DRC Review: The Connellys of County Down
After spending eighteen months in prison, Tara Connelly is finally being released on parole. A drug trafficking conviction had landed Tara in the Taconic medium security facility. It wasn’t Tara’s fault, but she had her reasons for taking the fall.
Tara was to live with her brother and sister, Eddie and Geraldine, when she got released. Tara hoped that her stay with her siblings would be short-lived. But that would not be the case considering her criminal record. And forget about going back to teaching.
The Connellys suffered a lot of setbacks growing up. First they lost their mother to cancer. Their dad wasn’t the best role model, being a car thief. And if that wasn’t enough, their dad was the cause of Eddie’s traumatic brain injury from a motor vehicle accident. Add insult to injury, their dad left the family high and dry. Which then meant, eldest Geraldine was to become the head of household, even though she was still in her teens.
After being away for eighteen months, Tara was expecting some changes in the family dynamic. But to Tara’s surprise, she couldn’t believe how controlling Geraldine had become. And Eddie just became so complacent. It was Tara’s nephew, Conor, that bore the brunt of the psychological changes in his dad and aunt. And all of that had to stop. And soon…
I loved The Connellys of County Down. I certainly enjoyed it much more than Lange’s previous novel, We Are the Brennans. Though some of the plot twists were expected, it didn’t deter me from enjoying the journey. Tara’s steadfastness, and family conviction really shined in this novel. And I loved the Conor jokes dispersed throughout the narrative. It lightened the dark mood when needed. A clever and nice touch to a tough and emotional novel.
The characters in the novel were nicely fleshed out. And I connected with all of them. They were all engaging, even if I didn’t care for some of them.
Overall, The Connellys of County Down was a captivating story about family and the lengths each member would go to save it from collapse. Five stars.
I received a DRC from Celadon Books through NetGalley. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.
Tara was to live with her brother and sister, Eddie and Geraldine, when she got released. Tara hoped that her stay with her siblings would be short-lived. But that would not be the case considering her criminal record. And forget about going back to teaching.
The Connellys suffered a lot of setbacks growing up. First they lost their mother to cancer. Their dad wasn’t the best role model, being a car thief. And if that wasn’t enough, their dad was the cause of Eddie’s traumatic brain injury from a motor vehicle accident. Add insult to injury, their dad left the family high and dry. Which then meant, eldest Geraldine was to become the head of household, even though she was still in her teens.
After being away for eighteen months, Tara was expecting some changes in the family dynamic. But to Tara’s surprise, she couldn’t believe how controlling Geraldine had become. And Eddie just became so complacent. It was Tara’s nephew, Conor, that bore the brunt of the psychological changes in his dad and aunt. And all of that had to stop. And soon…
I loved The Connellys of County Down. I certainly enjoyed it much more than Lange’s previous novel, We Are the Brennans. Though some of the plot twists were expected, it didn’t deter me from enjoying the journey. Tara’s steadfastness, and family conviction really shined in this novel. And I loved the Conor jokes dispersed throughout the narrative. It lightened the dark mood when needed. A clever and nice touch to a tough and emotional novel.
The characters in the novel were nicely fleshed out. And I connected with all of them. They were all engaging, even if I didn’t care for some of them.
Overall, The Connellys of County Down was a captivating story about family and the lengths each member would go to save it from collapse. Five stars.
I received a DRC from Celadon Books through NetGalley. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.