This book is the story of how a roofing family’s bonds of loyalty are tested when they uncover a long-hidden secret at the heart of their blue-collar town. A great book about family and resilience and the characters drew me in from the beginning!

This book had so much potential for me, but fell a bit short. As soon as I got really attached to a character, it jumped to another one. By the end it felt a little repetitive hearing the same story over and over from another perspective.

What a messy, but beautiful story !

This story was definitely character driven which I typically don’t like. But the characters were so real and relatable that you found yourself rooting for them throughout the story.

I felt like I was a part of the small town of Mercury by the end.

Oof this book took me on a ride! Thank you so much Celadon Books and NetGalley for this ARC. This book sent me down a trip of quite literally all of the emotions. I felt really connected to the characters and loved that you are able to get really into them. There was drama, mystery and heartbreak throughout this novel. Beautiful read!

Mercury is a perfect book about family dynamics and all the drama that is hidden within the walls of a home and in this case, the roof. The Joseph family own a roofing building in a small town. Marley moves into town and changes their world

This book intrigued me from page one. Enjoyed speaking to author, Amy Burns about how this story came to be! Pick up a copy today!

“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.”

Thanks to Celadon Books and NetGalley for the advanced reader e-copy earlier this year!

It’s a character-driven drama around family and marriage, love and grudges, secrets and forgiveness, and identity. And I mostly enjoyed it. All the Joseph boys are precious in their own, unique personalities; Marley is such a beautiful person, and Jade is a great side character. It’s slower paced and there isn’t an actionable plot, so some readers may get bored, but I enjoy books like this that get into the psyche of relationships and dynamics; how our choices impact not just our lives but the lives of others too.

Content and trigger warnings include teen pregnancy and some vague sexual content, some profanity, dementia, infidelity, death of a parent, miscarriage, marital strife, and homosexuality (which wasn’t introduced until very late in the story and didn’t feel at all necessary).

Thank you so much to NetGalley & Celadon Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Set in the 90s, we meet Marley, new to town, an only child to a single mother working to make ends meet. Left alone alot, she is left to her own devices to make friends and find her way in the new town. Within days of her arrival she finds herself at the Joseph's family dinner table. Smitten with one brother, choosing another, mothering the third. We follow Marley as she navigates the very complex family dynamic their stoic, do everything, hold everything together Mother created alongside their flighty, selfish, self centered Father.

The author did a great job in connecting you with Marley. You felt for her and routed for her and I found myself really admiring her. At such a young age, hitting the ground running to ensure this family survived and ultimately thrived. Teaching herself all aspects of a roofing business, taking business calls, going on sales appointments, all without taking a paycheck to ensure these brothers and their selfish father didn't fail. As you can see, the author also did a great job of making you dislike Mick, the Patriarch of the family. You questioned the Joseph son's loyalty to him each time he was mentioned doing another selfish thing.

I struggled with the pace of the book. It felt very slow and with no shocking moments or AH HAs on the horizon, it was a struggle to stay interested in. I did however like that the author gave you all the details at the end and pulled back the curtain a bit on each brother, as well as mom and dad.

Overall, I'd say a 3 star for me at most.

I really enjoyed Mercury by Amy Jo Burns. A slow burn, character driven, family drama, with a bit of mystery woven in. The Joseph family stuck with me long after finishing the novel. I flipped between the ebook and the audiobook, which was done well.

I recommend this to fans of Ann Napolitano’s Hello Beautiful. It reminded me a bit of the Padavano family, but with brothers.

Special thanks to Celadon Books for the ARC via NetGalley.

So well written but so dang sad. This is the perfect dead of winter book in my opinion. The mood is somber and its best read alone in a dark house.

I love a family drama book and this one was great! The only problem with family dramas is they can get a little slow but I was still able to enjoy this!

Thank you for the advanced copy of this book! I will be posting my review on social media, to include Instagram, Amazon, Goodreads, and Instagram!

Mercury was a well written story about a dysfunctional family of men and the two women who loved them. I did enjoy this book though at times it was painfully slow. I lived Marley and thought she was a great character.

"There's more to this life than just trying to survive it". I loved this book by Amy Jo Burns!

