Initially, I did not care for the characters in the book but as the story progressed I found them to be very human. The displeasing personalities were due to circumstances (unhappiness, anger, etc) that were revealed as I read further into the book. Once I realized that they weren’t all just rotten people, each person became human for me. At that point, I really enjoyed the book. There is a dry humor, a sarcastic wit that started showing itself. By the end of the book, I realized that I had enjoyed the last half of the book immensely. This book was given to me by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I give it three stars as an average. If the first half would have been as good as the last half I would have rated it 5 stars.

I found this book incredibly difficult to get into. The dialogue was vast and ran across many tangents in a short amount of time. It's very much a stream of though dialogue and that made it difficult for me to focus on. I found the storyline to be interesting but the characters were unlikeable and they felt flat. I think the author could have built them out to make them more relatable.

All in all, the book just wasn't for me. When I put the book down I found myself forgetting about it and I didn't have the desire to pick it up again.

What begins with a tale of an elderly woman who seems to be losing her faculties becomes a wonderful story about the power of love, family, and taking charge of one's own life. Millie does have some eccentricities and it does seem she needs some campanionship, so it's not surprising that her son engages a young woman as caretaker to check in on Millie a couple of days a week. Readers will quickly pick up on the fact that there's something about Sylvia that's just not right. What begins to look like a predictable story about someone taking advantage of the elderly becomes a story filled with some surprising twists and turns. The secondary story about a misunderstood teenager adds dimension to the story.

I was afraid things would turn out to be too predictable and too "happy ever after" or (even worse) too depressingly sad. None of those things happened. Instead this is a story about realistic people with realistic issues -- unemployment, sibling rivalry, inattention to family issues, and so much more. I enjoyed the setting (suburban Dublin) and the characters. I really cared about what happened to them, and couldn't wait to find out the whole story. Not the best book I've ever read, not even the best book of the last year, but a surprisingly good read. Well worth the time spent.

When the blurb compares the book with Where'd You Go, Bernadette I was expecting something laugh aloud funny. This one had its funny moment, but it is no Bernadette.

After she is caught shoplifting (again), milquetoast Kevin needs to find home aid care for his rebellious mother who refuses to go gently into that good night. He also has to contend with a rebellious daughter, which he does by sending her boarding school where she manages to find the "worst egg" to hang out with and continues getting into mischief.

Here are my two cents:

1 - I know Kevin is Irish and not American, but I am over incompetent white men right now and he exasperated me. My feelings for him softened just a smidge after a while, but my first impressions still linger.
2- For a supposedly funny novel there is a lot of pathos.

Nevertheless, there is something here. This debut novel has placed Hardiman on my radar and I look forward to seeing her grow as a novelist.

I could tell from the very first time that we met Millie that I was going to enjoy this book. Feisty old ladies are always a favorite of mine.

This is the story of the Gogarty family told through the eyes of three generations of it’s family members: Millie the grandmother, Kevin - her son, and Aideen - Kevin’s daughter.

Everyone has issues. Millie is getting a little too old to live alone, plus she is shoplifting! Kevin is a little too flirtatious. Aideen is having some typical teenage issues, maybe a little more than typical, and is possibly going to get sent off to a boarding school.

From there the story that unfolds is humorous, joyful and at times a little unbelievable. But it’s a rollicking good adventure along the way.

I enjoyed this book. I really enjoyed Millie and Aideen, Kevin not so much. I thought it was a lovely debut novel and I look forward to reading the author’s next book.

Good Eggs was a book I greatly looked forward to, but had a hard time staying interested in. I liked the three main characters, Kevin, his elderly mother, Millie and his troubled daughter, Aideen well enough, but at av=bout the 40%b mark it just felt like the story was going nowhere. I lost interest and did not finish thebook. I think it was more me than the book as others have liked it much more.

This book was not for me. I’m usually all for inter-generational family dramas, but as I read this I mainly just felt...annoyed? “Good Eggs,” is told by three narrators, and I found each of them immensely frustrating, and in the case of Kevin, straight up unlikeable. The plot moved too slowly for me, leaving me spending too much time in the headspace of characters that I didn’t really want to be with. I don’t think that this is the fault of the author - Hardiman writes with energy, and I hope her talents will be recognized and enjoyed by other readers. If you enjoy Emma Straub’s writing, this might be in your lane!

Good Eggs follows the stories of Millie, her son Kevin, and her granddaughter Aideen who all seem to be at a breaking point in life and what happens when Kevin brings in a caretaker for his mom and sends Aideen to boarding school.

This book was a fun, family drama! I loved how the different narrators spanned generations and I had a soft spot for Millie - rarely do I find books where one of the main characters is an elderly woman!

Overall, this was a fun book. The characters are very well defined (Millie is a hoot!) and most are fairly likeable. I was instantly skeptical of Sylvia - she definitely seemed too good to be true.

