Tara is returning home. She's just spent 18 months in prison for drug trafficking and will be moving back home with her sister, brother, and nephew. Things are not at all as she left them, and other than her adoration for her nephew she's working on rebuilding her relationships with her critical older sister and trying to understand why her siblings didn't care to come visit her.

In the meantime, Tara will discover that someone unexpectedly did have her back, and that she's strong and noble and worthy herself.

This was at its core a story of how families lean on one another through good times and bad. And how we gain the hearts of people who see the very best in us.

Barrie Kreinik's narration was superb!

Thank you to Celadon Books and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to listen to this audio ARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

The Connellys of County Down by Tracey Lange
Rating: 5 stars
Narrator: Barrie Kreinik
Pub Date: 8/1

This book deserves all the stars! After being hooked by Lange's first novel, "We Are the Brennans," I've become a huge fan, and she's now an auto-buy author for me. Her talent for creating stories about fierce family loyalty, good intentions gone wrong, and the unexpected consequences of love is truly remarkable.

The story follows Tara Connelly, who's just been released from prison after serving eighteen months on a drug charge. Starting her life anew at thirty isn't going to be a walk in the park, especially with no money or prospects. So, she heads back home to live with her siblings, who each have their own problems to deal with. Her brother, a single dad, is struggling with the lasting effects of a brain injury, and her sister's calm and orderly facade is cracking under the weight of some serious secrets.

As Tara tries to rebuild her career and hold her family together, she unexpectedly finds love in the most unlikely place. But as the Connellys' secrets start unraveling, their future is at stake, forcing them to face their deepest fears and reveal the truth or risk losing each other forever.

This gripping family drama will tug at your heartstrings from the very first page. I was utterly engrossed in the hardships the Connelly siblings faced, and I loved that, despite their differences and occasional disagreements, they always came through for each other when it mattered most.

I listened to this on audio, and Barrie Kreinik killed this narration, nailing the New York accents and bringing the Connelly family to life.

This book is a slow burn that intensifies with each chapter, thanks to the wonderfully developed characters. You'll fall in love with every single one of them as their pasts and struggles are unveiled. Tara, in particular, is an incredibly strong woman who would do anything for her family, even if it means sacrificing her own happiness. I must admit, Geraldine drove me a bit crazy, but that's a testament to Tracey Lange's ability to make you feel the pain and anguish of each family member.

This is a beautiful story about the power of family and the unbreakable bonds that tie us together. Tracey Lange has crafted a truly emotional tale that will stay with you long after you've turned the final page. If you're looking for a heartfelt and relatable read, this is the book for you!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for my ALC!

Such a great opening to the story… this was a fabulous and easy read. Following Tara, Eddie, Little Con-Man and Geraldine’s family vibe and relatable sibling quarrels (to an extent of course ~ minus the jail and drugs😂)

Tracey’s writing is smooth, captivating and I’m finding that I am really loving family dramas more than I thought I would. And the cover ~ just simply beautiful! 💜🌿

I was lucky to be selected to participate in a Celadon collab called “Celadon’s Read Together” where I was paired up with 3 other Bookstagrammers to read this advanced printed copy of the novel and chat along the way.

Lucky enough, I was also granted access via NetGalley to both view the ebook galley AND listen to an early audiobook version.

Thank you to Celadon + NetGalley, the author Tracey Lange and the publisher, because I truly enjoyed this book and am writing this review as an unbiased opinion.

I grew up on the East Coast in a town that was split between the Irish, Polish, and Italians. We lived next door to an Irish family that reminded me so much of the Connellys. No one went to jail, though. Tracey Lange is a beautiful writer and has a way of sucking the reader into the story. I loved the character of Tara - she tried so hard to reconnect with her sister and brother after she was released from jail. Tara also wanted to get her life back but her sister was no help and her brother was aloof. Poor Tara, who was at her uptight sister's mercy and she always was attemptying to do the right thing. I love books about familes especially ones who harbor as many secrets as the Connellys.

This book was fantastic!!! Great sophomore novel by Tracey Lange. If you like character driven stories, this one is for you. Tracey has a way with words where the characters come to life and extremely realistic. This story deals with some heavier topics and the way they were discussed was beautiful. Great story of friendships, what you would do for family and second chances.

Thank you for the eALC in exchange for an honest review!

THE CONNELLY’S OF COUNTY DOWN was such a moving and meaningful narrative surrounding family. It explores the bonds, trust, and loyalty of sibling relationships with an emotionally charged plot.

I enjoyed this book and without a doubt will be reading more of the Author’s books. The Author gives life to such big-hearted main characters whom I’d love to know in real life. They deal with conflicts that have consequences; in which they are willing to sacrifice themselves to save another.

It is a read that left me better than I was before reading it and you will love it from beginning to end.

