I love character driven stories and We Are the Brennans spoke to me. This novel centred around an American-Irish family had drama, family complications, a mystery, secrets and beautifully narrated how life’s messiness can affect relationships.

The initial protagonist, Sunday, is determined to get back on track with her life back in her hometown and with her family. I really enjoyed the family dynamics and how all the siblings banded together against a person who was out to destroy the family business. It was also rich with different points of view that added to the beauty of the story.

I also enjoyed that not every member of the Brennan clan was “perfect”.

Overall, this is a wonderful debut novel by Tracey Lange and the narration by Barrie Kreinik as she was spot on with the Irish accents. We Are the Brennans is comparable to Mary Beth Keane and Cynthia D’Aprix’s writing and I can definitely agree with that statement.

Thank you Celadon Books for the advanced reading copy and Macmillan Audio for the advanced listening copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

It took me a while to get through We Are the Brennans. Based on the other review, so many enjoyed it much more. But for me, it just wasn't for me.

Sunday Brennan is deemed a hot mess in the beginning of the story. Something terrible happens to get her to go back to live with her family. Then she comes out as a hero because her siblings are also a hot mess. Who will save whom?

There are a lot of different points of view and so this book seems to jump around. Maybe that's why I couldn't stay focused and had to go back to relisten to certain sections. (I did this way too much). So I was either really distracted during the month of July, or just powering through this novel.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio for providing me with this copy of We Are the Brennans via the NetGalley app. Unfortunately, the narrator, Barrie Kreinik, couldn't save this book for me.

When Sunday is involved in a bad car accident near her home in Los Angeles her brother convinces her to come home to the east coast to be with her family and ex-fiancé she deserted 5 years ago with no explanation. Sunday wants to rebuild her life even though tensions are high. When a dangerous man from the past threatens to derail the family business, Sunday decides to unleash the secrets and reason for her departure. The Brennans will be forced to revisit the past to find a way forward.

I adore when stories are told from multiple perspectives and Tracey Lange is flawless as she shifts perspectives from one character to another. The story is pretty solid too as it contains all the components of a dysfunctional family: secrets, betrayals, and regrets. Despite all that you can tell this family loves and cares for one another and that they will always have each other's backs. The characters were likable and well developed. At times the story felt a bit predictable but overall I enjoyed it. The narration done by Barrie Kreinik made the story come alive for me. If you enjoy stories that contain family drama and secrets then this story is for you.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillian Audio for an advanced reader's copy in audio format in exchange for my honest review. We are the Brennans releases August 3rd.

We Are the Brennans is a family saga that has all of the essential elements: love, regret, family dysfunction, trauma, and coming-of-age character progression. This was well-executed as an audiobook and very entertaining. We Are the Brennans is a great beach read!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, the narrator, and publisher for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook. The opinions in this review are entirely my own.

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Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for gifting me the audiobook of Tracey Lange's debut novel - 5 stars!

The Brennan's are a large Irish Catholic family in New York. They were shocked when only daughter, Sunday, suddenly left NY for Los Angeles 5 years ago. When she wakes up in a hospital after a drunk driving accident, her oldest brother, Denny, is there encouraging her to come back home. She swallows her pride and heads back. Back at home, she has to deal with her brothers' resentment for not being there to help out and her ex-fiancee is now remarried with a son and still active in the business. All of the family are keeping secrets and when the business is in trouble, they are forced to reveal them and deal with them together.

I really loved this book! I was drawn immediately into the family saga and loved the interaction between all the characters. This family felt real - they were flawed, resentful, secretive, loving - but they were family above all else. The writer was so skilled at making this novel flow. Each chapter ended with a conversation and a snippet of that conversation was carried over into the start of the next chapter, voiced by a different character. I listened to the audiotape, narrated by Barrie Kreinik, who voiced all the characters so well; I had no issue following along. Her voice was smooth and pleasant and enhanced the wonderful writing. Hard to believe this is a debut novel and I can't wait to read more from this author! Highly recommended!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

We Are the Brennans by Tracey Lange

Thank you so much @netgalley and @macmillan.audio for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for a review!

I really, really enjoyed this audiobook. Family dramas aren’t my go-to reads, but I’ve seen many good reviews for this one and wanted to try it.

I loved all the family members and their unique characteristics and personalities. Overall, I thought the storyline was fairly good, and the pacing kept my interesting. I always love when books are told from multiple points of view. I also loved the narration!

