A story of family, I'll Come to You chronicles intersecting lives over the course of 1995, anchored by the anticipation and arrival of a child.

I'm a little bit surprised this book was labeled as historical fiction since it's set in 1995 and literally nothing historically major is even mentioned, but okay, I will close an eye on this. I am a fan of family dramas, so I was excited to read this one, but not much happens in this book. Sure, the characters encounter some problems, but nothing too severe or dramatic or shocking, just... simple life. Which is not bad, just unremarkable.
I found myself waiting for something big to happen, only to find out I was at the end of the book.
The writing however was good and I really enjoyed the narration of Elisabeth Rodgers. I would read more of this author.
2 stars

* I'd like to thank Rebecca Kauffman, RBmedia and NetGalley for providing this ALC in exchange for my honest review.
#IllCometoYou #NetGalley

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publishers for the advanced audio copy I received in exchange for my honest review.

I'LL COME TO YOU was my first book of Rebecca Kauffman's and I'm excited to read more of her work! I enjoyed this story and the multiple POVs across a family's life in 1995. The cast of characters, Ellen struggling with divorce, Corrine struggling with fertility, Rob and his custody battle etc., were very compelling, if a bit depressing. The writing was beautiful and I thought the narrator did a great job!

I'll Come to You by Rebecca Kauffman is a heartfelt story about grief, family, and personal growth. It follows a woman who returns to her childhood home after her mother’s death, dealing with unresolved emotions. Kauffman’s writing is reflective and emotional, capturing the complexities of family relationships. It’s a thoughtful, well-written book that stayed with me, earning a solid 4 out of 5.

I had a bit of a complicated journey to read I'll Come to You (view spoiler), but I'm glad I persevered, because it was a really engrossing read.

It's a novel told from several perspectives over the course of a year (1995) in the lives of an extended American family, featuring an ensemble cast, rather than any single protagonist or main character.

Ellen is a recently divorced older woman who works as a school bus driver in or near Chicago. She's just agreed to go on a blind date with Gary, but it doesn't look like their relationship is likely to go anywhere. She's keen to arrange a large family Christmas gathering for the end of the year, as she was left feeling bereft last Christmas when her adult son and his wife had to split their time between herself and her ex-husband.

Ellen's son Paul and his wife Corinne have recently conceived a child, although Corinne is experiencing symptoms that are making her anxious about the pregnancy. Paul is more affected by his parents' break-up than he's been prepared to share with anyone, especially after he sees evidence that his father is in a relationship with another woman.

Corinne's mother Janet and father Bruce live a few hours' drive away from their adult children. They're both looking forward to the arrival of their third grandchild, but Janet is preoccupied with Bruce's health, as he's exhibiting the early signs of a dementia-like illness. She keeps putting off telling their children about Bruce's symptoms, as she knows they have worries of their own.

Janet and Bruce's son (and Corinne's elder brother) Rob works as a used car salesman in Philadelphia. He's divorced, but has a reasonably amicable relationship with his ex-wife and her new partner, and sees his two young sons every fortnight. Ever since an incident in his teenage years, Rob's family have regarded him as someone who lies, or at least embellishes the truth, frequently.

Members of the family come together at a baby shower for Corinne, when baby Olivia arrives in August, a weekend at the Jersey Shore for Rob's birthday in September, Hallowe'en in Chicago, Thanksgiving celebrations at Janet and Bruce's home and finally Christmas. Through the series of vignettes - one or more representing each month of the year - each told from the perspective of a different character, we gain insight into the undercurrents of frustration, annoyance, yearning and love that underpin the interrelationships between them. As in life, each character has deeply-held vulnerabilities that they don't communicate effectively with those closest to them, demonstrating that the things that we don't say or share with our nearest and dearest can hurt far more than what we do.

Author Rebecca Kauffman draws her characters with empathy, insight and occasional moments of humour, leading the reader to an appreciation of what drives these ordinary people's lives. She explores hope, loss, insecurities, disappointment and joy as the characters navigate this pivotal year of their lives. I'm not entirely sure of the reason that the book is set in 1995, rather than the present, although it's clear that the availability of mobile phones would have a significant impact on the ways the characters are able to interact.

I'd recommend I'll Come to You to readers who enjoy contemporary literary fiction, family dramas and character-driven stories. Based upon the limited audio excerpt I was able to access via NetGalley, I would also recommend the audiobook edition narrated by Elisabeth Rodgers. In spite of its relatively compact format (223 pages), this is an emotionally perceptive and multi-layered story, exploring the universality of human experience and resilience.

