This book was a total delight to read. It follows the four Jacobson siblings after the death of their beloved mother, and when three of them win the Powerball and become rich beyond their wildest dreams, we find out what’s really important in their lives.

There was so much I loved about this book! When I started, I expected a fluffy, feel-good read and I was surprised with the amount of emotional depth this book had! It definitely packed a punch as we got to see each of the siblings navigate some really complicated times in their lives.

The family dynamics in this story were so interesting and I was so invested in their relationships with each other. Like most big Jewish families, tradition is important to the Jacobsons, and it was so cool to see the story play out along the backdrop of several holidays and Jewish milestones.

I loved how human these characters felt: how they made mistakes and learned from them and used their new knowledge to become better people. The core of this book is the idea that family is what’s important at the end of the day, and I loved how heartwarming the story was.

(3.5 stars rounded up)

I enjoyed Elyssa Friedland's first book Last Summer at the Golden Hotel.
The way she writes a historical family saga keeps me turning the pages.
Recommended for fans of Mary Kay Andrews.

This author's books have been so fun for me to read and this one was the same!

I think the whole concept was quite fun and a bit silly in the best way. The family dynamics being explored felt genuine and while they were complex, they weren't overly heavy topics that brought down the vibes of the book.

This book is definitely a really fun summery book to fly through at the end of the season!

I love a story about adult siblings coming together and all bringing their own dramas but Jackpot Summer just didn’t work for me. There was 1/3 of the book before we even got to the lottery winning. And the characters felt like cliches to me. Ultimately I decided to DNF. Thank you to the publisher for the free book to review.

Review will be posted on 8/2/24

The "fabulous four" as coined by their loving mother, the Jacobson siblings have always been the light of their mother's life. That is until a year ago, she died of lung cancer, even though she had never smoked a day in her life. Their father has plans to move to sunny Boca Raton, and in turn, they must put their family's Jersey Shore beach house on the market. The four siblings come together to sell the house, but they are all dealing with their own issues. Then the most unexpected thing happens! Some of the siblings win the Powerball lottery. Cue the life-changing events! At first, they think all this money will solve their problems, but it doesn't. The problems are still there and the money has caused even more issues within their family. Jackpot Summer by Elyssa Friedland is a solid beach read that brings all the family drama to the center stage and will remind readers of what is truly important in life.

Friedland toggles back and forth between each sibling's point of view in Jackpot Summer. This worked for me in that I was able to really get a handle on each Jacobson sibling. I also really enjoyed their "group chats." Jackpot Summer was giving me major Parenthood and Brothers & Sisters vibes, so if you liked those shows, you will enjoy all the family drama that Friedland provides. My other favorite aspect of this novel was the Jersey Shore setting. I grew up going to the Jersey Shore, so I could especially appreciate this. So, if you have ever wondered what life would be like if you won the lottery and how it might impact your day-to-day as well as your relationships, this book will most definitely get you thinking about that.

One of my favorite books of the year! As an LBI fan, I loved the LBI/Jersey Shore vibes and how many local spots Elyssa included. I also loved the Jewish rep and how Elyssa portrayed the four siblings. It felt super realistic (other than the winning the lottery part...). A ton of fun!

Jackpot Summer by Elyssa Friedland. Thank you Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for my #GIFTED copy. My review is of my own accord.

While packing up the family’s treasured Summer beach house after the death of their mother, the Jacobson siblings buy a lottery ticket. Well two of the three siblings pool their money to buy tickets.

A few weeks later, the Jacobson’s learn that they have won the life-changing sum of 261 million dollars! They are millionaires!

Money going to their heads, the youngest sibling blows through his winnings at super speed! When his older siblings catch wind that Noah is not doing well — he’s depressed and withdrawn, the family pull together to repair their relationships and help Noah dig himself out.

My thoughts:
This was such a funny, feel-good read that kept me entertained. I loved the family dynamics. Family is powerful and even more powerful when they come together.

