Fiction

It All Comes Down to This

It All Comes Down to This

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  • Create Date：2022-06-15 11:21:34
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
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  • Author：Therese Anne Fowler
  • ISBN：1250835534
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Summary

A warm， keenly perceptive novel of sisterhood， heartbreak， home， and what it takes to remake a life at its halfway point， for fans of Ann Patchett and Emma Straub。

Meet the Geller sisters: Beck， Claire， and Sophie， a trio of strong-minded women whose pragmatic， widowed mother， Marti， will be dying soon。 Marti has ensured that her modest estate is easy for her family once she’s gone––including a provision that the family’s summer cottage on Mount Desert Island， Maine， must be sold， the proceeds split equally between the three girls。

Beck， the eldest， is a freelance journalist whose marriage looks more like a sibling bond than a passionate partnership。 In fact， her husband is hiding a troubling truth about his love life。 For Beck， the Maine cottage has been essential to her secret wish to write a novel––and to remake the terms of her relationship。

Despite her accomplishments as a pediatric cardiologist， Claire， the middle daughter， has always felt like the Geller misfit。 Recently divorced， Claire’s unrequited love for the wrong man is slowly destroying her， and she’s finding that her expertise on matters of the heart unfortunately doesn’t extend to her own。

Youngest daughter Sophie appears to live an Instagram-ready life， filled with glamorous work and travel， celebrities， fashion， art， and sex。 In reality， her existence is a cash-strapped house of cards that may tumble at any moment。

But when C。J。 Reynolds， an enigmatic southerner with his own hidden past enters the picture， the future of the Maine cottage––and of the sisters themselves––will take on an entirely new dimension。

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Reviews

Danielle ，

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review。 Family drama unfolds as the Geller sisters settle their deceased mother’s estate。This book is my idea of a perfect summer beach read: love triangles， rekindled old flames， family secrets， and the family vacation home’s fate。 I love how different each Geller sister is （instagram influencer， doctor， and a writer）。 Their wants and needs intersect to heighten the drama。 Each sister has a secret and revealing these secrets to each oth I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review。 Family drama unfolds as the Geller sisters settle their deceased mother’s estate。This book is my idea of a perfect summer beach read: love triangles， rekindled old flames， family secrets， and the family vacation home’s fate。 I love how different each Geller sister is （instagram influencer， doctor， and a writer）。 Their wants and needs intersect to heighten the drama。 Each sister has a secret and revealing these secrets to each other finally allows them to authentically live。 Fowler’s writing is rich and a pleasure to read。 。。。more

Kristin （Always With a Book） ，

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the ALC and St。 Martin’s Press/Netgalley #partner， for the advanced copy of It All Comes Down To This in exchange for my honest review。 I fell in love with Theresa Anne Fowler’s writing with her last two books， A Well-Behaved Woman and A Good Neighborhood。 When I saw she had a new book coming out， I jumped at the opportunity to read it…and was luckily enough to not only get a print copy but also an audio version， too。I love family dramas…I think coming from a large Thank you Macmillan Audio for the ALC and St。 Martin’s Press/Netgalley #partner， for the advanced copy of It All Comes Down To This in exchange for my honest review。 I fell in love with Theresa Anne Fowler’s writing with her last two books， A Well-Behaved Woman and A Good Neighborhood。 When I saw she had a new book coming out， I jumped at the opportunity to read it…and was luckily enough to not only get a print copy but also an audio version， too。I love family dramas…I think coming from a large family， I just appreciate reading about messy， complicated families and so when I saw that that was what this was， I was excited。 But…this doesn’t really go anywhere。 It’s really just a character study of three sisters who have very complicated relationships with each other， and truth be told I had a really hard time connecting to any of the characters， and therefore wasn’t fully invested in what was going on with them。 This made it a little more challenging to really focus on the book。 It’s not a bad book – it’s full of all the things I usually love – family secrets and lies – but I just felt like it dragged at times。I didn’t not like the book， I just didn’t love it as much as I expected to， but I will still be eager to see what this author writes next and I still plan on reading from her backlist – I know she wrote a book about Zelda that I’ve been meaning to read for quite some time。Audio thoughts: Barrie Kreinik narrated this book and to be honest， I think she kept me from putting this one down。 I love the way she narrates and she did a great job bringing this story to life。 Her pacing was good and even though this book was a bit on the longer side， her voice made it all the more enjoyable！You can see all my reviews at: https://www。alwayswithabook。com/ 。。。more

