There's something about a family drama set in the 1990s that I will always relate to. The characters felt real, the drama and situations high stakes, and the character development was great.

Thank you NetGalley and Celadon Books for a copy of Mercury in exchange for an honest review.

Mercury is an interesting literary fiction following the lives of the Joseph family and a new-to-town girl, Marley. The story starts out with a body being found in the attic of a church, but that is only a small part of a greater story being told.

Mack Joseph came back from Vietnam much like many soldiers, broken both mentally and emotionally. His wife, Elise, was left to mend their relationship while also raising 3 boys. By the time Marley comes around, the Baylor and Waylon are in high school, while younger brother Shay tags along on roofing jobs for the family business, Joseph and Sons.

While I imagine many can relate to the mental and emotional abuse they were put through as children of a parent who fought in a war (before PTSD was recognized and helped), the story of Elise Joseph and her own struggles really stood out for me. I know the main storyline involves Marley and Waylon, but I found the plot of Elise and how she struggled and fought to keep a family together so beautiful.


Overall, I would give this books 3.5 stars. While I did enjoy most of the book, I did find myself getting a bit bored in the middle and hoping to “get to the point” and find out more about the body that was found.

This book will tug at your heartstrings and also keep you reading to figure out just what they're hiding! Coming of age drama. I will say that it felt fractured and that it could use some editing in areas. Overall 3.5

Will family loyalty and appearances become tarnished by a deep, dark secret?

I thoroughly enjoyed this enticing story based in a small Pennsylvania town. We meet Elise and Mick Joseph, and their three sons, as well as Marley West and her mom, Ruth. As Marley becomes more a part of the integral threads that bind the Joseph family together, we see her grow into strength and perseverance in such a relatable way. She battles insecurities, learning to be a mother to both her own as well as learning to mother the family, trying to tame a strong (and over inflated) ego and save face for the family. These dynamics are both relatable and concerning, but told in such a compelling way it was hard to put it down!

This book was deep. I had never read this author before, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. What I got was a complex study of a dysfunctional family dynamic, and a very character driven story. I was entranced in this story for some reason. I wanted to know what happened to each and every character. Why they acted the way they did, and how each person became that way. The author, Amy Jo Burns, delivered on all accounts.

This story starts off with a young teenage Marley moving into the town of Mercury, with her mother Ruth. Marley right away becomes involved with Baylor Joseph, which gets her a seat at the Joseph family table for dinner each night. The Joseph family consists of three brothers- Baylor, Waylon, and Shay. The Joseph parents are Mick and Elise. The Joseph men own their own roofing company, and Elise tries to uphold the family name.

As the story progresses, we learn of the many secrets the Joseph family is hiding. We see how Marley has made herself a part of the Joseph family as well, even though Elise may have never really liked her. Did Marley choose the wrong or right brother in the end? Was Marley more of a mother to Shay than Elise could ever be? And why do the Joseph men always stick up for each other?

This book was gritty and raw. The characters kept me captivated from the first page all the way through until the last page. If you enjoy highly developed, character-driven stories- then this is the book for you! I highly recommend this story, and I will be looking for other reads from this author going forward.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy!

3 stars

This was just ok. A coming of age family drama that had a decent plot but could use some editing. I found myself losing interest as I trudged through the writing.

"Mercury" by Amy Jo Burns takes us on a nostalgic journey to a small Pennsylvania town, where secrets simmer beneath the surface and friendships are tested by the weight of the past.

The book shines in its portrayal of complex characters and the dynamics of family.

While "Mercury" is rich in atmosphere and emotion, some readers might find the pacing a bit slow, and certain plot points could use more fleshing out. The back-and-forth between past and present is a tad disorienting at times.

While it may not be the most gripping read, it offers moments of insight and reflection with its lyrical prose and poignant exploration of identity and belonging. I'd give it a solid 3.25/5 stars.

Mercury is a story about family dynamics told through multiple POV starting in the 90’s and spanning about 10 years.

I love a good family dynamics story and Mercury did it well! I became very invested in each character and learning more about each one and what has made them into who they are. This book is perfect for anyone who really enjoys a lot of character development in their books.

