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graciecat_mom's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
While I enjoyed the book, and the well-drawn characters, I felt it ended abruptly and all loose ends were tied up in a bow.
lauramcsherry's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The Connellys of County Down
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
That’s a SECOND five star in a row book for Tracey Lange ?! I’m not usually one who loves family dramas, but there is something about Tracey’s characters that makes the story riveting.
Tara is just getting out of prison for a drug trafficking charge when the cop that arrested her shows up to bring her home. While she starts to integrate back into her families lives, she finds out a lot has changed, and not all for the better.
This family drama unfolds from multiple perspectives and I loved each of the characters. The motivations felt real and I loved the relationship growth by the end. The audiobook was so good, but I had to switch to the physical book by the end to go even faster and find out what happens!
hollydyer328's review
challenging
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This one has all the juicy secrets and messy family drama! It felt slow to start, but once things started moving it got interesting and juicy!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
Moderate: Abandonment
megn317's review against another edition
4.0
I connected with the characters immediately and the story. It was a very quick pool read! Family drama but those bonds are deep. I was rooting for the Connelys even if the odds were stacked against them.
rumpunchhh's review against another edition
3.0
Sorry you can’t name a gal Geraldine and have her NOT be unbearable
justjess2031's review against another edition
5.0
As a fan of Tracey Lange already, I knew this book would be a good one and it did not disappoint. The story really honed in on family and the loyalty a person can have to protect the closest to them.
pocketfulofprinting's review against another edition
3.0
If you liked Meet the Brennans last year, then you'll also love this one (Brennan's even makes a few subtle appearances!)
The Connellys are a tight-knit family of three siblings and one nephew...they've had their share of ups and downs and extreme heartbreak. Steady yet controlling Genvieve rules the roost as the oldest sister, but she's harboring a secret that can upend her livelihood and familial relations. Loyal Eddie is a loving single dad, but he suffers from extreme physical repercussions from a car accident he suffered as a teenage passenger. And the mysterious Tara, the heart and central focus of our story, is a recently released felon, trying to put her life back together and stay out of trouble. Tara's re-entry into society is complicated by the growing romantic feelings between herself and Detective Brian Nolan, one of the cops that helped put her behind bars.
I loved the complicated family dynamics and the mystery of how and why Tara ended up in jail but I did find that the ending was a little bit too easy. It wrapped up a little too nicely. Not that I'm not all for characters finding their way to a satisfactory conclusions, but this felt a little unearned. Overall, I give THE CONNELLYS OF COUNTY DOWN 3 stars, but have added Tracey Lange to my auto-read list!
Thank you to Celadon Books for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.
The Connellys are a tight-knit family of three siblings and one nephew...they've had their share of ups and downs and extreme heartbreak. Steady yet controlling Genvieve rules the roost as the oldest sister, but she's harboring a secret that can upend her livelihood and familial relations. Loyal Eddie is a loving single dad, but he suffers from extreme physical repercussions from a car accident he suffered as a teenage passenger. And the mysterious Tara, the heart and central focus of our story, is a recently released felon, trying to put her life back together and stay out of trouble. Tara's re-entry into society is complicated by the growing romantic feelings between herself and Detective Brian Nolan, one of the cops that helped put her behind bars.
I loved the complicated family dynamics and the mystery of how and why Tara ended up in jail but I did find that the ending was a little bit too easy. It wrapped up a little too nicely. Not that I'm not all for characters finding their way to a satisfactory conclusions, but this felt a little unearned. Overall, I give THE CONNELLYS OF COUNTY DOWN 3 stars, but have added Tracey Lange to my auto-read list!
Thank you to Celadon Books for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.
abookwormwithwine's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I was a bit in the minority with Tracey Lange's debut We Are the Brennans (liked but didn't love), but that completely turned around with The Connellys of County Down. I am completely obsessed with this book, so much so that I listened to it in its entirety all in an afternoon. I regret that I waited so long to read it, but it was exactly what I needed in my life on Saturday, April 20th, 2024, and made me recognize I will need to read all future books from this author. The majority of the book is told from Tara's viewpoint, and I loved her so much. Frankly, I loved the Connellys in general, and this flawed family made my heart hurt and happy all at the same time. This was family drama to its max (which I love) and my mouth dropped open a few times as well. The audacity!
