Reviews

After seeing this book recommended by a book blogger, I decided to give it a try. I had not read anything by Robyn Carr before but had heard her name in connection with the Virgin River series on Netflix. I bought the book used, and had I not had a few dollars invested in it, I never would have finished it. This is the story of a family with three grown children in the year following their father's unexpected and untimely death. This book read like as bad Hallmark movie or the cheesy soap operas my mom used to watch during the 1960s and 70s. The author throws in such "current hot topics" as alzheimer's, autism, adoption and affairs, but the book wasn't really about any of these things. In fact, I'm not really sure what the book was about, except that the family stayed a family after daddy died and straightened out all their problems in therapy. Also, the family members all had a lot of sex, but not with each other (thank goodness!). The plot was formulaic and predictable. Of the all-white, affluent cast of cast of characters, not one was interesting or likable. In short, I did not like this book at all. It seemed to drag on and on, with much repetition. I had another book by this author on my "to read" shelf, but decided to return both this book and the other Robyn Carr book to the used bookstore in my town. I also tried watching Carr's Netflix series, Virgin River, and found I didn't like that much either. In short, Robyn Carr is just not my cup of tea.

rhi4409's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

farbusha's review against another edition

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hopeful relaxing medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

theavidreaderandbibliophile's review against another edition

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4.0

A Family Affair by Robyn Carr is a poignant novel about grief, love, heartache, betrayal, family, and forgiveness. Anna McNichol loses her husband, Chad unexpectedly. When his will is read, the family is surprised when he leaves money to an anonymous individual. Anna and Chad had been having marital problems recently and now she will never be able to get them resolved. Chad was unhappy with the marriage and seemed to be searching for something. Anna notices a pregnant woman at the funeral and wonders what other secrets her husband was hiding. Anna’s three grown children deal with their grief in diverse ways. Each is struggling with the loss. We follow the McNichols as they deal with the loss of Chad and learn about his secrets. I thought A Family Affair was well-written with steady pacing. My one complaint is the repetition. The same facts repeated over and over throughout the book. I thought the characters were developed and realistic. Robyn Carr created a realistic family and explored their dynamics. Each family member needs to make a choice. They could stay bitter and angry at Chad for his actions, or they can forgive so they can go on to lead happy, fulfilled lives. Anna is a strong woman who handles the challenges thrown at her while continuing to do her job and support her children. A Family Affair has a satisfying conclusion. Life can change in an instant as we see in A Family Affair. If you like family dramas that delve into intricacies of a family, you should pick up A family Affair. A Family Affair is a story that will tug at your heartstrings.

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