I just didn't click with this story.
It was a little slow and I felt like a story I've heard/seen on tv before.
Thank you for letting me read this.

This book captured me from the first few pages and had me going until the very last page when I literally gasped out loud. Five years ago, Sunday Brennan fled her hometown because it was the only thing she thought she could do to avoid all that was happening in her life. Over the course of those years she returns only once, for her mothers funeral and promptly returns to the other side of the country. That is until Sunday is involved in a horrific accident and is forced to swallow her pride and return home to face her past. This complex family drama will grip you from the first page.

I flew through this in one day because I was desperate to know what happened. I both loved and hated so many characters and was incredibly impressed with how invested I became. Tracey Lange has a gift for drawing the reader in and the pacing was perfect. Just when I felt too much was happening, things slowed down a bit so I could catch up and get back to believing most of the story. I really loved all the changing perspectives from chapter to chapter as well. I will definitely be recommending this one.

Tracey Lange's debut novel, "We Are the Brennans" is a marvelous book about a dysfunctional family. The Brennans are loving despite their emotional problems. Anyone can read the synopsis online. The crux of the story Is that family protects each other. "They may make mistakes and hurt one another, But in the end they come together." I loved the characters and the story line. I am looking forward to more novels written by the author! If you like family dramas, you will love this book! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

The perceptive and caring portrayal of the close knit Brennan family makes this debut novel a perfect fit for those who gravitate to emotional stories with equal doses of pathos and hope. This eminently likable group of siblings is one I would love to spend more time with, perhaps over an Irish coffee.

The first few pages of We Are the Brennans had me hooked - who was Sunday, why did she escape to California leaving her family and boyfriend stunned? What would it be like if she went home and faced that past? After waking up in a hospital due to a drunk driving accident that was caused by her - she takes her brother up on his offer and returns home after five years.

This was a well written book that weaved together the strings of the Brennan family and how one night in the past changed the course of their lives - leaving many of them to wonder why? I think it was such a quick read for me because I enjoy the type of storyline that makes you face the past, makes you wonder, "what-if" - what-if that one night would have been different?

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for an ebook copy of this in exchange for my honest review.

What does family mean to you? How loyal would you be to protect a family’s secret? Is it possible to have a second chance?

This is a story of a large Irish family, steep in history and tradition, strong in family bonds to protect and love at all costs. They own an Irish pub in New York, but it is in financial jeopardy. Sunday, after suffering injuries in a DUI accident, returns home to heal among her family but needs to confront her past, including her ex-fiancé, which drove her to flee to California five years ago. Not only is Sunday in need of healing, but also her brothers as well. This story is about the dynamics of a family where each has a secret that affected their future. Each of her siblings must face the consequences of their past and meet the challenges of their present. Sunday discovers that she is needed as a caretaker as the family is in danger of losing their family home and the pub. Can the family come together to confront the secrets to move forward?

I loved reading about the family dynamics and getting to know each of the characters as their stories unfolded. The past is told from many perspectives, which in real life isn’t that always the case? As the reader, you can feel the devotion that they had for each other. As the story unfolded, it kept me reading and surprises unfolded as more bits of the puzzle were added to the story. It is amazing that this is a debut novel, as I look forward to reading more from Tracey Lange.

Many thanks to #netgalley #WeAretheBrennans #celadonbooks for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Thank you Celadon Books!!! You know those books that you tell yourself you’ll just read a chapter but it captures your attention so much that you end up finishing the whole book in one sitting? This was THAT book for me.
The book opens with 29 year old Sunday Brennan as she gets into a drunk driving accident and is in an LA hospital as her brother Denny rushes from their NY hometown to be by her side. Denny convinces Sunday to return to NY to be with their family to recover. The Brennans are an Irish-catholic family consisting of parents Mickey and Maura (unfortunately deceased) and their four children: Denny, Shane, Jackie and Sunday. Sunday’s high school boyfriend and Denny’s friend turned business partner, Kale, views the Brennans as his adopted family as well. After Sunday suddenly leaves NY, Kale marries Vivenne, believing that Sunday doesn’t wish to be with him. When Sunday returns home, she realizes that as much as she needs her dad and siblings, the family is struggling with their family pub, their aging father and struggling family relationships. Almost every character has a chapter from their POV and the story effortlessly flows through each character’s perspective, divulging their deepest thoughts. Family secrets are uncovered and the events strengthen the bond between each character.
This was even better than my expectations which is hard to imagine but I loved the Brennans and the deep/complex affections they have for eachother. I come from a large Irish family, I always hear stories of my great grandfather’s bar from my grandmother so I could see some of my family members in this story. The themes in this magnificent story such as shame, family secrets, loss and the overarching love of family is written beautifully and the consequences of those themes are evident long term through each character. I cannot believe this is a debut and I hope that the author writes more which I will be eagerly awaiting!