Sara ，

I gave it 50 pages but didn’t want to continue。

Efabs151 ，

Meh。 Super slow and full of unlikable characters

Catherine （alternativelytitledbooks） ，

**Many thanks to NetGalley， St。 Martin's Press， and Therese Anne Fowler for an ARC of this book！** What it all comes down toIs that everything's gonna be fine， fine， fine'Cause I've got one hand in my pocketAnd the other one is giving a high fiveThree sisters perhaps need to feel this sentiment more than ever。 Brought together after their mother Marti passes away， Beck， Claire， and Sophie are drawn back together from their VERY different walks of life to help process the sale of their mother' **Many thanks to NetGalley， St。 Martin's Press， and Therese Anne Fowler for an ARC of this book！** What it all comes down toIs that everything's gonna be fine， fine， fine'Cause I've got one hand in my pocketAnd the other one is giving a high fiveThree sisters perhaps need to feel this sentiment more than ever。 Brought together after their mother Marti passes away， Beck， Claire， and Sophie are drawn back together from their VERY different walks of life to help process the sale of their mother's cottage。 However， each sister has a differing perspective on what to do with the property。 Sister Beck is the unofficial Jo March of the group， a writer stuck in a passionless marriage for reasons she just can't explain。。。but her husband probably could。 Middle child Claire has a successful career in the medical field， but her lovesick obsession with the 'one that got away' is more complicated than it even sounds。 Sophie relies on her looks， her Instagram fame， and the ability to flit from continent to continent， luxury penthouse to B-list celebrity's bedroom， just getting by。。。but how long can it last？When blast-from-their-past C。J。 Reynolds， a Southerner with secrets of his own， enters the picture as a potential buyer， EVERYTHING gets more complicated。 Will this trio be able to reconcile the past， their present， and move toward a united front in the future。。。however twisted， tangled， and unnerving their new paths may be？I first stumbled on Fowler's writing in Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald （yes， my obsession with all things Gatsby and the 20s rears its ugly head once again） and I fell in love with her writing and ability to turn a phrase， not to mention fabulous character development。 I figured going from historical fiction to more contemporary fiction would be an easy transition for me with this author， and I'd quickly be absorbed by this book。。。。Sadly， this was not the case。This is yet another book that I felt missed a golden opportunity to explore emotional connections on a deep level。 And why was that？ Because SO much of this book focused on， well， sex。Not exactly what I anticipated when I read in a blurb that a mother's death is drawing a family together。 But there are mentions of everything from some uh， less mainstream sexual acts， to prostitution， masturbation。。。and I won't say any more than that because I don't really need to relive it。 I suppose in a sense some of this helped to make 'the plot' work， but trust me when I say the plot drags on and on for a book that isn't particularly long to begin with and had such a strange ending， I had no idea what the author was getting at in terms of character arcs。 I don't consider myself a prude by any stretch， but this was not a romance novel， yet it kept attempting to be one and I just got tired of it。The dialogue at times also felt very off。 I'm not quoting exactly， but there is one point after a big reveal where a character responds not with the expected indignation， sadness， or anger， but with an （almost cheerful） "Wow。 You've given me a lot to chew on！" which just felt so insincere and out of place it almost took me into eye-roll territory。 I understand these characters needed to be unlikable on some level （and truly， all of them are in one way or another） but I think if they had felt more realistic I could have overlooked some of the frustration with their （very stupid） decisions。While I still enjoy Fowler overall as an author and would consider another book of hers。 perhaps books of hers NOT set in the present era are a better fit for me。 （or maybe it's 2022 and I can't let the 20's go。。。TBD！） 😉3 stars 。。。more

