Start Reading Just Like Family Articulated By Kate Hilton Available In Readable Copy

witty, insightful new novel about juggling the demands of three husbandsa work husband, an almost husband and an exhusbandand figuring out the true meaning of family

Avery Graham has built a life that anyone would admire.
She has a brilliant career as chief of staff to Peter Haines, the charismatic mayor of Toronto, She has a devoted partner in Matt, her livein boyfriend of fourteen years, And she has a loving family and deep friendships that stretch back to childhood summers at the cottage,

But when Matt proposes, Averys past threatens to engulf her present, Can she contemplate a lifetime commitment to Matt after her disastrous first marriage to Hugh And is Matt really the love of her life, when she has spent so much of it by Peters side Avery could use some good advice from the women who know her best, but her closest friends, Jenny and Tara, have drifted away over the years.


When a scandal erupts at city hall, Avery must overcome her deepest fears about love and loss and discover what it means to be a family.
I really enjoyed reading Just Like Family by Kate Hilton, Main character Avery Graham is completely relatable, Her relationships with the three men in her life work husband, current boyfriend and exhusband as well as with her mother and friends are engaging and interesting, Avery's internal conflict about her past and inability to make decisions about her future completely draw the Reader in, Hilton's novel also captures the feeling of childhood and coming of age experiences at the Canadian cottage beautifully, This is a perfect summer "dock" read! Enjoy! I didn't think I would identify so strongly with the protagonist, because really we're not all that alike, but I really, really felt in tune with her.
It was so awful to watch her be so, so, so good at her job, and to see her male boss take advantage of that and reap the benefit of that and take credit for her hard work.
It was so awful to see her treat her friends like tools in a cupboard to be pulled out when necessary and immediately put back, And it was awful to see her be a part of a wonderful relationship she thought she didn't deserve, or wasn't sure she wanted, This novel really highlights how easy it is for other people to steer your life in one direction or another, and how easy it is to let them, and how difficult it can be to try and take back control and how sometimes you can't, or you shouldn't.
And while this book really struck a chord in me, a stressful and worrying chord, it was also frustrating to see her fail to articulate or use her own agency time and time again.
I'm not sure she ever does, even though the end of the book is positioned as a happy ending, I feel like this is an odd one to chew over so thoroughly but I have a feeling I'm going to be chewing for a while, I loved it. I think the opening chapter drew me in and I was lost, I loved the sweater illusion of it aging with time, After following Avery in her adventures/challenges, I saw the unraveling, Kate drew me in and I find myself missing Avery, Emily and Tara and wondering what the next step is, It felt familiar. I actually wondered what lake in Bracebridge their cottage was on, A great story. I loved Matt's character, but I didn't like Avery much, I thought she was the Queen of Lying to Herself, The ending was a bit too perfect and everything tied up, but the story itself was mostly compelling, This book was not what I expected, This book features the main character Avery as she navigates life, This book is set inbut goes back to various points in the past, I did not love the idea that her first husband was her uni prof, I was not about this troupe, Then she basically cheats on him with Matt and leaves Hugh in the USA while she comes home to Canada, This book sounds like there is going to be a love triangle involving Peter but they work together and have no chemistry at all, This book focused way to much on her work life and I found this book so confusing because some chapters would have multiple time periods per chapter which made no sense.
I could have done without half of the flash backs as they did not add to the plot, Same with alllll the chapters about her work, it did nothing for me, Lots of random details that didnt end up mattering to the story, Im glad Avery figured out her relationship in the end but this book just contained a lot of random details that didnt add to the plot, ALSO Matts proposal wasnt until chapter, almost half way through the book which didnt make sense to me because the reader knows its coming! I loved this book!

Love, family, friendship, betrayal and finding out who you really are.


Such an enjoyable reading experience, This is already on my reread pile for next year, This book appealed to me bc its about life at City Hall in Toronto, Its written from the perspective of the Chief of Staff to the Mayor, It was just ok. A glimpse into the life of a modern day womana woman juggling a big time career with her personal life, The author definitely captures the essence of the constant stress and the lack of free time that a career woman faces, Partners and friends often take second place, Our heroine, Avery, is a conflicted person, I am glad the author did not make her perfectthe story and book would have lost its impact if she had been, It was an excellent portrayal of what many women are facing today, A very engaging read. My only quibble is that the ending was too neat and tidy,
A quote I loved: "After you apologize to the person you've hurt, you have to do one more thing, You have to forgive yourself, You won't feel better until you do, No one is perfect, Avery, not even us perfectionists, The sooner you figure that out, the happier you'll be, "
I will definitely read more by this author thoroughly enjoyed it!,/. This story was so well done, My favourite bits were the pearls of wisdom sprinkled throughout, in a perfectly fluid and organic way, From the poetic first chapter through to the last, I was hooked, I might have liked a less tidy ending, as the rest of the novel was so refreshingly honest, but that's perhaps just the resigned realist in me speaking.
Moving back and forth through time periods is a little challenging, but worth the effort, The writing is excellent. Kudos also to the beta readers and editors the author thanks in her acknowledgements, I look forward to reading more from Kate Hilton, Another wonderful smart, funny, relatable read by Kate Hilton, I gobbled it up in record time and will have to go back for a second read later this summer, Well done Ms. Hilton! Read the ARC of this book and it was terrific, Really great

story, don't want to spoil your read, but you have to get a copy when it's released, Really got me hooked and couldn't put it down, Makes you think about relationships, Friendship, love, loss and finding one's true self with a familiar setting and a political backdrop,

Enjoyable and compelling!

Full review to follow shortly, Lovely writing, good pacing, complex yet relatable MC, and a satisfying journey of the struggles we all have with our relationships work, friends, lovers,

I truly enjoyed this book, And from a Canadian author, with a Canadian setting too!!

The times at the cottage reminded me so so much of my childhood summers spent in Ontario.


This novel also explores the important question of who, as 'modern women' who can 'have it all', are we

What a fantastic book! Real characters in familiar settings and written so eloquently it was as though Avery was sitting next to me with a glass of wine and telling me her story.
All the characters had depth and growth, It was a realistic account of a woman finding her way through the different stages of her life and how she finds her true self, not the self others wish she would be.
I highly recommend this as a summer read by the water, Or a winter read by the fire to remind you of those warm summer days, You will definitely feel Just Like Family!,