This wasn't my bag--I wanted to get behind it because of all the buzz around her first book We Are the Brennans, but I found the MC to be a trope of the good girl, flawed heroine who was dopey and too good hearted/earnest to be real. As for the detective, I am all here for this breaking rules for love and I can even twist my morals to get behind the romanticizing of the troublesome power dynamic that arises with the nature of the relationship between parolee and arresting officer, but god is this cop dumb. That's what I can't tolerate--all the lack of foresight that is written into this character continually setting up the plot points for sabotaging his own love interests future. It made me feel like the author is underestimating the intelligence of her characters and her readers. The narrator was excellent and provided an engaging performance that carried me through. 2/5 stars

The audiobook was done very well. I enjoyed listening. The characters were very well developed. I feel like there were a lot of details but not much was going on. I prefer books with a problem and and then eventually a solution. This book is just a bunch of family drama with not really anything going on.

It’s Tara’s release day. She’s ready to move on with life and get back to her family. But things aren’t as they were when she left…

Let’s start by admiring that GORGEOUS cover. I mean… 😍😍😍 I want this beauty on my shelf.

I could not put this one down. I was so emotionally involved. I binged it and was sad when it was over. I was routing for each of the Connellys. They all have some trauma to address and with some tough love they are finally ready to face it. Family is front and center of this one with a side of magnetic love.

Seriously, add this to your TBR. Go to your library and place your hold now. Available August 1.

Spice level: 🌶️🌶️/5
Audiobook: 🎧🎧🎧🎧/5

Thanks to @netgalley and @macmillan.audio for the ALC. I absolutely adored it!

I'm certain there is a family like the Connellys in every town. This incredibly relatable story shares the ups and downs of a family that have been through so much but continue to deft odds to be there for each other. If the reader takes nothing away from the easy pace, solid storyline, or incredible writing, then hopefully they will take this... never assume you know what someone is going through. There is always so much more below the surface. Your decision to let someone show you who they are and to believe them is the greatest thing you can offer someone.

I am so thankful to #netgalley and #MacMillanAudio for approving me for this #arc #audiobook. I will FOR SURE be picking up #wearethebrennans so I can continue my time with the wonderful words of #traceylange.

This was another amazing (heart wrenching) story by Tracey Lange. When we meet Tara she is being released from prison after serving 18 months for a drug charge. We learn pretty quickly that everything isn’t as it seems with Tara and the rest of her family. There are so many secrets. We care a whole lot about them and are rooting for them to succeed. Their relationships and situations are written so realistically.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced copy of the audiobook in exchange for my honest opinion.

I really loved this family’s story. A family drama with a lot of depth to each character. The storyline of Tara’s return from a stay in prison was told from each perspective and was really well written. I listened to the audiobook and I think this could have been 5 stars for me if I had read it. But I couldn’t stop listening and was rooting for each of the Connellys. Thank you to Net Galley and MacMillan Audio for the advanced listening copy of this book.

This was such a great listen! I am a sucker for any story about an Irish family, and this one did not disappoint. In this book, Tara Connelly is released from prison after serving 18 months for a drug charge. She is SO excited to be back with her family and put her life back today. But things do not go as planned, starting with her release.

This story is about family dynamics, loyalty, and siblings that, despite their issues, just want the best for each other. I am an only child but always enjoy reading about exciting sibling relationships. Tara, her sister, her brother, and her nephew each have a unique relationship with one another, and the author does a fantastic job of painting the family picture for you.

I listened to the audiobook and thought the narrator was good. They kept me engaged, and I almost found their voice to be soothing - I mean, I finished the entire audiobook in one day :)

I have had We Are the Brennans by Lange sitting in my #TBRpile for a while now, and I am definitely going to be bumping it up now! I am excited to see more of what this author has to offer.

I absolutely loved Tracey Lange’s debut novel, We Are The Brennan’s so needless to say I was very excited to dive into her upcoming release, The Connellys of County Down.

After serving 18 months in prison on a drug trafficking charge, Tara Connelly has just been released. With no money and no job, Tara will have to move in with her family home with her brother and sister until she gets back on her feet.

Tara’s brother Eddie is a single dad who struggles with the aftermath of a brain injury he sustained years ago. Tara’s sister Geraldine maintains the facade of calm and perfection but underneath, she’s falling apart.

While Tara works to rebuild her life and keep her family together, a Connelly family secret emerges and threatens to destroy Tara’s future. The Connellys must come clean or risk losing each other forever.

The Connellys was another phenomenal family drama by Tracey Lange! Tracey pulls the reader into the family’s lives and makes you feel as if you know them. I enjoy reading plot-driven stories for entertainment but character-driven books will always be my favorite. The Connelly’s of County Down was a perfect reminder of my love of character-driven fiction!
The main theme of this story is the unwavering and unconditional love of family. The lengths we go to protect those we love, even when we don't agree with them.

If you decide to give this one a try, I highly recommend the audiobook. Just like We Are The Brennans, the audiobook of The Connelly’s of County Downis also narrated by the amazing Barrie Kreinik.