My only critique is that the ending felt very rushed and several plot lines were left open ended.

If you enjoy family dramas, I recommend giving this one a try!

I wasn't sure what to expect from We Are the Brennans, but the summary sounded so intriguing and I was so excited to get the chance to listen and review it! This is a character-driven novel and the chapters switch to the various character's POVs. The story starts off with the main character, Sunday, getting into a drunk driving accident out in LA, where her brother Denny heads out to make sure she's okay and convince her to return home to New York, where she suddenly up and left five years prior. When Sunday returns home, the past slowly starts to reveal itself and I was hooked from the first few chapters.

Now, if you're looking for perfect characters, this is not the book for you. These characters all have flaws, make poor choices here and there, and are...well, human. While you may not be able to directly relate to their wealth, family dynamic, owning a bar, etc. it's a story. It's fiction. For me, I didn't find that not being able to relate to any of them or their situation took away from the story at all, as it did some other reviewers. This was an entertaining look into a complex family, where each character has their own agenda and is keeping things from others that really should know about them. The story unfolds beautifully and comes together wonderfully at the end. I definitely recommend this book to anyone that enjoys a good family drama. Barrie Krenik did a fabulous job narrating this tale as well. The performance really brought the characters to life.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio, Tracey Lange, and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this title! This audiobook was given to me in return for an unbiased review. We Are the Brennans by Tracey Lange. #NetGalley

Reviewing
We Are The Brennan’s
By Tracey Lange

I’m always a sucker for a character driven story so I was excited to get into this one. Readers are drawn in by the complex relationships between the Brennan siblings and the dark secrets from their parents past. Will they pull together to overcome or let history tear them apart?

It’s told in alternating perspectives, and Lange weaves a complex tapestry for readers to drink in. Entertaining and engaging with an ending that was a tad bit too tidy and predictable for me.

Overall I enjoyed the Brennan’s and would recommend it to readers who love a character driven read.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 3.5stars for this fun family drama

I love reading books about family and this story about an Irish Catholic family in New York did not disappoint. I may have had the Wahlbergs in my head as I was picturing the men in the family. 😉
After running away from her family and her high school sweetheart and living in LA for five years, Sunday Brennan comes home. She left because of something terrible that happened to her, but when she gets back to New York, she finds out she’s not the only one with secrets. Sometimes books with things left unsaid can drive me a little crazy (just talk!!), but it seems like everyone has a valid reason for holding back.
I loved how this move was told from the perspectives of the different family members. I wasn’t in love with the ending, but maybe it left room for a sequel? Fingers crossed.
This is a brilliant debut for author @tracey_lange and I look forward to more from her. I listened to the audio for this and the narrator did a fantastic job with all the characters.
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I completely fell in love with the Brennan family! I was immediately drawn into this family saga! Sunday Brennan, the only girl of the four adult Brennan children finds herself in a mess after an accident. She has been estranged from her family for 5 years. She returns home and we are introduced to the other family members as the story unfolds. I could not put this book down. It was well written, I appreciated the character development even though I didn’t care for all the characters! If you enjoy family drama books with twists and secrets you should pick this book up!!
Thanks to Macmillian audio and NETGALLY for this audiobook advanced copy for my honest review!

I was charmed by this book. Told through multiple narrators, it follows the family through secrets that last for years. It wasn’t groundbreaking or earth shattering, but it was really well done and interesting. The audiobook was incredibly well done! Perfect light Irish accent!

Thank you Net Galley for an audio ARC of We are the Brennan's by Tracey Lange. Wow!! This book!! A new favorite! This is artfully written. Check out the Brennan's and read this!!!

“What I’m saying is, if you can be happy, do it. If you know what you want in life, don’t wait for someone else to give it to you. Go after it, and don’t let anything stand in the way.”

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. Some secrets you keep 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 your family. Some secrets you keep 𝒇𝒐𝒓 your family.

Wow do I adore this family! Don’t you just love it when a book is so good that you feel as if you 𝕜ꪀꪮ᭙ the characters? Almost as if you’ve had your hands pressed to the windows of their lives, watching with rapt fascination as they fight and make up and love each other. This family is real and raw and broken, but underneath all of that there is loyalty and love and forgiveness.