The first part of the book was engaging - getting to know the characters and the various Irish phrases made it a unique experience. The second third bogged down for me. Kevin's 'almost affair' just didn't ring true for me and made me dislike him until he got his head on straight again. Poor Aideen - going through normal teenage angst - but with a 'perfect' twin she had to compete against.

The last third of the book was the best in my opinion. Millie and Aideen's madcap adventure, the improbable things that happened to them, and then a good ending.

A pleasant book for a Sunday afternoon!

Three generations of the Irish Gogarty’s are having a bit of a rough time. It was an amusing distraction to read of how they face the problems that they think are shaking the world, while not even usually noticing what their other close family members are going through.

This was definitely an engaging multi-generational story. While most books marketed with three generations feature all women, this story highlighted the matriarch Millie, her son Kevin, and Kevin’s daughter (Millie’s granddaughter) Aideen. The three stories were mostly pretty independent of each other, until the last third of the story when Millie and Aideen joined forces to escape some troubles and confront others.

While the beginning of the book was a lot of set-up, the interaction of the whole family, and the adventures of Millie and Aideen really made the ending more fun. Millie was a quirky, eccentric old lady, but learning more about her story as the book went on was heartwarming. Kevin was unemployed with too much time on his hands, but recognized the value of his family eventually. Aideen appeared on the surface to just be a troubled teen, but she also had her own hidden charms.

Overall, I’d give this book 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it as a pleasant contemporary fiction. Some of the language and explanations that were unique to Irish culture added to the enjoyment.

Humorous Family Tale
This is a very funny and fun story of a messed up family all at messed up points in their lives. Teenagers, single and lonely Grandmother, and a middle-aged crazy married couple (he is without a job). The story is well done and keeps the reader engaged. Just as one area of their lives seems to be settled, something else jumps up out of the grass at them. While I really hated the abrupt ending, the story up until then was aces! I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.

Good Eggs by Rebecca Hardiman is described as:

“A hilarious and heartfelt debut novel following three generations of a boisterous family whose simmering tensions boil over when a home aide enters the picture, becoming the calamitous force that will either undo or remake this family—perfect for fans of Where’d You Go, Bernadette and Evvie Drake Starts Over.”

Reviews like this are hard to write, but since an honest review is requested, that’s what I feel obligated to provide. Unfortunately, Good Eggs was more creamed spinach for me than good eggs. It just left a bad taste in my mouth. I didn’t find the book hilarious, since I don’t find unapologetic dysfunction to be funny. It’s easy to see why all three generations of the family have their own dysfunctions-they’ve clearly learned by example from one another.

I am usually a big fan of books with a feisty elderly character, so I was thrilled to read the description of this book as well as seeing the titles it was being compared to. It was disappointing to realize that I was unable to find a likable character to root for. Kevin spends his time feeling sorry for himself and attempting to make his wife look like the bad guy as she tries to pick up the slack of his unemployment (but sadly, that’s her only redeeming quality). As much as I wanted to like Millie, I found her actions less those of a feisty octogenarian and more of a manipulative old woman. Aideen has clearly learned her behavior from observing her grandmother and parents. The arrival of Sylvia was the one possibility for a turn around for the family and the book, but that’s not the route Hardiman chose. As others have said, the last part of the book is somewhat better than the rest, but not enough to redeem it.

If you find meanness, backstabbing, and multi-generational dysfunction with a heavy dose of profanity humorous, you might enjoy this book. It definitely wasn’t for me.

Thanks go to NetGalley and Atria for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. My thoughts on Good Eggs will be included in the March Wrapup video posted on my booktube channel, Hicks Picks Books https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEFgJF9aiCEUBoDBIEwyvBg

I was excited to read this book, but it was not my cup of tea. I din't find it funny and the overuse of the "F" word made it worse. This is truly, truly a dysfunctional family that I felt sorry for, and I did not find it entertaining at ......all.
The elderly gradmother, Millie was out of control-smashing her renault, shoplifting, depressed and lonley. These are all very serious-destructive behaviors that I did not find humorous in anyway.
I struggled to find a character i could relate to, or care about. I am sorry, but I struggled and was happy to complete it. But, if I had a= not agreed to review it I would have not have finished it.

Thank you Netgalley and Simon and Shuster for the opportunity to review this book.

jb
https://seniorbooklounge.blogspot.com/

I think I'm growing tired of the "wacky old lady" troupe. They are all starting to seem the same. That said , I really enjoyed the Irish setting and the women seemed real. I didn't really like anyone in the story though and that tarnished my enjoyment.

Full round of applause for Rebecca Hardiman's debut novel, Good Eggs!

I find that I have much appreciation for generational novels--novels that explore the characters of multiple family members, so that a reader can see the full picture. I am sure this must be a hard way to write--having to write from multiple POVs, but it is always a delight for the reader in my opinion!

I especially enjoyed the relationship between Aideen and Millie, and in ways, they are very similar in their characteristics. I didn't particularly like the father character, Kevin, just because of his actions in the novel, but I understand that not everyone can be the good guy!

I would love to see a sequel for this book to explore the relationship with Aideen and Millie even further--can we have them go on more rogue trips?! I love their spontaneity regardless of if it gets them into trouble.

Ireland has been on my bucket list for quite some time, and reading this novel makes me especially eager to visit! I cannot wait to see what else Hardiman will publish in the future!

3.5 A humorous family saga set in Ireland and featuring a slightly crackers octogenarian that gets herself into all kinds of scrapes and predicaments along the way. It was a great bit of escapism with some serious moments sprinkled amongst the wackiness. Very enjoyable.

Charming and humorous, it a mix of family drama and Irish wit. At times, I was annoyed with Kevin’s storyline but it all really comes together in the end. This could be such a fun movie. Some of the writing reminded me of Fredrik Backman’s and parts of the story reminded me of The 100 Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared.

Recently unemployed, Kevin has enough on his hands with his rebellious teenage daughter. When Kevin Gogarty's eighty-three-year-old mother is caught shoplifting again, he is forced to hire a home aide to help keep an eye on her. But the American aide turns out to cause a crisis bigger than anything they've handled yet. I'd seen Good Eggs on Instagram, so I blindly grabbed a copy without reading reviews. From the first chapter, I realized my mistake. Hardiman's style is basically word vomit - endless descriptions of nothing. I really tried, but I could not force myself past the first few chapters.

Summary:
A hilarious and heartfelt debut novel following three generations of a boisterous Irish family whose simmering tensions boil over when an American home aide enters the picture, becoming the calamitous force that will either undo or remake this family.

When Kevin Gogarty’s irrepressible eighty-three-year-old mother, Millie, is caught shoplifting yet again, he has no choice but to hire a caretaker to keep an eye on her. Kevin, recently unemployed, is already at his wits’ end tending to a full house while his wife travels to exotic locales for work, leaving him solo with his sulky, misbehaved teenaged daughter, Aideen, whose troubles escalate when she befriends the campus rebel at her new boarding school.

Into the Gogarty fray steps Sylvia, Millie’s upbeat American home aide, who appears at first to be their saving grace—until she catapults the Gogarty clan into their greatest crisis yet.

Review:
I have read several books lately with an older main character. It seems that with age comes an ability to say what you think instead of worrying what others might think of you. That was definitely the case with Millie. She is an exuberant, talkative and determined woman. She seems to frequently get out of difficult situations by playing the age card.

This book centers around Millie, her son Kevin and his family, and Millie’s newly hired caretaker, Sylvia. This was a cute premise, but the story was too disjointed. The characters were never quite fully developed. I didn’t find myself vested in any of them. There were moments of humor and lightness, but overall, the characters rarely interacted with each other with love. Kevin was just an unlikeable character. He always seemed annoyed at his mother, ungrateful towards his wife, and worn out by his kids.

My favorite relationship was between Millie and Aideen. Aideen was trying to find her place in the world. She and Millie wound up embarking on an adventure together to find a precious item that was stolen from Millie. Millie ended up finding something more on their journey - an end to her loneliness.

The last half of the book was more entertaining that the first. Unfortunately, I just never connected with this story.

Title: Good Eggs
Author: Rebecca Hardiman
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 4 out of 5

When Kevin Gogarty’s irrepressible eighty-three-year-old mother, Millie, is caught shoplifting yet again, he has no choice but to hire a caretaker to keep an eye on her. Kevin, recently unemployed, is already at his wits’ end tending to a full house while his wife travels to exotic locales for work, leaving him solo with his sulky, misbehaved teenaged daughter, Aideen, whose troubles escalate when she befriends the campus rebel at her new boarding school.

Into the Gogarty fray steps Sylvia, Millie’s upbeat home aide, who appears at first to be their saving grace—until she catapults the Gogarty clan into their greatest crisis yet.

This kind of had the feel of a Fredrik Backman novel, and I love his novels! Millie and her thought processes are hysterical! She’s not quite as funny as Stephanie Plum’s grandmother, but it’s close.

I frequently wanted to thump Kevin on his head, but at least his heart is in the right place. Aideen was moderately annoying, but then again, she’s a teenager, so that’s not a surprise. I enjoyed this novel a lot, although I could see the issues with Sylvia coming. This was a very pleasant read!

Rebecca Hardiman Lives in New Jersey. Good Eggs is her debut novel.

(Galley courtesy of Atria Books in exchange for an honest review.)

(blog link live 3/19.)