This book was not available to read on kindle.
Only realised, after I’d been accepted and went to download - kindle not available. I therefore cannot read it, nor give feedback.
It would be good if the download options for each book were available before requesting.

❤️ Review time! ❤️
This book is an amazing read. In the beginning it’s a bit slow but it pulls you in before you know it and you get completely absorbed into the plot and outcome of the ending. It’s heartwarming and heartbreaking and really leaves you feeling every emotion known to man all in one. This is a definite must read. It’s told from two perspectives and has short chapters that are easily followed. It’s well thought out and is slow to build but worth the wait.

This book is about four siblings and their struggles to overcome issues within the family to care for their mother who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s that is slowly getting worse after the passing of Bill their step-dad. It mainly focuses on James who is an alcoholic and Laura who is a therapist with struggles of her own.


Posted on Amazon and Goodreads.

I liked the premise of the book and the sibling relationship aspect of it. I just couldn’t get into the story once I actually was reading it.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an eARC copy of this book!

When I read the description, I was instantly drawn to this story about four siblings caring for their mother who's been diagnosed with Alzheimer's. As I read through the pages, and followed their journey, I was brought to tears at times. What made this book even more phenomenal was that Law has written a heartbreaking tale that manages to infuse joy into an otherwise dark time for this family.

We especially focus on Laura and James. Laura-- an educated woman struggling with living up to her own standard. And James-- a person who struggles with alcoholism and has hurt so many people around him. In their own way, both Laura and James grow as people, and they learn to find their strength in family as they're caring for their mother.

I'll be on the lookout for Law's next book, and I'm excited to follow her career as an author!

Catchlight is the story of how a family reacts when their mother is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. This was a great read that feels true to life. Thank you NetGalley, author Brooke Adams Law, and the publisher Woodhall Press LLP for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Catchlight Review


The story of the Keene family captured my
attention from the start as Katherine Keene’s children are called to the hospital to learn of her Alzheimer’s diagnosis. Readers engage in this journey through the perspectives of two of the Keene children - Laura and James. These dynamic characters provide a voice for the family as they grapple with their own personal battles and the new realities of being a caregiver to their mother.

Catchlight reignited a passion for reading that I thought I had lost. Following the story of the Keene family and riding along their rollercoaster of highs and lows created a very real reader experience. This story is beautifully written and Law has captured some of life’s most challenging moments with a sense of clarity and authenticity.

5 stars alone for the incredibly realistic characters. Catchlight drops us into the lives of four dysfunctional adult siblings faced with multiple family crises, one of which is their mother's losing battle with Alzheimer's. The novel wisely follows the "show, don't tell" storytelling style, and, through excellent prose, the siblings' idiosyncrasies and imperfections quickly become apparent so that we feel we know them intimately. The book's structure rests in the dichotomy of two alternating sibling narrators who, at the outset, could not be more different. Not all characters are initially likable, but they are believable, and the wide character arc of one in particular (James) is particularly moving in its journey. Several tragedies and life-changing revelations occur early on in short succession (perhaps a bit too conveniently), and the initial portion of the novel adheres more to a "character reacts to plot" narrative than "character drives plot." While a couple chapters in the first half may be somewhat repetitive and drag slightly, these are the exceptions. As the book progresses, the pacing tightens and it quickly becomes a page turner. I read the last third in one sitting. This is the strongest part because it's where the stories, characters, and conflict finally converge and the central theme becomes apparent. Although the ending presents no real surprises, it is touching. Recommended!

Catchlight is a compelling read, intriguing plot twists, stark prose, brother-sister narrators, and above all, a story of transformation through facing life's trials head-on and with help. Allowing ourselves to accept help is one of the hardest things we can do, and Law's main characters struggle at first, but eventually give themselves permission to be supported. Through this act, they accomplish more than they could alone, as well as realize their internal strength that has been within all the time. It took a few chapters to become obsessed with finding out what was coming next, but once I got hooked, I read quickly, eagerly, and was rewarded with the unraveling of a touching, well-crafted story.

