What do you think?
Rate this book
Keeping It In The Family: A Novel
“Keeping It in the Family is laugh-out-loud, multi-generational contemporary fiction at its finest. With a will-they-won’t-they romance worthy of Emily Henry, and the nuanced, authentic characters of John Green, Kevin P. Regan’s debut will appeal to male and female readers alike, offering an authentic, comedic and (sometimes) painfully accurate portrayal of growing up in a big family, and what happens when the one that got away suddenly comes back . . .”
She was the last person he wanted to see. He was her biggest mistake. Now they’re supposed to be family.Struggling Hollywood scribe Collin Cassidy has to develop a family comedy under his studio deal. Desperate for ideas, and guilty for never being there, Collin decides to reunite with his family on the east coast after his mother tells him that his sixteen-year-old niece, Audrey, is pregnant.
Community college professor, and part-time lifeguard, Orla Ruane has lived in Cape May, NJ her whole life. Working to pay off a massive student loan debt, she lives with her sister, brother-in-law, and nephew in the family home left to her by her late father. She’s probably a little too close to her family. Which is why she wants the job she just found out is open at NYU. It’s also why she’s shocked when her sister, Siobhan, reveals that her nephew, Noah, got his girlfriend pregnant. Even worse, Siobhan told their estranged mother…
When these two families come together to sort out the teens’ situation Collin and Orla are forced to deal with the unspoken reasons for their own breakup sixteen years prior. It soon becomes apparent that the teenagers have better heads on their shoulders than their adult counterparts.
She was the last person he wanted to see. He was her biggest mistake. Now they’re supposed to be family.Struggling Hollywood scribe Collin Cassidy has to develop a family comedy under his studio deal. Desperate for ideas, and guilty for never being there, Collin decides to reunite with his family on the east coast after his mother tells him that his sixteen-year-old niece, Audrey, is pregnant.
Community college professor, and part-time lifeguard, Orla Ruane has lived in Cape May, NJ her whole life. Working to pay off a massive student loan debt, she lives with her sister, brother-in-law, and nephew in the family home left to her by her late father. She’s probably a little too close to her family. Which is why she wants the job she just found out is open at NYU. It’s also why she’s shocked when her sister, Siobhan, reveals that her nephew, Noah, got his girlfriend pregnant. Even worse, Siobhan told their estranged mother…
When these two families come together to sort out the teens’ situation Collin and Orla are forced to deal with the unspoken reasons for their own breakup sixteen years prior. It soon becomes apparent that the teenagers have better heads on their shoulders than their adult counterparts.
331 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 9, 2025
9 people are currently reading
51 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
June 9, 2025
When Kevin asked me to read this book before he released it, I went in with an open mind and not sure what to expect. What I walked away with was laughter and tears and a feeling that these characters were members of my own family and friends. The story jumps POVs and is reminiscent of a 2000s rom com in the best way. One of my favorite reads of the year and it’s not even close! I truly hope the world catches on and gets to read this masterpiece.
August 7, 2025
Book review
4-4.5* (I am well acquainted with the author, so I tried to be as objective as possible!)
Life is wild, reading slumps suck. This book, however, helped get me out of my slump. But also, I enjoyed reading something slowly. Quality over quantity! I digress…
It may have taken a bit, but by the time I reached page 168 I realized I couldn’t put the book down again. The drama is wild, yet wildly realistic. I especially enjoy the little, very relevant social and political commentaries sprinkled throughout the book in the form of dialogue between characters. This book isn’t just another mindless “rom com”. It’s thought provoking and real.
My favorite parts were toward the middle when the characters finally started having honest conversations about their feelings. This is my favorite part of human connection. So long as there is trust in self, kindness, caring, and love — no conversation should be feared. The past can wound us deeply, but it shouldn’t be ignored. We also shouldn’t live there. Leaving space for new growth and genuine surprises is what living is all about.
That is what this book is to me. I loved it!
“Everything happens for a reason?”
“Everything happens. It’s up to us to find a reason.”
4-4.5* (I am well acquainted with the author, so I tried to be as objective as possible!)
Life is wild, reading slumps suck. This book, however, helped get me out of my slump. But also, I enjoyed reading something slowly. Quality over quantity! I digress…
It may have taken a bit, but by the time I reached page 168 I realized I couldn’t put the book down again. The drama is wild, yet wildly realistic. I especially enjoy the little, very relevant social and political commentaries sprinkled throughout the book in the form of dialogue between characters. This book isn’t just another mindless “rom com”. It’s thought provoking and real.
My favorite parts were toward the middle when the characters finally started having honest conversations about their feelings. This is my favorite part of human connection. So long as there is trust in self, kindness, caring, and love — no conversation should be feared. The past can wound us deeply, but it shouldn’t be ignored. We also shouldn’t live there. Leaving space for new growth and genuine surprises is what living is all about.
That is what this book is to me. I loved it!
“Everything happens for a reason?”
“Everything happens. It’s up to us to find a reason.”
July 3, 2025
{4.5 stars}
{Thank you to Reedsy Discovery for providing me with this ARC!}
Written in a somewhat episodic chapter format, Keeping It In The Family by Kevin Regan tells the parallel stories of two chaotic families that have come together for more than one romance over the years (no crossover/age gaps - trust me, it's not that kind of novel).
Our main character Collin is a television writer looking for his big break, and his quest to write "the next big thing" leads him to his hometown during the lead-up to the 4th of July. Not only is he trying to figure out how to pitch the perfect "family comedy", but his teenage niece is pregnant by his ex-girlfriend's teenage nephew. Talk about a tv-worthy plot.
