A multi-generational saga are some of my favorite reads. Within Arm's Reach features a large, strict catholic family, the McLaughlins. The family matriarch is aging, siblings are feuding and a grandchild gives them something special to bring them back together.

Napolitano's writing immediately immerses you into the story and its characters. Like her previous works, this story portrays the ups and downs of families, and what happens when all is forgiven.

Thank you, Random House Publishing Group - Random House | Dial Press Trade Paperback.

I thoroughly enjoyed Within Arm's Reach by Ann Napolitano. I have not read any other books by this author, but I definitely will read them all after this one. This book was actually published in 2004 and is being re-released after the success of her recent novels.

Overall, I thought this was a heavy story of three generations of women in an Irish Catholic family, but the author developed her characters so well that I was drawn in from the very beginning. I read this book within a few days because I needed to learn more about the McLaughlin family.

Here are a few things I enjoyed about Within Arm's Reach: (1) multiple points of view (I love stories with alternating POV), (2) all of the secrets (including infidelity and an unplanned pregnancy) this family held from outsiders and from each other, (3) the relationship between Gracie and her grandmother Catherine and (4) how authentic this story felt as my own mother comes from a very large Catholic family.

I felt the ending was a bit abrupt, but it allows the reader to contemplate their own ending to the story.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the eARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

Family’s are messy and Ann Napolitano has done an amazing job showing how the McLaughlin’s, a large Irish Catholic family interacts with each other while all of them are going through some type of difficult situation.

Catherine is the head of the family. She has faced so much loss. She’s getting older so she tries to pull her family together.

Her family is dealing with an unplanned pregnancy, an affair, grief, guilt, depression, an identity crisis, infertility and mental illness. But they are Irish an no one in this family can talk about anything unpleasant or having to do with emotions.

I loved that all of her characters were dealing with a completely different situation. I could tell that this was one of her earlier works republished because it was not as polished as Dear Edward or Hello Beautiful but that did not keep me from being fully invested in the story. My only complaint is that there is not a sequel to find out what happens next. The ending was left so open I was literally screaming “It can’t end like this!!”

Ann Napolitano is an auto buy for me. I love her characters and story lines that are heartbreaking one minute and endearing the next.


I received this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I love Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano and was excited to pick up this previous work by her. I’m glad I did as there were a lot of similarities between the two. Within Arm’s Reach follows three generations of an Irish Catholic family as they learn the oldest girl of the youngest generation is pregnant out of wedlock. The family members all have different reactions to this news and family ties are pushed and pulled as a result.

I love Ann Napolitano’s writing and found this work easy to get lost in. I did find the characters a bit more superficial than I would have liked which led to my investment in their outcomes decreasing. I enjoyed the multiple POVs and the pacing of the novel. The ending is open but in a way that makes sense for the story and is still enjoyable. Overall I had a good time with this work!

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group, and Dial Press Trade Paperback for access to this ebook in exchange for an honest review!

This novel is the author’s debut novel, rereleased after the success of her other books. The multigenerational story of a big Irish American family living in New Jersey is layered and intense. Character driven, the focus is on the grandmother Catharine, the mother and daughter Kelly, and Kelly’s daughters, Lila and Gracie. Catharine is at the time of her life when she is reevaluating her relationships with her own parents, her children and grandchildren. Lila is a med student, unsure whether that path is one she chose for herself or a result of expectations. Gracie and Lila have their own complicated relationship, something Catherine would like to fix. Kelly’s marriage is at risk, but she is not ready to face it yet. Love, loyalty, hardships, and more all contribute to this well written absorbing story. Recommended. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Maybe I wasn't in the right frame of mind to read this novel at this time because I could not seem to follow the many characters and became rather lost and found this book did not keep my interest. long enough to finish it..

I have truly enjoyed reading Ann Napolitano's current books, however, I struggled with this reprint of her debut novel. I understood the concept of the story and that family struggles, relationships, and history were the main focus. The characters, while interesting in themselves, could not function as a family - unit in so many way. Each chapter was designated to one of the main characters in the McLaughlin family. Each member had their own distinct demons they were fighting against and trying to keep separate from their family, which was dysfunctional no matter how much Grandma Catherine wanted it to be otherwise. The writing of the author and her ability to make the reader feel invested in the characters of her books has improved greatly over the years. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Grouo, for the opportunity to read and review this advance reader copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #NetGalley #WithinArm'sReach

This book had kind of a slow start, but I appreciated the relationships between the characters! The alternating perspectives were a nice way to hear from everyone and see what they were thinking, as well as how they felt about one another. Overall a great family story!

