It’s always a pleasure to read a debut novel that stands up to the hype. Such is the case with We Are The Brennans. Sunday Brennan fled her family years ago in an effort to keep a secret. Now she returns home to her Irish family and the complicated dynamics that come with it. She soon discovers that she isn’t the only family member with a secret or two, consequences, shame, and a few chances at redemption.

I fell into the lives of the Brennans on page one and stayed there until the end. It has a surprising ending that I read twice. Each chapter is told from a different character’s point of view. It works well to connect the characters and events as does the unique way Lange connects the chapters by repeating the last line of one chapter as the first line of the next, especially since there were multiple of threads of tension coming from the family members, present events, and past secrets.

A family drama may not seem like anything new, but We Are The Brennans is fresh and unique. If you like family dramas or character-driven stories with great plotting underpinning it, this is the book for you. Barrie Kreinik did a great job narrating the audio version of the book.

Thank you to Net Galley and Macmillan Audio for an ALC of this book. My opinions are my own.

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The Brennans are a set of four siblings, three brothers and one sister and one family friend. Between them, there are two possible divorces, one felon and one who is recovering from an accident they caused driving drunk. When they pull together, they remember what family is and help each other to solve their problems.
Opinion
I listened to the audiobook and was completely enthralled. I usually listen to audiobooks when cleaning or driving. I found myself turning this audiobook on just because I had to know what happened next. The narrator did an excellent job portraying the characters and keeping my interest.
The story itself was flat out awesome. I think this is one of the must read books of the year. Told in multiple persepectives, the reader gets to see what was going through each characters mind. I truly cannot say enough good things about this book. It was well worth the read.
Many thanks to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC of this audiobook.

This was a really good one. At first I wasn't sure about this book and the family drama but then it started to unfold and the layers started to peel back and I was all in on the family's drama, dynamics and all of their secrets. This is one surprising story and their are little cookie crumb trails to the big surprise in the end.

These characters are indeed interesting in their own right. Each holding on to secrets from the other. Secrets that threaten to tear their family apart. But they carry their burden in the only way they know how, silently until it all is forced to be revealed.

Secrets and family drama, most of us experience them. But the Brennan clan serves more of them up in this book then the beer at their neighborhood pub.

There's so many secrets in this family. Each member carrys the burden of them, hiding them in order to protect each other. But they all get revealed slowly. Each layer pealed back like an onion to reveal a hidden truth - the center of all of them lies with one person.
What's at stake when the truth comes out is much bigger than anyone of them knows. It will change the Brennans lives forever.

I love how we hear the POV of each character. They give us an insight into their thoughts and the complexities of family dynamics. The Brennans make you think about your own family and how just one secret can have a profound impact that changes its very core.

This book was an enjoyable read that gave me a comfortable seat in the pub to read the Brennans' drama and give a little stunned gasp at the twisty ending.

Thank you #partner @celadonbooks and @macmillan.audio for my gifted copy and audiobook of this entertaining story.

The ending was so good and I didn't see it coming.

My favorite part was the ending.

Family secrets and years of internal shame are the backbone of this story about an Irish-American family living in New York. After getting into an accident out in California, Sunday Brennan finds herself back in her childhood home living with her 3 brothers and father - and facing her former fiancé. Sunday’s return isn’t quite a happy reunion though, after years of distance and secrets piling up will the Brennans all face the skeletons in their closets or keep ignoring the things that threaten to tear their family apart.

The mystery behind each characters motivations for keeping their own secrets hidden for many years is what propels this book forward. Though for me personally this wasn’t enough to fully enjoy it. All of the characters felt like caricatures of the stereotypes of Irish immigrants and first generation Irish Americans. Living in shame, feelings of guilt that are heightened by a catholic upbringing, and the need to keep all family business within the family - even when the neighbors know what’s going on all fell a bit flat when those were the only personality traits given to each of these characters. Almost every character gets their own chapter and gives flashbacks to the past which effectively lengthened this book and made me often lose sight of what the core of the plot was meant to be about.

Content Warnings: Miscarriage, sexual harrassment - attempted assault, cheating, child abandonment, marriage separation, murder, cancer - mentioned in the past, ableism - in regards to neurodivergency

Also would like to add that this is an audiobook worth listening to, if the story appeals to you. Barrie’s narration kept me engaged with the story, and with the constant changing of POV’s I rarely felt lost in whose perspective I was in.

We Are the Brennans by Tracey Lange is an emotional rollercoaster of a family drama.

When Sunday Brennan returns to her home town, the family and relationship secrets she left must finally be resolved. The story is told from multiple points of view which kept the book from having a clear protagonist. While listening I felt as if Sunday was the stand out character because the family drama primarily revolved around the secrets of her past.

There are a lot of characters to grab onto in this plot driven family saga. At first I was overwhelmed by all of the siblings, honorary siblings, significant others, their children, the parents, an additional cousin, and a "bad guy." It was overwhelming and sometimes I had trouble keeping things straight. There are several things going on with each person. About halfway through the book when I thought things were going to calm down, I felt like the author was adding additional elements that weren't necessary.

