4 stars!

This is definitely a well written book and not at all what I expected!

It's a family drama type book... A serious one, with a theme that I did not guess.

“From the moment he’d been born, Johnny was my burden to bear. My cross. (...) But he was also my heart and his lopsided smile was a joy to me.”

Johnny is Peggy's 4th child. He has behavioral issues; has trouble concentrating and loses his temper easily.

Jonhny frequently terrorizes his little sister, Verónica.

“Everyone always thought Johnny was a little odd, but harmless. Unpredictable, sure, but sweet. I was one of the few people who saw this side of him. The side that could always find my weak spot. His cruel side.”

The book is told in a double POV. We see, mainly, Veronica's POV and her mother, Peggy's, perspective, here.

I really sympathized with Peggy. I felt for her, through all her struggles. And I really (really) understand Veronica's side too.

“Your mother is a good woman. But sometimes even good women make selfish choices. And good daughters often pay the price.”


The theme here was somewhat different. It left me interested in looking more into it; to actually do some research of my own. I don't think this is something that is very present in other books.

This book is important. It brings awareness. It's subtle; a bit mysterious at times, but slowly the plot intensifies and things are revealed.

Human relationships are complex and hard... As you will see in this book.

“It’s easy to get sucked into the vortex of your family.”

People are unperfect; and each have their own feelings, wills, wishes, issues and traumas... Dealing with it all, is sometimes very difficult.

“You know, when you live with this everyday, it seems normal.”

This was a book I can't say I enjoyed a lot reading (as it's not exactly a light or fun book), but it definitely made me reflect and think about many things.

This is definitely a book for book club or to buddy read, as you'll want to discuss it with someone.

I think this book makes for an entertaining read and you'll definitely become attached to some of the characters.

I really liked Rose Murphy's character. She was so sweet and the best neighbor and friend one could have.

I am curious about Rose's story - The Girls on Rose Hill: Three Generations of Love, Betrayal and Secrets - but I have a feeling her book is going to break my heart to pieces. So, I won't be reading it just right now.

Lastly, I have to say that I, weirdly, really liked the ending of this book. It was profound and somewhat sweet. It had a big impact on me... I was stuck still, awed, processing it for awhile.

“I may have been a lot of things in this life. (...) But to the end I was a mother. An imperfect mother, to be sure, but a loving mother nonetheless.”

“I was a mother who loved her children more than anything.”

Peggy and Veronica...two women from different generations, tied by blood. A warning, this story will rip out your heart and stomp all over it. Grab a box of tissues and keep it nearby. Walsh does an excellent job of bringing the story to life, and evoking strong emotions in the reader. The characters feel more like real people than imaginary inhabitants of a book. This book will draw you in before you know what's happening, and moves along smoothly from start to finish. An emotional read that is sure to stick with you even after you've closed the book.

Johnny Be Good is a wonderful novel, dealing with the effects of binge drinking and how it can spiral and destroy a whole family if it's allowed to. Bernadette Walsh takes a sensitive approach to this story of a mother who drinks too much...and upon finding a letter from her deceased mother, she reads it in spite of the fact that she knows she will regret it. A good novel portraying a very difficult subject...I found it both informational and touching.

This wasn't so much the story of Johnny this was the story of an alcoholic mother who was struggling with her own issues and how it resonated with her children. I enjoyed that it did allow the viewpoint of both Peg and Veronica but it would have been nice to have a little bit of Sean's viewpoint in there for a different dynamic.

When a mother regrets her life choices when it comes to her children, what she'll do? What if it's too late?

Here the mother, Margaret regrets everything she did with her 2 younger children, she tries to set things right. It was too late to save her marriage but she can salvage whatever relationship she has with her younger daughter.

I liked the characters and the writing was fluid. But I loved the theme of this book. While reading this book I realised that how parents are important in a child's life. How everything a parent does impacts the child.

Since I read an ARC copy, I identified a few mistakes which can be edited. Overall it's a good book which talks about the importance of parenting.

Thank you, NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the ARC.

This was a beautifully written story with realistic characters It is a story of family and the effects of love and loss.
Many thanks to BooksGoSocial and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Wow! You know that feeling- when you are walking out of a movie and you are still lost in the story and it’s hard to snap back to real life? That’s what this women’s fiction did to me. Call it all the usual adjectives- brutal, searing, honest, painful- you will never forget Peggy, Sean, Veronica or Rose.

Author Bernadette Walsh describes her books, “While I've hopped around genres from humorous romance to serious women's fiction, all of my books to date have a common theme: strong women handling what life throws at them the best way they can.” Peggy is the Irish-American mother in this story who married visiting Irishman Sean Lynch when she became pregnant. After their first child, they had twins and settled in to their life on Rose Hill Road on Long Island and had the usual ups and downs.

But when life becomes even bumpier, Peggy copes with alcohol and the family, which now includes Johnny and Veronica, begins to fracture. This story is told in the first person, mainly by Peggy and Veronica. The author shines as a storyteller- the characters are vivid and real. Veronica’s passion for Irish dancing is a rich part of the story. Neighbor Rose adds a kind touch to the troubled lives of the Lynch family.

I wish I could say that this story gave me hope or that it had a happy ending. It does have the best ending it could have, but this is a troubling and bleak story and could be triggering for some. There are frequent typos, but this story is so overwhelming, they are not a problem. If you like strong characters and honest and real stories, I recommend this book. Thanks to BooksGoSocial and NetGalley for a digital review copy. This is my honest review.

My first book written by Bernadette Walsh. I love when I find an author that I am interested in checking into the other books she has written. Definitely the case with this. She writes a brutally honest story based on a mother/daughter relationship. A story of love and loss. Thanks for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

I enjoyed the book. It was different from my normal read. A touching story.
Thanks, NetGalley for the advance copy to review.

An enjoyable story with much emotional detail and very good characterization.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is a story about a family and how they managed to hurt each other even when we did not mean too. Peg is a 31 year old woman who is attracted to a immigrant man 12 yrs her junior Sean. One thing leads to another and Peg is pregnant and Sean does the right thing and marries her. Peg and Sean’s life together is complicated and they have 5 children together. Veronica is the youngest of the five and she seems to be her brother Johnny is always picking on her. Veronica’s life is a struggle with Johnny’s bullying and her moms constant protection of Johnny. By Veronica’s dad is her only champion and supports her dancing.
When Peg leaves a note for Veronica will she open it and read it? Will Veronica ever understand why her mom was so hard on her? Deciding not to go to college what will happen to Veronica?

I enjoyed this story. I was grateful for a chance to read this advanced copy read.

Johnny Be Good is a great book. I enjoyed the plot and the well developed characters. The author is new to me and I enjoyed her writing and will read more of her books. I received an arc from the publisher and this is my unbiased review.

Excellent reading material,like the way the book is divided into character section,one for veronica and the other for Peggy.Each character contributes to the story which centers around just two of the children,the ones that in some way have been damaged by Peggy drinking.
An awsome storyline dealing with binge drinking and the spiral effects on family.