Heavy on Secrets with Likable Characters

This is the story of an Irish Catholic family with a multitude of secrets that begins to tear their hard-won family business apart. Sunday Brennan gets a real wake-up call in her life when she finds herself in the hospital after driving drunk. She decides to leave CA and return to NY to reunite with her family whom she has not seen in five years. The drama in this book begins right away and does not diminish until the end. There were a plethora of characters, each with his/her own point of view in the story, and until I had read enough to know who was who, I was feeling inundated by names and personalities. At one point, I felt as though I needed to take notes to keep track of everyone. Each family member gives insight into the dynamics that makes the family who they are. The conflict is centered around the secrets that they feel are so important to keep from each other, and there were many twists and turns in the plot as they struggle not to reveal their hidden gems. The drama was heightened at times (like a constant battle against the evil genie of truth), so the book did keep me engaged, for the most part. I did enjoy the story of this family with real trials but I did find it over-the-top dramatic for me, especially once the secrets were revealed. At that point, it was a little like, “That’s all there was to it?” All in all, this book is a good solid 3.5 effort from a debut author. The characters made the story because although there was a lot of emphasis on secrets, the actual plot fell flat for me.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via a contest on Bookish First. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”