One the of most enjoyable books I’ve read so far this year, and I’ve read some really good ones!

A story revolves about two best friends who appear to have a dream friendship - living opposite each other, their kids dating each other, great social lives - the typical picket fence, middle class lifestyle. When one evening an allegation is made, their worlds implode and they find themselves on opposing sides. As everything starts to fall apart around them and more family secrets are revealed they have to consider just how far they would go to protect their families?

The book is told from multiple narrator perspectives with flashbacks which keeps it fresh and fast paced. The definition of a page turner and a book I inhaled quickly. Not my usual crime/thriller genre but a story full of twists, revelations and plenty of emotion. An absolute must read!

An unputdownable story, cleverly written from mutiple viewpoints. Two mothers, both neighbours and close friends, with their eighteen year olds about to graduate from high school. Summer and Knox have known each other since they were babies. Their friendship has recently begun to blossom into something much closer. But when the unthinkable happens, it changes lives, and not just theirs. There is so much emotion in this story and the writer captures it beautifully. The title 'Such A Good Family' only serves to question what we really know about neighbours, even those who we have known for years and feel more like family. Certainly it is clear one major event has a ripple effect, opening up previously guarded secrets and changing everyone's lives. Although written from mutiple POVs, Lorrie and Eden had the lion's share of the story and I could empathise with the choices they both made. A thought provoking read.

I would like to thankStorm Publishing, the writer and Netgalley for an ARC of Such a Good Family in exchange for an honest review.

I’m going to start with the not so great on this review. I hated the end. It felt unfinished as there was really no resolution.
Now on to the good. I gave this 5 stars. The character development was amazing. The writing was so immersive I felt like I knew the families. The story was so heart wrenching and told from both sides it was so well done I couldn’t even feel one side was right and the other was wrong. This author took a very serious subject and put us right into the grey area that no one wants to admit exists. It touches on very serious subject matter but is told in a sensitive very realistic way. My heart aches for both families.
This book was a wonderful gut wrenching read.

Such a Good Family was an emotional and gripping read. It was one of those books that really makes you think and I had so much empathy for the characters.

I love that Weaver told this story through several narrators. It added a complexity and depth to the story while also giving us different perspectives and allowing the reader to open their minds to every situation. I read this novel but I'm sure it would be a great choice for audio.

As a mother, this novel hit me in ways I didn't expect. I have a son and I kept imagining myself in Lorrie's position. I commended her for keeping the faith and trust in her husband while also trying to empathize with the situation and do the right thing. It was also easy as a woman to put myself in Eden's shoes and be angry and fearful and devastated for her daughter.

I really appreciated the way that Weaver handled the sexual assault in this case. It is an incredibly sensitive topic and it's often messy and more gray than black or white and I thought Weaver did a great job depicting all those competing elements. We saw not only the ramifications of the police, hospital, and legal aspects, but also the emotional toll on the victim, perpetrator, and their families. That the families were such good friends added an element of drama that was also incredibly thought provoking and devastating.

Overall, I really loved this book. It was well written, emotionally charged, had depth and complexity, and raised really important issues. It would be a good one for a book club to read and discuss.

Thank you to Storm Publishing for the copy.

“We’re all complicated […] Don’t sell yourself short trying not to be."

4.5/5 stars

What I loved:
- How each chapter provided a different POV from a lot of different characters. Even though Archie was just a supporting character, I loved him so much and found myself wanting to get to know more about him!
- The nuanced and complex relationships between the characters. I loved Lorrie & Eden's friendship and really felt for them as their friendship was put to the test.
- The graceful and thought-provoking way that the sensitive topic of sexual assault was navigated throughout the novel. I really appreciated the fact that the book doesn't delve too much into the actual details of the event. Rather the focus was on the impact/after-math on not only the main characters, but also on their loved ones.
- How there wasn't a perfect tidy ending/resolution and there were no true winners, making it quite realistic.

What I didn't like as much:
- I wish I got to know Summer more (beyond just her hobbies and where she fits in the high school hierarchy). I wish we also got to read Summer's piece that she wrote. I understand the decision to not delve into details of the assault but I would have wanted to read more about Summer's thought process.
- I'm conflicted about Eden's POV because even though she wanted to do what was best for Summer, she was often just projecting her own unprocessed trauma onto her daughter. I also couldn't fully understand her motivations - was it about justice? revenge? avoidance of the whole situation? I found myself frustrated at the way Eden would often flip-flop between where she stood on certain decisions (eg. wanting to keep the matter private vs. wanting to tell everyone & control the narrative).

