Ask Again, Yes is an emotionally raw story about family, friendship, love and forgiveness. Sounds pretty basic, right? I promise, you’ve never read anything like this before. Keane takes you on a journey into the lives of two neighboring families, both working class New Yorkers. This work of literary fiction will keep you glued to the pages as the story unfolds. It’s told with nuance, insight and a sense of familiarity, as if she’s known these people forever and is telling their story.

The characters in the book are multi-faceted and well-drawn, which allows the characters to come to life. Their stories are complicated and the relationships between the two families are tricky. After a horrific incident, well, crime, things get even dicier. This event starts a ripple effect and we follow its traction over four decades.

This book has a lot of disturbing topics mixed in such as mental illness, abuse, alcoholism, adultery and abandonment. Thankfully the author knew to pepper in hope, love, forgiveness and finding your own peace to keep the book in balance. Interestingly, I’ve had many readers ask me about the title. Some find it blasé or forgetful, while others attach a lot of inherent meaning to it. Just that question alone could keep a book club chatting. I highly recommend this book. I’m ready to read Keane’s earlier works now.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishing house for providing an advanced copy for review. All thoughts and opinions are my own! 

Let's just admit that most buzz books do not deliver. I am so thrilled to say though that Ask Again, Yes, was one of the first summer buzz books that REALLY delivered on its promise to be an incredible 2019 read. 

If you haven't gotten to this one yet, let me fill you in a bit on the plot.

The story chronicles the lives of two rookie cops, Francis Gleeson and Brian Stanhope, who also happen to be neighbors. Set in the 1970's, the two wives (Lena and Anne) should be close friends, but they are both battling their own demons at home.  Lena is very lonely and could use a friend, but Anne is emotionally unstable and not the kind of person that can support Anne through this chapter in her life.

The two neighbor kids, born just six months apart, have found a forever friendship with one another that trumps all of their parent's difficulties and struggles.

In a very shocking twist of events though, one moment changes everything for these two families in a way that the reader would never expect.  This event causes their loyalties to divide and their bonds to be tested. 

Keane chronicles the next 40 years so beautifully that it made my heart hurt. The storytelling is exquisite and I hung on every last word.

When I ended this book, I looked at my husband and said, "FINALLY. A BUZZ BOOK WORTH READING." 

I guarantee that this one will be going on my best books of 2019 list. 

Please note, this review will appear on MomAdvice.com on August 1st.

Ask Again, Yes is a story of two families and how their lives intersect in a most tragic way and how that tragedy has effected them over decades. Kate and Peter are two teenagers who have become inseparable friends. Over the course of one fateful and disastrous night, the families are torn apart and Kate and Peter are separated by the resulting trauma. Through the years, both families try to overcome that night and find their way through the hurt and pain. Mary Beth Keane addresses many of life's challenges including mental health, depression, infidelity, addiction and abandonment. With so many emotions and issues introduced throughout the course of their lives, the author tells an incredibly moving and beautiful coming-of-age story. It shows that love and forgiveness play such an important part in healing and moving on with your life.

Thank you Scribner and NetGalley for a copy of this book for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this book! However with all the hype I expected to be a little bit more blown away. Which this particular book didn't blow me away it is a very good family drama/contemporary. The first half was my favorite and I saw it being a 5 star but somewhere in the second half it lost a star for me. Still very enjoyable and I would definitely recommend this to anyone who really enjoys character driven family dramas or contemporaries.

I really enjoyed this book about two families, the explosive event that tore them apart, and the decades spent coming back together. A great book that I will recommend to others!

I have an unpopular opinion about this book. I saw a lot of great reviews for it and it was all over instagram so I picked it up. Maybe I had too high expectations but it did not live to the hype for me.

What I liked about the book:
- the writing is amazing! Beautiful prose and I admire the author’s ability to convey a message this way
- That it covered a lengthy time period (30 plus years) where we got to see the characters grow
- It covers topics of mental health, dysfunctional family dynamics, mistakes and forgiveness.

What I wasn’t a fan of was how slow the pace was. It took me a long time to get through it because I wasn’t as connected with the characters. The story jumped around in time glancing over major life events of the characters and at times it was hard to follow. It is very character driven (which I typically love) but it may have been too much for me.

I hesitated about writing this review since it’s not a book I loved but I want to share my honest opinion about the books I read. This book wasn’t my favorite but it could be yours.

