I went into this novel fairly blind, only knowing there was a family drama, and it did not disappoint. I found the characters compelling and stubborn, which I sometimes found irritating but came to accept by the end of the novel. I did find the pacing too be off, and because of that, the story seemed to drag on, especially when the author did psychological deep dives into each character. Overall, it was a fine read, but not one I would return to.

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon books for the eARC.

This book.....

The multi POV. The family. The pain. The secrets. The love. The hurt. The town. UGH.

I didn't want it to end. And although I wish I had more closure for them all, I think Burns did a great job giving us an idea of where each of the Joseph's would end up.

Beautiful. What a book.

Very deep, coming of age, character driven writing that explored very intricately a dysfunctional family.

The first half of this novel gripped me and was so enthralled I had a hard time putting it down, that did die down in the second half. The writing breaks up and delivers thorough developments with all of the Joseph family, including five members other than the father Mick, gets a little lengthy at times and was a bit much at times, did some skimming in second half. Had some surprise developments within the relationships that I did not see coming and would have rather a longer prologue about the aftermath than quite so lengthy relationship issues myself and even less about the woe is me from our main fender Marley—hard to describe my exact feelings here but by the end I was over this particular soap box. But to each their own here. Overall I would recommend and very happy for the opportunity to read this novel!

Thanks to Netgalley and Celadon books for my electronic advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Would recommend for fans of…
🏠 We Are The Brennans
🏠 Ask Again, Yes
🏠 The Leftover Woman

I can be really picky about my family dramas — I don’t like stories that are too character driven or run heavy on internal monologues — but throw in some beautiful writing and a dash of mystery and I’m sold!

Mercury combines all of those things into a surprisingly fast read. The story opens with a discovery in the church attic and flashes back to when new girl Marley arrived in town, setting off an unexpected chain of events. I was instantly hooked by her story and connection to all three Joseph brothers — Baylor, Waylon, and Shay — as well as their intimidating matriarch, Elise.

The characters are the bright spot of Mercury. They’re all human and very frustrating at times, but Burns does an excellent job of using POV changes to illustrate that each character’s motivations are rooted in love for the others in their life.

It’s a truly beautiful story and the only drawback is that it ended far too quickly in my opinion. A couple of extra chapters could have provided some additional closure on certain plot lines. But overall, this was a great read!

Mercury is out now. Thanks to Celadon and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

What a thought provoking family drama! I wasn't sure I would like this one, but after rave reviews I decided to check it out and I'm so glad I did! Touching and relatable, this is one you don't want to miss.

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this for my honest review. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
I really enjoyed this book and the journey the author takes us on with this complicated family. Marley is a beautiful person and it was wonderful how she grew into an adult and mother at such a young age while keeping a family together. Highly recommend this book to others.

When I first read the synopsis of Mercury I new it was a book I needed to read. And guess what?! I loved it. It is definitely a top read for me in 2023!

The story takes place in a small town in the US called Mercury in which Marley and her single mother have just moved to. When they arrive in town Marley’s path crosses with the Joseph brothers, Baylor, Waylon and Shay. And by the end of the first day, 18 year old Baylor Joseph brings Marley home to dinner setting fate in motion. The lives of Marley and The Josephs, become intertwined through a marriage and a baby. But it’s not all a bed of roses. The Joseph’s are a family of roofers led by their father Mick, a rather crass, unreliable and eccentric man. The matriarch of the family, Elise tries to maintain order in their chaotic family while the two oldest brothers try to keep the business a success. When Marley joins their family this only adds to the chaos and uncertainty of the family.

I absolutely loved this book. It focuses on family connection, loyalty, love, struggle, dysfunction and a bizarre mystery. The Joseph family is far from perfect and that’s what I loved about this book. Each character was flawed yet perfectly imperfect. The family was complicated and dysfunctional but also there was love. I felt like I could connect and relate to the characters, in particular Marley. I really enjoy a good fiction book that focuses on family relationships, dynamics and dysfunction. Mercury was full of all that and more.

This is my first time reading a book by Amy Jo Burns and I have to say I connected to her writing style. It was refreshingly transparent and raw and had me feeling all kinds of feels.

Speaking of feels, Mercury reminded me of two of my favourite books; The People We Keep by Allison Larkin and We Are The Brennans by Tracey Lange. I don’t mean to say that the plots were similar, yes all three books deal with family and drama, but it is more how the books made me feel. Highs and lows, love and anger, despair and happiness. My feelings were all over the map. Which to me is the sign of a good writer and a great book. A definite 5 star book.

Thank you Celadon Books, Netgalley and Amy Jo Burns for my arc of Mercury in exchange for my unbiased review.

Pub Date: January 2, 2024

Superb character building and layered family dynamic. One of the bests even.
10/10 for how all of the Josephs were fleshed out. There were both things to hate and love about each of them.
Great read to reckon the unrecognized and free care labor these women provide for their family.

Thank you to MacMillan for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review! Mercury is the story of Marley, new to Pennsylvania, and her life as a new member of the Joseph family. As soon as she moves to the town, her life begins to revolve around the dysfunctional Josephs - first Elise, then Baylor, then Waylon and Shay. When a secret is uncovered in the church attic early in the book, the story almost back tracks to take us through the story of how it got there.

At first, I wasn't sure I liked the writing as there was a lot of (what I would call) explaining instead of dialogue. Within a few pages, it resolved itself and I found the writing quite gripping.

It's character-driven, its dramatic, it explores dysfunctional families working together and falling apart, its well written, and it kept me captivated until the very end.

Marley and her mother breeze into Mercury, where Marley catches the eye of Baylor Joseph, who is the oldest son of the town’s roofer Mick and his wife Elise. She also ends up catching the eye of the middle son, Waylon, and finds herself entering into a family dynamic when she unexpectedly becomes pregnant at 18.

I did not expect to love this book as much as I did. Holy cannoli. I loved how it was told in parts. I loved the family dynamic. I loved Marley and how flawed she was. I loved the found family turned family. I cried at the end. Family drama stories always get me. But this one.. there were a couple of poignant quotes. I saved them in my Kindle:

“Do you think it’s possible to spend your life loving the wrong people?”
“I think it’s more likely that we love the right people in the wrong way”
“Loving someone isn’t a sin, no matter who it is.”

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I had a little trouble starting out with this one the voice was a little spare a little rough and not that descriptive, but soon I found my rhythm with it and became a part of mercury, of the Joseph family. It's not a plot driven book but it has good pacing where some books might be slow. The characters are flawed but they are characters you root for and who make you proud. A nice family saga I could see this book being made into a TV series that captivates in the way of six feet under, parenthood, this is us.

I was gifted a complimentary copy for review, all opinions are my own. Thank you netgalley and the publisher!

I really enjoyed this book, and having graduated high school in 1992, I really enjoyed the references to the 90’s. Great family drama, and mystery thrown in! Highly recommend!! 4 stars!!

There’s something alluring about this book that caught my attention from page one. Mercury is a character driven family saga weaving snippets from the past and present into the expertly woven story of the Joseph family.

It starts off closer to present day with a mystery corpse found in the attic of the town’s church. The story quickly changes direction as the reader is thrust back in time to how the Joseph family began before finally returning to the mysterious corpse and it’s unexpected demise.

Marley arrives in Mercury along with her mother, Ruth, and immediately is introduced to Elise Joseph, her husband and their sons. The complicated relationships between all members of the Joseph family suddenly emerge. Along the way, family secrets are unraveled and each member of the Joseph family struggles with the family obligations they are destined for and the deep longing to pave their individual paths.

It was hard not to warm up to each character despite their flaws. I enjoyed every character and the message they each told.

Thank you to NetGalley, Celadon Books and the author, Amy Jo Burns.

More literary than mysterious, but I still really enjoyed this one! Characters were well developed and this was a great family drama.

