Lucy is ready to flee from her home in Dallas for the summer after her son is expelled from school and her family is shunned by their friends and neighbors. In Berlin, Otto has accepted a job in Texas without consulting his wife, Greta. They both decide on a house swap and rush into it without much thought. It is an adjustment for both families and their lives become intertwined between friends and family members. A fun and entertaining story that will have you laughing out loud!

This is a very original house swap story that kept me intrigued throughout! I was glad to read this thru NetGalley and found it hard to put down. From problems of husbands and wives, parents and children and different cultures interacting all the way to a great conclusion. Loved all the characters and settings along with the friendship of 2 very different women.

I received an advance reading copy of Far and Away and would like to thank NetGalley and Atria Books for allowing me to read and review this book ahead of its release!

Far and Away is a multi-POV fiction story about Lucy, a mother of three, and Greta, a woman who primarily works as a gallery collector for private investors. Lucy’s life is turned upside down when her son becomes involved in a major scandal at school, which causes her to try to find a way to handle it while her husband is away on a work-stint for an impressive project in robotics. Meanwhile, across the ocean, Greta’s world is also upended when her husband takes a job in Texas without consulting her first. Determined to find a suitable home for their temporary relocation to the US, she decides to offer up her historic apartment for a house swap. Through a lucky mutual connection, Lucy comes across Greta’s advertisement, and the two quickly agree to swap homes, setting off on a year-long adventure in entirely new places.

This book immediately caught my attention as a born-and-raised Texan with German heritage. On that basis alone, I thought I would enjoy it, but I didn’t expect to be so deeply drawn into the intricately woven story. Far and Away is more than just a great read—it’s about healing, self-acceptance, and making the best out of what your life gives you.

I don’t usually gravitate toward multi-POV stories, but Poppel’s writing makes it easy to engage with each character’s perspective. The entire cast is so likable and real that I found myself truly empathizing with everyone and their struggles.

I don’t want to give anything away, but I will say this: Far and Away absolutely blew me away. It’s a definite five-star read. When it releases on June 10th, make sure you grab a copy. This is a must-read for the summer!

Once again, thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read Far and Away ahead of its release!

Thank you to @atriabooks for the early copy (PUB 06.10) of 𝐅𝐚𝐫 & 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐲.

I have read several Amy Poeppel novels and every time I read one I think "She gets me." The writing is smart, witty, and charming and always makes me chuckle. Her upcoming novel is about a house swap gone wonderfully awry. Here for the wanderlust!

A fresh and original story full of unexpected relationships and madcap situations infused with humor and charm. I just felt so content the whole time I was reading. It was a satisfying blend of tension and levity. I found myself sighing with utter contentment one moment and then boldly guffawing the next. The characters are quirky without inducing eye-rolls. The story had a steady beat of depth and wit that carried me through to the end.

Far and Away by Amy Poeppel was just downright fun. This story was original and so entertaining. I loved the characters and their many mishaps had me laughing and falling in love with every turn of the page.

“Far and Away,” Amy Poeppel’s latest novel, involves a last minute house swap between families from Dallas, Texas and Berlin, Germany. Lucy must flee her native Dallas after a scandal involving her teenage son, Jack. She can’t reach her husband, Mason, who is in a simulated Mars habitat in the New Mexico desert, so she has to rely on her own wits to get her son and twin 8 year old daughters out of what has become an untenable situation.

Greta’s husband, Otto, a podiatrist, discovers that his one year sabbatical in New York has been canceled the day before they are set to leave. Shortly thereafter, he receives an offer of a stipend to work in a hospital in Dallas, Texas. Greta posts their Berlin apartment on Instagram, and immediately receives an offer to swap with Lucy, a total stranger. With the last minute nature of the swap, little information is shared between the two before the move, resulting in confusion and miscommunications.

As the two families adjust to their new circumstances and face their own unique challenges, they all become stronger and more self-reliant. The characters are all well-drawn and likable, and its heartening to watch them live and thrive outside their comfort zones. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a character driven novel with multi-faceted characters facing challenges and growing stronger as a result.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me an ARC of the novel in exchange for my honest review.

