I mentioned The Connellys Of County Down with the Tuesday releases but wanted to give it a special shoutout as well. I loved it as much as We Are The Brennans. It is a family drama but you’ve got likable characters and a family who truly love each other. And her new cover isn’t hard on the eyes either. Gorgeous! Stop by The Depot this weekend to pick up a copy or message me to order. You’ll want both books. Trust me!

I have not read 'We Are The Brennans' and it wasn't particularly on my radar but when I read the description of 'The Connellys of County Down', I immediately knew I would like it. I like stories about the complexity of life, particularly in regards to family life and the impact that outside dynamics (work, friends, other relationships,etc.) has on it. Tara, Eddie and Geraldine have a storied past, one for which the blueprint seems to have already been cast. However, as the future unfolds it seems their destiny might be altered, maybe even for the better. I guess the final outcome of this novel was predictable, but some of the reveals along the way surprised me. I give this book a four-star rating. Thanks to NetGalley and Celadon Books for providing a 'Read Now' copy for me to dive into. I recommend you read this book now and I intend to read 'We Are The Brennans'.

I enjoyed the dynamics of this book, but it was almost too similar to We Are the Brennans for me. It's a great story for someone looking for a book about someone's second chance/second act in life.

I can’t remember the last time I stayed up too late to finish a book. But this one did it. I loved the story line, the characters, the drama and the love. A broken family and broken characters, who despite it all love one another. And will literally do anything for each other. I spent the entire book rooting for a happy ending, for everyone in the book. And can’t wait for another Tracey Lange book.

Thank you NetGalley for my advanced reader copy

This was a DNF for me and I know that puts me in the minority, but it just made me frustrated.

3 siblings all live together now that #3 is out of prison. All have flaws. All have secrets. Their secrets affect each other and help to make life even harder than they already had it.

Example: one sibling is a hoarder and this hit too close to home for me, putting me on edge and wanting to toss everything out without even looking at it. Obviously, that would not be the proper answer for this sibling and yet that is where my mind went after dealing with a hoarder who wouldn't/couldn't listen. My hoarder's issues made me not like this character at all!

The storyline was too predictable and it was taking too long to go anywhere good so I stopped about half way through the book and said enough. Maybe a shorter book would have helped, but it just annoyed me too much to face getting to the end and maybe that means I missed a good story. I'm content to leave it and forget it.

Thank you NetGalley for an advance reader copy. I leave this review voluntarily.

I really enjoyed We Are the Brennans and this was just as good, if not better. If you like complicated family drama, this book is for you. Plus the cover is so pretty!
I really liked the maim character, Tara. I really disliked her sister, but we got some good insight into why she is the way she is. I took off one star because there was one part that was a bit too much of a stretch for me. Otherwise, excellent book! Sucked me right in!

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was mostly predictable, but it did keep my attention throughout the whole story. I still really enjoyed it. Tara, Eddie and Geraldine are quite a mess though. I understand why, losing their mother and then their father taking off, but wow. They really are going through a lot. I wish there would have been a little more backstory or more details on some things. Once you get about halfway through the book, everything just feels kind of rushed. I wish the ending would have expanded a little more on some events that we know will take place. (Hard to explain without spoilers.) I did enjoy Tara and Brian. They both seem like good characters to root for. Eddie also, but he has his own issues. There could have been a couple more chapters from Eddie and Geraldine, then we could have got to know them a little bit more.

I love a good family novel - reading how siblings interact with each other as adults after enduring their childhoods together. This novel wonderfully reflects that for the Connellys - Tara, Eddie, and Geraldine - who each had a rough childhood. At the start of the novel, Tara is just coming out of prison and trying to acclimate back into society. The siblings are rough on each other and are battling their own demons, but ultimately would do anything for each other.
I really loved reading this story and rooting for this imperfect family. I really enjoyed Tracey Lange’s writing and will seek out her future books.

Tracey Lange has done it again! I absolutely loved We Are the Brennans, so I was stoked when I got approved for the e-galley of this one! In this story, we meet Tara and her siblings, Eddie and Geraldine, after Tara is released from prison. All of the characters in this were real and flawed and so developed that I felt like I knew them -- even the secondary characters, which is no easy feat. I found myself rooting for the Connellys while simultaneously questioning so many of their decisions. They felt like a real family full of love and I found myself rooting for all three of them. I switched between the kindle book and the audiobook, and the narrator did a wonderful job on the audio as well! I definitely recommend this book and Tracey Lange has become an auto-buy author for me!

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copies to review. All opinions are my own.

Book review: the connellys of county down by @tracey_lange

Rating: 4.25/5

Review: thank you @celadonbooks for my review copy. This is my first book by Tracey Lange and it did not disappoint. It is more than just a story about starting over. It is an emotional and heart warming book about the relationships in a family and how far your willing to go for them. This book is perfect for people who like books about relatable, everyday relationships. I don’t read a lot of books like this, but I certainly will not for get the connellys anytime soon. Even if they are a bit crazy and mixed up. This is one book you don’t want to miss.

Thank you so much for the gifted #ARC! I read “We Are The Brennans” by the same author, and truly loved it. Contemporary drama with splashes of romance. Heartwarming, thoughtful, coming of age, sad, with characters you love and want to see move forward. I adored this. The characters and the plot, I found myself relating to some of the characters and feelings.

Truly a beautiful read. I will forever keep reading anything Connelly writes!

The SECOND I saw this book's title I knew I had to read it. As someone who spends a lot of time in County Down, there was an immediate kinship felt to the characters that Tracey Lange has created! I cannot tell you how much I loved this book. So much so that this is just the start of my reviews for it. I also am going to do a TikTok post because this book deserves to be shouted about.

Family dynamics are my favourite and this book has that and so much more. You will not regret getting a copy of this novel right now!

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon books for the eARC!

POV: Multiple
Spice: 🌶️ 🌶️

This book really kept me interested and it didn’t take long for Tara to win me over, even though I wasn’t expecting that going in seeing as she is in prison. There are so many lovable characters in this book, her brother and his son, and Brian to name a few, and I actually enjoyed getting the different POVs. I really felt like Geraldine, Tara’s sister was the true villain of this story, although I couldn’t help but feel somewhat sorry for her too.

This book is well written and I was pleasantly surprised that it had more romance than I expected, although it is closed door. I think I would’ve given it more stars if there was more to the ending. It definitely needed an epilogue at the very least, but I kind of felt like I was left hanging as to where these characters end up and that is reall one of my reading pet peeves.

Overall, I found the story to be kinda bleh. I didn’t love the relationship aspect of this and the characters weren’t the most likable, even though I think they were intended to be.

The Connellys of County Down by Tracey Lange
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The Connellys are three siblings who are all living together again after the youngest is released from prison.
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What I liked:
-I thought this was a really solid family drama.
-I loved the Connelly siblings and how much they all loved each other.
-There were some great awkward situations throughout the book that made the drama excellent.
-My favorite conversation happened towards the end of the book when Tara talked with a certain family member about the stories her mother told her children. 🥹
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4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Connellys of County Down really covers the topic of dysfunctional families and it does it well!

I was immediately sucked into this family and all of their problems. Tara, even though she’s fresh out of prison, is instantly a likable character. I could feel that there was more to her than what we were seeing on the surface.

As we go through this story we get many perspectives that help pull this story together. Each voice felt unique to the character and each character played an important part.

The part that really made me love this book was the immense amount of character growth from everyone. Even the characters I had disdain for I felt myself rooting for them by the end.

I loved the ending, compared to how Tara started in the beginning. What a way to make the story come full circle.

I highly recommend this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon books for giving me the opportunity to read an advanced copy.

I’m usually not a fan of family dramas, I find them tedious and slow paced. However, The Connellys of County Down is completely different! I enjoyed this story right from the start and I felt like I actually knew the Connelly siblings. While not a fast paced book, there is not one part that is boring. I enjoyed reading from the different perspectives and seeing how the family dynamic came to be.

The only thing I wasn’t a huge fan of was Tara’s relationship with Brian. I felt it was slightly unrealistic and moved very quickly considering their history.

I will definitely be on the lookout for more titles from Tracey Lange!

Thank you NetGalley, Celadon Books, and Tracey Lange for the ARC!

I really enjoyed Tracey Lange’s debut We Are the Brennans, so her latest, The Connellys of County Down was a must read for me.

Connellys is similar to the Brennans in the best ways. Both stories focus on a daughter seeking redemption and forgiveness, family members that are each shouldering their own burdens, and an undercurrent of mystery that moves the story forward.

I loved getting to see Tara, Geraldine, and Eddie’s storylines come together. Lange’s characters are never perfect, but they have the best intentions in their hearts and I love getting to watch them find their way.

What impresses me most is Lange’s ability to absolutely nail the personalities and emotions that are commonly found in Northeastern Irish-Catholic families. As I read, I kept finding similarities to my own family members which was at once both funny and meaningful. I’m so excited to read what Lange comes up with next!

The Connellys of County Down is out today. Thanks to Celadon and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first book by this author which I enjoyed reading. I look forward to seeing what is next for this author. I found this book to be well written and an emotional roller coaster ride. I enjoyed how the characters pulled me into the story from the start. They are connectable, strong and add so much to the story. Tara is a great character that is my favorite of the story. She is just getting out of prison and trying to put her life together. Her story is one of family, love and good intentions that may not be that good. I enjoyed how fast paced this story is as well as hard to put down. I enjoyed seeing the growth of the plot as well as the characters throughout the story. I enjoyed the emotional parts of this story and how I felt those emotions as well. This is an engaging story that comes to life on every page. I really enjoyed reading this book and I highly recommend it.

Thank you to MacMillian Audio for this gifted copy of The Connellys of County Down!

First of all, I want to state that I’m an idiot. I started reading this book and wrote down “if you liked We Are The Brennans, you’ll like this book.” Literally the same author. I knew that and had a nice brain fart. Needless to say, I really liked We Are The Brennans, and I liked this one, and they’re in the same world. Lol

I felt like this was a great example of your classic family drama book. Siblings who refuse to be honest with each other, have lots of miscommunication, but are ultimately just trying to do what’s right and look out for one another. Is a great story of family, love and sacrifice.

There were a few storyline pieces that I wasn’t too fond of (don’t won’t to spoil the plot line) that made me struggle at times, but overall I really enjoyed this book. I found myself wanting to read it to find out what happens next. Tracey is a wonderful author, and a great storyteller.