Well, congratulations, Connellys. You are a normal, healthy, screwed-up family.
from The Connellys of County Down

The Connelly siblings had come to a therapist. They shared their story. The brother Eddie was a teenager when he suffered a head injury that has left him with debilitating headaches and blackouts. He is raising his son whose mother is a party girl and addict. The oldest is Geraldine, who at eighteen assumed the role as head of the family after their mother’s death; she is a control freak and hoarder. And the youngest, Tara, is a felon.

Tara wouldn’t tell who put the drugs in the car she was driving, and went to jail for eighteen months. Her arresting officers included a man who has regrets about how it all came down, and becomes unduly involved with Tara’s life.

Now Tara is back home, remaking her life. The siblings love each other, but Geraldine resents Tara’s upsetting influence on her tightly run ship. And at work, she has assumed too much responsibility, unable to delegate. She is making very bad decisions, and it may lead to Tara returning to jail.

Their mother told them a story when they were growing up, a fairy tale of three siblings each with special powers that allowed them to save each other. In reality, Tara had saved Eddie, took care of Eddie’s son Conor, and is prepared to save Geraldine, too. It’s time for her siblings to assume responsibility for themselves.

I so enjoyed this story with its great characters and deep heart.

Thanks to the publisher for a free book.

This book is a pleasure to read. It paints a vivid picture of a loving, yet dysfunctional family. Each character is drawn so well, you can almost imagine being a member of the Connelly family.

Tara is just released from prison after serving an 18-month sentence for drug trafficking. Her brother, Eddie, is a single father who is suffering the sequelae of a traumatic brain injury. The oldest sibling, Geraldine, suffers from anxiety, probably brought on by having to care for her younger siblings when their mother died and their father took off. It will take some truth telling and confrontation of past events to bring this broken family back together.

This book is equal parts surprising, disconcerting and very clever. It is so intricately plotted that you can’t look away. I absolutely loved it.

Thank you, NetGalley and Celadon Books for this 5-star read. This book will hit the shelves on August 1, 2023.

We Are the Brennans was one of my favorite books of the year and I couldn't wait to read this follow up from Tracey Lange. Fingers crossed there are many more books to come. It took me longer to feel like I "knew" these characters compared to Lange's debut, and they felt a little caricature-ish in the beginning. But I felt I came to know the Connolly siblings by the middle and was rooting SO HARD for them to get their happy endings. The book within a book was a bonus.

Tara Connelly is just getting out of prison after serving 18 months on a minor drug charge. She’s 30 years old, has no money, and knows that getting a job won’t be easy with a felony on her record. She moves home with her older sister Geraldine, her brother Eddie, and her nephew Connor. Getting back on her feet is a struggle, and her siblings are going through some problems of their own. Things are about to get really complicated, and they will need to pull together to get through it all.

I loved this family drama about sibling love, family loyalty, and second chances. Tara, Geraldine, and Eddie shared a difficult upbringing and they are closely bonded. All of the characters are complex and flawed in their own way, yet they are so sympathetic and endearing that I just wanted to hug them and tell them things would work out. Even when Tara makes questionable choices, her motivations are so unselfish that I never thought badly of her. The author does such a fantastic job of developing deep, nuanced characters, especially Tara’s older sister Geraldine. The budding romances were woven into the plot perfectly, and the story arc was perfectly paced with very satisfying resolutions for each of the siblings.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Celadon Books for providing me an advance copy of this book.

I devoured this book! Tracey Lange is a master at writing about family dynamics and her newest novel is a perfect example of that! The Connellys of County Down centers around Tara Connelly, and her 2 siblings, who been through thick and thin together. After reading the book’s description, I knew it would be a subject that would hold my attention, I was absolutely glued to my kindle for the entire duration! This book has the perfect balance of a well executed storyline and fantastic character development—the entire novel played out like a movie in my mind! I really enjoyed that she delved so deep into each character- so much so that you feel as if you know them in real life! The Connellys of County Down is a 5 star novel that will definitely be on my 2023 favorites list! I highly recommend this book to everyone!

4.5 stars!
This family drama sucked me in from the first page and kept me hooked the whole time. I loved the relationships between the siblings and especially loved the relationship Tara had with Conor.

Each of the characters were so special and heartwarming. I loved seeing Tara put her life slowly back together and have support as she does it. There were also interesting portrayals of mental health in this book that I enjoyed. I love when an author takes on harder topics like that with their characters.

Some things felt a little repetitive like the fairy tales or the TBI, and at times some of the characters were very unlikable (I’m looking at you Geraldine) but overall this was a super fun and fast paced read!

THE CONNELLYS OF COUNTY DOWN will be included in my top reads of the year, easily. I loved this book so much I couldn’t put it down. It’s the quickest I’ve read a book in a really long time. It look me less than 24 hours!

If you loved WE ARE THE BRENNANS, I bet you’ll also love this book. Between you and me, I really enjoyed The Connelly’s more.

Lange has a talent for writing dysfunctional characters and families, all while having the reader root for them until the very last page. Despite their flaws, you can’t help but relate to the complex and messy lifestyle the Connellys have. No, I don’t relate to them exactly as to why they are so dysfunctional, but I understand them from a familial level.

There are quite a few characters, but not too many you’ll feel overwhelmed. Lange eases readers into relationships, making it very easy to understand where each character stands with one another. The love this family has is undeniable, even if their conversations don’t mirror that. Because of this, it tugged at my heartstrings for the Connelly’s.

THE CONNELLYS OF COUNTY DOWN has a little bit of romance, family trauma, secrets, and much more. I highly recommend picking this one up.

Big thank you to Celadon and Netgalley for the ARC! You can get your copy on August 1.

Content warnings: drug trafficking, death, cancer, mental illness

"The most honest words didn't have to be loud or dramatic to cut deep." Fabulous book! I haven't read @tracey_lange first novel, "We are the Brennans", but I do have it and am moving it further up the list. I adored "TheConnellysofCountyDown". It was painful to read at times, as Tara navigates her way "home" after a fairly short stint in prison, trying to stay on the parolee side of the law (tougher than I imagined). Her family, while supportive, has some resentments, that have little to do with her incarceration. I didn't much care for Geraldine, although her backstory gives some understanding as to why she's the way she is. Watching her crumble was tough, especially when she proceeds to take others down with her. Fear drives these people. I raced through the final quarter of the book, and was completely taken in - the rest of the world simply faded away until I came up for air. Highly, highly recommend.

P.S. thanks to #netgalley for the ARC.

Another fantastic book by Tracey Lange! I loved We are the Brennans, so I was thrilled when I saw a new book was coming out - thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Tara is a woman who has been in prison for 18 months for a drug charge. She is being released on the day the novel opens, and she is let down when her family (brother Eddie and sister Geraldine) doesn’t show to pick her up. The detective who arrested her miraculously shows up and drives her home. Tara has to get used to life outside of prison again, along with following her parole rules. What will happen next??

I loved this book. It was so easy to read. Characters are well written and fleshed out. I love how the story unfolded though there are definite ethical questions raised on my end. I loved Tara’s spirit and the family love that was evident throughout the novel. These kids, now adults, survived by taking care of each other over everything, but they lost their way. I loved how the novel brought them all back together. Eddie and Geraldine’s side stories were really good!

If you liked We are the Brennans, I think you’ll like this one too! Definitely pick it up when it comes out.

Two things I love in a good book is rich, full character development and a good look at family dynamics- why does a character say or do what they do? How does their behavior shift as they interact with others?

Tracey Lange brought those characteristics to We Are the Brennans and she is back at it again with The Connellys of County Down. I fully enjoyed the book and look forward to reading whatever else this author writes!

I absolutely loved Tracey Lange’s debut We are the Brennans last year. It was one of my favorite reads, as I enjoyed the way all the POVs flowed together. When Celadon sent me an ARC of her newest release The Connellys of County Down, I immediately dropped everything to read it.

Tara Connelly has just spent 18months in prison for drug trafficking. With no money or job, Tara is back in her family home with her siblings and her nephew. While her brother Eddie and nephew are happy to have her back, Tara’s sister Geraldine isn’t happy to have her ex-con sister back in the house. For Geraldine, order is paramount, and Tara’s brand of disorder is anxiety enduring for Geraldine. In order to weave herself back into the family all three siblings, not just Tara, will need to face secrets they’ve long been hiding.

While I didn’t love the Connelly’s as much as I did The Brennans, Lange did a fantastic job of creating another complex and flawed family dynamic. Alternating between the three siblings and Tara’s arresting officer Brain, I loved the way Lange slowly told the stories of each character and felt that all of them were equally developed. Even though Geraldine gave me so much anxiety, I felt connected too each character in different ways and really rooted for them. Even our secondary characters (Tara’s employers) and Connor were nicely developed and really enhanced the story. Tara’s employers in particular I loved.

There is a slight romance aspect to the story, which I felt was well done and didn’t over shadow the larger story about family.

Tracey Lange is quickly becoming one of my auto buy authors. She’s a master at weaving both inspiring and real stories of families together. I that she focuses on themes of family loyalty, forgiveness, and sibling bonds. I can’t wait to be a part of the next family she writes about!


The Connellys of County Down comes out August 1. Huge thank you to s for Celadon Books my advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion. If you liked this review please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my instagram @speakingof.books.

Tracey Lange writes some of the best family drama stories. I instantly fell in love with her work after reading We are the Brennans, and her sophomore novel The Connellys of County Down equally delivered.

