you to the publisher and net galley for a free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Crown Publishing / Random House & NetGalley for the ARC of this re-issue.

This was a tedious book. I learnt that this is the author's debut book and therefore I'm reading it courtesy the re-issue, some 20 years later. While I haven't read other works by the author (Hello Beautiful recently seemed to be everywhere), and therefore not sure if this is her general style of writing (however, the Goodreads ratings for this book vs her others seem to suggest that the others aren't as dull), I did not enjoy this book folks.

I think my issues with this re-issue (ha) were twofold: (1) nobody was likeable in this Irish (immigrant) American family. In fact, calling them unlikeable is being generous - they were completely unrelatable, emotionless and downright detestable. There, that is a much more accurate description. The extreme and disastrous choices they make as adults and the places they emanate from (childhood traumas and familial tragedies) make very little sense and could very well be averted by a couple of sessions of therapy - or really even talking to a friend who is normal. They are unjustifiably unkind to each other, their conversations unnatural and stunted and they may have been inspired by a real-life family but as a reader it was very hard for me to understand why a decently well-off family from New Jersey of all places had so many problems.

(2) Nothing ever happens in this book! Ann Napolitano's writing style is pacey enough but there was absolutely no material here. Nearly nothing unfurls in the first 50% of the story and then the little that does is not enough / doesn't really go anywhere. Unfortunately, a miss for me, and might even be categorized as a colossal waste of time.

Fantastic plot! I could not put the book down once I began reading it. I am so glad the book has been released. I will recommend it to everyone I know!