We are the Brennan’s by Tracey Lange
I give this book 4 stars

When Sunday wakes up in hospital, after a drunk driving accident she swallows her pride and decides to go back home to her family in New York.
Sunday is determined to rebuild her life even if it does mean tiptoeing around resentful brothers and an ex-fiancé. When a dangerous man from her past brings her family's pub business to the brink of financial ruin, the only way to protect them is to upend all their secrets--The Brennan family is forced to confront painful mistakes--and ultimately find a way forward, together.

An enjoyable drama about an extended Irish family The author keeps it simple,she creates her characters and then allows them to tell you their stories through alternating chapters. I particularly loved the way the last line from 1 was the 1st line of the next!
Family,love,secrets,loyalty and dynamics.the ties that bind us.A wonderful,easy to read story.
With thanks to Netgalley,Tracey Lange and Pan Macmillan for my chance to read and review this book.

I absolutely loved this book. It was probably one of the best debuts I've read in a long time! I loved each and every characters and found myself thinking about them and the story long after I'd finished the book. Would absolutely recommend!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I was drawn into the Brennan family fairly quickly and was enveloped in their love for one another. The family dynamics were interesting and I really was emotionally committed throughout.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for gifting me this arc in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

What an impressive debut!

Rating - 4.5 stars rounded to 5

A moving story about an Irish family in upstate New York, full of delicate and intricately woven layers.

Synopsis -

It has been 5 years since Sunday Brennan deserted her family and moved to LA to pursue her writing career. But when her DUI accident compels her to move back home, she is terrified of how her brothers, her father Mickey and ex-boyfriend Kale will treat her.

With time, she discovers the grave financial situation their family business is in and the challenges that her brothers are dealing with. While another threat looms to destroy them, it is time to come together and confront their lives head on.

Review -

The narrative consists of multiple POVs of all the siblings and Kale. Every one of them is flawed, with their share of secrets and mistakes, which made them all so real. It did take a while to warm up to Sunday, Denny and Kale. But they soon grew on me, as I began to love and cheer for them.

Lange brilliantly explores the sibling dynamics and the depth of her character development is simply remarkable. The writing is adorned with carefully constructed nuances and subtle moments of silent understanding the siblings seem to share. As an only child, I could really appreciate how - having siblings can be instrumental to shaping who we are.

Sunday and Kale’s love story was certainly the highlight of the book. Kale’s assimilation into this family, the pain and devastation they endured with the breakup when Sunday left, the awkwardness they now need to deal with Kale’s marriage and Sunday’s return - were handled exceptionally well by the author.

With Denny’s troubled marriage, the burden of responsibility on his shoulders, Jackie’s own struggles about having buried some ghosts from the past and Mickey’s helplessness, I loved how this family learns to accept and forgive each other to overcome their hardships.

But for a few things which felt repetitive, I thoroughly enjoyed this heartwarming family drama, that in the end, shows us what a family really is about, emphasizing on the joy of togetherness.

Thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for providing me with this ARC!

We are the Brennans is the story of a highly dysfunctional family, family friends included, but it's also the story of people who love each other but are unable to communicate and hide tons of secrets.
You can start with Sunday, the daughter who ran away and came back after a car accident, or Denny, the brother who is risking everything but he's unable to communicate with the people he loves.
It's the parents who had their share of secrets and were not always perfect.
It could be a family drama but it's more the story of how a family risked everything and found a way to change.
The characters are quite realistic, some are so realistic that I found myself thinking "This reminds me of X". The emotions, the relationships are realistic: we don't have over the top drama or stiff upper lip, we read about grief, betrayal, dreams and they're pictured as most of us experienced them.
The storytelling is excellent as kept me reading and turning pages. I loved this family and loved the fleshed out characters.
It is a riveting and compelling read, the kind of book that remains with you.
I loved it and it's strongly recommended.
Many thanks Macmillan and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

