Prison troupe with a helping of family drama?! Sign me up!!! This was so good! I loved every minute and was captivated from the very beginning. I was hooked on the mess that was each sibling and honestly found myself rooting for them all to succeed at some point through the story. I didn't think I'd binge it in one day, but I couldn't go to bed without closure of what happened. I really hate that it is over, and Im going to miss them, but I do have We Are The Brennan's to look forward to. Narration was also great and kept me entertained the whole time.

I enjoyed "We Are the Brennans" but I really, really LOVED this book even more! This book was a slow burn but still kept me turning the pages and not want to put it down. Lots of different twists, I did not see coming. A heartwarming story with elements of suspense. One of my favorite books this year.

I really enjoyed the story of the Connelly siblings, trying to make it through life dealing with the tough cards they were dealt from the get-go. The story follows Tara, Eddie, and Geraldine Connelly as they deal with Tara’s recent release from prison, Eddie’s ongoing health troubles, and Geraldine’s neuroses. The story shifts from the perspective of each sibling, as well as that of the police officer who was responsible for arresting Tara in the first place. Tara was so easy to root for as a main character. I liked that the story wasn’t fantastical, but felt very real instead, with very well developed characters. I loved that happy endings in the tale of Tara, Eddie, and Geraldine looked very different from happy endings in other stories. It was great on audio, and I highly recommend this for someone looking for a family drama. Lange does an excellent job with this story that touches on mental illness, rehabilitation after incarceration, recovery from a traumatic brain injury, childhoods cut short by parental death, and keeping family together despite the struggle. This was my first book from Lange but I can’t wait to read more.

Thank you to Netgalley, Tracey Lange, and Celadon books for the audiobook ARC of this novel! Releases August 1, 2023!

This book is GREAT!!
Read this book if you love: Therapy people who go to Therapy and understand themselves better. Honestly, I want to give a copy of this book to all my friends who got a degree in psychology!

In this book the Connellys struggle to understand the source of their conflicts as their sister is released from prison. Tara went to prison for drug dealing, but the officer who arrested her tried to "help" her before she went to prison and now he keeps showing up in her life. It is unclear why she likes him, but they are both good to each other.
All her siblings have their own problems to deal with. Her sister is a control freak and her brother has problems from a brain injury. When Tara goes back home she is both a help and a nuisance in the new family routine.
The writing is very clear and i like how we see things from different perspectives. I specially liked to hear Geraldine's thoughts after therapy.

A couple of things I felt were loose threads at the end: Was the drug dealer ever caught? Did the Police uncle ever got reprimanded for his actions? Did Connor's mother come clean? Did they amend their relationship with their father?

A few weeks ago I read the arc for this lovely story. When I found out the talented Barrie Kreinik was the narrator for the audio, I knew I wanted to read it again and listen to it this time. As expected, the narration is excellent. I’m from the Midwest and she nailed our accent.

Tara has just been released from an 18 month prison sentence. When no one shows up to give her a ride back to her family home, the detective who feels responsible for her going to jail gives her a lift. At home she lives with her worrying older sister and her single dad brother who has a brain injury and her nephew Conor. Tara is hurt that the family didn’t visit her regularly in prison and her homecoming isn’t as welcoming as she’d hoped. Being a former art teacher finding a job proves challenging with a felony drug trafficking conviction as she won’t be allow to work with children. During her absence it appears her brother and sister have acquired problems of their own and are possibly hiding secrets. Her nephew’s character is adorable, but he has also struggled during Tara’s absence. And why does this detective keep showing up everywhere?

This is a book about family, love, loyalty and starting over. I loved the Brennans and likewise the Connellys. Thank you to @netgalley @macmillan.audio and @tracey_lange for an early audio copy. I also enjoyed the fairytale threaded through the story and the subtle nods to We are the Brennans. I highly recommend this to anyone who loves a good family drama. I’ll be buying a hard cover of this beautiful book when it is released.

“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.”

I really wanted to like The Connellys of County Down by Tracey Lange more than I did. This is a story about three siblings that are really in each other business way too much, but not enough to help each other out. I have never met a group of siblings that live together and know nothing about each other. I could not connect with any other characters and the ending felt a little far fetched. I was hoping that there would be a turn around with how I felt about the story and the characters but this did not happen.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillian Audio for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book is well-written and the reader is excellent. But I could not make myself read past the half way point. The book is full of people making the stupidest decisions -- decisions that hurt themselves but also other people. I have no patience with this. Certainly not when the decisions compound each other. The author fills in the backstory to help us understand why these people are such a mess -- and I assume (hope) that there will be a reasonable (happy) ending -- but I hate the stress that comes from watching stupidity without the ability to do anything about it. Honestly, to make the decisions they made they would have to be different than the way they are painted. They would have to be stupider, for one thing. So I found the story fairly unbelievable as well. This irked me because I liked some of the characters and wanted to see what happened, but at 50% of the way through the author was still injecting additional stupid decisions that were going to cause terrible problems. Not for me.

