Wow. What a beautiful, tragic, heartbreaking novel. I absolutely loved this character-driven novel. When I think of literary fiction, this is a title that will always come to mind. I was immediately pulled in to the two families and the event that forever changed them. I often felt myself “siding” with one family, but feeling like by doing so I was betraying the other. I also appreciate when any novel brings mental illness into its characters because it’s such a daily part of life for so many people in this world but also rarely understood by most people as well.

The book was much deeper than the description leads it to be. Tough family struggles and questions of who deserved what and what the future holds. It was full of loneliness and struggling characters written with much empathy. Parents and youth trying to find a way to live life with and without guilt, with and without too much control.

I kept hearing about Ask Again, Yes and was so happy when I finally got the opportunity to read it. I love novels full of families, relationships, and drama, and this one had it all. It touched upon childhood crushes and break-ups, violence and pain, adult forgiveness and love. It was easy to feel a myriad of emotion towards each of the characters as they struggled through all phases and obstacles of their lives. The ending was perfect and very well done. This is the first novel by this author that I have read and I really liked her writing style. I look forward to reading other novels by her.

This book was such a joy to read. The story and character development in this was written so superbly, I felt as though I knew these families and lived in their neighborhood.

Keane has crafted a saga that has not left my mind since I read it several months ago; it impacted me and I have pressed this one into the hands of so many friends, all of whom have loved it as well. It is a gripping plot, and the hope and triumph of true love is quite inspiring. I wish I could read it all over again.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Scribner for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read and review this title. I will review this title at a different date.

I was so upset and agitated when I finished this book because I was not ready for it to end. I kept thinking of Francis, Lena, Brian, Anne, Kate, and Peter. I didn't want to let go of them.

I still don't.

Mary Beth Keane tells the story of two families entangled in a permanent vise. The Gleesons: Brian, an Irish immigrant who can't believe he is a member of the NYPD; Lena, the woman he marries and mother to their three daughters; and Kate, the youngest Gleeson girl, a tomboy and the one most like Francis. Next door, the Stanhopes: Brian, at one time Francis's partner and not without a reckless streak; Anne, cold, remote, and not without a troublesome streak; and Peter, a few months younger than Kate, and not without a heartbreaking streak.

Peter and Kate's relationship begins almost as early as when they were in their mothers' wombs. They sense each other, befriend each other, support each other, and love each other, despite the animus between their families, a distrust borne between the mothers. Mary Beth Keane doesn't just play with the "sins of the fathers" concept; she stretches it to include the mothers.

What really pulled me into this book was the way Keane develops her characters. I knew these people. I understood Lena's sense of unrest. When she tells one of the characters that "I never would have done that to you," my heart cracked for her. I understood Francis's frustrations and pain at having everything he hoped and planned for change. I understood Anne's desperation to connect with her son. I understood Kate's seeing a completion where Peter saw a beginning, and vice-versa. I may not have always liked these people, but I think that's another reason why I loved this book so much: I really liked when I really didn't like the characters.

Please read this book and let me know what you think about it. Is Francis correct at the end?

First, let me thank netgalley and the publishers for approving my request for an early release of this book. All reviews of my netgalley books can be found on goodreads and youtube. Please be sure to check out the links attached.

What an amazing book! I absolutely loved Ask Again, Yes. It’s an intimate character portrait that explores the interactions between the characters in depth and with an unusual level of insight into human nature. The book hits all the emotions and will stay with you for a long time. Highly recommend.

What a powerful read! It sucked me in, and I loved how it spanned throughout most of Peter and Kate's life. It's a book about marriage, family, and forgiveness and is so well written.

I’ve been only a sucker for thrillers/mysteries novels, but this year has been filled with so many books outside my comfort zone that I just couldn’t miss out. This right here is one of those novels. Although I was not reading a thriller I found myself running through the pages, rooting for the characters and wishing them happy ending. Slow building drama that pulls your heartstrings little by little. Character drive at its best.