My immediate feeling was that this wasn’t going to be a book I was going to enjoy....However I stuck with the story, interweaving the family characters and personalities, gradually getting ‘to know’ them each a little better. About a third of the way in a new character appears and from hereon the story really picked up pace...a slow-burner soon becoming a book I didn’t want to put down!
This is a book very much about family relationships, the loyalties and the secrets they keep within but also apart, and how the bonds can be tight yet flawed simultaneously. I loved the way the author built the characters, each chapter being from a characters perspective , as time passed you got a really good feel for each characters issues and their strengths and weaknesses, both individually and collectively.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone with a passion for books about ‘real people’, not ‘perfect people’. Readers who accept that life can be a challenge, but also a joy. This turned out to be an unexpectedly good read, one I will happily be recommending to fellow booklovers.
Many thanks to NetGalley Uk for my copy, this is my unbiased opinion.

This one had me tearing up I was so emotional reading it! The author writes about an imperfect and currently dysfunctioning family with a gentle literary touch to match much of the Irish literature of recent years.

These people aren't perfect. Actually, some of them are actually incredibly difficult and very attached to making terrible decisions. They make decisions based on emotion and don't waver even when the course they set is proving unnecessarily difficult. They are reminiscent of so many of us, of so many of the reasons we all find family a singularly frustrating thing to love so deeply.

Over the course of the book events from 5 years before are revealed. There is a trigger warning I think many will need, but also the book hinges on you not knowing what happens so if anyone wants to know what it is, please message me. After a terrible experience is shared with her family, Sunday Brennan has to finally deal with her emotions regarding what happened, and we watch her brothers, father and ex-fiancee reel also.

This is a very emotional read that reflects the pain, the love and the reliability of a family that will be there for you, even if they manage that quite badly. I couldn't put it down.

My summary of my reading experience with this book would have to be fairly average. Nothing particularly wrong with it but neither was it a story to set me alight. The family were a bit of joke thinking they were better than most but actually full of bad decisions so that was he point I suppose. I wasn’t keen on any of them even the dead mother who only appears as a memory so maybe that says a lot.

We Are The Brennans begins when 29 year old Sunday Brennan lands herself in hospital in LA, after a drunk driving incident. She swallows her pride and goes back to New York and the family, and ex-fiancé, she abandoned 5 years earlier. Whilst her family are hoping for answers as to why she left, Sunday is determined to rebuild her life. She comes to realise that her family need her as much as she needs them. But when a dangerous man from her past threatens the families business, the only way to protect themselves is to upend all of their secrets, and the Brennans have a lot of those. Can they come together once again to find a way forward?

Sadly I just couldn't get into this book. Unsure if it's due to covid brain or if it just wasn't the right book for me. Im sure plenty other will love it though

It might only be January but if We Are The Brennans doesn’t end up in my top ten books of the year I’ll be amazed. I absolutely loved this book and what a stellar debut it is from Tracey Lange.

We Are The Brennans begins when 29 year old Sunday Brennan lands herself in hospital in LA, after a drunk driving incident. She swallows her pride and goes back to New York and the family, and ex-fiancé, she abandoned 5 years earlier. Whilst her family are hoping for answers as to why she left, Sunday is determined to rebuild her life. She comes to realise that her family need her as much as she needs them. But when a dangerous man from her past threatens the families business, the only way to protect themselves is to upend all of their secrets, and the Brennans have a lot of those. Can they come together once again to find a way forward?

We Are the Brennans is such a wonderful novel, I just couldn’t get enough of it. It is an absolutely brilliant family drama. The Brennans are an Irish Catholic family living outside of New York. They are far from perfect, they are almost all flawed and have made some terrible decisions in the hope of protecting those they love, whilst instead causing greater pain. That said, I absolutely loved them all, with the exception of matriarch Maura. Lange has written characters with such depth and very real humanity. They each have their own distinct personalities and roles to play within the family.

