The Accidental Favorite

8/30/2025Fran Littlewood writes a sentence, a paragraph, a page, chapters well. The book’s plot is unbelievable, thus inevitably boring.

The Accidental Favorite is an absolute delight that is warm, witty, and surprisingly poignant. From the moment the three generations of Fishers gather at the stunning glass house for Vivienne’s seventieth birthday, I was hooked. Fran Littlewood masterfully weaves humor, tension, and heartfelt family dynamics into a story that feels both utterly relatable and utterly absorbing.Watching the fallout from Patrick’s revelation about his “favorite” daughter was such a joy and a thrill. The way decades-old sibling rivalries, long-hidden secrets, and tender wounds surface had me laughing, cringing, and reaching for tissues all at once. Alex, Nancy, and Eva are brilliantly drawn - successful, vibrant women with real flaws and relatable insecurities, and I loved seeing how their relationships evolved, clashed, and ultimately deepened over the course of the week.Littlewood balances sharp wit with genuine emotion in a way that makes the Fishers feel like people you could know in real life. The story is a lively, heartfelt examination of memory, sisterhood, and family ties, with just the right touch of drama and reflection. By the end, I felt like I’d truly spent time with this family, and I was reminded how messy, complicated, and ultimately beautiful family life can be.The Accidental Favorite is the perfect mix of laughter, tears, and insight, a novel that stays with you long after the last page.

This is a family drama and I lean towards 4.25 stars.I recommend this for anyone who likes a family drama told from many perspectives. You get to really know what each major character is bringing to various situations and the way we all remember the same events; even the same family lore somewhat differently.There is some language and crude talks about sexual relationships but not in a gratuitous way. Not constant either like so many novels do sometimes these days.Definitely recommend.

I don't have a sister but have no doubt that Fran Littlewood absolutely nailed what it means to grow up with two sisters - always being compared to one another, inadvertently, advertently, kindly and cruelly. When an event happens to suggest that Dad Patrick has a favourite among his daughters, it sends the three Fisher sisters spiraling and along the way unveils deeply buried feelings among the family. With a sprawling cast of adjacent family members, all of whom are spending a week together at a vacation home, Littlewood keeps the action moving and the tension building. Recommend for fans of well written family drama. Thank you to Henry Holt & Co and NetGalley for the DRC

Coiled, Twisted, and Distorted with Doubts and Misconceptions...Three generations of the Fisher Family: Vivienne and Patrick, their three adult daughters, Alex, Nancy, and Eve, and their children and partners, gather for a week-long vacation in a glass house (is that a metaphor?) to celebrate Vivienne’s seventieth birthday. On their first outing together, a tree falls (another metaphor?) Is that the Fisher Family Tree going down...?!"The Accidental Favorite" is a family story, described as a 'dramedy', which feels off to me. It's witty, but not comedic, and watching this loud, dysfunctional family continue to spiral out of control was hard. I love messy family stories, but this family was too noisy, too nasty, too much.I considered a DNF, but persevered when the past and present timelines began to connect. The ending was satisfying, but what a struggle to get there. This feels surprisingly ‘New Adult’, considering all three sisters are in their 40s, and I'm not quite sure what to say about that.The audiobook is narrated by Fiona Button, whose voicing and recounting of this story was the best part of this immersion read. Every inflection and every pause was in the right places, and thoughtfully executed."The Accidental Favorite" has too many unlikable characters, a rambling narrative, and a compelling premise. I read this because "Amazing Grace Adams" was one of my favorite reads of 2023. Perhaps my expectations were too high, or maybe it wasn't the right time for me to read it. With all that said, Littlewood's writing style is fun, clever, and continues to draw me in enough that I eagerly await her next one. I know, I know, I just can't help myself!!3⭐Thank you to Henry Holt and Co., Macmillan Audio, and Fran Littlewood for the gifted DRC and ALC through NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.