Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio for the copies to review!

Hoo boy, let me tell you, One Big Happy Family is something this Bishop family certainly is NOT. But let’s back up. We are gathered together at The Precipice, a family owned hotel off the coast of Maine. The patriarch has recently passed, and the Bishop sisters are there to claim said hotel. A hurricane is on the horizon (literally), and the staff, namely 19 yo chambermaid Charley Kelley, is just trying to make it through another season and save some money.

Does all go as planned? Heck no, but I bet you could have guessed that, and if you love unlikeable characters, murder, family drama, and secrets all in a locked room setting with a storm a-brewing, then this is the perfect summer thriller for you! Our gal Charley even has a few things to keep hidden as well! I loved reading this one via audio, I binged this on a Saturday and could not stop. I loved the trouble everyone found themselves in, as well as the flashbacks to the past where we learned a little more about our characters. It was not a surprise in how it ended, but I still really enjoyed this one overall and definitely recommend it.

There was a little bit of everything that makes a good mystery/whodunnit story. There were a few times I needed to suspend my disbelief to get into the book but I’m so glad I did. Charley is down on her luck trying to keep her grandma’s nursing home paid for. As a maid in a fancy hotel she had been avoiding the advances of her handsy boss and then he passed away. This left Charley to deal with hosting the family for the reading of the will all while expecting a hurricane. Add in Bree allegedly hiding from an abusive boyfriend and Rodrigo who hates the lawyer and this makes for a really fun story.
I really enjoyed the revelations in this story and the uncovering of who was responsible for the mayhem and death. I was so happy for the ending and how things worked out for Charley.

Thanks to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for St. Martin’s Press for this really fun audiobook,

I did not want to put this book down! I loved the characters, the Maine setting, the storyline, the twists. I found myself captivated and wanted to pick it up whenever I had a free moment. The main character was likable, I laughed out loud a few times.

I will definitely seek out more by this author!

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ERC!

2 stars.

This book had the perfect set-up for a great locked room mystery. A rich family gathering at the family-owned beautiful and historic hotel on a cliff in Maine during a hurricane to hear the reading of their recently deceased father's will with the housemaid who must take care of them and their demands.

Unfortunately, the setting wasn't enough for me to want to recommend this book. The story is told from the protagonist's point of view as the young maid Charlie who lost her mother and had a rough upbringing and absolutely needs this job and the money that comes with it (even though it is not enough).

I found Charlie to be incredibly gullible and naive, to the point it was almost unbelievable. All of her interactions seemed to be basically amounting to "can you be my mom now?" and she continuously put her self at risk and went to bat for people she just met and had absolutely no loyalty or connection to, yet she was willing to go out of her way for multiple different people throughout the book.

In addition to Charlie, every single character was unlikeable. No redeeming qualities to any of them. I never felt interested nor connected to any of them and I wasn't really invested in their outcomes. I was trying to explain the book to a friend and I realized there was just TOO MUCH going on and it did not need to be as long as it was. There were far too many characters with far too many backstories and details (some uninteresting) to keep track of. A lot of the plot lines never fully got resolved and even the ending itself wasn't believable.

Thank you to MacMillian audio for the advanced copy via NetGalley for my honest opinion.

I loved this book!!! The looming hurricane wasn't the only thing brewing at The Precipice Hotel or in the small town on Maine’s coast. Three sisters come together, thinking they will claim their inheritance after their father's passing. Once the secrets started coming out, they did not stop! The character development was strong, and the hits kept coming until the end. Note: there are a lot of characters, so you do have to pay attention, or you could miss a twist.

Recommend (Yes/No/Maybe): YES!!! The twists kept coming and literally had me gasping. You will enjoy this if you like to read about family drama and mysteries.

Thank you Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for this advanced audiobook. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book is about a family owned hotel. The dad and owner passes away and his three daughters make their way back to the hotel they grew up in order to hear the will reading. Throwing a wrench into things in the fact that a hurricane is coming straight for the coast of Maine, where the hotel is located. We also get perspective from the young maid working at the hotel. While the whole family is staying at the hotel, we just know not everyone is going to check out. This thriller is a great summertime read full of twists and turns.