The audiobook for The Connellys of County Down was freaking fantastic and Barrie Kreinik ran away with the narration and blew me away. She is SUCH a great narrator, and she put her many talents to use to bring this story and its characters to life. I highly recommend listening to this as opposed to reading it, simply because I loved Kreinik and thought she added so much to the book as a whole as well. This made me laugh and cry and gave me all the feels in between making it such a well-rounded novel that I couldn't help but enjoy it. There is a little bit of romance that was a great addition to the family aspect, and I loved how hopeful the ending was! If you are a fan of literary fiction that focuses on family dynamics (complete with lots of drama) and overcoming obstacles this is the book for you!
Thank you to the publishers for my advanced listening and reader copies of this book. All opinions and thoughts are my own.
The audiobook for The Connellys of County Down was freaking fantastic and Barrie Kreinik ran away with the narration and blew me away. She is SUCH a great narrator, and she put her many talents to use to bring this story and its characters to life. I highly recommend listening to this as opposed to reading it, simply because I loved Kreinik and thought she added so much to the book as a whole as well. This made me laugh and cry and gave me all the feels in between making it such a well-rounded novel that I couldn't help but enjoy it. There is a little bit of romance that was a great addition to the family aspect, and I loved how hopeful the ending was! If you are a fan of literary fiction that focuses on family dynamics (complete with lots of drama) and overcoming obstacles this is the book for you!
Thank you to the publishers for my advanced listening and reader copies of this book. All opinions and thoughts are my own.
babs_reviews's review against another edition
4.0
Family, what a concept! For some it's the foundation of their success and for others it's the downfall of theirs. The complexities and dynamic of the relationships within the family really shine in this read.
The Connellys - siblings, Tara, Geraldine and Eddie all experienced trauma first hand and each of them carry the weight of it in different ways. Losing their mother young and their father just walking away, they were forced to rely on each other.
A very character driven read we journey with each sibling as they navigate the ins and outs of reconnecting as a family and struggling to do so. Tara was so many things! She was driven, resilient, caring and loyal to a fault. The way she rallied for her people...oof. Geraldine, what can I say about her, she carried the weight of the world on her and was pulled under by it all, leading to destructive behavior and poor choices. Eddie, he just wants to be a good dad, a good brother and a good worker. Watching him realize he has potential was painfully heartwarming.
Brian, one of the cops who helped put Tara away, struggles to find his way to the middle. Having lived this whole life in a state of right or wrong, there is no in-between. He slowly learns that sometimes what lies in the middle is okay.
I wanted more - there were so many things I wanted to see played out! I was invested in these people and their lives and just wanted more of it really. Still, such a great read.
Huge shout out to Celadon for creating this Read Together bringing bookish accounts together and to my buddies for reading along with me.
The Connellys - siblings, Tara, Geraldine and Eddie all experienced trauma first hand and each of them carry the weight of it in different ways. Losing their mother young and their father just walking away, they were forced to rely on each other.
A very character driven read we journey with each sibling as they navigate the ins and outs of reconnecting as a family and struggling to do so. Tara was so many things! She was driven, resilient, caring and loyal to a fault. The way she rallied for her people...oof. Geraldine, what can I say about her, she carried the weight of the world on her and was pulled under by it all, leading to destructive behavior and poor choices. Eddie, he just wants to be a good dad, a good brother and a good worker. Watching him realize he has potential was painfully heartwarming.
Brian, one of the cops who helped put Tara away, struggles to find his way to the middle. Having lived this whole life in a state of right or wrong, there is no in-between. He slowly learns that sometimes what lies in the middle is okay.
I wanted more - there were so many things I wanted to see played out! I was invested in these people and their lives and just wanted more of it really. Still, such a great read.
Huge shout out to Celadon for creating this Read Together bringing bookish accounts together and to my buddies for reading along with me.