I enjoyed reading this book. This is my first book by this author which I enjoyed their writing skills and look forward to seeing what is next for them. I found this book to be well written and hard to put down. A fast paced story about a young girl looking for a family to be apart of. What she finds is three brothers, one she marries the other two she becomes mother figure to them all. What will happen when secrets are found and a family's survival is hanging in the balance? You don't want to miss what happens with this family. I enjoyed how the author used details to pull me into the story from the start. They are connectable and kept me coming back for more. I enjoyed watching their growth throughout the story which made the story easy to read. This is an entertaining story that takes you on an emotional roller coaster ride and one that adds so much entertainment. I really enjoyed reading this book. I highly recommend this must read story.

Part family drama, part coming of Age. The family members (both by choice and by birth) grow and develop through the book. I felt like I wanted to know them more after this. The story does a great job at depicting how different people can see the same situation differently and just because you think you know how someone is thinking or feeling, there may very well be something more going on.
Without giving spoilers, my favorite parts where when we discovered at different stages what different characters had thought through different times. I like that some of this came as "little surprises" later.
Everyone has their secrets and sometimes people are holding the same secret and don't even realize it. What secrets are we willing to keep to protect those we care about?
This is a book that I believe will stick with me and I will remember the Joseph family. That's how I know this was a good book. I tend to forget a lot of what I read and this is one that I think I'll remember when looking back.

Mercury by Amy Jo Burns ⭐

I just finished my first book of 2024 and I'm already regretting my new year's resolution to finish all of the advance copies I get approved for. What I really need to do is be more choosy about which books I request. I've said this before: I wish there were previews for all these books on NetGalley.

I fell for the cover on this one, and it did sound like it could be a good story – “a roofing family’s bonds of loyalty are tested when they uncover a long-hidden secret at the heart of their blue-collar town” – but the writing was not remarkable.

Mercury is excruciating. It reads like a plot summary. This book was a slog, and here's why:

1. It’s not believable. For example, everyone is supposedly scared of Mick but he doesn’t do anything to prompt it. Whenever anyone confronts him he just sulks. His son tells him to “suck it up, Buttercup” and his wife hisses “Mick, don’t you dare!” and he does – nothing! So scary! And he’s supposedly so terrible because he never does the dishes, but the first time they ask him to he just gets up and does them. I think Mick got a really raw deal in this novel.

2. All of the important events happen off-page.

3. Irrelevant details (I don't care what colour her slacks are when she's in the middle of a big conflict.)

4. Too much backstory-dumping.

5. Too much explaining and philosophical pondering by the narrator about all of the characters' motives and “sudden realizations”.

6. Repeating a scene from several points of view

7. Clichés and platitudes

8. Too many words. So many unnecessary words. It was like reading bad poetry. Read the description below of Baylor getting a haircut. If the writing style appeals to you, then you might love this book.

“His hair fell far past his ears now, gathering along his nape, and as Jade massaged the hair on the back of his neck, Baylor had to keep himself from sighing. He had known privilege in his life, but not much kindness such as this. He opened an eye to peer at Jade as she rinsed. She was so focused, so intent, so skilled at her job that Baylor could not tell whether all her clients experienced this euphoria. It made him wonder about his own faulty notions of men’s and women’s work—one defying danger, the other providing refuge. With Jade at the helm, Baylor no longer knew which was which, or why it had mattered at all.”

It didn’t work for me.

I had both the audio and ebook of this one, and enjoyed both.

This takes place in a small blue collar Pennsylvania town.

The Joseph family is definitely dysfunctional. Each family member has their own issues, secrets and burdens to bear.

When Marley moves to town with her single mom, one of many many moves in her life, she finds herself being swept up into the Joseph family. She builds different relationships with each of the three Joseph brothers - Bay, Way & Shay. She finds herself first drawn to Way, then Bay, and then torn between them. The decision ends up being sort of made for her. But is it the right one?

She also forms a bond with Elise, the Joseph mom. It has ups and downs through the years. As Elise drifts and struggles, Marley becomes like a mother to the youngest brother, Shay.

This family struggles through the years, and I felt Marley was really the glue that kept them together.

The Josephs are a family comprised of deep, complicated characters and it made for a great story. There was a little mystery thrown in there as well.

I enjoyed the narration on the audio and felt it gave depth to the storyline.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Celadon Books and MacMillan Audio for both an ARC and ALC in exchange for my honest review.

Wow, first book of the year is coming in hot with 5 stars! I will admit that this book started off a little slow and didn’t initially capture my interest - but please do not let that deceive you because this book is PHENOMENAL. You will have no choice but to fall in love with this messy, tumultuous, family who is all heart.
I always thought I was strictly a thriller lover, but I have found that most of the books that I score 5 stars are the ones that tug at my heartstrings, whether that be relationships, friendships, or family dynamics. And let me tell you, heartstrings were tugged, if not completely ripped apart.
If you have not picked up Mercury by Amy Jo Burns, please do yourself a favor and purchase it immediately.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Celadon Books for gifting me an arc so that I could devour and fall in deep deep love with this book.

MERCURY ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5. In 1990, Marley and her mother move to the town of Mercury, PA. When she meets the Joseph family that owns the local roofing company, her entire life’s trajectory is forever changed and blended into them. Years later, when a body shows up, how are they all involved? A very heavy, character drive book. I truly enjoyed it, although some may feel it’s slow if you don’t want to stop and smell the roses. This is a book where the last page makes you see the appreciation of the novel more. A good way to start off 2024!

I LOVED this book! If you love character driven stories that take their time to be told, stellar writing with sentence after sentence worth highlighting, you'll adore Mercury. This is the first book I've read by Amy Jo Burns, so I wasn't sure what to expect, and sure didn't expect to be blown away on so many levels. Burns has given us a deep look at characters to fall in love with, a family riddled with problems, set in a small town with everything that comes with it, takes hold of reader's hearts and doesn't let go. 5/5 stars. Many thanks to NetGalley and Celadon Books for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this amazing book.

When seventeen-year-old Marley moves to the small rust belt town of Mercury, Pennsylvania in 1990 she soon becomes part of the Joseph family for better or worse. Marley, an only child of a single mother, is enamored with the Josephs, a roofing family with three sons, she begins joining the family for dinner and eventually ends up dating one brother, marrying the other, and becoming something of a surrogate mother to the third. Years on a discovery in the church attic will test the bonds of this family like never before.

Mercury is a small town family saga full of complex relationships, secrets, loyalty, perception, roles, and expectations, those prescribed by others and ourselves; it's a story of the complicated web of family dynamics, dynamics which both shape us and are shaped by us. I just loved this story and truly fell in love with the characters as the story unfolded. It's told in a way that allows the reader to know several of the characters both as others perceive them and then it shifts allowing a more intimate perspective as to how they see themselves. There's love, mystery, coming-of-age, trauma, and quite a bit of reflection on women's roles in family. Really a lot to chew on and appreciate.

Recommended for fans of Hello Beautiful.

I liked this - definitely a slower character driven story but overall very good. I think I thought the ending would be a little more profound, but for the most part, I enjoyed how it all wrapped up. Would recommend to fans of literary fiction and more character-focused novels. 3.5-4 stars

Thank you NetGalley.
Family saga, a mystery, great writing and so much more. Loved this book. Highly recommend.

Family drama at its finest in this small town story set in the 1990s — When Marley arrives in Mercury as a teenager, she sees the silhouettes of 3 men on a roof and unbeknownst to her, she will quickly become an integral part of their life and their family. ⁣
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The story follows Marley and the Joseph brothers — Baylor, Waylon and Shay — over several years, along with their parents, Mick and Elise. When a secret in the church attic is revealed years later, it may be enough to bring the Joseph family and all they’ve built, down, permanently. ⁣
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Mercury had great character depth and while I didn’t always like each character, I loved how authentic they felt. I couldn’t get enough of this story — 4.5 stars

Thank you so much to @netgalley @celadonbooks and @macmillian.audio for the ARC and ALC!

🔹 𝙈𝙮 𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 🔹
This character-driven story about a tight-knit dysfunctional family in the small town of Mercury, Pennsylvania was a nice change of pace to start of my 2024 reads.

This story begins in 1990 with Marley and her mother moving to the small town of Mercury, Pennsylvania. Almost immediately, Marley meets the Joseph brothers and desires to be a part of their family and unique little circle. Marley soon becomes an official part of the family as a young wife to one Joseph brother, the one who got away to another brother, and an adopted mother to all of them.

This story goes back and forth in time a little bit as pivotal pieces of the story are uncovered, and different perspectives are shown. This book really is one you could sit and analyze all the different characters, their personalities, and where they fit in with the family. I enjoy seeing the complexities of a characters personality shown in the writing.

At the end, I was left wondering what more would happen to the family in the future, after the story in the book ended.

🎧 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚:
🔹 Character-Driven Narrative
🔹 Dysfunctional Families
🔹 Small Town Drama
🔹 Well-Developed Characters
🔹 Multiple Timelines

If you are someone who feels like they are “failing” when Goodreads continually reminds you throughout the year you are behind in your reading challenge, I highly encourage you to follow my lead and “challenge” yourself to only one book. And if you do so, maybe you kind of guaranty yourself the first thing you pick up in the new year is going to be a winner as well ; )

I really dug Shiner by Amy Jo Burns so when I saw someone I follow on The ‘Gram post about this release I immediately went to the library to put a copy on hold. But typical me, my holds were at max capacity. I took a gamble and headed to NetGalley thinking I had a snowball’s chance, but turns out this was still a Read Now so I snatched it up quick without needing to know anything about it first. I figured if I liked Burns once, there was a good chance I’d like her again.

