I recommend going into this one as blind as possible. The only thing I knew about it going in was that it was a family drama. I am happy I was able to listen to this one because after the initial beginning of learning about Tara I could see how it would come across on the slower side. The narrator brought these characters to life, along with all three siblings having secrets and the slow reveal of them kept me listening. I loved all the connections/relationships Tara had with the people around her. Her nephew Connor wanted to help in any way he could, and the way Tara included him in on situations melted my heart. Her employers brought some humor to the story as I loved their encounters with not only Tera but in other instances too. Even the complicated friendship Tera had with the cop who put her in jail was interesting to me. Everything seemed well developed and I loved how the family came together and the way they healed from their past.

Thank you @celadonbooks and @netgalley for the gifted audio

The audiobook was well-done. The narrator's voice reflected down-to-earth nature of the main character. She could credibly do male voices.

I loved this empathic, hopeful story of the kind of American family that may receive rougher treatment in other novels. The author does a very good job of slowly peeling back the onion of the sibling relationships and dysfunctions of the Connelly family. As they learn empathy for each other, we are forced to do the same. A lesson that things are not always what they seem, and we could all benefit from taking a breath before judging too quickly. This novel is also a morality tale of the consequences of dishonesty, even with the best intentions. Of course, the story is simple and neat and you know how it will.turn out, but the Connelly family is so lovable that you do not mind very much. Thanks to NetGalley for the audiobook.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ALC and I finished just in time for publication day! Tara Connelly is released from prison after an 18 month sentence for drug trafficking. She is reunited with her brother and sister who each have issues of their own. Family issues abound when Tara moves in with them and attempts to put her life back together. The characters all feel real and relatable and the author did a fantastic job of character building. Overall it was a great listen and a really touching story about family members who would do anything to protect their own. 4 🌟

Tracey Lange has done it again! I absolutely loved We Are the Brennans, so I was stoked when I got approved for the e-galley of this one! In this story, we meet Tara and her siblings, Eddie and Geraldine, after Tara is released from prison. All of the characters in this were real and flawed and so developed that I felt like I knew them -- even the secondary characters, which is no easy feat. I found myself rooting for the Connellys while simultaneously questioning so many of their decisions. They felt like a real family full of love and I found myself rooting for all three of them. I switched between the kindle book and the audiobook, and the narrator did a wonderful job on the audio as well! I definitely recommend this book and Tracey Lange has become an auto-buy author for me!

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copies to review. All opinions are my own.

The Connellys of County Down is reminiscence of the warm right hug a child gets from their parent after falling off their bike. It is comforting and reassuring and you have faith things will get better. The Connelly family is having hard times, the 3 siblings are floundering each in their own way. The story starts with Tara being released from prison and reconnecting with her brother, nephew, and her sister. The circumstances of the prison sentence are revealed along with all the coping mechanisms each sibling has learned. This story is a family saga with flawed people you have to root for. The Connellys of County Down is a story about love at is core.

Thanks for the advanced copy Netgalley in exchange for the honest review.

I enjoyed this one! The author's debut novel, We Are the Brennans, was just okay for me and this novel novel was an improvement with well-developed characters and a flowing narrative. The characters in this book are troubled yet relatable and I was keen to continue reading their stories. The romance plot was the only awkward thing I found in this book. It could have been fleshed out a bit more. I found this to be a well-written story that I would recommend to those who enjoy reading family dramas.

Thank you to Celadon Books, NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the digital review copy.

Book review: the connellys of county down by @tracey_lange

Rating: 4.25/5

Review: thank you @celadonbooks for my review copy. This is my first book by Tracey Lange and it did not disappoint. It is more than just a story about starting over. It is an emotional and heart warming book about the relationships in a family and how far your willing to go for them. This book is perfect for people who like books about relatable, everyday relationships. I don’t read a lot of books like this, but I certainly will not for get the connellys anytime soon. Even if they are a bit crazy and mixed up. This is one book you don’t want to miss.

I absolutely LOVED Tracey Lange's debut novel, "We Are the Brennans", so I was eager to read her follow up book. The Connellys were a very relatable bunch, and more layers of their family dynamic were revealed the farther I read. Like peeling an onion, I really enjoyed getting to know each of the unique characters in this story.

From incarceration to mental health issues to physical recovery, each of the Connellys had their own realistic (and often skirted topics in modern fiction) load to bear as they maintained their lives together.

I was rooting for Tara all along, and adored that she was able to find something she truly loved to do for work without her past haunting her. As I got to about 90% in the story, I realized that the book wasn't going to end the way I was hoping. And I was a bit disappointed that it just sort of...cut off. I wanted to keep reading to see how things would end up but it just - stopped. Which is why it lost a star for me :( I appreciate the author wanting to leave the story up to our imaginations but ugh, give me the happy endings!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillian Audio for the opportunity to listen to the audio version of the advanced reader's copy in exchange for my honest review!

Closer to three and a half stars.
I liked this story about three adult siblings trying to figure out how to live together again after one is released from a short stint in prison, but it was a bit predictable and treacly. The ending also seemed quite abrupt; I was listening to the audiobook, waiting for the next chapter to begin when the end credits began.
Thanks to #netgalley and #celadonbooks for this #arc of #theconnellysofcountydown in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you so much for the gifted #ARC! I read “We Are The Brennans” by the same author, and truly loved it. Contemporary drama with splashes of romance. Heartwarming, thoughtful, coming of age, sad, with characters you love and want to see move forward. I adored this. The characters and the plot, I found myself relating to some of the characters and feelings.

