This is my first book by Amy Jo Burns and I LOVED it. I can’t wait to check out her backlist. She wrote vivid characters that seemed real. I felt so invested in this family. This family has darkness and sadness but it didn’t feel overwhelmingly heavy.

This was a compelling portrait of a family and character driven novel, with some unexpected twist and turns that kept me intrigued. I appreciated the fact that the author had a robust cast of characters, but I don’t know if this book was long enough to give each their due (other than the main character Marley). Just as I was getting invested in another family member, the focus would shift - it was well plotted, but then I would feel left hanging. The writing was lyrical, and had a melancholy dreamlike quality, but everything in this book felt depressing, there was not a lot of joy. I had got the same vibes as I did while reading Hello Beautiful - which is beloved by so many readers. If you’re looking for a similar ‘portrait of a family’ read, this would be a great book to pick up!

“Mick enjoyed Shay, but only in the way a dog jumps for joy at seeing himself in a mirror. The dog thinks someone has come to play, someone who resembles him and stares deeply into his eyes, waiting for this newfound reflection to blink. What Mick never said but meant: I don’t love you. I love the likeness of me.”

RIYL: Family drama; flashbacks; multiple viewpoints.

Mercury is somewhat of a slow build, but still manages to hold attention. The family dynamic and dysfunction are the center of the novel with Marly often caught in the middle of chaos. She is a strong character that does her best to keep the family and their business together. The members of the Joseph family are well developed. I loved reading about a family who makes a living with their hands (and backs.) The chapters dealing with their viewpoints add to the story, but some readers might feel like they are slowing down the novel.

Readers who prefer a fast pace may become frustrated, but the novel is sewn together like a fine quilt. I do feel the storyline involving the church discovery did not find closure, although that is picking on a well-written novel. I enjoyed Mercury a great deal.

Very well written story about family dynamics and everything that goes with it. One person changes a family forever. Small town secrets shake up everything and everyone. This book will hit home with so many people. Would definitely recommend.

This book was full of family drama, which I enjoyed. It is one of my favorite tropes in books. I did enjoy this book, but I am not sure why it was so hyped up. I believe since it was so hyped up, I felt a little disappointed. Otherwise, if you enjoy family dramas, this would be a great book for you. Thank you Net Galley and the publisher for the arc.

Wow, this was such a complex story about small towns and getting stuck, family and secrets, and love. I really enjoyed it!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

. . . ⭑ ⭑ ⭑ ⭑ ⭑
I was not expecting to love this one, and yet, here I am. A true family saga, this book was written so eloquently and honestly. It captured the nuances in the concept of family legacy, especially within a small town, as well as generational impact of family dynamics.

I thoroughly enjoyed how this book was laid out, with chapters offering up a portrait of the characters, both as individuals and as members of the family as a whole. The author did a stellar job of offering only a glimpse of what each character was going through from the eyes of another, really only allowing the reader to understand each character when they had a chance to tell their story themselves - just as it is in life. Your idea of who someone is, why they behave the way they do, and their views and impact on the world is only just that: an idea - only the individual truly knows ( and that’s assuming they have insight ).

I loved Shay and Baylor - the latter possibly being an unpopular opinion - but I knew for the start of this novel that Baylor was misunderstood in many ways. He, like the rest of us, is wildly imperfect, but his character is one that will stay with me for a long time.

This is one of those books that may have slipped under the radar, but I’m here to tell you that it is an excellent read, and absolutely worth your time.

~👩🏻‍🦰

Amy Jo Burns won me over with Shiner and I was so glad to see she was back!

Mercury at it's core is about family, both found and by blood. Burns weaves a wonderful web of connections, ones we see and ones we don't know about until she reveals them to the reader in the most unexpected ways.

Without another way to describe it, her writing feels like coming home. Her words suck me in and I am hypnotized!

Loved, loved, loved this book!

Thanks to NetGalley, Celadon Books and Amy Jo Burns for an early copy in exchange for a review.

The town of Mercury is a fascinating place full of secrets - especially for those in the Joseph family! Following the family dynamics through their interactions with Marley (an outsider) and how she impacts each of their lives was a bit of a roller coaster. This book was well-written and I enjoyed seeing certain scenes in the story from the point of view of different characters! The way the town itself played a part in the roofing business was almost a character itself also. Overall, Mercury is a good book that I would recommend to others!

I really enjoyed this writers' last book, Shiner, and this new offering did not disappoint. Her characters are well drawn and complex, and I like how she highlights the often invisible work of women.

I unfortunately did not care for this book at all. It is populated by people who act poorly and selfishly, and have zero conversations with each other. The writing is so vague that sometimes I was wondering if I was interpreting what was happening correctly.

It starts out interestingly enough, but it just meanders and there really were very few likable people. I'm honestly at no point certain why Marley wants to be a part of this family, since the parents are both emotionally manipulative assholes, and basically leave her to run the family, to the point that it's insane (she just pulls Shea from school without agreement from either of his parents because she can "teach him school" on her own...despite having nothing to show that she can actually do that). At no point does her and Waylon's relationship seem believable. No one's reaction to anything that happens in this book seems based on what a real human would do.

I'm definitely an outlier on this one as it's getting great reviews, but this one did not hit for me at all. The writing style is interesting, but the plot and characters leave A LOT to desire. I think I was supposed to care about and root for some of these people, and I did not. It's not bad, just ultimately boring and frustrating.

2.5 stars. This book took me awhile to get through. There was nothing really pulling me in or connecting me to the characters. I also feel like the attic secret was a bit of a let down.

“Sins are like butterflies. They all become something else.” Of all the quotes in the book, I feel that this one sums it up perfectly. This is a slow-burn character driven story with a plethora of family drama. Everyone in the family has been hurt and in turns hurts someone. You can’t help but feel the pain and regret that radiates from each character and empathize with them as their story unfolds. The author does a wonderful job of tackling so many topics and yet does them seamlessly – teenage pregnancy, forbidden love, family loyalty, and chronic illness.

Through it all, Marley emerges as unique protagonist with a strong inner compass and unwavering strength. I appreciated how the author made her an integral part of each character’s growth. I also really loved how Burns showed Elise, the wife and mom who lost her self-identity, in contrast to Marley, the teenage mom and young wife struggling to maintain it. This has been women’s struggle for centuries but was well explored and detailed in this book.

I originally thought the mystery would be a bigger part of the story and have to admit I kept waiting to find out how that connected to each of the brothers. So those that love fast-paced thrillers, this one is not for you. However, if you enjoy a well-crafted literary fiction that tugs at your heartstrings, pick this one up today!

Solid drama about a woman who marries into a complicated family and how she ends up saving them in many ways.

This was such a good book! I loved the characters, and their story. The dialogue was realistic and enjoyable. I was very surprised by the ending!

When I started reading this book I assumed I would love it. Complicated family dynamics? Check. Some kind of love story? Check. New adult come-of-age? Check, check, check. Unfortunately it fell short for me.

Seventeen-year-old Marley West is the new girl in Mercury, Pennsylvania, a town where few new people come to live. She gets noticed quickly by Baylor Joseph and eventually gets her place at the table of the Joseph Family. She's attracted to Baylor but when football season calls him away, it's his younger brother, Waylon, that Marley falls in love with...

I enjoyed the family dynamics of this story. I think Burns did a good job of showing how different personalties and different tolerances can allow a family to fester. How family businesses can do the opposite of bring a family together. How if one pillar of the family is broken the rest are sure to crumble. I enjoyed the nods to motherhood, especially early motherhood, and how difficult they can be.

Unfortunately, the elements of the story I liked couldn't overcome the rest. The relationships are not believable. The 'growth' each member of the family experiences was very much 'told' to us and not shown. Because family dysfunction is the basis of the story, and I did not believe the relationships, it was hard to want to keep reading. I never wanted to DNF but I also had to force myself to pick the Kindle up and get back to the story.

Thank you NetGalley and Celadon Books for this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Mercury by Amy Jo Burns was a family drama that had good writing and character development. It was an interesting coming of age story with a few unexpected twists. There were times I started to dislike a character and the author then revealed some of their past which helped see them in a new way.

However, I feel it was slow and spacey throughout a lot of the book and almost didn’t finish it but am glad I stuck it out.

Thank you NetGalley and Celadon Books for the Advanced Reading Copy.

This novel explores the Joseph family and the intricate inner design of the family dynamics and drama. I really loved each of these characters, despite all of their flaws. The writing was gorgeous and the characters were so deeply developed in a way where I both ached and rooted for them.

I loved how they each deeply cared for each other in their own way, despite how different that may have looked for everyone. I can appreciate a story that reflects a family that works hard and has true grit and determination. Many books I read feature families with superficial values and plots, so it is rare to come across a story where I am so invested in the inner workings of the family.

It was a quiet read, but one that I felt deeply immersed in. This will resonate with me for awhile!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Celadon Books for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review!

When Marley was seventeen her mother and she moved to Mercury, Pennsylvania where Marley quickly met the Joseph family. Baylor, the oldest brother, may have talked to her first, but it’s Waylon who really catches her eye. Marley soon finds herself invited to dinner at the Joseph’s home by Elise, the matriarch of the Joseph family. Before she knows it Marley finds herself immersed in the Joseph family and their roofing business–Joseph & Sons Roofing–a company started by Mick, a company that he expects each of his sons to join, even the youngest brother Shay. Before she knows it she is married and a mother, not only to her own child but to the entire Joseph clan, but when a discovery is made in the attic of a church family secrets begin to threaten the life that she has created and those she has created it with.

Mercury is not the typical genre that I find myself reading; that being said I did, for the most part, enjoy this novel. The writing style greatly allowed me to immerse myself into the lives of Marley and the Joseph family. I felt as though I could understand their feelings and emotions, along with their decisions and motivations. I was also able to experience, along with the characters, their personal growth and development. Mercury is a raw, honest novel that contains some significant themes, such as family and loneliness, regret and redemption, and forgiveness. Overall the novel was a little slow for my tastes; it took too long to get to the discovery in the church and the resulting effects, but I still enjoyed it.

This book is so many stories. It is a story of how generations impact generations. It’s a dysfunctional family story. It’s a story of womanhood. It is so many stories rolled into one and done so well.