Family dramas always get me. The difference in every family member always is so interesting to me. And this story is no different. I enjoyed every moment.

*Thank you @celadonbooks for the copy in exchange for an honest review.*

Tara Connelly is determined to start fresh after a stint in prison, but living with her brother and sister might be a complication she doesn’t need. Secrets may test her resolve and put her new romance at risk

The conelleys of county down is an interesting story about family and the struggles they go through. The story is told from 4 different points of view. Tara, a convicted felon who is just getting out of prison and learning to readjust to life. Her sister who has always looked after the family and is battling her own struggles she keeps hidden away. Her brother, who had a tbi at a young age and now is a single dad while struggling to manage his condition at the same time and Brian, the cop that arrested Tara and now feels guilty about it because the whole thing never felt right with him.
The story follows all of them as they learn how to navigate Tara's release with their own struggles. Meanwhile there is still a drug dealer on the loose whom and a cop that still believes Tara is involved. Wrap that all into one story and you have a lot of shenanigans, drama and a story that keeps you drawn into the end.

When I started reading this story, I wasn't sure if I was going to like it. It seemed a bit slow and a little bland, but it started to keep my attention. After that I got drawn in a little more bit by bit until I was fully enveloped by the story. While enjoyed this story, it wasn't my favorite. I had to keep wondering when it would become more exciting or it would get to the point of the story and that alone took away a star from my rating. It was a good enough story to keep my attention but not really one i would rave about.
For me, personallly I feel like it either needed more drama or action. Instead the places that could have done that for me fell a bit flat. It's very much a fictional family drama story so if that's your thing, this may be the book for you. Just not fast paced enough for me.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for a review copy in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. All thoughts and feelings are my own.

This was a fun read. I typically get annoyed when characters make bad decisions, but I appreciated that the author addressed them and the reasoning behind the behavior. The drama was quite messy if it was happening in real life, but pretty engaging for a book. I appreciated the empathetic handling of traumatic brain injuries and hoarding. I haven't read Lange's first book, but I'm definitely picking it up after this one!

Although I loved the Brennans, the Connellys just didn’t capture my interest in the same way. The characters were well developed but none of them were likeable, especially Brian. I think the story wrapped up nicely, but I would have enjoyed more storyline being devoted to the dad and his possible reunion with the family.

I loved this author’s previous book We Are The Brennans so I was looking forward to reading this one. This is another great family drama story with a lot of layers. We start the book with Tara being released from prison after she was convicted of a drug charge. Once home Tara starts realizing how many problems her family actually has while she also confronts how she will fit back into society. She also begins a very complicated romantic relationship. The characters are well developed and have great personal growth. The secrets of each character slowly come out and the reasons for Tara’s incarceration become clear. The pacing was great throughout and kept the story flowing along. This is another great family drama story by this author.

#FirstLine - When the unit intercom buzzed and the cell door rattled open on its old metal track that morning, Tara breathed a heavy sigh of relief and swore it was the last time she’d ever hear that racket in her life.

“The Connelly’s of County Down" is a heartwarming family saga that beautifully captures the essence of Irish heritage and culture. Set against the picturesque backdrop of County Down, the story follows the Connelly family through generations, as they navigate love, loss, and the challenges of life. The author skillfully intertwines history and fiction, painting a vivid picture of Ireland's past while immersing readers in the lives of the Connelly clan. With well-crafted characters and an engaging plot, this novel is a touching tribute to the strength of family bonds and the resilience of the human spirit. If you're a fan of historical fiction and tales of kinship, "The Connelly’s of County Down" is a must-read.

When Tara Connelly is released from prison after serving eighteen months on a drug charge, she knows rebuilding her life at thirty years old won’t be easy. With no money and no prospects, she returns home to live with her siblings, who are both busy with their own problems. Her brother, a single dad, struggles with the ongoing effects of a brain injury he sustained years ago, and her sister’s fragile facade of calm and order is cracking under the burden of big secrets. Life becomes even more complicated when the cop who put her in prison keeps showing up unannounced, leaving Tara to wonder what he wants from her now. While she works to build a new career and hold her family together, Tara finds a chance at love in a most unlikely place. But when the Connellys’ secrets start to unravel and threaten her future, they all must face their worst fears and come clean, or risk losing each other forever.

