A fabulous debut! The relatable ties of a big family who come together to protect each other, no matter the secrets or how much time has passed, was beautifully depicted in this amazing story.

I’m in awe that this is a debut novel because of the ease and flow to the writing and unfolding story.

I wish there was more than one narrator for voice differentiation. One character that I loved how he was depicted by the narrator was Shane. Somehow giving him that innocence through vocal emotion. Was really great.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my complimentary ARC in exchange for an honest review. Please excuse my tardiness in posting my review as my TBR list continuously grows and I keep finding so many book with so little time! So much gratitude for this copy shared with me, always xo

This book crept up on me in the most subtle way. Family sagas can always be hit or miss. I don’t tend to love drama let alone read about others dysfunctions. BUT this was so well done and beautifully crafted that I was amazed to find it was the authors debut novel.

Sunday Brennan seemed to be the glue in her family. When she unexpectedly makes a huge decision to move across the country she leaves her family confused and drags a bunch of secrets in her wake.

I loved how this was set up. It has some really well done transitions from character to character so that one persons POV starts exactly where the last POV left off.

I started out this book with a feeling of neutrality that eventually took on an emotional connection to the life and love of these characters. I really enjoyed them in all their differences and flaws and I hurt with them. I was sad to leave and thought it was all really well done.

I didn’t intend for this to be a 2021 favorite but it just might have become one. Family can be complicated and different and messy but in the end sometimes it’s the place we most belong.

Pick up if you love strong family bonds and mystery and long held secrets with multiple POVs.

Family drama at it best, you can't help but like Sunday, her brothers and their extended family along with all of their flaws. This is the story of 4 children raised in a traditional Irish catholic family, the immigrant parents successfully raising their children in a small Westchester suburb. The reader is intrigued right from the beginning as to why Sunday left New York 5 years earlier. The story alternates chapters from the point of view of many of the different family and extended family members, always circling back to the importance of family bonds, even if at times they seem broken. The narrators are very pleasant to listen to in this character driven story. #netgalley #wearethebrennans

If you want a good read to pass the afternoon, then this book is for you. It is not going to set you on the edge of your seat with twists and turns you can or cannot see coming but it does have family drama and lots of bad decisions. The story is told from different perspectives of each family member which adds to the story. If you like stories of complicated families, then give it a read.

I give it 2 predictable stars, but I think others would like it more than I did.

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Barrie Kreinik. Her voice was clear and portrayed accents and characters well. The book has loads of dialog, so the audiobook format worked well.

Some people love family drama. It was frustrating for me because I tend to get mad about poor decisions. The Brennan parents are a piece of work. I would have liked the story to veer more into their pre-USA, what happened in Ireland days. As it was, it didn’t feel like much happened until about halfway into the book.

Basic storyline: Large Irish family that will fight for each other and keep secrets. A little twist/ surprise at the end, but mostly along familiar lines. I did like that Sunday, the daughter, did some growing up.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was extremely well written and enjoyable. Well developed characters, an interesting plotline, I felt immersed in the Brennan family and invested in what happened next. The description of the book wasn't particularly a hook for me, but I was pleasantly surprised.

Oh boy, for a little while I thought I was listening to my own life! Irish family? Check. One daughter with three brothers? Check. Thankfully, that's where the similarities end.
The Brennans are a close bunch, full of secrets, trauma, and challenges. Sunday Brennan's secret is a doozy, and one which has pushed her away from the family she loves, the family she needs.
I listened to the audiobook and enjoyed the narrator and the fast-moving story.
Each character has their own dragon to slay, and they can't do it without each other.
It's a story of heart, family, and not giving up.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me a copy of this entertaining story.

"Family didn't mean keeping the hard stuff each other, it is meant facing it together. And it meant forgiving each other"

I loved this book! Each chapter is a different point of view. In other books I would get lost at times but Tracey Lange nailed the transitions. I was never lost. Seeing how the story unfolds through the eyes of each of the Brennan's made me love the characters even more.

This family feels authentic eventho the drama could have been cleared up with some communication between the siblings. But really, what family doesn't have secrets of their own? I have read books in the past where this might have me rolling my eyes but I was truly invested in the characters that it wasn't an issue for me at all.

