This was an excellent debut. A beautifully written story of such pain, hope, and love. Addiction, loss, love. There are some parts that made me weep. But overall it was just a great debut novel.

This is the story of the Bright family.

When Lillian first meets Ryan she is working at the bank. He's an aspiring artist and very good. He saw her at the library and said hello and from there their love story took off. A love that is so deep. They seem to truly have it all. Until they don't.

Ryan and his mother ran away from Ryan's father when he was very small. His father was an abusive alcoholic. Ryan vowed he would never drink. And he didn't. Until he did.

After the birth of their daughter Ryan changes. He adores his baby daughter very much. But seems there is a demon in him that was waiting to get out. He starts drinking and he scares Lillian when he throws a bottle at her. Ryan leaves. He doesn't want to hurt his wife or daughter and believes he would if he stays.

This book takes you through all the ups and downs of having an addict for a husband and father. And son. Elise is Ryan's mother. She has lived this life and doesn't approve what he has done. She only wants him to stop drinking and be the man she raised. Elise loves Lillian like a daughter and of course adores her granddaughter.

This book deals with giving a baby away. Losing a fetus. Alcoholism. And finding the way to sobriety. It deals with the loss of loved ones. It deals with a lot. I cried big tears while reading parts of this. It's a tough subject but also very good. This author did a great job of painting the picture of a family dealing with addiction...

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this ARC.

It really took me a while to get into this one, and for a while I wasn’t sure I liked it. It picked up quite a bit about a third into the book and I really got hooked during Georgette’s portion. The characters are real and flawed and relatable. The story is compelling. There are several parts that hit hard emotionally. There were a few parts that felt superfluous, like they could have lifted out. The ending really hit me and I was satisfied where everything resolved. GoodReads says readers of Mary Beth Keane and Claire Lombardo will enjoy - I would agree. Feels quite similar to their work.

Lillian and Ryan are a match made in heaven and they're about to expand their little family unit with their daughter Georgette. The only problem is that Lillian has a secret son she hasn't told Ryan about and Ryan copes with the stress of life by drinking, just like his abusive father before him. The story follows their family through the years as Georgette grows up and Lillian and Ryan grow apart and back together again.

This was a really beautifully written story about family and heartbreak. All of the characters were really well-developed and had their own unique voices and experiences. I did not love the chapters from Ryan's point of view and didn't really appreciate the way that Jet talked about adoption in the story, but other than that I enjoyed it. The chapters are pretty short, so the pace of the book feels quite quick even as it spans the years. I would recommend this for readers who enjoy stories about families, particularly non-traditional families, and character-driven stories.

Sarah Damoff’s debut, The Bright Years, completely blew me away. The writing drew me in immediately and I became truly invested in the story of the Brights - who are flawed characters dealing with very real struggles. This is a very emotional read that broke my heart more than once - if you’re a crier, you’ll definitely want to have some tissues on hand. I feel confident in saying that The Bright Years will be among my top reads of 2025.

The Bright Years is a stunning debut from Sarah Damoff—a deeply moving, beautifully written exploration of love, loss, growth, and the complicated, often gray areas of family life. Told through three perspectives over the course of several years, this structure allowed me to connect with each character on a deeper level. I found myself rooting for the Brights before they even became the Brights.

Damoff writes with emotional clarity and immense compassion. My heart broke, healed, and broke again as I journeyed through these pages. Each character felt real, complex, and deeply human. I saw parts of myself in both Jet and Lillian—thank you, Sarah, for writing them in such an honest and validating way.

Growing up with an addict is incredibly difficult, and Damoff handles this theme with incredible care and nuance. She doesn’t shy away from the pain or the messiness, yet she also offers a glimpse into the addict’s experience, which helped me view addiction through a more empathetic lens. It was honest and illuminating.

