I was a little concerned before starting Mercury that it would be overly focused on a blue collar family struggling to get by in a small town community. Technically it is that, but Amy Jo Burns does such a phenomenal job of breathing life into the members of the Joseph family that the focus is almost entirely on the family dynamics and seeing how each character builds themselves into the role the rest of the family expects them to fulfill, without ever realizing that by doing so they could be limiting their own potential-and doing a disservice to the ones they care about most. It all starts with Mick and Elise, a man who comes back from Vietnam with struggles, and the woman who married him that resents feeling like she is nothing more than wife and mother. But the story really revolves around Marley, the three Joseph sons and their relationships. Marley is determined not to fall into the same trap as Elise, and convincing the three brothers to value her for what she brings to the family. Even knowing where Mick is coming from, it’s hard to like him for how selfish he is. Oh, but the others. You get to see them from their own perspective and that of the others, and Burns does a masterful job of showing each trying to do the right thing, and how it can have unintended consequences. I really loved the exploration of a family stuck in stasis slowly learning how to see and listen to their loved ones.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC. This was a miss for me. The story is boring and drawn out. I like more plot focused books with tons more suspense.

The story begins in 1990 as 17-year-old Marley West moves to the small river valley town of Mercury, Pennsylvania. When Marley meets the Joseph brothers, they become her whole world. As a perpetual loner, she has always sought a place at the dinner table and a family of her own, and the Josephs provide just that. Soon, Marley becomes part of the Joseph family as a young wife to one brother, The One Who Got Away to another, and adopted mother to them all. As the brothers’ own mother fades away and their roofing business struggles, Marley steps in. But when an unsettling discovery is made in the church attic years later, old wounds resurface, and the family’s survival hangs in the balance.

“Mercury” is a heartfelt, character-driven family drama with well-developed characters and an engaging plot. The story started off a bit slow, and I had trouble connecting with the characters at first. As Marley and the Joseph brothers grew older and came into their own, I enjoyed the book much more. The book switches between the past and present as well as between character perspectives, which allowed me to understand the characters better. With so much family drama, there is a lot to discuss about this novel, making it a perfect choice for book clubs and buddy reads.

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you @netgalley, @burnsamyjo @celadonbooks for an ARC of Mercury.

Release: 1/2/2024 (5 Stars)

Wow – just WOW! This book was not even on my radar until a couple friends read a copy & raved about it. This was outside my normal, preferred genre & it was a breath of fresh air!

QOTD: What was the last book you read outside of your preferred genre?

This story focuses on Marley who is a newcomer to Mercury, PA & her relationship with each member of the Joseph family – Elise, the mother, Mick, the father & the three brothers, Shay-baby, Waylon & Baylor.

This book had all the feels. Each character was so well-written. They all have redeeming qualities that will have the reader connecting with even the “worst” one. Burns teaches us that family is not something set in stone, but what you make it. Marley proved to be the rock that held the entire Joseph family together. She played a different role in each of their lives. I am in awe of what she was able to take on at such a young age & continue adapting to over the years to become the Joseph family glue. Marley is easily one of my favorite female leads from the almost 400 books I’ve read this year.

Perfect for Tracey Lange fans. This will be one I obsessively recommend & it will stick with me as a standout.

“It’s 1990 & 17-year-old Marley West is blazing into Mercury, PA. Marley desperately wants a family of her own. The first thing she sees when she arrives in town is three men standing on a rooftop.

The Joseph brothers become Marley’s whole world before she can blink…Marley steps in to shepherd these unruly men. Years later…old wounds resurface & 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.”

#Fiction #Adult #Literary #LiteraryFiction #Romance #Literature #Marriage #Audiobook #Audio #ARC #Review #January #2024 #Mercury #AmyJoBurns #MacMillanAudio #TBR #AudioReview #Bookstagram #Booksta #Read #Books #Bibliophile #BookSlayer #Dementia #PTSD #HistoricalFiction #Family

I went into Mercury with no expectations. It was not a book on my radar but thanks to Celadon, I was able to read it and I'm so glad that I did. Family sagas are my jam and Mercury is the saga of the Joseph family. I went through a lot of emotions reading this one. Mostly, I was hopeful that this family of imperfect people would find the steady footing in their relationships that the men had on the rooftops they worked on. The depiction of womanhood and motherhood is all too real which often left me melancholy. As the book drew to a close, I sort of felt depressed that it was over but I loved seeing the family come into really working together and being there for each other. While most of the book is in Marley's POV the last several chapters give you the perspective of the Joseph brothers and even the matriarch, Elise. Mercury is full of secrets and a couple of twists that I didn't see coming. The writing is beautiful and I thoroughly enjoyed the read except for Mick and Patrick.

