Review:

I honestly had no idea what in the world this book was about. I love going into books blind, but I usually have some idea. Am I going to swoon in love? Do I need to keep the light on because I’ll be worried of an intruder? Do I need to double check my drink for arsenic? With We Are The Brennans, I had zero clue what to expect or anticipate, and I really enjoyed it.

We Are The Brennans is extremely well written and also, well narrated. Barrie Kreinik is an amazing reader, and if you do audiobooks, I’m sure you’ve heard them before. Between Kreinik’s voice and Lange’s writing, I just felt enraptured by this family and their drama.

I actually had no idea it was ending or coming to a resolution! I looked quickly at my phone and it said 26 minutes left. I thought surely it means I’m only 26% in! It wrapped up very abruptly, but I thought it was really fitting for the book.

Overall, hello wonderful surprise! Go into this blind and enjoy the real and flawed family that is known as The Brennans. It was a very quick audio listen and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Thank you @celdaon and @macmillan for the gifted copy! We Are The Brennans is out August 3rd!

3.5 stars

I'll admit I was skeptical going into this one. Family dramas aren't usually my jam but I'm really glad I decided to take a chance.

After a drunk driving accident, Sunday Brennan returns home to New York to face the family and boyfriend she left 5 years before with no explanation as to why. Naturally, they have many questions for her when she returns. As Sunday tries to rebuild her life, family secrets are uncovered and threaten to upend her life. We Are the Brennans is ultimately a story about family bonds, the trickle effects of keeping secrets, forgiveness, and love.

I listened to this story as an audiobook. While the story has multiple POVs, there was only one narrator which I really enjoyed and never felt lost while listening.

Some parts of the story felt a bit slow but then a secret would be revealed and kept me hooked. I can see this being a great book club book. There’s a LOT to unpack and discuss here.

The Brennans are one heck of a flawed family but I couldn’t help rooting for them in the end.

Overall I found this to be a strong debut novel and look forward to future works from this author.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Celadon Books for providing an ALC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is a family drama that deals with loyalty, life choices, mistakes and the consequences of all those things. Sunday is a young woman from a close-knit Irish family in New York. Five years previously, she flees to Los Angeles because of an incident that causes her shame and leaves her grief-stricken. She's encouraged by her older brother Denny to come home where she is forced to face the rest of her family and the fiancé she had left behind. The story is told from multiple points of view, i.e. Sunday, Denny, Jackie (another brother), Mickey (her father), Kale (her ex-fiance) and Vivienne (Kale's wife). I love stories told from various POV's because the reader learns so much more about the characters without the author having to spell it out. I especially liked that when a new section (POV) starts, it begins with the last things that character said in the previous section. The story flows more smoothly that way, especially for audiobook listeners (like me).

There is an incident that happens in the last quarter of the story (I won't say what to avoid spoilers) that adds a little more drama. And I figured out who was directly responsible for that incident almost immediately, but given how the book ended I don't think it was meant to be that much of a mystery. While the ending seems open ended, I really enjoyed how, for the Brennan family, the major secrets that had been causing strife for so many years were exposed and resolved. In addition, I felt that the resolutions were realistic.

Each of the characters were given sufficient backstory (considering the relative shortness of the book), which made the decisions they made seem plausible. I do feel like an additional 50-75 pages would have been reasonable to add more depth. I was engaged with the characters but not wholly invested in them. I appreciated the writing; the author clearly has talent for character development and the cultural background of Irish Americans.

The audiobook narrator did a fantastic job, especially with the Irish brogue.

Expected publication: August 3, 2021

Thank you NetGalley for the audio version ARC.

Such a wonderful family drama. I couldn’t stop listening to the audiobook. I loved how each chapter is told from a different characters perspective. It kept everything moving quickly. Probably one of the best family based books I’ve read.

I absolutely adored this book!  I felt so connected with all of the characters.  The family relationships reminded me a lot of the relationships in The Haunting of Hill House which i also adored.

My heart broke time and time again for Sunday and Kale and I rooted for them the whole book!  Their connection was so obvious and I loved how the whole family supported them throughout their roller coaster of emotions.
It was painful learning about Sunday suppressing her trauma and how that had affected her in her adult life but I appreciated how the whole family came together to support her and help her heal even though it was years later.

The audiobook narrator was amazing and I loved when she used her irish accent for the older characters!

Beautiful family drama!  I will think about these characters for a long time.

I enjoyed this family drama where each family member has a secret. It felt like a real and chaotic family.

I listened to this as an audiobook and enjoyed the dual POV’s. I do wish there had been a little more distinction between characters, but overall it was easy to follow

When I read that a book is dealing with long-held family secrets, I always feel a dip in the pit of my stomach. In my experience secrets are never good, they're always foretelling of something dark or tragic or traumatic, plus there's the kind of gray area of who is keeping the secret and why. Will this make the characters unlikable for me? I typically have a hesitancy when starting a book like this. I'm just personally not a fan of books that delve too deep into trauma. With that said, however, something just drew me into We Are the Brennans. Because despite the secrets, I am a big fan of second-chances and going home again.

The story opens with Sunday Brennan getting into a car accident after drunk driving. Five years ago Sunday moved from New York to LA much to the surprise of her friends and (now ex-)fiancé. When Sunday wakes up in the hospital with her older brother Denny sitting by her bedside, he convinces her she needs to come home to recuperate. Sunday agrees.

Sunday is quickly welcomed back into the Brennan family fold and it's clear she's desperately needed as Denny been having trouble getting his new pub off the ground being met with roadblock after roadblock, plus dealing with problems in his marriage. Helping Denny brings Sunday face-to-face with her ex Kale who is now married with a young son.

The Brennans are family and no matter what they'll be there for each other. So when someone from the past threatens their futures, they'll all ban together, but that means revealing all their secrets.

The story is told alternatively between pretty much all the characters. I loved the transition between chapters ending on a bit of dialogue and whomever had spoken last would be the person who's point of view picked up the next chapter. I felt like we got a really well-rounded view of all the characters. This is where narrator Barrie Kreinik really excels. I was surprised at the choice for only a single narrator. Where this book seems perfect for a "full cast", but Barrie Kreinik really carries the whole book well. taking on each character's distinct tone of voice, and in some cases accents, and really making me lose myself within the story.

There were numerous times where I would have my thoughts or opinions about one character, then we would see things from their point of view and my perspective would invariably alter. It's a good subtle kind of commentary about there being two sides to every story. Through that lens we see the effect that Sunday's leaving had on everyone. I loved how the story started out kind of simplistically in regards to Sunday left, now she's back. Slowly the story unpacks or unfolds all the varying layers of what her leaving and now coming back means for everyone.

The story kind of hinges upon Sunday's traumatic experience from five years ago - which was, yes, traumatic but not as dark as I had braced myself for it to be thankfully - that is the turning point the precipitated her leaving that is the cause for where we find ourselves in the present tense of the story proper. Although not the only thing going on - since Denny's marriage trouble and issues opening the new pub are his own - other conflicts are certainly connected. I feel the way that Tracey Lange weaves in and out of the past and present making those connections is expertly done.

And no one has more of a past in their present than Kale and Sunday. Going in I tend to root for the second-chance romance. In this case, however, Kale is married and has a son. Immediately I was curious to see how Lange would spin this. There's very clear unresolved issues between Kale and Sunday. At first Kale's wife, Vivienne isn't painted in the best light. Then we get her one point of view section and - as mentioned before - my perception of her shifted as I could better understand, and even empathize, with where she was coming from. It put me in a quandary.

While I won't spoil how things work out, I think the biggest message this story leaves me with is that we are all flawed and family is always messy, but you have to decide who your people are and who you can count on.

Much to some people's chagrin, the book has a kind of soft ending. By that I mean, not everything is tied up nicely with a bow. Admittedly, there were a few story threads hinted at then seemingly abandoned which I would have appreciated a little more from, but we do get the prospective path into the future. I think based upon each readers own opinion and interpretation of the characters will depend on how you read into what that future looks like for everyone. For me, it was satisfying.

While I went into this book with trepidation, I can say it's been playing on repeat in my thoughts since I finished.

We Are the Brennans by Tracey Lange is a family drama! I expected lots of drama you'd ordinarily expect from a large Irish family and I was here for it but sadly I felt it fell flat. I wanted more drama. The potential was there! I was so close to being shameless and dramatic but was a bit too tame for me. It is a good story fully of feelings and a minor mystery. You get your heart strings tugged at and definitely take sides rooting from one sibling over the other. The whole story is written well and flows nicely between perspectives.

We Are the Brennans was a great complicated family drama. I enjoyed all of the members of the family and learning each of their stories. I enjoyed how the narrative switched perspectives, but kept you grounded. It is a family you want to cheer for and that you want things to turn out well for. The audio book narration was very well done also. The narrator did a great job narrating all of the voices for each character.

A big messy, family drama is at play in Tracey Lange's We Are the Brennans. The Brennans are an Irish Catholic family with secrets both in the past and present. There is love, loss, and family dysfunction over the course of the book. Adult siblings are like "strangers with shared memories." The characters are flawed, real, and I related to almost every one of them. I flew threw this one and thoroughly enjoyed the narrator.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for this ARC.

I really liked this book. I really felt the family dynamics very strongly, the pull of an Irish Catholic family out to protect each other, and their secrets, and feeling the weight of past decisions and their impact on the future. This isn't any really dynamic writing as far as extremely detailed scenescapes, characteristics and the like. But I felt that only added to the story. I was able to gather images of things and places and people in my mind without really having overly detailed outlines from the writer. I really just felt the heart of this book, and that is what made it all the more enjoyable.

Thank you @celadonbooks @macmillan.audio for a copy of the book. I love family drama and this Irish family had all the dramas and secrets. I love how this book explores so many different types of relationship dynamics between siblings, parents are romantic love. I love the flash back to get a better understanding of what led them to where they are today. The narration was great and I did not want to stop listening to this audiobook.

I would do anything for my siblings. So, it seems, would the Brennen family.

We Are the Brennans is a layered and compelling family drama centering around the return of Sunday, the only daughter of a tight Irish clan. Sunday's departure 5 years ago was mysterious, and her return sets off a steady revealing of not only her secrets, but several of the family's as well. The depth of family support is tested as the pressures mount.

I enjoyed the multiple points of view and the way that enabled me to see the effects all the revelations had on each of the family members. As a member of a relatively large and close family myself, it was engaging to see how deep family ties can go, even when you don't agree. This story also shows a common reality of misplaced assumptions, the enormous harm of shame, and the healing power of grace and love.

I was invested in the characters and very much enjoyed this story. It felt like the audio had a good pacing with development as well as the setting up of all the unravelling. I felt like the family's flaws were very relatable and real. I did like the inclusion of others outside of the family, either married in or just "friended" in. That aspect showed how often families are judged on the outside with little knowledge of what really goes on.

I am so glad I was able to listen to this Advance Copy through NetGalley, and my opinions are my own and given voluntarily.

Debut novel from Tracey Lange!

The Point of View (POV) skips around in this book.

For many/most of the chapters end with the sentence from one POV and that sentence is repeated as the beginning sentence in the next chapter with another POV. I really liked this technique.

The main protagonist is a woman named Sunday who is the younger sister (in her mid 20's) in a very Irish family with four brothers. I really liked Sunday; she was always there for everyone and kept catching the short end of the stick (especially from her mother). In addition to Sunday, the characters were all very real.

There is a lot going on in this book; more and more continues to be revealed.

Debating between 4 and 5 stars, but deciding to round up.

The narrator Barrie Kreinik did a great job; especially with all the Irish accents.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher Macmillan Audio and the author Tracey Lange for the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review. Publication date is 03 Aug 2021.

It's true what the old Irish blessing says,"There are only two kinds of people in the world: the Irish, and those who wish they were." After reading this family drama about the larger than life Brennans, I'm glad I married Irish; there's never a dull moment but, when armed with a little liquid courage, family can get you through anything. The novel starts following Sunday Brennan as she drives home to her apartment after a  few too many. Although she left her ancestral home in Westchester for the sunny skies of Los Angeles, the shadow of her past has been hard to escape. Following an accident that leaves her bruised and ashamed, Sunday follows her brother back to New York, uncovering a lot of family drama, secrets of the past, and lost loves in the process. <br>
I was absorbed by this larger than life family from the start; I think a companion novel following the parents Brennan in Belfast and their ties with the IRA needs to come out next! I'm usually pretty picky about my audio narrations and I couldn't have picked a better one for this novel. I would have enjoyed a little more flashbacks of Sunday prior to her trauma; we keep hearing about how amazing and open she was when she was younger and we never get to click with that engaging part of her personality. But, overall, I would recommend this book to anyone that enjoys hearing about complicated families with complicated pasts. Sláinte and enjoy!

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for supplying me with an audiobook galley of this novel!!!

This book begins with one of our beloved family members, Sunday Brennan, waking up in a Los Angeles hospital, injured and bruised, after drunk driving and causing an accident. Her oldest brother flies from New York to see her, and she hesitantly agrees to go home with him in order to recover amongst the rest of the family in her childhood home. It's been five years since she left them all, including her fiancé, basically overnight for LA, with no explanation— so everyone is surprised at this turn of events.
The longer Sunday stays in New York, the more it's clear that she is not the only one to have struggled in this five-year gap. When her brother recruits her to help balance the books of the family pub, the end of a startling thread is pulled, various scandals revealed in the unravelling. The question is now: what's next?

