I heard many good things about the new Marian Keyes book and expected to enjoy it as much as usual, but I’m afraid I didn’t, even skimmed one particularly boring section so I could get to the end.
Usually the author’s own bubbly personality shines thorough in the book. Bit even the one dealing with unaccepted widowhood or domestic abuse did not seem so stodgy and peopled with such unlikeable people. Gone are the warm gatherings at “Mammy’s” to be replaced with family squabbles and an overpowering clutch of obnoxious children and teenagers who are really not that interesting.
Three sons have wives, one is addicted to her business and seems to act and expect others not to have feelings if they conflict with hers. Another has eating issues, and whilst pity-able still remains unlikeable and finally the youngest wife who is too much of a child to have been allowed to marry.
Their husbands range from quite nice to egotistical idiots and throw in far too many teenagers and it just doesn’t take off.
I get it the emphasis is on none of us actually feeling grown up and still thinking others have things all worked out, but it doesn’t provide much entertainment whilst making the point.

I do laud the work to show the plight of refugees and the unfair treatment by, in this case the Irish, government, but didn’t get any of the usual lift from the book

Grown Ups by Marian Keyes is a contemporary general fiction/ romance/ drama hilarious, entertaining, and sometimes frustrating reading experience.
The story is about 3 happily married brothers John Casey, Ed Casey, and Liam Casey if you look at the surface. But as you start going deeper, you realize that the saying is true " Appearances can be deceiving". While each character looks like they have their life sorted, one small mishap creates a domino effect that shatters the rose-tinted glass.

What did I love about this book?
The characters! The characters are the charm of this read. They are so beautifully developed over the course of the book. The uniqueness of each character is what kept me going on this book. From the eldest to the youngest, each has its own quirks and intricacies and it was a joy each time a new facet was revealed about one of the characters.
The plot of this book is hilarious to say in short. While the first few pages reveal the idea behind this book, its the events and the circumstances that lead to it are what keeps you going on till the end.
It was my first time reading a Marian Keyes and I like her unique style. I am generally more into action/thriller/ mystery/sci-fi and kind of stay away from contemporary or family-centered reads unless they fall under the above-mentioned genres. The depth and complexities to each character kept me switching sides , rooting for one character then another as the events unfolded. At the end of this novel, it was the core idea of this book that pacified me. It was the fact that yes! Grown-ups do not have everything figured out in life. You can’t expect people to change most of the time and you have to be ready to accept that and move on. There are always two sides to a story and its better to know both before judging someone. Lastly, no one is perfect and you have to learn to accept people and yourself for the imperfections.

What did I not like about this book?
The frustrating pace of the book. At times, an episode was so long-winded that I would have to sit back and think about what had initiated this scenario. I felt at times some of the chain of events could have been shortened as it felt the novel was meandering.

Overall, it was a fun, entertaining read though a bit long.

Thank you #Netgalley and #DoubledayCanada for providing this ARC!

Readometer rating : ***

I was really looking forward to reading this book but unfortunately wasn't able to. First, the family tree in the beginning was unreadable. Second, any time there was a word with two ff's next to each other, they were missing. This made it annoying and frustrating to try to read. I'll happily wait till it comes out.

Meet the Casey Family, the celebrate every event together. However, one throwaway remark at the dinner table throughs the whole family scenario into chaos.

I normally sink into a Marion Keyes book and don’t look up until I reach the end but unfortunately I struggled a little with this one. The premise of big family gatherings is fabulous, but I couldn’t keep track of all the Caseys and their antics. Also, it took me a while to catch on to the different timelines.

However, as this is Ms Keyes, she still managed to make me laugh out loud.

Thanks to Netgalley for my arc.

A story of three brothers and their dysfunctional families. This is a long and convoluted book with a huge cast of characters. It still doesn't have the wit or comedic writing of her earlier books. I also felt it could have been shorter as there was a lot of unnecessary detail.

Grown Ups centers around the Casey brothers Johnny, Ed and Liam, the wives and their children. The book begins at the end of the story. At Johnny’s birthday dinner, Ed’s wife Cara is suffering with a concussion and inadvertently spills several secrets that threaten to tear the family apart. The narrative then moves backwards six months and we start to learn about each character and how the secrets Cara reveals at the dinner came about.

Whilst there is a lot I liked about this book, there are so many characters that it took me a while to connect with them and really get in to the narrative, but once I did I found myself really caring what happened to the Casey family. Especially Nell and Ferdia. The kids were hilarious and I loved that aspect of the book, the children were more grown up than the adults at times!

In typical Marian Keyes style the writing is brilliant and funny but although Grown Ups is a lighthearted read, there are serious themes such as bulimia, period poverty and the plight of asylum seekers in Ireland.

Not my favourite Marian Keyes book but still really enjoyable.

I was actually a little confused when I started reading this book. I have read many marian keyes novels and I am a huge fan, but this one was suprisingly complicated for me in the beggining, there were too many characters and i could never remember who was who After a while, it all fell in place and could enjoy the stroy but I have to say it was a little hard to get into.