I felt so deeply for Sunday and cried so much upon discovering her reason for leaving, and the implications this had for Kale too. I loved the way Jackie always tried to look out for his sister, even if holding her secret was so painful for him. I thought the journey and discovery Denny went on, in realising the importance of greater communication with his family and not making the same mistakes his parents had was very well done (despite making some huge mistakes of his own!). I also loved the pure innocence and light of Shane and the way his family loved and cared for him so deeply. 

The characters were amazingly well drawn, but I think what made this book even more special was that Lange alternated each chapter from the different characters’ viewpoints. They seamlessly connected together with the last piece of dialogue from each chapter begging the next. This worked brilliantly and meant the family dynamics and drama evolved really organically. It granted us insights into the viewpoints, memories and individual dramas of each member of the family, that combined told the Brennans’ story.

This is a story of the family ties that bind us together. Of the secrets we keep from family and those we keep for them. It’s a story of love, both familial and the power of first love. It’s just the most wonderful book and an astonishing debut.

Huge thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my advanced reader copy.

We Are The Brennans follows an Irish catholic family living in America who can only be described as ‘dysfunctional’. There are so many uncovered secrets that begin to unravel throughout the book which leaves every family member affected.

The characters in this book are flawed but there was something so fascinating about this family. I think this is partly due to the way it’s written, the author does a great job at making their world come alive.

My favourite part of the book was Sunday and Kale’s story, their history and backstory really moved me and I found myself rooting for them throughout the book.

I really enjoyed the twist in this book! I realised early on that something was coming but I couldn’t work out what it was. I found the twist made it even more of a compelling read for me.

Although it took me a while to get into this one, I did enjoy it. I don’t read many character driven novels so this was a nice change for me. I did initially get a bit confused with the amount of POVs as there was quite a lot compared to what I’m used to (I’m a dual POV kinda girl) but I did catch up with it all in the end.

If you like family drama, character driven novels, multiple POVs, second chances and small town vibes then this one will be for you!

Firstly, thank you to @NetGalley, @panmacmillan and @tracey_lange for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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Some secrets you keep from your family. And some secrets you keep for your family. ☘️
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This was one of my final reads of 2021, after a long line of smutty reads going into some contemporary fiction I wasn’t sure how I’d find the family drama set up but I was pleasantly surprised.
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Before receiving the ARC I had heard a few things about the book, comparing it to The Nest by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney which I’ve heard nothing but good things about, but prior to We Are The Brennans I read with similar themes was a massive letdown however I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

It gets off to a bit of a slow start but after you hit chapter 4 the pace picks up as the POV chapters make them fly by and you are catapulted into a world of beautifully written complex characters and learn how they all fit into their family unit. Tracey completely captured the essence of how families truly interact with no sugar coating. It is written from multiple perspectives, and I loved how each chapter blends seamlessly into the next.
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Overall, it was a pleasure to read, I was completely taken aback by the twist and there is no doubt I will look out for books written by Tracey Lange in the future.
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#WeAreTheBrennans is released Feb 2022 in the UK.
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TW: Cheating, Murder, Divorce, Miscarriage

A story of family at its heart, the Brennans are a family of Irish descent living in New York State. Sunday, the only daughter in their large family, returns home after 5 years in LA after a car accident and stumbles right into ongoing family drama and the unraveling of family secrets. Why did she leave? Will she stay?

Each character has their own drama that ultimately becomes intertwined. Exploring loyalty, love and betrayal, this book had me hooked and invested from the beginning.

A character heavy novel with lots of dialogue, relationships and dysfunctional dynamics. After taking a few chapters to get in to, I then devoured this and found it well paced and very well written.

Overall a really enjoyable read, especially if you like character heavy, family driven narratives with multiple POV and lots of drama.

I couldnt put this book down it was so gripping and engaging the whole way through. I loved the writing, the story and the characters. It was fast paced, atmospheric and tense in places and I loved it.