Sometimes things have to get worse before they get better. - Marilyn Ferguson

This quote sums up the drama playing out in the story. Family is the big take away from this book.

If this was a Netflix series, I would want another season. I want to know what happens next in their lives once the story ended.

Awesome debut from Tracey Lange! I look forward to seeing more books from her.

WHAT AN AMAZING BOOK !!! I am sooo obsessed with this book and this family... definitely a new favorite !!

When Sunday wakes up in the hospital in LA after a drunk driving accident that she caused she knows its time for a change. When she calls her big brother Denny to come and get her, he is shocked because Sunday left the family in New York and hasn't been back in 5 years. He convinces her to come home, so she can heal and help out with the family business. However, when she left 5 years ago, she gave no one an explanation, including her high school sweetheart, Kale. Now she not only has to face her family and Kale, but also the past she was running away from.

This book was phenomenal!! I loved everything about it. Sunday was an amazing character. She has always been the protected and care taker of the family, and when something horrible happened to her, she took the blame and removed herself to save the people she loved from hurting. I loved the relationship Sunday had with her family. Even after all that time she was away, they still were so open and caring towards her. Of course there was some drama, and alot of questions needed to be answered, but they were all so close and it was really amazing to read about. This book really captured what a real family is like- their roles in the family, different personalities, interesest, problems, responsibilities, fears... all the things. I could read about this family forever honestly.

This story was told from many POV's- Sunday, Denny, Jackie, Mickey, Kale... it was so great to hear how each situation was different for everyone and how they call handled it. I was lucky enough to get my hands on the audiobook and it was excellent. I loved listening to the story- it added so much depth and feeling. Although, there is a lot of sadness and heartbreak in this story, the love and strength of family really overpowered all the problems and came out on top. I absolutely loved it sooo much !! I can't wait to read more from Tracey Lange!!

Thank you so much to Tracey Lange, Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced listening copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book gave me ALL the Parenthood vibes. If you love a big, dysfunctional family as much as I do go get this book! The characters all had their faults but were all still completely lovable. They were written in such a way that they felt like everyone you know. The storyline is wonderful and I just loved everything about it which is hard to come by in a book.

The narration of the audiobook was also wonderful and I am very picky!

This story centers on the Irish-American Brennan family. As the plot unfolds, we learn more about each family member's history and conflicts. I enjoyed the author's writing style, and I was rooting for the Brennans, despite some of their poor decisions. This book is perfect for readers who enjoy character-driven family dramas.

🎧 I went between the physical text and the audiobook. The audiobook quality was perfect. I listened at 1.7x speed.

We Are the Brennans was a fast read for me. I enjoyed the story telling and all the drama weaved together. It kept me wanting to know more. I would say this is perfect for fans of Elin Hilderbrand and definitely recommend. I received an ARC of the audiobook and the narrator did a great job

This review will be posted on Amazon and Goodreads.

Talk about family drama!!! I loved all the Brennan’s and each of their separate issues going on. I have a huge family too so it really hit home! Great listen- thank you so much NetGalley!

I adored this book, which I immediately cast in my mind with the couple from Normal People. There are elements of similarity here, the "missed connection" brand of romance which I found really compelling. The Brennans are a complicated family, revealed in alternating third person voices bit by bit, until we finally see and understand the big picture. While I'm not necessarily sure I would have picked this book up off the shelf, I'm glad I listened. A wonderful, finely wrought picture of a family, struggling with ghosts of their past mistakes.

This was such a great audiobook and it flew by for me because I enjoyed it so much! The drama between all the family members immediately drew me in. I felt the stress some of them were under as a result of their actions. The ending was predictable, but I actually loved it. This was definitely a keeper for me, and I would have gone out and purchased the book for myself if I hadn't been surprised by a finished copy from Celadon this weekend! Full review for the actual book and not just the audio will be up on my bookstagram this week.

4.25 stars
We Are the Brennans is a powerful, emotional novel about an Irish family living in New York, who is haunted by secrets…so many secrets. Everyone is hiding something and bit by bit it all comes to light. As a result, their lives begin to unravel, only to be put back together anew, as family often finds a way of doing.

