The second book from Tracey and it’s another hit! Contemporary fiction: a family dealing with struggles, going through the motions and eventually finding happiness. The real: a really amazingly easy and enjoyable read!

Tara, recently released from prison on a drug charge goes home to her sister, brother and nephew. Trying to regain her freedom in life while also trying to make new memories. Life is messy and The Connelly’s are no different, hoarding, traumatic brain injuries and Moms not in the picture. It’s life and it’s real.

I really enjoyed this read from Tracey. It was real, it was easy to get into and kept me reading and wanting to see what happened next. It was lifelike, I can completely see this happening in life and it showed struggles. I loved it and look forward to Tracey’s next book, this was definitely a winner! Four stars all the way!

📕Tracy Lange loves her family dramas with siblings on each other’s throats one day and fighting for each other against everyone out there the second. After the Brennans, now we have Connellys
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📗Tara, Geraldine, and Eddie were siblings, but they couldn’t be more different than each other. They always looked after each other with Geraldine being the mother hen. When Tara went to prison for trafficking drugs, family took another hit. But her return was more problematic than her departure
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📘I liked how little details were introduced as the story progressed which lead to the final misunderstanding. None of those were red herrings. Every single detail fell into its rightful place

The Connellys Of County Down is a very character driven and focuses on the family of the Connellys and the secrets they keep from each other and the others that know them. The book alternates between different narrators and this writing style flows smoothly and I didn’t have any issues with knowing which character perspective I was reading.

This book is all about family bonds and forgiveness. The Connellys of County Down is full of family secrets and features complex family relationships.

I did feel like the relationship between Tara and Brian, the detective that was involved in her arrest, was kind of quick to happen and didn't add much to the story more than bring some drama.

I wish there had been more written at the end about what happened with the other characters. The ending felt really quick and I would have liked a bit more at the end. This could have been written better for a more complete ending.

After reading her debut last year, I was so excited to read this one. And it didn’t disappoint! She has such unique writing, and you feel everything her characters feel. The story is addicting and impossible to put down. Love it!!

I loved this book! I will definitely recommend it. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Sentimental Family Drama

3.75 stars

The Connellys of County Down is a family drama about three siblings dealing with the aftermath of one of three being released from prison after serving 18 months for a drug-related crime.

This is a character-driven novel told through the voices of the Connelly siblings. Tara is the main character; her story and voice are the most compelling. After finishing this book, her character stayed in my head.

Tara’s mother created the myth of The Connellys of County Down, which plays a central role in Tara’s narrative. I really enjoyed the mythical element of the novel--it was unique and tied the three siblings together.

Also shared are the perspectives of Tara’s brother, Conner, and her older sister, Geraldine. Conner has a softer voice than Tara and Geraldine, but his narrative is interesting. Geraldine is annoying, but there is a reason why she is viewed this way. I found her narrative to be the least interesting.

In addition to the three siblings trying to navigate Tara’s return home, there is a romance and some drama. The romance didn’t quite work for me because it wasn’t wholly believable, especially in relation to some of the events towards the end.

This was a fast-paced read, and I was immersed from the start. However, I put this down at the 75% mark because I was anticipating something bad happening, and I was scared to see how things were going to play out. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that I was wrong. However, the cynic in me had a hard time grappling with the ending, but, in the end, my cold, cynical heart melted.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Celadon Books in exchange for an honest review.

If you’re looking for a good book with lots of family drama this is the one you want.
The Connellys of County Down by Tracey Lange
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book follows the story of Tara Connelly and her very close knit family in all its dysfunction. We’ve got the drug trafficking felon, the hoarder, the single dad with a brain disorder. Secrets are kept and guilt is heavy so somewhere things will boil over. Now add the arresting detective who makes things more complicated for them all.
Good stuff! I enjoyed this book very much. I loved the close siblings and their willingness to do whatever it takes to help each other out.
Thank you @celadonbooks for the gifted copy.

3.5 Rounded Up.

I received an advanced copy of The Connellys of County Down by Tracey Lange from the publisher Celadon Books via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

What It’s About: Tara Connelly has just been released from prison and she is trying to rebuild her life and never again go back to prison after serving eighteen months. With no money and no prospects, Tara has to return to live with her siblings. Her brother Eddie is a single dad who lives with the chronic impacts of a brain injury from years ago. While her older sister is struggling with maintaining the household and the difficulties of a promotion, leading to the burden of more and more secrets. To make matters more confusing, the cop who put her in jail keeps appearing.

What I Loved: If you love family dramas, this book will scratch that itch. I really felt like I was in familiar territory and was somewhere I knew. This vibe of an Irish community that is closely interconnected. I found this narrative compelling and I wanted to know what was going on. The book has enough plot and complex dynamics to satisfy a fan of the genre.

What I Didn’t Like: I found some of the plotlines challenging. I found the romance inappropriate and I found the way Tara’s sister treated her and behaved really terribly. I found that the growth of her siblings was underwhelming and that this ultimately deterred me buying into Tara’s growth.

Who Should Read It: People who are looking for a compelling family drama.

Summary: After being released from prison, Tara must get her life together in the midst of family dysfunction.

Would like to start off by saying Thank You so very much, Macmillan Audio, for allowing me the opportunty to listen to this audiobook. I have found a new Auto Buy Author who I will be adding to my list.

Barrie Kreinik did an amazing job with narration. Her voice pulled me in, head first, and created the ultimate experience. You can have the best story, but if you can't connect with the narrator, it just won't work, at least not for me. Can't tell you all, how much I enjoyed this book.

This family may seem to some, as if they have deep, heavy issues but when you dive in and peek behind the curtain, it all changes. I fell in love with them. I think each of us can relate to the family dynamic in some way. The chips are down and they come together. They are loyal, supportive and the way the story unfolded was captivating. Ended really well and made me want to get in the car and go home with them.

Tara is the main character and we travel thru the story with her, most of the time. We dive into the other siblings every so often and they are all an integral part of the story. You could feel their emotions, as if you were going thru each motion with them. It was so well written and I look forward to the next book by Tracey Lange!

Highly recommend this book. And, suggest you go with the audiobook.

4.25 stars. The Connellys of County Down is the perfect read for someone looking for some well developed characters and a little family drama. I so enjoyed following along with Tara Connelly's story after she is released from a year and a half in prison. She was an easy character to root for, although sometimes I just wanted everyone to talk and get their secrets out in the open! This book had a little romance, a little mystery, and lots of family secrets. I so enjoyed the love and loyalty the three Connelly siblings had for each other and how despite the adversity they each faced, they stuck together and supported each other. Highly recommend!

Another great novel by Tracey Lange, she tells such great family stories. I was rooting for Tara as she got back to normal life after serving her time in prison. I always love a story with strong sibling bonds.

I jumped into this book with high expectations and settled right in feeling totally fulfilled within the first few pages. The writing is exactly what I want in a book; succinct, raw & paced perfectly. The characters are flawed but fully developed and interesting. I felt equal parts stressed, compassionate, frustrated, sympathetic and fascinated throughout the entire book. This is a great follow up to her debut novel & I can’t wait to see what she does next.

This is a pretty interesting story about three siblings - The Connellys - and the adversities they had to face after losing their parents at a young age. It starts with Tara, one of the sisters, leaving prison, and from there it tells us everything that happened in the past that led up to her even going to prison in the first place. The story is very interesting and goes beyond a strong sibling bond.

I loved this book! I will definitely recommend it. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Thank you to Net Galley for this free advance copy of The Connellys of CountyDown in exchange for a honest review.This is such a well written family drama that centers around three adult siblings- Geraldine, Eddie and Tara Connelly.Tara Connelly has just been released from prison on Long Island for transporting drugs for drug dealer Roland Shea.Brian Nolan and his uncle Hank have been trying to catch him but he remains elusive and Tara is collateral damage. Eddie suffered a brain injury as a child when his car stealing father crashed a car and vanished leaving oldest sister Geraldine to pick up the pieces and keep the family together.Geraldine has problems of her own .When Tara went to jail Geraldine developed a hoarding program and now is behind in her work putting her job and Tara’s freedom in jeopardy..Throw in some romance and this book has it all.Read the book and find out what happens next.Lots of action and intrigue.

4.5 stars. I really loved the author's first book so was very excited to get a chance to read this book as ARC. The author excels at writing about families with secrets and troubles. I wasn't as compelled to keep reading this story as I was with the first but when I was reading it I was drawn in to the drama. It took me a lot longer to finish than I expected given how quickly I devoured her first book. I really enjoy her writing style and I look forward to future books.

When Tara Connelly is released from prison after serving 18 months, she returns home to her siblings, who are both dealing with struggles of their own. As Tara begins to rebuild her life, family secrets begin to unravel and threaten her future, along with her siblings'.

This book reminded me a lot of Tracey Lange’s previous book, We Are the Brennans, which was one of my favorite reads of May! Both are centred around families and siblings who have very complex relationships yet, at the end of the day, always support one another.

Although I liked reading about the Connelly family drama and seeing each sibling’s character growth, I didn’t feel as invested in these characters as I did with the Brennans. Despite not being my favorite of the two, I still enjoyed it.

Thank you to Celadon Books for sending a copy!

Tara Connelly is released from prison after completing her sentence for drug trafficking. Her sister is supposed to pick her up, but doesn't show. The cop who helped put her away shows up unexpected to drive her home.

Her brother is a single dad with a brain injury. And while her sister acts like she has it all together, she is a hoarder and is struggling at work.

To move forward, the family has to come clean about a lot of secrets.

I really loved this one. I became very invested in their story. Each character had their own unique voice.

An absorbing and moving novel with dysfunctional family relationships taking center stage. Tara is getting out of jail, and returning home to her sister, Geraldine, her brother, Eddie and nephew, Conor. When they were young, their mother died of cancer and their criminally minded father left them, leaving Geraldine in charge of Tara and Eddie. That early trauma shaped their relationship to each other, and contributed to why Tara did time. Now that she is out of jail, Tara has to rebuild her life, and the way she interacts with her family. There are some nail biting moments as mistakes are made and truths are told. I really enjoyed this one, and recommend highly. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

This was one of my most anticipated reads this year, as I loved the Brennans so much, and it didn’t disappoint.

Lange is so good a weaving interesting family stories with unlikely hero’s.

Like the Brennans, the a Connelly’s follows a young female family member upon her release from prison but with a vastly different story line.

I really liked Tara and enjoyed her relationships with her brother and nephew so much. The dynamics with her hoarder sister kept the story interesting and felt true to their characters.

The romance sub-plot got to me a bit, and felt a little out of place, but ended up working in the end. I wish they had a bit more backstory to make it feel more real though.

Can’t wait to see what Lange comes out with next as I’m sure I’ll love it too.