Val （pagespoursandpups） ，

I'm all for reading a book about dysfunctional family drama， so I when I read the synopsis of this story， I knew it would be one I would enjoy。 Rather than the family being totally dysfunctional though， each character brings their own bit of dysfunction into the mix。 The widowed matriarch of the Geller family， Marti， is dying。 She has been planning for this and has made sure there will be little her daughters must do once she passes。 She felt rather unemotional to me。 She goes into hospice witho I'm all for reading a book about dysfunctional family drama， so I when I read the synopsis of this story， I knew it would be one I would enjoy。 Rather than the family being totally dysfunctional though， each character brings their own bit of dysfunction into the mix。 The widowed matriarch of the Geller family， Marti， is dying。 She has been planning for this and has made sure there will be little her daughters must do once she passes。 She felt rather unemotional to me。 She goes into hospice without telling her girls， so that they will only find out after she has passed。 Her three very different daughters， Beck， Claire and Sophie， who have never been super close， are understandably confused and upset by this。 They were not able to say goodbye。 Marti has left specific instructions regarding her will， which is revealed to her daughters through a video she recorded。 Along with instructions to sell the lake house and divide the profits， Marti reveals a secret about her past that is a complete surprise to the girls。Each daughter's life is presented in alternating POVs。 While each seems to be successful and happy， each one is hiding some part of their life which they fear will alter their sister's perceptions。 Beck， the only one married with children， has a husband that is beloved by her family。 As pieces of her life are uncovered， we learn that she is missing that "lust" factor in her marriage。 But she knows that they are the best of friends and get along easily and that's what is important in a good marriage right？ Her husband may have different thoughts about that。。。Claire possesses a high-achieving personality so the fact that her marriage crumbled is a source of disappointment to her。 The author leaves the reason for the divorce open until about 3/4 of the way through the book。 Her sisters think that Claire had an affair， and she seems to be fine with them thinking that， but it is obvious to the reader that is not the case。 Rather， she has pined for someone out of her reach for some time now。 She wonders if she will ever be able to move on and forget this person。Sophie works for an art gallery， an expert and finding the talent。 She is also a social media influencer。 with millions of followers to entertain。 Unfortunately her bank account can't quite keep up with her expensive tastes。 She is actually homeless， moving from house to house as a house-sitter。 She uncovers information that lead her to believe her boss may be up to something fishy。 Although her mother's passing has hit her hard， her inheritance could not be on the horizon at a better time。The story moves through the daughter's lives and does a great job of developing each character。 The girls must find a way back to each other as they only have each other left。 Each girl must decide what her future looks like， not what everyone else expects it to look like。 I loved the background story on Marti and her husband。 It gave such insight into her personality。 A story full of grief， love， expectations， second chances， unspoken dreams， determination and family， this one had everything I look for in a good family drama。 The ending was so good - not too perfect， but wrapping up quite a bit of the loose ends。 I definitely recommend this one。Thank you to NetGalley and St。 Martin's Press for the advance copy to read and review。 Pub date: 6。07。22 。。。more

Maxine Springer ，

3 | I listened to this for free via a Libro。fm Twitter promotion - I hadn’t read anything about the book prior to downloading it。 I had high hopes since I love family stories。 I didn’t love any of the characters， but they did feel fairly relatable at times。 I actually really enjoyed the story of the sisters’ parents， but that wasn’t the focus of the novel。 I liked the book enough that I wanted to finish it， but then I didn’t love the very end。 Very mixed feelings overall！

Michelle ，

Therese Fowler's books are hit or miss for me - didn't like "Z"， but loved "A Good Neighborhood"， and the premise of this story sounded promising but it just。。。 was not。 The story never got off the ground for me， and the characters never quite spiked my interest or attention。 I could easily have put this book down and had no interest in picking it up again， but I was hoping it would get better。 Unfortunately， it never took off and I just didn't find it an interesting read。 Thanks to NetGalley an Therese Fowler's books are hit or miss for me - didn't like "Z"， but loved "A Good Neighborhood"， and the premise of this story sounded promising but it just。。。 was not。 The story never got off the ground for me， and the characters never quite spiked my interest or attention。 I could easily have put this book down and had no interest in picking it up again， but I was hoping it would get better。 Unfortunately， it never took off and I just didn't find it an interesting read。 Thanks to NetGalley and St。 Martin's Press for an advanced copy。 。。。more

Tina ，

This book was just sad to me。 The relationships and the comprises and the losses…。all turned out for the best but the journey was sad。 The best thing for me was the setting of Maine。