Amy Poeppel always writes such quirky, relatable, and adventurous characters. I loved the journey of getting to know Lucy, Greta, and their whole families in this book. Poeppel brought the characters through moments that could be seen as absolute lows and shows how families and individuals can grow when faced with adversity. I wanted to be in both Dallas and Berlin throughout the book and wanted to be part of their large, chosen family. The end tag wrapped everything up nicely, and I feel like these characters were family by the end. I’m sad to leave them!

Thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Far and Away
Amy Poeppel
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I thoroughly enjoyed Amy Poeppel’s latest novel Far and Away. She’s a favorite author of mine and I’ve loved her other four novels as well. The characters are always fun and although flawed she still manages to make them likable for the reader.
Far and Away deals with a house swap between Lucy and Greta in a last minute attempt to deal with unexpected predicaments they’ve both found themselves facing. Lucy’s home is in Dallas and Greta’s is in Berlin. Not only are these entirely different countries and cultures but their homes and lifestyles are completely different.
One of the things I absolutely loved throughout the book was the use of various German phrases. They reminded me so much of my Mom who was German and would use some of the same expressions with me. It was a sweet memory brought back by Amy’s writing.
While there were several characters throughout the book it was never difficult to remember who they were. That is one of my pet peeves in other books in that it is just so confusing. Amy has a way of creating distinct characters who though flawed are quite endearing. I found myself cheering them on throughout the book and laughing at some of the crazy situations they found themselves in.

Far and Away is available for preorder now and will be released on June 10, 1025.
Thanks to @netgalley and Publisher @atriabooks for the opportunity to read an early digital copy. All opinions are my own.

#netgalley #atriabooks #farandaway @amypoeppel #amypoeppel #favoriteauthor #womensfiction #generalfiction #juliawoodard #bookreviews

title: Far and Away

author: Amy Poeppel

publisher: Atria/Emily Bestler Books

publication date: June 10, 2025

pages: 400

peppers: 1 (on this scale)

warnings: none

summary: When Lucy's son Jack's life blows up just before his high school graduation (which doesn't happen because he gets expelled), she impulsively swaps apartments with the sister of a long-ago friend in Berlin. Greta, who follows her husband Otto to his new job in Dallas, is surprised by Lucy's house and pets and life.

tropes: This isn't a romance, and it's not really trope-heavy. It's very trading-places, if that counts as a trope.

what I liked:

characters of multiple generations
dealing with real issues at every age
snappy dialogue and humor
clever details

what I didn’t like: honestly, I almost stopped reading after the first couple of chapters. I was confused and not engaged. (To be fair, I was sick with pneumonia and might not have been my most attentive, open-hearted self.) Then, I got completely into it and ended up loving the book.

overall rating: 5 (of 5 stars)

I’ve been chasing the vibe of The Sweet Spot since its release and I’m happy to say I’ve found it!!! And of course it’s Far and Away by the queen herself Amy Poeppel.

So many moving parts to this one but I think a quick jist will have you reaching for a copy… a teen gets himself into a pickle of a situation which causes him and his family to become outcast in their Dallas neighborhood. His dad is on “Mars” and his mom makes quick decision to house swap with an old friend’s sister who lives in Berlin, who is in need of a house in Dallas… I loved in the synopsis it said trading Southern charm and barbecue for European sophistication and schnitzel! Spot on! These women “plus family” settle into one another’s homes and day to days… with many unsuspected challenges along the way.

I loved this book. I could have read this without the cover sharing that it was written by Amy and I would have known. Her characters and mix of travel as well as hoops to be jumped through are one of a kind. I love her attention to detail from architecture to art, or just simply taking care of a pet or juggling kids while working. She paints her characters with so much flare that I know they will stick in my brain till the next book and beyond.

I promise you will be hugging it when you are done! And found family trope friends. This is the author for you!

Thank you Atria Books

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Far and Away by Amy Poeppel tells the story of Lucy and Greta, two strangers who end up doing a house swap, each under great stress. Lucy lives in Dallas and flees with her kids to Greta’s house in Germany due to an accusation against her teenage son. Greta’s husband takes a job in Dallas and they need to find a place to live immediately.

