I think I might have liked this book more if I had not read the audio version of it. There were a lot of characters. Normally I like a big family saga, but it was hard to keep track of while listening. I did enjoy the story and eventually got straight as to who everyone was. I was hoping for a little more laugh out loud moments, but did enjoy the story.

Pub date: 4/18/23
Genre: family drama
Quick summary: Gerry's grandchildren come back home for his funeral - but when Gerry's biggest secret is revealed by his best friend, it's just the tip of the iceberg for this secret-filled, dysfunctional family.

I love family dramas, and the setup for this one sounded so fun. I gasped at the beginning as Gerry's funeral quickly turned disastrous. However, the rest of the story didn't quite have the same magic for me. There were just so many characters, and the quick perspective shifts made it really hard to connect with or care about them. I enjoyed Kathleen McInerney's narration and felt she captured the dramatics well - but this is a book that is really confusing on audio due to all the characters. I think readers who like their family dramas heavy on the dramatics might like this one more than I did!

Thank you to Celadon Books and Macmillan Audio for providing an e-ARC and ALC.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the audio in exchange for an honest review. Unfortunately, this title was not for me. I found myself confused with all the characters and forcing myself to continue on when I did not find intrigue in the story. I did DNF about 30% into the audio.
I will say that this book is probably amazing but I was just not the intended audience.

This was such a fun family drama! This would be great for fans of We Are the Brennans and All Adults Here. Loved the setting of this one in a small town!

Classic family drama set in the week between a beloved family member's funeral and a family friend's wedding. Examines the familial roles and how they change over time, and the ride or die nature of cousins.

Audiobook ARC from the publisher via NetGalley, but the opinions are my own.

This is the story of a family reuniting after the death of a family member. The family does not get along very well and everyone has secrets, even the dead.

I read both the audiobook and ebook. The narration was wonderful and caught the characters well in my opinion. I enjoyed the book but it was not my favorite. I found some of the family drama to be overblown. The characters are very well written.

This was an intergenerational family drama. It starts out at the funeral of the patriarch/grandfather where the family finds out he had a same-sex lover in addition to being married to their grandmother. This causes a lot of commotion and the story goes on from there.

This story tries to follow too many family members to the point it begins difficult to keep track, especially in audio format with no clear transitions.

There’s multiple queer storylines in this novel and there are also lost and reunited loves, accidental pregnancy, finding oneself and forgiveness throughout the novel.

I think that this writer has talent but this particularly story needed to be paced out better and possibly broken down into a more detailed but more distinct duology.

3 stars

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the Audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A touching, refreshing family story, told from the viewpoints of multiple characters following the death of a family's patriarch. Loved the audiobook.

I haven't read or listened to anything by Cat Shook until now. If We're Being Honest was a slow grower type read for me. The cast of characters is large and that made it difficult in the beginning to keep track of everyone. Eventually I did settle into a nice reading groove and I loved the ending for the book. I would recommend this audiobook.


Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for allowing me to listen to this ARC for my honest opinion.

I enjoyed this book and all of the different stories that seemed to come together but there were a LOT of characters! It took until I was about half way through to keep everyone straight. The narrator was fantastic.
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If We’re Being Honest is the perfect book for people who go out to eat so they can eavesdrop on the small town gossip from the family in the next booth. I’m a nosy person myself, who loves character driven stories, so I found this large, interconnected cast, with completely omniscient narration, to be a delight. The story kicks off with a grandfather’s funeral, who’s eulogy is performed by the (drunk) man with whom he’d had an extramarital affair, and it only gets more complex from there. You get to know each character and how they tie into the family and it shows how complex family relationships can be if you look at every individual person’s lives.

As an audiobook listener specifically, I only wish the chapters were broken into smaller chunks. Sometimes I missed the quick transition from scene to scene, and the hour+ long chapters made it a slow listen.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing me with an audio ARC of this title.

If We're Being Honest
Author Cat Shook
Available now!

Looking for a chaotic yet heartwarming family saga? ICYMI, If We're Being Honest should be next up on your tbr! Written with humor, wit, and empathy, Shook's debut will make you laugh aloud, shed a few tears, and keep you engaged and turning the pages. With a motley crew that fits together like only a family does somehow, the Williams' family heads into a tragic and unpredictable week together that will change them all forever.

Gathered in Georgia for their grandfather Gerry's funeral, Gerry's best friend delivers a drunken eulogy and drops a bomb that absolutely no one was prepared for. Ellen, Gerry's widow, remains composed and holds her head up high. Her character is refreshing and reminds me of my wise and unforgettable grandmother.

There are many characters - children, grandchildren, cousins, and friends - to keep in order, but once you understand the family tree and then some, readers are pulled right into their anger, grief, love, unique relationships, and unending drama.

I enjoyed a few characters and their stories more than others, but absolutely loved how they all interacted. It was fun and very relatable to read how each character connected with another based on shared memories and upbringing as well as birth order, marriage, job status, and even gender and identity.

