Thank you Netgalley for the ARC. This novel is about the Williams family, more particularly about its patriarch, Garry who has recently passed away and the family is unsure who to select to give his eulogy. They ask his best friend Patrick who gladly accepts. What they don’t know is that Patrick has a secret, one he decides to share with the entire congregation during the funeral. What follows is how this family picks up the pieces and comes to terms with this long buried secret. This one had a lot of characters, too many for me and thus it was hard to follow all of them. While I didn’t love it, it was a tender hearted read and I found myself reading on to learn what becomes of each of them.

We all know we aren’t supposed to judge a book by its cover but that’s precisely what made me pause while scrolling, with my finger hovering over this book. ‘If We’re Being Honest’ turned out to be just as warm and approachable as its cover.

The novel begins with a funeral and ends with a wedding which felt very fitting for this story all about a family. We step into the Williams family home after the sudden death of the patriarch, a good and kind man who was very loved - and also, it turns out, kept some secrets. As the plot unfolds, we follow the members of the family as they grapple with that legacy, and slowly confront secrets and truths of their own. It’s title very much makes sense by the time you reach the final page.

The characters are, for the most part, likable and real. The book is at its very best when it follows Ellen, the widow, but there are some misses with other characters. (The youngest sisters in both generations are painfully stereotyped.) I wondered if choosing fewer family members to follow would have been more fulfilling for the reader because we could have spent more time with them. The individual perspectives are the most informative and give a clearer sense of the family history. There’s just too much to keep track of with such a large family.

This is not a brooding, dramatic family saga. It’s lighthearted and sincere, and there are neat endings. If you tend towards darker genres (which I do), this might be a good departure for your mind. It was a lovely audiobook listen that gave me good feels. Not the very best read of the summer but certainly worthy of 3 stars, despite the need for edits.

Thank you to Celadon Books for the ARC and ALC.

I really enjoyed this one! At first I thought there was a few to many characters but as the story went on it really worked and flowed well, I loved this family so much. And was really invested in everyone story! I’ve been trying to think of what one I liked the best but honestly I think I enjoyed everyone the Same! I loved how they all banned together to help each other and how they all grew through out the story. I loved the tie in with the magnolia trees and just really loved this family drama story!

If We're Being Honest by Cat Shook is available now in eBook, Audiobook (Narrated by Kathleen McInerney), and Physical Book
⭐️⭐️⭐⭐ Book Review

If We’re Being Honest highly focuses on grief of a loved one and how everyone can handle and manage that grief differently than others. When Gerry dies, a celebration of life is held. His entire family flocks to Georgia to celebrate him. His significant other, Ellen, who is also grieving, sits back attempting to keep everyone in line while they wallow in grief attempting to figure out how to move forward. This novel was full of family drama, humor, and honesty making me laugh, cry, and then laugh again throughout. It reminded you that your own family was NOT the only dysfunctional family in this world. It also helped me to remember that not only can family rip you into a million pieces, they are the ones to help you pick up those pieces and make you whole again. I highly encourage this book to anyone looking for a good laugh and a feel good story.

Thank you to the publisher for the ALC. This book was very sweet. Not completely for me but I can see others loving it.

This was a captivating story of family drama—it really comes at you from all angles and hits home the idea that everyone has their own shit. It is kind of a slow burn.

3.5
This starts off with a LOT of characters and the family learning at their beloved grandfather's funeral that his best friend was also his gay lover.

What follows is a view of each child and grandchild's lives, their familial relationships, love interests, and what secrets they'd like to unburden themselves of. Some of them were pretty generic and obvious, while others were a bit deeper.

It was a good story, a little shallow and predictable for some of the characters. I liked the grandmother the most, she was the most realistic and resilient of them all.

Thank you to Macmillan audio and NetGalley for the audioARC of this novel.

Thank you NetGalley and the author for this ARC!

I did not like this. I really wanted to like it more than I did. I did finish the audio but I won’t pick up the book.

I made it 35 percent of the way through this audiobook before I gave up. There were SO MANY characters and I didn’t care about even one. It felt like the author made a list of popular plot twists and decided to sprinkle them throughout the cast rather than thoroughly developing a smaller cast of characters.

