From the first page I was immersed in this story. This is my first novel by Amy Joe Burns so I wasn't sure what to expect, what I got was an exceptional character driven master class in family dysfunction. I enjoyed that each character got time to shine, sometimes a small study, sometimes it was a bit deeper, but as a result I had a great understanding of each family member. I loved getting to spend with the Joseph family!

I am not usually a fan of literary fiction that is so character driven. I usually feel like the book just goes on and on. Yet, I couldn’t put this book down! What a great story about the Joseph family. I loved every second of their story!

I loved the concept, and normally enjoy a slow moving, character focused, family drama but this one just was just okay for me. I don’t think the love story was that compelling in the beginning so it was hard to stay invested for the duration. The characters weren’t that likable or developed. The perspective shift felt abrupt. Overall I think the story just needed more.

"Show me your worst thing. I promise I won't look away"

I honestly could not put this book down, maybe it was the family drama that had me hooked, maybe it was to see what really happened in the church attic, or maybe it was to see if Marley and Way made it through all the chaos stronger than ever. This story is about family, the good, the bad and the uncertain.

The only real issue I found while reading was her description of Way's car, the used red Chevy Citation. The author claimed that it wasn't suitable for a child. To which, I turned to my all car knowing husband and he said, "it was that years version of today's SUV, it would have been suitable for children."

The characters were well developed, the story line strong. I was just a bit confused to way no mention of what took place in the attic until you got through 80% of the book.

Thank you Netgalley and Celadon books for giving me the opportunity to read Mercury. #Mercury #NetGalley

This ended up as a DNF for me. I made it to 60% and just couldn’t do it. I found each character so unlikable (maybe Shay, Jade, and Ruth get a pass) that I truly didn’t care about any of them and that can be hard when reading a character driven novel.

I gave up trying to understand Marley and how she virtually elbowed her way into the Joseph family only to complain about all of them and how dysfunctional they were. Her making decisions for said family that she had no right to be making sent me over the edge. Imagine some teenage bride coming in thinking she has the right to pull a kid out of school without consulting the parents?! There would be hell to pay.

While Mick and Elise had problems, up until when I stopped reading, it never really got into the meat of what those issues were and for Marley to roll up and act like she owned the place because the parents weren’t cutting the mustard (to her) made me crazy. I think for me the plausibility was missing for a lot of the storyline.

The author is good at her craft but this one a huge miss for me. Thanks for the opportunity!

At first I felt overwhelmed by the three Joseph brothers with rhyming names, but I quickly was able to identify them and I fell in love with the story of this family and how Marley became intertwined with them all. I did feel that it was a little all over the place, especially the “bookend boys” section, but overall it was a beautiful story and I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone that is on the fence about reading it.

As someone who grew up in a small town in the Midwest this story resonated with me. Just the pure understanding of small town life. It beautifully painted the picture of how a family can suffer alone, even when the outside seems to look okay.

Definitely a thought provoking read.

Another book demonstrating how complicated families can be. This one focuses on the Joseph family, which includes a PTSD-suffering father, a withholding mother, and three brothers, all of whom struggle with their place in the group. The brothers all find their lives drastically affected when a new girl moves into their tiny town.
Even though it was a little slower paced, I found the story and characters engaging.
Thanks to #netgalley and #celadonbooks for this #arc of #mercury by #amyjoburns in exchange for an honest review.

4 stars out of 5.

I really enjoyed reading this book, it is a bit different than what I usually read. I was hoping for more of a murder mystery in the book but overall I think it was well written. It was a really slow burn about a dysfunctional family and all the secrets they each held. I really liked Marley and Elise and I wish the book had more background about Elise. If you are looking for an complex family drama this book is for you!

In the book, Marley and her mother roll into the small town of Mercury. Marley ends up getting involved with the Joseph family who are dysfunctional. The Josephs's also run a local roofing business. The book explores her relationship with the family and we get to follow along and see all their secrets and there is a big one!

Thank you Netgalley and Celadon Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is a family drama set in small-town western Pennsylvania, not far from where I grew up.

“Mercury” is the name of the small river valley Pennsylvania town where 17-year-old Marley West soon finds herself tangled up with the Joseph family - patriarch Mick Joseph, wife Elise and their three sons, Baylor, Waylon and Shay. Their livelihood is their roofing business, Joseph and Sons.

Marley, soon married to one of the brothers, becomes a central figure in the family as the business struggles and Elise battles dementia. Years after Marley arrives, someone stumbles upon something in a church attic that threatens to blow open all of the family’s secrets.

The twists in this book are so dramatic yet believable. But the best part for me is how aptly Amy Jo Burns captures life in small-town Pennsylvania and the chilling accuracy of what it means to be a woman in a universe of men. She shows both Marley and Elise shaping themselves around the men in their lives. It is 100% accurate to the expectations that still exist in a lot of families in rural western Pennsylvania. I’ve not seen the area so well described since Tawni O’Dell’s “Back Roads.” I immediately put Burns’ memoir on hold at the library. But you don’t need to be from western Pa to appreciate this book! Its themes are true the world over.

