Such a beautifully written debut novel!

Ryan and Lillian Bright’s marriage is built on love but burdened by secrets—Lillian’s hidden son and Ryan’s struggle with alcohol. Their daughter, Georgette, grows up watching their union unravel.

After tragedy splinters the family, Georgette distances herself from her past. Years later, Lillian’s son seeks his birth family, forcing Georgette to confront her roots, uncover buried truths, and decide if she can embrace love again.

Told through three intimate perspectives, The Bright Years is a heartfelt story of family, tragedy, and love across generations.

This book was flawless in every way. The writing was beautiful, and the story lingers long after the final page. I can’t wait to read more from this author in the future!

Enjoyed this book- 5 stars. Well written, poignant- yet devastating. I had tears in my eyes the last HALF of the book!
A perfectly told
Story how a family can love yet cause pain simultaneously. Will be ordering for my library and suggesting to many of my patrons

A character driven, family drama that’s depiction of grief, addiction, generational trauma, and life leaves you feeling raw, seen, and empathetic to the human experience.

Told in three point of views, The Bright Years explores the impact of each generation in a family torn apart by tragedy, addiction, and choice but, over time, restored by the power of love and the grace we choose to bestow on those we love.

I really enjoyed this read. It speaks to the author’s writing (and experience given the author’s note) that I could feel so much in less than 300 pages. This book felt so real and so human and so accessible. It made me question my own bias around addiction and what I would do in situations these characters faced. It is approachable, honest, and filled with so many thought provoking moments.

Lillian’s pov was the strongest and immediately grabbed me. I felt for her, was protective of her, and truly felt like I was on this journey alongside her. Ryan and Jet also offer up great perspective, but Lillian stole the show for me. She is a character that will stay with me.

I appreciate the premise and overall execution of the book. I wish the author gave a bit more space (pages) to the more intense moments and deaths. So basically I’m wishing this book had about 50 more pages and I got to stay worth these characters longer! 😅 But regardless, I found the ending to be fitting and honest and this to be a great debut from start to finish.

READ FOR
- Character Driven Reads
- Family Drama
- Grief, Addiction, Healing, Forgiveness
- Multiple POVs & Timelines

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for my free electronic advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review

A solid debut that spans generations and told from three different points of view from a family dealing with addiction and its effect on generations.A lot happens in this and some parts were better written than others. Historical events were infused into the story which was fun. I think this will appeal to a wide audience of readers.

A mesmerizing book filled with first loves, regrets, hurts hopes, grief and despair. I absolutely loved how the author interwove different years into this book and from different points of view. It wasn’t a lineal path nor was it a “before and after” it was just chapters of different years going back and forth in people’s lives and then it becomes lineal. An abusive husband, a wife who runs away, a son grows up, a daughter loses both parents, alcohol and addiction are heavy themes here.

So many meaningful quotes in this book and hard life and love lessons. This book takes you on a journey of life. From “Will I ever meet the right person” to butterflies to hopes and dreams that are realized to hopes and dreams that are lost and crushed and how to go on. Wow this book made me really feel a lot of emotions bc this book has it all. It’s best read slowly alone when you can really feel the magnitude of what words and actions can do to someone and the reverberating actions they can have.

This debut author hit it out of the park with this deep emotional heart-wrenching book about normal people and normal lives that so many of us are and have been.

Thank you to NetGalley, Sarah Damhoff and Simon & Schuster for this beautifully written book about love, in all its messiness.

Thank you Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is hands down one of the most beautifully heartbreaking stories I have ever read. It is hard to believe that this is Sarah Damoff's debut novel. She has earned herself a reader that will forever pick up whatever else she publishes.

Trauma is generational, even when that is not what is intended. The Bright Years explores four generations of a family and the toll that addiction and generational trauma can cause. Lillian and Ryan are young and in love with their whole lives ahead of them. When their daughter Georgette "Jet" is born, Ryan swears he will never be like his father. His father, Barton, was an alcoholic and abuser. Elise, Ryan's mother, was brave enough to acknowledge this and start a new life for her and Ryan. Little did Ryan know, but his mother would be doing the exact same thing for Lillian and Jet when he begins his own alcoholic spiral.

