Most Wonderful follows the three siblings of famous actress Babs Belvedere as they spend the holiday season all together at Babs’ home in the Catskills. Each sibling has chapters told from their own perspective, which helps you really get into the mind of each of these main characters. I loved Liz and Birdie’s stories the most- their personal lives and love lives were so interesting and kept me wanting more. Rafi’s story was good, but I was bored at times during his chapters. Georgia does an amazing job at giving each sibling a unique voice and really showing true humanity in these characters. There growth, romance, spice, and holiday cheer all rolled into this queer story. Definitely worth the read!

I’ve read several of Georgia Clark’s ensemble romances over the years and while I’ve always liked them, they’ve never managed to become 5⭐️ favorites of mine. So I went into Most Wonderful with some lower expectations, only to have it become a new favorite romance.

It’s a true ensemble piece in that it follows three adult siblings – Liz, Birdie, and Rafi – as they reunite over the holidays at their mother’s home, to eventually unpack family and romantic baggage. Novels that follow multiple characters in this way often frustrate me because it feels as though we only scratch the surface of each character, but that’s not the case with Most Wonderful. Each of the Belvedere siblings gets a full story arc that could stand as its own novella, but Clark manages to weave these exceptional stories together in a way that feels seamless, without ever shortchanging one of the siblings. We also get to spend a fair amount of time with their mother, another character that I really enjoyed.

Clark writes with such authentic representation and joy, and even when her characters suffer through hardships, there’s always an optimistic and loving conclusion which is a nice thing to read when the real world feels sad and disappointing. Her writing in Most Wonderful is the perfect blend of realistic and escapist, and I think every reader will find something to connect with in this story.

Most Wonderful is available now. Thanks to the Dial Press and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I wanted to love this more but it just felt kind of dry and slow. I struggled to remember all the characters and keep them in place / in their proper viewpoint and I just didn’t feel like it got easier after the 20% mark. I could see the attempted humor and quips, but they just didn’t land or read well. Overall just feeling meh about this one.

I loved the concept of this book and enjoyed the Love Actually-esque connected story vibes. However, the only character I was really rooting for was Rafi. Liz was ok, but Birdie was terrible. I was glad she finally became self aware and started to grow up at the end of the story, but, you have to deal with her drunken immaturity for 90% of the book to get there. I loved Babs, so I wish we had gotten more of her. Overall, it was good and worth reading. This one is not my favorite from Georgia Clark, but I will definitely be continuing to pick up every book she writes.

I was provided a free copy of this book from the publishers, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

I'm so bored with this book so I'm DNFing. I am just not invested in the characters or storyline at all, which is disappointing because I'd heard really good things and was looking forward to this one. The story is just boring and un-interesting in my opinion. Thanks anyway for the ARC.

What a good Christmas book! I knew from the title I was in for a good holiday read. Most Wonderful follows the Christmas break of three siblings, Liz, Birdie, and Rafi. They go to stay with their mother "Babs' Belvedere for the holidays and they all are having some sort of relationship crisis. I love that they are all able to be so open with each other and want to help each other out. I think my favorite part is they have their own club, Black Hearts Club, they meet in the wine cellar and talk relationships. Just a feel good book for a feel good season.
Thank you Random House and Netgalley for the arc!

I simply adore georgia clark and her take on Christmas is merry and gay. MOST WONDERFUL follows three adult siblings and their holiday traditions in their famous mom’s mansion in upstate New York.

We’ve got workaholic Liz who’s got an inconvenient crush on her TV show’s star, Birdie who’s comedy career needs a kick in its butt (maybe from the hot artist they just met?), and Rafi who feels a little lost life wise and surprised when he starts having feelings for his best friend.

I’m a little over halfway through and I’m loving how Georgia has made these characters so real. One example — Birdie and Liz’s careers. It’s not like a Hallmark holiday movie where your main character is just an *insert big important business job* that makes no sense to the plot.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. This is my favorite holiday book of the year! Yes, that is a bold statement and I'm standing with it.

Thank you to The Dial Press for my copy! All thoughts are my own.

If you’re looking to read a book with multicast POV, you have to start reading Georgia Clark. This is my fourth book by the author and I love her work more and more with each story. This book reminded me of the movie The Family Stone, with all the children returning to their childhood home with different circumstances keeping them from their full happiness.

Synopsis:

“The holidays are fast approaching, and the Belvedere siblings are a mess. Liz, a Hollywood showrunner and responsible eldest, has no idea how to follow up her hit show’s first season, or how to deal with her giant crush on its star, Violet Grace. Birdie turned her chronic middle-child syndrome into a career as a stand-up comic, but since she spends more time wooing women than working on new material, she’s facing one-hit-wonder status, especially once she gets axed by her manager. And Rafi, sensitive romantic and the baby golden boy, proposes to his co-worker girlfriend in front of their entire company, only to be turned down by the woman he thought was the love of his life.Born to three different fathers, the three adult children share one mother: famed actress and singer Babs Belvedere. Seeking direction and holiday cheer, all three siblings head up to their mother’s house in the country, determined to swear off love and focus on themselves and their work. But the spirit of the season seems to have different plans for them, and their best intentions are quickly derailed in the most delightful and festive of ways.” —NetGalley

What I Liked:

The Setting—We know I love the mountains, especially in New York State, but I haven’t read many books set in the Catskill area. It’s an area I know very well and I thought it was captured perfectly.

The Premise—I am a sucker for stories about famous people and actors, so I loved the idea of this very famous mother and all her children grown up and trying to find their own path outside of her fame.

The Characters—I loved them all! Especially Liz. I loved her passion for her work, how she was figuring herself out, and all the moments she learned to ask for help.

What Didn’t Work for Me:

Some of the Pacing—With so many POVs, I felt like a couple moments were rushed and a few were too slow. But I’m picking about pacing cause i’ve had less time to read lately so I want to be sucked in every time I sit down with my book!

Character Authenticity: 4/5 Spice Rating: 2/5 Overall Rating: 4/5

Content Warnings:

MS, hospital, sick parent, abandonment, estranged parental relationships, alcoholism/addiction, mental illness (depression), miscarriage, death of a parent, pregnancy, homophobia/lesphobia

Clark’s “Most Wonderful” brings three siblings together for Christmas with their mother in upstate New York. I loved the distinct queer experiences that each sibling had and how there was nuance and emotional depth in each relationship. I didn’t expect to have the family come together over their mother’s medical drama but I appreciated how each sibling approached it differently and how they leaned on their siblings and how the drama of the partners/love interests took a back seat during this part of the story. I loved the getting to root for three main characters and their storylines though it may have been a lot for some readers to follow. Once I was immersed in the world, I read the book relatively quickly and was able to keep each storyline straight. I am interested in reading other books by Georgia Clark!

I had a great time reading (and listening to) Most Wonderful by Georgia Clark. As one of my favorite authors, I knew I was going to get something I liked, but to have a novel like Most Wonderful that had characters I identified with so closely, that moved me in ways I cannot describe. I felt so connected to this story, to the characters as they judged themselves so harshly and yet cheered for one another so loudly. The family dynamics at play were so relatable and as they got closer to the holidays, and the conclusion of their own respective stories, the affirming love they recieve from one another, their family, and their friends filled spots in me I didn't know still had holes. I felt like I was rooting for them, while also rooting for myself, for my own found-family and friends.

This one isn't just a sweet Christmas story, this has so much depth and heart and characters that I already cannot wait to revisit next year. A truly joyful queer novel, it just happens to be around Christmastime.

Suzanna Clark’s Most Wonderful is a lighthearted holiday romance that leans heavily into humor and charm. While it took me a while to settle into the story, by the end, I found myself emotionally invested in the characters and their festive, romantic journey.

The plot centers on a chaotic holiday reunion filled with big personalities and over-the-top antics. Clark's writing has an undeniable wit, and there are some truly laugh-out-loud moments sprinkled throughout. That said, I found some of the characters a little too silly for my taste, which occasionally pulled me out of the story. While this might be perfect for fans of comedy-driven romance, it sometimes felt like the humor overshadowed the emotional depth.

What stood out most to me, though, was how beautifully the book celebrates queer romance. Clark captures the joy and complexity of queer love stories in a way that feels authentic and heartwarming. The romance itself is well done, with a nice balance of playful banter and emotional connection. There’s also a good dose of spice, which adds to the book’s fun, flirty tone.

Overall, I’d give it 3.5 stars. It’s a light, enjoyable read, even if it didn’t fully hook me from the start. By the end, though, I was rooting for the characters and felt satisfied with how everything wrapped up. It’s a solid choice for readers looking for a comedic holiday romance with a little extra spark and a heartfelt celebration of queer love.

While I love the idea of a cozy Christmas read, with multiple couples and multiple love interests, unfortunately, this book was not the book for me. There were elements to each couple that I liked, however, most of it felt very flat and boring. Ash's storyline was alright, Birdie's character was interesting and because she was the way she was, I expected more, and Liz was the most entertaining out of all, however not enough to make the book great. 2.5 stars rounded up.
Thank you NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group, and Georgia Clark for this ARC.

This was everything I was hoping it would be and more. It's equal parts messy and charming, larger than life and real and authentic at the same time. All three perspectives drew me in immediately, and I felt like I got to know the characters very well. All three of them were flawed, complex characters who went through a lot of growth throughout the story. I didn't always like them, but I did find myself rooting for them and feeling invested in their stories. I could easily see myself rereading this book every December, it's definitely a new favourite holiday read.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book so much that I bought a copy of it so I could read it again!

Liz, Birdie, and Rafi are all returning to their famous mother's home for the holidays. Liz is trying to pitch a new season of her hit show, and avoid her feelings for the star of the show. Birdie is struggling with her stand-up career, her relationships, and her drinking when she meets a local artist. Rafi is turned down after a public proposal and returns home to spend time with his best friend.

I really enjoyed all the characters in this book. I did wish there had been an epilogue, especially for Birdie's ending, but I thought it was an all around great holiday romance.

This was kinda all over the place. The characters were all a hot mess but I liked the holiday vibes. It got better towards the end but then I feel like it was rushed and didn’t really close out. Overall it was ok for me!

This book was not for me I found the characters hard to relate too and the pacing was slower than I usually enjoy in Christmas novels. This book was very much a family drama as we follow three siblings as they return home and find their own romances. This book just never really gave me the holiday vibes I was expecting. With that said this was my first book by this author and would give her another chance I just didn’t click with this one. I would like to thank net galley and the publishers for a chance to read this book for an honest review.

I loved the references to my childhood faves - Sweet Valley, Baby-Sitters’ Club! Upped the nostalgic factor, in addition to the Christmas vibes. I appreciated the characters, the individual romantic plots, and the relationships between the siblings and with Babs. It ultimately felt a bit long and drawn out for me and I think could have benefitted from a tighter edit. All in all - I recommend!

Thank you for the opportunity to read this novel. Unfortunately, there were too many characters and was not able to finish the story.