It could be that this his my childhood trauma just right, but this stunning story about grief in many forms had me sobbing by the end. It’s rare that we get a story that spans so many years and multiple POV and that it is told in such a way that you feel you know each one of them intimately. The topic of grief is covered in so many ways throughout, and is so on point. I will be thinking about this book for a long time.

SYNOPSIS
- A sweeping multigenerational story that spans from 1958 to 2019 and follows the Bright family through love, addiction, secrets, and redemption.
- Lillian and Ryan fall hard for each other, but both carry heavy baggage—he struggles with alcoholism, and she hides the existence of a son from a previous relationship.
- Their daughter, Georgette, grows up in the shadow of her parents’ unraveling marriage. As an adult, she must confront her family’s past when long-buried truths resurface.
- Told through the intimate, rotating perspectives of Lillian, Ryan, and Georgette, this is a story of inherited trauma, devastating choices, and the enduring pull of family.

MY THOUGHTS
- This is Sarah Damoff’s debut? Seriously? The writing is polished, emotionally intelligent, and just gorgeous.
- The way Damoff explores addiction, regret, and love without ever tipping into melodrama is impressive. It’s raw but never gratuitous.
- Told from three POVs, the narrative structure adds real depth. Each character feels distinct and heartbreakingly real.
- The emotional arc is beautifully layered—there’s grief and heartbreak, but also resilience and hope woven through every page.
- It hit on so many universal themes: first love, the weight of secrets, the messiness of parenting, and the ways trauma trickles down through generations.
- I felt everything while reading this—anger, sorrow, frustration, tenderness, and above all, empathy.
- Jet’s journey especially stayed with me. Watching her navigate the emotional wreckage left behind by her parents was quietly devastating and profoundly moving.
- This is one of those books I’ll carry with me for a long time. It made me feel, and isn’t that the whole point?

TL;DR: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️A stunning, emotionally rich debut that explores love, addiction, grief, and generational trauma with grace and compassion. Beautiful writing, unforgettable characters, and a story that lingers.

Thanks to Simon & Schuster and Netgalley for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book will be published on April 22, 2025.

The Bright Years by Sarah Damoff will HANDS DOWN be on my Top 10 of 2025 list. I can not thank NetGalley and SImon & Schuster enough for allowing me the privilege of reading an early release copy of this extraordinary story.

I love a good character driven family drama and this did not disappoint. I do not want to say too much and give *anything* away because you truly have to experience this beautiful and heartbreaking story about Ryan, Lillian, Elise, Georgette and a cast of other incredible characters. I read this in a single day, I was truly sucked into the story. I truly can not find the words - this is a story of life, regret, second chances, heartache, and love. Sarah Damoff has exceeded all my expectations - I can't believe this is a debut novel! Just read it. Please.

Please pick up a copy of The Bright Years by Sarah Damoff. Sarah's debut book is filled with deep emotions, family love and all of the pressures of life. You will be rooting for the Bright family as they face daily real-life struggles, including alcoholism. Your heart will beat faster as Sarah's writing pulls you in deeper. Families can be tricky and yet, so full of love. You will be reminded that 'life remains here in front of us.' This book is a gem. Looking forward to more from Sarah Samoff.

Familial addictions passed down from generations are hard to break, as Damoff portrays throughout this story. It’s a love story, set within a heartbreaking reality that the one you love the most may actually hurt you. The life journeys this family experiences are both hopeful and hopeless at times and you end up wishing them all the best.
I liked the plot and characters well enough, yet found the story lagging at times. The themes of addiction, in its many forms, were difficult to get through, but as a whole The Bright Years is well done.

I love this book! It’s literary fiction/family drama at it’s finest. I was invested from the very beginning of the book and couldn’t put it down. I cannot believe it’s a debut novel. Absolute perfection from start to finish. Bravo Sarah Damoff! I look forward to reading your future work.

This is a story of family, addiction, secrets and love but it’s also so much more than that. I can’t put into words why this book is so heartbreakingly beautiful. The complex characters will stay with me for a very long while.

3.5/5. I enjoyed this. This was a short, easy family saga that had some very emotional moments. However, I didn't love the pacing. The first 2/3 or so were well paced and then the last third seemed to go by very quickly. I wasn't super interested in Ryan's POV either and would have rather only experienced Lillian and Jet's POVs.

Incredible debut literary fiction for fans of emotional multigenerational family sagas! The story follows a Texas family, Ryan, Lillian, and their daughter Georgette, through several decades as they grapple with addiction, grief, strained family relationships, abuse, and long held secrets. I loved the pacing, the three perspectives the story is told from, and the character arcs. The writing is engaging and beautiful with so many poignant quotes. Despite some of the heavy themes, this is also a story of second chances, first loves, and finding the courage to take risks. I love an emotional character driven read that I can delve into and this delivered on all fronts. I read this in a day and a half so there are plenty of interesting plot points that keep this book moving forward at the perfect pace. I am excited to read more from this author in the future.

Thanks to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for an advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review..

💓👐BOOK REVIEW👐💓

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

🥰Thank you so much to @simonbooks for the gifted book!

📖Title: The Bright Years
✍️Author: Sarah Damoff
📅Pub date: April 22, 2025

📃If you're looking for books to add to your April TBR, you absolutely must add THE BRIGHT YEARS by Sarah Damoff 🔆

🔆I was sold immediately when this book was marketed for fans of Mary Beth Keane and Claire Lombardo. I think those were accurate comparisons, and I'd also find it fitting to add Tracey Lange to the list!

💓This story blew me away. It started out quiet and slow and kept building and building along the way. With every chapter, I was more invested than the last. I really don't remember a book having such dramatic character building in a very long time. By the end, I was literally sitting there stunned in silence.

🔆At its core, this is a family drama covering four generations of messy and imperfect people making messy and imperfect choices. The emotions, the reactions, and the consequences were brutally human and in line with reality.

💓I really don't want to say much because I think it's best if you go in with as little information as possible in this case. You won't regret reading this one!

⚠️This story deals with heavy topics such as addiction, miscarriage, etc.

Really beautiful. Loved the three perspectives. Definitely almost shed a tear which is why it can't quite get five stars - if I cried it totally would have.

Y'all. Read this book.

It's almost impossible to believe The Bright Years is Sarah Damoff's debut novel. It's a beautifully written, deeply moving book that focuses on how addiction and dysfunction reverberate through generations of a Texas family.

I read this astonishing book all in one sitting, on a plane, hoping fellow passengers would not notice my tears.

Just read it. That's all.

Thanks to NetGalley for an early review copy.

A powerful story about addiction and its impact on every member of a family over four generations. Tough themes to read and reflect upon, but the book is ultimately redemptive and uplifting. Strong female characters throughout - I especially loved the grandmother. Perfect for fans of dysfunctional family dramas - if you liked Mary Beth Keane's books, you'll like this.

All started Bright for the Bright family, but Ryan and Lillian both have a secret. Secrets that could tear them apart. Their daughter, Georgette (Jet) comes of age watching the ups and downs as their marriage falters, but their love never dies. Torn apart by tragedy, Jet returns to her roots, putting the pieces of the puzzle together to find out what truly matters most. A story full of compassion and grace, this debut is heartbreakingly beautiful. Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

This book absolutely ruined me. It was so devastatingly beautiful from beginning to end, and I am fairly certain that everyone who reads this will cry at least once, so please prepare yourself emotionally! I don't want to say too much because I actually think this story is best if you go in blind (personally, I almost feel like the synopsis gives away a little too much), but this is going to be a book that changes your life. What an incredible debut!

Thank you to NetGalley, Simon and Schuster, and Sarah Damoff for this ARC!!

If you are a fan of multi-generational family stories, I highly recommend checking out the Bright Years, which does so many elements of this genre in a brilliant way. Dealing with themes of family secrets, addiction, and adoption, The Bright Years is an excellent family drama.

This book blew me away! It's an incredible debut novel written so well in 3 POVs.

I sobbed my way through this family's experiences with loss, grief, and addiction. It's a heavy read but also touching and uplifting. I adored the main characters as well as the supporting characters. You can tell this was written with love.

Publishing April 22, 2025 - don't miss it! Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the advanced reader's copy!

I am a sucker for twisty, multi-generational family dramas and this one had me by the throat. I devoured it in fewer than 24 hours.

This is the story of Lillian and Ryan Bright, two people who fall in love but despite their best intentions cannot stay together. Their respective upbringings have irreparably shaped the ways in which they think, act, react and parent their daughter. We see glimpses across multiple timelines and learned how each generation was raised.

This is a story of addiction, love, grief, friendship, but above all generational trauma and how despite our best efforts it can be nearly impossible to unlearn the maladaptive behaviors we were exposed to as children. But, this is also a story of breaking cycles and not allowing them to dictate our futures.

Check trigger warnings first, but this is an incredible debut. Highly recommend.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for the ARC!

I actually enjoyed this way more than I thought I would. It had great character development and a strong storytelling aspect. I highly recommend and enjoyed reading this book.

Oh this is exactly the kind of story I love reading about. Broken people (and aren't all people broken, really) who find each other, find happiness, find a way to wreck it, cause trauma on their kids who grow up to cause other trauma. People who try hard and find moments to redeem themselves and then make mistakes again and then work hard again. Rinse and repeat.

Great sadness, big joys, unexpected surprises, finding our way back to each other, forgiving some too often and other not enough. Trying and trying and trying again. This book is so beautiful that you will love the moments you spend with it.

with gratitude to netgalley and Simon & Schuster for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

All the freaking stars!

How is this a debut? To say that Damoff nailed this multi-generation family story is putting it mildly. This is such an exquisite book. It tackles extremely tough topics such as grief and alcoholism but in such a way that the reader is left with hope. I often have to take breaks from books with heavy topics but I could not step away from the Bright family’s journey. Please read this one … this book deserves to be everywhere right now. ❤️