Terry ~ Huntress of Erudition ，

This is the fourth excellent book I have read by Therese Ann Fowler。 I love her way of writing， she gives her female protagonists such a unique voice， which makes you empathize with them and want to cheer when good things happen and cry when they are down。The story basically revolves around the relationship of a mother with her three different daughters。 I wish we could have actually " lived" through Marti Geller's life story as she grew up - she was my favorite character。 I thought it got a lit This is the fourth excellent book I have read by Therese Ann Fowler。 I love her way of writing， she gives her female protagonists such a unique voice， which makes you empathize with them and want to cheer when good things happen and cry when they are down。The story basically revolves around the relationship of a mother with her three different daughters。 I wish we could have actually " lived" through Marti Geller's life story as she grew up - she was my favorite character。 I thought it got a little too coincidental， the way Beck and CJ Reynolds kept meeting throughout the entire book， （Beck's backstory & the prologue， come on！） but I loved it anyway。I didn't like the chapters about CJ Reynolds and I think the narrative could have flowed just as well without his whole story， but I get why the author added him in there - it created a catalyst for Beck's self revelation and new independent life。It was fun to read about Sophie's exploits into the jet set life of the art & fashion world。 Claire's emotional turmoil was heartbreaking， but I was so happy for her at the end。 Actually， I was happy for all of them， Marti included。Once again， Therese Ann Fowler has written an engaging story， with characters who make you think about them after the book has ended。 。。。more

Kendall ，

We all know Therese Anne Fowler from her recent novel The Good Neighborhood。 I enjoyed The Good Neighborhood and was so excited to my hands on IT All Comes Down to This。 I definitely am puzzled by this book。 This novel had a little bit of everything in a messy family drama。 I felt like this was so much more of a soap opera feel。 The plot was spinning and it just had no clear direction of where this story was going。Fowler is definitely excellent at portraying the characters， their personalities， We all know Therese Anne Fowler from her recent novel The Good Neighborhood。 I enjoyed The Good Neighborhood and was so excited to my hands on IT All Comes Down to This。 I definitely am puzzled by this book。 This novel had a little bit of everything in a messy family drama。 I felt like this was so much more of a soap opera feel。 The plot was spinning and it just had no clear direction of where this story was going。Fowler is definitely excellent at portraying the characters， their personalities， strengths and weaknesses delivering for a an engrossing story。But， nothing really pulled me into this story。 I was hoping that I would have been grabbed but it just slowly moves along like a creak of water。 2。75/5 starsThank you to the author and St。 Martin's press for my arcPub date: 6/7/22Published to IG/GR: 6/13/22 。。。more

Lynda ，

Fowler’s A Good Neighbourhood polarised readers （me included）。 I read her very readable writing virtually without stopping but was almost physically hurt by the tragedy。 So I was not sure about reading this book but I thoroughly enjoyed it。 This is a story of sisters， very different but linked by more than blood。 Their mother dies and in her will instructs them to sell the cottage in Maine。 This action links the sisters but also contains room for misunderstandings and revelations。 There are othe Fowler’s A Good Neighbourhood polarised readers （me included）。 I read her very readable writing virtually without stopping but was almost physically hurt by the tragedy。 So I was not sure about reading this book but I thoroughly enjoyed it。 This is a story of sisters， very different but linked by more than blood。 Their mother dies and in her will instructs them to sell the cottage in Maine。 This action links the sisters but also contains room for misunderstandings and revelations。 There are other intriguing peripheral characters。 The story never descends into tragedy but is not a comedy。 Ironic situations are lightly touched on without it becoming a farce。 A well written contemporary family saga。 。。。more

Terry ~ Huntress of Erudition ，

This is the fourth excellent book I have read by Therese Ann Fowler。 I love her way of writing， she gives her female protagonists such a unique voice， which makes you empathize with them and want to cheer when good things happen and cry when they are down。The story basically revolves around the relationship of a mother with her three different daughters。 I wish we could have actually " lived" through Marti Geller's life story as she grew up - she was my favorite character。 I thought it got a lit This is the fourth excellent book I have read by Therese Ann Fowler。 I love her way of writing， she gives her female protagonists such a unique voice， which makes you empathize with them and want to cheer when good things happen and cry when they are down。The story basically revolves around the relationship of a mother with her three different daughters。 I wish we could have actually " lived" through Marti Geller's life story as she grew up - she was my favorite character。 I thought it got a little too coincidental， the way Beck and CJ Reynolds kept meeting throughout the entire book， （Beck's backstory & the prologue， come on！） but I loved it anyway。I didn't like the chapters about CJ Reynolds and I think the narrative could have flowed just as well without his whole story， but I get why the author added him in there - it created a catalyst for Beck's self revelation and new independent life。It was fun to read about Sophie's exploits into the jet set life of the art & fashion world。 Claire's emotional turmoil was heartbreaking， but I was so happy for her at the end。 Actually， I was happy for all of them， Marti included。Once again， Therese Ann Fowler has written an engaging story， with characters who make you think about them after the book has ended。 。。。more

