TFW you loved a book so much that you had to write a review immediately after you finished. Thanks so much to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the advance copy of the book!!

The four Endicott siblings—Gemma, Connor, and twins Roddy and Jude—were an inseparable unit growing up. Their mother, an actress dreaming of her big break, left their family but would return for a few weeks every summer to take the four of them on a road trip. The destinations were never exciting but the trips were always memorable—until the events of one trip changed everything.

Now, as adults, it’s been three years since the siblings have seen one another and have barely communicated. But they get a text message out of the blue from Jude—now an Oscar-nominated actress—asking them to meet her in a small town in North Dakota in a few days.

Jude has called her siblings together because she has three secrets to share with them. Each has the potential to upend everything.

At the same time, each sibling is at a crossroads. Gemma, the oldest, who served as a surrogate mother for the others, wonders if she is pregnant—and if she wants to be. Connor, whose last book fictionalized their childhoods and angered his siblings, is divorced and has writer’s block. Roddy, a professional soccer player ready to retire, has the chance for one more season, but hasn’t discussed it with his future husband.

I love family drama, and this book was just so emotionally rich and compelling. The narration shifts between past and present and among the siblings, and the whole story was just so beautiful.

The book will publish 4/15/2025.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing/Ballantine Books for the eARC!

Wow. This book is wonderful. I was completely hooked from page one, and every subsequent page was equally as perfect. It is a heartwarming, funny, emotional, hopeful family saga that flips back and forth between present and past. I absolutely adored the format, with each chapter bouncing from state to state - especially as she is recounting the three years the siblings were apart, done through a series of one page chapters from wherever they were thinking about each other. Ugh, just so smart and so sweet.

And speaking of those siblings - I love them all so much. When there are four main characters, I usually find that some are less developed or less involved. Not the case here. Every single Endicott is fully their own, and they equally take center stage. The interactions between the four of them are so natural and realistic, making you desperate to be in their orbit.

This book is equal parts uplifting and heartbreaking, and made me cry like a baby.

The Endicott siblings haven’t seen each other in years, since their big fight. When a random text from Jude, now a famous actress, brings them together they will learn more about their past and family history.

If you like family drama stories, this is a good one. The family are all so different, yet three out of four of the siblings are somewhat famous, which was the only unrealistic piece to me. There were a lot of secrets being held, but the family heals together as they relearn the past.

“You put out story into the world like it was the truth, and you didn’t even get it right.”

Fun for the Whole Family comes out 4/15.

This is a first time author for me. I really enjoyed this story book. It is about 4 siblings who were close. Gemma, Roddy , Connor and Jude . After there mother's disappearance from their life and some secrets that were shared in a book written by Connor they hadn't seen each other for a while.Jude decided to arrange a reunion in the last place she and their mother went before she died. Portree, North Dakota. They all agreed to come.
Roddy, Jude's twin is at the end of his professional soccer career and his fiance' Winston , Gemma comes by herself and finds out her IVF worked this time while she is there , Connor, the writer , is having writer's block he brings his children Rosie and Hugh and Jude , is an actress. I don't do spoilers so I am going to let you, the reader follow them to find out what this journey is about, the secrets held back for years. A VERY GOOD READ
This story made you stop and think just how sad things can be and they can never get back the wasted time.

Fun for the whole family is the story of the four Endicott siblings, told in alternating points of view and also switching from present day to past timelines . We have Gemma, the oldest, who had to grow up fast and be mother to her siblings with a mother who virtually disappeared except for the yearly summer road trips she took them on and a father that was barely present, Connor, the brother who became famous writing a thinly veiled story about their family, and twins Roddy, a famous soccer player who is now at then end of his career, and Jude, an Oscar nominated actress. When their father died 3 years ago the siblings had a falling out, and they have had very little communication until they all receive a text from Jude, asking them to meet her in a tiny town in North Dakota for the weekend, and they all drop their plans and head out.

What follows turns into a tale of secrets revealed, the unbreakable bonds of siblings, forgiveness and family, and I loved all the characters in this messed up family. Although none of them is perfect and they have all made their mistakes, the ultimate bonds are unshakable and I found this a very heartwarming and heartbreaking tale. I loved this authors adult debut, the Unsinkable Greta James, and her second adult novel is another winner.

Thank you to net galley and Random house for an e galley in exchange for an honest review..

This was a fun and humorous read that kind of took me by surprise. I love a book exploring family dynamics and this one had a lot of conflict, twists and turns. I did feel like the first 30% or so really dragged, but then it picked up for me and I became invested in the characters. I wasn't crazy about the ending, but I appreciate the journey that each of the Endicott siblings went through over the course of the story.

I would have actually liked more of a focus on the mother and her story- the flashback chapters were some of my favorite despite how short they were.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy for my honest review!

In this book we meet four estranged siblings. We get the back and forth timelines to fill in the who, what, where and why!

