I was lucky enough to win an e-ARC of BUCKEYE by Patrick Ryan from a Shelf Awareness/Publisher's Weekly giveaway. Thank you for the early look, and have a safe and happy summer!

This book was good, but not what I expected. The description of this book promised me a multigenerational family saga. It was not that. From start of the book to the end was about 40 years. It followed two couples and their two sons, but the sons' adult lives were not really a main feature of the story, except for brief parts. I would classify this as historical fiction, because what it did highlight for me was the reality of the mid-20th century and how the various wars shaped the lives of people in America.
The characters were well-developed. I changed throughout the book as to which characters I "sided" with. They all had at least some flaws. But I did feel an attachment to them. This might be a book that once I sit with for a while, it grows on me more.

My main complaint is it is SLOW, especially in the first half. The event that is alluded to in the first sentence of the description of the book happens right about at the 50% point. A lot of backstory, some of which seems only marginally relevant to the story. The second half of the book spans the next 40 years.

I recently finished reading a 5-star book that I’m confident will make it to my list of the Top Three books of 2025. It’s set to be released on September 2, 2025.

Author Patrick Ryan weaves a captivating story about two families spanning from World War II to the Vietnam War. From the very beginning, I was drawn to these intricate characters. Ryan’s writing style kept me engrossed, and I couldn’t put the book down.

Fans of “Ask Again, Yes” will undoubtedly enjoy this book!

Wow, this is a multifaceted story with so many surprises that keep you wanting more.

The author handles all of the delicate situations tastefully, and I don’t remember any unwarranted language. This book covers so much, not sure I can give it justice in this review, how an orphan deals with being rejected, how a childless woman cares for so many, how dysfunctional families fall out on their children, and the baggage we carry throughout are lives based upon lack of communication, fear of discovery or not feeling our worth. It also takes us along with some government decisions, the Vietnam war, the draft, etc. But most of all, it is about love, the love we have for our parents, children, siblings, spouses and just for each other.

The ending was perfect, maybe not what I was expecting, but perfect.
High 5 stars for this one. I only had one con, a couple times the story jumped to the past, and it took me a minute to catch up. Otherwise, this is a great read! Well done, Mr. Ryan, well done!!!

This is my own opinion expressed in this review. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing.

If you are a lover of historical fiction, look for Buckeye, coming out September 2nd.

Patrick Ryan's new novel concentrates on two Ohio couples - Cal and Becky Jenkins and Margaret and Felix Salt - and how their lives become so intensely interconnected.

I loved the setting of the book, small town Ohio spanning four decades, from WW II to the fall of Vietnam. Moreso than dwelling on the actions in the wars, the novel concentrates on the effects the wars have on those who stay behind and those who return. Its plot is excellently crafted. You empathize with so many of its characters.

Thank you, NetGalley and Random House, for this wonderful glimpse into these characters' lives during the four tumultuous decades of the '40s through our country's '70s.

A strong story of family, sacrifice, and how to navigate complicated those relationships. Starting before WWII and extending to the post-war era, Patrick Ryan captures the readers hearts.

3.5 stars generously rounded up. A multi-generational tale of Midwest families spanning decades. I enjoyed most of this story. Many of the characters were memorable and well-developed, and the personal journeys were realistic and well-crafted. But I struggled with some who seemed a major focus at the beginning, but petered out to obscurity/bit players in the end. And the main female character seemed to have very little character arc that demonstrated any kind of personal growth -- maybe that was the point of her though?

Overall, enjoyed, but was ready to be done by the end.

+++
Thank you to Net Galley and Random House for an ARC in exchange for my unbiased review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the Kindle ARC. The Jenkins and the Salts are two entirely different type of married couples. Cal Jenkins, who was born with one leg shorter than the other, is unable to serve in WWII. His wife, Rebecca, is a homemaker with the gift of being able to contact loved ones who have passed on, which is a comfort to the people that seek her out. Margaret Salt is an orphan from birth, trying to put her past far behind her and by marrying the handsome Felix she aims to complete her mission. Buckeye begins during WWII and follows the lives and the children of couples through the 1970's. An affair between Cal and Margaret leads to heartbreak in the future that is unimaginable. Felix has a secret of his own that's devastating. Buckeye is an excellent work of historical fiction with characters and lives that seem to have really existed.

An epic sweeping novel set against decades in Ohio, hence the title ‘Buckeye’ it tells the story of two families in fictional Bonhomie. Cal Jenkins, and Margaret Salt, a woman trying to obscure her past and Cal’s wife, Becky, who is a seer and who can conjure the dead, helping families connect with those they’ve lost. Margaret’s husband, Felix, is serving on a Navy cargo ship, out of harm’s way—until a telegram suggests that the unthinkable might have happened. The novel spans WWII to the later part of the 20th century. Recommended for public libraries.

Once I started reading this book it was hard to put down. The characters bring you in and make you want to learn more. Sometimes I liked them and sometimes I didn't agree with them in a good way. The relationships and small town drama were very involved and twisted. The weaved in history was very good! Loved this book. Recommend.

Buckeye spans decades in the quiet town of Bonhomie, Ohio, tracing the fallout from one fateful moment between two couples: Cal and Becky Jenkins, and Margaret and Felix Salt. Cal, unable to serve in WWII, is haunted by what might have been, while Becky offers a spiritual gift that connects grieving families with the dead. As the town evolves and the country changes, the effects of that long-ago decision ripple across generations. It’s a novel of secrets, regret, community, chosen family, and the quiet heroism of enduring love.

