My thanks to Penguin Michael Joseph and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC of Ask Again, Yes. Mary Beth Keane's novel is a magnificent tour-de-force. In 1973 two NYPD rookies are assigned to a Bronx precinct. Francis Gleeson and Brian Stanhope are not close friends. When Gleeson graduated from the police academy he asked Lena Teobaldo to marry him. They moved to the suburb of Gillam, soon to be followed by Stanhope and his wife Anne. Children follow: three girls for the Gleesons - Natalie, Sara and Kate. Kate - born just six months after the Stanhope's son, Peter.

Two families living side by side, one neighbourhood and a sense of false domesticity. All families have problems, don't they? And then one violent, tragic event, unexpected, unpredictable (or was it?) tears the fabric of family life apart.

The broad canvas of Ask Again, Yes spans four decades. Despite everything that has occurred, years later Peter and Kate get married. Old family wounds sit just below the surface and lives spin out of control. A very moving story told with great skill and wonderful character development. A story that draws you in and gets under your skin.

Thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommended.

Two young teenagers separated by a tragedy that affected both families, finally reunited and all reconciled in the final chapter.
There are many interesting characters in this story and each has a story that would make a novel in it’s own right. This is a family story which mirrors so many of the pitfalls and incidents of real life. Unfortunately by trying to fit them all into one story has diluted the characters and their frailties to thumbnail sketches. And don’t get me started on the final scenes !!
I do not want to write plot spoilers but there are so many interesting and insightful snippets that are not followed up. I was quite frustrated – there is so much potential for a here for a family saga.

Those who like family sagas will love this book. It is well written and entertaining. However, it was far too long and slow moving for my personal taste. It covered over forty years of two families history and while certain traumatic events occurred, I kept hoping for something more.
I am very grateful to the publisher and author for an ARC of the book in exchange for my honest review.

This was truly a powerful story. A well told story about 2 people and their families, their ups and downs with some dramatic events thrown in. Not everyone's story is smooth sailing and this book illustrated it again for me. I loved how the story flowed seamlessly from 1973 until present, from one year to the other, from one character to the other, telling each one's story. There was nothing about the book that I did not like. I loved the writing style, it was difficult to put the book down and I constantly found myself picking up the book again. I loved how the book turned out and I think this book will be loved by all who read it. I would definitely recommend this book to my friends.

I absolutely loved this book! It has all the ingredients of a great book - interesting and relatable characters, a really good story, and to top it off it's beautifully written. Once you start reading, you won't leave it down. I know that I'll be searching for more of Mary Beth Keane..

Thank you to netgalley.co.uk for giving me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I'm so glad I got an email advertising this book otherwise I probably would have read this one. This is indeed one book that I have never read before; I thought the author handled the sensitive, tough topics uniquely. I wasn't put off by the nitty-gritty topics Keane dealt with, but she had written them such a way, it made it feel for the characters. Keane's writing was fantastic. I was sucked into the novel right away and could not believe how much I had read in one sitting. I was so close to finishing the story; it's always an excellent novel for me when I'm just lost in the novel and not looking at how many pages are left in the book.