This was a cute book. I loved the family drama and family acceptance themes. I did feel like there were a few too many characters to follow so I wasn't completely invested in every storyline because I was a little lost sometimes. The audiobook was well done and narrated in a fun and engaging way.

Overall, this book was cute but a little surface-level for me.

If We're Being Honest by Cat Shook is a family drama set during the height of Georgia's summer heat in the small town of Eulalia. There is a large cast of characters to get to know, including a grandma, her two daughters, a daughter-in-law and her son, four cousins, several close family friends, a fiance, an ex-boyfriend, and a little dog named Sparkles. We get to know them all in the roller-coaster of a week that begins with a funeral and ends with a wedding - a week which hits all the highs and lows of anger, grief, hope, love and plenty of revelations to keep the pages turning.

There is a wholesome feel to the story that reminds me of Anne Tyler's novels. Characters are quirky and often awkward, just as they can be in a Tyler novel. Shook captures the way ordinary people, confounded by contradictory feelings, struggle to communicate, make a mess of things, behave badly, but also sometimes with a touching compassion, and humor rather than anger or resentment.

I enjoyed the book. Kathleen McInerney did a great job as narrator of the audiobook, just as she does with all of Linda Castillo's Kate Burkholder mystery novels. At times the pace of the action felt a little slow and the characters a bit old-fashioned and insulated from the larger world - which is just fine for light reading and escape.

Did not finish. Too many characters to keep track of & I’m not captivated by the storyline. I had high hopes for this one & they were not reached unfortunately

I listened to this on audio and a part of me wishes I read it instead.

There are several characters in this story that you need to keep track of from the very beginning. I really enjoyed getting to hear about their backgrounds and there are definitely some unlikeable characters.

This is a book/audio you really need to be paying attention to from the very first page.

I did not know what to expect going into this and I did end up enjoying the story. If you are into generational family-focused shows, you will likely like this one. I adored some characters and I could not stand others (even though I think the point was to end up liking them all despite their flaws, but I just could not vibe with some). The personal and domestic challenges were generally realistic so I was never jarred out of the story due to the plot/conflicts. This was a solid tandem read with my Goodreads giveaway copy and NetGalley audio ARC. The narration was well done so this would be a good traditional and/or audio read. Thank you to the publisher, Goodreads, and NetGalley for the different ARCs!

It's funny because this book is described as being similar to All Adults Here and We Are the Brennans. I loved All Adults Here and didn't really enjoy We Are the Brennans so I wasn't quite sure what to expect. But I'd say this book fell right in the middle for me! I enjoyed it, but I'm not sure it will end up being super memorable.

It was a good listening experience, but since there were so many characters, I think it would have been easier to read a hard copy. I had a bit of trouble keeping everyone straight! If We're Being Honest begins with the death of the Williams family patriarch, Gerry. His kids and grandkids have gathered for his funeral we immediately start getting to know a little bit about each of them. We also learn a big secret about Gerry that the family is also just finding out. In fact, it turns out that many of the family members have some sort of secret they're keeping. We see how they all grapple with their secrets and how they decide whether or not and how to reveal them to other family members.

There was nothing crazy exciting about the book and nothing that totally wow-ed me, but like I said, I found it enjoyable enough to listen to while I did some cooking and cleaning around the house.

If you like family dramas that follow many different characters, I recommend giving this one a try!

This character driven family saga begins with a bang! 

When Gerry Sr dies, the family all comes together to celebrate his life...but when his best friend Fred reveals a secret about Gerry, the family is shaken. 

At first, the amount of characters was a bit overwhelming. We are talking about a large family of 3 kids and multiple grandchildren. All of the grandchildren really play a large part in this story so once the story really got going, I was able to keep everyone straight. 

This book felt very realistic and relatable. This family is close but has secrets and doesn't really seem to trust each other. BUT when it all comes down to it, they are there for each other and can all come together. 
I was really surprised that this was a debut. The characters were fleshed out and complex. It felt like a seasoned novelist wrote this. I love the ends and outs of a family drama so I was very invested in this family. 

As far as the audio, I loved the narration! It fit perfectly. 

I will definitely read more by this author.

This is one of those books that from minute 1 you know you are going to need to pay attention for. When the narrator starts with a family tree and then the first chapter is going through why each person is not fit to give the patriarch's eulogy you are given your first taste of the complexities of the family. All that to say you have been warned that there are a lot of characters with very different personalities to learn throughout the book.

Often times when listening to a book like this one I regret listening and feel like maybe I should have read the physical or ebook version. This one, however, I don't have that feeling afterwards. I kind of liked working it out as I went and I think that because the family members are so very different from one another that it worked out well.

As I was reading I was thinking to myself how there were so many unlikeable characters for different reasons as well as so many characters I just wanted to hug. I think the balance of the two types of characters really worked for me. Had the family been all one way or the other I think it would have been a bit boring or a bit off-putting. I liked the mystery of the magnolia trees, the small town gossip and small town connections.

The book did switch characters rather abruptly which, again, is something that worked better on audio since you didn't realize the change was as abrupt as on the page.

