A character-driven drama that is complex, meaty and sprawling. I loved how the story here hopped back and forth between the various trips that the Endicott siblings took with their mother as well as other notable events from the past to everything unfolding in present day after they have all gathered together in North Dakota. Each of these four characters are well-rounded with interesting perspectives, and Smith does a wonderful job of conveying how strong the bonds between the four of them are, even while they are estranged over a period of time. Although the secrets add a little intrigue to the tale when they are first teased, they are somewhat predictable when eventually revealed and I didn't get emotionally invested in what happened until the very end. However, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed reading this with it successfully communicating the power of both family and forgiveness.

This family has had its share of family conflict and drama. When they are all summoned to meet again, the siblings reluctantly all agree. What follows is a trip of reuniting and reconnecting. This was a good, emotional story that fans will enjoy!

I really really enjoyed this story! The characters all had great depth, honest qualities, issues, and eventually growth. The siblings felt like family and some I could relate to. This was a great heartwarming read!

The four Endicott siblings- Jude, Gemma, Connor and Roddy- used to be close; their connection rooted in their eclectic family upbringing and frequent road trips. But then one trip it all fell apart, bringing a long term estrangement none of them could have anticipated.

Then one day, Jude, now a famous actress, breaks the silence and reaches out, requesting all of them meet up in North Dakota. While they all have their reasons not to go, they each can’t help but to be curious about what a reunion might mean. Putting their judgments aside, they each take the trip.

But time has changed not only the sibling dynamic, but the siblings themselves. There’s Gemma, on the possible precipice of motherhood, Connor, a once acclaimed novelist whose book hit a little too close to home, and Roddy, a washed up soccer player who might lose the love of his life while trying to recapture the glory days. Finally, there’s the enigmatic Jude, whose life, though rather public, is harboring a secret of her own.

As the weekend plays out, the siblings rehash, renounce, and hopefully repair their once strong bond. But the past isn’t the only thing at play as each has their present day demons to tend to as well. Once a family who went wherever the roads would take them, can they finally find the way back to one another?

Fun For The Whole Family is a good read for those who enjoy complicated family dynamics. Ample time is given to each of the four siblings so that the reader understands each one’s past perspective and current predicament. It’s a good mix of humor and heart that really speaks to the sibling bond and the resiliency of familial ties.

✪✪✪✪: the vibes are a little soapy

3.75, rounded up

A fun, almost wholesome read. Smith creates characters that are full portraits of themselves and well-rounded. The way in which she weaves the story of the siblings lives as children, and as adults, is a great way to dole out the story. I think this book does fall victim to the obvious and while the ending is poignant and did bring tears to my eyes, you can see it coming a mile away and it dulls the shine on this story for me a little bit.

Frankie Endicott always knew that her family was extraordinary, she just didn’t stay around long enough to find out just how extraordinary. Following her own dreams, Frankie left her husband and four children, showing up once a year to take them on an incredible adventure road-tripping throughout the states. That is until an accident occurred and she was banned from their lives. With an absentee father as well, Gemma (the oldest) took on the responsibility of raising her younger siblings. Each of the three younger children did end up with extraordinary careers, Connor, a national book award novelist, Roddy, a pro soccer player and Jude (his twin) an actor, but Gemma being the ordinary sibling was the most extraordinary of them all. When the siblings have a falling out, each of them has a tough time without their close knit bond, but none know how to reconnect. Three years later Jude invites each of her siblings to North Dakota for a weekend trip. A trip that she told them was important. Each sibling battles their feelings and each is at a turning point in their lives, but there was no way they weren’t showing up. Jude has some secrets that she needs to get off her chest, but are her siblings ready to hear them or will it sever their relationship permanently? Smith portrays family dynamics perfectly. As the scenes unfold each of the siblings became my favorite at one time or another, but little Rosie (Connor’s daughter) always won! An beautifully written, emotion packed family drama, this story will stay with you long after the last page is turned. Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

