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3.5 stars

I received a copy of this book from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

CW: Eating disorder, emotional abuse, death

Dinner Party starts with just that as Kate hosts her family for an anniversary dinner dedicated to the memory of her twin sister. As she sits at the table with her two brothers, Kate can’t help but think of all the tensions and things left unsaid, while her own mental health dips in and out. The story then switches between past and present as we learn bout Kate’s childhood, her sister and her adult life.

This is a very character focused novel where we get a lot of slices of Kate’s life and her interactions with the important people that shaped who she was. We also learn what it’s like for her to grow up as a twin, and despite their differences, how severe that untethering is when her twin dies in a tragic accident.

A big part of this book focuses on Kate’s eating disorder and how affected a lot of her life including college and relationships, and how in her early thirties it has resurfaced as she has fallen into a toxic relationship with a married man. I think the book personally could do with a content warning at the start to make this more clear for people as I was surprised that the book focused so heavily on an ED but thankfully wouldn’t be affected by it personally. There is also a very toxic relationship between Kate’s mother and pretty much all of her family - it’s clear her mother is a narcissist and likes to bring down her family while also drawing them close. While the end of the book did see little steps made in everyone confronting this behavior, it still wasn’t quite enough for me as I felt the mother was such an awful character and I hated how she treated her children.

Once I was past the initial first chapter which for some reason was slow for me, I read the rest of the book very quickly and easily. I think Sarah Gilmartin is able to create flawed characters going through their own trauma very well, and telling a story in a pretty addicting way but I do prefer her second novel Service over this one.