Marley is a loner until she is pulled into the embrace of the Josephs. They are a family made up of hard headed men and while they may be great at fixing roofs they all need help fixing their relationships with others and between themselves. Marley comes into the family with one brother but then falls in love and marries the middle brother and becomes a surrogate mom to the youngest. She quickly becomes frustrated with the way they handle the business, each other and her mother in laws indifference. At some point this all changes and she will become the sun they revolve around even the tyrannical head of the house. Every family has their secrets and every small town either works to unearth them or hides them right along with you. A quiet but piercing look at family and all those hard things that break you up while the people who are your glue keep you together. It may be 1990 in rural Pennsylvania but the emotional impact, deep characters and love rings true anywhere and anytime. Best read with a tissue box handy. Fans of Ann Patchett, J. Ryan Stradal and WE ARE THE BRENNANS will hold this close to their heart. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.

Burns has written a beautiful novel about family dysfunction and the roles of women in the family. It is a quiet book, with well developed characters that you come to love and dislike, but by the end regardless of your feelings for the character you understand them better.

What I really enjoyed is that it was set in the 1990’s, I love books set in recent history, or history that is my life time. The twist at the end was totally unexpected for me. However, mostly the commitment the characters expressed for their family was so heartwarming.

Would I recommend this book, yes. It is an enjoyable novel that leaves you with all the feels.

I finished MECURY by Amy Jo Burns last week and feel like I am still collecting my thoughts. It kind of destroyed me and uplifted me at the same time. I really loved Marley’s character and her love for the Joseph family. She loves each one for different reasons and in different ways. The way she comes into their lives and affects them makes me smile and love her strength. I also loved her friendship with Jade - everyone needs their own Jade- a no nonsense personality with a strong shoulder to lean on when needed. I adored these characters. This story was about loyalty and family ties— what secrets should be kept and what truths should come out. It’s family drama with a little mystery. For fans of Tracey Lange— this one I highly recommend! Just trust me.

Thank you Celadon Books for this early release and allowing me to participate in Celadon Reads Together!

This one is available on 1/2/24!

Mercury is a multilayered family drama with a lot to unpack! Not long after seventeen year old Marley West rolls into the town of Mercury, Pennsylvania with her single mom, we meet two of the Joseph brothers and soon after their entire family. Their family business is roofing, and as most middle class hard working family's would expect, the three sons all have a role and expectations set forth by their parents. What is unexpected in this book, is the many different ways the author uses family dynamics to display love, commitment, and obligation. While some aspects of this tale may be easier to foreshadow, the emotion that Amy Jo Burns infiltrates into each uniquely complex character makes for some a surprising read with several twists. I enjoyed experiencing how the characters developed over time, learn to navigate their family expectations with their own needs, and this book is laced with many passages that left me going back to let it certain phrases sink in a bit further. I especially enjoyed the relationship that Marley has with the youngest brother, Shay. This book is a story filled with complication, love, obligation, and yet resilience. Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for an advanced copy of this book, all opinions are my own.

I seem to have read several family dramas lately and this was by far the most complex and interesting. Complex family dynamics made this a great story.