Quite an emotional sibling drama about 4 adults still affected by their negligent, late mother with her overwhelming influence. Frankie Endicott was a wild child, mother to Gemma, Connor and twins Jude and Roddy. Dad was a workaholic and one day mercurial mom just abandons the family to seek fame and fortune, returning every summer to take the kids on cross-country field trips, trying to “collect” all 50 states. It’s been 20 years since she died and a few years since their remarried dad passed away. It’s also been 3 years since the siblings have been together in person. Remarkably, three of them did reach mom’s elusive dream of being famous and successful — girl twin Jude has just been nominated for an Oscar; boy twin Roddy is a famous, but aging soccer player; and Connor is a best-selling author who wrote an unwelcome roman à clef about mom and their road trips. Gemma, who was her sibs mother figure once mom went “poof,” is a normal marketing executive going through fertility treatments.

Connor’s book shattered their post-childhood bond and only occasional texts now tie them together. But the most extremely famous and wealthy of the group, Jude, has summoned them all to attend a weekend in North Dakota (a state not on their road trip paths), along with Connor’s young kids and Roddy’s fiancé, to reveal some secrets.

This is a brilliant, heartbreaking story about love and family and loss. It’s also engaging and eventually heartwarming (thank goodness for the wisdom of the children). Author Smith has given us an even better book than “The Unsinkable Greta James.” Prepare to shed some tears! 5 stars!

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): YES Annie has green eyes.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO February in North Dakota doesn’t see many outdoor plants. At least Mateo was able to get some droopy yellow tulips to Gemma.

Thank you to Random House/Ballantine and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy!

Thank you to the publisher for a free Netgalley.

I almost picked up the new Backman this weekend, but told myself I did not want to be emotionally destroyed. SO I chose this one just to be emotionally destroyed anyways.

Our four siblings are being reunited for the first time in three years. As we read the current timeline, we are also brought through their different road trips they took with their mother which leads to the event that starts to fracture their close bond.

I absolutely loved this book and this whole family. Greta James was one of my favs when it came out, so I was worried about the expectations. Well Smith nailed it. All the feelings, beautifully written, and flawed but absolutely lovable characters.

Highly recommend.

This book is character driven while I prefer plot driven. I think there were too many characters and POVs. I found the flashback road trip scenes with their mom tedious. I enjoyed the last 25% of the book the most. I'm definitely in the minority as there's so many glowing 4 and 5 star reviews.

Jennifer E. Smith might be a season pass for me. She writes characters that are real, messy, and lovable enough that you want good things for them even with their flaws.

The rotating perspectives of the Endicott siblings pulls together a well-rounded narrative of family drama, individual struggles, and the trauma that bonds us to in ways only our siblings can understand. Smith writes with an empathy that stories like this need to endear themselves to readers and make them want to come back.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. Having loved Greta James so much, I was nervous that this one might not live up to my memory, but it certainly did.

[I received a free digital copy of this book courtesy of NetGalley for my honest review]

I really enjoyed this one!

This dysfunctional family meets up first time in 3 years after one of their sisters sends them a message to go to North Dakota. Despite their estrangement, they pack their bags and see each other for the first time in years. Old drama comes up and secrets come out that could either bring this family closer together or drive them farther apart.

Jude, Gemma, Connor and Roddy are all siblings with a dysfunctional family. A mom who wasn't present and a dad who clocked out. This book has a past and present timeline that circles back to what's going on present day and their lives in the past 3 years while apart. The writing itself was beautiful and very emotional towards the end. I did call the big secret towards the climax of the book but I did not expect one of the others. I felt like the end was a little rushed and could have been drawn out a little bit longer but overall, a great novel!


Thank you Random House Publishing Group -Ballentine for this eARC!

