This one was difficult for me to get into. There were a lot of POVs to follow and I found my mind wandering as I read. I will say that Napolitano’s more recent works are outstanding.

I sure wanted to enjoy this book. Since reading and enjoying Dear Edward and Hello Beautiful, I've worked my way through all of Napolitano's work. Within Arm's Reach is a reissued novel with the first iteration being published in the 90s. To sum up my feelings about Within Arms Reach: I hate the McLaughlins...all of them. They're whiney, self-centered, lazy, entitled. The only character in the book with any redemptive qualities is Eddie and he's dead (and not a McLaughlin). I kept reading in the hopes that there would be a twist that made it all worth it - there wasn't.

I actually ended up listening to the audio and WOW- what a cast of narrators! I'm a huge Ann Napolitano fan but I was hesitant about this one because of the low ratings on goodreads. After reading, I can see that Ann was a bit ahead of her time in regards to a family drama. I feel as though these types of family drama are in their prime right now, making it a no brainer to re-publish this. I felt that the drama was REAL. As with HELLO BEAUTIFUL, I could feel this drama on another level, as someone who lives with this type of family. If you don't, you may not connect as much. I felt that this one was strong for the first 50-75% and then I did think it fell off a bit, but the audio really kept me engaged.

shame on me for not being more careful but this this not a new book by the great author Ann Napolitano....this is a reprint to match the branding of Hello Beautiful. This is disappointing

I received this book from NetGalley for an honest review. This is actually a re-release of Ann Napolitano's debut novel. The story is about three generations of one family all trying to find something that is missing or unsettled in their lives. I felt that the writing was beautiful. This is definitely a character driven story. There is no real plot, you simply follow the various characters throughout their lives as they grapple with things such as loss, romantic relationships, affairs, new babies, religion, career choices, and ultimately finding peace. I thought this was an easy read and I found myself wanting to find out more about the characters. Each chapter is narrated by someone else in the story, and I did feel like there were a few too many perspectives. In addition, the book ended fairly abruptly without some of the story lines fully wrapping up. Overall, I thought it was a lovely story and I would recommend it.

I enjoyed this book but I wasn't in love with it. For a debut novel, the writing is strong and while there were a lot of characters (narrating), I liked quite a few. I still think Dear Edward is my favorite book by her!

Within Arm’s Reach is a rerelease of Ann Napolitano’s first book, which I surprisingly had not heard of. I loved Hello Beautiful and Dear Edward so I was excited to read this one and hear another one of her multigenerational family tales. This one centers around an Irish Catholic family that’s had their share of struggles. I enjoyed the multiple POV and especially liked the grandmother. Ann is a pro at creating realistically flawed characters and I especially liked the grandmother. I didn’t agree with many of the characters but I was always rooting for the family to come together again.

This was too slow for me and I did not finish the entire book. I read about 60% and skipped to the last couple of chapters. What I read was a good story, but it was too descriptive in a way that didn't add to the story enough for me to care to read it all.

A large dysfunctional family of Irish descent is at the center of the story. The elder, Catherine, is an aging widow who was pregnant nine times and lost three children. The exit of the twins bothered me and was the first thing to sour me on the story. Catherine most likely learned from growing up herself that talking about the dead wasn't done so she kept that pain inside forever. A strong woman she was to raise all these children, but she gave up herself to do that.

Gracie, her eldest and favorite grandchild is newly pregnant and newly single; this does not go over well with Catherine, yet she steps up to make sure Gracie will be able to handle it financially. Gracie's sister Lila is having a really hard time in medical school, but not with the learning part. Lila does not have the empathy or ability to relate to the patients and is being spoken to about it. They are roommates and are opposites in their thinking which isn't the best way to be when you both need support.

Other family members are brought in and of course all have issues.

This book was a rerelease from the early 2000's now that the author has several well known books. Her followers might like this, but it was not for me. Thank you NetGalley for an advance reader copy. I offer my honest opinion. which is freely given.

•Plot: 2/5 (…nothing really happens. I guess if I had to sum it up, an unplanned pregnancy meets end of life care?)

•Characters: 2/5 (There’s so many characters. And I had a hard time connecting with any of them.)

•Writing: 2/5 (This book is written in present first person narration. It makes everything seem super choppy and I think it’s part of the reason none of the characters really landed for me. One of my favorite things about Napolitano’s books is the heart that she writes with…unfortunately, it just didn’t come through for me on this one.)

•Ending: 1/5

I love Ann Napolitano and was so excited to receive this ARC. Unfortunately, this one was a miss for me. I still highly recommend this author, but I’d definitely recommend some of her other titles first. Special thanks to Random House for the ARC.

A multi-generational family saga about a traditional Irish-Catholic family and several events that turn everyone's lives upside down.

This is Napolitano's first novel that is being republished due to the success of her most recent two. I actually enjoyed this a little more than <u>Hello, Beautiful</u>. It's told in a similar vein, but to me, this story had more enjoyably flawed characters with better development. I wasn't a huge fan of the abrupt ending though and the long chapters made the pacing a little slower than it could have been.

