I’m not sure how I feel about this one still. I liked it while I was reading it but I found it very forgettable. I did really like the characters and the story line.

I loved this one! I really loved the crazy dysfunctional family theme. Keeping track of the many characters was a little hard at first, but I grew to love them all. I loved how there was such contrasting differences between the siblings and their spouses, and all the characters were well developed and detailed. Although this was a long read, it went by fast. It also tackled a lot of tough topics. (Body image, addiction, infidelity) but was still an easy read!

The book focuses on the Casey family. On the surface, the whole family seems fine but like every family, things happen behind closed doors. When one of the family members gets concussion, she starts to spill secrets at a family gathering.

This book was quite slow (at 656 pages, I'm sure you're not surprised!) and I have to admit, I did find myself uninterested in parts. I enjoy Marian Keyes' books though and I will definitely read her next novel.

I loved this story of a family group, meeting up for every event with all the quirks and problems of a big family.
It was relatable on many levels and had lots of laugh out loud moments.
The first Marian Keyes book I've read but I enjoyed it.

Sadly, I did not have time to read this book before it was archived, however, I still believe it is a worthwhile read!

Thank you #netgalley and @penguinrandomhousecanada for this e-ARC in return for my honest review.

As much as it pains me, I had to put this book down. I love Marian Keyes so maybe someday I'll try again, but I just wasn't engaged.

Marian Keyes has a talent for creating multi-layered characters. I found myself lost in the various, inter-related story lines, caught up in this family’s roller coaster ride. With a touch of Irish charm, this book hits all the right notes.

I haven't read a Marian Keyes book in about a decade so I was unsure of whether "older me" would enjoy it as much as "younger me." Am I ever glad I picked up this book! A dysfunctional and complex family drama that had tears in my eyes from laughing and crying. The book is long, has many characters, but I was disapointed when it ended. Also a treat that the author narrates the Audible version. Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

It’s not so easy to be the: Grown Ups by Marian Keyes
by joycesmysteryandfictionbookreviewsNovember 30, 2020
#GrownUps #NetGalley

I first got to know the books by Ms. Keyes when I read her first, Watermelon. It was an engaging story with both complications and heart. I think that those two qualities best describe this author’s subsequent books, including this one.

Grown Ups is a long book at over 500 pages so just perfect for settling in with on these days of early dark. It is a family story in which, at the beginning of the novel, all of the main characters are close to each other. However, the training wheels come off and the ride gets more unstable when one of the main characters, Cara, suffers a concussion. This results in her speaking thoughts, opinions and secrets without being able to stop. What will this mean to her husband, his brothers and their spouses? Will what comes out destroy this family or make its’ members stronger?

It is hard to offer more praise for this title than what has already been offered by others such as JoJo Moyes and Liane Moriarty along with print media including many, many British newspapers and magazines. I will just say that Irish author Marian Keyes knows how to write an engaging story. Give this one a try…and then go back to read some of her other novels.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title. All opinions are my own.

By the way, this is an e book bargain today, November 30, 2020.

This was a really, really great book that kept me interested throughout. Would definitely recommend this book.

Love love love Marian Keyes - All of her books are fabulous and Grown-Ups is one of the best!! Thank you!

It took me a bit to get into this book, but once I did; it was quite hysterical. I have been a fan of Marian Keyes for quite some time. She really drew me in with the Casey family and their drama and antics.

While it took a while to really get into this book, I'm glad I stuck with it. Once the story picked up, I was drawn into the world of the Casey family and all their funny, messy, dysfunctional family dynamics. Marian Keyes once again provides us with intriguing characters and storylines.

I love, love, love Marian Keyes! I have loved her since the days of Watermelon and Lucy Sullivan is Getting Married. There is always something deeper going on in her books. In this one, she is exploring grown up (duh) relationships. Honestly, it wasn't my favourite of hers, but I did also gift it to a friend who is also a Marian Keyes lover and we spent a good chunk of time talking about it.

Marian Keyes' latest book is about a big, messy, complicated Irish family - three brothers, each of their wives, and their kids. But unlike some other authors, she manages to keep the "fun' in dysfunctional, bringing to it her trademark light touch even when dealing with heavy topics since each of the family members have their own issues. It took a little while to get into this book, because let's face, 7 POVs is A LOT (though some get more time than others). Early on, this book felt too long, yet at the end I was sad to let the characters go and wouldn't mind a sequel. I've read all of Marian Keyes' novels and while this wasn't her best, it was definitely a good one and better than her last few. 3.75 stars, rounding up to 4.

Marian Keyes is an amazing writer. I love how she crafts intriguing and funny family dramas and Grown Ups is one of her best. A terrific read!! Highly recommend.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

I know this is only an ARC but there were so many missing words and grammatical errors that I just could not stomach finishing this book. The storyline and a lot of the characters Sitka have been absolutely wonderful if the sentences made sense. Really let down by this one. Especially knowing that I have a lot of friends that read this author. Hopefully the final copy made it out better than the ARC.

As a big fan of Marian Keyes, this was a VERY long book for me, and one that I really struggled to get into.

The book chronicles the life of the a large Irish family, and all the pieces that come with the family dynamic. The book starts off with Johnny's birthday dinner, and then cycles back through the past so you can see all the events that happened leading to this event.

Overall, an interesting book, but so many characters and events to focus on. You will really need to pay attention while reading.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for this book in exchange for an honest review.

You know that feeling of a train wreck that you can't stop watching. "You don't want to stare, but you just can't look away" That’s kind of how I felt about the Casey family in Grown Ups by Marian Keyes.

There were a lot of characters - three main brothers, their wives, all of their children, some cousins, children from previous marriages, the parents of the three brothers…the list goes on.

And, this family spends a lot of time all together. It was a lot to keep straight, and the beginning I was so confused that I seriously considered just giving up on this book.

But, back to that train wreck, because, this family is also a disaster and I every time I wanted to walk away from this book, one of the Caseys would do something that would pull me back in. Seriously, break out the popcorn, this family is a wild ride!

Of course, it’s not all laughs. Keyes deftly weaves a discussion on eating disorders into the narrative in a way I’ve never seen or felt be so seamless and feel so genuine. As well as marital infidelity and the death of a loved one.

I’m definitely glad I pushed through the first couple of chapters because by the end, I loved the Casey family and all of their quirks.

This is a really long book! I found it a bit slow at the start and found it hard to get into, but it really picks up about half way.

It follows an extended Irish family and all their family drama. There are a lot of characters and it takes a while to remember all of them, but you do eventually get the hang of it. I would describe it as a modern day soap opera.

There are some beautiful settings described, and you really feel like you get to know the characters.

Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada and NetGalley for the eGalley of this book in exchange for an honest review.