Musical Chairs

by Amy Poeppel

Members	Reviews	Popularity	Average rating	Mentions
174	16	157,345	(3.9)	7
Fiction. Literature. HTML:"Poeppel has created a story that is well thought out, well plotted, well written, and fully developed. A delightful novel that celebrates the messiness and joy to be found in real life." �??Kirkus Reviews (starred review) "100% page-turning delight...Pull out a lawn chair and prepare to read this gleefully entertaining novel." �??Stephen McCauley, author of My Ex-Life The award-winning, "quick-witted and razor-sharp" (Taylor Jenkins Reid, New York Times bestselling author of Daisy Jones & The Six) author of Limelight and Small Admissions returns with a hilarious and heartfelt new novel about a perfectly imperfect summer of love, secrets, and second chances. Bridget and Will have the kind of relationship that people envy: they're loving, compatible, and completely devoted to each other. The fact that they're strictly friends seems to get lost on nearly everyone. For three decades, they've nurtured their baby, the Forsyth Trio�??a chamber group they created as students with their Juilliard classmate Gavin Glantz. In the intervening years, Gavin has gone on to become one of the classical music world's reigning stars, while Bridget and Will have learned to embrace the warm reviews and smaller venues that accompany modest success. Bridget has been dreaming of spending the summer at her well-worn Connecticut country home with her boyfriend Sterling. But her plans are upended when Sterling breaks up with her over email, her twin twenty-somethings arrive unexpectedly, and her elderly father announces he's getting married. She concocts a plan to host her dad's wedding on her ramshackle property, while putting the Forsyth Trio back into the spotlight. But to catch the attention of the music world, she and Will place their bets on luring back Gavin, whom they've both avoided ever since their stormy parting. "In this funny, profound, and brilliantly alive novel about all the messy, wise, and wonderful chords that love can strike in our lives, Poeppel gathers together fathers and daughters, old flames and new sparks, music, writing and gardening, to explore what it really means to feel at home, and how life can open you up in ways you never saw coming" (Caroline Leavitt, New York Times bestselling… (more)

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I'm glad I read a review about this book from a trusted book blogger that I follow. She stated it took her a bit to get into the story because there were a lot of characters to keep track of in the beginning, but that she was so glad she stuck with it. I agree!
I really enjoyed this story of family, diversity, perseverance, tenacity, and love told with humor and surprises! The author did a great job of weaving several character's stories together yet not following the easy path for any of the character's journeys.
This is the first book I've read by the author and will definitely read her other books.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me a copy of this fun story! (

)

JillHannah | Nov 20, 2023 |

Bridget and Will have been friends since Juilliard, but that is it, they are strictly friends. They form 2 of the Forsyth Trio - the third being Gavin, their classmate. However, Gavin left them, and has become a star, while their trio is floundering.
One night, Bridget wants to have a child, and has sex with a very handsome man. The next day, she goes to the doctor to be artificially inseminated. She has twins (Isabelle and Oscar), but doesn't know who the dad is.
Now, years later Bridget is at her home in CT, and her dad, wealthy Edward, is getting married. A series of mishaps and family crises follow.
Comical, romantic, and a nice story of friendship. (

)

rmarcin | Jun 9, 2023 |

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
The witty tune of the introduction hooked me. The allegro pace of the plot kept me reading. The alto range of the energetic cast of characters encouraged me to get to the coda, which wraps the motif this romantic comedy with jovial accents. (

)

GrettelTBR | Nov 15, 2022 |

This is a new author for me, but this won't be the last book by her that I read. Musical Chairs is a delightful menage of characters thrown together for one summer in northwestern Connecticut. Will and Bridget are best friends and two-thirds of the Forsyte Trio, a classical music group. They're currently looking for a third, a violinist, but Bridget is at her weekend home for the summer hoping for a romantic getaway with her current boyfriend. However, Sterling breaks up with her, and her two grown children invade the premises along with Will, who discovers a new love in the nearby town. Meanwhile, Bridget's famous composer father, who lives nearby, decides to marry and throws everyone involved into a tizzy.
This is an erudite story about rich people, but I don't mean that in a bad way. Indeed, Ms. Poeppel writes very accessibly and tells a very enjoyable story. There are a lot of characters, but I never felt overwhelmed, and I was entertained by their different quirks and adventures. It's a somewhat complex story that's all woven together no matter the aspect: Bridget's renovations, everyone's romantic relationships, jobs, travels, and music.
This is one of those books that I'd recommend to book clubs and readers of just a good story. And I'll be looking for more of Ms. Poeppel's books. (