Excellent read!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me access an advance copy of this book in exchange for my feedback.

I blitzed through this book over the weekend as I just could not get enough. I enjoyed every second. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

In Los Angeles a drunk Sunday Brennan crashes her car which ultimately forces her to confront her future. Meanwhile, in New York her brother Denny contemplates his financial situation and it isn’t good. Following a call from the LAPD Denny flies out to see his sister and realises her life is not going well and he persuades her to return to New York after a five year absence. Sunday’s return home brings mistakes and secrets to the surface forcing the Brennan family to address the issues. The story is told from several perspectives.

I find the first half to be a slog and a bit of a plod as it’s over detailed, overloaded and I glaze over in some boredom. It picks up from about the 40% mark thankfully and gets more interesting. The characterisation is good, there are plenty of interesting characters, though there are a couple who are so indecisive and wet that you feel frustrated by them but at least you can say there’s a mixture! It’s a good portrait of a family who thinks they are perfect, who act like they’re a cut above but are actually full of secrets and a bit toxic. Sunday’s reasons for leaving New York seem a bit spurious but maybe understandable. I like the way one chapter ends and then is immediately picked up in the following one by different character as this makes the story flow, although it does lead to some repetition. The ending is nice but it doesn’t pack much of a punch.

Overall, I guess I could describe my reaction to the book being an underwhelmed fence sitter. I don’t hate it nor do I love it as it never fully grabs my attention and keeps my firmly gripped. In places it has the feel of a soap opera and I don’t watch those! Enough said.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Pan MacMillan for the much appreciated arc in return for a honest review.

This was a really, really enjoyable family saga.

What I loved most about this book was the fact that it wasn't about Sunday and a bunch of other lesser developed characters. Whilst Sunday is, of course, the main character, every other person in the book is a well-developed, real person making realistic decisions and mistakes as they navigate through life.

The complex nature of family dynamics within this novel will clearly resonate with everyone who, like me, has a completely dysfunctional family who you love but fight with all at the same time.

The characters just leap off the page and whilst there are definitely sad moments, there are heart warming elements which will make you smile.

Thanks to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Tracey Lange's debut is a terrific character driven Irish Catholic family drama set in West Manor, New York, it's a real treat, I couldn't help but get drawn into this large flawed family dynamics right from the beginning. 5 years ago something happened that made 29 year old Sunday Brennan flee with no explanation across the country to Los Angeles, California, including leaving behind the man she had been in a long term relationship with, Kale Collins, practically a member of her family. Now in the present, Sunday is in hospital after sustaining injuries whilst driving her car drunk, LAPD contact her older brother Denny and he arrives at her bedside. He persuades her to return home to New York and recover from her injuries there. It is written from the perspectives of the various family members, including Kale, who is married to Vivienne, a woman as different from Sunday as could be, and has a young son, Luke.

Sunday isn't the only one keeping secrets, everyone has issues and skeletons in their closet that have repercussions, artist Jackie is her twin brother, younger brother, Shaun has learning development challenges, Maura, the mother is now deceased, Mickey, the father has health issues, Denny is in business with Kale, and is facing serious financial problems with the pub business, not to mention his very own family troubles. His poor decisions and inability to open up about what is happening threatens the very survival of the family business and their home. Sunday's help is sorely needed by her family, and, perhaps unsurprisingly, Sunday and Kale are drawn once again to each other. However, the past and its consequences will not be suppressed, as slowly the secrets begin to tumble out. Will the Brennan family be able to survive the fallout?

Lange writes a heartwarming novel, of the dysfunctional Brennan family, who despite the challenges they face, the heartbreak, the shame, secrets and guilt, are made of strong stuff, blood is thicker than water with the strength of the family ties that bind. This is an absorbing and engaging read, exploring the complex nature of family dynamics and sibling relationships, I particularly loved the skill with which the characters were portrayed, they come across as so real and human. Highly recommended. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC