Tracey Lange’s previous book was an immediate hit for me. When I saw a new book by her coming out, I was immediately drawn to it and very excited to dive in. I will admit that I struggled through the first 25% or so, not really connecting or investing myself with any characters or the story lines, but once it took off, it REALLY took off.

It’s hard to decide if you like these characters, feel sorry for them, or see a lot of yourself in them. I think that’s the beauty of Lange’s writing though - the words really make you sit back and think and reflect. This book was quite short, but it packed a lot of punch through the storylines that all intertwined. It was beautiful, raw, emotional and relatable. If you’re looking for a character driven family drama, this book is for you!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for accepting my arc request.

This was such a beautiful book, showcasing love, strength, flaws, and an unbreakable but fragile bond between siblings.

Tara just got released from prison and re-integrating into society is not going to be easy. She starts living with her siblings, Eddie and Geraldine, who have their own struggles they are going through. Eddie is a single father,and has a traumatic brain injury, and with that comes a lot of challenges and cognitive load. Geraldine is the oldest sibling and has a protective trait about her , which comes out as controlling and paranoia, and she has some secrets of her own. The story is about these three and how they solve their own problems, while also sticking together.

The title of the book is actually the story that Tara's mother made up,and the fairytale and real life is interwoven beautifully. We are in a time where sometimes even family does not stand by us, and that's why I really enjoyed this book where even with so many uncertainties, these siblings were fighting with others,and sometimes among themselves, all to help each other out.

Another aspect I liked about the story was the mental health representation. I love reading a book that talks about these issues, and encourages therapy.

I would have loved to read an Epilogue to know more about other characters' ending, and I would not have mind reading another 50 pages. Overall, I truly enjoyed the book and would recommend reading it.

Title: The Connellys of County Down
Author: Tracey Lange
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Rating: 4.25
Pub Date: August 1, 2023

I received complimentary eARC and ALC copies of this book from Celadon Books and Macmillan Audio via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #Gifted #Ad

T H R E E • W O R D S

Mysterious • Relatable • Reflective

📖 S Y N O P S I S

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 façade 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.

💭 T H O U G H T S

After absolutely loving Tracey Lange's debut, We Are the Brennans, I was super excited to see she was releasing a new novel in 2023. One of my most anticipated releases, I picked The Connellys of County Down as my August pick for my personal book of the month project, and when Celadon offered me an advanced copy I wouldn't click 'yes' fast enough.

Centered around three siblings, the pacing keep me wanting more. The story unraveled slowly with each chapter offering new tidbits of information as to how everything would connect. From the very start, there was an underlying mysterious tone. The siblings were each flawed and relatable in their own way, and their relationships with one another were layered and complex. At various points it was hard to figure out whether to feel sorry for them or to empathize with them. It is clear Lange's background in behavioural science and psychology helped shape the narrative surrounding Eddie's traumatic brain injury, and Geraldine's hoarding. Both of these aspects were handled with care and realistically.

The novel is on the shorter side, and I just couldn't put it down. However, it was the ending that left me slightly dissatisfied. Not only did it end abruptly, but after so much conflict everything ended tied up with a pretty little bow, which just felt unrealistic. There were several other possible endings that made more sense in my head.

I tandem read the digital and audio versions, and I must say the audio narration by Barrie Kreinik really brought the family to life. Each character had a distinct voice, which made following along easy. Pacing was very well done and accents were done with excellent intonation.

Overall, I appreciated the themes of family obligation and starting anew, making The Connellys of County Down a satisfying read. I just would have preferred a different ending. After reading her sophomore novel, it really cements Tracey Lange as an auto-buy author for me, and I will eagerly be awaiting whatever she writes next.

📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• lovers of the family saga
• readers who like character driven stories
• fans of messy sibling relationships

⚠️ CW: death, death of parent, drug trafficking, overdose, incarceration, car accident, injury/injury detail, medical trauma, mental illness, abandonment, cursing, addiction, drug use, drug abuse

🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S

"I don’t think you do the rest of us any favors when you don’t let us carry our own burdens."

My ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I thought this was really well written, elicited many emotions, and still has me thinking about the story. I really enjoyed her story telling.

The Connellys of County Down was just absolutely lovely.
I adore the characters, the story flowed nicely, the plot was (mostly) believable, and the audio narration was exquisite.
I enjoyed Tracey Lange's debut novel and must say I liked this one even more.
The author just does an amazing job showing us all the messiness that comes with being part of a family. The good, the bad, the ugly. The letdowns, the betrayals, the disappointments. The hope, the support, the love for one another.
People are flawed. Humans make mistakes. Families (at least the good ones) have each others' backs.
You may not always agree with everything they do, but when push comes to shove, you're there for them.
This warmed my cold. dead heart.

When 30 year old Tara Connelly is released after 18 months in prison for a drug charge, she returns home to live with her siblings. Her brother is a single dad, struggling to cope with a brain injury. And her sister is crumbling under the weight of some heavy secrets. Then there’s the cop who arrested her, that keeps showing up unannounced. During her struggle to build a new career, a potential love interest enters the picture. But lies and family secrets may cause Tara to lose it all.
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I read and listened to this book. The narration by Barrie Kreinik is phenomenal. Lange writes beautiful, flawed, three-dimensional characters who struggle with deeply human problems. I laughed, I cried. This gorgeous book pulled me out of a weeks long reading slump. Don’t sleep on this one y’all!
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Thank you to @celadonbooks and @macmillan.audio for the ARCs of this beautiful book.
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The Connellys of County Down-Tracey Lange
4.75/5⭐️

This was just a lovely book. Well written interesting characters and an overall grade reading experience.

This book proves once again that the deep family connections explored by Lange are everything.

Similar to We are the Brennnans, we have a motley collection of siblings who have lifetimes of connectedness and betrayal and love. Their roots run deep, and their feelings and motivations are complex.

When the baby-Tara-returns home from a prison sentence, she is met with loathing from the controlling sister who raised her and is tiptoeing around the brother with a closed head injury, not wanting to make his symptoms worse. And she’s helping her nephew navigate becoming his own self, away from the controlling ways of the eldest sister.

She’s dancing the line of the terms of parole, and is dancing precariously close to the edge of going back.

All of her siblings (and she) are struggling with their addict no-good father leaving them, and their entangled relationships and own baggage is coming between all of them.

The dance of this story and the glimpse into the life of the Connellys gives hope to even the most estranged relationships. Communication is always key, and this book is a testament to the stories of our roots that bind us together and how sometimes we need to speak those stories aloud to help us let go and branch out into who we are supposed to be.

I loved Tracey Lange's We Are The Brennans so of course I was excited to read her sophomore novel as well - and this book delivers in a similar but different way! Yet again there is a group of siblings in an Irish family in the greater New York area - yet again there are problems and a family willing to step up for one another ! This is a well-crafted family drama that has you rooting for all the characters by the time you read the last page. I was so invested in these characters, a set of siblings Geraldine, Eddie and Tara who have been taking care of each other since childhood. Each has their own back story and the more I got to know what was driving them, the more I wanted to give them a hug. Their stories are revealed bit by bit and you get to know them more intimately and your opinions will change over the course of the book as you get to know them. The family dynamics are fascinating. Decisions taken for others with the best intentions come back to haunt.
This book is a great summer read - be sure to add it to your reading list !

The cover of this book caught my eye, not only were the colors soothing, but the title was written in a font that stood out to me. The title of the book was also intriguing. The narration of this book was fabulous! I loved the New York accent, the way the male voices were portrayed by the female narrator and the main characters voices. The narration was excellent!
The story of the book was also good; it kept me wanting to keep listening. The meaning of the story being always tell the truth and be honest about things has great message for young adults and adults. Sometimes people feel that they can handle situations themselves but they may need the help of others to get through things.
I really enjoyed this book.

Thank you to the publisher for gifting me an ARC and audiobook!
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This is the author’s sophomore novel but the first one that I read, and I can see now why everyone loves her writing! As far as a summary goes, there isn’t much more I can reveal beyond the official synopsis. What I can say is that it’s a story that tests family and sibling bonds, and the amount of sacrifices that you sometimes have to make for your family, even if it’s to your own detriment. The 3 siblings, Tara, Geraldine and Eddie couldn’t be more different from each other and yet couldn’t be apart. They are all imperfect in every way you can imagine yet they form a complete picture as a whole.

What was even more interesting was the ex-convict and law enforcement themes explored throughout the book. Tara’s post-prison journey was a unique and important theme that I don’t see enough in books and I thought that was a refreshing change. I felt the author did a phenomenal job writing the unprecedented hurdle of rebuilding one’s life after a prison time. I also enjoyed the good cop-not so good cop theme and the boundaries they are allowed or not allowed, which was another unique factor to this book.

I oscillated between 4 and 5 stars throughout the book and ended with 5 because I was extremely invested in the siblings’ challenges and was rooting for all the main characters in the book despite their misgivings. I now need to read The Brennans!

I listened to this as an audiobook and thoroughly enjoyed each and every word. The narration was just what I needed for this book and the author wrote these characters so well. They were fleshed out thoroughly and as a listener, I felt like I knew them personally.

The story is woven beautifully and the dynamic between these three siblings is one that has so many deep seated complications that go way back to things that happened when they were much younger. It also didn't help that they didn't have any parental stability growing up.

Things are further complicated when Tara is released from prison and one of the police officers who helped to put her there is at the prison when she's released and ends up driving her home. Things only get stranger from there.

I love family dramas so this book really struck a chord with me and I listened to it every opportunity I had.

Thank you to NetGalley for this early listening copy.

The Connollys of County Down by Tracey Lange
Who would you go to jail for? I found myself asking this question through the novel. Sorry friends and family, that’s a big no-one for me!

Tara is released from prison after serving 18 months for drug trafficking. On her release, her family isn’t waiting for her, they’ve been distant and rarely visited her, yet her release plans have her staying with them. Tara’s arresting officer ends up back in her life as he is conveniently at the jail just as she need a lift home.

I had to pick up this book after reading We Are The Brennans. I love the strong family connections. There is the same levity in the drama as well as a hint of a mystery. Exploring the family dynamics revealed interesting character complexities.

I loved the characters and hopefulness of this books

I hated the sense that at any moment everything was going to fall apart because of extraordinarily stupid decisions.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for an opportunity to listen to this ARC

IG Review posted.

The Connellys of County Down will not disappoint fans of her debut novel and even mentions the Brennans' pub a few times! This is a family novel focusing on 3 siblings after one sister gets released from prison. There is something about Tracey Lange's characters that draw you in. I don't particularly like or relate to her characters, but I understand them and become invested in seeing their story play out. This is definitely a character focused book because not much happens...yet I'm here for it. I appreciate getting to listen to the audiobook.

can you really ever really go home again? Can you really get out of jail and go home to your siblings and really start over like nothing happened? ask the Connelly's. This is one of those audiobooks that you really can sink into

Tara Connelly is out of prison and ready to start her life back up. She is welcomed home by her sister and brother. They are determined to put their family back together and move on with their lives...but past secrets won't stay in the past.

It was hard not to be completely lost in this family's story. This is truly about the bonds of siblings and how that relationship is not easily broken. I loved that we were able to really get to know all three of the Connelly siblings. They are all battling something and haven't figured out how to lean on each other instead of pushing each other away.

I really loved this book. There were times in the story that I wanted to scream at the characters for the decisions they were making..but that makes for a good story. I was completely wrapped up in their world.

I alternated between the print copy and the audiobook for this one. The audiobook was fantastic and brought this family to life.

I definitely recommend this one if you love family dramas like me.

Tracy Lange is becoming one of my favorite authors for family dramas! I love the way that we get hooked into the families lives and makes us feel like we're apart of it all. It is a very character driven story with a fast moving plot, and I highly recommend it.

Thank You Celadon Books, Tracey Lange and NetGalley for the galley and ALC. The Connellys of County Down is a story about three siblings, Tara, Eddie and Geraldine Connelly, who are reconnecting after Tara is released from an 18 month prison sentence. These siblings have each faced significant challenges in their
Iives that impacts their relationships with each other. Tara has to re-establish her life, Eddie has health issues resulting from a childhood accident and Geraldine suffers from anxiety and struggles with her mental health. Their strong desire to protect each other and keep secrets hidden, leads to complicated choices and mistakes that could cause them to lose it all. This story intertwines the complexity of past trauma, the power of unconditional love and family loyalty. 5 stars!

The Connellys of County Down
Tracey Lange


Tracey Lange’s sophomore novel is fantastic, a fly on the wall look at a gritty family of siblings who each are keeping secrets that could destroy them. Each of the siblings has strengths and weaknesses but it’s Tara that’s the star of the show, she’s got guts, she’s loyal to a fault and she’s never felt worthy. Eddie is a close second, a flawed man, a loving single dad that will pull at readers heartstrings. The detective Brian Nolan is also a close second as readers quickly learn he’s a noble man and the real deal, then there’s Conner who is such a great kid in spite of his dysfunctional family. Geraldine however is a bit harder to like, that is until the author brilliantly starts unpeeling her complex layers letting readers see her without her protective walls. The plot is engaging the backdrops are location perfect and the narrative has an effortless flow. Fans of family drama and realistic fiction with complex characters and an intriguing storyline will find themselves finishing this in just one sitting.

Narration:
Barrie Kreinik does an impressive job of narrating giving each voice a notable distinction, she does a fantastic job on both male and female voices and is perfect with accents my personal favorite was the nasally Bronx accent of Tara’s parole officer. All of this gives the Macmillan Audio edition of the novel a definite edge.

The Connelly siblings of Port Chester NY were raised on the fairy tales of their mother and the failings of their father then unspeakable tragedy strikes when their mother dies and their father disappears and turns them into dogged fighters when well meaning but unwelcomed authorities get too close to the truth. Now they’re about face another set of obstacles that will either make them stronger or destroy them.

Tara Connelly is about to be released on parole from Taconic prison after serving 18 months on a drug trafficking charge but as she’s about to leave the cop who helped put her away offers her a ride home. She’s not sure what he’s up to but since her older sister Geraldine doesn’t show up, against her better judgement she accepts his offer.

Geraldine Connelly has kept her family together since she was in high school, she is and is not looking forward to Tara’s homecoming, she does miss her sister but she knows Tara the wild child will disrupt all the rules and regulations Geraldine has set in place in Tara’s absence. Plus, she’s afraid that Tara will discover her secret.
Eddie Connelly is trying to keep it all together for his son Connor but thanks to his traumatic brain injury suffered in a car accident caused by his father it’s not always easy. He can’t wait for his little sister Tara to come home, everything always seemed brighter with her around and he knows Conner will benefit the most from Tara’s presence.

Congratulations to Tracey Lange on the release of her sophomore novel The Connellys of County Down. I began listening to this with no information about plot, setting, etc. and was intrigued that the first chapter describes the main character's release day from prison.

Tara Connelly served 18 months for drug trafficking, even though she wasn't law enforcement's primary target. She fulfilled her sentence and now plans to rebuild her life, even though she can never resume her teaching career due to her conviction. She shares a house her sister Geraldine, brother Eddie, and his young son Connor, and although they rarely visited her while incarcerated, she's hopeful they will help her start again.

But Tara's release doesn't go as planned - the detective who played a role in her conviction demands to meet with her, and her sister doesn't show up to give her a ride home. Are these bad omens or just coincidences? Can Tara leave her past behind, reconnect with her family, and find a meaningful way to use her artistic talents?

I like Ms. Lange's straightforward writing style; it's down to earth with no flowery prose. Her expertise in psychology is evident as she takes readers into the minds and hearts of her deeply flawed but well-intentioned characters. The tension and love between Tara and her family members was palpable, relatable, and realistic.

The audiobook narration by Barrie Kreinik matched well with the tone of the novel. She also narrates the author's debut novel, We Are the Brennans, which is now at the top of my backlist TBR list.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for access to the review copy of the audiobook.