Wow did I enjoy this book! I thought the ensemble of characters were all will well rounded characters. They were all hot messes and but would do anything for each other. It was just so I loved it! I loved how the story unraveled and how the mystery of why Tara was in prison was revealed. Geraldine's story arc was what surprised me the most, she is the pseudo matriarch with a lot of secrets. She is probably the least likable throughout the whole book with her strict opinions on church and the classic rule follower, but I related to her so much because she was just trying to keep all the plates spinning even when she didn't have to. Honestly, I am still thinking about the Connely family days past finishing the book.

Thanks to the publisher for the ARC in return for an honest review. This book is out now!

This was a book I went into blind. A few friends had read and enjoyed it but I didn’t know anything else about it. I am so glad I picked this one up! I enjoyed We Are The Brennan’s and I absolutely LOVED The Connellys of County Down. This book had a bit of everything: family drama, a little bit of suspense, some romance. I was hooked from page one and could not put this book down!

The story begins as Tara begins her very last day in prison. Her release is thrown off by her absent siblings and the cop that helped put away offers to swoop in to save the day. Things don’t improve when she comes home to an empty house and her stuff moved into the attic. As days go on, Tara attempts to resume a normal life but it isn’t always easy, especially when family secrets start to unravel and the one cop can’t help thinking he put the wrong person away.

Tara is prickly and you automatically want to root for her simply because of how her release day plays out. Her family on the other hand are a pretty unlikable bunch, except maybe her nephew (their relationship is pretty cute). I love a good unlikeable character redemption story though. As we hop around perspectives we begin to learn what makes those characters tick. As we get more information suddenly their experiences help rationalize (but not always justify) their actions.

At its very essence it’s a family drama that explores intergenerational trauma, relationships with siblings, and the lengths you go to for family. It also does an excellent job of depicting the hardships faced by recently released inmates and how easy it is to reoffend when you aren’t provided with trust or opportunity.

There’s also a touch of romance that’s kind of cute so in my book definitely a win.

I have not read the author’s previous book, We Are The Brennans, but after reading the synopsis, it sounds like it shares a very similar concept and explores similar themes. I’m wondering what my impression of this would have been had I already read the Brennans but I will absolutely be picking it up in the near future.

Thank you to Celadon Books for providing an ARC through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I loved everything about this book. Initially I was thinking of a 4.5 rating but as I was preparing to write this review I realized there was nothing I would change about it. It's a character driven story so it's slower paced but I still read it in one day because I was highly invested. Like Tara, I put loyalty over all else so I felt a deep connection to her. I was able to empathize because I myself could be in a similar position if I had to protect someone I loved.

Tara Connelly has just been released from prison after serving 18 months on a drug trafficking charge. At thirty years old, she essentially has to start her adult life over with no money, job, or friends. She has to move back in with her brother, her nephew, and sister. The siblings love each other but their family is messy and complicated. The story follows Tara as she navigates a new career and blossoming love life, all while trying to hold her family together and stay out of trouble.

Overall, I highly recommend. I'm still so impressed how each character, whether major or minor had their own unique personality and set of flaws. I can easily see this novel adapted into film and I hope it does🤞🏽

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for allowing me access to the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