Thank you to NetGalley & Storm Publishing for the eArc in exchange for an honest review.

I started reading and never stopped; well, actually, I stopped to sleep. I continued reading while I ate breakfast, lunch and dinner. The different facts told by the different characters give us a perspective on how each story is experienced in different ways by different personalities. It's worth reading.

This book was heavy but I feel like the author did a great job with such a realistic depiction of what an event like this would touch on a family.
I really loved the multiple POV's of those that were affected by this event. You get into the characters head with what they are thinking and going through in the aftermath of this situation. I enjoyed the different perspectives as well. Definitely an emotional read and as you go through this book, you put yourself in the shoes of the characters which makes it even more addicting to know how this will end. The ending to this book was definitely realistic which I appreciated.

This was my first Caitlin Weaver book and won't be my last. I want to go ahead and check out some of her other work as I did enjoy her writing in this one!

Thank you NetGalley for the arc.

📚ARC Review 📚

Such a Good Family ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Lorrie and Eden have been friends for years. They’ve raised their kids together and would joke that their oldest would marry each other. Lorrie was so happy when her son, Knox, started dating Eden’s daughter, Summer. It’s supposed a happy time, the last week of school and their senior year, but everything has been turned upside down over what happened that one night. Who is telling the truth? And to what length will a mother go to protect her son?


I want to start off by saying this book does have a lot of triggers. It has very heavy topics in it and every character basically had something going on. However, it was written well and shed light on those topics. I liked the multiple point of view from each character. It wasn’t a happy ending but a real one. How everything can change quickly and trying to find a new normal from what things once were. Overall, I liked it and it was easy to get into and binge.

This book will publish on June 12, 2024. Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for my advanced readers copy. This is my honest and voluntary opinion.

This book made me uncomfortable, which I believe is a good thing in that it speaks to how well the author captures difficult emotions and complex relationship dynamics. Overall i really enjoyed the book and found myself looking forward to picking it back up again. I would absolutely recommend this book to friends and family. I am thankful to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced reader copy!

I must say that "Such a Good Family" was not at all what I thought it would be. It was better! I finished the book in one day. Caitlin Weaver had me so captivated by her writing and what would happen next. How would this heartbreaking story end?

The book is based on a tight-knit community that raised their kids together. When Lorrie's son and Eden's daughter start dating. The two best friend moms were elated. Until trouble starts.

This is not a feel-good, happy-ending book. It is a book that makes you think, what would I do in that situation? I felt for all the characters and what they were going through. Caitlin Weaver did an excellent job of writing with grace on a hard to discuss subject matter. I will be reading more of her books.

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest, unbiased opinion.

This book was super heavy. Everyone in the book was in a tough situation. Loved the different povs and how they merged seamlessly through the timeline. Both parents had to protect their friends while also grieving their old good life. This story wasn’t sugar coated with a hea.. it ended as it could have in real life… healing and trying to find a new normal. Good read

This book had me captivated from the start - Desperate Housewives meets Cruel Summer. There is a lot of heavy subject matter, but the author does a great job of addressing everything and holding characters accountable, even if it isn't in the way you might hope.

Oh wow!!!

This book could trigger some people as it does involve sexual assault.

Although the subject matter is a hard one, I do feel it should be written about in order to bring awareness that this thing could and does happen.

I shed a few tears at the end.

Have you ever read a story or learned of a crime and wondered what everyone involved thinks? That is precisely the premise of this book, adding a couple of essential layers. The central plot is that the people directly involved in the crime are high schoolers in their senior year, and their respective moms are neighbors but, more importantly, best friends. The story is somewhat predictable as we have two women leading the story (the moms), and they live in a wealthy community; of course, they have big dreams and aspirations for their kids while, at the same time, navigating the complexities of their multiple roles (mom, wife, friend, jobs, non-profit endeavors, personal aspirations, etc.). We have Summer (Eden & Witt's kid), Archie, Chloe, and Knox (Lorrie & Ed's kids). Most of the book is navigating the nostalgia of kids growing up through the mothers' point of view; the other part is navigating their traumas, trying to control narratives/gossip, and the rest is navigating the complexity of the crime their kids are involved in. Knox is the perpetrator, and the book makes a small effort for the reader to like him. However, it's hard to find sympathy for someone who leads with selfishness and little ability for retrospection. The character that saves a lot of that appreciation for Knox is Archie; he is a balm that you didn't even know you needed. Then Chloe is just there. I saw a plot twist between Knox's parents coming a mile away, making it hard to understand how Lorrie didn't see it. To be fair to Lorrie, she had her mind on many things that took place in the week's timeframe. The family dynamics make you cringe, yet as a reader, you understand there is no guide on navigating such a complex situation.

