The family of the title are three adult siblings and their families, who are brought together for a ten day holiday by their widowed father, ostensibly to celebrate his 80th birthday. Their mother, who died ten years previously, was the glue that held the disparate strands together, and at the start of the novel their individual challenges are evident, as is their distance from each other. As the plot develops, difficult issues are raised which are totally credible thanks to the superb characterisation. This author never disappoints!

As usual Elizabeth Noble writes a beautifully crafted book that you just melt into. It is so relatable to modern life, everyone wrapped up in their own lives and dealing with their own problems. Charlie, the father / grandfather and widower wanting to have his family around him, whilst also worrying that he doesn’t have the bond that Daphne, their mum, appeared so at ease with. The strength of writing brings the characters into your head so clearly that you feel you know them and are sharing their emotions and thoughts, and also care deeply about.
The writing is superbly descriptive in creating a scene but not over-bearing and flowery. The author cleverly weaves many everyday social problems (loss, divorce, split families, teenagers, new romance) into the story and covers them realistically and with enormous empathy. Her writing is both witty, engaging and emotional which certainly made this a compulsive read.
Tissues needed on several occasions! Above all though the over-riding importance of family & belonging shines through.
Thoroughly recommend this delightful story!

Oh, what an absolutely fabulous book, the sort where you don't want it to end! Full of humour, tears and family quarrels, many light hearted moments, teenage angst, there are some wonderful characters in this read, and you are rooting for the whole family!
I felt slightly spooked by this book! Daphne is a central character , ( that's my name!), then I found out she was dead, so was miffed by that, she and husband Charlie had three children ( check!) , and four grandchildren ( are you spying on me?!),and Daphne kept a file, Dreams and Schemes, in the kitchen, which hold so many memories for Charlie, that he hasn't been able to throw it out! ( Mine is an old ring binder, marked, Odds and Sods) Charlie is planning his eightieth birthday party with a family get together, and thus we are introduced to his children and their relationship problems, the gorgeous grandchildren and the hopes and promises of new loves and lives.
It reminds us that families are hard work, and we don't always get on. There are secrets, lies and deceits aplenty , but like real life, things have a habit of sorting themselves out. Teenagers aren't always bad, just misunderstood, and grown ups are no better. Step parents and children can add enrichment to an established family, with give and take.
I must confess I did shed many tears over this book, it brought back lovely memories of really happy, large scale, family get togethers in country parks over many years, and I did identify with Charlie and his feelings of loss and what he saw as helplessness in knowing how to act with his family. Daphne was the glue that held the family group together, and all still missed her presence and advice. The last gift of love is remembrance, and this was well demonstrated.
A fantastic book , that reminds us of family, especially in these difficult times of isolation due to Coronavirus. Thank goodness for FaceTime, with my grandchildren. I heartily recommend this book( and a box of tissues!) as a five star read.
Reviews to be posted on Goodreads later.

This is a lovely book, with believable and likeable characters. It follows the story of Charlie, who has booked a country house for ten days to celebrate his 80th birthday and invited his three children and their families to join him.

Every person on the holiday has demons to deal with and in the course of the ten days they derive comfort from being among their closest family.

This is a comforting and enjoyable read. The story is skillfully crafted you race through all the emotions with the characters. I do enjoy Elizabeth Noble as an author and this is one of her best. I wholeheartedly recommend it.

This is a beautifully written story about a family and how they are brought together again by their father to spend a perfect summer holiday together. We learn all about their loves and losses, their experiences with grief and eventually their plans for the future. All the characters are incredibly likable and as a reader you can’t help but feel for them as the story progresses.

This is a perfect book for reading on holiday, in the garden or curled up in your favourite chair. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and won’t hesitate to recommend. Thank you to the publisher & Netgalley for the opportunity to read it.

Took me a little while to get into this one...lots of family members and back stories to get your head round. It's Charlie's eightieth birthday and he invites his family to share it with him at a large holiday house.. Once you are involved, this is a great read, with interesting characters and wonderful interaction... bonding and reconnecting.
An uplifting and absorbing read, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

Charlie invites his family to spend ten days in a country house, to celebrate his 80th birthday.
There’s Nick, left to bring up three small children after his wife’s death. Scott, successful yet repressed, and devoted to the charismatic Heather and her daughters.
And Laura - left traumatised by a recent divorce, and trying to bring up teenager Ethan who has his own problems.
Charlie himself misses his late wife, Daphne, the glue holding the family together. But he’s determined to give his family a holiday to remember.
This is a sweet, old fashioned sort of novel. Yes, there are sadnesses but Noble is a romantic and the ends are nearly and satisfyingly tied up with plenty of ‘happy ever after’.
The characters are well-developed too and Noble tells a good story.
Recommended for those who prefer comfortable family sagas to anything grittier.