Friedland does families dramedies where no one is either too horrible or too good very well. In this story we follow four siblings after three of them win a lottery, and how it affects each of them. Of course we learn that money doesn’t solve all your problems, but I thought it was done in an interesting way. This was a good summer read about a mostly (pretty privileged) family as they come into a lot of money, and how that makes them examine their lives.

This was somewhat predictable but altogether enjoyable, especially for this Jersey girl. I loved the local details, so much of it comfortable and familiar. Perfect book to read on the beach this summer, “down the shore,” of course!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

A while ago, during a late night at work, my co-workers and I began chatting about the lottery. People started listing the expensive purchases and life changes they would make if they hit it big. A large portion would quit their jobs, but I wasn't so sure. I said I wouldn't change my lifestyle enough for the win to be noticeable. One of the other team members agreed- stating that he would not even switch his apartment. Instead, he would simply buy a second, secret, apartment where he could enjoy cool stuff without anyone hitting him up for money. You see, he and I both knew that winning the lottery is not always all it's cracked up to be. The Jacobson siblings in Elyssa Friedland's novel Jackpot Summer would have benefited significantly if they had a similar conversation.

While there are four Jacobson siblings - Matthew, Laura, Sophia, and Noah - only three of them go in on lottery tickets together. Matthew, the oldest and richest of them all pre-lotto, follows his wife Beth's advice and opts out. Boy does he learn to regret it.

His siblings quickly discover that money does not solve all problems. Laura tries to use cash to fix her broken marriage and convince her kids to come home more, but nobody likes being controlled by their purse strings. Sophie uses the money to quit her day job and create art - only to find she's so in her head over the win she can no longer paint. Noah, the baby, who was floating around aimlessly performing tech repair before the win now has a million people calling him for money and can't seem to find anyone interested in him for something other than a check.

Pile onto that the fact that the siblings are dealing with the fallout of three of them becoming millionaires while the fourth must still work a job he hates, and you can see how the family dynamics are strained. Plus, the matriarch who used to keep the peace passed away a year ago and their father is all but absentee parenting as her retires to Boca and whiles away his days playing pickle ball.

I found myself finding some of the financials in the book extremely dubious. We are given a realistic picture of what would actually be left for each sibling after taxes (spoiler alert - way less than the advertised jackpot) and while it is still a nice chunk of change, I find it difficult to believe it would be enough for the lifestyles described. This is especially true in the case of Laura, who buys a multi million dollar home and then sets off and numerous luxury vacations all while spoiling her college aged daughters whose tuition's she's paying. Ironically it is Matthew's wife Beth, the one who refused to buy a ticket, who points out that the Jacobson's were rich before they ever won the lottery. They had a second home on the Jersey shore growing up. They participated in extracurricular activities and their parents through neighborhood parties and charity events. Beth's speech pointing out the privilege in all of that was one of the best parts of the book and made me forgive the wonky real estate and travel spending that should have eaten through that lotto money within months.

Each Jacobson story is unique and they all have their own lessons to learn, but together the reader comes away feeling fulfilled. I found myself sucked in to the family saga, especially as it is told with humor. My favorite part related to a certain piece of jewelry and the revelations about their deceased mother that come at the end. Because really, we all mess up from time to time, but the point is to at least try. When the siblings realize this they are able to move forward together.

All four of the Jacobson siblings are a mess. Whether it’s their careers, their love life, or financial situation, each of them is going through a difficult time individually when they all gather to pack up their childhood Jersey Shore home. While there, 3 of the siblings decide to go in on some Powerball tickets, and to their surprise they win. Only the winnings don’t help make their lives better, instead the money begins to create new issues including major tensions between the once very close siblings.

The messy family dynamics in this story were so well done! Add a wonderful summer setting and the chaos of winning the lottery and you have such a fun summer read. The family group texts were a highlight for me, and I’m sure anyone else with a sibling group chat can relate. It was also interesting seeing how they each handled not only their personal struggles, but also how the money changed them. This was a heartwarming read filled with humor and many questionable decisions.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for the advance copy.

You'll feel like a winner after reading this story about a family torn apart (and brought back together!) in the wake of a Powerball prize that would make your head spin.