Having read all of Amy Poeppel’s other books I knew I would really enjoy this. As in her other books I found I really liked the characters but needed to let go a little as some of the situations seemed very hard for me to relate to. I absolutely loved the setting in Germany and the feeling that they each had of being a fish out of water in a new place is always enjoyable to read. I spent much of the book seriously questioning the decision-making skills of several of the characters but in the end, of course, the story won me over. I love a good epilogue and got teary at the end.

Thank you to the publisher Atria Books | Atria/Emily Bestler Books, author Amy Poeppel, and NetGalley for the gifted digital ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I loved The Sweet Spot by Amy Poeppel, so I could not wait to dive into this book! Personally, it started a little slow which is why I gave it four stars, but once it got going I didn’t want to put it down!

Two families, two homes, two countries, lots of amazing supporting characters, a bunch of pets, and lots of growth and love. Two separate worlds (Dallas & Berlin) intertwined and woven together. Tough life lessons learned with humility and taught with grace. There’s love, there’s friendship, and there’s some drama!

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

A wild ride in every dimension but full of upbeat experiences and characters I'd like to spend more time with.

The beginning of Far and Away was so chaotic and the whirlwind of ALL THE THINGS left me feeling frazzled. But that's exactly how Lucy and Greta were feeling after having their lives turned upside down. Far and Away is full of charming characters, all feeling like fish out of water as they attempt to adapt to the various shifts in their lives and find solid ground again. Poeppel showcases all the ways relationships can grow and change and the impact stress can have on ourselves and those we hold dear.

The house swapping was fun and the secondary characters were fantastic but there was always something that felt just a little off to me and that kept me from fully enjoying this story.

I loved this book so much! Full of heart, lovable characters, fun settings, and a little bit of mystery to keep us guessing, FAR AND AWAY takes readers on a journey right alongside each character. I loved the multiple settings and the house swapping premise was so fun to follow. A+++

This started as a bit of a hot mess of a book for me but soon the author’s depiction of good hearted, strong but frazzled mothers won me over and I ended up very much enjoying this romp. Marriage woes, motherhood,teen/young adult drama, work bumps, and figuring it all out on the fly brought us to Dallas, Berlin, NYC, Copenhagen, and a seaside German town all in quick succession. I loved the “side”characters of Irene, Rex, Lillian, Adam, Bjorn, Astrid and Tobias. Musical Chairs remains my favorite from this author but this was a fun diversion from doomsday scrolling and reality. I wanted to stay in harried, impetuous Lucy’s world a little longer.

This was a classic Amy Poeppel novel — a perfect mix of humor, heart, and chaos. German Greta and American Lucy, strangers to one another, end up swapping homes for a summer. Greta and her husband Otto moved to Lucy‘s high tech home in Texas, overwhelmed with her myriad pets and friendly in-laws, for Otto’s job. Meanwhile, Lucy and her three kids abruptly go to Greta‘s Berlin apartment where space is tight and she is trying to keep her European jaunt a secret from her bosses. A beautifully and masterly chaotic spider’s web of character characters and scenarios unravels across the world with these women and the many others in their lives.

Poeppel’s novels push realistic absurdity to its bounds, but the foundation is always believable, which is what I enjoy. Her characters are fun and flawed and human, and this book was a joy from cover to cover. I love the large cast of characters - it’s fun for people to pop in and out and try to determine who will play an important role later on - and it’s so fulfilling when connections are revealed in the end. Poeppel’s books, and this novel, of course included, have a level of warmth and in particular found family that is beautiful and comforting.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was such a charming, funny and absorbing read! The characters were lovable and the drama was light but interesting.

Amy Poeppel sees into my mind and my heart in such a specific way- I just adore her. I'd love to sit and chat with her and pick her beautiful brain. This book is just perfect- witty, laugh out loud funny, snarky, sweet, and insightful. Five shiny stars.

Amy Porppel brings us a story of 2 families who may have never met except in these odd circumstances. Although a little too much untranslated German for my taste, the general story is heartwarming!