I found all of the characters in this book including the dog very unlikable, a predictable plot. Disappointing Read

Such a heartfelt and thought-provoking novel that tackles themes of forgiveness, acceptance, and belonging. The character development was some of the best, and most charming, I’ve read in a while. A beautiful take on family, what defines it and how it defines you.

“This is life at this age, she muses, a million goodbyes, and you never know which are the final ones. You just absorb them, like little shocks, trusting with each one that you’ll be able to keep moving forward.”

Thank you to NetGalley and Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House for this ARC.

The Kennedys are a complex modern family: Mother Lila, 42, is an author who wrote a book about how to successfully keep a marriage alive, shortly before ex Dan left her for a new woman, with a baby on the way. Daughters Celie, 16, and Violet, 9, try to get used to the new dynamics in the house - grieving Grandad Bill, who is Lila's Stepdad, has moved in after the death of his wife, cooking ultra-healthy food that no one wants, and continuously barking dog Truant has cost them many a wine bottle to appease the neighbours. I think good noise-cancelling headphones might have been cheaper!

The cauldron comes to a boil when one day Lila's estranged Dad Gene turns up like nothing had happened, after having ignored the family for decades, upsetting not just Bill. He is a larger than life American actor who still talks about the one role that made him, is relentlessly cheerful and promptly gets bitten by grumpy Truant.

Lila is asked by her agent to write a second book, this time about her escapades being happily single. Between "fighting old men and emotionally volatile teenagers", Lila tries to keep a modicum of sanity and to actually go dating, but is smooth single Dad Gabriel the better option or kind gardener Jensen? A seasoned romance reader like myself could sniff out the better prospect immediately.

This is a well-written, pleasant read that draws you into a family with relatable topics like how to navigate angsty teenagers, daggers at dawn pensioners and your ex's new family but it loses points for being just a tad too long. I thought it was a random choice to include a few chapters in Celie's POV but I liked the inclusion of difficult topics in a light-hearted way, with Gene usually providing the comic relief. This is a tale about redemption and forgiveness that tugs at your heartstrings without being overly sweet.

This was a very sweet story about the joys and difficulties of blended families. It was often funny, both the writing and the situations the cast of adorably quirky characters got themselves into, and equally very touching in parts. I was well entertained and often couldn't put it down!
I did have some issues with the book though, I felt the pacing in the middle was a little off, sometimes the plot was quite predictable, the characters - especially in the beginning - felt a little charicatured, although in the end , they all ended up going through well-rounded growth. Most of all though, the rare inclusion of Celie's POV was a random choice for me - we didn't spend enough time with her for me to get used to her and this made it feel like her chapters were thrown for convenience of the story telling. Like, yes we did get to know her better but we didn't get this privilege for any of the other characters!
Overall, I had fun reading this!