This book is funny, and sad, and quirky, and basically all the things I love about reading. There are moments that are quite unbelievable and moments that are universal. All of the characters in this book are flawed and believable. The women are the true heroines of the story but goodness, I loved them all.

I enjoyed Amy Jo Burns’ previous book Shiner, but Mercury outdoes it.

4.5 stars. Thank you to the publisher for providing the ARC!

Oh my heart - the Joseph brothers got to me.

In this roofing’ family’s dysfunction are bonds of deep loyalty that are tested by so many secrets and untold truths.

So much hurt that could have been avoided yet - much strength, protectiveness and love keeps this fictional family together much like real life families rise and overcome the trials of family dramas.

Strong willed women behind the men, a fierce tidal wave.

How many times I wanted to shake all of these characters I cannot begin to count. They felt like family. They felt real.

The added mystery here was nice twist too.

Definitely worth the read.

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: 𝐌𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐲
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: 𝐀𝐦𝐲 𝐉𝐨 𝐁𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐬
𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫: 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐚 𝐋𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐬
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐉𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝟐, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you #partner @CeladonBooks and @macmillan.audio for my gifted advanced copies of Mercury!

I had no clue what to expect when I started this book, but I can say I was surprised in the best way possible and I truly loved loved Mercury! Character driven, and beautifully written, Mercury is a book I will be thinking about for a long time! I found the main focus to be on found family and finding yourself and I really enjoyed this one!

When Marley moves to the town of Mercury, the first people she sees are three men on a rooftop, who end up being the Joseph brothers. Soon, Marley finds herself part of the Joseph family, regularly visiting the house and eating meals with the family, and forming relationships with the three brothers, Waylon, Baylor, and Shay. It’s not long before Marley finds herself pregnant and wanting to find a permanent place in the Joseph family. Elise, the mother of the Joseph brothers, has always accepted Marley into the family, but eventually distances herself from her when she sees too much of herself in Marley. When Elise starts to deteriorate due to health issues, Marley steps in to uphold the family. Later, a discovery in a church attic opens old wounds and threatens to tear the family apart.

Mercury
Found Family
Self-Discovery
Top Notch Character Development
Deep Dark Secrets
Literary Fiction with a Hint of Mystery
Perfect Book Club Pick

I alternated between the book and the audiobook and I adored Maria Liatis in this one! I found her emotions to be so powerful and I truly loved my listening experience. You can’t go wrong with either format!

Posted on Goodreads on December 30, 2023: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/144922955?ref=nav_profile_l
**Posted on Instagram - Full Review- January 2, 2024: http://www.instagram.com/nobookmark_noproblem
**Posted on Amazon on January 2, 2024
**-will post on designated date

Thank you, NetGalley, Celadon Books, and Macmillan Audio, for the Digital Review Copy and Advanced Listening Copy.

This. This is why I don’t post my “favorite books read” until the year is DONE. I never know when one will sneak in there, make me feel all the feels, reading for hours at a time, and finishing with tears in my eyes. Family dramas don’t always work for me, but when they hit just right, they take my whole heart.

Marley moved to Mercury, a small Pennsylvania town, in the 90s. She is pulled into the Joseph family, growing to be a “shepherdess” to the three sons while navigating some confusing and treacherous relationships with their mother and father. The story revolves around Marley, but we get to understand each of the other characters when they get their own point of view in the telling.

I love how Burns shows the characters’ evolution and growth at a perfect pace, providing drama and resolution at just the points I needed them. She also wrote one of my favorite characters ever. Marley is strong, intelligent, hardworking, opinionated, loyal, and loving. I want her to be a real person so we can be friends.

FYI, I attempted to read this as an audiobook but couldn’t connect to the story. Too many names and nicknames? The narrator’s delivery? The style of the writing? I don’t know, but I was SUNK once I switched to the e-book. I went back to the beginning and FELL IN LOVE by page three, “He swung at bad pitches like his heart had never been broken, rounded the bases as if time would never run out.”

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of Mercury, but this was not the book for me.
It was too slow and I couldn't get into it.
If you like slower paced character driven books you might enjoy this.

MERCURY
Amy Jo Burns

I loved Amy Jo Burn’s interpretation of found family in her latest book Mercury, released today.

In MERCURY we follow Marley and secondarily the Joseph family. We meet up with Marley when she meets one of the Joseph brothers and quickly falls in love. Not so much with the brother but mostly with his family. Soon she finds herself a regular addition to their family dinners and finds a home there.

