We Are the Brennans is a family saga that has all of the essential elements: love, regret, family dysfunction, trauma, and coming-of-age character progression. This was well-executed as an audiobook and very entertaining. We Are the Brennans is a great beach read!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, the narrator, and publisher for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook. The opinions in this review are entirely my own.

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Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for gifting me the audiobook of Tracey Lange's debut novel - 5 stars!

The Brennan's are a large Irish Catholic family in New York. They were shocked when only daughter, Sunday, suddenly left NY for Los Angeles 5 years ago. When she wakes up in a hospital after a drunk driving accident, her oldest brother, Denny, is there encouraging her to come back home. She swallows her pride and heads back. Back at home, she has to deal with her brothers' resentment for not being there to help out and her ex-fiancee is now remarried with a son and still active in the business. All of the family are keeping secrets and when the business is in trouble, they are forced to reveal them and deal with them together.

I really loved this book! I was drawn immediately into the family saga and loved the interaction between all the characters. This family felt real - they were flawed, resentful, secretive, loving - but they were family above all else. The writer was so skilled at making this novel flow. Each chapter ended with a conversation and a snippet of that conversation was carried over into the start of the next chapter, voiced by a different character. I listened to the audiotape, narrated by Barrie Kreinik, who voiced all the characters so well; I had no issue following along. Her voice was smooth and pleasant and enhanced the wonderful writing. Hard to believe this is a debut novel and I can't wait to read more from this author! Highly recommended!

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We Are the Brennans by Tracey Lange

Thank you so much @netgalley and @macmillan.audio for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for a review!

I really, really enjoyed this audiobook. Family dramas aren’t my go-to reads, but I’ve seen many good reviews for this one and wanted to try it.

I loved all the family members and their unique characteristics and personalities. Overall, I thought the storyline was fairly good, and the pacing kept my interesting. I always love when books are told from multiple points of view. I also loved the narration!

My only critique is that the ending felt very rushed and several plot lines were left open ended.

If you enjoy family dramas, I recommend giving this one a try!

I wasn't sure what to expect from We Are the Brennans, but the summary sounded so intriguing and I was so excited to get the chance to listen and review it! This is a character-driven novel and the chapters switch to the various character's POVs. The story starts off with the main character, Sunday, getting into a drunk driving accident out in LA, where her brother Denny heads out to make sure she's okay and convince her to return home to New York, where she suddenly up and left five years prior. When Sunday returns home, the past slowly starts to reveal itself and I was hooked from the first few chapters.

Now, if you're looking for perfect characters, this is not the book for you. These characters all have flaws, make poor choices here and there, and are...well, human. While you may not be able to directly relate to their wealth, family dynamic, owning a bar, etc. it's a story. It's fiction. For me, I didn't find that not being able to relate to any of them or their situation took away from the story at all, as it did some other reviewers. This was an entertaining look into a complex family, where each character has their own agenda and is keeping things from others that really should know about them. The story unfolds beautifully and comes together wonderfully at the end. I definitely recommend this book to anyone that enjoys a good family drama. Barrie Krenik did a fabulous job narrating this tale as well. The performance really brought the characters to life.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio, Tracey Lange, and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this title! This audiobook was given to me in return for an unbiased review. We Are the Brennans by Tracey Lange. #NetGalley

Reviewing
We Are The Brennan’s
By Tracey Lange

I’m always a sucker for a character driven story so I was excited to get into this one. Readers are drawn in by the complex relationships between the Brennan siblings and the dark secrets from their parents past. Will they pull together to overcome or let history tear them apart?

It’s told in alternating perspectives, and Lange weaves a complex tapestry for readers to drink in. Entertaining and engaging with an ending that was a tad bit too tidy and predictable for me.

Overall I enjoyed the Brennan’s and would recommend it to readers who love a character driven read.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 3.5stars for this fun family drama

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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I completely fell in love with the Brennan family! I was immediately drawn into this family saga! Sunday Brennan, the only girl of the four adult Brennan children finds herself in a mess after an accident. She has been estranged from her family for 5 years. She returns home and we are introduced to the other family members as the story unfolds. I could not put this book down. It was well written, I appreciated the character development even though I didn’t care for all the characters! If you enjoy family drama books with twists and secrets you should pick this book up!!
Thanks to Macmillian audio and NETGALLY for this audiobook advanced copy for my honest review!

I was charmed by this book. Told through multiple narrators, it follows the family through secrets that last for years. It wasn’t groundbreaking or earth shattering, but it was really well done and interesting. The audiobook was incredibly well done! Perfect light Irish accent!

Thank you Net Galley for an audio ARC of We are the Brennan's by Tracey Lange. Wow!! This book!! A new favorite! This is artfully written. Check out the Brennan's and read this!!!

“What I’m saying is, if you can be happy, do it. If you know what you want in life, don’t wait for someone else to give it to you. Go after it, and don’t let anything stand in the way.”

We Are The Brennans explores the staying power of shame-and the redemptive power of love-in an Irish Catholic family torn apart by secrets. Some secrets you keep 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 your family. Some secrets you keep 𝒇𝒐𝒓 your family.

Wow do I adore this family! Don’t you just love it when a book is so good that you feel as if you 𝕜ꪀꪮ᭙ the characters? Almost as if you’ve had your hands pressed to the windows of their lives, watching with rapt fascination as they fight and make up and love each other. This family is real and raw and broken, but underneath all of that there is loyalty and love and forgiveness.

Oooh something fresh and unique guys. So..there are multiple POV. Buuuut the last spoken line of each chapter starts up the first line of the next, but from the different characters perspective. A very unique writing style and I 👏🏻 am 👏🏻 here 👏🏻 for 👏🏻 it . This was especially noticeable in the audio version as the narrator did a great job of giving each unique character their own tone/emotion/angst, so you could really pick up on the transition. Just awesome!

I devoured We Are The Brennans and could not wait to get back to the story whenever I had to a step away. If you are looking for a book hangover book, look no further.

Thank you to Celadon Books, the author, Netgalley and Macmillan audio for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is just what I want from a novel about the dynamics of a big family. The Brennans might be flawed, and they definitely make a lot of bad decisions, but there is something likable at the core of each one of them that makes the reader want to root for them anyway. Sunday, whose return home from the West Coast following a drunk driving accident sets the story into motion, is the most sympathetic character, but shifting points of view reveal her character from other perspectives and also provide insight into the thoughts of her brothers and her high school boyfriend who is now married with a child. The plot isn't suspenseful or shocking, and there are no real twists to the story, but the writing style is very engaging, and I definitely wanted to spend time in the world of this book. There were some moments that felt a bit over-written, especially in the final scenes when it seemed like the author wasn't quite sure when to stop. Overall, though, this is a strong debut that will appeal to readers who enjoy stories about the ties that bind families together.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the audio review copy.

The Brennans are a dysfunctional, messy bunch. When Sunday wakes up in a hospital in LA after a drunk driving accident, she calls her brother for help and ends up moving back home to New York. When she returns, she's thrown into the chaos of everyday life for the Brennans, with the addition of her childhood love, Kale.

What I do love about this book is the multiple POVs and how perfectly the story flowed between each character. There is nothing groundbreaking in this novel, but it was an enjoyable & quick read. One thing that bothered me is that we never revisited the fact that Sunday was driving drunk and got into an accident. That was just thrown in and then dropped completely.

So much family drama! But not in a bad, roll your eyes, throw the book across the room way. The Brennans are a well-known Irish family with some family secrets stuffed in the back of the closet. After out of touch Sunday Brennan has a drunk driving accident in LA, police call her brother and she returns to their hometown where her first love, now married with a son, still lives. Why did Sunday suddenly leave all those years ago? As secrets are revealed, we learn about other secrets the other family members have been keeping as well. There's plenty of drama here and a little mystery too.

On top of the story, I loved the narration. I do love a good Irish accent!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.

The Brennan’s appear to be the perfect family: a successful father, stay at home mom, and close knit children in a nice big house. However, things are not always as the seem. The Brennan children have grown up and they have secrets. Secrets that threaten to tear them apart forever.
I listened to this story in audiobook form which I would highly recommend. This story was told through the perspective of multiple characters. The narrator had a subtle way of changing her tone and cadence which allowed you to easily follow through whose perspective the story was being told. The story was engaging and heartfelt. It was one of those stay-awake-late-to-finish kind of stories. I highly recommend.