The family's side stories intertwined with Grandpa Gerry's life and death and explored the powerful and unbreaking bonds that most all families share.

The was a pleasantly delightful debut from Shook! It has one of those beginnings that sucks you right in and continues to intrigue you on where it’s going to go!

It’s incredibly character driven and can be quite confusing at first as we meet an abundance of different characters and learn of all their connections but it all works itself out in time!

I’m typically always entertaining by a dysfunctional family saga and the added humour was certainly a treat!

Not having said all of this and if I’m being honest, I’m the end, I did feel I needed a little bit for from this one but it was a solid read nonetheless!!

3.5 stars rounded to 4 for goodreads

I have this on ebook and audiobook. The narrator for the audiobook did a good job, but I struggled with the amount of characters in the story. This is a family drama during modern day in a make believe town in Georgia with a little humor thrown in. The secret revealed at the family patriarchs funeral was one that sent all family members reeling and everyone else to gossiping.

The author wrote a good story but it was one I struggled with due to the amount of characters. You get the backstory’s in their own chapters but I’ve never been good with a large cast or POVs.

⁉️Let’s talk swimming. Are you a pool or a beach person?
I love to sit by the beach but swim in a pool. Also, I’ve mentioned it here a million times, but I’m OBSESSED with the smell of chlorine. It’s weird, help. 🤣

BOOK/AUDIOBOOK REVIEW
If We’re Being Honest by Cat Shook
Pub date 4/18/23 (out now 🥳)
304 pages
@celadonbooks @macmillan.audio @netgalley Thank you for the EARC & ALC 👏

I’ve seen lots of comparisons here to Tracey Lange and Emma Straub. If you’re a fan of either, I agree you might like this one. Though, All Adults Here, is my favorite Straub and this doesn’t hit close to that for me.

This is a family drama in which the Grandpa dies and a huge secret is revealed during his eulogy 👀 The rest of the family is left trying to make sense of it and deal with their own private issues at the same time. There are A LOT of characters in this, and they’ve all got some drama to explore.

I liked this one while reading it, but it won’t be one that I remember a few months from now. However, can I just say that this title and cover are 👌 👌 👌

#bookreview #ifwerebeinghonest #celadon #arcreader #bookworm #bookishpost #bookreviewer #booksofinstagram #instaread #applewatch #netgalley #iread #booksiread #bookrecs #booksandplants #bibliophile #reading #bookgram

A family drama that reminded me a little of This is Where I Leave You and We Are the Ketchups. It’s an easy read and perfect for those who love character driven books.

Boy, does this start off with a bang! We are catapulted into the lives of the Williams family as they attend the funeral of their beloved patriarch, Gerry. The family, and everyone in attendance, is shocked when a secret Gerry has been keeping for decades is revealed during his eulogy. This was such a great and heartwarming story of a family that bands together after their world is turned upside down. This book really embodies the fact that families can be some of the hardest relationships to navigate, but at the same time, are also full of love and connection. As an audiobook, it was confusing at first to keep track of all the characters, but it gets easier the longer you continue to listen. So good and gave me all the feels!

I often do not enjoy literary fiction as much as other genres because they seem to have less plot than other genres. This was not the case with If We're being Honest. I really enjoyed every part of this book down to the last page!

This is a beautiful story about the many dynamics a family goes through. Centered around the death of a beloved family member, everyone is trying to figure out how to navigate life now that this integral member of the family is now gone. It is written in multiple POVs and covers many topics, such as loss, grief, resentment, love, loyalty, friendship, and self-discovery.

The characters were written with real-life issues that everyone could relate to. My favorite characters were, Grant, who, while being a stereotypical jock, was such an unexpectedly sweet, loving, loyal brother. Peter, who had so many unexpected situations come up through this book but handled them all so beautifully and caringly. Lastly, and most importantly to me, Red. Cat, I think that you approached his self-discovery in such a brave and beautiful way. It had me crying at certain moments. Thank you for making Red's story. I hope that other people with his background and preference read this book and find acceptance and healing in your words.

I listened to this on audiobook and will admit that I did struggle to follow along with the abundance of characters that there were. The audiobook had very long chapters with next to no break or breath from one storyline to the next and that was difficult at first. Once I figured out who everyone was though it was easier. This is an issue with the audiobook though and not the book as a whole.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and feel that it is an excellent family drama story where it would be hard for you not to find at least one character you can resonate with. Thank you, NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the opportunity to listen to this book in exchange for an honest review.

This really reminded me of We Are the Brennans and I really loved that book as well. This was the perfect look into the life of a slightly dysfunctional family (which is basically every family). As the members come to terms with the bombshell of who their grandfather really was, everyone re-evaluates their lives and the secrets they held. You see a good amount of growth from several characters and I loved how the book ended.