like family by erin o white

Blue Sisters, but way more gay. This year’s “Sandwich.” A great debut family drama.

This book follows 3 couples in upstate New York, with young kids. If you are confused reading the blurb, you aren’t alone. It is kind of difficult to keep the characters straight (lol) but in the ARC I have read there is a helpful chart in the beginning of the book to tell you who the couples and their children are.

The characters are not perfect, but definitely not boring. This is slice of life, tackling themes such as; “what makes a family? What makes someone family? What do you do when you have everything you ever wanted?” The couples in this book are in their late 30s/early 40s, they are interconnected and have strong family vibes. Their inner dialogue is sometimes kind of self-indulgent. They are exhaustingly liberal, the kind of liberal where you feel like you have to care A LOT about everything all the time.

Critics may say this book lacks plot, but it really focuses on character development, and there are so many characters that it becomes very well rounded. Everything kind of builds to the couples counselor’s advice in the final act. It’s only a couple of paragraphs but it ties it together nicely.

Thanks to NetGalley and Dial Press for the ARC. Book to be published Nov 4th, 2025.