This was my first Amy Poeppel book but it won’t be my last. I loved the premise of the book and the cast of characters. It was a fun heartwarming story I would recommend to anyone. I can totally see why her books are so beloved. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

I like the idea of this book with the house swapping element, and then the characters with the baggage they bring along make this a very humorous read. The two main characters are from two very different worlds, and I love the way the author switches back and forth between their points-of-view. I also enjoyed the different family members and their storylines. About 60% into the book I was concerned about the direction of some of the characters, and the book did go there, but it was done in a much better way than I thought it was going to, which made it okay. Otherwise, I found this to be a fun read, perfect for women wanting a change.

THE HOLIDAY gets an all-season update with this story of two families—one German, one Texan—swap homes when each of their lives hits a speed bumps. Author Amy Poeppel has given us a telegenic twist on this beloved family story trope by giving us dynamics around familial communication, hopes and dreams, young love, and the power of recognizing your own mistakes as we explore life-ruining algorithms, mislabeled art, a husband who falls in love with Costco, and a husband who may be in New Mexico, or maybe Mars. No one can be sure. Expect a fast-moving, fun-filled fish out of water tale with this one!

Amy Poeppel is the type of author who I wish would publish a book every month, but for her own sanity and the quality of her books, I'm glad she doesn't. Far and Away exceeded my already high expectations! The characters were great, I loved the settings (Germany and Texas) and it had the perfect balance of humour, heart, and incredible writing that she's known for.

This book was fantastic!!! Think of The Holiday but with married couples and no romance. I live near Dallas and have been to Berlin so it was so funny watching the two families navigate the cultural differences. I was very familiar with them. I especially loved that Greta thought Mason was in jail at first. It ends with an epilogue that ties everything up in a happy bow. It may seem like funny fluff at first but there is social commentary underneath.

Y'all I am the biggest Amy Poeppel fan! The Sweet Spot is still my fav, but this was such a fun read! I loved the setting, and these characters! So much fun with the house swap.

DNF at 50%. I honestly could not get into this story. It’s cute and mostly light-hearted, but it’s slow and didn’t hold my attention. Also, the mentions of a Tesla really took me out of the story.

It’s not a bad book, but it wasn’t for me. Others may enjoy this.

Thanks to Atria for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really enjoy this author's writing so I was thrilled to receive an advanced copy of Far and Away. I found this to be a fun and quirky read. There were quite a few characters to keep up with but once you did, the story flowed well. Looking forward to more from the author.

DNF REVIEW • I read Poeppel's SMALL ADMISSIONS a few years ago and thought it was just okay. It didn't click with me, but I truly thought it was a case of being the wrong reader for a particular book. Then, a podcaster I love raved about MUSICAL CHAIRS, and I gave it a go. Not long in, I DNFed. When THE SWEET SPOT came out, I ignored all my bookish instincts and gave it a try. Another DNF.

And the siren song of NetGalley's READ NOW button led us here. And I bet you can guess what I'm going to say next... Poeppel's stories are charming, her characters are quirky and multidimensional, and the way she changes perspective keeps the pace moving. By all accounts, her books should work for me. But there is just something about them that leaves me putting the book down about 20% in, for no clear reason, uninterested in seeing what happens next. I think I'm in the minority, so I would not hesitate to tell another reader to give them a try. This is a case of "it's not you, it's me," and I promise... I've learned my lesson this time.

This is a book with some genuinely relatable characters, and for many, it will likely be a perfect escape read. I personally found that the plot relied a little too much on the miscommunication trope, which ultimately made it difficult for me to continue. After getting about 15% of the way through, I decided to set it aside. While it wasn't the right read for me, I have a feeling the story comes to a very fulfilling, satisfying conclusion for those who stick with it!

Oh, oh, oh! What a treasure of a book.

Far and Away for me felt like serendipitous bookish timing at its perfect peak. I started it while on vacation in Germany and there is truly nothing better than reading a book about travel while you’re on your own adventure exploring new places, but what made this even better was the little bits of German sprinkled throughout, oh my goodness I loved it!

Go into this one blind. Don’t read the synopsis, it gives too much away and if you do decide to pick this up you will be so delighted by all the little plot twists and surprises.

The entire book was the biggest treat but the last few chapters had me grinning and giggling and awww’ing the whole way through. The way that worlds and characters collided, it was just so heartwarming and tender.

If you’re looking for a light, charming and very funny read with a lot of heart and a dose of wanderlust, look no further.

I’ve decided that I love anything amy poeppel writes. The end.

Jk I’ll say more!! FAR AND AWAY is about two women on separate sides of the Atlantic swapping houses for a summer — from Dallas to Berlin. I KNOW! What a combo.

What follows is such a fun and emotional culture shock for the two women and their families. Just like with THE SWEET SPOT, I fell in love with all the characters and chuckled through the shenanigans.

