I've been letting this book sit with me for about 24 hours because I wanted to stay with Peter, Kate, Francis, & Anne a little longer.

Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane is a family drama - but not in the way that popular thrillers are nowadays. It's like a book I've read before. It's comfortable. It's the kind of book I love reading.

We begin with Francis and Brian - rookie cops who went to the police academy together and are later paired as partners. Eventually, they live across the street from each other. They both have children - Francis - three daughters, Brian - one son. The youngest of Francis's daughters and Brian's son grow up together, as the best of friend and eventually - the inkling of something more.

Then...a terrible mistake happens. The lives of both familes are torn - and Peter and Kate are separated.

This is a story told from various points of view and through time. We start in 1973 and end in present day. (THIS IS NOT A 9-11 BOOK.) This is the story of people over time, of change, of sickness, of love and of honor. It's nuanced and full of interesting relationships. It's perfect.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and Mary Beth Keane for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Rarely do I find a book that captivates me on so many levels, but Ask Again, Yes is that rare novel that hits every mark. This is such a realistic and poignant story that no review I can scribble down could do it justice. Every emotion, every word, every character and situation felt like truth as I was reading. There was nothing disingenuous in the story, and the characters are as real to me as anyone I know.

This is a story of two families, each dealing with their own conflicts and stress, brought together through circumstance and torn apart through a dreadful event. It’s about how that event impacted and shaped each of the family members in critical ways through decades of their lives. It’s about the fine line between weakness and strength, and about love that sometimes can’t tell the difference, and sometimes just doesn’t care.

When I finished this story, tears just fell. There was so much hidden deep inside the characters of the book that I could relate to, and it was dealt with so perceptively by the author that I couldn’t help but weep. I love this book. I love every character, even the ones that are hard to like.

Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

5 shining stars

This will probably go on my favorites of 2019 list. I love a good family drama, and this book has that and so much more. This is a well-written and well-paced book about life, all the good and bad and in between that affect us all. I think many people can find something to love in this book.

Bryan Stanhope and Francis Gleeson are rookies at NYPD. They aren't close friends, but end up living next door to each other. and raising families.
Francis and Lena have three daughters, the youngest is Kate.
Peter, Brian and Anne's son, is only six months older, the two form a strong bond.
But an act of violence splits them apart, the Stanhope family moves away.
We follow the story to see if Peter and Kate can overcome the tragedy and find each other again.
This multigenerational family drama pulls you in with it's strong, engaging characters and the varied topics it covers. Marriage, parenthood, loss, love, alcoholism, mental illness.
All deftly handled with the author's excellent writing skills.
This one will stay with me.
Thank you to Scribner and NetGalley for the free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

What a great story! This is such a good contemporary piece of literary fiction. The author did well with character development, particularly when crafting realistic conversations. Each character represents society in some way. There are so many overt and underlying themes relevant to the time periods of the book and today. I am sure this will be a best seller.

Ask Again, Yes. More like Read Again, YES!

This book lived up to everything it promised.

Brian and Francis are two rookie cops, paired up for a short time, who move in next door to each other. Their kids, Kate and Peter grow closer with each year, as the neighbors drift apart. When a horrific tragedy causes the families to part ways, Kate and Peter are forced apart. But they can't stay that way forever. Regardless of the past, ignoring the warnings of family, and having faith in themselves, Kate and Peter choose to stick by each other, even if it means bringing old demons to the surface for everyone else.

Rarely does a book get me hooked deeply so quickly, and keep me there the whole time. Every chapter was just as raw and real as the next. I was sad the moments I had to put it down, and counted down the minutes 'til I could escape back into the complexity of this beautifully written novel. The author did a fantastic job showing and empathizing with the struggles of mental health. Both for who is suffering with it, and those who love them.

There was something about every single character that made me love them, and hate them. Sometimes (most times) and the same time,

Read it, I know you'll love it.

“‘I’ll give you a hint,’ she said, squeezing his hands until he looked up to meet her eyes. ‘Then and now, I say yes.’”

This novel was simply spectacular. It follows two families across five decades, and takes sharp looks at each character at many points in their lives. Written in the third person, each chapter focuses on the perspective of a different character. It is written in a linear timeline but often includes memories spanning the course of the characters lives. Major themes include mental illness, addiction, and forgiveness.

Simply put, I adored this book. I read it on a trip in planes, trains and cars, and I hated having to put it down to continue on my journey.

The characters are dynamic and incredibly relatable. My one criticism was that the character of Peter was much better developed than his female counterpart Kate. Oftentimes Kate felt like a placeholder in a story about Peter and his family, rather than a story of two neighboring families and the relationship between their children.

Overall it was a beautiful book, and I can’t wait to read other works by Mary Beth Keane.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the eARC in exchange for my review.