When I first picked this one up, I wasn’t sure what to expect. It was a slow burn and I found myself a little bored with the family dynamics but I did muddle through. I do see it did get a lot of great reviews. I just thought it was ok. I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher for this release even though it is already out in publication.

4.5 stars rounded up. I have been on a roll with great reads for 2024, and this book carries it on! Mercury is an engrossing read that is part family drama, part coming of age that shows how secrets and untold truths can impact everyone in a family. The author wrote this character driven novel in a way I connected to all of the characters and their situations. The book was extremely well written, and honestly loved it even more than I was expecting.

The publisher’s summary teases a big secret but to me, this book is so much more and complex than that. This book alternates between the main characters' points of view but the view changes at really strategic times. For example, I might think one thing about a character for most of the book, but when the point of view changes I see things completely differently. The book was captivating all the way through, but it really shined with probably the last 50 - 75 pages with a strong ending. I binged this book over 2 days.

Thank you to Celadon Books, Amy Jo Burns, and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

💗💗
This book has my whole heart !
Mercury is a coming of age novel that introduces us to inside look at The Joseph family in the little town of Mercury that sets eyes on the young resilient and charming Marley.

"Sins are like butterflies" . Shay kept his cool. "They all began as something else"

This family saga will suck you in as you fall in love with the Joseph brothers Waylon, Baylor and Shay all who have a profound love for Marley and a mother in-law that envies her.
Marley is strong, smart , has a natural business savvy and ...shes pregnant.

Having to make choices for your future at a young age can make or break your future and who you are . There is ups and downs and we learn of the bond these brothers have no matter how much they pain one another .

I was enamored by this tale and admired watching Marley grow into such a bright wise woman , she grew on me so much and I found her character so relatable.

Mercury has family saga , mystery , romance ,finding your voice and the meaning of family !

Such a beautifully written novel and I am truly thankful to Netgally , Celadon Books and Amy Jo Burns for this digital copy.... I leave you with this quote that has still stuck with me :

"What do I always say?" Ruth asked , holding her close .
Head on straight , heart on straight.
As she drove away with her mother shrinking in the rearview mirror, Marley understood a bit more of what motherhood meant, this continual opening of every door for children to pass through, stay a while , leave , and return.

I think fans of Reminders of Him, Regretting You, The Connellys of County Down and Before I Let Go will devour this book!!

This is an extremely well-written book about a dysfunctional family and the crises and secrets each family member endures.

Those who love family drama and character-driven stories will love this one. While this book had elements of my favorite books, it had too little plot for my taste, which made reading tough to push through at times.

It’s 1990 and Marley moves to a new small town called Mercury. She gets involved with a local family in the roofing business and wants to belong to this family. They are a very disfunctional group, with many quirks and secrets, including a big one that shocks the town.

I really enjoyed this character driven family drama. We come to know Marley and the Joseph family living in small town USA. The Joseph family is a well known family in Mercury while Marley is the newcomer. I really enjoyed reading about the family and the women in the book, Elise and Marley were my favorite characters. I will definitely read more from Amy Jo Burns. Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for the ARC.

I enjoyed the characters, and the author does a better job navigating timelines than others. I’m not sure I fully bought into the romanticized life on the roof. That said, I love a good family drama, and boy do the Josephs deliver!

This book got my year off to a spectacular start. When teenage Marley and her mom arrive in town ready to start anew, they become acutely aware of the Joseph family 3 brother, and their parents, all incredibly damaged people in their own way, The writing was such that I felt any of the characters could walk into my front door and zi would know them. But was the damaged inflicted on them or did they bring it on themselves? This book would be a great book club book. 📕

Short synopsis: At the age of 17 Markey moves to the small town of Mercury and meets the Joseph family, falling quickly for Waylon. Now, a body is found in the attic of the church.

My thoughts: Such a great family drama with well developed characters with completely relatable stories. This is a story of family, loyalty, work, and ultimately love.

I completely binged this one, I couldn’t help but immerse myself in the life of Marley and root for her growth. I really enjoyed the different relationships she forged with each person in the Josephs family.

The family as a whole was so flawed and complicated, starving for attention and love, but not quite sure how to show it or ask for it. I was completely enamored with the small roofing business and watching how each character worked to better (or diminish) it.

Read if you love:
- Complex family stories
- Slow burn
- Mystery
- Small businesses
- Character driven stories

This was a family drama that was very slow going. I thought the story would revolve around the mystery found in the attic, but instead it was a hodge podge of love and money issues. I skimmed the second half of the book because it was very repetitious. Maybe this book didn't work for me because I was looking for a darker story to go along with the long-hidden secret.