I was feeling a lot of FOMO not popping this book into my BOTM box and was SO hyped when someone in a group said it was a read now option on Netgalley. I immediately downloaded it and started right in and man, am I so glad I did. This book immediately sucked you in- the characters, the setting, the sweat, the stuffiness of the local church- you could immediately feel it all.

There is something about a suburban family novel that I gravitate towards, and devour, and Mercury is no exception. Amy Jo Burns wrote the perfect characters, who you love, and hate, and root for, and ultimately are disappointed, or scared for throughout the course of the book. You are physically on the field during the dry, dusty Pennsylvanian summer baseball games. You're in a hot church sweating as you get married. You are on top of a roof, in the middle of summer, drinking a bottle of lukewarm water. It's absolutely a beautiful novel, with a familiar setting, and even in some ways familiar characters.

Like our heroine of the novel, Marley, you're pretty instantly thrown into the family dynamic of the Josephs. Like many novels before, there is a bit of a love triangle, and I think everyone will have a favorite brother out of the three. You spend a lot of time hoping for better circumstances for everyone, and as a mother of boys, I really felt a weird kinship with the unlikable (most of the time) Mother Joseph. I really found her arc as one to stay away from in my own life, the men in my life cannot have every single part of me- and I think Marley ultimately makes similar decisions, but in a very different way. I don't want to give too much away, but the characters and their development in the novel are so wonderful, and you'll run a full range of emotions from the first page to the last.

Have you read Mercury yet? I'd love to chat if you have!

A small fading town, a disjointed family, a woman looking for belonging - these are the key elements of ‘Mercury’ by Amy Jo Burns. This fast-paced novel covers a lot of ground in a short amount of time with a full cast of characters and long time span.

The main character - Marley - gets caught up in the fortunes and troubles of the Joseph family when she hooks up with first the oldest brother and then the middle brother. And Marley also becomes entangled with the matriarch of the family, Elise. Elise rules over a household of men, including her selfish husband, Mick.

There are so many storylines and characters in this book, at times I had trouble keeping them straight. And that was the problem for me - too many storylines, too many people, too many ideas to keep track of.

At times I sped along with a storyline that was compelling but then there was a zig zag and I lost the train of thought. I felt like the author was writing several books and then trying to put them together as one.

I am giving the book three stars because I did like a few of the characters (Marley and Elise in particular) and was interested in their own particular stories.

🩵MERCURY🩵
𝙶𝚎𝚗𝚛𝚎: 𝙻𝚒𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚊𝚛𝚢 𝚏𝚒𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗
𝙿𝚞𝚋 𝚍𝚊𝚝𝚎: 𝙹𝚊𝚗𝚞𝚊𝚛𝚢 𝟸, 𝟸𝟶𝟸𝟺
𝙼𝚢 𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐: 𝟺.𝟻 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚜!⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚞𝚙 𝚋𝚎𝚌𝚊𝚞𝚜𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚠𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚒𝚜 👌)

🤏𝚃𝚎𝚎𝚗𝚢 𝚝𝚒𝚍𝚋𝚒𝚝: In the small town of Mercury you have a family of roofers & a new to town girl who changes everything for them.
💭𝙼𝚢 𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜: This is a wonderfully written character driven novel! Geez, I was so frustrated at these characters at times. Wanted to shake them silly. Their drama was my drama. I just knew them, ya know? You get each or their perspectives while reading. I was in deep. I love it when I can feel like I was placed smack dab at the kitchen table of the Joseph family in good ol, Mercury, Pennsylvania. This one has family dynamics, history, mystery & some romance. If you liked books like Hello Beautiful, Maame, even Remarkably Bright Creatures you will most def enjoy this one! And, I am gonna put this writing up there with my fav author, Kristin Hannah. 🏆

I loved this book - the slow burn, the way secrets were gradually revealed, and the way each character was well thought-out, complex, and presented in a very realistic way. I was intrigued by the family drama and the mystery that was seamlessly integrated with the rest of the story. Marley was such a great main character, and her endless strength, resilience, and love was so inspiring! I loved seeing her relationship with Waylon evolve through different seasons in life, from young love to marriage and parenthood.

