Sometimes you need a book that isn’t doing all the things. What I appreciate in Lange’s writing is that she crafts straight-forward family dramas. She isn’t layering in multiple narrators or trying to drown me in exposition. Her books are more ABC vs. HBO.

Meet the Connellys, siblings Tara, Eddie and Geraldine. Let’s be honest, they’ve had a shit go. Their father was a criminal who caused a traumatic brain injury for Eddie. Their mother died while they were young, which forced Geraldine to take on a motherly role too soon, and Tara was busted for drug trafficking.

The book opens the day Tara is released from prison. Geraldine has become a control freak, obsessive hoarder and Eddie is a father to a young son. We follow these three as they try to readjust to their new life together.

This is a “quiet” book. There aren’t any major plot points, suspense or mystery. You would think that it’s a slow moving book, BUT it isn’t. You get sucked into these characters lives and find yourself rooting for them. It’s a nice mental break from thrillerland.

If you enjoyed This Is Us you should pick this up!

The Connellys of County Dwon by Tracey Lange is an enjoyable family drama about the relationship between three adult siblings. I really loved Lange's first book, We Were the Brennans, and her sophomore novel was very good as well!

I think stories about adult siblings are just fascinating! In this story, each character has their own struggle as individual adults. But their struggles and their relationships with each other are also influenced by things that happened in their childhood. The way that all those childhood struggles come into play as adults and affect the interaction between the siblings and their current struggles...it's just so interesting!

Lange writes these characters in a way that feels authentic to real life. Geraldine, Eddie and Tara all have plenty of struggles and insecurities and imperfections. They make mistakes, but they also teach us about the power of the sibling relationships and the love that can be found even in the middle of the mess.

I am looking forward to whatever Tracey Lange writes next!

That reference/Easter Egg about killed me 🥹

Believe me when I say no one writes family sagas like Tracey Lange. We Are the Brennans is one of my favourite books of all time so you can imagine how I excited I was dive into her latest. And guess what? I absolutely loved it.

I flew through this book during a weekend road trip and devoured it in two sittings. It was so readable, so riveting, and I enjoyed every moment. I don't know how the author does it, writing everyday people doing everyday things in everyday situations with so much flair, to the point that you are completely captivated and can't get enough.

The characters are so well-written, perfectly flawed, and had me completely invested. I loved the budding romance, which had a hint of the forbidden (and reminded me of Sunday Brennan x Kale from the author's debut). My only gripe is that the ending felt abrupt, but that's probably just me being greedy and wanting more.

The Connellys didn't hook me quite like the Brennans.
Thank you to Celadon Books and Netgalley for my eARC for review!
The Connellys Of County Down is the story of Tara, newly released from prison after a drug trafficking charge. She moves back in with her siblings Geraldine and Eddie, lands a new job, and takes on a new relationship with an unexpected mate. There's family history and drama bubbling to the surface.
The writing was solid, but my interest came and went throughout. Ultimately this was quite a good book, just not what I needed right now.
Regardless, recommended!
Released on Aug. 1.

I love a good family drama, and this delivered. I couldn't put down We Are The Brennans so when I heard about Lange's next book, I was thrilled.

The Connellys are kind of a mess, but they're trying. I love a family story of survival and healing, and I especially loved watching each Connelly sibling learn to lean on each other and open up.

I do feel like this ended a bit abruptly - I wish I had gotten more closer for Eddie and Geraldine, not just Tara.

3.5 stars - rounded up because I couldn't put this down or stop thinking about it

Thank you to the publisher for gifting me an ARC and audiobook!
——
This is the author’s sophomore novel but the first one that I read, and I can see now why everyone loves her writing! As far as a summary goes, there isn’t much more I can reveal beyond the official synopsis. What I can say is that it’s a story that tests family and sibling bonds, and the amount of sacrifices that you sometimes have to make for your family, even if it’s to your own detriment. The 3 siblings, Tara, Geraldine and Eddie couldn’t be more different from each other and yet couldn’t be apart. They are all imperfect in every way you can imagine yet they form a complete picture as a whole.

