A quick read about a family faced with lies. While I found it pleasant there are many other better written stories of large Irish American families sorting out their troubles.

This was a great family drama, about a large Irish Catholic family full of secrets that all come out in the end, similar to Ask Again, Yes. I really loved the characters and the story- a solid 4 star book for me.

From the blurb: "Tracey Lange's We Are the Brennans explores the staying power of shame—and the redemptive power of love—in an Irish Catholic family torn apart by secrets."

I was thinking about family sagas I've read since joining GR which can be compared to this tale, and just realized how many outstanding ones I've already read. Sadly, too many, which makes it difficult to draw a comparison to this novel.

Apart from that, I went through a reading-fatigue lately. Just did not have any interest in wham-bam-thank-you-ma'm melodramas disguised as literature with emotional-porn as the mainstay. So harsh to say this, I know. But that's how I felt. Some things just tend to overstay their welcome, sort of. In print too. I had enough of world politics too, thank you. It's a bad combination to be constantly bombarded by drek in so many different forms. I wanted to ignore the whole lot and just talk to the bees in my garden. I know it's dangerous when they start talking back! I've been talking to my plants for many years, and really, I'm cautiously sensing their sweet reactions, especially when I sing to them. For crying out loud, don't tell anyone!

So, with that said, I decided to read this novel after all. Family sagas are my favorites by far.

Apprehensive, comes to mind. I opened the book...and a day later I closed it with a smile. It was terrific. Truly excellent. For so many reasons.

Yes, the secrets were bad. No wonder it was kept secret. It should have stayed that way. But alas, Sunday Brennan kicked off an avalanche of events when she hit a road construction barrier in California in an intoxicated state. Big brother Denny flew out from New York as the next of kin, and brought her home. One after the other, the secrets dropped unceremoniously into the bucket of untold mysteries when the family was confronted with the truth, and splashed all over their comfortable home and hearts. Some things shattered and others shined. Despite everything. The reader escaped intact as well. However, some of us did not want to escape. We wanted to stay with this second-generation Irish family with their strong but vulnerable patriarch at the helm. Their Long Island home and business invited us all in.

Engaging. Compelling. Despite the darkness of each family member's secret, there was a warmth, a camaraderie and a strong bond between all of them. Unlike some previous family sagas which inspired me to take a bath after reading it, this novel had a leniency on the soul. Each hard-working character invited me to become best friends. They were worth it. Warts and all. The Brennans: Mickey - the patriarch, Maura - the deceased mother, Denny - oldest son, Sunday - only daughter, Jackie - second son, Shane - youngest son. On the peripheries: Denny's wife Theresa, his little daughter Mollie, Kale Collins, his wife Vivienne, and four-year-old son, Luke.

Now, go meet them! Recommended.

Thanks to Tracey Lange, and congratulations with this excellent literary debut novel. Thanks to Celadon Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to experience the Brennans. Expected publication date: August 3rd, 2021.

It has been a long time since I have read a pleasant family saga, and I enjoyed this one very much. The characters have depth, the writing has a nice flow and the plot is decent. There's a love story intertwined with other family relationships. I'm not a fan of the romance genre, but this was nice. Highly recommend to anyone who enjoys a relaxing family saga.

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this early.

Five years ago, Sunday Brennan left her family and fiancee in New York and headed to LA, with no explanation.

Now, after a horrific accident, with the coaxing of her brother, Denny, Sunday has returned...with her secret still consuming her. A secret that cost her her family and the love of her life, Kale. Despite having moved on, married and a father, Kale' s reaction to Sunday's return is apparent.

When Denny asks Sunday to help with the family business, it seems that Denny has his own secrets and that somehow, his secrets intersect with Sunday's and their father's pasts...

Lange weaves a fantastic narrative about how long buried secrets have a way of coming around full circle....the only way forward is through

Thank you to Celadon Books and Macmillan Publishing to allowing me to preview this novel.

Sometimes there are books that you could comfortably read forever. If the author would just keep writing chapters about these characters, then we could stay with them and keep an eye on them. This was one of those for me.