Grown Ups is quintessential Marian Keyes with a robust family, messy family dynamics, and enough twists to keep you refilling your wine well into the night.

One of the things I truly adore about Keyes iS that the characters are humanly flawed and real. There is something so real about each member of the family, including their unique voice, that the story feels more observational than allegorical.

Beyond the depth of character, Keyes doesn’t do ‘bows’ - things don’t always work out in a fairytale way that some would expect.
While she does give each arc closure, it is messy and painful, the same way real life is.

Keyes is always an enjoyable read, and this does not disappoint.

I find it really hard to rate this book because there are still a number of hickups that made it uncommonly hard to immerse into the story completely.
Any of these following combinations of letters resultet in parts of the word missing: fi, ff, fl,fe.
Locations of events switched from Munich to Frankfurt.
Some characters are introduced in great detail, then their story was cut short like a lost thread.
This being an early-accesss e-book in return for an honest review, I hope these will be resolved in the final version.
All that said: Ms. Key manages another tale of haunting beauty travelling layered landscapes both of the British Isles and the human soul.
The story is a winding one with a certain bitter-sweetness and, thankfully, ditching a cliché conclusion in favor of a more realistic ending that left me wishing for a part two.
I thoroughly enjoyed the whole of it, would have wished for more depth still in some cases and, with one couple, suspected there was another book that had already told their story but that hint wasn't made clear and there was no further information to be had.

What can I say, as a massive fan of Marian Keyes for over 30 years, I just loved this book, again another masterpiece for Ms Keyes, if you only read one book this year, then read this. Thanks for the. Arc...

Long-time Marian Keyes fan. I really enjoyed this book, too. The framing device keeps the low-grade suspense going. At first, I thought the book had too many characters to keep track of but eventually we learn enough about each to really understand and anticipate them. Recommended!

Fantastic Marian Keyes' book! At first, I thought I was missing something- another previous book maybe? It felt like I should know all the characters sitting around the dining table. But the gifted author gives you a sneak peak, then takes you through what happens before hand in the months leading up to that dinner. Then we brings it full circle. I enjoyed reading about the characters. (Which doesn't mean I like all the characters. Some are just wrong! But it allows us to see why they did what they did.) Overall, another great book!

This is a book to savour and enjoy each chapter of like a delicious meal. The story starts at the end before taking us back a period of some months and bringing us into the lives of this colourful, complex family. Secrets and lies will be exposed before any ‘growing up’ happens. We meet a somewhat glitzy family but beneath the shiny surface there are flaws and chasms . The matriarch is Jessie, a successful business woman, kind, loving, and a big spender! Keeping her family close and providing little luxuries for them is just a part of who she is. All of the characters have their own story to tell and I felt I got to know them on their journey .I lost myself in the pages of this book and in the lives of this family! Read it and love it.

I have never read this author before so was unsure what I was going to find, I found it to be a good read after a slow start but was enjoyable

I am a long time fan of the author's books. I have read all of them and greatly enjoyed every single one.. Unfortunately with the missing ‘f’’ s in the ARC I just couldn’t make it through. I am hoping the publisher reissues the ARC so I can actually finish it this time!

I love Marian Keyes books and her whole shopaholic series, but this wasn’t good. Waaaaay too long. I did the joy the family dynamics and I enjoyed the style of writing.

Great read! Looking forward to reading more by this author! Highly recommend this book and author to all!

4-5 stars! This was a quick read for me, which really gave me some laughs and even cries! I thought it was well written, and realistic! There was enough drama showing just how hard and impossible it truly is to be completely grown up! Highly recommend to those who like quirky books on dysfunctional families! It’s sure to bring you some laughs, cries, and other emotions!
Will make sure to buzz it up on the different platforms and use my low amazon reviewer number!

I have always loved Marian Keyes’ books. I love her writing style, I love her characters, and I love her stories. Grown Ups was no different. What a fun read!! I will say that the editing and formatting made it a little difficult to read (weird spacing, missing letters...usually for words with “ff” in them) but am confident this will all be sorted out before the final copy is released.
These characters felt like real people, and like in every family there are those you love, those you merely tolerate and those you can’t stand.
The time jumps confused me at first...I’m a little embarrassed to admit it took me almost halfway through the book to realize the time frame they were referencing was the party mentioned in the prologue. Once that clicked, the book made much more sense.
The story made me both laugh out loud and have to wipe away tears. I was legitimately sad when I got to the end of the book. I would love to read more about the Casey families...well, except for Liam. He’s a total dick.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC

I am a fan of Marian Keyes. Her light writing style with complex characters and touch of humor never fail to please. This story opens at a family dinner party and centers around the Casey brothers, Johnny, Ed and Liam and their wives and families. It shines a spotlight on family secrets, hidden for the sake of family and social appearances. The characters are well crafted with flaws and dysfunctional families.

Unfortunately, I didn't find this book to be as engaging as other books by this author, but it is still a good read!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-ARC.