Over the years I have truly come to enjoy
Ms. Mallery's writing from her series to her standalone. Her writing is constantly elevated to newer heights and truly realistic believable story telling.
Julie has always being an independent strong woman even when she was married. Owner a car towing company is perfect for her personality. This Christmas her children decided not to be with her for Christmas. She decides to go with her boyfriend to the family cabin and will be fine with that. We'll you know sometimes when plans are made how things can change easily. Just when she thinks it will be a quiet Christmas her son and wife decided to come to the cabin then her daughter and before you know it she has over 8 people coming. I love the Julie the matriarch she's a woman who is strong but at the same time loving to her family and friends. I love the various dynamics and sub stories going on. This an engaging women's fiction with a pinch of romance.
Review on goodreads

What a fun book about how families come together and the challenges (and fun) they face. All of the characters were fun to read about and interesting!

This was such a wonderful holiday read. It was a lovely story and a page turner. I was so enthralled with it, I couldn’t put it down. Definitely recommend!

This is a delightful, entertaining, laugh out loud story about family, all the good and bad. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

What happens when an attractive 50-ish take-charge mom, her adult children, her younger boyfriend, his ex-wife and kids, and various relatives -- and friends -- decide to spend the Christmas holiday in the family cabin? Relationships are tested, secrets are revealed.....and there's even a recipe for perfect Christmas cookies included!

There were aspects of this book and family dynamics that I really enjoyed. It got me in the holiday mood and captured the complexity of family and attachment well. This book also contained several POV scenarios which made the book hard to follow at times and required more “figuring out” than was necessary. Overall, a decent holiday book to read but not as fun or easy as others.

A fantastic story about how convoluted families can be and how dysfunction can eventually be worked out if you truly want to.

The greatest gift of Julie Parker is her two kids. But she’s relieved that they declared that they were going to skip the big Christmas this year. She was going to spend a quiet time with Heath the man she’s secretly dating.

Julie’s plans go from quiet to chaotic when they decided to spend it with them at the family cabin to remember their late father, Julie’s ex. She has to say yes. But she’s leary since she’s been keeping a secret from them for months of her new boyfriend. But Julie’s secret was not the only secret that was kept amongst them.

The guest list grows unexpectedly as the time gets closer to the date they arrive. From Blair’s Mom to Heath’s precocious children. Julie’s secret is not the only one to surface during this Christmas season. Over the enjoyable complicated funny Christmas she’s discovers the more the merrier as a big happy family. They can become bigger and happier as they all shed old hurts and open themselves to love.

This was a delightful Christmas story. It had lots of likable characters. Even though there were a lot of characters it was very easy to follow. Susan Mallery’s writing is witty and laughable that keeps you entertained. It’s lighthearted too. I would recommend this book for a Christmas read! Susan doesn’t disappoint!

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers in letting me read this book and allowing me to leave an honest review.

Susan Mallery knows how to create magic. She does it with all her books, but the Christmas novels always just seem a little extra special. All the holiday feels for sure and has me wishing it was December already. I really enjoy reading her works and this was pure delight: love, laughter and all the Christmas magic.

This story will make you both grateful this isn't your family and yet wish to be in their family. It centers around Julie and her family and friends. She is a type A personality so feels like she needs to be in charge of everything but is also very compassionate. She needs both skills as she navigates Christmas at the cabin. At first, it's just her daughter Dana, her son Nick and his wife Blair and Blair's uncle Paul and family friend/coworker Huxley. Blair feels like she needs to invite her mother, Gwen, who despite being emotionally absent from Blair's life has recently moved near her. Gwen is the character with the most cringe worthy moments. Then Julie's boyfriend Heath lets her know his ex-wife, Tiffany has been invited to the Bahamas and he now has his two kids and the dog for the holidays. So she invites them also. When Julie finds out Tiffany has been dumped and now will be alone, she invites her to the cabin also. Then Huxley shows up with Axel, Dana's on again - off again boyfriend, who is recovering from being shot and it becomes a full house of chaos, drama, revelations, and forgiveness. The story is tough at times, especially as each character has something they are hiding that comes out and must be dealt with. It makes you stop and think about whether you can forgive someone as "It means letting go of the anger and need to punish - for your own sake" and that family is that which you make.

Julie Parker, divorced mom of two grown kids, Nick and Dana, wants nothing more than to spend a quiet Christmas alone with Heath, the younger man she is dating, not to mention hiding from her grown kids! For once the family isn’t spending a hectic Christmas at the family cabin like they did every year with her ex-husband. Nick and wife Blair and finally going on their much-delayed honeymoon. Dana has broken off with her boyfriend Axel once again and needs the time to grieve the relationship, and time alone with Heath is just what the doctor ordered for Julie!
But plans can change, sometimes more than once and when their quiet time together suddenly becomes another chaotic family trip to the cabin to honor the kids’ late father, Julie doesn’t have the heart to resist their plea of one more family Christmas at the cabin. Not only did her kids know nothing of Heath and his younger age but nobody expected Blair’s mother to join the party. Add in Heath’s two young kids and his ex-wife, plus Dana’s injured ex-boyfriend and you have a holiday you won’t soon forget!
I loved how the people in this story came together and they proved that despite past issues, hurt feelings and everything that can come with being a family unit, it is possible to become better, to grow and even learn that family isn’t just a bloodline.
Grab your copy of One Big Happy Family and prepare to enjoy!

This story is all about family and coming together to celebrate the holidays, and I mean everyone! Susan did an amazing job with the heroine, Julie, in this one! You're going to love her! 5 holiday stars for this one!
Julie is planning to spend the holidays with her new younger beau, Heath, since her kids have different plans, that is until the kids change their minds and want another Christmas up at the cabin!
Now it's a mad scramble to let her kids know about Heath, and then get the cabin ready for the holidays. It's going to be Julie's son Nick, his wife Blair, Blairs uncle who's fun, oh and Blairs mom, who's not your typical warm and fuzzy mom, and Julie's daughter Dana.
Last minute editions will be added in, and you're going to love this one! I didn't want to put it down! Don't miss out on this unusual holiday story, it's going to give you all the feels for sure!

Susan Mallery’s One Big Happy Family is one big, lightweight ball of holiday fluff. It is a great Christmas read for a chilly or lazy afternoon when one is in the holiday mood or looking for something light and entertaining. The basic plot revolves around Julie, the matriarch of a large, extended family, and her boyfriend Heath, who have plans to spend a quiet holiday together with just the two of them As the book continues, characters are added by ones or twos until pretty much everyone in their known world is at Julie’s fabulous (and huge) “cabin” in the woods. There are several storylines and all have happy endings. There are a couple of characters who were not as fleshed out and were a bit superfluous, but I am hoping to see at least one of them, Tiffany, in a book of her own next year. While most of this book is highly improbable, it is fun and feel-good. A cheery holiday read.

Julie and Heath’s low-key Christmas at home turns into a major event at the family cabin, which is really a very large house. If I am remembering everyone, 12 people end up coming and spending a week to 10 days there. I would go crazy! The time frame seems a little unrealistic. Most people don’t have that much time off from work, and they wouldn’t spend that much time with their family. That being said, this was a fun holiday book. Secrets are revealed, people are forgiven, couples learn to communicate better, and everyone has a good time.

I received an advanced readers copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Once I started reading this book, I did not want to put it down. Family dynamics are interesting and primarily at play here. Julie is one woman we should all try to be like, with her calm and compassion for other people. Everyone is keeping secrets so they don't hurt other members of the family. The cabin brings everything out, and all members of the family help to work through all the secrets and changes that happen. Julie is correct; no one should be alone on Christmas.

A big family/friends gathering at a family cabin during Christmas. Hurts, secrets, and betrayals are exposed. Story is full of drama and humor. Characters are varied and interesting; Multiple storylines are woven seamlessly. A wonderful read anytime of the year.

Susan Mallery has done it again with One Big Happy Family!! Her characters are always so interesting and entertaining and this book is no exception to that!

I absolutely love “One Big Happy Family.” It made me laugh out loud, put me in the Christmas spirit and wish that I too, had a big family like Julie! What started out as a quiet Christmas at home with her hunky boyfriend, Heath, turned out to be an epic holiday production with a diverse cast of characters. Julie’s winter wonderland cabin held special memories for her and her children and the spacious home was ready for new Christmas festivities. Ms. Mallery made me feel as if I had also been invited to the celebration as they planned meals, wrapped presents, made snow angels and gazed with wonderment at the twinkling Christmas tree. As with all families, drama came knocking at the door along with surprise guests, unanswered questions and the possibility of new beginnings. Julie created delicious meals for each night of their stay and one dinner conversation had me laughing so hard that my eyes were tearing! This is what a Christmas book should be about; laughter, love, making memories and of course, family. No matter if you are related to one another, or are friends who feel like family, there is always room for one more at the table! Happy Holidays!

Honestly, it wasn’t what I was expecting in a Christmas story. Too much family drama to get me in a festive mood.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Julie is 54 and looking forward to a quiet Christmas with her 42 year old boyfriend, Heath. Julie's two children, Nick and Dana, want to have a big Christmas celebration in the family's "cabin" (more like a huge 6 bedroom home) in the mountains because its the first Christmas without their father, who had died in January. Julie and he had been divorced for many years but remained friends. Anyway...along comes Nick's wife, her mother, Julie's former BIL, an employee, and then Heath's ex wife and two children due to a change of their plans...and lets not forget the dog and Dana's former boyfriend who is also Julie's employee. If this sounds crazy, it is! So much drama and I loved every minute of it.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this novel.