I LOVED this book. And when I say LOVED, I mean, a new favourite, will think about for weeks, LOVED. I not only found much of Sunday's life relatable, but I adored the way she and all her family members were written with such solid clarity. It truly felt that each person was real and tangible, each one distinct in their dialogue (kudos to the narrator, Barrie Kreinik, of course, she did a FABULOUS job). The revolving narration style of the book (but still remaining in the third person) was an intelligent choice and lent a really beautiful range to the book, allowing every member of this family to shine, and allowed the reader a moment to truly sympathize with each one of them, even when you don't agree with their choices.
But the DYNAMICS!!!! They were so grounded, and every relationship and connection was so easy to feel, and it was so warm and loving and fraught and sometimes tense, how families can be. It all struck me as so GENUINE. Every scene with Sunday and Kale, I just felt so desperate and sad but also hopeful and yearnful for them and the history they hold and all the misunderstandings.
But on top of that, on top of the distinctness of the characters—the way that they treat each other, the pride and protectiveness of each other, especially those who are vulnerable, is moving and so true to what anyone with a close family will recognize as the meaning of love and familial bonds.

If you are into Irish traditional family drama, or just a good old-fashioned family bonds story, PLEASE buy this book. It's excellent.

Shame and guilt are like plagues. And we Irish wield them like weapons and wear them like medals.

We Are the Brennans is Tracey Lange’s debut novel about a large New York Irish Catholic family in crisis. Sunday Brennan fled her tight-knit family five years ago after a tragic incident, and is drawn back into the fold after a reckless night of drinking that lands her in the hospital. This evening scarily mimics one long ago.

Big brother Denny flies out to LA expecting to see bits of her fabulous life she would never come home for, only to find a somewhat miserable existence. His little sister’s timing couldn’t be worse, as he is currently in a bit of trouble with both his family and his business.

Kale Collins, an unofficial Brennan, Denny’s best friend and business partner, is unsatisfied with his life except for his son Luke. His long-time love, Sunday, rolling back into town all of the sudden does nothing to help with his troubles with his wife Vivienne.

Jackie, Sunday’s Irish twin, is the misunderstood middle brother, whose poor decisions have given him an unwanted record. Painting is what he wants to do, and his traditional construction working father doesn’t seem to understand him.

Shaun, is the baby, who is developmentally delayed. His sister leaving five years ago wrecked his tightly controlled world. All of his older siblings and his father do what they can to protect him.

Each chapter takes a different character’s perspective as the family unravels Sunday’s leaving five years earlier and Denny’s current problems. We learn how Mickey and Mora raised their four kids in this close Irish community, and many things the Brennan’s kept from each other. Shame and guilt indeed ruled the course of the Brennans lives, but there was love too.

This contemporary family novel was excellently narrated by Barrie Kreinik. Normally audiobooks aren’t as good as reading for me, but this one was an easy listen. We Are the Brennans comes out August 3rd and I recommend picking this one up! Four and a half stars from me! Thank you to @netgalley, @macmillonaudio, and of course Tracey Lange for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

I loved the reader and the storyline. I couldn’t put it down. I tried to find so many things to do so I could finish it. It was a wonderful story of a family who try to stay together and dealing with all the issues they were going through. I highly recommend this book.

The narration was great. I think that's the only reason I stuck with it. I did not like the multiple characters and getting bits and pieces of their perspective. It makes it hard to connect to any of them.

The "secrets" and "drama" was a but too tame for me. I think i need more scandal, it overall was a very boring family drama.

I enjoyed the audio version of We are the Brennans. Sunday Brennan has been in LA for five years after suddenly moving away from the family home in NY. She returns to NY with her brother Denny after she is in an accident while driving drunk. Denny her former fiancé Kale run a pub and are in the process of opening another nearby. Told from multiple viewpoints, the story explains Sunday’s reason for departing together with the assorted problems that now cause trouble for the family. The narrator did an excellent job of portraying many characters including children. Though all of the characters are flawed, Lange clearly portrays them as a closely knit family willing to do whatever it takes to help and protect each other. I recommend this to anyone who enjoys family dramas. I thank NetGalley and Celadon Books for the opportunity to listen to this ARC.