A compelling and enjoyable story told in a way that hasn’t been explored in quite this way before. MK always takes regular people having regular problems and tells the story in such a new way. I missed her trademark humour here and I wish there was one less family, preferably Rory’s as I don’t think they added enough to the story to further complicate the plot and fewer kids for sure - there were a lot of kids to keep track of and most of them didn’t really add to the plot either. The second half of the book was stronger, but also rushed.

All in all, it was a good read and as always, I look forward to more from her!

Books about family are always a favourite of mine, and this new read from Marian Keyes was fully family fuelled!
A story about the fortunes of three men, the Casey brothers, Johnny, Ed and Liam, and their respective wives, Jessie, Cara and Nell.

A surprise knock to the head causes Cara to blurt out a whole host of truths at the dinner table one night, in front of the whole family. Truths that have huge consequences.

t starts in the present, then delves backwards, accessing the views of a whole host of characters involved in the story, leading back to the very first scene, allowing us an insight into what happened, to cause the conversation that starts the book.

There are many issues touched upon within the book, from fidelity to eating disorders, trust to control.

I enjoyed the way that each jump back, then forwards, strengthened my knowledge of each character. It isn't always easy to follow books with multiple points of view, yet I was left with fully formed characters in my mind at the end of the book.

Another page-turner!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin UK - Michael Joseph for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Marian Keyes was my absolute favourite for years, the total queen of her genre and always both heartbreaking and hilarious but somewhere around the mid 2000s i felt she lost her way. Obviously she was ageing and maturing as an author but for me, the humour and spark of her work just disappeared. The last couple of novels I wasn't even able to finish so I did approach this latest novel, Grownups, with some trepidation. Its a somewhat convoluted tale of the relationships of three brothers and their extended families, taking in relationship breakdown, bereavement, and addiction. It's definitely overlong and once again low on the humour factor. It has a much more Irish middle class vibe than the earlier novels and some of the 'irishisms'felt fake and a little grating - Jessie continually referring to everyone as 'bunnies' for example, started to almost give me a nervous twitch about halfway through. The plot kind of meanders from family event to family event and could benefit from some editing. Nevertheless the novel did feel quite moving at times. Marian Keyes can do something with female characters - Jessie in particular I found to be intriguingly complex and relatable, quite an untypical but also vivid character. Cara was also at times relatable and her story of addiction and denial was moving. Overall i felt this novel to be a mixed bag which i did moderately enjoy but i would not consider a return to form for Marian Keyes.

A fantastic family saga from Marian that I would recommend to any fans. A lot of us have grown up with her books and this is another great read. Fully recommend

I love Marian Keyes novels and this one didn’t disappoint. It’s the story of an extended family and all the characters feel very real. Some you root for; some you instantly dislike (Liam). I agree with the other reviewers who say it’s a bit confusing to begin with trying to remember who is married to each brother but I got there in the end. The most heartbreaking story is of a character who has bulimia, and people with personal experience of this issue may find it a difficult read - but I think Marian handles it very well. If I had one criticism, it’s that this book hasn’t got as many comedic moments we come to expect from Marian. But, all in all, a great read for fans of the genre.

How refreshing to read a story about ‘real’ grown ups who don’t have their shit together and don’t necessarily (spoiler!!) have ‘they all lived happily ever after’ endings. Jumping between the narratives of three brothers and their families, Grown Ups is realistic, relatable and sometimes a little bit too close to home to be a comfortable read, but at the same time it’s like a reassuring hug. A great read, on many levels.

Marian Keyes is one of those writers that everybody has heard of, she has written a ridiculous number of bestselling books and is one of the warmest and most generous authors out there. Her latest book, Grown Ups, is another excellent book about family, relationships, love and the intricacies of modern life.

In Grown Ups she takes us deep into the heart of the Casey family and reveals them to us, layer by layer. They are a large and sprawling family, presided over by Johnnie and Jessie who own their own business and are, quite frankly, loaded. There are regular family get-togethers with Johnnie’s brothers, Ed and Liam, their wives Cara and Nell respectively and the brothers assorted children. There are weekends away, sprawling lunches, parties; a week doesn’t go by where the Casey family don’t see one another. You’d think they’d know all there is to know about one another by now, right? Wrong.

We meet the Caseys at a birthday lunch and tensions are running high. Then Cara, suffering from concussion spills the metaphorical beans and every Casey secret and lie is laid bare. What she reveals is kept from us and we pinwheel back in time to 6 months earlier. Slowly, month by month we watch as the inner workings of this family are laid bare at a variety of parties, murder mystery weekends and holidays to Italy.

There’s Cara who works in a boutique hotel and can manage the most difficult of guests without breaking a sweat, and her lovely, sweet husband Ed. Liam and Nell are newlyweds who are madly in love with one another. She is younger than him, impossibly cool, incredibly lovely and the whole family adore her, it’s just a shame Liam is such a complete and utter tool. Then there is Jessie and Johnny who are generous and kind but their history is complicated and it looms large over their present.

We are brought deep into the heart of the Casey family and Marian lets us fall in love with them. She allows us to peak through a crack where things may not be quite as they seem then quick as a whip she moves on leaving us wondering if that sentence means what we think it does. We jump from character to character, all of them fully formed and completely real and soon we are deep into this family and desperate to find out what Cara has revealed.