Within Arms Reach is Ann Napolitano’s debut novel that has been reissued due to success in the last couple years with Dear Edward and Hello Beautiful. It’s a story about a large Irish family told through the points of view of many of the family members and others close to them. Hello Beautiful was my favorite book last year and I liked Dear Edward as well but Within Arms Reach was a story I couldn’t get behind. It was well written and you could see how far Napolitano has grown as a writer but the characters were harsh and unlikeable. I’m glad I was able to read it though. Thank you NetGalley and Random House for an ARC of the book for a review.

Synopsis: A three generation Irish family and their lives.

Thoughts: This was a struggle to finish. The ending felt unfinished and had a lot of loose ends. I could not connect to any of the characters, and there were a lot throughout the book. I had high hopes because I really did not like Hello, Beautiful and wanted to give this author another try.

Thank you to Ann Napolitano, Random House Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for providing me with an ARC of this book.

Set in the heart of New Jersey, we're introduced to the sprawling McLaughlin clan through the perspectives of not one, not two, but five family members, along with an outsider thrown into the mix for good measure. The story follows this Irish Catholic family and for anyone unfamiliar with books spanning generations, it may be an abrupt entry point. Where this book excels is in well-crafted and layered characters but it can be difficult to follow without a clear plot. Keeping track of everyone in this bustling family tree was a bit like herding cats at first. Within this novel, prepare to encounter a whirlwind of themes and emotions. From the complexities of love and loss to the tangled web of sibling rivalry and long-held grudges, Napolitano explores it all. Pregnancy out of wedlock, the weight of tradition, the delicate balance of mental illness—all are expertly woven into the fabric of this multilayered narrative. Yet, within that chaos, one theme shines through with unwavering clarity: the unbreakable bond of family. Despite their flaws and follies, the McLaughlins remind us that, in the end, family is everything.

But perhaps the biggest challenge with the book should have been the best part —the ending. While Napolitano leaves us with plenty of breadcrumbs to consider the fate of our beloved characters, I couldn't help but wish for a more concrete conclusion.

So, if you're like me and enjoy the rich storytelling of family sagas told from multiple perspectives, do yourself a favour and pick up a copy of "Within Arm’s Reach."

Thank you so so much to the publisher and netgalley. I will preface this by saying I LOVED the author’s two previous works but this one didn’t work for me. I didn’t realize this was a re-issue of a previous edition. It is a character driven multi generational story which I think readers of stories such as We are the Brennans will love,

#Withinarmsreach#netgalley
Within Arms Reach by Ann Napolitano

Catherine is the grandmother and matriarch of this family. The strength that holds everyone together but she is dying and is concerned what will happen to her kids and grandchildren when she passes so she arranges a party get together for everyone to come.
This story is told from several points of view. Admittedly I found it confusing as there were too many characters to follow.
The character development was good and the stories of problems in each relationship were believable but never really resolved.
The ending was kind of sudden and unsatisfying. However I must say although this book doesn't measure up to her other books she wrote I still found the writing very good. 3.75 for this book.

Thank you netgalley and random house for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I was so excited to see a new book by Ann Napolitano since I loved Dear Edward and Hello Beautiful. I quickly discovered this is actually a republishing of Ms. Napoliatano’s first book which was originally published 20 years ago.
This family drama chronicles the lives of the McLaughlin/Leary family during a 9 month period through the eyes of matriarch, Catharine; her oldest daughter, Kelly; Kelly’s two daughters, Gracie and Lila; and a nurse, Noreen. Everyone is dealing with their own drama and instead of working as a cohesive unit, each is so focused on their own issues that no one is able to help one another, until Lila’s eyes are opened by someone unexpected and she realizes that there’s more to life and family than what they all seem to think.
Normally I love family dramas, but this one just didn’t work for me. I don’t mind a dysfunctional family, but when there isn’t a single likable character within the pages of the book it makes it really hard to feel any kind of empathy for the characters and for the issues which they are all having.
After I read Hello Beautiful (having read Dear Edward a couple of years before) I was thrilled that Ms. Napolitano was able to write books that were so deep yet vastly different. It turns out I thought that only because I hadn’t yet read Within Arm’s Reach. I guess it’s a good thing I hadn’t read this one first because I never would have picked up her other two books. I can’t fault the 29 year old author for not writing a book with as much compassion as the 45-50 year old author did since time brings maturity, but I that doesn’t change how I feel about this debut novel. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for an advanced copy of this republishing. Within Arm’s Reach hit the shelves (again) on April 30th.

