I have very little to say about this book because although well written I found it to be long winded and boring, I found myself skipping lots of it and eventually just reading the last few pages and can really not comment on the content,
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

I haven’t read any Kate Sawyer books previously. I was really looking forward to this book as it was a different genre for me. However, I have to admit that I found it hard reading and, no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn’t get into it. Finally, I’ve had to give up just a third of the way through. Just not for me.

Kate Sawyer does it again! What a fantastic, unputdownable read.

This Family really captures the nuances of tricky family dynamics and this family certainly have those, in abundance.

Kate deftly gives us an insight in to each family member (by birth, marriage or partnership) and we really get to know each one individually.

The story switches between present day and the late 90s so we get to understand how the family developed over time.

The novel also touches on the significance/nostalgia of the family home and how it feels to leave it after so many years.

Sibling rivalries, parent and offspring relationships as well as romantic and platonic relationships are explored. Also the awkwardness of a newish partner trying to impress their partners parents.

This Family will have at least some aspect that's relatable to everyone and leave you wanting to read it all in one sitting.

Enjoyed this story with all it's nuances of families. Only thing that made it slightly confusing, each chapter left me baffled to begin with as to where/when it was so took time to kick each chapter off properly.

I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishers for the free ARC that allowed me to read this novel that explores family dynamics and represents he second novel by an author I had not come across. From the beginning, I found myself rooting for the literary protagonist Mary, who, after years of looking after everyone else, is now chasing some happiness for herself by way of a second marriage. She has convinced her complex, conflicted family to join her for a meal. In turn we are thus introduced to ex-husband Richard who is in charge of the catering an dot their three daughters. These are outspoken eldest daughter Emma, troubled middle daughter Phoebe and kind-natured peacemaker Rosie, the youngest daughter who is in fact the product of an extramarital affair. The narrative switches between a Suffolk village forty years ago when Mary and Richard started their family to their contemporary setting, with some astute insights into what makes a family. Warmly recommended, this is a well-written and compelling read that, despite or perhaps because of its fictional nature, gives food for thought.

I was not too sure about this book at first. It took me a few chapters to get into the writing style and to sort out who was who . There seems to be a lot of characters who all tell the family story from their own viewpoint and at different time periods, but as the book gets going, it starts to make more sense. The book is set in a day and although there are divisions within the family, the reasons only later become apparant.
The characters are interesting though not described in great detail, you do get some idea of what makes them tick though the parts of the book and story told from the point of view of the family members.. This book is really about relationships, I suppose and my curiosity was piqued to see how they panned out. Most of the characters are likeable but some of the events stretch the bounds of credibility a little too far . It is a good read though and now I have finished, I can say I enjoyed the book.
Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

Netgalley ARC | Published May 11th

When many of us were approved for this book on Netgalley around the same time, the lovely @kimsreadingadventure hosted a buddy read at the beginning of March.

Having only recently read (and really liked) 'The Stranding', I was excited for this second offering from Kate Sawyer.

Set over the course of a special family event, the story goes back and forth to examine the family dynamic and relationships to the woman at the centre of the family, Mary.

I really liked Mary as a character. She had an interesting life and I enjoyed the chapters that focused mainly on her. While I also enjoyed the other family members (especially Emma), I felt that I was having a hard time keeping track of who was who.

This book is written in a drip-feed style - you're presented with some information out of the blue and then it's breadcrumbed backwards until you find out the truth from the past sections. I didn't love this style, possibly because I was (for once) trying to stick to the Buddy Read schedule. I think if you could read it over a couple of sittings, it might flow a little better.

I liked the little nods to climate change, and I liked that Mary was finally being appreciated. I also liked that the family home itself was a character, and the base for so many pivotal life events. It's definitely a slow read, though, and one that frustrated me at times. The writing is lovely, and I'd recommend it if you like family dramas with lots of different characters.

"No one tells you you're marrying their family" - ain't that the truth 😂

Thank you to @hodderbooks and @netgalley for the ARC, and to Kim and the rest of the group for the chats!

I'm afraid that this story did not grab me. I've been unable to finish the book as I find the way it is written to confusing. The story is set in two timelines, but it is not clear when you are in the present and when you have jumped to the past. I have been unable to engage with the characters because of this, so I'm afraid I can not recomend this book.

The story opens with an extended family gathering on a very hot and humid day to celebrate the wedding of Mary, the head of the family, who has requested that everyone is on their best behaviour and to put aside all the hurts, slights, falling outs and resentment of the past. I love family sagas and the premise of the book. However, the writing just didn't connect with me. In the first chapters a deluge of characters are introduced, what they are doing in the garden where the wedding is to be held described in minute detail. I found it hard to remember who each person was and their connection to one another and found the descriptions of a wine glass a person was holding or how a tablecloth looked distracting and just quite dull and bland. It felt like I was attending a really boring wedding and I just would rather be somewhere else. It just didn't grip me.

Review - This Family - Kate Sawyer

This was an advanced Reader copy provided by Netgalley and the book is published on May 11th 2023.

You know when you think you are going to love a book in advance and then you just don’t? Well this was me with this book. I love family saga books that cross decades but this one didn’t hit the sweet spot for me.

There were some things I did love, the importance of the weeping willow, I had a weeping willow in my garden as a child and this reminded me of just how special it feels to sit under one, it really is magical and I thank this book for bringing back that memory. I loved that the female characters were properly nuanced and had complex relationships.

Saying all of that I just wasn’t that hooked. I found the male privilege of Richard believable but deeply annoying. I wasn’t really rooting for anyone other than Mary who i just felt was put upon and this also annoyed me - I mean it is now clear that I did have a response to the book and far rather that than being left cold I suppose!

I know loads of people will love this book but it wasn’t a standout for me.

After reading and very much enjoying the author's previous book 'The Stranding' I was keen to read this one. Sawyer has a wonderful writing style that seems to really draw me in. This story, based on a family and it's relationships and what's happened in their past to get them to this point.

Set on a hot summer's day in the family home garden, Mary is getting married and wants all of her family there and with one rule, no drama.

The story is a slow burner, and it dips back into the past much in the same way as The Stranding did. What drew me in is wanting to find out why Phoebe and Emma now have a major rift between them, and Sawyer drops more and more hints into this as the story progresses, making you want more.

It's not my usual genre of book at all, but Sawyer's writing really draws me in. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and will be thinking about the characters for a little while longer.

This Family by Kate Sawyer* is the sophomore novel from the author of The Stranding, one of my favourite books of 2022, but boy is it different! Where The Stranding walked the line of dystopian post-apocalyptic trauma, This Family is rooted in reality, viscerally so. Mary is getting married and, for the first time in many years, she has managed to gather her grown family all in one place, with the promise of a 24-hour ceasefire while they celebrate her and say goodbye to their childhood home. This family is a dysfunctional one, with their issues and crises told through a really expertly woven dual narrative, both then and now, and told from the perspective of each person. There is Richard, the ex-husband who caused Mary so much hurt and is now catering her wedding; Rosie, the sweet youngest child of his extra-marital affair; Emma, the opinionated eldest who had to grow up before her time; and Phoebe, the troubled middle sister who tore open an irreparable rift in the family; and, of course, Mary who has bore so much for so many and taken every blow life dealt on the chin. There is also a really well-developed cast of fringe characters that remind how much of a story Sawyer can tell in very few words. This is not a thriller but, it bears the hallmark twists and turns of one and I don’t want to ruin the clunk-click of pieces falling into place when you read it. And you should read it - it’s witty and emotional and loving and messy. In parts, it reminds me of Marian Keyes’ universally beloved Walsh clan.

"It is my dearest wish that after so long apart, I am able to bring this family together for my wedding day." And so over the course of the wedding day in the house that became their home, the story of this family unfolds. How they came to be and where they came undone. I found this book absolutely gripping and I was totally involved with all the characters. It is so well written. I have read the author's debut "The Stranding" and really enjoyed it but I felt this book was a step up. I couldn't put it down!

This was not for me. Firstly the written is amazing and everything is so descriptive, the characters are incredibly well written and unique. The only real downside was I felt nothing really happened, at least not until the very end of the book, so I can't rate this much higher however much I loved the writing style. I do think I will check out more of this authors novels as this may be an anomaly but this just did not work for me.

The end of summer, but still a hot, humid day. All are gathering to celebrate the wedding of the matriarch of the Roberts family, Mary. Over the years there have been fallings-out, estrangements and arguments, but the bride has requested that everyone be on their best behaviour for her special day.

This is an old style family saga, with all the foibles, quirks and oddities that large families have. It is a very slow start, and really nothing much happens in the first 70% of the book, but the reader is kept guessing what has caused the major rift between Emma and Phoebe, though it’s pretty obvious Michael is involved.

The last chapter or so was nicely done, and there are some really lovely passages throughout the book, but the characters were all a bit bland and I couldn’t say that any of them interested me enough to care. This type of story has been done many times before, and whilst this wasn’t a bad offering, it certainly didn’t excite me.

If you love a rambling, multi character, family chronicle, then this would appeal. For me it missed the mark and was all a bit so so.

2.5*

Thank you NetGalley.

A beautiful novel which explores the many complicated relationships within an extended family; how a few ill- considered words can cause decades of pain and conflict; and how love can ultimately see you through to the other side.
Seen through the eyes of the many family members, both in present day and looking back.
I heartily recommend this read.

I absoloutely adored The Stranding so I jumped at the chance of an advanced copy of Kates latest novel.

This story centres on a family unit and takes place over the course of one special day (with years of flashbacks dispersed throughout) - like most, they may not be a conventional Family, but it's theirs all the same.
I found this one to be a slower burner than The Stranding - it just took me a little longer to get into it. Jumping from past to present had me confused initially but once I got my head round who was who, and how they fitted into the family then I couldn't put it down. Kate has a brilliant quality of hooking you, and reeling you in, without even revealing a whole lot. She builds the tension so well, without showing her hand too soon.

Kate Sawyers descriptive writing really is a beauty in itself. I loved how this story was very much about the matriarchy - and the friendships, relationships, arguments and how they all react and deal with what life throws at you. The males in the story are very much on the periphery, dealing with these strong ladies. How they get to the hot September day is weaved through years of happiness, tears, joy and sadness.

I really enjoyed this one - Thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the advance copy of Kate Sawyers latest book

3.5 rounded up
Imagine a much loved family house, the shade of a willow tree and the heat of a September day. Mary has raised her children in this house and today she will marry again. Can these wedding celebrations bring together a dysfunctional family unit as this is the first time in many years they will be under the same roof? There is her eldest daughter, Emma flying in from Los Angeles, the middle child is Phoebe, a journalist and a recovering alcoholic and here with her partner, well known actor Michael Regis and their two young children. Finally, there is much younger Rosie with her partner Danyal in tow. Let’s not also forget Mary‘s mother-in-law, the straight talking Irene. Can this fractured family set aside their issues for their much loved mother?

This family saga takes a bit of getting into as it switches between the past and present but through which we learn what has caused the dislocation between them. It’s definitely a slow burner as it drifts and meanders through the timelines but what’s absolutely without question is that it’s beautifully written. This fact keeps me continuing on and which draws me into the dramas making it compelling. It becomes full of emotion as the complex dynamics reveal themselves. The characterisation is excellent, the author makes them feel real as we peek into the past and the events of wedding day as we witness them experiencing a whole range of things. Mary is fantastic, she’s a remarkable and wonderful woman. She’s kind, she rises to challenges and there are plenty of those, she’s simply doing her best. They have all been through some experiences such as tragedy and grief and via this, the understanding grows of the complications of this family.

It isn’t all doom and gloom, far from it, there are some moments of humour, often courtesy of Irene and there’s joy, especially on the wedding day. The ending is good, in fact, it’s a bit of a stunner, which raises it to four stars for me. I also like the way the author gives really good context to the past timelines with references to actual events.

Overall, this is an insightful and acutely observed family drama.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Hodder and Stoughton for the much appreciate arc in return for an honest review .

I missed out reading the Stranding from Kate Sawyer when it was published, but kept seeing it everywhere. So when I saw this on Netgalley, I was delighted to receive it. I usually try and read in publishing date order for books on my shelf, but Kim was hosting a buddy read, so I jumped in.
I really enjoyed the book. There is a big family gathering and it is obvious from the start that there is a bit of tension, but you don't know why. This is gradually revealed throughout the story. I was near tears at the end, and really could empathise with the some of the characters. It has really encouraged me to go back and read The Stranding now.

This novel tells the story of a family, fractured, patchwork, call it what you will. It takes place over a couple of decades & I did find the time changes a bit confusing. I think that if the chapters had been headed with dates, I’d have been less muddled. Saying that, I very much enjoyed the novel and the characters have stayed with me since finishing it. The ups and downs of the sisters & Mary, their mum/stand in mum, are alternately heartbreaking & heartwarming.