In a similar vein to the movie The Holiday, this story follows two women as they swap homes in Dallas and Berlin and things go hilariously wrong. Lucy is desperate to escape Dallas after her son makes an irreversible mistake that has them all wanting to skip town. Greta finds herself signing up to house swap her beloved flat in Berlin, while tipsy and distraught following her husband Otto’s decision to take a dream job in Texas without discussing it with her first. These women have rushed into this house swap and find themselves, not just moving into each other’s homes, but into each other’s lives. Filled with jet lag, family drama, career moves, culture shock, and scandals, this story will follow Greta and Lucy as they decide whether they can ever go home or if it’s better to stay lost abroad. I thoroughly enjoyed this read, it was the perfect summer escape with plenty of humor, heart, and a good dose of wanderlust. A great uplit or uplifting read.

Thank you Atria for my copy. Wow I loved this book!! It completely surprised me in the best way with its sweetness and quirkiness. I enjoyed getting to know these families- their differences, their similarities, their challenges and their joys. The concept of a house swap was really interesting and it was so fun to read this one. I found myself laughing as well as emotional at times.

Far and Away by Amy Poeppel
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Despite having never met each other, Lucy and Greta agree to house swap for the summer. They each have their reasons for suddenly leaving and each will lend to the hilarity of this story.
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What I loved:
-Amy Poeppel has this awesome ability to write hilarious stories with lots of heart and this book was no exception.
-I was sucked into both Lucy and Greta’s lives, but I think more so Lucy’s.
-I loved how their stories kept intercepting too.
-The whole story was entertaining and I loved how it ended.
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4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I’m not sure I could ever do a house swap but it lends perfectly to an epic story.

At first blush, this story seemed to be along the lines of the film “The Holiday”. Two families chose to swap homes between Dallas, Texas and Berlin, Germany. Or rather two matriarchs organized it: Lucy and Greta. Lucy is trying to escape a scandal her son is embroiled in, while Greta needs to quickly find housing due to her husband’s last minute job in Dallas. I really enjoyed the cultural aspects of this exchange. You can’t have a more disparate way of life than between Dallas and Berlin! It proved to be a source of much of the humor in the book. I also loved how the author touched on every character, including the children, in meaningful ways. Everyone grew, and even the sadder outcomes felt right and true. I happened to have been traveling to Germany while reading this book which further enhanced my enjoyment!

Thanks to the publisher for the gifted copy.

This book was interesting, heartfelt, but mostly stressful. The plot leans heavily on a cascade of chaos, where one thing after another goes wrong. That kind of tension felt relentless and exhausting. A lot of the conflict hinges on miscommunication, which I always find hard to accept in a contemporary setting. People are hopping on transatlantic flights with ease, but somehow can’t manage a single text or call? I found the two main characters frustrating at first, but they grew into believable and distinct portraits of two very different women. By the second half, I was more emotionally invested, and even softening to the earnest, feel-good ending. It’s not perfect, but it’s engaging enough. It would be a solid pick for a travel read if you’re looking for something light, a little chaotic, and ultimately heartwarming.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the advanced copy.

Far and Away is a comical novel about two women who make rash decisions to run away from their problems and house swap between Dallas, TX and Berlin, Germany. Moving their families to new environments lends itself to a number of humorous encounters.

I have to be honest, Far and Away was not my favorite Amy Poeppel novel. I found the two main protagonists rather reckless and short sighted in the decisions made and while I understand it was for the humor of the story, it simple aggravated me to the point of not wanting to finish the novel. In defense of the women, I also found it interesting that while they didn't directly cause their families' demises, they each immediately felt like it was their responsibility to fix the problems that the men in their lives were creating.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Publishing for the opportunity to read this novel.

Poeppel delivers exactly the kind of fizzy escapism this premise promises. Lucy flees Dallas scandal while Greta abandons Berlin after her husband Otto secretly takes a Texas job—naturally, they swap houses and lives with predictably chaotic results.
The culture clash humor works beautifully. Watching a proper German navigate Texas suburbia while a Southern belle tackles Berlin bureaucracy provides genuine laughs. Poeppel has a gift for absurd situations that feel organic rather than forced—particularly the subplot involving Lucy's husband's mysterious six-month absence (NASA biosphere or jail, depending on who's telling).
The supporting cast shines: Otto's enthusiastic embrace of Texas life, the teenagers discovering inconvenient secrets, and Lucy's past involving a "hot Viking named Bjørn" all add delightful complications. When Greta's career-defining Vermeer purchase gets questioned, the stakes actually matter.
Sure, it's lightweight, but Poeppel writes with genuine warmth and wit. The friendship that develops between these displaced women feels earned, not manufactured. Perfect poolside reading that's smarter than it needs to be.

I always like how Amy Poeppel takes a seemingly impossible premise and weaves in humor and the delight of found family in it. This one took me a little longer to get into than some of her others, but I really enjoyed the ending.