3.5 Stars

There sure was a lot to keep track of in this book! So many characters and storylines, I ended up having to write down notes with all of the names and connections to keep them straight.

The story starts with the funeral of the grandfather of the family, and a huge truth bomb dropped on everyone during his eulogy. The book ends with everyone coming back together for a family wedding. In between, you have everyone's individual reactions from the funeral, combined with each of their own personal issues they are dealing with. Pregnancy, divorce, coming out, pining after old loves, it's all in there. The story felt very much like watching the movie 'The Family Stone;' a little dysfunction, mixed with the love they have for each other.

I liked the little reveal at the end, it was sweet and wrapped the story up nicely, but I would have liked to see a little more built around this part of the story, it felt somewhat thrown in at the end.

The fact that I had to keep going back to reread and make sure I was following the right storylines for the right people, prevented me from rating it higher, but I still overall enjoyed the story.

I wanted to like this book, but I had a hard time getting into it from the start. None of the characters pulled me in or made me want to keep going.

I always forget how much I love a family drama! This one is for fans of The Connellys of County Down, Mercury, Little Monsters, Marry the Ketchups… This one focused a lot on the cousins of the family, which I thought was a unique take on the genre. The death of their beloved grandfather finds the cousins reunited in Eulalia, Georgia. But an unexpected eulogy leaves the family in shock and confusion. As the cousins rally to make sense of it all and deal with their own dramas, we learn how important family is to one’s own healing. Cat Shook is absolutely a new favorite author! Thanks Celadon and NetGalley for this gifted copy.

I love a messy family drama that involves a large cast of characters. It took me awhile to get into this one. It had all the elements to be one of my fave books but it somehow fell flat. I didn’t really care about any of the characters enough to cheer them on. The major family drama that happens at grandpas funeral got me interested and then it just kind of petered out. I liked the fact that it took place in the south and the commentary about what southern life is. I also loved the reveal of the secret magnolia planter. I wish there
Was a bit more revealed about grandpa but otherwise, I enjoyed it.

When Gerry the family patriarch dies suddenly the Williams family comes together for his funeral. At Gerry’s funeral, Gerry’s best friend delivers one hell of a eulogy turns everyone upside down. The cousins reeling from the secrets revealed at the funeral are left to pick up the pieces. Delia is suffering through a recent heartbreak, and continuously talks about her ex. Delias sister Alice has a big secret that will change her life forever, and seeing her high school sweetheart isn’t making things any easier. Grant (who is coming off a reality tv high) spends his days peacocking around looking to get back with his ex who is getting married and is the sister of Alex’s ex. Rounding out the cousins is Red woh is Grants younger brother and is unsure of himself and lacks the confidence the other family members seem to possess. Red is also struggling with his sexuality and doesn’t fully understand how to work through his feelings. As the family all work through their own issues, they must also face the reality that the secrets that were revealed will change their family forever, but that change can be a good thing.

While this book could have been really good the author really irritated me with this desire to seem like she’s diverse so a couple of Black character is added in Alice ex., and his sister. Based on the character and the way they were written it comes across as “token” Black characters who are Black in skin color description only. You can clearly tell the author doesn’t truly hang around Black people or have Black people in her circle just based on her use of slang and she’s using the terms completely wrong, or with wrong words in the phrase. It comes off disingenuous and as a Black person was off putting. We don’t want diverse characters just for the sake of having a POC character! If you really don’t have diverse friends then just write what you know, but it’s more offensive when the character feels like a token.

Thank you Celadon and NetGalley for this ARC.

Funny, smart, nostalgic. I hugged this book when I was finished. I actually had a copy of the audiobook and went back and forth between print and audio--enjoyed both formats and loved how all the storylines dovetailed!

I love me some family drama, but I needed the foot on the brake here. Not the foot on the gas. There was A LOT going on and for such a short enough book too. I don't come from a large family, so it was hard to get into it and all of the drama and people. I thought the plot was great and liked the ending, but it took too long to settle down.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.

This was pretty good. The family drama was real and pretty typical when a loved one passed away. That was depicted nicely,

I enjoyed this debut however there are a plethora of characters featured here and it can be quite confusing. I did like the quirky and humorous family especially memorable characters such as Carol Anne & Grant.
I also loved Alice and Peter!
I recommend this for people who want a light hearted family saga.

I unfortunately could not get into this one. There was just too much going on. Too many characters and a very slow burn.