Toward the end of the book the reader is provided with more in depth details about certain family events. I thought they would have been more helpful at the beginning of the book to aid in the character development, instead of feeling like extraneous details once they were presented at the end.

The "twist" at the end of the book can be seen from a mile away.

The narration of the book was very monotonous. I felt like it was narrated by someone who also narrates crime shows on Lifetime or ID. The narrator had very little inflection even though the story was dramatic.

Overall, this book had a plot that kept it moving and was somewhat believable for an ok reading experience.

Simply put, this a story about family. In fact this theme was so strong that it might be one of the rare instances where I did not mind that the characters were more well-developed than the the story itself. Don't get me wrong, the plot was solid and did keep me engaged, but it just couldn't compare to how well the character development was built.

Without getting too much into it (I went into this one blind and I feel like it enhanced the story for me), this is a story about how the bonds of a family can overcome just about anything. Each member of the Brennan family seemingly has their own cross to bear, but they always have each other's backs.

This was incredible as a debut novel. I will gladly read whatever this author puts put in the future :)

4 stars

TW: miscarriage

Thank you to Netgalley and Celadon books for gifting me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I listened to the the audio version. I enjoyed the narrator's reading of the story. The Brennans are an Irish American family who are close but are all keeping secrets. Those secrets are about to be in the open. The ;story was exciting and kept me listening when I should have ben sleeping.

Tracey Lange is a breath of fresh air with her empowering debut novel, We are the Brennans. Lange focuses on love, secrets, heartbreak, and hope while writing about an Irish Catholic family with more than their share of secrets. She hits home with her writing and draws the reader in from the very first page until the last.

The Brennans are very much indeed a dysfunctional family. I think when we read these types of books, we are hoping their families are much worse than ours so we can feel better about our family. The Brennans fit this bill perfectly.

The story starts out with Sunday Brennan living in California for the last five years, somewhat estranged from her family. She knows why, but they do not. Five years ago, she abruptly left them and her longtime finance, Kale, for California and only returned once for her mother’s funeral. Sunday’s deep-seated secrets and pain have festered all this time and finally she ends up in a single car DUI accident. Her brother, Denny, once her best friend is listed as her emergency contact.

This is a story of family secrets. Sunday’s secrets have destroyed the beautiful life she once thought she was destined to have. To pay penance she fled to California. The rest of her family are all holding on to their secrets as well. I loved the way this story unfolded chapter by chapter told by each family member.

Once upon a time, due to an absent father and a hypochondriac mother, Sunday took care of running the household. Now, Denny has been in charge for the past five years, and he has not done as good a job. The co-owner of a popular pub with Kale, he is having many problems both personal and professionally, but has kept everything as secret from Kale and his family. He drops everything, however, to fly to California to see about his sister. He brings the banged-up Sunday back with him and from there all kinds of fireworks ensue. Kale, her childhood sweetheart and the love of her life, is married with a child. Her father is mentally not as sharp as he used to be and as all the family secrets start to spill out, she realizes she must share hers as well.

I can’t express in words how much I enjoyed this book. My heart was breaking all the way through for Sunday and Kale. I was so sad and devastated about their lost dreams and how they were struggling with both the past and the future.

I received the audiobook version from NetGalley and thought the narrator, Barrie Kreinik, did a fantastic job drawing me in to the family dynamics of the Brennans. I send my thanks to them and the publisher, Celadon Books/Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to read (listen) to this book in exchange for my honest opinion. I gave it five fabulous stars!

We Are the Brennans by Tracey Lange is a powerhouse of a family-centered lit-fic about the dysfunctional and deeply flawed Brennan family. The prose is moody and the characters are so complex. There are many twists, loads of bad decisions, layers of secrets and misunderstanding, and family drama galore!

I definitely recommend this one, especially on audio! Barrie Kreinik nailed the narration and really brought the story to life.

Thanks to Celadon Books for the gifted copy, and to Macmillan Audio for the gifted audiobook.

The Brennans are an Irish Catholic family who have been torn apart by things that happened in the past. After Sunday Brennan is in a drunk driving accident she is forced to return home to her family in NY. I loved all of the Brennan siblings and their interactions with each other. Sunday was my favorite character, and I loved how once she’s back in NY, she brings so much out in her family, forcing them all to face what happened before she left.

This book is told in multiple points of views. There are a lot of them, but it completely worked for this story. The author did a great job transitioning between chapters.

I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this book. It has some mixed reviews, but I absolutely loved it. Set in Westchester county, NY, where I used to live, I felt a lot of nostalgia when places I know were mentioned. I also felt the author made this story very relatable for anyone who grew up in an Irish Catholic family.

I picked this as my Book of the Month book for July, but also had an ALC through NetGalley and MacMillan Audio which I listened to in two days. I just couldn’t stop because this story had me completely immersed and intrigued the entire time. I highly recommend this for anyone who enjoys contemporary fiction.

