Some parents feel certain topics like pregnancy are considered too taboo to be discussed with their children and by the time that it is it’s too late. For some families it can even cause strife in the family unit. I thought this was another good read by this author and I’m looking forward to reading more and would recommend.

HELLO BEAUTIFUL is the only book by Ann Napolitano that I've read and I want to read her entire backlist, so I was excited to see her publisher was re-releasing her debut novel, WITHIN ARM'S REACH. I love a sprawling family drama, especially ones about big, Catholic Irish or Italian families. WITHIN ARM'S REACH is told from several points of view from three different generations of the McLaughlin family. There are a lot of family secrets, grudges, and unspoken jealousies, centered around the nine months of the oldest granddaughter's unexpected pregnancy. Everyone in the family, especially the women, seem to be struggling with the direction their life is going in, whether they are just starting out or have been married for thirty years. This is a solid family drama, but I am not a big fan of loose ends, so I just wish some of the family issues had been resolved more fully at the end of the story.

I will always jump at the chance to get an ARC of Ann Napolitano. The author's note at the end explains this book was first published in 2004 and is being republished this year. I feel like that should have been explained at the beginning because no one is texting or calling cell phones and I thought maybe we were in the 80s. Finally a cell phone was mentioned about halfway through so I feel like the book needs to say it is 2004 because I was very confused and maybe the final copy will explain that. On to the review...

I am not normally into "quiet" novels. I need action and more plot heavy than character heavy but somehow Ann Napolitano gets me to love her characters. This is a family drama with three generations of an Irish Catholic family. They live in a small town so everyone knows everyone else's business. Catharine is the grandmother and she has 6 surviving adult children. There is a family tree at the beginning and I kept referencing it until I figured out who everyone was. The main characters are Catharine, her daughter Kelly and son-in-law Louis, and her granddaughters Lila and Gracie, Kelly and Louis's daughters. Gracie has shocking news and it is just about their lives. They all appear fine on the outside but of course everyone has their own issues that they keep quiet from their family. We get to see their struggles and how they face them or don't. I really enjoyed it. I think the book makes you think about your own family members and when you think everything is fine maybe it is not. Maybe reach out more.

-No one in my mother's family ever talks about anything that can be categorized as unpleasant or having to do with emotions, and, as a result, they no longer have anything to say.

-Is life made up of strands that link us all?

-I should have released my tears instead of holding them in. I shouldn't have been embarrassed or worried over appearing weak.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this book for free in exchange for my review! All opinions are my own.

I had high hopes for this book given that I loved Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano and it was one of my favorite books of 2023. While I enjoyed the first part of the book, I started to lose interest towards the middle of the book. I couldn't really see that the book was going anywhere. I am planning on trying the audiobook version though as I've found that books with multiple POVs seem to flow better as audiobooks for whatever reason. This book wasn't amazing but it wasn't horrible either.


Many Thanks again to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest review.

********


If you are interested in seeing more of my reviews and other content feel free to connect with me here <3:

https://linktr.ee/bookreviewsbyjules (links to my Instagram, Goodreads, TikTok, Storygraph, My blog and Substack newsletter, etc)

If you are a publisher or author who has questions about my reviews (as well as questions about my stats, reach or engagement), please free to email me. I am also open to requests for book reviews from authors or publishers. Thank you again for taking time to read my review, and I hope you have a wonderful day!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this book!

Within Arm’s Reach tells the story of a sprawling Irish New Jersey family and their many dynamics during one family member’s pregnancy. The story is told in chapters of alternating points of view of six characters. I thought the characters were well drawn and interesting. Each had their own voice and it was fascinating to read their inner monologues. I found the family dynamics fascinating and some interactions felt very realistic. The book is well written, but as it is a re-release of a past book, it doesn’t feel as developed as Hello Beautiful. I liked the plot better than Hello Beautiful and it felt like a true snapshot of an extended family. It was a fascinating portrayal of various forms of grief - for people and for lives you thought you’d live - and how that impacts individual lives and family dynamics.

I didn't mind this one, necessarily, but it really didn't draw me in as much as "Hello, Beautiful". If you like family drama, then sure, but generational trauma wasn't really the speed I was looking for?