There are so many lessons in this story, and even though it speaks about family, love, and sacrifice, it also shows that sometimes the best thing to do is to let go, as there are times when one’s love and effort can’t be seen, understood, or reciprocated.

It shows that to understand and love another person, one must first do so for themselves, that people can suffer alone for a long time, even when they are surrounded by others, and that person’s strength can manifest itself in many different ways.

The ending wraps up the story nicely and provides a deeper understanding of each family member's life, but I wish their innermost feelings and motivations were more evenly incorporated throughout the rest of the novel.

Overall, this was a well-written and heartfelt story that explores themes of family, secrets, longing, and self-discovery. It’s a wonderful book, and I highly recommend it! I think this would be a great book club pick. I’ll definitely be reading more books by this author!

Thank you, NetGalley, the publisher Celadon Books, and author Amy Jo Burns for the ARC copy! I received a free copy of this book, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Wow, I loved this book! It's set in western PA and is about a family that runs a roofing business. Their lives change when a young woman, named Marley, moves to their town and starts dating one of the sons. This character-driven family drama is perfect for fans of Tracey Lange! The family dynamics felt real and raw. I wanted to know each of the characters from the moment they were introduced on the page. I will be thinking of this fictional family and book for a long time!

4.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance review copy in return for an honest review. I loved this book. The storytelling was so good and I loved all the characters.

Marley West has never stayed in any place for a long time. Though she lives with a supportive mom, she is seeking a larger family. When the Wests end up in Mercury, PA to start her senior year, she finds a place in the Joseph family. Elise, the mom, unites the family but remains aloof from Marley. Mick Joseph and his three sons operate a roofing company. Their expertise in sealing leaky roofs is only outdone by their ability to keep secrets. Marley becomes the romantic partner or one and then another son. She is a surrogate mom to the youngest son Shay. Burns has written a wonderful tale about the twists and turns that befall this family. It touches on many contemporary topics. The characters are well-developed and sympathetic. I thoroughly enjoyed it and highly recommend it. I thank NetGalley and Celadon Books for the opportunity to read this ARC.

A richly developed, character driven novel that I read in one sitting. A family history of a flawed family of roofers, and a women who tried to do right by all the men and the matriarch of the Joseph clan.

Positives:
Enjoyed the writing style
Excellent character development as well as interwoven, realistic family dynamics and strife
Readable-read the whole book in one day
Emotional-in a way that you can relate, feel sorry for, and also feel contempt toward almost every character in the novel
Authentic and flawed characters
A bit of a mystery as well thrown into the family drama
Also loved the bonus characters of Ruth (Marley's mother) and Jade (Marley's bff)
Powerful secondary themes ran throughout this book

Negatives:
There were a few plot holes that at the end I was left wondering what happened or if I missed something

"Mercury" is the exploration of the feelings and relationships between a blue collar family that runs a roofing business and the girl who enters their lives and becomes integral to their family dynamic.

There were a lot of painful truths woven into this story, and it was interesting to see how each character's flaws manifested as issues that the entire family had to deal with and come to terms with. I especially was intrigued by the dynamic between Marley and Elise - I expected at first that they would have a great relationship, but it was the opposite - complicated, begrudging, resentful - and that's so often true in life when mother-in-laws and daughter-in-laws navigate life alongside each other with different perpectives.

One thing I wished when reading was that a lot of the backstories and deeper dives into the thoughts of the characters that we got near the end would have been incorporated earlier, as I did sometimes struggle to really feel connected with them on more than a surface level. I also would have liked to have seen the origin of Waylon and Marley's relationship be lingered on a little longer, because it felt like it happened really fast and I would have been more invested in the success of their marriage the whole time had their initial romance been more built up.

All in all, a varying drama about family dysfunction with characters who are very human.