I highly recommend this one. It’s a family drama, but more so, it’s a family love story showing the bond between four siblings during their highs and lows of life. It tells how they depended on each other while growing up, how (and why) they became estranged for a number of years, and their ability and willingness to forgive and re-bond when given the opportunity. And they were all in need of the opportunity. It also shows that even when they were estranged, they never stopped loving each other. Are the sibling livelihoods as a whole realistic? Not really. Does that matter? No. It’s not about the individual lives they lead. It’s about the relationships between them. And with the way the chapters are broken up between the past and present, with each character having a voice, you’re able to fully understand each sibling’s point of view and the dynamic between them. Yes, the foreshadowing within the book makes it fairly predictable, but that’s OK because it’s not a mystery. Overall, I thought it was beautifully done and let me feel all the feelings.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the complimentary copy of this book. As always, the opinions expressed within this review and completely my own.

Buckle up for an emotional journey with the Endicott siblings! This loveable yet flawed family of four have taken unique paths shaped by their childhood experiences. This book reveals how their shared childhood and subsequent separate journeys into adulthood have shaped who they are today. There are several themes toughed upon, including childhood trauma, forgiveness, and the enduring bonds of family. The exploration of these themes is both profound and relatable, making the story resonate with a wide audience.

The story revolves around the reunion of the Endicott siblings after years of estrangement. Each sibling has found success in their own right, yet their relationships with each other have deteriorated over time. The weekend retreat serves as a backdrop for deep reflection and heartfelt conversations, allowing them to confront their past and understand the impact of their upbringing while forming new bonds that help them see how much they need each other in their lives. Told through the points of view of all four siblings, offering unique insights into their individual perspectives. This storytelling technique adds depth to the plot, as readers can see the same events and interactions from different angles. These different perspectives of the same situations show the complexity of family dynamics and the varied interpretations of shared memories.

Jennifer E. Smith’s writing style is exceptional, ensuring that readers are hooked from the very first page. The seamless transition between the siblings' viewpoints is executed flawlessly, maintaining a coherent flow throughout the narrative. The emotional intensity and the realistic portrayal of the characters' inner turmoil keep readers invested in their journey.

The characters of Gemma, Connor, Roddy and Jude are developed so well I felt like I was the fifth sibling experiencing the weekend away right with them. This is a character driven book so having the characters be so intricately developed added so much to telling of their stories. The reader is provided intricate details about their personal struggles, achievements, and the reasons behind their estranged relationships giving the opportunity to connect with each sibling through their vulnerabilities and strengths, making the story even more engaging.

I highly recommend this book! It is a beautifully written exploration of family dynamics, personal growth, and reconciliation. The reunion of the Endicott siblings serves as a powerful reminder of the complexities of familial relationships and the importance of understanding and forgiveness. The author’s ability to capture the essence of each sibling’s journey and present it through their points of view is truly commendable. This heartwarming yet thought-provoking story will stay with readers long after they turn the last page.

This book is a must-read for anyone who enjoys stories about family, personal struggles, and the triumphs that come from overcoming past wounds. It is a testament to the power of love and the resilience of the human spirit.

I am extremely grateful to Ballentine Books for the opportunity to read an advanced digital copy of this amazing book through Netgalley. All opinions throughout this review are my own.

Taking place during two timelines, this novel follows the Endicott siblings, Gemma, Connor, Roddy & Jude as they’ve traveled together with their parents as a family in the past. In the present, they haven’t spoken in years until they’re all called back together by a text from Jude to drop everything and meet “this weekend” in a small North Dakota town. Can they put their differences aside and become the family they once were?

I felt similarly about this book as I did with The Wedding People. On one hand, it was a heart-warming read about imperfect siblings and the bond they share. But there were so many problematic actions and behaviors that I wanted to better understand...a mother who abandons her family, a checked-out father, Conner pursuing a love interest instead of spending quality time with the kids he never sees. Maybe we'll get the mother's story some day.

Read this if you like:
•family dramas
•road trips
•have a goal of wanting to visit all 50 states!

This book is about 4 siblings and their complicated relationship. I love a good family drama book. This is told in alternating timelines of the past and now. They all meet up in North Dakota last minute after a frantic text from one sibling. As more of the story unfolds, we understand what happened in the past and what caused the falling out between the siblings. I loved that the chapters alternated the POV between the siblings so we got to know all of them and see them develop. There are some sensitive topics discussed so check TWs. Thank you Ballentine for the eARC

I became a fan of Jennifer E. Smith through her young adult novels, but I was really delighted by her debut adult novel, The Unsinkable Greta James. So obviously when I had the chance to read Fun for the Whole Family, I snagged it.

