This is Catherine Newman’s second adult fiction novel. Having read (and loved) We All Want Impossible Things by her earlier this year, I was very excited to read this book! This story follows 54 year old Rocky and her family on their annual week long trip to Cape Cod.

It’s safe to say that Catherine Newman is an absolutely brilliant character writer! I loved the dynamic between Rocky and her two adult children. Their relationship felt very real. Rocky isn’t a perfect person, but she doesn’t have to be and none of us are. I felt like I knew the characters so well by the end, impressive for such a short book.

I appreciated the discussions on women’s health and menopause, something that is not talked about enough! I felt educated by this book. Additionally, the discussions on loving and losing felt extremely raw and moving. This was a beautifully reflective book.

This book felt like looking through the window on this families vacation. You’re watching their everyday lives and interactions. It really felt like it celebrated the beauty of the every day while reflecting on how our family relationships change as we age and grow.

I would highly recommend this book, Catherine Newman has quickly become an auto buy author for me!

Thank you to Doubleday and NetGalley for the ARC!

SANDWICH

Catherine Newman

"She has always pictured it both ways: squinting against the unbearable lightness of loving while simultaneously crouched under the heavy cross of it. "It's so crushingly beautiful, being human," the mother sighs, and the daughter rolls her eyes and says, "But also so terrible and ridiculous"."

-this book is so so digestible
-the story spans a week in Cape Cod for Rocky's annual holiday with her family (swipe for Goodreads summary)
-I cared so deeply for Rocky and her family by the time this was over, the difficult balance between grown-up kids and elderly parents is painted perfectly
-Newman tells REAL stories incredibly well, it's not dramatic, it's gentle and warm and full of authentic thoughts, conversations and relationships
-Rocky is my legend of a mum holding us all together in our mess while no doubt holding in her own
-and still in true form Newman makes us chuckle along the way

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

"This is how it is love somebody. You tell them the truth. You lie a little. And sometimes you don't say anything at all."

"And this may be the only reason we were put on this earth. To say to each other, I know how you feel. To say, Same."

Hugely grateful to @netgalley for this advanced digital copy. I've been dying to read this since loving We All Want Impossible Things last year. It didn't disappoint!

A different book to what I expect but I thoroughly enjoyed this observation of the middle of life. The story is told from Rocky’s perspective as she has a week away with her adult children as well as her parents. An interesting look at the roles within the family as well as the things we talk to our families about. Very raw at times and very real, not sugarcoated and for that in particular I really enjoyed this book

3.75 rounded up to 4.

We follow Rachel (Rocky) on a family vacation as she navigates menopause, finding her place as a mum to grown children who have flown the nest and deals with a secret she'd buried many years ago.

I personally found this miscarriage/termination storyline compelling due to personal circumstances.

But was slightly irritated by the "when Jamie was 5 and Willa not yet 2" rather than just giving a year date. But this .was minor.

Sandwich takes place over one week; we see three generations of one family as they share a holiday together. It is told from the perspective of Rocky, a woman who is coming to terms with the changing dynamics of her family, whilst at the same time navigating the changes in her own body due to the menopause. Catherine Newman skilfully articulates the awkwardness surrounding all things menopausal and injects humour, making it feel real and relatable.

Although some family secrets are unearthed over the course of the week, for me this book wasn’t about a big reveal. It was more about the reasons why we choose not to share some things, how we feel about those decisions later in our lives and the role that memory plays in justifying our choices. It’s about how our relationships evolve yet our emotions stay the same and how we deal with the cracks that appear as relationships change.

Sometimes you read a book at just the right time; it resonates so completely you feel like the author has read your mind. As I watch my own children hurtle towards adulthood and I experience the shift in familial relationships where the ‘cared for’ become the ‘carers’, I can totally empathise with Rocky’s situation, her feelings and her fears.

Sandwich is a brilliantly observed snapshot of life and human emotions, a stand out read for me, I loved it.

