The Floating Feldmans ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Floating Feldmans by Elyssa Friedland


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G👀dreads About Summary

A family vacation dredges up a boatload of trouble.
An irresistible drama filled with humor and heart-tugging emotion about family and what it means to belong.

Sink or swim. Or at least that's what Annette Feldman tells herself when she books a cruise for her entire family. It's been over a decade since the Feldman clan has spent more than twenty-four hours under the same roof, but Annette is determined to celebrate her seventieth birthday the right way. Just this once, they are going to behave like an actual family.

Too bad her kids didn't get the memo.

Between the troublesome family secrets, old sibling rivalries, and her two teenage grandkids, Annette's birthday vacation is looking more and more like the perfect storm. Adrift together on the open seas, the Feldmans will each face the truths they've been ignoring--and learn that the people they once thought most likely to sink them are actually the ones who help them stay afloat.

Genre: Fiction, Humor, Chick Lit, Family, Romance

The How/Why: This one has been on my TBR since October 2025 when I finished Last Summer at the Golden Hotel by the same author. I really enjoyed the Marvelous Mrs. Maisel vibes with the Jewish humor and Jewish guilt. This one is supposed to have the same vibes with the overbearing family matriarch, Jewish humor, and multi-generational family drama. Difference being the annual trip to the Catskills vs first time Cruisers. 
It only has 3.5 stars on GR (FLTW), but Last Summer at the Golden Hotel only has 3.74 and it was a Five Star Favorite for me. I already know I like the author and the family dynamics so I have high hopes. 
Plus - needed a distraction from my Book Club's September BotM, which I can only take in small doses and will most likely not finish. You heard it here first. 

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 

🎉🎊 Overall Storytelling? 

  • Setting the stage. Atmosphere, Vibe 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
  • Likeable Characters: Protagonist, Supporting Cast, Extras 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
  • Unlikeable Antagonist - there really wasn't one
  • Executing the premise 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
  • Lives up to the promise 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

🎣🎏 Did it grab and keep my attention? 🎣🎣🎣🎣🎣

🗣️Would I recommend it to anyone? Yes ➕

🕮 Would I want a sequel? No ➖ Not necessary

📚 Would I want to read more books by this author? Yes ➕

⚠️💣💥 📢 Content Warnings? Tɇrmïnɐl IllnɇŞŞ & DɇaṪh, Aȡȡicti0n & C0mpulŞive Behɐvi0r, SȖbstɐncɇ AbŲsɇ, Aᵷe-Gɐp
Update - I'm removing Age Gap. There were two, but nothing cringy. 

🌶️🫑Spice? No

🌪 Plot Twist? No

👟 Pace? Very Good

💻 Tidbits ~ I love family drama, as long as it's not my own! This book didn't skimp on it. Everyone has been keeping secrets. 

Annette, realizing her family has drifted apart, plans a family cruise in hopes of bringing them back together. She tells them it's for her 70th Birthday however her real motivation is that, unbeknownst to the family, her husband has a terminal illness and his days are numbered. 

I enjoyed this book. It addressed some serious issues (terminal illness, addiction and compulsive behavior, along with intense sibling rivalry), while taking the edge off with dry humor while restoring a broken family. 

Character Cheat Sheet: 
Annette and David Feldman - The family matriarch and patriarch. It's Annette's 70 Birthday Cruise, but also David's secret last hurrah.
Elise and Mitch - Their daughter and son-in-law. Elise is a closet shopaholic; Mitch is oblivious to his wife's spending addiction and has just secretly quit his job.
Freddy and Natasha - Their son and his younger girlfriend. Freddy is the "black sheep" of the family with hidden wealth. Natasha is his younger girlfriend and partner.  Age Gap = 40 vs 28.
Rachel - Their granddaughter. The family "golden child" is hiding a relationship with an older boyfriend. (Age gap not identified by assumed to be around 12 years.)
Darius - Their grandson. The under-motivated socially awkward younger brother to Rachel, who feels pressure of the high bar his over-achiever honor-student sister has set.
Julian - The Cruise Director. He's dealing with his own commitment issues as his partner back home wants to get married. 

Favorite Character: I really enjoyed them all but if I had to pick one, it would be Natasha. Except for Freddy's niece and nephew, the family treated her as a temporary outsider. She never faltered and offered the support he never received from his parents or sister. 

🎧 Narrator: Gabra Zackman - Excellent. She really embraced the quick-witted banter and perfectly captured the awkwardness of this family trapped at sea. 

🎧11.0 hours (Libby) 🕮 346 pages 

Bookmark placement I made with AI
I picked this one because I enjoyed
Last Summer at the Golden Hotel

Five Star Highlights
Created with Gemini AI
I provided the highlights
AI provided the background


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