This is the first book I have read by Elizabeth Noble but it certainly won’t be the last! I loved this book. It is perfect summer reading with warm characters and a lovely feel to it. It tells the story of a family, some of whom are trying to come to terms with their losses. The family consists of the father, Charlie, Laura and her son, Ethan, Nick and his three young children and Scott and his wife Heather, who has two girls from a previous relationship. Laura’s husband has recently left her and she is feeling angry and her confidence has been severely damaged. Her son Ethan has his own problems and is also finding his parents splitting up difficult. Nick was bereaved about a year earlier leaving him with three small children and a demanding job leaving him feeling totally inadequate as both a father and an employee. Charlie, the head of the family, lost his wife some years previously and feels that he is a poor substitute for their mother and wishes he had the close relationship with his children that his wife had had. He has barely met his son, Scott’s wife and hopes that by renting a holiday home in the Cotswolds he would have the opportunity for then all to bond a little more.

Although there is a nice storyline running through the book the main thing that makes this a really good read are the characters. Nick’s three young children are adorable and the bond they develop with Heather’s younger daughter is heart warming. Heather herself is perfect in every way and ends up being the lynch pin in this slightly dysfunctional family. In the beginning Nick and Laura make fun of her but by the end she has the whole family united. It would be a perfect book for the beach but in these difficult times it is lovely to read something uplifting and The Family Holiday is definitely that. Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this lovely book.

I have loved Elizabeth’s books since reading things I want my daughters to know many years ago as it had such a profound effect upon me! I was so excited to read the family holiday and it didn’t disappoint! A fantastic feel good read about family, love,trust,letting go and moving on, total perfection in a book!
Charlie, widowed,almost 80 decides to hire a large house for two weeks in the summer and invite his three children and their families to celebrate his birthday with him and enjoy a lovely break in the hope that they can reconnect in a way that has been missing since his beloved wife daphne had died several years previously!
Scott, nick and Laura with their assorted families spend 10 days together with Charlie and during this time they reconnect with each other, relax and enjoy their time together showing how deeply family bonds lie and embracing family time!
Thank you net galley for this great read, absolutely perfect to cuddle up with In these trying times and escape from reality for a while!

A charming story - beautifully drawn out characters brought together for their dad's 80th birthday party.
Fully invested from the beginning - you wanted to find out more

To begin with I found that I was finding it difficult to connect to each family, to recall who was who. But as I read on and became more involved in the story of Charlie's 80th birthday party, I began to get to know them all.
It's a very family connected story with all the delights and problems that any family finds. As they gather for 'It's only ten days' in the house in the Cotswolds, we see warmth and understanding become part of their lives together.
Thank you NetGalley for a copy of this book.

A brilliant read and seems more relevant at this difficult time in history. Charlie arranged for his family to celebrate his 80th birthday by having a summer family holiday. Each has their own problems, but they begin to remember how their family used to be. A thoroughly good read.

Charlie is about to turn 80 and he would like one last holiday with his children and their families. Scott is newly married to American, Hannah, and has two teenage step-daughters: Laura, who is going through a tough divorce and struggling to cope with her bolshy teen Ethan; and Nick, who is looking after three small children after the death of his wife. As the family gathers together over ten glorious days, Charlie hopes he can reconnect with his children and help them overcome the trials and tribulations of their lives.

A really lovely story with a great cast of characters. A story of love, loss and coming through to the other side. A wonderful book that I would recommend.

I loved this book. It was completely perfect, from start to finish.

Charlie is approaching his 80th birthday and decides to rent a large house and invite his family to holiday with him. They are a perfectly average family; each have their own joys and heartaches. They probably haven’t spent as much time together as they should, but not for any reason other than time and distance.

Before the holiday we are introduced to each family. Laura, recently separated, and her son Ethan. Nick and his 3 children, still reeling from the loss of Carrie, and Scott with his new wife and 2 step daughters. As the holiday progresses we see them learn to relax and enjoy each other again. It’s a gorgeously uncomplicated read where you feel part of this warm, loving family. I was so glad we got to find out a little about what happened after the holiday too. I’d definitely read a sequel!

With a charming storyline, a fantastic mix of characters and beautifully written prose, this book is perfect. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my copy of this book.

Charlie Chamberlain is 80 and wants to celebrate with his family. His three children, Scott, Nick and Laura and their families but sadly without his beloved wife.
He hires a fantastic house in the Cotswalds and issues invitations. They all accept. Its only for 10 days. Will they all survive?
Lovely story and well written