This book completely absorbed me, and I read most of it in one day (it’s fairly short). Tara Connelly was recently released from prison, and she deals with conflict in her family and uncertainty about her future. I was pulled in from the first chapter, fascinated by her family’s struggle for growth and peace. There’s a romance that wasn’t terribly realistic but gave the book an element of fantasy and symbolized hope. I quite enjoyed the entire reading experience and found myself rooting for all the characters. Except Roland Shea, of course.

I read part of the book on the kindle app and most of it on audio—thanks to Celadon and Macmillan Audio for the complimentary copies!

I didn’t love this book like I thought I would. The story had a lot of potential. It started off really strong and grabbed my attention. I normally love a good dysfunctional family drama, but this one fell flat the longer I read. The story line just didn’t seem believable/realistic and was predictable with an abrupt ending. I went into this book thinking it was a thriller/suspense; the first chapter gave off some thriller vibes and the family dynamics were rocky and uncertain. My mind was set on it being a thriller and not women’s contemporary fiction. I know several people loved it; but unfortunately, it just wasn’t for me. I didn’t hate it but didn’t love it either.

The whole story felt rushed and I didn’t really connect with any of the siblings, maybe it was intentionally written that way to show how complicated, messy and unreliable they were. I felt bad for the nephew being in the middle of all the family drama. He was a positive light in the story, and told silly jokes to help lighten the mood. I would have liked to have read more about him, but again, maybe that was done intentionally as well.

The title of the book was actually the fairy tale their mom told them as children. I thought it was interesting and liked how the characters defined each of the siblings perfectly. I wish we could have gotten a little more of the fairy tale, because what little we did get didn’t really tie into the plot.

Overall, I felt like this story was all over the place and it didn’t know which genre it wanted to be. It had some thriller/suspense/crime elements, a little bit of fantasy, some romance and women’s contemporary fiction all tied together. I kept waiting for a twist or turn but never got it. However, the MC learned some great lessons about self love, healing, forgiveness and second chances.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for giving me the opportunity to listen to this ARC in return for an honest review.

This is a character driven family drama. The story focuses mainly on the lives and relationships of three adult siblings. As I was listening at first, I kept thinking maybe I had already read this. It seemed so familiar. Then I realized that the author also wrote another book a few years ago that I had read.

3.5 stars. I enjoyed this family drama, especially how the siblings were loyal to one another. My favorite scenes were when they were in therapy together. I also liked the progression of Tara and Brian's relationship.

Overall, this is a book I liked, not loved. It felt like we jumped in for the middle of the story rather than being present for the entire thing.

Tracey Lange does a great job with characterization. Her characters are believable, with her background and knowledge of family therapy showing brilliantly within these pages. Also, the jokes told by Connor, the ten year family member, were spot- on. Because every kiddo seems to go through a joke telling fascination at some time or another. Lange knows her peeps and it’s a joy to get to know this family of struggling, flawed, but loyal individuals.

Highly recommended for readers who enjoyed Brendan’s first family-centric novel and contemporary literature.

A character-driven family drama with themes of love, sacrifice and loyalty. The story begins with Tara Connelly returning home to her siblings, Geraldine and Eddie, after serving eighteen months in prison. The story focuses on the sibling relationships, and Tara’s attempts to pick up the pieces of her life. The characters were well fleshed out and their storylines unique, even if they weren’t necessarily immediately likeable. The start was a slow weaving of the details, so it took a while to get invested, but by the end I was rooting for Tara to find a path through the messiness of her current circumstances to get the fresh start she deserved.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio, and Netgalley for an advanced reader copy.

What a solid sophomore novel! Lange burst on the scene last year with We Are the Brennans and everyone loved the family drama! Sticking to what she knows best, this one dove deep into exploring family bonds and loyalty and the resilience of building them back together.

It was a completely character driven story with such intriguingly complex characters. I enjoyed how flawed and imperfect she wrote them and therefore they felt incredibly realistic and relatable.

I rotated this one between physical and audiobook and truly relished in the audio as the narration was superb!

Bonus points for the mini connection to her debut and the Brennans! 👏

The Connellys are a family of three siblings who have a strained relationship. Tara is just getting out of jail after serving 18 months on a charge of carrying drugs. She might have gotten off or had a lighter sentence had she given evidence against the dealer. Instead, she paid her dues and is now a felon returning home, attempting to start over. Her brother Eddie has a good heart but his brain was damaged when he was young and it causes complications that impact not only himself, but the daughter he raises alone. Tara’s older sister Geraldine is an overworked fanatic who lives like a hoarder and is not coping with the stress of her job.

Tara knows she is returning to a dysfunctional family, but they are all she has. She’s always been tough, but prison has only amplified the need to develop a thick skin. Unsurprisingly, no one shows up to drive her home from prison. They are too busy or too self-absorbed. So it’s quite a shock to see the police officer who sent her to jail appear, just as she’s being released.

The complicated relationships between the siblings is the focus of the novel. Lange’s story of the Connelly family dynamics is engaging and the characters are examples of people with damaged psyches and bodies. Despite everything, they do care about each other. Tara's return home is difficult for all of them and fissures deepen. Like her earlier book, We Are the Brennans, family is at the very heart of the story. Though this second book may not be quite as powerful, it’s still a fascinating novel that is excellently narrated by Barrie Kreinik.

Tara is released after being in prison for 18 months on a drug trafficking charge. Her family doesn’t show up to pick her up but luckily Brian the cop who helped put her away is there and offers her a ride. Brian feels bad and wants to apologize. Now that Tara is out she is trying to get her life back together. She has a sister named Geroldean, and a brother named Eddie. Eddie has a son named Connor who Tara is very close with. Everyone has their issues and being a family and helping each other is a big part of this story.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this ARC audiobook. The narrator was amazing. I am going to add her to my favorites list and listen to more of the audiobooks she narrates. The book itself was a great book. All characters show growth throughout the book. Geroldead was kind of irritating to me but in a good way. She has these flaws and once you see her character growth it was amazing. I enjoyed finding out the mystery of Tara’s story and why she did what she did. I also enjoyed the jokes Connor would tell everyone, I found myself laughing and even pulling my daughter aside to tell her the joke I just heard in my book. I liked the romance in the book also. It’s nice to see that Tara can move on with her life and still find happiness in a place she wasn’t looking for it. This is my first book from Tracey Lange and I look forward to reading more from her.

4.5 stars

When Tara is released from jail after serving her 18 months for a drug trafficking charge, she returns home to a family that has fractured even more during her absence. While she’s welcomed back by her brother Eddie and his son, her return is too disruptive for her sister Geraldine whose mental state buckles under the pressure of holding the family together. Closely held secrets are hurting them. Tara’s presence is the catalyst for change and facing hard truths. She even serves as one for the unlikeliest of people - Brian, the detective who along with his detective uncle helped put her behind bars. Brian always sensed there was more to Tara’s story, and had been wracked with guilt about her incarceration. Their relationship is one of the happier developments in the story.

What can I say? I fell in love with this story. I loved its complexities, and the multiple POVs added so many layers to each person. Hats off to Kreinik for her moving and compassionate reading of this family drama. She tapped into their emotions showing their flaws and their love.

I’m so impressed with this book, and I want to read Lange’s previous one as well. The reason this isn’t a full 5 stars from me is that the end felt a bit …not abrupt but not enough for me? I would’ve liked a short epilogue, say 6 months down the line just to see that the family was indeed moving forward. Regardless, this is perfect if you’re a fan of reading about complicated family dynamics, loyalty, second chances and redemption.

Thanks to @netgalley & @macmillan.audio for my ALC.

If you’re looking for your next great read, filled with family drama + secrets + the struggle to start over & to move beyond your past, then THE CONNELLYS OF COUNTY DOWN by TRACEY LANGE is for you.

I feel in fast love with TRACEY LANGE’s debut, WE ARE THE BRENNANS, and was beyond excited to read her latest.

