Reviews with content warning for Death of parent - The Connellys of County Down

I loved these flawed and real characters and the problems they face when they keep secrets instead of communicating. I also loved the author's debut book, "We Are the Brennans," and look forward to more books from her.

Content Warnings

jennabeck13's review against another edition

Go to review page

reflective slow-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

2.0

The Connellys of County Down by Tracey Lange

⭐️⭐️ (2/5)

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

About 270 pages

The Connellys have had it rough since they were kids. Tara, Eddie, and Geraldine lost their mom to illness at a young age, and then their father abandoned them a few years later. Eddie has dealt with a traumatic brain injury for years. Tara is just getting out of prison from a drug charge. And Geraldine feels like she is responsible for their entire house/family. Put this all together, and it makes for some uncomfortable circumstances and interactions upon Tara’s return home. On top of that, the cop who arrested Tara won’t leave them alone. If they want to survive this turbulent time, the family needs to stop keeping secrets from one another, take responsibility for their parts in the family drama, and stop tip-toeing around each other. The Connellys of County Down tackles the issue of how far is too far to protect your family. At what point is fierce loyalty actually hurting your loved ones?

Given the 3.9 ⭐️ rating on GoodReads, I think I’m in the minority on not liking this one. Although I empathized with all of the siblings and found Tara’s behavior to be admirable, I didn’t connect to any of the characters. The pacing was also quite slow, making a relatively short book feel pretty long.

Favorite Quote: “But he knew what lingered was the sting of truth in what they’d said to each other. The most honest words didn’t have to be loud or dramatic to cut deep.”

Content Warnings

kelly_e's review

Go to review page

hopeful mysterious reflective 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

4.25

Title: The Connellys of County Down
Author: Tracey Lange
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Rating: 4.25
Pub Date: August 1, 2023

I received complimentary eARC and ALC copies of this book from Celadon Books and Macmillan Audio via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #Gifted #Ad

T H R E E • W O R D S

Mysterious • Relatable • Reflective

📖 S Y N O P S I S

When Tara Connelly is released from prison after serving eighteen months on a drug charge, she knows rebuilding her life at thirty years old won’t be easy. With no money and no prospects, she returns home to live with her siblings, who are both busy with their own problems. Her brother, a single dad, struggles with the ongoing effects of a brain injury he sustained years ago, and her sister’s fragile façade of calm and order is cracking under the burden of big secrets. Life becomes even more complicated when the cop who put her in prison keeps showing up unannounced, leaving Tara to wonder what he wants from her now.

💭 T H O U G H T S

After absolutely loving Tracey Lange's debut, We Are the Brennans, I was super excited to see she was releasing a new novel in 2023. One of my most anticipated releases, I picked The Connellys of County Down as my August pick for my personal book of the month project, and when Celadon offered me an advanced copy I wouldn't click 'yes' fast enough.

Centered around three siblings, the pacing keep me wanting more. The story unraveled slowly with each chapter offering new tidbits of information as to how everything would connect. From the very start, there was an underlying mysterious tone. The siblings were each flawed and relatable in their own way, and their relationships with one another were layered and complex. At various points it was hard to figure out whether to feel sorry for them or to empathize with them. It is clear Lange's background in behavioural science and psychology helped shape the narrative surrounding Eddie's traumatic brain injury, and Geraldine's hoarding. Both of these aspects were handled with care and realistically.

The novel is on the shorter side, and I just couldn't put it down. However, it was the ending that left me slightly dissatisfied. Not only did it end abruptly, but after so much conflict everything ended tied up with a pretty little bow, which just felt unrealistic. There were several other possible endings that made more sense in my head.

I tandem read the digital and audio versions, and I must say the audio narration by Barrie Kreinik really brought the family to life. Each character had a distinct voice, which made following along easy. Pacing was very well done and accents were done with excellent intonation.

Overall, I appreciated the themes of family obligation and starting anew, making The Connellys of County Down a satisfying read. I just would have preferred a different ending. After reading her sophomore novel, it really cements Tracey Lange as an auto-buy author for me, and I will eagerly be awaiting whatever she writes next.

📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• lovers of the family saga
• readers who like character driven stories
• fans of messy sibling relationships

🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S

"I don’t think you do the rest of us any favors when you don’t let us carry our own burdens."

Content Warnings

soobooksalot's review

Go to review page

emotional reflective tense slow-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

3.25

The Connellys didn't hook me quite like the Brennans.
Thank you to Celadon Books for my eARC for review!
The Connellys Of County Down is the story of Tara, newly released from prison after a drug trafficking charge. She moves back in with her siblings Geraldine and Eddie, lands a new job, and takes on a new relationship with an unexpected mate. There's family history and drama bubbling to the surface.
The writing was solid, but my interest came and went throughout. Ultimately this was quite a good book, just not what I needed right now. Regardless, recommended!
Released on Aug. 1.

Content Warnings

xlivinglikejen's review

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional hopeful sad tense fast-paced

4.5

Content Warnings

readingwithtrey's review

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring sad tense medium-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? It's complicated

5.0

The Connellys of County Down begins with Tara Connelly being released from prison after serving 18 months due to a drug trafficking charge. While incarcerated, she doesn't see much of her 2 siblings Geraldine and Eddie, and neither of them show up to pick her up. After returning home, she soon finds that so much as changed since she left, and not for the better.

Geraldine is the oldest sister and has taken care of her Eddie and Tara since she was a young teen. We quickly learn that she has had too much pressure and responsibility on her shoulders for far too long and it has begun to have devastating impacts on her life.

Eddie suffers from a traumatic brain injury and is doing his best as a single dad. His son Conor brings comedic relief to the novel.

This was such a beautiful story examining the impact that familial relationships can have on our lives and the decisions we make. I loved how each of the Connelly siblings had a role that they played in keeping their dysfunctional family together.

One of my favorite messages from the story was that it's okay to ask for help. I really appreciated that the author included therapy in the story and that it wasn't just mentioned, but was a crucial part.

This one was easily bingeable. I finished about 65% of it in one sitting because I couldn't put it down. It was perfectly executed, and I have zero complaints. I will definitely be reading We Are the Brennans and anything else that Tracey Lange writes.

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon books for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

Content Warnings

emilylovesgoodbooks's review

Go to review page

emotional medium-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

Content Warnings

hannahda's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional funny hopeful mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Content Warnings

More...