This novel focuses on the loyalty of the Connelly siblings. I wouldn’t really call them close, broken may be more appropriate. The eldest sister, Geraldine, has a therapist that describes them as “a normal, healthy, screwed-up family”. With their parents out of the picture, Geraldine, Eddie, and Tara must look out for one another.
Their mother moved to the U.S. from Ireland following the American dream and filled her children’s heads with fairy tales of a castle in a faraway land, prior to her untimely passing. Their father was a “good looking charmer who talked a good game but couldn’t deliver” and took off when times got tough leaving Geraldine with more responsibility than a young girl should bear.

Eddie grows up to be a hard-working, single dad, who struggles to maintain his health after a traumatic brain injury. Tara, recently released from prison, scored a job as a graphic designer, since she spent her time “while away” creating illustrations in her sketchbooks. But just when their lives seem to be getting on track, their freedom and pursuit of stability is at risk when the family comes under suspicion once again for criminal activities.

I was a huge fan of Tracey Lange’s debut novel, “We are the Brennans”, and her follow-up book does not disappoint. She gives us a family drama that has complex characters and a compelling plot. (Also, I loved that the characters in this book went on a date to Brennan’s Irish Pub, as a brief callout to this familiar setting from her debut.)

I was immediately hooked by the first portion of the book. It's a quick read, as I couldn't wait to see what happened to these siblings. There were so many layers to the dysfunctionality of their family, but each member was doing their best to help their siblings. I loved reading each perspective, but I wish we got a bit more depth about each character's issues and how they were resolved. I do feel like I could list a handful of things I wanted more resolution on, although perhaps the point the author was trying to make is that life is never truly resolved.

Barrie Kreinik is a new-to-me-narrator, but I enjoyed her performance and will watch for more from her in the future.

This was a moving story about family love, loyalty, forgiveness and the challenges of starting over after difficult times. Following the lives of three grown siblings, Tara, recently released from prison for drug trafficking, Eddie, her single dad brother who struggles from a traumatic brain injury, and Geraldine, her older sister who has been the one holding the family together from a young age after their mother passed away.

Each of the siblings has their own inner demons but together they work to help one another work through them. Tara loves her nephew and happily tries to give her brother some child care relief while also trying to find employment as a recent convict, while their older sister has been hiding some dark secrets of her own that once revealed rock the family to the core.

If you love a great domestic drama this book delivers on all fronts with a bit of mystery and romance thrown in too. While I loved We are the Brennans, I think this is definitely my new favorite from Tracey Lange!

Many thanks to Celadon Books for sending me a physical ARC and connecting me with a wonderful group of fellow Bookstagrammers so we could all chat about our reading experience. It was also great on audio narrated by one of my favs, Barrie Kreinik! The Connellys of County Down hits shelves August 1st and you won't want to miss it!

CW: hoarding, traumatic brain injury, drug trafficking

We Are the Brennans was one of my favorite random choices of books so I was very much looking forward to this book. Lange does family drama so well, and the Connellys were another perfectly imperfect family group - Tara, who was just released from prison for a crime she may or may not have committed; Geraldine, the high-strung older sister who needs control; and Eddie, their brother with a traumatic brain injury and a 10-year old son. I enjoyed spending time with the actual Connelly family and watching them interact and get themselves in trouble with their lack of communication, though I did have a couple problems with the story. First, the romance made absolutely no sense to me since it happened way too fast and for no discernible reason. Second, I felt that a huge plot point was left hanging around Roland after so much buildup around him. I both read and listened to this title and preferred reading as I had an idea about the mannerisms and voice of each character and the narrator was a bit too monotone for me. Big thank yous to Celadon Books, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for the early access to this title for my honest opinions. 3.5 stars

I listened do this book on a recent trip and I miss Tara! This gets a rare 5 star rating from me. I think that Tracey Lange has done a wonderful job of writing this book full of family drama, loyalty, and love. This will be on my list of favorite books of 2023

Thank you Netgally and MacMillan audio for the free AlC in exchange for my honest opinion. Things my new Favorite Tracey Lange book and the auduobook kept my attention the entire time. The characters were well developed and the story was a wild ride.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the audiobook. I am not compensated for my review. Everything I write is my own personal opinion.
I loved this book! It really goes to show how the sibling bond and being there for each other and family is amazing. In this story three siblings take care of each other and help each other out. One of the sisters ends up in prison- except she is there for a crime she was just helping out her brother. She ends up taking the fall for her brother as he is running drugs to help get more money for the family. After serving her time she finds out her family has not been putting money on the books while she was incarcerated- she finds out it was the detective that put her in prision. There is so much more depth to this book it is one that youll need to read to understand how beautiful the story is.

This book is my favorite kind of genre! I'd call it a blend of family drama, women's fiction and literary fiction, but whatever it is, it's for me! It gave me the same type of feelings I had while reading Lange's debut novel, We Are the Brennans. I usually like these kinds of books more and more the more I sit and think on them, and this is no exception.