The Bright Years is split into three powerful POVs to tell the whole story of the Bright family. Lillian, Jet, and eventually Ryan share the raw truths of how addiction and trauma affects a family. I was blown away by the rawness of this story. Each character feels like someone you personally know - maybe you do know someone who has been in Lillian, Ryan, or Jet's shoes. Maybe it is you that you see in one of them. One moment I would be sobbing, and the next I would feel inspired and uplifted. Damoff does an amazing job at portraying grief, while also reminding us that life moves on.

I know that so many people will pick this up and feel "seen" for the first time as they read the Bright family's story. Damoff has created a book that will stick with readers for a lifetime. I will be pushing this into everyone's hands the moment it hits the shelves.

The Bright Years hit me right in the feels!

I devoured this novel in 24 hours and laughed, cried, and hoped along with all the characters. This is realistic story of families struggling with the long lasting impacts of alcoholism and abuse. I appreciated reading the story from the different points of view of the main characters. There was character growth but not without pain and setbacks. It was a sad tale but this was always tinged with hope.

I recommend this book to readers who enjoy stories of families dealing with difficult situations and strong female characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Bright Years is one of those rare novels that feels like it’s looking right into your soul. There is incredible depth to this story that had me re-reading paragraphs to let the words fully sink in with how they felt like the author was giving words to thoughts and feelings I've had throughout life that I would never have been able to put words to.

Lillian, Ryan, and Georgette (Jet) are unforgettable. Each character feels like someone you know—or someone you’ve been. Lillian’s role as a new mother (while grieving the child she gave up for adoption) hit me hard. And Ryan’s struggle with addiction was raw and authentic, showing the difficult reality of living with—and loving—someone fighting a silent battle. Georgette, or "Jet," truly stands out. Watching her come of age, shaped by her parents' struggles and torn between resentment and love, was a powerful journey that felt so very real.

This book moved me in ways I didn’t expect. While reading, I was sobbing and feeling uplifted all at once. The writing is introspective, and I was particularly moved by how the author portrays grief and growth which we can all relate to. The Bright Years is an absolute must-read. Just be prepared to have your heart both ache and feel full by the time you turn the final page.

The Bright Years is a sad but honest depiction of alcoholism and what it does to families. I found it well written and enjoyed it but I couldn’t relate to it. I liked the three points of view to organize the storyline and found that interesting. I recommend it to others.
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Ryan and Lillian Bright are happy newlyweds in Texas. Both come from difficult families and are so happy to have found each other. Tainting their joy are the secrets they fail to disclose. They open an art gallery and both enjoy their jobs. The family expands with the addition of their daughter Jet. Their happiness is shattered by addiction. Lillian, Jet, Ryan, and Ryan’s mother all work to mend their shattered family. Though the characters are not always likable, their portrayal is believable. Damoff touches on many issues that impact society today. This was a great debut and I look forward to future books from her. I thank NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC.

A really impressive debut, but not sure it’ll be one that sticks with me. I enjoyed the different POVs and the shifts through the generations and good writing that let me speed through it in a day. A quick read and one that I’m sure will be a good “mom” book

I have mixed emotions about this book. About 20% in I almost stopped reading it. I thought it made a too abrupt shift in the story but after a day I returned and kept reading. And after a bit it got better. By the last third I really enjoyed. Overall I’d recommend it. It is just that I thought some parts were significantly better than others. I would definitely try this author again and most others have had a much stronger opinion of this story.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an early release in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I received a free e-arc through Netgalley. This book is about addiction and how even if you are trying your hardest to avoid it, it can sneak up on you. I liked Nana and Lillian and Jet. There were some surprises, but it kept my interest.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this Advanced Reader’s Copy of The Bright Years by Sarah Damoff due to be published April 22, 2025.