A special moment for me - my first ever e-book! 🤓

I read Napolitano’s “Hello Beautiful” last year and it was one of my favorite reads of 2023, so I knew I wanted to read her re-issued 2004 book “Within Arms Reach.” One thing I love about both of these stories is the focus on creating a compelling family history. I feel like there were so many relatable family moments in this novel which is always a plus.

However, this novel did fall short for me. I wanted more from the characters, and I just found it at times very boring. Napolitano has a beautiful way of writing, and I will definitely read more things she writes, but I found this one was lacking substance.

Thank you @netgalley and @randomhouse for the ARC!

#bookstagram #2024reads #withinarmsreach #aprilreads

I love a good family drama and I really enjoyed Ann Napolitano’s recent releases. I was really excited to read this. The book starts good. I was interested to see where it goes. The family is tight knit. The parents have no spark left in their marriage. The father recently witnessed a sudden death and it seems everyone just brushes off the trauma. As the story unfolds I feel like it gets bogged down with little details and moves very slowly. I found out that this book is a re release of her first book and it makes a lot of sense because she has grown as an author. I definitely recommend reading her newest books.


Thank you to netgalley for a copy of this book.

First, I need to say that this cover is gorgeous. I want to hang it on my wall. Also, I am a big fan of Ann Napolitano and her work. She can bring forth so many emotions and often makes me reflect on my life and the family I have.

This one isn't my favorite of hers (Hello Beautiful was next level for me and I cherish that book) but it still delivered some great writing and those thought provoking moments that I love to receive from Napolitano's work.

There are a lot of characters to keep track of, which made my enjoyment of the story to draw back a bit. It was just a bit too much for me to focus on and I wish it had been streamlined a bit. Although the characters are well developed, I personally didn't really like or connect with any of them but think Napolitano is talented with her creation of multidimensional characters.

If you're a fan of family dramas and books that center on family, parenting, marriage, and the various hurdles, hard times, and sadness that life throws, then pick this one up!

I really enjoyed this story, and seeing the different aspects of this family. I do wish there were more flashbacks to the past when Catherine's children were growing up, but I understand why that was not included.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the free e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is the story of a large Irish catholic family in New Jersey told from 5-6 perspectives. Grandma Catharine is the matriarch watching her children and grandchildren navigate their lives. One grandchild, Gracie, becomes pregnant while unwed and the crux of the story focuses on how the family addresses that event.

This is an extremely well written tale similar to Dear Edward and Hello Beautiful. I understand that this is the author's first book published 20 years ago and its clearly a sign of her promising career. If you enjoyed her other books, I encourage you to read this one as it will not disappoint.

In my opinion, this book was a little long. There were so many characters and points of view to follow. I felt like a lot was going on and it was hard to follow. I did not like the ending. after reading that whole book it was just done.

Unfortunately I had to DNF this one.

I normally do like a good family drama and Hello Beautiful was one of my favorite books I read in 2023 but this one was just not for me. I had a hard time connecting with the characters and just couldn’t get into the story. I feel like there were too many characters to follow and I quickly lost interest as there didn’t seem to be a clear plot.

I am sure many will enjoy this book but for me, it missed a mark.

Thank you NetGalley, Random House – Dial Press and the author for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 stars, rounded up. Within Arm’s Reach is the 2004 debut novel by Ann Napolitano that initially went out of print, and is being republished at the end of April 2024. It follows, from six different perspectives, the story of the Irish McLoughlin family, and how one unexpected event affects them all.

I loved Hello Beautiful, and can tell this is earlier work for Napolitano. While she focuses on familial relationships and tensions in this novel, and the characters are well-developed, there were a few ways this didn’t totally hit the mark for me. The six perspectives weren’t different enough from one another in tone, and I sometimes had to flip back to remind myself whose I was reading from. Also, I was shocked when I got to the end that it was the end. There were a lot of threads in the story that didn’t get resolved. I’d love a sequel, honestly.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the eARC of this in exchange for an honest review.

