The Bluff ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Bluff by Wade Rouse

NetGalley About Summary

Succession meets The Family Stone in bestselling author Wade Rouse’s humorous and sharply observant look at a family teetering on the edge of merry mayhem.

The Chapmans do Christmas the way they do everything: impeccably, expensively, and with the unshakable belief that good lighting can conceal bad blood. Their annual Christmas card may look picture-perfect, but behind the polite smiles there’s a storm brewing. This year, at their grand lakefront cottage on Mackinac Island, a snowstorm traps generations of Chapmans—and their schemes—under one roof.

Chris Chapman is on the verge of losing everything: his father’s trust, his role at the helm of the family business, and his wife’s respect. Kat Chapman is already fed up with hosting her critical, stuck-up in-laws and their impossibly inflexible holiday traditions. Her solution? Invite her working-class parents – born and bred Islanders – for Christmas, much to the horror of the Chapmans, whose rule that “We do not share Christmas with other people” is about to be broken.

As the snow piles up, so do the grievances: their children—fiercely liberal Leah and conservative golden-boy Chip—are locked in a battle of wits, Chris’s vaguely corrupt brother Cormac and his calculating trophy wife are stirring the pot, and Kat’s mother is holding onto a secret that could upend the entire game.

Deliciously messy and surprisingly tender, The Bluff is a feisty festive family drama about money, marriage, power, and all the things we bring to the holiday table besides the turkey.

Genre: General Fiction (Adult)

The How/Why: I received a widget from the publisher! Best email in a long time:

You’ve shared that you were a fan of Wade Rouse’s THAT WHAT FRIENDS ARE FOR on NetGalley—so I’m thrilled to be reaching out to you about his newest book THE BLUFF and I’d love to give you exclusive early access to the eGalley and Audiobook! 💜
:squeak: << so excited! 🥳
BTW >>here is my five star review of That's What Friends Are For.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 

🎉🎊 Overall Storytelling? 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉 It checked all boxes:

• Setting the stage. Atmosphere, Vibe ✅
• Likeable Characters: Protagonist, Supporting Cast, Extras ✅
• Unlikeable Antagonist ✅
• 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? Maybe 🤷 I wouldn't be mad about it! 

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

⚠️💣💥 📢 Content Warnings? No pre-published TWs. I'd say maybe h0m0ph0bia and SȖicidal Idɇati0n

🌶️🫑Spice? No

🌪 Plot Twist? No, devious behavior YES

👟 Pace? Good

💻 Tidbits ~ Don’t let the annual picture-perfect-family Christmas photo fool you. The only perfection in the Chapman family is their opinions of themselves.

This family is rich and entitled and they don’t really like each other very much. Then they get stuck in a snowstorm with no electricity and no cell signals. Tempers run beyond high.

At one point I actually re-checked the genre to see if we were going to have a murder mystery on our hands. (Not-a-Spoiler: everyone lives!)

With 12 POVs, the full cast of narrators was perfect for this large family full of drama. They did a great job bringing out the chaos of the holiday. 

The Chapmans:

CS: The family patriarch and ruler of the roost. He is stubborn and judgmental. 
Charli: CS's wife. Incredibly critical of appearances and traditions.

Their son Chris has control of the business and things are not looking good in the numbers department. 

His wife Kat has had it with her in-laws and has invited her working class parents to the family Christmas, which is strictly taboo.

They have a teenage wild child daughter Leah who likes to lock horns with gramps.
They also have a teenage son Chip who enjoys being grandpa’s favorite, especially when it comes to his money.

Their son Cormac wants to take over the family empire.
His “trophy wife” Brie has her own agenda to achieve wealth.

Cullen is the gay son of CS and Charli. He shows up unannounced with his husband Michael. They announce they are going to have a baby via a surrogate, officially upsetting CS’s uppity apple cart.

The Browns

Kat’s mom Shirley was born and raised on Mackinac Island, she’s down to earth and trying to fit in, while tormenting with her own secret of the past and a secret medical diagnosis.

Kat’s dad Bob is a hard-working outsider and uncomfortable with the wealthy Chapmans.

AND yes, there’s a dog! (And no, Charli isn’t pleased about that either.)

Favorite Quotes:

Leah – “We are the keys on Grandma’s piano and she knows how to play us.”

Charli – “Death brings out the worst in people, money brings out the truth.”

Bottom Line – Beneath their cold as ice exteriors, there are heartwarming parts of each of them begging to be seen.

🎧 Narrator: Full Cast: Andrew Eiden, Cassandra Campbell, Dan John Miller, Andrew Gibson, Alexandra Hunter, Dawn Harvey, Arthur Morey, Kate Marcin, Petrea Burchard, Michael Crouch, Kristen Sieh
^
Someone double dipped because 12 POVs, 11 Narrators.
Dan John Miller voiced both the elite CS Chapman and his polar opposite, the working-class Bob Brown.

🎧8.48 hours (Listened on: NetGalley) 🕮 304 pages

Not yet published. Expected 10-13-2026

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for the free *widget* ALC in exchange for my honest review.

Five Star Highlights
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