I loved this book so much! I didn't know much about it when starting, and was surprised how much I loved the characters and the unique family dynamics.

As a teenager, Marley moves to Mercury - a small town where her mom has just gotten a job. Very quickly she starts dating one of the Joseph brothers, and just as quickly a different one. As time goes on Marley becomes a close part of the Joseph family, and means something different to each of the three Joseph brothers and their parents.

I could not put this book down -- the way that it's written I just had to find out what was going to happen. The book starts with a dramatic event, and then goes back in time to lead up to that event.

I loved Marley, and I loved Shay -- both such good characters who are truly trying their best but things don't always go their way. I loved seeing their growth, and seeing them become adults.

I loved all the descriptions of Mercury. I could picture the Great House, Jade's salon, the church -- all of it was so vivid. I loved all the dynamics between the brothers and between them and Marley.

Parts of this book are so sad, I felt completely heartbroken at times -- always the sign of a good book if it can impact me that much.

I would recommend this book to anyone -- especially if you love messy family dynamics and small-town workings. I look forward to reading Amy Jo Burns's backlist and cannot wait to see what she writes next!

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book!

Good stories arrive like a whisper, and linger. You long to share the moments that reveal each characters flaws, depth , true meaning to the storyline. Mercury like its title character Marley, entangles and moves with an ease and swiftness through your heart to unleash emotions that leak like the roofs that Joseph and Sons mend and repair. Marley comes to town, knows that her time her is determined by a mom who moves around the country as their fortunes dictate. Here in this space she finds one Joseph brother, only to marry another, and be captivated by the mother,Elise that has managed this family of men and bound them to a town that depends and defends their father. It is Mick that set the pattern that holds these men to this place, and each son must find their own moment of liberation. Happy reading

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in return for an honest review.

At first I absolutely felt this could be one of the best books I had read in a long time. Marley moves to Mercury with her mother when she is about 17 years old. She is smart, independent, and attractive it seems. She immediately gets swept up into the Joseph family, who have three sons - Baylor, Waylon, and Shay - aka Bay, Way, and Shay. Baylor and Marley date kind of for a bit, but then Waylon and Marley fall in love. This book tells the story of Marley's relationship with all three boys, their mother Elise and their father Mick. The first half of this book read quickly for me and I loved learning about the family and their relationships. However, the second half of the book felt repetitive to me, sharing things we already knew from a different character's perspective, and it got boring for me and almost turned into a slog to finish the last 25% of the book.

The writing is good, the character growth is definitely there. All of the characters feel unique and fully formed. And the 1990's setting worked for me too. I thought this was a unique story and not like much I had read previously, but wish it hadn't dragged in the latter part of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Amy Jo Burns, and Macmillan Publishing for this digital ARC. I wasn’t sure what to expect with this novel. Reading the synopsis on the back, I was intrigued to see how this plot would play out. I loved the characters and enjoyed the family business dynamic. I wish there were some clear answers from this quirky thriller. I feel like it’s not finished yet and felt like it was climaxing and then just plateaued. I may try one of her books in the future, but won’t be jumping at the seems. :/

I absolutely savored this book and didn't want it to end. The moment we meet Marley as she rolls into the rural Western Pennsylvania
town of Mercury I'm hooked just as she is once she says the Joseph boys up on that roof. I was enchanted and consumed by this story. I loved getting to know all of these complex characters as the secrets they hoped stayed hidden came bubbling to the surface as the pages turned. I loved how the layers of the characters richly built up as their vulnerability ripped away. Each character was so flawed yet so beautiful. This book, while it was a slow burn, really took its time in getting the reader to fall madly in love with even the not so likeable characters. I can't say enough good things about this - I even purchased a hard copy so I can lend out and keep in my forever library. Fans of Mary Beth Keene or readers who love rich and velvety character driven fiction will love this. If you're looking for fast paced action, this isn't it. I'm totally book hungover and flat out miss those characters now that I've turned the final page. Great read!!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read in exchange for my honest review

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5. Mercury by Amy Jo Burns. Marley arrives in Mercury, a small suburb of Pittsburgh, in 1990. She becomes enmeshed with the Joseph family right away. Mom is Elice, and she’s married to the difficult Mick. Their three boys are Baylor, Waylon and Shay. Marley takes up with Baylor, but she ends up with Waylon. What she’s really in love with is the idea of a family. Marley’s mom is single, and they moved all over as she finds jobs then loses them. Marley helps the Joseph family with their roofing business, and life seems settled if not as idyllic as Marley envisioned. Then a long buried secret surfaces, and the family struggles to keep it all together. This book delves into the dynamics of a family & I really enjoyed it. Thumbs up! #bookstagram #netgalley #mercury #whatiread #bookgram #books #reading #bookworm #goodreads #libbyapp #amyjoburns

I love books that explore family dynamics and Mercury was a true gem. I connected with the characters right away and was truly invested in their story from start to finish. A 2023 favorite for me and I can't wait to read more from Amy Jo Burns.

A story full of characters you will love and family dynamics that will entrap you, this book was so well developed but written so simply. I loved the different perspectives we saw - from outsiders and insiders. I truly can't wait to read other books by this author, as i enjoyed the writing style so much!