What a great read. This book brought out emotions I didn’t think I would have. This book is about forgiveness in the face of the biggest betrayals and it’s taught me to really evaluate my life and relationships. I think this book is one of her best stories I’ve read in a long while and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I found this novel to be a slow burn. A really really slow burn. It took awhile for me to get through. I almost DNFd

These two police officers end up as neighbors raising their young families. For Francis’s wife, Lena, she finally thinks this will be an opportunity to have a friend. She loves her home with Francis but it’s a bit lonely being away from her family. However, her dreams of friendship will fall by the wayside because Anne Stanhope has a lot of personal struggles. One fateful night will have consequences that will last a lifetime but it is through the years that we see that love and friendship have a way of surviving. I thought this was a beautiful story and at times it was very sad but overall I thought it shared a powerful message on forgiveness. This one ended up being one of my favorite reads last year.

This is the kind of book that lingers on your mind long after you've reached the end. A perfect example of literary fiction done right. Unpretentious and character driven, it immerses you in the characters' world and makes you forget your own. I'll definitely be picking up more by this author.

I liked the concept of this book and I have heard so much about it, but sometimes it's just not the right moment when an issue touches too deep. That said, the writing is excellent, and I will try to enjoy it at a future date when I am able to take an emotional step back.

This multigenerational family story completely lives up to the hype. This is exactly the kind of story I love. Flawed characters with deep rooted issues. Themes of forgiveness and if love is truly enough. I think this would make for an excellent book club pick.

"...love is only part of the story."

Such a powerful and poignant book! What happens when an unexpected trauma hits two families? This novel follows Kate Gleeson and Peter Stanhope, childhood sweethearts who grew up together in the same neighborhood in New York. The children of NYPD police officers, their fathers Brian Stanhope and Francis Gleason knew each other but aren't close. Peter's mother Anne is odd and Kate's mother Lena is warm and vivacious. A terrible tragedy tragedy splits the two families and Peter and Kate are forbidden from seeing each other again. For two innocent eighth graders, this unexpected event would shape the course of their lives forever.

"One thing leads to another which leads to another, yes, but who could have predicted that last fallen domino would skid so far from the neatly toppled row? Not the pair of teenagers, that was for sure."

This book moved me in so many ways! The author writes not only about teenage infatuation, but about marriage, family, addiction and mental illness. Every topic is handled with sensitivity and great insight. The author moves seamlessly between different points of view. Every character felt very authentic and real.

Peter especially was just heartbreaking to me. Raised in a family that didn't really talk about feelings at all, he is at a loss to navigate the tragedy that falls on the Stanhope family. Ms. Keane gives an intimate portrait of the relationships between parents and children, and husbands and wives. I listed to the audiobook and was absolutely mesmerized by the sometimes matter-of-fact way in which these often stoic characters dealt with the different milestones in their lives.

"What used to be fluent between them felt incomprehensible now, far more difficult to translate. But things are meant to change, Peter said. Because life changes and people change. As long as we change together, we’re okay."

If you are in the mood for a poignant family saga that will break your heart and put it back together again, then you must read 'Ask Again, Yes.' I will never forget the Stanhope and Gleason families!

I had received many recommendations for this novel and decided to give it a try. I listened to the audio book, but am thinking I should have read it in print instead.

The premise was interesting enough, but it took too long to build up to the pivotal point. There were a lot of characters who had their own narratives, leading to many perspective shifts that happened without warning sometimes. These perspective shifts also went back and forth in time, which also made things confusing. I wasn't impressed with the audio narration. I felt like the narrator was reading from a list most of the time. All the minutiae slowed the story down even more.

However, the details brought the story to life and gave it a This is Us feel at times. I liked getting to see two different sides of Anne, who could be likable at times and uncomfortable to hear about at other times. Through Anne, Keane opens up readers' eyes to what it is like having a mental illness.

The ending felt anticlimactic after everything that happened in the story. Like it just ended abruptly.

Since there were so many characters and this spanned a long period of time, I don't have any movie casting ideas. I don't know that I'd want to see it as a movie, given what happens to one of the characters. That was hard enough to visualize just from listening to the story.

I appreciate the recommendations for this novel, but it wasn't my cup of tea. It might be someone else's favorite book, as no two readers are alike.

This started so strong as you got to know the characters and anxiously anticipated the tragic event. After the tragedy, the rest of the book fell flat. It was slow and stale.

What a sensitively written book. Two families undergo a life-altering experience which could either tip them to despair and desperation or to acceptance and growth. Mental illness is defined and confronted honestly .
Hope reigns supreme throughout alongside bouncing back from the edge. The plot could have taken on a "corny" aspect but I felt that the idea of redemption pervaded in a believable fashion.