As a Celadon Reader, I was so happy to receive an arc of Mercury especially after I saw some rave reviews! And I loved it! It’s a character driven book with characters who you will get to know intimately and despite their faults and imperfections, they will touch your heart.
Joseph and Sons is more than just a roofing company. To the Joseph family, it's their identity, their lifeline and their purpose. The three sons think they know their place in the business and family, until Marley comes into town and catches the attention, and soon becomes part of, the whole family. Family drama and secrets threaten to break the family apart and destroy each of them individually. They are each only trying to find their purpose and their place, wanting to love and be loved.
And, understandably some might say the undercurrent of the book is sad, it’s also a beautiful story of found family, acceptance, survival and strength. Bravo to the author for introducing such faulted characters but bringing them to life in a way that you will still care for them, root for them and even love them.
I absolutely loved this book and can’t wait to read more by this author!
Thank you so much NetGalley and Celadon Books for gifting me this ebook!

The Josephs are well known in town of Mercury as they have a busy roofing business, Elise, the mom, is a pillar of the church and community, and the boys are popular athletes in school. In the 90’s, Marley and her mom move to Mercury. Marley begins to date one of the Joseph sons and soon becomes a part of their family. Fast forward to about 10 years later and some of the family secrets are exposed. I enjoyed the writing style and getting to know each character. I feel like in some books, the more you know the character, the more you don’t like them, whereas in Mercury, even the problematic characters have redeeming qualities or at least an explanation for who they became. I loved the story, the small town setting, and especially the time period as I was also in high school in the 90’s. Definitely recommend! Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon for the ARC!

Amy Jo Burns does it again with this beautiful story of found family and broken dreams. The small-town setting was perfect for this family saga. I found myself left with so many thoughts about the family you're born with and the family you create, particularly with Marley.


This was a truly extraordinary read. Thanks to Celadon, the author, and NetGalley for my advance digital copy!

"Head on straight, heart on straight."

Mercury is a character-driven drama about love, marriage, and the complicated relationships that make a family.

When 17-year-old Marley moves to the small Western Pennsylvania town of Mercury, she is enamored with the Joseph family. Soon, she is married and pregnant and holding up the family she once admired from afar. The burden is deep, and the secrets she holds are even deeper.

Marly is the primary character, but the Joseph brothers play large roles, and Marley's mother-in-law's story is constant. I didn’t love Marley’s character, but I felt like I should have. I was drawn to Baylor, Marley’s brother-in-law, and Elise, Marley’s mother-in-law. Their stories were fragile and complex. While I didn't love or even like the characters, I kept thinking about them.

The Josephs are a family of roofers, and Burns shares her family's connection to this element of the novel, which was a lot more interesting than I anticipated.

Amy Jo Burns writes with a sense of sadness, a quiet whimsy, and strength. She captures the essence of a family on the verge of crumbling at any moment. This is as much a story about family as it is about the women who hold families together.

Mercury is one of those books that I really liked but didn’t love. Burns keeps the characters at a distance, making it hard to connect. On the other hand, the atmosphere and her writing called me back in.

I love stories about imperfect families and Mercury is no exception. All the Josephs has flaws and when Marley arrives in town, she upsets the status quo they had been living in. Secrets are revealed through the span of several decades, moving between the present, the past and into the future. The cracks widen and threaten to split the family apart. I wouldn’t say it has a happy ending, but it wraps up with the Josephs learning what it truly means to be a family.

“It’s 1990 and seventeen-year-old Marley West is blazing into the river valley town of Mercury, Pennsylvania. A perpetual loner, she seeks a place at someone’s table and a family of her own. The Joseph brothers become Marley’s whole world and soon bonds of loyalty will be tested when they uncover a long-hidden secret at the heart of their blue-collar town.”

This one started out a little slow, but halfway through, some things were finally revealed and that certainly helped quicken the pace.

Normally I would fall head over heels for a beautifully written, character-driven family drama. And while I very much enjoyed and appreciated “Mercury”, I never had a strong desire to pick it up. Other reviews stated you would fall in love with the Joseph family, but I found that to be a difficult task. There was just too much toxicity and family secrets, in my humble opinion. Quite frankly, they annoyed me most of the time and I had a hard time believing Marley would still be so drawn to this dysfunctional family after years of being stuck on their merry-go-round. However, there is no denying there is a great story here and my patience paid off with an overall rewarding read. This would be an excellent book club selection to discuss with friends!

Thank you to Netgalley and Celadon Books for this advanced copy!