This book had the best beginning that I have read in quite some time. With just one sentence, this author has me as putty in her hands. The death of the family patriarch is unexpected and the big surprise in the eulogy starts this book out with a bang. The family dynamic was unique with layers of family and relationships with varying levels of dysfunction throughout. There are neighbors that have become like family through the years that are also thrown into the mix as well.

The first thing I really notice about this book is that there is so much complexity in the depth of the characters and their relationships. Many of the issues have been going on for quite some time and have been unresolved, but will definitely receive attention and focus as the family deals with loss of their patriarch. I did struggle a bit with the amount of characters and it was hard at first to figure out who everyone was, however it did make sense when all the pieces come together. The ending was extremely well done. I was really astonished at the strength in this debut. Thanks for the ARC, NetGalley.

Terrific debut novel: I can’t wait to read what author Cat Shook writes next. This story slams you with a big surprise from the very beginning and never lets up. Gerry, the beloved eighty-two-year-old patriarch of one of Eulalia, Georgia’s oldest families, has just died, and like all families, his is full of interesting – or maybe eccentric or just plain weird would be better – characters, which means there are reasons that nobody – not his wife, Ellen, or his children JJ, Wilma and Carol Anne, or JJ’s wife Jennifer, or his grandchildren Alice, Grant, Delia, and Red – is quite right to deliver the eulogy. So that task falls to Gerry’s long-time friend Fred. Fred is obviously grieving, more than a bit inebriated, stumbles to the podium, and silences the entire church with three words. Being a small town, though, people are not silenced for long. So the Williams family – each and every member dealing with issues, problems, relationships, wants, desires, longings, regrets, anger, fear, sorrow of their own – is left reeling, trying to figure out what the heck just happened, what will happen next, what do they want to happen, all while living in a small town where not only does everyone know your name, they know your business and have no qualms prying, questioning, commenting or advising about it.

Not all of the Williams clan are likeable; some of them are prickly, peculiar, positively annoying, but they are all very, very interesting. Throw in Carol Anne’s boyfriend Robert, Delia’s ex Connor and off-limits or ex-romantic interests neighbors Peter and Rebecca and you have a book full of secrets and dilemmas and predicaments that will keep you engrossed from beginning to end.

If We’re Being Honest may be fiction but it feels real. You cringe at things people do because it feels familiar and you ache or feel joy at things that happen to them. You smile at the disasters all around this unusual group of people but also wish them the very best. A very enjoyable read that I recommend without hesitation. Thanks to Celadon Books for allowing me to be a Celadon Reader and providing an advance copy of If We’re Being Honest for my reading pleasure and honest opinion. I am voluntarily leaving this review; all opinions are my own.

Thank you Celadon and NetGalley for the ARC and ALC of If We're Being Honest! All opinions in this review are my own.

What a debut! From the opening chapter of this book, I was drawn in! If We're Being Honest accurately depicts how learning secrets about family members can vastly change the dynamics within the family, especially when this is also coupled with grief.

Even though there are quite a few characters in this novel, I didn't find it difficult to differentiate between them. I listened to the audiobook and was a little nervous when the family tree was being read, but each character had their own story to tell.

If We're Being Honest is such an engrossing read and I can't wait to read the next book from Cat Shook!

*3.5⭐ rounded up*

A family drama that opens somber with a funeral and a secret revealed. This debut novel reminded me a lot of my family. My grandfather passed last year, there was no secret revealed, but the family dynamic is very similar to the Williams'. I really enjoyed the story and characters. The audiobook was very well done and the narrator was wonderful!

*Thank you @celadonbooks for the egalley and audiobook in exchange for an honest review.*

The only bad thing about this being Cat Shook's first book is that there's no backlist to explore by this author, and I loved her writing style so much I don't want to wait for more. This multigenerational family story is thoughtful, funny, bittersweet at times, and feels really intimate as we follow along with the Williams family in the aftermath of the death and funeral of patriarch Gerry. Each family member is bringing their own personal drama and baggage to the funeral, and they probably had to pay overage fees for all they are carrying. I really appreciated that there's a solid arc to the story without it wrapping up in a neat little package, feeling very true to life. The small town Southern setting is vivid, with nosy characters very interested in the family's situation. The varied perspectives and storylines made this a really quick read.

Happy Pub Day Review! I am loving all the family sagas hitting the shelves lately and you definitely need to add this one to your TBR!

The Williams family is gathering together in a small town in Georgia to grieve the loss of their patriarch, Gerry. There’s a shocking eulogy that sends Gerry’s wife, children, and grandchild into a tailspin. I loved this cast of characters! It was a struggle at first to keep them all straight but over time there is so much character development that made it easier. What a heartwarming and relatable family saga! I loved the exploration of grief displayed in each of the characters and the depiction of changing dynamics that is always evolving in the family system. This gave me Family Stone vibes mixed with Hello Beautiful and I am really going to miss the Williams Family. What a beautiful debut and I can’t wait to read more from Cat Shook!

Thank you @netgalley and @celadonbooks for the early copy!

4 stars!