I really enjoyed the author’s writing and found that the book moved quickly for me. I liked the time jumps and different perspectives and found they made the book’s pace move faster. My only criticism would be that I felt it wrapped up too quickly and would have liked a little more information on where some of the characters ended up.

Thank you netgalley for the arc!

Mercury by Amy Jo Burns, is a story about family drama and all the secrets they keep from one another. I really enjoyed this book and all the characters were well written, and couldn’t put it down. Thanks Netgalley for this arc.

This book was a great slow burn and I could not put it down. I really liked the style of writing it was easy to flow and follow.

This books follows Marley a young woman with a single working mom as they move to Mercury, PA and she gets woven into the Joseph family of three brothers with a family roofing business. It’s a slow burn of how lives unfold and how you need to protect your happiness.

My favorite parts were seeing how sibling order plays into dynamics through these brothers lifetime. It is tough at times how hard things get and how stuck you feel in Marleys shoes but I do love the strength and friendships she forms along the way.

This drama, a family and their secrets was well written, although I found it rather slow at times. Marley is a wife to one brother an ex lover to another and a mother to the third. Her relationships with the family are many things and she supports them in many ways, When she stumbles upon her mother-in-law‘s big secret, she helps her hide it from the men in the family. As Elise, loses herself, Marley tries to keep the family together. This story shows the strength of women and the weaknesses of the men they support. Although it was well written I had a hard time loving any of the characters. I enjoyed the book but it wasn’t hugely satisfying to me. Thank you NetGalley for the digital copy.

Mercury is a family drama and character study. On the surface, it’s about the Joseph boys and their relationship with the women in their lives. It’s about a family business and a gruesome discovery. It’s about the secrets kept out of love, protection, and self preservation. It’s about finding peace in a life that doesn’t necessarily pan out the way you envision it. Beautifully written, a few dramatic events lead you through the story of this family of clashing personalities who have their own ways of loving each other. I felt attached to these flawed characters and found myself endeared to each of them as the author effortlessly weaves their stories and motivations together.

I read and reviewed a galley of #Mercury thanks to #NetGalley

In 1990, seventeen-year-old Marley West moves to the river valley town of Mercury, Pennsylvania. The first thing she sees when she arrives in town is three men standing on a rooftop. The three Joseph brothers become Marley’s whole world before she can blink. Soon, she is young wife to one, The One Who Got Away to another, and adopted mother to them all. As their own mother fades away and their roofing business crumbles under the weight of their unwieldy father’s inflated ego, Marley steps in to shepherd these unruly men. Years later, an eerie discovery in the church attic causes old wounds to resurface and suddenly the family’s survival hangs in the balance. With Marley as their light, the Joseph brothers must decide whether they can save the family they’ve always known―or whether together they can build something stronger in its place.

Thank you @netgalley, @burnsamyjo, and @celadonbooks for this ARC! I love a good family drama, and this book definitely delivered! The book starts off with a body being discovered in the attic of the town’s church, and then goes back in time to build up to who the body belongs to, and how it got there. The first 40% or so was a little slow as the background was laid and the characters established leading up to the ultimate reveal. I was a little annoyed at this at first because I wanted to know what was happened to the person on the attic, but the character development and eventual reveal played out so well and I loved all of the drama as it unfolded. I really loved Marley’s character growth and her relationships with each of the three brothers, especially Shay. The characters were so well developed all around, and I loved how the story really dove into the complexities of the relationships of the Joseph family. If you like family dramas, pick up Mercury!

Unpopular opinion - I really didn't enjoy this one. I didn't really connect to any of the characters and thought all of them were just miserable. I kept going thinking it was my mood and I would eventually start to like the story at least but that didn't happen.

Mercury by Amy Jo Burns is a story that shows the dysfunction of family in a pretty dysfunctional small town in Pennsylvania.

When Marley comes to town with her single mother, she is the one that sets the crux of the book in motion. Her power over the Joseph boys is remarkable and her maturity at this young age was immense. She seemed to be omnipresent at times because she got into all of the Joseph families heads.