I devoured Catchlight by Brooke Adams Law. This novel, about four siblings navigating life and the curveball of their mother’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis, is threaded with love, grace and hope. It’s a compelling page turner that you’ll want to read from cover to cover.

Catchlight pushed me past the boundaries of my comfort zone while ushering me into a very personal relationship with the narrating characters. I felt connected to them in a way that I wasn’t expecting. I found myself wanting to meet them in person and learn more about their lives and their futures.

When the Catchlight came to a close, I felt honored to have been a part of the journey.

This is definitely one for the favorites shelf.

Catchlight is a plot-driven story centered on the lives of four siblings whose estrangement is interrupted by their mother's Alzheimer's diagnosis. Told from the perspective of two different siblings - a therapist and an alcoholic - Catchlight gives voice to messy emotions many novelists shy away from - shame, grief, and loss. The characters immediately feel familiar and their struggles relatable. You will find yourself cheering them on and hoping for a sequel.

Catchlight reminded me of the power of love, forgiveness and family. This is a great book that is very hard to put down. The 4 Keene children were just given the devastating diagnosis that their mom has Alzheimer's disease. Laura and James are siblings and the narrators of the story. They bring you on a journey of their lives and choices that they have and do make along the way. I fell in love with both of them for their own perspectives, albeit completely different. Laura's truthfulness about her feelings towards her mom as the disease progressed, overreacting and being short tempered, was so relate-able and so honestly told. I found it comforting to know that we are all going through this turbulent journey together and we are not alone in our pain and how we each handle it. But this book is so much more that Alzheimer's, it’s about patience, perseverance, sacrifice, family and most importantly it’s about love. Brooke has a way of writing that makes you feel like she was at your family dinner table and sharing your feeling. You will be well rewarded if you pick up this book but will miss the characters when it’s finished.

Do any of us truly know what we would do if tragedy struck our families? How we would react? Would we be able to handle it? Brooke Adams Law digs into that idea and takes the time to explore one family's highs and lows after their matriarch's Alzheimer's diagnosis in "Catchlight." She guides us through the youngest of the four Keene siblings, Laura and James, who share the narration a few chapters at a time, bringing us into their journey of grief, pain, and growth.

Law brings us a captivating story about how people navigate life while facing their own fears and failures and confronting the fact that you are not what is expected of you. Her characters are relatable and well-rounded and her writing allows the story to flow from beginning to end. There were a couple moments that felt a little convenient, but overall I was invested in this family and wanted to see them through this awful moment in their lives.

Read this book. It is fascinating, gripping, funny, heartbreaking, and real.

I started reading Catchlight and didn't put it down until I finished at 2:30 a.m.! A novel about alzheimer's impact on both patient and family is not the first subject one thinks of for a gripping, page turner of book. And yet, here we are -- Brooke Adams Law has written an impossible to put down, deeply compassionate portrait of family dysfunction and individual redemption brought on by the matriarch's illness.

Law's prose is spare and unadorned, as beautiful and functional as a Shaker house. There is nothing out of place and nothing self indulgent. Through masterful use of dialogue and a steady pace that compels the reader to turn the page and find out what happens next, Law tells the story through the point of view of two siblings, one the alcoholic black sheep of the family and the other a therapist with poor boundaries.

Catchlight is a compelling read, whose ostensibly dark subject is explored with such sensitivity and depth that the reader is left with hope and a lighter heart. Through her characters and their journey we too can find the truer, better version of ourselves even when our world is falling apart.

Reading this book is similar to watching a movie in many respects. Like a world-class actor or actress who can study a role and get into it fully before the camera, a gifted writer has the literary skills to write almost anything. Law is such an author who tells reality the way it is - hostile family dynamics, contradictions, fears, holding grudges, reacting from getting stuck in the past, or the peaks and valleys of a person can reach. No one, no profession is immune to the physical and mental challenges of living.