Publisher RB Media Recorded Books granted me an advance review of the audiobook edition narrated by Elisabeth Rodgers. Whilst I was unable to access this file via the notorious NetGalley Shelf App, I am grateful to both the author Rebecca Kauffman and RB Media Recorded Books for their consideration, and I was fortunately able to obtain a review copy of the book elsewhere.

Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for providing an advance reader's copy of this book. Unfortunately at this time I will be unable to read it and give it the attention it requires. I will return to the book and provide a review at the earliest possibility.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and RBmedia for an audio version of this book in exchange for a review!
Deeply humbled to have gotten the beautiful opportunity to get to listen to this book. The narration was beautiful and worked in tandem with the writing to create an incredibly lovely and human book. I adored hearing about the characters and how truly real they felt. I had to pause the audiobook several times just so I could sit with what I’d just heard.
This book teaches you how someone may keep things to themselves not out of malice but because they don’t know what else to do. I can’t stop thinking about how beautiful this book is but I also don’t think there are words for it. Read it yourself and you’ll understand

This character driven novel takes place over one year (1995) within intermingled families. A couple, Paul and Corinne, struggle to conceive and are now pregnant. Corinne's mother is hiding Corinne's father's slow decline while her brother is dealing with life as a divorced father after he loses custody of his children. Paul is dealing with his own parents' divorce and how they are each choosing to move on.

I thought that this novel was absolutely wonderful. I loved how the characters interconnected and how the author explored their lives and relationships. It's just a beautifully written family story. Even though not much occurs during the course of the novel, I never felt that the pacing was too slow or that the author focuses too much on one character. This is simply well balanced and enjoyable - if you need plot driven then it may not be for you, but I love a great character novel. I only had the audio and the narrator was really great although I do wish I had had the book because it took a while to figure out who each character was and how they connected to the rest.

Thank you to RB Media and NetGalley for the ALC to review

I’ll Come to You by Rebecca Kauffman

🟢🟢🟢🟢⚪️

Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced audio copy of I’ll Come to You, I really loved this one, a story of family that chronicles intersecting lives over the course of one year—1995—anchored by the anticipation and arrival of a child.

It’s a short but impactful story that reminded me a lot of The Bee Sting, I really enjoy these intersecting family narratives and Kauffman is excellent at building character. I highly recommend the audio and just look at the cover 😍

The cat adds an interesting layer to the story and I loved the choice to include it on the cover.

I am excited to have discovered a new to me author with a back catalogue I can dive into.

*I’ll Come to You* is a beautifully crafted portrait of one family navigating the trials of life in 1995. Through Ellen’s post-divorce struggles, Paul and Corinne’s fertility challenges, the weight of aging on Corinne’s parents, and Rob’s painful custody battle, Kauffman creates a deeply human and relatable narrative. With richly drawn characters and a perfect balance of heartbreak, humor, and warmth, this novel captures the messy, poignant realities of family life.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the audio ARC which I received in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed this one on audio. It was slow in parts because it really was such a deep character study. It follows different members of a family and their points of view surrounding the birth of a new grandchild. All their stories come together and give you a picture of humanity in all its nuances There is not a ton of plot having you turn pages quickly but the writing is good and consistent with this authors style. It’s not going to be for everyone but if you like family dramas and can stick with a book with a lot of character development you’ll enjoy this one.

This one was not for me, ultimately. The characters’ situations were depressing to me as I read rather than interesting, and I struggled to feel connected to the story. The writing was good, thoughtful and descriptive. I’m sure this will find its audience!

I'll Come To You was an alright book. It was a little lack-lustre at times, and took some time to get used to the writing style. I'm not a huge fan of jumping through time and changing POVs frequently in books, and sometimes it felt awkward and jolting to be skipping through weeks at a time, but having the characters talk about what happened during those weeks. I felt like it definitely could have been more emotional and gripping had we got to experience more time with each character and their personal struggles. Instead it felt like I got a piece of 6 different stories that sort of came together, but lacked emotional punch.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an audio copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed this audiobook; while some parts seemed to drag on, the plot, generally, kept my attention. The family drama could have been more suspenseful or dramatic. Overall, I enjoyed this audiobook and am giving it a 3 out of 5 star review.

In this short book we can have a glimpse into the life of a family for a full year. You will find it easy to relate if you are a divorced parent, have someone with dementia, if you faced difficulty in getting pregnant or know someone who is a pathological liar. I enjoyed the writing, as well as the narration of Elisabeth Rodgers, and I'm just sorry that the book didn't offer me any take away.

2 ½* rounded up to 3

I think I’m an outlier on this one - I thought this one had promise but . . . .the audiobook seemed to drag and there wasn’t really a plot.

First off I have no idea why this is listed as “historical fiction” - WHAT??? The novel is set in 1995! There also isn’t any mention of anything memorable that happened in the US or anywhere during this time period? DEFINITELY NOT HISTORICAL FICTION!

From the blurb: “A story of family, I'll Come to You chronicles intersecting lives over the course of 1995, anchored by the anticipation and arrival of a child.”

I enjoy a good family drama but there wasn’t really much drama. We follow along, shifting from one character's struggles within the family to another.

I kept waiting for some spark or good mystery to make this novel stand out, but I didn’t find any!

The characters were all unremarkable but I guess they could be relatable. None of them were very well described.

I’m giving it 2 1/2 * rounded up to 3 because I think there is some good writing here.

I received the audiobook from the publisher and RBMedia through NetGalley. It was my pleasure to listen to and review this novel.

I'll Come to You features some very vivid, richly drawn characters entangled by family and various relationships, trying to move on from messy pasts and dealing with their strange circumstances as best they can. Multiple generations try to navigate connections and old wounds, while hiding and revealing as they see fit. A new baby and Christmas celebrations serve as catalysts to connect a woman to her ex-sister-in-law, force the issue of a father's dementia and his son's hidden trauma, get brothers-in-law out of silence appearing as goodwill, and bring a budding new relationship out in the open. Overall, it's a bit muddled all the connections and jumps between areas, especially as the narrator has many characters sounding quite similar. Nonetheless, a great character study on what is underneath the surface and what it makes us do or say.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Recorded Books Media for gifting me an audio ARC of this wonderful novel by Rebecca Kauffman, perfectly narrated by Elisabeth Rodgers. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 5 stars!

A story of family, set in 1995, all touched by the impending arrival of a baby. We get glimpses into each of the family members' lives, thoughts, fears, joys.

I absolutely loved listening to this book. Beginning in January and going through the end of 1995, told in the POV of many different family members, we are privy to their emotions about all the happenings in the family and extended family. A couple struggling with infertility, an older couple divorced and struggling, an older son who defaults to lying rather than facing his emotions, an older couple facing a health crisis. The writing was just beautiful and pulled me into caring about this family. I appreciated that it was set in 1995, before cellphones were in everyone's pockets, so that communication required more effort. These characters felt real and relatable and I cared about them and their stories. Highly recommended!

Thank you Netgalley for this advanced audio edition of I'll Come to You by Rebecca Kauffman.

This is one of those quiet yet powerful stories of lives that all intersect with each other, and how long lasting decisions and relationships can affect us. I've read many books like this and I always enjoy them. Was this the best of them? Probably not. Sometimes I lost the plot, the characters weren't quite as engaging, the plot wasn't as compelling, but it also had heart in it, and I enjoyed revisiting the 90's. Funny enough the story didn't really grab me until the last two chapters, then I was hooked!

I’ll Come to You by Rebecca Kauffman takes readers through a year in the life of one family —spanning from post Christmas 1994 to Christmas in 1995. In this deeply emotional and insightful novel, Kauffman explores the complexities of familial relationships, following one couple and their extended family as they navigate the challenges of life.

Paul and Corinne are expecting a baby, which should be a joyful event. However, there’s tension in the air: Paul’s parents, Ellen and William, are newly divorced. Despite this, Ellen is determined that Christmas should remain a time for family, so she begins to secretly plan a celebration that would bring everyone together, avoiding the need to divide the day between separate family units.

On Corinne’s side, her mother is hiding her father’s cognitive decline from Corinne and her brother, Rob. Rob, who is also divorced, struggles with his own issues—chiefly, his difficulty accepting how easily his ex-wife has moved on, and what this means for his relationship with his sons.

What could have felt like a mundane family drama instead unfolds as a nuanced and sometimes painfully familiar dance—the delicate balancing act that takes place between parents and children, siblings, and spouses. At just 226 pages, Kauffman efficiently weaves together these complex dynamics with sensitivity and depth.

I had just received the audio book version of I’ll Come to You when I spotted a review of it in my hometown newspaper, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. I decided to wait until I had finished the book before reading the review, but I was pleased to find that the reviewer shared my positive reaction to the story.

I wholly and completely recommend I’ll Come to You by Rebecca Kauffman.

Kauffman has penned a character driven family drama which takes place over the course of a single year, 1995.

Featuring a couple with fertility trials, a woman whose husband left after decades of marriage, a different pair dealing with a health crisis and a divorced man who chronically lies, Kauffman made me love them all. I was invested. As a reader who dealt with infertility and had my son in 1995, I related to them. As the child of divorce, I related to that woman. And now, in the final act of my life with a much older husband, I completely connected to that couple. So much life, beginnings and endings….. my heart broke.

Read this.

And I absolutely know other readers understand that heart breaking, gut punching novels are to be shared.