One day something is discovered in the attic of their local church that will change the lives of the Jospeh family forever. The strength of their bonds will be tested, and faith, love, and trust put through their paces. Will they all make it through?

Only time will tell.

I love this interpretation of what a family can look like. The Joseph’s were not the family she never had they were the family she did have. Family can be a lot of different things and I loved this nod to a group of people held only by the love they have for each other and the secrets they harbor to keep each other safe.

For the most part, I enjoyed my time reading MERCURY and spending time with the Joseph family. The story is complicated, messy, and dysfunctional. Sometimes it was entertaining, other times a bit too much. I also struggled with the narrator at certain points. We met up with Marley when she was young, and her voice doesn’t reflect her aging in years.

I recommend MERCURY to those readers who love a great family drama. MERCURY is out in bookstores today. Make sure you pick up your copy!

Thanks to Netgalley, Celadon Books, and Macmillan Audio for the advanced copies! I had a great time reading!

MERCURY…⭐️⭐️⭐️

4.5 Dysfunctional Family Stars

This family drama features a roofing family in Mercury, Pennsylvania. The Joseph brothers run the company along with their father.

Marley comes to town with her mother, a nurse. It’s her senior year, and she’s quickly drawn into the orbit of the Joseph family. At first, she’s attracted to Baylor but quickly falls for Waylon. The baby of the family, Shay, is loved by everyone.

The parents, Mick and Elise, are mercurial. Marley wants to be loved by Elise, but they never connect. And Mick is hard to love or understand.

As the roofing business struggles, Marley finds herself married to Waylon and trapped like Elise. As Marly tries to find a way to shepherd all these men, she wonders if she’s lost herself. Deep secrets and a mystery threaten the family and the business, and Marley wonders how to keep it together.

This was a deep book with complex characters. I definitely rooted for Marley. Towards the end of the book, we get perspectives from all of the men, and I understand all of the characters more deeply. I found it to be well-written and Amy Jo Burns is going on my auto-request list. I also loved her book “Shiner”

I didn’t want this one to end!

Family drama set in the 1990s in a family business of roofers - a LOT happens in this one. Every family has its secrets and realities and I thought author Amy Jo Burns created characters that I could picture running into at the grocery store in a town. While this one was a miss for me, I know I'm in the minority and readers will enjoy learning about the past and present of these characters. It felt long to me and the although I felt empathy for each character, I didn't care for them in a way that will leave me remembering them in a few months down the road. Know what I mean? A major plot point seemed silly to me when I know it was a defining moment of the book - yikes. I think this author is a good writer and the book read quickly. Many will enjoy and shake their head at my review which is the beauty of books - something for everyone out there.

4.5 and rounding up.

This book is a family drama at its heart and as most family dramas, it involves secrets kept by the all members of the family. The main voice of the majority of the book is Marley who moves into the town of Mercury in June 1990. Marley and her mom move to the rural town in western Pennsylvania as they have moved into many towns before.

Marley’s story is shaped by that of the Joseph family immediately. Early on, the Joseph family matriarch gives Marley a warning about her husband as well as her two oldest boys. Marley who has never had a place of her own and admires the strong matriarch, Elise. Nothing is ever simple and Elise and Marley have a tenuous relationship despite everything that bonds them together.

The only character we never hear from is the problematic patriarch Mick though we see bits of him through all the eyes of other characters. Like all family dramas, this is a book with strong characters and you feel like you can read their intentions. When we go through the novel, there are some surprises in store. The characters who stole my heart the most were the bookends, Baylor and Shay. Marley was very likeable but the three Joseph brothers all adored her so it would be difficult for a reader not to adore her as well.

This book has a large amount of sadness but will also stay with me.

Mercuy by Amy Jo Burns is a wonderfully written, beautiful novel. It is the story of Marley West and how her life becomes intertwined with the Joseph family who operate a roofing company in Marley's new town, Mercury.

Opening with a husband and wife who have grown apart, Amy Jo Burns slowly reveals more and more about each character gently guiding you to see past your first impressions. As you learn more about Marley and Waylon, a mystery arises that involves the entire Joseph family. Waylon, Baylor, Shay Baby, Mick, and Elise make up the Joseph family and are each filled with secrets that must be told. Mercury is a page turner that begs to be read slowly so you can savor the writing style and spend just a little more time getting to know the characters.

Amy Jo Burns expertly captures the complexities of family, friendship, love, and small towns in her latest novel, Mercury. Thank you to NetGalley, Amy Jo Burns, and Celadon for the advanced digital copy.