I definitely didn’t love this book like most did!

I am willing to admit that prior to this book I had read several contemporary romances and so while this book felt slow and a little dragged out, it’s possible that my feelings surrounding this book were clouded because my brain wasn’t quite in the mood for this kind of book! On top of that I really didn't connect with any of the characters.

However, in saying that I did appreciate the story, and the fact that the author gave you a very well rounded picture of the event that changed the course of everyone’s lives. I am happy to admit the ending definitely was fantastic! I loved the strength that Kate had, and how she proved it again and again – I think she got this from her mother! Peter was a product of his environment and genetics for sure, but it was his Uncle that he pulled the most strength from and which I think ultimately was the catalyst for his own healing!

At the end of the day – forgiveness restores not only the forgiver, but the person on the receiving end (I love it when books show this), and this was powerfully shown with Kate’s parents and Peter’s mom!

Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner for this copy in exchange for an honest review!

Amazing. The characters in this story are captivating and they make this novel so hard to put down. This novel will be on a bunch of "Best of 2019" lists come December.

Wonderful book— highly recommend. Great story, fantastic character development. You really get into the plot and very quick and enjoyable read.

Ask Again Yes by Mary Beth Keene is a multigenerational tale of two families. Once neighboring families during the early days of each of the marriages, the children grow up together and have a strong bond with each other. A tragedy occurs and the children are torn apart from each other, and the story alternates between various points of view during the aftermath and even farther into the future.

​This story kept my interest, but despite the tragedies, hardships, and brokenness of the characters and their lives, it did not captivate me as much as I had hoped. The narrative was rather flat and despite the characters experiencing heartbreak, it was told in a fairly 'moving right along' fashion that did not necessarily move me.

​The book was very plot driven and I was more invested in the dynamics and relationship but the characters felt secondary to me. The characters were developed well but it just went nowhere for me.

The title is referenced briefly, but I think another title would have sufficed.

​I would like to thank NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I rated this book 3 Stars on Goodreads.

​Happy Reading!

Mary Beth Keane’s latest novel Ask Again, Yes is a poignant and powerful exploration of what happens when an unexpected tragedy rocks the lives of two neighboring families. It follows Kate Gleeson and Peter Stanhope, who grew up together in a suburban neighborhood in New York. Although their fathers are both NYPD police officers, the two families really don’t have much to do with one another. Peter’s mother Anne is especially standoffish, so after a few early attempts to make friends, Kate’s mom gave up. In spite of that awkwardness, Kate and Peter still find each other and become best friends. In the spring of their 8th grade year, just as their relationship is blossoming into more that friendship, tragedy strikes and an unthinkable act of violence pushes the two families even further apart. Peter’s family is forced to leave, and he and Kate are forbidden from contacting each other. Kate and Peter do eventually reconnect as adults, but can they have any kind of relationship when the events of the past still haunt both them and their families?

* * * * *

This novel just really moved me on so many different levels. I was immediately drawn to the friendship between young Kate and Peter. Keane does such a wonderful job of portraying their relationship as they move from the innocence of childhood to the excitement of falling in love for the first time. Both characters are so well drawn and everything about the evolving of their relationship just felt so authentic. What happens between the two families would be considered tragic no matter what, but it was especially heartbreaking to see what it does to these two very likeable children.

I also found myself incredibly invested in both families, not just because of Kate and Peter, but because all of the characters in this book feel so realistic. Everything for them is messy and complicated, just like real life. The intimate look Keane gives us into their lives — their reactions to things that happen, their strengths and weaknesses as they try to cope with the aftermath of that tragic event, etc. — all of it just made me feel like these two families could easily be my own neighbors.

Aside from the intimate look into the lives of these two families, what also drew me to Ask Again, Yes are all of the themes it explores. Yes, it’s a story about family, friendship, and love, but it’s also a story about mental illness, tragedy, and the power of forgiveness. I also love that it gives us the perspective of how something that seems one way when we’re children can seem like something entirely different when we reflect back on it as adults, especially the idea that no one is as innocent or guilty as they may seem.

If you’re looking for a moving family drama that will tug at your heartstrings, Mary Beth Keane’s Ask Again, Yes is a book you should add to your must-read list.