There are three little Connellys, Geraldine, Eddie and Tara. They made up the family unit, such as it was. Geraldine is the oldest, 19 when their father vanished, abandoning them. She was old enough to keep her siblings from the horrors of foster care. Just before vanishing, their father caused an accident in a stolen car with Eddie in the car that left Eddie with a traumatic brain injury, changing Eddie's life forever. Tara was just 13 then. When she was 6, their mother died. She had been sick for a while and Geraldine had been doing the household and mothering things their mother could no longer do. These children needed therapy, which they did not get.
We first meet Tara at 30 as she is leaving prison. She used to be an art teacher in the local school district, but an 18 month sentence for drug transporting has put an end to that. She knows finding a new job and rebuilding her life will be difficult. Fortunately, her family still lives in the house they grew up in. It isn't much, but it's theirs.
The policemen who arrested Tara are still after the drug dealer who owned the drugs Tara was moving. The senior policeman, Hank, believed Tara was running the drugs because the drug dealer was her boyfriend. He also believed that was why she wouldn't give them information so they could throw the dealer in jail. Hank believed that so hard, he followed Tara around.
Tara and Geraldine butted heads over the rules Geraldine followed so rigidly. Geraldine finally told her that if Tara made a mistake, it usually meant talking to the principal and doing some detention. If Geraldine made a mistake, it meant bills not being paid, no food in the house, or the county threatening to take the younger children away. At another point, Eddie tells Tara that she has the tendency to decide what needs to be done to fix another's problems without any input from the other person. He's talking about Tara's trip to jail, but it applies to most of Tara's actions.
This book is the kind of family drama/literary fiction I generally don't care for. But I loved this book. It was written by the author of We Are the Brennans, another book I loved. There is even a little wave back to that book. There is also a gentle romance, which Tara needs. I recommend this book to you.
I read a copy of this book for this review on Netgalley, offered to me by the publisher.

i had a good time but this isn’t my typical reading choice! but i think it was really good and i know a. lot of people who will absolutely love this and already planning their christmas present with it

After serving eighteen months for a drug charge, Tara Connelly, was finally released and staring down the journey to rebuild her life. She knew it wouldn’t be easy since there were no true prospects and she was headed back to the family home to live with her siblings and nephew. It started off terribly when no one could pick her up and the was driven home by the cop who put her behind bars. Slowly, Tara begins to break through into a new life. She snags a job she enjoys and even secretly begins to potentially find romance. In the meantime, her sister is hiding things that could bring her new life down again. As everyone’s secrets begin to unravel, the Connellys must face their fears and come clean or they will lose it all.

I thoroughly enjoyed the plot of this one. For the most part, the characters were likable (err, except Geraldine) and brought a lot to the storyline with their own subplots. There was a good amount of mystery, thrill, family drama and romance all mixed up in this one. The one odd thing was that I felt this just ended. I am not sure if this was because it was an ARC, but I wanted a bit more closure on the story. I’d be interested to see a finished copy and if that was case or not. I had actually not read Lange’s other book, so I definitely need to get that one in the queue ASAP.

Thank you Net Galley, Celadon Books and Tracey Lange for the advanced copy for my honest review. This one is out today. Run, don’t walk and snag that copy ASAP!

I loved Tracey Lange’s debut novel ‘We are the Brennans” so I couldn’t wait to read ‘The Connellys of County Down”! This one is full of the family drama that everyone loves and didn’t disappoint!

I was so excited when Celadon @CeladonBooks offered me both an advanced ebook and advanced listening copy of The Connellys of County Down by Tracey Lange @Tracey_Lange via @netgalley I jumped at the chance! Thank you so much for sharing both of these! You’re the best!

Tracey Lange owns messy, family drama. The alchemy of her writing and Barrie Kreinik’s @Barriebarriepix narration is sublime. It’s simply next level. This is a story of the primal connection of family, and how secrets can destroy. It’s a story of rebirth and the insidious way love just shows up at lousy times with inconvenient people. I couldn’t step away, it’s simply unputdownable. (Handy I had ebook AND audio!).

When Tara Connelly is released from prison after 18 months she’s struggling to rebuild her life. With no job, a criminal record, she’s back home. Each sibling carries baggage of their own. Brother Eddie is a single dad with a long ago traumatic brain injury. Sister Geraldine appears calm but carries an explosive secret. Lange comes from a large Irish family and this familiar construct is evident in the nuance of the Connolly family. The tension in relationships is complex and compounded by their shared history.