I was part of the Celadon Books Read Together Initiative for Mercury by Amy Jo Burns. This is the story of the Joseph family, and Marley who meets them when she moves to town at age 17. She has relationships with two of the sons, and marries one, but the one she really wanted to be accepted by is Elise, the mother. Elise keeps her at arms length, and it takes a lot of the story to figure out why. The family business is roofing, and that plays a big part in the story. Some of the relationships were hard to understand, but I really came to care about the characters and the family. The Joseph family has some secrets, as I guess all families do, but some of the things that came out were very unexpected. I really enjoyed the book as well as doing the Read Together program for the first time! It was great to do this with the reading buddies! #bookstagram #booklover #reader #bookblog #lovetoread #fictionreader #bookreview #bookrecommendation #readersofinstagram #bookloversofinstagram #takeapagefrommybook #readallthebooks #booksbooksbooks #booksofinstagram #bookwormproblems #bookaholic #booknerd #whattoread #readingtime #bookaddict #ilovetoread #ilovebooks #needtoread #readallday #celadonbooks #amyjoburns #mercury #celadonreadstogether @jabberwocky4 @heatherostipwkopenn @runiechica4 @felinesandbooks @burnsamyjo #celadonreads

Marley, an only child of a single mom who has moved every year lands in Mercury PA for her senior year of high school. Marley is seeking stability and a family structure and seems to have found it at the Joseph's dinner table.  The Josephs are a family of three boys who sit down to dinner every night with their parents.  In yearning for this sense of family she didn't notice the cracks in the Joseph family or the major flaws in each member or the secrets they were keeping from each other.  While she originally dated Baylor, she quickly fell for Waylon and married him right after graduation.  
There's a little love triangle and a dead body so there's some drama to move the novel along. In the end, the Joseph family is so dysfunctional that Marley turns out to be the stability they were seeking rather than the other way around.
I really enjoyed this one, it is more of a character driven novel than a plot driven one and I am fine with that.  I loved all the relationships and besides the ending which I am not sure was really consistent with the rest of the story.  I always love a good family drama and I thought this one was rich with drama.

4.5 stars

Thank you Netgalley and Celadon books for the ARC to review

Mercury by Amy Jo Burns🌟🌟🌟🌟
I had read Shiner by the same author a few years ago but this ARC for her latest blew me away. It reminds me of some of the family dramas (Sweet Magnolias, Ginny & Georgia, etc) but with less cringe and more complicated characters, focused on a roofing family in a rural town. Out on 1/2, thanks @netgalley for the early copy!

If you are a fan of character driven novels you should enjoy this one. The life of the Josephs is complicated. It starts with Elise and Mick who meet and marry fairly quickly. Mick is drafted into the Vietnam War and comes back changed. As their roofing business grows and they have children they become well-respected in town. But the outside picture doesn't match the problems and traumas within, those things kept from the public eye. The book moves slowly and seems lengthy but that is part of the charm of this type of book--in this case, really getting to know and care about the Joseph family. Thank you to Celadon and NetGalley for the digital ARC. This review is my own.

This is a character driven novel with very complex family dynamics, and complex characters. I really liked how the relationship between Marley and Elise developed throughout the book. They went from having not much in common to have their ultimate goal as the main thing that bonded them together, their love for the Joseph Family.

I really liked how the Joseph Family absorbs Marley into the fold and how in the end…they needed her just as much and she needed them.

The story was good, but a bit slow as is the case with many character driven novels. I prefer more plot driven, faster paced books. So while this book wasn’t something that I’d go for, it was still a decent read but I think people who enjoy character driven books with complicated relationships will really enjoy this one.

I was so intrigued with this small town character story. Having grown up like an only child, I related to the main female character, Marley, in her hope to find a family in the Joseph household, only to discover that a full house is not without its flaws, secrets, and dramas.

This is a story about women cleaning up the messes of men, broken dreams, and what happens when the men finally have to answer to their own faults.

I loved everything about this story. The high stakes romance that burns bright and big in youth and simmers just as quickly. The loyalty in childhood female friendships. The wonderful mother and the mother-in-law with demons and so many regrets.

10/10. One heck of a 2024 release - I hope they’re all this polished and authentic.

Phew! What a journey. I went into this book blind and had no idea what I was getting myself into. This was such a good story about family, relationships, forgiveness and every time I thought the story surely has to be coming to an end, there was a whole new thread that was perfectly woven into the overall story so seamlessly.

This is the story of Marley. She moves with her mom to a new town when she's in high school and meets the Joseph brothers. What unfolds is heartbreaking, emotional and beautiful. I didn't know I needed a family drama in my life but this was great. I love how flawed all the characters are but with the exception of one, are so endearing and you can't help but to root for them all. I couldn't put this one down and read it in two days. I wasn't sure where the book was heading the majority of the time I was reading but the journey was amazing.