We Are The Brennans
By Tracey Lange

Sunday Brennan left her life, fiancée and family in New York five years ago to live in Los Angeles. But now, she lays in an LA hospital broken and banged up, with her older brother suddenly showing up to take her back home. Sunday’s homecoming brings up a lot of unanswered questions, and long buried secrets, but in its heart, nothing is more important than the love of family.

Reading about the Brennans, their family business, and the complex family dynamics is so intriguing and addictive. The way the story is told with each of the family members’ point of views truly digs deep into the family perspective. This is a very strong debut from a very talented writer! What a great story!

ONE SENTENCE SUMMARY: A family drama about an imperfect Irish Catholic family and the secrets the have tired to keep hidden.

BRIEF REVIEW: The Brennans are a close knit Irish Catholic family but, they are also a family with secrets, ones they have kept hidden from other family members and people they care about.

As the story opens twenty-nine year old Sunday Brennan wakes up in a Los Angeles hospital after being involved in a car accident while she was driving drunk. She is rescued by her big brother, Denny, a pub owner, who flies in from New York after learning about her situation. It was five years earlier that Sunday left friends, family and her ex-fiancee more than a little surprised when she took off across the country. Now her brother has convinced her to return to New York to deal with her past and to get her life in order.

This was a well-written debut novel that unfolds from the perspective of each of the characters. The flow, even though there were multiple characters, worked quite well on audio and held my interest as well. This is just the type of story I tend to enjoy: a story about an imperfect, dysfunctional family and a slow reveal of the secrets they have been hiding. Even though several of the characters were unlikable, it didn't matter as each characters were well-crafted and felt genuine and complex. I especially enjoyed learning more about Sunday and why she felt compelled to flee. Recommended for readers who enjoy stories about flawed families.

Thanks go to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for allowing me early access to this book in exchange for my unbiased review. The audio book was read by Barrie Kerinik who did a great job.

RATING: 4.5/5
http://bibliophilebythesea.blogspot.com/2021/08/118-2021-we-are-brennans-tracey-lange.html

I got to 25% of the audio book and I will not be continuing. It’s a mess of characters. The ending of a chapter and the beginning of the next would say the same thing. So that was annoying.

Ah! I loved this book in audio and I even read the book too! Sunday Brennan wakes up after a accident wondering how her life came to her covered in blood and having a DUI. She misses her family she left years ago abruptly and goes home to heal. Once home old memories and secrets come out they must face together. Will they be able to get past the issue's and feelings they left buried? This book can totally be a series and I'm praying it does! I loved the narration - perfect! If you love a good suspense filled novel with family drama I highly recommend this debut novel and look forward to reading more books by This author!

This is a wonderful book! I loved being immersed in the world of the Brennan family and really couldn't put this one down! It is family drama at its finest - a group who has significant flaws each and people who know all about them. There are several secrets revealed and trauma from the past brought up and it flows pretty seamlessly from present day to flashbacks. Even with multiple narrators, I didn't feel lost - although I'd probably recommend this one in hard copy instead of audiobook as there is a decent amount to keep track of. Overall, I was just pulled into this one and loved the ride. I think you will also fall in love with the Brennans! 4.5 stars

I received a complimentary audiobook copy of this novel - all opinions are my own.

My absolute favorite book I've read this year (so far)! The story of the Brennan family felt like a warm hug. I loved each member of this family and wanted to fiercely protect them. The audiobook/narrator was absolutely phenomenal. Would 10/10 recommend.

4.5 stars

WE ARE THE BRENNANS completely took me by surprise and captivated me the entire way through.

Each chapter of the story alternates between different point of views, and while this could easily lead to confusion especially as an audiobook, Lange (author) and Kreinik (audiobook narrator) did a fantastic job differentiation the various perspectives. Kreinik included just the right amount of accents, dialect changes, and personality to help distinguish the various characters.

And don't even get me started on these characters, especially the differences between the Brennan siblings! While the story primarily focuses around Sunday, I loved "getting to know" all of the characters during their chapters and start to piece together various parts of the plot based on things they were thinking about. It truly allowed the reader to grasp a full picture of the Brennan family.

In my experiences, family dramas can have a serious lull in the plot, but not this one. The plot would feel resolved at points only have another twist pop up, which kept the momentum going throughout the whole story.

So if you enjoy family dramas, twisty plots, and multiple POVs, this book or audiobook might be for you!

oh, wow. i will definitely be following this author! wonderful family drama - i thoroughly enjoyed this book and getting to know the Brennans.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for my audiobook copy of We Are the Brennans
by Tracey Lange Narrated by Barrie Kreinik in exchange for an honest review. It published August 3, 2021.
First off, the narration was very well-done, and I definitely would listen to more by this skilled reader. The Irish accent was very believable and it added to the overall experience of this book.
I have to admit, at first I had a hard time getting into this book, but I am glad I stuck with it. There were lots of twists and turns that didn't make it too predictable. Or when things seemed they were going to go one way, they sort of did, but not completely how I thought they would.
There is a lot of foul language, and some very tense subjects are broached, so be wary of that. But if you're into family sagas and drama, you'll definitely enjoy this one.