My Rating
In Summary of The Connellys of County Down
“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.” –Goodreads Synopsis
READ IF YOU LIKE: Family dramas, sibling dynamics, character-driven novels, We Are the Brennans
| Positives | Negatives |
|---|---|
| Diverse characterization between family members | Entirely character-driven (if you’re looking for a complex, exciting plot line, this could be a negative) |
| Exploration of societally relevant topics (i.e. mental health, family dynamics, loyalty, etc.) |
The Review
If you’ve read Tracey Lange’s We Are the Brennans, you know that she is talented at crafting pristine, character-driven plot lines in her compact novels. Her writing explores a variety of perspectives among an Irish family encountering trials for each member individually and for the family as a whole.
The Connellys of County Down switches between three sibling perspectives and is centered around the release of Tara Connelly from prison. Her integration back into society not only affects her, but also her family; essentially, the Connellys are just trying to survive and get by. Although there is power in numbers and amongst family, individual motivations and personalities can make harmony tricky.
Many people loved We Are the Brennans, but I can easily say this was my favorite of the two. While she had an impressive debut, this second novel reveals maturity in her ability to develop characters.
This is one to keep an eye out for on the shelves August 1st! Thank you to Celadon Books for the ARC!
The Connellys of County Down Book Information
- To Be Published: August 1, 2023
- ISBN: 9781250865373
- Format: Paperback (received ARC from publisher)
- Length: 288 pages
Archetypes & Anecdotes 
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