One Big Happy Family by Susan Mallery Published by Harlequin on October 1, 2024
Genres: Fiction / Family Life / Marriage & Divorce, Fiction / Family Life / Siblings, Fiction / Holidays, Fiction / Romance / Contemporary, Fiction / Romance / Holiday
Pages: 320
Format: ARC
Source: NetGalley
Susan Mallery, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Boardwalk Bookshop, returns with the joyful and utterly irresistible story of a mother who couldn't love her kids more but hopes that, just this once, they please don't come home for Christmas. Perfect for fans of Mary Kay Andrews and Julie Murphy!
Julie Parker’s kids are her greatest gift. Still, she’s not exactly heartbroken when they ask to skip a big Christmas. Her son, Nick, is taking a belated honeymoon with his bride, Blair, while her daughter, Dana, will purge every reminder of the guy who dumped her. Again. Julie feels practically giddy for one-on-one holiday time with Heath, the (much) younger man she’s secretly dating.
But her plans go from cozy to chaotic when Nick and Dana plead for Christmas at the family cabin in memory of their late father, Julie’s ex. She can’t refuse, even though she dreads their reactions to her new man when they realize she’s been hiding him for months.
As the guest list grows in surprising ways, from Blair’s estranged mom to Heath’s precocious children, Julie’s secret is one of many to be unwrapped. Over this delightfully complicated and very funny Christmas, she’ll discover that more really is merrier, and that a big, happy family can become bigger and happier, if they let go of old hurts and open their hearts to love.
Don’t miss Susan Mallery’s brand new novel, BEACH VIBES, a dazzling, clever and poignant story about the family we’re born into—and the one we create for ourselves, coming March 2025!
My Review
I want to start my review by thanking Netgalley, Canary Street Press, and Susan Mallery for a Digital ARC of One Big Happy Family in return for an honest review. Everything I write here is completely my own thoughts and opinions. I will say I was extremely excited to get one of her books because I have read a few by this author in the past and truly enjoyed them. Spoiler: Reader, this was no different. I really enjoyed this story. I do want to point out that right from the beginning, this is not just a Christmas Story. There are so many serious, heavy-hitting topics here, but in my opinion, I think that the author has done a great job in writing about them. I Will include a list of trigger warnings at the end of my review.
If you are looking for a Christmas Story where you follow multiple characters of different ages who are all fleshed out, in my opinion, very well, then this is the story for you. If you want a Christmas Story about a mother who is dating a younger man while keeping it a secret from her adult children, then give this one a go. If you are looking for a story about family in all of its glorious messiness, then I think you will like this book. If you like a new romance, second chance romances, following your dreams, making discoveries about yourself, and forgiveness, then I really think you will like this story. If you want all the coziness of the Christmas Season with snow and spending time with family and friends, then I believe you will enjoy this story.
Again, I want to thank Canary Street Press, Netgalley, and Susan Mallery for this Digital ARC in return for an honest review. I really enjoyed this story, and I can see myself revisiting it next year. This book, in my opinion, had it all. I do want to mention that you may want to check trigger warnings because, as I said above, there are some heavy-hitting topics, but I found them to be handled with care. I have included the ones that popped out to me, but there may be more, so as I said, you may want to look for yourself. I hope you decide to give this book a go and enjoy it as much as I did. Until Next Time, Reader, Happy Reading.
Trigger Warnings:
- Loss of a Parent
- Loss of a Child
- Parental Emotional Neglect
- Illness (IBS)
- Breakups
- Mentions of Divorce
- Mentions of Bullying