4.5 Rounded up. Thank you to Celadon and Netgalley for an advanced copy. Opinions are my own.

I was instantly captured by this family drama. This was a character driven story where we were able to get to know each of the members of the Joseph family. This family is one that has historically not been good with words and have buried their feelings down. Marley, a newcomer to the town works her way into the hearts of Joseph family and as they grow and change they have to learn to make changes along the way to save their family roofing business and themselves.

I found this family to be relatable in their dysfunction. It was an enjoyable read and I would recommend it to anyone who loves a family saga. I look forward to reading more by this author in the future.

*I was gifted a copy of this book, in order to participate in a #CeladonReadsTogether buddy read. My opinion is my own.

Thank you so much to Celadon Books for the advance copy of this book!

"With being a Joseph. The risk, the labor, the dirt. Tearing something down and rebuilding it. It will always come first."

Marley Marley Marley.
She is the star of the book. She comes to town and immediately is smitten by the Joseph boys. I love that she had different relationships with each member of the family. She was craving that familial feeling since her home wasn't perfect. I was upset though by her mom just up and leaving after Marley became pregnant and had to deal with being a teenage mom without her own mom. I just wanted to scream at her and her relationship with Waylon. They both just were not good communicators and it made being a reader very frustrating because you see the potential and their thoughts but then nothing. Their journey was such a rollercoaster ride but through it all and my feelings I could still sense their love. I am so glad that Marley had Jade in her life. She was such a great influence on her and they really was such a wonderful friend. I love their scenes together.

The Joseph Men.
Each one brought something else to the table (no pun intended). They each had their own complicated relationship with their parents for various of reasons. And honestly it's amazing how the boys made it through because their parents were horrible. But for whatever reason their father could do no wrong & it was so hard for them to see the bad. My heart broke for Baylor & Shay for different reason. I need to know what happened in the future for both of these characters beyond the end of this book. I want both of them to find love and to have their happily ever after.

Mick & Elise.
I do not have much to say about these two. They are a couple who sound like they should never have been a couple. Mick especially just had so much going on in his brain and there was a moment later in the book that I wish I could say I was shocked about but did not shock me whatsoever and just made me angry. And poor Elise once she was with Mick, there was no turning back. I do like how she tried to get Marley to leave and not return. Elise had such a weird way of showing her love and appreciation towards Marley and Marley was just trying to win her over the whole book.

"Sins are like butterflies. They all began as something else."

Within all the drama between the characters, there was this mystery of the body found at the local church. I was somewhat surprised of the moments leading up to what happened that night and then the aftermath of it. I honestly thought the act of crime was going to be from another member of the Joseph family than who it really was. But it all make sense. And I love how things just end up connecting as we go through the book.

I was unsure where this book was going to go but I am so glad I read this because I really enjoyed it! Family dynamics are complex and this was such a beautiful story from start to end.

This was my first book that I did with Celadon's read along and it was really nice to have a group of other readers to talk about the book with afterwards. We all had similar feelings with the characters the story itself.

Check this book out if you love a family drama with a mystery tied in set in western PA in the early 90s!

4.5

Mercury is a character driven family drama, which almost always rate among my favorite books. It is the kind of book you can put down and come back to easily.

The novel is set in the 90’s for the most part. Marley and her single mother just arrived in the very rural town of Mercury, PA. Marley’s mom is a good mom, but she is busy with her nursing job and trying to make ends meet, so Marley is often left to explore alone. The ladies have moved often for her mother’s work, and it is now Marley’s senior year. She is exploring the town when she comes upon a baseball game and it is at this game that she will be introduced to the Joseph family. Marley will come to have a complicated relationship with all of the Joseph family members, and eventually choose one brother over another, marry, and find herself firmly planted in their web. In addition to Marley’s relationship with each Joseph, a mystery will unfold that will threaten to bring down the family already teetering on the edge of collapse.

Although, I very much enjoyed this book, and look forward to reading more by Amy Jo Burns, I didn’t love the organization. The chapters were short and numbered, but there were titled “parts” that jumped timelines and points of view without warning. The ending also tied up a little too quickly for me. Overall the book was a solid four star novel for me.

Thanks to Netgalley and Celadon Books for this incredible ARC.