☘️𝗪𝐄 𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐍𝐀𝐍𝐒☘️ by Tracey Lange features the type of close, loving, large family that we’d all like to be a part of. That family also happens to have some dark hidden secrets that tip them over to the dysfunctional side, just like many of our own families. Sunday Brennan, the only sister in the mix, had left their small New York neighborhood five years earlier for reasons no one seemed to understand. After her life in California crumbles, big brother Denny brings her home, and the many secrets held by this Irish Catholic family slowly come to light.⁣
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Even though they argued and disagreed on many things, what made the Brennans so special was that in the end, the four siblings, plus a fifth friend that was like a brother, ALWAYS had each others’ backs. Wouldn’t we all like to be part of a family like that? ⁣
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𝘞𝘦 𝘈𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘴 was a very well-written family story, but not one that struck me as particularly new or different. I also thought the ending was just a little neat and tidy. Despite those minor flaws, I thoroughly enjoyed my time with the Brennans, flying quickly through their story. It truly would be a wonderful book to pack in your beach bag or read on vacation this summer.
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Many thanks to @celadonbooks for the lovely ARC of #WeAreTheBrennans.

*** ARC provided by Celadon through NetGalley ***

An enjoyable and quick read, We are the Brennans is contemporary family saga set in New York. This large Irish Catholic family experiences dysfunction, guilt, shame, and regret over aspects of their history. Throughout the book, family members deal individually and in chosen isolation from each other with issues such as loss, miscarriage, divorce, dementia, sexual assault, and infidelity. These secrets shape and suspend this dysfunctional family.

First time novelist Tracey Lange created a story line that kept me intrigued to read on, but it was the characters and their development that kept me reading steadily and quickly from start to finish.

#NetGalley #Celadon #WeAreTheBrennans

An Irish Catholic family saga. Sunday leaves her family in New York, breaking up with her fiancee, as she heads to Los Angeles, to pursue her writing career. After a drunken episode, ending up with her in the hospital with serious injuries, she has no choice but to go back to New York, to the family home. Her father is in early stage dementia, one of her brothers has Downs syndrome, and is employed by a local grocery store. Another brother is a frustrated artist, too busy taking care of everyone else to take care of himself. Most of the family still lives at home or nearby. Denny, the oldest, is the owner of a local pub and he has dreams of expanding his operation. Making some disastrous decisions that could bring down his whole family, the whole family starts to unravel. Sunday realizes it's not just her who has kept secrets but the entire family is burdened by secrets that go back many years.

Tracey Lange has written a good first novel, and if you like family sagas, this is a book you will want to read.

We Are the Brennans has garnered a lot of pre-release buzz, including an impressive 4+ rating on Goodreads and a coveted spot as one of Book of the Month's picks for July—but I'm sorry to say that this book just wasn't for me. I predicted every major plot twist in the novel, which stripped away the effectiveness of the pacing and made the story move at a glacial speed. Moreover, I found the characters disappointingly two-dimensional, likely because of the author's choice to give each major character at least one of their own third-person limited chapters. The constant jumping around from character to character disrupted the flow of the story as well as the characters' respective developments. However, the writing itself was also a little too straightforward—incredibly tell not show. The ending of the novel was disappointing, though I understand that the state of affairs as it stood before the last chapter pointed to only one viable conclusion—no matter how irksome it was.

However, I did enjoy that this story really did feel like a personal story of the author's. There was heart and legitimate potential—it's simply the execution that fell flat.

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I will post this review to my blog le livre en rose and to my Goodreads shortly.