Ultimately, this book is a good read and relevant to today's environment. It is a parent's worst nightmare. I give it 3.5 stars and recommend it to audiences interested in community gossip, domestic issues, high-school/young adult novels, and parent/relationship thrillers.

An emotional book that looks at school girl rape and how it affects the girls family and how she herself deals with it. A difficult tale to tell and tenderly executed by Caitlin Weaver. Thanks to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for the chance to ARC this book.

Storm Publishing and NetGalley provided me with this book in exchange for an honest review - thank you both!

This book covers several heavy topics and I highly suggest you make sure that you won’t be negatively affected by them before reading. Once you’ve confirmed that you are comfortable reading this book, be ready to experience an emotional rollercoaster!

This book was written from several POVs and the author executed it perfectly. I enjoyed every second of this book and finished it in 2 days. You have an idea of who/what to believe from the get go, but as time passes you start realizing that sometimes a person can be a victim of themself. This was a very emotional read.

Lorrie and Eden have been best friends since they moved onto the same block many years ago. Lorrie and her husband Ed have 3 children, popular kid Knox, loner Archie and extrovert Chloe. while Eden and her lawyer husband have only child Summer. The women's lives have blended as one between motherhood, being wives, and other various neighborhood endeavors. After a party one night, accusations go flying and the lives of Summer, Knox, Lorrie and Eden will be forever changed. As every mother should, both Lorrie and Eden want to protect their children. But will protecting their children cost them each other?

This book contains very heavy topics so PLEASE check the trigger warnings before reading! This book took you on an emotional roller coaster & made me go back and forth between what I was thinking with each chapter. This story is told in multiple POVs (Lorrie, Eden, Summer, Knox, Jules and Archie). Getting into the mind of each character helped the development of the storyline & really had me questioning myself on who to believe. The author did a spectacular job of allowing the reader to feel as if they are going through the emotions with the characters. I could not put this down, I finished it in less than 24 hours. This book covers an extremely triggering topic, but a topic that needs to be discussed no matter what age you are.

Thank you so much to Storm Publishing, Net Galley and author Caitlin Weaver for providing an E-Arc of this book!

Th book dealt well with a number of topics, it was difficult to read at points and there was definitely a range of emotions.

I don’t know how to rate this book…Lorrie and Eden are both problematic. Ed is REALLY problematic.

This is the story of two mothers who live across the street and are the best of friends…until one of their kids accuses the other’s kid of the unthinkable. Over the span of a week everything that both of these families thought they knew is completely challenged. Instead of celebrating the upcoming high school graduation of their oldest children, they are instead dealing with police and lawyers and secrets coming to the surface.

The story is told in alternating POVs between the best friends, Lorrie and Eden, Lorrie’s son Knox, Eden’s daughter Summer, Lorrie’s middle son Archie, and their neighbor Jules.

I think I really struggled with the lack of closure or resolution at the end? I don’t know, there’s just a lot that isn’t working for me overall.

Thank you, Net Galley and the publisher for giving me the chance to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Now….if you want to be strapped into an emotional rollercoaster that makes your heart cry, but at the same time makes you think very hard about yourself; this is the book for you.

I am not sure if I would categorise it as a Thriller…I would probably go for Family Drama. The story is told from
Multiple POVs and done very nicely. The characters were well-developed…if you like them or not. There were lots of moments when I couldn't understand certain decisions made by both mothers but on the other hand…I had to think very hard about what I would have done in a similar situation, from both sides. The emotional parts are complex and brought more depth into the story and its characters, which I really liked. I would have liked more backstory from Jules.
It's a story that grips you and does not let you go.
This books explores some heavy topics like SA. If that is a trigger for you, don't read this book!! If you are ready for a thought-provoking and emotional read, try this one out!!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you, NetGalley, and Storm Publishing for this ARC.