A very relatable book, I think many people would enjoy this.

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.

James Bailey's "This Is Who We Are Now" is a profound and emotionally charged novel that captures the essence of modern relationships and personal transformation. Bailey’s storytelling is both insightful and evocative, delving into the complexities of identity and the impact of life-changing events on a group of interconnected characters. The narrative is rich with authentic dialogue and vivid imagery, making the characters' journeys both relatable and compelling. Bailey masterfully explores themes of change, self-discovery, and the resilience of the human spirit. "This Is Who We Are Now" is a powerful, thought-provoking read that will resonate deeply with readers.

I really enjoyed this book and loved the conversational tone that this author writes in. The main character of this book is turning 50 and experiencing a bit of a crisis of sorts. I really enjoyed the main character and his view on the world. The characters were well written and came full circle in the end. I would really like to read more from this author. Thanks for the ARC, NetGalley.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for sending me the arc. I found myself not a part of the target audience. It was engaging but failed to make a huge mark on me. Thank you for the copy !

I'm not sure if I liked this book or not. I kept me engaged enough that I read the entire thing, but it was too similar to my real life. I think I prefer my books to be an escape from my life, not a reflection of it.

I happened to come across this book by chance on Netgalley. The cover was so cute, with the illustration and the different colours, so retro. Then I read the description and thought I'd give it a go, since it's fairly short, and I do like books about family dynamics, because I like to reassure myself from time to time that almost everybody else's family is as messed up as mine.

It was a nice read, well-written, with dialogue that flowed naturally, and very relatable.

The story is about Henry Bradfield who is about to turn 50. He has gone to visit his parents and to meet his family. His brother, Danny, is living with their parents, and his sister Margo is drinking copiously and having relationship problems.

Henry's teenage sons, Rusty and Kyle, are getting up to all kinds of teenage shenanigans and getting grounded. His wife (what a piece of work!) is acting out because she claims that she feels unloved and unwelcome and feels that Henry is not working hard enough on their marriage.

When Henry sees his stuff being sold at his parents' garage sale, he makes a big deal about it and gets into arguments with his brother. He's reluctant to let go of that part of his life, that little slice of childhood. He also happens to bump into his childhood sweetheart, Erin, and that stirs up a few unresolved feelings within him.

There are confrontations and realizations about what is important, and what lengths one is willing to go to save what is most dear to us.

Would definitely recommend.

Thanks to Netgalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for a digital ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review.

The cover of this book caught my eye and I am so glad it did. I began reading knowing nothing about the book or the author and was quickly drawn into protagonist Henry's life.
As he approaches his 5oth birthday, Henry returns to his childhood home in Vermont with his wife and teenage sons. Tensions rise and old sibling rivalry is reignited as is Henry's feelings for his first love. This is a really thoughtful, insightful and considered meditation on middle age, stability, family, marriage , memories and hope. A real surprise of a book and I really enjoyed it.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC.
Henry is turning 50 and goes back to his childhood home. His marriage is a mess, his children are driving him nuts and his siblings have their own issues. On top of that, his high school sweetheart reappears, just as his wife disappears.
The characters are all very relatable and will remind you of your own crazy family.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the Kindle ARC. This is the first book I've read by James Bailey and it was a good slice of life story. Henry is on the verge of his 50th birthday and, if he doesn't get his act together, his marriage is on the verge of a break-up. His wife Denise is sensitive and Henry doesn't often recognize when or why she's upset. Henry, Denise and their two boys return to his parent's home for a week and to celebrate the 50th birthday. The siblings and cousins are there but much to Henry's chagrin, he keeps running into his high school sweetheart Erin. This is Who We Are Now is a fun study in family dynamics and what could happen if and when we don't appreciate the people who matter to us.

This book had good characters, a great set up and a very good sense of place, but I found the pacing a little slow and, despite a great start, failed to stick with the story

This book caught my eye on Netgalley. It’s a self-published author (only the second that I’ve read this year (with one more to read by end of 2023). The synopsis of the book appealed to me as did the cover art, and it turned out to be a lovely, well-written novel on midlife, relationships, parenting, family dynamics and figuring out what’s worth salvaging.

Henry Bradfield is on the brink of turning 50 and has returned home to his parents’ house for a birthday celebration with extended family. His layabout brother Danny is back living with their parents, his lively sister Margo is dealing with her own demons, his teenage sons Rusty and Kyle are getting up to all sorts under his nose, and his wife Denise, who doesn’t want to be there, is feeling unloved and frustrated with her lot. When Henry bumps into his childhood sweetheart Erin and feels a little something stir to life in him, he has to challenge his own passivity and decide what’s what worth fighting for.

The author’s note at the back of the book is wonderful - he gives a short description of his previous novels (there are several), many of which were inspired by his twin loves of Adrian Mole (a fave of mine growing up) and baseball.

There’s no baseball in this one thankfully but the writing is great, the pacing is perfect and the relationship dynamics play out really well - the only aspects of the book I didn’t like were the poker scenes (mercifully short but boring) and the paintball scene, though the latter did facilitate the resolution of the Henry/Danny storyline. I’d happily read more from James Bailey. I feel as though I’ve read and enjoyed a lot of similar books to this but by female authors - this one nicely captures the midlife male perspective. 3.5-4/5⭐️

Wonderfully written, complex well developed characters and story that grips you from word one- don’t miss this book!

There were parts of this book I enjoyed and parts I didn’t. I was interested in the scenes between Henry and Denise and their dynamic and how Erin fit into the sorry. But I felt that the characters didn’t have much depth which made it difficult to connect with the story
The book felt very robotic and more like reading a play script rather than a book
Overall I liked the story but I felt that the story stayed at surface level and we didn’t delve enough into the characters and their dynamics

I feel like this is one many of use can relate to - dealing with the past while also addressing challenges in the present. It’s both funny and filled with pathos and the author does a terrific job in giving depth to the various characters.

This engaging narrative follows Henry Bradfield as he returns to his childhood home and is reunited with his family. The book evokes that sense of nostalgia that accompanies a homecoming after a long absence. The prose adds a layer of authenticity to the story, with characters so realistic it's easy to forget they are fictional. This book is an honest depiction of the intricacies of family dynamics, highlighting their complexities and encompassing both old wounds and enduring love. I was pleasantly surprised by this story and thoroughly enjoyed it.

This book really caught my eye. I could really relate to the relatability of the situations and life lessons learnt among the way. I really feel this would make an excellent movie and Incan ot with to share more on this a mbd bring it to readers attention