The newest Elyssa Friedland novel gives us my favorite of her writing styles: A story about a complicated, messy family who love each other but often don't like what's going on. In her newest, JACKPOT SUMMER, we meet the Jacobsons: A father and four children who are mourning the loss of their Matriarch and who are preparing to sell their family Jersey Shore home. When some of the less-successful Jacobson siblings-the artist, Sophie, the frantic Laura, and the aimless Noah-end up with a winning lottery ticket, the family's chance to start over is made more complicated by the fact that not everyone in the family won: There's oldest sibling, Matthew, as well as their father, to think about. As the Jacobsons get comfortable with their new lifestyles, old habits and deep secrets come to the surface. Can the Jacobsons find a new familial pattern?

I am always so happy to be able to take a new Elyssa Friedland novel on an escapist trip with me. JACKPOT SUMMER is the ultimate summer read: It's soapy, it's sunny. It's got tsuris, if you know what that means. It's fun to be able to recognize what parts of yourself are reflected in each of these weird but wonderful siblings (I thought I was a Sophie, but I'm definitely a Laura/Matthew combo). It's a novel that reminds you how important it is to celebrate success and recognize failure as it relates to your relationship with your loved ones. And it's a lot of fun to read. What more do you need?

What would you do if you won the lottery? In JACKPOT SUMMER the Jacobson clan wins big time. They are back at their family house in Jersey shore and they are helping their father clean out the house. Their mother sadly passed away and their father is moving out. Noah, one of the siblings, goes to a seven eleven and decides to buy a lottery ticket. His two sisters go in on it also. Later they get the shock of their life when they find out they won. What will each of them do with their portion of the winnings?

Funny how life-changing a lot of money can do to a person. Each sibling reacts differently. They were once a close family, but the drama of handling so much money puts a strain on their relationships. Will they realize it before it's to late to repair the family bond they once had?

What a fascinating story filled with family drama, grief over losing a parent, winning a bundle of money, acceptance of each other's quirky traits and more! The family is pulled apart in many directions as they each deal with their own lives and money problems. Will love for family win in the end? The author expertly deals with a delicate familial topic that instantly drew me in. I read through the night wondering how it would all end up. JACKPOT SUMMER is a touching, dramatic, emotionally charged story, that is perfect escapist fare!

I enjoy Elyssa Friedland's novels and always look forward to a new one. Elyssa's family sagas are especially a lot of fun and include a lot of quirky and well-developed characters pushed into a situation of sorts. (I hope she'll write about a family wedding, or even a Bar Mitzvah, one of these days.) Her latest, Jackpot Summer, is her best one yet!

A while back, I read a novel where there was a situation involving a couple winning a lottery and how much stress it brought into their lives. This was the first time I ever heard of that being an issue for lottery winners, so it was fascinating and probably my favorite aspect of that novel. So I was excited to read an entire story about how winning a lottery affects a family. And Elyssa really delivered! I had a fun time getting to know the Jacobsons and seeing how winning millions affected their lives. There is a lot of Jewish humor sprinkled throughout and that added to the charm of this novel.

My only concern was that I felt like time moved too fast. While I liked all the narratives, I wish that some had been fleshed out more instead of rushed.

I definitely recommend Jackpot Summer for an entertaining read! I am eagerly awaiting whatever Elyssa comes up with next.

Movie casting suggestions:
Sophie: Stacey Farber (I had her in mind even before Sophie's hair color was mentioned.)
Laura: Natalie Portman
Matthew: Andrew Garfield
Noah: Jonathan Lipnicki
Doug: Julian Morris
Beth: Diora Baird
Ravi: Nikesh Patel
Leo: Dan Hedaya

Very well written story. Three of four siblings win the lottery. Family dynamics shift and they ,it’s work through their new realities. I just stopped being interested in their plight in 5e scone half of the story.

This book was not what I was expecting. It’s a little heavier than the cover indicates. A family drama about four siblings packing up their family’s beach house after their mother’s death. A few of the siblings chip and buy lottery tickets and win. Between this and the feelings in selling the family house, there is a lot of life changes happening for the group

Told in alternating POVs of the siblings with mixed media thrown in. I was a fan of the “fantastic four’s” text chain.