Oooh something fresh and unique guys. So..there are multiple POV. Buuuut the last spoken line of each chapter starts up the first line of the next, but from the different characters perspective. A very unique writing style and I 👏🏻 am 👏🏻 here 👏🏻 for 👏🏻 it . This was especially noticeable in the audio version as the narrator did a great job of giving each unique character their own tone/emotion/angst, so you could really pick up on the transition. Just awesome!

I devoured We Are The Brennans and could not wait to get back to the story whenever I had to a step away. If you are looking for a book hangover book, look no further.

Thank you to Celadon Books, the author, Netgalley and Macmillan audio for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is just what I want from a novel about the dynamics of a big family. The Brennans might be flawed, and they definitely make a lot of bad decisions, but there is something likable at the core of each one of them that makes the reader want to root for them anyway. Sunday, whose return home from the West Coast following a drunk driving accident sets the story into motion, is the most sympathetic character, but shifting points of view reveal her character from other perspectives and also provide insight into the thoughts of her brothers and her high school boyfriend who is now married with a child. The plot isn't suspenseful or shocking, and there are no real twists to the story, but the writing style is very engaging, and I definitely wanted to spend time in the world of this book. There were some moments that felt a bit over-written, especially in the final scenes when it seemed like the author wasn't quite sure when to stop. Overall, though, this is a strong debut that will appeal to readers who enjoy stories about the ties that bind families together.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the audio review copy.

The Brennans are a dysfunctional, messy bunch. When Sunday wakes up in a hospital in LA after a drunk driving accident, she calls her brother for help and ends up moving back home to New York. When she returns, she's thrown into the chaos of everyday life for the Brennans, with the addition of her childhood love, Kale.

What I do love about this book is the multiple POVs and how perfectly the story flowed between each character. There is nothing groundbreaking in this novel, but it was an enjoyable & quick read. One thing that bothered me is that we never revisited the fact that Sunday was driving drunk and got into an accident. That was just thrown in and then dropped completely.

So much family drama! But not in a bad, roll your eyes, throw the book across the room way. The Brennans are a well-known Irish family with some family secrets stuffed in the back of the closet. After out of touch Sunday Brennan has a drunk driving accident in LA, police call her brother and she returns to their hometown where her first love, now married with a son, still lives. Why did Sunday suddenly leave all those years ago? As secrets are revealed, we learn about other secrets the other family members have been keeping as well. There's plenty of drama here and a little mystery too.

On top of the story, I loved the narration. I do love a good Irish accent!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.

The Brennan’s appear to be the perfect family: a successful father, stay at home mom, and close knit children in a nice big house. However, things are not always as the seem. The Brennan children have grown up and they have secrets. Secrets that threaten to tear them apart forever.
I listened to this story in audiobook form which I would highly recommend. This story was told through the perspective of multiple characters. The narrator had a subtle way of changing her tone and cadence which allowed you to easily follow through whose perspective the story was being told. The story was engaging and heartfelt. It was one of those stay-awake-late-to-finish kind of stories. I highly recommend.

Character-driven novels can be somewhat hit or miss for me, but this one was definitely a hit. While these characters are certainly flawed and repeatedly make blatant mistakes, their flaws only serve to make them feel more realistic. As is often the case, many of their problems could have been solved by just being honest with each other, but it is very human to not tell the whole truth even when you know you should.

The Brennans had a lot of similarities to my boyfriend's family, so it was kind of fun to have that mental connection too.

I loved how between different POVs, the first sentence of the new perspective was the last sentence that the character said in the previous scene. It made the change between POVs very smooth.

This title made for a great listen on audio--I absolutely adore Irish accents. It was very understated for the characters that had one, and came across just beautifully. I've listened to a few choppy audio productions lately, so it was even more apparent how high quality this audio copy was. The narrator didn't really do different voices for each character, but it was always clear who was speaking. Although I also had a physical copy, I never felt the need to go back to follow up on the plot; it was all very easy to follow on audio.

I loved this book. I instantly was engaged with the characters and their stories. I loved the way the backstory was gradually released to us as readers. I also enjoyed the transition between chapters/characters. I will recommend this book to my coworkers and friends.

Thanks netgalley for the ARC

I really loved the family dynamics of this book. Families are messy and complicated and we are a sum of our individual and collective choices. I think that this book captured that. It reminded me a bit of the show brothers and sisters with an Irish twist. It felt like real life which I also liked. Sometimes books about family try to wrap all the lose ends up nicely where in real life there are things that sometimes don’t end like fairytales. I feel like this book does a good job of walking this line.