Set in the same suburbs as BRENNANS (with a much appreciated wink) we meet 30-year-old Tara Connelly as she’s leaving prison after serving 18 months for a drug charge. With no money and no job Tara makes the somewhat reluctant return home to live with her her sister Geraldine, her brother Eddie and her nephew Conor.

But coming home again and rebuilding her life is far from easy. Tara’s returns sparks immediate tension - upending the well-crafted routines Geraldine has put into place and placing Eddie in the middle of his sisters fights. When Brian Nolan, the cop who helped put Tara in prison, starts coming around, looking for answers to questions Tara refuses to provide, her life gets increasingly more complicated.

This is a slow burn story exploring the complex relationships between siblings. They each have secrets to protect and are shouldering their own traumas. They are messy and struggling and in many ways still grappling with the death of their mother and their father’s subsequent abandonment. There is no lack of challenges facing the Connellys and the question is can they get beyond the past and carve out futures for themselves?

I really enjoyed having the POVs of the siblings and of Brian. And as someone who grew up around the area where the book is set I appreciated the familiarity.

Huge thanks to Macmillan Audio, Celadon Books, and NetGalley for the ARC. And shoutout to Barrie Kreinik for an outstanding audiobook narration.

Tracey Lange delivered another amazing family drama in The Connellys of County Down.
I absolutely loved this book. 5 big stars ⭐️ for me.
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There is just something about a dysfunctional family that always draws me in, and I was really rooting for the Connellys, especially Tara. 🥰
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💐family drama
💐character driven
💐love, loyalty, sacrifice, forgiveness
💐a dash of romance
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I loved this book so much! Thank you Netgalley and Celadon Books for the audiobook ARC.

I enjoyed this book! A good story about family dynamics and relationships. More books by Tracey Lange will be in my future.

This story is all about a family that has had a rough time. Life has really been difficult and as a result there have been some decisions made that have tough consequences. The good news is they have a very strong love for each other, but that love causes very interesting survival tactics.

Details about the Connelly family and others are slowly shared as you read the book. Stress in the lives of these characters causes serious issues. Lies are told that lead deeper and deeper into trouble and suspense. Then it comes down to running and keeping the lies going or telling the truth and accepting the consequences. Our imagination can run wild when we think about the worst possible consequences.

I listened to Barrie Kreinik narrate this audiobook. She did a good job on the characters and made the story come to life.

Excerpt.
“It should have been a cakewalk. Bring the driver in and make an offer: turn in the boss and walk away or go to prison. Brian and Hank assured the rest of the team it would work, especially when they learned the driver was a young art teacher that still lived with her family. Poor thing probably just needed money and got sucked in by <the drug dealer>. She’d be scared to death and roll over on him in the first 5 minutes. The whole task force had prepared for his imminent indictment and arrest. They had not, however, prepared for Tara Connelly.”

Summary.
This drama centers on the Connelly family as Tara ends her 18 months in federal prison following a drug trafficking conviction. She returns home to her siblings— Eddie and Geraldine— and Eddie’s son, Connor.

Tara has a difficult time returning to her life. While she has a home, she now needs a relationship with her parole officer, a job, and to adhere to a lot of rules to stay out of prison. On top of that, she’s being constantly underestimated— especially by Geraldine.

We also have a front-row seat as we watch Geraldine’s secrets unravel & see her unpack her issues in therapy.

Thoughts.
First of all, what a gorgeous cover. Can I get it as a wallpaper or an art print please??

Even though we understand more about Geraldine by the end, she reminded me of Delores Umbridge, and I was rooting for her to fail. 🙃

This is a story of redemption, familial love, and a sibling character study. You may love this book if you liked “The Last Thing He Told Me.” There’s a significant crime plot, but the story is told as literary fiction with well-rounded characters. This isn’t meant to be suspenseful. The whole book was beautifully written IMO.

Because I’ve been reviewing so many romances lately, I am compelled to add: there is a small romance plot, but NO SPICE. That’s not what we’re here for.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of this audiobook. Thanks to MacMillan Audio and NetGalley! This book will be released on August 1, 2023.

