I did not care for the narrator and it was difficult keeping up with characters in audio. I switched to read the book instead.

If you’re a fan of character driven stories this is for you. They aren’t always my favorite but I enjoyed learning about these characters over one short week. ⁣
This entire family gets together for a funeral and then a wedding. We learn about their lives, secrets, and follow the dynamic of everyone in the family.⁣
There is ALOT of drama. If you can think of any family drama, it’s probably happening to this family.⁣
There are a lot of different characters that some times made it hard to follow but I still enjoyed the story. ⁣
I was lucky to go back and forth reading and listening to the audio and really enjoyed the audio bringing characters to life most.⁣
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“How much could forgiving someone matter if they were already gone?”

This family saga has A LOT of characters but a few of them have stayed with me after the story's closing. We enter into the novel with a eulogy no one could ever forget and through experiencing the many different perspectives of the multi-generational cast, their quirks and connections paint the picture of how they can help each other and push forward through this summer of change. A story of how to keep living after a death, and how to find honesty and hope for the future while honoring your roots.

This is a character-driven, dialogue-heavy, heartwarming novel. For fans of contemporary family dramas, southern settings, and readers that love supporting debut novels, give this one a try!

Thank you to #netgalley, the author, and #macmillanaudio for an advanced listening copy of the book!

Dear If We're Being Honest,
At your heart, you were a story about a family in flux. Every single one of the characters were at a crossroads in their life. I found myself relating to different parts of each of the characters as they navigated new places for each of them. You were a bit predictable, but you also gave me a comfortable feeling. There were so many complicated twists and turns for the whole family, and their chaos made you so intriguing to me. Alice was probably my favorite character, and the way she navigated everything that was thrown at her was graceful. Delia felt a little bit desperate and sad, so unable to let go of her past. I have been there myself, and know how difficult it can be to dig out of that hole. I wanted Red to be so much more. He felt limited and a bit small for me. Grant was just wonderful to despise and roll my eyes at. I did wish there was some more depth to all of the characters; they were very defined by the situations that were dominating their life.

Life Happens

When Gerry Williams dies suddenly his grandchildren all come home for the funeral. They all have their own life problems, but when Gerry's best friend gives the worse eulogy ever there is even more for them to talk about...in fact the whole town is talking about it.

The children and the Grandchildren of Gerry try to find answers to this alleged secret that Gerry's friend has spoken of as they try to find answers with each of their own problems and life challenges. Some are helpful, some are not.

It is a story of family members searching for their place in life and how they fit in the family and with each other. It covers a lot of social issues such as unwed parenthood, homosexuality, divorce, self centeredness, and failure to communicate with each other.

As they come together as a family we see a lot of compassion, forgiveness, self searching, and helpful advice to help each of the members as they look within and try to figure out their each individual challenges.

It was a good story. I listened to the audio book and the narrator did a great job, especially with all the different character voices. Her voice was pleasant and easy to understand.
It was a good book.

Thanks to Cat Shook for writing the story, to Kathleen McInerney for the great narration, to MacMillan Audio for publishing the story and to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the audio book to read and review.

Super interesting premise that a family hears a deep-hidden secret at the funeral of a father/grandfather. Then everyone in this rather large brood had to stick around town for one week in order to attend a wedding on the following weekend, which was to be a family reunion of sorts.

So, over the course of a week, we had to sift through A LOT of family members characters) to understand their take on this secret (was it or wasn't it true). Plus, we had to hear their backstory and how they interacted in their regular life and within the confines of a small town and their extended family.

Unfortunately, I didn't connect with these characters and found the long chapters a bit overwhelming. Although I didn't throw in the towel, I was happy for it to be over...

That said, I'm giving this book three stars because "A" for effort by Cat Shook, a debut author. Plus, the narration by Kathleen McInerney was pretty great.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for an advanced listener copy of the audiobook via the NetGalley app!