My take: 3.5 out of 5. Repeating parental actions and mistakes is an epidemic in this book. An exercise in the futility of our every day lives, and how intergenerational patters and mistakes can continue and how empowering it is to let go of those. Its a good book and it definitely is a very well written book it just needed a bit more action. I appreciated the character development it was just a tad boring at times. Bonus points (and it raised itself to 3.5 from a 3) for the good ending, I was very satisfied by it. “men do things and women apologize for it”

Why did I choose it: It was in a lot of lists of books to look forward in 2024. It was also a Book of the Month option, and although I did not pick that one it intrigued me enough to ask for an ARC and I got it!. It also got described as a type of Hello Beautiful but with men (let me assure you it is not, Hello Beautiful was one of my favorite books, this is not to that level for me)

Read this if you like(d): Family dramas, small town stories. This feels very art house movie like.

I had such a hard time getting into this book. I love small towns, I love drama. But I couldn't keep track of anyone or anything. I blame this as a ME problem, not the author.

I really wanted to love this one but as I kept reading the more I kept wondering when it would get to the point.

I loved this one. Gut punches and all. Loved the people in it, their tenacity, the storylines.

Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed Shiner by Amy Jo Burns, so I was super excited to see she had a new one coming out.
Mercury is *so* excellent and did not in any way disappoint. I loved it!! It hits all the notes of good complicated family stories and literary fiction that keep me coming back to these genres time and again.

I love Marley and was rooting for her the entire time. And I really appreciated getting to see the family relationships mature/change/develop over time, and also how we got to see some of the same events through the different brother's eyes. This book made me feel all the feels.

I appreciated that just like in life, people are messy and broken, but there is love to be had in the midst of it. Some parts of the story ended happily, while some are not tied up with a bow.

Also, the roofing family business totally made me think of Wally Lamb's "I know This Much Is True", which I was not at all mad about.

Well written, well worth my time.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

There's something about a family drama set in the 1990s that I will always relate to. The characters felt real, the drama and situations high stakes, and the character development was great.

Thank you NetGalley and Celadon Books for a copy of Mercury in exchange for an honest review.

Mercury is an interesting literary fiction following the lives of the Joseph family and a new-to-town girl, Marley. The story starts out with a body being found in the attic of a church, but that is only a small part of a greater story being told.

Mack Joseph came back from Vietnam much like many soldiers, broken both mentally and emotionally. His wife, Elise, was left to mend their relationship while also raising 3 boys. By the time Marley comes around, the Baylor and Waylon are in high school, while younger brother Shay tags along on roofing jobs for the family business, Joseph and Sons.

While I imagine many can relate to the mental and emotional abuse they were put through as children of a parent who fought in a war (before PTSD was recognized and helped), the story of Elise Joseph and her own struggles really stood out for me. I know the main storyline involves Marley and Waylon, but I found the plot of Elise and how she struggled and fought to keep a family together so beautiful.


Overall, I would give this books 3.5 stars. While I did enjoy most of the book, I did find myself getting a bit bored in the middle and hoping to “get to the point” and find out more about the body that was found.

This book will tug at your heartstrings and also keep you reading to figure out just what they're hiding! Coming of age drama. I will say that it felt fractured and that it could use some editing in areas. Overall 3.5

Will family loyalty and appearances become tarnished by a deep, dark secret?

I thoroughly enjoyed this enticing story based in a small Pennsylvania town. We meet Elise and Mick Joseph, and their three sons, as well as Marley West and her mom, Ruth. As Marley becomes more a part of the integral threads that bind the Joseph family together, we see her grow into strength and perseverance in such a relatable way. She battles insecurities, learning to be a mother to both her own as well as learning to mother the family, trying to tame a strong (and over inflated) ego and save face for the family. These dynamics are both relatable and concerning, but told in such a compelling way it was hard to put it down!

This book was deep. I had never read this author before, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. What I got was a complex study of a dysfunctional family dynamic, and a very character driven story. I was entranced in this story for some reason. I wanted to know what happened to each and every character. Why they acted the way they did, and how each person became that way. The author, Amy Jo Burns, delivered on all accounts.

This story starts off with a young teenage Marley moving into the town of Mercury, with her mother Ruth. Marley right away becomes involved with Baylor Joseph, which gets her a seat at the Joseph family table for dinner each night. The Joseph family consists of three brothers- Baylor, Waylon, and Shay. The Joseph parents are Mick and Elise. The Joseph men own their own roofing company, and Elise tries to uphold the family name.

As the story progresses, we learn of the many secrets the Joseph family is hiding. We see how Marley has made herself a part of the Joseph family as well, even though Elise may have never really liked her. Did Marley choose the wrong or right brother in the end? Was Marley more of a mother to Shay than Elise could ever be? And why do the Joseph men always stick up for each other?

This book was gritty and raw. The characters kept me captivated from the first page all the way through until the last page. If you enjoy highly developed, character-driven stories- then this is the book for you! I highly recommend this story, and I will be looking for other reads from this author going forward.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy!

3 stars

This was just ok. A coming of age family drama that had a decent plot but could use some editing. I found myself losing interest as I trudged through the writing.

"Mercury" by Amy Jo Burns takes us on a nostalgic journey to a small Pennsylvania town, where secrets simmer beneath the surface and friendships are tested by the weight of the past.

The book shines in its portrayal of complex characters and the dynamics of family.

While "Mercury" is rich in atmosphere and emotion, some readers might find the pacing a bit slow, and certain plot points could use more fleshing out. The back-and-forth between past and present is a tad disorienting at times.

While it may not be the most gripping read, it offers moments of insight and reflection with its lyrical prose and poignant exploration of identity and belonging. I'd give it a solid 3.25/5 stars.