Mary Jackson _TheMaryReader ，

Fowler has done it again， she knocked it out of the park again。 The family drama and the conflict in this book is so worth the up all night reading hangover you have the next day。 I can't recommend It All Comes Down to This enough。 You are going to LOVE the ending so much！4 stars and I HIGHLY recommend it。The Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review。 A favorable review was not required， and all views expressed are our own。 Fowler has done it again， she knocked it out of the park again。 The family drama and the conflict in this book is so worth the up all night reading hangover you have the next day。 I can't recommend It All Comes Down to This enough。 You are going to LOVE the ending so much！4 stars and I HIGHLY recommend it。The Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review。 A favorable review was not required， and all views expressed are our own。 。。。more

Janet ，

I am not sure I can say what I liked about this book。 It is well written。 But the storyline is messy。 By messy I mean there were lots of pieces to it and it at times just seemed off somehow。 I did not care for the ending。 It seemed to me to still leave some things open ended。 Yes， everything concluded and we got answers but it was messy。 I am not sure I could recommend this book and I am not sure I will read anything else by this author。

Cheri ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 This is more like a 2。5， rounded up。 I found the story to be a bit all over the place and I had some trouble staying engaged。 However， I was glad that I read to the end and liked how it all wrapped up。The story started out with two things that teased and got me interested in this book。 The first was about the impact CJ had on every one else's life， who I thought in the end， had no real impact on the sisters' lives。 And the second being the big secret being kept by Marti， but in the end， after th This is more like a 2。5， rounded up。 I found the story to be a bit all over the place and I had some trouble staying engaged。 However， I was glad that I read to the end and liked how it all wrapped up。The story started out with two things that teased and got me interested in this book。 The first was about the impact CJ had on every one else's life， who I thought in the end， had no real impact on the sisters' lives。 And the second being the big secret being kept by Marti， but in the end， after the reveal， it felt very anticlimactic and didn't really play a big part in the story。 I felt that some of delving into side stories detracted from the main story。 But I did like the overall premise of this story， as quoted from Mick Jagger， being that you want might not always get what want， but that you sonetimes get what you need。 。。。more

Valerie ，

This is an author I usually like。 125 pages in I accepted that this book was not going to work for me。 Neither the plot nor the characters engaged me。 I stopped reading it。

Kathleen ，

One summer is enough to indelibly change the Geller family。 Their mother’s death brings the three sisters， Beck， Claire and Sophie， back together。 Beck is boringly unhappy in her long marriage to Paul and paralyzed by procrastination in her lifelong desire to be a published author。 Claire is a divorced pediatric cardiologist with a workload that prevents her from giving thought to what she really wants out of life。 And beautiful， always Instagram ready Sophie is hiding almost insurmountable prob One summer is enough to indelibly change the Geller family。 Their mother’s death brings the three sisters， Beck， Claire and Sophie， back together。 Beck is boringly unhappy in her long marriage to Paul and paralyzed by procrastination in her lifelong desire to be a published author。 Claire is a divorced pediatric cardiologist with a workload that prevents her from giving thought to what she really wants out of life。 And beautiful， always Instagram ready Sophie is hiding almost insurmountable problems behind daily glamor shots。 When their mother’s will states that their Maine vacation house must be sold and the proceeds divided， the women have very different reactions。 Add a somewhat charismatic ex-con to the mix， a former resident who wants to buy their house， and the result is a cataclysmic revelation of family secrets。This character driven domestic drama by Therese Anne Fowler is beautifully written， slow and deliberately paced。 All the sisters are hiding so much sadness from each other。 This will be an excellent book club choice。 5 stars。Thank you to NetGalley， St。 Martin's Press and Therese Anne Fowler for this ARC。 。。。more

Ursula ，

This is a family drama about three sisters: Beck， Claire and Sophie。 Their mother， Marti leaves strict instructions that upon her passing， the cottage in Maine must be sold and the proceeds must be split equally among the girls。 One sister isn't in love with her husband anymore， one is broke， one loves another's husband。 And， an ex-con wants to buy the cottage。 Everyone becomes entangled in everyone's stories as they work to deal with the death and the sale of the cottage。This book was just an O This is a family drama about three sisters: Beck， Claire and Sophie。 Their mother， Marti leaves strict instructions that upon her passing， the cottage in Maine must be sold and the proceeds must be split equally among the girls。 One sister isn't in love with her husband anymore， one is broke， one loves another's husband。 And， an ex-con wants to buy the cottage。 Everyone becomes entangled in everyone's stories as they work to deal with the death and the sale of the cottage。This book was just an OK read for me。 I didn't dislike it， but I wasn't invested in it either。I received an advance copy for review。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more