Through all of her character’s imperfections, mistakes, and gray choices, I have three times now, in 3 of her books I’ve read, been moved to tears with a feeling this is real life- we aren’t all good, all bad, all right or all wrong. Families are made up of complicated choices and experiences. Some of those experiences and choices are made before and for us and shape us into who we are. Within Arms Reach felt like the generational tale of the stories that shape us- for better or worse. And a sweet reminder at the end that we can change things going forward.

True to her character-driven style, the story of the McLaughlin family is unfolded for us through 6 different POVs. This does an excellent job of demonstrating how our stories weave into each other’s. The multigenerational aspect gives a clear picture of how the eras we grow up in have such a deep impact on the ways we are raised. I believe if Ann added an addition to this story with the newest generation of McLaughlin’s, we would see the positive effects that facing emotions head-on (and some therapy!) would have in the healing they all need.
As someone with young adult children and a teenager, Catherine’s POV made me feel the agony of choices you wish you could undo as parents and the pressure of time lost/running out to correct course.

Both Dear Edward and Hello Beautiful were 5 stars for me. I can absolutely see the influences of Within Arm’s Reach in her other books. I may not have liked this one as much had I not read her others first. My attachment to the characters was quicker simply because I felt I could trust the author. This being a debut novel (re-release), the depth of her characters felt a little faster in her more recent books. My recommendation would be that if you’ve enjoyed her later two books or any stories exploring the complicated layers of relationships, you’ll enjoy this as well! If you’ve not read her other work, I would start with either Hello Beautiful or Dear Edward (which has been adapted and streaming on Apple TV).

Originally published in 2004, Napolitano’s debut was very interesting to read after having read her most recent two novels. I think had I read this one when it came out, it definitely would have stood out as a great multi-perspective family saga. As the author states in her note, her writing has gotten even stronger in the last two decades. The parallels to Hello Beautiful were definitely there and it was fascinating to be able to compare that change. It’s a slow moving read but the exploration of how the unexpected pregnancy impacts different generations was well done. There are a lot of characters to keep track of in this one but I still found it easy to follow.

Thank you so much to Dial Press for the ARC.

I am such a fan of this author’s writing and what a treat to go back in time a bit and read one of her earlier works. Though her writing has certainly evolved and sharpened over time I found this novel to still showcase her exquisite skill of showcasing emotional depth with her words.

I was captivated by characters such as Gram, Gracie and Lila though left wanting a bit when it comes to others. Though I did feel that the plot was slightly lacking and a bit underdeveloped I still appreciated how brilliantly she captured the complexities of family dynamics and the emotions that accompany those complexities.

Ann Napolitano will always be a “must read” for me and this book was no exception. I look forward to sharing my thoughts on Goodreads and my social media profiles.

In a short period of time, Ann Napolitano has become one of my favorite authors. Within Arm's Reach is a multi-generational family story told from multiple points of view and captures the messiness of family relationships. As in Napolitano's other books, there is an undercurrent of sadness. At the heart of the story is an unplanned pregnancy, but it also deals with grief, loss, ghosts from our past, and second chances in life.

Also, kudos to Jessica Miller, the artist who painted the cover for this and for Hello Beautiful. Sometimes you can judge a beautiful book by a beautiful cover.

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

A beautiful multigenerational read about and Irish family. There were many characters but I thought reading about all of them created a full perspective of the family.

Thank you netgalley for this copy. My opinions are my own.

A new baby can be a new beginning and a second chance at coming together and being family, but it’s harder when the pregnancy itself is juxtaposed with those familial values

Multigenerational drama abounds in this closer look at an Irish American family whose stasis is rocked by the announcement of the eldest grandchild’s unplanned pregnancy. The story focuses largely on one nuclear family and their matriarch, Catharine.

Having read and enjoyed both of the author’s later works, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this one that was published earlier and with less acclaim. I actually think i like it the most of her work! Paced slow and shifting perspectives throughout, this book feels like a true study of what is left unsaid in estranged, yet geographically close families. In particular, I really enjoyed the dynamic between the two sisters, who were both dismissive of how the other is living their life, but at the same time supportive of each other, when no one else was.

I appreciated that the book both started and ended with Catharine, who could be considered responsible (as the mother) for how her children turned out, unable to communicate with each other and locked in patterns that are blocking them from satisfying lives. Yet Catharine holds a lot of hope for the future and as she nears the end of her life, she hopes to right her wrongs and leave everyone better off than they have been especially in the years since her husband died.

What kept this from being a five star for me was the way that it ended, which felt rushed in comparison to the slow, leisurely pace throughout. The climax felt a little forced and the book ended so abruptly I found myself flipping back to make sure I had actually finished the book!