Having read and loved Napolitano's two other books (Dear Edward and Hello, Beautiful), I was overjoyed to get the opportunity to read the re-release of her first novel, Within Arm's Reach. I've always loved her style of writing, how she can craft such a beautiful and emotional story with characters you can relate to and care for. This book was more in the vein of Hello, Beautiful in that it explored the deep but extremely flawed relationships of a large family. I really enjoyed that the POV changed as we moved from chapter to chapter and it allowed for the layers of each character to peel away as we came to know them more intimately. While none of the characters I especially liked, I still was drawn in to the story and was intrigued by where things would lead and how it would end. I found it interesting to hear how the members of the family thought of each other and what they assumed was happening to another character (who we, the reader, were privy to the truth). I thoroughly enjoyed the complexity among Gracie and Lila, two girls who reminded me so very much of my own two young daughters; not close but learning to come together as adults. I loved how Catherine, the strong matriarch of the family, came to realize how critical her role was in the family as she came to terms not only with the knowledge of her own mortality, but also as she reflected on how she could have dealt with her immense traumas which seemed to pile on and on. Overall I was very pleased by this book and had I not known otherwise, I would have assumed this was her third published book, not her first. The stunning manner with which she gives her characters life is certainly a strength of this author and one of the reasons why I will auto buy her work going forward. What a great family literary journey. I'd recommend this for any reader who enjoys a slow burn family drama the likes of Mary Beth Keene or Ann Patchett. I'd especially recommend if you enjoyed Hello, Beautiful.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book with my unbiased and honest opinions.

Since I loved Ann's recent book, Hello beautiful, I quickly requested this book. I thought it was a new book when, in fact, it was her first book written and her agent had it rereleased.so that more people could enjoy it. Her writing has improved greatly since she wrote this book and it has similar family dynamics to Hello Beautiful. I loved exploring the relationships of three generations of this Irish family. It is a very enjoyable book. Thanks to @Net Galley for the ARC of this book.

Ann Napolitano, author of the highly-acclaimed novels Dear Edward and Hello Beautiful, has a new book coming out this spring. Within Arm’s Reach promises to be another beautiful tribute to family love, loyalty and triumph. Ms. Napolitano has a gift for creating families that are interesting, smart and filled with drama, and this book is definitely no exception. While Hello Beautiful and Dear Edward stand out to me as my two favorite Napolitano books, I enjoyed this latest title and will definitely recommend it this spring and summer.

I was really excited to read this book because I loved Hello Beautiful and Dear Edward. Just like these two books, Within Arms Reach was pretty sad. The difference is the other two books had happier endings. It wasn’t that Within Arms Reach had a sad ending, it just felt unfinished. I really want an epilogue to this book. However, Within Arms Reach was beautifully written and I was really drawn into the characters. Honestly, I couldn’t put the book down once I started reading it. I just wish it hadn’t ended so abruptly. I wish Ann Napolitano had added more to the ending before rereleasing it again. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read this book!

WITHIN ARM’S REACH ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5. This book revolves around a traditional Jersey Irish Catholic family, whose beliefs of putting on a front of faith & perfection is deep from that. Told from multiple POVs, when a granddaughter is unwed and pregnant, the families trauma comes to a fore front. So, unfortunately I just didn’t really connect with this book and therefore it had a hard time keeping my attention. The best part to me was the description of New Jersey (specifically Bergen County where I live). I didn’t like any of the characters, or the ending. I see how many who love contemporary fiction will love this book, just wasn’t for me. I felt when I finished it, that nothing was accomplished.

I’ve love Napolitano’s two latest novels. this is a republishing of her debut novel for its 20th anniversary. Honestly for me this book was hard to finish; her writing style has changed and improved immensely since this book and it’s definitely more of what would’ve been classified as ‘chick-lit’ rather than the hard hitting stories she writes today. as a fan of her work, this one just wasn’t for me sadly.

Ann Napolitano's 2004 novel is republished to the audience who loved Dear Edward and Hello Beautiful. The McLaughlin family lives in small town New Jersey. The adult children and their parents in this extended Catholic family all struggle to find love and romance. The novel focuses on two events: Gracie, who is in her late twenties, is pregnant; and Gram, the matriarch, breaks her hip. In between the family members are making career decisions and either looking to escape or find marriage. Set on the premise of the lives of a big Catholic family, the story is full of incidents where many of the Ten Commandments are broken.

I enjoy Ann Napolitano’s books immensely and this one is no different. This is a multi-generational family saga told from multiple point of views. For me, the multiple point of views was difficult at times to follow, but I did like the different perspectives. I don’t love an open ending and would have loved an epilogue for the characters, but a great read.

Thank you @netgalley and @randomhouse for the eARC of Within Arm’s Reach by @annnapolitano in exchange for an honest review!

📖📖 Book Review 📖📖 Prepare yourself for an emotional rollercoaster throughout Within Arm’s Reach. This book wastes no time diving right into the tough topics of pregnancy complications and child loss . Probably some of the most difficult topics to fathom and the stark reality is that women are still dying of childbirth in the USA in 2024. Through the unfathomable grief and loss, Ann Napolitano writes a beautiful and poignant novel about discovering hope and resiliency after your world comes crashing down around you. Generational trauma runs deep and is illustrated beautifully in this book through the multiple point of views as this family navigates through the highs and lows of life. An powerful read that is raw, relatable and relevant.

I was a big fan of Napolitano’s latest two books. And I’m assuming their success motivated Random House to bring back her first book, Within Arm’s Reach. Let’s just say that her writing has definitely improved.
The book tracks three generations of an Irish American family, starting with the grandmother, Catharine, moving to her daughter, Kelly and son-in-law, Louis, and then her two granddaughters. I struggled to engage with any of them. Catharine has visions, or “sightings” as she calls them. I typically struggle with books that contain any hint of ghosts and this was no exception. She’s birthed 9 children but only 6 survived. She’s a tough bird. Kelly, at age 56, is finally trying to find herself. She feels removed from both her daughters and siblings. Gracie, one of the granddaughters, is pregnant. She’s not married, not involved with the father but decides to keep the baby. Her sister, Lila, is doing rotations at the hospital but doesn’t have the personality to be good with patients (or anyone, to be honest). Think Doc Martin but without the humor.
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. I struggled to engage with any of them.
My advice is, stick to her more recent books, which are excellent.
My thanks to Netgalley and Random House for an advance copy of this book.