Ryan and Lillian Bright are deeply in love, recently married, and now parents to a baby girl, Georgette. But Lillian has a son she hasn’t told Ryan about, and Ryan has an alcohol addiction he hasn’t told Lillian about, so Georgette comes of age watching their marriage rise and fall. Told from Lillian’s, Ryan’s, and Georgette’s point of view, we learn much about marriage and its ups and downs.
What a beautiful book Sarah Damoff has written – and a debut novel. The words and phrases were so profound sometimes that I went back and reread them several times for their wonderful meaning. Although heartbreaking at times, it was still an exquisitely written work of art. I cannot wait for her next book!

#NetGalley #Sarah Damoff #Simon&Schuster #TheBrightYears

I’ve read a lot of books this year and this is one of the most beautiful books I’ve read. That this is the author’s debut makes me so happy about her future work.

I cried and I smiled throughout this whole book, and will forever hold these characters close to my heart.

If you enjoy complex family stories and different POVs, read this!

Told through three different viewpoints (mother, father, and daughter), this is a moving story of the impact of alcholism and secrets on a family over the generations. Overall, an excellent debut novel.

Successfully straddling the line between literary and commercial, THE BRIGHT YEARS should appeal to a wide range of readers.
At its heart, this novel is a family saga. I enjoyed how the author juggled multiple generations. She does so in a way that introduces the reader to so many characters but she is careful about not being repetitive, which I appreciate. I particularly enjoyed Lillian and Georgette. The narrative explores the impacts of addiction in a powerful and moving way.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance e-galley; all opinions in my review are 100% my own.

NetGalley early release
Publishing date: April 2025
4 ⭐️

I really liked the storyline of this book. The growth and the character development were out of this world and I appreciated everyone’s mistakes and growth. I don’t understand why the mom’s son, Davis, was made out to be this huge part of the story when in actuality he wasn’t. I would have liked to explore that storyline more. I knew Kendi and Jet were going to get together, it was so obvious. I was so sad for
The dad Ryan the whole time. He grew but it took him too long and that was sad to read. I feel like there could be triggers in this book if you aren’t careful or if you’re easily triggered.

I finished THE BRIGHT YEARS in tears and in awe of Sarah Damoff’s strong, compassionate storytelling. She writes beautifully and with stinging truthfulness about sobriety and addiction, guilt and atonement, love, friendship, redemption and the strength of family (all kinds: by genetics and by choice).

Told over decades, THE BRIGHT YEARS follows a family through four generations. When Lillian meets Ryan, she allows him to heal the scars left on her heart when she gave a child up for adoption years before. Ryan allows Lillian to heal the scars he has from an abusive father. When alcohol addiction comes between them, their daughter, Georgette, must learn how to navigate the beauty of life, even when it’s ugly.

The characters are intimately drawn, and the story is told from three different viewpoints. Most impactful to me, Damoff explores the idea that sobriety - and all of life, for that matter - isn’t all or nothing. Everything is a process and life isn’t perfect, but even so, it is worth living.

I loved this tender book, which gives me Ann Napolitano/Mary Beth Keane/Wally Lamb vibes and is set to be published on April 22, 2025. I’m impressed that this is Damoff’s debut novel and believe there’s going to be quite a buzz surrounding this incredible novel.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for an early digital copy of THE BRIGHT YEARS in exchange for my honest feedback.

The Bright Years
As others have said, it’s hard to believe this is a debut novel. The story of multiple generations in a family affected by alcoholism is beautifully written. I loved every small detail of the writing, felt with Jet and her Mom. The character development is excellent, I loved Nana Elise who was an escape not only for Jet, but also for Jet’s Mom, Lillian who was her daughter in law. Overall, this was one of the best books I’ve read in a long time, definitely 5 stars. Those of you who have read my previous reviews must know how stingy I am with 5 stars. I wish the author much luck in promoting and selling this novel.
I was fortunate enough to receive an advance copy, opinions are my own.