This a story that has a whole cast of characters from a family that gathers to mourn the lost of the patriarch. The family argues over who out of the family is fit to eulogize their patriarch only to find his best friend to do it. After the best friend tells everyone a secret no one know the story of this family begins. The story follows the widow; his children, grandchildren and the friends in the community. It’s hard at times to follow the story line because the author focuses on all the characters so the reader must stay focused. These characters deal with a number of issues and they are all drawn together to deal with all the issues that come forth after the funeral in which lies are exposed.
Thank you Macmillan audio and Netgalley for this opportunity.

I really enjoyed listening to this book. It had just the right feel of large family dynamics. Everybody in the family is dealing with their own lives while also coming together to help each other while grieving the loss of one family member. I loved hearing about each person's life, and I thought the ending was really sweet. I loved how everybody's story wrapped up but was also left open ended.

My only complaints are that it took quite a while for me to figure out who all of the characters where (there are SO many) - and I found that listening to the book, the transition from one character to the next was fairly confusing at times. It switched between characters just from paragraph to paragraph - but eventually I was able to get used to it.

Overall, I would recommend this book.

When the family patriarch dies the week before a family wedding and his best friend gives a startling eulogy that unraveled long held secrets, all chaos breaks loose.

Through his widow, the kids, and grandkids, family secrets slowly unravel through grief and practicalities of death. There are all sorts of complexities regarding sexuality, grief, family dynamics, forgiveness and letting go that all weave throughout this story of a loving neighborhood, friends and family.

#arc
#netgalley
#ifwerebeinghonest

Okay, this was my first ever audiobook I've tried out. While I really enjoy audiobooks now; I could not get into this narrator at first. Which might explain the lower rating.

The content of the book involves many family members all going through personal experiences but tied together by the death of the patriarch in their family. It follows the story lines of the family and their troubles/worries. I felt the book was to understand that even in families everybody is SO different and sometimes you have to meet people where they are at.

Imagine going to a funeral for your father and each family member has too much going on that his best friend does.the eulogy and spills the tea on something that is so jaw dropping it becomes the talk of the town. This is a book filled with family dynamics and growth. Thank you Celadon, Cat Shook & NetGalley for a gifted copy of this book in exchange for a review.

If you like family drama, this could be the book for you!
Many thanks to Macmillan Audio for the ALC, as well as Celadon for the ARC, in exchange for my honest opinion.
This book starts with a bang - at a funeral, where a surprise announcement by the dead's best friend throws everyone into a tizzy. And the book builds from there!
I'm beginning to realize I really enjoy reading family dramas. It could be, at least in part, because I'm an only child (ugh I hate admitting that because I feel like people have preconceived notions about me when I say it!) and my direct family is pretty much drama-free. Although don't get my mother started on her sisters… and now that she lives in the south, don't get her started on what makes a good pimento cheese (which is a southern staple served at the funeral in the book).
This book includes long chapters which usually intimidate me, but I felt like the author made them work. They allowed the reader to experience a solid chunk of life, mostly from one character's view, and weren't as overwhelming as I expected based on the length. I especially enjoyed the narration for these long chapters.
This book published last Tuesday (happy belated pub day!) and I think it's a really good debut in the contemporary fiction genre. I especially recommend it if you like family dramas. Celadon is really delivering with those lately!!!

Listen, I have been having a hard " reading " year. I am struggling to find books that I really connect with, and I am hating that. I am even five books behind on my Goodreads yearly challenge, do you know when the last time I was a book behind there was? NEVER.

So when I received an advanced listen to If We're Being Honest, I approached it with cautious excitement. I love a good family saga, I love them better when they take place in the South, let's face it, a Southern family is just a bit different that others. I know this personally! But let me tell you, author Cat Shook and narrator Kathleen McInerney brought the story and the Williams family to life for me.

I loved the Williams family, all their flaws, all their mistakes, and I loved all their triumphs. The story revolves around this large Georgia family and starts out with a death and funeral and a shocking revelation that sends the entire family into a tizzy.

This isn't a book with loads of twists and turns, it moves like thick honey or a conversation between two Southern women, in other words, it is a slow burner, in fact, the entire book only spans the course of one week following the funeral.

The character list is loaded, and it did take me a few chapters to get everyone sorted in my mind, but once I did I enjoyed all of them and their place in the story. The characters all have issues, issues that all of us might relate to, and it was this, and their unveiling of them and their working through them that kept me reading.

