Many thanks to @netgalley & @macmillan.audio for the #complimentary audiobook: The Connelly’s of County Down

I went into this read not knowing much about the book. I *did* expect it to be set in Ireland, or have dual timelines with an Irish POV, or *at least* for the family to be more dialed into their Irish heritage just based on the title…and I was disappointed. The narrator seem to really come to life the few times she was able to use an Irish brogue.

This is a story of three siblings (Tara, Eddie and Geraldine) all dysfunctional in their own ways. Their mother is deceased, their father abandoned ship…

There’s definitely a lot of strife and family drama. The book opens with Tara’s release from prison. Geraldine very much felt like she could’ve strolled out of an Anne Tyler novel.

A couple of twists and secrets were really easy guesses (unless it was autistic pattern recognition 💁🏻‍♀️). Some of the storylines tied up a little too neatly, and other plot points were either abandoned, or not fully fleshed out (frustratingly so).

I think that some fans of family/sibling dramas might enjoy this one.

I didn’t hate the ride. I was enraged, but overall I was left a bit underwhelmed unfortunately, by both the storytelling and the narration.

⚠️TWs/CWs: Prison, smoking/cigarettes, opioids, heroin, drug addiction, overdose death, parental abandonment, death of parent (mother), alcohol/drinking, self harm/cutting, infidelity, hoarding/shopping addiction, sudden death of parents, fatphobia, drunk driving, dementia, traumatic brain injury, migraines, violence.

After reading We Are The Brennans I was all in for another book written by Tracey Lange. I love how Lange writes family drama. The characters are all intertwined together and the are realistically flawed, I especially appreciate this. The audiobook was narrated very well. Overall I give this book a rating of 4.5 stars.

Thank you Celadon for my advanced copy of the audio as well as the e-arc! All opinions are my own.

This story follows the life of three siblings battling their own struggles. Tara just finished an 18 month prison sentence and she tries to navigate the real life outside of prison. Geraldine has taken care of her siblings for as long as she can remember. The weight starts to get heavy and she struggles with an unhealthy obsession. Eddie learns to cope with life after a serious accident, all while being a single father.

This one was a quick, easy read. It is fairly short and didn’t take me any time at all to fly through it. Even though I read it quickly, I feel as if not much happened from beginning to end. It could have went a different direction, especially since a lot of situations were left unresolved.

The relationship aspect was odd to me. It progressed too quickly (although this could be due to the length of the book) and it seemed unrealistic due to their shared past. It was all pretty awkward. There were things that happened in the past that I felt deserved more explanation before hopping into a relationship.

I did enjoy the siblings’ struggles. They each had their own and I feel like all types of readers could relate to each of their struggles, regardless if they have experienced it exactly or not. Not everything is perfect, but you end up making do with what life throws at you, and you find your individual way in how to cope with it.

The narrator did a wonderful job in capturing each character’s unique personality. I look forward to listening to her more.

I was a bit in the minority with Tracey Lange's debut We Are the Brennans (liked but didn't love), but that completely turned around with The Connellys of County Down. I am completely obsessed with this book, so much so that I listened to it in its entirety all in an afternoon. I regret that I waited so long to read it, but it was exactly what I needed in my life on Saturday, April 20th, 2024, and made me recognize I will need to read all future books from this author. The majority of the book is told from Tara's viewpoint, and I loved her so much. Frankly, I loved the Connellys in general, and this flawed family made my heart hurt and happy all at the same time. This was family drama to its max (which I love) and my mouth dropped open a few times as well. The audacity!

The audiobook for The Connellys of County Down was freaking fantastic and Barrie Kreinik ran away with the narration and blew me away. She is SUCH a great narrator, and she put her many talents to use to bring this story and its characters to life. I highly recommend listening to this as opposed to reading it, simply because I loved Kreinik and thought she added so much to the book as a whole as well. This made me laugh and cry and gave me all the feels in between making it such a well-rounded novel that I couldn't help but enjoy it. There is a little bit of romance that was a great addition to the family aspect, and I loved how hopeful the ending was! If you are a fan of literary fiction that focuses on family dynamics (complete with lots of drama) and overcoming obstacles this is the book for you!

I didn’t really care for this one, but I didn’t hate it. I’ve tried to read others by the author and just felt the same way.

Oh my word. If you're on the fence about this book, don't be; grab it, read it, listen to it, love it. The Connellys of County Down is a classic family drama novel about well, family. It follows thirty year-old Tara as she returns to her home with her siblings after 18-months in prison. Her return completely disrupts the lives of her family, both in positive and negative ways. In alternating chapters we also follow Brian, the detective who helped put Tara away who carries the burden of guilt even after her return to society. With wit and fantastic world building, Tracey Lange tells a beautiful story about the lengths we go for family and how the world is often set up against those outside of the "norm." I went into this audiobook fairly blind, off friends' recommendations alone, and I am so glad I gave this a shot. It was relatable, entertaining, a fairly quick listen, and told with such great skill. The ending wrapped up a little quick for me and I would've loved dual narrators, but otherwise, this one was a total hit.

“The Connellys of County Down” by Tracey Lange is a moving novel that delves into family dynamics, secrets, and the possibility of healing. When Tara Connelly is released from prison after serving time for a drug charge, she faces the challenge of rebuilding her life at thirty years old. With no money and no prospects, she returns home to live with her siblings, each dealing with their own struggles. As Tara works to hold her family together, unexpected love blooms in an unlikely place. However, as the Connellys’ secrets unravel, they must confront their worst fears or risk losing each other forever.