Coming from a family with 5 siblings, there is nothing I love more than some great sibling drama (LOL). The Connellys were a fun family that was just a little messed up ;)

My only minor complaint is that I was hoping for a little more drama (I know, I know, I'm extra). I was waiting for something really over-the-top to happen and maybe I just didn't want the story to end when it did because I wanted MORE of the Connellys.

I loved the themes of family, friendship, second changes, forgiveness, etc. Overall, highly recommend picking this one up and will continue to read everything Tracey Lange writes!

The audio version was very well done and the narration was perfection IMO!

Thank you so much to Macmillan Audio for the advanced listening copy and to Celadon books for the physical ARC.

As the title suggests, this book is about the Connelly family. And they've been dealt a rough hand, including some 'big T' and 'little T' trauma.

But it's mostly about Tara who goes to GREAT lengths to do whatever it takes to protect her siblings. Even if it means going to prison.

I enjoyed the romance angle. It was a wee bit hard to believe in some cases (like rules being broken and forgiven).

The narrator, Barrie Kreinik, is amazing as usual. She's got the coolest voice!

Love the cover, too.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio for sharing an advanced listener copy of the audiobook via the NetGalley app. From the start, it was much more enjoyable than "We are the Brennans." Well done, Tracey Lange.

I am so thankful to Macmillan Audio, Celadon Books, Tracey Lange, and NetGalley for not only granting me an advanced audiobook version of this heartwrenching family drama, but also for sending me a physical ARC for me to read along with some friends as apart of this book's tour. The Connellys of County Down is set to hit shelves on August 1, 2023, and I am so excited!

As a big fan of We Are The Brennans, I was eager to get my hands on Tracy Lange’s latest, THE CONNELY’S OF COUNTY DOWN. We meet Tara Connely the day she is released from prison for a drug-related crime. With her life in shambles, Tara is escorted back to the home she shares with her siblings by the officer who helped put her behind bars.

This story captures the complexities of sibling relationships in a nuanced way. Each sibling had deep-rooted flaws stemming from a less than ideal childhood but I still cared for them as they navigated reinventing themselves after past mistakes. I appreciated the representation of mental health and the vital role that therapy can play. As an SLP working with people who have sustained traumatic brain injuries, I thought the way the author portrayed the aftermath of a head injury to be sensitive and accurate.

THE CONNELLYS OF COUNTY DOWN is for readers that are drawn to character-driven family dramas with themes of sacrificial love and familial obligation. I’m thankful that Celadon organized a group of early readers for discussion and I look forward to hearing from Tracey at a book club event next week.

READ THIS IF:
You enjoy reading about messy sibling dynamics
You appreciate the role of therapy and fantastic mental health representation
Character-driven stories with themes of sacrifice and loyalty are your jam

Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for an ALC in exchange for an honest review.

RATING: 4/5
PUB DATE: August 1, 2023

I loved the cover, it’s gorgeous! The selection of the audio narrator was perfect.

I went into this one blind. I kind of think it’s best to go into it blind. It has so many layers packed into <300 including great character development. I love authors who aren’t wasteful with words.

The story was so well written, it sort of reminded me of a Colleen Hoover (with less spice) and Taylor Jenkins Reid fusion. This was my 1st Tracey Lange book but I have her other one in my bookshelf and it’ll promptly be moving up higher on my TBR.

The characters were so incredibly well developed with such substance…they had a rawness to them and were so very relatable. I don’t typically get emotional reading but this book just really resonated with me and I think a lot of people will feel the same way when they read this (for so many different reasons).

It’s about love, loss, growth, family, relationships, hope, suffering, surviving and forgiveness.

I really enjoyed how everything played out and seeing each character grow and blossom. I connected with each of the MCs for different reasons.

4.5 stars

I can't resist a novel that centers on sibling dynamics, and this one does that and so much more.

Tara, the m.c., is the youngest of the three titular Connelly siblings, and readers meet her on the day she's being released from prison for drug trafficking. It's clear immediately that while this is a big moment in her move toward a new life, that new life is going to come with complications...like the appearance of the cop who arrested her upon her release and her missing sister, who was supposed to be her ride home. In many ways, everyone's lives get more complicated from here, but they're all on the way to finally facing their demons...or at least considering that as a viable option.

When Tara returns home, readers meet her brother, Eddie, who has a TBI and an extraordinarily charming 10-year-old son, Connor (aka Conman) who tells great jokes, and then Geraldine, the oldest sister. Eddie's troubles are a bit more apparent, while Geraldine's secrets are bubbling up through a tightly constructed facade that she blames Tara for cracking. In addition to these siblings, there are two prominent detectives: the aforementioned one who arrested her and his colleague (added challenges exist in this relationship, too) who truly seems to have it out for her. These characters are really well drawn, and their interactions reflect both interpersonal struggles and deep love for each other, too.

While I did find the central romantic relationship challenging at times, especially in moments where conflicts of various kinds just resolved too easily, I really enjoyed this read overall. I missed Lange's previous big smash, so this is my first exposure to this author, and I am confident I'll be reading more after this great experience. On a related note, the audiobook is wonderfully narrated, and I recommend that option when/where accessible.