I was especially moved by Ryan’s arc—how he came to recognize his mistakes and truly appreciate the light his girls brought into his life. Jet’s ability to grow past some of her resentment toward him without invalidating her hurt felt raw and real. And seeing Ryan get his time with Apricity was a pleasant and unexpected delight.

The Bright Years is a story that reminds us life isn’t black and white. Some of the people we love are hard to love. Some people struggle to accept love at all. Damoff captures that truth beautifully.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sarah Damoff for the opportunity to read this ARC. I feel lucky to have experienced this story. An unforgettable debut—highly recommended.

A family drama set over a long period of time and told from different perspectives? Sign me up! I loved Damoff’s writing and how she pulled the reader into the Bright family. It was emotional, heart breaking, and hopeful.

This is such a beautiful and heartbreaking story. I was worried that it would be too "depressing" and difficult to read, but Sarah Damoff's writing makes you not want to put it down. We follow four generations of addiction, with highs and lows weaved in.

The Bright Years seemed like it would be right up my alley, but the writing was a little simplistic and the characters didn't seem real.

I wholeheartedly loved this book. This book moved me in ways I didn’t expect. From the first page to the last, it pulled me into an emotional and deeply introspective journey. The writing was exquisite—delicate, deliberate, and full of grace. The author treated every character and storyline with such care, particularly in exploring how our choices, secrets, and addictions ripple beyond ourselves, shaping not only our personal path but the lives of those around us.

What struck me most was the powerful reminder that we are not defined by our failures. The story beautifully wove themes of redemption, second chances, and the ability to rewrite our narratives. It gave me space to reflect on my own life, my decisions, and the legacy I hope to leave behind.

By the end, I was in tears—not just for the characters, but for the parts of myself that the book helped me uncover. It was a cathartic experience, and one I will carry with me for a long time. This is more than just a novel—it’s a mirror, a guide, and a gentle nudge toward grace.

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for the e-ARC.

This book was readable, & the writing was decent but it’s the sort of contemporary book that most of us have read many times over about dysfunctional families with problems like alcoholism, abuse, infidelity, secrets, history & distance between relatives & all the various ways these things continue to come to light thru out their lives. Sound familiar lol? It’s nothing novel, it’s been done 467953489545 times before, but it’s not boring or overtly bad in any way so it’s 3 stars for Bright Years!

It is so hard to believe this is a debut novel, Damoff took such obvious care with a tough story. Her background as a social worker shines through in the nuance she gives each character in this story.

The novel follows Ryan and Lillian Bright and their daughter, as they come together in a new marriage that is then destroyed by alcoholism. And how alcoholism can have such a negative impract on a family, but doesn’t destroy the love you have for a person. At one point in the story Lillian has been separated from Ryan for a few years and she says that she doesn’t want someone new to love, she simply wants a version of Ryan that no longer exists. I thought how hard that must be, to love someone who is still with you, but not the version you loved.

I am not normally a big highlighter in books, but there were so many beautiful passages in this book. One of my favorites was “there are two kinds of grief at a wake: grieving the loss of what was and grieving the loss of what wasn’t”.

“If there’s any liar bigger than an alcoholic, it’s the alcohol, saying, All there is is now and It won’t hurt anyone and This is the last time.”

One family. Four generations. A secret son. A devastating addiction. A Texas family is met with losses and surprises of inheritance, but they’re unable to shake the pull back toward each other in this big-hearted family saga perfect for readers of Mary Beth Keane and Claire Lombardo

The ending of this book gave me literal chills. Woah. I am moved. Truly.

If you have ever experienced alcoholism, loved someone who has it, or have been hurt by its ripple effects…oomph. This book hits. Hard.

This is a deep dive into a family fighting its demons, living ferociously, healing, forgiving, drinking, evolving, and surviving. This is a five ++++ star book, man. Oh my.

“It always surprises me how much space emptiness can take up.”

Thank you to Netgalley, Simon & Schuster, and the author for the free copy for review.