This story features a flawed, semi-disfunctional family that loves deeply, if imperfectly, and is loyal to the core, despite minor betrayals along the way. There is a prominent theme that we are all imperfect, but have the capacity for deep love, loyalty and goodness. The story speaks to the nature of how we all need to belong; we all need people we can call our own, in some capacity or another. It also touches on the power of guilt and how it can alter the shape of our lives.

There are some characters in this novel who will infuriate you, and others who will seize your heart with their humility and selflessness. The characters absolutely drive this story and they are frustrating and touching in equal measure. You feel for them, and want to root for them, but also knock them upside the head.

The audio-version of this story feels absolutely immersive. The narrator has a way of drawing you into the story as if you were talking to the characters themselves and experiencing the plot yourself.

We Are the Brennan’s proclaims a keen sense of camaraderie and though some of the characters and their decisions are far from perfect, it’s a moving, thought-provoking story that will stay with you.

An engrossing family story full of secrets, love, grief, trauma and murder! ⁣
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This family drama really captured my attention and had me feeling invested in the Brennan siblings. The story unfolds through various perspectives and I felt the transitions were fabulous. Each subsequent chapter picks up where the previous one left off, but from a new characters’s POV. It was such a great way to get more info and see things from the other character’s vantage point. It made it really easy to follow on audio too! ⁣
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From the outside, the Brennan’s look like they have it all. But as we quickly to see, things are definitely not as picture perfect as they seem. This family has lots of secrets that they have kept from each other which has caused a rift. Thankfully, in crisis the siblings come together. I loved how everything had to fall apart, secrets had to become known and truths laid bare for them to strengthen and work their issues. ⁣
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I genuinely loved this family. There were some heartbreaking moments but in the end this book shows how strong family bonds can be (including found family) and how messy life can get. It was about finding your way back to the ones you love, despite having lost your way. The authentic family feel, the love and warmth in this novel made me wish I could spend more time with the Brennans. I miss them already, in all their gloriously messy, imperfectness! Such a strong debut from Tracey Lange. I can’t wait to see what she writes next!

Loved this book! Following the family and all their flaws makes them so human and relatable. Great storytelling! For fans of Ask Again, Yes this book would be right up your alley. The story was well written and had a great narration. Every family has secrets and is never as "perfect" as they may seem. Enjoyed every minute of this book

I love reading family dramas because the relationships are usually complex and therefore it's fascinating to see the dynamics in play. We are the Brennans was a solid read and in some ways exceeded my expectations.

Five years ago, Sunday Brennan moved from New York to California. No decent explanation was given to her family or her long time boyfriend. She just up and left and maintained minimal to no contact with them. After a drunk driving accident, Sunday realizes she doesn't have much of a choice and moves back into her childhood home. A lot has changed in the time she has been gone. The story alternates between Sunday, her family members, and Sunday's ex- boyfriend and family friend, Kale.

I love how each chapter ended with a line of dialogue and the next chapter would start off repeating that same line but would now follow a different character. It's always nice to get multiple characters perspectives on situations.

There is a strong mystery element of the story as you wonder what was so bad to cause Sunday to leave five years ago. I wouldn't say the answer to that question is very satisfying but it did segue into something else that was pretty shocking. The story taking a bit of an unexpected turn added to my enjoyment of the book. It's a somewhat of a slow burn read but I found it to be quite worth it in the end.

4.25 Stars

We Are the Brennans is an intriguing family saga told from multiple points-of-view of, you guessed it, the Brennan family (and Kale). I definitely agree with the comparison to The Nest in the description and my own real complaint is that I wanted to get to know the characters more. Each one is a flawed but good person in their own way with their own side story and while the story moves at a steady pace, it is on the shorter side.

That being said, I was very surprised it's a debut book and while reading, I could perfectly picture We Are the Brennans as a movie adaptation, similar to The Family Stone.

I thought it was an interesting choice to have only one narrator for the whole story. It made it feel more like Sunday's story I think rather than that of the Brennan family as a whole. If I were to reread, I would want to try reading rather than listening.

Thanks so much to Netgalley and the Publisher for the e-arc!