Thank you NetGalley and Celadon Books for the advanced copy!

Marley came to the small river valley town of Mercury, PA at the age of 17 in 1990. She is perpetually lonely from all the moving she and her mom have done over the years, so she seeks a place at a table and a family to be welcomed into.

The Joseph brothers become Marley's whole world before she even realizes it. She soon is wife to one brother, the one who got away to another, and a mother figure to all 3. As their mother fades into the background and their roofing business begins collapsing, Marley takes charge of the family. When old secrets come to light many years later in the church attic, the Joseph brothers must decide if they'll come together and create something stronger than just saving their family.

Family drama in books is not usually a favorite genre of mine (as life has enough drama of its own), but wow this book sucked me right in. I loved the flashbacks to help the reader see the entire story from either Marley or a Joseph brother perspective. As the drama continued, it was like an accident I just couldn't look away from, I needed to satiate my desire to know how it ended. Marley was such a strong wife, mother, and woman as the story continued. She grew up when she needed to, but also knew when she needed to take a moment for herself and her child. I loved the relationships she had with each Joseph brother and how she helped each of them to reach the man they should become.

4.5 star🌟for me. Wow I was blown away. I finished this book in one sitting. I love small town romances but this one was messy, I loved the way the author developed all the characters, Marley as the female lead was great. Watching her go from a young girl in search of stability and family to actually being the rock and glue of her own was a great read.

UPDATED: @drbooksreads via instagram

📗🅑🅞🅞🅚 🅡🅔🅥🅘🅔🅦
[̲̅p̲̅][̲̅u̲̅][̲̅b̲̅][̲̅l̲̅][̲̅i̲̅][̲̅c̲̅][̲̅a̲̅][̲̅t̲̅][̲̅i̲̅][̲̅o̲̅][̲̅n̲̅] [̲̅d̲̅][̲̅[̲̅a̲̅][̲̅t̲̅][̲̅e̲̅]:1/2/2024
🌟🌟🌟🌟💫

@burnsamyjo 𝓫𝓻𝓪𝓿𝓸 𝓫𝓻𝓪𝓿𝓸👏🏾👏🏾

💘complicated family dynamics
🏘️small town
👥multiple POV

🍀I didn’t know what to expect with this one. This book was a slow burn family drama. The character development was phenomenal. In the small town of mercury Pennsylvania the Joseph family is known for roofing. Their lives change when Marley & her mom move to town and she catches the eye of ALL the Joseph family. As dysfunctional as these people in this small town were I couldn’t stop reading. I had to know what happened to each one of them. Marley has never set down roots. Her and her mom have been drifters. She had a yearning to be a part of a family that sits down to dinner etc. she wished for it and maybe got a lot Marie than she bargained for. She starts off dating the older brother but falls in love with the middle son. Next comes teenage pregnancy, a shot gun wedding, and a whole lot of family secrets deep within Joseph &sons roofing. I found myself frustrated some with Marley’s character as well as the mother Elsie. I hoped all throughout they would develop a better bond. Marley and Waylon have that small town love story you tell your grandkids about. Despite all their flaws there was nothing in the end these people didn’t do for each other. My favorite character was Shay baby. Reading things from his POV through a child’s eyes then as a grown man will humble you. Again the story is full of grudges, murder, teenage pregnancy, backwoods thinking, unbeatable burdens, love and hope.

Thank you @celadonbooks and @netgalley for this ARC. I really enjoyed this one. Can’t wait to read more from the author.

❓what book did you get for Christmas? I got verity by @colleenhoover and can’t wait to read it.

#mercury #amyjoburns #dementia #smalltown #bookstagram #books #read #drbooksreads #netgalley #celadonbooks

Celadon books may be my favorite publisher. I love everything I have read from them, and Mercury is no exception. So we are throwing it back to 1990 as Marley and her mom move into this Pennsylvania town. She immediately catches the eye of Baylor Joseph, all around sexy bad boy. Their relationship takes off quickly and fizzles, yet Marley becomes a fixture at the Joseph home and around their dinner table. She finds a confidant in Waylon, the middle Joseph brother, and we watch their relationship grow amidst the drama of an unpredictable father, hard to read mother, and a crumbling roofing business. It is impossible not to get caught up in these characters. The author gives us just enough to become invested, yet they still possess secrets we want to uncover. If you loved We Are the Brennans or The Connellys of County Down go grab Mercury! You will not be disappointed.