)

N.W.Moors | Aug 27, 2022 |

This light-hearted story is full of reflection on life choices and their consequences. Fluffy with minimal character development and less plot. The rural Connecticut setting was appealing and perfect for the “rich people problems” that abound. It was billed as humorous and it is, in a sit com kind-of-way. I would recommend it as a palette cleanser and there are some characters (I’m looking at you Will) who are worth the read. In fact, the male characters seemed to have more depth, which is a turnabout for me. I generally gravitate to strong female characters…not too many here…maybe Lottie? I’m not sorry I read it but wonder if it would be better on the screen. (

)

beebeereads | Mar 18, 2022 |

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Canonical title

Musical Chairs

Original title

Alternative titles

Original publication date

2020-07-21

People/Characters

Important places

Litchfield County, Connecticut, USA

New York, New York, USA

London, England, UK

Important events

Related movies

Epigraph

Things can fall apart, or threaten to, for many reasons, and then there's got to be a leap of faith.
Ultimately, when you're at the edge, you have to go forward or backward;
if you go forward, you have to jump together.

--Yo-Yo Ma

I take a very practical view of raising children. I put a sign in each of their rooms: "Checkout Time is 18 years."

---Erma Bombeck

I cannot rest from travel: I will drink
Life to the lees . .

---Alfred, Lord Tennyson, "Ulysses"

Dedication

For my perfectly imperfect family

First words

For the fourth time in less than twelve hours, Bridget was doing something that could get her pregnant.

Quotations

Change is not failure.

Secrets damage the soul.

Last words

(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)

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▾Book descriptions

Fiction. Literature. HTML:"Poeppel has created a story that is well thought out, well plotted, well written, and fully developed. A delightful novel that celebrates the messiness and joy to be found in real life." �??Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"100% page-turning delight...Pull out a lawn chair and prepare to read this gleefully entertaining novel." �??Stephen McCauley, author of My Ex-Life

The award-winning, "quick-witted and razor-sharp" (Taylor Jenkins Reid, New York Times bestselling author of Daisy Jones & The Six) author of Limelight and Small Admissions returns with a hilarious and heartfelt new novel about a perfectly imperfect summer of love, secrets, and second chances.
Bridget and Will have the kind of relationship that people envy: they're loving, compatible, and completely devoted to each other. The fact that they're strictly friends seems to get lost on nearly everyone. For three decades, they've nurtured their baby, the Forsyth Trio�??a chamber group they created as students with their Juilliard classmate Gavin Glantz. In the intervening years, Gavin has gone on to become one of the classical music world's reigning stars, while Bridget and Will have learned to embrace the warm reviews and smaller venues that accompany modest success.

Bridget has been dreaming of spending the summer at her well-worn Connecticut country home with her boyfriend Sterling. But her plans are upended when Sterling breaks up with her over email, her twin twenty-somethings arrive unexpectedly, and her elderly father announces he's getting married. She concocts a plan to host her dad's wedding on her ramshackle property, while putting the Forsyth Trio back into the spotlight. But to catch the attention of the music world, she and Will place their bets on luring back Gavin, whom they've both avoided ever since their stormy parting.

"In this funny, profound, and brilliantly alive novel about all the messy, wise, and wonderful chords that love can strike in our lives, Poeppel gathers together fathers and daughters, old flames and new sparks, music, writing and gardening, to explore what it really means to feel at home, and how life can open you up in ways you never saw coming" (Caroline Leavitt, New York Times bestselling

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