What was even more interesting was the ex-convict and law enforcement themes explored throughout the book. Tara’s post-prison journey was a unique and important theme that I don’t see enough in books and I thought that was a refreshing change. I felt the author did a phenomenal job writing the unprecedented hurdle of rebuilding one’s life after a prison time. I also enjoyed the good cop-not so good cop theme and the boundaries they are allowed or not allowed, which was another unique factor to this book.

I oscillated between 4 and 5 stars throughout the book and ended with 5 because I was extremely invested in the siblings’ challenges and was rooting for all the main characters in the book despite their misgivings. I now need to read The Brennans!

After loving Tracey Lange’s debut, We Are The Brennans, I was thrilled when Celadon Books offered me an advanced reading copy of The Connellys of County Down. Family sagas, centred on love and chaos, are a favourite of mine. And the Connellys bring it in spades.

Take three adult siblings, negotiating the ups and downs of life under one roof, add in some jail-time, a handsome local cop, and secrets that are threatening to boil over, and I’m sucked right in. These characters are flawed and realistic. Lange’s pacing keeps this story moving forward smoothly, and I was more than happy to stay up too late to finish it.

Grateful to NetGalley and Celadon Books for the complimentary advance copy, in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you Netgalley, Celadon Books and Tracey Lange.
I loved this novel, full of family drama and secrets .
Family goes thru ups and downs, this family had real highs and lows.
Loved Tara, Eddie and Connor the best.
Geraldine was a special kind of sister.
Highly recommend if you enjoy family dramas. I will continue to read from this author for sure
Highly recommend
4 stars

Following her debut novel, Tracey Lange shows her strength and growth in writing in The Connellys of County Down. Although both have a similar preface of family/sibling struggles once a family member comes back into the fold, The Connellys of County Down highlights sibling rivalry, connection, and mental health.
Along with the audio narration by Barrie Kreinik, this novel soars to new heights with a character driven story and development with a hint of romance. I think this is going to be the next book club book as there is so much to unpack and discuss. Thoroughly enjoyed listening and reading this novel and will continue to watch out for other releases by Tracey Lange.

Family dramas are my favorite type of book to read. I was hooked from the very start. The character development was spot on. I love her writing style.

Tara Connelly is out of prison and ready to start her life back up. She is welcomed home by her sister and brother. They are determined to put their family back together and move on with their lives...but past secrets won't stay in the past.

It was hard not to be completely lost in this family's story. This is truly about the bonds of siblings and how that relationship is not easily broken. I loved that we were able to really get to know all three of the Connelly siblings. They are all battling something and haven't figured out how to lean on each other instead of pushing each other away.

I really loved this book. There were times in the story that I wanted to scream at the characters for the decisions they were making..but that makes for a good story. I was completely wrapped up in their world.

I alternated between the print copy and the audiobook for this one. The audiobook was fantastic and brought this family to life.

I definitely recommend this one if you love family dramas like me.

Can you go home again? At 30? With your two siblings? What if you don't have any choice?
Tara Connelly has been released from prison after eighteen months of serving a drug charge. She was a teacher of art, which is a no-go, and she's now moving back home with her big sister, Geraldine, and brother Eddie and his son. And now the cop who was responsible for her going away keeps turning up and she is wondering what's next.
I love a good family drama. There's this misnomer that novels have to be fast-paced to be dramatic but really, they just have to have heart. Several character-driven stories have gotten the “but nothing happens” treatment lately (I see you, Hello, Beautiful and Pineapple Street.) But Tracey Lange’s sophomore novel triumphs in matters of the heart. I really pulled for the Connelly Clan. Especially lovely are the stories their mom used to tell them about the Connelleys of County Down and the magical powers they had.