This isn't heavy drama, but it is honest family living and it was perhaps the only book I have felt connected to so far this year.

If We’re Being Honest by @catshook_33. Thanks to @macmillan.audio for the audio copy and @celadonbooks for a Netgalley ARC.

Imagine this: you’re at your husband/dad/grandpa’s funeral and you’re grieving hard. He held the family together and everyone thought they knew everything about him. Then, a mid-eulogy revelation drops a bomb on everything you knew.

I was shocked by this quick turn of events in the beginning and it was a perfect driving force for this extremely character-driven novel. If you’re looking for a plot-heavy book, this isn’t going to be for you. But if you love multi-generational dramas that sheds light on family dynamics, you’re going to love this. I personally love this kind of read and loved pulling back the layers on the various characters. Shook’s characters keep each other in check, forgive, accept, and encompass one another in love. The book was funny and beautiful.

Kathleen McInerney was a fantastic performer. Sometimes I needed to rewind because the POVs switched very quickly and without pause, but I was able to get back on track very quickly because each character had completely different personalities. A slightly longer pause probably could have helped here but it wasn’t that big of a deal. I was very engaged throughout the entire novel!

The Williams family comes together after the death of their patriarch, Gerry. But at his funeral a huge secret is revealed and everyone is shocked at his best friend's revelation.

The story is a combination of the family grieving Gerry and coming to terms with the truth about his life as well as each having their own drama inside and outside the family. Ellen, Gerry's widow, their three children and grandchildren are all part of this family drama. Each has their own secrets to sort out and they have to figure out how to move on.

I had a really hard time getting into the story and relating to the characters for the first 25% of the book. However, I eventually liked how most of the characters had deeper identities and how they were there for each other. They evolved and weren't as shallow as they originally seemed. It wasn't a book I couldn't put down but I did want to hear the ending!

This was a cute book. I loved the family drama and family acceptance themes. I did feel like there were a few too many characters to follow so I wasn't completely invested in every storyline because I was a little lost sometimes. The audiobook was well done and narrated in a fun and engaging way.

Overall, this book was cute but a little surface-level for me.

If We're Being Honest by Cat Shook is a family drama set during the height of Georgia's summer heat in the small town of Eulalia. There is a large cast of characters to get to know, including a grandma, her two daughters, a daughter-in-law and her son, four cousins, several close family friends, a fiance, an ex-boyfriend, and a little dog named Sparkles. We get to know them all in the roller-coaster of a week that begins with a funeral and ends with a wedding - a week which hits all the highs and lows of anger, grief, hope, love and plenty of revelations to keep the pages turning.

There is a wholesome feel to the story that reminds me of Anne Tyler's novels. Characters are quirky and often awkward, just as they can be in a Tyler novel. Shook captures the way ordinary people, confounded by contradictory feelings, struggle to communicate, make a mess of things, behave badly, but also sometimes with a touching compassion, and humor rather than anger or resentment.

I enjoyed the book. Kathleen McInerney did a great job as narrator of the audiobook, just as she does with all of Linda Castillo's Kate Burkholder mystery novels. At times the pace of the action felt a little slow and the characters a bit old-fashioned and insulated from the larger world - which is just fine for light reading and escape.

Did not finish. Too many characters to keep track of & I’m not captivated by the storyline. I had high hopes for this one & they were not reached unfortunately

I listened to this on audio and a part of me wishes I read it instead.

There are several characters in this story that you need to keep track of from the very beginning. I really enjoyed getting to hear about their backgrounds and there are definitely some unlikeable characters.

This is a book/audio you really need to be paying attention to from the very first page.

I did not know what to expect going into this and I did end up enjoying the story. If you are into generational family-focused shows, you will likely like this one. I adored some characters and I could not stand others (even though I think the point was to end up liking them all despite their flaws, but I just could not vibe with some). The personal and domestic challenges were generally realistic so I was never jarred out of the story due to the plot/conflicts. This was a solid tandem read with my Goodreads giveaway copy and NetGalley audio ARC. The narration was well done so this would be a good traditional and/or audio read. Thank you to the publisher, Goodreads, and NetGalley for the different ARCs!