I always found the author’s books lighthearted, funny and heartwarming with relatable characters and stories. Whether you’re at the beach or in a cosy place, her books are a great escape.
Grown-ups it’s a very long book. It says the story of multiple families with many characters on two or three generations. I must admit that it took me a lot of time to get my head around it because I found it a bit hard at the beginning to keep up with who is who and what they do. After the first half, everything started to come together and I got the hang of it.
The same great writing style and interesting characters overall.
Thanks to the publisher @penguinukbooks and @michaeljbooks for my review copy.

Grown Ups follows the lives of the Casey brothers and their sprawling families; wives and girlfriends, children, step-children and beyond. Flitting through time, the story explores the lives of each of the principal characters and how their lives became entwined over the course of 20 or so years.

During the initial few chapters I found it difficult to keep up with the sheer number of characters and who everyone was, but everything quickly fell into place as the story progressed. Of the three brothers, each seems to fit a stereotype; Johnny is the oldest brother - seemingly the ringleader of the family, a ladies man, always in control. Ed is the middle brother - quiet, observant and unassuming. Liam is the youngest - bit of a #lad, cocky, careless. Apart from this, the story mainly focuses on the brothers' respective partners Jessie, Cara, and Nell, and their own personal struggles.

This novel really explores the idea of the modern blended family and challenges the idea of a 'normal' family set-up. The relationships between each character is explored in really honest and detailed way, and the issues each character faces are dealt with sensitively throughout, especially Cara's struggle with an eating disorder. The character I most related to was Jessie; she's trying to be everything to everyone, to take charge of her business and family but forgetting that it's OK to ask for help sometimes. Her pride tells her she has to be in control at all times, and any setback is a sign of weakness. I enjoyed seeing the development of her character throughout the novel and I think she's a character a lot of people, especially women, will be able to relate to.

I very much enjoyed this novel and despite a bit of a slow start (for me) I was absolutely hooked by the end and was using every spare minute to keep reading. Marian Keyes does such a fantastic job of exploring the minutiae of daily domestic life and family drama, and I think this is a sub-genre of writing that is becoming more and more relevant. Little Women was the first novel that centred on women's experience and the validity of a life in the domestic sphere, and I love how that has developed and grown into novels such as Grown Ups. I personally love a good character story, one that focuses on one person or a close unit of characters and examines their lives and relationships, and this is a fantastic example.

I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this!

I’m normally a huge fan of Marian Keyes, but unfortunately this one wasn’t for me. It just didn’t feel anything like her normal work, which was a bit of a disappointment. It wouldn’t put me off reading another of her books, but it was just lacking her normal warmth and humour.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book for review. Unfortunately it wasn't for me and I will not be reviewing it.

A wonderful read. I love Marian Keyes books & this was no exception. A brilliant cast of characters that had me drawn in from the beginning. A story packed with laughter, heartbreak & a dysfunctional family

The typical Irish extended clan provides ideal scope for an entertaining family saga and as a rule I can't get enough of this genre. But my reading experience here felt like being at a large social gathering where I don't know anybody and immediately forget all the names and relationships soon after we are introduced.
The novel has an intriguing premise and prologue but then we are plunged into confusing and meanderingly slow flashbacks detailing the family dynamics of three brothers, their wives children and ex-wives, along with a slew of topical social issues.
Despite this over-abundance of characters, topics and storylines, it is worth persevering as the various elements begin to come together at the half way point. However, I feel this is one for the more determinedly loyal Marian Keyes fans.

I’ve read, and loved, all of Marian Keyes previous books so I was really pleased when I was accepted for an ARC of her new book. However, I just could not get into it. I’ve tried to read it twice (the first time I got to 10% and the second to 30%). There are far too many characters and nothing seems to be happening. Maybe this genre is just not for me anymore...

The Casey family are rich and privileged living what appears to be a charmed life. When Cara, Ed's wife, starts mentioning things that have previously been kept under wraps everything begins to unfold. Is it finally time to grow up? Marian Keyes at her best.

Thanks to netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Marian Keyes is one of my favourite authors however this book took some getting into. Once I got to grips with the flitting of the story from one couple to another I enjoyed reading it and wanted to find out what happened to each of the couples.

Really enjoyable read. Good characters and a Good story. Well worth a read. Think others will enjoy.

The Casey boys have it all - or so it seems.
Johnny is married to Jessie and together they run a successful business. But Jesse was married to his best friend before he died. Ed is married to Cara - but Cara is fighting an eating disorder. Liam is married to Nell but is all happy there?
Jessie insists and pays for them all to have fantastic weekends and holidays away together with all their children.
She hosts dinner parties and keeps them all together.
One explosive dinner Cara - suffering from concussion- makes some remarks and everything unravels.
They are all left to look at their lives and relationships - who will survive and who will move on?

Wow! Probably IMO her best yet! She didn’t write this book... she crafted it! That family.... felt so real... so real! Attention to detail for each character was perfect. I felt like i had met each one... very clever writing. Not one part was rushed it was a joy to read and savour.

I am so sad to let go of the Caseys'. This is the best book I have read for a long time and I am sure it will be a favourite of 2020. I am envious of anyone yet to read this. Such great characters and awesome witty dialogue with some great backstories with every character all coming to a stunning ending. I loved this book.