Thank you to Celadon for the digital and audio copies.
4.5 stars

#CeladonReads
#TheConnelleysofCountyDown

Tracy Lange, author of We Are the Brennans, returns with a story about family, loyalty and love
that’s impossible to put down.

Tara Connelly is recently released from jail after serving time for a drug sentence. She moves back home with her siblings to relaunch her life. Geraldine, her anxious older sister, has tried to keep the family together and helped to raise her siblings after their mother died and their father abandoned them. Tara’s return, while welcome, adds a chaotic element to Geraldine’s perfectly planned life. Her brother Eddie, a single dad to Connor, is suffering from long term symptoms of a traumatic brain injury while trying to balance raising his son. All three siblings are holding onto secrets and have issues that begin to break them and affect the entire family. To further complicate matters, the policeman that sent Tara to jail keeps resurfacing in her life.

A tightly woven plot and the character driven narration make this story fast paced and compelling. A generational family drama that’s unforgettable!

Thank you to Celadon Books and NetGalley for the advanced reader’s copy in return for my honest review.

Tracey Lange is such a solid writer. Lange is a master at writing generational family dramas and creating masterpiece character arcs. I really enjoyed We Are The Brennans and now I can say I really enjoyed the Connellys of County Down too.

The Connellys definitely have some family trauma, mistrust, and issues to sort through but when it comes down to it, they go to bat for one another. I could see this a lot of their situations happening in real life even if there were some more outlandish moments. I cared for most of the characters and wanted to see things end well for them.

Lange writes books that feel effortless to sail through. The dysfunction and the themes of loyalty make her books relatable and unforgettable. Her style is immediately recognizable when reading any of her books.

Barrie Kreinik did a fantastic job narrating and when I was listening, I was completely absorbed in their performance. Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the Audio review copy. Thank you to Celadon for the ebook review copy!

THE CONNELLYS OF COUNTY DOWN by Tracey Lange (read on 🎧): You know that feeling when you start a book and immediately know it’s the perfect book at the perfect time? It has the right tone, the right mood, the right plot — everything just fits into place. So you settle into the pages like you’re wrapping yourself in a warm, comfy blanket, enjoying how precisely the story meshes with the current state of your brain and feeling confident that by the end, you will be completely satisfied.

I felt this sensation earlier in the year when I read THIS TIME TOMORROW by Emma Straub. And I felt it just as strongly with THE CONNELLYS OF COUNTY DOWN.

This character-driven family saga follows Tara Connelly, just released from prison on a drug trafficking charge, and her struggle to re-enter “real life” with her siblings: Geraldine, the anxious older sister who guards a troubling secret, and Eddie, a single dad still grappling with the after-effects of a long-ago traumatic brain injury. Further complicating matters is the police officer who helped put Tara behind bars, who keeps re-emerging in her life.

I can’t say it more plainly: I LOVED this book. I can’t quite put my finger on all of the things that made it the perfect read at the perfect time. Maybe it was the endearing, relatable characters. Maybe it was Tracey Lange’s smooth, flowing prose. Maybe it was the fantastic narration by Barrie Kreinik. Maybe it was the tightly woven plot that fit together perfectly. It just ticked all the boxes for me.

None of the plot twists in CONNELLYS were a surprise to me, but I think that’s how the author intended. They were a surprise to the other characters in the book, and that was enough for me.

If you’re looking for a plot-heavy, action-packed novel, this is not the book for you. But if you like character-driven family dramas, it might be right up your alley.

I’ll definitely be seeking out more of Tracey Lange’s work — I already have WE ARE THE BRENNANS ready to go on audio for later this month.

Read this if you like:
🪻Character-driven stories
🪻Family dramas
🪻Light, fade-to-black romance

I absolutely loved The Connelly’s of County Down by Tracey Lange. This is such an interesting, impactful, immersive story and I thoroughly enjoyed the reading of it. I was drawn into the narrative, engaged by the plot, and captivated by the characters. They felt authentic and flawed, but also relatable and inspiring in their own humble, realistic manner.

