I really enjoyed this book. Minnie and Bert are delighted to have their 3 grown up children home for Christmas for the first time in a decade. Owen is back from Australia with his daughter but not his wife, Lizzie is there with her good friend and her daughter and the youngest is with her partner, toddler and newborn. We learn pretty early on that a woman called Nora Skelly is back in the village and that something traumatic happened with her many years ago. Told in 2 time frames, this is a real family story with some lovely characters. Thanks to NetGalley fo a preview copy.
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This novel tells the story of a dysfunctional family coming together under one roof at Christmastime after a long time apart. Minnie is the matriarch, enjoying life with her second husband Bert. Her oldest child Owen is finally back from Australia, although he arrives with only his child and not his wife. He has been estranged from the family after "the event" with Nora, who is also somehow back in town. Middle child Lizzie is a maybe-recovering alcoholic and hippy dippy who is visiting with her platonic partner Tamzin. They have agreed to raise their children together. Youngest child Jess is there her wife wife Anna, toddler and newborn baby. All of the characters have issues past and present they are dealing with. Some of the issues are serious and deep but there is a thread of humor running through the novel to lighten things up. Also, there is a bit of a mystery in the reveal of exactly what happened with Nora in the past. This multi-generational family saga was very well-written and engrossing.

I loved the author's previous novel Other Parents so was thrilled to have the opportunity to read Every Happy Family.
Minnie and Bert live in a Cotswold town and are thrilled to have their 3 children - Lizzie, Owen and Jess-home for Christmas. Owen has been living in Australia with his wife and daughter and his return to the UK coincides with the return of Nora Skelly who he had an intense relationship with in his teenage years.
I really enjoyed this, the characters are generally likeable and believable. The author explores with sensitivity and compassion topics such as alcoholism and domestic abuse and shows the impact of childhood trauma on most of the characters. It is a fairly slow paced novel but I found this worked well and I particularly enjoyed unfolding of the relationship between Owen and Nora. At points it was an emotional read for me and it's a novel that will stay with me.
Recommended.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

A fitting read for this time of year as it’s set at Christmas. The novel centres around a family who all gather together one Christmas and finally end up facing conflicts and secrets from their childhoods. Parenthood is the main theme, but also secrecy and communication. I liked the fact that the characters were so three-dimensional and all likeable in some way, and also the fact that the novel portrays a variety of family units, not just the nuclear heterosexual family.

A lovely family read with really well written characters. The past slowly unfolds until you find out what happened all those years ago. Great read.

A fantastic story about a family who struggle to resolve their adult relationships with their childhood.
Owen disappeared off overseas after that "thing" with Nora- which is slowly revealed over the course of the bulk of the book so although the issue was fairly apparent the "thing" was not confirmed for some time, keeping you on tenterhooks.
When Nora reappears it throws the family into turmoil, each with their own doubts about her and the past she is forever associated with.
The issues raised a well written and sensitively approached, the book has many funny moments and the characters are all charming.
A great read.

The three adult children of Minnie and Bert are home for Christmas for the first time in many years. All of them have issues. Minnie escaped a brutal marriage when her first husband died, Liz has also got out of a violent marriage. Owen bears a grudge and has been absent for many years, Jess, much younger than Liz and Owen believes she is adopted. Can the family get over these issues and start to get on?

I enjoyed this story of a dysfunctional family. The characterisation was very good and the author does a good job in making them sympathetic in spite of their flaws, It's all very realistic. Thanks to HQ and NetGalley for the ARC.

I loved Other Parents so was really excited to read Every Happy Family.

It’s Christmas and Minnie is looking forward to welcoming her family home. Her son, Owen, is travelling from Australia with his young daughter. Why isn’t his wife coming? Her daughter Lizzie is coming with her partner Tamzin and her other daughter Jess is arriving with her 3 year old son, her new born baby and her partner, Anna. Minnie just wants a peaceful Christmas but there are so many secrets and rifts simmering below the surface..and then there is Nora..
This started off gently as the story switched between past and present, as preparations are made for the arrivals in the present and scenes from the past build up a picture of the causes of the tension and rifts in the present. i was enjoying the steady pace, the picture of family life and the relatable dynamics of families at Christmas. And then this moved into another gear as it became clear exactly what had happened and as emotions were exposed and suddenly this book drew me right in, in a different way. This became deeper and I felt the full impact of the drama taking place..
This is a powerful depiction of teenage pregnancy and parenting of teenagers. It’s a powerful depiction of post natal depression and of the way family choices impact each other. Minnie's dilemma, her choices and their impact are insightfully observed..Owen and Nora’s conflict so poignant..And then there is the drama of Christmas Day which threatens to spin this into tragedy..
I love Stovell’s writing. It’s lucid, insightful. She has a talent for evoking family relationships and for incorporating modern day styles of relationship and she’s got a real talent for setting up dilemmas and observing family conflict.
I look forward to reading more! Thank you so much to Netgalley and …HQ for a digital copy of this book.

4.5 Stars!

A lovely tale of a dysfunctional family and their lives through the years. When Mum decides she wants everyone back for Christmas for the first time in years their is a nervous energy about how things will turn out. The story dips in and out of the past gradually revealing what brought the family to the position that they are in now.
I wouldn't say their were any major twists but I liked the characters and also the way it highlighted domestic abuse and the effects the resulting trauma has on people. I enjoyed the book s a whole and would definitely recommend it as a good read.