This is a perfect read/listen for those who love character driven family dramas with multiple POVs. It’s highly discussable, so great for buddy reads and bookclubs. Despite several trusted reader friends loving and recommending Lange’s debut, We Are The Brennan’s, I haven’t read it! I’ve already got the print and audio ready to go and can’t wait to experience this one!

The Connellys of County Down by Tracey Lange is a deeply moving, poignant novel about family dynamics and all that it entails, the good and bad. This book was such an immensely satisfying read. I love a great family drama. I did not read the author’s debut novel We Are the Brennans, but after reading The Connellys of County Down I will definitely be going to get a copy to read. A huge thank you to Celadon Books, the author and NetGalley for the advanced electronic copy of the book.

The character driven storyline starts when thirty year old Tara Connelly is released from prison after serving eighteen months for drug trafficking she is ready to start over, but knows it won’t be easy. She is returning home to live with her two older adult siblings, and has no possibilities on the horizon just yet. Her siblings have strenuous lives of their own. Her brother Eddie is navigating single parenthood and struggling with the continuing effects of a traumatic brain injury. Her sister Geraldine’s life is a veneer of control, organization and tranquility, but underneath that she is actually falling apart holding onto worrisome secrets. And if that is not enough to contend with Tara’s life instantly becomes more complex when the police officer that arrested her and put her in jail keeps showing up unexpectedly, making her wonder what he could possibly want from her now.

Working to rebuild her life, start a new career along with trying keeping her family intact, Tara finds love in the most inconceivable place. But long held secrets always have a way of surfacing and they just might upend the future that she is hoping for. The siblings have to come to terms with their past mistakes and secrets if they want to heal and move forward, or risk tearing apart their family.

The Connellys of County Down is a masterfully written novel about the struggles of an ordinary family. It examines the confines of love and loyalty, what it means to be able to start over again after real mistakes have been made and the dangers of not being truthful with others. I highly recommend this engaging, heartfelt book.

Synopsis: Tara Connelly is in her early thirties and has just been released from prison on the charge of trafficking drugs. She has a brother, Eddie, a nephew, Conor and an older sister, Geraldine that she goes home to where she begins to build a new life – get a job, report in to her probation officer and stay out of trouble. The problem is that other than her young nephew, everyone that she returns home to has secrets.

My thoughts:

While pretty much all the characters in the book had secrets and issues (some requiring therapy), I also found them quite likeable. Tara just wants her family to be healthy and happy, to get a job that she likes and to stay out of trouble and move forward with her life and while she strives to achieve this, she certainly runs into obstacles that she must negotiate. One of the main themes of this novel is shame and how we, as individuals, deal with it. Some try to hide the shame, others try to run from it but underneath these character’s foibles, there is also a lot of love and loyalty in this family.

I really enjoyed the trials and tribulations of the Connellys and I gave this book 4/5 stars. I also read Tracey’s previous novel, We Are The Brennans, which also dealt with family dynamics and the theme of shame. If you haven’t read We Are The Brennans, I also highly recommend picking it up.

The Connellys of County Down is available for purchase on August 1, 2023. I thank Netgalley and Celedon Publishers for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A story about three siblings from Port Chester, New York. Tara is an ex-prisoner, on probation. She is flawed, talented and wanting to get her life back and move forward.
Family dynamics and rooting for Tara kept me turning the pages. I really loved the bond Tara had with her nephew, Connor.

Thank you NetGalley and Celadon Books for the opportunity to read this book.

THE CONNELLYS OF COUNTY DOWN, from author Tracy Lange, gives us the story of the Connelly siblings and the unfortunate circumstances that threaten to destroy their family. This is a quick read with a somewhat murky cast of characters that frequently fell flat for me. The plot was easy enough to follow, somewhat predictable, and at times felt contrived. I would have liked to see the characters and their history fleshed out a bit more which would have helped me care about them. Thank you to NetGalley for the early copy in exchange for honest feedback.