Rocky and her family have been to the same holiday home in Cape Cod for years, ever since the kids were tiny. Those kids are now grown ups so it is a very different dynamic that Rocky is still coming to terms with especially when her elderly parents join them for two days.

Set over the one week of their stay, we witness the family as they experience the ups and downs that anyone who has been on a multi-generational family holiday will be only to aware of! Lots of laughs and bickering, as well as some poignant reminiscing.

Believable and relatable, this was a lovely read!

Catherine Newman's "We All Want Impossible Things" was a lovely, warm and inviting book. I was so looking forward to Newman's new novel, "Sandwich." I so wanted to like Sandwich, but I felt that the characters were not all that developed and the humour was not just there. As always, Newman is an empathetic writer who gives her characters grace and consideration. As usual with Newman, it's about friendships, and how friends can be there for us during health, financial, or family concerns. While I did not enjoy this as much as I wanted to, Newman's writing does go a long way to making up for any concerns I may have with the novel.

IF someone has not read previous Newman's work, this would be a good place to start. However, I think I was spoiled by the wonderful "We All Want Impossible Things" and I wanted "Sandwich" to be as good.

I am sorry but I didn't enjoy this book. I did at the start but then found I really was not interested in the story of a menopausal woman who had some regrets.

I reviewed Sandwich by Catherine Newman for book recommendation and sales site LoveReading.co.uk

I have chosen Sandwich as a LoveReading Star Book and Liz Pick of the Month.

Please see the link for the full review..

A stunning piece of work. I loved the authors first book and this I think is possibly even better. She just writes middle aged women SO WELL. I loved it

After reading We All Want Impossible Things recently I had to jump straight into Sandwich as soon as possible. The way Catherine writes feels so raw and real and natural that you can’t help but be sucked into whatever is happening in the story. I absolutely loved the family unit and how the whole story was told over the course of just one week but you learnt so much and felt so much for the characters that by the end you felt that you were right there with them and proud of their developments and achievements. There were so many moments I was taken aback and I loved that Rocky didn’t shy away from being real about the changes her body and mind go through throughout the book. Just such a brilliant read and I’m so grateful to have been able to read an eARC thanks to Double Day Books and NetGalley 😭✨

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for kindly sending me this ARC.

This book is gorgeous and so easy to binge and devour in one or two sittings. The writing flows so well and the pace is fast, with the story truly sweeping you up. I found it really compelling, raw, and honest, with touches of humour along the way. The characters are well developed for such a short novel!

Rocky (Rachel) and her husband Nick have been renting the same cottage, same one week at Cape Cod USA for twenty years.
They are joined by their adult children Jamie & Willa, and Jamie’s girlfriend Maya.
Rocky’s parents join them for their brief usual two day stay.
And not forgetting the family cat.

Set over their one week of the rental cottage, we experience the highs and lows of an every day family.
There are some funny laugh out loud moments betwixt some sad poignant remembrance moments.
The book moves through the storyline of present times and past memories. Coming to realise some facts cannot remain hidden.
Familial love, feelings and emotions good and bad. Down to earth, like being a fly on the wall to someone else’s life and vacation.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Publisher for an advanced e-book copy. Opinions about the book are entirely my own.

Gorgeous and painful and sad, Catherine Newman might actually be my new favourite author. There's plot that happens but it's mostly more about the vibes and the conversation and the relationships between these people who half of the readers are likely to hate, but I adored (except Nick, I have mixed feelings about Nick). There's a lot of middle aged female rage here, which is less glamorous than Taylor's version, but equally real. A delightful bitter cocktail of a book.

This book explores Rocky's life and all the changes that come with age.
I really enjoyed this book although towards the end my love for Rocky diminished a little and the book felt a little repetitive towards the end.
I would give this book a solid 4.5 stars
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC

I absolutely adored her first book, and while this one is splendid in many of the same ways, it’s doesn’t quite stack up. Once again we have a self absorbed, somewhat dreadful but hugely engaging protagonist - Rocky, who is tortured by hormone-induced love for her adult children and decisions made long ago. The family dynamic playing out across a multi-generation holiday on the Cape is absorbing and believeable. But somehow the book lacks a real story, or compelling direction.

