Wow, I was really surprised at how much I liked this book! This is a drama about an Irish Catholic family working through their secrets and history together while living near New York City. The main story revolves around Sunday Brennan returning home after 5 years of separation and near-silence in LA. Her departure tore a hole in everyone's heart, including her almost-fiancé Kale, 3 brothers, and father. Upon her return, she struggles to find her place again as she realizes some relationships have moved on without her. Meanwhile, Denny is trying to open a new branch of his pub without going under financially, Mickey is struggling with memory loss and aging, and Jackie is digging himself out of a mistaken drug charge. The plot kept everything moving along at a good pace, and I was never bored. Plus, the achingly good drama of Kale and Sunday's "will they or won't they" story was a nice touch.
I immediately felt a lot of empathy for the all the family members, and I appreciated how the author wrote the story from multiple perspectives. I was engrossed from the first chapter, and I really connected emotionally to the characters. The family loves each other deeply, but they are all flawed and holding secrets. The tension of knowing when to confront each other and when to gloss over issues was palpable, and throughout the story I got a chance to see everyone wrestle with it in their own way. By the end, I felt like I had watched a good TV drama where I had grown to love all the characters, and I would definitely read a sequel to see where the story goes next.
I immediately felt a lot of empathy for the all the family members, and I appreciated how the author wrote the story from multiple perspectives. I was engrossed from the first chapter, and I really connected emotionally to the characters. The family loves each other deeply, but they are all flawed and holding secrets. The tension of knowing when to confront each other and when to gloss over issues was palpable, and throughout the story I got a chance to see everyone wrestle with it in their own way. By the end, I felt like I had watched a good TV drama where I had grown to love all the characters, and I would definitely read a sequel to see where the story goes next.