This book suffered from characters too similar to her previous book!! I kept getting flashbacks of characters from We Are the Brennans. Also, this ended very abruptly and didn't really end...the biggest loose end is still a loose end! I would've liked every chapter to start with a piece of the story their mom used to make up about them.

I really wasn't sure what to expect from The Connellys of County Down -- would it be gritty (following someone being released from prison) or suspenseful (what landed them in prison) or tragic (the recidivism rates can be high) but ultimately this story was a bit of everything. I appreciated seeing how the three siblings in the story (the Connellys) navigated their challenges and how we learned more about each one. I appreciated the ideas about generational trauma and how we can become cycle breakers. I loved Tara and found her so compelling even when I couldn't put my finger on it. I appreciated the forbidden romance aspect. I liked that a lot of the book centered around the need to trust others and exploring the meaning of family. Regardless of what I was expecting, this book delivered. I'd recommend it if you like stories about family, multiple points of view, or want a feel good read.

Following the three Connelly siblings - the youngest sister that was recently released from prison, the middle child son who is a single dad dealing with lingering effects of a TBI, and the eldest daughter that’s a compulsive hoarder. A fine enough read, but none of the characters motivations made any sense. You’re really gonna fall for the cop that helped put you in prison?? Nah thank you. I would have enjoyed a more in-depth look at the sibling relationships and less focus on the romantic subplot.

I enjoyed this family drama about three Irish American adult siblings finding their way in the world. They are a close-knit family out of necessity, and they seem to keep finding trouble. What I enjoyed most about this story was the dynamics between the siblings and how they supported (and failed) each other in hard times.

I read this book shortly after reading Mary Beth Keane's The Half Moon, and they felt very similar, which might have diminished my enjoyment of this one a bit. I found the way the plot lines of the supporting characters connected with the main characters a bit hard to believe at times, but perhaps I just wanted more time spent on them to understand their motives.

Wow I really loved this book. I finished in under a day and could not wait to continue when I had to step away. Somehow I love messy characters who make bad decisions, but for (mostly) good reasons and that just perfectly explains basically every single character in this book. It is character driven, but also the story keeps pulling you along so that you can't put it down until you know how all the secrets come out. I love this family dynamic, where they seem like a dysfunctional family on the outside, but they are just trying to survive and take care of each other in their own ways (which the others don't always see/understand). The audiobook heightened all the motions and really gave an extra layer and voice to these characters that I loved.

Family dynamics and interpersonal relationships between siblings can be complex. This is particularly true when the family loses their parents during their formative years. The Connellys of County Down is a story of three now adult siblings who would sacrifice everything for one another. This is the first book I’ve read from Tracey Lange but it won’t be my last.

The reader is first introduced to the youngest sibling Tara who is being released from prison after serving an eighteen-month sentence for drug smuggling. Once a teacher, Tara’s criminal charges mean that she is no longer able to teach. She returns home to live with her sister Geraldine, brother Eddie and his son Connor.

Tara learns that Eddie’s traumatic brain injury has impacted his life and he began having worsening headaches and seizures while Tara was incarcerated. She soon discovers that Geraldine has become a hoarder and has impacted much of the space in the home. She failed to pick Tara up upon her release as planned, and doesn’t seem to be that happy to see Tara home again. Geraldine became a parent to Tara and Eddie as a teenager upon the death of their mother and when their father fled a short time later.

As the book progresses, details about the family’s past are slowly revealed. Tara begins a new job as well as a romantic relationship with someone from her past. Geraldine’s desire to take care of everything leads to poor choices. The source of Eddie’s escalation in headaches is disclosed. Without giving anything away, expect a suspenseful climax and satisfying conclusion.

I listened to the audiobook version of the book which was narrated by Barrie Kreinik. I appreciated her tone and natural quality as she voiced several characters. I would not hesitate in recommending the audiobook to those readers who appreciate this format.

I recommend this book to those readers who enjoy Women’s Fiction or stories of Family Life.

I received an ARC of this book and audiobook from the publisher but the thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own.