A strong family drama with a mystery to keep you wondering how, who and why.

Marley rolls into another new small town as a high school student with her single mother, who once again has to find her way. She quickly becomes a part of the Joseph family, sitting at the dinner table and dating one of the three brothers. Life develops and she becomes a permanent aspect of the Joseph family, and for the good!

What sold me? The connection Burns gave me to Marley and the Joseph family. I was so invested in their little roofing company, the complicated family dynamics, the lack of love yet true heart and kinship the family had for one another.

No family is perfect, we never claim to be, but to see the inside of this family and the secrets that eat one another up is almost unbearable. It gives the reader a sense that this family is real, and you are a part of it.

I mean I cried at the end of the book. My heart broke a tiny bit for this family. The passion, the love, the hate, the murder...

Thank you to NetGalley and Celedon for the advance e-copy of this book.

Mercury by Amy Jo Burns is a multifaceted family drama, set in Rust Belt town of Mercury, Penn., during the ‘90s.

You are immediately drawn into the story of Ruth and Marley West, a mother and daughter who’ve moved from one town to the next and hold tightly to each other. Soon, Marley becomes engrossed by the Joseph brothers and their mother—a complicated family, with each member bearing a secret.

You become engulfed in the story of not only Marley and Waylon, but also the rest of the Joseph family and their roofing company. The characters are richly developed, flaws and all.

This is one of the most moving and well-written novels I’ve read this year. Burns is a talented storyteller.

Read if you like:
🩵 Family drama
🩵 Small town, rural setting
🩵 Character-driven plot

Many thanks to NetGalley and Celadon Books for the eARC in exchange for my honest review! Be sure to read this book when it’s released on 1/2/24.

4.5 stars 𝙇𝙊𝙑𝙀𝘿 𝙞𝙩 - I never forgot 𝘚𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘳, her last novel, so I was beyond excited to read Amy Burn’s newest book out January 2 - it did NOT let me down.

Instead of Appalachia, 𝘔𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘺 is set in Pennsylvania, in the titular town, small enough to know everyone’s name, to gossip about unwanted pregnancies and affairs, and to wonder who the dead body is in the church’s attic. Yes, you read that right!

But this is the story of the women in the Joseph family: Elise, the wife who sacrificed to give her husband and three boys all of herself; and Marley, the young girl who grows into the ‘everything’ for these boys.

I saw myself in both these women, and found myself pulled deeply into their parallel lives.

I found this to be a character-rich book, of a time weirdly feeling long ago (the 1990’s), when smart phones, 24/7 News, and social media did not exist, creating a quietness that I find myself missing more and more.

Family dramas can be hit or miss for me. Mercury was a hit for me. A character driven family drama with a bit of mystery thrown in for good measure. It reminded me of Tracey Lange's books. I read and listened to Mercury. I enjoyed the audiobook narration by Maria Liatis despite not being familiar with her previous work.

Great book. I really enjoyed the drama in the family and friends. The author has a great style of writing that really flows.

Thank you to the publisher for my arc.

This just wasn’t for me, the story didn’t keep me engaged and I couldn’t care about the characters.

If you're looking for a new character driven family drama with a side of mystery, stop your scroll. Set in a very small town in PA called Mercury, lives the Johnson family. When Marley and her mom roll into town and spot 3 men on a roof, she never imagined how much her life would change. They never stayed anywhere long and she suspected Mercury would be no different but then she met Baylor, the oldest of three brothers and quickly saw what she thought was "a real family." One she's always longed for. She hoped for the approval of their mother Elise early on, but it never came no matter how hard she tried. While Marley ended things with Baylor, soon Waylon (the middle brother) made it known how he felt about her. Before she knew it, she was pregnant and married to Waylon at the ripe age of 18 while also trying (and learning how) to keep the family roofing business afloat. She soon discovers this family isn't what she thought. It's full of secrets and expectations no one could meet. Elise and Marley, generations apart, both living in a house with these men they love but longing for a different life. Set in the 1990's and told in present and past timelines, we weave in and out of the tricky dynamics of this family which all comes to a halt when a dead body is discovered in their church.

This was an enjoyable quick read! I loved the multiple narrators in this one. While mostly told by Marley, towards the end we get point of view from all the brothers and it really brings the story full circle. It's a great one at showing the complexities of family structure and of motherhood. Especially in a family who despite their hard work is really living one disaster away from bankrupting their family business. Thank you Celadon and NetGalley for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.