I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

When Marley West rolls into Mercury, PA with her mother, she has no idea what to expect. She doesn’t even know how long she’ll live there. However, it isn’t long before she’s found her way to the Joseph family dinner table. The Josephs are unlike any family she’s ever met before. An enigmatic, yet charismatic, mother. An irresponsible, yet borderline genius, father. And three wild boys - all of whom look at her like she’s hung the moon. What to do? Marry one, I guess.

Years later, when secrets long buried (but not so buried, in some ways….) come to light, the Joseph clan is forced to finally address the issues that have caused unspoken resentment and prevented the growth and success that could have so easily been theirs. A slow building family drama, Amy Jo Burns has gifted us with a beautiful new read.

I really enjoyed this one. The character development was so well done, especially Baylor Joseph, who was probably my favorite character. I loved the slow build, the little reveals, the depth. Gorgeous novel. Highly recommend.

Thanks to Amy Jo Burns, Celadon Books, and Netgalley for this ARC in return for my honest review.

I was quite pleasantly surprised by this family drama novel! A slow start, the novel follows the roofing blue-collar family, the Josephs, and Marley, who arrived to town as a teenager and was chased after by two Joseph brothers. I found the themes of mental health, family bonds, growing up, and secrets. It was well-rounded and I expect will stay with me awhile.
Readers of novels like Flight by Lynn Steger Strong and We Are the Brennans by Tracey Lange may enjoy this book as well.

BOOK REVIEW!

The blurb about Mercury does not do it justice. Marley and her mother are used to a transient life. They move where the work is for Ruth, Marley’s mother. They don’t get too attached to each new home, every new friend, and they certainly don’t plant roots. Then they arrive in Mercury during Marley’s senior year, and all their rules for life on the move go out the window when Marley spots three men on a rooftop. These men, the Joseph family, become an integral part of Marley’s life. Over the next decade, her roots are not only planted, but she blooms.

Mercury tells the story of a roofing family in the 1990s. It is a story of family secrets, of silence, of the kinds of bonds that bend and break. It’s also a story of love, growth, and healing.

Thank you to @celadonbooks , @netgalley , and @burnsamyjo for a free copy of Mercury in exchange for my honest review

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of Mercury by Amy Jo Burns!

This was a beautiful, honest story of marriage. family and forgiveness. While I didn't always like or enjoy each character, I believed them, if that makes sense.

Told in two separate timelines we see a portrait of a family falling apart at it seams and what (also who) it takes to keep them moving forward.

I highly recommend this book. 4 stars from me for great characters and a lovely story of what happens when truth comes to light and everything falls apart.

Marley and her mother, Ruth, are used to moving but when they come to Mercury, Marley wishes that they could set roots. She has a number of firsts: a real (somewhat) boyfriend, Baylor; a dinner setting at the Joseph family table; and a real best friend in the indefatigable and endlessly loyal, Jade. And when Marley falls in love with Baylor’s brother, Waylon, her world changes forever.

On the surface, Amy Jo Burns’ Mercury is about family: dysfunction, sacrifice, rivalry, appeasement. Each section, however, brings the reader to the age-old question: how well can you really know someone else? Can it be that everything you thought about them was wrong? That a person can be so much more than they will ever be credited with and perhaps we can only know them when their actions say more than their intentions or, even, how they would want us to perceive them.

Despite the prickly interactions and sad occurrences, Mercury was a delight to read and one I was not ready to relinquish when it ended. I was startled and equally dismayed when I saw that I had reached the 97% point on my Kindle meaning that I was going to have to let the Joseph family go.

By the end of the novel, I saw that Burns had taken a family who could have been viewed in black and white terms and showed us all of the gray. How no one was bad. How circumstances and experiences could alter a person. How we judge people–rightly or wrongly, and most often, wrongly. And how we so often misunderstand.

Outstanding writing. Many unexpected twists. Unforgettable characters. A memorable read.

Many thanks to Celadon Books for sending me a copy.

I could tell from the writing in the opening paragraph that Mercury would draw me in. The story is wholly original and focuses on family dynamics with a mystery woven in. Set in the 1990s, which I love to see, Mercury is about the Josephs, a family of roofers, and Marley, who joins the family through marriage, eventually.