The thing is with Marian Keyes’ writing, is that on the surface it is all very jolly, there’s some humour and some moments of brightness and joy but bubbling underneath the surface there is darkness and some very difficult subject matter indeed. It’s just like life I suppose, you never really know what is going on behind closed doors.

Marian Keyes is so clever and such a brilliant storyteller. This isn’t a small book coming in at 656 pages but I really didn’t want it to end. There are moments in this book which will stay with me forever, interactions between characters which were so powerful that they took my breath away and a major book hangover when I finished it. Warm, generous, tender, sensitive and compassionate, Grown Ups is wonderful. Marian has done it again.

Now I am a HUGE Marian Keyes fan, I've read every book and quite often go back so some of the really early ones when I need a 'happy' read...

This just isnt one of my favourites 😣

There are a whole load of characters to remember and not only who they are but their place in the family and the dynamics of the whole family... its definitely a brain strain!

Sadly I just couldn't connect with a single character which is so unlike any of Marian's books previously, they just didnt warm me in any way.

In all honesty I had to force myself to plough through this one, to keep picking it up and not throwing it to one side in frustration. I suppose I had expectations that just weren't met this time around.

I ended up skimming the pages looking for something or someone to grab my attention but it never happened.

I'm super sad to give such a low rating on this one but honesty is asked for so honesty is what's given!

2*

A big thank you to netgalley and Penguin UK for the ARC.

I’ve enjoyed many of Marian Keyes books in the past, I love her writing style and how she mixes humour with darker themes. This story didn’t disappoint, I loved getting to know the characters, you really get to know them through Marians writing. I did mark the book down a star as there were so many characters I got a little lost at times, and some of the characters were not at all likeable and you do wonder what on earth their partners are doing with them.

Having read several Marion Keyes books in the past, I was really looking forward to this one. Sadly, I was disappointed. Too many characters, I couldn't work out who was who, and I didn't particularly care for any of them. Not for me.

Unfortunately, I was a little disappointed with this book.

I was expecting the wry wit and acerbic humour of Keyes' other novels but this lacked bite. It was a detailed character study of the Casey brothers and their families, exploring what it means to be an adult, what makes us happy and the impact of carrying secrets for years. Those character studies were interesting and engaging but overly long and there wasn't much drama in the 500-odd pages that described the six months prior to the current events of the novel.

I hoped that the concussion-fuelled revelations by Cara outlined in the blurb would be more climactic. In fact, the scene was only a chapter long and just didn't have the explosive quality I wanted.

I enjoyed exploring the characters' lives and thought Keyes' writing was high-quality as ever but this just didn't pack the punch I expected it to.

Marian Keyes is probably my favourite author and this latest book didn't disappoint. The story begins at a family dinner celebration, where dark secrets are revealed. We then go back in time, reliving the last 7 months and how we reached this point. Such a moving, well written book. Another book I've read where I'm disappointed it has come to and end!

Marian Keyes at her best. I loved her characterisation and the slow unravelling of the characters. I'm sure everyone will find something of themselves in one of them. I read this book whilst staying in Dublin which added to the enjoyment of the book. Loved It!

Just a classic Marian Keyes, which always feel like a soothing balm. There's a comfort to getting stuck into one of her books and the characters and the wit and the warmth never fail to disappoint.

Ahhhh opening a Marian Keyes is like stepping into a warm, cosy bath. This one didn't disappoint - full of her usual wit and warmth. I both loved, and was infuriated by, the characters and I could have carried on reading about their lives for pages and pages more. Keyes writes so well that I always get the feeling I've just eavesdropped on the lives of real people for a time, then quietly taken my leave.

I have read all of this author’s books and this one was of the usual high standard. Loved it. Can’t wait for the next one.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Marian Keyes for the advanced copy of this book. I agreed to give my unbiased opinion voluntarily.

It's Johnny Casey's 49th birthday and his two younger brothers and their wives and the children are gathered round the dinner table. Suddenly, secrets start to unravel. We then move back several months and steadily move towards the dinner, learning about the Casey family.

Surely a classic Marian Keyes book. It is long and satisfying. The writing is insightful and witty. Plenty of emotion too. I greatly enjoyed it and was sorry when it ended.

The story begins at a birthday dinner where the Casey brothers, Johnny, Ed and Liam and their wives Jessie, Cara and Nell appear to be a close family unit until an innocent remark causes ructions between them. The story takes us back over the preceding months where we discover what secrets are being kept and what lies are being told until we come full circle back to the dinner.

A compelling family saga with a vast array of characters. A heartwarming and humorous book which was an easy and entertaining read.

I'm a huge fan of Marian Keyes and this book didn't disappoint. With her usual charm and wit and relationship focus, I really enjoyed this. Thanks NetGalley for the chance to read this book!

Sadly I gave up half way through. I could not keep up with the dozens (it seemed) of characters in the story. The Casey family seemed ruled by Jessie and her wishes. I really tried, going back to the story time after time, but just couldn't find it readable.
I'm sure it was well written but I couldn't engage with the story.
Thanks to NerGalley for the chance to review the book.