I laughed a lot reading this book. I loved the characters. They are believable and I got totally caught up in their lives. Reading a book by Marian Keyes always feels like a treat.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

A fabulous story of a modern day Irish family that work and play together. Jessie starts her gourmet food business with help from her husband Rory. Tragically Rory dies and Jessie remarries. They have a large family, Jessie’s Bunnies whom she loves dearly. To hold everything together Jessie treats her extended family to wonderful meals and holidays. The cracks then start to show, the problems of jealousy and for one couple they learn that marring in haste has its problems. For another an eating disorder causes problems for for their marriage. Marian Keyes at her very best, interesting believable characters and a story that held my interest until the very last page.

Oh my - I love looooved this. I’m a huge fan of Marian Keyes but for some reason didn’t enjoy her previous novel, The Break, as much as I usually enjoy her work, so I was a bit wary about Grown Ups; I had absolutely no reason to be. Although Grown Ups is quite lengthy, I still got to the end wishing for more - more laugh out loud humour, distinct relatability and dark undercurrents. At first I thought I’d never remember who all the characters were and how they were related, let alone get to know and empathise with them, but alas by the end I wanted to know how everyone’s story ended (apart from maybe Liam) and wished for them to all have their happily ever afters (again, apart from Liam). My favourites were Nell, Cara and Ferdia but Jessie, Ed and Jessie’s younger ‘bunnies’ stole my heart too. Keyes is able to make each character so different, with individual personalities, whilst they remain achingly knowable; their insecurities and quirks so relatable: Jessie’s desperation to fit in; Cara’s crippling body image issues; Ed’s underestimated steadiness; Nell’s self doubt; Ferdia’s need for approval. Overall a brilliant read and a big 5/5 from me - can’t wait for her next!

*I received an advance review copy of Grown Ups from the publisher through NetGalley.

This took me a while to get into and for one of the characters (Cara) I was initially very concerned as to how this would be written as I am a parent of a child with Anorexia and Cara who is a bulimic said she envied the discipline of anorexics which was difficult for me to process however Marian turned this into a sympathetic and realistic insight into the pain of eating disorders for all concerned. Overall it was a good perspective of insecurities and how we measure ourself as well as a great birds eye view of the complexities of family. This is yet another typically insightful novel from Marian Keyes.

This was a great, entertaining read. I hadn't read a novel by this author in a while and I'm glad I requested to read this one. It had great characters, an interesting storyline and in the end I just couldn't wait for another opportunity to pick it up and start reading it again!

I can not remember the last time I read a Marian Keyes book,and I used to read them all.
No reason I stopped,they just didn't come I to my orbit.
But this one did. I'm so glad.
From the opening scenes,the characters were well defined... quite something to introduce me to over 10 new characters and I know immediately who was who.
Going back then from the opening painful dinner party,I cringed at the mass family gatherings,but enjoyed the interactions between the family.
It wasn't long before I knew who I liked and who was a d**k.
Grown ups,each with their own problems/issues,not always going about the best way to fix them.
I breezed through the book,and it's a big one... and came out thinking I've got some past books to catch up on now.

I am sorry to say this but I profoundly disliked this novel. I found it sooo long-winded and boring! I read all of it and found it tedious and annoying. There were parts that were good: Jessie’s little girls were funny and I enjoyed the Nell/Ferdia sub-story. But the execution of it all was very haphazard. It was like a sculptor presenting a giant marble slab as his finished piece; a marble slab without much carving at all - so the viewer cannot appreciate any order or semblance of a shape within it. The beginning was extremely slow (there was no ‘plot’ in the first half) and then the end was extremely rushed - there was a frustrating tempo throughout. I’m so sorry to be writing all this, I really wanted to love this and expected to since I very much enjoyed the author’s previous novel. I can appreciate a lot of work went into this but it felt “not ready yet”; it felt like a story in need of serious chopping and polishing to become compelling!

