I have been provided with a review copy of If We're Being Honest from NetGalley for an impartial review. I was just drawn into this wonderful story and I just couldn’t get enough of it. It was just so easy to get lost in this great story. I just didn’t want it to end. I just lost myself in and I just couldn’t get enough of these interesting characters. I can’t wait to see what’s next from this author.

If we’re being honest, this book was just alright for me. It kept me on my toes which was nice! But the overall plot and twists left me wanting more.

If We're Being Honest was a family saga that had me laughing and crying. The book starts with the patriarch's death and what happens at the funeral sets the plot in motion. Lots of family members to remember which at times had be flipping the pages back to know who was who. Overall, a enjoyable story. 3.5 stars

Formal review and links coming soon.

This one was so so good. I read it shortly before losing my grandfather who was my world. I kept finding myself comparing my grief to the experiences and plot of this story. It is always nice to have open discussions about grief and the journey it takes us on.

The Williams’ are a large family of complex personalities and personal situations any of us can relate to. All of their secrets come out when they have to gather for the funeral of their patriarch: Grandpa Gerry, who also has a secret taken to the grave until his best friend spills his guts at the eulogy, and the small town is given the scandal of the season. The Williams family has to grapple with being the unwanted center of Eulalia, Georgia’s attention while confronting all of their secret as they huddle together in their grief, heartbreak and hope for the future.

This story is a deep examination into large family living and the bonds made within tight family units. It shows the differences in generations, the struggles many of us had to face, and also how strong family love is along with a sprinkle of found family.

So many characters! For a character driven story I found I couldn't connect with any of them. There were some laugh out loud parts, just wish it gave me a little more cohesion.

Before I get into my review, I want to thank Netgalley and Celadon for my chance to read and review this book.
It took me over two months to finally finish this book. That should pretty much say it all. Whenever another book I was excited about arrived, I set this one aside. There's nothing wrong with it per se, it just didn't do anything for me. The writing was basic, the characters annoying, and there was not much of a plot.
If you like family sagas, it may appeal to you. I typically like this genre as well, that is why I wanted to read it. I'm sorry, but it was a complete waste of my time.

I was SHOOKED since the first chapter! Just like the main characters I didn't even know what was going on until BAMN, it was revealed! Gerry's best friend really took being honest to a whole other level 😭
This was a nice read that provided a realistic view on how families truly are with each other. My only issue was that there were so many characters introduced at once that I couldn't wrap my head around the premise and I just forgot who each character was each time.

It was a good book though.

Gerry sounds like an amazing man, if his families opinion is to be trusted. The description of the book doesn't tell you much about what happens in these pages, so I don't want to spoil it. But, you should definitely read. This book could be anyone's family. We can all relate to parts of the book. First, Gerry's family can't be trusted to do the eulogy for various reasons, so his best friend happily steps up to the plate. He overshares and alienates the entire Williams clan. One grandkid is trying to get an engaged woman to rekindle their relationship, One cousin is trying to get over her ex or back with him, hard to tell. One cousin already got together with one her first love and keeping a huge secret. That leaves Red, the last cousin in the group and the most confused and nervous of them all. The way this family ends up coming together despite Gerry's passing and the unbelievable week between the funeral and wedding is admirable.

I think family dramas may not be a genre I enjoy. This book had an interesting premise with the family coming together for a funeral and the drama that ensues in the aftermath with all of the family members' doubting their connection to Gerry. I did like how every character really processed grief in different ways and how that was expressed in the book. It was raw and honest. One of the biggest things I struggled with is how many storylines we were following. I felt overwhelmed at some points trying to follow everyone.

Thank you to Celedon Books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley for this Advanced Readers Copy of If We're Being Honest by Cat Shook. Ultimately, this was just an ok book, there were to many characters to really fee connected to them or the story.

I love family stories and this one did not disappoint. There are a lot characters but I found I was able to keep up most of the time. The only thing I had to try and keep together was which cousins were cousins vs siblings but that did not distract from the story. I felt all the characters were well fleshed out. I loved the way each family dealt with the funeral backlash in realistic ways. The only criticism I have is with Alice and Peters “issue”. I felt it could have been something else. The issue didn’t feel substantial enough. Thank you #netgalley for the opportunity to read this very well written debut novel!

Huge thanks to Celadon and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book!! The Williams family is brought together from all over the country on the terrible circumstance of their patriarch's passing. The funeral does NOT go as planned, and the family finds themselves doubting everything they thought they knew about their beloved husband/father/grandfather, Gerry. Gerry's four grandchildren each deal with their grief in their own ways - Delia refuses to shut up about her ex. Alice is hiding a massive secret. Grant just got eliminated from The Bachelorette and is looking to get back with an old flame. Red, the youngest, is just trying to find a place in his family. The cousins' parents are in on the chaos and grief as well, and so is Ellen, Gerry's widow, who is just trying to keep everyone together.

This was a beautiful story of family, love, acceptance, secrets, trust, and identity, with a loveable ensemble cast and multiple points of view. I was originally intimidated by the MANY storylines in this book, but found each character's life and story so unique and meaningful that I didn't have any trouble following the story at all. I loved how each character's grief manifested in a different way (that's incredibly real and relatable) and I loved that each character was so dynamic. Red and Alice were my favorites by far. I loved Red's storyline, and I loved seeing Alice grow throughout the book and regain her boss confidence in light of her burdens. I'd highly recommend this one for those who enjoy emotional stories filled with family drama and loveable characters,

I felt there were too many characters, too much detail that didn’t add to the plot and way too much drama. I’m sure there are people who will really enjoy it, but not me.

DNF I honestly couldn't get past the first chapter. SO many characters introduced and the whole discussion about the eulogy just drove me nuts from the start.

Thank you for the earc in exchange for an honest review.

Step 1 - set up a bike route; Step 2 - expect your favorite flowers to pop up on that route; Step 3 - live happily ever after with the knowledge that someone cares

Everyone has secrets. Some secrets are more impactful than other. Especially when they were spilled during unexpected events. Gerry had his secret, and I think he wanted to take it to his grave thinking the implications of it. But when he thought he accomplished that, other party in that secret broke the spell. Gerry did not have much saying in his secret, now that he was 6 feet under. It was up to his family to figure out truth behind it.

It's a quick heart warming story creating more opportunities and opening more doors for others in it. good reminder that it is not just a phase, but how people actually are and who they love.

I enjoyed If We're Being Honest by Cat Shook, mainly because its premise was so humorous. Watching as each family member reacted to the news that they heard at the patriarch's funeral and following what happened after was both enjoyable and a little sad as things progressed. Family sagas are always interesting! Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this one! If you liked We Are the Brennans, Apples Never Fall or any other book based on a huge family with a million characters you’ll love it too. It does take a second to get a handle on the 10+ storylines and it’s a little predictable but it’s the easy feel-good read you need this summer!

This book was.. different than I expected. I loved the premise.. a seeming messy family drama with a big secret revealed at a funeral to kick it off. The rest of the story follows the family over the next week as they both deal with the shocking news as well as confront many issues in their own lives.

While I typically love stories like this.. this one had way too many people for me. Several children and grandchildren all with their individual issues - I really struggled throughout the entire story to keep everyone straight and remember the story lines. While I felt Invested in some, many of the stories left me wanting more and fell a bit flat.

That being said, I did like the ending, but this won’t be a highly recommended one from me.

If We’re Being Honest was an anticipated read for me, but unfortunately wasn’t a favorite. There were too many characters for me to keep straight and I really struggled with getting into the story.