3.5 rounded up. While you expect this to have a heavy tone, it’s surprisingly light. Perhaps too light at times, everything seems surprisingly easy for every character, but it’s also a refreshing change of pace. It was hard at first to keep track of all the characters and I didn’t love how it would transition from POVs, but I did like this cast and was rooting for them all.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

There was something about the cover and the blurb for this book that made me want to read it and I am glad that I did. Gerry Williams, patriarch of the Williams family, dies suddenly and the children and grandchildren come back to small town Georgia for the funeral. When Gerry's best friend delivers a shocking eulogy, the family has to deal with the fallout and grief. Both the children and grandchildren have issues that they are working through in the week that they are in Georgia between the funeral for Gerry and the wedding of one of the neighbors that they all grew up with.

There is a big cast of characters here with children, grandchildren, neighbors and townspeople mixed in. To sum this book up: it is really a week in the life of a family with point of view changes often between family members. Unresolved issues between spouses, children and childhood crushes bubble to the surface and are dealt with, sometimes well and sometimes not. There was quite a bit of humor sprinkled in and I laughed out loud a few times. I appreciated that the ending didn't tie everything up neatly in a bow--just like life, there are beginnings and endings and sometimes you just have to agree to disagree and move on. This isn't really my usual type of read but I really enjoyed it.

When Gerry Williams dies unexpectedly, his children and grandchildren, gather at the family home in Eulalia,Georgia to say goodbye. His best friend Fred gives the eulogy and exposes a secret that his widow Ellen and the whole family will try to accept.(Note to self: do not leave a huge, dark secret that can be exposed at your funeral.) While the family grieves, and tries to decide if Fred was telling the truth, all the members of this family are dealing with their own issues, and trying to properly mourn a man who hid a large part of himself from all of them.
There were an awful lot of characters in this family, and it took me a bit to remember who was who. I’m from a super small family, so these types of large family saga‘s with a ton of secrets, but also a lot of love are honestly strange to me. However, as I got deeper into the story, I did want to know what would happen to certain characters. For the most part, I felt like each plot was wrapped up adequately, but I still had more than one question that was left unanswered. I suppose it would be reaching to think that such a diverse group of people with so much drama surrounding them could manage to have a tidy ending. Real life rarely works that way, so why would I think it would work that way in a book? Just wishful thinking I suppose.
If you enjoy character driven stories that make you think, If We’re Being Honest does show the power of family at their best and worst. 3.5 stars.

When Gerry, beloved father and grandfather, dies his family is forever changed. At his funeral a bombshell is delivered that changes his family’s perception of who he was. As they all grapple with their grief can they find comfort in each other?

Y’all I really liked this one. I grew up in Georgia so this felt a little like home. I love a good family drama and this did not disappoint. Despite the funeral this one is kept fairly light-hearted. My only complaint - the amount of characters! I made myself a family tree elementary school style so I could keep everyone straight 😂. I also received this one on audiobook from netgalley and was equally as impressed in that format. Pick this one up today!

“This is a complicated situation. It’s okay to have complicated feelings about it.”

A shocking revelation at the funeral of Gerry, the patriarch of the Williams family, sets in motion a series of events that changes a family forever.

This was a very character driven story that I quite enjoyed. There are a lot of characters here..children and grandchildren and nieces and siblings. So in that respect I don’t think I ever had a full grasp of each individual character and their relationship to the rest. But I enjoyed the dynamics between them all, and the truths and honesty that came out between them over the course of the book.

The audiobook was done very well, with different cadences for some of the characters making it a tad bit easier to follow along when there are so many.

The book ended on such a high note and tied the story together so nicely. If you like character driven stories or peeking inside the dynamics of large families then I think you will enjoy this one.

Thank you to Netgalley, Celadon Books, and the author for the #gifted ARC and ALC.

If We’re Being Honest is a week in the life of the large Williams family. It begins with Gerry’s funeral and a shocking revelation that his best friend reveals during the eulogy. What follows is a week with this family sorting through their feelings about Gerry, about each other, and about the future.

I loved this book’s premise. I felt like the secrets and unspoken things were front and center for the Williams family. I also loved the title. This book is about secrets coming to light, and they’re revealed one at a time as the book progresses. This is a very ambitious book that tries to give each family member a voice, but that is where it may not be super successful.

Shook’s characters are diverse, but I felt there was not enough focus, so opportunities were missed to give a few characters a deeper look. I would have loved to see more from Ellen’s perspective as I felt she was one of the most interesting characters in the book, though she’s also very quiet and closed-off.

My biggest problem with this book is that so many problems could have been solved with open communication. But perhaps that is the point. This bothered me the most in the Alice/Peter relationship. Yes, they’re in a complicated situation, but I felt too much time was spent on them when their problems could have easily been resolved in a single short conversation. The same is true of Jennifer and JJ.

Ultimately, I liked how this book shows the complexity of keeping secrets within family relationships, but also still being a good person. I think it’s worth a read.

If We're Being Honest has so many characters. If I'm being honest, I would say that the large number of characters just didn't grab me. I didn't love the drama. I'm sure this will be a 5 star book for someone else, just not for me.

