(3.5 stars rounded up to a 4)
The Connellys of County Down by Tracey Lange is a contemporary literary fiction focusing on a group of siblings.
Tara Connelly was just released from prison after serving a year and a half on a drug charge. She knows that life will be difficult, but thankfully she is returning home to live with her siblings: a single dad struggling with lasting effects of a traumatic brain injury he sustained in his youth, and a neurodiverse perfectionist who focuses on calm and order. All of them have secrets, and some may threaten all of their futures as they unravel.
I borrowed the audiobook from the library because this one has been on my TBR for way too long. The narrator, Barrie Kreinik, does a great job.
For a while, I haven't been sure I am still a literary fiction girlie, but I really did enjoy this one. I ended up staying up really late to finish it in one sitting. I'll have to check out the author's debut novel, We Are the Brennans as well.
This book really goes in depth with the questions of how far someone might go to protect a loved one. It is equal parts heart warming and breaking. Though these characters make a lot of mistakes, you still feel for them and care about them. The relationship between the siblings felt very lived in and real.
My biggest issue with this book was the pacing. The middle dragged a bit for me, and the end felt too fast. The main romance was also a bit too insta-lovey for my taste, but overall I think they were good for each other. I was very much rooting for the secondary romance.
The Connellys of County Down by Tracey Lange is a contemporary literary fiction focusing on a group of siblings.
Tara Connelly was just released from prison after serving a year and a half on a drug charge. She knows that life will be difficult, but thankfully she is returning home to live with her siblings: a single dad struggling with lasting effects of a traumatic brain injury he sustained in his youth, and a neurodiverse perfectionist who focuses on calm and order. All of them have secrets, and some may threaten all of their futures as they unravel.
I borrowed the audiobook from the library because this one has been on my TBR for way too long. The narrator, Barrie Kreinik, does a great job.
For a while, I haven't been sure I am still a literary fiction girlie, but I really did enjoy this one. I ended up staying up really late to finish it in one sitting. I'll have to check out the author's debut novel, We Are the Brennans as well.
This book really goes in depth with the questions of how far someone might go to protect a loved one. It is equal parts heart warming and breaking. Though these characters make a lot of mistakes, you still feel for them and care about them. The relationship between the siblings felt very lived in and real.
My biggest issue with this book was the pacing. The middle dragged a bit for me, and the end felt too fast. The main romance was also a bit too insta-lovey for my taste, but overall I think they were good for each other. I was very much rooting for the secondary romance.