This novel felt familiar, a classic family story with throughout writing and excellent character development.

Ask Again, Yes is a character-driven novel that spans four to five decades in the lives of two families, the Stanhopes and the Gleesons. There are several tough problems that these families face as the story progresses, ranging from mental illness to gun violence to child abandonment to alcoholism. The author shows how easily happiness can be turned upside down by one violent action.

Throughout the story, the characters are depicted in clear detail, making them lifelike and believable. Things are not easy for the members of these two families, but they do the best they can as they adjust to the circumstances they are forced to deal with. While staying true to character, they grow and change in ways that draw them together and/or apart as they face the challenges that life puts in their paths. The final chapter brings this novel to a satisfying and credible conclusion.

I found this to be an amazing story, one I had a hard time putting down. A real page-turner. I highly recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner for the opportunity to read an ARC of this novel.

Very well written and well paced story..more like saga. Everyone has problems, some more than others. This story revealed that as well as ways to overcome them.

A stunning novel that takes you through the lives of two families in New York beginning in the 1980s and concluding at present day. Kate and Peter are childhood friends until his mother Anne does something unimaginable- and then he moves away to live with his uncle George. Keane takes you into the minds of Francis Gleerum, his wife Lena, Anne, and best of all Kate and Peter themselves as they cope with what happened. This pulled me in immediately. It's incredibly bittersweet with some scenes that will bring a tear to your eye- in both a good way (George and the plates) and the sad way. Know that this has ups and downs and that it's hard to review without spoilers because you should experience all of it for yourself (yes, I know it's a family saga not a thriller but trust me, you'll want to live the twists). Beautifully written, carefully plotted, and sensitive in so many ways beyond the themes of mental illness and alcoholism, it's an excellent read. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. Put this one on your list immediately.

#40: ASK AGAIN, YES // This book just left the biggest smile on my face with tears in my eyes. A novel that started out so tragically turns into something so completely beautiful. This read is packed with wonderful characters, all flawed, all growing, all struggling with something, but all tied together.
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Kate and Peter grow up next door to one another, and we get to watch their relationship bloom. After a horrible tragedy, they are forced apart, but find their way back to each other. This is a story of redemption and mending broken relationships.
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🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 - I think this is in my top 5 of 2019.

What a lovely read. About family and love and the secrets we keep even from ourselves. About acceptance and forgiveness and moving on. Beautifully written and well rounded characters that I still think about. Recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner for gifting me with a review copy of Mary Beth Keane’s newest novel. Ask Again, Yes. In exchange for the ARC I offer my unbiased review.

I had previously read and loved Fever, by Mary Beth Keane so I was beyond ecstatic to receive a review copy of her latest work. Initially this book felt like a huge departure from her earlier work and I was feeling a little ambivalent towards Ask Again, Yes. Whereas Fever is historical fiction this book is more of a family saga, spanning decades and generations. However once I found my groove with this novel, I could not put it down. The writing was compelling and realistic, the characters were multi dimensional and the situations were completely relevant and believable. The main plot revolves around an incident that forever links the Gleeson and Stanhope families. However, the incident sets the stage for the next thirty years, which are transitioned seamlessly and effectively. The actions, causes and consequences are felt by all the characters and in the skilled hands of Keane the story just flourishes.
I was actually disappointed when the book ended. I felt like I could continue reading on about these flawed but endearing characters. I’m pretty certain this book will be a huge summer sensation and one people will be talking about.

Ask Again, Yes is a beautiful family drama that takes a hard look at generational trauma, diseases and mental illness, and the overall difficulties of being a part of a family.

So I can get it out of the way, the one thing that really bothered me about this book was the huge jumps forward in time. I'm the type of reader that wants to spend slow, quality time with the characters so that by the time I leave them, I feel like I'm walking away from a friend. Because the scope of this story is so broad, Keane does not give a lot of attention to small, unimportant moments, which to me are what really makes a book a lot of the time. This isn't so much a criticism, as I understand why she made the choices she did, but an explanation of why this wasn't a 5-star favorite for me. I did appreciate that we got to walk with Peter and Kate through 30 years of their life, but I just kept wanting more details about events that were glossed over!

But the good...and there is so much good! This is, through and through, a story about family. A story about parents and the ways that their decisions can make or break their children. A story about marriage and romantic love and the difficulties that come along with making a lifelong commitment to someone who can never be perfect. A story about found family, and the relationships we make with people outside our nuclear family that can become more important to us than anything else in the world. A story about disease, and the way that illnesses of the mind and body get passed down through generations. A story about forgiveness, and the fact that if you want to live in a family, forgiveness is going to be necessary. A story about in-laws and the family that are forced upon us that we don't choose or even want.