The story started out with a bang by the unexpected announcement made at a funeral. Sadly, the children and grandchildren didn't keep my interest in their lives.

This book was overwhelming with the number of characters and points of view. Yet, it was underwhelming when it came to the content itself.

The book started with grandpa's funeral. Grandpa's best friend Fred gives the eulogy, and drunkenly announces that he and grandpa were lovers and the loves of each other's lives. The book then follows grandma, the three adult children and four adult grandchildren in the week after the funeral, as they grapple with their grief, shock, and their own personal problems.

I liked the idea of this book. However, the fact that there were eight POV's made it impossible to follow or get to know the characters in any real depth. Since the book takes place over a relatively short period of time, the focus is more on the characters themselves. The problem is that with so many of them, you didn't get to know any of them very well, and I found myself not particularly caring about any of them in particular.

This book has prompted me to declare a "family drama" subgenre called "funeral fall-out." Not that all the books included here need to begin at a funeral, but the stories deal with the aftermath of a death, usually with dramatic ramifications. Examples are things like extra children, extra families, odd bequests, inheritances going not as planned, oh and finding out your father was gay and in a long-term relationship with his business partner. That last one is what faces the Williams' family when Gerry dies. I have to tell you, other than never ever wanting to hear the name "Connor" again and probably needing to leave the room whenever Carol Anne opened her mouth, I loved these super flawed super human characters. Each of them trying to deal with the loss of Gerry while also their own internal turmoil and those lovely family dynamics made for a book I didn't want to put down. I read an arc and I hope the published copy includes a family tree because keeping track of the many characters was difficult and it took a long time for me to be able to put each of them in their place within the family without stopping to figure it out.

IF WE'RE BEING HONEST is the debut by Cat Shook and the audio is narrated by Kathleen McInerney.

This is an extended family drama that kicks off at the funeral of the Patriarch, Gerry. The three kids of Gerry and Ellen Williams and the four adult grandkids are all there when the eulogy goes off the rails and rattles the entire family. With a wedding of close friends in a week, the family are all together processing the revelations which spur on deeper conversations within this clan. Finding a way to move forward is the challenge that they all must meet.

Coming from a large and close extended family, this was a story that had some familiar idiosyncrasies. I loved the cousin connections as they felt authentic. It was a lot of drama to keep track of, but that also felt real.

This story definitely had its moments of crazy. I did enjoy each of the character's wrestling with what to do with the information they received and whether it mattered going forward. They each had personal growth challenges that had to come up against grief and reframing what they though they knew. I appreciated the bittersweet moments that closed out this story as well.

I listened to this audio as well as followed the digital ARC and that may be an additional reason why it was not hard for me to follow. McInerney did a great job differentiating between characters. I do believe that in the final printed version, it would benefit more readers to have a family tree, however.

I think there were a lot of really great moments in this story. After reading several powerful family dramas lately, this one did not have the deeper powerful emotions that I expected. This would be a perfect choice for readers looking for a lighter family drama with a bit of sass!

⭐⭐⭐💫

Thank you to @celadonbooks for the @netgalley digital ARC and audio ALC! I truly love having both and this was a delight. This title will be available on April 18th!

I love this southern family drama that starts with a funeral and a secret and ends with a wedding and new beginnings. The soap opera of this entire family was just the right amount of drama. I loved the ending and the secret of the magnolia trees that were planted around the neighborhood was such a sweet touch.

Ok - I agree with reviews that there are a ton of characters and it is hard to keep track at first, but I didn’t find that to be confusing for long. The big reveal happens right at the beginning of the book, and it’s a good one! I really liked all the characters and though the author had a really interesting writing style and way of telling each story individually while connecting all together. And yes, I teared up once or twice. The chapters are SO long, which isn’t usually my thing, but I didn’t mind it here! It’s a yes from me!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in return for an honest review.

We are introduced at the beginning to the Williams family, gathered in Eulalia, Georgia for 82 year-old Gerry Williams’ funeral. There are a lot of characters (Gerry’s wife, children, grandchildren, business partner, friends and neighbors), and they are introduced quickly. The author moved from one to another fairly quickly and with such a cursory introduction, it was hard to place each character later.

At the funeral, a secret is revealed and I thought the book would center more on the betrayal each person felt. However, it turned into a story of drama queens, sibling rivalry and animosity unrelated to the big secret. Unfortunately, the book just didn’t work for me. There were maybe one or two characters that I felt a slight connection to (Gerry’s wife and one of his daughters). As for the remaining characters, they never seemed to mature either. Gerry’s children were middle-aged and still obsessed with their high school heydays. Their children are in their 20’s and 30’s, and can’t seem to move on from the past either. They spend one night drinking in the back of a pick-up, talking about their high school days.

There was a great ending, but at over 300 pages it wasn't worth the time it took to get there.

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What a great book! I really enjoyed this book. I'm so glad that I got the chance to read it early and will definitely be recommending it to multiple people who enjoy these types of novels! I enjoyed the characters and enjoyed the writing by this author. I'm excited to see what the author comes out with next as I'll definitely be reading it! Thank you to the publisher for my early copy of this book