I really enjoyed this one. The main character was likeable and the banter between the family members was very enjoyable. Whilst it is funny, it also takes on more somber tones and covers quite important themes.

I really enjoyed this book, it was a very quick and easy read so if you’re looking for something to help with your goodreads challenge this would be a good option.

I think this book is perfect for women who have gone or are going through the same issues, be it family life or menopause and I would definitely buy this book for my mum if I saw it in the shop but for me it just felt a bit chaotic. Being inside someone else’s head who is just as much a worrier as myself made me feel super anxious as if these issues were my own. I felt like I was eavesdropping on another family and like I shouldn’t know their secrets, but that’s probably just very good writing because it all felt very personal!

I enjoyed it, I liked that it was a quick read and that I was left wanting a bit more but I would definitely recommend this more for a slightly older reader.

Catherine Newman's "Sandwich" serves up a perfect blend of humor and heart, capturing the essence of a family's cherished annual getaway to Cape Cod. In this delightful read, we meet Nick and Rocky, parents in their 50s adjusting to their quieter home as early nesters, alongside their young adult children, Jamie and Willa, and Jamie's girlfriend Maya. The family dynamics, explored through a week of vacation, are both relatable and engaging. Newman's portrayal of Rocky's journey through womanhood adds depth and a touch of realism that resonates well beyond the pages, addressing the complexities of aging with a candid and humorous lens. "Sandwich" is more than just a family vacation story; it's a snapshot of life's transitional moments, beautifully told through the lens of everyday adventures and the bonds that hold us together. A fun, heartwarming read that I highly recommend!

3.5 stars

Like all other bibliophiles, I really enjoyed Catherine's previous book, We All Want Impossible Things, and was eager to see how she'd follow it up. And if I'm honest, I'm conflicted.

We All Want Impossible Things was heart-breaking, and I'm sure most of us found ourselves in tears whilst reading it. This didn't have that same effect. I mean, it's a completely different story, completely different angle, it didn't strike me as much, it didn't have as much feeling, for me, as I was expecting and what I wanted.

I'm sure a lot of people will relate to this. I don't have children or ailing parents, so my relation to it is a bit further afield. But there will be many who have adult children who are still dependent, and older parents who need a bit of help. It's very normal and very real, and it is that realism that helps plant your feet into the world she's created.

Let me just say now that this is well written. It's a book that, I assume, didn't need a whole lot of research, it's not set in a fantasy land or with historical scenes or whatnot. It isn't highly detailed. It's an exploration of character more than plot. That could have made it a bit boring, as you normally want escapism with fiction, but I think she's mastered it well. I've said before that I prefer character study over plot anyway, and that is the case here, but even I would have liked just a teeny bit more plot, something to get my teeth into. What is there is fabulous, don't get me wrong, I just wanted a bit more.

I loved how imperfect everyone was. We tend to put fictional characters on a pedestal and make them perfect, but nobody is perfect, and nobody in this book is perfect, and that made it more relatable. We see a range of relationships: husbands and wives, girlfriends and boyfriends, brothers and sisters, mums and dads - so everyone should be able to identify with at least one of the characters, however minimally.

It is hard to rate this book, which is why I generally don't do star ratings. I want to give it 5 stars because the writing is so good, but then there are bits I wasn't keen on and wanted expanding on, so shall we say somewhere between a 3-4? Perhaps a 3.5. I've seen reviews ranging from 3 to 5 stars, so everyone is getting something different from it, which is what you want from a book.

It is a good book, enjoyable and entertaining an interesting, but there were a few things I wanted tidying up, changing, or expanded on for it to reach the same level as her previous book. But I can't hide from the fact that Catherine is one of the finest storytellers around at the moment.