We follow four generations of one family as they attempt to break the cycle of generational trauma. Sarah does a great job representing alcoholism and the effects.

I have a hard time rating books like this. The writing is excellent. Especially the sentence level writing. But it wasn't exactly a fun read. There is definitely hope woven in, so that helps.

Sad but beautifully written story about a family dealing with various addictions. This is definitely a book that is tough and talks about lots of hard topics.

Is it really a debut novel when the words flow so magnetically off of each page? Yes it is. And an impressive one at that.

This is such an emotional story about family, love, loss, regret and redemption.

The Bright Years broke my heart so powerfully for each of the characters while harboring hope in the deepest parts of my being for a happy ending.

This immersive story, told through multiple points of view, took me through every facet of joy, heartache and pain that love brings. The story is told through the perspectives of Lillian, Ryan and their daughter Georgette Bright.

This is a well developed, character-driven, must-read. I devoured it in a day. And don’t be fooled, this just shy of 300 page book packed a hearty punch. Less really is more when the right words are used. Full of flaws, regret, absence and addiction, this book encapsulates the most profound parts of life and the beauty and complexities of forgiveness.

Thank you NetGalley, Simon & Schuster and the author for an early digital copy.

Sarah Damoff’s debut novel, The Bright Years. It follows the multigenerational story of Lillian and Ryan and how their relationship develops from a love story to a marriage of secrets, addiction and tragedy. I am a few chapters in and already in love with the characters and rooting for their love to prevail. I have a feeling this story will pull at my heartstrings. ✨Thank you to @netgalley @simonandschuster @sarahdamoff for the advanced ebook of The Bright Years, out April 22, 2025.✨ #books #booklover #bookstagram #bibliophile #netgalley #simonandschuster #thebrightyears #sarahdamoff #noseinabook

I am very impressed with this debut novel by author Sarah Damoff. Damoff really delivered powerful storytelling with this multigenerational drama. The Bright Years deals with addictions, abandonment, trauma, and the power of forgiveness. I had no idea what this book was about before reading it, but I am so glad I picked it up. The author did a great job developing the characters and I was just really sucked into this story. Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

This novel is refreshingly quiet and mundane (ie not explosive and overly dramatic) for being centered around alcoholism and spousal abuse. It was interesting to see the generational patterns and impacts. But I particularly appreciated the way that the author explored how subsequent generations in this family partially heal some of their inherited trauma while continuing on with smaller residual unhealthy coping mechanisms. I think this novel would be very popular with book clubs.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the complimentary eARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

The Bright Years by Sarah Damoff is one of the best books I’ve read this year—hands down. I devoured it in a single sitting and was an absolute mess by the end. I highlighted passage after passage, my heart breaking and swelling for these characters. I already know I’ll be pressing this book into everyone’s hands.

This sweeping, multigenerational debut traces the lives of Lillian, Ryan, and their daughter Georgette over six decades. It’s beautifully written, deeply emotional, and unflinching in its depiction of addiction, abandonment, regret, and the long shadows they cast across generations. But despite its heaviness, The Bright Years also pulses with love, resilience, and moments of light that cut through the dark.

Lillian, Ryan, and Jet felt so real to me—flawed, aching, tender. I loved them fiercely and felt such sorrow for all they carried. Sarah Damoff brings each perspective to life with quiet power and an emotional truth that floored me. This is a story about second chances, found family, and the slow, painful work of forgiveness. It will leave you gutted and grateful.

I truly can’t believe this is a debut. Sarah Damoff’s prose is clear and evocative, and the structure—shifting points of view across time—adds layers of insight that deepen the emotional resonance. I’m still thinking about these characters and suspect I will be for a long time.

5 stars. All the stars. Read it.

All of the stars for this one. It broke my heart into a million pieces and gets bonus points for bringing me to tears. Addiction, heartache, generational trauma and so much love fill these pages. This is a beautifully written family drama. I’m already eager to see what this author does next!