Thank you so much to @celadonbooks for the copy of this one and also to @netgalley for the listening copy. I mostly listened to one and it was all together an enjoyable audio. I liked the small southern town setting and all the family secrets and drama in this one. It is mostly character driven, however, and sometimes I was wanting a bit more from the actual plot. The writing was stellar though especially for a debut and I’m definitely going to give this author’s next book a try! I did read this along with my good friends at the #sqafbookclub but unfortunately was not able to join in any of the discussions due to life.

Quick synopsis: The Williams family is gathered in their small Georgia town for the funeral of their grandfather/father. When his best friend delivers the eulogy and drops a bombshell the family is upended and shocked. The story follows all of the cousins mostly and all the secrets they all have in their lives.

3.5 stars. I enjoyed the generational family drama that is sparked by revelations at the funeral of it’s patriarchy. The best bits were where they were interacting with each other with in the family, as it was a nuanced and accurate portrait of extended family relationships. I would have wanted a little more depth and development overall, though, as outside of their familial relationships, the drama was rather formulaic, with no real reckoning/resolution to the initial revelation.

If it weren't for the audio it would be a DNF. Too many characters to keep track of and didn't grip me as quickly as I usually like in a story like this

Entertaining.

Cat Shook tells a coming of age, and family-packed tale with If We're Being Honest. I haven't listened to anything by this author before, and what a hidden gem. I did read the print version of the story, and enjoyed it, but I also really enjoyed this audiobook. The reader is introduced to Gerry, who dies suddenly. He is the patriarch of the William's family, and hearing about his death, family from across the country hurry to get back home, in Georgia. It was a remarkable story, and a very interesting family, and how the grief process, and the urge to get things out in the open is stemmed from the loss. It's emotional, poignant, and sometimes, kind of humorous. It's one of those funerals that if you attended, you'd sit in the back and just watch. It's a wonderfully told story of a dysfunctional family that many readers can relate to, and enjoy the story. The author weaves a tangled web of story, and captures the reader. Family dynamics and drama are always entertaining when reading about them, but this takes it to a whole new level of uniqueness and grand storytelling. Whatever this author writes, I want to listen to. This book deserves both a read and a listen! It's an emotional rollercoaster. This book captures the reader's attention at chapter 1. The narrator brings t his story to life. A genuine character driven story! If We're Being Honest on audiobook is a definite listening recommendation by Amy's Bookshelf Reviews. I look forward to listening to many more titles by this author. Amy's Bookshelf Reviews recommends that anyone who listens to this book, to also write a review.


#ComingofAge #Family #audiobooks #Drama #ABSR #storytelling #reviews #IfWereBeingHonest #CeladonReads

I really enjoyed this family drama. I thought it opened on an engaging moment that could easily hook the reader and made it easy to explore how this situation would have an effect on the whole family.

As we got to know all of the characters, I thought Cat Shook did a really great job of encapsulating a bunch of personalities and tough topics. Reading some of the other reviews, I can see the point about focusing on just a few so we really get to know them, but I also liked having this omnipresent view of the whole family.

There was something weirdly comforting about this family? Maybe it was seeing all the imperfections and messiness, but how they came together anyway? The exploration of grief and forgiveness was interesting to me and made me reflect on my own life, which I always appreciate in a book.

Kathleen McInerney did a great job narrating and I felt engaged the whole time.

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a fun, family dramedy full of romance, surprises, and sibling love. Kids come out to their parents; couples break up and reunite; pregnancies arrive and advance unexpectedly; and there are funerals and weddings bringing everyone together. Just a really enjoyable story, which I listened to thanks to Netgalley and MacMillan Audio providing me with an advance copy of the audiobook.

The book opens with an absurd funeral scene in which the family patriarch is outed as gay by his longtime business partner and best friend, but the book moves on to examine a whole nest of family tangles. I did have a little trouble keeping track of all the many characters. Their voices, as read by narrator Kathleen McInerney, aren't especially distinctive -- but they are read in a lively, entertaining way that still made the story a delight. Might, however, be better in hard copy.

