Audiobook Review: The Connellys of County Down

BOOK DESCRIPTION (FROM AMAZON)

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.

BOOK REVIEW

The Connellys of County Down is a riveting combination of family drama and romance that deals with making mistakes, starting over, and judging others. It’s also about a family that is worn down from hard times, but still tries to help each other. It’s a heartwarming novel.

Issues that some of the characters deal with are control, keeping secrets, prison sentences, and hoarding. The romance is a nice touch that does not overtake the main themes of the book. The relationships between the siblings are very realistic and show their ups and downs. They are far from a perfect family, and that makes the book better.

The audiobook was narrated by Barrie Kreinik, who expertly conveyed all of the personalities, emotions, trials, and fears of the characters. I was riveted by the performance.

My rating is 4.5 stars, rounded up to five on sites with no half-star option.

I received a free copy of this audiobook from MacMillan Audio. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tracey Lange was born and raised in New York City. She graduated from the University of New Mexico with a degree in psychology before owning and operating a behavioral healthcare company with her husband for fifteen years. While writing her debut novel, We Are the Brennans, she completed the Stanford University online novel writing program. She currently lives in Bend, Oregon with her husband, two sons, and beloved German Shepherd.

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ABOUT THE NARRATOR

Barrie Kreinik is an actor, singer, writer, and audiobook narrator based in New York City. She was nominated for a 2023 Audie Award for her narration of A House Full of Windsor by Kristin Contino.

On January 29th, Barrie performed in the first public reading of Dublin Noir by Honor Molloy as part of Origin Theatre Company’s 2023 1st Irish Festival.

Barrie’s narration of Michelle Hart’s debut novel We Do What We Do in the Dark was named one of the Best Audiobooks of 2022 by the New York Times.

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