The characters at the heart of this novel are the Endicott siblings—Jude, Gemma, Connor, and Roddy—who, when the novel begins, haven’t spoken to each other in three years. On Jude’s out-of-the-blue request, they’ve traveled to North Dakota to spend the weekend together. There they must grapple with incidents from their past, work through their complicated relationship with their deceased mother, reveal secrets, and begin to trust one another again.

Was this a little predictable? Yes. I figured out one of the sibling’s secrets far before the big reveal. But that didn’t stop me from holding back tears as I finished this in a coffee shop yesterday. I really enjoyed reading this. I loved getting to know each sibling. I thought that the way the story was structured—alternating between the past and the present—worked especially well. Most of all, I loved the way that Smith tenderly wrote about these siblings, showing us that family, no matter how broken, is worth fighting for.

But for reals, have some tissues nearby.

This ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Fun for the Whole Family is available for purchase on April 10.

Gemma, Connor, Roddy, and Jude are four siblings who grew up with an absent mother and an always-working dad. Though close as children, none of them have seen each other in years after a big falling out at their father’s funeral. One day Jude texts her siblings, asking them to meet her that weekend in North Dakota, without explaining why. Through their weekend together, they unwind what caused the estrangement and why Jude wanted to see them.

Gemma and her husband are trying to have a baby, though Gemma isn’t sure she actually wants to be a mom after basically raising her siblings. Roddy just got offered a contract to play soccer in Orlando, but hasn’t told his fiancé that it will make him miss their wedding. Connor is a divorced father, barely seeing his kids, and struggling to write his next novel after the huge success of his last. Jude is a famous actress, carrying a lot of secrets.

I enjoy a good airing of grievances and they ALL had their grievances. I always think it’s fascinating how siblings can grow up in the same home and have such different experiences and memories from each other. I have lived through the experience of family fights and estrangement and this book nails how easy it is to just slip into the inertia of not speaking to each other when you're already so physically distant. I really enjoyed seeing all of their perspectives and their character growth.

All of Jude’s reveals are bit obvious, but that’s fine because it’s not like a mystery/thriller anyway. I think the Roddy/Jude relationship could have been a bit better developed because I still don't understand why they lost touch. Even in their past, it was always Roddy being protective of Jude and visting her, but not showing much of Jude's feelings towards Roddy or being there for him, even though they're twins and were supposedly very close.

Altogether, I thought this was well-written - I enjoyed the characters, the narrative structure, and the plot, and it definitely made me cry.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC of this wonderfully emotional family saga. As the youngest of seven kids my siblings are a big part of my life, so I love a good sibling story. This certainly fit the bill. The author did an excellent job in developing the characters of each of the four siblings. I truly cared about each of them and found myself rooting for each of them. I loved the two young characters, as well as the partners of the siblings. The book explored the sometimes-complicated dynamics among the characters, touching on so many aspects including love, forgiveness, hope, redemption parenthood, compromise and so much more.

The book was beautifully written from multiple points of view. Each of the sibling's lives was shaped by their mother who abandoned them but came back every summer to take them on a trip. I loved the short Intermittent chapters which took place in a different state during these trips, reflecting on their past.

The epilogue was the perfect ending - beautiful and bittersweet, but not cheesy.

I felt like it could have had a better title though. I don't think this really fit.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
After reading & loving Jennifer E. Smith's previous book, "The Unsinkable Greta James",
I was excited to read her newest book, "Fun For The Whole Family".
This was a heartfelt story that goes from the past to present within the family, bringing some events & secrets to light as 4 siblings, after years of separation, come together for a family trip to a small town in North Dakota. The story was interesting & the characters were unique & well-developed.
I would definitely read another book by this author.