I'm not usually the biggest fan of family dramas (The Nest, We Were Liars, Malibu Rising aren't my cup of tea). So when Celadon emailed me with this, I was a little skeptical. Luckily I was needing a new audiobook so I gave it a try. I liked it way more than I thought I would!
This was entertaining enough that it was a quick listen while organizing my son's closet and doing other chores like laundry and dishes. I love when an audiobook helps me get through mundane housework!
Obviously the synopsis will tell you what it's about, but I would describe it as a cross between a reality tv family and Desperate Housewives. There were def some similar vibes between Wisteria Lane and Myrtle St (I think was the street name in the book, how have I already forgotten 😅) I liked how there was the overall drama with the funeral, but then each character had their own thing going on too. Grant was on the bachelorette, Delia talks about her ex non-stop, Carol Ann is a wannabe actress and attention whore, Red is figuring himself out, Alice is knocked up, etc.
I've seen some other reviews that say there were too many characters to keep track of, but I didn't get confused since I finished so quickly. There wasn't really time to forget who was who. I did see the author comment on another booksta post (LOVE THAT) that there will be a family tree included in the finished copy of the book.
Overall, four stars for me and I thought it was a great debut. I hope the author continues to write more for us!

*spoilers ahead*

Featuring ~ multiple 3rd POV, debut, family drama, long chapters (40-60 minutes)

When the author provides a family tree we know we're in for a lot of characters to keep track of. I am not even going to try and list them all either.

There's quite a bit to follow along with ~ from learning Dad/Grandpa is gay at his funeral by the eulogy from his lover to a pregnant from a one night stand granddaughter to a marriage on the rocks with a spouse either cheating or tired of the others disinterest. And that's not even the half of it.

I'm not sure about the book form, but with the audio there was not a smooth transition into the next point of view, which was quite frankly annoying and took me out of the story. I wasn't very invested in any of the characters and I couldn't care less what was going on with them.

Narration:
Kathleen McInerney ~ 11 hours 8 minutes ~ a bit robotic, but I was able to speed up to 3x and follow along as best as I could.

There were a few humorous moments, but overall not for me. Don't let me deter you if it sounds like something you might like as it is currently an editor's pick on Amazon.

Side note ~ I like the colorful cover

There are a lot of characters involved in just the family alone, not including the important supporting characters. I was able to keep each character's story/backstory straight, but I had such a hard time remembering who were Gerry and Ellen’s children vs grandchildren and which grandchild belonged to which parent. Sometimes the switch between POV was hard to follow since it was not announced beforehand. The audio narrator did a good job bringing the personality of each character out in spite of that and those were really my only issues with this book. I loved the connection the cousins had with each other and how they were able to share secrets and talk about the difficult topics. Alice was my favorite of the family to follow, I just loved her story and I connected with her the most even though I have never been in her shoes. It had a good mix of drama and strong family connection. Not only was the family dealing with the bombshell of a secret Gerry had, but they all had different little troubles like pregnancy, heartbreak, marriage problems, and sexuality to name a few. I thought the ending was really heartwarming and how each family member's story gave me enough closure. This was a solid debut.

Thank you @celadon and @netgalley for the gifted copy.

Honestly, I was really looking forward to this book and it was honestly a bit of a let down. I just wasn’t hooked the way I want to be.

This southern fiction, family drama novel starts out with a death of the family patriarch. His extended family has gathered in small town Georgia to pay their respects but his widow cannot decide who will eulogize him because each family member has some disqualifying issue. She finally decides that her late husband’s best friend should have the honor. He has a lot to say…and the family doesn’t know how to react.

As the chapters unfold, each family weighs in on the family dynamic and how it ripples through their own messy lives. This was a fun book to discuss during our #sqaf book club chat with the author. I loved the setting of this book and reading about the family airing out each other’s dirty laundry.

🌟 This is a year for debuts! Cat Shook brings it with this novel, starting off with a shocking declaration as three generations of the Williams family gather for patriarch Gerry’s funeral. Like any great family drama, this has a lovable cast of characters each with their own secrets, struggles and points of view. I loved this one, and already feel a little sad to leave them!

👍🏻 👍🏻 I love how the ending wrapped things up so beautifully, and as a fan of character driven stories, this one gets two thumbs up from me.

💜 If you love a family drama, think “The Latecomer”, “We Are the Brennans” or “The Most Fun We Ever Had” this will give you all the feels, from silly to sentimental.

📚 And if you are looking for your next book club read, Celadon has made it easy for you, with a Book Club Kit. I love when publishers do this! This one includes a family tree, a recipe from Ellen’s kitchen, discussion questions and an interview with the author. Check it out on Celadon’s website.

If We're Being Honest opens with the patriarch of the family Gerry dying and the drunken eulogist unleashing a surprise on the attendees of the funeral. The secret revealed reverberates through out the entire family which leads to other truths being discovered as well.