What a fabulous family drama this was. I really enoyed this superb, funny, heart wrenching read. It read so easily and I just couldn't put it down. Told via a dual timeline of past and present, this book took us on a family argument that had traumatic consequeneces after the fallout of a decision made years before. I've not read anything by this author but I certainly will now. I laughed out loud so much during this book, from the get go! I also was immensley sad during certain parts too. It truly was a brilliant. The characters were fantastically flawed but also funny and realistic. I loved that the theme was a meet up for a family Christmas dinner but that it wasn't the entire focus.

Will definately be picking up more by this author.

A beautifully written ramble of a family saga. Bittersweet, sad, and often funny this is a really enjoyable novel about a family and their dynamics and difficulties over the years. The characters were well-developed and the plot engaging and so well thought through. highly recommend.

After a slow start, I enjoyed this book very much , it just took me a while to sort out all the characters. Really good family drama , covering lots of family issues , teenage pregnancy , domestic abuse , drugs, alcohol , but at its heart a story very well written and very well told.

I did enjoy the story in this book however it was a very long winded way to reach the key element of the story so was easy to lose focus

Firstly, thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book. The book is about a family coming together at Christmas for the 1st time in years. There's Minnie the Mum who's had a hard life with an abusive marriage and then bringing up 2 children as a single parent but is finally happy with her new husband, Bert. Then Owen who is visiting from Australia for the first time since he left many years before. Lizzie who has issues of her own and confuses the family with her hippyish way of life. Jess the much younger daughter who has a new born and a toddler with her wife, they lead a happy life but hasn't slept in 3 years. They all have questions that need to be answered. What will happen when they all meet again after all this time. The story flips from the past to the present. In the past we learn about Owens relationship with his girlfriend Nora mainly and how that shaped the family in the future. I found this part of the story so heartbreaking. What happens to the couple and the choices they make is so sad. The present brings everyone together and all the tensions of the past.
I found the book quite slow to start with but once I'd got to know the characters it was an easy read. I was keen to pick the book up to become immersed in the story again. There is a slight twist near the latter part of the book where i made a presumption with one of the characters. Over all I really enjoyed this book and found the characters believable and easy to like. It was the first time I have read anything by this author and wouldn't hesitate to read another of her novels.

All families have issues. How many of us have an idealised view of how a family gathering will go only to find that as usual the reality is something very different. This book takes things further and is a thoroughly enjoyable read but one we can all relate to. I loved the characters, found them interesting. I cared what happened to individuals. An enjoyable read

Every happy family is a great read that illustrates the everyday strife of family life!
Many topics are covered such as post natal depression,alcoholism, overdoses,teen pregnancy,adoption,depression and ageing parents! Despite this it makes for an interesting intriguing read as you become embroiled in the family dynamics and intricacies that illustrate every family has their challenges!
When it matters there’s nothing like family to surround you with the love, kinship snd sense of belonging as at the end of the day you only have that one family full of its own quirks and memories!
Thank you netgalley for this early read!

I loved this well-written family drama! It held my attention throughout and I became invested in the characters. The past and present chapters were equally compelling and there’s a secret to discover which kept me turning the pages. There are three generations of family here, with lots of different issues, and I couldn’t decide who I liked the most. I kept changing my mind. All the characters are sympathetic and believable. Although the novel deals with serious subjects, it has a lovely light humour running through it. Such an enjoyable read! I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to the characters when the book reached its very strong ending.

Trigger Warnings - alcoholism, domestic abuse, overdose, teen pregnancy.

Wow talk about family drama!! And yes I reckon every family is almost as messed up as this one at one point or another!

This story is told in both the past and the present taking us on a compelling journey through the lives of a fairly dysfunctional family. Its really well written and descriptive. Some serious topics are covered however its done with grace and the author has even added some light hearted humour along the way.

The characters all have their own issues however they are all so likable so I really wanted everything to work out for each of them.

Overall I enjoyed it and if you love a family drama then you will too.

Minnie lives in a wealthy town with her (second) husband, Bert. She is excited to have her three grown children coming for what she hopes will be a perfect Christmas. They have not all been together for years due to something that happened when her only son and oldest child, Owen, was a young adult. He was seen as the problem child by everyone, so there were fears of how things would go with Owen at this gathering. There were some questions when he arrives without his wife and only his daughter with him.

Also at this Christmas celebration is Lizzie, the middle child. She brings her daughter, Ruby, and her 'Eternal Feminine Ally, Tamsin, with whom she shares a platonic, committed relationship in which they raise their children together, pool their resources, and create a family unit. They are also going to start a wellness business. Lizzie is misunderstood by pretty much everyone. She is trying to lose weight and give up drinking, but mulled wine doesn't count. Finally, there is Jess, who is many years younger than the other two siblings. She has just given birth to her second baby, but decides to go to the family Christmas anyway with the two children and her wife, Anna. Everyone is thrown for a loop when they discover that Nora, who was an important part of the event that caused Owen's estrangement all those years ago, is in town

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. There were times I laughed out loud and times when my heart ached. I enjoyed moving back and forth between the present day and decades ago as the reader is told about what led up to 'the event.' I liked the way each chapter came from a different point of view. The book deals with serious societal and personal issues, but not in a heavy-handed way. I could relate to much of the pain and many of the difficult issues the characters were dealing with in their own clumsy ways. I liked seeing them grow in self-awareness, admit mistakes, learn things about each other, and care for one another. The book is well-written and the pace is good. It's a book that ends in a way that a sequel would be quite possible and if there was one, I would happily read that, too.

I received a digital copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. I thank them, the author, and the publisher.

I really enjoyed this book, to my knowledge I haven't read anything else by this author but I can't wait to read more. I enjoyed the writing style, the storyline and the characters. An enjoyable read.