Character-driven novels can be somewhat hit or miss for me, but this one was definitely a hit. While these characters are certainly flawed and repeatedly make blatant mistakes, their flaws only serve to make them feel more realistic. As is often the case, many of their problems could have been solved by just being honest with each other, but it is very human to not tell the whole truth even when you know you should.

The Brennans had a lot of similarities to my boyfriend's family, so it was kind of fun to have that mental connection too.

I loved how between different POVs, the first sentence of the new perspective was the last sentence that the character said in the previous scene. It made the change between POVs very smooth.

This title made for a great listen on audio--I absolutely adore Irish accents. It was very understated for the characters that had one, and came across just beautifully. I've listened to a few choppy audio productions lately, so it was even more apparent how high quality this audio copy was. The narrator didn't really do different voices for each character, but it was always clear who was speaking. Although I also had a physical copy, I never felt the need to go back to follow up on the plot; it was all very easy to follow on audio.

I loved this book. I instantly was engaged with the characters and their stories. I loved the way the backstory was gradually released to us as readers. I also enjoyed the transition between chapters/characters. I will recommend this book to my coworkers and friends.

Thanks netgalley for the ARC

I really loved the family dynamics of this book. Families are messy and complicated and we are a sum of our individual and collective choices. I think that this book captured that. It reminded me a bit of the show brothers and sisters with an Irish twist. It felt like real life which I also liked. Sometimes books about family try to wrap all the lose ends up nicely where in real life there are things that sometimes don’t end like fairytales. I feel like this book does a good job of walking this line.

For a debut novel, BRAVA! I enjoyed this book, however, it isn't my favorite. I did enjoy the family drama, and the complex relationships that the author was able to achieve, as well as the seamless POV transitions, but overall, it didn't grab me (this is wholeheartedly my own taste). Regardless of my own opinion, I would still recommend this book because I do anticipate that many people will enjoy it and relate to the various family secrets.

When Sunday abruptly left her family for a life in California, almost everyone was shocked, not understanding why Sunday would leave her family, boyfriend, and her entire world. When Sunday comes home to New York, family drama and secrets come to the surface. All back together again, will their secrets bring them closer or push them apart?

Surprise, surprise! I have another family drama recommendation for you. Ha! Coming from me, this really shouldn’t be a surprise to you at all. I honestly didn’t know very much about We Are the Brennans by Tracey Lange at all. I just knew that it was a debut, and a drama about a large Irish Catholic family. As a major fan of novels focused on family, that was more than enough information for me. I grew up with two older brothers, so it was extremely easy for me to relate to Sunday, the only daughter in the family. The household dynamics, and her point of view seemed so familiar to me. My gosh, this family unpacks a lot of heavy baggage in this relatively short novel. It seems like every single Brennan had a secret they desperately wanted to keep hidden, but were all blown up, and brought to the surface at one point or another. There was an ongoing air of mystery throughout the novel, and each uncovered secret revealed very important details crucial to the Brennan family’s past. What I especially loved about this novel is the format. The author did something extremely unique with the dialogue at the end of each chapter. The chapters would end with one character making a statement, then the following chapter would begin with this same statement, and then flip to the speaker’s perspective. Hopefully that makes sense. I’m terrible at explaining things! Ha! You’ll just have to read it to fully understand. Multiple POVs are my very favorite, so the fun format made it even more enjoyable. I must say that Lange’s writing really captivated me. She successfully delivered a strong character-driven novel, along with a jam-packed plot. You really don’t want to miss this impressive debut. We Are the Brennans releases on August 3rd, and it gets 4/5 solid stars from me!

I LOVED this book. I love the close family. I love the bothers who will protect their sister. I love the extended family, you're not blood but your family! I loved the narrator and I loved how she was able to speak with an Irish dialect. It really made the book for me. If I had read the physical copy, I wouldn't have gotten that and I know I wouldn't have thought that up on my own.

Well done!! Can this be the first book in a series? I need so much more from this family!!