KtotheC ，

3。5 stars rounded up。Whilst Therese Anne Fowler has been on my radar since her novel about Zelda Fitzgerald published， It All Comes Down To This is my first time reading her work - and I'm happy to say it won't be the last。 The prose is assured and there's a lightness of touch that belies how difficult making each character seem equally reasonable can be。In the novel we meet three sisters who are quite different in personality - Beck， Claire and Sophie。 They're not that close but have come toget 3。5 stars rounded up。Whilst Therese Anne Fowler has been on my radar since her novel about Zelda Fitzgerald published， It All Comes Down To This is my first time reading her work - and I'm happy to say it won't be the last。 The prose is assured and there's a lightness of touch that belies how difficult making each character seem equally reasonable can be。In the novel we meet three sisters who are quite different in personality - Beck， Claire and Sophie。 They're not that close but have come together after their mum passed away。 Each has their own problems and whilst they're all devastated by their mum's death， they each are at a crossroads in their own lives。 How will the ripple effects from a secret their mother has kept from them， and the stipulation in her will that they sell their summer house influence each sister as she navigates rough paths？I was reminded a little of The Paper Palace， although this book features far fewer trigger warnings and is a gentler rumination on life and love。 I've seen a few readers who struggle to connect to the characters， but I think missed connections are part of what make the story interesting - the characters at the start of the novel haven't been honest with each other in some time which gives the relationships a nice complexity （even if being honest would have helped them be happier sooner）。 I found how compassionate each character could be really touching。 Not entirely sure the shift to first person at the end works， and the story has something of a fable quality to it which is also why the characters feel the slightest bit intangible I believe。Perhaps， things work out almost too neatly and there's one plotline that really should be appalling but that the author somehow manages to convey with sincerity and makes it seem quite acceptable。 This read like a summer read for someone who wants a literary flair to the language， and a preoccupation with character rather than fast-paced plot， and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a well written family story。My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Nina Craig ，

When their mother Marti passes away her three grown-up daughters must now rely on each other。 But when her will requests the summer house to be sold not everyone agrees。 Soon secrets are uncovered; including Marti's from beyond the grave。But where some secrets are best kept hidden this family will embrace them and everything else will fall into place。I slightly struggled with this novel as I found it a slow read。 However， I really got into the second half and found the confessional conversations When their mother Marti passes away her three grown-up daughters must now rely on each other。 But when her will requests the summer house to be sold not everyone agrees。 Soon secrets are uncovered; including Marti's from beyond the grave。But where some secrets are best kept hidden this family will embrace them and everything else will fall into place。I slightly struggled with this novel as I found it a slow read。 However， I really got into the second half and found the confessional conversations quite humourous。 I enjoyed the narrative of this novel as it was also a narrative that had the characters developing throughout， exploring their past and learning from their mistakes。 I can't say I related to any of the characters， but I genuinely liked them all。 This is actually the first novel I have read by this author and I look forward to picking up another one of their novels， including I have recommended this one already。 。。。more

Andrea ，

It All Comes Down to This by Therese Anne Fowler is the story of how three sister's lives take a turn following their mom's death。I have read a couple of books by this author and this one felt very different to me。 It had a somewhat similar plot to new release The Summer Place by Jennifer Weiner。Gellar Sisters Beck， Claire， and Sophie are very different from one another so it was easy to keep their storylines straight。 They have been living very separate lives until the death of their mother bri It All Comes Down to This by Therese Anne Fowler is the story of how three sister's lives take a turn following their mom's death。I have read a couple of books by this author and this one felt very different to me。 It had a somewhat similar plot to new release The Summer Place by Jennifer Weiner。Gellar Sisters Beck， Claire， and Sophie are very different from one another so it was easy to keep their storylines straight。 They have been living very separate lives until the death of their mother brings them together。 Once they reconnect they discover the gritty parts of one another's lives。 They are also all on the cusp of making major life changes。I found it hard to connect to any of the sisters。 Beck's was my favorite storyline to read while Sophie's was my least。 Claire didn't get too much attention except within a plot point that would be a spoiler。 Maybe the point of having three unstable characters was to prove that it's never too late to start over？There are two major "secrets" within the plot。 The first is left on a video by Marti Gellar， the mom。 For what it's worth， after reading the entire book I had to go back to figure out what her big secret was。 When I reread the chapter it just didn't seem like a huge deal to me。 The second has to do with a character named C。J。 who had just been released from prison。 For a while the reader isn't sure if he is friend or foe。 This could have been suspenseful but it ended up being pretty bland。Overall this book was just ok for me。 Nothing particularly stood out and I left feeling a bit let down。 。。。more