Through flashbacks to Collin and his ex-girlfriend Orla's relationship and subsequent breakup, we see a series of miscommunications that fans of The Office (which does get a mention) and similar series will see as stereotypical yet welcome. We also learn more about several side family member characters that could very easily have their own standalone stories.
Many a stereotype indeed: accidental pregnancy, abortion decisions (all supportive of a woman's choice), high school sweethearts reconnecting, an abnormal hurricane stopping a small town in its tracks, and an absolutely outrageous yet infuriating grandmother character all line the pages of Regan's debut piece. It is clear that Regan comes from the television world, and I felt often while reading that the story could easily be turned into a television script. This did make some twists predictable and some turns nearly unbelievable, but only in the satisfactory way an old episode of your favorite show can make you feel.
Regan also wrote several one-liners that made me absolutely howl in my seat. The concept of how Orla and Collin met took me by surprise in a way that let me know just what I was getting into by picking up this novel. No spoilers, but jellyfish are involved. I think I also need "coffee and cannabis made [her] melodramatic" on my tombstone, unfortunately.
If you're looking for a casual summer holiday read, Regan's Keeping It In The Family will make you laugh out loud while falling in love with three generations of romance.
{Thank you to Reedsy Discovery for providing me with this ARC!}
Written in a somewhat episodic chapter format, Keeping It In The Family by Kevin Regan tells the parallel stories of two chaotic families that have come together for more than one romance over the years (no crossover/age gaps - trust me, it's not that kind of novel).
Our main character Collin is a television writer looking for his big break, and his quest to write "the next big thing" leads him to his hometown during the lead-up to the 4th of July. Not only is he trying to figure out how to pitch the perfect "family comedy", but his teenage niece is pregnant by his ex-girlfriend's teenage nephew. Talk about a tv-worthy plot.
Through flashbacks to Collin and his ex-girlfriend Orla's relationship and subsequent breakup, we see a series of miscommunications that fans of The Office (which does get a mention) and similar series will see as stereotypical yet welcome. We also learn more about several side family member characters that could very easily have their own standalone stories.
Many a stereotype indeed: accidental pregnancy, abortion decisions (all supportive of a woman's choice), high school sweethearts reconnecting, an abnormal hurricane stopping a small town in its tracks, and an absolutely outrageous yet infuriating grandmother character all line the pages of Regan's debut piece. It is clear that Regan comes from the television world, and I felt often while reading that the story could easily be turned into a television script. This did make some twists predictable and some turns nearly unbelievable, but only in the satisfactory way an old episode of your favorite show can make you feel.
Regan also wrote several one-liners that made me absolutely howl in my seat. The concept of how Orla and Collin met took me by surprise in a way that let me know just what I was getting into by picking up this novel. No spoilers, but jellyfish are involved. I think I also need "coffee and cannabis made [her] melodramatic" on my tombstone, unfortunately.
If you're looking for a casual summer holiday read, Regan's Keeping It In The Family will make you laugh out loud while falling in love with three generations of romance.
July 7, 2025
I ate this book RIGHT UP!
It was so refreshing to see real family dynamics that a fractured and messy. The authors gave us POV’s of multiple family members. It’s realistic in having tough conversations and the right/wrong timing.
I laughed so many times reading this book. And all the other emotions were so authentic. I’d 10/10 recommend, I read it one two days (only cause I started late day 1 lol)
It was so refreshing to see real family dynamics that a fractured and messy. The authors gave us POV’s of multiple family members. It’s realistic in having tough conversations and the right/wrong timing.
I laughed so many times reading this book. And all the other emotions were so authentic. I’d 10/10 recommend, I read it one two days (only cause I started late day 1 lol)
May 25, 2025
This book was thoroughly enjoyable. It felt like getting juicy gossip from a friend while they were visiting home for an extended holiday vacation. There are plenty of laugh-out-loud moments, I genuinely cared about the characters, and the twists and turns legitimately surprised me. It was a fast read because I was always eager to pick it back up again and find out what happens next.
June 9, 2025
Funny, heartfelt romantic comedy full of fun characters who all get opportunities to bounce off of and connect to each other.
June 16, 2025
Something we’ve all seen before, but that has never been on air.
Keeping It In The Family is Kevin P. Regen’s first novel, but you wouldn’t know it based on the funny and highly entertaining story he crafted. Early in the novel, the protagonist Collin Cassidy, who works as a television writer, is asked to craft a family comedy that is “Something we’ve all seen before, but that has never been on air.” Ironically (or maybe not) this is what Regan has managed to do here, but on page rather than on air. He’s not the first writer to deal with family dynamics or lost loves - also see Matthew Norman, Jonathan Tropper, or Andy Abramowitz. In Regan’s novel no one is dead or dying to prompt an overdue visit with family and the writing in third person allows the reader to explore all sides of the story. This novel is highly entertaining and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys family comedy that we can all relate to in one way or another
Keeping It In The Family is Kevin P. Regen’s first novel, but you wouldn’t know it based on the funny and highly entertaining story he crafted. Early in the novel, the protagonist Collin Cassidy, who works as a television writer, is asked to craft a family comedy that is “Something we’ve all seen before, but that has never been on air.” Ironically (or maybe not) this is what Regan has managed to do here, but on page rather than on air. He’s not the first writer to deal with family dynamics or lost loves - also see Matthew Norman, Jonathan Tropper, or Andy Abramowitz. In Regan’s novel no one is dead or dying to prompt an overdue visit with family and the writing in third person allows the reader to explore all sides of the story. This novel is highly entertaining and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys family comedy that we can all relate to in one way or another
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews