Lange’s richly layered debut…deftly examines the long shadow of family history and the bonds that cannot be broken” Overall: I loved this family so much! Each of the characters were portrayed amazingly. I couldn’t decide which one was my favorite! This is one of the best fictions I’ve read this year! I’m giving my well earned highly deserved, Irish, very dysfunctional, surprising, impeccably developed five stars ! At least a couple days. And I’m guessing she’ll need some help after that, getting home and whatnot…”

this is a great novel about how even the most complicated of families can support and forgive each other. For a debut novel, this was pretty decent. The writing was good, as was characterization - for the most part. There were so many colourful characters springing at you from every corner of the Brennan mansion. There was also your typical Irish bar... (hmm, I worried at one point, were we in for all the usual Irish Family Saga tropes? Not quite, but close...) Reading this novel is like getting a view through a lighted window on a family sitting around a table after dark. Who are they? What are they talking about? All families have their own story and the ways they tell it to themselves, and untangling the many strands of this one was deep and richly satisfying. Once I started, I couldn’t stop. I read it in one long delicious slide.” twenty nine years old, had always been the voice of reason. There was a maturity and selflessness about her character. Mr. Brennan, your sister was in a car accident tonight. Looks like she’s gonna be okay, but she’s on her way to Cedars-Sinai.”I enjoyed the family dynamic: how all the siblings pulled together to support and protect one another. However, I didn't know what to make of the "pseudo-adopted" son, Kale Collins (who was so aptly named!) His indecisive nature often reminded me of a limp vegetable. He drove me up a wall and down the other with his conciliatory, noncommittal ways. His was one of the weakest characters in the novel. Did Kale deserve to be part of that protected circle? I certainly wasn't impressed with him, but the majority of the Brennans and the author seemed to think he was, so I'm staying out of that one. What I wanted more of from this story was time with the Brennan family. I wanted to continue to listen to their story with a more memorable ending that 'wowed' me. With that said, this still remains a story I loved! Sunday Brennan is 29 and wakes up in an LA hospital following a drunk driving accident she caused. Fortunately no one else was hurt. Her oldest brother Denny is there and encourages her to return home to New York — It’s been 5 years since she abruptly left her family and her ex-fiancé, with little explanation. Denny tells her they could use her help with things at home, where they own a bar and are about to launch a second location. She reluctantly agrees, as her life in LA is fine, but nothing extraordinary. A special thanks to Celadon Books (especially after being such a turd expressing how overwhelmed I felt just being ‘asked’ to receive a gifted book), I had said no. It was a day I wanted to toss in the towel and bolt from everything….dealing with my own physical chronic pain.. In Lange’s accomplished debut . . . she keeps all of the Brennans sizzling with humanity while they grapple with familial loyalty. Fans of intense family dramas are in for a treat

In the vein of Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney’s The Nest, We Are the Brennans explores the redemptive power of love in an Irish Catholic family torn apart by secrets Each Brennan is unique and multifaceted…four distinct entities, yet they fit together perfectly and create an ideal (albeit a tad dysfunctional) team. Lange expertly depicts the complexities of families…showing the ugly underbelly of family dynamics right alongside their beautiful bond.A book begging to be read on the beach, with the sun warming the sand and salt in the air: pure escapism.

The chapters creatively alternate through each of the characters. A character that is ending a chapter begins the next chapter with the same previously spoken sentence as the story seamlessly progresses. I loved this choice of writing style for this story!Three woman who join together to rent a large space along the beach in Los Angeles for their stores—a gift shop, a bakery, and a bookstore—become fast friends as they each experience the highs, and lows, of love.

Quite the interesting story: full of melodrama, deeply flawed characters, misunderstandings, betrayals and bad, bad decisions. When twenty-nine-year-old Sunday Brennan wakes up in a Los Angeles hospital, bruised and battered after a drunk driving accident she caused, she swallows her pride and goes home to her family in New York. But it's not easy. She deserted them all—and her high school sweetheart—five years before with little explanation, and they've got questions. Reading this novel is like getting a view through a lighted window on a family sitting around a table after dark. All families have their own story and the ways they tell it to themselves, and untangling the many strands of this one was deep and richly satisfying. Denny pictured her waking up. Alone. “Do you have any idea how long she’s going to be in the hospital?” he asked. Now everyone has questions for Sunny but she's not the only Brennan family member with something to hide. This family is brimming with secrets!Told from multiple perspectives, I was curious about each one of the family members, along with Denny’s business partner, Sunday’s ex-fiancé. They all just seemed decent human beings making bad decisions. When a concrete barrier materialized before her out of thin air she slammed on the brake with both feet. She heard the roaring squeal of tires, felt the violent resistance of her old Toyota as the seat belt dug into her chest and shoulder. But she knew it was too late. The plot, although intriguing, pushed a few of my limits. I had a hard time suspending my disbelief regarding the reasons that Sunday left for Los Angeles, especially in this day and age.