The Connelly’s of County Down by Tracey Lange will be available on August 1 in all formats. Many thanks to Macmillan Audio, Celadon Books, and Netgalley for the gifted audiobook!

After Tara is released from prison she knows that starting over will not be an easy task. She returns home to live with her brother and sister who are both dealing with their own issues. Her brother is a single dad who struggles with the long term effects of a brain injury and her sister is hiding some big secrets. Tara struggles to find her place at home and find work. Things become even more complicated when the cop who arrests Tara starts showing up again and Tara can’t help but feel drawn to him. As Tara struggles to rebuild her life, her siblings secrets are revealed and threaten to destroy everything she has built.

The Connelly’s of County Down is a compelling fast paced novel about family secrets and the lengths we will go to for those we love. I really
liked the main character, Tara Connelly. She is a strong, capable main character. However, her loyalty to her family leads her to make some questionable decisions. I found the family dynamic of the three siblings to be interesting if frustrating at times. I think that the relationship and arguments between them was very relatable.

I enjoyed the relationship between Tara and her love interest. However, I wish the book was a little longer to provide a bit more build up to their relationship.

I enjoyed the narration by Barrie Kreinik. She is one of my favorite narrators and I thought that she was a perfect pick for this novel.

I read Tracey Lange’s We Are the Brennans not too long ago. One sentence from my review reads: “there’s a dynamic cast of characters, mysteries to unravel, and a family of people who, despite their failings, are always there for one another.” This must be Lange’s trademark because this can also be said of The Connellys of County Down. The plot is different, but the tone and feel are much the same. Thanks to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the ARC. It was a great read!

Dear The Connelly's of County Down,
I love the way that Lange writes. You had so much depth to your characters and their complicated relationships. All three of the siblings were so flawed and isolated from each other, but somehow still remained so close knit, unable to extract themselves from each other. I loved getting to know Tara and felt kinship and compassion for her self-sacrificing streak for her siblings. Geraldine was very difficult to like, because of her rigidity and inability to see past her own strife. She just kept getting in her own way, and making everything worse for herself. I loved your whole story, and they web that the siblings were tangled in. The fact that Nolan and Tara went to Brennan's was an delightful connection to Lange's other novel, clearly placing both stories in the same world, but with minimal crossover. I think I have found a new author to love and devour all of of her work.

THIS BOOK! Take my heart! This was such a good story. I listened to the audiobook and felt like i was in a movie the whole time. It covers so many topics in such a great way. I loved all the characters. I loved the realness of the family drama and overcoming obstacles. Highly recommend!!!

The Connolly’s of County Down is the long awaited sophomore book by Tracy Lange. After loving “we are the Brennan’s” in 2021, I was so happy to receive a copy of the audiobook of her new one to provide a review for.
The story of the three Connolly siblings, Geraldine, Tara, and Eddie who live in Port Chester New York. Tara has just been released on an 18 month drug trafficking charge and is trying to acclimate back into her families lives.
Tara isn’t the only one with issues though. We find Eddie and Geraldine have skeletons in their proverbial closets as well.
This is a family drama in its entirety. I felt a little let down by the fairytale element of the title”The Connolly’s of County Down” which was evidently a story that the Connolly’s mom would tell them as kids. That focus was never really elaborated on much and it seemed pointless to share with readers without any further info. I didn’t feel a strong connection to any of the siblings in this one like I had with the Breannans. The narrator was just okay for me- she’s slightly robotic in her tone. The drama was not as intense and it was on the longer side. But all in all, I liked this story! This one debuts 8/1/23.
Thank you Netgalley and Celadon books for this advanced copy for my review.

The book opens with Tara Connelly's release from prison after serving 18 months on a drug charge. Tara returns to living with her brother, Eddie, who has lingering effects from a brain injury, his young son Conor, and her sister, Geraldine, who is harboring secrets of her own. And then there's the police detective who put her away and continues to show up at their door.

As a fan of Lange's previous book, We Are The Brennans, I was thrilled to get the chance to review this ALC! Lange is gifted at writing tangled and touching family dramas. She draws you in with her multi-dimensional and flawed characters that you come to deeply sympathize with as you witness their secrets, struggles, and bad decisions, where sometimes they have sacrificed some part of themselves and their lives out of love and loyalty toward their families. Tara was an especially strong FMC, but all of the characters in this book are so vividly written I know I’ll be thinking about them for a while to come. Also, I enjoyed the characters visiting Brennan's Pub in a nod to Lange's previous novel.

The talented Barrie Kreinik @barriebarriepix narrates this multiple-POV audiobook, and her performance brings this story and its different characters to life! Kreinik has narrated some of my favorite audiobook productions, including We Are The Brennans, and she also does a fantastic job here. A well-written, well-produced, and entertaining audiobook! Highly recommended!