Truly a beautiful read. I will forever keep reading anything Connelly writes!

Copied from Goodreads:
I really enjoyed this audiobook. The combination of an excellent narrator and the author’s rich characterization brought the Connellys to life. I immediately guessed the hidden secrets, but that did not detract from the family’s complicated journey.

Many thanks to Macmillan Audio via NetGalley for a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

The Connellys of County Down is a relatable story following the dysfunctional Connelly family navigating through incarceration, grief, and their complicated pasts.

Tara, Geraldine, and Eddie are three siblings who love each other, while not exactly understanding one another's decisions and personalities. They all have their own problems and do their best to get through the rocky roads as a family. I found this story to be incredibly relatable. Every family has its own battles behind closed doors. Our author, Tracey Lange does an amazing job developing each character and how they operate within the family. This book was perfectly crafted and a genuine good read.

3.5 rounded up. The Connellys of County Down is full of family drama between three siblings. The story was a little predictable and the characters were all a little annoying at times. Overall it wasn’t bad and was a good weekend read.

Tara Connelly is released from prison for a cover up drug related crime she committed to keep someone she loves safe. As she starts to rebuild her life, she finds herself falling for the man that arrested her. Living with her brother, sister, and nephew, she is able to find a job, making connections again, working hard not to break parole. What she doesn't realize is that other she loves are also in trouble, and she needs to decide whether she is willing to risk going back to prison to help again.

The audio for this was good and enjoyable!

Overall, I found the story to be kinda bleh. I didn’t love the relationship aspect of this and the characters weren’t the most likable, even though I think they were intended to be.

Book Title: The Connellys of County Down
Author: Tracey Lagne
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Release Day: August 1, 2023
Format: Audio Book
Rating: Story Line 4.5 ⭐️ Narration 5⭐️

Synopsis: When Tara Connelly is released from prison after serving eighteen months on a drug charge, she knows rebuilding her life at thirty years old won’t be easy. With no money and no prospects, she returns home to live with her siblings, who are both busy with their own problems. Her brother, a single dad, struggles with the ongoing effects of a brain injury he sustained years ago, and her sister’s fragile facade of calm and order is cracking under the burden of big secrets. Life becomes even more complicated when the cop who puts her in prison keeps showing up unannounced, leaving Tara to wonder what he wants from her now.

While she works to build a new career and hold her family together, Tara finds a chance at love in a most unlikely place. But when the Connellys’ secrets start to unravel and threaten her future, they all must face their worst fears and come clean or risk losing each other forever.

The Connellys of County Down is a moving novel about testing the bounds of love and loyalty. It explores the possibility of beginning our lives anew and reveals the pitfalls of shielding each other from the bitter truth.

My Thoughts: I absolutely adored this story and truly fell in love with the FMC Tara. This is a heartwarming story of perseverance and full of family drama. The supporting characters have their own secrets that start to unravel in this ponient story of family and the bond of siblings. This had me rooting for Tara within the first chapter.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the advanced audio book edition of this fantastic book.

There's nothing quite like a good family drama, and I thoroughly enjoyed this one.

The Connellys of County Down focuses on three siblings — Tara, Eddie and Geraldine — who essentially had to raise themselves after their mother passed away and their criminal father disappeared. Geraldine, being the oldest, took on the brunt of that work, especially after an accident left her brother Eddie with a head injury. But at the center of this story is their sister, Tara, who just got released from prison after serving an 18-month sentence on a drug trafficking charge.

The story weaves each of their stories - plus some others - as we learn more about Geraldine's anxiety issues and who Tara was really protecting when she went to prison. Plus, Eddie's 10-year-old son Connor shares some truly hilarious jokes to help Tara quit smoking. There's also Brian, the cop that helped put Tara in prison but has regrets.

Overall, I truly enjoyed this audiobook. I couldn't wait to learn more about their family drama and how they were going to band together as a family and get Tara out of her latest pickle.

Thank you to Celadon Books, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an advanced audio copy of this book.

If you like family dramas packed with secrets and lies, this book is right up your alley! It was like watching a train wreck— you immediately suspected what was going on and it was quite emotional watching it all play out. I found it stressful at times, hoping that things wouldn’t happen as I predicted along the way! No spoilers here- you’re best of going into this without any preconceptions. Kudos to the narrator on a job well done. I’m not used to listening to her with an American accent!
*Thanks to MacMillan Audio and NetGalley for this audiobook copy for review.

I tried to love this book. It's well written, and the characters are engaging, but, unfortunately, I just couldn't connect with it. I will still definitely pick up the next novel of Tracey Lange.

I am officially a HUGE fan of Tracey Lange! What a rollercoaster of a family drama!

The Connelley’s of County Down had my heart from the start and I absolutely loved Tara’s character. There are secrets, betrayals and unconditional love that made for the perfect read! This story is told from multiple POV and that is my favorite. There is also layered character development and such rawness and complexity in the characters that is so relatable. I really could not get enough of the Connelley’s. I am really looking forward to reading Lange’s, We are the Brennans too.

Also, I highly recommend the audio. Barrie Kreinik’s narration is stellar and perfectly captivated this amazing family drama!

If you are a fan of redemption and loving but crazy families, read this one NOW!

Thank you @netgalley and @macmillian.audio for the ALC. Thank you @celadonbooks for the early copy

This one came out this week!

4.5 stars

Do you love a good family drama??