A Family Affair

A Family Affair is an emotional story about grief, love, heartache, betrayal, family, and forgiveness that is pure Robyn Carr as you can hear her voice through the words. Within this story, many long-hidden secrets come to light; secrets that will forever change the complicated McNichol family. The year after the sudden and unexpected death of Chad, husband, father, and friend is chronicled throughout. The story is a roller coaster ride as it deals with untold secrets, grief, anger, forgiveness, and moving on. In addition, it reflects on many troublesome issues: death, adultery, dementia, aging, the autism spectrum, mental health, and COVID to name a few. Each character had their own storyline, was well developed, unique and given layers of depth; allowing for understanding of their personalities and behaviors, as well as seeing their personal growth, acceptance, and change within the timeline of story. A Family Affair is a reminder that what appears perfect on the outside is not always as perfect as it seems, like the McNichol’s marriage and that life can change unexpectedly in an instant. Robyn Carr’s heartwarming story telling and compassion highlights her ability to explore families, and their dynamics. The characters are relatable, well developed and I wanted them to succeed and be happy. This is an amazing and emotional story that should not to be missed. This rich tale, which I could not put down, is filled with visual descriptions, family and personal challenges, in addition to endearing characters. I highly recommend A Family Affair to other readers. I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

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.

Anna was a tough cookie! I admire her reslience. She bounced back from whatever was thrown her way. Enjoyed the quirky characters and was glad when she finally found someone to live her for her, right under her nose; so to speak. Loved it! Easy read.