This is a Christie-esque, locked door, whodunnit story with all the family drama you could imagine!

When the Bishop sisters return to their family-owned hotel for the reading of their father's will, everyone has a secret to hide. And not everyone is going to make it through it all alive.

The family drama in this book was amazing. It kept things interesting and definitely left everyone a suspect! Every other page you are second guessing who you think did it.

Part 2 was short with a lot of information that seemed a bit rushed in delivery. Yet somehow, it also made it slow the story down. Once Part 3 hit, things picked up once again and we were back to the drama.

There were some twists in this story that I felt were so obvious that you couldn't miss them. Other ones you never saw coming.

All in all, this was a sharp thriller that keeps you on your toes.

Jamie Day takes you on the ultimate game of clue. Whodunnit. Keeps you guessing. Just when you think you know….BAM. Who did it with what weapon and why??
Wildly entertaining. Binge worthy. I really couldn’t guess the end.
Well developed characters set in a hotel. Flashbacks to give you enough backstory to say hmmm. Definitely a good one

"With this cast of characters, I have a strong suspicion that the main course on tonight's menu will be a heaping portion of chaos."

Chaos is the word for the melodramatic One Big Happy Family, about off the wall siblings, by murder mystery author Jamie Day.

Working at the Precipice Hotel seems appropriate for chambermaid Charley. At 19, she's on the precipice of losing everything. Nana's nursing home raised the rent, the owner of the hotel died and his 3 daughters are coming for the reading of the will, leaving her job and her home in jeopardy.

When overbearing, eldest daughter Vicki, still beautiful once famous model Faith, and quiet recovering ex con, ex drug addict Iris show up at the hotel, just as a hurricane is coming, shutting down the hotel on the cliffs from everyone, it's a whirlwind of long kept secrets, long time brewing resentments and a too enticing night for murder.

Poor Charley is trying to wrangle the Bishops sisters to play nice after the reveals of their father's will; while dealing with power outages, powerful winds and...a dead body. Now they are trapped in the hotel and one of them is a killer.

The fact that the abundantly talented voice actress Saskia Maarleveld performed all these very different personalities, at various stages of their lives and their mental stability upped the entertainment value of this locked room family murder mystery.

Oh, did I mention Charley is also hiding a woman in one of the rooms from the Bishops?! There are so many secrets and twists, old and new, some I figured out but others were quite a surprise. This writer created a dysFUNctional family but, "...at the end of the day, blood is blood, and that bond is sacred." Well, until there's a murder...or two.

I received a free copy of this book/audiobook from the publishers via #NetGalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own

Unfortunately I was not able to make it through One Big Happy Family, and stopped about a quarter of the way in. There was nothing inherently wrong with the story, but nothing that felt original or compelling to keep me reading. Charley Kelley is a maid at The Precipice- a legendary, family-owned hotel on the rocky coast of Maine. The owner, Mr. Bishop has recently passed and his three daughters are coming up for the weekend for his service and to take their claim of the hotel. The sisters aren't the only thing arriving this weekend as a Hurricane is also approaching the coast of Maine. The first quarter of the book went quickly enough but again, I just wasn't really drawn in and some things seemed a little too farfetched, so I chose to stop reading. I definitely think this is a book that thriller lovers would like!

Jamie Day does it again. She has a way with bringing family drama and secrecy to the page.

The Bishop sisters and their family reunite at The Precipice, a family-owned hotel on the coast of Maine, for the reading of their fathers will. But with a hurricane approaching, the family along with some of the hotel’s staff, find themselves stranded at the hotel while the storm blows over. Like most families, the sisters have their secrets. Secrets from each other and secrets they intend to keep amongst the three of them. But when a body is discovered, there is risk of their secrets coming to light.