Tara Connelly is recently released from prison, after serving an eighteen months for a drug charge. She earnestly wants to rebuild her life and mend fences with her two siblings. Her brother, who is a single dad, struggles with the ongoing effects of a sustained traumatic brain injury, and her sister has her own personal demons that slowly come to light. Having a prison record has shattered all hope of returning to the life she has pre-prison, but she finally lands a job that suits her. To make matters more complicated, her begins to develop a romantic connection with an unexpected man. Connelly family secrets begin to bubble to the surface, and now these three siblings must confront their greatest fears if they ever want to heal their relationship.

Read if you like
-Family drama
-Everyone has a secret
-Redemption stories

I loved We Are the Brennans, so I was thrilled to jump into a new family drama and it did not disappoint! I immediately was drawn to Tara’s character, especially the more we found out about her motivations throughout the book. The themes of love and sacrifice amongst family were powerful and well done.

Thank you for this ARC! I just loved this book. I was so excited to see Tracey Lange had written a second book because I also loved her first. This story is just as charming and heartwarming. It follows the Connelly family through a particularly difficult period of time and is filled with forgiveness and redemption. It reads fairly easily and I couldn't put it down. Definitely a great book for summer vacation, especially if you want a little more substance.

I loved We Are the Brennans so getting a chance to review this one was a no brainer. This story is focused on the Connellys:

Tara - an ex prisoner settling back in at home while adjusting to her new normal.
Eddie - a single father with a traumatic brain injury trying to make it through the day.
Geraldine - the one who kept the family together but has her own issues hiding just below the surface.

This book was another perfect family drama that really showcased how far one is willing to go for their siblings. It’s a little slow moving at first but still engaging enough to make you keep turning the pages. There were some great reveals along the way - some I predicted and some I did not; however just like her first book, you just want to hug this entire family. Tara is so loveable as a MC you can’t help but root for her the entire way.

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for this eARC!

3.5 stars**

"The Connellys of County Down" is my first novel by Tracey Lange, and I definitely look forward to enjoying her first book. She creates engaging characters from the get-go, and carefully peels back layer after layer until we understand them better. In this case, it's the Connelly family of Port Chester, New York.

Tara, the youngest, is getting out of prison where she served an eighteen-month sentence for dealing drugs. She shares the sagging family home with her brother and sister, one of whom she expects to pick her up. No one's there but the cop who arrested her.. We soon learn how she ended up in jail, how her brother ended up with a traumatic brain injury and how her older sister becomes a hoarder. The depths of trauma they have suffered is heart-rending, but I never doubted for an instant that everything would work out.

Is that a flaw in this novel? I think it is. Here was a great opportunity to dig deep into the family's past and for Tara, Eddie, and Geraldine to find real understanding. The ending comes very quickly, and ties everything up too neatly.

Tracey Lange definitely has a gift for writing and characterization, and I look forward to seeing her build more depth in her stories.

Many thanks to Celedon Books and NetGalley for a digital review copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I interrupted the book I had been reading for this one and I read it in two days. The book begins with Tara Connelly being released from prison. She was in for drug trafficking, but it is clear that there is more to the story. The officer who helped put Tara in jail ends up driving her home, where her sister, brother, and nephew live. There is some tension between the siblings, whose mother died and father left them after an accident resulted in Eddie, Tara's brother, living with traumatic brain injury . The siblings' difficult childhood has affected their adult lives, and they must acknowledge and overcome some of their behaviors to keep their family together.

I received a free e-arc of this book through Netgalley.
This book is about siblings who have had crappy childhoods and have managed to stay together and keep going as a family, but they aren't always honest with each other. The book starts with Tara getting out of prison, and it just gets better from there. I found myself caring a lot about each of the main characters and their relationships. It ended before I was ready to say goodbye to them. An enjoyable read.

This is a heartfelt and honest portrayal of a family consisting of three siblings who each struggle with a plethora of issues but ultimately rely on each other to survive. The main character, Tara, is released from prison after serving a drug charge and she must reacclimatize to life outside and a whole host of unresolved, familial issues. The result is a family drama with some suspense and mystery, making it both well-written and entertaining.

Solid family drama about three siblings, two sisters and a brother, one of whom has just been released from prison after serving time for a drug charge. Each of the siblings has been affected by their traumatic childhoods but start to work through their issues and the secrets they have been keeping from each other. The writing is very easy to read and I was kept engaged. The main character was likeable and the relationships between the flawed siblings were well developed. I did think that the ending wrapped up the plot lines too quickly and could have been stronger. Some of the issues in the novel could have been more deeply explored (e.g., brain injury, hoarding addiction). Overall, a good family drama read.

Thanks to Celadon Books for this complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.