It’s heartfelt and messy. Just like families are. The characters are complex and relatable. All the siblings are in different places in their lives and you get to see how they aren’t always in tune with each other. Something I think we all forget whether we are dealing with family or others.

Their mother was the one that could diffuse their issues and solve their problems, so it was a little bit of a study in how do the siblings move forward in their lives without her guidance.

While it was a little weightier than I anticipated, it also made me laugh. The banter and rivalry between the siblings added some entertainment and lightness to the otherwise serious issues.

Thérèse Plummer Did an excellent job narrating the siblings and bringing their idiosyncrasies and issues to life. I easily followed along and kept track of who was narrating each chapter.

If you are a fan of the messiness of family drama, this needs to be on your summer reading list.

The highlight of this book is the relationship between the four siblings, Matthew, Laura, Sophie and Noah. After their mother, Sylvia, dies, the four are packing up the house when Noah buys a lottery ticket for three of them. Hitting the Powerball should make life easier, but the downfalls and pitfalls make for both humorous and challenging stories for the siblings and their families. Laura and her husband Doug attempt to put their life back together by throwing money towards an expensive house and extravagant vacations, while Sophie quits her teaching job but loses her inspiration to create. Noah is lonely as he feels everyone just wants some money from him, while Matthew, originally left out, is cut back in and is dealing with work issues, his wife Beth and his so , Austin, I recommend this book for the human foibles that can occur even when it seems life should be easy. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I LOVED THIS BOOK.

Let me shout about how much I love this author. Last Summer at the Golden Hotel was so stinkin' fun and I still think about it often. I know these characters, the Fantastic Foursome will stay with me a long time, too.

Alternating perspectives amongst the four siblings is *chef's kiss*. I love all of the drama, the spouses, the dysfunction, all of it. What could possibly go wrong when the four win the lottery?

A perfect summer read!

3.5/5 stars - rounded up

Thank you Berkley Publishing for the advanced reading copy!

SYNOPSIS -- Though the four Jacobson children were taught to budget from an early age, they still show up to help their Dad clean out their beach house in total financial disarray. Between a failed marriage, a successful but miserable career, and two with little to no career at all, these four are a total mess. When Noah, the youngest, sees and ad for a Powerball drawing, three of the siblings go in on tickets, while one of them passes. Suddenly, three of the four siblings are millionaires, their Dad is living in a retirement village in Florida, and their other brother is miserable and left-out. While the money is great, it's no substitute for family, and the sooner the Jacobson's realize that, the better.

This was a super fun book, and great to listen to on audio! The multiple POVs from the siblings added a ton of dimension to the story, though I do think this could have been further emphasized by having different narrators for each character, too. The character development was great, though, and all of them had such dynamic and chaotic personalities, it was a blast! Some parts of this book felt a little bit too long, but it wrapped up well and in a satisfying way. The dad felt pretty generic for about 90% of this book and the beginning of the story was fairly chaotic, it took a second to get in to. Overall this was a fun read. Great family dynamics and fun turn of events, there was just something lacking to bring it up to a higher rating.

This book was perfect while I was away this week!! This was so entertaining & full of drama and was such a blast to read with a glass of wine in my hand. 🤩

This story is about a somewhat dysfunctional family (I’ve seen worse 😆) who end up winning the lottery on a whim, but one sibling decides not to join in & their lives & close knit relationships change forever. This is told in the four perspectives of the siblings and each chapter alternates. There are also fun sections between the siblings chatting in a group text. Every sibling has their own unique set of struggles to overcome, and even though this had some heavier themes this is a delightful beach read.

Read this if you:
- enjoy reading about dysfunctional families
- like books with Jewish characters/themes & want to support a Jewish author
- want a fun beach read that’ll have heart
- have siblings who you’re super close to
- buy lotto tickets all the time 🙏🏻
- were ever high at a holiday dinner & watched drama unfold (🙋🏼‍♀️ lmao)

Thank you NetGalley & Berkley for this ARC!