Reeca Elliott ，

The Geller sisters have been called together because of their mother’s death。 Marti left a will and a video with a revelation for her girls。 Can these girls overcome what life has to throw at them？ These three sisters are so different。 First is Beck。 Beck is a journalist， want to be novelist。 Her marriage is on the rocks but she is unsure how to fix it。 Next we have Claire。 She is a pediatric cardiologist and she has an unrequited love interest。 Finally we have Sophie。 Sophie is the “fly by the The Geller sisters have been called together because of their mother’s death。 Marti left a will and a video with a revelation for her girls。 Can these girls overcome what life has to throw at them？ These three sisters are so different。 First is Beck。 Beck is a journalist， want to be novelist。 Her marriage is on the rocks but she is unsure how to fix it。 Next we have Claire。 She is a pediatric cardiologist and she has an unrequited love interest。 Finally we have Sophie。 Sophie is the “fly by the seat of her pants girl”。Nothing like family to make you want to pull your hair out！ I love these three sisters and their relationship。 They are not afraid to tell each other what they think。 But， when the time comes…they have each other’s backs and they learn to forgive and accept。This story really had me all over the place。 I really loved each and every character， even if I wanted to jerk one or two baldheaded because of a bad decision。 And believe me…quite a few bad decisions were made by each！ Add in the setting of Maine， and I was hooked！ I really can see this being a binge series on Hulu or Netflix。The narrator， Barrie Kreinik， is wonderful， especially on all the different voices。Need a good true to life family novel…THIS IS IT！ Grab your copy today！I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review。 。。。more

Lisa ，

Review Coming Soon

Shirley McAllister ，

The Summer CottageThe story of a dying mother making known her wishes in her will to sell the Summer Cottage in Maine。 The three daughters involved Sophie， Beck and Claire。 They each have different life styles and different views on the Cottage。 The book was not very interesting to me， I got bored with it real fast。 It did start off good with C。J。， but they the girls stories just did not interest me at all。 I plodded through the book， but I did have a hard time reading through and finishing it。 The Summer CottageThe story of a dying mother making known her wishes in her will to sell the Summer Cottage in Maine。 The three daughters involved Sophie， Beck and Claire。 They each have different life styles and different views on the Cottage。 The book was not very interesting to me， I got bored with it real fast。 It did start off good with C。J。， but they the girls stories just did not interest me at all。 I plodded through the book， but I did have a hard time reading through and finishing it。 Thanks to Therese Ann Fowler for writing it， to St。 Martin's Press for publishing it and to NetGalley for allowing me to read and review a copy。 All words in the review are my own。 。。。more

Ruth ，

Family relationships can be complicated， and the Geller family in Therese Anne Fowler's latest book proves to be just that。 When the mother passes away from cancer， she leaves a video for her daughters that reveals her long-held secrets。 Her three grown daughters are also keeping secrets from each other and reflecting on the directions of their lives。 The family cabin in Maine plays a central role in the story。 Thanks to NetGalley and St。 Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review thi Family relationships can be complicated， and the Geller family in Therese Anne Fowler's latest book proves to be just that。 When the mother passes away from cancer， she leaves a video for her daughters that reveals her long-held secrets。 Her three grown daughters are also keeping secrets from each other and reflecting on the directions of their lives。 The family cabin in Maine plays a central role in the story。 Thanks to NetGalley and St。 Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this book。 。。。more

Anna （Literannie） ，

I typically enjoy family dramas， but not ones that only contain selfish， unlikable characters which I found to be true of the Geller sisters （including Beck's husband）。 I think I would have liked C。J。 from the little I read of him but I was not willing to sift through the other characters and I found the drama between the sisters to be a bit over-the-top and it just made my eyes roll。 This may be more suited to readers who enjoy the drama of soap operas。 Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley I typically enjoy family dramas， but not ones that only contain selfish， unlikable characters which I found to be true of the Geller sisters （including Beck's husband）。 I think I would have liked C。J。 from the little I read of him but I was not willing to sift through the other characters and I found the drama between the sisters to be a bit over-the-top and it just made my eyes roll。 This may be more suited to readers who enjoy the drama of soap operas。 Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the eArc。 All thoughts expressed are my own。 。。。more