I really like Marian Keyes , she seems to have the same mindset as me. Saying that, I found this book hard-going at times . It takes a couple of hundred pages to build up the story which although relevant, seemed to go on for too long without getting anywhere. I could relate to the characters and the story from different viewpoints was OK and gave an extra dimension . Sometimes this can be confusing, but it was fine here because it gave insight into the way of thinking of the characters. The story was, on the whole believable and I liked the ending .... Still thinking about what happened to some of the characters though

I rceived a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review

Whether it's just Marian Keyes style that I struggled to get on board with or the meandering way the story moves forward, I just didn't connect with this book. The opening plunges you right into the middle of a conflict and with so many characters to contend with, it's difficult to find your focus as you get going. I have enjoyed some of Keyes' other novels in the past, but I suspect I'll be judging them on a case-by-case basis now to see if I really can enjoy them as much as I've enjoyed others.

I have read Marian Keyes books before so knew what to expect. The book is however quite lengthy,, over 600 pages, nonetheless I enjoyed the story immensely. The story revolves round the Casey family, three brothers, Johnny, Ed and Liam and their respective families. The families meet regularly for important occasions, birthdays, anniversaries etc, all of which are usually organised by Johnny’s wife Jesse. It’s irrelevant to Jesse whether the other brothers and their families can afford these occasions or even whether they wish to attend, Jesse makes sure they do by paying the costs. At an event for Johnny’s 49th birthday tensions which have always festered below the surface, explode when Cara, Ed's wife, following a bump to her head, spills some home truths and secrets are exposed. Keyes builds up a picture of each character and over a period of six months we get to know them all, their idiosyncrasies, their flaws and the seething tensions in family dynamics..I enjoyed the book enormously getting to know the characters expertly drawn by Keyes, the book is at times numerous, dark it touches on addictions, insecurity ,love and deception. A great read which I would recommend if you enjoy family sagas.

What a fantastic book; Marian is writing at her very best in Grown Ups.

I loved the wide mix of characters and how they interact with each other throughout the story.

Marian Keyes is excellent at drawing you in; I was 'in' from chapter 1. I stayed up far too late, 3 nights in a row to find out what would happen next to Jessie, Johnny and the entire Casey/ Kinsella clan.

A fantastic read, packed full of 'real' characters. Marian makes you care about the people you are reading about, she full develops each character, so much so that you feel as though you know them personally at the end of the tale.

Marian does not shy away from relevant, real life news stories. She shines a light on important issues within the book (no spoilers) and makes the reader consider things from different angles. This is a real quality and it adds so much depth to the novel.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book; I know Marian Keyes fans will adore it and I am sure that readers, who are new to Marian Keyes, will love it.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this advanced copy, it is much appreciated.

I love Marian Keyes books and I was beyond excited to be approved for this but was also a bit nervous (as this being the first one I've written a review about) that I wouldn't like it as much. I shouldn't have worried though! Marian has this beautiful way of writing that draws you in, it's not all sweetness and light with everything working out perfectly for everybody it's real and shows life as it is with ups and downs, love and hate, laughter and tears. I love the humour and how she tackles serious issues too and of course you can't help but read bits of it in an irish accent, which always makes me smile.

So onto the book which centers around Jessie Casey, her husband Johnny, her son Ferdia and daughter Saoirse from a previous marriage, their three daughters Bridey, TJ and Dilly, Johnny's brothers Ed, his wife Cara, their two boys Vinnie and Tom and Liam and his wife Nell. They spend a lot of family time together organised and run with military precision by Jessie who herself runs a very successful business.

The book starts at a family birthday dinner for Johnny. Cara the mild mannered wife of Ed hits her head gets concussion and can't stop herself from speaking her mind and spilling out secrets. This leads to a major fall out between ... well basically everybody.

The book then takes you through the six months leading up to the meal.

I could say so much about this book ... the Italian holiday, the festival (which sounded great, I would definitely go to that!) and the lighthouse! ... but I wouldn't want to spoil it for anybody.

For me a good book is when you become totally absorbed in it and actually feel like you're there in the story watching it all happen, rather than feeling like you're reading a story and you always get this with Marian's books they are so well written, she describes places and characters with great detail.

Another great book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin UK for the ARC

I voluntarily read this for an honest review
All thoughts are mine

Ahhh, Marian Keyes - just love her
I was so happy to be able to read this ARC

Marian Keyes is on her usual, wonderful form. I love her 'voice' and you can hear it all the way through

This is very character- driven and the storylines are broad and wide reaching and complex - just like families are so everyone can relate to someone in the family

I love Marian's sense of humour - its never mean, always funny and quirky - loved loved loved

No one does family dynamics as well as Marian Keyes – and this was a proper epic family saga. I was fully immersed in the Casey family, by the end of the book I felt like they were my own. It was long but that just added to it for me. I read it over the Christmas holidays and it was the perfect book to curl up on the sofa for hours with my own family. It deals with some pretty serious issues: mental health, addiction and grief (among others) but it was in no way a downer, if anything I felt uplifted by it and Marian's witty style. I really hope this isn't the last we see of the Casey family!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this e-copy in exchange for an honest review.