We Are the Brennans is about a close-knit Irish Catholic family that lives in a fictional Westchester, New York town, West Acres, that I suspect is based on the city where I was born, Peekskill (or very close to it). The patriarch, Mickey, emigrated from Northern Ireland as a young man and has supposed ties to the NRA. The matriarch is no longer with us, but her legacy is dark, tainted, resentful.

There are four Brennan children (now adults) - Denny, Sunday, Jackie, Shane - and one honorary Brennan - Kale, who grew up nearby and has always been a part of the family in one role or another.

Five years ago, something bad happened to Sunday and prompted her to move to California, far away from the family she is close to and to leave her almost-betrothed, Kale. A series of events reveals this and our story focuses on the family as they re-evaluate the past, do damage control, support each other, make new mistakes and correct old ones.

This is a family with a lot of love and care for one another that is clear even though they are not overly demonstrative. I really enjoyed the time I spent with them. My one criticism that the ending was kind of abrupt and could have been more graceful if given another chapter or two.

Tracey Lange’s debut novel centers on an Irish Catholic family in New York with lots of secrets to hide, and that makes for a perfect afternoon of reading!

Sunday Brennan, the only girl in a family of sons, left home five years ago for Los Angeles on the pretext of a job offer to write web content. Leaving involved more than her family. It meant that she walked away without a word to her fiancé. In reality, she was hiding from her deepest secret and trying to overcome it.
Life hasn’t quite worked out for her. She’s basically estranged from her family and drinks too much. After a serious car accident that left her with a broken bone and bumps and really awful bruising, her older brother, Denny, talks her into coming back home to heal. Sunday feels she has no choice and flies back to New York with Denny.

Denny has his own set of problems. He and his best friend, Kale (who is also Sunday’s ex-fiancé) own a pub. They are trying to expand, but things at the new location are not going smoothly. Denny has taken out a mortgage on his family home, unbeknownst to his father, and borrowed money from a very shady character from their past. Denny’s separated from his wife and child, while Kale is also facing difficulties at home.
Navigating the past, each other and the present are at the heart of this family drama, along with the secrets they share.

Told in multiple points of view (there are at least six) I felt this gave the story a completeness that could not have come from a single narrator---readers get multiple sides of the story. Author Lange does a wonderful job in keeping the voices varied and it’s easy to know who is narrating each section.

“We are the Brennans” receives 5 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

I'm not going to lie. I'm a little wrecked by this book. Why? So many reasons...

First I was pulled in immediately. And I do mean immediately. So pulled in that I read this book very quickly. I wanted to know more...and then more...and yet again, more.

The strength of family loyalty come what may always strikes a chord, especially when there are people that are chosen to become family also. And that's what Kale was - chosen to be family. The Brennans are an example of those strong Irish clans that came to the US amidst "the troubles" in Ireland. They worked hard, stuck together, and were there for one another.

And of course, with large families you have the occasional secret. That's what this book was about - love, family, loyalty, and secrets and how those very things can both help and hinder - each of them in turn.

The author does a wonderful job keeping the reader interested because the characters are relatable, excellent examples of the best and worst of us all and there were so many unknowns that I found myself wanting to know and thus began the one more chapter, no, now I need another one...and on and on. If you're sensing a trend here, you're correct. I kept one more chaptering until the end, late at night, with eyes held open by sheer force of will.

And then - after the great descriptions, wonderful dialogue, and characters I'd grown to care about - BAM comes the end. Not an end I was expecting nor one that I can get behind 100%, but it's not my story to tell and while I realize there were very good reasons for ending the story as she did, I can also see that maybe, possibly, this might be a setup for a sequel.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for an ARC at my request. All thoughts in this review are my own.

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Secrets almost always do more harm than good, especially when compounded by time--the trouble just magnifies exponentially. This is a big life lesson this close knit Irish-American family learns the hard way. Well fleshed out characters, interesting settings and plot. Families can be a pain but they can also save you.

I found this family drama, the story of an Irish Catholic family hard to put down.
I was completely drawn in to the relationships of the family members and the secrets they kept.

Sister disappeared from family 5 years ago
Now, recovering from accident she comes home
Her Irish Catholic Family surrounds her

I immediately became a part of this family
I did not want to stop reading, fell in with family