I've always heard such amazing things about Ann Napolitano's work—and what better way to dive into her backlist than by starting with her very first novel? WITHIN ARM'S REACH, which was originally published in 2004 and is now being re-released, follows three generations of an Irish American family now residing in New Jersey, all wrestling with their own individual issues and how they fit into the family dynamic as a whole.

I love a good family saga, and WITHIN ARM'S REACH definitely delivered on that front! I appreciated how the story was told through multiple perspectives (primarily those of the family members), and enjoyed following all of the complex relationships throughout (my favorite parts were Lila and Gracie's POVs, and their sisterly dynamic). The story is very character-driven, which I personally loved! I always enjoy a slice-of-life story, and Napolitano does a fantastic job of bringing readers into the McLaughlin family's world. She truly makes each character come alive—sometimes with multiple POV's, it can be difficult to fully "get to know" everyone, or distinguish each different voice from one another, but that was not the case here. None of the characters are necessarily likable, but they all feel so real and fleshed-out, and despite any quibbles you may have with them, you'll be rooting for the whole family to unite again by the end of the book. My one frustration (speaking of the end of the book!) was with the ending. Trying not to be too spoilery, but I felt like the story finished really abruptly, and like no one's story ended in a particularly satisfying way, which was a little disappointing after becoming invested in the characters and wanting a little more closure on what happened with each of them. Regardless, I'd recommend WITHIN ARM'S REACH, especially for fans of quiet, character-driven stories and stories centered around family! Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC.

I really liked Dear Edward (the tv series didn’t do the book justice) by Ann Napolitano. I wanted to read another of her books so when Netgalley gave me her latest novel I was excited. I finished Within Arm’s Reach almost a week ago but I haven’t been able to decide if I liked it or not.

The story follows a large multi-generational family and centres on what keeps them close and what tears them apart. The matriarch of this clan finds out that she is dying and her granddaughter is pregnant. While all the other characters have their own dramas unfolding, the focus is on the ushering out of one generation and the arrival of a new one. There were a lot of characters so it got a little confusing. I also struggled to connect significantly to them.

Allow me to break this down to a pros and cons list.

Pros
• It’s beautifully written
• I cycled through a bunch of emotions

Cons
• The lack of a definitive conclusion bothers me
• It felt a little too long to me, maybe because of the pacing

Give this a read and make up your own mind.

Thank you NetGalley and Dial Press for the eARC!
Ann Napolitano’s debut novel, Within Arm’s Reach, originally published in 2004, has recently been re-released. While it lacks the polish of her later books, it does showcase her talent for exploring complex family dynamics. The story unfolds from six different perspectives, spanning three generations of an Irish Catholic family, each with their own struggles and secrets. However, it all felt too heavy…guilt, misunderstandings, and betrayal! I suggest reading Dear Edward or Hello Beautiful instead!

The story is based on three generations of women in an Irish American family. While there are moments of the brilliance to come, this is a much more mundane story, despite everyone having problems. No one is happy with their current lives and all seemed to be trying to find a way to make a change. Her writing in her more recent books it much better.

I was also disappointed with the ending and it being left so open-ended is why I rated it so low. Feels like it just stopped abrupty without actually ending. Could have used one more chapter or an epilogue.

I thoroughly enjoyed Within Arms Reach, what I thought was a new novel by Ann Neapolitano, only to discover in the ending authors note that this was one of her first works! Originally published in 2004 and now being re-released. I was a fan of Hello Beautiful and this novel shares the same vibe…a family’s life and stories entangled and connected. I also appreciate that the stories of these characters are very normal…not overly dramatic or in crisis, but just common struggles, and that there is no big bow wrapping up the end. I feel like this will sit with me and be in my mind for quite a while.

Amazingly well written and deeply heartfelt, Within Arm’s Reach is a family story that feels like an intimate time capsule of the beginning of a new generation in an Irish American family. I found parts of the story disturbingly honest, raw and almost difficult to read- like eavesdropping on a personal conversation- but the writing itself was exceptional. Ann Napolitano describes her characters as truthfully as possible, without filters to make them more charming, but with extraordinary clarity that still makes them endearing in spite of all their flaws.