The characters of Laura, James, Izzy, Robert, and others are great because they are our mirrors, the reflection of our lives. They are real people with intense raw emotions, painful secrets, possessiveness, and struggles with death and dying. We can even learn a few things from this novel, such as the real freedom and joy of shaking a severe addiction, or the power of repentance in righting the wrong. Brooke also pushes us to be a better person every day through the characters in the story. If you want to give hope and love a chance or read for awareness and personal growth, this is the right book.
This book is a must-read in the dark times we’re in today. Enjoy the rides in this book.

Entertaining & Inspiring & Emotional & Devastating & Uplifting & Romantic & Heartbreaking. In short, Catchlight is everything you could want out of a book. It gives perspective on families & how those we share our lives with help shape us. What choices we make & how those affect those around us. I have so much more insight & empathy for my parents & their relationship with their own parents; as well as the struggle of anyone that’s had to work as a caretaker. If you want something to truly capture your attention (and maybe move you to a bit of introspection on your own family ties) - Catchlight is it.

Catchlight is a captivating read where authentic human emotions are woven together sprinkled with humor to balance the experiences of the characters as they navigate their personal dilemmas in addition to caring for their mother with Alzheimer's Disease. As it rips into the emotions, it allows us to face ourselves while giving a message of hope and healing.

Who would we be without expectations?
Catchlight tells the story of a family struggling to care for their aging mother. While the story is centered around the recent Alzheimer's diagnosis, the deeper story begs us to consider how much expectations define our actions and the extent to which we allow family dynamics to determine our future. Law's characters feel all too relatable as they confront the expectations they have placed on themselves and the roles they have come to fill in their family. Their stories haunt the reader long after the book has been set down.

I found myself relating deeply to Laura, the perpetual over-giver and peacekeeper who grapples with sacrificing her own happiness and freedom to meet the needs of her mother and siblings. As the daughter of an alcoholic father, witnessing Law's portrayal of James as he struggles with his addiction and the pain he causes to those he loves most rang so true. His story is incredibly powerful, and I found myself experiencing more grace for my father and those battling an addiction.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I began reading Catchlight. A good story? To learn more about Alzheimer's? To be entertained? While Law delivered on those expectations, the book was far more powerful than that. Catchlight is a brilliant study of human behavior and how many of us may one day be faced with the choice of redefining our roles and expectations or risk never living a life of our own.

Catchlight tells the story of four siblings who are struggling with their mother's diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease in the wake of her husband's untimely death. Law brilliantly tells the story from the perspective of two of the four siblings, Laura and James, and we quickly fall in love with the Keene family, dysfunction and all. Law's writing makes it so that you can feel the all the happiness, turmoil and grief this family experiences throughout the book making it a real page turner. While you aren't left with a cliffhanger, there are still untold stories regarding the other two Keene siblings leaving readers yearning for a sequel from their point of view. This is definitely a series in the making.

This book takes an extremely raw look at how four Rhode Island siblings deal with their mother’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis. Focussing on two of the siblings, Laura and James, you’ll see the ripple effect this has on their busy life, in their relationships with others and in how they support each other and their parents in a time of crisis. Told from a dual perspective in alternating chapters, the author subtly pulls you into a complex web of family issues and emotions that keep you spellbound as these characters spiral out of control. Once they hit rock bottom and deal with their loss and addiction, your heartstrings will pull as they attempt to gain some semblance of family and love again. Law makes no attempt to sugar-coat her prose, nor does she hold back on dark issues and bad language; it is what it is. Her characters are human; ones with a good heart, yet ones who make poor choices under stress. Life is rough, tough and excruciatingly raw for the Keene siblings; however, they learn to rely on each other to heal. It will take an open mind to accept this permissive behaviour but it will be a rewarding debut read from a straightforward storyteller.
I received this e-book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I couldn't put this book down. The story was both heartbreaking and uplifting; the characters gritty, poignant and inspiring. The siblings deal with a mother's diagnosis, the secrets that are subsequently unveiled, alcoholism and its spiderweb of effects and consequences, unfaithfulness, divorce, but also the family's deep love for each other. Can't wait for the movie!