This book was so weird. I didn’t like any of the sisters, and some how everyone was related? But no one knew they were related? And there were a lot of killers, but no one really cared that there were killers? And then let’s throw a love story in there, just for kicks. Even though they really don’t know each other. Just a strange and hard to believe book.

One Big Happy Family by Jamie Day is a juicy family drama, full of secrets. This was an easy listen & I loved the narrator. This was so good, I’m planning to read it. Check this one out!

Thank you NetGalley & MacMillan Audio for an ARC copy of this title in exchange for my honest review.

In “One Big Happy Family,” the reader is swept into a web of family drama and dark secrets that surpass even the twists of Jamie Day’s previous novel, “Block Party.” Set against the backdrop of the rugged Maine coastline, the story revolves around The Precipice, a storied family-owned hotel that becomes a crux of tension and suspense.
One Big Happy Family” is a twist-filled tale that explores the dark side of family loyalty and the lengths to which people will go to claim what they believe is rightfully theirs. It’s a must-read for fans of thrillers and anyone who enjoys a story that keeps you guessing.

I enjoyed this audio. The narrator was good and kept my interest though I wasn't really enjoying the premise of the story.
A group of siblings who inherit a hotel and are stranded together during a hurricane. Sounds better than it is in my opinion. I had a hard time liking most of the characters.
The back stories were great though still not for me.

Thank you #NetGalley for this ARC.

I have mixed feelings after finishing this book. The premise sounded so promising! A bunch of wealthy family members locked in together at an old hotel during a hurricane on the coast of Maine. But sadly, the pacing was really off for me. Part one started out so slow, that I started to lose interest almost immediately. Part two covered some back story for the family, but again it just felt like filler. The action picks up in parts three and four, which was good, but by then I just wanted the story to be over. I never felt a connection to any of the characters, which I think was an issue for me. I did however, really enjoy the setting of the old hotel on the rocky coast of Maine! The perfect location for a creepy locked in murder mystery.

Sadly, this book just didn’t work for me. The slow burn really killed the story for me. If slow burn mysteries are your thing, then I’d give this one a chance.

Thank you @netgalley and @macmillan.audio for this free copy of One Big Happy Family. This whodunit thriller is the perfect stormy weather read! So much family drama with so many secrets. After their father passes away, the Bishop sisters and their families reunite for an interesting and intense will reading at their family hotel while a hurricane is looming. People start dying, more and more secrets come out, and the ending definitely surprised me!

I really enjoyed Day’s debut novel The Block Party so I knew I had to add One Big Happy Family to my TBR list.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for my gifted copy and to Saskia Maarleveld for the amazing narration!

Short 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.

Thoughts:

I haven’t read a thriller in a few weeks so I was all for the change of pace and really enjoyed this one.

I love books about sisters because as the oldest of three girls I know how dramatic sister dynamics can be. The Bishop sisters did not disappoint!

There is a lot of backstory in this thriller but I didn’t mind it. I enjoyed getting to know each Bishop sister which made for more complex characters.

There is a lot going on with this thriller and I didn’t predict the ending until more than halfway through which is always a win.

Overall, I would recommend One Big Happy Family as a quick, enjoyable summer read.

I was excited to start this one as I really liked the authors last book. Unfortunately this one fell flat for me. No likeable characters and the twists weren’t wowing me. Looking forward to seeing what the authors come out with next.

Thanks to netgalley for my advanced audio copy

SO MUCH DRAMA.
I understand some people may enjoy this, but the fact that the drama outweighs the suspense was a real bummer for me.
Family secrets with a mixture of murder and not to mention a hurricane lurking by was exciting! Perhaps my hopes were too high on this one. The characters are interesting and all oh so different. The "thrills" were predictable and just drug out.
Overall, it felt less thrilling and more dramatic than anything. It was like watching a soap opera slowly unfold. Not terrible but again, really lacked any thrill or suspense.

The narration however was top notch. I enjoyed the delivery of the story by Saskia Maarleveld.

Thank you, Macmillan Audio, Jamie Day, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a suspenseful, atmospheric read set on the coast of Maine. A family reunites after the death of their father. Differing personalities and the aftermath of past events cause tension and descension. I loved the setting and stormy atmosphere. Lots of twists cap this off. The narrator dies an excellent job of keeping pace and creating suspense.

This was an incredibly atmospheric locked-room mystery! I loved the ominous feeling and the brooding sense of being stranded and trapped by a hurricane.

Though it was quite slow-paced, it was packed with entertaining and tense family drama, secrets, and lies!

While I enjoyed Day’s debut, The Block Party a bit more than this one, I’m still curious to see what he does next!

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this arc!

I really wanted to like this book. I almost DNFed it a few times. I was hoping I would get in to it but I just couldn’t.

I was hoping this would be a lot more suspenseful than it ended up being. It seemed to drag on, be improbable and none of the characters were particularly likeable. I would give it 2.5 stars but rounded up to 3.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC. After Jamie Day’s last book, I was really excited for this. Unfortunately it did not live up to my expectations. It was kind of slow, and the big reveal was literally just someone explaining how they had done everything and why. Which felt very unrealistic and cheap. Not great.

Family drama? Check!
Isolated location? Check!
Inability to leave because of bad weather? Check!

So many things I love it a thriller!

Jamie Day is back at it with another drama filled, easy to binge thrill ride! I listened to this one on audio and it was the perfect companion to my work commute. I was entertained from start to finish as I tried to guess the secrets each character is clearly hiding. There’s tension for days as secrets come to light and I was 100% there for the drama!

If you’re looking for a fun, fast-paced read for the beach or poolside this summer, this is definitely one I would recommend!

I was excited to read another Jamie Day book after reading The Block Party. This book took a lot of turns that I was not expecting. I enjoyed reading about all the characters and their complicated relationships with each other. When the next Jamie Day book comes out, I will definitely read it!

I’m always down for a thriller to break up my romance/fantasy reads and I was really looking forward to this one. Unfortunately, this one just fell a little short for me.

The build up was slower than anticipated and the characters’ actions were just a little too predictable for me.

It was a good premise, hence me requesting this, and I love a story about sisters in any capacity, so there were definite parts and the setting was *chefs kiss*. I really liked how the weather was almost like a character in it’s own right, foreshadowing a lot of the events.

It really had all the makings of a knockout, I just wish I couldn’t have predicted a few of the twists.

Reviewed for NetGalley:

This started out strong, mysteries slowing unraveling, multitude of storylines merging. But about half way through I lost interest in the story.

An eccentric, wealthy family gathers at their father's hotel to hear the reading of his will following his demise, only to find more death waiting for them. With a hurricane knocking at the hotel door, who will survive? What family secrets will be revealed as the maid and a stowaway guest look on?

This book had real potential. I thought it was a fun mix of Agatha Christie and family drama. But it was too all over the place for me with a lot of sections that dragged on too long. Not terrible, but definitely not my favorite. I lost interest and had trouble keeping up by about 80% through the audiobook. The narration was OK, nothing special.

This title fell a little short of her book "The Block Party." It was still a worthwhile read. Maybe I'm just a little tired of the Hotel/Maid trope which I wasn't expecting to be such a big part of this book.