Turns out I didn’t just like this one – I looooooooved it. At its heart Mercury is a story about the Joseph family (and y’all know how much I dig family stories – truly they are my #1 genre). To make things even better . . .

“They found a body up in the church attic.”

Family drama with a side of murder? Ummmmm, yes please. This came out yesterday and if you like the stuff I like and know how stingy I am with ratings, you should get you a copy. You don’t need to know much more than what I’ve already told you regarding the plot so I’ll let the book itself tell you the rest . . .

Two young women arrived in this town, twenty years apart. The first was named Elise, the second named Marley. They lived in the same house. They loved the same men. They raised their children.

Every Star.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!

This book was captivating from the start. Being from an area similar to what was portrayed, it seemed very believable and captured the essence of small-town USA very well. I was fully invested in the family dynamics, although some were toxic. I'd love to see even more about this family in a sequel. Heartbreaking, moving, and well-written - I think Amy Jo Burns is a very talented writer.

What a great story! I enjoyed this book a lot! I’m a sucker for family sagas and this did not disappoint! I’m still thinking about this book. Highly recommend!

I went into this book with high hopes because I've seen many people tell me that the author gives off the same writing style as Tracey Lange. I was nervous because Lange is one of my favorite authors, but wow was I blown away. Mercury is a slow burn novel about a dysfunctional family living in Western Pennsylvania. The entirety of the book you slowly dive deeper and deeper into the Joseph family. I was emotionally invested in every single character and loved how the author gave each character their own point of view.

I loved that this book is centered around a mystery, a dead body to be exact, but it's so much more than just a mystery. It's also so much more than just your average book. It shows the hardships of growing up, being an adult, raising a family, the struggles of a small dying town. The author really hit home on how life is far from perfect. I grew up and still live in Pennsylvania and the author did a wonderful job at describing the town of Mercury. It almost felt like she was describing my town!

Every single character from Marley, Baylor, Elise, Mick, Shay, to Waylon were all so complex and they all have a special place in my heart. These aren't easy characters to love because they all made mistakes, but that's also what made it so easy to love them.

Between the family dynamics, to the murder mystery, and the romance this was nothing short of incredible.

I found myself crying the more I because involved in the Joseph's lives. Mercury is a book that will forever live in my head and heart.

I enjoyed this book more in the first half--getting to know the characters, the family dynamics, the secrets. Marley is one heck of a tough chick! The Joseph family/men are a tough bunch! But then, the problems kept rolling and rolling....my anxiety was peaking. It was heavy stuff, these problems, and they get worked out (for the most part), which I like in a book. I enjoy Amy Jo's writing and character development. She superbly conveys the family dynamics and relationships. Even though there were many problems resolved in the end, I guess I was a little disappointed in the last half of the book. I felt like I was on a roller coaster ride that went on for a while. I needed a break.....too much turmoil for my brain. Thank you to Netgalley, Celadon Books/Macmillan, and Amy Jo Burns for this ARC, in return for an honest review.

Woo hoo! So excited that this was my very first ARC. This book was emotional, poetic, and uniquely written. I found myself completely invested in the Joseph family and did, but also didn't, want to be a member sitting at their table where much of this story took place.

Marley is used to moving a lot, but once she lands in Mercury she almost instantly is swept away by the Joseph's and their roofing business where she lays down her roots. She has a very different connection with each Joseph brother; Baylor, Waylon and Shay, as well as, their parents, Mick and Elise. From 1990-1999 we get to see how her life completely revolves around these relationships and the ups and downs that come with it.

As the story progresses we learn that everyone has their own secrets. Did Marley make the right choice? Is Baylor too much like his father? Does Waylon have what it takes? Is Elise happy with her life? And why do the Joseph brothers always stick up for Mick?

I really enjoyed the hint of mystery and just when I thought I'd solved it so soon, I had to think again. Everyone has a different story to tell. I gave it 4 stars simply because I felt myself losing interest at certain points, but then I was always sucked right back in. Overall I highly recommend if you are someone who enjoys heavy character development and family dramas.

You can follow along on IG for more of my reviews! @shel.reads
Thank you to Celadon Books and NetGalley for this arc!

“What do you want?” A simple question with not an easy answer for the Joseph family. Marley comes to town with her mother and immediately gets entangled with the Josephs. Ten years later and she’s been a mother, lover, and sister to different members of the family but not a daughter to the family’s matriarch, Elise. But she has kept Elise’s secrets. But after the roof of the church comes apart, those secrets come to light.
I started this book and quickly found myself almost half way through. You want to know the secrets of this family and Burns does a great job of making all of the Josephs their own entities with their own mysteries to unravel. I especially loved Marley’s friendship with Jade, which she needed as something separate from the Joseph men. I also loved how Marley took care of Shay.

An interesting g deep dive into a dysfunctional family. Not only are dynamics explored but a dead body is found that has ties to most of the main characters. It was a good read. The Pennsylvania setting was well described.