One Big Happy Family by Susan Mallery

Robin’s Rave Reviews 2024 

One Big Happy Family book cover

You may be thinking pumpkin spice, but Christmas isn’t as far off as you’d like to think, and I already have a recommendation for your holiday reading this year! Susan Mallery’s One Big Happy Family comes out October 1, 2024. You can preorder now!

Summary

Julie’s adult children made their own plans for Christmas this year. Heath, Julie’s boyfriend, has young children, but they’re spending the holiday on vacation with his ex and her boyfriend. That means Julie and Heath can have a quiet Christmas together. Until plans change.

Julie’s children, Dana and Nick, drop their plans because they want to do their traditional family Christmas at the cabin. They hope it will help them get through their first Christmas since their dad’s death. Although their parents have been divorced for many years, their father normally spent the holiday with the family at the cabin.

When Heath agrees to join them, Julie needs to figure out how to introduce her kids to her boyfriend, younger than her by 12 years, whom she’s been keeping a secret. Then, just before Heath’s ex takes the kids on the vacation, her boyfriend dumps her. Julie invites Heath’s kids and his ex to join them for the holidays. Isn’t that what most people would do? Oh, and they’re bringing their dog.

Nick’s mother-in-law has recently moved to the area. Even though his wife Blair and her mother have a strained relationship, she needs somewhere to be for the holidays. Why not include her? Meanwhile, Dana is getting over a breakup with her boyfriend Axel, again.

Suddenly Julie has a lot of planning to do to accommodate a house full of people. The “cabin” has plenty of room, but it’s the mixture of personalities, secrets, and past hurts that bring the conflict and tension. And Julie, a woman with a big heart, is forced to deal with her control issues. Does ANY big family gathering turn out exactly how you want it?

My Thoughts

Susan Mallery, author pic
Susan Mallery, author

If you like fun Christmas novels about dysfunctional families, this is a wonderful read. This family’s holiday is a lovely, chaotic mess full of wonderful traditions, fun, love, personal growth, and acceptance. I enjoyed getting to know each of the guests and watching them squirm through situations often out of their control. It’s a fun, easy read for your holiday season!

Pick up Susan Mallery’s new book, One Big Happy Family! Give yourself a gift for the holidays.

Thank you Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing | Canary Street Press for the ARC of this book. This is my honest review of the book.

If You Like…

If you like One Big Happy Family, you may want to check out this past recommendation:  Bright Lights, Big Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews.

 

Drop me a comment below! What are you reading that you’d recommend? Who are your favorite authors?  Ask me a question about books and/or writing. I’d love to hear from you!

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@author.robin.shelley

Netgalley Professional Reader

Bright Lights, Big Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews

Robin’s Rave Reviews5 Stars

It may seem early to talk Christmas, but Bright Lights, Big Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews releases on September 26. Get your gifts bought early. Pre-order from your favorite store now! Yes, pre-ordering does make a difference! You could always go to Bookshop.org, a great place that supports Mom and Pop bookstores. (Hint. Hint.)

Robin's Rave Reviews - Christmas Edition 2021

I loved Bright Lights, Big Christmas. If you want a feel-good Christmas story filled with making new friends, believing in yourself, finding love, and supporting family, this is it! Bright Lights, Big Christmas is a holiday hug ending with a satisfying sigh. I loved MKA’s last Christmas story, The Santa Suit, but this one is even better. You will not be disappointed!

SUMMARY

When Kerry Tolliver finds herself in-between jobs, she’s lost as to what’s next in life. She returns to her hometown in the North Carolina mountains where her father and brother run the Tolliver Christmas Tree Farm. Due to her father’s health issues, he can’t make the trip to NYC to sell the trees. Kerry steps in to help. She and her grumpy, older brother spend a month selling trees in a NYC neighborhood where their family has sold trees for decades. For a full month, they camp in a vintage (run-down) trailer next to the tree lot. The trailer is fondly called Spammy because of the canned ham shape.  : )

Kerry discovers that the neighbors and shop owners already know and love her brother. Her family has developed community support and loyalty over the many years.

The story is about connecting with and caring for people. The community wraps the Tollivers in their love, and Kerry deeply connects with this group of quirky, lovable people. These neighbors care about each other. They check in on each other and help those in need. (I want this version of a NYC neighborhood to exist. I’ve never been there, so I’ll dream that it does.) Kerry especially gets involved in the lives of a divorced man and his son, and a mysterious older gentleman who gives her pointers on her drawings. 

 

Think about your Christmas list. I’m sure you’ll find one copy of Bright Lights, Big Christmas will not be enough for all your loved ones who would love this book. Check out my reviews on these other Mary Kay Andrews’s books: The Santa Suit, The Homewreckers, The Newcomer, and Sunset Beach.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press, Mary Kay Andrews and NetGalley for the ARC of Bright Lights, Big Christmas. The opinions are my own.

 

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@author.robin.shelley

Netgalley Professional Reader

The Santa Suit by Mary Kay Andrews

Robin’s Rave Reviews – Christmas 2021 Edition

It may seem early, but The Santa Suit, a heart-warming Christmas novel, comes out September 28.  It can be pre-ordered now. (Remember:  buying a new book through pre-order or the first week of publication is the most helpful to an author.) The Santa Suit would make a great gift – even for yourself! Too busy to read during the holidays? No problem. The Santa Suit is a light, easy read with a Hallmark movie feel (but less predictable). You might just find the holiday stress slipping away while you read.

After her divorce Ivy moves to a small town and into an old farm house she bought sight unseen. Ezra, her hunky realtor, helps her fix immediate problems in the house  leading to sparks of romantic interest. Meanwhile, when clearing out items the previous owner left behind, Ivy finds an old Santa suit with a child’s note in the pocket. Ivy wants to solve the mystery of who the girl was and if her Christmas wish was fulfilled. This curiosity connects her to the small town community and culture right at Christmas-time while she makes new friends and reconnects others who have lost touch.

I have to admit, when I got the advanced reader copy, I wasn’t really in the mood to read a Christmas story in September, but I got sucked in right away. The Santa Suit feels Christmas-y without being cliché.  Every time I read a Mary Kay Andrews book, I’m in awe at how it flows so naturally. (MKA’s writing expertise makes it look easier than it is.)  MKA’s characters always feel real and relatable. She masterfully ties up loose ends I didn’t even realize were loose, tying everything together like a pretty Christmas bow on a special package.

If you like Mary Kay Andrews, take a moment to read my review on The Newcomer, the book she wrote before The Santa Suit.