As someone who has lived in western Pennsylvania, I literally felt the atmosphere in every sense through Amy Jo Burns’ writing. My favorite aspect of the story is the characterization. They are each fleshed out in three-dimension with all the complexity. Just as soon as I thought I knew them and could predict what would happen next, a new layer was unmasked. It all feels so vividly real.

While Mercury did not go in the direction I imagined it would, I enjoyed that about it. It was completely its own original story of family, friendship, secrets, and plenty of drama. Amy Jo Burns is a highly skilled writer, and I can’t wait to read what’s next from her.

Thank you to the publisher for the free copy.

Not sure how this author has flown under my radar? I received an ARC for this novel through @netgalley and next thing I know it’s made a book of the month, selected as Barnes and Noble’s Book Club pick, and I have a new favorite author.
Mercury is a fictional story set in the author’s hometown which bares the book’s namesake. It’s a character driven family drama with a little bit of mystery and so much heart.
In this story, the Joseph brothers each have their own role to play within their family. They have dedicated their lives to their father’s roofing industry and defined themselves by their mother’s scrutiny. But when Marley moves to town and finds her way to their dinner table, allegiances are challenged, and secrets threaten to unravel the seams that wove the family together.
I loved these characters, the prose was stunning, and I was pulled into all the love and turmoil. If you loved books like Ask Again, Yes, Hello Beautiful, or The Most Fun We Ever Had, this is for you!
Thanks @netgalley @celadonbooks and #AmyJoBurns 📚

I was captivated by this story from the beginning. The family was complex and each character was described so well. The characterization earns an A+ from me. You could feel the pain and heartache from each family member. I especially loved Shay baby!

However, I feel as though the story didn’t go anywhere. The synopsis mentions a hidden family secret, but I didn’t feel like that part of the story was explored much. While I enjoyed the complexities of the characters, it sadly wasn’t enough for me to truly enjoy this story and want to recommend to others.

This was probably the best family drama that I have read recently. Men were stories on their own. Women were stories on their own. But them all tangled, relying on each other, destroying each other, and supporting each other was story on its own. You could read this book multiple times, focus on another character each time, and still feel like you read different book.

Marley did not only entered Mercury with bang but also into Joseph family. Introduced to family by eldest son, married into it by the middle, immensely loved by the youngest. While sons were opened their arms wide to Marley (after few fights), Mama Joseph was giving her a cold shoulder. Marley couldn't understand why, but Elise did not want her to be the only woman in the house like her. It will take a while for Marley to understand what exactly Elise meant.

I like the dynamic between Elise, Marley, Jade, and Ruth. Women in this story were stronger than people expect them to be and all they do was cleaning up the mess men left behind. I'll follow them with my eyes closed. But also, I would like to pull them out of the vicious cycle they were in.

Thank you Celadon Books, and NetGalley, for granting me access to this book coinciding with it's publication. This is one of my first books read in 2024, and it will be on my heart for a while.

The novel "Mercury" by Amy Jo Burns weaves a compelling tale of a roofing family's intricate bonds, loyalty, and the unveiling of a long-buried secret in their blue-collar town. Set against the backdrop of 1990 in Mercury, Pennsylvania, the story follows seventeen-year-old Marley West as she enters the town and becomes entangled with the Joseph brothers. As their family dynamics evolve, facing challenges and revelations, the narrative explores themes of survival, resilience, and the quest for a place to call home. Burns skillfully captures the complexity of relationships, offering a poignant exploration of family ties in the face of adversity. I will definitely look for more books by Amy Jo Burns in the future and highly recommend this book to my friends and family.





Message ChatGPT…

A mystery, some small-town and family drama, and interwoven love lines made this a good read for me. Though it was a bit slow at points, I felt it picked up toward the end and I found myself more invested in the characters and story than I orignally anticipated. I have already recommended it to several folks.
Thank you, NetGalley and Celadon books for the ARC!