I could go on and on. But I felt like Keane really found her story and then took it apart, examining it from every angle, before she put it back together, and what resulted was a really successful family drama.

Oh, one more thing. That "violent event that separates the neighbors" (in the plot summary, not a spoiler!)....prepare thyself!

"The thing is, Peter, grown-ups don't know what they're doing any better than kids do. That's the truth."
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This gem is getting tucked into my favorites list for 2019. Run, don’t walk to your nearest bookstore and pick this one up because I got the same feeling reading this book that I get with all the books I truly love, the ones I give 5 stars to, the ones I will keep forever. I will beg people to read it. If someone asks me for a recommendation, I’ll tell them to read this.
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One of the reasons I joined Bookstagram was to find new books to read and to find people who loved books as much as I do. So I have to thank Deb @lonestarwords for this recommendation and I’m so glad I followed her lead! This is a family drama, spanning almost four decades. Francis Gleeson and Bill Stanhope meet as NYPD rookies in 1973. They aren’t really good friends but their lives begin to mirror each other’s as they both move to the same little town outside NY and buy houses across the street from one another. And that’s where the story really begins with the dynamics of each family. Do you ever look at people’s houses and wonder about the lives inside? This book is an answer to that question. It’s a family drama— marriage struggles, addiction, darkness, tragedy. Kate Gleeson and Peter Stanhope are the two children caught in the intersection of their parents. Peter is Bill and Anne Stanhope’s only child. Kate is the youngest of Francis and Lena Gleeson’s three daughters.
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Kate and Peter find friendship and solace in one another until tragedy strikes. Every character is so well-written. Even with all their flaws and failings, I felt for every single character, including the ones that were so difficult to find any sympathy for them at all. Nothing is overdone and this was such a quick read for me because I couldn’t put this book down. I won’t say anything more except to urge you to read this book for yourself. Many thanks to Scribner Books and NetGalley for my copy. I definitely want a physical copy of this book so I can keep it on my favorites shelf!

4.5 memorable character stars (rounded up)

An epic family saga that begs the question – can you go home again?

Mary Beth Keane has written a novel that brings her characters to life, the pacing is excellent, and the events that happen are realistic and heart-breaking. There are some tough issues addressed including mental health and alcoholism, and the impact on people. This was one book that I didn’t want to end.

The book opens with two young men who join the New York police force, start families, and move to the suburbs – in fact, they end up as neighbors. Their children, Kate and Peter, become best friends, until a terrible tragedy occurs, and one family falls apart and moves away.

The two families are very different – Francis and Lena have a loving marriage and provide stability for their daughters, including Kate. Things are different at Brian and Anne’s house. Anne has serious mental health concerns that were not treated and Peter ends up being negatively impacted.

Kate and Peter end up reconnecting as young adults and build a life together. Peter, especially, needs to grapple with his past in order to find peace with this life and family. The book ends with a powerful sense of forgiveness and I marvel that these characters became so real to me. I recommend this one if you like character-driven family stories.

*I will update my Goodreads review on publication date.

I love this book! I am known for being relatively easy with handing out stars, (I'm working on it!!), but this one truly deserves each one if the five I'm giving it! The story takes you across many years and works through family drama with characters you feel like you know. It feels real and raw. I know this book won't be for everyone, but if you like family drama, strong character development and a great story that spans years while following multiple characters, this is definitely for you!

This book came highly (highly) recommended from a friend with similar reading tastes so I was thrilled to receive an advanced reader copy from NetGalley and Scribner. This is such an important book and I think it's going to end up on many people's book of the year list, including my own. More importantly, I think this book will start important conversations on mental health, addiction, healing, and reconciliation. The book is candid and stark while maintaining its humanity with characters that the reader can more than relate to- each character feels like someone the reader could be.

Trigger warnings: mental health, addiction, alcoholism, mild conversational coarse language (several minor scenes that involve sexual assault and suicide)

At times, Ask Again, Yes is painful to read. Yet, as said in the overview, there is “tenderness, generosity and grace.” I loved this book - the story of two families, damaged by a horrific incident that threatens to haunt them through the rest of their lives, I was drawn in immediately. Keane writes of these ordinary people, their ordinary lives, all struggling to come to terms with themselves, and their deeds, in some way or another. It’s the kind of book which envelopes you, I couldn’t stop thinking about these people, and couldn’t wait to get back to their story. At times, reading a few pages or several hundred, I was struck by a profound sadness, which stayed with me the rest of my day or night. As humans, we can be incredible...or incredibly cruel. Ask Again, Yes is full of both kinds of moments. My biggest takeaway, my overall feeling when I finished, was how wonderful the blessing of forgiveness. No matter what these families experienced...they survived, and were better people because of it. “But as Francis Gleeson had once told Kate, love is only part of the story...”