One Big Happy Family is a fast paced, locked-door, mystery thriller that will keep you guessing. Some parts I was able to predict, but there were aspects I did not see coming. The story is told both present day and with flashbacks to the sister’s past. Jamie Day has turned into an auto-read author for me.

I read the book while also listening to the audiobook narrated by Saskia Maarleveld. She did an amazing job brining this story to life. I look forward to listening to other books by this narrator in the future.

I love thrillers and I loved the story line and plot of one big happy family . Here we follow Charlie a maid who gets sucked into the drama and bad weather of the family coming fora reading of their late father’s will and testament. The way this family is pure chaos and end up having to play cat and mouse when one of the family members turns up dead, is hilarious and relatable. Thank you net galley and Jamie Gladys for this Arc

One Big Happy Family is a mystery thriller, fueled by family secrets and deception buried generations deep. The novel is set in a unique, legendary hotel situated on the rocky shores of Maine and is told primarily through the eyes of Charley Kelly - the quiet yet resilient hotel maid. Charley's world spins into chaos as the hotel owners grown children ascend upon the estate to stake claim to their deceased father's last will and testament. The three Bishop sisters, Iris, Vicki and Faith, are out for blood as they settle into rooms at the hotel while a hurricane is looming outside. A mystery guest appears and a body is discovered as the storm cuts off all access to the outside world.

I gave this book four stars for its compelling and complicated characters, the compiling secrets and building mystery that had me guessing until the very end. I enjoyed trying to put all the mysterious pieces from the past into place along with the Charley as the game turned into one of survival. I highly recommend this new book by Jamie Day.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillian Audio for this arc reading of One Big Happy Family.

Welcome to the rocky coast of Jonesport Maine. Charley Kelley’s life is not one of glamor or ease. She cleans rooms at The Precipice Hotel, which pays to keep her grandmother in a living facility. An awful storm is headed toward The Precipice Hotel, one that has the employees cautious and worried. An unexpected person is staying at the hotel, as well as the owner’s daughters and their families, coming to settle things after their dad’s passing. Tension is extremely high with the storm approaching and some of the unexplained happenings.

I loved the setting of the book, the locked-in vibes, and the cover. As I enjoyed the story, it was a bit too dragged out for me.

I would like to thank Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to listen to this book in advance. One Big Happy Family by Jamie Day is out for publication on July 16, 2024.

Book felt like a game of clue! was not overly exciting or a crazy thriller but was good enough to make you want to finish the book. The narrator did a great job and voice was pleasant to listen to.

Thank you @macmillan.audio for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

✨AUDIOBOOK r e v i e w✨

One Big Happy Family by Jamie Day
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️4/5
PUB DATE: JULY 16, 2024

Thank you @netgalley and @macmillan.audio for the opportunity to listen to this one early!!

Is there anything more ominous than a dysfunctional/secret wielding family being stuck in their hotel together, DURING a hurricane? There is not.

Synopsis:

The Precipice is a legendary, family-owned hotel on the rocky coast of Maine. With the recent passing of their father, the Bishop sisters—Iris, Vicki, and Faith—have come for the weekend to claim it. But with a hurricane looming and each of the Bishop sisters harboring dangerous secrets, there’s murder in the air— and not everyone who checks into the Precipice will be checking out.

Each sister wants what is rightfully hers, and in the mix is the Precipe’s nineteen-year-old chambermaid Charley Kelley: smart, resilient, older than her years, and in desperate straits.

The arrival of the Bishop sisters could spell disaster for Charley. Will they close the hotel? Fire her? Discover her habit of pilfering from guests? Or even worse, learn that she’s using a guest room to hide a woman on the run.

This story reminded me a lot of the game Clue. It was a “who dun it” type of story with lots of twists and turns! Everyone, along with their decades old secrets, were sequestered to the house while hurricane Larry caused havoc outside. By the end I was hooked, and I did not predict the way this story would end (which is a huge plus for me and thrillers.)

I really enjoyed this one, and it releases tomorrow, so I reccomend checking it out!!


#netgalley #arc #macmillanaudio #audiobook #bookreview #audiobooks #audiobookreview #bookrecommendations #mybooks #books #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #booktok #thriller #jamieday

A twisty locked room thriller told mainly from the POV of the maid, that takes place at a hotel as the recently deceased owner's family reunites for the reading of his will only to find themselves trapped by a hurricane with no cell service and one of them is out for revenge.

Full of secrets, lies, misdirection, dead bodies and all kinds of family drama, this was great on audio narrated by Saskia Maarleveld and recommended for fans of The maid by Nita Prouse, The nest by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney's and movies like Knives out.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review! This would make a great beach read for those looking for a fast-paced, entertaining story.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press for the gifted ARC and thank you Macmillan Audio for the #gifted listening copy of One Big Happy Family! #MacAudio2024 #stmartinspress #OneBigHappyFamily #jamieday

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: 𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐁𝐢𝐠 𝐇𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐲 𝐅𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: 𝐉𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐲
𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫: 𝐒𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐚 𝐌𝐚𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐝
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐲 𝟏𝟔, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒

3.5★

If you are a fan of locked room mysteries, this is one you will want to check out. I loved The Block Party, the debut novel by the author, so I had high hopes for this one, but I felt like this novel had a completely different vibe and was a little harder for me to get into. With that said, I did enjoy the premise of this book and loved the locked room mystery aspect. While the pacing was a little slow at times, there were a lot of twists and turns that made up for it and kept my attention. I was able to figure out a lot of the mystery, but I think this was a really good family drama and definitely worth the read!

🌩️Locked Room Mystery
🌩️Family Drama
🌩️Lots of Twists
🌩️Atmospheric
🌩️Lots of Secrets

🎧I mostly listened to the audiobook, narrated by Saskia Maarleveld. Saskia is a favorite of mine, and I thought she did a great job. I thought she did such a phenomenal job with this audiobook, and would highly recommend this one on audio if you have that option!

Posted on Goodreads on July 15, 2024: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/144922955?ref=nav_profile_l
**Posted on Instagram - Full Review- on or around July 16, 2024: http://www.instagram.com/nobookmark_noproblem
**Posted on Amazon on July 16, 2024
**-will post on designated date

3.5/5 rounded up

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the advanced listening copy!

SYNOPSIS -- 19 year old Charley Kelley has made her living as a maid at The Precipice hotel as best she can. Between the grueling hours and being responsible for her Nan's assisted living bills, she's lucky to have a gig that includes free room and board. When her less-than-kind boss dies, his three daughters come to claim what they believe to be theirs. As the Bishop sisters drag an actual hurricane in with them, Charley somehow has to manage keeping the hotel, her job and a ton of secrets safe.

This was a fun, locked door thriller, with a great twist! While I was suspicious of a few things from the start, I was pleasantly surprised with the way things unfolded and the secrets that were revealed. Charley's character was great to root for, and I loved when we got pieces of her background. I think this book was plotted very well; the pacing felt great and kept me interested the entire time. I especially loved the flashbacks to the sisters' youth. This book was much more of a true thriller than Jamie Day's last book, and I enjoyed the suspense built up throughout. Overall, pretty solid, especially if you like locked-door thrillers with lots of characters to keep track of!

Have you ever had the feeling of relief when a book is over? That is exactly how I feel now that I have finished One Big Happy Family. It pulled me in slightly at close to fifty percent, but never fully hooked me. The plot is very layered with multiple characters. I was extremely thankful to be listening to the audiobook while also reading it. The audiobook helped bring the characters to life while helping me distinguish the various characters. I enjoyed the setting of the isolated hotel while trying to figure out the identity of the murderer. for me, this was just OK. There was nothing extremely memorable or overly interesting. I was satsatisfied with the conclusion and it did add a surprise at the ending that bumped my rating up a point. Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for my audiobook.