What I loved:
1. It was a family story with lots of layers, complications, drama and secrets.
2. The complexity of the relationships was so real to me.
3. I loved the character driven story and that she took time to make each character understood by the reader. I didn't necessarily like all the characters but I loved getting to know them.
4. Loved the mystery portion as well.

Highly recommend and have already given two copies to friends!!


Many thanks to Celadon Books and Net Galley for the ARC of this book!

I didn’t want to put this book down. I just had to see how it would all play out. The relationships and setting felt authentic. I didn’t love the characters, as in they weren’t really lovable, besides maybe Shay, but sometimes you need gritty, flawed characters to make a good book. I enjoyed it and look forward to reading more by Burns!

Loved every flawed character and every attempt at creating a loving home and family.
An unforgettable cast of people hoping to find the love and family they’ve been searching for.
Highly recommend.
Loved every word!

This book was really good. It made me feel things I didn't know I needed to feel. It was set in the 90's in Mercury PA. There's a lot of secrets and mystery within a family of the parents and 3 brothers. We hear about the characters backstory. It was really interesting and really well written.

Mercury tells the heartbreaking tale of what toxic masculinity and an abusive parent can do to deteriorate a family. The Joseph family is a raw look at the dark side of narcissism, selfishness, fear, and a lack of empathetic love. I hated everything about this family, especially Mick and Elise. I felt so badly for the boys and more so for Marley. Poor Marley.

Marley is a girl who wants to find a stable family. Marley just wanted to have something of her own. No matter how hard she tries is, never good enough, always an outsider, and always falls short. Marley fell victim to the toxic masculinity of the Joseph family, the dependent, nearly incestual relationship echoing harsher and louder than with Elise since she was literally the wife and mother of all of the Joseph men. The way Elise was so easily replaced with a younger, more capable version of herself, the way Elise manipulated the men in her life into needing Marley more than they needed her.

I wish Mick got what he deserved in the end. I wish Marley got what she deserved in the end. I wish Shay got what he deserved in the end. But, like in real life, sometimes the bad guys end up walking away unharmed, and the innocents are the ones who have battle scars for life.

This book was amazing with the layered characters and getting to know everyone to a level where I cared about them!! I really enjoy character driven books but at times the story did drag, but it was still such an enjoyable time!!

3.5 stars, rounded up to 4
“She was pushing to stay where she wanted to be. Fighting to make this story her own.”

Burns’ strong writing is pulls the reader in. “There was Marley, ever hopeful, blossoming like a summer bouquet.” “Shay wanted so very much to learn how to remain in the present like she did, to tie a rope around a moment and pull it tight.”

Mercury centers around a family who runs a roofing business. Dad, Mick, came home from Vietnam, but struggles with relationships and the rest of life. Mom, Elise, sacrificed much for her family of three boys. Nicknamed Bay, Way, and Shay, each son had his own distinctive personality and challenges. Sometimes they worked together (commercial roofing jobs), but often they were at odds. Add new in town, teenager Marley, to the mix and there is plenty of drama to come, following their growth and hardships for a decade.

Character development is excellent and I enjoyed the complexity of the relationships. I felt the book got a tad long at the end. Highly recommended to those who enjoy stories about interesting families.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Amy Jo Burns' novel "Mercury" offers a deep and nuanced exploration of family, belonging, identity, and sacrifice. The story follows Marley West, a loner who finds herself drawn into the complex world of the Joseph family when she moves to Mercury, Pennsylvania. As Marley becomes entwined with the Joseph brothers and their parents, Elise and Mick, she grapples with the challenges of fitting into their dynamic and the expectations placed upon her.

The narrative unfolds with rich character development and emotional depth, delving into the themes of loyalty, love, marriage, and the complexities of family relationships. While not a fast-paced thriller, the novel captivates with its quiet yet powerful storytelling and poignant exploration of personal growth amidst familial turmoil.

Marley's journey of self-discovery is at the core of the narrative, accompanied by the growth of other characters like Shay, Baylor, and Waylon. The dysfunctional yet compelling dynamics within the Joseph family are portrayed with authenticity and nuance, leaving a lasting impact on the reader long after the book is finished. Overall, "Mercury" is a well-crafted and emotionally resonant family drama that lingers in the mind, offering a poignant reflection on the ties that bind us.