Because this is a multigenerational story there are a lot of characters and it took me a while to get all of the family members straight. I made my own little family tree sketch indicating who was who, their traits and how they all related to one another. Once I had a clear understanding of who everyone was I enjoyed this book. Overall, a good debut and I'll check out what Cat Shook writes next. Special thanks to Celadon for the ARC and Macmillan Audio for the ALC...the audiobook narration was well done.

Patriarch Gerry Williams has died and his widow, children, and grandchildren have gathered to honor him at his funeral. Unsure who best to eulogize him, his neighbor and close family friend share a shocking revelation that sends the family reeling. Everyone must deal with the news in their own way and through the lens of their own personal tragedy as they struggle to determine how their family will look moving forward.

This book has a lot going for it. I love a good family drama and found the interpersonal relationships between the characters to be interesting (and charming, and sad, and hopeful). There were moments in this book that were funny, lighthearted, and sweet, and others that knocked my socks off - it is definitely character driven! I will admit - the number of characters introduced in the start of the book was a little overwhelming. I’ve seen some other reviews suggest making a chart and I agree this is a good idea! And sometimes I felt like I was being told, and not shown, what the characters were doing and feeling. But overall, I really enjoyed the story and found myself wondering - just what can possibly happen next?!

I listened to this on audiobook and really loved it. I will definitely DNF an audiobook - even one I want to read - if I don't jive with the narrator, but this one was great. Definitely got "into character" for each of the characters without going overboard (which I find can be so easy to do!).

This book was such a delight. I love the southern humor and family drama. Just when you think that can’t happen it does. 😂

The way Cat Shook brought the family together and took them thru the death of the family patriarch, and then gave us all the secrets, lies, drama and twists, was enjoyable.

I listed to this on audio, the narration was great, it was hard to keep track of all the characters, but not impossible, just a bit overwhelming at the first.

The ending left me with a new perspective, one I was surprised about, but nonetheless a good way to look at things and what choices we have.

I think you’ll especially love this if you like family dramas and like to see that all families have their own trials and secrets.

We at the SQAF book club got to zoom with Cat Shook and that was an added bonus! What a pleasures to interact and hear her tell us about how and why this book came to be!

Thanks to @celadonbooks and @netgalley for my ALC. it’s always a gift to share books in the little free library collaborations and be able to listen before it’s comes out so you can recommend the book, honestly.

If We're Being Honest is Cat Shook’s debut novel.

The opening chapter sets the tone for the rest of the book. At a family gathering an attendee makes an announcement that is quite unexpected. From that revelation, there are numerous repercussions, conversations, hurt feelings, a sense of betrayal, questioning what you thought you knew and more. This is all explored through the members of the Williams family.

Now, there are a lot of members of the Williams family in this book -generations to be accurate. Even more when you count in the cousins, friends and acquaintances. I admit, I found keeping them all straight a bit of a chore. I do think readers or listeners will find at least one character that resonates with them.

Shook explores many, many situations and themes - all all of them seen through the eyes and lives of this large group of players. Fidelity, sexual orientation, marriage, friendship, expectations, parenthood, disappointments, grief, family dynamics, loss, love, hope, fears and so much more.

The book takes place over the course of one week. Shook packs in a lot for a one week timeframe.

I liked Shook’s premise- the idea of exploring the aftermath of such an announcement. But I think having so many players and now so so many themes to explore was way too busy. I believe the book would’ve been more effective with less going on and fewer characters. As it is, it feels like it’s just jumping from situation to situation, without letting me embrace the characters or savour the moments.

I chose to listen to If We’re Being Honest. The reader was Kathleen McInerney. She’s a narrator I’ve listened to before and I’ve quite enjoyed her work. She has a nice clear voice, enunciates well, and is pleasant to listen to. She did a very good job of trying to provide identifiable voices for all of the characters, but I think, having another reader, perhaps a male, to play some other parts would have been a good idea. McInerney did a good job of bringing the author's book to life.

If We're Being Honest is a book on paper that I thought I would love, especially with a premise that sounded so similar to Jonathan Tropper's This Is Where I Leave You. Unfortunately, the large cast of characters that were hard to keep straight, and the narrators voice did not help lend any variation to the many characters. The chapters were long and despite the fact that there were a lot of important and interesting topics broached, this story just didn't do it for me.

Many thanks to Annie B. Jones for recommending this one on her podcast, From the Front Porch.

I do so love a messy family saga. And this one kicks off with a ‘shit show’ of a funeral.

The adult children and grandchildren of Gerry Williams have gathered in Eulalia, Georgia for his funeral. Gerry’s best friend delivers the eulogy and drops a bombshell of secrets that sends shockwaves throughout the family.

I loved the humor and snark, the heart and hope of this story. They are trying to cope with the fallout from the secret and reconcile that with their grief. The adult siblings deteriorate into familiar patterns, but the author shows us they can grow beyond that.

I’ve seen a lot of criticism for this book regarding too many characters, slow starter, etc. That wasn’t my experience. I listened to it and still kept up easily with who was who after settling in. I was also hooked from the outset. But messy, dysfunctional southern families are my reading catnip 😆

Thank you @netgalley @macmillan.audio and the author for the complimentary audiobook in exchange for my honest review.