This novel quickly became 4 stars for me as the end of the book was excellent! This book is more than the story of two neighbors who had secrets and the tragedy that tore them apart. Both the Stanhopes and Gleasons endure this tragedy that befalls both families. For many years each member of these families suffer the aftermath. The novel is about alcoholism, mental illness, forgiveness, and hope. The ending left you with hope that these families have overcome many difficulties . If you like literary fiction this is one book you won't want to miss!
Thank you to Netgalley, Scribner, and Mary Beth Keane for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Peter and Kate are stuck in an endless multi-family drama. But boy did I feel for these characters and time and time again found myself rooting for them to figure it out!

Starting when young neighbors Peter and Kate form an instant friendship, their parents however do not. When tragedy strikes Peter is forced to move in with his uncle and doesn't see Kate for years. The story follows the trials these characters face into adulthood after the accident.

Loved this read and all the subjects the book touched on. Thank you to NetGalley, Scribner, and author Mary Beth Keane for gifting me this advanced reader copy!

I received a free e-copy of Ask Again, Yet by Mary Beth Keane from NetGalley for my honest review.

A beautiful, emotional and very clever book. One of my favorite reads of the year.

Francis and Brian, are police officers and partners. They ended up moving their families into the same neighborhood and lived across the street from each other. Brian's only son and Francis's youngest daughter grow up to be best friends. But then something terrible happens that tear the two families apart for many years.

A story of family, regret, alcoholism, mental illness, abandonment and regret. This book is written so amazingly it feels real. You feel every emotion as you read. Amazing!!

Ask Again, Yes is a story about two neighboring families and their intertwining lives. Both of the husbands in these homes are police officers in the same district, and for a time, they are partners. In one family, all is well. The other family is quite dysfunctional. Each has a child of the same age, Peter and Kate. Their friendship is strong and lasting throughout their early years. Unfortunately, a horrific tragedy involves the two families and the close bond these children formed is torn apart.
This was a great family drama that encompasses many years after that event. The issues of mental health, alcoholism, cancer, true love, betrayal and the trials of dealing with these life issues is explored very well. Peter, Kate and their families now deal with the effects of that horrible day throughout their lives. This book has great characters that are realistic and interesting . I thoroughly enjoyed Ask Again Yes.
I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley and this is my honest review.

I thought this book had amazon no character development. I completely enjoyed it although there were a few times I felt it started to drag out a bit but then would pick back up.

I went into Ask Again, Yes with high expectations because I had been hearing such praise for it. I'm happy to report that it lived up to the hype for me and I've been recommending this one to anyone who asks me what they should read this summer.

I love a good story that dives deep into a character's life and this one dove deep into multiple character's throughout the story. Centered around two men who meet when they are partnered as young cops on the NYPD force, the story follows their lives and families as their paths simultaneously stay entwined but also diverge from each other.

I was definitely mourning the passage of time in the character’s life in this one. The story covers the span of about forty years between two families and I found myself so invested in these characters that when years would pass by in the matter of pages, I was genuinely sad to see them age before my eyes. This is an important one about family, blame, forgiveness, love, loss and defining moments in life and it’s 100% worth checking out.

This book was beautifully written and the characters were very dimensional

Ask Again, Yes explores what happens when two close families have to face a tragedy that pulls them apart. Keane has written there characters to be relatable, and the children especially, to be one you root for. Family dramas can be messy and tumultuous, and tug at your heart strings. This in particular made it a deep and difficult read, but no less important!

Mary Beth Keane is a literary genius. I look forward to reading other books she may release.

5 Stars for this beautifully written family drama about love, forgiveness, & the ability to move on in the wake of a tragedy. The story is about 2 families, who are neighbors and spans over 4 decades. At times it’s very sad- dealing with tough subjects such as mental illness, abandonment and addiction but the ending leaves you feeling hopeful and grateful! It’s the type of story that makes you think about the characters, long after you finish the book! Thank you for this ARC, I loved it!

“Ask Again, Yes” is a sweeping drama involving not one, but two families, and their intertwined lives. Following a tragic event that links the Gleeson and Stanhope families for the rest of their lives, we see the repercussions reverberate through marriages, deaths, and heartache.

All of this is beautifully rendered by Mary Beth Keane, who shifts points of view effortlessly among the characters. I found it immensely satisfying to see these characters grow up, make both good and bad choices, and deal with the underlying demons that have defined their lives.

Four stars for this compelling family saga.