I love reading books about family and this story about an Irish Catholic family in New York did not disappoint. I may have had the Wahlbergs in my head as I was picturing the men in the family. 😉
After running away from her family and her high school sweetheart and living in LA for five years, Sunday Brennan comes home. She left because of something terrible that happened to her, but when she gets back to New York, she finds out she’s not the only one with secrets. Sometimes books with things left unsaid can drive me a little crazy (just talk!!), but it seems like everyone has a valid reason for holding back.
I loved how this move was told from the perspectives of the different family members. I wasn’t in love with the ending, but maybe it left room for a sequel? Fingers crossed.
This is a brilliant debut for author @tracey_lange and I look forward to more from her. I listened to the audio for this and the narrator did a fantastic job with all the characters.
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

The story begins when daughter Sunday, literally hits a wall. She left her family and fiance behind years ago, and has been living what everyone assumed was her best life. When her brother Denny is contacted, he immediately flies to Los Angeles and convinces her to come home.
The author does a wonderful job making each of the characters seem very real. I knew there had to be a major secret coming, or why would Sunday basically abandon all the people who loved her. Actually, that wound up being the only thing that puzzled me. Yes, something traumatic did happen, but I couldn't quite relate to her reaction and decisions. But, I guess what seems unusual to me, might not be to someone else. Besides that one thing, I really enjoyed getting to know these perfect on the outside, flawed on the inside people.
One of the things that caught my attention was that the last sentence in a chapter was the first thing repeated by a new narrator to start the next chapter. This was written from multiple POVs, but because of this, each chapter just flowed seamlessly. Maybe it is because I am an only child, but I loved reading about sibling dynamics and this 288-page debut captured the good and the bad with skill.

Question for you, do you read books by indie authors? What about self-published authors?

I have two YA suspense novels and am thinking of doing some kind of alternate publishing route rather than trying to find an agent and traditional publishing deal. If you have used Smashwords or Draft2Digital, let me know!

My books are perfect for fans of Cruel Summer (did you see it on Hulu?) or Gossip Girl.

In other news, I just added We Are the Brennans by Tracey Lange to my TBR list. I loved Ask Again Yes and this book is drawing comparisons to it.

Take a look:

" When twenty-nine-year-old Sunday Brennan wakes up in a Los Angeles hospital, bruised and battered after a drunk driving accident she caused, she swallows her pride and goes home to her family in New York. But it's not easy. She deserted them all—and her high school sweetheart—five years before with little explanation, and they've got questions.

Sunday is determined to rebuild her life back on the east coast, even if it does mean tiptoeing around resentful brothers and an ex-fiancé. The longer she stays, however, the more she realizes they need her just as much as she needs them.

When a dangerous man from her past brings her family's pub business to the brink of financial ruin, the only way to protect them is to upend all their secrets—secrets that have damaged the family for generations and will threaten everything they know about their lives.

In the aftermath, the Brennan family is forced to confront painful mistakes—and ultimately find a way forward, together."

There is a Goodreads giveaway happening now so go enter to win!

💫 𝗪𝐞 𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐬 💫 ⁣
𝐁𝐲 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐲 𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 ⁣
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“𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘸𝘦𝘥 𝘶𝘱, 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘶𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳…”⁣
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You know I have a soft spot for a debut author… and one that focuses on families that are all messed up with lies and yet somehow, that invisible string of family keeps them together. ⁣
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The story begins with Sunday Brennan waking up in an LA hospital after a car accident. She was the driver and she was drunk. The next POV is her brother Denny who is going through financial and marriage issues but flies out to get his sister and bring her back within the family fold as she recoups.⁣
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That’s where the book takes off into different family members and their secrets or pain. The story of the Brennan family is one, like most, where protecting one another can come before being honest. ⁣
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Definitely a character book and slowed in the middle for me before we uncovered the secrets.⁣
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I enjoyed it. It was a quick read that got a lot right. Be watching this author to see what she comes out with next! ⁣
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⚠️ miscarriage, infidelity, assault

Seeing this referenced as being similar to Ask Again, Yes should have been a red flag for me. I wasn't a fan of that one (it was just slow). But I wanted to give family dramas another shot. I got about 1/3 of the way through and realized I wasn't in it. I didn't care what was happening or what would happen. I should have known.

I devoured this book. We Are the Brennans is an amazing book. I loved being immersed in the family drama. I want more! The characters were so well defined that I felt I knew them personally.
Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read in exchange for my honest review.
I will be posting to goodreads, Instagram, and Barnes and Noble.

This is a compelling story that keeps you riveted until the last page. A well of family secrets is beginning to overflow with repercussions affecting every family member.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was a fairly standard (but still really enjoyable) family drama, following the Brennans, an Irish-American family: 4 grown siblings, their patriarch, and a neighbor who grew up basically as a brother to them. We start with Sunday, who has been estranged from the family for 5 years, getting in a car accident which causes her to need to return back home. This is a pretty charming and endearing story full of family secrets - I personally usually prefer my family dramas a little darker/mysterious but this was a lighter read