The Connellys of County Down by Tracey Lange

 

My thoughts

This was a very nice page turner. It was my BOTM pick and I'm so glad I choose it. 

You meet a family, the Connellys, in this story. Start out with Tara who is being released from prison. She was a school teacher who got caught with drugs under the seat of her truck. She refuses to speak or defend herself only saying she knows nothing about the dealer who the cops are convinced she is covering for. They just can't figure out why. Why would she risk her freedom and her job for this horrible person. She's given a few chances to talk but ultimately won't so she is sent to prison for eighteen months. Upon release one of the detectives from her arrest is there to talk to her. Detective Brian Nolan wants to speak with Tara but when something happens that she can't get a ride he offers her one. 

This story is about how much a sister loves her siblings. How these three, Tara, Geraldine, and Eddie, have always been there for each other. What each one attributes to this story is amazing. How they survived a sad upbringing to be the good people they are capable of being is told in this book. Each has a story. Each has a problem. But throughout it all they are strong and always there for each other. Even in the face of what happens in this story. 

This author has taken a family and given them real problems. Given them real emotions. Situations that can possibly happen in a family. Made them stronger. Each one has a story. A fear. A problem. Geraldine is the eldest and has taken care of her younger brother and sister for many years. She's been the provider, caregiver, bill paying, cook, and kept them together. Now they are all grown but still stay together and help each other out no matter what the cost. I love this family. I was aggravated a few times but still love them. They wormed their way into my heart. 

And it's a love story too..... 

My BOTM choice. So glad I chose it. Also an ARC from NetGalley.

Five huge stars. It was so good. Just have a few tissues handy. You'll need them.

Synopsis

From Tracey Lange, the New York Times bestselling author of We Are the Brennans, comes The Connellys of County Down: a story about fierce family loyalty, good intentions gone awry, and the consequences of improbable love.

When Tara Connelly is released from prison after serving eighteen months on a drug charge, she knows rebuilding her life at thirty years old won’t be easy. With no money and no prospects, she returns home to live with her siblings, who are both busy with their own problems. Her brother, a single dad, struggles with the ongoing effects of a brain injury he sustained years ago, and her sister’s fragile facade of calm and order is cracking under the burden of big secrets. Life becomes even more complicated when the cop who put her in prison keeps showing up unannounced, leaving Tara to wonder what he wants from her now.

While she works to build a new career and hold her family together, Tara finds a chance at love in a most unlikely place. But when the Connellys’ secrets start to unravel and threaten her future, they all must face their worst fears and come clean, or risk losing each other forever.

The Connellys of County Down is a moving novel about testing the bounds of love and loyalty. It explores the possibility of beginning our lives anew, and reveals the pitfalls of shielding each other from the bitter truth.