✨𝗔𝗨𝗗𝗜𝗢𝗕𝗢𝗢𝗞 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪✨

When Gerry, the beloved Williams patriarch, dies suddenly, his grandchildren flock from across the country to the family home in Eulalia, Georgia. But when Gerry’s best friend steps up to the microphone to deliver his eulogy, the funeral turns out unlike anyone expected. The cousins, left reeling and confused, cope with their fresh grief and various private dramas. Delia, recently heartbroken, refuses to shut up about her ex. Her sister Alice, usually confident, flusters when she spots her high school sweetheart, hiding a secret that will change both of their lives. Outspoken, affable Grant is preening in the afterglow of his recent appearance on The Bachelorette and looking to reignite an old flame with the least available person in town. Meanwhile, his younger brother Red, unsure of himself and easily embarrassed, desperately searches for a place in the boisterous family.

The cousins’ eccentric parents are in tow, too, and equally lost―in love and in life. Watching over them all is Ellen, Gerry’s sweet and proper widow, who does her best to keep her composure in front of the leering small town.

𝘜𝘯𝘪𝘲𝘶𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘭𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳!
I love it when I go into a book completely blind and it takes me by surprise. I loved the cover, decided to give it a try and wow, I loved this messy and funny family drama.

Thank you @macmillan.audio and @netgalley for this complimentary audiobook.

𝗜𝗳 𝗪𝗲’𝗿𝗲 𝗕𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗛𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘁 by @catshook_33 released April 18, 2023.

𝗗𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮 𝗯𝗶𝗴 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆?
My father’s family is really big!

#ifwerebeinghonest #catshook #celadonbooks #macmillanaudio #netgalley #audiobooks #audiobookstagram #newrelease #bookreview #bookrec #bookinfluencer #booksandcoffeemx

This is a good old-fashioned family saga with appealing characters that have a lot of emotions and complications, which makes for a great audiobook. I look forward to recommending this title.

If I’m being honest, there were a lot of things I liked about this book, but there were also some things that didn’t work for me. It started off with a great premise, the Williams family patriarch, Grandpa Gerry has died, and his large family has gathered. This family has a lot of characters to keep up with and they all have interesting secrets and idiosyncrasies. This makes it impossible to choose an appropriate member to give the eulogy, so they finally decide on Gerry’s best friend Fred. And wow did Fred deliver the eulogy of all eulogies with a life-shattering secret!

Next, we read about (or listen to in my case) the following week in each family member’s life and their issues, problems, reminiscing, and all-over soul searching. At the end of the week, they gather again to attend a wedding of all things, an event very far removed from a funeral.

I had trouble keeping up with all the characters and their partners and children. The narrator was pretty good, but her male and female characters sounded much the same which didn’t help to keep them straight.

What I took away from the story was that while this seemed to be a crazy American family, they are probably no nuttier than mine or anyone else’s. Who is to say what is the normal American family? All said I enjoyed it and I thank NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to listen to it via audiobook. I gave it three stars.

I received an ARC copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Because of this, I really tried to finish it. About halfway through, I decided it was time to stop and move on to a book I would enjoy more.

I listened to the audiobook version, and cannot speak for the printed version or the rest of the book that I did not read/listen to. There were three main things that I did not like about the book, and they are pretty niche preferences.

First, the ensemble of characters was overwhelming to me, especially since I was listening to the audio version and could not easily flip back to see who was who. I would also have found this frustrating in ebook format for the same reason.

Second, the whole attitude of the first few chapters seemed to mock Christianity. I didn't expect to see a Christian perspective, but it seemed pretty hostile to the Christian religion in general.

Third, I found the plot hard to follow. This might have to do with all the characters, but I struggled to keep up with the point.

DNF at 42%.

Unfortunately I just couldn't get into this one. I feel like there is a ton of characters and tiny things going on that I'm struggling to keep everyone and everything straight. Nothing major is really happening and there doesn't seem to be a central plot - it's just a lot of small things happening to a lot of characters and it feels a bit disjointed. This one might be good for people who like reading about family dynamics, but for me there just wasn't enough happening to hook me.

If I'm being honest (lol) the thing I care most about is learning more about the grandpa being secretly in love with his best friend! But 42% in and we barely know anything about that, everyone is still claiming the friend was drunk. I like the pregnancy trope too but since the book keeps jumping from person to person, we don't go in depth enough with each story. I'm struggling to stay interested so will have to move on to something else!

Thank you for this copy and chance to review!