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I love Ann Naplolitano‘s writing. My first book I read from her was Hello Beautiful. In her stories she includes family tragedy, guilt and large families. Complex rich stories. Her stories are written like a soap opera and I‘m here for it. #prettybookcovers #winterreading

Nobody needs to live alone. You‘re just more comfortable that way. A little discomfort might do you good 🛋️

4⭐️/5⭐️

I keep reading Ann Napolitano and the books just keep getting better. This is her first book that failed and I give it 5 stars! An Irish Catholic family, loss, the result of Catholic guilt and how women kept quiet in the past. Loved it. Her and Kristin Hannah are my go to authors.

This was just not doing it for me. I kept putting it down and forgetting about it and then did not even remember what I had read previously when I went back to it.

Been reading this for a couple of weeks and have not gotten very far. I find myself forgetting about the book entirely, which is never a good sign…

I loved Hello Beautiful and liked this one as well, just not as much. (4/5⭐️)

My review is longer than usual so I‘m leaving my GR link below for anyone interested.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6172713059

I‘m thrilled by Napolitano‘s recent success, as I think she‘s great. As a result, her debut is back in print. It follows a family, the women in particular, as they try to navigate life and end up making some bad decisions. I liked this, but by the end my attention was waning and I feel like it could have been trimmed up a bit. Low pick.

I saw Ann‘s 20-yo first and out-of-print book was being republished following the success of her last two books so I had to check-it-out (literally 🤣). I was expecting to be curious about her progression in storytelling even if underwhelmed with the writing or a feeling the story was dated. But honestly, I forgot all about my preconceptions and just enjoyed this family drama.

Twenty years since Napolitano‘s debut novel came out, it‘s being re-issued at the end of April. I appreciated the author‘s note letting us know how personal the characters truly are & I enjoyed watching this family story unfold. Set in New Jersey, the McLaughlin family knows plenty of loss. But an unexpected pregnancy changes them all as they regard their pasts & present lives. Through multiple perspectives, it‘s sure to start lively discussion!