"If We're Being Honest" by Cat Shook offers a clever and original exploration of family dynamics in the aftermath of the sudden death of Gerry, the beloved Williams patriarch. The novel draws readers into the quirky and relatable world of the Williams family as they gather in Eulalia, Georgia, to cope with their grief and navigate their private dramas.

Shook's writing captures the essence of family relationships, showcasing the varied personalities of the cousins and their parents. The characters are well-developed, each dealing with their unique challenges and private struggles. The dynamics between Delia, Alice, Grant, and Red create a rich tapestry of emotions, and the author skillfully weaves their individual storylines together.

The funeral scene, where Gerry's best friend unexpectedly takes the stage to deliver the eulogy, sets the stage for a narrative that is both unexpected and engaging. The twists and turns in the plot keep readers guessing, and the exploration of secrets and hidden truths adds depth to the story.

The portrayal of small-town life and the watchful eyes of the community add an interesting backdrop to the family drama. Ellen, Gerry's widow, serves as a grounding force in the midst of chaos, and her character brings a touch of sweetness to the narrative.

While the novel successfully captures the complexity of family relationships and the impact of loss, it does have some shortcomings. The pacing, at times, feels uneven, with certain storylines receiving more attention than others. Some characters and subplots could have been further developed to enhance the overall depth of the narrative.

Despite its flaws, "If We're Being Honest" is an enjoyable read that reminds readers of the intricate and sometimes messy nature of family bonds. The clever and original approach to storytelling, coupled with well-crafted characters, makes this novel a solid three-star read. It may not break new ground in the genre, but it delivers an engaging and relatable exploration of love, grief, and the enduring ties that bind families together.

There is so much going on with this book and I felt it was hard to keep up with all the connections the characters had together.

Secrets and lies. Secrets and lies. If We're Being Honest by Cat Shook is a messy family drama that brings together the massive Williams family for a funeral and a wedding. It has many POVs, and it takes the readers in several directions. I'd recommend this for readers who like dramas like This Is Us.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this with me. All thoughts are my own.

As the large Williams family tries to figure out who is best suited to give the eulogy for Gerry, the family patriarch who has just passed away, long-buried secrets and simmering emotions are brought out into the open. A short time later the family comes together again in a better place.

I am not going to finish this book, I'm afraid, not at this time. I am up to chapter 3 and I have to say I don't get it ... at all. Perhaps one day I'll give it another look, but right now this book just is not for me. I can see there may be some humor intermixed between the pages, but at this point this book has not "grabbed" me.

This is a good family drama. I thought it was going to be more of a humorous look at the Williams family, but it was more serious than I anticipated. it's a sweet look at the family and each cousin's journey as they navigate the loss of their grandfather Gerry. I really liked this one, but I wanted to love it so 3.5 stars rounded up for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

This book tugged at my heart y'all. There were so many emotions from so many different characters. This book took me a bit to process. Honestly, my review still isn't that great. I apologize ahead of time.

This book was only 304 pages but could have easily been twice as long. It takes place over one week between Gerry's funeral and Rebecca's wedding. There are a lot of characters and each character is struggling with many different & strong emotions when trying to process and deal with the secret that was dropped at the funeral while they are also dealing with their own secrets and/or struggles.  It was a fairly emotionally heavy book. Keep that in mind when picking this book up.

I wish I could have read more from Ellen, the widow's, POV. I would have been interested to read what she was thinking and feeling. Especially since they were married 60 years.

Another Arctober read where I listened to the audio and read the ebook. IMO, there are too many characters for the audiobook. I needed to read and jot down relationships to keep the characters straight

Read this Book If:
You want to read a heat warming book but has a lot of family secrets
You like multi-POV
You like HEA for some of the characters in a book

A super fresh, fun read for fans of Jonathan Tropper’s “This is Where I Leave You.”

This story starts with a confession at a funeral, and every family member goes on a journey from there. I found this to be such a sweet, endearing story with a loose ending.

Normally this style of ending would bother me, but for the Williams family, it fit perfectly.

This would be a GREAT book to read for turkey day since it’s all about a family coming together under one roof.

If I’m going to read a character-driven novel, I’d prefer it be a family drama please! I just love books about big families— each person bringing their own dynamic. Maybe they’re not people who would be drawn to each other, but their familial love is behind their bonds.

This book, about a family that comes together after losing their patriarch, doesn’t disappoint! A big secret is revealed in the beginning, and the family members’ feelings about it are mixed with their grief. It adds some extra elements, and really takes the book to the next level.

Read this one if you read and loved ‘This Is Where I Leave You’ (or watched and loved the movie). Or if you’re a fan of family dramas in general. Or of novels based in small towns!