It has been years since these four were in the same room, so when Jude sends everybody a cryptic text to meet her in North Dakota for the weekend their curiosity gets the better of them and they all attend.

Each one has secrets, each one is on the cusp of life changing decisions.

I absolutely loved this book, I wanted more!!!
This is my first book by this author, and it won’t be my last!!

It’s hard for me to choose what rating to give this one. The mystery of the premise captured my attention early on, but the follow through wasn’t as fully fledged as I’d expected from the set up.

The siblings work so well together as characters, but I would have liked to see a stronger connection between the flashbacks and current day. It felt like this story was often just shy of becoming a deeply profound narrative.

I’m still chewing on this one- hopefully will have a more complete thought on it soon! For now, three stars.

This was an incredibly good read! The story was beautifully written and the characters were flushed out really well! Definitely worth the read!

Fun for the Whole Family equals fun for me. Ok, well not exactly fun but definitely an enjoyable, engaging book. I didn't expect to like this, or possibly even finish! Four siblings, famous siblings, road trips. Maybe too cliche? Nope. The way the author connected each character with each other was so easy to follow and become invested in. And the periphery characters were just right. And this was perfect reading for my January snowed in days. Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

Fun for the Whole Family had a lot of potential, but it ran into many of the same plot holes as other novels with a Big Traumatic Event (TM) that forces a group into years of silence. The cross country road trips were a surprising element, and I liked the structure that seeing all 50 states provided the story. I also appreciated the queer representation in Roddy. Overall, though, I thought some parts were underdeveloped (the mom, her leaving their family, the dad's role in it all) and others overdeveloped (the siblings roles in their family, everyone's distaste for Jude, Gemma's chronic oldest sibling woes).

Loved this book. A big family drama that really pulled me in. Well written and compelling

The only thing I didn't like was the title. It doesn't capture the feel of this book in my opinion

I could not put this book down. The story of this family was extremely compelling and well-written. Each character had depth and felt very real, as did their journeys.

Though fast-paced, this family saga packs an emotional punch. It's been three years since a family rift tore the four Endicott siblings apart, but a summons from youngest sister Jude brings them--along with children and significant others--together for a weekend of forced family fun. As children, their erratic mother and workaholic father left most of the child rearing up to eldest sibling Gemma, the only one who did not go on to become an "extraordinary" talent. But actress Jude, professional athlete Roddy, and novelist Connor are all floundering--if not in their professional lives, then in their personal lives. And the secrets Jude's keeping--the reason she's called her siblings together after years apart--threaten to upend everything again.

Chapters that alternate between present day and the past shed a light on the siblings' upbringing and the turmoil their largely absent mother wrought during their childhood, including the fallout from one memorable night that changed everything. Told in shifting perspectives (each Endicott sibling gets their due), nobody's story feels shortchanged and each siblings' motivations are clear. It was easy to guess Jude's secrets, but that didn't make the ending any less emotional after spending time with the Endicotts.

I couldn't put this book down, and stayed up way too late to finish it. The plot follows four siblings as they navigate adulthood, weaving in and processing their upbringing over a snowy, reunion trip. I loved the character development and learning about their relationships as each chapter progressed. Secrets, forgiveness, and imperfect humans doing the best they can. This novel hit several heart strings, and it will stay with me awhile. A must read for 2025! Thank you to the author, publisher, and #NetGalley for the ARC.

Follows for adult siblings in present day while flashing back to their childhood road trips with their mom. Each character is well defined and there’s something to like about each of them. Great story about family dynamics, even if some of the plot lines are a little predictable.

4.5 ⭐️ wow this one has been sitting on my TBR for far too long and im kicking myself for waiting so long to read this. The saga of the Endicotts is bravely human, often hilarious, and occasionally dangerous. I laughed, I cried, and even felt a bit of intrigued at the mysteries set up and revealed through the book. Utterly captivating!

Such a lovely novel about siblings! I am grateful I got this book from NetGalley and have already started recommending it to my friends

This family drama was surprisingly sweet and poignant, I loved the deep dives into the imperfect siblings, their relationships, and the things often left unsaid. In their own ways, they were all equal parts endearing and beyond frustrating! Overall the writing felt medium paced with character development really pushing the narrative. Great read!

I had not read any of Jennifer E. Smith's previous works so I was not sure what to expect. I know that this is minor but I think the publishing company did a disservice to this book by the cover. The cover made me think that this was a lighthearted book and it is anything but. '

This is a story of four siblings that did not grow up in a traditional way. A disconnected workaholic father and an absent. mother who would show up every summer to take her kids on a road trip.

The book alternates between each sibling and the past and the present.

This is a story showing how misunderstandings and lack of communication can have such an impact on a family. This is not a lighthearted story but did make me chuckle a few times. It is a story that will make you think about your relationships with other, it will rip out your heart and then it will stitch it back together. Get a box of tissues ready.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.