Valerie HappiestWhileReading ，

It All Comes Down To This by Therese Anne Fowler is an interesting sisters story， but I can't recommend it。 TW: parental death， infidelity。The primary setting is Mount Desert Island in Maine （a new-to-me location） at the Geller family summer cottage。 I appreciated the strong-willed characters of Marti Geller and her adult daughters Beck， Claire， and Sophie。 Each had an interesting life， and it was refreshing to read about women who independently made major decisions for about their futures。Howev It All Comes Down To This by Therese Anne Fowler is an interesting sisters story， but I can't recommend it。 TW: parental death， infidelity。The primary setting is Mount Desert Island in Maine （a new-to-me location） at the Geller family summer cottage。 I appreciated the strong-willed characters of Marti Geller and her adult daughters Beck， Claire， and Sophie。 Each had an interesting life， and it was refreshing to read about women who independently made major decisions for about their futures。However， the "romance" was completely superfluous and distracting。 It could have been completely eliminated and this would have been a better novel。 And the ending wrapped up so abruptly I was sure I accidentally skipped several chapters of the audiobook while multitasking。 It was like the author suddenly realized she only had X number of pages to complete the story and made a huge leap to the end。 Very strange and unsatisfying。Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the review copy of the audiobook narrated by Barrie Kreinik。 。。。more

Cindy （groundedinreads） ，

Three grown sisters who lead very different lives face the hardship of losing their mother， Marti， to illness。 At the reading of the will， they find out that Marti wants them to sell their cottage/camp in Maine but one of the sisters doesn’t want to。 They all have their reasons for selling/keeping the house and in their time together figuring out how to proceed， secrets are revealed and lives are changed。 I’m a huge fan of Therese Anne Fowler and I really enjoyed this family saga。 Each character Three grown sisters who lead very different lives face the hardship of losing their mother， Marti， to illness。 At the reading of the will， they find out that Marti wants them to sell their cottage/camp in Maine but one of the sisters doesn’t want to。 They all have their reasons for selling/keeping the house and in their time together figuring out how to proceed， secrets are revealed and lives are changed。 I’m a huge fan of Therese Anne Fowler and I really enjoyed this family saga。 Each character is so well developed and I could relate to everyone。 Thank you @netgalley and @macmillanaudio for this #alc in exchange for my review 。。。more

Sarah ，

Okay， my review is as disjointed as this book。 The story is about 3 sisters who lose their matriarch to cancer。 The story is also （supposed？） to be how C。J。 Reynolds comes in and complicates things。 But like， he doesn't even connect with them until the very end。 He doesn't even complicate things for them， or anyone for that matter。 The story flip-flops between C。J。's story and the sisters。 We get the background on all of them which leads up to the decisions they will make in the book。 But they a Okay， my review is as disjointed as this book。 The story is about 3 sisters who lose their matriarch to cancer。 The story is also （supposed？） to be how C。J。 Reynolds comes in and complicates things。 But like， he doesn't even connect with them until the very end。 He doesn't even complicate things for them， or anyone for that matter。 The story flip-flops between C。J。's story and the sisters。 We get the background on all of them which leads up to the decisions they will make in the book。 But they all seemed so。。。。fake？ C。J。's story could have been more believable。 From the first introduction to the last page， it was so far-fetched。 And where the heck did the teacher go who was there for like 6 pages？ Grr。 So all over the place。 The sister's seemed wildly self-absorbed。 They barely talk to each other and then meet up and start sharing secrets？ Also， the end of the story seemed so wrapped up in a perfect bow that it was truly， not believable。I am also over books （Elin Hilderbrand） that have to describe everything because it is fancy or high-priced and this did that too many times for me。 There wasn't a likeable character。 They were all self-absorbed。 The more and more I think about this book， the more I dislike it。 But， I loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeee Therese Anne Fowler。 I will let this one slide because I know her books are usually amazing but we need to go ahead and forget this one。 Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=It All Comes Down to This

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=It All Comes Down to This&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,It All Comes Down to This&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0