“The Connellys of County Down” explores love, loyalty, and the bitter truth. It’s a compassionate portrayal of flawed humanity and the resilience of family bonds.

Barrie Kreinik does an excellent job narrating this one. There are several characters and she does a nice job with the whole family.

I really enjoyed We Are the Brennans and this was just as good, if not better. If you like complicated family drama, this book is for you. Plus the cover is so pretty!

I really liked the main character, Tara. I really disliked her sister, but we got some good insight into why she is the way she is. I took off one star because there was one part that was a bit too unrealistic for me. Otherwise, excellent book! Sucked me right in!

⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3/5)

𝑴𝒚 𝑻𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔:
I really wanted to love this book, however it didn’t quite do it for me. While I overall did enjoy listening to this story, I felt like it was a bit too meh for me.

In my opinion the whole book was a bit slow for my liking. I understand that there needed to be a lot of time spent developing the characters in order for the plot to really make sense, however I think the pacing was probably just a bit too slow for my liking in general.

While this book wasn’t for me, I can see anyone who loves a good character driven or family drama book, really enjoying this read.

𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒊𝒇 𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝑳𝒊𝒌𝒆:
- 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Family drama
- 🚙 Character driven stories
- 😢Emotionsl reads

The Connellys feel like a real fully developed family albeit a dysfunctional one. There's Tara who just got released from prison, her older brother Eddie is a single dad dealing with a brain injury, and her older sister Geraldine is a bossy control freak. Some times siblings are hard to get along with, and these siblings definitely have a lot going on. Come here for the family drama, and stay for the cute kid jokes.

This book really just took me for a ride. I loved the build up, the character development, and the writing. I wasn't really sure what to expect but I'm glad I took a chance on this book.

I really love redemption stories whether it be a villain from a high stakes fantasy novel or someone who made a poor life choice and is rebuilding their life. This book explores some really heavy topics in a way that is extremely relatable even if you haven’t personally experienced the struggle of re-entering society after having spent an extended amount of time in jail. I have not personally experienced this but know many people who have and this book really does a wonderful job exploring the challenges that come with this type of situation.

“You could argue that fairy tales and religion are alike in some ways. They were both created to help people cope with life’s hardships. And they only work when someone has faith in them, believes them to be true.” ✨

Last year, I tried to participate in Celadon’s Read Together initiative for THE CONNELLYS OF COUNTY DOWN by Tracey Lange and I just couldn’t get into the book {Thank you to @celadonbooks for the #gifted copy!} However, once I picked up the audio, I flew through this story!

COUNTY DOWN follows Tara, who is trying to rebuild her life and fit back into her family after spending 18 months in prison. While it did start off slowly, I really enjoyed this novel. At its core, it’s a family drama - three siblings trying to move through their own issues, while act and live as a family with the others.

I didn’t love the side romance - it develops a bit too quickly for me - especially given the circumstances around the two characters; it felt a bit icky. However, the sibling drama and relationships made the novel.

Overall, I’m glad I gave this one a second chance. I have read WE ARE THE BRENNANS by the same author, but heard that people also really enjoyed that one, and may pick it up eventually.

CW // drug use; death of parent; mental health; hoarding; law enforcement

I loved the whole feel of this book - the settings, the relationships, the events.
I love the theme of hope, persistence and second chance. Tara will, and has done anything for her family. She wants to keep them safe and together. At times I wondered why she worked so hard for Geraldine and Eddie who seemed rather ungrateful. But as in life, that is the power of love. It’s not always easy to understand, but it’s there.
The ending may have been fairly abrupt - but the writing certainly made up for that.

I read another book by this author and enjoyed it. This one I could not get into I stopped listening after a couple of chapters it did not capture my attention.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ALC of "The Connellys of County Down",, by Tracey Lange. Another wonderful family drama from Lange, with likeable, albeit flawed characters. It was a fast listen and I really felt like I was a fly on the wall inside this family and their dramas.

After absolutely adoring We are the Brennans, I could not wait to read The Connellys of County Down! Tracy Lange truly has a way with family dramas... my favorite genre! Unfortunately I was a bit disappointed by this one ...it just did not hold my interest as much as We are the Brennans!

Lange really knows how to write a family drama weaving the family issues and loyalties together and I'm here for it. I enjoyed the sibling dynamics and the problems swirling around them.

Tara was just released from prison to now return home to regular life, family and the problems surrounding. I really enjoyed and connected with Tara. I really got wrapped into the story and found myself invested.

The audiobook was enjoyable and easy to follow along the storyline.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the complementary audiobook.

This may be the first book I've ever gotten 98% through and thought- WAIT, IT'S ALMOST OVER?!?! I could've done with 200 more pages I was so thoroughly invested in this story!

I wish the characters were more evolved overall, but I loved the premise and unconventional relationships within- it's also rare where we follow a MC who (regardless of the reason) was just released from jail. The stigma attached to that follows Tara along in every aspect of her life and at times I was just as frustrated for her as she was for herself.

I do feel that the ending was too rushed, which is probably why I was so shocked when I had 20 minutes left and things weren't as tied up as I'd hoped but this is one book I know will stick with me regardless!

A sweet novel, and I love this author's writing and work. Lots of family drama and conflict that kept me engaged the whole book