Seven Days of Us

"3.5"

"So I picked this book up as a laugh since I’m spending the next 3 days with my whole extended family...most of who all stay at my parents’ house...you get the picture. It’s not quarantine but it sure as hell can feel like it. I figured it was the perfect book to read in preparation, and it was, just not in the ways I expected. It was surprisingly emotional, and a little bit heartbreaking. But I loved the story and the characters; I feel like I’ve read a lot of books this year where I couldn’t connect with any of the characters, so I was pleasantly surprised to like every single one in the book. <br/><br/>It was a lovely way to round out the year: a family featured book as I go to ring in the new year with my own family. It’s been a great year of books, and I hope to read more wonderful stories in the upcoming year!"

"4.5/5 stars<br/><br/>“Only the most extraordinary circumstances can reunite the Birch Family for the holidays...”<br/><br/>The British Birch Family will be together, quarantined for 7 days, as the eldest daughter, Olivia has just returned from treating an epidemic in Liberia. Over the course of the week we experience the twists and turns of dysfunctional family relationships, awash with secrets, jealousies, misunderstandings, but also with humor and love.<br/><br/>Hornak’s character development and dialogue kept me turning the pages. Looking forward to her next work of fiction!"

"There was a lot going on in this book, and at first I was worried it wouldn’t work. It turns out, it did. Using so many characters POV to tell the story worked for me. I really enjoyed this book."

"http://www.anurseandabook.com/2017/10/seven-days-of-us-by-francesca-hornak.html<br/>Can you imagine being quarantined with your family for seven days? First of all, I don't think that I would subject my family to the chance of catching a deadly virus from me. Secondly, I don't think I would subject anyone to a week locked in a house with me in a bad mood. And Olivia is in a bad mood. <br/><br/>She's distant from her family, and not excited at all to be home with her parents and sister. Olivia is a little bit (a lot) self righteous, and looks down on what she perceives to be superficiality or having lavish meals after spending the last few years in a remote country that is riddled with disease and poverty. <br/><br/>Her younger sister Phoebe is her exact opposite. She is her father's favorite, and happy just to have a hot boyfriend and frivolous career. Having her serious sister home grates on her nerves, and threatens to take some of her father's attention away from her.<br/><br/>Increasing the stress level is their mother, Emma, who has a lump that she is waiting for test results on, but she is determined not to let it affect her family's Christmas, so she is keeping it secret. Their father's secret son has decided to make contact with his new family, even though Andrew has made the cowardly decision not to answer his emails.<br/><br/>Add in Olivia's boyfriend who is fighting for his life in his own quarantine, and Phoebe's boyfriend who seems to be hiding a big secret, and emotions will continue to bubble up until they can't be contained anymore.<br/><br/>Honestly, this book had a great storyline, good writing, but I really didn't care about any of the characters. They all seemed selfish in their own way, or in Emma's case, such a pushover that I had no sympathy. It wasn't until the end that I began to care about any of them.<br/><br/>Current Goodreads Rating 3,87<br/><br/><br/>"