While I appreciated the scope and themes (many of which are exactly the kind I typically enjoy) I struggled to stay engaged. Despite the richness of the setting and the emotional resonance of certain moments, the pacing felt slow for me, and I found myself losing interest at times. I don’t think this is a flaw in the writing, which is thoughtful and moving I just think this book wasn’t quite for me. Based on the other reviews I am definitely in the minority! And think maybe because of external factors it may just not be the right time for me to read it. I look forward to coming back to the novel in the future and re-reading again.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group, and Patrick Ryan for a free e-ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a sweeping, somewhat old-fashioned social novel set in the MidWest and spanning the Depression, war years, the Fifties, and on into the near present. Although it's set against the major events of its era, it's thoroughly---and pleasingly==character-based. It's also a sad, moving tale of ambitions thwarted and compromises made. Ryan is a brilliantly talented author who can tell a tale with pace, suspense, and much empathy. He has a great future. I'm anxious to follow his work closely in the days to come.

What a gorgeous, glorious novel The characters stayed in my mind even when I wasn't reading it, and are still there now that I've finished. What better recommendation for a novel can there be than that? Patrick Ryan writes with such compassion and heart to create characters so real that you'll wonder if you've known them, and if you had, would you have the vision to have seen them as he does.

"Buckeye" is a wonder. So many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for a digital review copy in exchange for my honest review.

Absolutely loved Patrick Ryan’s Buckeye! What a rich, emotional ride. It’s filled with family secrets, tangled love stories, and the kind of historical depth that makes you feel like you’ve lived through generations. Each character felt so real, and I was constantly amazed at everything they endured—personal losses, sweeping historical events, heartbreak, healing. And somehow, they always managed to keep going. We need more books that capture the resilience of everyday lives like this. So thankful for Patrick Ryan and this beautiful, layered story.

I thoroughly enjoyed this title. Characters were well developed and the entire storyline was thought provoking.

I could not get into this book. The plot was confusing to me and really slow in the beginning. The characters also dragged a bit in the book.
DNF

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a story of two families and how they intersect. Each individual brings their own traumas into the mix and creates a heartbreaking reality for the next generation.

Buckeye by Patrick Ryan – A Luminous Tapestry of Small-Town America
Buckeye by Patrick Ryan is a sweeping yet deeply personal saga tracing the intertwined lives of two families in Bonhomie, Ohio, from the 1950s through the waning decades of the 20th century. At its heart lies a single moment—an affair between Cal Jenkins, a man whose physical limitations kept him from serving in the war, and Margaret Salt, a woman burdened by a past she cannot fully escape. From this pivotal act, generations of consequence unfold, weaving a powerful meditation on love, identity, secrecy, adultery, and forgiveness.
Ryan writes with a quiet elegance and urbanity, drawing readers into the rhythms of everyday life in a small Midwestern town. It’s within this "dailyness" that the novel finds its emotional heft—how a single choice reverberates over time, shaping not just individual lives but entire family legacies. With prose that is both restrained and resonant, Ryan captures the ache and beauty of ordinary existence with remarkable clarity.
The novel evokes the depth and nuance of Jonathan Franzen’s Crossroads, offering a similarly ambitious portrait of family fracture and moral reckoning. Like Franzen, and akin to the work of Richard Russo and Ann Patchett, Ryan excels at revealing the emotional architecture of flawed, deeply human characters as they navigate the shifting terrain of American life.
While Buckeye asks for the reader’s patience in its slow build, the reward is a novel that gradually envelopes you—one that is increasingly difficult to set aside. It's a story for anyone drawn to the quiet drama of real lives and the inescapable messiness of being human. Thoughtful, tender, and enduring, Buckeye is a novel that earns its place among the best of contemporary American fiction.

I don't even know how to begin to describe Patrick Ryan's novel "Buckeye". It feels like nothing I say about it will do it any justice, or capture the intensity of emotions I felt while reading this compelling story. In relaying a brief synopsis, here's a few things that are touched on in this book: small town life, WWII, and the war in Viet Nam, deep and hidden family secrets, marital strife, survival, grief, old age and regret.
The knowing of these things, or reading the dust jacket is not, however, an incentive in itself to pick up this book. What might be is this—trust in myself and other booksellers who say, 'you just need to READ THIS'! Forget about the synopsis, and whether or not that appeals to you; this is a novel that needs to be experienced—you need to bathe in it, immerse yourselves in the lives of its characters, fully embracing it. Then, you will most likely come to the realization, as I did, that you've just lived through one of your all time favorite books! I won't soon forget this heart stopping literary gem...it is one gift of a book!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House for allowing me to be an early reader!

This is an immensely long book yet it’s an unusual kind of epic. Yes, there are world wars, and presidents come and go, but in essence it’s an intimate story of ordinary lives, not histrionic, although threaded with domestic drama. At times I was full of admiration for the transparency of the narration and clarity of vision. Empathy and a soft spoken yet piercing humanity are the author’s stock in trade. But at other times, it did seem humdrum and over-extended. There were so many moments in the story when secrets could have been shared and psychological prisons broken open. Would it have destroyed the book’s logic to have had fewer of these long, tortured episodes and character portraits?
I came down, eventually, on the side of admiration, since the book has a pleasing integrity and keeps its ambitions within bounds. It may be a little too long for its content, but is likely to be a warmly-received novel and a milestone in the author’s career. Kudos for that.