Tara Connelly has been released from prison after 18 months on a drug trafficking charge. Since her sister didn’t show up to bring her home, she rather shockingly received a ride home from Detective Brian Nolan, the very man who put her in prison in the first place! Once home, she realizes that her quirky, troubled, rather rigid sister, Geraldine, isn’t all that excited to have her back, clearly blames her for her incarceration, and has relegated Tara to a lower position and place in the family. Her brother, Eddie and his son, Connor, who also live at home with the family, are thrilled to have her back, but Tara questions why he never came to visit and why he has submitted to Geraldine’s control.

There is a lot that has been left unsaid in this secretive, struggling family and many things that have been kept hidden away, both literally and figuratively. Tara is determined to unearth these secrets and find a healthy way forward for her family. This is a story of healing, second chances, and complicated family dynamics.

There are many complex layers to this story: light and humorous plot points and dialogue, stirring events that occur that are poignant, or heart-warming, as well as tense moments ripe with suspicion and frustration. This novel touches on some heavier topics in a compassionate, but insightful manner. It is a relatively short novel, but also captivating in it’s study of human nature, our motivations, relationships, resilience, and personal resolve to overcome.

This is my first by the author, and I read it in a combo of audio and ebook, both through NetGalley. I think I preferred the print to the audio in this instance. I found the Connellys to be, frankly, a little troubled and had a hard time caring or connecting with the characters at first. I was mentally shaking my head and questioning so many of their decisions as the judgey-pants I am. By the end of the book, I could appreciate their family dynamics - imperfections and messiness and all, and despite not agreeing with many decisions made, I saw the heart or intention as they cared for one another. My one biggest desire would have been to explore the fairy tales and folklore referenced throughout the story more deeply. Overall, I enjoyed this book, but I'm not sure it will linger.

The story begin as Tara Connelly is being released from prison after serving eighteen months due to a drug trafficking charge.

Ironically, the person who give her a ride home is Brian Nolan, the Detective who arrested her.

When Tara arrives home, she finds the atmosphere very uncomfortable to say the least.

Her siblings Eddie and Geraldine couldn’t be any more different. Eddie personality is reserved while Geraldine is defensive and she is also a hoarder.

As the story progresses, we see Tara trying to adjust to home life, and her siblings personalities emerge. Tara does finally finds a job she loves,

This is the story of love, learning from one another and letting go. The characters are flawed but as the story progresses, you will find a family’s journey to healing along with excellent character development.

If you are a fan of family drama and family-driven characters, I highly recommend this book

A big thank you to NetGalley and author Tracey Lange for an ARC.

This is my first book by this author and I loved it!

This was a character driven book and each member of the Connelly family was well developed. Despite the characters being messy and flawed, they each showed growth that was relatable. I loved the complicated family dynamics which added such a rich layer to the story. The family was so fiercely loyal that it clouded their judgment time and time again but also led to me rooting for them every step of the way.
For a character driven book, the plot moved fast and I devoured this in one day.
This may be one of my favorites of the year!

This story is told in third person and follows the Connelly siblings along with a local cop in New York. It’s a great exploration of family dynamics which usually isn’t a subject that I gravitate towards, but I found this story very readable and compelling.

Life has left these siblings with mostly each other to depend on for most of the years of their youth. One sibling tries to control everything with rules and schedules, one sibling tries to fix everyone’s problems without their input, and the remaining sibling is just trying to make it through the day juggling their job and parenting without being crippled with anxiety or a seizure. And they all have secrets from each other.

It has mostly likeable characters to root for with real issues, and even though you can see some of the problems coming, it was a great ride and I enjoyed it so much more than I expected. I even checked out the authors previous book and audio less than 5 minutes after finishing this one. Highly recommended.

Thank you to Netgalley and Celadon Books for a copy provided for an honest review.