The author’s strength is in her multi-layered character building. I felt like a knew each character quite well. I found the discord between Elise and Marley to be incredibly well written. They were the adage of: so close and yet so far.

Themes of mental illness, egotistical misogyny, sibling relationships, motherhood, and mystery were all woven through the storyline. Book clubs will get a good discussion out of this one.

Mercury by Amy Jo Burns

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for the ARC ebook

Set in the small town of Mercury, Pennsylvania is the setting for this character-driven novel of a roofing family. A family saga full of engaging characters following all the ups and downs of the Joseph family. A family that loves deeply, but doesn’t know how to show it. Marley, is the main character, married to Waylon Joseph, and becomes adopted mother to all of them.

I really enjoyed this book and thought the writing was well done. It is a multilayered story of the complex family dynamics of the Joseph’s. By the end of the book you come to understand each family member with more profound insight. My first book by Amy Jo Burns and look forward to reading more books by her.

Touching on family dynamics, resilience and survival, identity and belonging, love, secrets, and forgiveness.

I generally prefer more plot driven books but something about this book really pulled me in. It's a story of a family and all their mess. It does have a slight mystery involved but it is not the primary focus of the book. I cared about the main characters, I wanted to find out how their relationships with each other would end up, and I also wanted to find out how the mystery all tied together in the end. I thoroughly enjoyed this messy family story and would definitely read Amy Jo Burns again!

Thanks to #NetGalley, the publisher and the author.

Baylor, (Bay) Waylon (Way), and Shay (baby) (and they called him that too) Joseph are brothers and roofers who live in Mercury, PA, a suburb of Pittsburgh and they are all in the roofing business with their father except for Shay since he was too young at first.

Marley moves to the town with her mother. She first dates Bay and then falls in love with Way. Marley just wanted to fit in with this family of men and her in-laws. Elise was a stiff one and Mick was a tough one.

All the brothers are different in their personalities and demeanor and I can personally say that I liked Shay the youngest the best who wasn't prominently portrayed more for me when he was 10 in the beginning of the book.

It wasn't a depressing book nor sad but it wasn't a happy one either. I wouldn't call them a dysfunctional family but Bay and Way sure were fighting a lot maybe because they were a year apart in ages.

Overall, it was a good read.

I liked this one! This story invites readers into the heart of a small Pennsylvania town where the Joseph family's dynamics shape the narrative. This has all the vibes of the 90s, and the story revolves around Marley, a newcomer drawn to the Joseph brothers and their blue-collar world. What unfolds is a captivating coming-of-age drama filled with layered characters and complex family dynamics.

This is primarily a character-driven narrative that delves deep into the lives of its protagonists. Marley, the central figure, quickly becomes intertwined with the Joseph family, revealing the intricate web of relationships and secrets that define them. Despite the family's flaws and struggles, I found myself rooting for Marley and empathizing with the challenges she faces.

I loved all of the characters from the stoic Elise to the resilient Joseph brothers, each member of the family contributes to this story. As the story unfolds, themes of motherhood, family ties, and independence emerge, adding depth and resonance.

One of the book's standout aspects is its exploration of the tension between individual identity and familial expectations. As Marley navigates her place within the Joseph family, she confronts the sacrifices made in the name of love and loyalty. Similarly, the Joseph brothers grapple with the weight of tradition and the desire for personal fulfillment, ultimately finding redemption and growth amidst adversity.

While the lack of communication bugged me, it ultimately adds to the authenticity of their struggles. Despite its flaws, this story offers a poignant portrayal of resilience, loss, and the journey toward self-discovery.

This was a compelling blend of drama and heart, offering readers a glimpse into the complexities of family and the resilience of the human spirit. Thank you so much NetGalley and Celadon for this advance copy!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

• blue collar family drama
• secrets, mystery, a touch of romance
• melancholy vibes

Very character driven story which pulled me in right away. I really enjoyed all of them and each of their unique complexities. This family has ISSUES and the overarching theme is life as a woman in a strong, all-male family. I liked how the story was told in terms of the timeline. I recommend this one!

🗣 Thank you to @netgalley and @celadonbooks for the opportunity to read and review this book via gifted eARC! All opinions are honest and my own.