Marian Keyes has struck again. With a whole cast of characters that are absorbing, unpredictable and utterly loveable. I feel very much like I did the first time I read about the Walsh family, all their love pouring over me. This time we meet the Casey clan, a batch of quirky misfits who are each struggling with their own identity in their own ways. What I loved is that it became obvious that you weren't meant to like them all, but sometimes family is like that. Marian Keyes depicts it so perfectly. I don't have a big family, but reading this made me wish I did. The huge get-togethers, the chaos that ensues. Relationships are complex and so multi-dimensional. I did particularly like the way you got a feel from the very beginning of where things were going, but how we got there was better than I could have expected. It did mean I spent a lot of the book "looking out" for each of the clues you're given.

For me, the sign of a good book is always how likely I am to cry on the tube. Towards the end, it was bucketfuls, people were definitely giving me strange looks. Probably not as strange as when I was reading the section about the murder mystery weekend on the tubes and my shoulders were convulsing with laughter. It was hysterical and awkward, and just pure happiness.

I think the thing to note is that the book doesn't really "go" anywhere. But it doesn't matter, this isn't that kind of book. You read it for the characters, you stay for the love. I do wonder if Marian Keyes will ever revisit the Casey clan, I have so many unanswered questions! This was an utter triumph and I loved it.

Marian Keyes always creates stories and characters that feel real and relatable. Every story I read of hers has a character that strikes a chord in my heart and I end up routing for them all the way through the book. In this story Cara made my heart break and as we followed her story I just couldn’t help but wish I was there to give her a hug and say it’s going to be ok just dont give up! I loved this story it is full of pain, heartbreak, love, passion and deceit and what more can you ask for! This does not disappoint.

It’s been a long time since I read any of Marian Keyes’ books so when I saw Grown Ups I figured I’d give it a go. I am so glad I did as I really enjoyed it. Really relatable, great insight into family dynamics and genuine wit alongside the real troubles in the Casey family. Loved it!

A long novel in which you need to get to grips with a huge cast of characters as you encounter the busy, attractive Casey family, revolving around the three brothers, Johnny, Ed and Liam, each with their wife and children, plus extra cousins and friends. and a family tree would have come in handy.

Gradually it unwinds to reveal Johnny is second husband to Jessie and they have a blended family, a business, and so much money that they literally pay for the rest of the family to go on several holidays and weekend trips a year. This is handy for the plot but doesn't seem believable. Ed and Cara are dealing with Cara's eating disorder, badly, but it's Cara's sudden truthfulness after a bang on the head that opens the novel and which we go back and wind up to through the rest of the novel. Feckless Liam and his kind wife Nell are quite newly married, she is his second wife and does she have more in common with the younger members of the family?

So we follow these people through six months of complicated trips and holidays and messaging and learn what who knows about whom, although it's so long and the characters are well drawn but somehow not really people I wanted to invest in. Nell is the most interesting, while Cara's story is well done and useful to explain to people how eating disorders work but so detailed it might be triggering. There are funny side characters, especially the youngsters, but it overall feels pretty sad, with the gloss coming off relationships, marriages and friendships.

I’ve loved every other Marian Keyes book and this one was no exception! An absolute page turner. I got to know and love the characters and found myself disappointed when I’d finished it as I didn’t want to give them up yet! Totally recommend!

Marian Keyes is, well, everything. I love this woman. I am unashamedly biased towards everything she does and says and writes. I actually squeaked when I got approved for this book. I was not disappointed by it, not even a bit. I devoured it over two nights and it was a joy. I love the richness of this story, the vast array of characters and all their differences. All the story lines that pull you. Like the Walsh family, I want to know everything about every single one of the people in Jessie's family, even the peripheral characters. I want to read about them every night, forever. I devoured it, and now I feel bereft.

It took me a while to get into this book and I really struggled to place all of the characters, however I persevered and I am glad I did. I love Marian’s style of writing and the way she develops a story. Overall, an enjoyable read for anyone who likes her previous novels.

This is a modern-day family saga, examining the lives and ups and downs of the three Casey brothers - Ed, Johnny and Liam - and their wives and children.
There is a large cast of characters and it took me a while to get to grips with who was who. I almost needed a family tree. Consequently I found this a bit of a slow burn.
But gradually I started to believe in them and care about their lives and the many twists and turns.
This does feel like a more grown-up novel than many of Keyes’ others - there are some serious themes such as mental health issues - explored, and it’s a long novel too. But that does mean that there’s plenty of space for it to breathe and for plots and characterisation to develop.
I do like a Marian Keyes novel and this does feel like something of a re-invention: recommended as something a bit different from this very popular author.

I was thrilled to receive an ARC of this book from @netgalley. Marion Keyes has been a favourite author of mine for a long time. This book certainly didn’t disappoint.
The story starts in the present day, then moves to the past and then back to the present and onwards from there. There are many main characters in this book with their own stories but the authors writing style is so good that this never becomes confusing.
This book deals with some sensitive issues- betrayals, divorce, bulimia, death and grief. The author handles these issues very well.
This was a page turner as I just wanted to know more about the characters.
A great read which I would definitely recommend

Marian Keyes has done it again, this is an unputdownable piece of art - I loved every second! She had created a cast of varied, fascinating, flawed yet loveable characters who are so easy to get to know and keep track of - no mean feat when a book has so many points of view. I thoroughly recommend this book.

Grown Up is a story of three brothers, Johnny, Liam and Ed and their wives and children and children’s friends and other relatives, confusing with all these characters to say the least.
Ed’s wife Cara has concussion after a head injury leaving her unable to filter what she thinks and then says out loud. Attending a family dinner party at Johnnys house she starts blurting out all manner of secrets where lives that were thought to be so perfect are not at all.
The story then takes us back 6 months so we learn all about the main characters, unfortunately apart from three characters most of the others are unlikeable particularly Liam.
This is a long book which normally I love, you have time to wallow in the depth of the story and assembled cast, here though I have to admit I was speed reading through pages not finding them particularly entertaining and dare I say it a tad boring.
This started on a great premise and I was looking forward to hearing all of Cara’s truths, but nothing more than what was at the start of the book was revealed as she was quickly ushered away, and although these truths have been revealed throughout I felt let down not to read everyone’s reaction at that time.
Mostly I did enjoy this book but non of the great humour we expect from this author. That said this is obviously my opinion and I’m sure many others will love it.
My thanks to net galley and publisher for the opportunity to review this book honestly.

I haven't read a Marian Keyes novel in the last 15 years, (kids and life getting in the way!) but I loved Lucy Sullivan, Watermelon and Rachel's Holiday so I was really looking forward to this. However, the first quarter of the book I was debating whether or not to give up! There are so many characters that I couldn't work out who was who and how they were related. As a result I wasn't really invested in the characters and didn't care what happened to them.
Anyway, about quarter of the way in things began to fall into place and through a series of flashbacks I began to understand the intricacies of the various families. By about halfway through I couldn't put the book down! This would make a great drama for TV and I really hope there is a sequel. I'm off now to read the Marian Keyes books I've missed over the last 20 or so years!

Marian Keyes is my all time favourite author and, having read and loved every one of her novels, I was ecstatic to be approved by netgalley for an early copy of her newest book.

Thankfully this did not disappoint. As always, Marian’s characters are developed to the point where you feel like you have gotten to know them as friends by the end of the story. Despite dealing with some deep issues, such as eating disorders, divorces, deaths and betrayals, the book never felt like a slog, her cheerful Irish wittisms and smaller, brilliantly funny characters along the way manage to raise the mood where needed and kept me entertained and desperate to read more.

The story has the potential to be confusing, with 6 different main characters and a storyline that starts in the present, moves into the past, then works its way back to the start, finishing in the future. However Keyes keeps all of the threads moving clearly, with her beautiful writing style allowing the reader to get to know each character and feel part of their story as it unfolds.

I felt I identified with all of the female characters in one way or another and was rooting for their happy endings throughout. I also really loved the way that Jessie had two really clashing parts to her personality. She is such a strong female business owner, but her insecurities were realistic, she wasn’t portrayed as a ‘ball breaker’ as sometimes women can be in books and I felt I really wanted to be her friend!

I definitely recommend this book, it’s pure Marian Keyes escapism.
Thank you so so much to netgalley, the publishers and the author for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.